Results for Watch Crown Types

Interview: Timex Design Director Giorgio Galli Chats About His Time At Swatch, His Creative Process, And Gérald Genta

The design powerhouse has spent the last 30 years improving the aesthetics of entry-level watchmaking.

HYT Returns with the Hastroid

Having been the first – and still the only – watchmaker to use liquid to display the time, HYT went bust last year, having struggled for several years after its 2012 debut. But now the brand is making a comeback with Davide Cerrato at the helm. The inaugural watch of the reborn HYT is the Hastroid Green Nebula that is dressed in brand’s familiar livery of lime green and black. Best known for being the design chief at first Tudor and then Montblanc, Mr Cerrato has applied his brand of Italian aesthetics to HYT, preserving its signature style while streamlining and downsizing the watches. Still large, but slightly thinner and definitely sleeker, the Hastroid continues the familiar formula found on most previous HYT watches – hours are indicated by a retrograde fluid indicator within a glass tube, while two large bellows are responsible for pumping the fluid indicator back and forth. Initial thoughts I was sceptical when I first heard that HYT was back from the dead, but knowing that Mr Cerrato is leading the charge certainly increases the odds of success. He did a stellar job shaping the visual identities of both Tudor and Montblanc – both of which still have the same house style today – and has certainly refined the HYT wristwatch while retaining its familiar feel. The Having seen a resin mockup of the Hastroid, I can attest to the fact that the watch is more compact and slightly more wearable than a first-generation HYT. At the same time, Mr Cerrato has given...

Dandy Watches: What They Are And Why You Might Consider One - Reprise

As there is no official, universally accepted, or legally binding description of what a dandy watch is, Martin Green takes it upon himself to coin one. A dandy (like Martin) doesn't follow fashion, but walks to the beat of his own drum. Here Martin shares a few watches that he thinks are just dandy.

Martin’s Top 5 Watches Of 2021

There is a wide variety of criteria that Martin Green might apply to make a list of his top 5 watches of 2021, but he has chosen to follow the most important one: whether when he first saw the watch it brought a rush of excitement and continues to do so every time he sees it. Here he shares his five favorites of 2021, and some may surprise you.

VIDEO: The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore 43 Flyback Chronograph

Born in 1972, the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak is known for being the original luxury stainless-steel sports watch. The line has since grown and evolved, with multiple collections making up the Royal Oak name. The Offshore was developed to speak to the modern consumer, who at the time of its launch was skewing towards larger … ContinuedThe post VIDEO: The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore 43 Flyback Chronograph appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

History Of Ferrari Watches: Hublot, A High-Speed Partnership

Ferrari had already teamed up with quite a few different watch brands to feature the Prancing Horse logo on the wrist: Cartier, Girard-Perregaux, and Panerai are forces to be reckoned with, yet it was Hublot who enjoyed the greatest success in partnering with the famed car brand from Maranello. And Martin Green thinks that this might be the most successful car/watch partnership that the industry has seen so far. What do you think?

Introducing: Swatch x Supriya Lele Is All About Color, Print, and Nostalgia

The British-Indian fashion designer channels the '90s in her first Swatch collaboration.

Lewis Hamilton vs. Max Verstappen / IWC vs. TAG Heuer: The One Formula 1 Race Where Everyone Wins

With the 2021 Formula 1 season's last race taking place this weekend, December 10-12, 2021, in Abu Dhabi, and Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) and Max Verstappen (Red Bull) tied for first place, the heat is on like never before. The battle between Hamilton and Verstappen is, in essence, also a competition between the two watch brands who sponsor them: IWC (Hamilton) and TAG Heuer (Verstappen), with both brands benefitting from the battles on the track. Martin Green takes a closer look.

Four unexpected takeaways from the new Tiffany Blue 5711 - the real final victory lap of Patek’s Nautilus

Earlier this year, Patek Philippe announced that the Nautilus, the most sought-after watch in the entire world, was being retired. The acclaimed reference would have one final victory lap – which many of us believed was a pair of Nautilus watches with olive-green dials, one with a diamond bezel. VIP collectors chased after the duo, … ContinuedThe post Four unexpected takeaways from the new Tiffany Blue 5711 – the real final victory lap of Patek’s Nautilus appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Bell & Ross BR 03-92 Diver Full Lum: The Little Details Are Lit! - Reprise

Diver’s watches are meant to be rough, tough tool watches, and limited editions are made to cash in on a model’s popularity. The Bell & Ross BR 03-92 Diver Full Lum is both, yet disproves these paradox presumptions as Martin Green discovered after wearing this watch for a while. What did he think? It's lit!

Michael Caine in Get Carter demonstrates the timeless cool of a Rolex Day-Date on a brown leather strap

Named as Quentin Tarantino’s favourite British film, the gangster classic Get Carter turns 50 this year. It follows Michael Caine as Jack Carter who travels to Newcastle to avenge his brother’s death and winds up single-handedly taking on the local mob. Directed by Mike Hodges, Get Carter proved a controversial film at the time with its … ContinuedThe post Michael Caine in Get Carter demonstrates the timeless cool of a Rolex Day-Date on a brown leather strap appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

New: Swatch X Peanuts Collection on Chillout TGIFriday!

Swatch watches introduces 6 new watches with the Peanuts theme, featuring Snoopy, Charlie Brown, Woodstock, and the rest of the Peanuts gang! Available now!

EDITOR’S NOTE: Reflecting on happier times, when you could go on a waiting list for a 5711, and actually get “the call”

Editor’s note: If you can get one at retail the green dial Patek Philippe Nautilus 5711/014 would set you back $34,893 USD. But that’s one extremely big “if”. Consequently, people are willing to pay crazy prizes for what is still a watch that only came out this year. Recently, for example, a Nautilus 5711/014  sold on … ContinuedThe post EDITOR’S NOTE: Reflecting on happier times, when you could go on a waiting list for a 5711, and actually get “the call” appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Louis Vuitton Tambour Carpe Diem: A Striking Reminder To Make Every Precious Moment Count

One of Martin Green's favorite watches of 2021 is the Louis Vuitton Tambour Carpe Diem. At rest, the time is not visible on this watch. However, after pushing a snake-shaped button the entire dial comes to life as a rattlesnake begins to move and the skull begins to laugh at you. And finally you can see the time (but only if you need to).

VIDEO: Relive the 80s with the Swatch BIOCERAMIC 1984 Reloaded Collection

The year 1984 was full of cultural impact. Fortunately for all of us, it was by no means what George Orwell predicted in his classic dystopian novel – in fact it was actually full of bright standout moments. Musically it was the year of Prince’s Purple Rain and Madonna’s Like a Virgin and in the … ContinuedThe post VIDEO: Relive the 80s with the Swatch BIOCERAMIC 1984 Reloaded Collection appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Swatch Unveils the Halloween Capsule Collection

Thematic capsule collections are a Swatch favourite, with recent launches including watches dedicated to the latest James Bond film and NASA. With hyper-efficient, automated manufacturing and simply constructed watches, Swatch is able to keep current with its thematic collections. And now with Halloween around the corner, Swatch has just taken the covers off the line up dedicated to the ghoulish celebration – the Halloween Capsule Collection, made up of a pair of watches that are glow-in-the-dark and appear entirely different from day to night. Your Time is Coming (left), and Run But You Can’t Hide Initial thoughts Glow-in-the-dark watches are cool because they light up in the dark. Swatch takes the concept and goes big with the Halloween pair – the watches are a bold 47 mm in diameter and matched with straps that are entirely “lumed”. The Halloween pair also stand out for the contrast between their day and night looks, a characteristic that makes them all the more striking and attractive. During the day, the dials are surprisingly low-key, with the faces barely visible. The faces on the dials only reveal themselves at night And both watches are clearly all about design. The dials are both smartly streamlined, with as few time-telling elements as possible – there are neither hours markers nor a date, or even a seconds hand Even the hands are thin and skeletonised. The hands do the job, but are not quite as inventive as the floating, “ghost” hands found i...

Hands-On: Seiko Prospex 1959 Alpinist Re-creation

Most familiar with its metallic, forest-green dial, the modern-day Seiko Alpinist is a mid-range model that’s long been a crowd-favourite for its distinctive design and affordability. But today’s Alpinist with its distinctive twin crowns, a design introduced in 1998, couldn’t be further from the original Laurel Alpinist that debuted over half a century ago as a sports watch catered to mountaineers. The original Alpinist of 1959. Photo – Seiko Seiko has successful grown the current Alpinist line up to encompass a diversity of models – all of which feature alternating Arabic and arrowhead hour markers – but finally returned to the original design of 1959 with a quartet of vintage-inspired reissues that were launched earlier in the year. Amongst the four, the standout is the Prospex 1959 Alpinist Re-creation (ref. SJE085 or SBEN001), which is almost a like-for-like reissue (the other remakes are more loosely based on the original and officially known “Re-interpretations”). Most closely resembling the vintage original, the Alpinist Re-creation is the flagship model of the remakes, having a more elaborate execution as well as a higher-end movement. A cool “Bund” style strap with zigzag stitching evokes the strap on the 1959 original Initial thoughts The Alpinist Re-creation is an appealing little watch that’s almost straight out of a 1950s watch catalogue – save for the date window – thanks to the smallish 36.6 mm case and retro-style dial. It certa...

Weekend Rewind: Omega Isn't The Only Swatch Group Brand To Boast A Bond Watch

And it's not who you might expect.

Business News: Watchbox Forecasts 2021 Revenue to Cross US$300m

Having been founded in 2017 as a spinoff from authorised retailer Govberg Jewelers, Watchbox has swiftly grown into one of the biggest sellers of pre-owned watches globally. Having started life with a US$100m capital infusion from a Singapore-based private equity outfit, the company has just announced 2021 sales will cross US$300m, thanks to growth projected to top 40%. For comparison, that is approximately equivalent to the annual watch sales of the major auction houses, namely Christie’s, Phillips, and Sotheby’s. The announcement comes just weeks after Watchbox took a majority stake in De Bethune, a respected independent watchmaker that nonetheless struggling for most of its existence, but is now on a sounder financial footing. At the same time, the financial resources available to Watchbox indicate that its investment in De Bethune might be the first of several such acquisitions. At the same time, the Philadephia-based company announced an expansion of its store network, which currently includes outposts in Dubai (pictured above), Hong Kong, and Singapore. It plans eight new stores in 2022, with five located in the United States, followed by Zurich, Riyadh, and Tokyo.  

Type Casting: Comparing The Breguet Type XX And Type XXI Chronographs

The Type XX and Type XXI chronographs don’t seem to get quite as much attention as you would think they’d get, at least in the USA, where the world of pilot’s chronographs skews much more heavily towards companies like IWC, Omega, and Breitling. Maybe part of the reason for that is that when you think of tool watches, you might think of an awful lot of companies but Breguet just isn’t one of them – tourbillons, certainly, and a history of making aesthetically irreproachable, often complicated, and very elegant watches from the end of the 18th century right down until the present day, but not tool watches as such. And yet, aviation is perhaps just as important a part of the Breguet family’s history as watchmaking, with the Type XX and XXI chronographs representing one of the most important aspects of the inventiveness that characterized Abraham Louis Breguet and his descendants.

Introducing: The Hublot Big Bang Unico SORAI - A Limited Edition for Rhinos

A big green watch with a big green heart.

Bulgari Octo Roma Worldtimer: Everything Simply Falls Into Place

The Bulgari Octo Roma Worldtimer is delightfully down to earth. It might not be the thinnest, most complex, or rarest watch in the collection, but, boy, it is good looking! In Martin Green's estimation, it is one of those rare watches where everything simply falls into place.

New: Swatch injects more colour into their Big Bold collection with the Planets line

Swatch makes a colourful extension to their popular Big Bold Collection with four funky colours with cryptic names to make up the new Planets line.

H. Moser & Cie. Introduces the Streamliner Perpetual Calendar

After the Streamliner made its debut in chronograph form last year, H. Moser & Cie. has just grown the line of luxury-sports watches to include the Streamliner Perpetual Calendar. As is typical of Moser’s house style, the new perpetual calendar is streamlined in design and presentation, with the dial indicating the date and month while remaining minimalist, avoiding sub-dials entirely. The inaugural version of the Streamliner Perpetual Calendar gets a black fumè dial, giving the watch a subtle palette that’s fitting for its minimalist aesthetic. Notably, the monochromatic, shades-of-grey livery also harks back to the limited edition chronograph that was the opening model of the collection. Initial thoughts Compared to the two earlier Streamliner models – chronograph and time-only respectively – the latest is the most representative of Moser because of the ingenious movement within. A movement that made Moser’s reputation when it was resurrected in 2005, the calibre is one of the few that truly reimagines the perpetual calendar. While the Streamliner chronograph has an equally ingenious movement, the perpetual calendar movement is Moser’s own, which makes it that much more special. While appearing similar to the other versions of the Streamliner, the Perpetual Calendar differs in a few respects, which makes it stand out against its siblings in the Streamliner range, and more appealing for that reason. The design is slightly more nuanced, possessing details l...

“A big chunk of the industry is somewhat screwed.” An interview with Fears MD, Nicholas Bowman-Scargill

I’m going to put it out there and say there is no more charismatic person in today’s watch world than Fears managing director Nicholas Bowman-Scargill. In an industry littered with formidable personalities – hi Jean-Claude Biver, Patrick Prunnaux and Georges Kern – there is something refreshing about he of the double-barrelled name, and that is … ContinuedThe post “A big chunk of the industry is somewhat screwed.” An interview with Fears MD, Nicholas Bowman-Scargill appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

How Swatch Group quietly developed a gamechanger for affordable GMTs

Last year, Mido, one of the brands under the Swatch Group umbrella, released the affordable Ocean Star GMT.The post How Swatch Group quietly developed a gamechanger for affordable GMTs appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

VIDEO: The Seiko SPB239J is a retro-styled crowd pleaser

The craze for the Seiko 62MAS style shows no signs of slowing down, with the release of this SPB239J essentially confirming the brand’s intention to continue their climb into a higher tier of watchmaking. This vintage-inspired blueprint will continue to be adapted for all tastes, and this particular reference is sure to be a crowd … ContinuedThe post VIDEO: The Seiko SPB239J is a retro-styled crowd pleaser appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Road to Recovery: Richemont, Swatch Rebound to Pre-COVID Sales

Business News: Consolidation in European Pre-Owned Watches

Historically fragmented and dominated by numerous small players, the pre-owned watch industry has been consolidating with at an increasing pace, driven by the e-commerce and ambitious entrants from outside the business. Amongst the most prominent and fastest-growing is Watchbox, which began as an offshoot of authorised retailer Govberg Jewelers but has since grown into one of the largest pre-owned merchants with outposts in Hong Kong, Dubai, and even South Africa. Even Richemont, the Swiss conglomerate that owns brands like Cartier and IWC, has invested substantially in the space with its 2018 acquisition of British outfit Watchfinder. Though the most widely-reported developments in the business are largely concentrated in the United States and Britain, continental Europe is experiencing similar growth, especially in its largest markets like Germany and France. The recently announced takeover of Paris-based MMC by Watchmaster in Germany illustrates many of the trends shaping the pre-owned business. Like many recent startups in the space, Watchmaster was founded by digital entrepreneurs instead of watch industry insiders. In fact, almost all of Watchmaster’s founders and senior managers are former employees of Quandoo, the restaurant booking platform that was sold to Japanese staffing giant Recruit Holdings in 2015 for about €200 million, shortly before Watchmaster was set up. Watchmaster’s current chief executive, Tim-Hendrik Meyer, was a cofounder of Quandoo, as a...

How To Wear It: Should You Match Your Watch To Your Clothes - Or Your Clothes To Your Watch?

In his HODINKEE debut, former Ralph Lauren designer (and current Atlanta menswear impresario) Sid Mashburn addresses the eternal conundrum.