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Results for Rolex Daytona

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Cosmograph Daytona Rolex

The Rolex chronograph born on the racetrack. History, references and specs.
Reference · Guide
All Rolex Daytona References Rolex

Every Rolex Cosmograph Daytona reference: 6239, 6263, 16520 Zenith, 116500LN, 126500LN.
Zenith Revives the El Primero Triple Calendar SJX Watches
Zenith Revives Jan 29, 2024

Zenith Revives the El Primero Triple Calendar

Zenith revisits one of its signature historical models with the Chronomaster Original Triple Calendar. It is the Chronomaster Original we know and love, but with a twist: the addition of the day, month, and moon phase while maintaining the same dimensions as the chronograph-only model. Powered by the latest-generation El Primero 3610 with “lightning” seconds, the Triple Calendar makes its debut in three colourways, white, grey and a boutique-exclusive green. Initial thoughts Although popular among enthusiasts, the Chronomaster Original is arguably undiscovered territory for many because it has been overshadowed by Chronomaster Sport, a watch famous for resembling the Rolex Daytona. However, the Chronomaster Original offers better aesthetics and proportions compared to its slightly derivative Sports sibling. The compact 38 mm case sits comfortably on most wrists, while having enough presence to feel like a larger sports watch. Compared to the standard Chronometer Original, the Triple Calendar adds a few complications into the mix and evokes the well known vintage original. Importantly, it is not only a vintage remake since it utilises the latest-generation El Primero movement with a “lighting” central seconds. The Triple Calendar is, however, pricey. It costs US$13,400 on a calfskin strap and a bit more on a stainless steel bracelet. That’s about 30% more than the base model Chronomaster Original, which feels like a lot for simple-calendar functions. That said, th...

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Over The Influence - Why Watches Worn By The Celebs Of Today Won’t Be The Icons Of Tomorrow Fratello
Louis Vuitton Tambour Jan 19, 2024

Over The Influence - Why Watches Worn By The Celebs Of Today Won’t Be The Icons Of Tomorrow

Paul Newman made the Rolex Daytona famous for all kinds of reasons, but money wasn’t one of them. Will Bradley Cooper make the Louis Vuitton Tambour a legend of the watch world? Well, when the American actor was an IWC ambassador, he didn’t get a watch (nick)named after him. Also, once his deal with the […] Visit Over The Influence - Why Watches Worn By The Celebs Of Today Won’t Be The Icons Of Tomorrow to read the full article.

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Vanessa Redgrave’s Rolex Reference 5513 Submariner with Explorer Dial: Could it be The Female ‘Paul Newman’ Daytona? – Reprise Quill & Pad
Rolex Reference 5513 Submariner Jan 10, 2024

Vanessa Redgrave’s Rolex Reference 5513 Submariner with Explorer Dial: Could it be The Female ‘Paul Newman’ Daytona? – Reprise

Are there special vintage watch dial variations named after notable women in a vein similar to that of the Paul Newman Rolex Daytona? Nick Gould was wondering just that and researched. Finding a photo of Vanessa Redgrave wearing a Rolex Submariner Reference 5513 with "Explorer" dial in 1966, he ruefully opines that this rare model would sound so much cooler as the Rolex "Vanessa Redgrave" Submariner rather than what collectors call it now: Rolex Reference 5513 Submariner with Explorer dial.

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The Rolex Oyster Perpetual Celebration Dial is starting to hit the secondary market. Shocker, it is priced high… Time+Tide
Rolex Oyster Perpetual Celebration Dial Jul 26, 2023

The Rolex Oyster Perpetual Celebration Dial is starting to hit the secondary market. Shocker, it is priced high…

Rolex at Watches & Wonders this year can be described in two words: acid trip. Sure, there were the usual incremental updates to lines such as the GMT Master II and Rolex Daytona. And it was exciting to see the new 1908 have a sapphire caseback across all models and the platinum anniversary Daytona as … ContinuedThe post The Rolex Oyster Perpetual Celebration Dial is starting to hit the secondary market. Shocker, it is priced high… appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

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Tudor Introduces the Prince Chronograph One Prototype for Only Watch 2023 SJX Watches
Tudor Introduces Jun 29, 2023

Tudor Introduces the Prince Chronograph One Prototype for Only Watch 2023

Foreshadowing a return of the famous “Big Block” chronograph from 1976, Tudor has unveiled the Prince Chronograph One for Only Watch 2023. Featuring a striking 18k yellow gold case and matching bracelet, the Prince Chronograph One debuts Tudor’s first-ever in-house chronograph movement, the MT59XX – making it the first and only Tudor watch sold publicly to contain a yet-to-be-released prototype movement. Initial thoughts The Prince Chronograph One is an interesting debut for Tudor in many ways. Not only is it an attractive and well-conceived watch in its own right, it’s likely a sign of things to come, particularly with regards to the all-new in-house movement. Tudor’s prior Only Watch entries features unusual materials such as ceramic, bronze, and patinated steel; the Prince Chronograph One continues this trend. Tudor doesn’t often make watches in precious metals – the Black Bay Fifty-Eight 18k is an exception – leaving that lane open for its sibling Rolex. The 42 mm case and bracelet of this unique piece are crafted from 18k yellow gold, and the screw-down crown and pushers are particularly faithful to those of the original “Big Block” and its sibling, the Rolex Daytona 6263. And it shows remarkable attention to detail that Tudor opted to produce its adjustable T-Fit clasp in 18k yellow gold for this one-off piece. The pairing of a yellow gold case with a black dial and bezel is also timely given the surging interest in the Rolex Daytona “Paul Ne...

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YEMA’s Racing-Inspired Collection Makes Its Way to the WEC Grid with New Alpine Endurance Team Partnership Worn & Wound
TAG Heuer Monaco Jun 22, 2023

YEMA’s Racing-Inspired Collection Makes Its Way to the WEC Grid with New Alpine Endurance Team Partnership

Watches have been a significant part of the endurance racing culture since the moment each of the teams’ tires hit the grid for the very first time. Still to this day, time keeping plays an intricate role with strategy and making in-race adjustments. From tracking lap times to driver stints, these decisions based on time ultimately decide whether a team finishes at the top of the podium, or dead last. Once Hollywood got a hold of endurance racing’s crown jewel, the 24 Hours of Le Mans, arguably one of the most iconic and dangerous races known to man, popularity both within the sport and racing chronograph watches, exploded. Built on the foundation of the Tag Heuer Monaco and Rolex Daytona, a wide array of watch brand partnerships are currently found throughout the grid evidenced by brand names on body panels, team shirts and occasionally, a watch on a driver’s wrist. The latest to join this prestigious group of endurance racing watch sponsors is YEMA after inking a deal with the Alpine Endurance Team, making them Alpine’s official timekeeper for the next three World Endurance Championship (WEC) seasons. For those unfamiliar with the FIA WEC, here’s a quick primer. In a span of a 9 month long season, 24 teams will compete in 7 (8 races next season) grueling, high-intensity races on some of the most world renowned tracks around the globe including Spa, Monza and of course, Le Mans. The Alpine Endurance Team has found success in the past several years with their A47...

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Porsche Design Releases a New Chronograph 1 Paying Tribute to 75 Years of Porsche Worn & Wound
Porsche Design Releases Jun 12, 2023

Porsche Design Releases a New Chronograph 1 Paying Tribute to 75 Years of Porsche

Sometimes, weird things happen on the watch release calendar that result in an almost mystical kind of synergy. We didn’t plan today as “racing inspired chronograph day,” but the surprise release of a new Rolex Daytona paying tribute to the 100th anniversary of Le Mans and an equally surprising new Seiko chronograph with more than a little racing and competitive timing heritage means that today is all about the many flavors of tracking elapsed time. Rounding out a trilogy of new chronographs today, we have news of the latest limited edition from Porsche Design, a special variant of the Chronograph 1 celebrating 75 years of Porsche.  As car enthusiasts are likely well aware, this year marks the 75th anniversary of the first Porsche, the 356 No. 1 roadster. In the decades since, Porsche has become not just one of the most important carmakers in the world, but one of the most recognizable brands of any type. Porsche vehicles are known all over the world, and their iconic silhouettes and designs can be easily recognized even by people who don’t count themselves as car aficionados. The new watch, according to Porsche Design, is a tribute to the culture and legacy Porsche has built.  The Chronograph 1 75 Years of Porsche Edition is very similar to the 1972 Limited Edition variant of the watch released last year, and discussed by Blake here. The differences are honestly so minute, they might only be appreciated by the most rabid Porsche Design collectors, but this is a ...

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Rolex Shock Drops New Daytona Commemorating 100 Years of LeMans Worn & Wound
Rolex Shock Drops New Daytona Jun 12, 2023

Rolex Shock Drops New Daytona Commemorating 100 Years of LeMans

This weekend marked the 100th running of the 24 hour race of Le Mans at the Circuit de la Sarthe in France, and Rolex took full advantage of the occasion with the release of a new Daytona with a dial that recalls the now famous ‘exotic’ dial, aka Newman dial, of older references. This release is surprising for a few reasons, and may even offer some insight to what we might expect from Rolex moving forward. We’ll get to all that, but in many ways, this is the Daytona that enthusiasts have been asking for since the late ‘80s – it’s the ‘greatest hits’ watch, perfectly capitalizing on the the new Daytona chassis released just earlier this year at Watches & Wonders, which we went hands-on with right here. First and foremost, Rolex is not in the habit of dropping new releases outside of their regular yearly cadence. We last saw it with the release of the Deepsea Challenge in late 2022, the first commercial Rolex to tout their RLX titanium material. While that watch could be considered something of an outlier, given its rather extreme nature, the Daytona is another story entirely. This new reference, the 126529LN officially, joins the new collection as a regular production model. That reference number ends in four characters that have never appeared together in the Daytona family, the 29 indicating a full white gold case and bracelet, and LN, or Lunette Noir, meaning it sports a black Cerachrom bezel. Vintage Rolex Daytona reference 6263 with exotic dial The firs...

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Highlights: “The Ultimate Collection” at Christie’s Hong Kong SJX Watches
Patek Philippe Rare Handcrafts We round May 18, 2023

Highlights: “The Ultimate Collection” at Christie’s Hong Kong

Having concluded its Geneva sales that included an F.P. Journe thematic auction, Christie’s will soon open its spring sale season in Hong Kong. The auctioneer’s watch offerings include an impressive line-up of watches assembled over two decades by an Asian collector. Christened The Ultimate Collection, the selection is composed of 107 timepieces – almost all modern – ranging from Rolex to F.P. Journe. Although the watches are diverse, the collector’s keen eye can be discerned. The catalogue includes classic must-haves like various examples of the Rolex Daytona and GMT-Master II, but also rare and special watches from F.P. Journe as well as possibly-unique Patek Philippe Rare Handcrafts. We round up nine notable picks from the sale, including the headline lots from F.P. Journe – a Chronomètre à Résonance “RTA” with a mother-of-pearl dial and the Tourbillon Souverain Coeur de Rubis. The “Coeur de Rubis” dial Other highlights including a Patek Philippe Dome Clock that was originally owned by Jean-Claude Biver of Hublot and Blancpain fame, along with uncommon variants of the landmark Lange 1, including the Lange 1A and ref. 101.027X. The Ultimate Collection takes place on May 26 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC) – the catalogue is available here. Lot 2537 – F.P. Journe Centigraphe Souverain Anniversaire “Hong Kong”  In 2016, F.P. Journe marked the 10th anniversary of its first ever boutique (which was in Tokyo) with the ...

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Insight: The Ingenuity of the F.P. Journe Centigraphe SJX Watches
F.P. Journe Centigraphe Modern mechanical chronograph Apr 14, 2023

Insight: The Ingenuity of the F.P. Journe Centigraphe

Modern mechanical chronograph movements have mostly been conceived according to two standardised recipes. One is the vertical clutch approach exemplified by the the sporty, performance oriented cal. 4131 inside the Rolex Daytona, while the other is the classical, lateral coupling architecture used by the celebrated L951.1 in the Lange Datograph. Sticking with a successful architecture is no bad thing, after all, chronographs are complicated enough in their basic form. However, there are some chronographs that stand out for being truly original, like the F.P. Journe Centigraphe and its cal. 1506. Constructed like no other chronograph on the market, the Centigraphe seeks to measure times with a resolution of 1/100th of a second with a unique movement that is modern in its approach yet subtly references the work of John Harrison. In many ways it encapsulates the philosophy of François-Paul Journe, which prizes original, creative watchmaking that pays tribute to historical greats. The cal. 1506 Despite its achievements, the Centigraphe is overshadowed by the brand’s signature watches, namely the Resonance and Tourbillon Souverain, and remains one of of F.P. Journe’s less-known offerings. Paradoxically, the Centigraphe should be more recognised than most other F.P. Journe watches because has a tangible link to the world of celebrity with its Formula 1 provenance, having been conceived at the suggestion of Jean Todt, the former boss of Ferrari’s Formula 1 team. Although...

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Tissot Debuts PRX “Ice Blue” Powermatic and “Blue Panda” Chronograph SJX Watches
Tissot Debuts PRX “Ice Blue” Mar 2, 2023

Tissot Debuts PRX “Ice Blue” Powermatic and “Blue Panda” Chronograph

Since its 2020 launch, the PRX has been a crowd favourite for making the currently-fashionable integrated-bracelet aesthetic affordable. Now Tissot has announced new additions to the collection: first the base-model PRX Powermatic 80 with an “ice blue” dial, and also the PRX Chronograph with a blue “panda” dial. Initial thoughts The commercial success of the PRX made additional variants inevitable. Fortunately, the new additions are crowd pleasers. The colourways are familiar so neither is novel but both give enthusiasts what they want. Save for the dials, both models are intrinsically identical to their predecessors. The prices remain the same, leaving them competitively priced and strong value.  The shade of light blue chosen for the Powermatic 80 caters in part to the ongoing craze for robin egg blue and also brings to mind the colour of the Rolex Daytona and Rolex Day-Date in platinum. For me, this is a solid update to the model that will undoubtedly be a strong seller. Also, the Powermatic 80 now has the option of a rubber strap as an alternative to the steel bracelet (but the strap has to be purchased separately). This is the perfect solution for someone who wants a strap without seeking an aftermarket offering. As for the chronograph, the blue “panda” dial works well. The blue accents provide subtle contrast with the vertically-brushed silver dial, while being more modern than the original “panda” model that had gold hands and markers. I still wis...

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Examining the Doctor Strange Watch: Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Ultra Thin Teddy Baldassarre
Jaeger-LeCoultre Feb 10, 2023

Examining the Doctor Strange Watch: Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Ultra Thin

Spotting and identifying watches worn in movies is one of the most popular pastimes among wristwatch aficionados as well as serious cinephiles. Most of the time, such watches serve largely as props, elements of a character’s wardrobe and/or equipment that help to define who that character is: who could forget, for example, Steve McQueen's Heuer Monaco in Le Mans or Daniel Craig's Omega Seamaster in Casino Royale? Every so often, a timepiece plays a more pivotal storytelling role, as was the case of a very recognizable, albeit harshly damaged Jaeger-LeCoultre watch in the 2016 Marvel film Doctor Strange, and more recently in its sequel, 2022’s Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.  Benedict Cumberbatch plays the title character in the movie, world-renowned neurosurgeon Doctor Stephen Strange, and in classic Marvel origin-story tradition, the first time we meet him  he is anything but heroic. While he uses his brilliant mind and skilled hands to save lives, his motivation for doing so tends to be more financial than altruistic. He turns down patients who can’t afford his enormous fees, treats co-workers callously, and generally embraces the high-end trappings that his fame and wealth affords him, including a Lamborghini and a drawer full of high-end timepieces meticulously mounted on winder cuffs- among them, according to sharp-eyed viewers, a Rolex Daytona and TAG Heuer Monaco.  The watch that Strange appears to hold in particularly high regard is the one ...

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Fears and Christopher Ward Team Up for the Alliance 01 SJX Watches
Christopher Ward Team Up Jan 20, 2023

Fears and Christopher Ward Team Up for the Alliance 01

English independent watchmakers Fears and Christopher Ward have teamed up to create a new take on the jump hour complication with the Alliance 01. A collaborative effort that plays to the strengths of each brand, the Alliance 01 was made expressly for the Alliance of British Watch and Clock Makers, a trade body for horologists in the United Kingdom. It combines the minimalist, vintage-inspired aesthetic espoused by Fears with the affordable complications of Christopher Ward. Initial thoughts I was intrigued when I learned Christopher Ward was teaming up with Fears. At first glance, the Alliance 01 looks like another version of the Brunswick, one of Fears’ signature models since the brand’s revival six years ago. But it is best described as Fears watch containing a Christopher Ward movement. It smartly combines each brand’s strengths – Fears’ vintage-inspired styling and Christopher Ward’s accessibly-priced, simple complications. Despite the resemblance to Fears’ other models, the Alliance 01 is appreciably different from anything Fears has done to date. But it still has the retro elegance typical of Fears, which actually makes the watch look simpler, despite the added complication. Though the design is elegant, the Alliance 01 is chunky, especially for a watch of this style. With dimensions comparable to a Rolex Daytona, the case height of just under 13 mm mean it will sit thickly on the wrist. If there were a bone to pick with the watch, it would be the lack...

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Takeaways from Attending My First Live Watch Auction SJX Watches
F.P. Journe FFC Blue Dec 30, 2022

Takeaways from Attending My First Live Watch Auction

I have always been fascinated by the drama that unfolds at a live watch auction – the excitement, the applause that accompanies a record hammer price, and the occasional silence when there are no bids to be found made. As a collector, the drama that unfolds adds colour to the hobby and adds another dimension to the business.  I had long tuned in for the livestream of auctions since I purchased my first vintage timepiece almost a decade ago. I followed the blockbuster results in the salerooms of the three leading auction houses, Phillips, Sotheby’s and Christie’s, but I had yet to experience being in the room until my outing to the recent fall sales in Hong Kong.  Watching the gavel fall on screen I knew I had to attend a live auction after watching the Sotheby’s Geneva auction that took place in December 2014. On my laptop I saw the sale of the Henry Graves Supercomplication unfold, when the man with the red tie, whom I later discovered to be Aurel Bacs, won the watch for US$24 million.  A few years later, while commuting to my first job out of college, I caught the exact moment when Paul Newman’s “Paul Newman” Rolex Daytona sold for a record at Phillips’ in New York. More recently, I tuned in for the sale of the F.P. Journe FFC Blue at Only Watch last year. Even though I only watched these sales on a screen, it is clear that watch auctions at the highest level are almost a competitive sport, with bidders from across the world or the aisle locked in a ...

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TAG Heuer Introduces the Carrera Chronograph “JPS” SJX Watches
TAG Heuer Introduces Nov 23, 2022

TAG Heuer Introduces the Carrera Chronograph “JPS”

Having just announced a limited edition with a gold case and semiprecious stone dial, TAG Heuer has debuted another all-gold Carrera, the Carrera Chronograph “JPS”. It features an 18k yellow gold case matched with a black-and-gold dial inspired by the 1158 CHN chronograph of the 1970s, a colour combination better known as the “JPS”. That’s is short for John Player Special, a cigarette brand that sponsored the Lotus Formula 1 team in the 1970s. Its brand colours were black and gold, which was also the paintwork for the Lotus race cars. That led to the “JPS” label for the Rolex Daytona in the same colours, though the nickname has since been applied to sports chronographs in the same livery. Initial thoughts The Carrera “JPS” is essentially the same model that’s usually seen in steel, but now given a luxe makeover with a gold case and “JPS” dial. In typical Carrera style it opts for a two-counter look with a “ghost” seconds at six, resulting in a vintage vibe although the case is a very modern and slightly chunky 42 mm in diameter. But the new Carrera really is all about the dial, which is no doubt meant to evoke what is now a million-dollar watch. While the market for vintage Daytonas has plateaued or even declined since its peak four years ago, the Daytona “JPS” has continued to sell for large sums, with a handful crossing the million-dollar mark over the past year. Besides the rarity of the model, the value also reflects the intrinsic appe...

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Highlights: Patek Philippe and Rolex at Sotheby’s Hong Kong Auction SJX Watches
Patek Philippe Apr 23, 2022

Highlights: Patek Philippe and Rolex at Sotheby’s Hong Kong Auction

Sotheby’s is kicking off the spring season of the year’s watch auctions with two consecutive sales in Hong Kong that take place in a week’s time. The first is an evening sale of a single-owner collection of exceptional vintage Patek Philippe watches. And it will be followed by Important Watches I, which includes several good examples of independent watchmaking. Though the single-owner sale has most of the significant vintage Patek Philippe watches offered by Sotheby’s, it doesn’t encompass all of them. One of the major lots is a Patek Philippe ref. 2524 minute repeating wristwatch. We take a look at that along with several other highlights from Important Watches I, both vintage and modern, including an arguably underrated complicated (and bejewelled) watch for men by Van Cleef & Arpels (VC&A;). Important Watches I starts at 2:00 pm (GMT +8) on April 26, 2022. Registration for bidding and the full catalogue can be accessed here. The VC&A; Midnight Poetic Wish Lot 2144: Rolex Daytona ref. 16523 “Floating” signed “Tiffany & Co.” The most desirable Rolex Daytonas are typically steel, with the two-tone versions often being the most affordable, perhaps because the two-tone look is generally less sought after regardless of brand. But this steel-and-gold ref. 16523 is notable enough that it was included in Daytona Perpetual, the reference tome covering many rare and unusual variants of the model published by Italian Rolex specialist Pucci Papaleo. The key fe...

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Vanessa Redgrave’s Rolex Reference 5513 Submariner With Explorer Dial: Should It Be The Female ‘Paul Newman’ Daytona? – Reprise Quill & Pad
Rolex Reference 5513 Submariner Feb 27, 2022

Vanessa Redgrave’s Rolex Reference 5513 Submariner With Explorer Dial: Should It Be The Female ‘Paul Newman’ Daytona? – Reprise

Are there special vintage watch dial variations named after notable women in a vein similar to that of the Paul Newman Rolex Daytona? Nick Gould was wondering just that and researched. Finding a photo of Vanessa Redgrave wearing a Rolex Submariner Reference 5513 with "Explorer" dial in 1966, he ruefully opines that this rare model would sound so much cooler as the Rolex "Vanessa Redgrave" Submariner rather than what collectors call it now: Rolex Reference 5513 Submariner with Explorer dial.

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OUR TOP WATCH REVIEW OF 2021: The Casio G-Shock GA2100-1A ‘CasiOak’ Time+Tide
Vacheron Constantin Historiques American … ContinuedThe Jan 30, 2022

OUR TOP WATCH REVIEW OF 2021: The Casio G-Shock GA2100-1A ‘CasiOak’

Editor’s note: Over the last few weeks, we’ve delved into the Top 30 watch reviews of 2021 on the Time+Tide website,  crunching the numbers to compare the traffic on the hundreds of watches we explored. So which watch took out the top spot? Something high-end like the meteorite-dial Rolex Daytona or the Vacheron Constantin Historiques American … ContinuedThe post OUR TOP WATCH REVIEW OF 2021: The Casio G-Shock GA2100-1A ‘CasiOak’ appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

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These colourful Rolex “Beach” Daytonas used to be “cheap fun”. You can now bid on a set of four on Loupe This and they may represent value Time+Tide
Rolex Beach” Daytonas used Dec 18, 2021

These colourful Rolex “Beach” Daytonas used to be “cheap fun”. You can now bid on a set of four on Loupe This and they may represent value

There’s a lot more to the Rolex Daytona than Paul Newman. While famed for its long history as one of motorsports’ most iconic timepieces, the Daytona has also found some expressive and fun iterations over the years and the “Beach Daytona” is a classic example. Launched in 2001 and produced until 2005, this short-lived family of four … ContinuedThe post These colourful Rolex “Beach” Daytonas used to be “cheap fun”. You can now bid on a set of four on Loupe This and they may represent value appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

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The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures Opens in L.A. SJX Watches
Rolex watches have long been Nov 29, 2021

The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures Opens in L.A.

Rolex watches have long been prominent in cinema, particularly of the American variety, never as a result of a product placements but instead a choice of the performer or director. Neither has the watchmaker recruited actors or actresses as ambassadors – it largely concentrates on sportspeople, musicians, environmentalist, and directors like James Cameron and Martin Scorsese – though it is the official sponsor of the Oscars. But now the watchmaker’s support of the film industry takes tangible form with the newly-opened Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles, which was constructed by the same organisation that’s responsible for the Oscars. Rolex is a “Founding Supporter” of the museum, resulting in the Rolex Gallery on the building’s third level. According to Rolex, the space is dedicated to the “many aspects of moviemaking – technology, artists, history and social impact” and includes the “Paul Newman Paul Newman”, the Rolex Daytona ref. 6239 owned by the late American actor that sold for a record US$17.52 million in 2017. But in typical Rolex fashion – which means discretion to the point of secrecy – the watchmaker is nowhere to be found on the list of “Founding Supporters” of the museum. But there is a single “Anonymous” donor in the category of US$10-20 million donations, alongside Dalian Wanda Group, Steven Spielberg, and The Walt Disney Company. The art of cinema Located in Los Angeles, the Academy Museum is the first o...

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Three Vintage Watches Worth Knowing About at Phillips Hong Kong SJX Watches
Patek Philippe ref 3448 Nov 20, 2021

Three Vintage Watches Worth Knowing About at Phillips Hong Kong

Independent watchmaking may be the flavour du jour at auctions now, but there are still vintage watches worth paying attention to. Phillips’ upcoming Hong Kong sale includes three of them, including an impressively crisp Rolex Daytona “John Player Special” (above) as well as the unique Patek Philippe ref. 3448 in platinum with sapphire hour markers – both of which will be million-dollar watches in US dollar terms (or ten-million dollars in Hong Kong currency). The last watch of the trio, a 1930s Tank Cintree in white gold, is the most elegant. And its seemingly new condition merits reflection: what is a skilfully and sympathetically restored watch worth? The Hong Kong Watch Auction: XIII takes place on November 25 (for lots 801-852) and November 26 (lots 853-1106). The full catalogue and registration for bidding are available on Phillips.com. Lot 819 – Rolex Daytona ref. 6241 “JPS” With the market for vintage sports watches having plateaued since it peaked in 2018 and 2019, prices have mostly softened across the board. That said, a handful of models still achieve impressive prices, most notably the Rolex Daytona “John Player Special”, or “JPS” for short. That’s because the solid-gold, manual-wind Daytona is an intrinsically rare watch – it is estimated that a few hundred exist as opposed to thousands in steel – and even less common with the “JPS” dial. Perhaps the most striking version of the “Paul Newman” Daytona, the “JPS” nickna...

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Louis Erard Introduces the Regulator in Lapis, Malachite, and Aventurine SJX Watches
Louis Erard Introduces Aug 31, 2021

Louis Erard Introduces the Regulator in Lapis, Malachite, and Aventurine

Louis Erard has embarked on a journey into the realm of special dials lately, starting with grand feu enamel and followed by hand-made guilloche – done affordably as is typical of the brand. And now Louis Erard is continuing apace with Excellence Régulateur featuring dials in lapis lazuli, malachite, or aventurine glass. But this time, however, the special dials are different. Louis Erard has opted for its signature regulator-style display, instead of the time-only format used on earlier editions, adding more character to the exotic-material dials.  Initial thoughts Regulators have long been a specialty of Louis Erard, and it’s a complication that’s uncommon this price point, especially a regulator with in-line hours, minutes, and seconds. The regulator watch has been the base for several interesting limited editions, especially the collabs with Alain Silberstein and Vianney Halter. Despite not being a collab with a notable personality, the latest regularly is equally interesting, because the dial materials are typically found in watches at a much higher price point. Recent examples including the platinum Omega Seamaster 300 or even the multi-million dollar, piece unique Rolex Daytona in platinum. In contrast, the new regulator is relatively affordable at just under US$3,200. At the same time, the regulator also costs less than the earlier special editions, namely the models with guilloche or enamel dials, making it an even better value proposition. Tho...

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Hublot Unveils the Big Bang Integral Tourbillon Rainbow SJX Watches
Hublot Unveils Aug 24, 2021

Hublot Unveils the Big Bang Integral Tourbillon Rainbow

The most extravagant watch to date in 2021 has arrived courtesy of Hublot – the Big Bang Integral Tourbillon Rainbow. Combining Hublot’s signature porthole face with the integrated bracelet introduced last year, the Big Bang Integral Tourbillon Rainbow has almost every surface set with coloured gemstones. And ticking away inside is an in-house movement with a tourbillon and clear sapphire bridges. Initial thoughts Rainbow watches are the “it” watches of our era, with the Rolex Daytona “Rainbow” being the most famous of the multi-coloured, gem-set timepieces. But now Hublot has taken it to the outlandish next level. The Big Bang Integral Tourbillon Rainbow is a lot, probably too much, but it’s also a stunning example of gem setting – proof comes in the form of 36 carats of stones – with an unusually interesting movement. The movement will probably be overlooked by whoever buys either of the two unique examples, but it is quite accomplished in a technical sense: an automatic tourbillon wound by a micro-rotor, with everything held in place by clear sapphire bridges. Contrasting starkly with the densely saturated case, the movement is light and airy in its layout, with its wheels appearing to be floating within the case thanks to the transparent bridges. The only glaring shortcoming in its technical features is the Etachron regulator index for the tourbillon. It’s entirely functional, but typically found in less expensive watches. Even though I would not ...

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