8,420 articles · 331 videos found · page 259 of 292
Time+Tide
Normally in these hands-on reviews I leave the sticky question of the price until the end. But this time around I’m putting it front and centre. This Montblanc Heritage Automatic has an Australian RRP of $3410. And for that amount of coin, you get a lot of watch. The steel case is well-sized - 40mm … ContinuedThe post HANDS-ON: The Montblanc Heritage Automatic appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
There are a lot of great podcasts out there on the world of watches, but the guys over at Worn & Wound do a particularly good job. One of the things they are great at is finding interesting people to speak with, which they did when they interviewed Tim Stracke, the C0-CEO and Founder of … ContinuedThe post RECOMMENDED LISTENING: Chrono24 CEO on the Secondary Watch Market appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
Collecting watches is a lot of fun. At least, it should be. If it ever stops being fun, I’d assume that’s because you got into it for the wrong reasons (to make a quick buck, most likely). If you’re about to take the plunge into this massively rewarding hobby, but you’re doing so because you … ContinuedThe post To buy or not to buy – how to curate your watch collection appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
Much has been written about the growth of the pre-owned watch market in recent years, but just how long has this been happening, and will watches hold their value during a recession? With consecutive seasons of watch auctions breaking all-time records, luxury conglomerate Richemont spending an estimated €200m to acquire second-hand dealer Watchfinder & Co … ContinuedThe post RECOMMENDED READING: Do watches hold their value during a downturn? appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
Editor’s note: I’ve always had a real soft spot for the Tudor Heritage Advisor. Not only is the alarm one of my favourite complications, but this watch - for all that it’s an outlier in the current catalogue - is a hugely important piece in the modern rebirth of Tudor. Read on to find out why … … ContinuedThe post This charming watch – explaining the Tudor Heritage Advisor appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
Originally a no-nonsense dive watch made for the frogmen of the Italian navy during the Second World War, Panerai has been moving towards more civilian-friendly sports watches. The evolution is best illustrated by the Luminor Due, which is smaller and thinner, and as far removed from a traditional Panerai as possible while still retaining the signature crown locking mechanism. At the same time, Panerai has also rolled out watches that are oversized like the military originals, but with an increasingly variety of dial colours, like the quartet with blue dials in 2016. Such metallic blue dials are currently fashionable, so it’s no surprise Panerai has continued with the same colour. The recent Luminor 1950 3 Days GMT PAM01033 is essentially an upsized, 44mm version of the PAM 688 from 2016. I had one on the wrist for a few days – here’s how the test drive went. Compared with the earlier PAM 688, size is not the only difference with the new Luminor PAM 1033. A small but significant design tweak is the colour of the hands: instead of gold hands as as before, the hands now match the case. Though the change is seemingly minor, it gives the watch a different look, one that’s more contemporary, because the hands, though small, are the focal point on the dial. But the beige Super-Luminova on the dial and hands is faux-vintage, which does not quite match the newness of the blue dial. The dial is a “sandwich” construction, a signature feature of Paner...
Time+Tide
Editor’s note: Dive watches tend to be simple affairs, but not always. Justin embraces complexity (and calendars) in his review of the Blancpain Bathyscaphe Quantième Complet Phase de Lune. Read on … The story in a second: A classy calendar for the life aquatic. Expanding on a dive watch collection - especially one with such … ContinuedThe post A date with the deep – the Blancpain Bathyscaphe Quantième Complet Phase de Lune appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
Singapore retailer The Hour Glass kicked off its 40th anniversary limited editions with the all-platinum Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Chronograph, now followed by a pair of watches from leading independent watchmakers, De Bethune and Urwerk. The Singapore retailer is getting a three-piece limited edition based on the current UR-105, but one that’s also a throwback to the brand’s early creations. In aged bronze and titanium, The UR-105 “The Hour Glass” similar to the UR-105 CT Bronze unveiled earlier this year, but streamlined and sans the sprung lid over the front – a simplification of the design that’s also an improvement. Appropriate enough for a retailer that’s been selling Urwerk for 15 years, the commemorative edition features elements borrowed from Urwerk models over the years, creating a watch that’s a nostalgic reminder of the brand’s foundational watches from the early 2000s. UR-103 reborn The UR-105 was launched in 2014 as the successor to the UR-103, first launched in 2003. The bestselling Urwerk to date and arguably the brand’s signature watch, the UR-103 was the watch that made Urwerk a champion of avant-garde mechanical watchmaking. A nod to that milestone watch, the commemorative UR-105 features a U-shaped sapphire crystal, just as it was on the UR-103.03. While the very first version of the watch, the UR-103.01, featuring a narrow, curved window for the time, the UR-103.03 of 2005 expanded the view with a far larger cry...
Time+Tide
Next up in our rolling cavalcade of ‘Every Watch Tells a Story’ stories is Vince. Now, this one is a bit of a funny one, and not just because the watch in question is the critically acclaimed Joker from Russian watchmaker Konstantin Chaykin. If you’re not familiar with the Joker, it’s a very clever piece … ContinuedThe post Vince’s Konstantin Chaykin is no joking matter appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
Editor’s note: Bruce doesn’t write for us too much, but when he does, it’s absolute gold. From his classic Batman review to this extended wear of the Tudor Black Bay GMT. A great, insightful take on one of the hottest pieces in the market right now. When the Tudor Black Bay GMT debuted this year … ContinuedThe post Spending a month with the Tudor Black Bay GMT appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
WatchAdvice
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...
Revolution
As the original creator of the diver’s watch, Blancpain looks not only to maintain this lofty standing, but finds a way to continue evolving.
SJX Watches
Those unfamiliar with the world of ultra-bling Rolex watches must wonder – who are they catered to? Dictators? Drug dealers? Nightclub owners? Instagram influencers? But the answer is actually something more common. All of us inevitably know someone like this: the middle-aged man usually in athletic wear by Louis Vuitton and Gucci, and whose idea of formal wear is an embroidered velvet suit from Dolce & Gabbana that resembles curtains from a chateau. He’ll probably drive a super car that is “stickered”, either the whole car wrapped in a matte, metallic finish, or worse, “stickered” with flames and stripes on the sides. Then this gentleman will probably be wearing a watch like this. And if he isn’t, he will really want one. It’s easy to poke fun but the nattily dressed gent is enjoying himself and who can fault that? And so it is with this watch, which has certain, look-at-me appeal that is just calling out to be enjoyed. This is the new and uncommon Daytona ref. 116578SACO with an orange sapphire-set bezel. Cosmograph Daytona ref. 116578SACO Each year Rolex unveils a handful of bejewelled watches that are shown to the press and public at Baselworld – last year’s was the Daytona “rainbow” and this year had the Day-Date “rainbow” – while also releasing a smaller number of gem-set models on the quiet, which are usually only shown to retailers. This year’s hush-hush launches included the GMT-Master II “SARU” in Everose gold, but als...
Time+Tide
Editor’s note: In 2019 heritage reissues are NBD. But back in 2015 the rules of the game hadn’t yet been nailed down. One of the standouts back then (and indeed now) was Oris, with their Divers Sixty-Five - it was a near perfect take. And one worth taking a second look at … The story … ContinuedThe post Still one of the greatest – the Oris Divers Sixty-Five appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
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...
Time+Tide
Editor’s note: The other day I caught up with someone who’d recently picked up an A. Lange & Söhne 1815 Up/Down, and holding it in my hand - by golly gosh, those German guys at ALS know their way around a watch. This piece might not be their most complicated or most hyped, but it’s … ContinuedThe post No downsides to the A. Lange & Söhne 1815 Up/Down appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
You might not have noticed but we’ve hit the Omega Speedmaster pretty hard this week. Though, in our defence, we think it’s justified, what with the 50th anniversary of the Moon landing and all that. A few days ago, Felix asked the deep question of what actually makes a Speedmaster, and this morning we had … ContinuedThe post Speedy stories – 3 tales of Omega Speedmaster love appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
The original Perpetual Ludwig was launched in 1996 to mark the 150th anniversary of Ulysse Nardin. Its brilliantly conceived calendar mechanism showed the calendar in legible windows, while allowing it to be set backwards and forwards, even around midnight, via the crown – in short, the calendar could be set in any direction, at any time, without the need for any tools. Subsequent iterations of the watch grew progressively bigger – unfortunately many got progressively uglier – but two years ago Ulysse Nardin rolled out the Classico Perpetual Ludwig (alongside other historical remakes), which stuck to the original styling, albeit in a larger case. Powered by the same movement from 1996, the Classico Perpetual Ludwig remains an ingenious innovation despite being over 20 years old, and the new remake also manages to be good value. The UN-33 of the Perpetual Ludwig Ulysse Nardin’s signature blue enamel logo on the crown Ludwig and his wheels The watch gets its name from Ludwig Oechslin, an inventive, self-taught watchmaker whose professional qualifications are in ancient history and archaeology. Working for Ulysse Nardin while it was owned by the late Rolf Schynder, a Swiss entrepreneur who made his fortune making low-cost movements in Asia, Mr Oechslin was responsible for the bulk of the brand’s inventions, from the Freak to the astronomical Trilogy of Time. Mr Oechslin’s fundamental innovation in the Perpetual Ludwig – patents EP1351104B1 and CH6968...
Time+Tide
Tudor S&G; this, Patek 5172G that, but wouldn’t you rather have something … different? Year after year it’s the same story. News breaks in January and March, and all you hear about are these “hero watches” from brands X, Y, and Z time and time again. Sure, that’s cool, and there’s a reason there is … ContinuedThe post 9 of the most underrated chronographs of 2019 appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
Editor’s note: OK, so ‘fight’ might be a touch hyperbolic, but back when the Hermès Slim d’Hermès was first released it caused quite a stir. The most ardent fans were Ceri and Felix, and this is an account of their slightly tête-à-tête over this elegant, well-designed watch … The story in a second With a slender … ContinuedThe post That time we got into a fight over Hermès appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
This week seems to be an appropriate one to ask what, as far as a product-focused watch news and review site goes, is a profoundly philosophical question: what is the Omega Speedmaster? Simple, non? Well, sort of. At the base level, the Speedmaster is Omega’s long-running family of professionally oriented chronographs. But it’s so much … ContinuedThe post What is the Omega Speedmaster? appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
Editor’s note: If you look at the profile of this Bulgari Octo Finissimo Skeleton Titanium Blue, there isn’t a lot to see. That’s because the watch is so darned thin! But the dial-side more than makes up for it, because Bulgari has cut the dial open, exposing all manner of goodness inside. Read on for … ContinuedThe post The lovely bones – Bulgari’s Octo Finissimo Skeleton Titanium Blue appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
So it’s a little bit weird to be writing an intro blurb for my own ‘Every Watch Tells a Story’ video, but there you go. I’d also say that my own ‘story’, brief as it is, doesn’t stack up to some of the others we’ve got in terms of drama. But it is my story, … ContinuedThe post Felix’s first nice watch – an Archimede Pilot that’s still in the rotation 10 years on appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
While Grand Seiko watches are classical and often formal, the Grand Seiko Sport collection is all about larger, more casual watches, The latest addition to the Sport line is the Spring Drive GMT SBGE248, the first Grand Seiko with a yellow gold bezel and crown. Yellow gold has been widely used for Grand Seiko watch cases, including for the commemorative Grand Seiko Heritage SBGW252, but the two-tone look is a first for the brand – an indication of its conservative approach to design. The contrast of yellow gold and blue is a tried and tested – and perhaps slightly overdone – approach for a luxe sports watch, evidenced by the popular Rolex Submariner ref. 116613. On the new SBGE248, yellow gold is applied generously and the colour stands out. The bezel is 18k yellow gold, as is the crown, while the hour markers, hands and markings on the dial are all gilded. Though the bezel itself is gold, the insert is scratch-resistant sapphire, just as it is on the standard Spring Drive GMT. Size-wise the watch is identical to the standard model, with a case diameter of 44mm. The case is stainless steel, as is the bracelet. It is powered by the self-winding Spring Drive cal. 9R66 that guarantees an accuracy of within 15 seconds a month – or half a second a day – and a power reserve of 72 hours. The incredible accuracy is thanks to the electronically-regulated, mechanical oscillator inside; the regulation in turn is governed by a quartz oscillator with an integra...
SJX Watches
Perhaps the most successful ladies’ watch design of the 21st century, the all-ceramic J12 made Chanel a significantly player in watchmaking. After a run of nearly 20 years, the first generation J12 finally bowed out at Baselworld 2019, where it was replaced by the new J12. Possessed of not just a new design, but a “manufacture” movement produced by a joint venture of Chanel and Tudor, the new J12 is a major event for Chanel not just because it will sell in vast numbers, but because it’s the first entry-level watch powered by proprietary movement. The man behind the revamp of Chanel’s star wristwatch is Arnaud Chastaingt, a modest man with a keen eye for detail who leads the Chanel Watchmaking Creation Studio. A graduate of two Paris-based design schools, the École des Arts Appliqués and Strate School of Design, Mr Chastaingt spent a decade styling watches at Cartier before joining heading across the city to Chanel. The Calibre 1 inside the Monsieur de Chanel Since starting at Chanel in 2013, Mr Chastaingt has overseen a slew of new designs, most notably the brand’s first in-house, high-end men’s watch, the Monsieur de Chanel (which really impressed me at its launch). Unlike most watch designers, Mr Chastaingt oversees the design of the entire watch, including the movement, explaining why Chanel’s own movements share a distinctive house style centred on repeating circles. I recently spoke with Mr Chastaingt explain the genesis of the J12. He wa...
Time+Tide
Editor’s note: A little while ago, Andrew spent a week with the slender beauty that is the Piaget Altiplano 40mm Ultra-Thin date, an unusual expedition into the world of ultra-slim dress watches. So, here goes … This week on the wrist is borne almost purely out of curiosity. I have tried on Piaget Altiplano watches … ContinuedThe post Feeling thin with the Piaget Altiplano 40mm Ultra-Thin date pink gold appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
Panerai’s Radiomir is the diving brand’s most dressy offering, lacking some of the heft - as well as the crown guard - of its Luminor and Submersible brethren. But it’s still every inch (or should that be millimetre) a Panerai. That super-distinctive case, those hands and, of course, those numerals. This time around, we’ve been … ContinuedThe post Panerai’s latest lean, green timekeeping machines – PAM00995, PAM00998, PAM00999 and PAM00997 appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
Montblanc recently introduced the 1858 Split Second Chronograph with a bronze case, black, multi-scale dial, and a monopusher, split-seconds Minerva movement inside. Priced at just 33,500 Swiss francs, it is a bargain as such things go. Now Montblanc has taken the covers off the one-of-a-kind, titanium version with a blue agate dial created for charity auction Only Watch 2019. Though it costs a bit more – the estimate is 42,000-48,000 Swiss francs – the watch still feels like a steal. The dial is made of blue agate, a hard, semiprecious stone, with a graduated colour that darkens towards the edges. Design-wise it’s the same as that found on the bronze model: inspired by a 1930s aviator’s chronograph made by Minerva, it has a double chronograph scale – a telemeter on the outer rim and a snail-shaped tachymeter in the middle. The contrast of white and red against the blue dial is both refreshing and striking. Notably, the dial forgoes the faux-aged “lume” of the bronze model; the cathedral hands and numerals are instead filled with white Super-LumiNova, letting the retro design speak for itself. The large dimensions of the case remain unchanged from the standard bronze model – 44mm in diameter and 14.55mm high – but it’s significantly lighter thanks to the lightness of titanium. The sapphire caseback reveals the gorgeous, hand-wound and hand-finished MB M16.31. It is essentially the MB M16.29 derived from a pocket watch movement, but w...
Time+Tide
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.
Time+Tide
Editor’s note: Beyond being one of the greatest tennis players of our time, Novak Djokovic is a pretty great watch ambassador. He’s been with Seiko since 2014, and over the years the watch he’s most often seen wearing (and occasionally lending his name to a limited edition) is the Astron. So, after he beat Roger … ContinuedThe post A winning watch – The Seiko Astron Novak Djokovic wore as he hoisted the Wimbledon 2019 trophy high appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Question, suggestion, or just want to say hi? Drop a note.