6,272 articles · 58 videos found · page 166 of 211
Quill & Pad
In recent years, the world of high-end watches has become a far more colorful place. We have evolved from decades of conservatism in which a blue dial was daring to a kaleidoscopic era where anything is possible. And now red arrives, which has the advantage of a richness of hues. Here Martin Green looks at four new red-dialed watches from Bell & Ross, Oris, Rado, and Omega.
SJX Watches
Just after the curtain fell on Watches & Wonders 2022 – on the day after the fair closed in fact – Patek Philippe unveils one of its technical highlights for the year, the 1/10th of a Second Monopusher Chronograph ref. 5470P-001. In a first for the Geneva watchmaker, the chronograph is equipped with a high-frequency balance that beats at 36,000 vibrations per hour, or 5 Hz. The high-beat movement results in a lighting seconds hand that completes one revolution around the dial every 12 seconds, allowing the chronograph to precisely record elapsed times with a resolution of 1/10ths of a second (barring user error). This lightning seconds hand runs in tandem with the regular chronograph seconds hand, resulting in an unusual sight on the dial when the chronograph is running. Initial thoughts While lightning seconds chronographs have been done before, it’s surprising to see a traditionalist brand such as Patek Philippe have a go at the complication. The function is often associated with brands with a sporty, contemporary aesthetic like TAG Heuer and Zenith. In terms of aesthetics, the ref. 5470P is another example of the brand continuing to move towards a more modern, striking style, even for otherwise classical models. But under the hood is where it shines. Despite the seemingly simple idea of tacking on an additional gear train for the 1/10th of a second hand, the movement inside underwent a deceptively complex modification. And in typical Patek Philippe fashion, the co...
Hodinkee
The new range of shades at Watches & Wonder 2022 proves it.
Time+Tide
“We’re here at the pinnacle of watchmaking – the top tier of the holy trinity!” That’s how Zach introduces Patek Philippe in this video with Ricardo that mulls over the brand’s best release of Watches & Wonders. And as you can quickly tell from his liberal use of superlatives – he’s pretty excited. But when it … ContinuedThe post VIDEO: Head to head – what’s the best Patek Philippe release of Watches & Wonders? appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Hodinkee
The fourth and final episode of our daily series is brought to you by those who had their first experience at a watch trade show.
Time+Tide
Last year, Zenith’s Head of Product, Romain Marietta admitted he was “shocked” by the runaway success of the Chronomaster Sport. “We knew it would be big, but not this big,” he told us. Frankly, at Time+Tide we were less surprised by the wave of excitement engulfing this ceramic-bezelled beauty. After all, Zenith had effectively created … ContinuedThe post VIDEO: Zenith doubles down on the Chronomaster Sport line appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Quill & Pad
True solar time is measured by the position of the sun and can run up to 16 minutes ahead of and 14 minutes behind the time shown on our clocks and watches. Our friends at The Watches TV spent a day with Philippe Dufour to have a look at this phenomenon in a personal way.
Time+Tide
In this video, Jeremy and Zach take a look at Vacheron Constantin‘s new releases and one of the immediate highlights: the Historiques 222. You might remember this story from last year where a Time+Tide reader spoke to us about finding a Vacheron Constantin 222 in his sock drawer that turned out to be worth a … ContinuedThe post VIDEO: The return of the 222 – our first take on Vacheron Constantin’s new releases appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
One of the biggest surprises from Rolex at Watches & Wonders 2022 is the GMT-Master II ref. 126720VTNR – the first contemporary, regular-production Rolex with a left-handed or “destro” crown. And just to make it even more different, it is equipped with the brand’s first-ever green-and-black bezel. Initial thoughts A brand that has preserved the signature style of watches for decades, Rolex is all about incremental improvements that are often evident only in the details. That’s exactly the case with the new GMT-Master II, which retains the trademark GMT aesthetic but is rather different. In fact, it is very different, which makes it polarising – you either like it or you don’t. Initially the left-handed crown does look awkward on the left wrist; it feels off somehow. But very quickly you get used to it and it is surprisingly cool. The new ref. 126710VTNR is priced about US$550 more than its counterparts with a conventionally located crown. According to Rolex, the price difference does not result from the rejigged crown position but rather the changes to the testing equipment necessary to accommodate the new crown position. Destro Most obvious is the crown at nine o’clock, which is accompanied by a repositioned date window. It is ostensibly for the left-handed, but will surely find fans amongst right-handers who want something unusual. It is intriguing, just because it’s so different from the rest of the brand’s offering (though Rolex’s sister compan...
SJX Watches
In a teaser before Watches & Wonders 2022, Rolex published a partial image of a watch with a smooth, fixed bezel and crown guards – a combination of features found in no current model at the time. It was the all-new Air King ref. 126900 that gained a redesigned case and dial as well as a new bracelet and an upgraded movement. In other words, an entirely different watch, yet one that has the same spirit as its predecessor. Initial thoughts Conceptually, the Air-King is very novel for Rolex (just like the left-handed GMT-Master II) since it is the first Rolex to combine both a smooth bezel and crown guards. But it is still typically Rolex in its substantive upgrades meant to improve practicality and wearability. For instance, removing the soft iron inner cage means the case is flatter and sits better on the wrist. The new reference is powered by the cal. 3230 equipped by Rolex’s proprietary blue Parachrom hairspring. This increases magnetism resistance while helping boost power reserve to about 70 hours, an upgrade from the 48 hours of the cal. 3131 found in the outgoing model. Overall, the revamp of the Air-King is more practical than aesthetic since the look largely remains intact, although the watch does feel a bit more sculpted and refined. Having had the opportunity to experience the actual watch, it looks and feels excellent on the wrist. Thoroughly updated All of the design tweaks to the Air-King serve to make it more sporty. The highlight is certainly the crow...
Revolution
At home on land, air or sea, Montblanc’s latest are ready for adventure.
SJX Watches
Vacheron Constantin opens its doors at Watches & Wonders 2022 with diversity of timepieces ranging from the sporty to artisanal, but its most classical offering is the Traditionnelle Perpetual Calendar Chronograph in a fashionable “salmon”. With the model having been launched over a decade ago and then gently upgraded in 2016, the new version is merely a facelift. But still it’s noteworthy for combining a platinum case with a “salmon” dial, both currently desirable attributes, which should help make this a strong seller (which also explains why it will only be available at boutiques). Initial thoughts The highlight of the new Traditionnelle is the dial – the only element that’s different compared to the original launched six years ago. Though less intriguing because it’s popular and common today, the new dial is nevertheless a good move that gives the model a new lease of life. While the rest of the watch apart from the dial isn’t new, it does have several features that make it stand out, most obviously the large, 43 mm case with a flat, wide bezel, a bold look for a relatively classical watch. While the large diameter does improve the legibility of the complex dial, it will not appeal to traditionalists who favour smaller cases. But the movement will certainly appeal to traditionalists. The cal. 1142 QP, which is based on the Lemania 2310, was long the movement of choice in a variety of old-school classics such as the Patek Philippe ref. 5970. Vacheron ...
SJX Watches
Cartier’s wide-ranging new launches at Watches & Wonders 2022 naturally encompasses new takes on its historical designs, including the Tank Chinoise and lacquered Santos-Dumont. But its most extraordinary creation stands apart from the brand’s contemporary timepieces. The Masse Mystérieuse is essentially a floating movement within an oscillating weight. As the weight oscillates around the central axis of the dial, it winds the mainspring contained within itself. Initial thoughts Cartier abandoned its once ambitious push into highly complicated watches when its current chief executive Cyrille Vigneron took charge in 2016. Mr Vigneron has stated publicly on several occasions that Cartier should not stray from its historical strength in simple, elegant watches in unusual forms. So the Masse Mystérieuse is definitely atypical, but that doesn’t take away from its fascinating mechanics. The complexity and creativity of its mechanics bring to mind an earlier era of Cartier watchmaking. While Cartier states that the Masse Mystérieuse was eight years in the making, it doesn’t mention who was responsible for the idea. It goes without saying that is was Carole Forestier-Kasapi, the former head of development at Cartier’s manufacture who now has the same role at TAG Heuer. The Masse Mystérieuse is instantly recognisable as her work, appearing to be evolved from the Astrotourbillon. Ingenious as it is, the Masse Mystérieuse is also similar to Ms Forestier-Kasapi’s pa...
Quill & Pad
When contemplating German pen making, if your mind immediately turns to such brands as Pelikan, Lamy, Montblanc, Faber-Castell, and other storied companies, it’s time to add Otto Hutt to the list. Nancy Olson takes a look at the brand's design c and and design 08 writing instruments, which set a new course for the traditional German pen maker.
SJX Watches
H. Moser & Cie.’s flagship launch at Watches & Wonders 2022 is the Pioneer Cylindrical Tourbillon Skeleton. While the watch combines elements found in past Moser watches, including the trademark fume dial, it does so in an novel manner, resulting in a watch that looks and feels different from the brand’s current offerings. Initial thoughts The new Pioneer tourbillon combines familiar elements in a novel manner, resulting in an interesting watch that stands apart from the rest of Moser’s offerings. Mechanically it is a variant of the calibre found in the Endeavour Cylindrical Tourbillon of 2020. The inclined time display of the earlier model has been eliminated, while the movement has been skeletonised in an unusual step for the brand, which has rarely offered skeleton watches in the past. Visually, the Pioneer tourbillon is not obviously a Moser at first glance, although the sub-dial at 12 o’clock is in a smoked blue that is associated with Moser. In fact, the styling of the watch brings to mind the skeletonised watches of Jaquet Droz. Still, the Pioneer tourbillon is interesting and novel enough that its CHF79,000 price tag is fair, putting it amongst the more appealing tourbillons in this affordable(ish) price segment. A sporty tourbillon The new Pioneer was conceived as a sports watch with a tourbillon. The Pioneer case is rated to 120 m of water resistance and positioned as Moser’s elegant sports watch (as opposed to the Streamliner that is an out-and-out spo...
Time+Tide
When we see watches in action films, the usual suspects are Rolex, Omega, IWC and Panerai. But in the newly released movie The Lost City, we spotted a daily wearer make its cinematic debut, at least to our knowledge, on the wrist of Mr Magic Mike himself: Channing Tatum. While the watch may not be the … ContinuedThe post Channing Tatum sports a Bulgari Aluminum alongside Sandra Bullock and Brad Pitt in new film “The Lost City” appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Quill & Pad
Corum has released several new Admiral timepieces for 2022, including six new Admiral 42 models, one of which offers an interesting “grenadier fendu” pattern that was entirely designed in-house at Corum. But the pinnacle of these new additions is the novel Admiral 45 Openworked Luminescent Carbon with a glow-in-the-dark carbon fiber case.
SJX Watches
The latest from Ressence dials back on technical complexity, but preserves the brand’s trademark aesthetic centred on a planetary time display. As a result, the Type 8 is substantially more affordable, while instantly recognisable as a Ressence wristwatch. By doing away with a seconds indicator as well as simplifying the case construction, the Type 8 is priced at CHF12,500, or about US$13,500, making it the most affordable watch in the brand’s catalogue. The next most affordable model, the Type 1, costs about 30% more. Initial thoughts Ressence founder Benoît Mintiens once said to me that he wished he could make his watches more accessible, but that was impossible without more economies of scale. Ressence has evidently inched closer to Benoît’s vision, since the Type 8 looks to be an excellent product in both design and execution, while being affordable, at least relative to the brand’s other watches. It sacrifices nothing in terms of aesthetics – the missing seconds but isn’t overly obvious – while still managing to be a Ressence. In fact, the Type 8 case is entirely different from the brand’s other watches, bringing a new form to the brand’s design language. But it fits right into the catalogue and feels no different from the other watches, illustrating the coherence of the design. Type 8C The inaugural version of the model is the Type 8C, which has a grained blue dial. Minutes are indicated on the full dial, while the hours are shown on an “orbita...
Time+Tide
If you’re old enough to remember the song Video Killed the Radio Star, you’re also old enough to remember a time when most people wore quartz watches. This was a time of breakdancing, big hair, even bigger shoulder pads, and every song on the radio having at least one saxophone solo. The 80s might have … ContinuedThe post Why this is the golden age of mechanical watch collecting appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
Urwerk founders Felix Baumgartner and Martin Frei visited Singapore in September 2019 and we had lunch with at the Marriott along Singapore’s Orchard Road, sitting outdoors to enjoy Singapore’s uniquely tropical weather. Thanks to an inspiring afternoon with the pair, it was just after that lunch that I first mooted the idea of a UR-100 with a cover over the front. I sent over this awful mock-up I created on Photoshop, which was clearly inspired by the UR-103, an old favourite of mine. After a back and forth with Felix and Martin, and a few long pauses in between, an idea took shape. In June 2020, I further refined the idea in an email to the pair, “I have an idea of a watch inspired by the ancient Mayan astronaut myth… something like an UR-100, but with metal covering more of the face… with an engraved Mayan pattern…”. The starting point A serious watch with a sense of humour is something that appeals to me, so the rationale for the concept was tongue in cheek: Urwerk makes sci-fi watches, so a Mayan motif was perfect since it was once believed the first person in space was a Mayan astronaut. The myth arose from a misinterpretation of the motif on a Mayan ruler’s sarcophagus (you can find out more about supposed ancient astronaut by reading up on “Kʼinich Janaabʼ Pakal“). Not long after, I elaborated on the idea and suggested a yellow gold case with an emerald cabochon in the crown. Unfortunately that was not to be (although some green did make it ...
Quill & Pad
Ian Skellern generally likes relatively restrained, traditional, high-end watches that are not too big for his small wrists. So with its large, high case, blingy, spinning “LOOK AT ME!” rotor on top, and mass-market Miyota movement, the M.A.D.1 ticks all of the boxes on his “may be interesting, but not for me” list. Here he explains why he bought one anyway and his first impressions.
Deployant
Longines have often produced interesting pieces for its Heritage collection, and the new Legend Diver is no exception. The new gray colored dial comes as an addition to the growing colorways namely blue, beige and burgundy of the model. It gives fans of the LLD more options to choose from, without deviating from the iconic design of the watch. The watch is priced at S$3,590.00.
Time+Tide
For months now, I’ve been looking for a mechanical chronograph to add to my small collection. It’s a complication I’ve always loved. And after weeks of research, and multiple list comparing watches, I set my sights on the Breitling Chronomat B01 42 in blue. I even recently visited the Breitling boutique in NYC to try … ContinuedThe post The Collector’s Crossroads: Omega upended my chronograph search with the new Speedmaster ’57 appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Quill & Pad
It’s all about the people! And right now people in Ukraine and refugees in its border areas are displaced – and, even worse, hungry. Some people in the watch community are stepping forward to help, and all of us at Quill & Pad are united in support of their effort: the #WatchFamForUkraine Solidarity Auction takes place from March 25 to March 28, 2022. Get the details here!
Hodinkee
Do a movement from Breitling, and a design that mixes vintage dive watch and chronograph details, add up to a winning watch?
![Auction Watch: Zenith Chronomaster Revival “Poker Chip” on Loupe This [Updated with Result]](https://watchesbysjx.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Zenith-Chronomaster-Revival-Poker-Chip-Loupe-This.jpg)
SJX Watches
A limited edition launched at the end of 2021, the Zenith Chronometer Revival “Poker Chip” was the result of a collaboration between our founder and the watchmakers in Le Locle. One of them just popped up for sale at online auctioneer Loupe This – the first example to go under the hammer. The 200 pieces sold out at launch, making this a perfect opportunity for anyone who missed out last year. If the funky dial appears familiar, that’s because the Poker Chip reimagines the G383, one of the standout designs from the first references of the El Primero. While the G383 had a lavish, gold-on-black palette, the Poker Chip is entirely contemporary. Its dial is generously “lumed” – even the strap glows in the dark – bringing it to life at night, with the aesthetic alluding to the disco era of 1960s and 1970s when the G383 was born. [Update March 17, 2022: The Poker Chip sold for US$16,500 including fees on Loupe This.] The case is a micro-blasted titanium coated in DLC, which complements the military-esque dial. Notably the Poker Chip was the first – and remains the only – classic, 38 mm El Primero with a titanium case. Continuing the blend of new and old, the movement is the original El Primero 400 that’s almost identical to the 1969 original. As it is being phased out, this movement was chosen instead of the latest-generation El Primero 3600 (which has a lightning seconds), making the Poker Chip one of the last watches with the landmark calibre. Accompani...
Revolution
Seiko kicks off 2022 with new additions to the Prospex and Presage collections with new watches that add to the brand’s grand heritage
Time+Tide
The 2022 Formula 1 racing season is set to kick off this month in Bahrain, and motorheads the world over couldn’t be more primed. Interest is at an all-time high, considering all the on and off-track drama from last season, the success of Netflix’s Formula 1 – Drive To Survive series, the effects of the … ContinuedThe post Bremont celebrates Williams Racing partnership with the WR-22 chronograph and racing box set appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
The latest watchmaker to strike out on his own as a one-man operation is Yosuke Sekiguchi, a Japanese watchmaker who has spent his entire career in Switzerland. Based in Le Locle, Mr Sekiguchi spent several years at well-known complications specialists before starting on his namesake brand. His debut watch is the Primevère, a wristwatch that is uncompromising in its adherence to tradition, both in style and substance. Powered by a finely finished movement, the Primevère was inspired by the 19th century “Le Locle” style ebauche that LeCoultre supplied to several brands, most notably Jules Jurgensen. In fact, Mr Sekiguchi modelled the Primevère on an 1871 Jurgensen pocket watch that he restored and then re-cased into a wristwatch. Initial thoughts Mr Sekiguchi is one of several Japanese watchmakers working in Switzerland. Like a few of his compatriots, Mr Sekiguchi’s background is in complications and restoration. His reverence for high-quality Vallee de Joux movements of the 19th century is equally obvious in the eminently traditional layout of the movement. Mr Sekiguchi has done such a good job of recreating the original that the movement is difficult to distinguish from a 19th century calibre in both aesthetics and finishing at a distance. But up close the Mr Sekiguchi’s movement reveals a higher level of finishing and decorative extras than a 19th century original, which were often robust and workmanlike – the very qualities that drew Mr Sekiguchi to the...
Revolution
The retrograde Reservoir × Revolution Hydrosphere Bronze’ Maldives Edition’ is a breath of fresh air in a world of stuffy dive watches. Add bronze and golden tones to the already unusual configuration and that fresh air takes on a distinctly tropical flavour.
Question, suggestion, or just want to say hi? Drop a note.