Latest watch news · Page 1315

Only Q-Branch's best for Bond.

Resident James Bond scholar Jason Heaton's take on the watches of everyone's favorite suave spy.

The new Roger Dubuis Excalibur Eon Gold 42mm is a nice addition to the Excalibur line, in particular for its more elegant case size. Without compromising its sporty look, the skeletonized tourbillon timepiece provides an excellent alternative to classic watches, a segment of casual high luxury watches that are on an incline. The watch is priced at S$217,000 and limited to 88 pieces.

"I must be dreaming."  –James Bond in Goldfinger

In all my years of collecting, there is one type of watch pretty much everyone enjoys. The field watch. Its a watch that dates back to a time of conflict and bravery; times when the lives of many depended on it’s legibility and accuracy. That historical importance, coupled with its relative affordability are two of … ContinuedThe post HANDS-ON: The Hamilton Khaki Field Collection elevates the humble field watch to new heights appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

With Sotheby’s Hong Kong sale just around the corner, we’re rounding up a half-dozen notable vintage watches from the auction, primarily big-ticket Patek Philippe complications. Amongst them a few oddities, one a Patek Philippe ref. 3448 “Senza Luna”, a perpetual calendar with the moon phase omitted, and the other the Rolex Day-Date with a  “Submariner” dial. With the preview exhibition open daily from now till October 12, the auction will take place on October 13. The catalogue and registration for bidding are available on Sothebys.com. Lot 2265: Patek Philippe ref. 130 The oldest watch of the selection is a Patek Philippe ref. 130, the brand’s first serially-produced wristwatch chronograph that remained in the catalogue for over three decades. The model’s longevity makes it an inevitability that a good number of ref. 130 variants exist. Indeed, the model varies greatly in terms case material and dial design, with some combinations being rarer than others. One such rare combination is a steel case with “sector” dial, like the present example. Made by Wenger, the steel cases of the ref. 130 have shorter and wider-spaced lugs compared to the gold cases that made by Vichet, giving the 33 mm case a more imposing appearance Chronograph wristwatches from that era typically feature tiny counters that sit close to the edge of the dial, leaving the dial clean and distinctly vintage. But the “sector” dial here is an entirely different animal – the sect...

Colin Alexander Smith's journey into what some call “watch fettling” began with a case of cat-killing curiosity: one of the subdial hands on a cheap watch had come loose, bringing it to a halt. That led him down a horological rabbit hole. Here he explains why you might want to consider a similar path.

For his 25th outing, Bond gets a Seamaster that recalls the earliest days of Omega's era with 007.

I didn’t let myself believe it would be possible until I was actually through US Customs. But it happened, I made it, and here I am, in LA, waking up after a night of dreams in Beverley Hills, meeting internet friends IRL, and interviewing a certain fella from Hollywood who is now going to be … ContinuedThe post FRIDAY WIND DOWN: Andrew’s Escape To LA and the launch of the Pink Dial Project appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

For the Gravity Equal Force Ultimate Sapphire, Armin Strom teamed up with Kari Voutilainen to give the backplate a refined guilloche motif. We clearly see the hand of the master in this: while the design of the guilloche is not particularly outgoing, it shows its refinement in the way that it is draped around the other parts of the watch. It gently directs the eye to all the right places, allowing admiration for this technical-looking piece to grow.

We're sensing a trend.

Moon pun goes here.

Yes, that's a turtle-themed "turtle" you're seeing. And they're exclusive to the US market.

We make espresso with a manual lever machine - the Flair 58, and a single dose grinder which has gained some notoriety recently - the Niche Zero.

Quartz Snob. The catch-all term for anyone who looks down on quartz-powered timepieces. It used to identify a small sub-set of collectors that would be condescending in their approach of the technology. But now, it’s wielded as a weapon against anyone apprehensive about spending thousands on a quartz piece. It’s as if everyone forgets that … ContinuedThe post The Collector’s Crossroads: My inner battle with Grand Seiko’s 9F movement appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Nomos releases retailer-specific limited editions on a regular basis, and the latest addition to that lineup is the Zürich Worldtimer Limited Edition Singapore 2021, a 50-piece run for Singapore retailer The Hour Glass. Based on the Zürich Weltzeit, the Singapore edition has a yellow gold-plated dial with a grained finish, matched with blued hands, as well as the city state in red on the world time ring. Initial thoughts Retailer editions are a Nomos favourite – just last month it was the turn of Amsterdam-based Ace Jewelers – so there really are a lot of them, reducing the novelty of the idea. That said, it is often such limited editions that are the most interesting in terms of colour palette, making them far more compelling than the standard Nomos offerings. That’s the case with the new Singapore edition, which is dressed in a colour and finish not usually found on Nomos watches. While the design remains distinctly Nomos, the livery gives the watch a slightly more striking appearance than the typical Nomos, which tend toward a more muted appearance. Colour aside, the Singapore edition has all the strengths and weakness of the standard version. The strengths are primarily the easy-to-operate world time as well as attractive movement, while the weaknesses are the long lugs and the small font for the world time display. Gilt and blue Besides the gilded finish that’s unusual for Nomos, the dial of the Singapore edition also has a granular texture that’s more p...

Ten years ago, Urwerk forever altered the horological landscape with the launch of the UR-110, an evolution of the brand’s signature satellite time display system. But now, exactly 10 years after it launched, it’s time for the final expression of this distinctive design, the Urwerk UR-110 Bakelite

Complication abounds in the 2021 GPHG Calendar and Astronomy category: two perpetual calendars – one of which is of world record-holding thinness – a complete calendar with chronograph, a clever day-date that you can’t help but smile at, a mind-blowingly beautiful moon phase watch, and the world’s smallest planetarium. And our panel members all (well, nearly all) have different favorites to win!

A French brand that specialises in affordable, vintage-inspired watches, Baltic is back with another affordable, vintage-inspired watch. Evidently modelled on gentlemen’s watches of the 1930s, notably the Patek Philippe ref. 96 Calatrava, the MR01 is the brand’s first dress watch. Compact at just 36 mm in diameter, the MR01 is also thin at under 10 mm thanks to the micro-rotor automatic movement within, which is also the reason behind the unusually positioned seconds at seven o’clock. Initial thoughts Baltic has consistently released vintage-inspired watches that are the right combination of design, details, and affordability, which is exactly what the MR01 is all about. It has an aesthetic that instantly brings to mind the Patek Philippe ref. 96, accented with overtly vintage details like the applied numerals and stepped bezel. But its most novel aspect is arguably the movement, which has a micro-rotor, an uncommon feature in watches at this price point, for now. The fit and finish of Baltic’s offerings is good considering the price, which is an affordable US$600 or so for the MR01. That’s possible due to the fact that most of the watch is assembled using components made by Chinese suppliers. Chinese watchmakers themselves produce watches of comparable quality for less money, but most have yet to offer the design and eye for details that Baltic possesses. And that is why Baltic’s watches are value propositions that enjoy with commercial success. Effectively vi...

EDITOR’S NOTE: Ok, we admit we ran this story quite recently, but there’s a reason why it’s back in rotation already. This week, Grand Seiko announced that their 4 Seasons collection, that was previously only available in the US, is now being opened up to the rest of the world. These aren’t any watches either. … ContinuedThe post EDITOR’S PICK: This is the Grand Seiko that changed everything for me…    appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Debuted exactly 90 years ago a sports watch, the Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso is famous for its swivelling case that was meant to protect the crystal. But in the modern day, the Reverso has paradoxically evolved into brand’s signature dress watch, as well as a canvas for assorted complications and artisanal decoration. The latest 90th anniversary model falls into the former category – the Reverso Tribute Minute Repeater is highly complicated, with its mechanics visible on two open-worked faces: the chiming mechanism revealed on the front and the base movement on the reverse. The front (left) with the repeater revealed, and the back showing the hand-wind calibre Initial thoughts The Reverso Tribute Repeater is an example of smart engineering and design, executed in a way that is possible only with the Reverso’s two faces. Notably, doing away with a solid dial is actually a technical necessity (more on that later), rather than mere vanity, but it leaves the watch looking as impressively complicated as it is. Though a modular repeater, its repeating mechanism is no ordinary example, but instead incorporates two proprietary innovations that compound to produce louder chimes, namely the extra-large hammers and the gongs that are located as close to the wearer as possible – they are attached onto the front crystal, hence the absence of the dial. Upon activation, the slider on the left winds up the mainspring at six o’clock, which unwinds to power the repeater That said, t...

For years, Hamilton has held the crown as the field watch king. The simple, time-tested aesthetic of the watches within their Khaki Field collection represents the gold standard of what a field watch should be. Furthermore, Hamilton doesn’t simply rest on its laurels, as they continuously expand the collection, presenting variations on the theme through … ContinuedThe post The Hamilton Khaki Field collection shows why the brand is still the field watch king appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

In celebrating ZENITH DREAMHERS a pair of Chronomaster Original models in diamonds are being announced with the El Primero 3600 movement.

Paul Newman's Paul Newman Daytona, or this?

You can't take it with you (but you can try).