2,481 articles · 605 videos found · page 71 of 103
Revolution
With the incredible success of the Speedmaster line, Omega’s chief Raynald Aeschlimann is also now lifting up the Seamaster family with three new watches which together form an impressive second act for Omega in 2021 following the massively successful new Speedmaster launch.
Quill & Pad
One of the things Martin Green enjoys most about vacations is having as little to worry about as possible. That means for a watch he is looking for a versatile, leisurely partner that is as suitable for hiking as it is for drinks and dinner afterward. And while he generally likes to travel in style, his travel watch shouldn’t be too expensive for more of a care-free experience on vacation. Here he looks at three budget contenders for the wrist on your next holiday, whenever that may be.
Quill & Pad
The Grande Seconde is an iconic Jaquet Droz model. It’s a wristwatch interpretation of a historic Jaquet Droz pocket watch from 1748 featuring two overlapping dials forming a graceful figure eight. The Grande Seconde is as classic a Jaquet Droz as they come, but the Skelet-One, while retaining the same dial layout, is anything but classic. Ian Skellern takes a closer look at three new models from this surprising line for 2021.
Revolution
Nomos introduces three new colorways for the Club Automatic – navy, olive, and onyx – limited to 175 pieces for each model.
Time+Tide
The H. Moser & Cie. Pioneer Centre Seconds Swiss Mad Red ticks all my own personal boxes in a big way. The fact that I am a dial man who loves a coloured face and has a marked preference for three-hand watches makes it seem perfect on paper. Fortunately, it’s even better in the metal. … ContinuedThe post HANDS ON: The H. Moser & Cie. Pioneer Centre Seconds Swiss Mad Red presents a dial that’ll make you weep appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
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Deployant
The Zenith Chronomaster Revival A385 is a faithful reproduction of one of the original three stainless steel El Primero models from 1969, which featured Zenith's first gradient dial in a smoked brown tone and pronounced vignette effect that darkens towards the edges.
SJX Watches
Having been resurrected three years ago, Ikepod is returning to collaborations with contemporary artists, this time for Megapod designed together with Tom Christopher, best known for his paintings of New York City streetscapes. Based the automatic model launched last year, the Ikepod X Tom Christopher Megapod is a 200-piece edition sold exclusively online, reflecting the reborn Ikepod’s focus on affordable watches sold direct to the consumer. The Tom Christopher Megapod is the brand’s first artist collaboration since the Jeff Koons and KAWS watches created by an earlier iteration of the company. To recap, the brand was originally founded by Swiss businessman Oliver Ike and industrial designer Marc Newson in 1994, but failed to achieve commercial success despite its distinctive designs, in part due to high retail prices that resulted from its small production and high-quality components. It closed its doors in 2006, before being revived by art collector and dealer Adam Lindemann, whose influence helped gets Mr Koons and KAWS on board. But the brand continued to focus on pricey watches, and went bust once again in 2012. Now owned by a pair of Swiss entrepreneurs, the latest iteration of Ikepod is very much sticking with entry-level watches. Initial thoughts Having been the brainchild of Mr Newson, and then backed by Mr Lindemann, Ikepod’s idiosyncratic timepieces were long popular with certain well-heeled fans of contemporary art. Kanye West, for instance, sported a...
Time+Tide
It was Socrates who suggested that “the male libido is like being chained to a madman”. In Marlon Brando’s case, he was shackled to a veritable asylum. Married three times with two long-term partners, cosy domesticity wasn’t really his “thing”. This, after all was a guy who met his penultimate long-term girlfriend during a threesome … ContinuedThe post Sex, vodka and a gold watch – when Marlon Brando met Zsa Zsa Garbor appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Revolution
Patek Philippe releases three new models in their exquisite and feminine Twenty~4 line of timepieces just in time for Valentine’s Day.
SJX Watches
Two years ago, when Zenith celebrated the semicentennial of the El Primero – the world’s first high-beat, automatic chronograph movement – a successor to the long-running workhorse was quietly unveiled as part of a three-piece set. Designed from ground up as a brand-new movement, the El Primero 3600 was equipped with modern tech and additional features, including twin chronograph seconds hands. But the movement never made it to regular production, until now. The El Primero 3600 finally becomes accessible with the new Chronomaster Sport, a new line of sports chronographs featuring a shiny black-ceramic bezel and two dial options. Initial thoughts The debut of El Primero 3600 two years ago was noteworthy, but it was lost amongst the tasteful remakes – case in point – created to commemorate the anniversary. Now that the vintage remakes have reached their end with the final instalment announced just recently, the new movement can take the stage. The El Primero 3600 is certainly an impressive upgrade and a completely different animal compared to the original El Primero. Most notable is the addition of a lightning central seconds that travels six times as fast, completing one revolution every 10 seconds, allowing it to measure 1/10th of a second. That truly unleashes the full potential of the El Primero movement, which runs at 10 beats a second, or 36,000 beats per hour. Technical ingenuity notwithstanding, the watch itself looks good, albeit slightly derivative. T...
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Quill & Pad
Ken Gargett remembers it as though it was yesterday: the aroma from this small glass was the most alluring, enticing, extraordinary thing he had ever smelled in his life. Indeed, the nose of a great Muscat is for him one of the three great aromas one can find in the world of wine (the other two being a first-class, mature champagne and a great Burgundy). In this story, he introduces us to the beautifully fragrant world of Australia's Rutherglen Muscats.
SJX Watches
Synonymous with avant-garde watchmaking, Urwerk’s best-known complication is its reinterpretation of the centuries-old wandering hours, executed in both two- and three-dimensional motion. Just over a year ago, Urwerk unveiled the UR-100 SpaceTime, an easily-wearable, entry-level iteration of the satellite-disc wristwatch. Now the brand has taken the covers off the UR-100V T-Rex. Perhaps the most interesting version of the UR-100 to date, the T-Rex has an aged bronze case covered in a pronounced hobnail pattern that evokes the Tyrannosaurus rex. More notably, the “V” suffix in the model name indicates the Zenith Elite base movement in the original UR-100 has been replaced with a Vaucher automatic. Initial thoughts Still original despite being some two decades old, the satellite hours remains the brand’s forte. And the UR-100 is arguably the most compelling version of the watch in recent year, being both the most affordable and wearable. That probably explains why the UR-100 has sold well, resulting in the brand rolling out several variants in a short span of time, ranging from basic version in steel or titanium to the top of the line model in 18k yellow gold. But the UR-100 is at heart a pared-back design, simpler in form than the brand’s early watches, which are mostly more elaborate in the case construction. So the milled scales on the bronze case of the T-Rex sets it apart from other UR-100s – both in aesthetics and tactile feel – giving it an edgy look...
SJX Watches
Founded almost two decades ago, making one of the pioneers in contemporary watchmaking, Hautlence has long specialised in unusual, or even avant-garde, time display, like the chain-link hours in the Vortex. Boasting a three-dimensional spherical indicator, the new HL Sphere 02 is even more impressive, reimagining the familiar jumping hours complication as few have managed to do. A follow up to the original HL Sphere introduced last year, the HL Sphere 02 is essentially the same watch dressed more formally, replacing the muted blue-and-grey palette of the original version with a solid pink-gold dial. An animation of the transition from 10 to 11 o’clock Initial thoughts Though the HL Sphere 02 isn’t new, its spherical jumping hours remains novel and interesting. While conventional jumping hours operate on a single plane, relying on a flat disc that moves once an hour, the watch interprets the complication in a throughly different manner that is unique in watchmaking. In fact, the spherical jump hour is more impressive than Hautlence gets credit for. It is arguably on par with inventions like Urwerk’s satellite-cube time display, but because Hautlence isn’t as prominent as its peers – perhaps a consequence of changing management over the years – the brand’s complications don’t get as much recognition as they otherwise should. The HL Sphere 02 is almost identical to the original – the white gold, TV-shaped case and movement are the same – with the only ...
SJX Watches
After having brought back the A384 and A386 for the 50th anniversary of the El Primero in 2019, Zenith has finally remade the last of the three original, 1969 El Primero chronographs. Like the earlier two re-editions, the Chronomaster Revival A385 is faithful to the original, retaining both the proportions of the case and dial – while also boasting a historically-correct movement, an accomplishment exclusive to Zenith since its never stopped making the calibre. As it was with the vintage originals, the A385 remake has the same the tonneau-shaped case found on the A384, but stands out with its smoked dial finish, a defining feature of the original, which also has a cool backstory. In 1970, an original A385 was fastened to the landing gear of a Boeing 707 operated by Air France on a flight from Paris to New York – and the watch kept perfect time on landing. A vintage brochure showing the original El Primero trio that made their debut in 1969 Initial thoughts Being a spot-on reissue means the A385 is unimaginative, but that precisely what makes it appealing. In fact, it’s difficult to not like the watch, which retains all of the qualities of the original – from design to landmark movement – while being reasonably priced, as Zenith watches most often are. And the icing on the cake is the dial finish, a warm tone sets it apart from the many El Primero re-editions, most of which are dressed in plainer colours. The smoked, coffee-colour dial also evokes the faded, “t...
Quill & Pad
Breguet writing instruments round out the Swiss brand's elegant offerings with a style and grace similar to its timepieces, with many of the pens unabashedly borrowing stylistic attributes from the watch iconography. These writing instruments nestle into three collections: Tradition, Classique, and Reine de Naples, all in parallel with the watch collections of the same names. And they are a win in Nancy Olson's book!
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SJX Watches
Taking place at the end of the third week of January 2021, the first major international watch auction is Antiquorum’s Important Modern & Vintage Timepieces in Monaco. The 304-lot auction will be capped by an appropriately major watch – the very first Vacheron Constantin Tour de l’Île Grand Complication that was produced for the watchmaker’s 250th anniversary in 2005. First sold for 1.88 million Swiss francs at the Quarter Millennium of Vacheron Constantin thematic auction staged by Antiquorum and Vacheron Constantin in April 2005, the Tour de l’Ile was one of the first mega-complications of the modern era. When the Tour de l’Ile was launched, the Patek Philippe Sky Moon Tourbillon ref. 5002 was only three years old, the Lange Tourbograph had yet to be launched, and Greubel Forsey had only been founded a year earlier. At its launch, the Tour de l’Ile was billed as the world’s most complicated wristwatch – and also became the most expensive wristwatch sold at auction – thanks to its 16 complications displayed on two faces in a case 47 mm wide and almost 18 mm tall. Named after the location of Vacheron Constantin’s workshop in the 18th and 19th centuries – Tour de l’Ile literally translates as “tower on the island” – the wristwatch is powered by the 834-component cal. 2750. It features a minute repeater, perpetual calendar with moon phase, star chart, celestial annual calendar, tourbillon, sunrise and sunset times, equation of time, power...
SJX Watches
Unveiled earlier in the year to mark the 175th anniversary of the founding of A. Lange & Söhne, the 1815 Thin Honeygold “Homage to F.A. Lange” is one of a three-piece set created for the occasion, along with the Tourbograph Perpetual and 1815 Rattrapante. The 1815 Thin is a simple watch done well. Like the rest of the anniversary editions, the 1815 Thin has a Honeygold case, and more unusually, an enamel dial, a feature that’s rarely found on entry-level Lange watches. And for those reasons, the 1815 Thin is surprisingly good value, despite being a pricey timepiece. Initial thoughts Though it costs a substantial amount of money, the 1815 Thin is actually strong value. To start with, it’s an A. Lange & Söhne – which means sterling quality – and also a limited edition, with the case in an unusual metal, plus a dial in fired enamel. Though it’s the largest run in the anniversary line up, the 1815 Thin is a limited edition of just 175 pieces. And though Lange has made several limited editions in Honeygold – which costs substantially more than ordinary gold to machine – the cumulative number of watches in the metal is fairly small, at just over 1,000. The 175th Anniversary “Homage to F.A. Lange” trio in Honeygold – (from left) 1815 Thin, Tourbograph Perpetual, and 1815 Rattrapante Enamel dials are also uncommon for Lange, and decidedly rare in a time-only watch. The last time Lange offered a time-only watch with an enamel dial was 19 years ago with th...
Quill & Pad
Is a new dial color a new watch? Technically speaking, probably not. But a dial can make all the difference in a watch's character, which A. Lange & Söhne highlights with three new additions to the Saxonia collection. Even among the classically inclined collections of A. Lange & Söhne, for Martin Green the Saxonia line is the home of the brand’s ultimate dress watch.
Deployant
Here's Chester's choice of three chronographs from this year. They are mostly practical in function, unique in design and highly collectible.
SJX Watches
Now an annual tradition for Russian watchmaker Konstantin Chaykin – and also his bestseller by a wide margin – the googly-eyed and whimsical Wristmon watch has been dressed up for this year’s holiday season. A limited edition of just three watches, the Santa 2021 Special Edition incorporates Yuletide motifs into the design, which retains the signature regulator-style, “moving eye” display, but with a surprisingly complex modification of the construction made necessary by Santa’s spectacles. Initial thoughts Though Konstantin Chaykin’s technical achievements are many – including a watch that can tell time on Mars – his most famous creation is the Joker of 2017, which spawned the Wristmon collection. Simple but amusing, the Wristmon watches are impossible not to like. Mr Chaykin has introduced many variants of the Wristmon, but mostly in extremely small runs, allowing them to remain fairly uncommon. The Santa edition, for instance, is a limited edition of just three. But despite the small run, Mr Chaykin has thoroughly revamped the watch to accommodate the new face, which reflects his attention to even the smallest of details – a quality exemplified by the one-off Joker Selfie. The Santa face on the dial is actually wearing a pair of glasses – made up of a frame with two individual sapphire lenses – which called for modification to both the dial as well as time display module. Though it’s priced substantially higher than earlier versions of the Wr...
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Hodinkee
Newman's other Daytona didn't bring the fireworks of three years ago, but it still put on a show at "Racing Pulse."
Time+Tide
Hublot don’t do things by half. If they do something, they do it full throttle, and you can see that in the in-house movements they produce. You won’t find a simple three-handed caliber; no, instead you’ll find chronographs, tourbillons and some of the most impressive power reserves in the game. Of their in-house movements, this … ContinuedThe post VIDEO: The technical tour de force of the Hublot Spirit of Big Bang Meca-10 Titanium appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
Having made its three years ago with the affordable, vintage-inspired HMS and Bicompax – like many other brands in the segment – Baltic soon expanded its catalogue to include a similarly retro dive watch (and just last week an edition for Dubai retailer Perpétuel). And now the dive watch gets second time zone function with the launch of the Aquascaphe GMT. Introduced in three variants – with the most striking being the version with an orange and blue bezel – the Aquascaphe GMT is very much modelled on 1950s “big crown” dive watches, but with a sapphire-covered bezel and Swiss-made Soprod movement. Initial thoughts The Aquascaphe GMT continues to play to the strengths of Baltic, a French brand that manages good, vintage-inspired design in a a compact package, and at a modest price. Admittedly, such vintage-inspired watches are not particularly original, but they are have appeal, particularly since modern construction give them a practicality and robustness that the vintage originals lack. Credit goes to Baltic in giving the new GMT enough character to make it reasonably original. For instance, the 24-hour bezel is offered in interesting combinations of colours that are not the usual “Pepsi” or “Coke”, from a restrained grey and blue to a vibrant blue and orange. The rest of the GMT is similar to the original Aquascaphe dive watch, which means a handsome, compact case with good enough finishing for the price. But the GMT does diverge from the time-o...
SJX Watches
Unusually for a brand typically associated with robustly-constructed complicated watches, A. Lange & Söhne is unveiling its second ultra-thin wristwatch for the year, the Saxonia Thin “Black Gold Flux”. A limited edition of 50 watches, the new Saxonia Thin is fitted with a dial coated in “black gold flux”, more commonly known as aventurine glass. It’s powered by the hand-wind L093.1, the same calibre found in the 1815 Thin “Homage to F.A. Lange” launched three months ago. Initial thoughts Lange debuted its first aventurine-glass dial in 2018 with a Saxonia Thin that had a “copper blue”. A departure from the brand’s typical look, the sparkly dial gave a somewhat plain dial a lively, striking appearance. Arguably ideal for a dress watch because of its subtle nature, the aventurine-glass dial looks unadorned at a distance, but reveals the glittering metallic flecks up close and under the right light. It’s a useful variation of Lange’s house style that manages to be different in a discreet manner, while still being formal. Venetian glass Measuring 40 mm but standing only 6.2 mm high, the Saxonia Thin appears slightly larger than it is due to its proportions. The new dial should reduce its perceived size somewhat, since darker dials typically appear smaller. The dial is covered in aventurine glass, also known as goldstone, which is essentially glass with crystalline metallic inclusions that give it a characteristic sparkly finish. Invented by Vene...
Time+Tide
We recently covered up-and-coming British manufacturer Zero West, and their Spitfire S4-P9427 aviation watch. But pilot’s watches are not the only horological ace up their sleeve, they also encapsulate great moments in British history on land and sea. Across all three lines, one common theme they share are distinctive cases and aesthetics that can only … ContinuedThe post MICRO MONDAYS: The Zero West TT-58 gets revved up with Aston Martin’s panache appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
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