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Deployant
Patek Philippe Twenty~4 Manchette In the world of ladies’ luxury timepieces, the Patek Philippe Twenty~4 has been the go-to collection for women since its debut in 1999. The goal initially was to create a watch that could be worn all day and was versatile enough for business or evening wear. And thus the original Twenty~4Read More
Deployant
Lume. Some of us are obsessed with it. But others don’t seem to give two hoots. For us, we think lumes are the icing in the cake, but only for non-dress watches. And of course, the brighter the better. Here are our picks of 6 of what we feel are the best. We carried aRead More
Quill & Pad
Designing a watch for the modern-day woman is one of the most challenging tasks in the watch world as fashion has a stronger influence on ladies’ models than men's. Martin Green thinks that the Armin Strom Lady Beat has got it just right.
SJX Watches
A recurring theme in Cartier’s watchmaking is Métiers d’Art – or “artisanal crafts” – where traditional decorative techniques are employed to create elaborate, intricate decoration on the watch dial, and occasionally the case. This year’s Métiers d’Art offerings are a pair of Ronde Louis Cartier wristwatches that return to the brand’s signature big cat motif. Decorated with an unusual marquetry technique involving straw and gold Métiers d’Art Straw and Gold Marquetry Panther is the larger, 42 mm model for men, while the smaller, 36 mm model features enamel filigree, where the enamel has been stretched to form bamboo shoots secured to the dial with gold wire. The 36 mm model with an enamel, gold, and diamond dial Initial thoughts Artisanal decorative techniques often result in prohibitively expensive watches, which narrows their appeal. That said, many watchmakers offer such watches, but produced in small numbers. More recently, they have used old-school techniques to create modern motifs or even light-hearted, whimsicial themes. Cartier’s approach is creativity in technique rather than style. The motif is traditional and reassuringly familiar – the famous panther is executed with exemplary skill but still the panther. That said, the marquetry dial is slightly abstract, giving the panther a slightly more contemporary look. But it will still appeal best to those who appreciate the jeweller’s well-established style. The finished straw marque...
Quill & Pad
The grandeur of Place Vendôme is hard to match, and to say that about a location in a city like Paris is quite a statement. Follow Martin Green's tour of the horological history of the square and discover what makes this place so special.
Revolution
Having witnessed the beauty of Aurel Bacs’ sector dial Laurent Ferrier, we worked with the Swiss watch manufacturer to create our special edition in the same spirit but with different details.
Quill & Pad
The Chopard L.U.C XP Il Sarto Kiton will not be for everybody, and Martin Green considers that a good thing. While more traditionally inclined clients are perfectly served by the regular L.U.C XP models, the collaboration with Neapolitan fashion house Kiton shows that this Chopard can overstep its invisible classic boundaries and become something more contemporary.
Quill & Pad
David Oscarson’s use of guilloche and fired enamel to create the exquisite designs on his pens is his well-established hallmark, and over two decades he has brought compelling and often thought-provoking topics to pictorial life with clarity and artistic flair. His latest collection features sea turtles all the way down, providing us with just a whiff of the bygone summer.
SJX Watches
De Bethune builds watches that are deliciously futuristic in form and construction, though it has rarely applied its house style to sports watches. Last year’s DB28GS Grand Blue is a bona fide sports watch, with plenty of water resistance and dynamo-powered illumination. Now it’s been given a new look with the DB28GS Yellow Submarine, which has a richly-gilded case that is actually titanium heat treated to create a bronze-gold oxide layer on its surface. Initial thoughts Measuring 44 mm wide and 12.8 mm high, the DB28GS is even chunkier than most De Bethune watches, which are already quite large. The original DB28GS Grand Blue is mostly a monotonous grey, with some blue accents, giving it a technical, rugged style. Even though it is just a change in colour, the yellow case of the Yellow Submarine gives it an entirely new look. The gold finish is luxe but more bronze in tone, and also combined with a brushed surface finish, giving the watch a warm, slightly aged look. And the new case colour gives the watch more contrast – it definitely pops – making it more visually attractive than its predecessor. The original DB28GS was a pricey watch, and so is the new Yellow Submarine. But fortunately it costs almost the same at 95,000 Swiss francs, or about 4% more than its predecessor. Yellow titanium De Bethune’s inventiveness is most prolific in its movements, but also extends to cases. Its signature case material is heat-blued titanium – where the alloy is heated ove...
Time+Tide
The people have spoken, and it is clear that within the Fantasy Watch Collection 10K I was the people’s champion. I take great pride in my victory, listening to Queen’s “We Are the Champions” as I type this story. But I recognise I could not have won without your support, and thank you, the readers, … ContinuedThe post You voted on your favourite Fantasy Watch Collection 10K and the winner is… appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
Amsterdam-based Ace Jewelers has worked with Nomos on a regular basis to create its own limited editions, with the latest being the Club Campus 38 #NomiesForLife. While earlier Ace editions incorporated local elements like the Dutch capital’s coat of arms and the work of Piet Mondrian, the new edition resulted from a collaboration with a Dutch Nomos enthusiast who also started a community on Instagram for like-minded collectors, @nomiesforlife. Named after the Instagram channel, the new edition is a more sombre iteration of the usually colourful Club Campus, done in high contrast black and white, accented with pale blue. Initial thoughts Ace Jewelers has plenty of Nomos limited editions under its belt – this Club Campus is the second launch this year – which might seem one too many. In fact, the new model is rather similar to an earlier edition, but with red replaced by blue. That said, the “NomiesForLife” edition is appealing, mostly owing to the colours and pronounced affordability – the retail price is under US$1,400. Clean and more restrained compared to the standard Club Campus, the new edition nonetheless retains the “California” dial, which gives it a fun, retro style that’s helped by the blue accents. Basically it caters to anyone who likes the Club Campus for its accessible price and sporty-ish style, but prefers a more understated look. And the new edition is even more affordable than the standard models in relative terms: though priced ex...
Hodinkee
A new green fumé to brighten your day.
Deployant
A special edition (sonderedition) of the Kudoke 2 is revealed – the new GrünerWald (Green Forest) is a limited edition of 10 pieces, numbered as 1 of 10. The edition is done in collaboration with Esperluxe, a boutique house offering special editions. This was an 18 month effort, resulting from a 2019 meeting between StefanRead More
Revolution
The Zeitwinkel 273° Saphir Fumé leaves the brand’s watchmaking philosophy in plain sight, and that’s a great thing.
SJX Watches
Time-only but visually and mechanically interesting, the Hublot Meca-10 wristwatch has a skeleton movement inspired by Meccano, the children’s construction toy. Now it’s been blown up – by a multiple of four – to create the Meca-10 Clock. Created in collaboration with Swiss clockmaker L’Epée, best known for the clocks it has made for MB&F; and Chanel, the Meca-10 Clock retains all of the key features of its wristwatch counterpart, namely the skeletonised construction and lengthy, 10-day running time. The clock and the watch that inspired it Initial thoughts Compared to the prolific, sci-fi clocks of MB&F;, the Meca-10 is more traditional. But it sets itself apart technically with its purpose-built, 10-day movement. In contrast, clocks by other brands express themselves in terms of case architecture, and mostly rely on the same the L’Epée 8-day movement. The Meca-10 has a straightforward, square case that resembles the typical Hublot Big Bang. The highlight is the movement, which originated in Hublot’s own movement development department led by Matthias Buttet, the brand’s resident technical guru, and subsequently built by L’Epee. The result is a clock that is legible and mechanically interesting, just like the Meca-10 wristwatch, giving the clock a similar sort of appeal. But the Meca-10 clock is surprisingly expensive, starting at US$47,400 for the steel version. That can be justified to a degree by the unique movement, but it’s still twice the pric...
SJX Watches
Fine finishing in high-end watchmaking automatically brings to mind polished bevels, black-polished steel, Cotes de Geneve, blueing, and even perlage. But less thought is given to frosting, even though it is prominent in the grandest of timepieces made by leading independent watchmakers. Put simply, frosting is the treatment of a metal to create an uneven, pitted surface. A beautifully rough finish, frosting dulls the appearance of the component it is applied to. Many brands rely on the technique for decoration, but often in strikingly different forms. Akrivia, Greubel Forsey, Masahiro Kikuno, and Roger W. Smith are all known for their frosted finishes, but each differs from the other in technique and aesthetic effect. The frosted bridges on the front of the Greubel Forsey Hand Made 1 Heroes and sidekicks When it comes to finishing methods in horology, I like to separate them into two categories: heroes and sidekicks. The sidekicks – such as perlage, graining, and of course frosting – are the methods that help the heroes stand out. Do not think any less of the sidekicks because without them, the heroes would not get the attention they deserve. The heroes are the methods that make you wonder: “This is beautiful – how did they do that?” Black polishing, blueing and engraving are just a few of them. As in the comic books, heroes and sidekicks work together to make each other look good. But as is frequently the case in fiction, sidekicks are often forgotten. Take fo...
Time+Tide
What would you think if the boss handed out a stack of Cartier watches to reward you for your efforts this year? We’d say that sounds like a pretty great place to work. (And, yes, this story is a thinly veiled hint to T+T boss, Andrew, as he plans this year’s Christmas bonuses) ((Dream on, … ContinuedThe post Watch, out! The Cartiers that might cost a career appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Quill & Pad
The Paulin Watches Neo is fully designed and assembled in Scotland. The dial – the most important part of this watch – was also handmade in Scotland. And those are not the only great things about the affordable, reliable, and well-designed Neo.
Two Broke Watch Snobs
The Fairwind makes a statement - even when almost everything that can go wrong does go wrong, a commitment to good design and quality, a little chutzpah, and a lot of patients can still create something truly special.
Quill & Pad
When Piaget introduced the manual wind Caliber 9P at the 1957 Basel Fair, at only 2 mm in height, it was considered an impossibility. Three years later, in 1960, Piaget stunned the watch world once again with Caliber 12P, an automatic movement that broke world records for its svelteness. What does that have to do with a vintage watch Martin Green saw? Find out here.
SJX Watches
The most complicated MB&F; watch when it was launched in 2015, the LM Perpetual (or LM QP) was powered by an ingenious movement combining a “split” escapement and a novel perpetual calendar mechanism developed by Irish watchmaker Stephen McDonnell. Now MB&F; has reworked the watch to create its sportier and more robust successor, the LM Perpetual EVO. Featuring several tweaks to the case, dial, and movement that are cumulatively significant, the LM Perpetual EVO boasts increased water resistance along with an integrated rubber strap. The LM Perpetual EVO is a limited edition of 15 watches each in black, blue, and orange Initial thoughts Even though the Legacy Machine (LM) line was conceived as something inspired by the 19th century and Jules Verne, the LM Perpetual with its open-worked, intricate dial was always stylishly modern, though that was toned down by the white-lacquered sub-dials of the original model. The EVO, however, makes full use of the open-worked dial to become an uber-contemporary watch. Both the material and construction of the case are new: it’s now zirconium with a more complicated architecture, featuring recessed sides and angular lugs that integrate with the strap. And the sub-dials are black, creating a striking contrast against the base plate in black, blue, or orange. Most notably, the EVO brings to mind the Harry Winston Project Z1, which was the other major product developed by MB&F; founder Maximilian Büsser when he was chief executive of ...
Time+Tide
The complexity is tangible, the feeling is tingly yet disturbing. I’m seeing the unreal sight of the MB&F; Legacy Machine Perpetual EVO, or any MB&F; for that matter – on a moulded soft rubber strap in an image surely done with a green screen CGI. I mean, mountain biking or hiking with a piece of … ContinuedThe post INTRODUCING: The MB&F; Legacy Machine Perpetual EVO is a new haute horlogerie player in the sports watch market appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Hodinkee
"Never copy; only create." – Louis Cartier
Quill & Pad
Girard-Perregaux plays cleverly off the intense blackness of the onyx dial of the Vintage 1945 Infinity by crafting the logo, hour indexes, and second hand in pink gold. To Martin Green's eye, the combination of the steel case with the pink and white metal hands creates an interesting dynamic that works very well in combination with the Vintage 1945 Infinity’s art deco design.
SJX Watches
Fifteen years after its debut in the Harry Winston Opus V, Urwerk’s ingenious satellite-cube time display is now in its fifth generation with the just-launched UR-220 ‘Falcon Project’. While the UR-220 resembles its predecessor, the UR-210, a great deal, the new watch has been refined in several substantive ways. Most notably, it is powered by a hand-wind movement, something that’s not been used for the satellite-cube display since the UR-201 from 13 years ago. Initial thoughts A three-dimensional wandering hours, the satellite-cube hour display is one of the most significant innovations in modern-day independent watchmaking. Hours are indicated on three rotating cubes, while a retrograde hand points to the minutes, travelling in sync with the cube for the current hour. The complication has, however, reached a level of maturity. Incredible when it was launched in the Opus V in 2005, the satellite-cube display still remains special, though its impact has been moderated by subsequent inventions by other watchmakers, making it seem less avant-garde. So when I first heard Urwerk was soon to unveil the successor to the UR-210, which was introduced in 2012, I was keen to see the evaluation of the complication. The new UR-220 The UR-220 is unquestionably a better watch – it is slimmer and lighter, as well as face-lifted in terms of design details, and the manual-wind movement is a plus – but it is an incremental evolution over the UR-210, rather than a radical revam...
Quill & Pad
The first spinoff film from The Fast and the Furious franchise, 'Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs and Shaw,' was released on August 2, 2019. It features two great characters from the previous films: Luke Hobbs played by Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson and Deckard Shaw, played by Jason Statham. Both Johnson and Statham are known to be watch lovers and frequently wear their own timepieces in movies. Here Nick Gould identifies what's on their wrists in the film.
SJX Watches
Seiko is marking the 55th anniversary of its first diver’s watch with remakes – yet again. The Prospex 1965 Diver’s Re-creation SLA043 modelled on the 62MAS 6217, while the Prospex 1970 Diver’s Modern Re-interpretation SPB183 takes its cues from the 6105-8110. Initial thoughts Seiko is certainly not short on diver’s watches: it introduced the 55th anniversary trilogy in March, as well as a green-dial LX diver a few months later. This pair feels like two watches too many, especially since they aren’t that different from watches launched before. 1970 Diver’s Modern Re-interpretation SPB183J1 (left), and 1965 Diver’s Re-creation SLA043J1 It’s a given that both possess all of the intrinsic appeal of Seiko dive watches – solid construction, excellent case finishing, and a robust movement. The two watches also enjoy strong historical legitimacy given Seiko’s immense track record in dive watches. But not only does there seem to be too many Seiko limited editions, both are not quite as afforably priced as Seiko dive watches once were. They are still reasonably priced, but no longer as compelling. 62MAS The 1965 Diver’s Re-creation SLA043 is a remake of the first-ever Seiko dive watch, the 6217 “62MAS” of 1965. Like earlier 62MAS remakes, this is larger than the original at 39.9 mm in diameter. Notably, it is slimmer than the remake from the diver’s watch trilogy launched earlier in the year, because this is powered by the 8L35 running at 4 H...
Deployant
Blancpain introduces two Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe watches - the Chronographe Flyback with a green dial, and a Day Date 1970s in a desert sand coloured dial. We had a hands-on session with the watches earlier today, and will publish our detailed findings soon. But in the meantime, here is the press release and some of our live photographs.
Time+Tide
This has been a bountiful year for the horologically inclined, and full of surprises. We have gone shopping with the virtual Time+Tide gold credit card, and found what we think might be five of the best watches under $3kUSD in 2020. It is an eclectic selection, from established microbrands to tough divers and a flyweight … ContinuedThe post 5 of the best watches released in 2020 under $3k, including Grand Seiko, Bulgari and Monta appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
In a year of great horological heights, Glashütte Original is once again pushing for the summit with the Alfred Helwig Tourbillon 1920 limited edition. This comes after a succession of eye-catching 2020 releases, featuring some of the best dials in the business, and fascinating top tier versions of their vintage perfect diver SeaQ, which made … ContinuedThe post INTRODUCING: The Glashütte Original Alfred Helwig Tourbillon 1920 might be the most stunning tourbillon of the year appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
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