Latest watch news · Page 1030

Continuing the steady pace of personnel changes since French telecoms tycoon Patrick Drahi acquired Sotheby’s in 2019, the auction house has just announced an overhaul of its watches and jewellery departments in Asia. The chairman of Jewellery and Watches for the region is Wenhao Yu, formerly of Beijing-based Poly Auction. The jewellery department will be led by Regine Ngan, while the watch department promoted from within with Joey Luk being elevated to the top job. The trio will report to Josh Pullan, who was appointed  Head of Global Luxury Division just last year after almost a decade as a manager in Sotheby’s digital and e-commerce departments, which no doubt explains Sotheby’s volume of online-only auctions. Left to right: Regine Ngan, Wenhao Yu, and Joey Luk A veteran of watch auctions despite her relative youth, Ms Luk was most recently Head of Sale, having been recruited to Sotheby’s from Phillips in 2018. Ms Luk succeeds Sam Hines who will “take on an advisory role for Sotheby’s worldwide Watches sales efforts”. Mr Hines led Sotheby’s to a record year in 2021, where watch auctions totalled over US$150 million. Sotheby’s also claimed the title of most expensive wristwatch sold at auction in 2021 with the Patek Philippe ref. 1518 “pink on pink” once belonging to an Egyptian prince that sold for US$9.57 million (pictured at top). He will be leaving Sotheby’s with a bang – his closing act will be a single-owner sale of 41 Patek Philippe wr...

If you’re an ambitious tennis player, you could do a whole lot worse than start wearing a Rado. Consider the evidence. Former ambassador, Andy Murray partnered with the Swiss brand in 2012 and the next year he became the first Brit to conquer Wimbledon since 1936. Adding further credence to Rado’s lucky-charm powers, Ash Barty … ContinuedThe post Tennis star Ash Barty teams up with Rado for new HyperChrome and artwork appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

The inaugural edition of 'The Watch Annual' came out just before Christmas 2020, and now Elizabeth Doerr is pleased to hold the second edition – 'The Watch Annual' 2021 – in her hands. This book is about the watch community, a reflection of social media, the watch fam, and, of course, new watch releases. But it’s also about something else too: charity, appreciation, and giving back.

Adventures and misadventures in horological Valhalla.

Having celebrated the 90th anniversary of the Reverso last year with several limited editions – including the mega-complicated Quadriptyque with four faces – Jaeger-LeCoultre is revisiting its iconic swivelling wristwatch with a retrospective in Singapore. Open to the public from January 23, the event takes place in the brand’s boutique in the Marina Bay Sands casino and shopping complex. The store has been transformed into a miniature museum that includes exhibits of historical watches and material, and also interactive sessions where visitors can try their hands at perlage, the technique of applying a repeating circular graining often found in watch movements. 1931-2021 The retrospective includes a compact but all-encompassing line up of watches from Jaeger-LeCoultre’s museum in Le Sentier, including the very first Reverso from 1931 as well as the latest models conceived to mark the 90th anniversary. While the original Reverso is famed for its clever simplicity, the exhibits also include little-known variations such as the Reverso Cordonnet from 1933, a stylish Reverso for ladies that has a black-cord strap and two-tone case. And the exhibits naturally include the uncommon, highly-complicated models from the 1990s, when the brand first ventured into larger cases for the Reverso – and first started both sides of the case for displays. In fact, some of those watches are landmarks in Jaeger-LeCoultre history: the brand’s first-ever tourbillon as well as chim...

To finish off the list of our favourite 2021 releases by budget, we’re going beyond the notion of affordability, and even beyond attainability. Whether or not you have half a million dollars to drop on a watch, doesn’t necessarily guarantee that you will be able to get one, and that just makes the prospect all … ContinuedThe post VIDEO: Top watches of 2021 above $20k (Part 2) appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Sizzling with simplicity, legibility and modernity, the brand new 3BBB is more monochrome, more minimalist and more magnificent than any Type 3 before it.

The Seiko Presage Sharp Edged Series collection is extended with the introduction of three new watches designed in collaboration with Zero Halliburton.

The watchmaker is out there.

Editor’s note: The Time+Tide team reviewed hundreds of watches in 2021. This month we’ve been counting down the Top 30 reviews of the year that you liked best, on the basis of the online traffic. Heading deep into the top 10 it’s the Grand Seiko SLGH005 at number 5… Whenever I hear a new Grand … ContinuedThe post THE TOP WATCH REVIEWS OF 2021 – The Grand Seiko SLGH005 (#5) appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

A French micro-brand that specialises in watches with retro style, Baltic unveiled its smallest – and perhaps most classical – offering in October last year, the Micro-Rotor MR01. Coming in at just 36 mm in diameter, the MR01 is no doubt a surprising size for a modern watch. Despite its compact size, the MR01 manages to squeeze in a lot relative to the price. Most obvious is a tasteful design that brings to mind gentlemen’s watches from the 1930s – the Calatrava ref. 96 easily comes to mind. But equally interesting is the slim automatic movement with a micro-rotor that is responsible for the elegant proportions (and affordability). Its combination of aesthetics and price meant the initial run of 200 pieces in each colour – “salmon”, blue, and a no-nonsense silver – quickly sold out. Of the three, the “salmon” dial immediately stands out, just because it’s the flavour of the dial for vintage-inspired dress watches. But when the opportunity for review came along, I opted for the silver dial, as I found the clean palette attractive. As pleasing as the MR01 seemed in photos, there were a few details I wasn’t convinced by, such as the wide bezel and applied Breguet numerals, so I was looking forward to wearing one for a few days. The all-silver is a good look and one often found on more expensive Calatrava-inspired watches such as the Naoya Hida NH Type 1B Initial thoughts After handling the MR01 for the first time, it seemed to be a thoughtful, comple...

H. Moser & Cie. has teamed up with the menswear store with outposts in Hong Kong and New York for the Endeavour Small Seconds Total Eclipse, a striking creation that utilises the starkness of Vantablack and polished elements on the dial to evoke a solar eclipse. The Endeavour Total Eclipse will be offered in two guises, both cased in steel but with the dial flange, markers, and hands in either matching steel or contrasting red gold. Initial thoughts Being an independent watchmaker that typically does the traditional with a distinct, quirky twist, Moser is clearly being itself with the Endeavour Total Eclipse. The styling is minimalist but different enough to be interesting – the domed hour markers and Breguet-style hands are rarely found on Moser’s watches, save for special runs such as the Bryan Ferry edition. The unusual design is largely thanks  to Mark Cho, The Armoury’s co-founder and a dapper dresser with a passion for classically-sized watches with attractive details. His primary requirement for the collaboration was a small(ish) case, explaining its 38 mm diameter that’s substantially more compact than Moser’s typical offerings – doubt good news for enthusiasts who share the same taste. But the highlight is the dial, which is a first for Moser. Thought the brand has used Vantablack in the past, this is the very first time it is combining a Vantablack-coated dial with hour markers. Small but high contrast, the hour markers easily stand out from the b...

This new collaboration between Moser and The Armoury stretches the limits of Vantablack.

Gentle readers (and viewers), the gloves are now officially off. No more budget, no more “bang-for-buck”, and no more bargains. Chances are if you’re about to buy one of these watches, you’ve got some serious cash to splash, and we’re just here to show you where the deep end of the pool is. Stay tuned … ContinuedThe post VIDEO: The top watches of 2021 above $20k (Part 1) appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Some wine books are absolute must-haves for any serious, wine-obsessed drinker/collector. Jasper Morris’ 'Inside Burgundy,' released just over a decade ago, is right at up the top of that list. Put simply, it was as thorough and thoroughly competent an examination of a region and its wines as exists anywhere. And Morris has just released an updated second edition, which Ken Gargett reviews here.

Grab your mitts, I'm in a polar state of mind.

An old, obscure complication takes on a fresh urgency.

The cream rises to the top in the first Vintage drop of 2022.

Editor’s Note: “What Tweaks my Tourb” is a recurring series where I reveal the things that irk me within my own watch-collecting journey. Previously I touched on clasp sizing, asymmetrical running seconds registers, and Seiko VK64 mechaquartz movements. This week will be arguably my most pathologically nitpicky yet, but then again I suspect a lot of … ContinuedThe post WHAT TWEAKS MY TOURB: When a watch loses time… appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

H. Moser & Cie and The Armoury collaborate on a watch that pays clever tribute to one of the most dramatic sights in the universe.

To mark 90 years since the birth of the Reverso, Jaeger-LeCoultre presents a boutique exhibition tracing the history of this remarkable timepiece.

Editor’s note: The Time+Tide team reviewed hundreds of watches in 2021. This month we’ve been counting down the Top 30 reviews of the year that you liked best, on the basis of the online traffic. Heading deep into the top 10 it’s the TAG Heuer Connected collection at number 6… It’s fair to say that … ContinuedThe post THE TOP WATCH REVIEWS OF 2021 – The TAG Heuer Connected collection (#6) appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

The legacy of legendary watch designer Gerald Genta lives on in the creations from Gerald Charles, an independent family-owned watch company he founded.

Watches with real military heritage carry a special allure to them – something that has been recognised both by enthusiasts and collectors. There’s a reassuring authenticity about a tool watch designed for a specific purpose (look at the Marine Nationale’s input into the design of the Tudor FXD, for example), or a watch built to … ContinuedThe post RECOMMENDED READING: British Navy sailor jailed for stealing Special Forces dive watches appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Raise your glasses to a real one.

The brand is bringing back famous design cues from its golden era.