Hodinkee
Photo Report: A Night Of Watches & Tailoring With Brunello Cucinelli In Los Angeles
A master tailor from Italy and a collection of interesting timepieces made for quite a night.
Results for JLC Master Ultra Thin
3,359 articles · 82 videos found · page 79 of 115
Hodinkee
Time+Tide
RECOMMENDED READING: The World Economic Forum of the vintage watch market
The handful of BIG Rolex collectors meet-ups around the world represent the sanctum sanctorum of the vintage watch world, secretive affairs (which is sensible, given the dollar value of watches on the table) that offer a glimpse not just into the ultra-rarefied, and slightly odd, world of very high-end watch collecting, but also where the … ContinuedThe post RECOMMENDED READING: The World Economic Forum of the vintage watch market appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
Hands-On: anOrdain Model 2 with Hammered, Enamel Dial
Founded in Scotland five years ago by industrial designer Lewis Heath, Anordain is one of the most unusual “microbrands” as it managed to master – straight out of the gate – one of watchmaking’s most prized crafts: vitreous enamel, often known as grand feu enamel in Swiss watchmaking. As a result, the brand manages to offer some of the most affordable watches with fired enamel dials, mostly priced under US$1500. Following the success of the inaugural Model 1 last year, the brand has just unveiled the Model 2, a compact, hand-wound, two-hander with a modern, minimalist design. Most notably, two versions of the watch feature a fired, translucent enamel done over a hammered surface. Like all Anordain’s standard enamel dials, the new hammered, enamel dial is done in-house. Located in Glasgow’s East End, Anordain’s workshop includes its own three-person team of enamellers that can produce eight to nine dials a week, usually in bright, unusual colours such as pink or a translucent bottle green. Design nuances Inspired by classic field watches – the no-nonsense wristwatches made for armies in the first half of the 20th century – the Model 2 was designed entirely in-house, from the case to the typography and hands. And just like vintage field watches that are small by modern standards, the Model 2 measures a discreet 36mm in diameter and 11mm in height. Its balanced proportions are indeed reminiscent of field watches, albeit in a more refined and formal ma...
Time+Tide
INTRODUCING: The Linde Werdelin Oktopus Volcano
Linde Werdelin has once again teamed up with master engraver and artist Johnny “King Nerd” Dowell to create this – the Linde Werdelin Oktopus Volcano. Dowell, who was an engraver at the notable British gun makers James Purdey & Sons for 15 years, has previously worked with Linde Werdelin to create the Oktopus Reef and … ContinuedThe post INTRODUCING: The Linde Werdelin Oktopus Volcano appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Deployant
Masahiro Kikuno and his Wadokei Temporal Hour
We caught up with AHCI Japanese Master watchmaker Masahiro Kikuno and saw the Wadokei Temporal Hour watch. He is exhibiting at JeweLuxe, drop by to visit.
Quill & Pad
Paul Gerber: Renaissance Man And Creator Of World’s Most Complicated Watch And Smallest Wooden Clock – Reprise
The era of the master visionary and maker may be dead and gone in many other industries, but to create a beautiful watch, like composing a beautiful string quartet, you need a Beethoven, a Haydn, or a Brahms not a committee of brainstormers dreaming up target groups. Paul Gerber is up there with the giants, and Marton Radkai explains why.
Time+Tide
Best 5 watches for under $5K at the Sotheby’s Important Watches auction
At the upcoming Sotheby’s Important Watches auction, you can browse the catalogue and find all manner of incredibly rare and important watches and clocks from all the best watchmakers in the world. There is everything you would expect, and more, including a possibly unique red dial Rolex Daytona, a factory gem-set yellow gold Rolex GMT-Master, … ContinuedThe post Best 5 watches for under $5K at the Sotheby’s Important Watches auction appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
Inside the Jean-Pierre Hagmann-Akrivia Case Workshop
A master case maker who retired in 2017, Jean-Pierre Hagmann is back in action, as a partner in Akrivia’s case-making workshop in Geneva. Now 78 years old, Mr Hagmann struck out on his own in 1984, starting a stellar career that would see him become a case maker for most of Switzerland’s best watchmakers. (For a detailed profile of Mr Hagmann, see my 2016 story.) His client list included establishment names like Audemars Piguet, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Vacheron Constantin, and of course, Patek Philippe, where he produced highly-regarded cases for its minute repeaters. In fact, Mr Hagmann was also responsible for the impressively complex case of the Star Calibre 2000, the uber-pocket watch Patek Philippe introduced to mark the new millennium. Mr Hagmann at work in the 1980s The Patek Philippe ref. 5029 minute repeater, which had a Hagmann case In the first half of his career, Mr Hagmann also worked with many of the up-and-coming stars of independent watchmaking of the 1980s and 1990s, including Franck Muller and Roger Dubuis. He produced the very first Cintree Curvex cases for Franck Muller, as well as the early cases for Roger Dubuis. Another of Mr Hagmann’s cases: the Franck Muller Cintree Curvex minute repeater with perpetual calendar, circa 1991 Three decades later, Mr Hagmann is back where he began. He’s joined forces with a rising star of independent watchmaking, Akrivia, whose founder, Rexhep Rexhepi, is just 32 years old. Though young, Rexhep grasps the impo...
SJX Watches
Richard Mille Introduces the RM 57-03 Tourbillon Sapphire Dragon
Most of Richard Mille’s recent – and bestselling – watches have mainly been ultra-light and extremely technical in terms of materials and styling. The new RM 57-03 Tourbillon Sapphire Dragon is different. Instead it harks back to an earlier era of Richard Mille from not too long ago, when decorative techniques were employed to create unusually intricate watches like the Boucheron tourbillon. Originally unveiled in 2012, the RM 57-01 was initially launched as the “Jackie Chan” edition, designed in collaboration with the Hong Kong action star and bearing a miniature dragon sculpture on the movement. Subsequent iterations included the RM 57-02 where the dragon was replaced by a falcon, a motif popular in the Gulf. Available only in Asia, the RM 57-03 Tourbillon Sapphire Dragon is essentially a variant of the RM 57-01 the dragon executed in sapphire crystal and gold, the first time Richard Mille has created a sculpture in that material. The sapphire dragon is anchored to the movement ring with screws Produced by Olivier Vaucher, a micro-decoration specialist in Geneva that serves brands including Roger Dubuis, Van Cleef & Arpels and Zenith, the sapphire body of the dragon is first milled from a block of sapphire, and then laser engraved to create its detail. Then the engraving is finished and polished by hand. The sapphire pieces are then joined to solid red gold components that make up the dragon’s head, tail, limbs and spine. To highlight the dragon’s tongu...
Time+Tide
The old-world charms of the Longines 1832 Moonphase
We’ve been having a bit of a lunar week with Longines this week - checking out their new Master Moonphase in the boutique and in our studio. And we thought we’d stick with the theme this Friday. Today we’re taking a closer look at the stylish, chic and generally handsome Longines 1832 Moonphase. If the Master … ContinuedThe post The old-world charms of the Longines 1832 Moonphase appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
The big bad Bulgari Octo Chronograph
Editor’s note: This year we’ve been a little guilty of gushing all over the brand spanking new Octo Finissimo Chronograph, but it’s worth remembering that this shiny new star isn’t the only Octo Chrono in the mix. Meet the definitely not thin Bulgari Octo Chronograph … One of the marks of a strong watch design … ContinuedThe post The big bad Bulgari Octo Chronograph appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
A closer look at TAG Heuer’s Carrera Heuer 02 Tourbillon in black ceramic
Editor’s note: Earlier this week we had a look at a few TAG Heuer Tourbillons, including the impressive new Nanograph - with its fancy new carbon escapement and yellow highlights. But we’ve also still got the hots for one of the original models, this all-black beauty clad in ultra-tough ceramic. Dark, meet handsome. Owning a … ContinuedThe post A closer look at TAG Heuer’s Carrera Heuer 02 Tourbillon in black ceramic appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
Hands-On: Zenith Defy El Primero Double Tourbillon
When Zenith unveiled the El Primero Defy 21 two years ago, it was a breakthrough for the brand, offering a 1/100th of a second chronograph with twin regulators for an affordable US$10,000 or so. This year the brand has kicked things up a notch with the El Primero Defy Double tourbillon, which essentially replaces the regular escapements with two tourbillons – one conventional and the other ultra-fast. The high-frequency evolution The new double tourbillon chronograph is a logical evolution of the classic El Primero – albeit accomplished with some help from TAG Heuer – that remained unchanged for decades. Unveiled 50 years ago, the El Primero was the first integrated automatic chronograph, and crucially, the first serially-produced, high-frequency chronograph running at 36,000 beats per hour (bph), allowing it to measure time down to the nearest tenth of a second. It would take 48 years for it to evolve into its first major iteration, the El Primero Defy 21 of 2017, which took the high-precision chronograph to its extreme with a monstrously high frequency of 50Hz, capable of measuring time down to a hundredth of a second. The Defy El Primero 21 launched in 2017 – an exotic chronograph for a basic price While it is true that a higher frequency regulator results in a higher resolution chronograph, it comes at a cost. An ultra-high frequency escapement requires tremendous energy, and the friction generated by the rapid motion of its components in turn mean more f...
SJX Watches
Hands-On: Bell & Ross BR-X1 Phantom Chronograph
In 2014, Bell & Ross’ signature BR 01 design spawned a futuristic, ultra-graphic spin-off that would take the brand miles beyond the cockpit – the BR-X1. While the watch inherited the distinctive circle-within-a-square case modelled on aircraft instruments, from there the execution swerves radically away from the retro-military look of the original, with the BR-X1 taking on a greater complexity in both construction and style. Iterated into numerous variants in the five years since its launch – including a Renault Formula 1 edition and White Hawk – the BR-X1 is characterised by open-worked dial revealing a skeletonised chronograph module and a complex case made up of a combination of materials – here titanium and ceramic – with rocker-style pushers pivoted on one end. This year, Bell & Ross (B&R;) has unveiled one of the most striking iterations of the BR-X1 to date, the all-black Phantom. The BR-X1 Phantom Going dark Watches with black cases and dials are relatively common today, ironically thanks in part to one brand that resisted the genre so vehemently that it spawned an outlaw cult of aftermarket all-black watches. Even with the flood of black watches on the market, few have gone above and beyond in making everything on the watch black. The first truly all-black watch was the smash hit Hublot Big Bang of 2006, which was followed by hordes more. But the greatest irony of such watches is that the illegible colour palette results in an eminent...
Hodinkee
Found: An Omega Flightmaster Owned By Michael Crichton
A classic Omega owned by the master of hard sci-fi who brought us Jurassic Park.
SJX Watches
Introducing the Michel Perchin Watch in “Drapery” Enamel
Best known as a maker of ultra high-end fountain pens, Michel Perchin is named after one of the workshop directors of Faberge, the legendary jeweller of Imperial Russia famed for the lavish annual Easter Eggs produced for the Tsar. Amongst Faberge’s signature creations were incredible enamelled objects of all sorts finished in brilliantly coloured translucent enamel. The modern day Michel Perchin pens were decorated in the same style, and though the pen business is now defunct, the founder of the brand, Patrick Pinkston, has revived the name to produce a watch similarly decorated in fired enamel. Produced mostly in England but powered by a Swiss movement, the Michel Perchin watch is large, rectangular and decorated with vitreous enamel and diamonds – an aesthetic that’s not for everyone but impressively crafted, albeit at a steep price. The highlight is the “drapery” motif on the dial, that consists of a drapery guilloche engraved by a traditional, hand-operated rose engine, which is then covered in pale blue enamel. Three brilliant cut diamonds form the quarter hour markers, while a solid gold appliqué of the Michel Perchin elephant logo marks 12 o’clock The enamel is done the traditional way by a craftsman in England who first grinds the enamel powder with a mortar and pestle, then adds water or oil to create the mixture that can be painted onto the case surface. The case is then fired to set the enamel, and the process repeated to build up several layers...
SJX Watches
Hands-On: Rolex Daytona Orange Sapphires Ref. 116578SACO
Those unfamiliar with the world of ultra-bling Rolex watches must wonder – who are they catered to? Dictators? Drug dealers? Nightclub owners? Instagram influencers? But the answer is actually something more common. All of us inevitably know someone like this: the middle-aged man usually in athletic wear by Louis Vuitton and Gucci, and whose idea of formal wear is an embroidered velvet suit from Dolce & Gabbana that resembles curtains from a chateau. He’ll probably drive a super car that is “stickered”, either the whole car wrapped in a matte, metallic finish, or worse, “stickered” with flames and stripes on the sides. Then this gentleman will probably be wearing a watch like this. And if he isn’t, he will really want one. It’s easy to poke fun but the nattily dressed gent is enjoying himself and who can fault that? And so it is with this watch, which has certain, look-at-me appeal that is just calling out to be enjoyed. This is the new and uncommon Daytona ref. 116578SACO with an orange sapphire-set bezel. Cosmograph Daytona ref. 116578SACO Each year Rolex unveils a handful of bejewelled watches that are shown to the press and public at Baselworld – last year’s was the Daytona “rainbow” and this year had the Day-Date “rainbow” – while also releasing a smaller number of gem-set models on the quiet, which are usually only shown to retailers. This year’s hush-hush launches included the GMT-Master II “SARU” in Everose gold, but als...
SJX Watches
Introducing the Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch 321 Platinum
As it marks the 50th year of the Moon landing, Omega introduced a variety of Speedmaster Moonwatches in steel and in gold, but none with the revived cal. 321 movement, until now. The first watch to land the cal. 321 – a second will debut later in the year – is the ultra-luxe Speedmaster Moonwatch 321 Platinum that’s a special, as opposed to a limited, edition. Visually it’s pretty much a typical Speedmaster Professional, save for the use of expensive materials for all the external components. The case is the standard 42mm with twisted, “lyre” lugs, but rendered in a particular platinum alloy, Pt950Au20, that is 95% platinum along with a small amount of gold. The bezel is also platinum, with an insert in black ceramic with white enamel markings. The “stepped” dial, as it was on vintage Speedmasters, is made of polished black onyx, while the hour, minute and register hands, along with the hour markers, are 18k white gold (the central seconds hand is plated brass, a necessity because the reset function requires it to be lightweight). All the chronograph sub-dials are made of moon meteorite. The case back reveals the cal. 321, a remake of the Lemania CH27 of the mid 20th century. Found in the early Speedmaster models, where it was named the Omega cal. 321, the movement has been reproduced in great detail. And according to Omega, it is distinct from its distant relative, the modern day Lemania cal. 2310 that has been in continuous production for several d...
Time+Tide
The lovely bones – Bulgari’s Octo Finissimo Skeleton Titanium Blue
Editor’s note: If you look at the profile of this Bulgari Octo Finissimo Skeleton Titanium Blue, there isn’t a lot to see. That’s because the watch is so darned thin! But the dial-side more than makes up for it, because Bulgari has cut the dial open, exposing all manner of goodness inside. Read on for … ContinuedThe post The lovely bones – Bulgari’s Octo Finissimo Skeleton Titanium Blue appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
Marlon Brando’s Apocalypse Now Rolex to be auctioned by Phillips
Marlon Brando’s Rolex GMT-Master ref. 1675, worn by him on the set of Apocalypse Now, is to be auctioned by Phillips Watches Department. The story was broken by the New York Times, with the provenance of the piece being traced from Brando, who in 1995 gave the watch to his adopted daughter Petra Brando Fischer, … ContinuedThe post Marlon Brando’s Apocalypse Now Rolex to be auctioned by Phillips appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
Hands-On: Genus GNS 1 Wristwatch
While it’s a new brand that just made its debut, Genus is founded on the watchmaking talent of an industry insider who has spent a lifetime working on complications. Its first watch is the GNS 1 that tells the time with an ultra-exotic complication with the minutes travelling across the dial like a train. Conceptually the GNS 1 harks back to the burst of creativity that started in the early 2000s, when watchmakers went all out with imaginative complications to display the hours and minutes. This was the heyday of the Harry Winston Opus series and the birth of brands like MB&F; and Urwerk. The brand Genus was founded by entrepreneur Catherine Henry and Sébastien Billières, founder of GMTI, a specialist watchmaking workshop. The son of a watchmaker, Mr Billières started his career at Roger Dubuis in 1999, followed by a stint at Urwerk. In 2011, he set up GMTI, which specialises in primarily in assembly and servicing of complicated movements for major watch brands. Now staffed by 25 watchmakers, GMTI’s repertoire is diverse, ranging from tourbillon movements bearing the Poinçon de Genève, or Geneva Seal, to time-only movements produced on an industrial scale. Telling the time According to Mr Billières, the GNS 1 is the realisation of his long-held ambition of creating his own watch, after spending his career doing it for others. The GNS 1 is essentially an exceptionally avant-garde display of the hours and minutes. Even when static the face is impressive...
Hodinkee
Hands-On: The Orion Calamity Diver
Thin, crisp, and not a hint of "fauxtina."
Time+Tide
Blue heaven is the Hublot Aerofusion Chronograph Orlinski Blue Ceramic
Editor’s note: Few brands have the way with ceramic that Hublot has. The fusion-focused brand has pumped so much colour into the ultra-hard material that it’s hard to believe. Take the Hublot Aerofusion Chronograph Orlinski Blue Ceramic for example … When it was announced last year, I thought Hublot’s Orlinski case was one of the … ContinuedThe post Blue heaven is the Hublot Aerofusion Chronograph Orlinski Blue Ceramic appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Revolution
Stronger from the Core: Casio G-Steel Carbon Core Guard GST-B200
The new G-Steel and Master series of watches by Casio are constructed with a Carbon Core Guard Structure. We break it down layer by layer.
Time+Tide
Our 5 favourite Franck Muller watches from the new 2019 collection, with a focus on the crazy ones
It’s quite possible that when Steve Jobs said, ‘Here’s to the crazy ones’, that master watchmaker Franck Muller was listening. And that he was inspired. Because when Franck Muller does watches well, the brand does them in a certain crazy, poetic and preposterous way. Take my absolute favourite (perhaps until a new contender, the 2019 … ContinuedThe post Our 5 favourite Franck Muller watches from the new 2019 collection, with a focus on the crazy ones appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Hodinkee
Introducing: The Blancpain Air Command Flyback Chronograph Limited Edition (Live Pics, Pricing)
An ultra-rare vintage pilot's chronograph comes back, with up-to-the-minute tech inside.
Deployant
Grand Seiko Elegance Collection SBGZ001
The new Grand Seiko Elegance collection which marks the 20th anniversary of Spring Drive, reveals a new manual-winding thin dress series. The collection is made up of four different models, with the most talked about model, the Platinum SBGZ001 with a hammered case and snowflake dial.
Revolution
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Tradition d’Excellence Cabinet n°4
The Cabinet No.4 comes from the ultra-exclusive Tradition d’Excellence collection meant to showcase Audemars Piguet’s watchmaking skill and spirit.
Time+Tide
Daily style done right, the Jaeger-LeCoultre Polaris Automatic
Editor’s note: This year’s SIHH from JLC was very much a return to their core – high complications and Reversos. Don’t forget, though, that last year saw the brand break out with a bold, sporty collection – the Polaris. We take another look at the Jaeger-LeCoultre Polaris Automatic. The Polaris is one of those truly iconic watches … ContinuedThe post Daily style done right, the Jaeger-LeCoultre Polaris Automatic appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Deployant
Live from Baselworld 2019: Greubel Forsey
Greubel Forsey’s tour de force this year is a combination of their ultra complicated Quadruple Tourbillon with the popular GMT. We ran the press release yesterday, with all the details. Seeing the piece on my wrist is amazing. Beautiful 3D design and magnificent finishing. And also managed to get reacquainted with the Contemporain Balancier fromRead More