Latest watch news · Page 698

Our Style Editor makes a case for the return of the Offshore and what its success in the '00s can teach us about pushing watch design forward in 2024.

The New Years holiday is typically a time to reflect and set some goals for the upcoming year ahead. Even if you’re not into setting New Year’s resolutions, the turning over of the calendar is a good opportunity to take stock. I’m not normally the type to set New Year’s resolutions myself, so I hope you won’t think it’s presumptuous that I’m about to lay out a goal for the entire watch community. I’d like to humbly propose that 2024 be the year we collectively abandon a practice that I’ve personally always found a bit strange: the “watch” Instagram account that sits alongside your “regular” account. Two accounts! One just for watches, one for – and I’m gesturing wildly here with both arms – everything else. To me that seems like a lot of work.  Why do we do this? I’ve heard all kinds of explanations. The most common is that we, as watch collectors, don’t want to endure the weird looks and questions from friends and family when they see regular wrist shots pop up in their feed. To that I say: they already know how weird you are. We should fly our watch freak flags high, with wrist shots alongside pics of your breakfast burritos, gym selfies, and summit photos.  Current grid: Just about all watches In 2024, let’s say goodbye to the idea that a watch focused Instagram is somehow not worthy of the views of your non-watch obsessed friends. They should accept you for who you are. And if somehow you’ve kept your watch hobby a secret all t...

A company that offers a wide variety of timepieces that cater to all tastes, Union Glashütte goes from bold to classic. Established initially as Uhrenfabrik Union in Glashütte in 1893 by Johannes Dürrstein, a prominent figure in the German watch industry, the brand swiftly rose to prominence in Glashütte watchmaking – until World War II […]

The normally very conservative brand let its proverbial hair down in 2023 with some seriously wacky (and significant) watch releases.The post Rolex went a little crazy in 2023 – these were their top 5 most headline-snatching watches appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

In the spring of 2022, nearly overshadowed by the launch of a certain celestially inspired plastic quartz chronograph, Seiko introduced the Seiko 5 Sports GMT. A watch that brought mechanical GMT movements to the masses. Previously, the least expensive mechanical GMT watches were well north of four figures. Since then, there has been a flutter of affordable GMTs, but very few can match Seiko’s incredible value proposition. In the months following the initial release, there have been a few added color variants and just in time to end 2023 with a bang, Seiko is introducing two new pieces. The Thong Sia Limited Editions exclusive to Malaysia, Brunei, Hong Kong, Macau, and Singapore. They will be restricted to 1000 pieces in each colorway. The Ice Blue SSK029 features a light blue/white dial, with blue hour, minute and second hands, and a red GMT hand. The bezel is a combination of black and blue. The Passion Red SSK031 is, as you can imagine, quite the opposite of the latter model. Featuring a deep red dial, with steel hour, minute and second hands, and a gold GMT hand. This one has a red and black bezel.  These watches will be available from January 2024 and are limited to the Asian markets referenced above. Like all regional releases, they’ll undoubtedly pop up in the usual second hand and international retail outlets where watches like this can often be found shortly after becoming available, so be on the lookout if you’re interested in collecting some of the more h...

Casio G-SHOCK introduces the Aim High series, a new collection of timepieces with futuristic designs inspired by virtual reality and action video games.

We look back to all the releases of 2023, and pick the very best.The post The Time+Tide team pick their favourite release of 2023 appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Alex has been a serious watch collector for decades, but it's only in the last few years that he has focused his attention to independent watchmakers. Here he shares the story of his collecting journey and why he bought a Vincent Deprez Tourbillon Classique Souscription Edition

The world of Yvan Arpa is one of boundless imagination. Flamboyant and unpredictable, he breathes life into timepieces, which under the brand Artya, defy convention and embrace a daring uniqueness. True to its name, the Dome collection captivates with its sculptural domed sapphire crystal, protecting distinctive dials, some crafted from natural materials, ensuring that no […]

French, Swiss and Japanese - Jamie's 2023 high rotation contains multitudes.The post The three watches Jamie wore most in 2023 – Citizen, Tudor, Lip appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Followers of high-end independent watchmaking are likely familiar with Akrivia and its founder, Rexhep Rexhepi. Akrivia’s work, especially its finishing, has earned widespread acclaim and record auction results. Paradoxically the brand got off to slow start at its founding in 2012. Akrivia only rocketed to prominence with the launch of the Chronomètre Contemporain in 2018 and has been on the ascent ever since. Now just getting into its second decade, Akrivia has achieved a level of success that often proves elusive to upstart independent watchmakers, many of which have come and gone in the past few years. This success is due to numerous factors, but key among them is the brand’s demonstrated ability to evolve and improve. I recently had the opportunity to visit the brand’s workshops in Geneva’s Old Town to see how far Akrivia has come and get a hint of what’s in store for the future. Akrivia today Today, the brand employs 20 staff, up from just 10 in 2021. Considering its annual production of around 40 watches per year, this puts Akrivia in good company among the most artisanal brands in the industry. It would be tempting to look at this headcount growth and predict that production will soon increase, but that’s not the case. While the team of watchmakers has grown slightly – it now stands at eight – most of the added roles are go bring more manufacturing capabilities in-house and accelerate product development, along with a few administrative positions. M...

Ace Jewelers, based in Amsterdam, has carved out a reputation for themselves as creators of some of the best limited edition collaborations between watch brands and retail partners. Yes, this is a category that has been growing steadily over the years, but it’s worth pointing at that Ace has been at it for a long time, well before the watch market reached the state of collab hysteria that we currently find ourselves in. Many collectors are probably aware of their regular limited releases with Nomos (they’ve done six, and they always sell out very quickly) but they’ve expanded their portfolio this year, introducing collaborations with Elka and Nivada. Their most recent LE introduces another new brand into the fold, Frederique Constant, with a version of their Highlife Worldtimer that draws on aesthetic cues established in earlier Ace releases.  The Highlife Worldtimer remains one of the more compelling Frederique Constant references. The Highlife platform feels refreshingly contemporary (even though it’s based on 1970s design cues) compared to what we often think of when we picture a Frederique Constant in the mind’s eye. If your impression of the brand is that of a maker of watches in a more classical, dressier, and simply old-fashioned style, than the Highlife, a sleek integrated bracelet sports watch, is almost transgressive. And it’s proven to be a worthy canvas for Frederique Constant’s not-so-secret weapon: affordable complications. The Worldtimer, of c...

Thinness in a watch, real thinness, the type that requires the word “thin” to be in the name, is almost like a complication unto itself. This is not an original observation, but I think it bears repeating, especially when a watch is impressively, almost hilariously thin. The new MAEN Manhattan 39 Ultra Thin fits neatly into this category, taking every aspect of the popular 37mm version of the watch up a notch. To me it feels akin, almost, to the Lorier Hydra SIII released last year. Not because it has anything specific in common with that watch, but because it represents the manifestation of a type of watch enthusiasts have been dreaming of at an accessible price point for years.  Before we get too deep into the wearing experience, let’s start with the numbers. The tale of the tape, for the MAEN 39 matters in a way I’d normally brush off. The 39mm diameter is just slightly larger than the original Manhattan. In truth, when you have the watches side by side, they look very similar. Part of this is because 2mm in this dimension is just not a whole lot of real estate on a case that’s elongated toward the bracelet sides, and part of it is a visual trick of the eye.  $999 Hands-On: the MAEN 39 Ultra Thin Case Stainless steel Movement ETA 7001 Dial Green Lume Yes, hands and markers Lens Sapphire Strap Integrated steel bracelet Water Resistance 10 ATM Dimensions 39 x 47.8mm Thickness 6.9mm Lug Width 24mm Crown Push/pull Warranty Yes Price $999 Where the differences be...

Adam has some hot takes here. His six 'watch style rules' will likely be polarising. Either you will strongly agree or completely disagree, there is no in-between.The post 6 watch style rules from an unapologetic traditionalist appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Nubeo is a brand that takes its inspiration from both sea and space in tribute, in function and in design. Their latest dive watch is named after the Ventana remotely operated vehicle. This scientific submersible is rated to a depth of over 1700 meters, and for 30 years and somewhere north of 4,100 dives it is the most experienced and enduring ROV in the world. This diver sure looks the part and with 1000m of water-resistance, it can also do the part. The perfectly round stainless steel case is a whopping 50mm in diameter, but similar to everyone’s favorite Japanese dive watch nicknamed after a delicious sandwich fish, there are no lugs. The strap directly attaches to the watch underneath each side, in a hooded fashion. Therefore, despite its girth, just about anyone should be able to wear it. All of the Ventana variants feature a deep wave patterned dial, with a flush helium escape valve at 9 o’clock and, believe it or not, a captive bezel held in place by large screws. The extra-large hands and indices, along with the oversize bezel pip are filled with a copious amount of lume. Powering the Ventana is the automatic, Seiko built, NH35 movement, and all come on a specialized, thick silicon strap, ready for action. Finishing the year with a bang, Nubeo has introduced 4 new colorways, each limited to 400 pieces. First there is the Basalt Grey, for those that prefer a more conservative look. Its bezel insert is a half-half split of black on top and, as the name implies, g...

Let me start by saying that, on this first day of 2024 and on behalf of the entire MONOCHROME team, I’d like to wish you all a Happy and Prosperous New Year. May it be filled with passion for watches and remarkable new models. 2023 has been one of the most prolific years for the […]

This stylish, technical and robust world timer is a breath of fresh air.The post The IWC Pilot’s Watch Timezoner TOP GUN Woodland adds tasteful colour to the brand’s most underrated complication appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

As usual, we take a break today to celebrate the new year. It is the first day of 2024, and we made it through yet another year. Happy New Year!

Ed. John. Fifteen watches. An hour-plus conversation for the ages.

The first installment in a four-part film detailing the rise and fall (and rise again?) of American watchmaking.

The traveler’s watch. The last truly useful sport watch today. The GMT watch has, as much as its sibling the dive watch, remained a cultural icon and a best-seller for brands both big and small. Every collector wants – or at least has considered – a GMT watch of some kind. There is good and bad news to that end. The good news is that watch brands have labored to create GMT watches of all sorts to appeal to every breed of watch enthusiast. The bad news is that money doesn’t grow on trees. Of all the classic watch archetypes, the GMT has always straddled that line between ritzy and rough, and we can separate them into two stylistic buckets: dressy and sporty. While the line between the two is often blurred and the definitions themselves somewhat subjective, we thought it would be fun to see how this useful complication has found its way into watches of all kinds. So without further ado, this is your Sunday Smackdown: GMT Edition. The traveler’s watch. The last truly useful sport watch today. The GMT watch has, as much as its sibling the dive watch, remained a cultural icon and a best-seller for brands both big and small. Every collector wants – or at least has considered – a GMT watch of some kind. There is good and bad news to that end. The good news is that watch brands have labored to create GMT watches of all sorts to appeal to every breed of watch enthusiast. The bad news is that money doesn’t grow on trees. Of all the classic watch archetypes, the GMT h...

Thanks to popular demand, we outline five more microbrand winners of 2023.The post More of our favourite microbrands of 2023 appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

We began last week with the countdown to the top 10 posts of 2023 with 6th to 10th places. Today, we complete the countdown with the Best 5!

To mark the sixtieth anniversary of the Autavia wristwatch, TAG Heuer is rolling out two executions of an automatic flyback chronograph, a textbook example of how to transform historic looks into contemporary classics: the Autavia Chronometer Flyback.

We recap the best releases of 2023 by fan-favourites Hamilton.The post The Hamilton highlights of 2023: cinema cameos, exploration and skeletonisation appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.