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Highlights: Value Buys at Phillips’ Hong Kong Watch Auction SJX Watches
Vacheron Constantin chronograph Nov 20, 2020

Highlights: Value Buys at Phillips’ Hong Kong Watch Auction

Happening at the end of the month, The Hong Kong Watch Auction: XI is a 250-lot auction with a diversity of offerings, including a good number of grand complications as well as a full complement of the recently-launched Rolex Oyster Perpetual with candy-coloured dials. But for the enthusiast with more esoteric tastes, the sale also includes a selection of affordable independent watchmaking, as well as value buys from more mainstream brands – here’s a look at a couple of highlights, ranging from a surprisingly well-priced Grand Lange 1 Luna Mundi to a white-and-rose-gold Vacheron Constantin chronograph. The auction happens on November 29  at the JW Marriott Hotel Hong Kong, while the catalogue and online bidding are available on Phillips.com. Lot 803 – Seiko Prospex Marinemaster Professional 1000 m “Tuna” Gundam Zaku set An anime series about humans doing battle in giant robots, Mobile Suit Gundam is one of the most famed examples of Japanese pop culture, even having a Wikipedia page titled “Cultural impact of Gundam“. Seiko rolled out several limited editions for the 40th anniversary of the franchise last year, including this pair dedicated to the villains of the series, the dome-headed robots known as Zaku. Bulbous and vaguely military in form, the Prospex “Tuna” – arguably the most iconic of Seiko’s many dive watch designs – is surprisingly well matched to the Zaku robots. Resembling a tuna can, the watch case is actually double walled, made ...

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H. Moser & Cie. Introduces the Streamliner Flyback Chronograph Funky Blue SJX Watches
H. Moser & Cie Introduces Nov 17, 2020

H. Moser & Cie. Introduces the Streamliner Flyback Chronograph Funky Blue

Unveiled just earlier this year, the H. Moser & Cie. Streamliner Flyback Chronograph is compelling inside and out – an uncommon, cushion-shaped “bullhead” case with an integrated bracelet, containing the ingenious, well-regarded Agenhor AgenGraphe movement. A limited run of just 100 watches, the launch-edition Streamliner only recently clinched the Chronograph Watch Prize at this year’s Grand Prix de Horlogerie de Geneve, making it the perfect time to launch of the regular-production variant, the Streamliner Flyback Chronograph Funky Blue. Initial thoughts Original and appealing in its design, the Streamliner was well-received commercially and critically, making the regular-production version inevitable. Almost identical to the original version, the new version differs only in its dial, which is a metallic blue with a fashionable smoked finish. Notably, the blue dial has a radial, brushed finish, instead of the vertical, linear brushing of the launch edition. While the blue dial is quintessential Moser in colour and style, it isn’t as unique as the pale grey dial on the launch edition – which is a good thing, as it helps differentiate the limited-edition original. That said, the blue dial is attractive – and more striking – with the graduated, fume finish giving it more depth than the typical integrated-bracelet sports watch. The Streamliner chronograph has a price tag of US$43,900 – a sizeable number that’s justifiable because the watch stands out f...

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Longines Introduces the Legend Diver Watch in Bronze SJX Watches
Longines Introduces Nov 16, 2020

Longines Introduces the Legend Diver Watch in Bronze

For watch enthusiasts, Longines’ forte is its Heritage collection, a series of well-priced vintage remakes that began with the Legend Diver of 2007. Based on the ref. 7042 of 1960s, which had a distinctive, twin-crown  “Super Compressor” case, the Legend Diver is a bestseller thanks to its convincingly retro style. And now Longines has just unveiled the Legend Diver Watch in bronze, which has a new case material for the model, but does away with the date function long panned by aficionados. Initial thoughts Bronze is a popular case material for dive watches that was once exotic but is now a bit too faddish, being found on watches priced as low as a few hundred dollars. Its desirability comes from its unusual, evolving appearance from the patina that develops on its surface as its oxidises. A Legend Diver in bronze is a natural move – and the watch looks good, while retaining the appealing affordability typical of Longines. While the material is the highlight, the dial has been tweaked to match the bronze case. Most notable is the elimination of the date display found on the standard, steel Legend Diver but not on the original, which brings the design of the bronze model closer to the vintage model. At the same time, the dial has a smoked, green finish that matches the colour of bronze well. With a price tag of US$3,000, the bronze Legend Diver is about 30% more expensive than its steel counterpart. It’s a modest and fair premium, considering both the case mate...

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Chopard Introduces the Mille Miglia Lab One Tourbillon SJX Watches
Richard Mille Nov 15, 2020

Chopard Introduces the Mille Miglia Lab One Tourbillon

Chopard recently unveiled the latest iteration of its Mille Miglia chronograph, a long-established model with conventional looks lightly inspired by classic cars. But it also unveiled the Mille Miglia Lab One Tourbillion, which is also automobile-inspired but instead by modern-day, hybrid hypercars. Drastically different and unabashedly contemporary, the Lab One is large, lightweight, and boasts a technically-impressive form movement with two notable features, a vertical hacking mechanism for the tourbillon as well as a back-winder crown. Initial thoughts While Chopard’s catalogue includes numerous classical, complicated watches that are well done – basically the entire L.U.C line – few of them possess strong design and rarely jump out at you. The Lab One is the opposite: unusual and original, and appealing – but polarising in terms of design. This not Chopard’s first foray in high-end, complicated sports watches, though it has not had much success in a segment dominated by brands like Richard Mille and Hublot. While its peers have refined their aesthetic into a recognisable style, Chopard is not well versed at such design. The watch is replete with car-inspired elements, but incorporated with varying degrees of coherence. It does, however, excel at watchmaking. Compared with the competition, the Lab One wins hands down in terms of technical achievement relative to price. Impressively kitted out with a hacking tourbillion, the Lab One is priced at $129,000,...

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Our picks of the best Hublot watches of 2020, including some Black Magic, beautiful bracelets and modish millennials Time+Tide
Hublot watches Nov 13, 2020

Our picks of the best Hublot watches of 2020, including some Black Magic, beautiful bracelets and modish millennials

Over the last few years we’ve seen lots of brands turn to their archives as inspiration for new watches. Heritage is very, very popular. But what if you don’t have a century or more of archives to dig through in search of exciting designs? What if your brand was only founded in 1980? For Hublot, … ContinuedThe post Our picks of the best Hublot watches of 2020, including some Black Magic, beautiful bracelets and modish millennials appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

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Kross Studio Introduces the 1989 Batmobile Desk Clock SJX Watches
MB&F; Nov 11, 2020

Kross Studio Introduces the 1989 Batmobile Desk Clock

Only just established by a team of watch-industry veterans, Kross Studio is making its debut with the 1989 Batmobile Desk Clock. Instantly recognisable as the Batmobile driven by Michael Keaton as Batman, the clock is powered by an in-house, 30-day movement. The aluminium-bodied clock is modelled on the Batmobile from Batman, the hit 1989 film directed by Tim Burton. Its sleek, Art Deco lines defined the styling of the Batmobile in all subsequent movies, until the franchise was rebooted with Christopher Nolan’s Batman Begins, which reimagined the Batmobile as an aggressive, military-style vehicle known as the Tumbler. Initial thoughts The Batmobile Desk Clock is cool, especially for anyone who grew up in the 1990s, when Michael Keaton’s Batman was the definitive version of the “Caped Crusader”. Importantly, Kross Studio managed to capture the look of the vehicle while unobtrusively incorporating the clock elements without disrupting the design. Mechanically it is also well executed. Unlike most high-end desk clocks that are powered by movements made by L’Epee 1839, the Batmobile clock is equipped with a movement of Kross Studio’s own design and manufacture. At a bit under US$30,000, the clock is priced reasonably enough, though not quite a value buy. The cost is similar to comparable clocks by MB&F;, though not as affordable as the self-propelling car clock made by independent watchmaker John-Mikaël Flaux. A clockmaking startup Founded by a five-person team, ...

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Grand Seiko Introduces the Masterpiece Collection Kintaro Hattori 160th Anniversary SJX Watches
Grand Seiko Introduces Nov 10, 2020

Grand Seiko Introduces the Masterpiece Collection Kintaro Hattori 160th Anniversary

Seiko is gearing up to celebrate two anniversaries in 2021 – 160 years since the birth of its founder as well as the 140th year of the company – and has just announced one watch to mark each occasion, no doubt the first of many commemorative watches. The Grand Seiko Masterpiece Collection Kintaro Hattori 160th Anniversary Limited Edition (ref. SBGZ005) is a remake of the ref. 3180 of 1960 – the first Grand Seiko – but enhanced with a patterned dial and the exceptionally-finished 9R02 Spring Drive movement, and accompanied by an exceptionally-high price tag. Initial thoughts With its design essentially a replica of the first Grand Seiko, the SBGZ005 is a classically handsome watch and perhaps the quintessential Grand Seiko design. Though the overall style remains identical to the vintage original, it’s been dressed up subtly – with a radial, geometric motif on the dial, which also has solid, 14k gold hands and hour markers. All those additions make it look even more appealing without taking away from its original aesthetic. While the look is attractive, Grand Seiko has been remaking the original model too often, and at an accelerating pace. This is the fifth (or even sixth) remake of the Grand Seiko 3180, with the last one having just been launched earlier this year. The proliferation of remakes leaves the 3180 design a little too common for comfort. And then there’s the movement, which is the 9R02 that’s also found in the Grand Seiko Elegance Spring Drive...

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MB&F; Introduces the HM3 Frog X SJX Watches
MB&F; Nov 9, 2020

MB&F; Introduces the HM3 Frog X

Launched in 2010, the bug-eyed HM3 Frog was perhaps the quintessential MB&F; wristwatch during its five-year run, having been discontinued in 2015. Now it’s making a brief return for its 10th anniversary as the limited-edition HM3 Frog X – with a case made entirely of sapphire crystal. Originally launched as the slightly robotic-looking Horological Machine No. 3 (HM3), the model evolved into the more organic Frog, which gained a pair of sapphire domes that made its instantly distinctive. Now MB&F; has taken the idea even further: inspired by frogs with transparent skin according to MB&F;, the HM3 Frog X is entirely clear and whimsically colourful in three different shades. Initial thoughts Changing the case material gives the Frog X a whole new look, which is surprising, since the design is exceptionally idiosyncratic. In fact, the sapphire Frog resembles a grand piano. The crystal case also gives the watch a more cohesive, organic flavour, avoiding the visual breaks between different materials like crystal and metal alloy. And the sapphire Frog also seems more pared back, at least in photos, than the most sapphire-case watches that tend to be flashy. And having the same shape and size, the Frog X shares a crucial quality with the earlier versions of the HM3: good wearability despite the avant-garde design. Because the case is neither excessive long nor wide, and has tiny lugs, it sits well on the wrist despite its seemingly large size. This ease of wear is doubtlessly ...

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The Last Cabinotier of Saint Gervais SJX Watches
Nov 9, 2020

The Last Cabinotier of Saint Gervais

Few tourists find themselves in Geneva’s historic Saint Gervais district, the city’s revolutionary hotbed where Jean-Jacques Rousseau spent his boyhood in the early 18th century, and from where James Fazy overthrew Geneva’s ruling oligarchy in the revolt of 1846. Throughout those times, Saint Gervais was above all the city’s horological powerhouse, a warren of sweatshops known as the Fabrique Genevoise, turning out the myriad parts and decorating the watches that made Geneva synonymous with luxury craftsmanship. The workshops were presided over by those emblematic figures of Geneva watchmaking, the radical, opinionated yet urbane cabinotiers. “A Parisian watchmaker,” remarked Rousseau, “can only talk about watches. But you can take a Geneva watchmaker anywhere.”[1] With the revival of luxury watchmaking in the late 20th century, the Fabrique was re-born in the less picturesque ZIPLO (Zone Industriel de Plan-les-Ouates) on the outskirts of town, and the sweatshops are now known as manufactures. Yet there’s still one watchmaker left in the remnants of old Saint Gervais, upholding the cabinotier tradition in this historic centre of Geneva watchmaking. Bruno Pesenti, the last watchmaker in Geneva’s historical watchmaking district, wears the smock and eyeshade of the cabinotiers who made watches here 200 years ago Forgotten brands Bruno Pesenti is one of the few watchmakers who can still fix anything pre-quartz. He welcomes you with modest pride and old-fash...

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Chopard Mille Miglia GTS Azzurro Power Control Deployant
Chopard Mille Miglia GTS Azzurro Nov 7, 2020

Chopard Mille Miglia GTS Azzurro Power Control

This spring, Chopard will proudly reprise its role as main sponsor and official timekeeper of Italy’s world famous Mille Miglia classic car rally, a position it has held continuously since 1988. Each year, Chopard Co-President Karl-Friedrich Scheufele has demonstrated his passion for automobiles by competing in the gruelling, 1,000-mile contest that runs from Brescia to Rome and back – and each year the Maison produces a new Mille Miglia watch collection to celebrate what is regularly described as 'the most beautiful race in the world'.

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Highlights: Phillips Geneva Watch Auction XII SJX Watches
Audemars Piguet perpetual calendar Nov 6, 2020

Highlights: Phillips Geneva Watch Auction XII

Taking place over two days – Friday, November 6 and Saturday, November 7 – The Geneva Watch Auction: XII at Phillips is the first sale of the fall auction season. A compact sale of under 180 lots, the auction comprises a diverse line up, ranging from the obviously notable – like a Cartier Crash in platinum and a unique Patek Philippe ref. 5020P – to the obscure but extremely interesting, like the postwar A. Lange & Söhne wristwatch made after the company had been nationalised by the Soviets, as well as a vintage Audemars Piguet perpetual calendar with a paradoxical brand-new but factory-original case. Here’s a look at handful of standouts from the sale. You’ll find the full catalogue, as well as online bidding, right here. Lot 31 – Patek Philippe Annual Calendar Regulator ref. 5235G Unlike many of the other watches in the auction, the ref. 5235G is neither rare nor complicated, or even especially valuable. But it is an under-appreciated gem in Patek Philippe’s line up. Lightly designed and full of unusual details – ranging from the brushed dial finish to the engraved logo at three – the ref. 5235 also boasts a distinctively-designed movement unique to this reference and found in no other model. This example of the ref. 5235 is in white gold, which was discontinued last year and replaced by the same in rose gold with a black dial. While the new version is far more striking, the almost monochromatic white gold version is deeply appealing in its simplici...

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Highlights: Independent Watchmaking at Phillips’ ‘Retrospective: 2000 - 2020’ SJX Watches
Patek Philippe ref 5970. And Nov 5, 2020

Highlights: Independent Watchmaking at Phillips’ ‘Retrospective: 2000 - 2020’

Taking place this weekend as a live auction with only cameras, telephones, and online bidding, Retrospective: 2000 – 2020 is a thematic sale that happens the day after Phillips’ Geneva watch auction. The second sale curated with Blackbird, both the publisher of a watch magazine as well as the agent for Ferrari in Hong Kong, Retrospective: 2000 – 2020 is self explanatory: contemporary wristwatches produced in the past 20 years. The 95 lots that make up the sale are a selection of the important, interesting, and intriguing from the last two decades, including obvious candidates like the Rolex Daytona and Patek Philippe ref. 5970. And the sale also includes notable watches that usually go under the radar, like the Breguet Classique Chronometrie 7727 with magnetic balance pivots (which is possibly the most accurate Swiss-made mechanical watch of the 21st century). The Breguet Classique Chronometrie 7727 (lot 258) Importantly, the line up also encompasses a diverse selection of independent watchmaking, reflecting the rise of these niche watchmakers. Here’s a roundup of highlights from independent watchmakers, which include the Philippe Dufour Simplicity 20th Anniversary and the ultra-rare Opus Eleven. The selection includes the worthy Seiko Credor Eichi II and Lange 1 25th Anniversary. Neither comes from an independent watchmaker, but both are as close as it gets for establishment brands. Lot 206 – Philippe Dufour Simplicity 20th Anniversary No. 00/20 Philippe Dufour...

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Rado Captain Cook Green Dial Review WatchAdvice
Rado Captain Cook Green Dial Nov 5, 2020

Rado Captain Cook Green Dial Review

Rado’s Captain Cook collection is by far one of the brands most iconic lines, a watch, as they say, designed to stand the test of time. Back when Rado released the first Captain Cook model, the Swiss Brand wasn’t known or associated with dive watches. Many of the watch brands back in the day attempted to delve into the different categories of watchmaking to expand their horizons, and Rado was no different. Typically being a dress watchmaker, Rado designed and released their first dive watch, the Captain Cook timepiece, in 1962. Captain Cook Green dial reference R32105313 The name Captain Cook was of course given to honour the explorer Captain Cook. The original 1962 Captain Cook was a serious dive watch, with a case built to survive approximately 220m of watch depth. Back in 2017, Rado re-released the 1962 Captain Cook model with a 1:1 recreation of the original, all with updated movement and materials. The design of the 2017 watch was kept the same as the original, as they retained the 37mm case sizing, red numeral on date wheel, shape of hour indices and hands, down to the spinning anchor at 12’clock position. The watch community loved this re-edition of what is a classic dive watch upon its release. With the watch becoming popular, Rado decided to make multiple iterations of the Captain Cook, with many different versions with different coloured dials being released.  Earlier this year, Rado released a new variation of the Captain Cook, with the new timepiece now ...

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Barrelhand Introduces the Project 1 SJX Watches
Urwerk Nov 3, 2020

Barrelhand Introduces the Project 1

A watch brand founded by in San Francisco by a young mechanical engineer, Barrelhand’s first wristwatch is the Project 1. Inspired by Urwerk, the hand-wound Project 1 tells the time unconventionally via jumping hours and linear minutes. And it is made up of components produced with cost-effective 3D printing, resulting in a retail price of US$30,000 – reasonably accessible  as such things go. Initial thoughts I first encountered the work of Barrelhand founder Karel Bachand in 2014, when he created a replica of the Urwerk UR-202 in 3D-printed plastic. He’s spent the intervening years developing his own wristwatch, and the result is impressive, especially in its conception and smart engineering. The time display is inventive, particularly the linear minutes that’s driven by a large rotating disc resembling a vinyl record. Though the jumping hours is more ordinary, it is driven by an extra-large Maltese cross gear instead of a conventional lever-and-star-wheel set up, making it adjustable forwards and backwards (though it will not jump as instantaneously due to how the Maltese cross gear works). And the techniques used to produce many of the parts are unusual, probably reflecting Mr Bachand mechanical engineering background. The large steel lugs, for example, are produced via binder jet 3D printing. The Project 1 doesn’t have the refinement of visually-similar Swiss watches – many of its surfaces are only modestly finished – but it costs substantially less, so ...

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Bulgari Introduces the Aluminium Tricolore SJX Watches
Bulgari Introduces Oct 28, 2020

Bulgari Introduces the Aluminium Tricolore

Having revived its Aluminium series earlier in the year – the model was first launched in 1998 as an affordable, lightweight sports watch –  Bulgari has just announced the Aluminium Tricolore, a limited edition created in collaboration with the Aeronautica Militare, Italy’s air force. Clad in dark blue rubber, instead of the conventional black, the Aluminium Tricolore was also conceived with the pandemic in mind, as revenue from the sale of the first 50 watches will go to a trio of children’s hospitals in Italy. Initial thoughts A faddish watch in the years after its launch, the original Aluminium was discontinued about a decade after its introduction, which means enough time has past that it’s interesting again. The new Aluminium has pretty much the same appeal as the original – an unusual combination of materials, lightness, and affordability – but also some of the same drawbacks, namely neither aluminium nor rubber are as durable as steel. Both materials tend to show wear more easily than steel does. Still it is a good-looking sports watch for a relatively modest price of US$3,000 or so, and the Tricolore is a bit more appealing in its new livery that’s a bit less stark than the black and silver of the standard model. It is also a good thing that the tricolour logo on the dial is discreet, which preserves the overall two-tone look of the Aluminium. Frecce Tricolori Named after the Frecce Tricolori, the Italian air force’s famed aerobatics team, the wa...

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Anton Suhanov Introduces the Lotus Triple-Axis Tourbillon Clock SJX Watches
Cartier Oct 27, 2020

Anton Suhanov Introduces the Lotus Triple-Axis Tourbillon Clock

Russian clockmaker Anton Suhanov has just unveiled his next table clock, one that is even more monumental than his preceding creation, last year’s Alexandria lighthouse-inspired Pharos. Standing on a long, thin stem, the Lotus is a flower-like clock with a triple-axis tourbillon within a sphere enclosed by metallic petals. Running for 14 days when fully wound, the clock is also an automaton – the petals open and close slowly in a 12-hour cycle, much like a real flower. Initial thoughts A feat like this inevitably costs a substantial amount of money – €45,000 in this case – but it is worth every euro, because the clock is incredible, and there is nothing else like it. Mr Suhanov makes almost the entire clock himself in his workshop – and there is a lot of clock. Beyond the obvious features, namely the world time within the base and the intricate yet organic triple-axis tourbillon at the top, the mechanism of the clock is ingenious and intriguing. Like the mystery clocks Maurice Couet invented for Cartier, the tourbillon is driven by a long, narrow pinion, one so long it runs all the way up the stem. Beyond the mechanics, the clocks is also impressive for its design, which manages to blend organic forms and colours with vast expanses of metal, resulting in an appealing, sci-fi aesthetic. Night and day The central feature of the clock is within seven petals made of rhodium-plated brass, which function as a day and night indicator. Fully open at midday, the petal...

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HANDS-ON: Is the Bulgari Octo Finissimo blue dial in satin polished steel the best steel sports watch of 2020? Time+Tide
Bulgari Octo Finissimo blue dial Oct 27, 2020

HANDS-ON: Is the Bulgari Octo Finissimo blue dial in satin polished steel the best steel sports watch of 2020?

Editor’s note: We’ve had quite the flurry of Bulgari lately, mostly in celebration of the brand’s 2020 collection. And, increasingly, the pinion of the collection is emerging as this model right here. Make no mistake, it doesn’t rightly deserve to be. It’s a simple dial variation away from the black lacquer dial variation that the … ContinuedThe post HANDS-ON: Is the Bulgari Octo Finissimo blue dial in satin polished steel the best steel sports watch of 2020? appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

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Breitling Endurance Pro Review WatchAdvice
Breitling Endurance Pro Review Just Oct 26, 2020

Breitling Endurance Pro Review

Just in time for Australian Summer, Breitling has released a new set of watches that is, as they state, the “ultimate athleisure watch”. The Breitling Endurance Pro comes as part of the brand’s Professional range and is a timepiece that is not only made for athletes, but for people that love the outdoors and active lifestyles. The Breitling Endurance Pro is essentially a luxury sports watch. Combining innovative materials with a sense of artistic style, this latest creation by the Swiss brand has high precision, vibrant colour design and the robustness to make it a hit among sporting enthusiasts.  The Endurance Pro fits perfectly into the world of sports, in which Breitling already has quite a history. In motorsport, Breitling has sponsored Bentley at Le Mans, while also having a longstanding partnership with the car brand in general. In the world of cycling, Breitling has already partnered with major competitions, such as Giro d’Italia and Tour de France along with cycling legends Fausto Coppi and Gino Bartali. Breitling has been offering timepieces with sports functions for a long time now, and the Endurance Pro is the latest to continue this tradition.  Breitling, a brand that used to be synonymous with aviation, today, stands for accessible sports. Sports such as running, cycling and swimming. High-performance activities that are not just limited to professionals but sports everyone can enjoy. In fact, there can be no better endorsement for the Breitling Endu...

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IN-DEPTH: The TAG Heuer Carrera Collection, powered by a movement from the present, with an all-time classic design from the past Time+Tide
TAG Heuer Carrera Collection powered Oct 25, 2020

IN-DEPTH: The TAG Heuer Carrera Collection, powered by a movement from the present, with an all-time classic design from the past

As a watch journalist in 2020, based in Europe under the draconian rule of the pandemic, it’s easy to lose perspective and here is a particular example. Despite my missionary preachings and personal taste, 38-39 millimetres is not the Goldilocks size for everyone. So, with this self-realisation in mind, the  TAG Heuer Carrera Collection is … ContinuedThe post IN-DEPTH: The TAG Heuer Carrera Collection, powered by a movement from the present, with an all-time classic design from the past appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

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Ressence Type 2A/2G: Is This Electronic-Mechanical Hybrid Timepiece The Future Of Mechanical Watchmaking? Quill & Pad
Ressence Type 2A/2G Oct 24, 2020

Ressence Type 2A/2G: Is This Electronic-Mechanical Hybrid Timepiece The Future Of Mechanical Watchmaking?

With concept cars, it is typical for most of the features on the prototype to be weeded out once the design is optimized for manufacturing. The electronical-mechanical Ressence Type 2 is the complete opposite, Joshua Munchow says, as it has retained pretty much every single thing the concept watch of 2018 offered and has only improved in function. Is the Ressence Type 2 the future of mechanical watches?

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Hands-on review: Zenith Chronomaster Revival “Shadow” Deployant
Zenith Chronomaster Revival “Shadow” DEPLOYANT Oct 24, 2020

Hands-on review: Zenith Chronomaster Revival “Shadow”

A timepiece shrouded in mystery. Its existence has eluded collectors and Zenith  collaborators alike for decades. As the legend goes, in 1970, not long after Zenith debuted  the groundbreaking El Primero calibre, the manufacture had produced a prototype of a manual-winding chronograph, housed in a blackened steel case – a rarity for the time. Only Read More

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Dubai Watch Week 2020 Goes Online SJX Watches
Greubel Forsey  Aline Sylla-Walbaum Christie’s Luxury Oct 20, 2020

Dubai Watch Week 2020 Goes Online

Having taken place in Dubai and London since 2015, Dubai Watch Week (DWW) is now going online. Organised by Ahmed Seddiqi & Sons, the largest watch retailer in the Middle East, DWW was traditionally a watch fair catered to consumers and collectors that was a platform for education as well as new product launches. Despite the pandemic, DWW is going ahead as much as is reasonably feasible. “Our objective of uniting the watch community and providing an educational platform is at the forefront of what we hope to achieve via this experience,” explains Hind Seddiqi, Director General of Dubai Watch Week. A scene from an earlier DWW that took place in the Dubai International Financial Centre This year the event takes the form of four panel discussions that will be broadcast live online. The panels will cover familiar topics like the grey market for luxury watches, but also the more intriguing: the October 26 session is about “conspiracy and authenticity and whether the heart of the luxury industry beats in an organic market or is wound-up and coerced into ticking by specific entities”. Representing the breadth of the watch industry, the panellists ranging from auctioneers to entrepreneurs to watchmakers. Amongst the participants are Edouard Meylan of H. Moser & Cie., Stephen Forsey of Greubel Forsey, Aline Sylla-Walbaum, Christie’s Luxury department head, as well as Chief Strategy and Business Development Officer of Seddiqi Holding Christophe Nicaise. And it also ...

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Panerai Introduces the Radiomir Paneristi 45mm PAM02020 SJX Watches
Panerai Introduces Oct 19, 2020

Panerai Introduces the Radiomir Paneristi 45mm PAM02020

As it did for several anniversaries before – but against a vastly different landscape in the past – Panerai has just announced the Radiomir Paneristi 45mm PAM02020 for the 20th anniversary of its collector forum. The PAM 2020 is a hand-wind, 45 mm Radiomir with a steel case finished with an faux-patina treatment, and an inappropriately large anniversary logo on the front (and an even larger one on the back). Initial thoughts This is the sixth Paneristi edition. Six editions ago, Paneristi was arguably the most fanatical watch forum dedicated to the hottest brand in the world. The first Paneristi edition, the PAM 195 of 2003, sold out in an instant, and despite all of them having the owner’s name engraved on the back, sold for many multiples of the original retail price on the secondary market. But times have changed. Although Panerai describes the new Paneristi Radiomir as “the result of an intense creative process involving close collaboration between… Panerai’s technical and creative team… and the Paneristi”, it is neither intense nor creative. The emblem on the dial might be engraved like it is on vintage Panerai, but it looks unattractive. And “Venti”, which is Italian for “twenty”, between the lugs regrettably brings to mind the extra-large Starbucks coffee. The dial colour and finish does look good, however, and the faux-aged case (identical to that on the Radiomir PAM 992) is also appealing. And for €6,500 this is reasonably priced, though...

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Paulin Introduces the Neo SJX Watches
Anordain best known Oct 19, 2020

Paulin Introduces the Neo

Founded in 2013 by the Paulin sisters, descendants of Scottish sculptor George Henry Paulin who is most famous for his war memorials across the United Kingdom, Paulin was conceived as a locally-designed watch brand focused on minimalist and monochromatic watches. And now the Glasgow-based brand introduces the Neo, a watch with 1970s flavour that the brand’s first to feature a colourful dial, either in blue, yellow, and white. More notably, the Neo is the result of a collaboration with fellow Scottish watchmaker Anordain, best known for its accessibly-priced enamel dials. Initial thoughts Put simply, the Neo is a solid offering with playful colours and in-house typography in an amiable, 38 mm package. It was realised in an unusual three-way collaboration between Paulin, local jeweller Helen Swan, and anOrdain (which was founded by the husband of one of the Paulin sisters). Paulin and Anordain have both been successful in creating original, affordable watches, but their respective offerings differ in style and price. Paulin has kept to simple, coloured dials for its watches, while Anordain made a name for itself with vitreous enamel dials. The Anordain Model 2 with a purple enamel dial As a result, the collaboration between the two is interesting, since it bridges two brands that are similar yet different. The Neo injects the fun and colour of anOrdain into the more affordable Paulin timepiece. The dial of the Neo is anodised aluminium, and not enamel, but entirely suitab...

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Seiko Announces the Design-Your-Own-Seiko-5 Contest SJX Watches
Seiko Announces Oct 19, 2020

Seiko Announces the Design-Your-Own-Seiko-5 Contest

Much loved for its extreme affordability, the Seiko 5 was revamped last year with the Seiko 5 Sports. Since then, there have been numerous iterations of the diver “lite” Seiko 5 Sports, as well as a variety limited editions such as the Street Fighter V quintet inspired by the video game of the same name. And now anyone could be the designer of the next Seiko 5. Seiko has just announced Seiko 5 Sports Custom Watch Beatmaker, a design contest open to the public. It’s an online platform to mix and match the key elements of the watch, and the design receiving the largest number of votes will be realised as an actual production watch. Initial thoughts As if in response to the long-existing and substantial community of “modders” who modify Seiko watches, the contest presents choices for five external parts of the watch, namely the bezel insert, case, dial, hands, and strap, allowing users to iterate amongst all of them. But the choices for each of the five elements are all drawn from existing models of the Seiko 5 Sports, so there really isn’t that much of a diversity in design. The resulting watches will essentially be a shuffling of familiar elements, which is not that exciting, especially given the numerous and interesting after-market modifications available. That said, it is significant that Seiko is allowing watch enthusiasts to take part in the design process – up to an extent – bringing about hope that there will be more enthusiast-led designs in the...

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