Results for California Dial

The Latest Seiko Presage Features Silk-Pattern Dials

Usually focused on decorative and artisanal dials made affordable, the Seiko Presage collection now turns to traditional textiles for inspiration. Comprising five models, the Presage Classic Series features textured dials in a range of discreet colours, each inspired by the textures and colours of Japanese silk. The dials are matched with a redesigned case conceived to feel thinner, along with retro-style bracelets. Initial thoughts Unusual dials inspired by Japanese culture and priced affordably are precisely the appeal of the Presage. The Classic Series carries on with this specialty. The domed, silk-texture dials set them apart from similarly-priced watches. The SPB467, for instance, appears to have a fashionable salmon dial, but the fine texturing – inspired by araigaki (or “washed persimmon”) silk – distinguishes it from the competition. The texturing is finer than most dials in the same price range. That said, there are actually two distinct dial patterns in the Classic Series (and four different colours across five references). Three are time-and-date models that are concise and elegant. The two “open heart” models, on the other hand, are not for everyone since the aperture revealing the balance wheel disrupts the aesthetics of the dial. Besides the dial, the Classic Series also features a new case design that camouflages the height of the case with curved lugs and a thinner case middle. This is matched with a vintage-style bracelet that brings to mind o...

Why is everyone crazy about Tiffany & Co. and Patek Philippe double-stamped dials?

How does a watch dial turn tropical?

Throughout history, it’s generally been assumed that something is worth more when it’s in better condition. But just as pre-ripped jeans found their popularity in the 1970s, it’s becoming more and more common to prefer things aged. Well-weathered objects tell a story, and whether or not you think it’s cheating to replicate that look artificially, … ContinuedThe post How does a watch dial turn tropical? appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Pre-Owned Picks: A Shining Rolex Cellini, A White Dial Tudor Black Bay GMT, And A Zenith El Primero 'Poker Chip'

Plus, a Bulgari Serpenti fit for daily wear, and a quietly classic Spring Drive from Grand Seiko.

The Rolex Oyster Perpetual lacquer dials continue to attract an A-list crowd – a definitive list

Unobtanium. It is a word many collectors use these days, with more and more references fitting this gloomy bill. It sucks to know that when certain brands release new watches, your chances of getting one at retail are quite slim, short of a long buyer’s history or a big dose of luck. So the question … ContinuedThe post The Rolex Oyster Perpetual lacquer dials continue to attract an A-list crowd – a definitive list appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

The TAG Heuer Monaco Skeleton Dials Look to the Future

INTRODUCING: The Luminox Air Pilot-38 Lightning® 9520 has a dial that will glow without charge for 25 years

The phrase “tool watch” seems a bit laughable to some in a world of smartphones, smartwatches, and a world where luxury steel sports watches cost more than ever. Many of these steel tool watches are now among the most hyped and sought-after references around the world. Also, when you consider some collectors even look into … ContinuedThe post INTRODUCING: The Luminox Air Pilot-38 Lightning® 9520 has a dial that will glow without charge for 25 years appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

VIDEO: Cherry, cherry baby. TAG Heuer debuts new Carrera Red Dial Limited Edition

The TAG Heuer Carrera was born in 1963, and since its inception it has become a timeless racing watch icon. Clean, crisp and faceted, any Carrera within a watch collection is likely to become a go-to daily wearer that combines robustness and elegance in equal measures. Last year, the TAG Heuer Carrera Special Edition Teal … ContinuedThe post VIDEO: Cherry, cherry baby. TAG Heuer debuts new Carrera Red Dial Limited Edition appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Chopard L.U.C Full Strike Día De Los Muertos: A Watch To Die For

Creating a watch like the Chopard L.U.C Full Strike Día de los Muertos is walking a thin line, but it perfectly demonstrates how whimsical haute horlogerie can become. It is the eye for detail and the execution of those details that make the difference. Happy Halloween!

Candy comparison: How do the Oris Cotton Candy and Rolex OP dials compare?

Oris has really dug into bronze of late with the material repeatedly featuring in the brand’s catalogue in recent years. But one thing Oris has done with bronze that you never really see in the industry is produce bronze-cased watches with matching bronze metal bracelets. We first saw this when they released the Oris Divers … ContinuedThe post Candy comparison: How do the Oris Cotton Candy and Rolex OP dials compare? appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Introducing New Rolex Daytona Meteorite Dials for 2021

FRIDAY WIND DOWN – THE GREEN EDITION: St Pat’s Day, Audemars Piguet, Olive dials and Dublin contributor joins the team!

Sometimes when I sit down on a Friday afternoon with a beverage of some description (today, an ‘Almond Negroni’ my colleague Matt claims he invented) to write the Friday Wind Down, I need to pause for a moment to consider the theme of the week. Not this week. This week, everywhere I look, it’s green, … ContinuedThe post FRIDAY WIND DOWN – THE GREEN EDITION: St Pat’s Day, Audemars Piguet, Olive dials and Dublin contributor joins the team! appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Sinn’s Submarine-Steel Dive Watch Gets a Patina Dial

Known for its utilitarian “tool” watches, Sinn’s latest is a variation on its bestselling dive watch. The U1 DS is a limited-edition rendition of the brand’s dive watch that’s best known for having a case made from the same steel alloy as German navy submarines. Limited to 500 pieces, the U1 DS features a dial that has been lapped to achieve a seemingly worn-out finish, whilst retaining the famed robustness that characterises the U1. The combination is a juxtaposition of an aged dial and a case that will likely never show any wear. Initial thoughts The U1 DS is a clear winner in my books. The dial’s battle-scarred look suits the submarine-inspired genesis of the U1, which has long had a military feel, despite not being a military-issue watch (though Sinn did made a special edition for a special-forces unit of the German military). Despite the new finish, the U1 retains its trademark legibility. The randomly-scratched texture does not detract from readability or the distinctive U1 dial design. Its signature block-shaped hands and hour markers remain prominent. Though it’s an uncommon look, Sinn has been using this randomly-textured finish frequently of late. The finish was first used in 2019 on the 356 Fliegerchronograph for Singapore retailer The Hour Glass, and then last year on the EZM3.F.V. that was only sold in Japan. The patina finish remains rare, but not quite as rare as it seems to be. The Japan-only EZM3.F.V. Despite being a limited edition, the U...

MICRO MONDAYS: The Albany Watches AMA Diver – a mother of pearl dial diver, with a $300USD price tag

Divers, the tough tool watches that become our best buddies on adventures, strapped on with a wetsuit as backup to a dive computer. All this sounds wonderful, though for those of you in lockdown they have an even more important task, which is to remind us of what will come, as well as adventures spent; … ContinuedThe post MICRO MONDAYS: The Albany Watches AMA Diver – a mother of pearl dial diver, with a $300USD price tag appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

INTRODUCING: The Grand Seiko SBGW264, a classic dress watch in 18k gold with a hypnotic tapisserie dial

I’m a vintage diver enthusiast, embracing smaller diameters, but still with a predilection for tough tools, even - don’t tell anyone - with a bespoke shirt and a suit. Grand Seiko have single-handedly restored my faith in dress watches in 2020, with their Elegance series having several new references in what is a superb case. The … ContinuedThe post INTRODUCING: The Grand Seiko SBGW264, a classic dress watch in 18k gold with a hypnotic tapisserie dial appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

IN-DEPTH: Linde Werdelin release ‘3 Timer’ GMT in sandblasted steel with stunning blue gradient dial, limited to just 55

No fauxtina, no sub 40mm case and seemingly hewn out of a three ton block of arctic granite … I am blown away by how something so big can be so refreshing. A massive chunk of sandblasted blue freshness. You can tell by my name that I might have a Nordic bias here – but … ContinuedThe post IN-DEPTH: Linde Werdelin release ‘3 Timer’ GMT in sandblasted steel with stunning blue gradient dial, limited to just 55 appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Montblanc Introduces the 1858 Split Second Chronograph Enamel Dial

Just last year Montblanc unveiled the 1858 Split Second Chronograph, a Minerva-powered watch that was warmly received for being well-finished and complex, yet reasonably-priced. A retro-inspired, rattrapante mono-pusher chronograph, the watch cost US$30,000 – a solid deal as such things go. A few months after, Montblanc debuted the one-off Only Watch edition with titanium case and blue-agate dial that sold for a whopping 100,000 Swiss francs, with proceeds going to charity. The brand has now stepped things up a notch with the 1858 Split Second Chronograph Limited Edition 100 that channels the spirit of the Only Watch edition, featuring the same titanium case and paired with a fired enamel dial in graduated blue. Despite the similar styling, the new watch costs a lot less than the record-setting Only Watch Edition – but isn’t quite as good value as last year’s model. Smoky blue And that’s because while the bronze model had an ordinary dial of brass, this has been upgraded with a grand feu enamel dial, leading to a jump in the retail price of about US$7,000, which is about the typical premium for such a dial. The enamel dial starts off as a solid-gold disc, which is painted with a mixture of enamel powder, water and oil. It is then fired in an oven at over 800℃, melting the enamel powder and fusing it to the gold base. The process of adding enamel powder and firing is repeated multiple times so as to achieve the desired depth of colour. But unusually, the di...

RECOMMENDED READING: Why double-signed Rolex and Patek Philippe dials are so interesting

Double-signed dials are the perfect example of how the details of a watch are sometimes the most interesting, revealing not just where a watch might have been sold, but opening up a window into the past to expose key relationships and macroeconomic trends that affected how the business of selling watches was done. Double-signed dials … ContinuedThe post RECOMMENDED READING: Why double-signed Rolex and Patek Philippe dials are so interesting appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

The Vacheron Constantin Overseas with Black Dial is purposefully luxurious

For decades the Vacheron Constantin Overseas has been one of the exemplars of luxury steel sports watches. And now the travel-oriented Dual Time comes with a stylish black dial.

Top 5 Grand Seiko dials of 2019

It has been a stellar year for Grand Seiko, with the Japanese watchmaker releasing not only a bevy of new iterations of some of their most popular models, but also a completely new manual-wind dress watch, the SBGK series. And, as is always the case with Grand Seiko, the arresting dials adorning these new timepieces … ContinuedThe post Top 5 Grand Seiko dials of 2019 appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Dress blues – Baume & Mercier’s Clifton Baumatic with a gorgeous gradient blue dial

Editor’s note: Baume & Mercier’s flagship dress watch, the Clifton Baumatic, got a deep blue makeover earlier this year, which, combined with the classic styling and impressive movement, makes for a compelling daily dress offering … Baume & Mercier’s foray into the world of in-house movements resulted in one of the biggest value propositions of … ContinuedThe post Dress blues – Baume & Mercier’s Clifton Baumatic with a gorgeous gradient blue dial appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

RECOMMENDED READING: Rare rocks? The truth about Rolex meteorite dials

Where do Rolex meteorite dials come from?The post RECOMMENDED READING: Rare rocks? The truth about Rolex meteorite dials appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

ANNOUNCING: Seiko release stunning blue enamel dial Seiko Presage SPB069 ‘Moonlit Night’

The name of this watch gives much away about its romantic, dare we even say, poetic roots. Seiko do not usually name their watches. This makes them very difficult to tell your friends about. Unless, of course, you have a beautiful mind, and can rattle off Seiko references. Which describes no one in the Time+Tide … ContinuedThe post ANNOUNCING: Seiko release stunning blue enamel dial Seiko Presage SPB069 ‘Moonlit Night’ appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

HANDS-ON: The Montblanc TimeWalker Chronograph in red gold with brown dial

Last week, I was in the mountain town of Jackson, Wyoming with Montblanc. And while I’ll have to wait until SIHH 2018 to share most of the watches I’ve seen with you (totally worth it, by the way), I did spot one smooth new variation of this year’s sporty TimeWalker Chronograph that I can tell you … ContinuedThe post HANDS-ON: The Montblanc TimeWalker Chronograph in red gold with brown dial appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

New Announcement: Vacheron Constantin new Overseas Brown dials

Vacheron Constantin extends the collection with the Overseas Brown dials for the World Time, Chronograph, Automatic/Date and the Ladies Automatic.