Hodinkee
In-Depth: Restarting Universal Genève Will Be A Challenge; Here's Hoping They Can Pull It Off
Breitling's acquisition of the beloved Universal Genève brand is exciting for fans, but there are a lot of potential pitfalls ahead.
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Hodinkee
Breitling's acquisition of the beloved Universal Genève brand is exciting for fans, but there are a lot of potential pitfalls ahead.
Time+Tide
Borna explores some unexpected and rare Universal Genève models, alongside fan-favourites.The post 5 of our favourite Universal Genève references appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
Regarded as a bellwether of the market, the Geneva auction season just concluded with the main players – Phillips, Christie’s, Sotheby’s, and Antiquorum – having staged their sales over four days. Several records were set over the season, including CHF2.1 million for an immaculate Rolex ref. 6062 triple calendar in steel at Phillips, and CHF2.2 million for the George Daniels Millennium also signed by Roger W. Smith, both including fees. Trending one way Despite the record holders, the tone of the season was set by moderating or even weak prices. This was already evident with the most faddish of the “hype” watches last season six months ago. The May auctions saw prices for such watches gap down substantially, reflecting a new reality. Now the same appears to be happening for independent watchmaking – a good thing in my view as it will hopefully shake out the opportunists and no-hopers. The Roger W. Smith Series 2 hammered for CHF400,000 at Phillips (or CHF508,000 with fees), which is below the current retail price for the model and a third below the price of the lower-priced Series 1 that sold in the same venue in May 2023. The Phillips saleroom at La Reserve. Image – Phillips This phenomenon was not unique to Roger W. Smith, with prices gapping down for significant independents like F.P. Journe and Voutilainen. However, these brands remain buoyed by their relative reasonable retail prices, which still remain below recent auction valuations. Even if some exa...
Time+Tide
A Sotheby's auction can only mean plenty of grails, with a few underappreciated pieces up for grabs.The post Three heavy hitters and sleepers from Sotheby’s Important Watches Auction in Geneva November 5 appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
While the numbers reveal many of you love luxury timepieces, there is an equal, if not larger, interest in more budget-friendly watches – this is especially true within the daily wearer segment. As much as people romanticise the idea, not everyone is comfortable getting down and dirty with a pricey watch on their wrist. While … ContinuedThe post Andrew picks out three new watches under $1,000 from Geneva Watch Days appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Video
Ever wonder how luxury watch brands really operate behind the scenes? In this video, I pull back the curtain and expose the hidden truths that collectors rarely see. From influencer and celebrity partnerships to “li...
Time+Tide
The Longines Spirit Zulu Time is a true GMT sized at 39mm to suit a wide variety of wrists; and I had the pleasure of spending the last few weeks with it on my wrist.The post Longines Spirit Zulu Time appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Worn & Wound
Longines released the first Spirit Zulu Time last year, offering a so-called true GMT in a 42mm steel case with all the Spirit design details we’ve come to expect from Longines. As good as that watch was, the case was a bit overpowering for some wrists out there, and Longines has heard the calls for a more approachable sized GMT. This is the Zulu Time GMT in 39mm, and it captures pretty much everything we loved in the original model, in a much tidier package. This is a watch that will sit directly across from the Tudor Black Bay Pro, offering a slightly different, but similar level of appeal. The latest Zulu Time remains in the Spirit collection, and yes, the 5 applied stars remain on the dial. There are plenty of polished details to discover in places like the surround of the chapter ring, the frame of the bezel, and those aforementioned stars. Like other Spirit watches, this Zulu Time has a taste of the ornate, which might push it into slightly more interesting (or less interesting, depending on your taste) territory compared to something like the far more straightforward and tool-ish Black Bay Pro from Tudor. Longines does address the most common complaint levied against that Tudor, however. The Zulu Time 39 measures 39mm in diameter, and 13.5mm in thickness, a full millimeter clear of the Black Bay Pro. That said, I’m not sure I’d have guessed that on the wrist. It felt perfectly pleasant on my 7.25” wrist, and it didn’t immediately strike me as a thick wat...
Time+Tide
The Longines Spirit lineup has become a go-to collection to recommend when someone asks what a great option would be for an entry-level Swiss luxury watch. The collection, now three years into its current generation, has seen quite rapid growth with a variety of aesthetic and functional configurations. Born initially in 2020 with 40mm and … ContinuedThe post HANDS-ON: The Longines Spirit Zulu Time 39 offers a more compact and ergonomic take on the prior 42 appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
With the heat from integrated-bracelet sports watches showing no signs of cooling off, more and more brands are getting into the game. And in some cases, they’re resurrecting those bold designs from their own back catalogues, which is exactly what Chopard did in 2019, when it released the Alpine Eagle to great fanfare. The Alpine … ContinuedThe post HANDS-ON: The Chopard Alpine Eagle XL Chrono offers a sportier version on an integrated rubber strap appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
The fall auction season is almost upon us with the first instalment happening in Geneva before Hong Kong at the end of the month. All the auctioneers have varied, interesting catalogues, including the watch collection of former Ferrari manager Jean Todt that’s being sold at Christie’s. Phillips, on the other hand, is doing without the celebrity element at The Geneva Watch Auction: XVI, but has put together a catalogue that offers a diverse selection of watches with both establishment and independent brands well represented. The reverse of the Daniels Spring Case Amongst the highlights from mainstream marques are two vintage Patek Philippe watches with black dials: a third-series ref. 2499 with a fresh (and recent) dial and a ref. 2551 with diamond indices. And the independents line-up includes a recent Dufour Simplicity (the first post-“200” example to be sold publicly) and of course several watches from F.P. Journe. But the biggest lot in terms of value for the independents is the George Daniels “Spring Case” wristwatch, which we already covered in-depth back in 2018. The auction takes place over the weekend of November 5 (for lots 1-114) and November 6 (lots 115-232). The full catalogue and registration for bidding are available online. Lot 20 – Patek Philippe ref. 2499 third series with black dial An interesting and appealing watch in itself, this 2499 also poses an interesting questions in terms of originality and period correctness. This is a third-se...
Video
When it comes to luxury Swiss made automatic divers from $5000 to $10,000, it's difficult to beat the big three—Rolex Submariner, Omega Seamaster, and Tudor Pelagos. But under that price point, the water gets a litt...
Time+Tide
One of the best things about Hamilton is the way in which they’ve continued to deliver to the customers they’ve always aimed to please - watch lovers without astronomical budgets. Although mechanical watches are inherently a luxury to some degree, Hamilton continue to hit the spot with some of the best value Swiss watches out … ContinuedThe post HANDS ON: The Hamilton Ventura XXL Skeleton and Ventura S appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Quill & Pad
The Watches TV has a popular series called “Walkthrough” in which Marc André Deschoux and his camera team film as they walk around an artisan’s workshop. In this episode, Deschoux and team visit the downtown Geneva atelier of independent sensation Akrivia with founder Rexhep Rexhepi.
Time+Tide
Surely as a watch lover you have been tuning into coverage of Geneva Watch Days 2022 this past week, so let’s see just how much you remember about the new novelties.The post Time+Tide Weekend Watch Crossword: #20 “Geneva Watch Days 2022” appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
Oris has been on a hot streak of late, debuting the ProPilot X cal. 400, various Aquis divers including the Billion Oyster Project Limited Edition, as well as the Wings of Hope Limited Editions among others. The independent brand has proven they can play in a versatile range of price points – maintaining entry-level pieces with … ContinuedThe post GENEVA WATCH DAYS: Oris delivers new Divers Sixty-Five with caliber 400 movement and more appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
The ability to display two time zones on a single dial has cropped up quite a lot over the course of history, but it was rarely more than a niche curiosity before the advent of flying. Now, the idea of a pilot’s watch without a GMT complication feels somewhat incomplete, and that’s why the new … ContinuedThe post IN-DEPTH: The Longines Spirit Zulu Time Collection appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Video
A special thank you to all the channel members:
Hodinkee
The Celestial Voyager is the start of a new world-time chapter at Andersen Genève, which has specialized in the complication for over 30 years.
It was the end of last year at the Time+Tide Club party. Drinks were poured and Santa hats were circulated. Watches were admired and discussed. There were further drinks. Impressed by the horological range on display, Andrew suddenly decided we should shoot some video of different people discussing their watches and unpacking the personal stories … ContinuedThe post Every Watch Tells A Story: How Borna got lucky with his Universal Genève Polerouter appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Hodinkee
My top observations from Geneva Spring Auction Week 2022.
Time+Tide
I am certainly an advocate of your wrist, your wallet, your choice. I don’t ever want to “purchase shame” a watch collector. But, while I understand how the recent Rolex OP results happened, somehow they still baffle me. Discontinued plus Rolex always equals premium prices. This is nothing new. And watches like the Rolex OP … ContinuedThe post Are you kidding me? Two stock-standard Rolex OP watches each sell for over CHF 50K at Christie’s appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
As watch enthusiasts progress in their collecting, each proceeding hunt is typically dictated by the box they want to check off next. Brand, complication, sports, dress etc. But serious horology heads often target creations based on their designers, and one designer who has attracted the hearts, minds and wallets of watch buyers around the world … ContinuedThe post This IWC Ingenieur SL designed by Gerald Genta could be yours on Loupe This appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Video
Thinking about getting a Pepsi? Here's all you need to know about one of Rolex's biggest Icons in the upcoming year of 2026 - how it wears, the hard facts, what it's actually good for and most importantly : PRICES.
Time+Tide
Today a rough count yields just over 61 Aqua Terra variations in the Omega range. There are iterations as small as 30mm and offered in both quartz and mechanical. Precious metal and gem-set versions sit next to the Ultra Light golf editions crafted out of Gamma Titanium with a pop-out shrouded crown. From time-only to … ContinuedThe post The Omega Aqua Terra XXL is a whopping great land yacht for the wrist appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
The reason for this video was a late-arriving strap for our Doxa SUB 600T ‘pacific’. Necessity dictated that, with time running out to shoot a video, we had to choose an alternative aftermarket strap to put on the watch for the first appearance which, if you missed it, you can see here. The decision as … ContinuedThe post Win $700 worth of straps by telling us your favourite strap monster watch, and watching our silly video appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Quill & Pad
The Phillips' Geneva Watch Auction: XIV in November 2021 was one of the watch auctions of the decade. Here are the eye-watering results raised by the four historical Philippe Dufour watches.
Quill & Pad
In this video, The Watches TV’s Marc André Deschoux goes through Bovet’s latest watches from Geneva Watch Days 2021. These include the beautiful new turquoise collection featuring the 19Thirty, Récital 23, Récital 27 triple time zone, Monsieur Bovet, and the Virtuoso VIII Chapter Two Reimagined in pink gold.
Quill & Pad
In this video, our pals at The Watches TV take a good long look at Andersen Genève’s recent BCHH Celestial Voyager World Time and talk extensively with independent watchmaker Svend Andersen on his life and accomplishments.
Video
In today’s video, we’re breaking down five watches that absolutely nobody buys— even though some of them should be getting more attention. From luxury brands like Rolex to lesser loved brands such as Parmigiani...
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