Three darkly handsome watches for men

To quote the famous philosopher Homer (Simpson, not the Greek poet), it’s been a strange week of dizzying highs, terrifying lows and creamy middles. One notable high is that Arsenal football club keep winning, suggesting they may become contenders once more – dare I dream or will my heart be broken again? A low? Sitting through the film The Legend of Tarzan (no, I don’t know why I bothered either). And the middles ... Well, I’ve decided to sell some of my Seikos, to potentially buy another Seiko (yeah, pretty meh).

Anyway, on to the watches. This week I wanted to talk about three pieces released over the past year that haven’t fallen victim to my capriciousness. One watch I will never tire of talking about is the Omega Speedmaster Dark Side of the Moon. Anyone who reads this column past the intro will know that I am a big, big fan of the Speedmaster, a watch that continues to lend Omega credibility even after all its ill-judged attempts to get into jewellery and its obsession with celebrity endorsements. The Dark Side of the Moon special edition is a nod to the Apollo 8 space mission, and the truly compelling aspect is the black ceramic of the case and the white-gold hour and second hands. Black ceramic is far more prevalent these days but, coupled with the iconic dial design of the Speedmaster and the famous bezel, it’s a winner. Inside is a Co-Axial caliber 9300 movement that powers the chronograph. The watch comes with a nylon strap, which I’m not overly keen on but it’s easily replaced if you’re so minded. The Omega Speedmaster Dark Side of the Moon is priced at HK$93,600.

Nomos is a brand that’s not widely known but, among watch people, there’s a lot of love for a company that continues to produce incredibly well-made, affordable and good-looking pieces. One of Nomos’ latest updates is to give its offerings midnight-blue dials, and the colour lends the Metro Neomatik, in particular, added class. Deceptively simple looking, the watch has an excellent DUW 3001 movement made in-house at the company’s workshop in Germany, an impressive feat for an independent watchmaker. The case is steel and measures an old-school 35mm, which might sound small but taken together with the roomy lugs will fit nicely on most men’s wrists. The Nomos Metro Neomatik “Nachtblau” is priced at HK$29,600.