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Zenith's 1969 column-wheel automatic chronograph caliber at 36,000 vph, saved from quartz-era destruction by Charles Vermot in 1975 and supplied to the Rolex Daytona ref. 16520 (1988-2000).
Chronograph dial with high-contrast sub-counters. Vintage Daytona, Speedmaster CK 2998, Heuer Carrera; modern 116500LN, Tudor Chrono.
Chronograph scale converting flash-to-sound time into distance. WWI artillery-spotting origin; vintage Longines / Lemania / Heuer.
Chronograph scale reading heart rate in BPM after counting 15 or 30 pulse beats. The 1920s-60s doctor\'s watch standard.
Quill & Pad
The 1815 Rattrapante Honeygold is the first timepiece by A. Lange & Söhne to contain only a single split-second chronograph function. All previous split-second chronographs by this brand have been combined with other complications and features. Joshua Munchow takes a closer look at it and finds something surprising in the movement architecture.
Time+Tide
IWC make some incredible watches and are particularly known for their pilot creations with their crisp and highly legible dials. The IWC Timezoner is one such watch with a large case and dial, 24-hour time display and corresponding world timer rotating bezel. The watch, in its standard production configuration, is actually a chronograph – with … ContinuedThe post INTRODUCING: Enjoy a vicarious travel experience through the IWC Pilot’s Watch Timezoner Edition “Le Petit Prince” appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Revolution
Zenith’s latest at LVMH Watch Week 2021, includes the DEFY 21 Urban Jungle, Pilot Type 20 Silver Chronograph and the initially launched Chronomaster Sport and A385 Revival.
Deployant
Full hands on review of the new Zenith 2021 edition of a ceramic case in a cool urban green to their innovative Defy 21 chronograph collection.
Revolution
Zenith announces a brand new generation of their 1/10th of a second chronograph with the El Primero 3600 automatic powered, Chronomaster Sport
SJX Watches
Two years ago, when Zenith celebrated the semicentennial of the El Primero – the world’s first high-beat, automatic chronograph movement – a successor to the long-running workhorse was quietly unveiled as part of a three-piece set. Designed from ground up as a brand-new movement, the El Primero 3600 was equipped with modern tech and additional features, including twin chronograph seconds hands. But the movement never made it to regular production, until now. The El Primero 3600 finally becomes accessible with the new Chronomaster Sport, a new line of sports chronographs featuring a shiny black-ceramic bezel and two dial options. Initial thoughts The debut of El Primero 3600 two years ago was noteworthy, but it was lost amongst the tasteful remakes – case in point – created to commemorate the anniversary. Now that the vintage remakes have reached their end with the final instalment announced just recently, the new movement can take the stage. The El Primero 3600 is certainly an impressive upgrade and a completely different animal compared to the original El Primero. Most notable is the addition of a lightning central seconds that travels six times as fast, completing one revolution every 10 seconds, allowing it to measure 1/10th of a second. That truly unleashes the full potential of the El Primero movement, which runs at 10 beats a second, or 36,000 beats per hour. Technical ingenuity notwithstanding, the watch itself looks good, albeit slightly derivative. T...
Revolution
Ross Povey looks at a Zenith El Primero-driven chrono from the 1980s and ’90s that won’t break your bank. So, comb your mullet through, pop on your espadrilles and let’s hit Miami and check out the Ebel Sport Classic Chronograph 1911…
SJX Watches
Patek Philippe closed 2020 in a big way with the launch of the Grande Sonnerie ref. 6301P-001 in November. The most complicated wristwatch unveiled by the Geneva watchmaker in recent years, the Grande Sonnerie is a grande and petite sonnerie carillon. With last year’s Geneva watch fair cancelled, the brand unveiled its new releases one by one throughout the year, starting with the limited-edition Calatrava ref. 6007A in June, allowing each new model to be in stores as soon as it was announced. The Grande Sonnerie ref. 6301P-001 was no different, albeit on a tiny scale, with reputedly only a handful available in each region – all sold before the launch. Initial thoughts An impressively large watch, the ref. 6301P feels like a modern-day grand complication. The size is a consequence of the wide and complex movement, so the watch has good proportions all things considered. But the styling is classical, incorporating many elements from vintage Patek Philippe watches – and also the ref. 5370P split-seconds chronograph – which gives it an elegant appearance, something helped by the relative thinness of the case. Still, it is clearly a contemporary watch – Patek Philippe rarely does exact remakes of vintage watches – with details that mark it out as such, including the recessed case band and the luminous hands. The fact that the watch is contemporary is evident in the movement, which looks and functions like a modern calibre, reflecting Patek Philippe’s measured,...
Time+Tide
This morning a new generation of Omega Speedmaster Professionals were announced, but that was not the only legendary chronograph revival and rejuvenation introduced today. Zenith has unveiled a new tribute to one of their chronographs from 1969: the Zenith Chronomaster Revival A385 Gradient Dial. Game-changers in their day, Zenith produced three watches that were not … ContinuedThe post HANDS-ON: The Zenith Chronomaster Revival A385 is the return of a sepia-toned legend appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
Long anticipated and widely discussed ahead of its release, the new-generation Omega Speedmaster Professional Moonwatch has finally arrived. Officially the Speedmaster Moonwatch Professional Co-Axial Master Chronometer Chronograph 42 mm, the upgraded version of the famous chronograph is an attractive blend of vintage design elements and modern movement technology. Launched in eight variants, the new Moonwatch line begins with the entry-level model in steel with a Hesalite crystal and solid back, with the top of the line model being the version in 18k Canopus gold, a white-gold alloy proprietary to Omega. The new Moonwatch in Sedna gold (left) and Canopus gold All the versions, however, share the same design features, as well as the cal. 3861, which is also found in the recently-launched Speedmaster Silver Snoopy Award. A new-and-improved version of the cal. 1861 that powered the Moonwatch for decades, the cal. 3861 boasts all of the technological bells and whistles that define Omega’s contemporary movements. The new calibre is also is partly responsible for a price rise, with the new Moonwatch being about 25% more expensive than its equivalent with the cal. 1861. The cal. 3861 under the display back; only the Hesalite-crystal model has a solid back Initial thoughts The new Moonwatch is appealing but predictable in packaging details taken from vintage Speedmasters along with the new cal. 3861. Mostly derived from the Speedmaster ref. ST 105.012, the vintage elements incl...
Time+Tide
Editor’s note: There’s no doubt that the Bulgari watch department is having a very big year. So far they have got hearts racing with the launch of their record-breaking Octo Finissimo Tourbillon Chronograph Skeleton Automatic, the new Octo Finissimo in satin-polished steel, and then their remarkable High-End Watch novelties. And if that wasn’t enough, there … ContinuedThe post The Bulgari Aluminium collection shows lightweight watches can pack a heavy punch appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Revolution
Revolution explores the remarkable technical qualities of the manual-wind chronograph movements that have given life to some of the most stunning and iconic Patek Philippe watches of all time.
SJX Watches
As the year winds down, I’d like to thank everyone for reading. And I want to revisit a few of the best stories of the year – if you haven’t read them, they are worth a look. These are not the most-read stories, which are inevitably concerned with watches from the biggest brands. Rather, the best stories are of the sort that I myself appreciate: an in-depth look at topics that might be unexpected or intriguing. I loved these articles and trust you will too. Watchmaking Although time has flowed in the same manner since the start of the universe, mankind’s perception and use of draft has evolved, most drastically during the Industrial Revolution, when time came to govern all aspects of life, a phenomenon explained by Alvin Chong. Time, as it happens, has been crucial to medical care for over four millennia, as Dr Andrew Hantel explained in his history of the pulsations chronograph, starting with Louis Moinet’s invention of the stopwatch until the modern-day smartwatch. Continuing with the chronograph, but now rewriting its history: Dr Christian Müller documented the first flyback-chronograph wristwatch, a 1929 Longines that he owns, which also happens to be the first-ever two-button wristwatch chronograph. A Patek Philippe ref. 5004R with a special-order pulsations dial; the first photo shows its movement And then there was also the end of history in a sense: Alan Downing told the story of how the observatory chronometer trial, revived in 2009 as the Concours In...
WatchAdvice
The Zenith Chronomaster Revival “Shadow”, a timepiece clouded in such mystery that its existence was all but forgotten, until recently. The story behind this timepiece goes back to 1970, where after the iconic El Primero movement was produced by Zenith, the manufacture also produced a prototype for a manual winding chronograph. This chronograph model was housed in a blackened steel case, which was quite rare during the ’70s. The manufacture produced only a handful of these concepts, with the watch never making it into full production. Soon after, the quartz crisis hit, which forced Zenith’s El Primero savior Charles Vermont to store all the plans and designs for mechanical watches including El Primero designs in a secret walled off attic in the manufacture. Just imagine though, if this beautiful all-black timepiece was never to be uncovered by the manufacture! Luckily this wasn’t the case, as in 2019 when Zenith began celebrating their 50th anniversary of the El Primero Chronograph caliber, the team at the manufacture decided to go through all the plans, designs, and parts that they found in the secret attic. Among the numerous items hidden away, was a box that contained the original prototype of this special black chronograph model. A model that hasn’t been seen by anyone since the early 1970s. The Chronomaster Revival “Shadow” project is a remake of the original 1970 model. Zenith, however, decided that instead of faithfully reproducing a replica of...
SJX Watches
An iconic auto-racing chronograph of the 1970s, the Monaco ref. 1133 was nicknamed the “Steve McQueen” after the actor wore one in the 1971 film Le Mans. And now one of the actual examples worn by McQueen in the film has just become the most expensive Heuer ever sold, achieving US$2.21m with fees at Phillips’ New York auction. There were several Monacos on hand for the production of Le Mans, with McQueen retaining two after filming wrapped. The record-setting watch in question is one of the two that McQueen gifted to Haig Alltounian, both the chief mechanic for the film as well as the actor’s personal mechanic. McQueen (left) and Haig Alltounian (far right) during the filming of Le Mans Mr Alltounian received the watch – engraved with “To Haig Le Mans 1970” on the back – just after filming for Le Mans concluded. Mr Alltounian himself consigned the watch to Phillips for its recent New York watch auction, making its provenance impeccable. The bidding opened at US$150,000, progressing steadily until the air thinned at the half-million dollar mark – which leads to the conclusion that the majority of bidders had a similar limit in mind. Then only three phone bidders were left. The three-way tussle ended with a US$1.8m hammer price – with London-based James Marks of Phillips winning the lot for his client. The result was US$2.2m inclusive of fees, an all-time record for any Heuer watch. It’s also a convenient feather in the cap for TAG Heuer, which is ...
Quill & Pad
Bell & Ross is no stranger to chronographs and the brand's emblematic timers have significantly contributed to its popularity. With the new BR V3-94 Black Steel, Bell & Ross adds a new chronograph to its Vintage collection, which means that it is more classically inclined than its siblings in other collections. Martin Green takes a closer, honest look.
Revolution
The Porsche Chronograph 1 radically reimagined the sports chronograph in the 1970s, and was designed by none other than Ferdinand Alexander Porsche, who also designed the iconic Porsche 911.
SJX Watches
Previously, in Part I of this series, we analysed and reviewed over 40 watch movements in terms of their potential chronometric performance – via the Horological Density Factor (HDF), which encompasses balance power and power reserve against the size of the movement – and debated the various trade-offs that had been made in order to achieve specific technical or aesthetic characteristics. Many readers then asked how more commonly known and accessible movements compare. To answer that we needed more data from the industry. Fortunately, Swiss movement makers Valjoux, Fabrique d’Horlogerie de Fontainemelon, Unitas, as well as their parent company Ebauches SA – now all part of ETA – once published beautifully comprehensive, detailed data sheets that included balance wheel inertia values. Armed with this data, we have been able to analyse and plot a further 25 movements alongside the previous group (with the disclaimer that it might not be fully up to date since the data sheets date from before the Quartz Crisis in the 1970s) to give a total of 68 to allow further investigation and review. The analysis Several popular movements have been added: the workhorse ETA 2824-1 and -2, the ubiquitous ETA Valjoux 7750 chronograph, the large diameter ETA Unitas 6497-1 and -2, and the ETA Peseux 7001. We also added, among others, the integrated chronograph cal. 4130 in the Rolex Daytona, and the modular chronograph versions of both the ETA 2892 (known as the ETA 2894) as well as...
Time+Tide
The momentum IWC generated in 2019 has continued unimpeded this year, with a slightly dressier focus. Here, we’re treated with the reinvigoration of the stoic, masculine, yet classy line in the new IWC 2020 Portugieser Collection. With the Portugieser Chronograph, IWC have stuck with their attitude of evolution over revolution, upgrading all of the regular … ContinuedThe post VIDEO: Our favourite references from the IWC 2020 Portugieser Collection appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
Taking place on Sunday, November 29, Phillips’ Hong Kong auction spans a wide range, including independent watchmaking, which includes the S.U.F Sarpaneva x Moomin prototype, as well as value buys (including a surprisingly well-priced Grand Lange 1 Luna Mundi). Here’s a look at a few standouts amongst the complicated watches on offer – particularly watches that might go under the radar. It includes the Patek Philippe ref. 5101R 10-Day Tourbillon powered by an under-appreciated but gorgeous movement inspired by the brand’s observatory chronometers, along with the Audemars Piguet MC12, one of the coolest complications in any shape but an octagon to leave Le Brassus. 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 850 – Audemars Piguet Millenary MC12 Despite being overwhelmingly famous for its octagonal luxury-sports watch, Audemars Piguet has produced highly-complicated watches in other case styles. Amongst the most interesting is the Millenary C12, a cutting-edge watch when it was launched in 2006 and inspired by the Maserati MC12 supercar (which was based on the Ferrari Enzo). Equipped with a hand-wind chronograph movement with a tourbillon, the MC12 is unusual both mechanically and aesthetically. Most obvious is the oval case with a “bullhead” chronograph layout, with the pushers at one and 11 o’clock, which is usually associated with auto-racing chrono...
SJX Watches
Combining an unusual variety of complications that nevertheless go well aesthetically, the Master Ultra Thin Tourbillon Moon is the latest tourbillon wristwatch from Jaeger-LeCoultre, which has made something of a speciality in iterating its tourbillon movements with various additional complications. Powered by the newly-developed cal. 983, the new watch features a moon phase, pointer date, and tourbillon regulator. And its case is made of Le Grand rose gold, a fade-resistant gold alloy unveiled only earlier in the year. Initial thoughts The Master Ultra Thin Tourbillon Moon is a handsome watch executed in the typical Jaeger-LeCoultre style. The design is classical, with a handful of details that refine the look, including the applied hour markers and metal-deposition moon phase scale. And the movement is decorated well, though largely by mechanical methods, and the result is visually appealing. But it is a bit large at 41.5 mm in diameter, and also thick at 12.1 mm high – giving it dimensions similar to a sports chronograph. The cal. 983 in the Master Ultra Thin Tourbillon Moon And the retail price of US$88,500 is high. Jaeger-LeCoultre’s strength is haute horlogerie in the middle of the price segment – though it’s been drifting upwards – alongside brands like Ulysse Nardin and H. Moser & Cie. But both those brands recently launched tourbillons of comparable quality – the Blast and Endeavour Cylindrical Tourbillon respectively – that cost less. Master To...
SJX Watches
Alongside the unusual R500 “bullhead” chronograph, Sinn’s new debuts for the year include a pair of entry-level “tool” watches. The Series 105 is comprised of two models – 105 St Sa and 105 St Sa UTC – that are reminiscent of classic pilot’s watches, but in a clean, modern style with a dial populated by geometric shapes. Both are dual time zone watches, but executed differently. The 105 St Sa UTC is similar to a traditional GMT watch, having an additional 24-hour hand as well as a 24-hour rotating bezel. More unusual is the base model 105 St Sa, which has a bezel with two separate scales – 12-hour and 60-minute markings – that allows for measuring short elapsed times as well as tracking a second time zone. 105 St Sa (left) and 105 St Sa UTC Initial thoughts Starting at €1,350 for the base model, and rising to €1,790 for the UTC on a steel bracelet, the 105 is a value buy that manages to differentiate itself from the numerous “tool” watches in the same price segment. It has roots in Sinn’s Pilot Watch 104 – the brand’s long-standing, entry-level aviator’s watch – but the 105 is different enough to make it stand out. To start with, the dial design is simple but smart. The base model, for instance, manages to incorporate a day and date display in a symmetrical manner, preserving both legibility and balance. At the same time, the colours are unusual, especially the white and orange combination that is just as functional but avoids the all...
SJX Watches
In-house movements are common in modern watchmaking, and practically the norm at the biggest brands. But new movements are usually developed to replace existing calibres, making 21st century movements with lifespans of decades fairly uncommon. Such mechanical longevity, on the other hand, is only possible with consistently implementing incremental but significant technical upgrades. Perhaps more than others, Rolex has perfected the art of carefully engineered movements that remain in production for many, many years thanks to incremental upgrades. The sheer scale of Rolex as a manufacture doubtlessly plays a big role in making that possible. Producing close to a million watches a year, according to estimates by banks Vontobel and Morgan Stanley – and owning almost all of its distribution and after-sales service network – Rolex certainly possesses tremendous data on the performance of its movements over prolonged, real-world use. Such information would be invaluable boosting the performance of its movements as well as extending the longevity of the calibre designs. The Cosmograph calibre One such long-lived movement is the cal. 4130 that debuted inside the Cosmograph Daytona in 2000. Over its two decade production run, the chronograph calibre – featuring both a column wheel and vertical clutch – has undergone four key technical updates according to Rolex, all of which are found in the cal. 4130s produced today. [And any Daytona with earlier versions of the cal. 41...
SJX Watches
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,...
Quill & Pad
When brands look to the past to find the absolute best details to combine into a killer timepiece, the result can be a terrific diver, a classy chronograph, or, in the case of American watchmaking company RGM, a fantastic pocket watch-inspired, enamel-dialed wristwatch like the Pennsylvania Series 801 Classic Enamel. Joshua Munchow feels this watch stands apart as a culmination of the brand's ideology.
Time+Tide
This week, in an unusual move from the obsessive tool laboratory of Sinn Spezialuhren (yes, Special Watches - only tools and instruments may apply), comes a glittery fresh take on the social media and forum hive-mind favourite, the 41mm Sinn 103 pilot’s chronograph. In the Sinn 103 Sa G version they have taken what is a … ContinuedThe post INTRODUCING: The Sinn 103 Sa G is a totally new look for Sinn, and we can get around it appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
Saving the best for last, Patek Philippe has just announced the Ref. 6301P-001 Grande Sonnerie. Powered by a movement derived from that in the Grandmaster Chime ref. 6300G uber-complication, the new Grande Sonnerie is impressively complicated – which is why Patek Philippe set up a dedicated workshop for its assembly – yet surprisingly thin. Unlike the Grandmaster Chime that was a multi-complication, the ref. 6301P is a focused mechanical masterpiece: a grande and petite sonnerie, striking the time en passant, or as it passes. But it is also a carillon, striking on three pairs of hammers and gongs, instead of the usual two. All its mechanical accomplishment is dressed in classical style, with an aesthetic reminiscent of the ref. 5370P split-seconds chronograph – a black enamel dial with Breguet numerals and a recessed case band. Initial thoughts With a movement derived from the Calibre 300 found in the Grandmaster Chime, the Grande Sonnerie is almost as large, a necessity due to the size of the movement. At 44.8 mm in diameter, the Grande Sonnerie is a large watch, but it is surprisingly thin at just 12 mm high, which is perhaps unsurprising given Patek Philippe’s traditional inclination towards thin watches. Unlike the brand’s other extra-large grand complications, like the Grandmaster Chime or Sky Moon Tourbillon, the Grande Sonnerie has a more restrained, traditional design. Though imposing, it looks reasonably elegant due to the pared-back styling and subtle ...
Time+Tide
Does this seem familiar? Yes, the popular bronze Hanhart chronograph recently released by some good friends of ours, seen on a Time+Tide editorial wrist here ,is a bronze 417 chronograph. Now Hanhart has remade the original stainless steel icon – a crisp cut classic military pilot’s chronograph with an earthbound claim to fame. The man … ContinuedThe post Hanhart just quietly released the 417ES, a Pilot’s watch famously worn by McQueen, and it’s a sleeper vintage monster appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Deployant
Featuring a new line – the 105 available in day/date automatic and a day/date automatic with UTC, a new 103, and a new rally style bullhead chronograph – the R500. Press release information with editorial commentary in italics 103 Sa G -SGD 4,940 / USD 2,870 on textile strap, SGD 5,310 / USD 3,100 onRead More
Time+Tide
If, like me, you love the svelte lines and sharp details of the vintage Heuer Carrera, the new TAG Heuer Carrera Collection blue dial chronograph (available for purchase here) is a reliable, sleek modern rendition. This is faithful to the lineage, in a contemporary 42mm. The deep blue dial blends formality with the clear motorsports … ContinuedThe post VIDEO: The new TAG Heuer Carrera Collection blue dial is a contemporary take on the classic racing watch appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
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