Hodinkee
A Love Letter To Watches
"The heart has its reasons, whereof reason knows nothing." –Blaise Pascal
Hodinkee
"The heart has its reasons, whereof reason knows nothing." –Blaise Pascal
Deployant
Hands-on coverage of the full commercial release of the Leica L1 and L2 wristwatches. The watches are available now for order at selected Leica Boutiques.
Time+Tide
Oversaturation is real in the world of microbrands. Just count how many vintage or retro-inspired $300 dive watches you see scrolling through the pages on Kickstarter, and you’ll know exactly what I mean. This is why true novelty with substance can rarely be found, as those claiming to offer it often lean the wrong side … ContinuedThe post The NOVE Gemini is an elaborate alt take on a reversible-dial watch appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Revolution
Zenith’s legendary Cover Girl gets a material makeover on her 50th anniversary.
Time+Tide
Zenith has been on a real hot-streak as of late, coming in strong for LVMH Watch Week with some very intriguing pieces such as the Defy Revival A3642, Defy Skyline collection, and Defy 21 Chroma among others. Whether heritage revivals, or next-generation collections, Zenith with each design continues to attract today’s buyers with their creations. While … ContinuedThe post Zenith x Revolution & The Rake strike back with an “Airweight” titanium take on the wildly popular “Cover Girl” appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
After several years of drift – and a low-priced, Kickstarter-type watch – Baume & Mercier has finally returned with something surprisingly interesting. Based on the brand’s trademark oblong watch, the Hampton “Hommage à Pierre Soulages” is based on reproduces a work by the titular French artist on its dial in textured, three-dimensional relief. With the dial pattern apparent only up close and the case entirely in matte black, the aesthetic is strikingly low key. Like Mr Soulages’ best known works, the dial relies on texture, direction, and the absence of colour, although concessions are made for branding and time telling. Initial thoughts Though some of its ladies’ watches do well in certain markets, Baume & Mercier (B&M;) has had a difficult recent history. While cycling through several chief executives, the brand also launched a great variety of products over the period, but none of them really caught on. But now it has created something unexpected. The concept is straightforward – a dial that recreates a work of art – but it still manages to be original and unusual. Despite its simplicity, the watch manages to capture the artist’s spirit on a tiny canvas. The monochrome finish and emphasis on texture is exactly what Mr Soulages himself is famous for. The retail price of a bit under US$6,000 is pretty steep for a time-only watch powered by a stock ETA 2892, but several factors count in its favour. One is the intrinsic appeal of the watch, and another...
Revolution
Piaget claims its place in high watchmaking and high jewellery with the Piaget Polo Skeleton carpeted in diamonds.
Revolution
Piaget continues to extend its Limelight Gala collection with a dark-dialled model with a self-winding movement.
Time+Tide
Okay, you got us, this piece is a smidge over the $500 AUD benchmark that we hold so dear at this penny-pinching, open-your-wallet-and-moth-flies-out column. But the ROI is worth it. There are a number of colourways in Leff’s Tube Collection but for out-and-out handsomeness, we’re drawn to the steel and pearl combination. The first thing you’ll … ContinuedThe post CHEAP BASTARD: The Leff Amsterdam Tube Watch appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Quill & Pad
One streaming series Elizabeth Doerr was really looking forward to was 'And Just Like That,' the much-anticipated sequel to 'Sex and the City.' She has always loved the taboo-laden adventures of the quartet of New York City fashionista heroines of this story and their diverse love lives – escapism at its best with lots of funky fashion to ogle and girl talk to laugh along with. It was the perfect show for Cartier to fill with product placement, too, even if reviews haven't been the greatest. Here's why.
Hodinkee
A Blast from the past, built for the future.
Hodinkee
Vintage Wednesday! Click to get the full scoop.
Time+Tide
Sudden injuries, nosedives in form, squalid punch-ups in pub car-parks that are snapped by the tabloid press… Suffice to say when a watch brand picks a sporting ambassador it’s a decision fraught with risk. When Hublot signed Novak Djokovic last August, for example, they were justified in their belief they were partnering with a “living … ContinuedThe post Have IWC pulled off a masterstroke with teenage ski sensation Eileen Gu? appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Deployant
Czapek introduces two new hues to its successful Antarctique Passage de Drake family of watches - one in glacier blue, and a limited edition salmon dial.
Time+Tide
Editor’s Note: We recently partnered with @watchanalytics to crunch the numbers and dig into the horological market trends and value fluctuations for the references that matter. Last time, we delved into a Girard-Perregaux Laureato Chronograph that is trading for nearly twice its retail value. Today we are going to dive into the secondary market performance … ContinuedThe post WATCH ANALYTICS WEDNESDAYS: Omega Speedmaster limited editions values are soaring to the moon appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
After two years of development, Havid Nagan has finally made its debut with the HN00 Titanium. An unusually well-honed design for the inaugural watch of a brand that originated on Kickstarter, the HN00 combines an original case with an attractive guilloche dial, as well as a respectable micro-rotor movement. The genesis of Havid Nagan lay in its founder Aren Bazerkanian’s goal of producing a relatively accessible watch that incorporates elements typically found in pricier timepieces. So Mr Bazerkanian launched a modest Kickstarter campaign in 2019 to fund the prototyping process. Initial thoughts The HN00 is notable for managing a fairly original design that contains thoughtful details. Most impressive is the barleycorn guilloche dial covered in glossy, lacquer that mimics enamel. While the pattern is common, the HN00 dial is especially fine, especially around the centre of the dial where the grain converges and diminishes in size. Importantly, the dial has done away with superfluous elements such as a date or seconds hand, which presents the guilloche in all its glory. Even with the proliferation of the cushion-shaped case, the squarish case of the HN00 stands on its own. It avoids calling to mind watches from the likes of Panerai or Patek Philippe. The dimensions of the case are restrained, though it does feel a bit on the thick because neither the bezel nor the case back are sloped, while the case middle is tall, resulting in substantial verticality. At US$8...
Revolution
Rarer than a Paul Newman and offering a killer mix of legend, looks and availability, the Omega Speedmaster Ultraman is a truly special chronograph. From its totemic orange hand to its use of the legendary calibre 321, they don’t come better than this.
Revolution
A look at three main kinds of watches with two beating hearts.
Time+Tide
The Aquaracer line from TAG Heuer has become as iconic to the history of the brand as the Monaco and the Carrera, given that it can trace its roots all the way back to the 1978 Reference 488. Although the name wasn’t conceived until 2004, it’s almost impossible now to leave them out of the … ContinuedThe post INTRODUCING: The TAG Heuer Aquaracer Professional 200 collection appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Quill & Pad
Ken Gargett has tasted several Louis Roederer Cristal vintages over recent years, but how did the recently disgorged wine fare in 2014? Could it match the 2012 or 2013? Read on to discover what Ken thinks of the Cristal 2014 and whether it can stand up to the hype.
Hodinkee
A tale of a time when running hot or cold meant running too fast or slow.
Hodinkee
The Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Enamel "Tiger."
Hodinkee
LA's most in-demand designer finds inspiration and aspiration in this killer collection.
Time+Tide
In the eyes of the larger watch marketplace, steel is the king. As a more entry-priced metal, with qualities highly suited for daily wear, it makes sense that the majority of watch buyers are drawn to these pieces. But today, with steel being all the rage, a bit of an ironic dilemma has arisen. While … ContinuedThe post Three highlights to keep an eye on in Zurich auction of rose-gold only watches appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
Originally announced in 2018, the Leica L1 and L2 (now renamed ZM 1 and ZM 2) wristwatches have finally made it to market. Developed with the help of a German watchmaker but very much a proprietary product, the ZM 1 and ZM 2 are both powered by variants of the same cleverly constructed calibre that is an impressive debut for the camera maker’s horological venture. Initial thoughts The Leica watch has a restrained, Germanic aesthetic with interesting details, but more importantly an interesting, thoughtful movement. Developed from the ground up for Leica, the calibre features useful complications like a power reserve and hacking, zero-reset seconds, but executed in an unusual yet practical manner. At the same time, the patented pull crown is novel without sacrificing functionality. The design of the movement is also appealing, with its partially open-worked bridges cleverly exposing the key components of the going train and complications The watch is big, but not excessively large. Considering the size of the calibre, the case dimensions are acceptable. That said, this is the limit, any larger and the case would be enormous. It helps that the styling is attractively low key. The dial and case appear simple at a distance, but reveal their details up close. The hands and hour markers, for instance, echo each other, while the crowns are finely knurled. Leica also avoided a common pitfall of watches inspired by other technically-oriented industries, no doubt thanks to Achim H...
Deployant
Hermès releases an interesting dial variation to their iconic Cape Cod collection in collaboration with Swiss Center for Electronics and Microtechnology.
Time+Tide
Judging a brand in print before actually holding one of their offerings in hand is akin to libel. So much gets lost between the 2D images of a press release and the feeling of steel on your fingertips. Every curve and facet is a testament to what it is a brand can do, so when … ContinuedThe post Five takeaways from my time with the Norqain Night Sight appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
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