Latest watch news · Page 1434

For the first time, Spring Drive powers Presage watches.

Collector Christian Kretschmar tells of his love story with his Audemars Piguet CODE 11.59 Self-Winding watch. Why he bought it, and why he has no regrets.

One of these will take home watchmaking's biggest prize.

A. Lange & Söhne Double Split is the leading lady of a month-long summer romance that one reviewer will long remember.

Editor’s note: The Longines Flagship Heritage 60th Anniversary is an oldie but a goodie. And not an oldie in the 1950-something sense, but rather in the, ‘this 2017 limited edition is probably all gone by now’. But it’s very much the definition of a modern heritage banger.  The hardest thing when re-creating a vintage watch … ContinuedThe post Another look at the Longines Flagship Heritage 60th Anniversary appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Presage has been something of a rising star in the Seiko firmament – a classically inspired, dressy collection that has proven to have broad appeal. These two new watches see the Seiko Presage powered by that most Seiko of technologies - the popular and silky smooth Spring Drive technology.  Already the pairing of Presage and precision … ContinuedThe post INTRODUCING: The Seiko Presage Enamel Spring Drive  appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Much to the chagrin of watch brand marketing departments, the list of timepieces of genuine historical significance is pretty small. Actual moon watches, the Breguet commissioned with Marie Antoinette in mind, and, of course, the works of John Harrison.  Even if you’re not an aficionado of 18th century horological science (and TBH we don’t hold … ContinuedThe post RECOMMENDED READING: An in-depth look at one of the most important timepieces ever made  appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

The 2019 edition of the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG) has just published the list of “pre-selected” (shortlisted) watches in the run-up to the eagerly anticipated red-carpet event in Geneva on November 7, 2019. The categories for 2019 are: Ladies, Ladies’ Complication, Men’s, Men’s Complication, Iconic, Chronograph, Chronometry, Mechanical Exception, Calendar and Astronomy, Divers, Jewellery, Artistic Crafts, Petite Aiguille, and Challenge. And, drum roll please, here are the stars of this year's show!

Overnight, the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève dropped the list of their 84 pre-selected watches, which will be judged within an inch of their lives and presented to an adoring crowd of industry professionals.  You can check the full list over at the GPHG site. There’s a lot to dive into, and quite a few … ContinuedThe post NEWS: The GPHG has announced the full list of finalists for 2019, and we’re pretty excited by these 5 contenders  appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Ming made its debut with the affordable and well received 17.01 – which cost only US$900 – later revived as the 17.03 for the brand’s anniversary. Both models were limited editions, but popular enough that Ming has just unveiled the 17.06, which is essentially an improved version of the 17.01. The basics like the case size and movement are the same, but several details have been upgraded. To be produced in limited numbers each year, the 17.06 retains the styling of the original model, but incorporates subtle design tweaks as well as more substantial construction changes. The 17.06 retains the raised, luminous hour track that’s a Ming signature The bezel, for instance, is now secured by screws from inside the case, making removal for polishing easier. And the hands also sit closer to the crystal. Notably, the 17.06 is the first serially produced Ming wristwatch to have a stainless steel case. According to the brand, this resulted from the steel prototypes of the 17.06 being particularly well-liked by the brand’s founders. The 17.06 is available in two guises, each priced at slightly more than the original 17.01. Both are powered by an ETA 2824-2 “top grade” that’s regulated in five positions. The 17.06 Copper has a copper-tone dial with an engraved motif, matched with a case with alternating brushed and polished surfaces. It’ll be limited to 300 pieces a year. The 17.06 Monolith is all black – the dial is matte black while the case is sandblasted...

There an Omega with a titanium movement, some shared love of old-school photography, and even a covert military operation. This week's got it all.

Seiko has cultivated its Presage collection as one that offers watches featuring dials decorated with artisanal techniques like Shippo enamel or Arita porcelain, but at extremely affordable prices. Now Seiko has just rolled out the first-ever Presage watches powered by the brand’s best-known innovation – the Spring Drive, an electronically regulated mechanical movement previously only found in Credor, Grand Seiko and Prospex watches. And the Spring Drive has been combined with a decidedly more traditional face, with both new models featuring vitreous enamel dials. Available in either white or black, the enamel dials are once again produced by master craftsman Mitsuru Yokosawa and his team, who are adept at producing enamel dials of high-quality and in large quantities, but relatively low prices. The clean and slightly retro dial design, however, is the work of the design studio founded by Japanese industrial designer Riki Watanabe. After his death in 2013, the design of his work was entrusted to his colleague, who stuck closely to Watanabe’s ideals of functionality and beauty in the conception of the watch. The dial is characterised by a striking clarity thanks to the high contrast between the hands, hour markers and dial, as well as Arabic numerals in Didoni typeface, a favourite of Watanabe. Notably, the date is properly integrated into the dial design with a date wheel that matches the colour of the dial, while the combination of the contrasting...

Seiko releases two Presage models with enamel dials and the Spring Drive movement. Design collaboration with Riki Watanabe.

One can understand the opacity of the first published analysis of John Harrison’s first sea watch, colloquially known as H4 and the forerunner of the marine chronometer, in The Principles of Mr Harrison’s Time-keeper. Edited by the British Astronomer Royal Nevil Maskelyne, it was published by the British government in 1767; and hereafter referred to as Principles. Principles was both incomplete of enough information to allow the duplication of the watch, which Harrison (1693-1776) started in 1755 and finished in 1759, and contained somewhat incoherent description that only makes sense a posteriori after examination of the watch. ‘Principles of Mr. Harrison’s Time-keeper’ Amazingly, it was one hundred years later the next review took place. I can echo Harrison M. Frodsham’s comments in his review in Horological Journal of May 1878 when he said, “Former explanations taken from Harrison’s description are necessarily unsatisfactory, as his was very obscure, probably purposely so.”  Although this may be dismissed as 19th Century gossip by some scholars, this may have arisen in part to protect any military advantage, given the importance of H4 to maritime navigation. Considering H4’s historical performance, it is odd that the otherwise comprehensive A Treatise on Modern Horology in Theory and Practice (2ndedition) by Claudius Saunier, published in 1887, barely mentions Harrison and certainly not H4’s technical content. Perhaps it was because it was so quic...

A skeletal essentials-only history and price guide to Patek Philippe perpetual calendar watches from the 20th century, in mostly incomplete sentences.

If you’ve ever looked to buy a watch on the internet, you will have invariably come across grey market watch websites offering a surprisingly good deal on the watch you are interested in. This leads to several questions about the broader mechanics of watch retail, and the watch grey market: Why would I buy from … ContinuedThe post RECOMMENDED READING: The watch grey market isn’t black and white appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Editor’s note: Steel sports is all well and good, but there’s something very appealing about the iconic Datejust in this steel and gold livery, with a warm brown dial and diamond hour markers. Especially with that bezel and band. Primo …  There are two main contenders for the title of ‘most recognisable watch in the … ContinuedThe post Two tones and a sprinkling of diamond – the Rolex Oyster Perpetual Datejust 41 appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

The concepts of the Cyrus Klepcys Vertical Tourbillon and Vertical Tourbillon Skeleton rotate around a vertically oriented tourbillon in the center of the movement. Joshua Munchow sees an awesome spaceship with an artificial gravity ring in the center; how about you?

A unique, complicated Rolex with a diamond dial and a strange history? Yes, please.

The recent anniversary of the moon landing saw my Instagram feed explode with Speedmaster wrist shots, and an overwhelming number of watch brands releasing special edition watches to commemorate the event. But when the new Zodiac Astrographic Limited Edition somehow beat the algorithm and made its way onto the top of my explore feed, I … ContinuedThe post A watch for C-3PO – the Zodiac Astrographic Limited Edition appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

In this week's Throwback Sundays column, we will be taking a look at six chronograph alternatives to the elusive Rolex Cosmograph Daytona.

Representing your country at the Olympic Games is the dream of just about every kid who grows up doing a sport, especially Australian kids and swimming. The likes of Ian Thorpe, Grant Hackett and Michael Klim did wonders to boost the popularity of the sport in the Land Down Under, producing a fresh crop of … ContinuedThe post What Sealed The Deal – Travis Mahoney’s Omega Speedmaster Mark II ‘Rio 2016′ appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Best known as a watch auctioneer par excellence, Phillips recently established Perpetual, a watch store inside its London showroom on Berkeley Square. A permanent showroom offering watches year-round, Perpetual was conceived to offer clients something to buy in-between the twice-yearly watch auctions. Perpetual comes a few months after the successful pop-up store that took place in March, where a Philippe Dufour Simplicity was purchased by Jean-Claude Biver, the legendary watch entrepreneur who’s now the non-executive chairman of the LVMH watch division. The watch department in London, led by financier-turned-watch-specialist James Marks, is the first outpost of Phillips to have a permanent store. “I believe that auction houses cannot apply the same business model to every geographical location,” explains Mr Marks, “and rather than rely on traditional seasons we need to be proactive with clients year round.” Perpetual officially opens on Wednesday, September 4, with a cocktail party and panel discussion. The panel is made of two industry luminaries – Mr Biver and Phillips’ auction chief Aurel Bacs – and myself. To RSVP for the panel discussion, register online with Phillips. The highlights The inaugural offering at Perpetual is diverse, encompassing both vintage and modern watches. Being a personal favourite of Mr Marks, Rolex “Zenith” Daytonas are well represented, but the line-up also includes a selection of choice examples of independent watchm...

Even seasoned watch connoisseurs look twice when presented with a men's watch fitted with what’s known as a “salmon” dial. If it is a fairly common model, a salmon-colored dial usually elevates the watch to a higher plane. Martin Green explains why this is so.

Walter Cronkite and Peter Jennings were two of the best known and most respected broadcast journalists on American television. While Cronkite was known to wear a gold Rolex Datejust and Omega chronographs, resident watch spotter Nick Gould surprisingly found evidence of Jennings sporting a Heuer Monaco.

Editor’s note: Some watches you can’t get out of your head, and the fun and friendly TAG Heuer Carrera Calibre 16 Chronograph from 2018 is one such watch. We can’t get over those pops of colour! The story in a second: Classic Carrera. More colour. If you spend more than a few minutes in the … ContinuedThe post A dash of sporty fun with the TAG Heuer Carrera Calibre 16 Chronograph appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

IWC's contribution to the “Silver Spitfire - The Longest Flight” project. The IWC Pilot's Timezoner is easy to operate with gloves and created with the pilot in mind.