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Up Close: Konstantin Chaykin Joker Selfie for Only Watch 2019 SJX Watches
Konstantin Chaykin Nov 5, 2019

Up Close: Konstantin Chaykin Joker Selfie for Only Watch 2019

Though the Konstantin Chaykin Joker Selfie was already explained in great detail by Bjorn Meijer a couple of weeks ago, it’s compelling enough for a second, quick look, since I just received a new set of photos. Konstantin’s standard Joker (or Clown) wristwatch is well known, while also being fairly straight forward mechanically. The one-off Joker Selfie he created for the upcoming Only Watch charity auction is fundamentally and dramatically different, although the shares the familiar funny face. To start with the case is made of bulat, a high carbon steel alloy better known as Wootz steel. Sometimes incorrectly known as Damascus steel, bulat is an alloy with a patterned surface that’s a result of the metals mixed within. The irregular structure of the alloy, combined with its hardness, means it was a challenge to make the Joker Selfie case. Konstantin only completed the case after two discarded cases due to structural problems that emerged after machining. The Joker Selfie tells the time like the standard Joker, with the pupils in each eye pointing to the time, with a moon phase display incorporated into the mouth of the clown. And it has the day of the week, indicated with emoticons, much like Alain Silberstein’s trademark “smileday”, at 12 o’clock. But it also has an additional “secret” display, with a swivelling lever under the dial that covers either the hours or the day of the week display. It’s a gravity-activated mechanism that shows the hours ...

Hands-On: George Daniels Anniversary Watch in White Gold SJX Watches
Omega Nov 3, 2019

Hands-On: George Daniels Anniversary Watch in White Gold

Though extremely rare, the George Daniels Anniversary Watch is a familiar timepiece because it has been widely covered and is arguably the signature George Daniels wristwatch. Though the Daniels Millennium was made in larger numbers, it was powered by a modified Omega (and by extension, ETA) movement. In contrast, the Anniversary relies on a proprietary movement designed by Daniels and his protege Roger W. Smith – and it’s almost a visual twin of the one-off Daniels chronograph wristwatch. But the basic architecture of the Anniversary movement comes from the movement in Series 2, the trademark Roger W. Smith timepiece, which was launched in 2006, three years before the Anniversary. The white gold Anniversary next to the owner’s other example in yellow gold The quintessential Daniels Anniversary is in yellow gold, of which 35 were made. But when first launched in 2009, the Anniversary series was also meant to encompass four box sets of four watches each, made up of one watch in each colour of gold and another in platinum. The sets were never produced, however, individual watches originally destined to be part of the sets were. Owned by a noted collector who acquired it direct from the George Daniels trust, this Anniversary in white gold is one of them. And it is the only Anniversary ever made in white gold so far. On the wrist of the owner Though identical in design to the yellow gold Anniversary, the white gold watch looks more contemporary by virtue of its colour. ...

Auction preview highlights at Phillips Game Changers Time+Tide
Nov 2, 2019

Auction preview highlights at Phillips Game Changers

Later this year, Phillips, in association with Bacs & Russo, are hosting the Game Changers auction, which will be offering some of the most important watches to ever meet the public market, including watches owned by golfer Jack Nicklaus, and actors Marlon Brando and Robert Downey Jr, as well as incredibly rare vintage examples of … ContinuedThe post Auction preview highlights at Phillips Game Changers appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Monac-oh yeah! An overview of all 5 TAG Heuer Monaco limited edition watches Time+Tide
TAG Heuer Monaco limited edition watches Nov 2, 2019

Monac-oh yeah! An overview of all 5 TAG Heuer Monaco limited edition watches

This year we were lucky enough to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the TAG Heuer Monaco. It was in the last year of the 1960s that the brand (just Heuer at the time) released their iconic watch that was one of the first ever automatic chronographs, and was cemented as a legend when it was … ContinuedThe post Monac-oh yeah! An overview of all 5 TAG Heuer Monaco limited edition watches appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Hands-On: Urwerk x De Bethune Moon Satellite for Only Watch 2019 SJX Watches
De Bethune Moon Satellite Nov 1, 2019

Hands-On: Urwerk x De Bethune Moon Satellite for Only Watch 2019

The collaboration between Urwerk and De Bethune for the upcoming Only Watch is pretty straightforward: an Urwerk wandering hours time display module mounted on a De Bethune base movement, and housed in a De Bethune case. But it works, and the Moon Satellite is one of the coolest watches of the charity auction. Conceptually the Moon Satellite is similar to the Arpal One made for the last Only Watch. Long and sleek, the Arpal One was a collaboration between Urwerk and Laurent Ferrier that looked good, but with an enormous case – it was 60.8m long – that was much too large. The Moon Satellite, on the other hand, is just right. That’s because the case is derived from De Bethune DB28, which is a large watch but one with a smallish footprint and sprung, pivoted lugs that allow it to hug the wrist. The Moon Satellite is slightly larger than a DB28, but almost the same on the wrist. Entirely in mirror polished titanium, the case looks like a helmet for a warrior robot. Its shape is asymmetric – angular on the lower half and rounded at the top – in order to accommodate the time display. It’s reminiscent of a helmet, but instantly recognisable as coming from Urwerk, having the U-shaped crystal first found on the Urwerk UR-103 and now on the UR-105. Coincidentally, both Urwerk and De Bethune position the crowns on most of their watches at 12 o’clock, and so there it is. Though it has a similar shape to the standard Urwerk crown, the Moon Satellite crown is flat, so tha...

Top 5 Grand Seiko dials of 2019 Time+Tide
Grand Seiko dials Oct 30, 2019

Top 5 Grand Seiko dials of 2019

It has been a stellar year for Grand Seiko, with the Japanese watchmaker releasing not only a bevy of new iterations of some of their most popular models, but also a completely new manual-wind dress watch, the SBGK series. And, as is always the case with Grand Seiko, the arresting dials adorning these new timepieces … ContinuedThe post Top 5 Grand Seiko dials of 2019 appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Hands-On: Breguet Type 20 for Only Watch 2019 SJX Watches
Breguet Type 20 Oct 29, 2019

Hands-On: Breguet Type 20 for Only Watch 2019

Breguet’s contribution to the most recent Only Watch auction in 2017 was a unique, enlarged version of its inventive in-line perpetual calendar that had the calendar indications arranged in a column vertically across the dial. Though clever and unusual, the watch was probably too esoteric and classical for current tastes, and it sold for 110,000 Swiss francs, just 10% above the high estimate, reputedly to a discerning collector in Australia. This year’s upcoming Only Watch, however, includes a very different Breguet that should sell for a multiple of its estimate. The Type 20 for Only Watch 2019 is essentially a spot-on replica of the two-register aviator’s chronograph Breguet supplied to the French military from the mid 1950s – exactly the type of watch that is desirable now. Specifically, it’s a remake of the first generation Type 20, which was marked “5101/54” on the case back, denoting the order number, “5101”, and the year of 1954. More specifically, it’s based on the Type 20 made for the French air force, distinguished by equal-sized sub-dials; watches for the naval air arm had oversized minute counters. Named after the French military specification for pilot’s chronographs, itself derived from the Second World War German air force chronograph design, the original Type 20s were produced by a variety of watchmakers, including Vixa, Dodane, and Auricoste. Breguet examples, however, are the most valuable. Note that “Type XX” refers to the same...

Bremont H-4 Hercules: Inspired By Howard Hughes’ ‘Spruce Goose’ Quill & Pad
Bremont H-4 Hercules Inspired Oct 29, 2019

Bremont H-4 Hercules: Inspired By Howard Hughes’ ‘Spruce Goose’

The Bremont H-4 Hercules’ rotor incorporates original birchwood veneer that flew on Howard Hughes' historic trip in the 'Spruce Goose' off the coast of California in 1947. Shaped into four propeller blades, the precious and historical wood was shipped to the UK from the Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum in McMinnville, Oregon, where the plane resides today. Here Nancy Olson tells us what else is cool about this watch!

MIDO OCEAN STAR TRIBUTE SPECIAL EDITION REVIEW WatchAdvice
Mido OCEAN STAR TRIBUTE SPECIAL Oct 29, 2019

MIDO OCEAN STAR TRIBUTE SPECIAL EDITION REVIEW

INTRO Recently, we had the opportunity to spend several weeks with the Mido Ocean Star Tribute Special Edition. Released to mark the brand’s 75th anniversary, Mido launched two variations of this vintage-inspired dive watch, which is available in either a Mediterranean Blue or a Deep Black model. Today though, we’re going hands-on with the Deep Black variant. FIRST IMPRESSIONS This is a lot of watch for the money, the package you’re getting for under $1,500 is substantial – and a reminder that you don’t have to spend big bucks to get a capable and attractive tool watch. THE DIAL & HANDS Legibility is no issue on the Ocean Star Tribute thanks to the use of Super-LumiNova on the hour-markers, baton-style hands and bezel. Keeping in line with the heavily vintage-inspired design, both the applied indices and hands are an off-white cream colour, imitating the patina’d look often seen on vintage dive watches. The lollipop-style orange seconds hand offers a pop of colour and compliments the custardy indices. At 3 o’clock you’ll also find an unobtrusive day/date function, which blends into the rest of the dial thanks to a matching date wheel.  THE CRYSTAL At first glance, you might mistake the Ocean Star Tribute’s boxed Sapphire crystal for acrylic. However, tougher and less prone to scratches, the use of sapphire crystal blends modern materials with vintage design, ensuring legibility. The curved edges of the crystal offer up some intriguing reflections and dis...

Mission Accomplished! Nirmal “Nims” Purja smashes Bremont’s Project Possible Time+Tide
Bremont s Project Possible Bremont Oct 29, 2019

Mission Accomplished! Nirmal “Nims” Purja smashes Bremont’s Project Possible

Bremont brand ambassador and former British Special Forces serviceman Nirmal “Nims” Purja has destroyed the world record for scaling Earth’s 14 tallest mountains, completing the amazing feat in just six months and six days, eclipsing the previous record, which stood for more than eight years. Project Possible kicked off in April this year, and Purja … ContinuedThe post Mission Accomplished! Nirmal “Nims” Purja smashes Bremont’s Project Possible appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Hands-On: De Bethune DB28 Yellow Tones SJX Watches
De Bethune DB28 Yellow Tones Even Oct 29, 2019

Hands-On: De Bethune DB28 Yellow Tones

Even amongst avant-garde watchmakers, De Bethune stands out for its substance – aesthetic and material innovation matched by technical ingenuity. At its core, the brand has reimagined the most fundamental aspects of mechanical timekeeping, from the barrel to the hairspring, while pushing the boundaries of traditional complications, be it the moon phase, tourbillon or chronograph. But arguably its most distinctive innovation is an aesthetic one, which has come to define the brand no less – heat-blued titanium. The brand has used the alloy for more than 15 years across various parts of the watch, even making almost a whole watch out of it. But now De Bethune has a twist on the theme, resulting in the DB28 Yellow Tones in brilliant golden titanium. Fiery yellow Though the colour of the new DB28 is striking, it is by no means loud, as the amber shade of yellow isn’t the same as yellow gold and doesn’t pass off as such. In fact, it looks more like fresh brass than gold. The colour was achieved through thermal oxidisation of the surface, essentially the same process as that used for blued titanium (and also the same for blued steel). The yellow surface, just like the blue, is the result of an oxide that forms on the surface of titanium when it is heated to a certain temperature. But amber yellow tone in this case was created by heating it at a lower temperature than used for blued titanium. Titanium undergoes different stages of oxidation when heated, and yellow is o...

Up Close: Patek Philippe Grandmaster Chime ‘Only Watch’ ref. 6300A in Stainless Steel SJX Watches
Patek Philippe Grandmaster Chime ‘Only Watch’ Oct 28, 2019

Up Close: Patek Philippe Grandmaster Chime ‘Only Watch’ ref. 6300A in Stainless Steel

Long the record holder for the most valuable watch at the biennial Only Watch charity auction, Patek Philippe has probably outdone itself this year. For Only Watch 2019, it’s put together a unique version of the most complicated wristwatch it’s ever made, the Grandmaster Chime ‘Only Watch’ ref. 6300A-010 in stainless steel. Now in its 14th year, Only Watch is an auction of one-off timepieces donated by brands, with proceeds going to support medical research. Patek Philippe has claimed the title of the top lot in nearly all Only Watch auctions, including the most recent in 2017 that saw a Patek Philippe ref. 5208T in titanium sell for 6.2 Swiss francs. And in the auction before that, in 2015, the Patek Philippe ref. 5016A in steel sold for 7.3m Swiss francs. But the steel Grandmaster Chime for Only Watch this year will probably exceed those results, albeit by a margin that’s hard to predict. The buyer of “The Only One” will be the special one By most metrics it’s the ultimate watch – not only is it the most complicated wristwatch ever made by Patek Philippe, it is also the most expensive timepiece in the current Patek Philippe catalogue. And then there’s the style of the watch, which is catered exactly to current tastes. In fact, the elements of the watch are so perfectly suited to today’s fads in watch collecting that it might be a clever and discreet in-joke – a bit of humour from the serious Geneva watchmaker. The size and complexity of the Gr...

5 Longines heritage timepieces for every occasion Time+Tide
Longines heritage timepieces Oct 28, 2019

5 Longines heritage timepieces for every occasion

Longines offer a great many different styles of timepieces across five unique collections in their portfolio of wristwatches. And while each of the five collections provides a distinctive interpretation of what a timepiece should offer, in my opinion, the Swiss watchmaker’s Heritage collection resonates the most with horological enthusiasts. These are the timepieces that hark … ContinuedThe post 5 Longines heritage timepieces for every occasion appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

TAG Heuer Unveils Unique, Hand-Finished Monaco “Steve McQueen” SJX Watches
TAG Heuer Unveils Unique Hand-Finished Monaco Oct 28, 2019

TAG Heuer Unveils Unique, Hand-Finished Monaco “Steve McQueen”

The upcoming Phillips New York auction includes an unusual watch: the Monaco Piece d’Art, a one-off vintage watch restored and hand-finished by TAG Heuer that’s being sold to benefit a charity in the city. Created to mark the 50th anniversary of the iconic square-case chronograph, the Monaco Piece d’Art started out as a ordinary example of the Monaco ref. 1133B – also known as the “Steve McQueen” after the actor wore one in the 1971 film Le Mans – one of several specimens in TAG Heuer’s own museum. Hand-decorated and upgraded The Monaco ref. 1133B was powered by the Calibre 11 Chronomatic, one of the first automatic chronograph movements ever launched; the Chronomatic made its debut in 1969, the same year as the Zenith Primero and Seiko cal. 6139. Though important in the history of watchmaking, the Chronomatic movement was functional and fuss-free. So TAG Heuer decided to change that. The movement inside the Monaco Piece d’Art was taken apart and then carefully decorated, part by part, by a four-person team of watchmakers over three months. The steel levers and springs of the chronograph mechanism were straight grained and bevelled, screws heads were flat polished, gears were given circular graining, and so on. Even the countersinks for the jewels and screws were polished. The refinished movement inside the Monaco Piece d’Art (left), with an original Calibre 11 Chronomatic But the reworking of the movement was not merely aesthetic. The jewel count was...

Best of British –  4 celebs who rock Bremont watches Time+Tide
Bremont watches Whether watch enthusiasts Oct 27, 2019

Best of British –  4 celebs who rock Bremont watches

Whether watch enthusiasts want to admit it or not, there is definitely a curiosity when it comes to celebrity watch spotting. It’s a guilty pleasure for most of us, and I have no shame admitting that I will regularly spend hours going down the virtual rabbit hole on Instagram, scoping what iced-out timepiece Mark Wahlberg has … ContinuedThe post Best of British –  4 celebs who rock Bremont watches appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.