41,164 articles · 6,980 videos found · page 1111 of 1605
Quill & Pad
John Howe has created many an iconic dragon for J.R.R. Tolkien works over the years, so it was appropriate for him to craft something radiating the same energy and history for Jaquet Droz. The result is the new limited-edition Petite Heure Minute Dragon, a watch perfectly combining two of Joshua Munchow's passions in one incredible object.
SJX Watches
Tudor was founded in 1946 expressly to offer good value, specifically, its founder Hans Wilsdorf (who’s better known to establish Rolex) wanted Tudor watches to offer the trademark dependability of its bigger brother, but at a more accessible price. Seventy-five years later that remains true, with watches like the Black Bay 58 being amongst the best dive watches in its price segment. When I covered the Tudor Black Bay Chrono “Panda” at its launch earlier in the year, I wrote it is “likely the best-value sports chronograph one can find under US$5,000”. So I naturally jumped at the opportunity to test drive the watch for a week. Initial thoughts The Black Bay Chrono “Panda” is, on its face, a more accessible alternative to the Rolex Daytona, now virtually impossible to get at retail. The similarities between the two are obvious: a “Panda” dial with one line of red text, screw-down pushers, and a black tachymetre bezel. Yet to simply pigeonhole the Black Bay Chrono “Panda” as a more affordable Daytona would do it a disservice. The Black Bay Chrono possesses enough character to stand on its own. It’s instantly recognisable as a Tudor with the signature “snowflake” hands matched with round indices. Though the new Black Bay Chrono is near identical visually to the first-generation model, it has been refined with a slightly thinner case. Nevertheless, the watch is still relatively thick on the wrist, slightly beefier than the Breitling Premier B01 wh...
Quill & Pad
A good friend of GaryG's owns a cream-dialed Reference 2526, and Gary has often admired it over the years but hadn’t really understood the role that the 2526 plays in Patek Philippe’s history until talking with him and other watch pals and doing some late-night online research. Read on to learn why he bought this special "Gobbi Milano" edition from 1954 in an exciting spur of a moment.
Quill & Pad
Vacheron Constantin’s history has been filled with extraordinary, complicated, and elegant timepieces. Here are the five most complicated pocket watches the Geneva maison has produced throughout its 266-year history, beginning with the record-holding Reference 57260.
Quill & Pad
Geneva’s second round of pandemic-era May auctions brought some fascinating offerings out of the woodwork. And people are buying watches at auction like there is no tomorrow. While Rolex and Patek Philippe models brought in most of the high-roller results, the three main houses with auctions running over the second weekend in May 2021 – Phillips, Christie’s, and Antiquorum – also generated fantastic results for watches by many other brands, including the independents.
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Quill & Pad
Throughout history, hundreds of talented watchmakers have left their mark on the science and industry of timekeeping. For the inaugural edition of WOHS (Watchmakers of Historical Significance), Joshua Munchow highlights an engineer that has used technology to push forward since his beginnings, creating a company that is not only a leading brand among independents, but also a supplier to many established brands: the incredible yet humble Romain Gauthier.
Time+Tide
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. Too often in the realm of celebrity watch spotting we are subject to the usual suspects: Rolex, Patek Phillipe, Audemars Piguet, and Richard Mille. There is nothing wrong with that, as we all admire and desire watches from those brands. But it is far more interesting … ContinuedThe post Usher flexes his spectacular Purnell watches worth more than $450k appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
There are approximately 500 different First Nations Peoples in Australia, each with its own rich history, language, customs and artistic tradition. This is a mind-boggling fact little known or appreciated outside of Australia. Indeed, the cultural heritage of Australia’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples is one of the oldest in the world, stretching unbroken … ContinuedThe post Swatch celebrates Aboriginal culture with Nations of Australia Watch appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
Taking place on Friday, April 23, 2021, Sotheby’s first live watch auction of the year takes place in Hong Kong. Important Watches is a full-sized sale led by the unique Rolex “Zenith” Daytona in platinum with a turquoise “Stella” dial, which might just set the record for most valuable automatic Daytona ever sold at auction. But the 296-lot sale is diverse in the traditional manner of Hong Kong auctions, encompassing vintage Patek Philippe, modern grand complications, and an assortment of independent watchmaking. Here’s a roundup of a few noteworthy lots at the auction, including a Patek Philippe ref. 1518 in exceptional condition, a pair of gorgeous pocket watches decorated with the very best of Geneva miniature enamelling, and the F.P Journe Coffret 38 made up of five watches with steel cases. The auction will start at 11 am local time on April 23 at the Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre, while the catalogue and online bidding are available on Sothebys.com. Lot 2185 – Vacheron Constantin miniature enamel pocket watch The middle decades of the 20th century were a golden age for miniature enamelling in Geneva, with the cities best watchmakers recruiting its best enamellers to decorate pocket watches. One example of such work is lot 2185, a yellow gold pocket watch made in 1948 by Vacheron Constantin that bears a miniature enamel painting by Hélène May Mercier (1910-1996), an artisan who learnt the craft with another famed enameller, Carlo Poluzzi...
Time+Tide
Celebrating their 175th anniversary this year, Ulysse Nardin is a tried and true manufacture with rich heritage and history. Established in 1846, Ulysse Nardin built its name by fabricating some of the most reliable and high-quality marine chronometers. While most brands of their age remain stuck in the past, refusing to depart from their classic … ContinuedThe post Now for something completely different: Ulysse Nardin at Watches & Wonders 2021 appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
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SJX Watches
Among panels discussions that took place Watches & Wonders 2021 was the session about the familiar buzzword – innovation. As wth the rest of the event’s broadcasts, the panel happened with all of the participants taking part remotely from around the world, but it still managed to be efficient, relevant, and lively. What did we learn from it? As a starting point, a quick overview of watchmaking’s history was essential. William Rohr, a long-time collector who’s behind startup Massena Lab, summed it up: “There is a tradition of innovation in watchmaking, whether for the precision of timekeeping, improved legibility or other aspects, it is still very much alive in the industry.” “Horology today is much more about passion and emotions than functionality per se,” added Patrick Tacq, a Belgian collector with diverse tastes, “Nonetheless, innovation is key to the industry for its survival in the 21st century and to keep the next generation involved in mechanical watchmaking.” The studio with moderator Mélanie Freymond (far right), Pascal Ravessoud of the FHH (far left), and author Benjamin Teisseire Stay relevant Precision timekeeping obviously does not need a mechanical watch, but many other aspects of the timekeeping experience can be improved through innovation. “Our goal at Ressence is to use technology to bring better ergonomics to our mechanical watches in order to create an even deeper relation between the customer and his watch,” emphasised...
Time+Tide
With 40 brands presenting at Watches & Wonders, there are a lot of novelties to like – and many you may have missed. It was no secret most consumers were heavily awaiting releases from Rolex, Tudor, and Patek Philippe, but some of the most interesting watches came from brands you may not be as familiar … ContinuedThe post Five sleeper hits you may have missed during Watches & Wonders appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Revolution
Colorful jewelled watches are trendy now. Zenith joins the likes of Chopard, Cartier, Jacob & Co, Harry Winston and Rolex to introduce a spectrum of colors to the highly technical DEFY sports watch.
Revolution
IWC Museum Curator Dr. David Seyffer, walks us through IWC’s latest at Watches & Wonders 2021 and tells how these new watches add to the watchmaker’s long standing history of Pilot’s Watches.
SJX Watches
Traditionally considered one of the “holy trinity” in haute horlogerie, Vacheron Constantin vast, rich archive of historical timepieces. For several years now, Vacheron Constantin has carefully mined that history, curating a compact collection of vintage watches each year for Les Collectionneurs, restored vintage watches offered at its boutiques. Les Collectionneurs includes Vacheron Constantin timepieces from the last century that span the brand’s repertoire, from the mega-rare complicated references to more affordable time-only watches – all sympathetically restored and backed by a two-year warranty. A selection of Les Collectionneurs watches are on usually show at a handful of boutiques around the world, and a 16-piece line up recently landed in Singapore. From now till March 31, 2021, the watches will be available at the Vacheron Constantin boutique in Marina Bay Sands, alongside Diptyques, an exhibition exploring the brand’s historical watches created in collaborations with other artists, jewellers, and designers (which are drawn from the brand’s museum and not for sale). Here’s a look at highlights from the Les Collectionneurs line up in Singapore. Ref. 4414 “Heure Universelle” pocket watch Completed in 1949, this yellow gold pocket watch is equipped with the world time mechanism invented by Louis Cottier. Unlike a GMT watch that tells the time in a second location, a world time use a simple but clever pair trick to show the time in all 24 time zo...
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Time+Tide
Jaeger-LeCoultre are known as the watchmaker’s watchmaker with good reason. Over their nearly 190-year history, the brand has produced movements used by most major Swiss watch brands with more than 1000 calibers developed over that time. And while 2021 is all about the Reverso as the brand celebrates the 90th anniversary of the famous design, … ContinuedThe post EVENT: 5 rare high-complication watches from Jaeger-LeCoultre in a stunning vineyard setting appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Quill & Pad
Here’s a prediction by Ian Skellern: the relatively nondescript AMC movement Urwerk presented at the 2018 SIHH will not only become one of the horological highlights of the decade, but will take its place among history’s most significant timepieces ever. That’s a bold statement. Here Ian explains why he thinks AMC is so important.
SJX Watches
Continuing with a tradition established by its founder Hans Wilsdorf – who famously equipped Mercedes Gleitze with a Rolex Oyster when she became the first Englishwoman to swim the Channel – Tudor has cultivated partnerships with many sportsmen and women, brand ambassadors who prove the durability of its watches. The brand’s latest endeavour took it to Spildra, a remote island off Norway, where it supported the production of a documentary that delves into the lives of orcas and whales. The brainchild of underwater film director Jean-Charles Granjon, The Quest for Nature stars Morgan Bourc’his, a world-champion freediver who’s long been a Tudor ambassador. Mr Bourc’his sporting a Pelagos Despite being in the sea his entire professional life, Mr Bourc’his professes a regrettable lack of experience with large marine mammals. He both yearns to meet them and bemoans their declining reducing populations. The film marks Mr Bourc’his’ first extensive experience with these marine creatures, something he describes as a “human and technical adventure in collaboration with nature and subject to nature’s desires.” An orca – better known as a killer whale but belonging to the dolphin family Searching for giant mammals The team started shooting in January 2019, but the environment turned out to be less than ideal, resulting in little useable footage. Learning that inauspicious start, they made a comeback 10 months later, armed with more personnel and equipme...
SJX Watches
Every time you read a story about the ocean, there’s a good chance you’ll see that it is “95% unexplored”, or “we know more about the surface of the moon than of the seafloor”. As most tropes go, they are as annoying as they are true, and in this case they’re also an apt metaphor for vintage watch knowledge. While the details of vintage Patek Philippe and Rolex have been mapped down to their going trains, numerous brands remain relatively uncharted – a Marianas Trench’s of knowledge awaiting exploration. Midcentury Movado chronographs lie squarely at those depths; let’s dive in. As we arrive at the door of our submersible, we must first acknowledge those who have assembled taxonomies of this scantly-explored abyss: the late Fritz van Osterhausen, author of The Movado History, and the excellent M95 chronograph reference the e-newsletter Rescapement published a few years ago. Using their ballast - no, I haven’t run out of nautical metaphors yet - we hope to fathom yet further. Today, we’ll peer into with what many consider the pinnacle of Movado collecting, its exceptionally-cased midcentury chronographs. History Until the 21st century, Swiss watch production was predominantly a cottage industry. Specialists manufactured the case, dial, or ebauche (movement blank), and peddled their wares to as many brands as possible. While final products were modified to brand specifications, family traits are easily discernible across marques that shared sup...
Quill & Pad
More than a century of history of Baselworld, the world’s biggest and most comprehensive watch fair, is virtually impossible to sum up in just a few lines. However, that is what Elizabeth Doerr does here as she looks back over 102 years of Baselworld history and reflects on what happens next. Hopefully that is, "Pack your bags for Houruniverse 2021."
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SJX Watches
While not the fanciest hotel in Basel – that title goes to Les Trois Rois across the river – the Swissôtel Le Plaza Basel was synonymous with the luxury watch brands that exhibited in Baselworld, the once dominant watch fair that was crippled by the departure of key exhibitors like Rolex and Patek Philippe, and then the pandemic. Located just across the street from Messe Basel, the sprawling convention centre where Baselworld once took place, the Swissôtel Basel was declared bankrupt by a Basel court in early last month. The hotel was heavily dependent on the city’s primary trade fairs, Art Basel and Baselworld. According to past news reports, over 60% of revenue at the Basel hotel came from trade fair bookings. And those trade fair bookings were exorbitant. So pricey that only the industry’s biggest movers and shakers could stay there – the hotel typically imposed a 10-day minimum stay for Baselworld leading to a bill of about 7000 Swiss francs per room – the Swissôtel Basel was a place where you could spot Thierry Stern, any one of the Hayeks who control Swatch Group, and the occasional Bugatti parked in front. According to industry insiders who had rooms booked for Baselworld 2020, the hotel did not offer refunds and instead moved the bookings to 2021. With clients sitting at the bottom of the ranking of creditors, it is unlikely that any of the fees will be repaid. Though managed by Accor, the French group that owns the Swissôtel brand, the Swissôtel...
SJX Watches
Collaborations between watchmakers and automobiles manufactures are common, but unsurprising given the focus on engineering and styling shared by the two industries. Despite the obvious synergies, the watch-and-car tie ups of recent years have rarely enjoyed unbridled success. Now TAG Heuer is seeking to upend the trend with a partnership with Porsche, the German marque whose 911 is the longest-lived sports car in history. The partnership is being inaugurated with the Carrera Porsche Chronograph Special Edition Calibre Heuer 02 – a thoroughly apt product given that the flagship product of each brand shares the same name inspired by the Carrera Panamericana of the 1950s. Initial thoughts The inaugural watch of the partnership has modest ambitions. On the surface, it appears to be a gentle facelift of the Carrera Sport Chronograph introduced last year. The case and movement remain the same, but the design features a few subtle elements drawn from Porsche’s racing pedigree. The execution is smart without being over-the-top, avoiding the pitfall of excess automotive elements that accompany many automotive collaborations. At US$6,050 on a bracelet, the Carrera Porsche Chronograph is priced at a small and reasonable premium of about 5% over the standard model. Compared with watches resulting from earlier automotive partnerships, the Carrera Porsche Chronograph is affordable, and remains a good value proposition, offering a little extra for Porsche and sports car enthusiasts....
Time+Tide
Let me start by saying the headline is paraphrasing master watchmaker, and OBE, Roger Smith, and a contraction of two statements. The first is that Britain “had a great history [in watchmaking], and we squandered it.” The second is his statement that “for a couple of hundred years, we had world dominance.” Assuming that you … ContinuedThe post INTERVIEW: “We squandered world domination.” Roger Smith says British watchmaking deserves a new dawn appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
WatchAdvice
Pros: El Primero 3600 movement with 1/10th of a second chronographTri-coloured dials add a touch of class Rolex Ceramic Daytona anyone? Cons: Some may find it heavy on the wrist after a long period of wearTo change links have to unscrew using two screwdriversSome may not appreciate the monochromatic oscillating weight Over All Rating: 8.1 Value for money – 8.0/10Wearability – 8.0/10Design – 8.5/10Build Quality – 8/10 View this post on Instagram A post shared by Watch Advice (@watchadvice) Zenith has shown great success during the LVMH Watch Week 2020 in Dubai, which is why alongside other LVMH brands, they are now releasing their latest watches in a one-week online event. Zenith will put together a special presentation that is a mix of digital and physical representations to showcase the latest timepieces. Reference: 03.3100.3600/69.M3100 One of these latest models to leave the Zenith Manufacture is the new Chronomaster Sport. For Zenith, 2021 has been dubbed the year of the Chronomaster. The focus of the LVMH week for Zenith will of course then be on this latest Chronomaster Sport release, which features an evolved version of the El Primero movement, now being able to allow for 1/10th of a second measurement! Zenith CEO Julien Tornare spoke about the importance of LVMH event and also Chronomaster by stating that “My team and I are thrilled to finally be able to share with you something we’ve been working on for quite some time – a true evolution of a mod...
Deployant
One of the most iconic watches by Cartier, the Santos needs no introduction. The origins of the Santos dates back to 1904 when Cartier first designed the watch to accompany aviator Santos Dumont on his intrepid flights. With an aviation history, Santos bears the pedigree of a Pilot’s watch and is one of the earliest tool purpose wristwatches in history.
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