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A forgotten collaboration between two heavy hitters of the art and design worlds.

A self-taught guillocheur who conceived an engine-turned motif of his own, Joshua Shapiro was an educator before switching careers to focus on his eponymous brand, J.N. Shapiro. His latest creation is the Infinity Tantalum, a limited edition wristwatch in his typical, classical style but in unusual metals – the guilloche dial is palladium while the chapter ring and case are tantalum (while a portion of the proceeds going to a medical charity). And more unusually, J.N. Shapiro is making both the tantalum components in house. Initial thoughts While Mr Shapiro’s design looks conventionally traditional, it incorporates a handful of details unique to his brand. One is the open-tipped Breguet hands, and the other is the font for the Arabic numerals, which was custom designed for J.N. Shapiro. Here the novel combination of metals give Mr Shapiro’s watch an entirely different look, especially in the version with a grey-coated dial. It’s an attractive look that’s less Breguet-inspired than his earlier watches. And the use of tantalum for the case would also give the watch a pleasing heft, which will give it an appealing tactile feel. The ruthenium-plated dial with rose gold accents At US$33,000, the Infinity Tantalum is pricier than Mr Shapiro’s past models, though it is in line with the convention of tantalum cases being significantly pricier due to the challenges of fabrication. The metal wears out tooling several times more quickly than gold, requiring frequent repl...

History’s most famous reversible wristwatch would never have been invented were it not for Joseph Ford Sherer, then a lieutenant in the 44th Regiment of Sylhet Light Infantry of the East India Company’s army. The story begins in the middle of the 19th century in Manipur, a state in east British India, where Lieutenant Sherer observes locals play a game known as sagol kangjei. Translating as “horse hockey”, the game was long played by local royalty. The game has players on horseback wielding sticks to hit a ball across a rectangular field. The Lieutenant reported his observations to his boss, Captain Robert Stewart. The two men eventually began to play the game, which evolved into what is now known as polo. In March 1859 Sherer and Stewart established their own polo club, Silchar Kangjai Club, and four years later the earliest written rulebook for polo was. With that, the pair started a long tradition of polo-playing among British soldiers in India. And soon polo would find its way around the world with polo-playing soldiers across the Commonwealth – the first polo match was played in Europe sometime in the late 1860s. Lieutenant Joseph Sherer, Assistant to the Superintendent of Cachar (second from left), with his bearers, Manipur, 1861. Image – National Army Museum As the game grew in popularity, a problem arose: polo players would often damage the crystals on their wristwatches, sometimes with errant mallets. During a visit to India in 1930, César de Trey ...

Robin, Jack, and the latest watches from a special show with growing influence.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Imagine you could spent pretty much whatever you liked on watches. You had deep enough pockets to essentially ignore budgetary concerns and snap up virtually any new watch that you fancied. It’s a dream scenario for most watch lovers, but that’s the reality for Shark Tank investor Kevin O’Leary, thanks to his estimated … ContinuedThe post EDITOR’S PICK: The 7 watch-collecting commandments of Shark Tank’s Kevin O’Leary appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Moritz Grossmann introduces the Tremblage watch in celebration of its thirteenth anniversary, available in rose gold or stainless steel.

Jon goes hands-on with the latest Rolex Explorer II and Cole has a charming budget-friendly alternative.

How do you communicate true quality? It’s a question that many brands face as they try to capture the attention of collectors today. For big brands, the difficulty of such a task gets alleviated by the pull of history and immense marketing budgets. Yet, for a small brand, trying to make its mark in the … ContinuedThe post Minase Watches’ first American tour exposes the craftsmanship of the cult Japanese brand appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

The Tudor North Flag was released in 2015 to great fanfare, thanks to its novel design and in-house movement. Fast forward to today, and the model has been discontinued from the catalog. We find out why the North Flag never enjoyed the success of its cousin, the Black Bay.

There are certain mechanisms that bring a sense of child-like wonder to the eyes of a watch collector. There is the twisting and turning of a tourbillon. The snap back of a retrograde. And today I present you with a brand making use of a third, with a bit of fun thrown in for good … ContinuedThe post MICRO MONDAYS: Well blows me down, it’s the Vario ИAVI x POPEYE Nautical Watches appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

And some things you don't.

Independent watchmaking is trending not only among seasoned collectors, but even in the broader, hobbyist community – something that was hardly imaginable not too long ago. But what is independent watchmaking really? An independent watchmaker can be loosely defined as one who creates – not merely produces – watches for each client on an individual basis, at least during his or her start-up period. This individuality and personalisation is crucial, as these qualities result in the sort of watches that convey the magic of watchmaking, allowing the owners of such watches to touch the soul of their creator. Just like any form of art, the spirit of an independent watchmaker is forever embodied in his or her work – though the second half of the life of the watch is bestowed upon it by the owner. Russian watchmaking The development of this niche segment of the watchmaking is nevertheless globe spanning, and it is present in one of the most scenic cities in Russia, Saint Petersburg. Perhaps led by Konstantin Chaykin, now well-known internationally with his inventive and quirky creations, interesting independent watchmakers have begun to rise in the city, with the most recent examples being Maxim Sushkov and HoD Russia. But today we profile Alexander Nesterenko. Like many extraordinary independent watchmakers of our time – including the acclaimed George Daniels and the lesser-known Thomas Engels – Mr Nesterenko learned watchmaking by himself. Through reading, practicing...

There is something special about a comedian’s ability to make you laugh. For a few moments in time, all your defences come down so that the stresses of life melt away. And chances are, if you’ve been laughing over the past decade, one man has been the deliverer of many of those jokes. That would … ContinuedThe post Kevin Hart’s watch collection is the stuff of your horological dreams appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

In this week's column, we dive into the rabbit hole of independent watchmaking, with a series of less-known yet remarkable independent watchmakers.

Often we receive questions via email and social media from our readers, and we always strive to respond to each and every one. But we recognise that many of you, even if you have yet to reach out, may be pondering the same questions. So each week we’re starting “Zach’s Mailbag” where I will endeavour … ContinuedThe post ZACH’S MAILBAG: “My watch budget is $1,000 – $1,500 – what brands should I look at?” appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Marc Hayek, CEO of Blancpain, Breguet and Jaquet Droz, said it best. “Platinum is among the noblest and most precious of metals,” he told The Financial Times. “It has extraordinary properties that make it extremely resistant, but also difficult to process and finish. Creating platinum watch cases requires special savoir-faire. It results in beautiful white/grey-coloured models that do not tarnish. Hence, platinum is … ContinuedThe post EDITOR’S PICK: Five platinum watches to put on your wish-list appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Last year, Hublot introduced a Big Bang Unico Sky Blue – which we raved about due to its eye-popping hue in a year where blue dominated the market. Limited to 100 pieces, the watch subsequently sold out. Yet buyers who missed out may now have the opportunity to secure something similar, although subtle and clear … ContinuedThe post INTRODUCING: The Hublot Big Bang Unico Eden Rock St Barths is an even more limited twist on the Unico Sky Blue appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

When I was bingeing Squid Game – the record-breaking Netflix series that has become a global phenomenon – I paused the show more than I would have liked trying to figure out which watch lead actor Lee Jung-jae was wearing. To be honest, I still don’t know. But the next best thing would be to figure … ContinuedThe post The IWC Portugieser is having a moment from Squid Game and Hot Ones to The Rock appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

The Luminox Commando Raider is an unusually bright Luminox, which has mostly opted for black or darker colored dial variants. It provides a more vibrant variant for those who appreciate a little more fanfare but maybe less appreciated by those who want more tactical accessorizing. That said, the bright green is not a blocker for those who prefer a tactical color, since there is also a black strap variant.

Hamilton loves to tell a great story with each of their new releases. This facet of the brand is recognised by many of their partners. Typically speaking, when their products appear in films or video games, the entities behind them approach Hamilton for a collaboration. But in the instance of the new Hamilton PSR MTX … ContinuedThe post What’s the connection between The Matrix and the Hamilton PSR MTX Limited Edition? We have the exclusive… appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

The balance wheel, the critical regulatory organ of a mechanical watch, is expected to deliver a consistent frequency with a tolerance of as little as 0.001 percent. With so much at stake, why complicate things by altering a pure and simple geometric shape? Why reinvent the wheel? Well, here are five balances that definitely did reinvent the wheel.

Has IWC finally created the perfect iteration of the Big Pilot? Well, perfect for those of us whose wrists don’t resemble a redwood’s trunk, anyway. You see, Flieger-style pilot’s watches have always been necessarily big, because of their origins as pocket watches adapted for wear on the wrist. One of the big advantages of having … ContinuedThe post INTRODUCING: The IWC Big Pilot’s Watch 43 Spitfire Editions appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

A watch or a pen is often a traditional gift for an important occasion. Signature Moments, the first collaboration authored by Carl F. Bucherer with Caran d’Ache, is all about remembrances of things past as well as hopes for the future. These two companies celebrate this with a collaborative limited edition watch and pen set, only 188 of which are available worldwide, comprising Carl F. Bucherer's Manero Flyback Signature timepiece and Caran d’Ache's Signature rollerball pen.

If it's good enough for the battlefield, it's good enough for your daily duties.

Back in June, we told you about Paul Draper*.  He got in touch with us after reading our story about how a report estimated that $60 billion USD of watches were gathering dust in people’s homes due to their owners’ failure to recognise what their timepieces were actually worth. The article motivated Paul to take action. Sitting … ContinuedThe post “For me, it’s a life-altering sum of money” – What it feels like to sell a watch you found in your sock drawer for $240,000 appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Sarpaneva X Moomin results in a delightfully unique Moomin-themed timepiece that marries Sarpaneva’s broody humour with cartoon levity.