Revolution
Time Trial: Wei Koh Takes on the 2021 Tudor Black Bay Chrono
Having spent a few days with the 2021 Black Bay Chrono as his daily beater, Wei Koh gives us his take on the latest generation of Tudor’s beloved chronograph.
Results for Mother of Pearl Dial
32,783 articles · 143 videos found · page 420 of 1098
Revolution
Time+Tide
MICRO MONDAYS: The York & Front Burrard is an elegant take on military vintage
Eschewing the pretence of diving or sports, the pure military inspiration behind the new York & Front Burrard is pretty close to being the perfect functional tool watch. It’s a daily wearer with a distinctive style that comes in any colour you want, as long as it’s black or white. Sized at 38mm for textbook … ContinuedThe post MICRO MONDAYS: The York & Front Burrard is an elegant take on military vintage appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
Longines are quietly having another cracking year, spanning divers, pilots and vintage
There has been a huge amount of attention paid to Longines’ new Spirit Collection since it was launched. And rightly so. It offers a contemporary and value-packed new proposition right in the spot where buyers want it; which is a watch that can be a daily wearer that’s robust enough for most situations and well … ContinuedThe post Longines are quietly having another cracking year, spanning divers, pilots and vintage appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
Watches & Wonders 2021 Panels: Client Experience
Aside from the flurry of novelties unveiled during the purely-digital Watches & Wonders 2021 (W&W;), discussion panels took place every day, each conceived to tackle some of the most salient issues facing the luxury-watch industry. We bring you a roundup of the panel that took place on April 10 on a key topic for brands and customers alike: the client experience. Despite the predominantly digital set up, W&W; managed to create a truly interactive debate with a mix of participants on site in Geneva, as well as speakers dialling in remotely, all converging to discuss the same topic. Here are the key findings that emerged. The panel with Beatrice Goasglas of TAG Heuer on site with moderator Mélanie Freymond, and the other panellists on screen Client experience in the digital era The client experience is a central theme for luxury brands, which are all trying to go above and beyond to create an encounter that matches the quality embodies by the products that they make. Watchmakers already started down that path several years ago with increasingly elaborate boutiques, but the development of digital tools and now the pandemic have overturned how brands conceive the whole of the client experience. As Beatrice Goasglas, Vice-President for Digital & Customer Experience at TAG Heuer, noted, “Digitalisation is an opportunity, even a blessing, for brands and maisons to engage even more with their final customers.” Indeed, especially within the context of the pandemic, digital too...
SJX Watches
Patek Philippe Introduces the Ref. 5236P In-line Perpetual Calendar
Shortly after launching the Nautilus ref. 5711/1A in green, Patek Philippe is taking the covers off something far more serious in terms of mechanics – the Ref. 5236P In-line Perpetual Calendar. Clearly inspired by vintage perpetual calendar watches like the refs. 3448 and 3450 (and a dial that’s modelled on a vintage Calatrava), the ref. 5236P is ranks as amongst the most notable Patek Philippe calendar watches of recent years – both in terms of design as well as its newly-developed movement. Bearing a close resemblance to the ref. 5235 Annual Calendar – an under-appreciated watch that I regard highly – the new ref. 5236P is equipped with a built-from-scratch calendar module that’s as complicated as some entire perpetual calendar movements. And it is powered by a refined and improved version of the uncommon cal. 31-260 micro-rotor movement that was so far only found in the ref. 5235. The cal. 31-260 PS QL in the new ref. 5236 An under-dial view of the calendar mechanism with the four co-planar discs at top Initial thoughts While clearly inspired by historical designs, the ref. 5236P manages to be different – and the most compelling perpetual calendar in Patek Philippe’s catalogue. The design heritage is clear: the ref. 5236P shares the same case style as the ref. 5235 annual calendar (which I like). Admittedly the ref. 5236P perhaps a bit too big to be as elegant as Patek Philippe’s most refined cases, but the size combined with the distinctive design m...
SJX Watches
Ulysse Nardin Introduces the UFO Table Clock
Having made a name for itself in the early 20th century for its marine chronometers, Ulysse Nardin revisits its roots with the UFO, an intriguing table clock conceived to mark the brand’s 175th anniversary. Described as a “swinging mechanical depiction of the movement of the waves”, the UFO is as an avant-garde reinterpretation of the marine chronometer. It’s essentially a round-bottomed doll that will wobble and sway but never topple over, except it contains an impressive mechanical movement with a 365-day power reserve. Traditionally known for largely classical designs with the occasional twist, such as the Marine Torpilleur, Ulysse Nardin has been gravitating towards more boldly modern designs in recent years, exemplified by the Blast Tourbillon and the Freak X Silicium Marquetry. That experimental approach is now applied to the table clock in a collaboration with clock specialist L’Epée 1839, the supplier of choice for many watchmakers looking to get into exotic clocks. Initial thoughts Inspired by the oceans, the UFO sways when nudged, but remains upright thanks to a weighted base, creating an engaging display of timekeeping. And the UFO is practical as well, featuring three clock faces that can be set to different time zones, or to mirror each other. Granted, the UFO will have a very niche appeal, considering it’s a table clock with a complex design matched by a high price tag. Costing a whopping US$41,100, the UFO is almost double the price of L’Epé...
SJX Watches
Vacheron Constantin Introduces the American 1921 Collection Excellence Platine
Vacheron Constantin’s most distinctive – and arguably most compelling – time-only watch is the American 1921, a large, cushion-shaped wristwatch with the dial rotated off the vertical. Already available in a variety of guises, including platinum, the model now gets an upgrade in terms of materials with the American 1921 Collection Excellence Platine. Like the other watches in the Collection Excellence Platine (CEP) collection – Vacheron Constantin debuts a CEP model every year or so – the American 1921 CEP has its case and dial in platinum, while the strap is stitched with thread woven from silk and platinum wire. Initial thoughts Wide, thin, and quirky, the 1921 is one of Vacheron Constantin’s most unusual offerings. I love everything about the watch – the design, size, and details – especially the platinum version with a silver dial and blue numerals. The CEP edition goes one better, and is even more appealing. The matte, grained platinum dial and applied Breguet-style numerals are perfect. Compared to the standard version of the 1921 in platinum, the 1921 CEP is relatively good value. The 1921 CEP costs less than 10% more than the standard version – a modest increment for the platinum dial and 100-piece production run. But the standard model is pricey to start with, so the 1921 CEP still costs a hefty US$51,000. Pt950 Debuted in 2006, the CEP collection now includes a variety of models, most recently last year’s Patrimony with calendar. Though the m...
SJX Watches
Cartier Introduces the Pasha de Cartier Chronograph
Inspired by the tale of a water resistant sports watch commissioned in 1934 by Thami El Glaoui, the Pasha of Marrakesh – which was actually a rectangular watch – the modern Pasha was penned by Gerald Genta, the man behind many of the most iconic watches of the 1970s and 1980s, which were often considered avant-garde for their time. One year after the relaunch of the time-only model, the jeweller is debuting the Pasha de Cartier Chronograph at Watches & Wonders 2021. The new chronograph on the wrist Initial Thoughts The Pasha Chronograph is an appealing watch. It does wear slightly large at 41 mm and but is surprisingly svelte at just under 12 mm in thickness. Add to that 100 m of water resistance and a moderate price premium of US$3,500 or so over the time-only model and you realise that the Pasha Chronograph is a compelling package. Granted, the “Vendome” lugs are not to everyone’s tastes, but the Pasha remains as classically Cartier as the jeweller’s form watches. The “Vendome” lugs and chain-secured crown cap are Pasha design hallmarks The movement is finished modestly and industrially, a sharp contrast to the dial finishing, which punches above its price point in terms of its detail. Nonetheless, its price of a bit under US$10,000 in steel makes the Pasha chronograph competitive, and also good value. Fine details The Pasha Chronograph measures 41 mm in diameter and 11.97 mm in thickness – it retains the same diameter as the time-only model and gains a...
SJX Watches
Patek Philippe Introduces the Nautilus Ref. 5711/1A in Olive
Perhaps the world’s most desirable wristwatch, the Nautilus ref. 5711/1A became even more sought after when was made known earlier this year that the model would be discontinued. To give it a proper send-off, the brand is now unveiling the final iteration of the Nautilus in steel, this time with an olive green dial. The base model, if it can be called that, is the Nautilus ref. 5711/1A-014, but the model will also be available with a diamond-set bezel as the Nautilus ref. 5711/1300A-001, which is notable for being the first time Patek Philippe is setting diamonds on a steel men’s watch. The Nautilus ref. 5711/1A-014 And the Nautilus ref. 5711/1300A-001 Initial thoughts Green seems to be the new blue, and Patek Philippe is very much on board the bandwagon with its new Nautilus ref. 5711/1A – though it’s arguable Patek Philippe is helping start the trend just because the Nautilus is, well, the Nautilus. Already impossible to get, at least at the affordable retail price, the steel Nautilus will definitely be the rarest in green, out of all three variants (the others being the original blue dial, and the later white dial) and thus the most covetable. In essence, the new Nautilus is just a facelift. The case, movement, and bracelet remain the same – the only change is the olive green dial, which retains the signature, horizontal-stamped pattern. But given the impending discontinuation of the ref. 5711/1A, the mere fact there’s a new model has sent everyone into ...
Revolution
A Half-Century as an Icon: The Rolex Explorer II 50th Anniversary
Rolex celebrates one of its most historically significant lines, the mighty Explorer, as its flagship launch of 2021. Both the Explorer and Explorer 2 have been revisited this year and fans of the venerable tool watches won’t be disappointed.
Time+Tide
The sleeper Rolex story is that the Batman and Pepsi are back on Oyster and Sky-Dweller is available on Jubilee
There was a major Rolex announcement hidden in plain sight today. It was not mentioned during Rolex’s Watches & Wonders presentation, but our team of sleuth detectives realised that on Rolex.com the model configurator tool will allow buyers to put the Rolex GMT Master II Pepsi & Batman on an Oyster bracelet once again. On … ContinuedThe post The sleeper Rolex story is that the Batman and Pepsi are back on Oyster and Sky-Dweller is available on Jubilee appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
How not to talk to total strangers about their watch
I was 35,000ft over the Atlantic when I first freaked someone out about his watch. It was in the line for the airplane toilet. A guy was ahead of me, wrestling a full-bladdered toddler. This, I reasoned, is exactly the moment he’ll want a stranger to ask about his Panerai. He’ll tell me the story … ContinuedThe post How not to talk to total strangers about their watch appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Quill & Pad
RGM Model 600 Chronograph: A Perfect Fit
Joshua Munchow appreciates brands that work hard to build their heritage and carve a niche for themselves with solid daily-wear watches while having fun with the occasional haute horlogerie piece, especially if that brand is an independent. And if it's an American brand that makes its watches out of a small shop in Pennsylvania, all the better. Here Joshua reviews the new RGM Model 600 Chronograph, a robust and affordable chronograph suitable as a daily wearer.
Time+Tide
The Rolex robberies - when your watch makes you a target for crime
Wearing a Rolex will invariably attract attention. Bragging rights aside, owning a Rolex comes with a host of benefits: they can make a great impression with your in-laws, they are built to last for a very long time, they hold their value better than most luxury commodities and, of course, they tell the time unusually … ContinuedThe post The Rolex robberies – when your watch makes you a target for crime appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
INTRODUCING: The TAG Heuer Carrera Heuer o2T gets a dark blue makeover to allow its flying tourbillon to shine
I’ll bet many people weren’t even aware of the name o2T, and that’s a big credit to TAG Heuer. It takes guts to downplay the micro-wonders of the mythical tourbillon, swirling slowly inside its cage at 6 o’clock. While we daily see references with less dazzle but 10 words to their model designation, here it’s … ContinuedThe post INTRODUCING: The TAG Heuer Carrera Heuer o2T gets a dark blue makeover to allow its flying tourbillon to shine appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Deployant
Review: Leica SL2-S and lenses - a great and productive week as our main camera
Chillout TGIFridays return with a hands-on review of the new Leica SL2-S after a week as our daily camera for our work here.
Time+Tide
Fresh and unfiltered - why Dimepiece could be the shake-up that watch culture needs
If you want youthful edge and attitude, watch marketing is probably the last place in the known universe that you’re going to find it. Brands invariably take a strait-laced approach, heaping laboured emphasis on their luxury credentials, heritage and technical prowess. All of which is pretty dull. But it also risks turning off an entire … ContinuedThe post Fresh and unfiltered – why Dimepiece could be the shake-up that watch culture needs appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Revolution
Introducing the SINN U1 DS, 500-Piece Limited Edition
Sinn kicks off its 60th anniversary year with a 500-piece limited edition of their beloved U1 with a special decorative grinding dial for the occasion
Time+Tide
Bremont show how to nail a virtual watch event with the world’s greatest mountaineer
Despite a full 12 months passing since COVID began restricting the places we can go and the people we see, the watch world still hasn’t worked out how to run an interesting event online. Starved of the opportunity to present watches in the metal, the polite way to describe most virtual events is dull at … ContinuedThe post Bremont show how to nail a virtual watch event with the world’s greatest mountaineer appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
Grand Seiko Debuts the GMT “Seasons” Collection
A simple but bestselling complication for Grand Seiko, the dual-time zone GMT received a makeover for Seiko’s 140th anniversary. The result is a quartet of GMT watches that evoke the changing landscapes in Japan as the seasons change. Made up of both Hi-Beat and Spring Drive models, the Grand Seiko Elegance GMT “Seasons” all share the same classically-styled case that has been associated with the GMT since the very first model. Each of the four watches is inspired by specific phases of each season. In East Asian cultures, each of the four seasons is further divided into six phases – known as 節気, or sekki, in Japan – to capture the subtle changes within a season. Each of the new GMT models is inspired by a sekki from each season. Consequently, the watches are each distinct in colours and finish, having inspiration as varied as green-cherry trees to the dark, moonlit sky. The GMT “Shunbun” SBGJ251 Initial thoughts The quartet exemplifies the style of modern-day Grand Seiko, especially in the splendid dials that translate the local landscape into intricate stamped patterns. And the cases are elegantly shaped but solid, and finished with Zaratsu flat polishing that is synonymous with Grand Seiko. Because all four watches are powered by longstanding movements – instead of the latest-generation 9SA5 that costs a lot more – the prices are all in line with existing models, US$6,300 for the Spring Drive GMT and US$7,100 for Hi-Beat automatics. Though ...
Time+Tide
VIDEO: The Rolex Explorer II Ref. 216570 is the unsung hero in the Professional series
Each of the models in the Rolex Professional series is a tool watch made for a man on a mission. While the Submariner and Sea-Dweller are diving watches, the Rolex Explorer II was originally built in 1971 for speleologists or cave explorers who required a sturdy, functional and highly legible watch while working in almost … ContinuedThe post VIDEO: The Rolex Explorer II Ref. 216570 is the unsung hero in the Professional series appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Revolution
Introducing the New Longines DolceVita with Elegant Art Deco Sector Dials
Longines presents new additions to the DolceVita collection with elegant Art Deco sector dials that are sure to get the purists’ hearts racing.
WatchAdvice
2021 Jaeger-LeCoultre Polaris Mariner Date Review
Pros: Graduated shades of intense blues on the dialA real joy to see the redesigned calibre 899 on the case back ISO 6425 complaint proper ‘diving’ watch Cons: Some may not be fans of the screw-in internal Bezel 42mm case size will wear large on wrists smaller than 6.5 inchesSome may find it pricey Overall Rating: 8.1/10 Value for money – 7.5/10Wearability – 8/10Design – 8.5/10Build Quality – 8.5/10 Reference : 9068180 Late last year in October 2020, Jaeger-LeCoultre introduced the Polaris Mariner for their Polaris collection. The Polaris Mariner is a range of high-performing diving watches that pay homage to the brand’s diving legacy and almost 100 years of knowledge and expertise on chiming watches. Jaeger-LeCoultre has introduced two watches to their sporty and elegant Polaris collection; the Polaris Mariner Memovox and Polaris Mariner Date. What we have on our hands today is the classic diving piece the Jaeger-LeCoultre Polaris Mariner Date. Case: Reference : 9068180 The case on the new Jaeger-LeCoultre Polaris Mariner Date is as close as it gets to the vintage 1968 Memovox Polaris. This 1968 model was the first true diving watch by Jaeger-LeCoultre, which included an internal rotating bezel, an alarm, and a triple-layer case-back for better sound transmission. With the latest Polaris Mariner Date model, the alarm and sound transmission mechanisms have been left out for the Memovox model, with the Mariner Date being the simple yet classic diving...
SJX Watches
Insight: Patents in Watchmaking
Patents in watchmaking are often brushed over by the brand themselves, except when tallying them in marketing material. But they are important, and can be foundational to a brand, as George Daniels’ famed co-axial escapement is synonymous with Omega. But there is a great deal more in watchmaking that can be protected with a patent than a lubrication-free escapement. A large proportion of the parts that make up a watch – from case materials to time-display mechanisms – can be patented, and often are. That begs the question: what exactly can be patented? The common obstacle encountered by a would-be inventor is that patents are notoriously difficult to secure, especially if applied for without specialist help. Going from application to approval of a patent often requires several years, and approval is not a certainty. Gaining a patent hinges on three criteria: the invention in question must be new, non-obvious, and useful. Beyond the necessary knowledge of prior inventions – in order to prove the patent-pending idea is new – the incredibly specific wording required for patents can be daunting to an independent applicant, so it usually falls to a patent attorney to lead the application process. But patents can be lucrative for an inventor, especially for an innovation targeted at the consumer, which is why new patents are registered every day. The United States Patent and Trademark Office, for instance, received just under 670,000 patent applications in 2019, and gr...
Time+Tide
Is your life complicated enough? These are the best value watch complications that deliver serious bang for your buck
Yes, maybe you use your watch mostly to tell the time. But how about the joys of using a good old chronograph to time your bike ride to the shops. Or flying into another time zone with a GMT on your wrist (it will happen again one day). Let’s tempt you with the best value … ContinuedThe post Is your life complicated enough? These are the best value watch complications that deliver serious bang for your buck appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Revolution
Introducing the Roger Dubuis Excalibur Spider 39mm Collection
Roger Dubuis is celebrating its partnership with Pirelli through the release of an exciting new interpretation of its Excalibur collection, the Excalibur Spider and Excalibur Spider Pirelli. This is the first time, the brand is offering its most sought-after complications in 39mm.
Time+Tide
Watches By Material: Four super-tough watches that use DLC coatings
DLC, or diamond-like carbon, is a great tool for watch manufacturers to leverage. It’s capable of not only changing the aesthetics, but also the durability of a timepiece. To get an idea of how tough DLC is, the material typically measures at 5000-9000HV on the Vickers hardness test. Essentially, this means that DLC is as … ContinuedThe post Watches By Material: Four super-tough watches that use DLC coatings appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Deployant
Santos de Cartier in steel and ADLC - a quick look
One of the most iconic watches by Cartier, the Santos needs no introduction. The origins of the Santos dates back to 1904 when Cartier first designed the watch to accompany aviator Santos Dumont on his intrepid flights. With an aviation history, Santos bears the pedigree of a Pilot’s watch and is one of the earliest tool purpose wristwatches in history.
Quill & Pad
Book Review: ‘Stalin’s Wine Cellar’ By John Baker
Whether 'Stalin’s Wine Cellar' is a journey about chasing fakes, or if these bottles hidden away in the former Soviet Union are genuine, the story makes for a rollicking saga. And if the bottles are genuine, who really did own them and what on earth might they be worth? The tale takes us on twist after twist and has been described as “Raiders of the Lost Ark for wine lovers.” Ken Gargett couldn't put the book down.
Time+Tide
2021 Watch Predictions: Will the Tudor Black Bay 58 replace the 41mm line-up?
Look, I don’t have a crystal ball that can tell me which new watches will or will not drop this year. But when people raise the question of whether or not the Black Bay Fifty-Eight with its 39mm dial will replace the 41mm line in the Tudor catalogue, I am not afraid to share my … ContinuedThe post 2021 Watch Predictions: Will the Tudor Black Bay 58 replace the 41mm line-up? appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.