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Quill & Pad
The Only Watch auction is a great place to see (and bid on!) unique pieces by some of the most talented artisans and watchmakers in the world. Here Joshua Munchow highlights five watches from Only Watch 2021 that feature a variety of spectacular artistic crafts.
SJX Watches
While Vacheron Constantin already has a few triple calendar watches in its catalogue, including the old-school Historiques and contemporary FiftySix. But perhaps the perfect blend of classical and modern is Traditionnelle triple calendar introduced three years ago. The latest version of the Traditionnelle Complete Calendar is in white gold, paired with a grey dial – a clean, restrained combination. Initial thoughts While the latest version is merely a change of colours, it’s still a smart look. Already appealing in terms of design, the Traditionnelle gets better with the right case metal and dial. And here the grey-on-silver formula is perfect. The Traditionnelle Complete Calendar is unusual for the dial layout. Instead of having twin-windows side at side under 12 o’clock, the day and month indicators are pushed to the edge of the dial. This opens up the dial aesthetic, while also improving legibility. Like the other models in the Traditionnelle family, the Complete Calendar is masculine and serious, especially in this colour, but not mundane. That’s thanks in part to interesting details, like the double-baton marker at 12 o’clock and a case with a coin-edge fluting on the back. Importantly, the movement is decorated well – as good as it gets as far as big brands go – it even packs a few inward angles on its anglage (even if they aren’t extremely sharply angled). At US$41,000, the price tag is hefty, but it is considerably more affordable than any of Va...
Time+Tide
Editor’s note: If you can get one at retail the green dial Patek Philippe Nautilus 5711/014 would set you back $34,893 USD. But that’s one extremely big “if”. Consequently, people are willing to pay crazy prizes for what is still a watch that only came out this year. Recently, for example, a Nautilus 5711/014 sold on … ContinuedThe post EDITOR’S NOTE: Reflecting on happier times, when you could go on a waiting list for a 5711, and actually get “the call” appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Deployant
The Breitling Premier B15 Duograph is Breitling’s take on a split second chronograph with a center monopusher. Featuring rectangular chronograph pushers and Arabic numerals, the heritage-revived Premier Duograph displays a variety of details such as grooves on the case-sides, open sapphire casebacks and syringe hands. The Duograph comes in stainless steel with a blue dial or in 18k red gold with a black dial.
SJX Watches
A model often overshadowed by “hot” watches or more complicated ones, the ref. 5905 combines a pair of useful complications into an everyday dress watch, but it was previously available only in a conservative, luxe guise of precious metal case and classical dial colours. But now Patek Philippe is changing up the feel of the model with the Annual Calendar Chronograph ref. 5905/1A. Now cased in steel and matched with a three-link bracelet inspired by the Aquanaut, the ref. 5905/1A retains the sectored dial found on earlier versions of the model, but now in olive green – the same shade found on the Nautilus ref. 5711/1A-014. Initial thoughts Patek Philippe’s opening act for the year was the Nautilus ref. 5711/1A with an olive-green dial (and with the option of a diamond-set bezel), an immediate hit that has become one of the most sought-after watches of 2021. The Nautilus was already hot, as all sports watches with integrated bracelets are, but bestowing the most fashionable colour of the year on the “final edition” of the Nautilus ref. 5711 escalated its desirability to the stratosphere. That bodes well for the ref. 5905/1A. The ref. 5905/1A will be instantly attractive since it caters to current tastes. Its inevitable desirability will overshadow its intrinsic qualities (and also the accessible price), which is a bit of a shame. While intriguing it is not, the ref. 5905/1A is a good-looking watch, and one executed in a practical material while offering usef...
SJX Watches
Patek Philippe just launched a trio of new chronographs, all variants of existing models. While the ref. 5905/1A in steel is the most affordable, the World Time Chronograph ref. 5930P-001 is surely the most striking with its emerald-green guilloche dial (which is a brighter shade than the olive green of the ref. 5905/1A or Nautilus ref. 5711/1A-014). And despite a dial colour that’s novel for a world-time model, the ref. 5930P does hark back to historical world-time watches with its silver cities ring. Initial thoughts The ref. 5930P is only a different take on an existing model, but it’s certainly a vivid new look. Past versions of the ref. 5930 were either subdued (which was the original in blue) or too much (the Singapore edition in red). The ref. 5930P in emerald green appears striking but just right. A key point of appeal is the silver world-time ring that gives it a look that more closely resembles vintage world time watches, which is a good thing for anyone who appreciates historical Patek Philippe design. This contrasts with earlier versions of the ref. 5930, both of which had tone-on-tone world-time rings, making them less prominent. Notably, Patek Philippe historically utilised such bright colours only on limited editions, so the ref. 5930P is an unusual watch amongst the standard offerings. That said, with green being the most fashionable colour of the year, it goes without saying that the ref. 5930P will be mostly unavailable for the near future. Emerald g...
Time+Tide
What is probably the most important and significant Sinn U1 dive watch has surfaced in Wellington, New Zealand. The Sinn U1 is one of the most recognisable and respected dive watches available today. With its almost Bauhaus utilitarian dial, iconic syringe hands and bead-blasted Tegiment Submarine Steel case, this watch is no pretender, flexing in … ContinuedThe post Original Sinn – A close encounter with the legendary U1 dive watch appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Hodinkee
The latest version of the classic 5177 features an enamel dial that references blued steel watch hands.
Hodinkee
What has a 38.5mm stainless steel round case, black dial, and costs $1,900? The Bell & Ross BR V1-92.
Hodinkee
Pick your panda.
Hodinkee
New dials on top; new movements underneath.
Hodinkee
For Patek, history isn't just something you remember – it's something you make.
Revolution
Quill & Pad
Bovet offers a new take on its formidable Virtuoso VIII Chapter Two, which the brand introduced in 2020. And when Bovet says that it reimagined the Virtuoso VIII Chapter Two, you can take that literally: the designers didn't exactly “improve” it, rather they took the same ingredients and served them up differently.
SJX Watches
Czapek & Cie unveiled the Antarctique a year ago, its first foray into the popular category of luxury-sports watches. While the Antarctique had many of the elements synonymous with a luxury-sports watch, namely a steel case, blue dial, and integrated bracelet, it lacked what is arguably the signature element of Czapek’s design DNA – a pair of sub-dials at five and seven. Just unveiled at Geneva Watch Days, the followup to the original model combines a light touch of high horology with styling more faithful to the brand’s origins – the Antarctique Rattrapante, which is also the brand’s first split-seconds chronograph. Initial thoughts At a glance, the Antarctique Rattrapante is a noble effort in fusing the brand’s signature look with a modern, open-worked dial. Aesthetically, the design works well. The concept of having the entire split-seconds chronograph module visible on the dial creates an intricate view of the mechanics that would normally be hidden. And the mechanics are interesting, as the look is the result of substantial contortions to lower the sub-dials while ensuring they do not run into the gear train for the central hands. Notably, the repositioning was done with extra wheels – the chronograph mechanism actually has the registers in their traditional three and nine positions. At its core however, the chronograph remains a traditional, mono-pusher mechanism, albeit one that’s modular. The split-seconds mechanism does lack a key feature found ...
SJX Watches
After the Streamliner made its debut in chronograph form last year, H. Moser & Cie. has just grown the line of luxury-sports watches to include the Streamliner Perpetual Calendar. As is typical of Moser’s house style, the new perpetual calendar is streamlined in design and presentation, with the dial indicating the date and month while remaining minimalist, avoiding sub-dials entirely. The inaugural version of the Streamliner Perpetual Calendar gets a black fumè dial, giving the watch a subtle palette that’s fitting for its minimalist aesthetic. Notably, the monochromatic, shades-of-grey livery also harks back to the limited edition chronograph that was the opening model of the collection. Initial thoughts Compared to the two earlier Streamliner models – chronograph and time-only respectively – the latest is the most representative of Moser because of the ingenious movement within. A movement that made Moser’s reputation when it was resurrected in 2005, the calibre is one of the few that truly reimagines the perpetual calendar. While the Streamliner chronograph has an equally ingenious movement, the perpetual calendar movement is Moser’s own, which makes it that much more special. While appearing similar to the other versions of the Streamliner, the Perpetual Calendar differs in a few respects, which makes it stand out against its siblings in the Streamliner range, and more appealing for that reason. The design is slightly more nuanced, possessing details l...
Deployant
To mark 50 years of its chronographs, TUDOR is relaunching its Black Bay Chrono model in steel with a reworked case and two dial options with contrasting sub-counters.
Hodinkee
To reference Marie Kondo, these vintage pieces "spark joy."
SJX Watches
Four years after the debut of the Joker – and its myriad subsequent iterations – Russian independent watchmaker Konstantin Chaykin still manages to surprise and impress. The latest version of Chaykin’s googly-eyed wristwatch is the Wristmon Minotaur. The third instalment in the watchmaker’s annual Chinese zodiac edition, the Minotaur has a case and dial that mimics the head of a bull, since 2021 is the Year of the Ox. Although its hour and minute display are identical to the early versions of the Joker, the Minotaur has been upgraded in several ways, including with a dual-letter day display and a Vaucher base movement. Initial thoughts The Minotaur is another excellent design by Mr Chaykin, and one of his more amusing creations since the original Joker. Not only does the dial form a face, but the case has been reworked to resemble a bull’s head with asymmetric lugs where the upper pair resemble a pair of horns. More importantly, the Minotaur is not merely a tweak of colour or design. Its functionality has been revamped, namely with the nostril display that shows the first two letters of the day. In fact, the novel day display is another example of Mr Chaykin’s ingenious realisation of function following form, but done well enough that it feels just right. And the price of the Minotaur is in line with recent watches in the Wristmon collection, which is around US$22,000. While significantly pricier than the original Joker that cost around about US$7,500, the new ...
SJX Watches
While Chanel started the year with the J12 in rainbow colours inspired by electronic dance music, its latest is sleek and stark in black and white. The Monsieur Marble Edition is a variation of the Monsieur Edition Noire from 2019, retaining the same steel and ceramic case – and the in-house Caliber 1 movement – but matched with a dial in glossy black marble with white veining. Initial thoughts I liked the original Monsieur de Chanel when it was launched in 2016. Even though Chanel is a primarily fashion house, the Monsieur was proof it made excellent watches for men. Its design was thoughtful, and the movement attractively executed in both style and construction. The subsequent Monsieur in black ceramic had all the same qualities, but an monochromatic look that made it more appealing. And the new version is even more appealing, because the marble dial looks good. Even though the only change is the marble dial, its natural grain goes well with the design of the Monsieur, so the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. Price wise, however, the new Monsieur is harder to digest. At just under US$37,000, it costs almost US$10,000 more than the original version in ceramic, which was a reasonable-enough proposition considering the design and movement. The Marble Edition is unquestionably beautiful – I’d want one – but the price is steep. Black and white Each dial is made of one piece of marble carefully cut into three to form each section of the dial, allowing the ...
SJX Watches
Founded just five years ago, Gorilla has already established a distinct house style, born of the its two founders’ eye for design. Notably, one of the founders, Octavio Garcia, was design chief at Audemars Piguet for over a decade. The latest from the brand is reassuringly familiar, channeling the style of its inaugural model, but a major step up in terms of form, function, and price – the Fastback Thunderbolt Chronograph. Equipped with a smartly skeletonised dial, it’s the brand’s first chronograph but retains with Gorilla’s recognisable case style. The case is multi-material: a ceramic bezel, followed by an anodised aluminium ring, and then a black-coated titanium case middle and back Initial thoughts Gorilla’s past offerings have been appealing for several reasons. Though evocative of some other well-known designs, its watches are original and handsome – a rare sight at the US$800 price range – and they are usually executed in unusual combinations of materials like titanium and ceramic. At the same time, the brand managed to make uncommon complication relatively affordable, namely the wandering hours display that’s most famously associated with Urwerk and Audemars Piguet in modern watchmaking. The latest offering is an extension of the brand’s strengths. Despite being its first chronograph, the Fastback Thunderbolt Chronograph is well put together, having a skeletonised front that’s intricate in detail and rich in colour that manages to pres...
Quill & Pad
Ahead of Geneva Watch Days at the end of August and the European summer break, some independent watch brands have announced new watches. Here, Elizabeth Doerr highlights three of these new watches with eye-catching dials that really caught her own eye.
Quill & Pad
Have you ever wondered how Titleist gets its logo on bumpy round golf balls? Well this is your lucky day as Joshua Munchow discusses the secret of one very specialized printing process that has its roots in watchmaking. In fact, you still see the results of this process nearly every time you look at your watch dial.
Deployant
Tudor adds a new material to its growing list of Black Bay variants, with the new Black Bay Ceramic. This is the first time a full ceramic case is used on a regular production model, succeeding an earlier Only Watch 2019 all black model. Other notable changes include METAS certification, an anti-magnetic movement, and a two-liner dial instead of the usual Rolex style 'paragraph'.
Revolution
With tongue firmly in cheek, UNDONE announces the Stellar chronograph, the perfect party watch to make summer of 2021 unlike any you’ve celebrated before.
Hodinkee
Across the design world, minimalism equates to luxury. In the watch world, it's the opposite.
Hodinkee
Drink Pepsi, or take a walk in the forest?
Deployant
In this week's article, we look at a category of watches that are a little different in its aesthetics. More specifically, watches with off-centre dials.
Deployant
The Breitling Premier Datora is Breitling's take on a calendar chronograph with moon-phase. Featuring rectangular chronograph pushers and Arabic numerals, the heritage-revived Premier Datora displays a variety of details such as grooves on the case-sides, open sapphire casebacks and syringe hands. The Datora comes in stainless steel with a copper dial or in 18k red gold with a silver dial. “Datora” was a term used by Breitling in the 1940s and refers to a complete calendar chronograph displaying day, date, month and moonphase.
Revolution
There’s a fresh breeze blowing through the world of watch design and floating on that breeze like a clump of gossamer goodness is Oris’ latest confection: the Divers Sixty-Five “Cotton Candy”. The case is the familiar and popular Divers Sixty-Five bronze, clocking in at a versatile 38mm across, domed sapphire crystal, rated to 100 metres and with a stainless steel caseback concealing the automatic calibre Oris 733 inside. The dial comes in three super sweet flavours, complemented by the use of bronze for the case and bracelet. What remains to be seen is how bronze - famous for how it tends to patina - will interplay with the dial. Will a hint of verdigris make the dials seem that much more delicious? Only time will tell.
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