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Ulysse Nardin Introduces Jul 3, 2023

Ulysse Nardin Introduces the Freak X Enamel Blue

Ulysse Nardin is introducing a more classical iteration of its affordable Freak to mark the 15th year of PMT The Hour Glass, a luxury watch retailer in Thailand. The Freak X Enamel Blue maintains the avant-garde styling of the model while introducing a touch of old school elegance with a captivating blue enamel dial embellished with vibrant guilloché. Initial thoughts Ulysse Nardin, known for its experimental designs, pleasantly surprises by integrating a champlevé enamel dial into a watch that is otherwise unabashedly modern. The standout feature is the dial that combines the artistry of enamelling and guilloché, made possible by the brand’s in-house dial factory. This infusion of classicism into the inherently contemporary watch results in an understated and surprisingly harmonious aesthetic. As is always the case with a novel limited edition, hopefully Ulysse Nardin will maintain the exclusivity of this design and refrain from replicating too much in future models. The Freak X Enamel Blue carries a price tag of US$40,100, almost twice the cost of the standard model. While the dial is traditional enamel – painted and fired by hand in other words – the construction and movement remain unchanged over the standard model, making the price hard to rationalise. 15th anniversary The Freak X edition commemorates the fifteenth anniversary of PMT The Hour Glass, a joint venture between local jeweller Prima Times (PMT) and Singapore watch retailer The Hour Glass. Establish...

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Time+Tide

Chopard team up Jun 30, 2023

Chopard team up with BWD for the Mille Miglia GTS Power Control Bamford Edition ‘Desert Racer’

The Chopard Mille Miglia GTS Power Control Bamford Edition ‘Desert Racer’ is a 50-piece limited edition It comes with a robust bead-blasted titanium case, frosted black dial, orange accents, 60-hour COSC-certified movement This second edition succeeds their initial 2021 collaboration These days, most brands specialise in a specific segment of watches. Some skew towards strictly … ContinuedThe post Chopard team up with BWD for the Mille Miglia GTS Power Control Bamford Edition ‘Desert Racer’ appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

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Time+Tide

Richard Mille goes head Jun 28, 2023

Richard Mille goes head to head with Rolex with their own Le Mans centenary-celebrating RM 72-01 LMC Limited Edition

Richard Mille and the Le Mans Classic have joined forces since 2002 While celebrating 100 years of Le Mans, the RM 72-01 LMC is limited to 150 pieces The ’16’ on the 24-hour counter is underlined in red, a nod to the traditional start time of the endurance race When the 24 Hours of Le … ContinuedThe post Richard Mille goes head to head with Rolex with their own Le Mans centenary-celebrating RM 72-01 LMC Limited Edition appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

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SJX Watches

Zenith Jun 26, 2023

Habring2 Introduces the Chrono-Felix Top-Second

Habring² continues its focus on affordable, interesting complications with the Chrono-Felix Top-Second. Dressed in a retro-military dial, the Top-Second is powered by the brand’s proprietary A11 movement like all Habring² watches. But it features a new (old) complication, the “Top Second”, essentially a running seconds indicator camouflaged within the “9” hour marker. Initial thoughts The Top-Second encapsulates the Habring² specialty of well-priced and interesting watches. It’s a chronograph with a complication that is the only one of its kind in modern-day watchmaking and priced under US$9,000 including 20% Austrian tax. That makes it excellent value – as is typical of Habring² – particularly considering the proprietary movement. Granted, the 1930s-military styling of the watch is fairly generic, though appealing in its functional nature. That said, Habring² is versatile when it comes to design and the brand typically unveils variations of its models so it is likely the Top-Second will return in other guises soon. Honest, affordable, and interesting First introduced in the 1960s by Mondia, a brand soon after acquired by Zenith, the Top Second is a discreet running seconds indicator. A coloured disc spins beneath a small aperture on the dial, showing that the seconds are passing and the movement is running without the need for a constant seconds hand. The Habring² take on the complication operates on the same principles as the Mondia original. A prop...

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Worn & Wound

Rolex Shock Drops New Daytona Jun 12, 2023

Rolex Shock Drops New Daytona Commemorating 100 Years of LeMans

This weekend marked the 100th running of the 24 hour race of Le Mans at the Circuit de la Sarthe in France, and Rolex took full advantage of the occasion with the release of a new Daytona with a dial that recalls the now famous ‘exotic’ dial, aka Newman dial, of older references. This release is surprising for a few reasons, and may even offer some insight to what we might expect from Rolex moving forward. We’ll get to all that, but in many ways, this is the Daytona that enthusiasts have been asking for since the late ‘80s – it’s the ‘greatest hits’ watch, perfectly capitalizing on the the new Daytona chassis released just earlier this year at Watches & Wonders, which we went hands-on with right here. First and foremost, Rolex is not in the habit of dropping new releases outside of their regular yearly cadence. We last saw it with the release of the Deepsea Challenge in late 2022, the first commercial Rolex to tout their RLX titanium material. While that watch could be considered something of an outlier, given its rather extreme nature, the Daytona is another story entirely. This new reference, the 126529LN officially, joins the new collection as a regular production model. That reference number ends in four characters that have never appeared together in the Daytona family, the 29 indicating a full white gold case and bracelet, and LN, or Lunette Noir, meaning it sports a black Cerachrom bezel. Vintage Rolex Daytona reference 6263 with exotic dial The firs...

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SJX Watches

Rolex Introduces Jun 10, 2023

Rolex Introduces the Cosmograph Daytona “Le Mans” Ref. 126529LN

Having surprised everyone with the Perpetual 1908, “Bubbles”, and “Puzzles”, Rolex continues to do the unexpected. Launched to mark the 100th year of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the Cosmograph Daytona ref. 126529 LN is a new model based on the latest-generation Daytona launched earlier this year. But the Daytona “Le Mans” is not merely a facelifted chronograph but contains the cal. 4132. The new movement swaps out the conventional 12-hour counter at nine for a 24-hour register in a nod to the famous endurance race that Rolex has sponsored for over two decades. But perhaps most pertinent for enthusiasts are sub-dials, which are modelled on the vintage Daytona “Paul Newman”. And while availability for the Daytona “Le Mans” will be limited, at least initially, it is a regular-production model that will be available at retailers and boutiques. Initial thoughts A new Daytona with a new movement is big news not because it’s majorly different – this is still very much a Daytona – but because Rolex rarely introduces new models outside of the annual watch fair in Switzerland. And when it does, the watch tends to be a surprise in more ways than one. The new Daytona is actually new, largely because contains a new calibre, a simple variation of the current Daytona movement, but one that is mechanically different nonetheless. The movement reflects the Rolex approach to engineering that does nothing in half measures. Even though the cal. 4132 inside the Daytona ...

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Time+Tide

Certina DS Action Diver takes May 31, 2023

The Certina DS Action Diver takes a trip to the darkside

The Certina DS Action Diver is now available in a stealthy black finish. The 43mm case is tamed by the black PVD and a 13.1mm thickness. It’s powered by the Powermatic 80, with an 80-hour power reserve. The growth of Certina’s catalogue in the last couple of years has been especially fun to watch as … ContinuedThe post The Certina DS Action Diver takes a trip to the darkside appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

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Worn & Wound

Urwerk Takes May 4, 2023

Urwerk Takes the UR100V Back to Basics with New “Magic T”

Urwerk released the UR100 concept to the world in late 2019 with a watch called SpaceTime.  The watch served as a new entry point to the brand, recalling the simplicity of their original 101 and 102 concepts, with an open view to their modern wandering hour carriage design. It was pure Urwerk, and it was also among their most wearable modern watches. The UR100V has matured over the years, with the addition of new materials, colors, and even strap options. It’s a watch that’s proven remarkably adept at expanding its personality in a variety of directions, from the Mayan style ‘Time and Culture’ to the other-worldly P.02 done with Collective Horology. At its core, though, the UR100 is a simple concept, and the latest addition to the collection leans into that simplicity.  The newest UR100V, dubbed the Magic T, gets a monochromatic treatment, presented in full bead blasted titanium from the case to the bracelet. The 3 dimensional dial adheres to the theme as well, with only sparse use of colors to aid in the legibility of telling the time (did I mention that this thing tells the time?). The Magic T is a distillation of the UR100 concept, a near bookend to the original SpaceTime, and an overall cleaner representation of the concept, which at its core, remains unchanged. Time is read via the hand rotating along the minute track at the bottom of the dial (if it can be called that?). The hand itself is attached to one of three hour carriages which house the rotating hou...

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Time+Tide

Breitling showcases Apr 28, 2023

FRIDAY WIND DOWN: Breitling showcases the Top Time among automotive royalty, Naoya Hida presents a new case, URWERK remain URWERK

Jumping right into another edition of the FWD, Breitling hosted a top event at Melbourne’s Dutton Garage for their Top Time line of chronographs. Inspired by iconic American cars, the Top Time pieces sat next to their respective inspirations – the Mustang, Corvette, Cobra and Thunderbird.   View this post on Instagram   A post … ContinuedThe post FRIDAY WIND DOWN: Breitling showcases the Top Time among automotive royalty, Naoya Hida presents a new case, URWERK remain URWERK appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

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SJX Watches

Cartier Introduces Apr 21, 2023

Cartier Introduces the Tank Normale Skeleton

Having just introduced a revived version of the classic Tank Normale, Cartier also debuted a modern take on the design, the Tank Normale Skeleton. It’s equipped with a in-house skeletonised movement done in Cartier’s typical geometric style, but with a discreet twist in the form of a 24-hour time display. Initial thoughts  At a glance the Tank Normale Skeleton might seem like yet another skeletonised Tank, of which there have been several over the years. But look closer and it emerges as something more interesting. The dial tells the time on a 24-hour scale, a modest complication in mechanical terms but one that references Cartier’s historical day-and-night timepieces. And the complication is echoed in the sun-and-moon motif of the bridges rendered in a complementary Art Deco style. In short, it’s an elegant take on the day-and-night display done in quintessential Cartier style. Created especially for this model, the calibre inside is notably attractive. It’s fairly symmetrical in layout – the balance is at 12 o’clock while the barrel sits at six – and finished to match the style of the bridges. But it does still have an Etachron regulator, which is found in all Cartier skeleton movements but still out of place considering the price. And the price is steep. At US$71,000 in yellow gold and slightly more in platinum, it is pricey for a relatively straightforward skeleton watch. In comparison, the Santos-Dumont Skeleton Micro-Rotor also launched this year is ...

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D Deployant

Deployant

Patek Philippe Calatrava Travel Time Ref Apr 17, 2023

Review: The New Patek Philippe Calatrava Travel Time Ref. 5224R-001

Patek Philippe unveils the Calatrava 24-Hour Display Travel Time Ref. 5224R-001, its first wristwatch with time exclusively displayed in 24-hour format.

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Worn & Wound

Timex Q Gets Unusual Three Apr 13, 2023

Timex Q Gets Unusual Three Time Zone Chronograph

The wildly popular Timex Q collection welcomes a new, more complicated family this week with the introduction of the Q Three Time Zone Chronograph. The new watch brings a new level of practicality to the 40mm integrated frame with the addition of a 24 hour hand, a 12 hour bezel, and two adjustable hour hands. It might be called the Three Time Zone watch, but thanks to that 12 hour rotating bezel, you could actually track 5 if you really needed to. Timex is encouraging you to hit the open road with this watch, and it’s easy to see why, but we’ve still got a few questions about this one.  At a glance, this Timex Q looks to be a pretty straightforward GMT equipped chronograph, not an entirely uncommon function grouping for a quartz module. But the closer you look, the more odd details you’ll begin to notice. Is that second hour hand a GMT hand? If so, why is the bezel a 12 hour unit? There is no am/pm indication in sight, and Timex refers to that hand simply as the “2nd hour hand”. Closer still and you’ll notice that the 24 hour is actually located in the sub dial at 12 o’clock. This is an independently adjustable 24 hour hand that can be used to track home time, while the 1st and second hour hands can track local, and local adjacent (again, no am/pm indication) time zones against the circular hour markers, and a twist of the 12 hour bezel will even let you track an additional two. That’s 5 total by my count, though I’m not sure how practical doing so would...

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Time+Tide

Apr 9, 2023

Zach’s top five watches from Watches & Wonders 2023 (Live Pics)

Last year during the fair, Andrew and I were able to find the time to sit down and share our top five picks on camera in a full feature-length video. Unfortunately, this year at Watches & Wonders, our schedule was so jam-packed we were unable to find a spare half hour to film a sequel. … ContinuedThe post Zach’s top five watches from Watches & Wonders 2023 (Live Pics) appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

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Worn & Wound

Parmigiani Fleurier Premiers Minute Rattrapante Within Apr 3, 2023

Parmigiani Fleurier Premiers Minute Rattrapante Within Tonda PF Collection

One of our favorite releases from Watches & Wonders 2022 last year was the Parmigiani Fleurier Tonda PF GMT Rattrapante, a watch that presented a unique hidden 2nd hour hand that could be adjusted to a different time zone with a press of a button in the lug. For 2023, Parmigiani returns to this concept in a slightly different manner, with the Tonda PF Minute Rattrapante. Instead of offering a second 12 hour hand, this latest Tonda brings us a second, independently adjustable minute hand, offering the functionality we’d typically see in a rotating bezel, only, you know, without the bezel. As fun as bezels are to turn, pressing buttons might even be more fun, and this Parmigiani is about as entertaining as they come from a functional point of view. A bit less so in the visual department, but this is still a Tonda through and through.  The Minute Rattrapante presents not one, but two buttons in both lugs along the 9 o’clock side of the case. These are used to adjust the second minute hand in 5 minute, and 1 minute increments. If you’ve just plugged your parking meter for 24 minutes, and you need to keep tabs on it, you’d press the button on the bottom four times to place the hand 20 minutes out, and the button at the top 4 times to bring it the full 24 minutes out. That will remain parked at that spot, while the regular minute hand catches up to it, eventually surpassing it to let you know how far you’ve gone over. Exactly the same as rotating the triangle of your ...

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R Revolution

Revolution

Frederique Constant Niels Eggerding Managing Director Mar 31, 2023

VIDEO: The Highlife Worldtimer and Classics Tourbillon Manufacture by Frederique Constant

Niels Eggerding. Managing Director at Frederique Constant, shares with Revolution Founder Wei Koh the novelties that his brand presented at Watches and Wonders 2023. These include the 41mm Highlife Worldtimer in 18k rose gold or steel, powered by the automatic FC-718 Manufacture with 38-hour power reserve and limited to 35 pieces for the gold model; […]

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Time+Tide

Tudor Royal collection offers refined Mar 28, 2023

The new Tudor Royal collection offers refined variation

The new Tudor Royal models are paired with chocolate brown and salmon dials. There are four case sizes spanning from 28mm to 41mm. Each watch is available with or without diamond hour markers. Any time a design risk is taken, people could turn one way or another. The Tudor Royal is undoubtedly their most visually … ContinuedThe post The new Tudor Royal collection offers refined variation appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

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Daniel Roth tourbillon recently reborn as Mar 27, 2023

Kudoke Introduces the Kudoke 3

German independent Kudoke has carved out its own niche with a distinctive blend of English-inspired movements and Germanic attention-to-detail in its Handwerk line of watches. The latest addition to the line is the Kudoke 3, which largely sticks to the successful formula of prior models, but offers a twist in the form of a split-level dial and triple-scale hour display. Once known primarily for ostentatiously skeletonised Unitas calibers, such as the watch worn by Dominic Monaghan’s character in Last Looks, Kudoke hit the reset button in 2019 with Handwerk line comprised of the Kudoke 1 and 2. The collection introduced a more restrained design aesthetic and importantly, brand’s first proprietary movement. The Kudoke 3 continues down this path, but goes further in terms of creative design. The Handwerk collection (from left): Kudoke 1, Kudoke 2, and Kudoke 3 Initial thoughts As a fan of modern German (and historical English) watchmaking, I’ve been impressed with the brand’s work since the launch of the Kudoke 1. Like Habring² and Laine, Kudoke offers a compelling alternative to mass-produced luxury watches. The Kudoke 3 is a thoughtful and unconventional addition to the Dresden-based brand’s growing collection, offering a novel time display with three scales for the hours along with a three-armed hour hand. This triple-scale calls to mind the distinctive seconds register of the 1990s Daniel Roth tourbillon (recently reborn as the Tourbillon Souscription), but ...

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Time+Tide

Tudor Black Bay Mar 27, 2023

The new Tudor Black Bay in burgundy sports a Jubilee-style bracelet

The new Tudor Black Bay in burgundy fills the hole of the discontinued red Heritage Black Bay. It features modern Tudor features such as an in-house movement with a 70 hour power reserve. You can choose between their riveted bracelet, a Jubilee-style bracelet, or a rubber strap, all with the T-fit clasp system. Fears have … ContinuedThe post The new Tudor Black Bay in burgundy sports a Jubilee-style bracelet appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

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Worn & Wound

Bell & Ross BR05 Skeleton Golden We’re Mar 20, 2023

[Hands-On] The Bell & Ross BR05 Skeleton Golden

We’re not yet at the stage that the BR05 is seen as THE Bell & Ross-there’s still a long way to go before it could dethrone the classic square silhouette of the BR01 and BR03 models-but it feels like it has grown up enough to be seen as not just another brand jumping on the integrated bracelet sport watch bandwagon. It’s not even four years since the first of the BR05 variants were unveiled, and during that time we have seen three-handers, chronographs and GMTs. Stainless steel watches have seen bead-blasting and ‘Artline’ finishing. There have been rose gold and two-tone cases. Dials have come in black, white, copper, green, and blue. And lets not forget the Kenissi powered BR-X5 which has also evolved from the same case. As I browse the BR05 catalogue, both past and present, I’m struck by two thoughts. Firstly, there have been a LOT of different watches in this line. It’s not surprising that a brand should choose to repeat and rework a flagship model, but even allowing for quite a number of limited editions, that’s still a lot of releases since the original 2019 debut. This leads to my second thought. Despite always being impressed with the overall aesthetic, case design and finishing, why haven’t I found one that I really like? Finding my own answer to that has required me to attempt to classify what type of watch the BR05 actually is. $6600 [Hands-On] The Bell & Ross BR05 Skeleton Golden Case Stainless Stee Movement BR-CAL.322 (Base SW300-1) Dia...

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Worn & Wound

Nivada Grenchen Mar 9, 2023

Nivada Launches the F77, a Reissue of their Own 1970s Integrated Bracelet Sports Watch

It would be easy to say that Nivada Grenchen is jumping onto the integrated bracelet sports watch bandwagon with their latest release, the F77, but that would be entirely unfair and miss the point of this reissue altogether. This is a release that Nivada has been teasing on social media for months, and now that we can see the finished product, it’s pretty clear that it fits in neatly with the rest of the brand’s catalog, and is deserving of having a moment in the spotlight, irrespective of where the larger conversation is when it comes to watches in this genre. To be honest, we have been talking about integrated bracelet sports watches for so long and at such a high pitch, it’s hard to know the temperature on these in a wider context. But that’s completely fine, as it allows us to look at the F77 on its own terms.  The first critical piece of information to know about the F77 is that like other Nivada Grenchen releases, it’s based on an actual historical piece, and falls squarely into the broad “reissue” category. Launched in 1977, it was a particularly early example of the integrated sports watch. Vintage examples are quite rare, but still remain largely under the radar, which will perhaps change as the new version makes its way onto wrists, social media, and the public consciousness.  What we have in the new F77 is a sports watch that is largely faithful to the original version from the late 70s. Sized at just 37mm, it has an intentionally small footprint...

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Worn & Wound

Nivada Grenchen Gives Us Mar 2, 2023

Nivada Grenchen Gives Us the Best of All Worlds with Chronoking Meca-Quartz

Nivada Grenchen’s Chronomaster Aviator Sea Diver represents their interpretation of a multi-functional steel sports chronograph teeming with vintage attributes. The collection’s signature – a two subdial display, tachymeter scale integrated into the outer dial, and a rotating bezel that subtly incorporates a 12 hour display giving the already highly capable chronograph the ability to track another timezone. The vintage aesthetic doesn’t just harken back to the designs of your classic steel sport of watch of the 60’s and 70’s, it actually pulls from the very same design cues of the original Nivada Grenchen chronographs. Nivada’s current Chronoking Manual in particular retains the collection’s design language, but doubles down on the age-old appearance with its chocolate-toned subdials and yellow markers. Topping it all off, the Chronoking encases a Sellita SW510 manual movement in a tidy 38mm case. These are all attractive features and the norm within the Chronoking, as well as the rest of the Chronomaster Aviator Sea Diver collection. The only caveat here is that their chronographs are positioned within a crowded price tier filled with brands offering something relatively similar in design and function. However recently, Nivada Grenchen released a very enticing iteration of their Chronoking in the Chronoking Meca-Quartz. Albeit sold out, the Nivada Grenchen Chronoking Meca-Quartz includes all the charming traits and functionality at an approachable $479. Vi...

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Worn & Wound

Timex Marlin Automatic Sub-Dial Kicks Mar 1, 2023

The Timex Marlin Automatic Sub-Dial Kicks it into Sport Mode

The Timex Marlin at its core, is a dress watch. I’m referring to the first Marlin that comes to mind when you think of this particular model. You know, the one with the 34mm case, hour numerals using a vintage typeface, and an accompanying faux-gator leather strap. Believe it or not, this style of watch was normally worn during any activity back in its day. From working at the office, right into doing household chores during the weekend. Think Don Draper wearing a similarly styled watch while cutting the lawn. Sure we could do the same, but nowadays there’s just way too many good steel sports watches out there for them to just sit on the sidelines while they watch their dressier watchbox mate get all the wrist time. Timex’s latest iteration of their flagship dress watch aims to fill that void in their current Marlin collection by becoming a bit more sportier via a new-look dial. One look at the Marlin Automatic Sub-Dial could have you mistaken for a refined version of your quintessential Timex field watch, but it is in fact a Marlin. The main reason here is the new set of numerals used to demarcate the hours. The collection of numerals are more sizable, much bolder, and a new typeface all together. The font leans into Sans Serif territory and as a result, the numerals look friendlier and playful, while also being more legible at the same time. The natural boldness of this new typeface accentuates the curves of each numeral, especially the unique looking flat top “4...

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Time+Tide

Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Tech Gombessa Feb 16, 2023

The Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Tech Gombessa is “a pure diving instrument” for the modern age

The Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Tech Gombessa presents a world-first three-hour timing bezel The “absolute black” dial captures almost 97% of the light to make the lume pop and enhance underwater legibility The release continues the 70th birthday celebrations of the Fifty Fathoms Laurent Ballesta is the closest thing we have to a modern-day Jacques Costeau. The … ContinuedThe post The Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Tech Gombessa is “a pure diving instrument” for the modern age appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

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Worn & Wound

Feb 10, 2023

G-SHOCK’s Latest Titanium Release Combines the Aesthetics of a Circuit Board with Camouflage to Great Effect

G-SHOCK has had a string of successful releases over the past few years with full metal watches that incorporate some type of interesting, laser engraved design. It turns out that the G-SHOCK case and bracelet is a surprisingly versatile canvas for compelling camo designs, sci-fi influenced schematics, and the touch of an actual artist. With this latest release, the design influence is actually G-SHOCK itself, using the design of their own circuit board as a jumping off point for a very contemporary watch that pays tribute to the brand’s roots.  The G-SHOCK Circuit Camouflage, reference GMWB5000TCC1, is billed as a titanium version of the very first G-SHOCK, the famed DW-5000C. You’ll note that the new watch shares the same iconic case lines as that early G-SHOCK release, just in titanium, rather than resin. The camo-like design that has been laser etched on the case and bracelet is a real G-SHOCK insider’s treat. The pattern is lifted from the 3459 circuit board found in the GMWB5000 series watches, and has been meticulously recreated using some fairly high end manufacturing techniques.  The base of the watch is a coating of black IP. This ion plating technique has been the go-to process for G-SHOCK in virtually all of their recent coated metal watches. The circuit board pattern is drawn twice using a laser irradiation process, once prior to the black IP coating, and then again after. According to G-SHOCK, this process gives the pattern a depth that would not othe...

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Worn & Wound

Accutron Astronaut GMT Makes Feb 7, 2023

The Accutron Astronaut GMT Makes its Return to Horology Relevancy with Re-Edition of “T” Model

Back in the days, when the market for an affordable GMT was incredibly sparse, I distinctly recall the Bulova Accutron Astronaut as being one of the potential vintage options to add to the collection. At the time, I was already attracted to the aesthetic of a 24 hour steel bezel on a black dial watch, and the pairing of its faded green markers, as well as the italicized Astronaut wordmark, made it all the more appealing. Sadly, the Astronaut never made its way into the watchbox. Since then however, we’ve seen Bulova release several Accutron models in the form of the Legacy Collection, Spaceview, and DNA. But despite popular reissued designs like the Bulova Lunar Pilot Chronograph, we have yet to see a re-edition of the Accutron Astronaut GMT … until today. The new Accutron Astronaut is based off of the original 1968 “T” model featuring a distinct 41mm saucer steel case and a short lug set that just reveal themselves under the bezel. From overhead, the bezel eclipses the entire case making you want to look sideways at the thing. Like literally, sideways. Doing so displays the slim midcase that then angles inwards towards the caseback. No battery hatch here, as the caseback sports a semicircle exhibition display akin to that of a window on a space shuttle, providing an opportunity to peer inside at the Astronaut’s Sellita SW330 GMT movement. Despite the name Accutron, where its latter syllable is derived from the word “electronic,” from the original model’s t...

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Worn & Wound

Maurice Lacroix Teams Up Feb 6, 2023

Maurice Lacroix Teams Up with Mohindra Racing for a New Aikon Tide

It’s been almost a year since Maurice Lacroix unveiled the Aikon Tide watches. These colorful sports watches made from up-cycled ocean plastics represent a new entry point into the Maurice Lacroix collection, coming in at under $1,000 and making an overt play for the hard earned cash of a younger watch consumer. When the watches launched a year ago, many in the community rolled their eyes at another brand jumping on the green bandwagon with a “plastic” watch. But in the months since the Tide’s launch, a plastic watch of a different variety has absolutely taken over the watch world. The MoonSwatch is, admittedly, at a lower price point, but the enthusiastic response to those watches proves that nontraditional and considerably less expensive materials are capable of catching on in the right package. The Tide, then, isn’t going anywhere, and Maurice Lacroix has just unveiled a new version with their partners at Mahindra Racing in an appealing new colorway that might serve to remind some that there are other brands to consider in the plastic watch realm.  Maurice Lacroix has had a relationship with Mahindra Racing since 2020. The team is part of the founding group of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, which is the premier circuit for the latest crop of single seater electric race cars. The new crop of electrics are serious pieces of tech unto themselves, with lightning quick acceleration and top speeds approaching 200 miles per hour. As with F1 and other moto...

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Q Quill & Pad

Quill & Pad

HYT Feb 5, 2023

HYT Moon Runner: A Moon Phase Straight Outta Cyberpunk

The HYT Moon Runner is straight out of cyberpunk, blurring the line between terrestrial and interplanetary travel, with massive, diverse, and dark cityscapes filled with glowing neon. And then there’s its semi-spherical moonphase, capillary hour display, minutes, date and month. Joshua Munchow takes a closer look.

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SJX Watches

Christopher Ward Team Up Jan 20, 2023

Fears and Christopher Ward Team Up for the Alliance 01

English independent watchmakers Fears and Christopher Ward have teamed up to create a new take on the jump hour complication with the Alliance 01. A collaborative effort that plays to the strengths of each brand, the Alliance 01 was made expressly for the Alliance of British Watch and Clock Makers, a trade body for horologists in the United Kingdom. It combines the minimalist, vintage-inspired aesthetic espoused by Fears with the affordable complications of Christopher Ward. Initial thoughts I was intrigued when I learned Christopher Ward was teaming up with Fears. At first glance, the Alliance 01 looks like another version of the Brunswick, one of Fears’ signature models since the brand’s revival six years ago. But it is best described as Fears watch containing a Christopher Ward movement. It smartly combines each brand’s strengths – Fears’ vintage-inspired styling and Christopher Ward’s accessibly-priced, simple complications. Despite the resemblance to Fears’ other models, the Alliance 01 is appreciably different from anything Fears has done to date. But it still has the retro elegance typical of Fears, which actually makes the watch look simpler, despite the added complication. Though the design is elegant, the Alliance 01 is chunky, especially for a watch of this style. With dimensions comparable to a Rolex Daytona, the case height of just under 13 mm mean it will sit thickly on the wrist. If there were a bone to pick with the watch, it would be the lack...

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S SJX Watches

SJX Watches

Audemars Piguet Code 11.59 Starwheel Jan 2, 2023

Up Close: Audemars Piguet Code 11.59 Starwheel

In an unexpected, end-of-year announcement, Audemars Piguet unveiled the Code 11.59 Starwheel, reviving the wandering hours complication that had been absent from its catalogue since 2003. Inspired by a 17th century clock, the wandering hours made its way into wristwatches thanks to Audemars Piguet (AP), which debuted the first wristwatch with the display in 1991. Retaining the familiar three-disc hour display, the new Starwheel is nonetheless an entirely different watch from the compact original. Powered by an in-house movement contained in the Code 11.59 case, the Starwheel has physical presence by virtue of its size, but also a surprising degree of refinement thanks to the excellent finishing of the dial and case. Initial thoughts With a modern look defined by dark colours and instrument-like numerals, the Code 11.59 Starwheel looks pretty much the same as it does in photos – but it is far more appealing than expected. In the metal the watch has an impressive degree of visual detail, particularly the polished bevels on the dial components, and a reassuringly solid feel, all of which give it a great deal of tactile appeal. The refinement in terms of visual detail also translates into the movement, which is in-house both in terms of the base and module. Although it functions identically to the original Star Wheel, the Code 11.59 model has an improved display mechanism. Instead of the periodic rotation found in the original model, the discs rotate continually throughout ...

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R Revolution

Revolution

Unimatic x Revolution & Dec 28, 2022

Up Close With the Unimatic x Revolution & The Rake Modello Uno GMT “Arctic Fox”

Take a closer look at the U1 GMT in an all-white Cerakote coating with stonewashed finishing. Every single watch is unique and slightly different from other pieces due to the random wear patterns created during the hand-finished process, giving it a distinctive feel. For maximum legibility, the watch features a 24-hour matte aluminum bezel, black-tipped […]

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