Latest watch news · Page 1167

There are approximately 500 different First Nations Peoples in Australia, each with its own rich history, language, customs and artistic tradition. This is a mind-boggling fact little known or appreciated outside of Australia. Indeed, the cultural heritage of Australia’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples is one of the oldest in the world, stretching unbroken … ContinuedThe post Swatch celebrates Aboriginal culture with Nations of Australia Watch appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

We review the new Agelocer Silver Moon Automatic after in the house for about a week. The watch is currently offered in Kickstarter.

One of Franck Muller’s bestselling models, the Vanguard is a modern take on the brand’s signature Cintree Curvex case. Already available in a bewildering variety of sizes, complications, and materials, the line now gets one of its most interesting iterations yet – the Vanguard Skeleton Sapphire. Featuring a clear sapphire crystal case, the new Vanguard is interesting beyond its colours and shape. Inside is a hand-wind, in-house movement with a seven-day power reserve. And in the Vanguard Skeleton Sapphire Color Dreams, the movement bridges are anodised in a multitude of colours. The Vanguard Skeleton Sapphire Color Dreams Initial thoughts The Vanguard Skeleton Sapphire is typical of modern-day Franck Muller watches – large and flamboyant, especially in the Color Dreams livery. But it also reflects Franck Muller being a vertically-integrated brand – an accomplishment not widely recognised by aficionados – with the in-house form movement that has a weeklong power reserve. With black-coated bridges While the shape of the case is reminiscent of Richard Mille, Franck Muller is the brand responsible for making the tonneau case popular in contemporary watchmaking. The Cintree Curvex was inspired by tonneau-shaped Cartier and Patek Philippe watches of the early 20th century, and became one of the “it” watches of the 1990s. But the new Vanguard’s retail price of about US$150,000 is too much – by a large margin. Skeleton sapphire The Vanguard Skeleton Sapphire i...

The headline lot at Sotheby’s upcoming Hong Kong watch auction, the Rolex “Zenith” Daytona in platinum is one of just five known. Already a million-dollar watch before, the Daytona just got that much more unusual with a fresh discovery: the dial is not a blue-lacquer “Stella” dial as previously believed, but it is actually turquoise mineral stone. According to Sam Hines, Sotheby’s head of watches, the discovery came about only recently when light fell on the watch just right, revealing a detail that was not obvious before: the sub-dials are of a slightly different colour and texture. So the dial and movement were removed from the platinum case for inspection. And a close look at the reverse of the dial revealed it to be mineral stone. “What appeared to be a classic ‘Stella’ dial is actually a natural hardstone turquoise dial with a lacquer coating on top,” explains Mr Hines, “The lacquer coating hides the natural grain that can normally be seen in any hardstone.” While a revelation, the mineral stone dial is an eminently logical feature. Only five platinum Daytonas with the Rolex cal. 4030 (based on the Zenith El Primero) were ever produced, reputedly at the behest of the late Patrick Heiniger, then the chief executive of Rolex. It is believed he gifted four examples to important business partners, and kept the final watch for himself. (One watch was gifted to a member of the family that owns a long-established Rolex store in Italy – we told the...

Revolution looks back at the factors that have shaped the unique identity of Tudor’s popular sports watch.

Can the Casio G-Shock GSW-H1000 cause an upset in the smartwatch market? For me, living in Norway where most of my mates are very outdoorsy (you try telling them you don’t like skiing), I’m already seeing a scary decline in mechanical watches.   Everyday at the office for many translates to a naked wrist or an … ContinuedThe post The Casio G-Shock smartwatch alternative is here with the G-Shock GSW-H1000 appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

With a knack for technically innovative yet fun timepieces, Belgian watchmaker Ressence now unveils the Type 1 Spymaster, a limited-edition series of watches – each accompanied by a non-fungible token (NFT) artwork – conceived in collaboration with New York espionage museum Spyscape. NFTs are digital tokens stored on a blockchain – the digital ledgers that also store cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ether – that are essentially assets in digital format. Each of the 21 watches in the Type 1 Spymaster series is accompanied by its own NFT, a unique video artwork referencing the watch that also serves as a certificate of authenticity. The first publicly-available example of the Type 1 Spymaster, numbered “008”, will be offered at Sotheby’s Important Watches auction in Hong Kong on April 23 with an estimate of HK$170,000-300,000, or US$21,000-38,000 (we covered a few highlights from the sale earlier this week). It will be sold to benefit a good cause, with all proceeds going to the Make-a-Wish (UK) Foundation, which works to fulfil the wishes of young children with terminal illnesses. Initial thoughts NFTs have catapulted into prominence in recent months – a digital image sold for US$69 million at Christie’s in March 2021 – becoming the biggest and hottest fad in an era of fads. Watchmakers have jumped on the bandwagon as well, but if there’s a brand that’s NFT ready, it is Ressence. Having both filled a watch case with oil and installed magnets with...

It would be relatively easy, and pretty interesting, for GaryG to tell you the story of his two days one summer with artist Alexa Meade and her team. And he’ll get to that, but there’s more: the flood of sensations and emotions that came from considering why time and space are so important to him and from inhabiting a work of art that melded GaryG's vision of himself with the artist’s interpretation and self-expression. And there was even a watch.

Audemars Piguet has modernised its novelties across collections, introducing next generation movements and new technologies into their creations. The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore 43 Collection is yet another example, with a more ergonomic and refined case as well as an all-new interchangeable strap system. The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore 43 Collection is comprised … ContinuedThe post INTRODUCING: The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore 43 Flyback Chronograph & Offshore 43 Flying Tourbillon Flyback Chronograph appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Back in 1988, Chronoswiss was the first brand to bring the regulator display to the wrist. Recently at Watches & Wonders 2021 the company presented several new regulator-style watches in a variety of stunning colors and techniques. Anders Modig shares five of his favorites here.

We get our hands-on with the new Arnold & Son Luna Magna - with a huge 3 dimensional moonphase display set in an aventurine dial.

How do you make a steel sports watch happy? Add some dancing diamonds according to Chopard.

With A. Lange & Söhne having unveiled a compact line-up of new models – just three strong – at Watches & Wonders 2021, I had assumed my chat with its chief executive Wilhelm Schmid would be similarly concise. But last week’s video interview turned out to be more interesting, because we went on to discuss Lange’s strategy for distribution and allocation. Mr Schmid outlined the new models for 2021 (so far), and then detailed the tweaks to the brand’s retail strategy – in the face of overwhelming demand for certain models, and shortages due to pandemic-induced disruptions. The discussion is worth a read for a Lange aficionado, but also more broadly for anyone interested in a well-reasoned explanation of how a watch brand has to balance all of the factors involved in getting a desirable watch onto the wrist of a client. Wilhelm Schmid, working from home The interview was edited for clarity and length. SJX: Lange only introduced three models at Watches & Wonders, but they were all warmly received – I liked them myself. Tell us about how the new watches came about. Wilhelm Schmid: So for this year, we decided to go back to the core of the business, which is always the Lange 1. We launched the Lange 1 Tourbillon Perpetual Calendar in 2013, which was a great watch, because of its two big complications. But we also realized that we were running our Langematik Perpetual Calendar since 2001, almost 20 years, well, actually 20 years this year. That was the only standal...

Writing this I feel the need to put on a double-breasted suit. But even then, I suspect that I still wouldn’t feel suitably attired for an encounter with Le Temps Celeste, a trio of wrist art within Les Cabinotiers, Vacheron’s upper echelon of historical and ultra-complex timepieces. Consider these mere examples of the bespoke possibilities … ContinuedThe post Le Temps Celeste, 3 pieces of next-level craftsmanship from the inner sanctum of Vacheron Constantin appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

When Mido makes headlines for an auction result, you know it must be a special watch, and over the weekend a very special watch was sold. What was the watch? Well, it was a piece produced at the request of Ettore Bugatti, the Italian-born French founder of the eponymous automotive manufacturer. This specific watch, dated … ContinuedThe post Vintage Mido owned by Bugatti founder sells for $420,000 at auction appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Kickstarter can be a great place to find the weird and wonderful watches of tomorrow, as new brands battle for funding on what is basically a marketplace of ideas. A new player in the watch game who just hit their funding target is MVMNT, a brand who produces a range of different products with one … ContinuedThe post If you like high horology, you’ll love this cannabis watch that celebrates 4:20 right appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

In recent years, the world of high-end watches has become a far more colorful place. We have evolved from decades of conservatism in which a blue dial was daring to a kaleidoscopic era where anything is possible. And now it's red's turn, which has the advantage of the richness of hues available. Here Martin Green looks at 4 new red-dialed watches from Bell & Ross, Oris, Rado, and Omega.

From high performance to haute horlogerie, we take a look at the extraordinary calibers that have redefined the chronograph since the 1990s.

Here is our Reader Contribution to round up the "Best of" series on Watches and Wonders 2021. Kunal Khemka picks his top 5.

Taking place on Friday, April 23, 2021, Sotheby’s first live watch auction of the year takes place in Hong Kong. Important Watches is a full-sized sale led by the unique Rolex “Zenith” Daytona in platinum with a turquoise “Stella” dial, which might just set the record for most valuable automatic Daytona ever sold at auction. But the 296-lot sale is diverse in the traditional manner of Hong Kong auctions, encompassing vintage Patek Philippe, modern grand complications, and an assortment of independent watchmaking. Here’s a roundup of a few noteworthy lots at the auction, including a Patek Philippe ref. 1518 in exceptional condition, a pair of gorgeous pocket watches decorated with the very best of Geneva miniature enamelling, and the F.P Journe Coffret 38 made up of five watches with steel cases. The auction will start at 11 am local time on April 23 at the Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre, while the catalogue and online bidding are available on Sothebys.com. Lot 2185 – Vacheron Constantin miniature enamel pocket watch The middle decades of the 20th century were a golden age for miniature enamelling in Geneva, with the cities best watchmakers recruiting its best enamellers to decorate pocket watches. One example of such work is lot 2185, a yellow gold pocket watch made in 1948 by Vacheron Constantin that bears a miniature enamel painting by Hélène May Mercier (1910-1996), an artisan who learnt the craft with another famed enameller, Carlo Poluzzi...

Wei Koh runs us through the freshly announced Patek Philippe Ref. 5236P In-Line Perpetual Calendar, along with the 6119 Calatrava “Clous de Paris”, the steel 4947/1A Annual Calendar and, of course, the end of series 5711 with the olive green dial.

A Finnish watchmaker in Switzerland, Torsti Laine has become known for his affordable watches with custom-made dials and attractively modified Unitas movements. Now he is simultaneously unveiling his next generation of watches. One is the Laine G3, an improved version of his bestselling model that’s now available with dials comprised of various materials. It continues to be powered by a Unitas calibre, but now even more elaborately decorated with relief engraving on the three-quarter plate. And the second is the Laine V38, an entirely new model that’s smaller and slimmer thanks to the automatic Vaucher VMF 5401 inside. Like the G3, it will be offered with a variety of mix-material dials. The LA18.1 with its new three-quarter plate decoration Initial thoughts Appealing for the high level of customisation and good finishing, Mr Laine’s watches have long been an accessible yet respectable entry into the world of independent watchmaking. His new models continue to offer the qualities that made his earlier watches a success, while adding a bit more to the mix in terms of finishing and choice. The variety of dial styles and materials will be the biggest selling point, while the new movement engraving might be unnecessarily fancy. The V38, in particular, is something that Mr Laine never offered before in terms of size, which should make it the most appealing to buyers wanting something more classically sized. The V38 With the G3 starting at CHF8,500, the new models are more...

Gems, dazzle, diamonds and pizzazz. This year we have seen a delectable tableau of precious stones within, around, and pavèd on some of the flashiest new watches shown at Watches & Wonders. And while the entire Phygital viewing experience does leave a lot to be desired, the top maisons have managed to convey the blend … ContinuedThe post Ice, ice baby: The best gem set watches from Watches & Wonders appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Bring on the nostalgia with rare Zenith watches from the '60s and '70s restored by the Zenith Icons collection.The post The launch of Zenith Icons is a thrilling prospect for vintage fans appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Typically known for making utilitarian, military-inspired watches, Sinn breaks away from its trademark aesthetic with the U50 S Mother-of-Pearl S, adding a touch of luxe to the smaller sibling of its best-selling U1 dive watch. Initial thoughts Billed as a unisex version of the U1, the U50 has a 41 mm diameter. Though not a small watch in itself, it is substantially smaller than the full-sized, 44 mm U1. With the U50 S Mother-of-Pearl S, it is clear that Sinn is trying to appeal to female buyers – a segment that the brand, with its usually large “tool” watches must have had difficulty wooing. I find the unusual combination of the blacked-out case and mother-of-pearl dial to work well. The all-black aesthetic is stealthy, the very sort of look right at home on a no-nonsense tool watch. In contrast, the mother-of-pearl dial is striking, with an iridescence is highly attractive and appealing to females looking for sports watch that has a little bit more sparkle. The paradoxical combination gives the new U50 an intriguing look, which I must confess to liking this much more than the regular U50 S. Starting at €2,750 on a rubber strap, the U50 S Mother-of-Pearl S is just a tad pricier than the regular U50 S. Given that it is also limited to just 500 pieces, it’s good value for those looking for a more stylish Sinn dive watch. Pretty but robust Despite the shimmering mother-of-pearl dial, the U50 S Mother-of-Pearl S remains robustly built, as most Sinn watches are....

Variety is the spice of life – we all love to change things up. As a result, to many enthusiasts the mere idea of the “Exit Watch” or the “one watch for all occasions” is a frankly laughable concept. How many of us finally obtain that elusive grail only to start hankering for another piece … ContinuedThe post MICRO MONDAYS: Is the Hegid Mirage the first interchangeable case system with a Swiss movement? appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Our planet earth is not doing so swell. Hoping to make a difference, Panerai experiments with new materials and ways to promote conservation. Here Joshua Munchow looks at the brand's innovative use of recycling materials in the new Submersible eLAB-ID PAM1225 and Luminor Marina eSteel watches among other initiatives.