Results for Mother of Pearl Dial

Jaeger-LeCoultre Introduces a Pair of New Dial Options for the Polaris Chronograph

First launched in the 1960’s, then resurrected in 2018, the Jaeger-LeCoultre Polaris has long been a standard-bearing watch for the luxury Swiss watchmaker. Now, five years on from the relaunch of the Polaris, Jaeger-LeCoultre has reinvisioned the watch in two new ways. Recently, the brand has added two new signature dials to new Polaris Chronograph line-up that not only showcase the artisanal craftsmanship of the house, but also raises the question of when does a sports watch become a piece of art? Each watch in the new collection displays the technical precision that has become synonymous with the brand. The two dials – a rich blue and a sporty gray – are made from applying lacquer to the dial, giving these timepieces a richness that nicely juxtaposes the 42mm steel case. The lacquered finish works as a backdrop to a complex dial that packs a punch, including a well-balanced set of subdials at 3 o’clock (featuring a 30-minute timer) and a running seconds subdial at 9 o’clock. The entire dial is encompassed in an outer ring that is marked with the tachymeter scale while both variants are accented in a pleasantly contrasting orange.  On the reverse of the watch is a sapphire crystal caseback which reveals the automatic Calibre 761 movement, which houses a generous 65-hour power reserve. The final touches of this movement include blued screws and Côtes de Genève decoration on the baseplate as well as on the signature open-worked winding rotor bearing the ‘JL...

Watching Movies: Indiana Jones' First Watch: Harrison Ford Wears A Vintage-Inspired Hamilton In 'The Dial Of Destiny'

We're de-aging watches – and Harrison Ford – in our watch-related movie of the week.

Zach Goes to the Movies: The Ancient Mechanical Device at the Center of Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, and the Vintage Inspired Hamilton Worn on Indy’s Last Great Adventure

There are endless stories in the watch community of the random things that spark an interest in this hobby. We’ve all heard many variations on the watch as a hand-me-down artifact from a relative being the curiosity driving agent behind an interest in horology. Just the other day, an old friend sent me an Instagram post from an account that specializes in cataloging toys from the 1980s – it was a Transformers watch, and when I saw it I immediately remembered that I’d begged in vain for this weird item as a Hanukkah gift, only to come up empty. This very well could have been my Rosebud – the thing that without even realizing it set the stage for an adulthood of staying up way too late on internet forums looking for a great deal on a pre-owned Seiko. When I saw Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny a few weeks ago, it occurred to me that this movie could be that defining moment for a new generation of watch enthusiasts. Hyperbole? I don’t know, maybe. The movie features, as a primary plot point, a mechanical watch-like device, referred to in the film as the Antikythera. Hardcore watch enthusiasts and horology scholars know that the Antikythera is very much a real thing, even if the version in the new film comes out of the imagination of the screenwriters. But it’s that nebulous “real or not real?” status that I imagine will make some younger, future watch nerds curious, and set them down a path that leads, inexorably, to sites like this one, and spending way ...

De Bethune Debuts the DB28xs Starry Seas, a Smaller Version of their Signature Design with a Beautiful Ocean Inspired Dial

The De Bethune DB28 is an absolutely insane watch. As I found out for myself in Geneva earlier this year, the watch’s large proportions play tricks on you: it’s enormous to the eye, but incredibly light on the wrist thanks to the titanium case construction and airy design with those patented hollowed out, articulating lugs. Even though this watch is the ultimate example of “It actually wears a lot smaller…” I think it’s understandable that collectors would call for a version that’s actually smaller, and that’s what De Bethune has delivered with the new DB28xs Starry Seas. This is essentially a scaled down version of the DB28 that incorporates a fantastic and first of its kind dial that applies guilloche in an entirely new way.  The centerpiece here is certainly the dial, which is made from heat blued titanium, taking on the dramatic bright blue shade that has become a De Bethune hallmark of sorts. The decoration is what De Bethune refers to as “random guilloche,” and they say this is the first time this technique has been used in a watch dial design. The cumulative effect is a dial that looks like ocean waves in motion, and it’s been accented with small white gold “stars” to create the impression of the night sky being reflected off the surface of a body of water. It’s a natural extension of other “Starry” De Bethune references, which typically depict a night sky view. The case will be familiar to those who know the DB28 (the lucky few). It...

Exclusive: Under the Dial of the Patek Philippe Owned by the Last Emperor of China

As I was examining the Patek Philippe ref. 96QL once owned by the last Emperor of China, I wondered about the state of the movement. The watch is clearly old – it was sold in almost a century ago – and was not running. Phillips wasn’t able to show me the movement on the spot, understandably considering the value of the watch, although they promised they would get me some information shortly. Their response was more than I expected. Taking the form of a forensic report detailing the materials and details of the watch – right down to a X-ray spectrographic analysis of the dial – the information reveals much about the watch. To start with, the spectrograph of the reverse of the dial reveals it is 92.4% silver, 6.94% copper, with the rest comprised of silver and gold. This finally answer the long-ago question posed by Puyi when he tasked his manservant “Big Li” to scrape off the dial’s coating in order to see if it is platinum like the case. It is but a brass dial plated in silver. The analysis of the dial’s back Inside the platinum case is an 11”’ movement that likely began as an ebauche from LeCoultre that was then completed by Victorin Piguet, which produced the simple calendar module on the top. The movement was then likely sent to Patek Philippe, which applied the finishing touches and cased it. The back of the movement is evidently classical, with the flowing bridges that were then the norm in movement design. It is also finished as high-end movemen...

Furlan Marri Adds a Trio of Sector Dial Three-Handers to their Permanent Collection

You might recall that when Blake Buettner brought us news of Furlan Marri’s very first fully mechanical watch (after the success of their popular meca-quartz chronograph that we still can’t believe ever sold for under $500 during the crowdfunding campaign) he mentioned that the limited production black dialed three hander he had in for review would be followed up by a trio of models in the brand’s permanent collection. That was in June of 2022, and at long last, those watches are here. These three new references use the same platform as the previously issued “Black Sector” 2116-A, but in an array of colors that give the watch a new impact.  The new dials, Salmon Sector, Grey Sector, and White Sector, have been given reference numbers 2154-A, 2161-A, and 2145-A, respectively. While the Grey Sector has what Furlan Marri refers to as a double printed dial, the white and salmon versions both have applied baton hour markers, and all references have a fine texture applied to the dial. The Breguet style numerals at the cardinal positions have become a hallmark of sorts for Furlan Marri, and those remain on all three variants. Dial text is minimal (just the Furlan Marri wordmark and the reference number discreetly out of the way between 4 and 5), the sector layout identical to the black version from last year. Fans of aggressive symmetry will be quite pleased, I think.  An area where Furlan Marri has excelled since the launch of that first chronograph back in 2021 is i...

Fratello and Aquastar Team Up for a Very Limited Version of the Deepstar II with an Ice Blue Dial

The Aquastar Deepstar II is the latest watch to get the limited edition treatment from our friends over at Fratello, and it might be the nicest looking iteration yet on the unapologetically vintage inspired diver. We first told you about the Deepstar II back in late 2021, when the watch made its debut in the afterglow of the cult favorite Deepstar Chronograph. These watches have an abundance of charm thanks to a well thought out asymmetry, excellent use of key vintage cues, and a size that is literally just about perfect for a watch of this style. As we pointed when the Deepstar II first came to our attention, dial color plays an outsize role in how the watch lands, and that holds true with the new Fratello version, which is very much the Deepstar we’ve come to know, but with nicely curated touches that give it a fresh life.  The word of the day when describing the Deepstar II is, without a doubt, “compact.” If you’re accustomed to big, bruising modern divers from Seiko, Tudor, and the like, strapping Deepstar II to your wrist will feel somewhat alien at first. The case measures 36.7mm wide and just 46mm lug to lug, but it’s 13mm thick, which makes these watches wear squat on the wrist with a presence you wouldn’t expect from the listed dimensions. Aquastar has always framed the Deepstar II as a thought experiment of sorts, imagining the type of diver the brand would have followed up the Deepstar Chronograph with back in the late 60s (unlike the chrono, this d...

Introducing: Audemars Piguet Quietly Releases A Pair Of Royal Oak Flying Tourbillons With New 'Dimpled' Dial

A new dial pattern gives the Royal Oak a fresh face.

New: Piaget Altiplano Year of the Tiger grand feu dial by Anita Porchet

Piaget continues their Chinese Zodiac series for the Year of the Tiger, with a new métiers d'art piece with grand feu enamel cloisonné by Anita Porchet.

The Story Of Charles Stern’s Unique Ruby Dial

Christie’s in Hong Kong is offering an extraordinary Patek Philippe ref. 1518 with Charles Stern’s unique and historically important ruby dial.

All the Colours of the Casioak – The Dial Artist on Creating Custom Rainbows

Fancy the rainbow look at Casio prices? Then meet Chris Alexander, AKA The Dial Artist.

Blancpain’s Mastery of the Dial

While the true beauty of mechanical timepieces is almost always on the inside, Blancpain’s métiers d’art collection makes a compelling case otherwise.

Review: An Extra Serve of Tradition – The Voutilainen Vingt-8 with Black Enamel Dial

Here, we bring you the details, and our thoughts on the Voutilainen Vingt-8 with black enamel dial, first presented in SIHH 2019.

Mineral wealth with the stone dial Omega Seamaster

Exotic stone dials have always been popular with watch collectors, not only for their stunning beauty but also their typical rarity and the unique patterning from stone to stone. This same dial technique has been used in the two examples of stone dial Omega Seamaster 300s, a classic dive watch that is typically considered to … ContinuedThe post Mineral wealth with the stone dial Omega Seamaster appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Sunday Rewind: Creating The Iconic Enamel Dial Of The Patek Philippe Ref. 2526

An inside look at a special enamel dial and the modern artisans looking to recreate its original charm.

Piaget: Mastery of Ornamental Stone Dial Watches

The 1960s saw Piaget’s ornamental stone watches become the choice of the bold and the beautiful, from Jackie Kennedy to Elizabeth Taylor and beyond.

Tudor – The Pearl of the Oysters

With Tudor Submariners and chronograph models causing a frenzy on the pre-owned market, it is only a matter of time before the brand’s early Oysters make a splash.

Review of Jaeger LeCoultre Master Calendar with Meteorite Dial (with Live Pictures and Prices)

Jaeger LeCoultre Master Calendar with Meteorite Dial

Panerai Reminds Us Of Their Iconic Dial Design In Singapore

The prototypical Panerai is easily recognised from a distance, thanks in part to the iconic crown guard flanking the case. This feature was added as a revision to the earlier “Radomir”, with the intention of adding a crown protecting bridge that would prevent water from entering the case. This shape that these two elements formed […]

INTRODUCING: Grand Seiko kicks off 2022 with icy blue dials, one of which is kira-zuri!

Back in 2020, Grand Seiko dropped two US Special Edition watches, marking the birth of the Sōkō Collection that takes its inspiration from the end of Autumn and the first frosts that usher in the Winter season. Both the debuting duo of Sōkō watches had vertically brushed dials that embodied how light passes through the bamboo … ContinuedThe post INTRODUCING: Grand Seiko kicks off 2022 with icy blue dials, one of which is kira-zuri! appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

‘Call F.P. Journe’: Wei Koh Dials In to Discuss the Return of Breguet Sympathique No. 1

The new Certina DS-1 Skeleton shows off the latest Powermatic 80 development

With a wide open view of the Powermatic 80 movement within, we go hands-on with Certina's take on a skeletonised dial.The post The new Certina DS-1 Skeleton shows off the latest Powermatic 80 development appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Rolex takes off with 3 new Sky-Dweller models

The Rolex Sky-Dweller sees three new releases for Watches & Wonders 2023. A brand new blue-green dial colour is a first for any Rolex model. The movement gets an update, too, with the introduction of the calibre 9002. Rolex’s most complicated timepiece, the Sky-Dweller, has dropped three new versions for 2023’s Watches & Wonders, featuring … ContinuedThe post Rolex takes off with 3 new Sky-Dweller models appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Vacheron Constantin Égérie Self-Winding: All-Gold, Off-Beat Elegance

With the Égérie collection, Vacheron Constantin created a very tempting assortment of watches appealing to contemporary women. While the design of the Égérie is rooted in tradition, these watches always come with a little twist. In the case of the new Égérie Self-Winding, quite literally as the crown is at two o'clock with the date of this self-winding model occupying the same corner of the dial. While also available in steel, Martin Green thinks that the pink gold version on a gold bracelet is an especially precious proposition.

Watch Spotting: Ed Sheeran Wears A Unique IWC Big Pilot Perpetual Calendar With A Pink Dial For The Launch Of His Album "PLAY"

Punchy pink product pops, punctuating performer's "Play" premiere.