Melbourne Watch Co Portsea Heritage Automatic Watch

Named for the resort beach town located just outside of Melbourne, the Portsea Heritage Automatic is a modern take on the classic marine chronometer watch. And the marine vibes are very present. Take the outer chapter ring for instance, which is similar to a life preserver; or the depressed ceramic dial, which looks like panels on the deck of a ship. At 6 o’clock is a date window. Inside the bowels of the ship is a Seiko NH35 movement with 24 jewels that vibrates 21,600 times an hour. The stainless steel case and sapphire crystal are there to protect it. Indeed, with a name like the Portsea, the watch is also water resistant to 100 meters.

Founded in, you guessed it, Melbourne, Australia in 2013, Melbourne Watch Company first sprung onto the scene with the Flinders: a crowd-funded and community-designed timepiece that received enormous success. Since that launch, MWC has expanded its product line to include five more models, each offering a distinctly Aussie approach to traditional watch aesthetics. Every MWC watch is named for a notable location in the company's home of Melbourne—from Flinder Street Station to the Avalon Airfield.