RedSea Six Pounder & Holystone Watches

I don't think they have ships they are super proud of anymore...The real Red sea is one of the best places in the world for diving. The high salt, very clear water is home to a ton of tropical fish. Right underneath Israel, the warm waters are a hot spot for nature lovers who dive into the waters to see the beautiful fish and invertebrate creatures.. So it makes total sense to have a dive watch brand named after the body of water. Though, I don't think there are many pirates in that sea. The names of the watches - those are from nick-names that pirates use for cannons (apparently).Both watches are in 44mm wide steel cases that are also available in a black PVD version. Proportions are all large and chunky for lovers of big and bulky watches (myself included).Welcome to new dive watch brand RedSea. Another Fan-diver brand. Meaning a couple of people who love watches - dive watches - decided they wanted a diver in "their image." So Red Sea was born, and if your tastes are similar to theirs, have they got a watch for you. There are two models, but they are basically the same watch with two dials. The Six Pounder is easily the most avant garde of the two. With its BRM watch style hands - you have an interesting use of borrowed aesthetic for a dive watch. The rear of the watches have a pirate style skull and crossed swords engraving that pretty much makes everything it is applied to a bit more bad ass. Do modern pirates have flags anymore? I wonder.

Oris Great Barrier Reef Diver Limited Edition Watch

Though I think that the steel bracelet is also available for the watch.What about the rest of the watch? Some Oris watches that are limited editions are dramatically different that their core collection. This is the new limited edition Oris sub seconds diver made to help out the Great Barrier Reef. Each watch that is sold will have Oris donating 50 Swiss Francs (that's it?) to the Australian Marine Conservation Society (AMCS). Didn't anyone tell Oris they don't use Swiss Francs in Australia! I joke! The money will go to help keep creatures in the Great Barrier Reef alive. Basically, there are a lot of serious issues with the reef and rather than help preserve certain areas, the project is going to relocate animals. A brave endeavor indeed. "Little fish! Sign these ***s, you don't live here anymore." Now get out of here... we are gonna take you to a better place... Yea, a much better place (chuckle)."The back 0f the watch doesn't have an engraving, but rather a special plate to honor each of the 1000 pieces in the limited edition set. The colors of the watch are done in ocean blue and a high contrasting orange. It makes for a neat look, and a very easy to read dial. You can see for yourself. The Oris Great Barrier Reef watches comes on their standard rubber diver strap with metal deployment.

Bertolucci Giro Chronograph Watches

There is a curvy, almost organic feel to the bracelet that I quite like - almost the opposite of the angular style of the iconic Rolex Submariner bracelet.And there again there is that mouth. Large, and gaping. Not hungry, just expectant. I look inside - often to just the find date? I really wanted something more special in there. The rest of the watch dials are rich with textured and decoration. Bertolucci seems to find it a cardinal sin to have boring looking dials. There are a number of models in the collection, including a two-tone version. Actually, there are versions with the mouth, but without a chronograph complication. Those predictably look a bit less weird. Dark dial, or light dial, Bertolucci has you covered. Even if you want a little diamond action sprinkled in. While these are technically men's models, I would say that the design on some of the diamond versions looks uni*** as best - watches like this would fare well on feminine wrists.While most of the models have Swiss Ronda 5020.B quartz movements, the gold model here (also available in steel) have Swiss ETA Valjoux 7753 automatic movements in them. You can see that the layout of the dials differs a bit on those. Case shape is quite elegant, and so is the metal bracelet. While the watches have alligator strap options, Bertolucci did such a nice job with the gapless link metal bracelets (complete with fancy alternating polished on the links).

Bertolucci Giro Chronograph Watches

What they have done is create a looped bridge over the dial and separated the sapphire crystal into two pieces. Hard to do that and get good watch resistance still - expensive as well. Bertolucci feels that their Giro line (which includes most of these watches) is "casual chic." Perhaps it is more "gaping maw chic?"Each watch is in a 42 mm wide steel case, except for the 18k rose gold model below.It is entirely possible that my warped mind sees watches differently than other people do. Over the course of my writing about Bertolucci watches, they have always looked interesting, but a bit strange to me. I finally connected a few of the things that some of their common Chronograph models remind of me. Maybe you agree? You can tell that these watches are all part of the same family. Some or all are Bertoluccia Giro (All-Black Giro see here), and some are just called Bertolucci Quartz Chronograph watches. No matter the name, they each have large, gaping mouths. Why? I couldn't tell you. Though here are some of the possible design influences. My favorite is near the bottom of course. Each is highly disturbing in its own way. Bertolucci might need to occasionally revise their "Mediterranean Inspiration" slogan... to something else.I like Bertolucci watches mostly, they are nicely made and designed. Often with quartz movements, but good lookers for the fashion crowd. Though these watches are a bit to 'mouthy' for my taste.

Review of the Abacus Wrist PDA (AU5005)

If you're a coolguy with carefully tussled hairand clothes from places I don't even know the name of, it will probably work onyou. If you wear taped glasses, slacks from the 70's, and you only shower whenyour mother makes you, then the watch will only serve to compliment your dorkyensemble. However if this describes you, then you probably don't care how it looksor what people think, anyway.The bottom line is if you like it, get it, and don't worry about the size. Itwon't bother you because it's not excessively heavy, and it's actually quite comfortableto wear. And if your mates make fun of you for wearing a PDA on your wrist, justtell them it's the only way you can possibly keep all the girls' numbersstraight. They'll know you're lying, but it's a snappy comeback, nonetheless.The StylusThe Abacus Wrist PDA comes with two styli (technically the proper way of referringto more than one stylus). One is to keep in the slot in the watch's buckle, andone is to keep in a safe place at home as a backup. The stylus is half metal andhalf plastic, and unfolds to a length of 1.5 inches (almost 4 cm). It stays verysecurely in place in the buckle, so hopefully you won't be needing that backup,but it is actually somewhat difficult to remove when the watch is strapped on becausethe excess portion of the band covers the tiny knob that you use to slide it out(see the AbacusWrist PDA photo gallery for details). In an officesetting, you'll probably hear it, but while commuting or having lunch in a crowdedrestaurant, you most likely won't.The DesignThe Wrist PDA's case is a well designed, solid hunk of stainless steel. The buckleis stainless steel, as well, and the band is a leather/rubber combination (themanual mentions a model with a metal bracelet, but it is nowhere to be seen onthe website, and I think the rubber works better, anyway). The only complaint Ihave regarding the construction of the watch is the plastic buttons. They don'thave the same solid, robust feel as the case, especially the rocker switch. I'dlike to see future versions of the Wrist PDA have a rocker switch as well builtas a Sony jog dial, though to be fair, I don't want to pay Sony prices. Somethingin the middle might be more appropriate.The watch is big. No one is disputing that. But considering it has an entire PDAbuilt into it, it's actually not so bad. And it's not excessively thick. I thinkwhether the watch looks cool or dorky ultimately depends on you.