Two Broke Watch Snobs
Michael Kors Watch Review… As Bad As Everyone Says?
Get the facts, insights, and photos of this iconic Michael Kors watch right here at TBWS - don't make the mistake of not knowing what you're getting into.
6,525 articles · 52 videos found · page 172 of 220
Two Broke Watch Snobs
Get the facts, insights, and photos of this iconic Michael Kors watch right here at TBWS - don't make the mistake of not knowing what you're getting into.
SJX Watches
The result of a collaboration between a Danish clockmaker and design studio , the Moonwork is a tall, sculptural clock that stands almost two meters high. It’s an old-school pendulum clock in function but entirely contemporary in expression, from the thin, minimalist frame to the clever time display without hands. Danish clockmaker Rune Bakkendorff worked together with fellow Danes of design studio Ahm&Lund; to create the clock, which made its debut late last year at the Cabinetmakers Autumn Exhibit 2021, a Scandinavian furniture fair that took place in Copenhagen. The Moonwork at the furniture exhibition. Photo – Scandinaviandesign.com Initial thoughts A thoughtfully designed object, the Moonwork is attractive on several levels. At first glance, it is slender, simplistic, and hardly resembling a clock save for the pendulum. But paradoxically it is a clock, making the featureless time display is immediately intriguing. It is a clock, but not quite. The Moonwork does away with the conventional telling of the time and instead displays the lunar cycle – the moon phase is projected onto the white porcelain dome that forms the dial. An impractical but beautiful solution, this makes the Moonwork more of a sculpture that indicates the passing of the time. Remove the white porcelain dome and the entirely mechanical workings of the clock are revealed, although moon phase projection relies hundreds of LED bulbs that are hidden behind a silver sphere that rotates slowly to ca...
Max Büsser and his cohorts at his horological think tank, MB&F;, have, without question, created a bewildering variety of watches over the years that have used horology as a jumping off point for the exploration of a highly idiosyncratic vocabulary of watchmaking, in which mechanics put themselves at the service of an aesthetics that freely mingles everything from pop culture to science fiction to sometimes alarming arachnomorphism, and beyond. However, what MB&F; thus far has largely not addressed itself to is the world of traditional complications – other than the tourbillon, used by MB&F; for its aesthetic impact, you will look in vain for anything beyond a simple calendar or a moonphase. Now, however, MB&F; and Büsser have gotten into the complications game in a big way: they’ve launched their own perpetual calendar, and, what’s more, they’ve done so with an in-house movement, with a variation on the perpetual calendar mechanism unlike anything we’ve seen so far.
Hodinkee
Could a watch be tailor-made for Instagram? Could this be it?
Time+Tide
When people ask me what brand they should keep an eye on, without hesitation I say Parmigiani Fleurier. The manufacture, while less of a household name, has always created quality timepieces. But with the brand now helmed by CEO Guido Terreni, formerly head of watches at Bulgari, the Parmigiani catalogue is becoming stronger than ever … ContinuedThe post An NYC weekend with the Parmigiani Fleurier Tonda PF Micro-Rotor appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
Brands have always taken plentiful inspiration from their back catalogue – just look at some of the biggest recent releases. There are two ways to go about this. You either take subtle cues from a past model (think TAG Heuer Orange Diver in reference to ref. 844), or you go the way of the Rado … ContinuedThe post The Rado Captain Cook Over-Pole is the way to do a vintage reissue appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
Finnish independent watchmaker Stepan Sarpaneva has once again turned to a Finnish artist for the Nocturne, a wristwatch that combines the technicolour luminosity of the brand’s Moomin editions with its trademark complication. Starkly monochromatic during the day, the multi-part dial comes to life at night, thanks to the nine colours of luminous paint that fill the hundreds of tiny apertures all precisely cut by laser. And sitting in the an window that occupies a third of the dial is a huge moon “face” that instantly marks this out as a Sarpaneva. Initial thoughts Though the Nocturne looks quite different from the brand’s past watches yet quintessentially Sarpaneva in style and execution. Although it relies on a similar decorative technique as the earlier Moomin edition, the Nocturne is far more distinct. And the slightly gothic style suits the Sarpaneva aesthetic perfectly. I like the design and being familiar with Sarpaneva’s other watches, I expect the quality of the dial to be excellent. In all tangible terms the watch is winner. But then there’s the price, which is substantial. The Nocturne costs €19,000. That’s within the ballpark for the brand’s moon-phase models, with the premium justified by the fancy dial. And compared to the broader market – especially with the current hype around independent watchmaking regardless of quality or provenance – it’s still a reasonable proposition. But it is pricey compared to Sarpaneva’s earlier offering...
Time+Tide
Back in the day, there used to be a tradition of people being rewarded for long service at their workplace with the gift of a gold watch. Presumably, the idea was that during their years of retirement as they tended their vegetable garden or wandered down to the golf course, they could look down at … ContinuedThe post Every Watch Tells A Story: “It’s a travel watch, it’s a weekend beater, it’s a lot of fun” appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
A watchmaker with many a musician as brand ambassadors, Audemars Piguet has just unveiled a quintet of sports watches sporting a motif inspired by the digital display of a graphic equaliser, a piece of audio equipment used to vary the volume of frequency bands. Taking its inspiration quite literally, the Royal Oak Offshore Selfwinding Music Edition has the familiar tapisserie dial pattern but dressed up with the vertical lines of the display on a graphic equaliser. And in its fanciest form, the latest model renders the equaliser motif in colour gemstones that continue onto the bezel. Initial thoughts As with many of the brand’s more extravagant releases, the Music Edition is almost tacky but manages to pull it off. Decidedly modern and very much over the top, the colourful chequerboard is a fun, striking look that distinguishes the watch from every other Royal Oak, which is an accomplishment given the strength of the octagonal design. Traditionalists will sure disprove of the way the tapisserie dial has been reinvented, but it is certainly in keeping with the bold and adventurous style of the Le Brassus watchmaker. And that has its appeal in moderate doses. The secret to such over-the-top watches is to do it infrequently and as long as AP doesn’t repeat this often or regularly, the Music Edition is different and cool. The dial of the gem-set model is blue aventurine glass, adding another layer of sparkle to the watch Between the two dials available, the gem-set versi...
Quill & Pad
The new Armin Strom Mirrored Force Resonance First Edition is what some might call a reboot of the collection. But Joshua Munchow looks at it more as a rebirth. The new release has a high percent of shared “DNA” with the original Mirrored Force Resonance, but it is obviously made for a new era.
Quill & Pad
Ken Gargett had intended this article to be a thorough look at Châteauneuf-du-Pape. But he realized that would take a book. So he then thought that he would restrict it to his two all-time favorites, Château Rayas and Henri Bonneau, but even that seemed extreme and surely they each deserve a piece on their own. So Henri Bonneau it is.
WatchAdvice
What we love: Great colour combinations are available, our pick is the green dial A watch you can buy now, no waitlists Legibility and dial design and layout and good-looking movement through the caseback What we don’t love: The watch will wear big for wrist sizes smaller than 6.5 inches Some may find the push-button clasp dig into the underside of the wristSome may find the lugs to protrude on the leather and aid in wearing large Overall rating: 7.75/10 Value for money: 7.5/10 Wearability: 7.5/ 10 Design: 8.0/10 Build quality: 8.0/10 RAYMOND WEIL is one of the few mainstream watch brands that are still independent and family-owned. So it is no surprise that they have re-invigorated their flagship Freelancer line and taken it up a notch for their 2022 release of the new Freelancer Chronograph 7741 line. I had the privilege of going hands-on with the new releases; the black and white ‘Panda’ on both steel bracelet and black leather strap, the two-tone with Rose Gold on the brown strap, and a striking green dial and bezel with silver Tri-Compax dials on the green leather strap. Young in Age, but Mature in Nature RAYMOND WEIL is a young brand in terms of watchmaking. Compared to other brands that have their roots put down in the 1800s and in some cases, late 1700s, this makes RAYMOND WEIL, born in 1976, a horological child in age (so to speak!) RAYMOND WEIL is known for style and being heavily aligned to music, and looking at RAYMOND WEIL watches, you’d be forgiv...
SJX Watches
One of the more intriguing watches debuted by an independent watchmaker in the year to date is the Bexei Dignitas Pure “Project XX”, a collaboration between Hungarian watchmaker Aaron Becsei and American knife maker Todd Rexford. Conceived at the behest of a Thai collector living in Japan, the Project XX is based on Bexei’s time-only model but its case, dial, and movement plates in zirconium, a resilient metal with properties similar to titanium. Mr Becsei is already known for his high-quality movements and regular readers will remember the Vox Vinum grande sonnerie wristwatch he completed in 2019. His partner in his project is a leading artisanal knife maker whose one-off knives regularly sell for more than a Rolex Submariner, Todd Rexford. An artisan who works with metal in ways similar to a watchmaker, Mr Rexford uses the many of same tools found in a watchmaker’s workshop, like lathes, jig borers, and drills; he even makes his own screws. And he clearly works to the same tolerances since he produced the movement bridges for the Project XX. A defining element of the Project XX are its “hot hammered” zirconium components, namely the dial and movement bridges. It’s the signature material of Mr Rexford’s that he often uses for the handles of his knives. The zirconium dial and movement parts were produced and then hot hammered by Mr Rexford, resulting in a textured finish that sharply contrasts with the lustrous movement decoration applied by Mr Bexei. I...
Time+Tide
This week is a special edition of the Friday Wind Down, dedicated to all things Oris. Ricardo and I had two action-packed days with Oris earlier this week, spending one day at Yankee Stadium and another getting hands-on with the work of the Billion Oyster Project on Governors Island. As a New Yorker, I have … ContinuedThe post FRIDAY WIND DOWN: Yankee Stadium, Billion Oyster Project, and the best of Oris appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
It was the end of last year at the Time+Tide Club party. Drinks were poured and Santa hats were circulated. Watches were admired and discussed. There were further drinks. Impressed by the horological range on display, Andrew suddenly decided we should shoot some video of different people discussing their watches and unpacking the personal stories … ContinuedThe post Every Watch Tells a Story: “How long will it take you to namedrop Hugh Jackman?” appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
Producing watches from their headquarters in Lengnau, Switzerland, Delma offers a wide array of options, from ’50s-inspired dress watches to bold DLC-coated divers rated for depths of 4000 metres. After looking at the Cayman Bronze earlier this year, the watch we’re introducing today is the new Delma Montego chronograph, the brand’s take on a classic … ContinuedThe post INTRODUCING: The Delma Montego is a classic, sporty chronograph appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
Grand Seiko’s Evolution 9 collection greatly expanded at this year’s Watches and Wonders, with no less than five new additions. Among those we find today’s offering - the Grand Seiko SBGC249 and SBGC251 Spring Drive Chronograph GMTs. The idea isn’t exactly novel for Grand Seiko; in fact, one of the models celebrates the 15th anniversary of … ContinuedThe post The Grand Seiko SBGC249 and SBGC251 are complicated additions to the Evolution 9 collection appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
Tissot knew exactly what they were doing when they kickstarted the budget-friendly integrated bracelet trend with the PRX. Looking at one instantly throws your mind back to the 1970s, regardless of whether you were actually alive then or not. Between the flared jeans and ABBA, one thing the 1970s had was an appreciation for gaudy … ContinuedThe post The Tissot PRX Gold Quartz brings the ’70s alive on your wrist appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Hodinkee
At 39mm, this mid-century Chrono is ready for modern times.
Time+Tide
EDITOR’S NOTE: These videos for our Every Watch Tells A Story series were filmed off-the-cuff at the Time+Tide Club Christmas party. Here, Editor Luke tells the story about how he lost his watch and learned that “vintage” is sometime just a euphemism for old and decrepit. At the end of 2018, I quit my day … ContinuedThe post Every Watch Tells A Story: “My Vacheron had disappeared from my wrist” appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Quill & Pad
For close to a century, Château Mouton Rothschild has been putting art on its labels, ever since 1924 when they helped Mouton’s young 22-year-old owner at the time, Baron Philippe de Rothschild, to change the way Bordeaux made wine. But what's behind the labels?
Deployant
Corum releases a new Bubble to add their iconic collection. This novelty is a tribute piece known as the Bubble Skull X-Ray.
SJX Watches
Having been at Cartier for almost four decades, Pierre Rainero is part of the institutional memory of a jeweller that was founded in 1847. He is the brand’s “Image, Style and Heritage” director, a post he has held since 2003 and one that also puts him in charge of the Cartier Collection, the brand’s own trove of historical timepieces, objects, and jewels that numbers over 1,500 items – the physical manifestation of the jeweller’s storied history. Mr Rainero’s title, along with his encyclopaedic knowledge of the house, means he determines whether something – anything really, ranging from watches and jewellery to marketing and strategy – is truly Cartier. We spoke with Mr Rainero during Watches & Wonders 2022 to unravel the process behind the development of new watches at Cartier. And he also tells us about the time Igor Stravinsky had a Cartier clock thrown at him. The interview was edited for clarity and length. SJX: Congratulations – it’s an impressive collection [launched at Watches & Wonders]. Pierre Rainero (PR): Thank you, thank you. SJX: The Crash is incredible of course. PR: Indeed, it’s just a step further [than we usually go]… It’s always difficult to rework the Crash because it’s such a statement in itself, so here was a certain finesse needed to take it further. In this case we capitalised on the original shape, but created something something else entirely because of the decoration, colours, and how it is perceived. The Crash Tigr...
It was the end of last year at the Time+Tide Club party. Drinks were poured and Santa hats were circulated. Watches were admired and discussed. There were further drinks. Impressed by the horological range on display, Andrew suddenly decided we should shoot some video of different people discussing their watches and unpacking the personal stories … ContinuedThe post Every Watch Tells A Story: How Borna got lucky with his Universal Genève Polerouter appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
It’s a Tuesday night in New York City and I’m a few blocks away from Times Square. To anyone on the street, I’m just heading down a set of stairs to the subway. Instead, I’m knocking on an inconspicuous door at the bottom of the first flight of steps. It’s to a small bar called … ContinuedThe post HANDS-ON: The blacked out H. Moser & Cie. Streamliner Chronograph UNDEFEATED appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Hodinkee
What happens at Couture doesn't always stay at Couture.
SJX Watches
A watch auction veteran who has had stints at all the major auction houses – Sotheby’s, Christie’s, and Phillips – Sam Hines has just been named managing director of Loupe This, the online-only watch auction platform that was established last year. Mr Hines will be based in Hong Kong, where he will oversee the soon-to-open Loupe This operation in the city. Unlike traditional auctioneers that hold seasonal sales with the online sales in-between, Loupe This has auctions opening and closing every weekday. In the 12 months it’s been in operation, Loupe This has sold over US$15 million of watches, including major lots like a 1967 Cartier Crash “London” that sold for over US$1.5 million. Now also a shareholder in Loupe This, Mr Hines (pictured above left) joins cofounders Eric Ku (centre) and Justin Gruenberg (right), who are both prominent vintage watch dealers in the United States. Having turned a teenage hobby into a profession, Mr Ku got his start as a specialist in vintage Rolex, though he has since diversified into other genres of collectible watches as well as watch restoration and repair. Mr Gruenberg, on the other hand, had watches in his blood, having been born into the business; his father, Donald, was a major vintage watch dealer since the 1980s. The record-setting 1967 Crash that sold on Loupe This in June 2022 The pair decided to form Loupe This to cater to the increasing and unending demand for watches. “The appetite for watches is all year long,...
SJX Watches
At Watches & Wonders 2022 Vacheron Constantin introduced watches in a diverse range, but sandwiched in between the artisanal decoration and complications was a new addition to the Historiques collection of vintage remakes. An unexpected launch given that Vacheron Constantin (VC) already has a luxury-sports watch in its lineup, and largely focuses on dress watches and complications in any case, the Historiques 222 was nevertheless a highlight amongst the new launches, especially given the current appetite for such watches. But the 222 is more than just something that caters to today’s fads. It is a sympathetic remake that manages to incorporate substantial, hidden improvements while preserving the look of the original – but not the feel thanks to a significantly improved bracelet. Initial thoughts As the Overseas has long matured into an established collection amongst VC’s offerings, the return of its predecessor is surprising. My initial reaction was that it is confusing to offer two different luxury sports watch models simultaneously, but it makes sense given that the 222 is a Historiques model, a vintage remake in other words. Not only does VC have a track record of reviving vintage models in style, the 222 can cater to an audience that seeks something more elegant and compact than the Overseas. It’s likely that the return of the 222 was a deliberate decision on VC’s part to create a luxury-sports watch that is different. Of the three luxury sports watches ...
Hodinkee
And would you look at that dial?
SJX Watches
Historically a prominent participant – and winner – at observatory chronometer trials, Longines once had a stable of extra-precise, high-frequency movements, though the calibres have been long discontinued as were the chronometer competitions. Several decades later the watchmaker from Saint Imier pays homage to that history by reviving the Ultra-Chron, which is based on its namesake 1968 original but with a newly-developed high-beat movement contained within vintage-inspired, cushion-shaped case matched with a similarly retro steel bracelet. Initial thoughts The vintage Ultra-Chron is a good basis for a remake as it avoids being yet another vintage-inspired diver with a round case. While the design isn’t new, the cushion case distinguishes it from the competition, offering enthusiasts something less common. Personally, I like the functional, 1970s style of the Ultra-Chron; the red accents lend the watch the feel of an instrument. But going by how Longines has expanded the palette of the Legend Diver, additional, modern colours for the Ultra-Chron are a possibility (and a certainty if it sells well). But the new Ultra-Chron is notable not just for its style. Though the Longines catalogue has an impressive tally of historical remakes, all of its Heritage models to date contain standard movements identical to those found in the brand’s other models. The Ultra-Chron, on the other hand, stands out for the high-beat calibre that was developed specially for it (though t...
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