Latest watch news · Page 1494

After a seven-year hiatus since the launch of his last watch, Vianney Halter is back with the Deep Space Resonance. Unveiled in prototype form but slated for delivery in summer 2021, the Deep Space Resonance is an impressively complex watch – the tourbillon assembly alone is 371 parts – that builds on the Deep Space Tourbillon of 2013. Like its predecessor, the new watch is also a triple-axis tourbillon, but now equipped with a pair of hairsprings and balance wheels within the tourbillon – both of which beat in acoustic resonance according to Mr Halter. Initial thoughts The Deep Space Resonance is a unique complication, to a degree. It’s a first in combining a triple-axis tourbillon with double balance wheels beating in acoustic, rather than mechanical, resonance. And the incorporation of the acoustic resonance phenomenon is also a first in watchmaking as far as I know, though it is somewhat fuzzy in terms of how it enhances the functioning of the watch. The tourbillon and its driving wheels The closest anyone else has come to this is Beat Haldimann with his H2 that has a flying tourbillon rotating on a single plane but with twin, mechanically-resonating balance wheels. Still, arriving as it is in 2021, the Deep Space Resonance feels overdue. The best known mechanical-resonance wristwatches came long before: the Haldimann H2 made its debut in 2005, while the better-known F.P Journe Resonance in 2000. And the Philippe Dufour Duality, which relies on twin balance w...

Earlier this week, aptly on a #speedytuesday in Switzerland, Omega has released a new generation of Omega Speedmaster watches. The upgrade has been long-awaited with the previous references largely unchanged for the past 50 years. The Omega Speedmaster 3861 models announced  introduce master chronometer co-axial technology to the professional moon watch – with subtle changes … ContinuedThe post What does the new 2021 Omega Speedmaster 3861 Collection really mean for buyers? appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

After having brought back the A384 and A386 for the 50th anniversary of the El Primero in 2019, Zenith has finally remade the last of the three original, 1969 El Primero chronographs. Like the earlier two re-editions, the Chronomaster Revival A385 is faithful to the original, retaining both the proportions of the case and dial – while also boasting a historically-correct movement, an accomplishment exclusive to Zenith since its never stopped making the calibre. As it was with the vintage originals, the A385 remake has the same the tonneau-shaped case found on the A384, but stands out with its smoked dial finish, a defining feature of the original, which also has a cool backstory. In 1970, an original A385 was fastened to the landing gear of a Boeing 707 operated by Air France on a flight from Paris to New York – and the watch kept perfect time on landing. A vintage brochure showing the original El Primero trio that made their debut in 1969 Initial thoughts Being a spot-on reissue means the A385 is unimaginative, but that precisely what makes it appealing. In fact, it’s difficult to not like the watch, which retains all of the qualities of the original – from design to landmark movement – while being reasonably priced, as Zenith watches most often are. And the icing on the cake is the dial finish, a warm tone sets it apart from the many El Primero re-editions, most of which are dressed in plainer colours. The smoked, coffee-colour dial also evokes the faded, “t...

At the end of 2020, 'The New York Times' published a story entitled “74 of Our Favorite Facts for 2020,” which contained 74 of the most interesting, striking, or delightful facts that the editors found in articles published by the newspaper last year. Elizabeth Doerr was inspired and now shares 42 interesting facts from Quill & Pad stories in 2020. Enjoy!

In spite of some not inconsiderable distractions, there were some pretty decent watches released in 2020. Quite a few of them actually. Omega relaunched their serially produced caliber 321, Bulgari executed the Octo Finissimo in steel, Grand Seiko launched an entirely new escapement in their SLGH002 and DOXA brought their most iconic design into the … ContinuedThe post Nick’s 3 favourite watches of 2020, including Cartier, Seiko and Hamilton appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Casio G-SHOCK ushers in the new year with a release of three new models in red with the traditional Japanese good luck icon Daruma. Details within.

Up close with Eric Clapton’s Patek Philippe white-gold ref. 5970 with ‘brick’ bracelet, courtesy of the watch’s present owner

The so-called Blue Editions by retailer Bucherer are some of the most sought-after items in the watch market, and the Tudor Black Bay Bucherer Edition is no exception.

Fact: we are stuck in the strap-technology stone age while the world is moving on. Is the 100-year-old technology of the spring bar beautiful nostalgia? Or simply large manufacturers being lazy? We all have a story of that one time, changing a strap to match up that outfit, fiddling with a screwdriver, scratching the lug, … ContinuedThe post Why can’t the watch industry match Apple Watch straps for comfort? appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

The term “grail watch” is used to refer to the ultimate collection piece. It might be a rare vintage treasure or a modern horological marvel depending on your personal taste. Effectively though it represents the Mount Everest of your watch-buying ambitions and is likely to be financially ruinous.  Grail watches traditionally therefore conjure up images … ContinuedThe post You’re not the only one whose grail watch is on a rubber strap. Here are 5 of the most desirable appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Breguet writing instruments round out the Swiss brand's elegant offerings with a style and grace similar to its timepieces, with many of the pens unabashedly borrowing stylistic attributes from the watch iconography. These writing instruments nestle into three collections: Tradition, Classique, and Reine de Naples, all in parallel with the watch collections of the same names. And they are a win in Nancy Olson's book!

Roni Madhvani is one of the biggest vintage watch aficionados on the planet. His Instagram page – @roni_m_29 – is the stuff of legend and showcases his treasure trove of some of the rarest and most eccentric timepieces from the likes of Patek Philippe, Audemars Piguet and Cartier. Conspicuously, however, it’s one of the few … ContinuedThe post What super-collector Roni Madhvani thinks about the steel sports watch craze appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Having revived the Master Control line early last year, Jaeger-LeCoultre largely translated models from the 1990s into the present day, save for one all-new watch, the Master Control Chronograph Calendar. The Chronograph Calendar features two complications that JLC long offered individually, but never combined before – the chronograph and triple calendar with moon phase. Taking its cues from the bestselling, 1990s collection of the same name, the Master Control is a gentleman’s watch in several flavours, all defined by a subtly retro style. Though a new model, the Chronograph Calendar retains the same style, while having a movement that’s the brand’s longstanding chronograph calibre with the addition of its well-known triple calendar module. The “Master Control” moniker originated from the fact that watches in the original collection were all tested for 1000 hours Initial thoughts Possessing a solid, workmanlike build and finish, the Chronograph Calendar sticks to the ageless Master Control look of the 1990s, more or less. While a couple of details could be improved – one reasonably expects more of the movement given JLC’s history – the Chronograph Calendar is good overall. The Calendar Chronograph in rose gold (left) and steel Visually, the Calendar Chronograph is a largish watch, though it doesn’t measure as such. At 40 mm wide and 12.05 mm high – close in size to the Rolex Daytona – the Chronograph Calendar is moderately sized, but the desig...

Insider and Collector take: Kunal Khemka explores the Vacheron Constantin Overseas collection in the context of the 222 and earlier generations.

A dive watch like no other, the new Hydrosphere Bronze is reminiscent of the warm sun on an island paradise.

H. Moser & Cie. has given its elegant take on the sports watch striking green livery in support of a good cause. The Pioneer “Cure ALS” is essentially an incentive for donations to Duke University’s research and treatment centre for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), an incurable muscle-weakening disease – making the respective minimum-required donation gets you either of the two limited-edition watches. Both watches features the brand’s signature fume dials in striking, deep green. One is a simple three-hand watch, while the other is equipped with a flying tourbillon containing an impressive double-hairspring. Both watches have discreet lettering at six o’clock in a nod to the cause Initial thoughts Watches created to benefit good causes are heartening, particularly ones like the new Pioneer pair, where the entirety of the donation goes to the medical programme. Already an appealing watch, the Pioneer features many quintessential Moser characteristics – namely the dial finish and in-house movements – and is enhanced by its charitable nature. The brand’s most affordable steel sports watch, the Pioneer Centre Second “Cure ALS” features an upgrade over the ordinary version in the form of an 18k solid-gold rotor that replaces the standard tungsten rotor. However, design wise it is a bit too close to a standard model – the green dial is similar to that in the regular production variant, which is available in a different, but similar, shade of gre...

Rolex … oh dear, Rolex … love the watches, hate the limited amount of product available. As much as it would be easy to chalk it up to brand power and allure, the reality is the crown manufacturer makes one hell of a wristwatch. The Rolex name may draw all-comers into purchasing their pieces, but … ContinuedThe post IN-DEPTH: Why the Rolex GMT-Master II “Bat Girl” trumps the original Caped Crusader appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Should champagne lovers from around the globe be asked to name the greatest wines and producers, there would be a unique name that I believe would be on every list: Champagne Salon is one of a kind because this house produces only a single wine, the vintage Le Mesnil Blanc de Blancs. Including the first vintage from the 1905 harvest, Salon has released less than 40 wines over the course of its history.

This morning a new generation of Omega Speedmaster Professionals were announced, but that was not the only legendary chronograph revival and rejuvenation introduced today. Zenith has unveiled a new tribute to one of their chronographs from 1969: the Zenith Chronomaster Revival A385 Gradient Dial. Game-changers in their day, Zenith produced three watches that were not … ContinuedThe post HANDS-ON: The Zenith Chronomaster Revival A385 is the return of a sepia-toned legend appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Long anticipated and widely discussed ahead of its release, the new-generation Omega Speedmaster Professional Moonwatch has finally arrived. Officially the Speedmaster Moonwatch Professional Co-Axial Master Chronometer Chronograph 42 mm, the upgraded version of the famous chronograph is an attractive blend of vintage design elements and modern movement technology. Launched in eight variants, the new Moonwatch line begins with the entry-level model in steel with a Hesalite crystal and solid back, with the top of the line model being the version in 18k Canopus gold, a white-gold alloy proprietary to Omega. The new Moonwatch in Sedna gold (left) and Canopus gold All the versions, however, share the same design features, as well as the cal. 3861, which is also found in the recently-launched Speedmaster Silver Snoopy Award. A new-and-improved version of the cal. 1861 that powered the Moonwatch for decades, the cal. 3861 boasts all of the technological bells and whistles that define Omega’s contemporary movements. The new calibre is also is partly responsible for a price rise, with the new Moonwatch being about 25% more expensive than its equivalent with the cal. 1861. The cal. 3861 under the display back; only the Hesalite-crystal model has a solid back Initial thoughts The new Moonwatch is appealing but predictable in packaging details taken from vintage Speedmasters along with the new cal. 3861. Mostly derived from the Speedmaster ref. ST 105.012, the vintage elements incl...

Omega announces the 21st century version of the hallowed Speedmaster, with redesigns inspired by the ST105.012 and powered by the Master Chronometer Certified Calibre 3861

Editor’s note: Today, Omega did what they had been hinting at for months: they launched eight new Speedmaster references across four models, all with the new Master Chronometer Calibre 3861. The four references include regular versions with Hesalite and Sapphire and precious metal versions in Omega’s proprietary Canopus gold and Sedna gold, all with options … ContinuedThe post VIDEO: One final loving glance at the now phased out (and much cheaper) Omega Speedmaster “Sapphire Sandwich”, which will only be in store while final stocks last appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Novelty Alert: Peter Speake-Marin returns as The Naked Watchmaker with Schwarz Etienne and Les Ateliers Blandenier to make the Phoenix Collaboration 2020.

One of the hits of Baselworld 2016, the Tudor Black Bay Dark was an instant classic with a gorgeous finish which provides a sense of immunity to wear.

Continuing its series of collaborations with noted artists, Swatch has just unveiled the Disney Mickey Mouse x Keith Haring Collection, a quartet of watches inspired by the artist’s take on the iconic mouse. The collection is made up of a pair of 41 mm New Gent models, a smaller 34 mm watch, as well as an oversized, Maxi wall clock shaped like a wristwatch. An artist whose pop art outlived his unfortunately short career, Haring was best known for his graffiti in New York City’s subway stations, often depicting dancing figures or animals in outline. Haring was also a proponent of accessible art, and worked with Swatch in 1986 to create a set of four watches, which debuted alongside Pop Shop, a store in New York’s Soho district that sold affordable products bearing his work. The 1986 Swatch Keith Haring set. Photo – Christie’s Haring died in 1990 at the age of 31, but now, some three decades later, Swatch has rolled out the second Haring collection, conceived together with the artist’s eponymous foundation. The new collection revisits Haring’s earlier work that depicts Mickey Mouse, explaining the collaboration with Disney. The 41 mm Eclectic Mickey Initial thoughts Swatch excels at watches in funky design and bright colours, and the Haring-Mickey Mouse watches personify that. And the fact that the watch incorporate iconic examples of 1980s pop art make them even more interesting, less timekeeper than an affordable means of acquiring a little bit of Haring’...

Look, I don’t have a crystal ball that can tell me which new watches will or will not drop this year. But when people raise the question of whether or not the Black Bay Fifty-Eight with its 39mm dial will replace the 41mm line in the Tudor catalogue, I am not afraid to share my … ContinuedThe post 2021 Watch Predictions: Will the Tudor Black Bay 58 replace the 41mm line-up? appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.