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Our editor-in-chief shares his favorite memories and stories from six years at the helm.

Seiko has long incorporated Japan’s unique pop culture into its watches – from Gundam to Street Fighter – and now it’s turned to the legendary anime film studio behind hits like Spirited Away. The Presage Studio Ghibli Castle In The Sky is inspired by the 1986 anime film about a pair of children protecting a magic crystal from government agents. Despite the cartoon inspiration, the new Presage has a classical design with Breguet hands, a fired-enamel dial – and no date window. Initial thoughts The Castle in the Sky edition gets a few things right. It combines a few specialties of Seiko – the fired enamel dial, Japanese pop culture, and a modern, workhorse movement – all for under US$1,500. That said, the mid-range price is novel for a collaborative model in this vein, since the brand’s earlier crossover editions were either priced substantially higher (as a Grand Seiko) or lower (a Seiko 5). Also notable is the no-date dial. While Seiko has long offered enamel dials in affordable watches, it usually installs a date function on the three-hand models, perhaps a concession to the brand’s focus on fuss-free practicality for its watches. Leaving out the date is not only significant from a philosophical standpoint – perhaps it’s an admission the design matters more than its utility – but the omission of a date aperture makes for a higher quality look. The date window never looked good, especially since the aperture revealed the relatively rough edges...

In a wonderful philanthropic gesture, Richard Mille is donating the proceeds from one of its latest limited releases to good causes in St Barths.

When I first came across CODE41, the X41 AeroCarbon had my immediate attention. Here was a watch that – on paper – offered considerably more technical watchmaking and engineering prowess than its price point competitors. CODE41 coupled this value proposition with a promise of increased transparency, lifting the veil on costs to give potential buyers more insight … ContinuedThe post The CODE41 X41 Edition 5 combines fine watchmaking with affordability and transparency appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Gone rogue: UK / US /adjective: “Behaving in ways that are not expected or not normal.” You might think this a tough-talking opening pitch, but when you add the back story of the Peren brand and the new Peren Nera Rogue, it makes sense. The owner Andy Bica-Popi hails from Transylvania (yes, the logo does … ContinuedThe post MICRO MONDAYS: The Peren Nera Rogue is a future-proof take on a mythical 60s diver appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

A. Lange & Söhne recently introduced a new model: the Lange 1 Perpetual Calendar, the least complicated perpetual calendar that A. Lange & Söhne has ever made. And, as Joshua Munchow explains in detail, it's a truly gorgeous way to "time travel."

We go back to the fundamentals of watchmaking today by taking a look at a selection of six simple three-hand time-only dress watches.

A long time ago, on a watch blog not so very far away ...

Humans have long had a fascination with the depths of the ocean, striving to go ever deeper, ever further, and ever faster by pushing the limits of the human body, technology, and advancing modern science. But like all things, we are often faced with limits. Enter the helium escape valve.

Are you on team Rolex or team Omega? Does the horological excess of Richard Mille thrill you or make you shudder? In the world of luxury brands emotions can run deep. This week I discovered an intriguing exploration into the fickle world of consumer behaviour, in the Jing Daily newsletter and a story entitled: “Why … ContinuedThe post Why do some luxury watch brands provoke genuine hate? appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Welcome to a slow news day, HODINKEE-style.

The Black Lives Matter Big Pilot on Hamilton's wrist is an all-black variant IWC Big Pilot Perpetual Calendar. Here's the story behind it.The post The untold story behind Lewis Hamilton’s one-of-one Black Lives Matter IWC Big Pilot appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Hublot seldom disappoints when it comes to a summer barrage of colours and materials, and the new MP-09 collection is here to prove the point. Hublot’s MP-series represents the pure spirit of the maison as each is a Manufacture Piece, showcasing the outer limits of materiality and design. To be honest, most of Hublot’s normal … ContinuedThe post The new Hublot MP-09 Tourbillon Bi-Axis collection is spectacular watchmaking in a blaze of colour appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

With auction prices soaring, it was a good time for an auction house to be offering rare timepieces by the world’s best independent watchmakers. And a 1999 Millennium wristwatch by George Daniels and Roger Smith offered in Bonhams' sale on June 16, 2021 set an auction record for a British-made wristwatch!

Revitalisation is exactly what we're getting this year with the new TAG Heuer Aquaracer Professional 300 collection.The post The new TAG Heuer Aquaracer Professional 300 collection is a truly modern dive watch appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Tudor adds a new material to its growing list of Black Bay variants, with the new Black Bay Ceramic. This is the first time a full ceramic case is used on a regular production model, succeeding an earlier Only Watch 2019 all black model. Other notable changes include METAS certification, an anti-magnetic movement, and a two-liner dial instead of the usual Rolex style 'paragraph'.

There has been a lot of talk and promises made by the watch industry about ceramics and their use in timepieces, so it would seem that a primer on the subject might make us much more informed consumers. And Joshua Munchow delivers that here.

During the week an interesting article popped up from the Independent UK in my Apple News feed. It revolved around a press conference at Euro 2020 where superstar footballer Cristiano Ronaldo shunned one of the tournament sponsors Coca-Cola by purposefully moving two bottles of the soft drink out of view from the camera while asserting … ContinuedThe post Once you notice how celebrities wear their watches you can’t unsee it…. appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Three up-and-coming watchmakers look toward the future.

“Environmentally friendly” isn’t a phrase that immediately comes to mind when you think of the watch industry. Craftsmanship, passion and heritage might be more likely answers in a word association game with your psychologist. But that doesn’t mean that there aren’t parts of the industry that are genuinely doing their bit. Chopard is well-known for … ContinuedThe post 5 of the best environmentally friendly watches on the market right now appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Masterpiece is a strong label. It’s not something to be taken lightly. Many of us in the watch journalism game get rightly chastised for throwing around terms such as ‘iconic’ willy-nilly. But with Grand Seiko, and their Masterpiece Collection, I can type with full confidence that their creations live up to the classification. These watches … ContinuedThe post The Grand Seiko SBGZ007 is a masterpiece that evokes the starry skies of Japan appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Editor’s note: John Wick is  an enjoyably mindless shoot-em-up that’s turned into a successful Hollywood trilogy. Keanu Reeves plays the titular hero who becomes a relentless vengeance machine in the first movie after some Russian gangsters kill his puppy. Compensating somewhat for this canine loss, is that fact that in all three John Wick films, … ContinuedThe post Carl F Bucherer’s CEO explains why there’s more to the brand than John Wick appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Vivid divers revive a winning formula.

Behold the worst-kept secret in watchdom: the Seiko 5.

Richard Mille presents a new 80 limited pieces edition, the RM 60-01 Automatic Flyback Chronograph Les Voiles de St Barth.

Being best known for its aviation-instrument watches, it is logical that Bell & Ross also does well with watches that keep track of a second, and now a third, time zone. The brand’s catalogue includes a variety of travel watches, with the latest being the BR 03-93 GMT. It’s an improved version of the brand’s longstanding dual time zone in a square case, now enhanced with a bi-directional, 24-hour bezel in “Coke” colours that allow it to display the time in up to three places. Initial thoughts Bell & Ross (B&R;) launched the original BR 03-93 GMT in 2016, which was the brand’s first wristwatch to combine the signature square case with a second time zone. The first-generation model has a fixed bezel, limiting its functionality to just two time zones. Subsequently, B&R; introduced a model with a rotating, 24-hour bezel – allowing it to track a third time zone – but in a more conventional round case. The BR V2-93 GMT, the first B&R; watch to feature a bi-directional, 24-hour bezel. Photo – B&R; While the square BR 03 case and rotating second time zone bezel might seem like an obvious combination, it has never existed, until now. The new BR 03-93 GMT is the first to install a bi-directional, 24-hour bezel on the brand’s best-known case design. Given B&R;’s roots in “tool” watches for pilots and other professionals, I’m surprised that it took as long as it did for B&R; to combine the two. The 24-hour bezel is executed in the familiar halves of black and...