Manchester Watch Works has just released two new variants in their popular Trench Watch and Morgan Racing Chronograph lines. As I have reviewed both of these in depth before, I’ll just hit the highlights.
The Battenkill
Manchester’s Trench Watch series has been a runaway success and for good reason. Its polished stainless steel case is 40x47x11mm – an ideal size for a dress to dress casual watch. A 100m water resistance rating means it can handle most wet activities. Curved sides, a domed sapphire crystal, and wire lugs (containing modern spring bars) give it a timeless elegance. This combination makes it an excellent all’rounder.
The Battenkill has a classic motoring theme, borrowing its design from Depression-era dashboard clocks. Its dagger hands, vintage SuperLuminova, and textured small seconds on the black dial really capture the mood. Like previous Trench Watches, it has a reliable Miyota 8245 automatic with a 42-hour power reserve and 21.6k bph vibration rate. It also has a coin edged, screw down crown at 4:30, which has been enlarged to 6mm. This is a welcome improvement as the smaller crown on previous versions could be hard to pinch.
The Battenkill sells for $270 and comes on a 20mm tan leather strap with a signed buckle.
The Morgan Monaco
A true racing chronograph, the Morgan has a 40x48mm brushed stainless steel case with a polished edge, and a raised and beveled sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating. 100m water resistance provides more than ample protection for most sporting activities. It runs an IsaSwiss 8371 quartz with a 5-year battery life and a smooth 1/5 second sweep. At first glance, it appears to have two registers (30-minute and small seconds) as the contrasting sub dials jump out at you, but there is also a more subtle elapsed hours indicator at 6:00.
The Monaco takes its name from the iconic Heuer chronograph of Steve McQueen fame, and shares that model’s white on sunray blue color scheme but that is where the similarities end. The case and dial more closely resemble the Zenith El Primero, and that is not a bad thing at all. I have seen the previous black/black and white/brown Morgans, and I own a silver/blue. All are attractive, but this new blue/silver is by far the prettiest of the bunch. The red second hand and silver “eyes” really pop against the deep, shimmering blue dial. BWG9 SuperLuminova keeps things lively at night.
The Morgan Monaco sells for $290 and comes with a 20mm quilted black leather strap. Manchester bills it as a “burnout pattern” but to my eye it is more like a late 60’s sports car interior. Whichever, it is lovely and a nice departure from the more common rally straps.
Both of these models are limited editions, so if you should act fast if like what you see. For more information, or to order your own, head over to ManchesterWatchWorks.com, and while you’re at it, get 15% off any item through May 31, 2017 with code TIMEBUM2017. ⬩
