I have some interest in the Seastar 2000, the 600 metre dive watch certified to ISO 6425 (2018) standards. The Reference T120.607.11.041.01 features a blue wave dial motif and black ceramic bezel insert, the darkish hue on the edge of the dial offers pretty good contrast, this diver has some chunkiness about it. The three link bracelet merges well with the case, the folding clasp with safety latch is a little dated.

One of the apprentices brought one in for me to look at, the helium valve ensures this is a professional dive watch suitable for commercial mixed gas diving with stints in the recompression chamber and/or saturation bell. The 46 mm stainless 316L steel case is big, the crown protector is integral with the case and sits well with the largish crown. The large baton hands offer plenty of lume, the second hand with lollypop really works well, the round applied index markers offer a stylish dive watch.

The Powermatic 80 can be viewed through the display caseback, this is a proven automatic movement based on the ETA 2824-2 architecture with Tissot upgrades. The 80 hour power reserve is now becoming de rigeur with Tissot, this long power reserve comes with some limitations with 21,600 vph. The Nivachron balance spring offers plenty of magnetic resistance, this is a titanium-based alloy that is exclusive for Swatch Group brands. The Seastar Reference T120.607.11.041.01 offers plenty to the wearer and I can see why this is a popular diver.

Possibly the most collectible Rolex model; released in 1963, the Cosmograph Daytona is the motorsport timepiece that is now viewed as the coolest of the Rolex models – no arguments from me. For anyone interested in motorsport, Daytona Beach in Florida is the famous venue for NASCAR’s Daytona 500 mile race along with other events at Daytona International Speedway. It isn’t much of a stretch to name the Rolex chronograph after the legendary motorsport track.

Released in 1955, the precursor to the Cosmograph Daytona was the manually wound 6234 reference that was apparently anything but a best seller. Rolex was well regarded in the sports watch category and the chronograph was fitted inside an oyster case with the tachometer printed on the dial. There was only 500 of this model manufactured between the years of 1955 to 1961, known as the pre-Daytona, these timepieces are highly collectible and sell for big dollars.

The Cosmograph model was released in 1963 and featured to tachograph scale engraved in the bezel to increase legibility. Not yet known as the Daytona, the name given to the chronograph was Le Mans before a name change to Daytona. Despite being worn by racing enthusiast Paul Newman, the Daytona was not yet a popular timepiece and somewhat languished behind other well known chronographs.

The current model Cosmograph Daytona is fitted with the in-house 4130 automatic perpetual movement from 2000 onwards that has a 72 hour power reserve with parachrom hairspring and COSC certification. The classic Daytona models were fitted with an outsourced and modified Valjoux Calibre 72 hand wound movements with Rolex raising the standard frequency from 18,000 to 21,600 vph.

From 1988 onwards, the Zenith El Primero automatic movement was fitted to the Cosmograph Daytona range with modifications including slowing the standard 36,000 vph to 28,800 vph. Ironically, the early Cosmograph Daytona was not in demand and a poor seller, apparently Rolex retailers were eager to discount the model to get them to sell.

Now days, a waiting list of three to five years is not uncommon to secure a Cosmograph Daytona with a basic oyster steel model setting you back $15,700 AUD, white gold $36,450 AUD, yellow gold $44, 050 AUD and the platinum model is listed as price on request. Remarkably, these prices seem pretty reasonable as rare and vintage Cosmograph Daytona models can set you back $200k plus along with some of the Paul Newman models.

The double standard is staggering, South Africa has referred Israel to the International Court of Justice yet they seem to have magically failed to refer their sponsor Russia to the same court. The South African government has failed to apply the same standard to Russia, a known country supporting terrorist activities. So, what is going on here?

Russia invaded Ukraine, there has been numerous documented incidents of Russian torture, Russian murder, indiscriminate Russian bombing of Ukrainian cities and intentional targeting of civilians. Then there is the targeting of civilian infrastructure from the power grid to communications. Then there is the targeting of hospitals, the Russians are just disgraceful, it is hard to argue any positive aspects in their flawed reasoning.

The Ukrainian cities have been flattened by Russian artillery, this is straight out of the Russian military playbook, devastated the cities, killed civilians and caused mass movement of displaced people. We have seen Russia kidnap Ukrainian children and take them over the border to Belarus and Russia for indoctrination of Ukrainian children. The war crimes committed in Ukrainian gall me, the international community has been slow to respond with military aid as they fear Russian escalation and nuclear retaliation. Yet the world knows Russia invaded Ukraine, they know war crimes have been and are currently being committed and they know there is more to come.

If we compare this to the situation in Gaza, all the foreign aid offered to Palestine was used to build tunnels and procure weapons. None of this went to the betterment of the Palestinian population, instead they celebrated in the streets after the October 7 surprise attack. Israel was caught off guard with the October 7 attacks and a large number of the hostages are still being held in the tunnel network. The world is aware of the sexual assault and abuse of Israeli women, yet this does not seem to bother the South African government, they endorse this abuse of women.

The PRS516 mechanical chronograph [Reference T149.459.21.051.00] is not the only chronograph in the Tissot catalogue. The PRS516 sits in the sports collection so that is pretty much their premier range and a pretty decent chronograph for the price of $2925.00. A good budget chronograph when a premium range chronograph from the premium watchmakers is upwards of $10,000.

The three dial chronograph with sub-dials at the 3 o’clock, 6 o’clock and 9 o’clock positions, the colour contrast on the white sub-dial rings, the white and black bezel is a great contrast. The paddle/syringe hands are unusual, they are just too big and rectangular and just too clunky for my liking. The orange hands of the sub-dials work well, there are a number of colours on the PRS516 but they seem to merge well.

The 41 mm 316L stainless steel case is not all that rounded, I don’t think I am a fan of the rounded case lugs, I do really like the mineral glass display caseback though. The Calibre A05.291 is an ETA 7753 hand-wound movement with 26 jewels and a 60 hour power reserve, the movement operates at 28,000 vph frequency [4Hz] so has the required accuracy. The 7753 is a fantastic chronograph movement fitted to so many timepieces, this movement has been around since the early 1970s so fits the retro look of the PRS516.

Overall I am positive on the PRS516 mechanical chronograph, it is priced accordingly but just a tad expensive for my watch collection. The PRS516 mechanical chronograph would work well as the primary watch and I do not think I would do this justice in my rotation. This chronograph would just not get the required wrist time, so I will not be adding to my collection for this reason alone.

I was down the shops sitting in a cafe after a colleague sparked my interest in watch collecting. I was sitting there having a flat white and citrus tart thinking of what constitutes the top five chronographs. Depending on what you are looking for, the chronograph is a brilliant choice, so I thought, what I think are the top five chronograph watches? Any one of these five chronographs will make an individual a serious collector. All with different styles, all these designs are from the late 50s and early to late 60s. All classic designs that have stood the test of time. I decided to rewrite an email for a blog post. 

Rolex Daytona – the Cosmograph Daytona named after the race track at Daytona Beach in the retirement state. The older versions used a Valjoux 7750 movement before Rolex came up with their own in-house chronograph movement.  It is argued that the Cosmograph Daytona is one of the most highly sought after Rolex model, the waiting list is long, Rolex just can’t supply and has made this model unattainable for most, hence its desirability.

Omega Speedmaster – timeless design from 1957 worn on all manned lunar missions. There have been many reiterations over the decades, but for me, the Moonwatch Professional is the quintessential chronograph of the Omega brand. This was the chronograph that was used to time the Apollo 13 burn to get them back to earth when all the other instruments in the control module had been shut down. So a mission so high tech in the early 1970s, it is incredible this famous NASA mission relied on old mechanical technology to get the crew home.

Zenith El Primero – set the standard for the chronograph, when they went into receivership the chief engineer was told to destroy all the designs from the chronograph movement to the case. He hid the designs at his house and around a decade later they revived the original design. For myself, the El Primero 3019 PHC movement is a masterpiece, it is so fortunate that the 3019 PHC movement design and tooling was not lost. Powering the early series Rolex Cosmograph Daytona models, the 4030 cam-type chronograph movement was used until Rolex developed their own in-house chronograph in 2000. 

Breitling Navitimer – most chronographs have a motoring background, however, the Navitimer is an aviation tool watch. The Navitimer is designed for pilots and features a circular slide rule for mid-air calculations, this makes the dial hard to read for the average watch enthusiast. I have never been a huge fan of the flieger style, I do respect the history and application of the Navitimer, this is the most unique of the chronographs. A WWII era flieger is known for a large clear dial with a 12 o’clock triangular index marker and a large crown that can be operated with gloves on. The circular slide rule is unique to the Navitimer, 

TAG Heuer Carrera – the Heuer Carrera is pretty much the chronograph that made Heuer, this 1960s design pretty much sums up what the Heuer Watch Company was. Although there have been plenty of models over the years, the 160 years Limited Edition is the best. I love the silver dial version, the clean and refined look of the dial makes this by far the best version. I don’t like the skeltonised version, the dial is horrible, the height too large and not a great wrist feel.

Lavazza really is Italy’s favourite coffee, it is not difficult to see why, I drink the gold labelled Oro ground coffee beans. It has been a while since I was in Italy, the last time I was there I saw Lavazza signs everywhere. It is not hard to see why, Lavazza is flavoursome and bold without much bitterness. Hopefully I will be in Italy this year and renew my association with Italian coffee, it has been a decade, I will see what has changed.

Lavazza is my daily choice at work, I have a French press so brewed coffee in a mug is my work coffee. I have a Nespresso machine at home, so whilst I can purchase Lavazza coffee capsules now, I prefer their ground coffee. I like my coffee strong so a heaped tablespoon will ensure the coffee is not weak. I tried some Lavazza capsules but didn’t like them that much, to my thinking, you cannot beat ground Lavazza coffee.

The idea of the Google suite of word processing, spreadsheet and presentation software you can download to your phone, tablet or computer is a great idea if it works when you need it. I am looking at either updating my tablet or purchasing a Chromebook laptop computer for writing on the fly.

I write all of my blog posts in Google Docs first and then copy/paste into WordPress when I am done. That way I can work off-line and move forward with posts on the train, the bus or when I am sitting in a cafe somewhere. However, what I have learned I’d that Google Docs is not always available when I want it, I have to be on mobile data and that is not always.

What I like about Google Docs is that it is always on hand, when I walk around and come up with an idea for a post, I can either add it to the list of topics. Likewise, I can begin my draft whilst the inspiration is clear in my mind. This allows me to write a draft, then I can come back and edit the rough draft when I have a base idea down on a word processing document.

I do not have one of those small Google Chromebook notebook computers that I can carry around with me, but if I can get a small notebook for a good price, then I am in. I need to carry my notebook around with me and get writing again. A bar, a cafe or a restaurant makes a perfect setting for creative writing, there is plenty of stimulus.

I am really concerned about the fate of Ukraine now that we have a Trump presidency, Donald has publicly praised Russian dictator Vladimir Putin. The public endorsement that “Putin is a smart guy” according to Trump has serious ramifications to the world, buoyed by any concessions he may win in Ukraine will catapult Putin onto his next invasion knowing western nations will be paralysed by both inaction and flagrant self-interest.

The Americans rattle on about liberty, freedom and all this other bullshit, yet they are not concerned about freedom in Ukraine, Trump appears to be pursuing an agenda of self-interest and rampant commercialism, he wants to do a deal with Putin and Ukraine is appearing to be on the losing side of any deal they can broker. There was no liberty for the brave Ukrainians who took on the Russian military regime and despite overwhelming odds, stopped the Russian advance in its tracks. The rhetoric from Vice President Vance is extremely concerning, he is clearly indicating he wants to unload Ukraine from US objectives.

Where Trump’s rhetoric about lowering oil prices is aimed solely at a domestic audience, the lowering of oil prices will have a negative effect on Russian oil revenues and their ability to fund the aggression against the people of Ukraine. Trump talks big on Russian action, he will be looking to cut some deals with Russia to get their hands on cheap Russian oil, this is not positive for Ukraine.

Then there are the threats of tariffs. The world has been moving towards free-trade agreements, a sustained period of international trade and relatively free movement of goods and services. This will all end, with tariffs imposed anywhere between 10% to 60% for some Chinese imports will start a trade war. One would expect countries to retaliate and impose reciprocal tariffs and charges on imports. As we saw in Australia, the massive import tariffs placed on Australian wine and seafood imports was detrimental to investment, jobs and livelihoods. If Trump and Vance want to contain China, an efficient manner would be to strangle Russia and tie up Putin’s supporter Xi Jingping.

So what we do know is Donald Trump has had a 90 minute phone conversation with Vladimir Putin to end the Ukraine war. Putin has expressed his willingness to end the war in Ukraine, well yeah, Russia lost the war when they failed to take Kiev in the first weeks of the invasion.

Trump is 6.3 in height and Putin stands at 5.7, but what we are seeing is the smaller man out negotiating Trump like he is an amateur. Trump is the president of the greater nation in terms of GDP and military might, yet we see where the intellectual power is. Putin is the shrewder negotiator here, this is no art of the deal, unless Trump has some concealed move he is willing to pull out and surprise everyone, what we are witnessing is a capitulation here.

Trump likes to be seen as a winner, he is looking nothing like a winner right now, he is coming across as a genuine loser and it will be Ukraine that pays the price. It appears Trump will just abandon Ukraine and embolden Russia for future military engagements. One expects Russia to go back, rebuild their military, learn some lessons and come back in a few years stronger and better prepared. None of this is a great outcome for Ukraine, they are really exposed here.

I have been fortunate enough to be introduced to the Victoria’s Yarra Valley despite having never visited the region. The Yarra Valley produces some excellent wines, I was never previously aware of this so it came as a bit of a revelation. The Yarra Yering winery is an excellent example of Victorian wine making, they offer a premium product to the consumer that comes at a premium price. Given 98 points by Jane Falkener from James Halliday’s Wine Companion, she rates it highly and I can see why.

I have tasted the Yarra Yering No. 1, No. 2 and No. 3 over a number of vintages now. The No. 1 stands out as the premium wine in that range, that is the pick of the three I believe. I have done my part to support a smaller winemaker and I have an excess of premium wine I need to work through so I will not be making any purchases in the future. This is a deep dark red wine packed with black current flavours, some mulberry that is a tad earthy. This is a style that works for me, a little French in construction. There are hints of tobacco and vanilla oak, this is a pretty big wine with 13.5% alcohol.

The Dry Red No. 1 is pretty much a Bordeaux with a blend of 60% cabernet sauvignon, 24% merlot, 11% malbec and 5% petit verdot. As I love the Bordeaux style, this is a full bodied blended wine style that works for not just me but plenty of others. One day in the near future I will get to the Bordeaux region and try these wines at the vineyard. The tannins are fine and offers this wine some legs with a ten to fifteen year cellaring potential.