Latest watch news · Page 1194

Our review of the Piaget Polo Chronograph gets a line extension with the new limited edition (888 pieces) steel case with a panda dial in silver and blue.

Berend Bulang, one of the sons in Bulang & Sons, tells Ross Povey about watch life, family life and when the two go hand in hand…

Even before the pandemic took hold, the last couple of years have been chaotic for Switzerland’s major watch fairs, with many an unexpected turn of events before COVID-19 put an end to the physical event in 2020. But now it appears the world is back on track, with Watches & Wonders (W&W;) slated to take place at end-March 2022 – as a physical event in its traditional Palexpo venue. The return of W&W;, now Switzerland’s only large-scale watch fair, feels long overdue. Arguably the saga began in 2018 when watchmaking giant Swatch Group exited Baselworld, then still the largest jewellery and watch fair in the world. Its departure triggered a chain reaction that would eventually prove fatal for Baselworld. Stalwart exhibitors including Patek Philippe, Rolex, and Chanel pulled out of Baselworld, sealing the event’s fate – and resulting in a small kerfuffle over exhibition-fee refunds. The brands departed Baselworld to join the fair in Geneva, then still known as SIHH. It was renamed W&W; to welcome the new exhibitors – and ran headlong into a major public-health crisis. Only one physical watch fair took place in Switzerland in 2020, albeit it on a small scale. It was only in China that a full-scale W&W; did happen, twice no less, demonstrating the frenzied demand for luxury watches there. A scene from SIHH 2019, the last time a full-scale watch fair happened in Switzerland After a two-year hiatus, W&W; till take place from March 30 to April 5, 2022, at Palexpo, the con...

Wei unboxes the new IWC Big Pilot 43mm, and also walks us through their patented quick change system that makes changing straps hassle-free.

When you become a world famous recording artist, you stand to make a ton of money and inevitably acquire a drool-worthy collection of luxury goods. Of course, here at Time+Tide we are all about watches. Recently we have explored watches worn by Cardi B, Nick Jonas, Usher, and more, but for today’s session of celebrity … ContinuedThe post Rapper Travis Scott’s watch collection is a masterclass in how to spend it when you got it appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Resembling an alien seashell, the Dream Watch 5 is De Bethune’s most unusual case and unquestionably its most artistic creation. While the model started out as a pared-back affair entirely in polished titanium, the DW5 has since evolved into a canvas for decoration like over-the-top, dancing-skeleton engraving. The DW5 Empreinte sits in between the two aesthetic extremes. Clad in deep, dark colours, the case is inlaid with a subtle, organic pattern that’s hard to describe. The distinctive colours and pattern were conceived by Clara Martin, who won the 2019 prize in the annual contest sponsored by De Bethune that’s open to masters students at the University of Art and Design Lausanne, better known by its French acronym ECAL. Ms Martin’s vision was realised by De Bethune cofounder Denis Flageollet, a talented watchmaker and self-taught metallurgist, as well as Michèle Rothen, the brand’s go-to engraver. Denis Flageollet and Clara Martin Initial thoughts De Bethune’s avant-garde in both style and watchmaking – an attractive combination that leaves the watchmaker with few peers. But even so, the DW5 still manages to stand out from the brand’s other offerings, as it is arguably a sculpture first and a timepiece second. The fluid, organic case is three-dimensional and gorgeous – and even more incredible when executed in the right material and colours, as demonstrated by the meteorite version of 2016. The DW5 Empreinte gets it right, with a deep black case a...

Editor’s note: As part of his ongoing column, David thumbs his nose at high horology to rummage through the bargain bin and unearth some mind-boggling bang for your buckaroos. While it may sound like a ski run in the Alps, the Tapferkeit ‘Furchtlos’ is actually a rather handsome timepiece with a distinct Bauhaus aesthetic and … ContinuedThe post Cheap Bastard: The Tapferkeit ‘Furchtlos’ is a Bauhaus beauty for $183(!) appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

After a two-year hiatus, Watches & Wonders announces its return to Geneva’s Palexpo for what is now Switzerland’s one and only premier large scale industry fair.

If you were to guess who the world’s richest men were, your mind would probably wander to tech CEOs and Russian oligarchs, all of which would be reasonable assumptions. This month, however, the tides of wealth have changed with LVMH founder, CEO, and executive chairman Bernard Arnault rising to No.1 on the rich list. Edging … ContinuedThe post LVMH founder Bernard Arnault declared world’s richest man (but what watch does he wear?) appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Many professsional watch journalists may or may not have loved watches when they first started writing about them. But attitudes and personal tastes transform over time, so that some journalists who started in another field may come to love watches more than they ever thought possible. And four of them feature in this Instagram Live video. The overriding question answered is what makes individuals like us decide on what we do, say, buy, collect, and, above all, write?

You never really know what to expect from a brand collaboration. When I first saw that Aston Martin had teamed up with Girard-Perregaux, courtesy of the gorgeous green-liveried Formula 1 team, I assumed that we’d soon see the likes of Sebastian Vettel and Lance Stroll sporting something like a special-edition Laureato in British Racing Green. … ContinuedThe post A concept car for the wrist: Girard-Perregaux teams up with Aston Martin on the Tourbillon with Three Flying Bridges appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Follow-up to our comprehensive review of the F. Berthoud FB 1RS.6, we present the pictorial review of the round cased Régulateur Squelette FB 2RS.2.

Shortly after launching the Earth-friendly Big Bold Bioceramic made of plant-based plastic, Swatch is venturing off the planet and towards the stars with the Space Collection. A line of five watches conceived in collaboration with American space agency NASA, the Space Collection is inspired by NASA’s colours and spacesuits. It is made up of a trio of extra-large Big Bold watches with Bioceramic cases, along with a pair of more classical Gent models in regular plastic. Old school Swatch: Space Race (left) and Take Me to the Moon. Initial thoughts I’m a big fan of Swatch and own several, including the MoMA “Starry Night” launched last month. The brand is often neglected by enthusiasts because of its fun and low-cost watches, despite Swatch having played a pivotal role in keeping Swiss watchmaking going during the Quartz Crisis. In fact, Swatch was crucial enough that its parent company renamed itself Swatch Group, despite owning brands like Omega and Breguet. It comes as no surprise that I like the new Space Collection, especially the Big Bold models. The Space Collection represents Swatch doing what it does best – offering fun, interesting timepieces at an accessible price point. In fact, the Space Collection models are likely the most affordable NASA-endorsed watches on the market. To put things in perspective, even the top-of-the-line Big Bold Chrono is cheaper than Omega’s NASA velcro straps. Starting at US$125 for the time-only version – the line up in...

Launched earlier this year as the latest addition to Piaget’s compact Polo S line up, the Piaget Polo Skeleton joins a crowded field of luxury-sports watches. But it is a novel enough proposition – being a skeletonised, automatic sports watch – to make it notable. And it helps that the Polo Skeleton is exceptionally slim, thin enough that it feels similar to Piaget’s Altiplano dress watches on the wrist. Initial thoughts Piaget loaned me a Polo Skeleton in blue for a couple of days, and two features stood out: its slimness and how well it wore (save for the clasp buttons, more on that below). The Polo Skeleton is wide but flat, and sits elegantly on the wrist. Even though the bracelet is relatively thick compared to the case, that is only apparently when the watch is off the wrist. On the wrist the bracelet pairs well with the case, despite not being an integrated design. Having a skeletonised movement with coloured bridges give the Polo Skeleton a distinct look. This contrasts with the standard time-only Polo S, especially with its linear-pattern dial, that does admittedly bring to mind other luxury-sports watches. At the same time, the finishing and style of the cal. 1200S in the Polo Skeleton bring depth and texture to the face, while also injecting a bit of movement with the rotor and balance wheel. The Polo Skeleton is offered in two guises – blue or grey treatment for the movement – and the blue is the more striking by far. It is also more legible due to ...

As you’d expect from a musical superstar, the Drake watch collection is spectacular. From Richard Mille to Patek Philippe, Drake seems to have just about every desirable watch there is. It’s such a good collection in fact, we once compared it to the collection of Jay-Z, who is no horological slouch himself. But what is … ContinuedThe post Drake’s most low-key watch is still the wristwear of a stone-cold baller appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

There is little more mythical in the world of horology than the existence of a handful of stainless steel watches by A. Lange & Söhne, a brand that only officially makes its timepieces housed in luxurious precious metals with the exception of the newer Odysseus line. And the unique piece Tourbillon Pour le Mérite in stainless steel is perhaps the rarest of them all. Read on to find out more about this true collector's item.

Melbourne might be considered the most liveable city in the world, but it is also an unusual one. It’s unusual because it contains some of the most passionate sports fans on the planet, who support a game (Australian Rules Football) that only has one national league – the AFL. Despite being played in a country … ContinuedThe post AFL superstar Dustin Martin partners with Kennedy for eye-catching, heavily tattooed campaign appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

In honor of Pride month, which begins on June 1, and commemorating watch stylist Jean-Claude Gueit’s now-famous design contribution to the world of jeweled watches, Elizabeth Doerr shares five examples of rainbow-set watch models that caught her eye in the last year or two.

Recap: after this year’s Watches & Wonders, Wei Koh of Revolution, Robert-Jan Broer of Fratello, Frank Geelen of Monochrome, and our very own Andrew McUtchen of Time+Tide came together to talk, slash, argue over which were the best releases. They selected their faves in four different categories and then asked viewers and readers to make … ContinuedThe post The People’s Choice Award for the most innovative watch of Watches & Wonders goes to… appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Parmigiani got on integrated-bracelet sports watch bandwagon last year with the launch of the Tonda GT, in both chronograph and three-hand formats. Like many of its luxury-sports watch peers, the Tonda GT was penned with the help of a (somewhat) famous designer, Dino Modolo, an industry veteran whose best known work comes from his time at Vacheron Constantin, where he designed the original Overseas. While the Tonda GT is arguably Parmigiani’s first bona fide sports watch, it is surprisingly good – stay tuned for a review soon – and now Parmigiani has unveiled a pair of Tondagraph GT chronographs with “panda” dials. Decorated with clou triangulaire guilloche, the silvered dials are matched with glossy black ceramic registers, elevating the retro “panda” to a new level. Somewhat confusingly, the Tondagraph GT will be available in steel with a modular movement featuring an annual calendar, or in 18k gold equipped with a pure-play, integrated chronograph movement that’s both high-frequency and finely constructed. Initial thoughts The Tonda GT has an appealing, original look that most crucially avoids looking derivative, an easy pitfall in the integrated-bracelet sports watch segment. And despite being one of the many such sports watches, the Tonda GT stands out with its own style that is inspired by Parmigiani’s dress watches, resulting in a look that’s best described as curious but attractive. The Tondagraph’s case and bracelet are neither angular nor ...

Parmigiani refreshes the Tondagraph GT collection with two new models (steel and rose gold) with bi-colour dials with rubber strap or metal bracelet.

Wei Koh gives us his thoughts on the new, triple-certified, Tudor Black Bay Ceramic in hand.

Rado is most often associated with ceramic watches, ultra durable and modern. The company carries that history in their DNA with a hundred years of bringing innovation to the world of timekeeping.

Corum celebrates 10 years of the Golden Bridge Automatic, with a new release with 4 new models, in a panoramic, one-piece sapphire case.