Two Broke Watch Snobs
Testing The New And Sold Out Synchron Poseidon Ice Diver
A full and detailed review-with live photos-covering the newly-released Synchron Poseidon Ice Diver limited edition.
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Two Broke Watch Snobs
A full and detailed review-with live photos-covering the newly-released Synchron Poseidon Ice Diver limited edition.
Time+Tide
One of the most common tips given to watch shoppers is to go and see their potential purchases in the metal before buying them. Not only is it beneficial to feel how they fit on your wrist, but also how they interact with real-world lighting and real-life eyeballs. In the online age, and especially post-COVID, … ContinuedThe post WHAT TWEAKS MY TOURB: Enough with the digital renders – brands need decent photography appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
Seiko’s latest addition to the Speedtimer line of chronographs sports a sinister new black finish The 8R46 column wheel caliber offers solid value for an in-house chrono movement The dial’s look is based on a historical Seiko stopwatch from the 1970s Seiko was the first to market with the automatic chronograph, the original Speedtimer 6139, … ContinuedThe post INTRODUCING: The Seiko Speedtimer Mechanical Chronograph SRQ045 conjures black magic from a historical stopwatch appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Quill & Pad
Every time Ian Skellern writes the words “relatively affordable” here on Quill & Pad, he braces himself for the stream of comments reminding him that he must live in an alternative reality to most of the world. So he doesn't describe the Patria Brigadier Flyback Chrono as relatively affordable (though compared to most of the watches we review on Quill & Pad he thinks it well merits that description), but he does think that it’s fantastic value and the bargain of the year. And here he explains why.
Time+Tide
Editor’s note: If you have never played The Last of Us video games, or have yet to start HBO’s adaption for television (get on it!), please beware there are small spoilers for the beginning of episode one below. HBO always seems to have the hit show of each season. Game of Thrones: House of the Dragon dominated … ContinuedThe post HBO’s The Last of Us illustrates the potent meaning watches can carry (as well as a great gift idea) appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
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Time+Tide
Welcome to Versus. This new column is as simple as it sounds. Each week a member of the Time+Tide team will be tasked with pitting two comparable watches against each other head to head, highlighting why they are worthy of being compared, the different strengths each distinctly carry, and the reasons to choose one over the … ContinuedThe post VERSUS: The Piaget Altiplano Ultimate 910P & Breguet Tradition Automatique Seconde Rétrograde 7097 appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
People who like watches have hobbies and passions that extend beyond horology. Maybe its cars, or cigars, or whiskey or all the above. But one thing I have never met is a watch lover that doesn’t like music. Music is universal, and one of the biggest musical icons of all time is Frank Sinatra. So, … ContinuedThe post VIDEO: The Bulova Sinatra Collection hits a variety of top notes appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Quill & Pad
Wine can be so much more than just an enjoyable drink. It can link us to times, people, and places. A traditional concept for so-called anniversary wines is to celebrate a milestone, perhaps a birthday or wedding or even anniversary, with a fine bottle from the vintage of the birthyear or anniversary year in question. With that in mind, Ken Gargett shares a few suggestions.
Worn & Wound
Let’s take just a minute with a couple of bar flies, Zodiac, and Rowing Blazers. This latest collaboration between Harry’s Bar, Rowing Blazers, and Zodiac features the classic Sea Wolf case: 40mm diameter, 49mm in length, and 13.5mm thick. The Sea Wolf’s lug width is 20mm, and features a five-link bracelet, but it also comes with a custom French military-style hook & loop strap with a signed metal loop. Let’s take just a minute with a couple of bar flies, Zodiac, and Rowing Blazers. This latest collaboration between Harry’s Bar, Rowing Blazers, and Zodiac features the classic Sea Wolf case: 40mm diameter, 49mm in length, and 13.5mm thick. The Sea Wolf’s lug width is 20mm, and features a five-link bracelet, but it also comes with a custom French military-style hook & loop strap with a signed metal loop. The post Just a Minute With The Zodiac x Rowing Blazers Super Sea Wolf Limited Edition appeared first on Worn & Wound.
Deployant
Audemars Piguet introduces its new models for the first half of 2023, with 6 new CODE 11.59 models, a new Royal Oak "Jumbo" Extra-thin, a yellow gold and turquoise Royal Oak self-winding, and a full ceramic Royal Oak Offshore.
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Worn & Wound
Parmigiani Fleurier continues to iterate on their distinctive Tonda platform, dialing it in a bit further with each step, and the latest example of the Tonda PF 36mm is a near perfect distillation of the concept. We first saw the Tonda PF Micro-Rotor last year, and found a lot to love in the small details. We also found the dial to be expansive on the wrist, almost in its own way when it came to wearability thanks to the wide integrated bracelet. The Tonda PF in 36mm guise addresses nearly every issue we had with the Micro-Rotor, but welcomes a different movement in the process. The Tonda has come a long way, and this is the watch that has us most excited about its future. The modern Tonda PF is often mentioned in the same breath as contemporaries like the Vacheron 222, the Bulgari Octo Finissimo, the Chopard Alpine Eagle, the Girard-Perregaux Laureato… you get the idea, but I’d submit that this watch sits in a slightly different realm to those (also excellent) watches. The Tonda PF has a grace that’s lacking in most high-end integrated steel sport watches. In fact, I wouldn’t call the Tonda a PF a sports watch at all. This is leisure wear at its finest, and will look better than most dressed up to the nines. There is no pretense of adventure lifestyle behind the scenes with this one. The Tonda PF in 36mm confronts this fact head on, and kind of dares you to place it into any specific genre. This specific example features a “steel sand” colored dial that does...
SJX Watches
Besides the Universelle grand complication, Audemars Piguet has another ace up its sleeve when it comes to its line of round watches. Originally launched a blue enamel dial, the Code 11.59 by Audemars Piguet Minute Repeater Supersonnerie gains sharper aesthetics with a smoked sapphire dial and a pink gold case. Initial thoughts A big part of the appeal of a repeater is the mystifying mass of racks and levers that drive the chiming mechanism and are most often hidden under the dial. Unveiling their secret is sometimes best done with the direct approach of not having a solid dial. A clear sapphire dials is arguably perfect it for a repeater, because the complication is usually constructed on the movement’s dial side. Unlike other frontal complications such as perpetual calendars, chiming complications are highly interactive – the racks are set in motion during the chiming sequence in a mechanical dance, all while the chimes sound, a performance that elevates the appeal of the complication. And for the Code 11.59 specifically, the tinted sapphire dial works especially well. Matched with high-contrast pink gold, it is an ideal complement for the case design as it blends an otherwise classical complication with contemporary livery that matches the modern styling of the case. As a result, the new repeater is one of the most appealing watches in the Code 11.59 range, with an intrinsic appeal that few of its brethren possesess. Contemporary package While retaining the same...
SJX Watches
Amongst the wave of new Royal Oaks just unveiled by Audemars Piguet (AP) is a new “Concept”, the Royal Oak Concept Split-Seconds Chronograph GMT. Historically a platform to showcase novel materials and aggressive design, the new Royal Oak Concept (ROC) continues down that route – but more notably contains an all-new and cleverly-constructed rattrapante chronograph movement with automatic winding. Initial thoughts Much like previous models in the ROC line, the new split-seconds chronograph is a bold statement with a chunky, aggressive case, albeit one refined to become more wearable, especially in light of its size – it is the most wearing Concept to date. Paradoxically, the movement within the large-format case was clearly designed with thinness in mind. For a split-seconds chronograph with a big date, second time zone, and automatic winding, the movement measures a modest 8.92 mm high, svelte by the standards of the complications mix. And in contrast to the design (which brings to mind the Richard Mille RM 11), the movement is unusually refined and clever. An example of is the rotor that’s supported by a large central hub, which provides enough space in the middle to house the entire split-seconds mechanism. This serves to both reduce thickness, while simultaneously offering a view of the rattrapante mechanism without being obstructed by the rotor. Deceptively oversized As with most of its counterparts in the collection, the new ROC has a geometrically-shape...
SJX Watches
Undoubtedly the flagship of its recent new launches, the Code 11.59 by Audemars Piguet Universelle is the brand’s most complicated wristwatch in recent years – or perhaps ever. A project that began in 2016, the uber-complication rooted in history: it is a tribute to L’Universelle, the grand complication pocket watch from 1899 made by AP for German watchmaker Union. But the watch simultaneously pushes the brand’s modern-day watchmaking to the limit, particularly in terms of miniaturising highly complex mechanisms. The Universelle is available in two guises, the open dial above and the solid dial pictured further up Officially one of the brand’s Research and Development timepieces – the model is also known as the RD#4 – the Universelle is an exercise in combining into a single wristwatch all the traditional mechanisms that constitute a grand complication, and then some – perpetual calendar, rattrapante chronograph with flyback, tourbillon, and grande et petite sonnerie with minute repeater. L’Universelle on display in the Audemars Piguet Museum Initial thoughts An assuming name that means little to anyone who doesn’t understand the historical inspiration, Universelle is a horological behemoth that captures AP’s industrial and mechanical capability. Though it has a highly modern design, the Universelle harks back to a bygone era of high watchmaking that prized highly complicated watches incorporating as many features as feasible into a (barely) wearable...
Worn & Wound
Around this time of year, most of us here living in the North East of the U.S. are looking forward to the weather making a turn. But for the good folks living near the alpine valley of Planica, Slovenia, and ski enthusiasts across the globe, the opposite is true. The more snow, the better. That’s because in the next couple of weeks, the quiet valley of Planica will come to life as they’ll host the 54th edition of the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships. Fans and supporters alike will bear witness to high-level winter athletes from all over the world as they’ll compete in competitions such as ski jumping, cross country skiing, and nordic combined. Time is an important factor across the board here. A second too slow could be the difference between second place or championship glory. Or even the slightest bit of bad timing could put a skier in a really bad spot, especially if they’re cutting in and out downhill at 80 mph, or landing a jump as high as 90 feet. Either way you look at it, it would behoove you to have an accurate watch, whether you’re a competitor, or just a spectator keeping score at home. The Official Timekeeper of the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships isn’t a brand that you, or I would expect – and that brand is Junghans. When I hear the name Junghans, my thoughts immediately go to thoughtfully designed dress-casual watches, like the Max Bill or the Meister. But the Schramberg, Germany based brand is more than meets the eye. Turns out they’ve b...
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Deployant
Follow up to our gear review of the Alpa 12 STC Silver Edition last week, we continue to explore with you the photographs we took over the month or so.
Time+Tide
The new Ball Engineer Master II Diver Chronometer has an internal bezel with domed sapphire. The internal bezel can be used underwater. Six colour options include green and blue in sunburst, and blue or brown matte gradients. It’s probably fair to say that the dive watch is as played out a genre you can find … ContinuedThe post INTRODUCING: The Ball Engineer Master II Diver Chronometer comes in 6 lip-smacking flavours appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Hodinkee
For the first time, the Offshore is fully back in black (ceramic, that is).
Worn & Wound
TAG Heuer and Porsche have revealed the latest fruits of their partnership in a new Cerrar Chronograph dubbed the Orange Racing. It’s been two years since the announcement of these two brands coming together once again, which came alongside this Porsche Carrera with road surface textured dial, and the latest member of that family turns up the color for an equal amount of drama. This watch represents the sixth creation of a TAG Heuer x Porsche watch, and while it treads into new territory thanks to its unique colorway, it also carries many of the familiar hallmarks we’ve come to expect from TAG Heuer chronographs. This Carrera x Porsche Chronograph, much like the examples that came before it, features a full set of applied Arabic numerals around that dial marking each 5 minute segment rather than the hours. This lends itself to the sporty, speedometer-esque feeling of the dial, which in this case, is accentuated by orange outlines defining each area of the dial. The black base of the dial gets a fine vertical brushing that’s noticeable, but doesn’t quite compete with the application of color. The rings of color, which inspire the name of the watch, appear to be something near Porsche’s Lava Orange (paint code M2A), though that specific color isn’t referenced by TAG Heuer. This color lands somewhere between red and orange and obviously works in rather dramatic fashion against the black backdrop of this watch. The dial itself is outlined, as are each of the sub ...
SJX Watches
Amongst the usual Royal Oaks just debuted by Audemars Piguet (AP) is the Royal Oak Offshore Selfwinding Chronograph 42mm Black Ceramic. It’s the very first Offshore entirely in ceramic – both the case and bracelet are ceramic, as are the pushers and crown. And like all newer Offshore 42 mm models, it’s powered by the in-house cal. 4404. Initial thoughts The new Offshore is a straightforward proposition – monochromatic in black and white, and mostly ceramic. It’s essentially the original Offshore in a fancier execution, both in terms of materials as well as the movement. So you appreciate the relative simplicity of the original Offshore design, this is easy to like. Part of the appeal comes from the material. The all-black ceramic livery suits the no-frills aesthetic of the original Offshore well. At the same time, AP excels at finishing ceramic so the case and bracelet have the same lustrous surfaces as their metal counterparts. As a result, the watch has a tangible, tactile quality that is appealing. That said, ceramic is slightly glossier than metal, so the brushed surfaces don’t have the same matte finish as the metal equivalents. The only downside is the price – CHF70,000 before taxes. That’s almost double the model in steel and only a little less than the version in rose gold. According to AP that’s due to the difficulty of finishing the ceramic bracelet, but the price is still difficult to rationalise. Ceramic end to end While AP does offer Royal Oa...
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Worn & Wound
In watches, like all things in life, everything comes back full circle. My watch collecting journey has meandered through different types of watches, spanning all shapes and sizes. There was a time where my collection had ballooned to a number that my watch box couldn’t accommodate. More recently, it has shrunk to a number that I can count on one hand. Very manageable, even by watch enthusiast’s standards. But despite the watches of past and present, there will always be that one watch that started it all – the Seiko SKX. I’m not talking about the ubiquitous Seiko SKX 007. No, not at all. The watch that kicked off this wild journey within this hobby, and ultimately led me to typing these actual words for you to read at your leisure, was the Seiko SKX013. The Seiko SKX diver format, in a more compact wearing case, suited my preferences at the time. It’s the watch that opened Pandora’s box to all sorts of things in, and out of horology. From figuring out how to change out straps (from that rattley jubilee) and learning about the history of the dive watch, to actually getting me into the sport of surfing. Through thick and thin, the SKX013 has always taken up a spot in the quiver. My beloved Seiko SKX013 (Left) & my brand new Seiko SSK001 GMT (Right) Side By Side $475 [VIDEO] Owner’s Review: The Seiko SSK001 is the Best Affordable GMT Out There, But Will it Stand the Test of Time? Case Stainless Steel Movement Caliber 4R34 Dial Black Lume LumiBrite Lens Hardlex ...
Time+Tide
Benrus has a back catalogue that makes many brands blush. The new Sea Lord is yet another example of just how much the brand has to work with.The post HANDS-ON: Benrus returns to the ’60s to revive the Sea Lord diver appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Quill & Pad
It's no exaggeration to say that here at Quill & Pad we are big fans of the Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso. And in 2017 Urwerk introduced its own, very robust version of a reversible watch: the UR-T8 Transformer. It's a T-Rex for the wrist that acts much like a Reverso!
Time+Tide
The Christopher Ward Bel Canto is the brand’s first take on a chiming complication Achieved with the help of a base Sellita SW200 and an in-house chiming module At its staggering price point, this may already be the bargain of the year The first modern microbrand shook enthusiast circles recently with their take on a … ContinuedThe post The Independedit: The Christopher Ward Bel Canto could prove the bargain of the year appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Worn & Wound
Ah yes, the skull watch. While not exactly what I’d call a “staple,” watches featuring skulls have been ever present in modern watch collecting for years. Most notably, we can look to independent watchmaker Fiona Kruger as something of a skull watch specialist, but other brands are in on the skull action as well. From Invicta (of course, Invicta) to Richard Mille, there are skull watches out there for every taste and budget. Indeed, one of my favorite watches from last year features a skull in a nontraditional way. But we can’t talk about skull watches without talking about Bell & Ross, who have released a variety of these watches in their relatively short history. Their latest release, the BR 01 Cyber Skull Bronze, is one of the strangest yet. First, let’s answer the question many are likely asking themselves right now: why? While different brands might have varying rationales for creating skull watches, we can at least identify that the skull itself as a symbol is recognized somewhat universally as dealing with the idea of mortality. A memento mori, a reminder that every living thing dies, is a theme that exists in art going back centuries. This is a natural thematic playing field for a watch, dealing as it does with the passing of time. Also, they just kind of look cool. I’m reminded of a heavily tattooed friend being asked about the symbolism behind the artwork on his body (including, you guessed it, skulls) and his curt response, indicating that he just ...
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