Latest watch news · Page 812

The Rotonde de Cartier Masse Mystérieuse appears magical thanks to the apparent lack of any connection to the case while putting most of the mechanics on full display. It may be a time-only watch with no complications or tourbillons, but it is a most impressive accomplishment. Joshua Munchow explains the magic trick.

A Soviet-era watchmaker, Raketa has been rejuvenated by investors and a team advised by Manuel Emch, the former chief executive of Romain Jerome. The brand has brought back designs from its archives, while also producing new models inspired by its past. Falling squarely into the latter category, the Avant-Garde “The Horophile” takes it cues from Communist art while the palette comes courtesy of Amr Sindi, the Swiss-based watch influencer known as The Horophile. Initial thoughts In a relatively short time Raketa has managed to create a distinctive identity with its unique aesthetic. Precisely because of their Soviet-era style, many of the brand’s watches might seem drab. The new Avant-Garde, in contrast, stands out with its bright colours. It will certainly appeal to someone who appreciates the Raketa design but wants something more lively. Price-wise the Horophile edition is no different from the standard model. At €1,650 before taxes, the watch is reasonably priced, although Raketa movements generally could do with a bit more window dressing, even at the price. The purple rotor in the Horophile edition goes some way in improving the view from the back. Bolshevik art The dial of the Avant-Garde is inspired by Beat the Whites with the Red Wedge, one of the best-known works by artist El Lissitzky, one of the proponents of the Russian avant-garde movement that flourished from the late 19th- t0 early-20th centuries. A 1919 propaganda poster, the work shows a red wedge ...

If you slavishly follow modern trends, you might believe that current standards dictate that a watch should be between 38-42mm wide, offer some form of vintage design cue and try and remain as symmetrical as possible. Refreshingly, LIV do something far bolder. Founded in 2014 by husband and wife Chaz and Esti Chazanow, the microbrand … ContinuedThe post The LIV GX-AC Signature Orange is plenty bold appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Life beyond Patek and Rolex, selling dials in front of the Mandarin, and limited-edition cocktails.

Since Ollech & Wajs reconstituted itself in 2019, they’ve released a string of well regarded sports watches that pay tribute to some of the brand’s key designs from the 1960s and 1970s. This period, obviously, is fertile ground for watch design inspiration, with plenty of unusual, colorful attempts to build something different, along with your normal array of no fuss, black dialed divers. Ollech & Wajs has really focused on the hits, and on a somewhat insane commitment to build quality (my favorite example: the C-1000, one of the most under the radar 1,000 meter divers you’ll find anywhere). For this latest release, however, they’re looking toward an old design that is heavy with 70s funk, and then…un-funking it? At a glance, the new OW 8001 is the product of at least a few strange decisions.  Let’s step back a moment and take a look at the watch that inspired the OW 8001, the OW 8000. This year marks the 50th anniversary of Ollech & Wajs’ early foray into the integrated bracelet market in the form of a sporty, “TV dial” chronograph with a smoked brown dial. The case of the 8000 appears to be overbuilt and chunky in a way that Ollech & Wajs has always favored, but there’s a certain elegance to the case shape and the way the case connects to the bracelet (notice the facet angled downward at the top and bottom of the case). Ollech & Wajs were far from the only brand to make a TV dial style watch, and they certainly weren’t the only brand to experiment ...

It's been more than a decade-long drought, and Inzaghi wore a watch that can handle water just fine.

Bremont and ejection seat manufacturer Martin-Baker have been working with another for over a decade now, and they’re partnership has laid the groundwork for innovation in both the testing and watchmaking process. These two British companies are most certainly birds of a feather, producing their own specialty products with a stamp of dependability that signifies the extensive testing and meticulous quality control that goes into each and every component. They both are constantly pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in their respective industries. It’s no surprise that when Bremont brought watchmaking back to U.K. shores with its series of Caliber ENG300 movements, they tapped into Martin-Baker’s intense equipment and performance testing program. That idea has evolved to what is now the foundation of Bremont’s MB range and created a whole new category of testing, as well as set a brand new standard for the pilots watch. Bremont and Martin-Baker’s latest collaborative project looks forward by looking back – not at their rich history in engineering and technical ingenuity, but at the MB testing program itself and the actual test instrument used by Bremont. In order to test the viability of their Caliber ENG300 movement series, Bremont created a special housing that was attached to the dashboard of an ejection simulator. Bremont then went a step further by affixing a set of carbon fiber lugs to that special housing and strapped it to the wrist of a test mann...

Last week my son was pretending to be a wolf in the kitchen (as four-year-olds do). Inevitably, he face-planted on the tile floor and suffered a bloody snout. As I scooped up my wounded canine, blood poured down my arm, shoulder to hand.  I wear a dive watch most days, and this day was no exception. After Googling “How to stop a bloody nose,” I rotated the count-up bezel and prepared to pinch both nostrils shut for 10 minutes. The usually crisp bezel action felt… sticky. I looked down to realize bodily fluids had covered my watch, collecting on every textured surface: the depressed markers on the modified bezel, the crown ridges, and between bracelet links.  With only one free arm, I did not dare risk opening the nasal floodgates to remove my watch. After the minute hand safely crossed the stained 10-minute marker, I gave my watch a quick bath in the sink. It thanked me for the brief excitement and continued its primary function of keeping time until the next time it would be called to action, likely in the near future. After all, kids are gross. My watches are accustomed to poorly aimed sneezes and spilled glasses of milk. PSA: never buy a used watch from me. Prior to 2020, I wore dress watches to a shared office. Usually a time-only Citizen or something similar readily available at the local mall. As a bearded guy with mop of unruly hair, a shiny 38mm dress watch was my lazy attempt to look the part. This self-imposed pressure dissipated with the sudden shift to...

Ulysse Nardin’s original Freak shook the watch-o-sphere to the core when unveiled at Basel in 2001. It was like nothing anyone had seen before; a complete reimagining of how a watch can function and display time where there was no crown, no dial and no hands. Seemingly so complex with a gear train sprawled across … ContinuedThe post The Ulysse Nardin Freak One is a super-freak and chic appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Ollech & Wajs releases the OW 8001 - a new, modestly priced sports watch with integrated bracelet, inspired by their 1970s designs.

After round up the best examples of independent watchmaking on offer at Phillips’ upcoming Hong Kong Watch Auction: XVI, let’s turn to notable complications and artisanal timepieces in the sale that takes place on May 24 and 25.  Amongst the highlights are easy choices like the Patek Philippe ref. 5016P, the most complicated watch made by the Geneva watchmaker at the time of its launch. Others might go under the radar (and perhaps be good buys), like the Cartier Rotonde de Cartier Mystérieuse with its transparent time display and floating hands. As for the artisanal, a highlight is undoubtedly the Vacheron Constantin “Audubon” featuring a cloisonné dial done by the famed Anita Porchet, arguably the best enameller in watchmaking.  Registration for bidding and the catalogue can be accessed here.  Lot 836: Vacheron Constantin “Birds of America” ref. 43060/000J-8434  by Anita Porchet Enamelling at its highest level is an art form equal to the best of complicated watchmaking. Amongst Vacheron Constantin’s earliest but also best known enamelled watches is the series inspired by drawings from Birds of America by John-James Audubon. The 19th century American naturalist documented most of the continent’s birds in the landmark tome, the pages of which served as inspiration for the series of watches. For the “Birds of America” series, Vacheron Constantin turned to the best enamelers of the day, including Muriel Sechaud and of course Anita Porchet. Going by t...

Omega expands the Seamaster Aqua Terra Worldtimer collection with one in steel and an all-new model in titanium. Dressed in restrained colours of greys or greens with gilded accents, the new pair combines modern styling with a traditional, Cottier-style world time. Initial thoughts Though superficially similar to earlier versions of the Aqua Terra travel watch, a close examination reveals notable differences between the new models and their predecessors.  The titanium model is executed in shades of grey and black, save for a gilded, relief world map, giving it a striking appearance that elevates the world time concept. In contrast, the map motif feels more integrated into the design on the steel models, allowing the map to recede into the background resulting in a more low-key appearance..  The new models are priced slightly higher than their predecessors, with the steel on strap starting at US$10,200 and about 10% more for the titanium. Compared against the competition, the Aqua Terra Worldtimer is one of the few world time watches at that price point – most are either pricer or less expensive – and its quality certainly justifies its price premium over comparable watches from Frederique Constant or Montblanc for instance. Eye-catching colourways Omega’s latest Aqua Terra Worldtimers continue the brand’s sporty reinterpretation of the classic complication invented by Louis Cottier. The dial features a relief map of the Earth as seen from the North Pole, ringed b...

Every year the attention of watch collectors and professionals worldwide is drawn to Geneva, the world capital of the watch auction trade. Ineichen has just held their first Geneva auction and focused on the independents.

We are excited to unveil our latest collaboration - the Vulcain Cricket ‘Style Moderne’ for Revolution & The Rake. Inspired by the golden age of Art Deco design, our limited edition Vulcain Cricket features a very special two-tone Bellini and anthracite-colored dial, and a sector track like those made popular by brands such as Patek […]

Three new configurations for the Omega Seamaster Aqua Terra Worldtimer Titanium makes its debut in the collection, new green dial for stainless steel, all use coloured ceramic bezels for the first time Titanium model is US$2.6K more expensive than the original steel, new steel models US$1K more expensive due to new bezel and 18K moonshine gold … ContinuedThe post Omega revisits the Seamaster Aqua Terra Worldtimer with new titanium and steel models with coloured ceramic bezels appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Do we really need another flieger in our life?

Along with a diamond-set Daytona 6270, the records lead strong results for vintage Rolex.

In an early contender for what has to be in the running for the most unexpected and head spinning collaborative watches of the year, Hublot has partnered with Nespresso, the Swiss coffee company, on a big green chronograph made in part from recycled aluminum coffee capsules. It’s an effort by both brands to highlight their sustainability efforts, and an opportunity for Hublot flex some of their materials muscle. The end result is undeniably Hublot in its appearance, and kind of an under the radar coffee watch, which is more than can be said about LVMH stablemate TAG Heuer’s Carrera from a few years ago, with a dial made from actual coffee grounds. I actually quite like that coffee Carrera, and enjoy taking any opportunity available to remind people that it’s a real watch that actually exists.  Anyway, back to Hublot, and the Big Bang Unico Nespresso Origin. To fully grasp this watch, you first need to have an understanding of Nespresso’s core product, which is a single serving coffee platform built around little aluminum capsules (containing the coffee) that get popped into a Nespresso machine, and at the touch of a button you get a perfectly brewed cup of coffee, espresso, or a selection of other hot and cold beverages. Nespresso, of course, isn’t the only game in town when it comes to this sort of single serving coffee machine, but one thing that sets them apart from some of their competition is a focus on the materials used for those capsules. The aluminum po...

Last year, Seiko celebrated their 10 year anniversary of the Astron GPS Solar collection by totally revamping its dial design with a dual time subdial configuration and constructing the case and integrated bracelet system out of titanium. The idea behind the refresh was to pave the way for a new generation of Astrons with a more fluid approach to how the watch is designed while still maintaining its signature features. To kick off this brand new decade of Astron GPS Solars, Seiko looks to continue its contemporary trend by debuting a series of watches sporting an off-center subdial design and angular case while keeping its bedrock solar GPS movement at its core. The cornerstone features of the Seiko Astron GPS Solar are its 3X and 5X series movements that are capable of automatically adjusting the time based on your current GPS coordinates. The new Seiko Astron GPS Solar in particular, houses their Caliber 3X62, equipped with 6 months of power reserve on a full charge, an accuracy rating of +/- 15 seconds per month and a host of other timing applications. As long as the dial is exposed to the sun, the Caliber 3X62 automatically connects to a GPS satellite twice a day to provide accurate time based on your current location. If for any reason the has not seen the light of day, a built-in smart application allows the Astron GPS Solar to remember the time of the last manual connection and attempts a following GPS connection. In ‘Power Save’ mode, which is enabled when the ...

Pay tribute to the achievements of the graduate in your life with timeless watches and accessories made to last beyond commencement season.

Not all forms of insurance are the same – today we're looking at watch, renters, and homeowners.

The Kurono 2023 Anniversary Calendrier “Azuki” will be the last Calendrier I produced As an Anniversary model the watch is not a limited edition, it is time limited with all successful orders honoured The first Kurono dial to be made of phosphor-bronze, the case’s water-resistance is raised to 50m Cards on the table, I have … ContinuedThe post New Kurono 2023 Anniversary Calendrier ‘Azuki’ : アズキ is your last chance to purchase the model – but it is not limited! appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Omega began teasing a new watch on their social media channels in the last few days, and while it was immediately pretty clear we’d be getting a new Worldtimer of some sort, the finer details were very much left a mystery. The existing Worldtimer has become a bit of a cult favorite since its release. It has a truly useful complication, and a dial that is undeniably stunning when you see it in person. The representation of earth as viewed from above the North Pole is a worldtimer trope, and there are a lot of ways to execute it, but few brands give you the detail that Omega can. That said, the watch has always been a little on the large side, and a new colorway is always welcome. Speculation ensued that a smaller version of the Worldtimer might be hitting boutiques, but what we got instead is a material change, along with a hard lean into green, which might no longer be the color of the moment, but seems to suit this particular watch just fine.  What we have in this release is actually a trio of new watches: two references in stainless steel (one on a bracelet, the other a strap), and a completely new version of the watch in titanium. Let’s tackle the steel watches first. These follow the same 43mm format as the existing Worldtimer (the Seamaster Aqua Terra Worldtimer, to be more precise), but substitute the familiar blue dial for one in a PVD coated green. The dials here have a light sun-brushed finish, and dial accents (hands and hour markers) are in Moonshine Gold. ...

Introducing the Hawaii based Imperial Watch Co. Royalguard 200, initially unveiled in October 2022. And when we say “unveiled,” we mean it was an instant sell-out hit, with every piece snatched up before it even had a chance to grace the hypothetical shelves. So it’s no surprise that Imperial is back, this time offering more of what made the Royalguard a fast success. The Royalguard’s reissue is now available in three limited edition colorways, featuring both date and no-date options. Imperial has also revived the original blue bezel variant, presenting it in a limited run of just 30 pieces with a date function. While the watch itself remains largely unchanged from its previous iteration, the new colorways add some variety, presenting new options to collectors who may have missed out on the Royalguard’s first release. Let’s dive into the new colors (pun always intended). First up is the Tropical, which captures the rusty brown and red tones reminiscent of a well-aged tropical bezel. Then we have the Ghosted Green, a soft, muted shade of green that changes from light green to a deep emerald depending on the light.  And of course, there’s the Classic Black, which exudes a vintage, almost gray faded aesthetic. The original blue bezel variant follows this same trend, with its muted, faded, and aged appearance. The Royalguard draws considerable inspiration from the iconic Eberhard Scafograf 200, notably in its glossy black dial that dances with the light. The ove...

A new watch brand from an English designer arrives with an interesting premier - introducing the O.G Deep Space, by Oliver Gallaugher from Bristol.