The January-February 2022 issue of WatchTime is available at retailers now. Among the highlights of the issue are our cover story, a hands-on review of the new Blancpain Air Command Flyback Chronograph in titanium; a comprehensive history of the dive watch and how it has evolved with the times; and in-depth tests of new models, from Rolex, Omega, IWC, and many other makers. more. Read on for details.

Blancpain entered the rarefied air of aviation-inspired luxury with its original, limited-edition Air Command, a revival of a 1950s military model that recently joined the manufacture’s regular collection. For the cover feature “Command Performance,” Mark Bernardo test-piloted one of the first examples of the new version, with a titanium case and sunburst blue dial.

For many collectors, the history of the dive watch starts in 1953 with the introduction of the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms and Rolex Submariner. Divers, however, already had to rely on water-resistant watches, decades before the commercialization of these two iconic models. In “Reaching New Depths,” Roger Ruegger takes a deep dive into how the history of underwater exploration and the evolution of the wristwatch are connected.

Rolex is “Off to New Heights” with its updated Explorer II, which marks the model’s 50th anniversary. Jens Koch takes a look at what the most recent version of the watch can offer collectors, explorers, and adventurers, in a hands-on test with original photos by Marcus Krüger.

The new Pilot’s Watch Chronograph in IWC’s unmistakable style rolled out onto the runway with a blue or green dial. The classic 41-mm case surrounds IWC’s manufacture Caliber 69385, and the new EasX-Change system makes it easy to switch one wristband with another. Martina Richter tests this “Flight Instructor,” while Olaf Köster provides photos.

Omega’s Speedmaster Chronoscope is a chronograph that accomplishes the rare feat of deftly deploying not one, not two, but three distinct scales on its dial and bezel, It’s the most unusual Speedy in a while, but how does it hold up as both tool watch and style object? Find out in Bernardo’s hands-on report, “Scaling New Heights.”

The new Premier Heritage B15 Duograph 42 is currently Breitling’s most elegant timepiece and an homage to the pioneering spirit of the company’s founders. Like its 1940s predecessor of the same name, it can record time intervals while breaking new ground as it goes. Richter gives this “Exquisite Sophisticate” a closer look.

In 2018, Nomos Glashütte equipped its Tangente with an intelligent date display called “update.” Alexander Krupp tested the new midnight-blue model to find out whether this in-house-made function is an “Update or Upgrade?”

Plus: WatchTime’s reporting on the 2021 GPHG Awards and Only Watch Auction results; a recap of the 2021 WatchTime New York collectors’ event, which returned in grand style after a year’s hiatus; reviews of dive watches from Seiko and Aquastar; interviews with Sinn managing director Lothar Schmidt and new Greubel Forsey CEO Antonio Calce; and more.

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