Hodinkee
How They Made It: This Hublot Is Into Leather
Straps are one thing. This watch has a leather dial and bezel, too.
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Hodinkee
Straps are one thing. This watch has a leather dial and bezel, too.
Time+Tide
It is time for another round of “Don’t Feed the Hype“. As a refresher for those who may not have seen previous entries in the series, my goal is to showcase readily available alternatives that provide a similar essence or merit to watches that have become increasingly unobtainable. It is my hope that these lesser … ContinuedThe post DON’T FEED THE HYPE: 3 alternatives to the Rolex Explorer II ref. 226570 appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Revolution
Devoid of excess, Old School is solid, sober and austere, a simple time-only watch that brims with precision in reading and hand-crafted detail.
SJX Watches
Following a slew of affordable, vintage-inspired watches, with several made by Habring2, Massena Lab has moved decidedly upmarket with the Old School. The time-only wristwatch retains a typical of the American watch-design studio – once again vintage inspired with a sector-like dial – but boasts a significantly more refined finishing. The model name is a play on words – a reference to its classical design but also the watch is meant to evoke a montre d’école, or “school watch” in English, the graduation project of a watchmaking student. Despite the academic inspiration, the Old School is the work of an experienced watchmaker, Luca Soprana, who cofounded Ateliers 7h38, the complication workshop best known for the Jacob & Co. Astronomia Tourbillon. Initial thoughts Massena Lab founder William Rohr is an industry veteran – amongst other things he’s been managing director of Antiquorum Switzerland and consultant to Bonhams – who has cultivated a sharp eye for design an details. Mr Rohr also has a finger on the current pulse of watch collecting, and the Old School unsurprisingly encapsulates what many enthusiasts currently desire. The design and movement feature traditional elements that are popular now. It’s not meant to be an intriguing or creative product – it is old school after all – but instead a simple watch executed well. One element that illustrates Mr Massena’s keen eye is the dial. The simple design has just enough flair to make it attrac...
Time+Tide
Once upon a time, I applied for a very prestigious and selective watchmaking school here in the USA. Sadly, I did not make the cut, which was probably fair given that I do not have the steadiest hands. A silver lining to this story is that, after my time working as a watch specialist for … ContinuedThe post INTRODUCING: The Old School by Massena LAB x Luca Soprana appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
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Time+Tide
After debating the best watches under $1,000 USD and the best watches from $1,000 – $3,000 USD, the next tier we are going to tackle in our Don’t Miss This series are the best watches from $3K-5K USD. Traditionally speaking, the luxury watch segment really kicks off in the $3000 USD and above price point – … ContinuedThe post Don’t Miss This: Our team debates the best watches from $3K-5K USD appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
One of the most distinctive Big Pilot’s Watches IWC has ever made is also one of the least known – and even perhaps the rarest model ever. Named after its creator, the Big Pilot’s Watch Edition “Markus Bühler” ref. 5003 was conceived by a then apprentice at IWC and subsequently made it into production, but as a tiny limited edition of only a dozen watches. The fundamentals of the Markus Bühler edition are simple – a gently-modified Unitas 6498 – but the look effectively conveys the purpose of design. With the “turbines” on the front and back, it is unmistakably a pilot’s watch. Initial thoughts When I first saw the Big Pilot Markus Bühler at the time of its launch in 2008, I thought it was silly. Despite being a limited edition, the Big Pilot “Turbine” was a downgrade from the standard Big Pilot’s Watch, going from the impressive, in-house cal. 5000 with a seven-day power reserve to a Unitas, albeit one with unusual, asymmetric striping on the bridges. But I was wrong. The simple yet effective concept – and its intrinsic aesthetic appeal – means the Markus Bühler has grown on me. I rank it amongst the most notable Big Pilots ever. Its appeal lies in the fact that the design is straightforward and symmetrical, with minimal modification to the original Big Pilot dial, save for the seconds. The dial design was the work of Gerd Plange, who’s been part of the IWC design team since 2001. During the period when he designed the “turbine” d...
Time+Tide
Many of Grand Seiko’s latest offerings have sought to transfer the beauty of the environment to our wrists. By using the elements seen around their design studios as inspiration, they’ve created ethereally beautiful models such as the SLGH005 “White Birch” and the Four Seasons collection. With one of their latest creations, the brand has struck … ContinuedThe post INTRODUCING: The Grand Seiko SBGY008 offers a subtle masterclass in the use of diamonds appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
You ever wish a watch brand does something and then it actually happens? Not some slightly related version of your wish but the actual thing. It’s such an amazing feeling, that for a moment in time it feels like you and the brand are perfectly in sync (almost like they are directly responding to a … ContinuedThe post INTRODUCING: Two new Grand Seiko Sport Collection Automatic GMTs (and why I immediately bought one) appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Deployant
We take a comprehensive first look at the new Louis Moiner Space Revolution. A watch which is currently a candidate at the category of “Tourbillon” at the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG) 2021. Based on one to one discussions with Jean-Marie Schaller, owner and creative director of Louis Moinet, using press release photographs. FirstRead More
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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
One of the most sought after complications by buyers is the GMT, a watch that can track two or more time zones on the wrist. With complication though can come cost, especially when we enter the realm of big-name luxury brands. But there are exceptions to the rule, and TAG Heuer has just proven this … ContinuedThe post HANDS-ON: The TAG Heuer Carrera Twin-Time 41 is a clean, robust and sporty-elegant GMT appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Revolution
Fortis gets in touch with nature on their new Marinemaster line of tool watches. Made of recycled steel and inspired by the natural outdoors. This is also brand’s second watch with the Werk 11 movement, in collaboration with Kenissi movement manufacture.
Time+Tide
When I say ‘our’ there in the title; ‘our’ Night Surfer, a nickname this watch adopted early on when the vertical gradient of the dial and star came together, I mean it. The amount of collaboration that went into this extraordinary watch is hard to adequately describe in a short written post. So in anticipation … ContinuedThe post The story behind our Night Surfer – a Zenith Defy Classic Skeleton with five premieres and limited to 100 pieces appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
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Deployant
Chopard presents its first sports watch with a high frequency movement - the Alpine Eagle Cadence 8 HF in titanium with 'Vals Grey' dial
Time+Tide
More than 60 years ago, Jack Heuer was inspired to create a timepiece with clean lines and proportions – a watch that leveraged a sense of modernity and purity. He wanted to create a harmonious chronograph watch that conveyed all the necessary information that drivers would love, but in an uncluttered manner that would allow … ContinuedThe post HANDS-ON: The TAG Heuer Carrera Three Hands Collection delivers accessible style in a range of sizes appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
A French brand that specialises in affordable, vintage-inspired watches, Baltic is back with another affordable, vintage-inspired watch. Evidently modelled on gentlemen’s watches of the 1930s, notably the Patek Philippe ref. 96 Calatrava, the MR01 is the brand’s first dress watch. Compact at just 36 mm in diameter, the MR01 is also thin at under 10 mm thanks to the micro-rotor automatic movement within, which is also the reason behind the unusually positioned seconds at seven o’clock. Initial thoughts Baltic has consistently released vintage-inspired watches that are the right combination of design, details, and affordability, which is exactly what the MR01 is all about. It has an aesthetic that instantly brings to mind the Patek Philippe ref. 96, accented with overtly vintage details like the applied numerals and stepped bezel. But its most novel aspect is arguably the movement, which has a micro-rotor, an uncommon feature in watches at this price point, for now. The fit and finish of Baltic’s offerings is good considering the price, which is an affordable US$600 or so for the MR01. That’s possible due to the fact that most of the watch is assembled using components made by Chinese suppliers. Chinese watchmakers themselves produce watches of comparable quality for less money, but most have yet to offer the design and eye for details that Baltic possesses. And that is why Baltic’s watches are value propositions that enjoy with commercial success. Effectively vi...
Revolution
Chopard launches the latest in its series of Mille Miglia chronographs and this time, in the guise of a collaboration with George Bamford’s Bamford Watch Department in an edition of 33 pieces.
SJX Watches
Having launched one of the best watches of 2020 with the spectacularly decorated Chronomètre FB 2RE, Ferdinand Berthoud (FB) returned to its very first model this year, remaking the FB 1 by bestowing upon it an open-worked movement accompanied by more contemporary styling. The result is the Ferdinand Berthoud FB RS – short for Régulateur Squelette, or “regulator skeleton”, which tidily sums up the time display format as well as the movement. Like the original FB 1, the new model has both a tourbillon as well as a chain and fusée. Notably, the FB RS is actually two models but equipped with the same movement, the FB-T.FC-RS. One is an octagonal case in sandblasted steel, the decidedly modern FB 1RS.6, while the other is the more conventional FB 2RS.2 in a round case of polished 18k rose gold. The FB-T.FC-RS While the two versions are quite different in terms of style, both share a similarly large diameter – resulting from the calibre within that boasts exemplary construction and finishing. The FB 1RS.6 in steel The FB 2RS.2 in gold Initial thoughts FB’s watches are best described as big and chunky – too big mostly – with equipped with exceptional movements. And the models with a tourbillon are especially big. Because of the their size, FB tourbillons tended to have a wide, empty expanse on the dial (which was dressed up with italic script in recent models). In contrast, the FB RS does away with all that empty real estate by uncovering the mechanics b...
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Revolution
Revolution visited The Sound Maker exhibition in New York City and had an opportunity to interview Stéphane Belmont, Jaeger-LeCoultre’s director of heritage. After a two-and-a-half-weeks of welcoming watch enthusiasts and clients, the exhibition ended today.
Hodinkee
New research in This Is Gyachung proves that Seiko's first professional watch came earlier than we had previously thought.
SJX Watches
After two years of digital fairs – and several sold-out physical fairs in China – Watches & Wonders is finally happening in Geneva. First announced for 2020 as the successor to the long-running SIHH, which for two decades was the luxury-watch fair in Geneva, Watches & Wonders (W&W;) 2022 will take place from March 30 to April 5 at Palexpo, with 39 brands in attendance. All of the major names that spurred the demise of Baselworld will exhibit at W&W; 2022, namely Rolex, Patek Philippe, Chanel, Chopard and Tudor. They’ll be joined by most of the brands owned by Richemont, the Swiss luxury group that was historically the anchor of SIHH, the event that preceded W&W;. Amongst the Richemont brands are A. Lange & Söhne, Cartier, IWC, and Vacheron Constantin. Another luxury group represented at the fair is LVMH, which has all three of its watch brands – Hublot, TAG Heuer, and Zenith – taking part. Bulgari, however, is notably absent, perhaps because there are already two Richemont-owned jewellers present. One of the significant newcomers is Grand Seiko, which only just announced its participation in the fair. Seiko was a longtime mainstay of Baselworld, so it’s not surprising that its top-of-the-line brand is returning to Switzerland to exhibit its newest watches. The gang returns, except for the independents As was the case with SIHH in the past, W&W; 2022 will include the Carré des Horlogers, a square dedicated to independent watchmakers. In years past the carré co...
Time+Tide
The diver is one of the most popular types of watches out there. Reliability and strength, even at lower price points, are reasons why the average watch collector loves them. This love, of course, doesn’t escape the notice of brands; with many releasing their own divers. That leads to hundreds, if not thousands of divers … ContinuedThe post MICRO MONDAYS: Mitch Mason nails its second chapter with the Maelstrom appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Is the Breguet of today the rightful heir to the brand that Abraham-Louis built, or is it simply another name chosen by a group of savvy investors? This watch provides a solid answer.
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