Latest watch news · Page 1695

A unique Tudor fetches serious money.

The king is dead – long live the king.

20 years on, the brand updates the Sinn ARKTIS with the ARKTIS II. It is mostly the same watch with a larger case. It bears the same library of high performance specs and with an updated D3-system on the pushers.

The Louis Moinet compteur de tierces is one of the most remarkable finds in horological history in an extremely long time: it was the very first chronograph ever made, though no one knew this until recently. Get the details here!

Christopher Ward has always offered great quality and value, but with the Dartmouth it has delivered arguably its best looking diver.

How did I accidentally become a vintage watch guy? Partly, I blame the fact that I’ve got the spindly wrists of a teenage girl. That meant I naturally gravitated towards smaller dials. But I also put it down to the tawdry state of my finances. When I first started to get into watches - before the retro … ContinuedThe post The 3 mistakes I made buying a vintage watch, my cautionary tale appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Watch Disasters is a new series on Time+Tide that describes, in chilling detail, incidences when owning an expensive watch goes wrong. This is not going to be comfortable reading, so prepare for the pain. Admittedly, this is a bit of a soft start. The ‘prodigal’ in the title gives it away. If you have a … ContinuedThe post WATCH DISASTERS #1 – Ken’s prodigal GMT-Master II appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

In a first for watchmaking, an establishment watchmaker has collaborated with an auctioneer in creating a pair of limited edition wristwatches, resulting in the El Primero A386 designed by Phillips. The tie-up has resulted in a pair of watches, one in steel with a “tropical” dial, and the other in striking black and gold – with the total number made being just 69, a nod to the year of the El Primero’s launch. The two watches are actually part of the same creative process that spawned the platinum El Primero A386 One-Off that will soon be sold for charity. Aurel Bacs and Alex Ghotbi of Phillips were responsible for conceiving the look of both watches. According to Phillips, the duo imagined being designers of the brand-new El Primero in 1969, rather than looking back from today and creating a modern remake. The yellow gold El Primero is consequently a combination that was common back in the day – think Rolex Daytona “John Player Special” though never produced by Zenith. And the steel version is not actually a “tropical” dial, rather it is a reference to the brown colours fashionable in design and apparel during the 1960s. Hence it has its sub-dials in three shades of brown, a riff on the “tricolour” registers of the original A386. And the steel watch comes with a bonus: a steel “ladder” bracelet with straight end links that’s a replica of the same found on the original A386. Key facts and price El Primero A386 Phillips Limited Edition Ref. 30.P38...

This year’s GPHG saw a total of no less than 196 watches entered into the running for one of the night’s awards. The jury, presided over by Aurel Bacs, then pre-selected 84 models, divided into 14 categories. The latter included four new awards – the Iconic Watch, Diver’s Watch, Calendar and Astronomy and Horological Revelation. The outcome is similar to last year’s, with a strong ratio of independents among the winners. Out of 18 watch awards, eight were awarded to independents including Kudoke (Petite Aiguille), Ming (Horological Revelation) and newcomer Genus, (Mechanical Exception), while virtuoso watchmaker Voutilainen scooped two awards (Men’s Watch and Artistic Crafts). The biggest winner of the evening was Audemars Piguet who took home three awards including the top prize – the Aiguille d’Or – for its Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar Ultra-Thin. The watch is the world’s thinnest automatic perpetual calendar at just 6.3mm in height, achieved primarily by using a modified ultra-thin cal. 2120 as a base with a smartly designed perpetual calendar module on top that has an integrated end-of-month cam on the date wheel and a 48-month wheel with a novel geometry. Elsewhere, having lost to Genus in the Mechanical Exception category, Vacheron Constantin clinched the Innovation award with its Traditionnelle Twin Beat Perpetual Calendar. The watch addresses the problem of having to reset a perpetual calendar that has lain dormant. It utilises two balances osci...

A new non-selling exhibition of Biver's personal collection.

Only Watch by Christie’s will be held in Geneva on November 9, 2019, and a surprisingly high number of skeleton watches are among the 50 unique pieces for sale. Skeletonizing is a technical and aesthetic art that allows for fascinating insights into the movements’ inner workings. Which pieces might you be interested in bidding on?

As under-the-radar as a special edition platinum QP Royal Oak can get.

AP drops its most wearable and desirable Supersonnerie to date.

Editor’s note: Omega’s Seamaster collection is vast and varied, and the Swiss watchmaking powerhouse isn’t shy when it comes to creating new and innovative variants of its iconic diving watch. A classic example of this explorative ethos is this - the Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean “Big Blue”. The gorgeous and amply proportioned 45.5mm case is hewn … ContinuedThe post Taking another look at the Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean “Big Blue” appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

The "Commando" prototype points to Tudor's military roots.

Unless you’ve been in hibernation for the last five years, or you’ve had a complete moratorium on any type of connection to the Internet, chances are you’ve heard about Joe Rogan and his podcast. In fact, the comedian and former host of Fear Factor has such a large reach on the interwebs that his podcast … ContinuedThe post RECOMMENDED WATCHING: Joe Rogan talks watches appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

A trio of pieces that caught my eye in advance of tomorrow's sale.

Great watches and classic cocktails in downtown Manhattan.

Having just announced its six-month results to the end of September, luxury conglomerate Richemont eked out a rise in sales driven by its jewellery division, with its online business staying in the red and watchmakers showing no growth. Sales rose 9% increase to €7.397 billion, with a stable net profit of €869 million, based on actual exchange rates. The group reported double-digit sales growth in China, Korea, Japan, the US and the United Kingdom. But overall sales in Asia Pacific, which accounts for 37% of the group’s sales, has been subdued, mostly due to the political unrest in Hong Kong, which accounts for around 10% of the group’s revenue. The city saw sales drop by double digits. Richemont’s jewellery brands, namely Cartier and Van Cleef & Arpels, though it just added Buccellati to its portfolio, reported an 8% rise in sales. Notably, it was led by a higher increase in watch sales than jewellery. Prospects for the group’s watch brands, which include IWC and Panerai, have been muted due to the slump in its biggest market, Hong Kong. Richemont singled out Panerai, A. Lange & Söhne and Vacheron Constantin as enjoying the highest growth within the watch division, which is notable for the fact that these brands are not usually the drivers of growth, at least in recent years. The A. Lange & Söhne Odysseus, launched too late to help sales but its maker did well anyway In terms of sales channels, retail sales at Richemont’s own stores were up by 4%, but who...

Spotlighting superb vintage watches from around the web.

In-depth, hands on review of the new Glashütte Original Senator Chronometer Tourbillon with detailed explanations on the workings and historical importance.

Never look at “www” the same way again; Revolution clocks the miles in asking women watch lovers and consumers what they actually want in a watch.

Fans of the Rolex Daytona have a new, knowledgeable friend in the 300-page Daytona Perpetual, co-authored with Revolution’s very own Ross Povey.

To mark the 20th anniversary of the J12 this year, Chanel gave its signature timepiece a microscopic yet significant makeover, both inside and out, while preserving the distinct identity that has contributed to the watch’s two-decade success. For Only Watch 2019, the brand created J12 The Inseparables – the very first examples of the new-generation J12 to roll off the line, distinguished by a unique case and bracelet finish. And the pair also happen to be one of the most affordable lots in the auction. The brand has approached these unique iterations in the same manner it approached the revamp – with subtlety and restraint. The pair of watches are both rendered in smooth, matte ceramic, with a tone-on-tone dial. And both are equipped with a special black-coated execution of the new Caliber 12.1 produced by Kenissi, the movement maker that is part owned by Chanel. Matte finish The most apparent difference between the Only Watch pair and the standard version is the matte finish of the ceramic case and bracelet; the standard models have a glossy, polished finish. While the J12 is primarily a women’s watch, especially in this smallish size, the finish of the Only Watch editions come across as more masculine – and also more refined and discreet. And as it always has been, the case measures 38mm. It is made entirely in-house by the brand, thanks to its ownership of G&F; Chatelain, a reputed case and buckle manufacture, whose clients include Richard Mille, MB&F; and Bel...

More than 200 years ago, Abraham-Louis Breguet was appointed as an official chronometer maker of the French Navy, and the tradition lives on today in the Breguet Marine 5517. The 5517 is a robust sports watch, machined in a lightweight titanium that almost perfectly matches the deep-grey dial tone, and offers a host of details … ContinuedThe post VIDEO: Maritime mastery with the Breguet Marine 5517 appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.