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Four years after the debut of the Joker – and its myriad subsequent iterations – Russian independent watchmaker Konstantin Chaykin still manages to surprise and impress. The latest version of Chaykin’s googly-eyed wristwatch is the Wristmon Minotaur. The third instalment in the watchmaker’s annual Chinese zodiac edition, the Minotaur has a case and dial that mimics the head of a bull, since 2021 is the Year of the Ox. Although its hour and minute display are identical to the early versions of the Joker, the Minotaur has been upgraded in several ways, including with a dual-letter day display and a Vaucher base movement. Initial thoughts The Minotaur is another excellent design by Mr Chaykin, and one of his more amusing creations since the original Joker. Not only does the dial form a face, but the case has been reworked to resemble a bull’s head with asymmetric lugs where the upper pair resemble a pair of horns. More importantly, the Minotaur is not merely a tweak of colour or design. Its functionality has been revamped, namely with the nostril display that shows the first two letters of the day. In fact, the novel day display is another example of Mr Chaykin’s ingenious realisation of function following form, but done well enough that it feels just right. And the price of the Minotaur is in line with recent watches in the Wristmon collection, which is around US$22,000. While significantly pricier than the original Joker that cost around about US$7,500, the new ...

No its not Throwback Sunday yet. But today, we have a special feature by Rado showcasing their models in green. Eight different models.

Wei Koh sits down with us for a very special video about how Bandit and the Alpine Eagle XL Chrono saved his sanity during what has no doubt been a trying season for us all.

Ross Povey tells us about the latest stone dial to grace the linage of the fabled Rolex Day-Date, the Eisenkiesel dial on both the 36 and 40mm Day-Dates

The watch community hit peak frustration last week, irked by the sale of a still-sealed, green dial steel Nautilus for $490,000 USD. Flipping is rife in this hobby, and many see it as the largest problem in watch collecting today – a practice that makes it harder to secure in-demand timepieces. Sure, it’s nothing new, … ContinuedThe post Three big questions raised by the sale of the green dial steel Nautilus for half a million US dollars. What are your answers? appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

In celebration of its 230th anniversary, Girard-Perregaux has extracted part of its museum collection and sent it across the world to Singapore, where they form an exhibition on the watchmaker’s history. Shaping The Know Since 1791 provides a peek into the company’s past milestones and timepieces, illustrated by a diversity of items on show, ranging from enamelled pocket watches from the late 18th century to an ultra-modern wristwatch with its case and bridges in sapphire crystal. Pocket watches Though the Tourbillon with Three Gold Bridges is Girard-Perregaux’s best known complication, the brand is instead focusing on its wider repertoire in the exhibition. Arranged in a chronological manner, the company’s history is explained with a series of displays that include notes as well as representative watches of each era, from the 18th to 21st centuries. Notable contemporary pieces include the original Laureato from 1975, as well as the avant-garde Quasar Light that reinterprets the brand’s iconic triple bridges in sapphire crystal. The original Laureato that was quartz the exhibition unfolds the brand’s unusual origins: while husband-and-wife Constant Girard and Marie Perregaux founded the brand in 1856, the company later acquired Jean-François Bautte, a brand that was established in 1791, explaining the 230th anniversary in 2021. A pioneer in ultra-thin timepieces, Bautte specialised in pocket watches decorated with enamel and gemstones, reflecting the prevail...

The Antiquorum auction in Monaco on July 21, 2021 represented the first time that a brand-new stainless steel Patek Philippe Nautilus with olive-green dial came up at auction. Elizabeth Doerr shares the eye-watering result of that lot plus other notable auction highlights.

“Fit and Finish”. If you search watch forums enough or eyeball videos on Youtube, you will undoubtedly run into this term. Initially, I had an inkling as to what it was referencing, but I hadn’t grasped its importance or whether I should even care. But as I started to dig deeper, I began to get … ContinuedThe post What does the “fit and finish” of a watch actually mean and should I even care? appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

The clous de Paris engravings of Piaget Reference 908 4C give it a masculine appearance, yet at the same time a generous dash of elegance. That is the true power of clous de Paris and the reason why it played an indispensable role in the Piaget collection of the early 1950s up until the 1980s. And you just might fall in love with it too.

Editor’s note: We are keeping you all in the loop of another opportunity to join the Time+Tide team. Thanks to all those that heard the call in our recent team update, we are in the process of responding to all. Unfortunately for the majority of applicants, this position is based in Australia, but please do … ContinuedThe post JOIN US: We are seeking an incredible Australian-based Account Manager appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Is there anything more 2021 than a 1969-inspired green dial?

We go hands-on with the new Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Chronograph line, now redesigned in 43 mm, and 5 variants.

Like Romeo and Juliet, the Rolex Submariner and the Oysterflex bracelet were meant to be together. The iconic diver’s watch and (probably) the world’s best rubber strap are the beautiful couple never allowed to marry due to draconian family rules. So what are the DIY alternatives to speed up this matrimony? After all, despite what … ContinuedThe post Until we get more Oysterflex, these are our preferred Rolex rubber strap options on the market appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Unlike my erudite and learned colleagues on this website, those who have read this column in the past will know my horological lusts aren’t governed by the usual parameters.  Which is my way of saying that a bargain is where I’m at. To paraphrase the great Billy Connolly: “My dad was so tight he’d wake … ContinuedThe post Cheap Bastard: The Undone Urban 34 Killy Black Rose is a $300 tangerine dream appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Rieslings are generally particularly refreshing and relatively low in alcohol. And they go superbly – generally better than white Burgundy and other Chardonnays – with food. Nowadays most Riesling is dry, not sweet. And German dry Riesling is one of the wine world’s undervalued treasures. Here Ken Gargett suggests three of his favorites.

The winningest Olympian talks timing technology, swimming philosophy, and the sport he's most excited to watch at this year's Games.

We take Certina's value dive watch to the depths of a tropical sea ... in the middle of the Utah desert.

We go straight to the source.

Back in 1974, the late filmmaker Bertrand Tavernier made 'The Clockmaker of St. Paul,' a fascinating and oblique drama that probed the psyche of the horologist.

Let the sun bounce off the bracelet of your watch as you slowly turn the pages of one of these riveting books on a beach near you.

Massena LAB announces three new color additions to the Uni-Racer to mark the summer of 2021, limited to just 35 watches in each color.

Massena Lab is a design studio that got its start collaborating with independent watchmakers on limited edition timepieces. But the firm more recently unveiled watches under its own label, starting with last year’s Uni-Racer, a chronograph modelled on the mid-20th century Universal Genève “Big Eye” chronograph. Founded by William Rohr, best known for being the former manager of the Timezone.com watch forum, Massena Lab follows up with the Uni-Racer Holiday Collection, a trio of chronographs time clad in funky colours with a retro bent that bring to mind watches of the 1970s. Initial thoughts Vintage remakes have been trendy for several years now, and the sheer number of them mean they are often hit-or-miss. It’s rare for a remake to get the details right ­­– especially since the case and movement are modern ­– something that takes a keen eye to decide what to copy and what to tweak. Mr Rohr’s creations often get the details right – the two-tone sector dial jumping seconds and gilt dial chronograph are cases in point – reflecting his decades of watch collecting. And importantly they are fairly priced. But the Uni-Racer Chronograph stands out from Massena Lab’s portfolio to date. Not only was it the first watch to bear the Massena Lab brand, but it was a near-exact copy of the vintage original – which split opinions and elicited lots of vocal critiques on social media. Uni-Racer “Rally” Still, for anyone who appreciates old-school design, ...

The Kurono Chronograph 2 was just delivered to our door, and here is our (almost) live report and unboxing, with live photographs.

We talk customization, collaborations, collecting, and a whole lot more.

Wei Koh speaks to Robert-Jan Broer, founder of Fratello Watches on their latest collaboration with Czapek that sold out in 39 min upon release.