Latest watch news · Page 1210

Our friends at The Watches TV entertained a visit from Peter Speake, The Naked Watchmaker, as he took apart a Vacheron Constantin world time pocket watch from 1949 – a feat firmly categorized in the “don’t do this at home” rubric. This World Timer is 71 years old, displays the time in 41 reference cities, is housed in a yellow gold case, and is completely original with all of its original parts and even the dial.

A recurring theme in Cartier’s watchmaking is Métiers d’Art – or “artisanal crafts” – where traditional decorative techniques are employed to create elaborate, intricate decoration on the watch dial, and occasionally the case. This year’s Métiers d’Art offerings are a pair of Ronde Louis Cartier wristwatches that return to the brand’s signature big cat motif. Decorated with an unusual marquetry technique involving straw and gold Métiers d’Art Straw and Gold Marquetry Panther is the larger, 42 mm model for men, while the smaller, 36 mm model features enamel filigree, where the enamel has been stretched to form bamboo shoots secured to the dial with gold wire. The 36 mm model with an enamel, gold, and diamond dial Initial thoughts Artisanal decorative techniques often result in prohibitively expensive watches, which narrows their appeal. That said, many watchmakers offer such watches, but produced in small numbers. More recently, they have used old-school techniques to create modern motifs or even light-hearted, whimsicial themes. Cartier’s approach is creativity in technique rather than style. The motif is traditional and reassuringly familiar – the famous panther is executed with exemplary skill but still the panther. That said, the marquetry dial is slightly abstract, giving the panther a slightly more contemporary look. But it will still appeal best to those who appreciate the jeweller’s well-established style. The finished straw marque...

I’m not alone in considering the Rolex Explorer one of the best examples of clean, sharp, monochromatic watches out there. But it’s fair to ask – for any of a host of very fair reasons – what are the best Rolex Explorer alternatives if you can’t get a direct path to the Crown? It’s not … ContinuedThe post Cut costs, not quality: 5 superb Rolex Explorer alternatives, including Grand Seiko, Tudor and more appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Richemont just reported its sales for the first half of the financial year – the six months to end September 2020 – and most of the numbers are in the red. The Swiss luxury group that owns Cartier and IWC saw sales fall 26% year on year, though the quarterly numbers show a gradual recovery. Sales were down by 47% in the first quarter but recovered enough to dip just 6% in the second quarter, owing to a gradual reopening of the economy. This no doubt inspired optimism amongst investors, who sent the group’s share price up almost 9% by the close of trading. Optimism notwithstanding, the declines extended to all performance metrics. Operating margin fell sharply to just 8.3%, almost half that for the same period in 2019. The falls in sales and margins collectively led to stark, 82% fall in operating profit. Net profit cratered, going from €869m in the first half of 2019 to just €159m. Beyond the negative numbers, the report was also notable for what it did not include. With rumours swirling about changes to Richemont management at the very top level – particularly about the tenure of chief executive Jerome Lambert – it was widely speculated the results announcement would include personnel changes, but nothing was forthcoming. Woe for watches and everywhere but Asia The global pandemic meant a global fall in sales, but with drops varying from region to region. As expected, Asia Pacific performed the best, with sales falling just 4%. Negative growth in the fir...

Yesterday we explored the Top 10 sports watches under $10,000, but if you are willing to stretch your budget, there is an entirely new tier of top sports watches to explore as well. Here are 10 of the best sports watches of 2020 over $10,000. Hublot Classic Fusion 40th Anniversary yellow gold The watch that … ContinuedThe post 10 of the best sports watches of 2020 over $10K, with Rolex, Grand Seiko and Moser appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

The grandeur of Place Vendôme is hard to match, and to say that about a location in a city like Paris is quite a statement. Follow Martin Green's tour of the horological history of the square and discover what makes this place so special.

Editor’s note: Andrew here. And of course I’m chiming in because I’m nervous. Which is a polite word for the Australian equivalent: shitscared. For example, if I Google ‘workhorse’ on Time+Tide (which I’m frankly too terrified to do), there will almost certainly be 100 responses. If I Google ‘beater’, perhaps several hundred. We are guilty … ContinuedThe post #shitcollectorssay: Dear everyone, please stop saying these six phrases. Thanks in advance. appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

One of the most sophisticated sunrise-sunset watches is drop-dead elegant as well.

Dwelling in the sky has never been more comfortable.

From Carcosa to the Upside Down.

For this week’s TGIF, we have the new(ish) Canon EOS R5. We had covered the original EOS R, and came away feeling a bit underwhelmed. So when the new “super-duper” R5 was released we got our hands on a loaner for a fortnight. As usual, we used the camera and several lenses for our watchRead More

Taking place over two days – Friday, November 6 and Saturday, November 7 – The Geneva Watch Auction: XII at Phillips is the first sale of the fall auction season. A compact sale of under 180 lots, the auction comprises a diverse line up, ranging from the obviously notable – like a Cartier Crash in platinum and a unique Patek Philippe ref. 5020P – to the obscure but extremely interesting, like the postwar A. Lange & Söhne wristwatch made after the company had been nationalised by the Soviets, as well as a vintage Audemars Piguet perpetual calendar with a paradoxical brand-new but factory-original case. Here’s a look at handful of standouts from the sale. You’ll find the full catalogue, as well as online bidding, right here. Lot 31 – Patek Philippe Annual Calendar Regulator ref. 5235G Unlike many of the other watches in the auction, the ref. 5235G is neither rare nor complicated, or even especially valuable. But it is an under-appreciated gem in Patek Philippe’s line up. Lightly designed and full of unusual details – ranging from the brushed dial finish to the engraved logo at three – the ref. 5235 also boasts a distinctively-designed movement unique to this reference and found in no other model. This example of the ref. 5235 is in white gold, which was discontinued last year and replaced by the same in rose gold with a black dial. While the new version is far more striking, the almost monochromatic white gold version is deeply appealing in its simplici...

Having witnessed the beauty of Aurel Bacs’ sector dial Laurent Ferrier, we worked with the Swiss watch manufacturer to create our special edition in the same spirit but with different details.

We’ve all likely seen these two glorious new Carrera references by now, but there are two hot questions remaining. Do you like either or both enough to pull the trigger? Because we have it on good authority that they’re just about done. You can pick them both up here until they’re gone. The second question … ContinuedThe post We’re calling it: these are the best two vintage Carrera re-issues since the real thing. But which one is your favourite? And are you going to pull the trigger? appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Featuring a new line – the 105 available in day/date automatic and a day/date automatic with UTC, a new 103, and a new rally style bullhead chronograph – the R500.   Press release information with editorial commentary in italics 103 Sa G -SGD 4,940 / USD 2,870 on textile strap, SGD 5,310 / USD 3,100 onRead More

Sports watches have established themselves as the most sought-after and worn watches in the world. With a greater emphasis on outdoor activity and physical health, consumers need timepieces that can keep up with their active lifestyles. There has been no shortage of divers and chronographs this year, so we have compiled the best sports watches … ContinuedThe post 10 of the best sports watches of 2020 under $10K, including Seiko, Longines and Bulgari appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

What, no yacht?

Watches in the Artistic Crafts category demonstrate exceptional mastery of one or several artistic techniques such as enameling, lacquering, engraving, guilloche (engine turning), skeletonizing, and more. Which make comparisons between the different crafts extremely difficult. But our five panelists accept the challenge and come up with three predicted winners.

If you read Time+Tide regularly, you’ll know that stainless steel Rolex watches are almost exclusively more expensive on the secondary market than they are at retail. This isn’t a new phenomenon, though it does seem to have taken on a new life with the advent of the “waiting list”, an ethereal allocation system that Rolex … ContinuedThe post FRIDAY WIND DOWN: The five most inflated Rolex references may surprise you, and plenty more appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

The next generation of a family watchmaking story.

We didn't forget (we promise).

We covered the launch of the Omega Speedmaster Snoopy 50th Anniversary with our insights and commentary earlier. And the watch made it to our shores recently, and we got up close and personal it for a photo session and hands-on. Here are our photographs. This is the third in the Snoopy Award series by Omega,Read More

Taking place this weekend as a live auction with only cameras, telephones, and online bidding, Retrospective: 2000 – 2020 is a thematic sale that happens the day after Phillips’ Geneva watch auction. The second sale curated with Blackbird, both the publisher of a watch magazine as well as the agent for Ferrari in Hong Kong, Retrospective: 2000 – 2020 is self explanatory: contemporary wristwatches produced in the past 20 years. The 95 lots that make up the sale are a selection of the important, interesting, and intriguing from the last two decades, including obvious candidates like the Rolex Daytona and Patek Philippe ref. 5970. And the sale also includes notable watches that usually go under the radar, like the Breguet Classique Chronometrie 7727 with magnetic balance pivots (which is possibly the most accurate Swiss-made mechanical watch of the 21st century). The Breguet Classique Chronometrie 7727 (lot 258) Importantly, the line up also encompasses a diverse selection of independent watchmaking, reflecting the rise of these niche watchmakers. Here’s a roundup of highlights from independent watchmakers, which include the Philippe Dufour Simplicity 20th Anniversary and the ultra-rare Opus Eleven. The selection includes the worthy Seiko Credor Eichi II and Lange 1 25th Anniversary. Neither comes from an independent watchmaker, but both are as close as it gets for establishment brands. Lot 206 – Philippe Dufour Simplicity 20th Anniversary No. 00/20 Philippe Dufour...

A century has passed since its fateful inception, but in very recent times the Negroni has become a symbol of hope and optimism. It resembles similar nuances to the Ralph Lauren Polo Bear. With this mind, please raise a glass to the newest member of the team, The Rake x Ralph Lauren ‘Negroni Bear’ Polo Bear Watch.

Rado’s Captain Cook collection is by far one of the brands most iconic lines, a watch, as they say, designed to stand the test of time. Back when Rado released the first Captain Cook model, the Swiss Brand wasn’t known or associated with dive watches. Many of the watch brands back in the day attempted to delve into the different categories of watchmaking to expand their horizons, and Rado was no different. Typically being a dress watchmaker, Rado designed and released their first dive watch, the Captain Cook timepiece, in 1962. Captain Cook Green dial reference R32105313 The name Captain Cook was of course given to honour the explorer Captain Cook. The original 1962 Captain Cook was a serious dive watch, with a case built to survive approximately 220m of watch depth. Back in 2017, Rado re-released the 1962 Captain Cook model with a 1:1 recreation of the original, all with updated movement and materials. The design of the 2017 watch was kept the same as the original, as they retained the 37mm case sizing, red numeral on date wheel, shape of hour indices and hands, down to the spinning anchor at 12’clock position. The watch community loved this re-edition of what is a classic dive watch upon its release. With the watch becoming popular, Rado decided to make multiple iterations of the Captain Cook, with many different versions with different coloured dials being released.  Earlier this year, Rado released a new variation of the Captain Cook, with the new timepiece now ...

What does ‘Ragnarok’ mean? In a word: Armageddon. A dramatic name for one of Nordic origins (me), and a dramatic set of preconceptions for a debut in Nordic Haute Horlogerie via Glashütte. Elbow nudging greetings are exchanged with Tom André Tidemann, and we go for a walk in the crisp air of Scandinavian autumn. The … ContinuedThe post The ‘Ragnarok’ by Tidemann Watches might be the first ever haute horlogerie release with its own heavy metal theme song… appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.