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Patek Philippe Announces Singapore Grand Exhibition Catalogue SJX Watches
Patek Philippe Announces Singapore Grand Exhibition Sep 24, 2019

Patek Philippe Announces Singapore Grand Exhibition Catalogue

As Patek Phillippe’s 16-day Watch Art Grand Exhibition in Singapore counts own to its opening this weekend, the watchmaker has revealed a limited edition, hardbound catalogue detailing the exhibition that will be available only at the event. A must-have for any horological library, the commemorative book includes every timepiece that will be on display at the exhibition, which is the largest to date. The tome encompasses a diversity of clocks, pocket and wristwatches spanning four centuries, from the world’s first wristwatch made for Countess Koscowicz of Hungary to some of the most complicated watches ever created – including the landmark Caliber 89 – as well as watches currently in production. The catalogue will also include the limited edition watches, clocks and pocket watches produced especially for the Singapore Grand Exhibition. The Calibre 89 Proceeds from the sale of the catalogue will benefit the National Museum of Singapore, the nation’s oldest museum. Funds raised will go towards boosting the museum’s programmes that preserve the arts and cultural heritage of the city state. Patek Philippe is no stranger to supporting the National Museum, as the catalogue donations follow its support of the redevelopment of the museum in 2015, the year of Singapore’s 50th anniversary since independence, with the creation of a unique Dome Clock that was sold at auction to fund renovation of the museum’s trademark glass rotunda. The Farquhar Coll...

De Bethune & Urwerk Introduce the Moon Satellite for Only Watch 2019 SJX Watches
De Bethune & Urwerk Introduce Sep 23, 2019

De Bethune & Urwerk Introduce the Moon Satellite for Only Watch 2019

When Urwerk cofounder Felix Baumgartner was in town recently to launch the UR-100 SpaceTime, I quizzed him on the De Bethune and Urwerk collaboration for Only Watch 2019. While the other brands taking part in the charity auction had already unveiled photos or renderings of their respective creations, Urwerk and De Bethune only offered a pen drawing. Felix replied that the movement had been completed and delivered to De Bethune some weeks ago, and Denis Flageollet, De Bethune’s resident technical genius, was working on building the one-off titanium case. And now Mr Flageollet has completed the watch, and this is it. The initial drawing The meeting of minds Named the Moon Satellite, the watch is essentially an Urwerk wandering hours time display module – with the time indicated on satellites – mounted on top of a hand-wound De Bethune movement, resulting in the cal. DBUR2105. Visually the movement is trademark De Bethune. The calibre has a delta-shaped barrel bridge that is entirely mirror polished, as is the base plate, one of the most distinctive movement treatments of De Bethune. And in striking contrast against the polished surfaces, the balance and shock absorber bridges are in blued steel. The base movement cal. DB2105 boasts several of De Bethune’s patented innovations, including a spider-like titanium balance wheel, the triple pare-chute shock absorber for the balance, as well as the De Bethune hairspring and silicon escape wheel. And it also incorporat...

Inside the Jean-Pierre Hagmann-Akrivia Case Workshop SJX Watches
Vacheron Constantin Sep 18, 2019

Inside the Jean-Pierre Hagmann-Akrivia Case Workshop

A master case maker who retired in 2017, Jean-Pierre Hagmann is back in action, as a partner in Akrivia’s case-making workshop in Geneva. Now 78 years old, Mr Hagmann struck out on his own in 1984, starting a stellar career that would see him become a case maker for most of Switzerland’s best watchmakers. (For a detailed profile of Mr Hagmann, see my 2016 story.) His client list included establishment names like Audemars Piguet, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Vacheron Constantin, and of course, Patek Philippe, where he produced highly-regarded cases for its minute repeaters. In fact, Mr Hagmann was also responsible for the impressively complex case of the Star Calibre 2000, the uber-pocket watch Patek Philippe introduced to mark the new millennium. Mr Hagmann at work in the 1980s The Patek Philippe ref. 5029 minute repeater, which had a Hagmann case In the first half of his career, Mr Hagmann also worked with many of the up-and-coming stars of independent watchmaking of the 1980s and 1990s, including Franck Muller and Roger Dubuis. He produced the very first Cintree Curvex cases for Franck Muller, as well as the early cases for Roger Dubuis. Another of Mr Hagmann’s cases: the Franck Muller Cintree Curvex minute repeater with perpetual calendar, circa 1991 Three decades later, Mr Hagmann is back where he began. He’s joined forces with a rising star of independent watchmaking, Akrivia, whose founder, Rexhep Rexhepi, is just 32 years old. Though young, Rexhep grasps the impo...

Sneak Peek: Akrivia Rexhep Rexhepi Chronomètre Contemporain “Only Watch” SJX Watches
Rexhep Rexhepi Sep 16, 2019

Sneak Peek: Akrivia Rexhep Rexhepi Chronomètre Contemporain “Only Watch”

On a recent trip to Geneva I dropped by the Akrivia workshops in the city’s Old Town and spotted the Rexhep Rexhepi Chronomètre Contemporain “Only Watch”, still in its constituent parts and almost ready for assembly. The dial, however, was finished and gorgeous. It’s a serene grey-blue, made of translucent enamel over a hand-hammered dial plate. Produced with lots of careful effort and a tiny hammer, the hammered finish is usually only applied to Akrivia’s gold dials found on the AK series watches, and is being combined with enamel for the first, and probably only, time. It was a tedious process to get right, which is why the Akrivia is one of the last to be completed amongst the Only Watch line-up. Produced by the same Geneva enamel artisan that does the fired enamel, or grand feu, dials of the standard watch, this dial for the Only Watch example is the second one made, hence “version 2” on its packaging. Rexhep felt the first dial made was not up to scratch – it had too much variation in colour – and had a second one produced. And the first dial was finished only after a handful of trial runs, where it was established that the thinning effect of the hammered surface meant it could not be counter-enamelled on the back as the standard dials are. Aside from the hammered surface, the dial is also unique because the markings are painted in fired enamel, rather than printed. This makes the numbers, lines and text more substantial. And because the ena...

Habring² Introduces the Salmon Collection SJX Watches
Casio nally Sep 16, 2019

Habring² Introduces the Salmon Collection

Austrian watchmaker Habring2, highly regarded for its smart, affordable watches, has just revealed the Salmon collection. The new line-up is made up of all of the brand’s key models, but with each watch now offered with a salmon dial. Once found occasionally on vintage watches and now a popular shade for that reason, salmon dials are a novelty for Habring2,  led by husband and wife team Richard and Maria Habring. The brand typically offers its watches in more straightforward shades of silver, blue, black or grey. The salmon colour Habring2 opted for is a strong pink, closer to salmon than copper or pink gold. Here are a few photos of the watches “in the metal” supplied by the Habrings to show how the salmon dials vary in tone depending on the light. The top of the line model is the Perpetual Doppel, recently launched to mark the brand’s 15thanniversary. Its salmon dial is combined with silvered numerals and blued steel hands, the only model in the Salmon collection with heat-blued hands. The range also includes the entry-level, time-only Felix as well as the single-button Chrono-Felix. Both measure only 38.5mm in diameter, and are also the amongst the thinnest watches made by Habring2. And the more complicated models are the Doppel Felix split-seconds chronograph with its “bullhead” pusher layout, and the inventive COS Felix. Short for “crown operated system”, the COS chronograph is activated entirely via the crown, which is turned either forwards o...

INTRODUCING: The emerald beauty of the TAG Heuer Aquaracer with green dial Time+Tide
TAG Heuer Aquaracer Sep 10, 2019

INTRODUCING: The emerald beauty of the TAG Heuer Aquaracer with green dial

Emerging from the safety of black, blue and white dial sport watches, the radiant TAG Heuer Aquaracer in emerald green marks an adventurous step forward for the line-up. Yet for a brand that is no stranger to radical innovation (Mikrotimer Flying 1000, anyone?), it’s surprising that it took them this long to come out with … ContinuedThe post INTRODUCING: The emerald beauty of the TAG Heuer Aquaracer with green dial appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

A. Lange & Söhne Introduces the Little Lange 1 Moon Phase “25th Anniversary” SJX Watches
A. Lange & Sohne Sep 5, 2019

A. Lange & Söhne Introduces the Little Lange 1 Moon Phase “25th Anniversary”

With one watch unveiled each month since the start of the year, the A. Lange & Söhne “25th Anniversary” series is coming to a completion. The ninth watch has just been announced – the Little Lange 1 Moon Phase. Of the 10 piece anniversary set, this is arguably the most esoteric and least known Lange 1, being an elegantly conceived complication inside a case that was originally devised as a smaller men’s watch, but is now a ladies’ watch. Measuring a compact 36.8mm in width, the Little Lange 1 Moon Phase was first unveiled in 2009 – seven years after the launch of the full-size, 38.5mm Lange 1 Moon Phase. Subsequently in 2017, it evolved to incorporate a new caliber based on the second-generation Lange 1 movement. Though the original Little Lange 1 was introduced as a watch for men in the late 1990s, the Little Lange 1 Moon Phase was a ladies’ watch from the get-go and decorated as such, with mother-of-pearl dials, diamond bezels and most recently a guilloche dial. But with the subdued anniversary colours of blue and silver, the latest Little Lange 1 Moon Phase is the first instance where it could be for men wanting a smaller watch. The dial of the watch is solid silver, with blued steel hands and printed blue markings. As with the Grand Lange 1 Moon Phase “25thAnniversary” unveiled earlier in the year, the white-gold lunar disc in the seconds sub-dial is hand-engraved with stars that vary in size and shape, creating a detailed depiction of the ni...

Vacheron Constantin Introduces the Cornes de Vache Chronograph in Steel SJX Watches
Vacheron Constantin Introduces Sep 4, 2019

Vacheron Constantin Introduces the Cornes de Vache Chronograph in Steel

Originally available in platinum and then rose gold, the Vacheron Constantin Historiques Cornes de Vache 1955 is a well regarded vintage remake, being well executed and faithful to the original. It’s modelled on the ref. 6087 of the 1950s, which was characterised by pointy, horn-shaped lugs, hence the model name; cornes de vache translates as cow horns. Now it is available in stainless steel, making the Cornes de Vache the second Historiques model to be offered in the metal, after the Historiques 1942 and 1948 triple calendars. The steel case naturally makes it far more accessible, with a retail price that’s a third less than the same in platinum. Material aside, the specs of the new model are identical to the earlier precious metal versions. The case is 38.5mm in diameter, and contains the cal. 1142 movement. Now made in-house by Vacheron Constantin, the cal. 1142 is derived from the Lemania 2310. Vacheron Constantin has upgraded the movement in several ways, most notably with a free-sprung balance wheel. The dial is a pale grey with a fine “velvet” finish and red accents on the elapsed seconds track. All of the applied hour markers are 18k white gold, as are the hands. Notably, this is not the first Cornes de Vache in steel. In 2017 Vacheron Constantin produced a small run of 36 watches – with a steel case and dark grey dial – for American watch blog Hodinkee. Key facts and price Diameter: 38.5mm Height: 10.9mm Material: Stainless steel Water resist...

HANDS-ON: Louis Vuitton Tambour All Black Chronograph 46 Time+Tide
Louis Vuitton Tambour All Black Chronograph Sep 3, 2019

HANDS-ON: Louis Vuitton Tambour All Black Chronograph 46

One of the malaises sweeping the Swiss watch industry is, in my oh-so-humble opinion, that of homogeneity. From a distance, the world from the wrist down looks remarkably similar: round, black-dialled steel sports cases in a style that sits somewhere on a spectrum between vaguely retro to full-blown reissue. I’m well aware that this isn’t … ContinuedThe post HANDS-ON: Louis Vuitton Tambour All Black Chronograph 46 appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Hands-On: Roger W. Smith Series 2 “Edition 2” SJX Watches
Patek Philippe Nautilus “Jumbo” ref 3700 Sep 3, 2019

Hands-On: Roger W. Smith Series 2 “Edition 2”

The Phillips Perpetual boutique in London officially opens this week with 40 watches encompassing all important genres of watch collecting, from a Rolex Daytona “John Player Special” to a Patek Philippe Nautilus “Jumbo” ref. 3700 (from the collection of Jean-Claude Biver no less). But one of the flagship offerings is an important example of independent watchmaking – a Roger W. Smith Series 2 “Edition 2” that’s “No. 1”. It is very much a quintessential, early Roger W. Smith creation with the hallmark elements of his watchmaking. But the watch is also historically interesting, being an example of the road not taken for Mr Smith. The forgotten “Edition” This watch illuminates an intriguing bit of early Roger W. Smith history. Shortly after Mr Smith delivered the first batch of Series 2 watches in late 2007, he decided to create the “Edition” concept. According to Mr Smith, the idea was to produce Series 2 as a limited edition of 90 watches in total, with 30 watches in each colour of gold. All Edition watches had 38mm cases and solid silver dials; the Edition 1 was in yellow gold, Edition 2 in rose, and Edition 3 in white gold. At the same time, Mr Smith also offered custom versions of the Series 2, which were also available in a platinum case. But as it turned out, most clients wanted a custom watch, rather than an Edition example. So Mr Smith discreetly abandoned Edition not long after, and only a five of each Edition were made. This is on...

Seiko Introduces the Presage Spring Drive Enamel Dial SJX Watches
Grand Seiko Sep 2, 2019

Seiko Introduces the Presage Spring Drive Enamel Dial

Seiko has cultivated its Presage collection as one that offers watches featuring dials decorated with artisanal techniques like Shippo enamel or Arita porcelain, but at extremely affordable prices. Now Seiko has just rolled out the first-ever Presage watches powered by the brand’s best-known innovation – the Spring Drive, an electronically regulated mechanical movement previously only found in Credor, Grand Seiko and Prospex watches. And the Spring Drive has been combined with a decidedly more traditional face, with both new models featuring vitreous enamel dials. Available in either white or black, the enamel dials are once again produced by master craftsman Mitsuru Yokosawa and his team, who are adept at producing enamel dials of high-quality and in large quantities, but relatively low prices. The clean and slightly retro dial design, however, is the work of the design studio founded by Japanese industrial designer Riki Watanabe. After his death in 2013, the design of his work was entrusted to his colleague, who stuck closely to Watanabe’s ideals of functionality and beauty in the conception of the watch. The dial is characterised by a striking clarity thanks to the high contrast between the hands, hour markers and dial, as well as Arabic numerals in Didoni typeface, a favourite of Watanabe. Notably, the date is properly integrated into the dial design with a date wheel that matches the colour of the dial, while the combination of the contrasting...

Two tones and a sprinkling of diamond – the  Rolex Oyster Perpetual Datejust 41 Time+Tide
Rolex Oyster Perpetual Datejust 41 Sep 1, 2019

Two tones and a sprinkling of diamond – the Rolex Oyster Perpetual Datejust 41

Editor’s note: Steel sports is all well and good, but there’s something very appealing about the iconic Datejust in this steel and gold livery, with a warm brown dial and diamond hour markers. Especially with that bezel and band. Primo …  There are two main contenders for the title of ‘most recognisable watch in the … ContinuedThe post Two tones and a sprinkling of diamond – the Rolex Oyster Perpetual Datejust 41 appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Phillips Debuts ‘Perpetual’ Boutique in London SJX Watches
Zenith Daytonas are well Sep 1, 2019

Phillips Debuts ‘Perpetual’ Boutique in London

Best known as a watch auctioneer par excellence, Phillips recently established Perpetual, a watch store inside its London showroom on Berkeley Square. A permanent showroom offering watches year-round, Perpetual was conceived to offer clients something to buy in-between the twice-yearly watch auctions. Perpetual comes a few months after the successful pop-up store that took place in March, where a Philippe Dufour Simplicity was purchased by Jean-Claude Biver, the legendary watch entrepreneur who’s now the non-executive chairman of the LVMH watch division. The watch department in London, led by financier-turned-watch-specialist James Marks, is the first outpost of Phillips to have a permanent store. “I believe that auction houses cannot apply the same business model to every geographical location,” explains Mr Marks, “and rather than rely on traditional seasons we need to be proactive with clients year round.” Perpetual officially opens on Wednesday, September 4, with a cocktail party and panel discussion. The panel is made of two industry luminaries – Mr Biver and Phillips’ auction chief Aurel Bacs – and myself. To RSVP for the panel discussion, register online with Phillips. The highlights The inaugural offering at Perpetual is diverse, encompassing both vintage and modern watches. Being a personal favourite of Mr Marks, Rolex “Zenith” Daytonas are well represented, but the line-up also includes a selection of choice examples of independent watchm...

RECOMMENDED READING: Material innovation in watchmaking – the new breed Time+Tide
Aug 31, 2019

RECOMMENDED READING: Material innovation in watchmaking – the new breed

If you’ve been paying attention to the wonderful world of watches for more than 15 minutes, you’ll have worked out that high-tech materials, often with fancy proprietary names, are a big deal. Isographs, Aeronith, Sedna gold, unobtanium and all the rest. This sort of fancy nomenclature is stock-in-trade of Swiss marketing departments, but it’s also … ContinuedThe post RECOMMENDED READING: Material innovation in watchmaking – the new breed appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Longines Introduces the Master Collection Moonphase SJX Watches
Longines Introduces Aug 28, 2019

Longines Introduces the Master Collection Moonphase

Longines’ Master Collection excels at entry-level complications that are affordably priced – last year’s annual calendar is a great buy – and the latest in the range is a moon phase and date. The Master Collection Moonphase is a watch that’s clear in what it wants to to. Aside from the time, it has a pointer date and moon indicators in a sub-dial at six, for a clean and symmetrical dial. The Master Collection Moonphase ref. L2.919.4.78.3 It’s powered by the L899 movement, an automatic based on the ETA A31.L91, which is an upgraded version of the common ETA 2892. The most obvious functional upgrade is the extended 64-hour power reserve, achieved in part by reducing the beat rate of the balance wheel from 4Hz to 3.5Hz. Like many other models in the Master Collection, the new moon phase is offered in two cases sizes – 40mm and 42mm – both in stainless steel. Dial options are silvered barleycorn guilloche, black barleycorn, or sun-ray brushed metallic blue. The smaller, 40mm case is also offered with brilliant-cut diamond hour markers on all dial styles. The Master Collection Moonphase 42mm The ref. L2.909.4.97.0 with diamond markers Key facts Diameter: 40mm or 42mm Material: Stainless steel Water resistance: 30m Movement: L899 Functions: Hours, minutes, second, moon phase and date Winding: Automatic Frequency: 25,200bph, or 3.5Hz Power reserve: 64 hours Strap: Leather strap or steel bracelet Price: US$2,350 for all versions, US$2,750 for the 40...

Up Close: Voutilainen 28TI – “Titanium Inverse” SJX Watches
Glashütte Original PanoInverse Aug 19, 2019

Up Close: Voutilainen 28TI – “Titanium Inverse”

Voutilainen’s signature watch is the Vingt-8, powered by the cal. 28, which is time-only but impressively constructed and beautifully finished. So earlier this year Voutilainen flipped the movement, inverting the calibre to have the interesting bits on the front, and relegating the base plate to the back. The result is the 28TI – short for “titanium inverse” – a watch that has all the trademark elements of a Voutilainen, gorgeous detailing and refined decoration, but is as over the top as a classical watch can be. Inverted movements are not new, they can occasionally be found in antique pocket watches, and over the last two decades they have gradually become fashionable in modern watchmaking. The pioneer in the current era is the Breguet La Tradition, though strictly speaking it is not an inverted movement since it was constructed from the ground up to look like a 19th century souscription pocket watch. Actually inverted is the Glashütte Original PanoInverse, and more recently, the Moritz Grossmann Backpage. But none of the other brands making such movements do so to the same quality as Voutilainen, making the 28TI unique in its class. The 28TI Telling time indirectly Mechanically the 28TI is largely similar to the standard cal. 28, with some changes in the construction for the flipped display. Additional gearing is required to drive the hands in the opposite direction, while also allowing for hand-setting via the crown. The changes start with a series o...

Doxa Introduces the Sub 200 T.Graph in Steel SJX Watches
Doxa Introduces Aug 15, 2019

Doxa Introduces the Sub 200 T.Graph in Steel

Most famous for making distinctively styled dive watches in the late 1960s and 1970s, Doxa produces pretty much the same watches today as annual limited editions. The latest is the Sub 200 T.Graph, a remake of a 1969 diver’s chronograph – the flagship model of its day and now a rare, sought-after watch. The watch was first reissued as a 50th anniversary commemorative edition with an 18k yellow gold case and bracelet at Baselworld 2019. Now the more sensible steel version has arrived, and is still faithful to the original in shape and style. Typical of 1970s design, the case is a chunky cushion shape and matched with a “beads of rice” bracelet. The dial is orange – reputedly easier to see underwater than black – with block-style markers and hands, also typical of 1970s watches. And all the luminous paint on the dial is faux vintage Super-Luminova in “old radium” colour, meant to replicate the look of the aged tritium on the vintage originals. And the bezel is Doxa’s own dual-scale bezel that has both the dive time in minutes and depth in metres, allowing for recording of time underwater without decompression stops. The movement inside is a “new old stock” Valjoux 7734, which is vintage and dates to the 1980s, but is not the same calibre as in the original. The original was powered by the Doxa cal. 287, a hand-wound movement that was a rebadged cal. 310-82 from Eberhard, a sister company of Doxa at the time. In its day, and still today, the cal. 7...

Introducing the Michel Perchin Watch in “Drapery” Enamel SJX Watches
Aug 8, 2019

Introducing the Michel Perchin Watch in “Drapery” Enamel

Best known as a maker of ultra high-end fountain pens, Michel Perchin is named after one of the workshop directors of Faberge, the legendary jeweller of Imperial Russia famed for the lavish annual Easter Eggs produced for the Tsar. Amongst Faberge’s signature creations were incredible enamelled objects of all sorts finished in brilliantly coloured translucent enamel. The modern day Michel Perchin pens were decorated in the same style, and though the pen business is now defunct, the founder of the brand, Patrick Pinkston, has revived the name to produce a watch similarly decorated in fired enamel. Produced mostly in England but powered by a Swiss movement, the Michel Perchin watch is large, rectangular and decorated with vitreous enamel and diamonds – an aesthetic that’s not for everyone but impressively crafted, albeit at a steep price. The highlight is the “drapery” motif on the dial, that consists of a drapery guilloche engraved by a traditional, hand-operated rose engine, which is then covered in pale blue enamel. Three brilliant cut diamonds form the quarter hour markers, while a solid gold appliqué of the Michel Perchin elephant logo marks 12 o’clock The enamel is done the traditional way by a craftsman in England who first grinds the enamel powder with a mortar and pestle, then adds water or oil to create the mixture that can be painted onto the case surface. The case is then fired to set the enamel, and the process repeated to build up several layers...

Events: Zenith “A Star Through Time” Exhibition in Singapore SJX Watches
Zenith A Star Through Time” Aug 5, 2019

Events: Zenith “A Star Through Time” Exhibition in Singapore

Created to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the automatic chronograph movement that’s synonymous with Zenith, A Star Through Time embarks on world tour that starts in August, with the first stop being Singapore. Happening during the exhibition is a panel discussion that includes our founder, Su Jiaxian, as well as several watchmaking classes – details on how to attend are at the bottom. The exhibition The key attraction of A Star Through Time is an interactive, virtual tour of Zenith’s manufacture in Le Locle. It’s modelled on Le Monde Étoilé de Zenith, a collaboration between the watchmaker and Neuchâtel’s local tourism authority. Conceived to boost knowledge of watchmaking in the area, the project created a interactive, 360° experience that allows guests to go behind-the-scenes at the manufacture. Walking through the exhibition is akin to a stroll through a scaled down version of the Le Locle manufacture, including a virtual visit to the famous attic where, during the Quartz Crisis, watchmaker Charles Vermot hid the tools and plans to produce the El Primero, keeping them out of the hands of American managers who wanted to eliminate production of mechanical watches. The 400m2 exhibition also traces the evolution of the El Primero, illustrated by significant El Primero-powered watches, including the landmark early examples like the A386 in steel and G381 in 18k gold. Though dedicated to the El Primero, arguably the first ever sel...

Up Close: Vacheron Constantin Overseas Perpetual Calendar Ref. 4300V SJX Watches
Vacheron Constantin Overseas Perpetual Calendar Ref Jul 31, 2019

Up Close: Vacheron Constantin Overseas Perpetual Calendar Ref. 4300V

Vacheron Constantin’s sports luxury line-up is a diverse one, including a world time, dual time, and chronograph. The most appealing models in the range, however, are unquestionably the Ultra-Thins, which are unfortunately only available in 18k gold, making them the most expensive. But they are slim, sharply executed and sit beautifully on the wrist. The collection includes two ultra-thin models, the time-only Overseas Self-Winding Ultra-Thin, and the Overseas Perpetual Calendar Ultra-Thin ref. 4300V. Both share the same base movement, and nearly identical dimensions; close your eyes and it’s difficult to tell the two apart on the wrist. But this story is only about the top of the line perpetual calendar. Cutting an elegant figure The perpetual calendar looks like all other Overseas watches, with the trademark bottle cap bezel and sloping case sides. But it is the most elegant of them all despite being a largish watch. It is exceptionally refined in profile – the case is 41.5mm in diameter, but just 8.10mm high. The elegant proportions are similar to those of the luxury sports watch greats, namely the Royal Oak and Nautilus. Because the watch is available only in 18k white or pink gold, it weighs enough to feel as expensive as it is. The weight is reassuring, and an important quality. Put simply, it’s a big, flat and heavy watch, which is what a luxury sports watch should be. Though the perpetual calendar is available in pink gold on a leather or rubber st...

Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch Professional Chronograph Review WatchAdvice
Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch Professional Chronograph Jul 23, 2019

Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch Professional Chronograph Review

The Omega Speedmaster is one of Omega’s most iconic watches to date. It has a rich history with roots tied to space travel. Not many people may be aware but the speedmaster models that we have come to admire in this day and age weren’t originally thought of as a watch for space travel. When it was first released in 1957, it was portrayed as a sports and racing chronograph watch as Omega were the official timekeeper of the Olympic games.  Things changed however, when NASA decided that it wanted to use the Omega Speedmaster for its manned missions into space, while also being included in the Apollo program. So how exactly did Omega’s Speedmaster go from being a watch used to time sporting events, to being the watch Astronauts used for space travel? It all starts with a story about a man named Walter Schirra. Being an aviator and military pilot himself, he was about to embark on the Mercury-Atlas 8 Mission. As a way to possibly mark the momentous occasion, he went watch hunting (as any of us would without a doubt). Omega had established a position for itself and with the release of the eye-catching Speedmaster Chronograph, it would be safe to say that it more than caught Schirra’s attention. This would be the turning point in Speedmaster’s history as from this point forward, it would go onto do numerous space travel missions.  The “Professional” name was added to the Speedmaster during the 1964-1965 period. The Speedmaster would further cement its legacy as NA...

Introducing the Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch 321 Platinum SJX Watches
Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch 321 Platinum Jul 21, 2019

Introducing the Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch 321 Platinum

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...

RECOMMENDED READING: This is what the future of the secondary watch market looks like Time+Tide
Jul 20, 2019

RECOMMENDED READING: This is what the future of the secondary watch market looks like

The buying and selling of second-hand watches has traditionally been an unglamorous, possibly even seedy, affair. The traditional image of that side of the industry has been one of tight margins, hard sales talk and the ever-present threat of fakes. Well, in the last few years it’s a part of the business that’s been undergoing … ContinuedThe post RECOMMENDED READING: This is what the future of the secondary watch market looks like appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

5 Omega Speedmasters that made it the legend it is today, and their modern equivalent  Time+Tide
Omega Speedmasters Jul 14, 2019

5 Omega Speedmasters that made it the legend it is today, and their modern equivalent 

This week marks the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission that saw Neil Armstrong walk on the moon. And on his wrist was an Omega Speedmaster. This moment ensured that the humble, manually wound chronograph was vaulted into the hallowed halls of history. But the Speedmaster story is about more than just that moonwatch. … ContinuedThe post 5 Omega Speedmasters that made it the legend it is today, and their modern equivalent  appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Editorial: The Pursuit of Greatness in Vintage Complications SJX Watches
Patek Philippe landmark complicated references ref Jul 14, 2019

Editorial: The Pursuit of Greatness in Vintage Complications

There is no real point in collecting anything unless for the sake of beauty. The moment I see a watch for the first time is always the most crucial. The pieces that ended up entering the collection always touched me viscerally when I first saw them.  Over time, almost unconsciously, as the collection took shape, the watches not only have a uniformity of standard and taste, but also reflect an intuition distinctly my own.  Taste is the developed perception of aesthetics unique to every collector, while standard pertains to quality and rarity. In the big picture, “beauty” – in both tangible and abstract terms – has come to encompass all three: aesthetics, quality, and rarity.  The watches I crave and seek, be it the best examples of the most important references of the most important manufactures, or unique “time-only” examples of incredible quality and design, must be eternal in their beauty. In this article we delve into a few complicated watches close to my heart.  Passing time cannot affect an object that is truly beautiful. Just look at two of the most important Patek Philippe landmark complicated references: ref. 1518, the first perpetual calendar chronograph wristwatch in the world, and ref. 3448, the first self-winding, perpetual calendar wristwatch. Their designs are perfectly balanced, timeless, as fresh today as when they were first introduced – in the early 1940s and the early 1960s, respectively.  For years, the daunting challenge had been in ...