The Diplomat 1.87 asks whether new watchmaking can feel genuinely vintage

The Diplomat ref. 1.87 is not presented as a reproduction of one historic reference. Instead, Archi Works and Amsterdam Vintage Watches assemble a vocabulary associated with mid-century dress watches: a 35mm steel case, long drilled lugs, a sloping polished bezel, small seconds and a hand-wound movement visible through the back. The reader question is whether those decisions produce a useful modern watch or merely borrow the authority of vintage collecting.

The dimensions are the strongest part of the argument. At 35mm wide and 8.65mm thick before its 1.4mm sapphire crystal, the case resists the enlargement that often makes retro-inspired watches feel like scaled illustrations. A 19mm strap keeps the proportions deliberate. That is a desk-based interpretation; wrist comfort and apparent size still require firsthand measurement.

The Azure Silver dial adds contemporary material signals to the period structure. Sapphire baguette markers at 12, 3 and 9 sit beside round lab-grown diamond markers, while a brushed silver chapter ring, darker minute track and recessed seconds register divide the surface into readable layers. The unusual choice is not simply decorative: it creates tension between a restrained sector layout and jewellery-like points of light.

Inside is a hand-wound La Joux-Perret execution based on the Peseux 7001 architecture, stated with a 50-hour reserve and Soigné decoration. Manual winding suits the small case and the historical premise, but the sapphire back turns a movement once valued for thinness into a visible luxury component.

The official product page says this execution is limited to 100 pieces, yet its specification block lists serial numbers 1 to 200. Amsterdam Vintage Watches states 100 pieces for each of two configurations. That arithmetic must be clarified before publication. The watch was scheduled for availability on 7 November 2026 at €2,250 excluding tax and including shipping.