3,780 articles · 2,520 videos found · page 143 of 210
Time+Tide
This is one of those watches that makes so much sense I’m amazed it didn’t exist until now. But before we dive into the details of the IWC Big Pilot Edition ‘Right-Hander’, let’s step back and have a quick recap on the Big Pilot. The Big Pilot is a watch with two distinct histories. The … ContinuedThe post HANDS-ON: The IWC Big Pilot Edition ‘Right-Hander’ appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
Chanel has been slowly but steadily building up its line of mechanical watches powered by high-end, in-house movements. Most notable is the Monsieur de Chanel jump hour, created with the help of respected independent watchmaker Romain Gauthier, who sold a minority stake in his company to Chanel several years ago. Mr Gauthier also had a hand in last year’s Boy.Friend Skeleton, a top of the line variant of Chanel’s fashionable rectangular watch. Fancy mechanics are usually the preserve of men’s watches, but the Boy.Friend Skeleton boasts an impressively thoughtful, open-worked movement, the Calibre 3. In fact, the design and details of the in-house movement show that it was conceived from the ground up with a particular aesthetic goal in mind. It’s the only way to create a skeleton movement that looks as coherent as this does. An especially beautiful detail are the gilded bevels on the outermost frame of the base plate and the sub-seconds, which emphasise the finish and shape of the movement. Chanel circles The Calibre 3 has been constructed to incorporate a series of repeating, interlocking circles, a favourite motif of Chanel’s chief watch designer, Arnaud Chastaingt. The motif starts with the bridges and base plate, which are all brass finish with a frosted surface coated in black amorphous diamond-like carbon (ADLC). A telling indication of the attention to detail put into its construction lies in how the bridges are constructed. Instead of being a sing...
Revolution
A skeletal essentials-only guide to the Tudor chronographs that were produced from the 1970s to 1990s, in mostly incomplete sentences.
SJX Watches
Despite being one of many recent startups specialising in stylish, affordable watches, Gorilla has managed to set itself apart from a crowded field by creating watches that are well designed and smartly detailed. That’s because the Gorilla was founded in 2016 by two veterans watch design: Lukas Gopp, an alumni of IWC and Audemars Piguet, and the better known of the pair, Octavio Garcia. Mr Garcia spent almost 15 years at Audemars Piguet, five of them as chief designer; one of his most famous and successful creations was the Royal Oak Offshore “Alinghi” in forged carbon, one of the hottest watches of the mid-2000s. Gorilla now only offers essentially a single model – the Fastback – in several variations, with the design and colours inspired by 1950s American muscle cars. And it is obvious that several of its watches are reminiscent of certain Audemars Piguet timepieces. But with the Gorilla watch case having a distinctive profile of its own, coupled with the fact that most of its watches cost less than US$800, Gorilla watches have an easy appeal. A gilded 15 This particular Gorilla is a limited edition made for the 15th anniversary of Red Army Watches, a Singapore-based retailer that specialises in affordable watches; amongst the other brands it carries are SevenFriday and Grand Seiko. Formally known as the RAW x Gorilla Fastback Celebratory Edition, the watch is not drastically different from the standard model that serves as the base, the Fastback Gal...
Time+Tide
The new Call of Duty trailer was dropped last week, and it featured an interesting horological detail that was noticed by one eagle-eyed Reddit user. As discussed in an article by Kotaku, the time displayed on the wrists of the game characters will read the local time of the person playing, adding a very cool … ContinuedThe post Call of Duty need to add these watches to their next game appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Video
SJX Watches
Originally a no-nonsense dive watch made for the frogmen of the Italian navy during the Second World War, Panerai has been moving towards more civilian-friendly sports watches. The evolution is best illustrated by the Luminor Due, which is smaller and thinner, and as far removed from a traditional Panerai as possible while still retaining the signature crown locking mechanism. At the same time, Panerai has also rolled out watches that are oversized like the military originals, but with an increasingly variety of dial colours, like the quartet with blue dials in 2016. Such metallic blue dials are currently fashionable, so it’s no surprise Panerai has continued with the same colour. The recent Luminor 1950 3 Days GMT PAM01033 is essentially an upsized, 44mm version of the PAM 688 from 2016. I had one on the wrist for a few days – here’s how the test drive went. Compared with the earlier PAM 688, size is not the only difference with the new Luminor PAM 1033. A small but significant design tweak is the colour of the hands: instead of gold hands as as before, the hands now match the case. Though the change is seemingly minor, it gives the watch a different look, one that’s more contemporary, because the hands, though small, are the focal point on the dial. But the beige Super-Luminova on the dial and hands is faux-vintage, which does not quite match the newness of the blue dial. The dial is a “sandwich” construction, a signature feature of Paner...
Time+Tide
Editor’s note: I’ll be honest, there is a part of me that really likes this watch. There is something about a gold-tone full-metal G-Shock that appeals to the same part of my brain that is excited by a solid gold Doxa; it’s a part tickled by totally unnecessary extravagance that is just so fun. Luckily, … ContinuedThe post Eureka! Joining the Casio gold rush appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
Singapore retailer The Hour Glass kicked off its 40th anniversary limited editions with the all-platinum Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Chronograph, now followed by a pair of watches from leading independent watchmakers, De Bethune and Urwerk. The Singapore retailer is getting a three-piece limited edition based on the current UR-105, but one that’s also a throwback to the brand’s early creations. In aged bronze and titanium, The UR-105 “The Hour Glass” similar to the UR-105 CT Bronze unveiled earlier this year, but streamlined and sans the sprung lid over the front – a simplification of the design that’s also an improvement. Appropriate enough for a retailer that’s been selling Urwerk for 15 years, the commemorative edition features elements borrowed from Urwerk models over the years, creating a watch that’s a nostalgic reminder of the brand’s foundational watches from the early 2000s. UR-103 reborn The UR-105 was launched in 2014 as the successor to the UR-103, first launched in 2003. The bestselling Urwerk to date and arguably the brand’s signature watch, the UR-103 was the watch that made Urwerk a champion of avant-garde mechanical watchmaking. A nod to that milestone watch, the commemorative UR-105 features a U-shaped sapphire crystal, just as it was on the UR-103.03. While the very first version of the watch, the UR-103.01, featuring a narrow, curved window for the time, the UR-103.03 of 2005 expanded the view with a far larger cry...
SJX Watches
De Bethune is the latest amongst a number of watchmakers to take the covers off a commemorative edition to mark the 40th anniversary of Singapore watch retail powerhouse The Hour Glass. For the occasion, De Bethune has put together a variant of its signature DB28 with sprung lugs that’s entirely clad in brilliant, blued titanium. First unveiled in polished titanium in 2018, the Steel Wheels is essentially a DB28 wearing a little less. A partially open-worked dial – which is actually the delta-shaped barrel bridge – reveals its pair of skeletonised barrels and gears. While the original Steel Wheels captures the essence of De Bethune, combining its trademark design with the brand’s fundamental technical innovations, it was lacking a generous dose of blued titanium, a gorgeous, heat-treated alloy that is synonymous with the brand. Colour consistency That has now been rectified with the DB28 Steel Wheels Blue, arguably the purest – and bluest – distillation of the brand’s core values and technical achievements. It features an intense, mirror-polished, blued titanium case and dial that form a striking contrast against the exposed inner mechanics. Though blued titanium is also used by other brands today, De Bethune was amongst the first to mirror-polish its titanium cases and more crucially, started using heat treatment to blue titanium way back in 2006. An example of an early De Bethune using blued titanium, a DB25L from 2010 with a blued dial...
SJX Watches
Those unfamiliar with the world of ultra-bling Rolex watches must wonder – who are they catered to? Dictators? Drug dealers? Nightclub owners? Instagram influencers? But the answer is actually something more common. All of us inevitably know someone like this: the middle-aged man usually in athletic wear by Louis Vuitton and Gucci, and whose idea of formal wear is an embroidered velvet suit from Dolce & Gabbana that resembles curtains from a chateau. He’ll probably drive a super car that is “stickered”, either the whole car wrapped in a matte, metallic finish, or worse, “stickered” with flames and stripes on the sides. Then this gentleman will probably be wearing a watch like this. And if he isn’t, he will really want one. It’s easy to poke fun but the nattily dressed gent is enjoying himself and who can fault that? And so it is with this watch, which has certain, look-at-me appeal that is just calling out to be enjoyed. This is the new and uncommon Daytona ref. 116578SACO with an orange sapphire-set bezel. Cosmograph Daytona ref. 116578SACO Each year Rolex unveils a handful of bejewelled watches that are shown to the press and public at Baselworld – last year’s was the Daytona “rainbow” and this year had the Day-Date “rainbow” – while also releasing a smaller number of gem-set models on the quiet, which are usually only shown to retailers. This year’s hush-hush launches included the GMT-Master II “SARU” in Everose gold, but als...
Video
SJX Watches
As it marks the 50th year of the Moon landing, Omega introduced a variety of Speedmaster Moonwatches in steel and in gold, but none with the revived cal. 321 movement, until now. The first watch to land the cal. 321 – a second will debut later in the year – is the ultra-luxe Speedmaster Moonwatch 321 Platinum that’s a special, as opposed to a limited, edition. Visually it’s pretty much a typical Speedmaster Professional, save for the use of expensive materials for all the external components. The case is the standard 42mm with twisted, “lyre” lugs, but rendered in a particular platinum alloy, Pt950Au20, that is 95% platinum along with a small amount of gold. The bezel is also platinum, with an insert in black ceramic with white enamel markings. The “stepped” dial, as it was on vintage Speedmasters, is made of polished black onyx, while the hour, minute and register hands, along with the hour markers, are 18k white gold (the central seconds hand is plated brass, a necessity because the reset function requires it to be lightweight). All the chronograph sub-dials are made of moon meteorite. The case back reveals the cal. 321, a remake of the Lemania CH27 of the mid 20th century. Found in the early Speedmaster models, where it was named the Omega cal. 321, the movement has been reproduced in great detail. And according to Omega, it is distinct from its distant relative, the modern day Lemania cal. 2310 that has been in continuous production for several d...
SJX Watches
Kennsen Watches makes its debut with a notably clever and well-priced annual calendar chronograph powered by a patented calendar module on top of a Valjoux 7750. Though Kennsen is newly set-up, its founder David Lea specialises in constructing complications for other brands, explaining the surprising degree of technical innovation for a small start-up. Annual calendar chronographs are relatively uncommon on the market and most are fairly costly – Patek Philippe and Ulysse Nardin are amongst the handful of brands that offer one – making the new Kennsen the most affordable example today, with a retail price of just over US$5000. Despite its affordability, the Kennsen annual calendar chronograph is entirely Swiss-made. The case is produced by Victorinox, the famed maker of Swiss army knives and also watches, while the module was designed by Lea & Associé – Mr Lea’s design outfit – and manufactured by a firm in the Vallée de Joux. Made of stainless steel, the case is 42mm in diameter, with a polished bezel and case back, while the case band has a brushed finish. The dial, available in either black or champagne, has a clean and pleasant design. It features recessed sub-dials, applied indices and a telemeter scale in miles and kilometres on the outer rim. At one o’clock is a day and night indicator displayed in a small aperture, and nestled subtly next to the central axis of the dial is the month display, aligned on the same axis as the date at three. ...
Deployant
MB&F; releases a new version of the iconic Legacy Machine 2 in Red Gold with a beautiful Blue dial. Full details including price within.
SJX Watches
Taking place on July 19, Sotheby’s thematic auction to mark the 1969 Moon landing – Omega Speedmaster: To the Moon and Back, Celebrating 50 years since Apollo 11 – is all about the Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch, plus a handful of watch accessories and lunar paraphernalia. The auction is 50 lots, covering a variety of Speedmaster models, starting from the very affordable to “grail” references like the ref. 2915-1 and “Alaska III” prototype. For those interesting in a lot-by-lot opinion of the sale, check out the article written by Speedmaster enthusiast William Roberts over at speedmaster101.com. Here’s a look at a couple of highlights. Lot 10 – Speedmaster ref. 2915-1 The ref. 2915-1 is substantially different from the later Moonwatches but is the one that started it all, being the very first reference of the Speedmaster ever. Its particular combination of features – steel bezel, “broad arrow” hands, straight lugs – give it a distinct and appealing look compared to the later Speedmasters. This particular appears correct, albeit showing its age. The wear seems pretty even throughout, from the case to dial to back, and is detailed in Sotheby’s condition report. According to the extract, it was delivered to Mexico in 1958, a year after the model was introduced. With one of the best examples of the ref. 2915-1 having sold for just over US$400,000 at Phillips last year, the estimate for this well-worn example is US$150,000-200,000. Lot 13 ...
SJX Watches
Perhaps the most successful ladies’ watch design of the 21st century, the all-ceramic J12 made Chanel a significantly player in watchmaking. After a run of nearly 20 years, the first generation J12 finally bowed out at Baselworld 2019, where it was replaced by the new J12. Possessed of not just a new design, but a “manufacture” movement produced by a joint venture of Chanel and Tudor, the new J12 is a major event for Chanel not just because it will sell in vast numbers, but because it’s the first entry-level watch powered by proprietary movement. The man behind the revamp of Chanel’s star wristwatch is Arnaud Chastaingt, a modest man with a keen eye for detail who leads the Chanel Watchmaking Creation Studio. A graduate of two Paris-based design schools, the École des Arts Appliqués and Strate School of Design, Mr Chastaingt spent a decade styling watches at Cartier before joining heading across the city to Chanel. The Calibre 1 inside the Monsieur de Chanel Since starting at Chanel in 2013, Mr Chastaingt has overseen a slew of new designs, most notably the brand’s first in-house, high-end men’s watch, the Monsieur de Chanel (which really impressed me at its launch). Unlike most watch designers, Mr Chastaingt oversees the design of the entire watch, including the movement, explaining why Chanel’s own movements share a distinctive house style centred on repeating circles. I recently spoke with Mr Chastaingt explain the genesis of the J12. He wa...
Video
Deployant
A new collaboration watch between a small independent and NASA: the Xeric Trappist-1 NASA Edition. Details of the Kickstarter program here.
SJX Watches
Contemporary Patek Philippe pocket watches are uncommon, and Rare Handcrafts examples – all of which are unique one-offs – are even more scarce. More objet d’art than portable timekeeper, only a handful are made each year. Sold at Sotheby’s late last year for almost US$290,000, the Rare Handcrafts ref. 982/159G “Japanese Cherry” pocket watch is a particularly delicate example of Patek Philippe’s enamelling. Rare Handcrafts pocket watches are often figurative or detailed in the extreme. This year’s line-up of pocket watches feature decorations that include a leopard, several landscapes, and a miniature of Vermeer’s The Wine Glass. The “Japanese Cherry”, on the other hand, takes a difference approach to its art; the decoration is simple yet vivid in colour and form. Unveiled in 2015, the “Japanese Cherry” watch was arguably the most important piece of the Rare Handcrafts collection that year, because the Japanese cherry motif formed the cover of the year’s catalogue. It’s a Lépine pocket watch, with the crown and sub-seconds arranged in a line (as opposed to a hunter movement that has them at right angles to each other). A plant synonymous with the country, the Japanese cherry produces the cherry blossom, or sakura, a cultural icon of Japan. On the watch branches of the cherry tree are depicted against a pale beige background. The branches are hand engraved in relief, with the individual cherries being bright red fired enamel with a g...
Time+Tide
The other week, Nick showed us some of the highlight pieces from the upcoming Only Watch auction. There was a bunch of spicy pieces destined for charity greatness, but one watch kept drawing my attention - the Louis Vuitton Spin Time. There are a few reasons why this watch stands out. Sure, there’s diamonds (3.33 … ContinuedThe post The detail is in the dial for Louis Vuitton’s Only Watch entry appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
For better or worse, Kickstarter is now a firmly entrenched part of the watch production, retail and marketing landscape. Watches have historically been a phenomenally popular category on the crowdfunding platform, but for every glittering success story, there’s an equal number of projects left on the cutting room floor. If you’re the kind of curious cat … ContinuedThe post RECOMMENDED READING: Ever wonder how many Kickstarter watches actually get off the ground? appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Deployant
Arnold & Son reintroduces the Nebula in a smaller case. Here, we bring you the details and our thoughts on the new Nebula 38.
Video
Time+Tide
As long as the internet and watch enthusiasts exist, there will be arguments about what the first watch on Mount Everest was. But rather than discussing semantic possibilities of the interpretation of 60-year-old advertisements, we wanted to look at a selection of Mount Everest watches (not just which was first). Smiths de Luxe The … ContinuedThe post 5 Mount Everest watches that are literally high horology appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Deployant
Seiko introduces a new LX line of watches with the usual Sea, Land and Air concepts. We examine the Prospex SNR031J1 LX Black Edition Dive Watch in detail.
SJX Watches
A young Francois-Paul Journe created his sixth ever watch in 1987; it was an “astronomic planetary watch”, a pocket watch with faces on each side. Over three decades later that has been reimagined as the Astronomic Blue, a prototype grand complication made for Only Watch 2019. Mentioned by Mr Journe in an interview late last year, the Astronomic Blue is a hand-wound wristwatch with astronomical functions on two faces, as well as a minute repeater and tourbillon with remontoir d’egalite. The complications total 18, and are powered by a movement made up of 758 parts, making it more complex than the Sonnerie Souveraine. The astronomic planetary watch of 1987, signed “Journe à Paris” Like the preceding F.P. Journe watches made for Only Watch, namely the tourbillon and split-seconds, the Astronomic Blue has a tantalum case and mirrored blue dial like that found on the Chronometre Bleu. The case is 44mm in diameter and 13.75mm high, making it comparable in size to the discontinued Sonnerie Souverain and recent Tourbillon Souverain Vertical. Remembering 1987 As with many of Mr Journe’s early creations, the pocket watch was inspired by both Abraham-Louis Breguet and George Daniels, a quality that is echoed in the Astronomic Blue. Like the George Daniels Space Traveller, the front shows sidereal and mean solar time on two symmetrically arranged sub-dials, while the reverse has a ring-type annual calendar and equation of time indicator, which is reminiscent of the...
SJX Watches
In the Rolex sports watch hall of fame, the GMT-Master II is arguably the most practical. It is a relatively affordable, dual time zone watch; and there are, after all, more people who travel than those who dive or race or sail. At the same time, the GMT-Master has always been available in precious metal, in 18k Everose for instance, and also lavishly bejewelled like the popular sapphire and ruby “SARU”. The new meteorite dial GMT-Master II, on the other hand, is bling meets functionality without the gemstones, making it an unusual and compelling watch. And it’s also the first time Rolex has used meteorite in a watch other than the Daytona or Day-Date. In fact, the meteorite GMT-Master probably the most practical ultra-luxe travel watch out there. And it costs only about US$1600 over the standard white gold GMT-Master with a blue dial, making it a worthwhile upgrade. Maybe “Pan Am” Rolex has not revealed what inspired the meteorite GMT-Master, but the GMT-Master “Pan Am” or “Albino” is obvious. Reputedly made in small numbers for executives at Pan American Airways – the company credited for the creation of the GMT-Master – the GMT-Masters fitted with white dials are either the refs. 6542 or 1675. A handful are known and have sold for well into six figures, but the white dial examples are controversial and often accompanied by unending questions as to whether they are legit. A jewel of a watch In contrast, the modern day equivalent of...
Time+Tide
The Patek Philippe Nautilus Perpetual Calendar 5740G was unveiled at Baselworld 2018 to much fanfare, as it marked the debut of the perpetual calendar complication in the iconic Gérald Genta-designed watch. It still retains its signature looks, with the embossed blue dial, integrated bracelet and 40mm size. It’s also got a pleasing degree of heft … ContinuedThe post Leap year? No worries – 3 celebrities rocking the Patek Philippe Nautilus Perpetual Calendar 5740G appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Video
Question, suggestion, or just want to say hi? Drop a note.