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5 of the best sleepers of the year from the new issue of NOW magazine

Borna Bošnjak

We pride ourselves on curating the most concise, complete and coherent buying guide for each issue of NOW magazine. But as we put it together, what always becomes clear is that there are some truly fantastic watches that continue to fly under the radar – so we thought we’d give them a special shout-out. You can check out all of my picks, and 202 more, in the new issue of NOW magazine.

Laco Flieger Pro

The recipe for a flieger is a simple one. Combine a fuss-free, matte case with a legible, highly contrasting dial and an onion crown, and you’ve got yourself a flieger. Laco, one of the many German brands that experienced post-WWII revivals, now lets their customers inject a bit of personality into their pilot’s watches with the Flieger Pro line. Fergus explored these in depth in a hands-on article, but the real takeaway is that the quality, affordability and style versatility of this Laco model makes it a great proposition in an otherwise boring flieger world (sorry, not sorry). Price: starting from €850

Nivada Grenchen Chronomaster Aviator Sea Diver

Giving Rado some competition for best retro re-issue has to be the Nivada Grenchen Chronomaster Aviator Sea Diver. One third of the trifecta revived by the brilliant Guillaume Laidet, the designs stay true to those of the past, while being upgraded with all the modern bells and whistles. We got to spend some time with one earlier this year, and have a deeper dive into its essence and history on the way. Price: A$2,872

Hamilton Khaki Pilot Pioneer Mechanical Chronograph

Released as a re-issue of a Fab Four chronograph originally used by the British Royal Airforce, this is a punchy, compact chronograph at an accessible price and with a rich history. At 40mm in diameter and 14.4mm in height, the asymmetrical case houses Hamilton’s H-51-Si manually wound movement with 60 hours of power reserve and a silicone balance spring. We’re expecting this one to drop in the Time+Tide Shop soon. Price: A$3,150

Rado Captain Cook Over-Pole

Vying for the best vintage re-issue of the year is Rado’s phenomenal Over-Pole. The fumé dial, intricate markers and sharp hands are excellent modern touches, while retaining vintage-like quirks – listing Brisbane on the world time bezel is my favourite one. At 37mm in diameter and 43.1mm lug-to-lug, it’s eminently wearable and actually feels like a vintage watch – and not in a crappy way. You can check out the full review here. Price: A$3,850

Vacheron Constantin Traditionelle Perpetual Ultra Thin

This may come as a bit of a surprise to some, but none more so than myself, seeing an astounding lack of buzz around the release of the Traditionnelle Perpetual Ultra Thin. If I told you Vacheron Constantin released a 36.5mm diameter, 8.43mm thickness perpetual calendar with a wonderfully decorated movement, I’m sure many an enthusiasts’ ear would perk right up. Diamond-studded and with mother of pearl dials, they’re not as versatile as some may want them to be, but they’re still great options when considering Vacheron’s other ultra-slim perpetual calendar options. Price: A$129,000