Revolution
Trailblazers: German Independent Watchmakers
Marco Lang, Stefan Kudoke, Dirk Dornblüth and Jochen Benzinger are blazing a trail and earning the respect of their peers and admiration from watch collectors around the globe.
21,302 articles · 5,618 videos found · page 669 of 898
Revolution
Marco Lang, Stefan Kudoke, Dirk Dornblüth and Jochen Benzinger are blazing a trail and earning the respect of their peers and admiration from watch collectors around the globe.
Time+Tide
It’s all well and good catering to our tastes for vintage nostalgia and I admit that I’m usually wearing some form of field / pilot’s / diving watch of 37-40mm that conforms to that genre. But there is a feeling that we are nearing the peak of that graph. If that should happen, the Isotope … ContinuedThe post INTRODUCING: The Isotope GMT 0º is a futuristic GMT with a fascinating twist appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Quill & Pad
A good friend of GaryG's owns a cream-dialed Reference 2526, and Gary has often admired it over the years but hadn’t really understood the role that the 2526 plays in Patek Philippe’s history until talking with him and other watch pals and doing some late-night online research. Read on to learn why he bought this special "Gobbi Milano" edition from 1954 in an exciting spur of a moment.
SJX Watches
Usually associated with solar-powered, high-spec professional diver’s watches, Citizen has just launched something unusual. The Promaster Mechanical Diver 200 m is a higher-end dive watch powered by the automatic cal. 9051 and a case made of its proprietary, hardened titanium. Initial thoughts The new Promaster is a huge – it’s 46 mm wide – with an aggressively, slightly over-the-top-design. And for that reason it’s cool; the style and size will surely appeal to anyone who likes large dive watches. Importantly, the Promaster Mechanical Diver is automatic, which gives it a greater technical appeal for the watch enthusiast. Citizen’s dive watch offerings in recent years have either been solar or entry-level automatics (priced at between US$300-400), while the new Promaster costs about US$1,000. The price brings with its an impressively constructed case in hardened titanium, a massive bezel, and prominently domed sapphire crystal. With Citizen having a history of dive watches with even greater depth ratings, the followups to the new Promaster will be worth keeping an eye on, especially a 1,000 m diver in the same style. The case is 15.3 mm high, with almost half of that the bezel Large and light Despite the case size, the Promaster Mechanical Diver is lightweight. Both the case and bezel are Super Titanium, titanium that boasts an extra-hard surface thanks to Duratect treatment. The process takes place with the component in chamber that’s heated to several...
Quill & Pad
It’s a bit unusual for GaryG to be writing this soon about a newly acquired piece – this one only arrived a little over a week ago – so he will reserve the right to add pluses and minuses in future articles once this watch has gotten substantial wrist time. Already, though, there are several reasons why he can say that he's smitten with this watch. Read on to discover what he likes and whether he has any quibbles.
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Time+Tide
Recently we saw the return of the Baume & Mercier Riviera in the form of three configurations: the 42mm Baumatic, 42mm Automatic, and 36mm quartz. Amongst the Time+Tide team we unanimously welcomed the Riviera and lauded the line for creating a more affordable opportunity to get a quality integrated, stainless-steel sports watch. But the Riviera … ContinuedThe post The Baume & Mercier Riviera joins the green party appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Revolution
Wei’s love of independent watchmaking sparked his friendships with some of the watch industry’s kindest and most genuine individuals.
Time+Tide
Most watch collectors know, down to the dollar, how much each of their watches are worth. But there’s an even bigger number of watch owners who have no idea of their watches’ true value. In fact, new data from a Watchfinder & Co report, suggests that $60 billion of watches could be gathering dust in … ContinuedThe post Do you secretly have a fortune worth of watches sitting in your drawer? appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Revolution
Berend Bulang, one of the sons in Bulang & Sons, tells Ross Povey about watch life, family life and when the two go hand in hand…
SJX Watches
Even before the pandemic took hold, the last couple of years have been chaotic for Switzerland’s major watch fairs, with many an unexpected turn of events before COVID-19 put an end to the physical event in 2020. But now it appears the world is back on track, with Watches & Wonders (W&W;) slated to take place at end-March 2022 – as a physical event in its traditional Palexpo venue. The return of W&W;, now Switzerland’s only large-scale watch fair, feels long overdue. Arguably the saga began in 2018 when watchmaking giant Swatch Group exited Baselworld, then still the largest jewellery and watch fair in the world. Its departure triggered a chain reaction that would eventually prove fatal for Baselworld. Stalwart exhibitors including Patek Philippe, Rolex, and Chanel pulled out of Baselworld, sealing the event’s fate – and resulting in a small kerfuffle over exhibition-fee refunds. The brands departed Baselworld to join the fair in Geneva, then still known as SIHH. It was renamed W&W; to welcome the new exhibitors – and ran headlong into a major public-health crisis. Only one physical watch fair took place in Switzerland in 2020, albeit it on a small scale. It was only in China that a full-scale W&W; did happen, twice no less, demonstrating the frenzied demand for luxury watches there. A scene from SIHH 2019, the last time a full-scale watch fair happened in Switzerland After a two-year hiatus, W&W; till take place from March 30 to April 5, 2022, at Palexpo, the con...
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SJX Watches
Resembling an alien seashell, the Dream Watch 5 is De Bethune’s most unusual case and unquestionably its most artistic creation. While the model started out as a pared-back affair entirely in polished titanium, the DW5 has since evolved into a canvas for decoration like over-the-top, dancing-skeleton engraving. The DW5 Empreinte sits in between the two aesthetic extremes. Clad in deep, dark colours, the case is inlaid with a subtle, organic pattern that’s hard to describe. The distinctive colours and pattern were conceived by Clara Martin, who won the 2019 prize in the annual contest sponsored by De Bethune that’s open to masters students at the University of Art and Design Lausanne, better known by its French acronym ECAL. Ms Martin’s vision was realised by De Bethune cofounder Denis Flageollet, a talented watchmaker and self-taught metallurgist, as well as Michèle Rothen, the brand’s go-to engraver. Denis Flageollet and Clara Martin Initial thoughts De Bethune’s avant-garde in both style and watchmaking – an attractive combination that leaves the watchmaker with few peers. But even so, the DW5 still manages to stand out from the brand’s other offerings, as it is arguably a sculpture first and a timepiece second. The fluid, organic case is three-dimensional and gorgeous – and even more incredible when executed in the right material and colours, as demonstrated by the meteorite version of 2016. The DW5 Empreinte gets it right, with a deep black case a...
SJX Watches
Parmigiani got on integrated-bracelet sports watch bandwagon last year with the launch of the Tonda GT, in both chronograph and three-hand formats. Like many of its luxury-sports watch peers, the Tonda GT was penned with the help of a (somewhat) famous designer, Dino Modolo, an industry veteran whose best known work comes from his time at Vacheron Constantin, where he designed the original Overseas. While the Tonda GT is arguably Parmigiani’s first bona fide sports watch, it is surprisingly good – stay tuned for a review soon – and now Parmigiani has unveiled a pair of Tondagraph GT chronographs with “panda” dials. Decorated with clou triangulaire guilloche, the silvered dials are matched with glossy black ceramic registers, elevating the retro “panda” to a new level. Somewhat confusingly, the Tondagraph GT will be available in steel with a modular movement featuring an annual calendar, or in 18k gold equipped with a pure-play, integrated chronograph movement that’s both high-frequency and finely constructed. Initial thoughts The Tonda GT has an appealing, original look that most crucially avoids looking derivative, an easy pitfall in the integrated-bracelet sports watch segment. And despite being one of the many such sports watches, the Tonda GT stands out with its own style that is inspired by Parmigiani’s dress watches, resulting in a look that’s best described as curious but attractive. The Tondagraph’s case and bracelet are neither angular nor ...
SJX Watches
Earlier this year, Girard-Perregaux announced a new partnership with Aston Martin, most famous for being the carmaker of choice for James Bond. The watchmaker also signed on as a sponsor of the Aston Martin Cognizant Formula One racing team, but a collaborative watch was absent, until now. Girard-Perregaux has just taken the covers off the inaugural watch of the partnership, the Tourbillon with Three Flying Bridges – Aston Martin Edition, a sleek, modern interpretation of the watchmaker’s signature complication. Initial thoughts When the partnership was first revealed, the first watch that came to mind was an auto-racing chronograph on an integrated bracelet, making the all-black tourbillon a bit of a surprise. But the integrated-bracelet sports watch is now commonplace, so I am glad Girard-Perregaux went with the Flying Bridges tourbillon, a complication unique to the brand. The tourbillon movement is, of course, an evolution of the brand’s iconic Tourbillon with Three Gold Bridges that was invented in the mid-19th century and found in Girard-Perregaux’s finest pocket watches, including one that was sold to the then President of Mexico, the famous “La Esmeralda”. A decidedly more classical version of Girard-Perregaux’s tourbillon That said, the Aston Martin edition isn’t entirely new – the watch is actually based on the Neo Tourbillon with Three Bridges launched in 2018, but the new movement has been skeletonised even further, hence the “Floating” b...
Revolution
Thee first watch born out of Aston Martin & Girard-Perregaux’s collaboration is revealed, the Tourbillon with Three Flying Bridges – Aston Martin Edition
SJX Watches
Held annually since 2015, the Young Talent Competition (YTC) was established by F.P. Journe to identify and reward promising young watch- and clockmakers. Open to candidates between 18 and 30 years old from anywhere in the world, the competition is overseen by a jury made up of industry figures – including Philippe Dufour, Giulio Papi, and Francois-Paul Journe himself – with the winner receiving a certificate as well as a CHF20,000 grant to buy watchmaking tools. This year’s winner was Mario Scarpatetti, a 29-year old clockmaker from the town of Parsonz in the east of Switzerland. Mr Scarpatetti’s winning submission was the Kalendar Perpeten, a long-case pendulum clock wound by a block of marble from Mr Scarpatetti’s region. It’s equipped with a moon phase, running equation of time, and most importantly – a patented, secular perpetual calendar. Francois-Paul Journe (left) with Mario Scarpatetti The Kalendar Perpeten Mario envisioned a new type of perpetual calendar clock in 2016, as an extension of a concept he had realised in 2013 as a conventional perpetual calendar clock. A conventional perpetual calendar keeps track of the date, accounting 30- and 31-day months as well as leap years. However, such calendars still require adjustment every 100 years, as years that are divisible by 100 but not by 400 are not leap years, one of the quirks of the Gregorian calendar that is the norm today. As such, a conventional perpetual calendar will interpret the years 2...
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Time+Tide
Buying a watch is rarely something that you do on a random whim. Much like buying a car, it tends to be an extremely considered purchase where you research and agonise over every last detail. In addition, watch collectors also tend to have highly informed (and vocal) opinions over most aspects of a timepiece from … ContinuedThe post The DWISS M3 is designed for the people, by the people appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Quill & Pad
Bracelets are one of the most underappreciated watch components. They are often taken for granted, yet designing and crafting a good one comes with considerable challenges. Martin Green thinks that the new Breguet Marine bracelets are a winner, but especially in gold there's a price to pay.
Time+Tide
G-Shock is an industry leader in super fun and super accessible collaboration pieces. They love marrying their trustworthy designs with popular culture and, if you love beer and horology, their latest limited-edition watch is just for you. The only catch to the G-Shock x Budweiser Limited Edition is that you have to be of drinking … ContinuedThe post The G-Shock you need to be of drinking age to buy… appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
Just to recap: in the wake of Watches & Wonders, watch channel founders Wei Koh of Revolution, Robert-Jan Broer of Fratello, Frank Geelen of Monochrome, and our very own Andrew McUtchen of Time+Tide came together to talk watches. They selected their top watches in four different categories and then asked viewers to choose their pick … ContinuedThe post Watches & Wonders: People’s Choice Awards – The Darkest Horse appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Deployant
The watch is classically Cartier, and has a novel case shape which its Prive line is known for. It is priced at S$39,400 in gold and S$44,600 in platinum and is limited to 100 pieces per model. The small production number and the novel case shape is the biggest sell point of the watch, but in comparison, a gold Tank Louis Cartier with the same movement is approximately 40% less expensive.
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Time+Tide
As we’ve touched upon when reporting on Cardi B and J Balvin, “buss-down” watches are a huge trend outside of the niche collecting community. Trained collectors stay away from the practice, recognising that a factory original watch is considered a more pure aesthetic and that customising a watch can (at times) be a bad choice … ContinuedThe post Crime or sublime: Tinie Tempah picks up his customised Audemars Piguet Royal Oak appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
Zodiac has in recent years revived most of its best-known sports watches, namely the Sea Wolf divers produced from the 1950s to the 1970s. Appealing because they are reassuringly retro and eminently affordable, the Sea Wolf remakes are mostly offered in the same colours as the vintage originals were. But now Zodiac has just debuted the Super Sea Wolf Aquamarine Dream, a special edition conceived in collaboration with Ariel Adams, the founder of American watch magazine aBlogtoWatch. Inspired by the marine colours of Nassau during a 2019 trip to the Bahamas, Ariel’s creation is rendered in several shades of green-blue, right down to the hue of Super-Luminova and the “tropic” style rubber strap. Initial thoughts Ariel founded aBlogtoWatch (ABTW) in 2007, making him a watch-blog pioneer. I’ve known Ariel for about a decade or so and respect him for his frank, accessible approaching to covering watches. Granted, I don’t always agree with his opinion, but certainly appreciate the unpretentious style of ABTW, especially Ariel’s editorials and podcasts. Priced at just under US$1,500, the Aquamarine Dream combines cheerful and vintage-inspired looks along with an accessible price tag – an honest product I would expect from Ariel. It reminds me of another recent remake that I like, the Longines BigEye in titanium, which also preserves the design of the vintage original but adds a healthy dose of modern colour and texture. Notably, it is not a limited edition, and al...
SJX Watches
Tudor just debuted the Black Bay Ceramic, an appealing watch that is compelling value. I like it, but it is a well-executed dive watch in black ceramic – not majorly significant in the grander scheme of things. But actually it is significant – shrewd and strategic in its concept, and a neat illustration of Tudor’s clever and patent strategy. Why? The answer lies in the industry landscape. Tudor’s parent is Rolex, the biggest luxury-watch brand in the world. According to Morgan Stanley estimates published in March 2021, Rolex sold almost CHF8 billion of watches at retail value in 2020. The equivalent number at Omega was a little under CHF3 billion, making it the second-largest luxury-watch brand. In the same report, Morgan Stanley pegged the retail-value sales for Tudor at CHF633 million, the result of having enjoyed double-digit growth for several years. Though it’s a modest number relative to Rolex and Omega, it is substantial. The figure puts Tudor a hair below Jaeger-LeCoultre’s CHF681 million, and bigger than Panerai’s CHF520 million. Tudor’s solid growth is attributable to many factors, most of which are encapsulated in the Black Bay Ceramic. Most obvious are the historically-inspired and thoughtful design, and of course the strong value proposition it represents. But more than that it is a masterstroke. Specifically, the METAS certification that makes the Black Bay Ceramic a Master Chronometer is a brilliant move. To be clear, Tudor officially has no...
Revolution
Patek Philippe introduces its first complicated quartz watch, the Aquanaut Luce Travel Time, and new extensions for the time-only Aquanaut Luce & Chronograph
Time+Tide
The new Longines Silver Arrow makes me think we’re due for a strong comeback of the functional steel dress watch. Clean-cut with a proportionate, 38.5mm case that invokes a ’50s Mad Men vibe, it feels fresh in our niche horological world, saturated as it is with vintage divers and sports-watch largesse. The Silver Arrow achieves … ContinuedThe post VIDEO: The Longines Silver Arrow offers ’50s elegance with an architectural twist appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
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