Two Broke Watch Snobs
Christopher Ward C65 Dartmouth Review: Rhapsody in Blue
Christopher Ward has always offered great quality and value, but with the Dartmouth it has delivered arguably its best looking diver.
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Two Broke Watch Snobs
Christopher Ward has always offered great quality and value, but with the Dartmouth it has delivered arguably its best looking diver.
Time+Tide
Of all of the high-quality, well-finished and technically impressive Breguet watches, it is probably the Breguet Classique 5177 that you think of when you consider modern watches from the brand, and there’s a very good reason for that. Its spartan conservatism forces you to look for any notes of flair or extravagance, and you’re rewarded … ContinuedThe post VIDEO: Keeping it classy with the Breguet Classique 5177 appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
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Omega’s eponymous collection of Seamaster timepieces are as varied as they are capable, and no matter the occasion, chances are Omega makes a water-ready timepiece that’s right for you. Genuinely, the Swiss marque’s famed dive watches are available in so many different iterations that one could conceivably own several different variants from the same family … ContinuedThe post Mastering the elements with 3 Omega Seamasters appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Quill & Pad
The GPHG Challenge category should probably more accurately be called the “Bang For Your Buck” category because this really is where you can see just how much watch you can get for your hard-earned dollar. But our panel is quite split on which watch delivers the most for the least.
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The story in a second: The Bremont H-4 Hercules offers a tool watch, which could pair with a dinner jacket, and doesn’t lose any Bremont DNA. In any piece of design, there is a source of inspiration that is at least, in part, responsible for the final product that you are looking at. In the … ContinuedThe post IN-DEPTH: The Bremont H-4 Hercules appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
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Earlier this year, we were invited by CNN to help out with a miniseries concept called ‘Timeless’ that would explore the most iconic watches of all time. Oh, and each episode had to wrap in under 60 seconds. The challenge was set, Jack Forster and I – in our respective HQs – raced against the … ContinuedThe post Time+Tide and Hodinkee host a (very mini) miniseries on CNN starring the most iconic watches ever appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
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It’s fair to say that Seiko has dropped quite a few limited edition anniversary timepieces in 2019, and you definitely could’ve been mistaken for thinking that surely the Japanese watchmaker had nothing left in their product arsenal … and then they released this – the Seiko 1969 Quartz Astron 50th Anniversary Limited Edition. As the … ContinuedThe post INTRODUCING: The Seiko 1969 Quartz Astron 50th Anniversary Limited Edition appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Revolution
TAG Heuer unveils the best Monaco yet in marking the watch’s 50th anniversary, a one-off art piece called the Monaco Piece d’Art.
Time+Tide
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.
Deployant
First introduced in 1961, the Seiko Alpinist was a significant milestone in the brand’s history. It was the first ‘Sports Watch’ for the brand, with the intention of it becoming a reliable timepiece for Japanese mountain climbers. These men required a tough and rugged that could be used in the rough terrain.
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Whether you’re an inveterate watch tragic, or just starting on your watch journey, the last year has been dominated by two main conversations. The drought of steel sports models (sorry guys, I got no answers for you on that one), and the future of Baselworld. Now, if you’re coming in cold on the concept of … ContinuedThe post RECOMMENDED READING: A deep dive into the future of Baselworld appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Hodinkee
And a special friendship formed during the Cold War.
SJX Watches
Louis Erard has been around for some 90 years, but for much of that time the brand produced watches for other labels. A decade ago, shortly after new owners took over, Louis Erard began to move slightly upmarket with mechanical watches featuring proprietary modules. But most of its designs were plain or derivative. And so Louis Erard could have been just another brand making mostly anonymous looking watches. But recently Louis Erard recruited the talented Manuel Emch – best known for reviving Jaquet Droz and then running RJ-Romain Jerome until 2017 – as an advisor and suddenly things have brightened up – literally. Louis Erard has just announced the Alain Silberstein Regulator, a surprisingly affordable wristwatch created by the watch designer famed for his whimsical, Bauhaus-inspired style – captured here in photos taken by a Swiss collector for SJX (scroll to the bottom to read my thoughts on the watch after seeing them shortly after this was published). Since Mr Silberstein’s eponymous company went bust in 2012, he has created watches for MB&F; and RJ-Romain Jerome. Despite the diversity of the brands he has worked with, Mr Silberstein versatile yet distinctive style manages to ease into each brand’s house style. Illustrating the magic of Mr Silberstein’s creativity, the new watch is based on one of Louis Erard’s signature models, the Excellence Regulator, which is ordinarily available with a grained or guilloche silver dial featuring Roman numera...
Time+Tide
The argument could quite easily be made that most watch manufacturers in attendance at this year’s Baselworld watch fair tended to err on the side of caution when it came to releasing new timepieces. However, Seiko certainly bucked this trend, unveiling quite a few new and exciting timepieces, and surprising the collective horological community with … ContinuedThe post Get to the boutique! The Seiko SNJ025 Solar ‘Arnie’ appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
If I had a million dollars, or maybe two, to buy a Rolex, I could perhaps buy a ref. 4113 split-seconds, which is very large, very flat – a bit too large and flat for me – and exceptionally rare. Or I could buy a ref. 8171 triple calendar in steel, one in almost “new old stock” condition, as Phillips has in its upcoming Geneva auction. The ref. 8171 in question reminds me of the 369-year old Jehan Cremsdorff pocket watch Sotheby’s sold in the summer – it’s hard to believe something that old, admittedly not quite four centuries, can be so well preserved. The “Padellone” is incredibly – incredibly – clean and crisp. Up close, the ref. 8171 speaks for itself. The dial looks like the watch left the factory recently. It is clean, neat and the date track is in pure, vivid blue. Similarly, the hands are free of marks, meaning they were seldom, or never, removed from the dial. The condition of the dial is all the more unusual due to the fact that the ref. 8171 is not an Oyster. Instead, it has a snap-on back, instead of the water-resistant, screw-on back found on the Oyster watch case. Over time, snap backs tend to lose their water-resistance as a consequence of corrosion or deformation from repeated opening, which is why most ref. 8171s have dials that show obvious ageing. An example of a ref. 8171 with a dial showing ageing, this one offered at Christie’s Hong Kong in 2017 The steel case is similarly well preserved. Fortunately, steel is nota...
Quill & Pad
Nick Gould spotted American actor Mark Wahlberg wearing an early-delivery Rolex GMT-Master II 'Root Beer,' once again putting his penchant for precious metal watches on display.
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There are few things that high-end watch brands love more than a certification of quality. Some, like COSC, are industry-wide standards, while others (much like the movement) are strictly an in-house affair. The Patek Philippe Seal is one such certification. The new Patek Philippe Seal dramatically transcends the original hallmark’s notion of quality and perfection. … ContinuedThe post RECOMMENDED READING: Just what is the Patek Philippe Seal? appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
A recent startup dedicated to creating unusual objects, The Unnamed Society makes its debut with a table clock shaped like the Colt Bisley Model revolver of the early 20th century. The clock is produced by L’Epee 1839, the Swiss clockmaker that is responsible for practically all of the unconventional and avant-garde mechanical clocks of recent years, most famously those designed by MB&F; but also Chanel. But it’s undoubtedly the success of MB&F;’s sci-fi clocks that have compelled various brands, old and new, to develop their own L’Epee 1839 clocks. Named Hasta la Vista, “goodbye” in Spanish, the clock is the shape and size of an actual revolver, measuring 350mm or just under 14 inches long. It’s made of steel and palladium-plated brass, and can be mounted on its accompanying base either via the grip or the barrel. Pictured here with the grip made of horn from the bighorn sheep, as well as engraving on the frame Mechanically it is identical to the 8-day clocks L’Epee 1839 has produced in other shapes and sizes. The time is indicated by two revolving cylinders – one each for the hours and minutes – that take the shape of the rear section of the pistol frame. The escapement, wheel train and mainspring are where the cylinder (which contains the bullets) would be. Winding is accomplished by a key that’s inserted into the end of the barrel. Though it’s a limited edition of 50, each clock can be customised with a variety of options offered for the g...
SJX Watches
If I had a million dollars, or maybe two, to buy a Rolex chronograph, I could perhaps buy one of the five unique “Zenith” Daytonas in platinum, a Datocompax “Jean-Claude Killy” (as Davide Munari did), a “Paul Newman” Daytona (not), or a ref. 4113 split-seconds. Of the many ways to spend that much money on a Rolex chronograph – and not any other complication – the ref. 4113 is the most unusual, interesting and horologically complex. At the same time, the ref. 4113 was also a dead-end for Rolex, because it never furthered development of the split-second chronograph and instead relied on standard chronographs for all its auto-racing activities. Produced in 1942 in a run of just 12 watches – with case numbers “051’313” to “051’324” -the ref. 4113 is the only split-seconds, or rattrapante, chronograph ever made by Rolex. Phillips will soon sell ref. 4113 with case number “051’318” – the watch pictured here – at its upcoming November watch auction. Ref. 4113 with case number “051’318” The Valjoux 55 inside The racing connection Though formal documentation as to its origins no longer exist or are unknown, the story behind the ref. 4113 is by now familiar thanks to research over the years as examples emerged at auction. In 1991, a pair of these emerged at Christie’s, at its Geneva and London salerooms respectively. The first, with case number was “051’313”, was sold in May 1991 at Christie’s in Geneva for 82,500 Swiss fr...
Quill & Pad
What would a corporate acquisition of Richemont or Swatch Group look like? What players might be involved? How could this affect the watch-buying and collecting community? Chris Malburg sets out his opinion in this must-read article.
Revolution
Wei Koh spends some quality time with Wilhelm Schmid, CEO of A. Lange & Söhne at the Hampton Court Concours d’Elegance.
SJX Watches
The epic Patek Philippe Watch Art Grand Exhibition Singapore 2019 was massive not just in scale and numbers, but also in the Patek Philippe executives who travelled halfway across the world from Geneva to Singapore just for the event. All of the company’s top management is the town for the event, including president Thierry Stern, chief executive Claude Peny, and commercial director Jerome Pernici. But perhaps the most interesting personality for a hardcore watch geek is Dr Peter Friess, curator of the Patek Philippe Museum in Geneva. A studied man who’s spent his life in museums and cultural institutions, Dr Friess is an art historian by training but also a true horologist. He’s the sort of guy who gets deeply excited over the “new old stock” 369-year old Cremsdorff pocket watch the museum recently acquired, and is familiar with the catgut used in 16th century chain and fusee mechanisms. Dr Peter Friess at the Singapore exhibition, with a portrait of Antoine Norbert de Patek behind him The first ever Patek Philippe wristwatch; importantly, it was not conceived as a bangle with a pendant watch movement bolted on, instead it is a timepiece for the wrist Unsurprisingly, the German native is also a professional watch- and clockmaker. Dr Friess joined the Patek Philippe Musuem as Director and Curator exactly seven years ago. Before that, he was President of the Tech Museum of Innovation in California, as well as a curator at the Smithsonian where he put tog...
Quill & Pad
Why watches? Ask what makes a watch enthusiast tick and the idea of the “soul” of a watch might well feature in the response – the idea that something elevates the watch from a cold object of engineering to something of greater import. Here Ryan Schmidt tracks "soul" down and gets contemplative on its nature along with some very special imagery.
Time+Tide
Paying homage to a man widely regarded as the father of modernism, Le Corbusier (Charles-Édouard Jeanneret), Rado’s stunning range of True Thinline Les Couleurs Le Corbusier could definitely be worth a look as your next summer watch. Le Corbusier, the visionary Swiss designer, architect and writer, created the concept of Architectural Polychromy – a palette … ContinuedThe post The Rado True Thinline Les Couleurs Le Corbusier appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
Originally introduced in 2017 for the Grand Exhibition in New York, the Patek Philippe World Time Minute Repeater Ref. 5531R was the first minute repeater that could chime the local time, as opposed to a conventional world-time repeater that would only strike the home time. The reference then entered regular production in 2018 with a cloisonné enamel of Lake Geneva, or the lac Léman as locals know it, a recurring motif on Patek Philippe enamel watches. Patek Philippe has now unveiled a special-edition version for the Watch Art Grand Exhibition 2019 in Singapore, featuring a cloisonné enamel dial depicting the city centre of Singapore, along with the country’s name listed on the city disc in place of Beijing. It joins the Minute Repeater Tourbillon Singapore 2019 Ref. 5303R as one of the grand complications created especially for the event. As was always the case, the watch is in red gold and measures 40.2mm wide. it features hand-guillochéd, hobnail pattern on the case band as well as on the repeater slide on the left. In it is the self-winding cal. R 27 HU which features the patented repeater mechanism that chimes the time of the city at the 12 o’clock position on the world time mechanism. While a minute repeater usually operates independently from the world time and thus chimes only the home time, the two mechanisms in this case are mechanically coupled. The hour snail of the repeater is continuously driven by the time zone wheel of the world time mechanism. ...
Time+Tide
There are certain watches out there in the horological ether that are not only lauded by loyal followers but also able to accomplish a hell of a lot for little outlay. Whether it is accuracy, toughness and dependability, innovation, or technicality, these cult-like timepieces are worth far more than the sum of their parts, and … ContinuedThe post 3 affordable timepieces that get the nod from watch snobs appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Quill & Pad
The Musée International d’Horlogerie announces a new MIH watch, called into existence to help finance ongoing museum projects as well as raise public awareness for safeguarding horological heritage and to promote the expertise of regional watchmakers. This surprising timepiece takes its direct inspiration from the museum building itself, a product of Brutalist architecture.
Hodinkee
This could be the greatest marketing scheme in the history of watches.
Time+Tide
If you decided to buy a Bremont watch, you could go to your nearest Bremont boutique (or their online store) and buy almost any model in their catalogue that your heart desired. What you can’t buy, however, are any of the pieces from the Bremont Military Watches and Special Projects Division. These pieces are created … ContinuedThe post Looking at the Bremont Military Watches and Special Projects Division appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
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Editor’s note: Recently, we talked about some sports watches with an integrated bracelet that could be great alternatives to the usual suspects from Audemars Piguet and Patek Philippe. Thing is, though, there’s another awesome timepiece from one member of the horological holy trinity that also fits the bill for an awesome integrated sports timepiece – … ContinuedThe post Revisiting the Vacheron Constantin Overseas Perpetual Calendar Ultra-Thin appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
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