Hot List: November 21, 2025
So the Scott robot idea didn’t go very well. It’s our fault for using Russian engineers. Seriously, these guys haven’t had much to hang their ushankas on since Sputnik. Fortunately, the Swiss and Japanese can still make technical marvels, and we have a few to tell you about here.
OMEGA PLANET OCEAN 42MM
A bold new redesign of Omega’s deep sea diver has occurred, and you could strap it onto a sinking Red October and it would be just fine. It swaps to a sharper, more angular 42 mm case, drops the helium-escape valve, and uses a thin profile — just 13.8 mm thick — for a more streamlined, modern look.
FREDERIQUE CONSTANT CLASSICS PREMIERE
A classic? The Battleship Potemkin, the last great Russian movie — now 100 years old. This salmon dial, art-deco inspired watch could also have come from the 1920s. Powered by an in-house automatic movement, it delivers timeless sophistication with modern Swiss precision.
WOLF DESIGNS ATHOS WATCH WINDER SAFE
Speaking of movies, if the russkies decide to parachute into town a la Red Dawn (Wolverines!), know that all your watches will be safe and wound while you and your friends plot to save America from a hillside redoubt. This safe houses up to 12 precision Bluetooth-controlled winders inside a UL- and Eurograde-certified steel safe.
ALPINA ALPINER EXTREME
This CA dial design was originally created for improved legibility in low light. It gained its nickname from the California-based dial refinishers who popularized it in the 1970s and 80s —coincidentally the same time the USSR entered its terminal decline. This Alpiner also has a textured dial, integrated strap design, and a rugged automatic movement.
MIDO TV BIG DATE
What won the Cold War? Many believe it was good-ole-fashioned television, which was generally more captivating than watching bears ride unicycles. Now you can own a piece of this triumph with Mido’s multi-level brushed dial and bold big-date window at 12 o’clock. It’s powered by a Caliber 80 automatic movement with a shock- and magnet-resistant Nivachron™ balance spring.
ORIS PROPILOT DATE
This Oris is fully aviation-inspired with a rugged 41 mm stainless-steel case and a highly legible dial. It’s powered by Oris’s automatic calibre 733, offering about 41 hours of power reserve, and features a prominent fluted bezel that evokes jet-engine turbine blades. Rumor has it that Yakov Smirnoff owns one. What a country!
SEIKO SPB545
Next time your Russian friend gets cocky about chess, ballet, or novels, remind them who thoroughly thrashed them in the Russo-Japanese conflict of 1904-5. The same victorious spirit wholly defines this diver’s watch inspired by the turquoise-blue waters of Okinawa and featuring a sunray-pattern dial and a muted grey bezel.
CHRONOSWISS JUMPING HOUR
And finally, how about this Jumping Hour? It showcases a clean, regulator-inspired layout where a precise aperture snaps forward instantly each hour. There’s also an intricate guilloché dial, classic casework, and a mechanical animation that would make greatest Russian entertainer of all time, Eduard Khil (of trolololo fame), want to learn some new moves.
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