This is the new Magrette Moana Pacific Waterman GMT x Redbar NZ special edition, as the name implies its a collaborative design between New Zealand watchmaker Magrette and Redbar New Zealand.
Magrette (pronounced Mar-Gret-Tee) is one of very relatively few watchmakers based in New Zealand. The brand was founded by Dion McAsey in Auckland in 2007 and it’s grown to become a respected name in the industry, best-known for their limited edition watches that are typically powered by either Swiss or Japanese automatic movements.
The watch uses a Swiss Super-LumiNova® BGW9 blue on he local time hands and markings, and a contrasting C3 green lume on the GMT hand and markings.
When McAsey first started Magrette he was inspired by classing yachting, given New Zealand’s outsized impact on the world of competitive sailing, and the classic dive watches of the 1960s and 1970s.
These two influences remain strong with the company today, with their every changing lines of solidly-build watches with minimalist designs that are easy to read on the deck of a cutter pushing up wind or 200 ft below the waves while keeping an eye on that curious moray eel.
What Is Red Bar?
Red Bar is a watch community that was founded in 2009 in New York City by Adam Craniotes and Dr. Jeffrey Jacques. It began as an informal gathering of watch enthusiasts who shared a passion for luxury timepieces. The name “Red Bar” comes from the red bar at the Morrison Hotel in New York City, where the group first started meeting.
The watch has an engraved case back illustrating world time zone offsets, this allows you to quickly adjust the GMT bezel to track or check different timezones.
The community quickly grew in popularity, attracting watch collectors, industry professionals, and enthusiasts from around the world. Red Bar events provided a platform for like-minded individuals to come together, share their knowledge, and appreciate watches in a casual and inclusive environment.
One of the distinguishing features of Red Bar is its emphasis on community and camaraderie. The founders wanted to create a space where people could discuss and enjoy watches without the pressure of sales or brand affiliations. Red Bar events often include watch show-and-tell sessions, where attendees can bring their own timepieces to share with others.
Over the years, Red Bar has expanded beyond its original New York City chapter and established numerous chapters in major cities worldwide.
These chapters operate independently but maintain a common ethos of inclusivity and passion for watches. Red Bar has gained recognition as a leading watch community, and its events have become highly anticipated gatherings for watch enthusiasts.
A Magrette embossed red FKM rubber strap with a signed buckle comes as standard, but you can opt for the titanium bracelet instead should you wish, it costs an additional $86 USD.
The Moana Pacific Waterman GMT x Redbar NZ
The Magrette Moana Pacific Waterman GMT x Redbar NZ is a collaborative watch, as noted above, it has a 40mm made from brushed Grade 2 titanium with a deeply engraved case back illustrating world time zone offsets.
The movement is a Miyota calibre 9075 automatic GMT with jumping local hour hand. It has 24 jewels, a 42 hour power reserve, and a beat rate of 28,800 vph.
The GMT hand is a fourth hand that turns on the same axis as the hour, minute, and second hands, it allows you to quickly tell the time in another timezone at a glance, as you simply rotate the 24 hour-marked bezel to match your target timezone.
The Waterman GMT x Redbar NZ has a date window at the six o’clock position, and a minimalist, easy to read dial making it ideal for daily use.
The first GMT watch was developed for airline pilots after Pan Am approached Rolex and asked them to develop a watch for their pilots that would allow them to track their current and home timezones. The design has become a mainstay of the watch world and many major manufacturers now have at least one GMT in production.
The Magrette Moana Pacific Waterman GMT x Redbar NZ is currently in the pre-order phase, and if the past is anything to go by Magrette pre-orders for limited edition watches tend to sell out quickly. A Magrette embossed red FKM rubber strap with a signed buckle comes as standard, but you can opt for the titanium bracelet instead should you wish, it costs an additional $86 USD.
The watch is retailing for $726 USD, not a bad deal for an automatic watch, and you can visit Magrette here if you’d like to read more or place a pre-order.
Images courtesy of Magrette
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