Hodinkee
A Reader Asks, 'Are ETA Movements Ever OK In High-End Watchmaking?'
To an important degree, the answer is that it's the wrong question to ask in the first place.
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Hodinkee
To an important degree, the answer is that it's the wrong question to ask in the first place.
Time+Tide
Never been to Baselworld? We can fix that. Just give us half an hour. In our first of three episodes re-creating the Baselworld experience – with all the things you expect, i.e lots and lots of watches and lots of things you don’t – we run through all the new releases from brands that show … ContinuedThe post VIDEO: Baselworld is not dead! It’s on YouTube, including a smoking hot new khaki Longines live on wrist appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
Rexhep Rexhepi of Akrivia was the guest on our first-ever Instagram Live, where he spoke with our founder SJX. Lighthearted and insightful, the session centred on the growth of Akrivia’s in-house capabilities, as well as the future of the Chronomètre Contemporain series. Here’s a recap of the highlights from the session. Ambitions for integration Rexhep has big dreams for Akrivia as a true manufacture, from production to even testing. This stems from an explicit desire to control every element of production, and to ensure his high standards at met every step of the way. Much of the progress made in vertical integration will be reflected in the second series of the Chronomètre Contemporain. While the series one cases were produced by a Geneva specialist, the second series will have its cases made in-house by master case maker Jean-Pierre Hagmann, who joined Akrivia last year. At the same time, Rexhep said the movement will have a greater share of parts made in-house. While the exactly proportion was unsaid, he made clear that his goal was to eventually make all key parts – bridges, base plates, wheels and pinions – in the Akrivia workshop. Beyond production timepieces, such vertical integration will be advantageous as it would allow Akrivia to prototype ideas far more quickly. Rexhep Rexhepi with Jean-Pierre Hagmann. Photo – Akrivia Interestingly, Rexhep also touched on chronometer testing and certification. The first series Chronomètre Contemporain is te...
Quill & Pad
Shinola's Detrola collection is geared more toward color, materials, and fun than serious watchmaking. It balances style with affordability much the same way Swatch does. And the brand's new Detrola The Champ has one more thing going for it: it has turned a setback into a strength to benefit COVID-19 relief in the Detroit area.
WatchAdvice
Introduction When it comes to iconic dive watches, few individual pieces, let alone brands at large, possess the pedigree and character akin to that of Doxa. Having adorned the wrists of Jacques Cousteau and fictional character Dirk Pitt, there is little left for the imagination in terms of what their watches are capable of enduring. If I’ve ever had a watch that I bought initially under, and due to, the influence of alcohol, immediately felt a sense of “what have I done”, and then fell in love with more than I could have ever conceived, that’d be the Caribbean Doxa Sub 200. It may not be the signature “fat” cushion case with the integrated no-decompression dive time calculator, nor does it wear the signature orange dial that made Doxa stand out from the rest back in 1967, but one thing it certainly is not, is boring. Initially at face value, it’s your standard issue dive watch with your usual checks in the right boxes. But as any watch geek would know, we never “fall” for a watch as a result of its specs sheet, but rather the way you feel when it’s on your wrist, we obsess over the most minute details, the little, split second glances that make you smile. The SUB 200 does just that, while not breaking the bank and delivers value at the top of its class. The SUB 200 is what I like to call the gateway drug to the world of what Doxa has to offer. It delivers the rugged, utilitarian construction to take on the seas, or in my case, crashing into the ground ...
Time+Tide
The Home Delivery Watch Fair, Watches & Wonders Edition was hands down one of the most ambitious and fun things we’ve ever attempted. And, judging by the comments, you seemed to enjoy it. That’s about all the encouragement we needed to take that positivity forward and tackle the big dance. So, we’re doing it again. … ContinuedThe post We’ve recreated Baselworld 2020 on YouTube over three epic episodes, starting tomorrow. This is what you can expect appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Revolution
Announcing the complete set of lots for the Revolution x The Rake Covid-19 Solidarity Auction, with further lots thanks to our sister magazine The Rake
Hodinkee
Q1 was bad. Q2 will be brutal, as Swiss watch production and sales come to "a standstill."
Time+Tide
Bremont may have only been around since 2002, but since its inception, founders and brothers Nick and Giles English have made sure that the hard-charging British watchmaker has been at the forefront of not only innovation but also military collaboration and integration. In fact, you can find a Bremont strapped to the wrist of a … ContinuedThe post The 5 Bremont models we chose for our shop, and why … appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
If variety is the spice of life, Bulgari are condiment connoisseurs when it comes to the Octo Finissimo collection. Available in titanium, ceramic, carbon, sandblasted gold and now stainless steel, the many faceted cases of the range offer a dizzying array of different finishes. These external variations are hardly superficial either, they make a profound … ContinuedThe post Comparing and contrasting the two Bulgari Octo Finissimo ceramic models: Polished vs. Sandblasted, which is for you? appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Deployant
We take an in-depth look at the Greubel Forsey Quadruple Tourbillon Blue - a magnificent grail watch, with many photographs and insights.
Revolution
Meet the new Anywhere by Krayon, which allows you to determine exactly the time of sunrise and sunset and the total duration of a day anywhere on the planet.
Time+Tide
As we should all know by now, 2020 is the 60th anniversary of the launch of Grand Seiko, and while they have released a number of watches linked to this special birthday, this collection of Grand Seiko “firsts” might be the most significant yet. Based on the first-ever Grand Seiko to be born in the … ContinuedThe post HANDS-ON: Grand Seiko First SBGW258 in yellow gold, SBGW257 in platinum and SBGW259 in proprietary titanium appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Deployant
We compare the Patek Philippe Perpetual Calendar Ref. 5327 with the A. Lange & Söhne Langematik Perpetual to see which watch comes out on top.
Quill & Pad
BAM! POW! THWACK! Loud and brash is sometimes the best way to make the world sit up and take notice (you can show your more refined side later). Which brings Joshua Munchow to the Roger Dubuis Excalibur Diabolus in Machina, a watch created as much for shock value as to display watchmaking prowess.
Time+Tide
It’s MJ Monday! Which means there’s a creeping sense of loss all over the world. Because The Last Dance is done. It’s over. Michael Jordan will not be gracing our screens tonight. We will not be gathering like excited children around his armchair tonight, while he pours himself a no doubt single malt on the … ContinuedThe post The savage watch flex in The Last Dance that saw Pip one-up the GOAT… appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Quill & Pad
The auction world is in some disarray right now, but the 2020 Dr. Crott spring auction in Mannheim, Germany will take place online and/or in place with a date moved from the usual May position to June 29, 2020 at noon CET. Elizabeth Doerr shares eight of her highlights here.
Two Broke Watch Snobs
In collaboration with MrAceK Productions, we're excited to share this Longines Diver 1967 review with the TBWS family... so what do you think? King of all reissues?
Revolution
Ricardo Guadalupe, CEO of Hublot Speaks with Revolution on the brand’s participation in our upcoming Odd Balls Charity Auction to benefit the World Health Organization’s Covid-19 Solidarity Fund and the brand’s 40th anniversary in 2020.
Time+Tide
It’s Friday, it’s knockoff, and it’s a beading glass of vodka and dry ginger I have at my left hand. What a week! Most of it was dominated by the Mission: Possible attempt to film a feature-length special on a Sunday and then publish it at 3am Australian time on Thursday morning. It was ambitious. We … ContinuedThe post FRIDAY WIND DOWN: Celebrating the week we helped Zenith launch the final El Primero 50th Anniversary Edition and Billie Eilish’s baller new watch appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
An educator turned guilloche specialist, Joshua Shapiro launched his namesake brand, J.N. Shapiro, in 2018 with the Infinity Series. a classically-styled wristwatch with a hand-made guilloche dial featuring a nested engine-turned pattern of his own invention. His latest creation is the Infinity Series P.01, a collaboration with Collective, an American watch-collector club. Though it looks similar to the standard Infinity Series at first glance, the P.01 most definitely isn’t. While it does have a guilloche dial, the dial material is not the usual silver and gold, but meteorite – a first in watchmaking. Initial thoughts Two things stand set the P.01 apart from Mr Shapiro’s work so far. The first is tangibly impressive – an engine-turned meteorite dial, a significant accomplishment in terms of craft and skill. The result is a striking surface that overlays the natural and random Widmanstätten pattern of the meteorite with Mr Shapiro’s sharply-executed engine turning, which sounds confusing but appears to be a pleasing mix of order and chaos. But perhaps more important for J.N. Shapiro as a brand is the brand-new serif typeface for the Arabic hour numerals. Designed with the help of an artist, the numerals give the watch a style that’s distinct – and more 20th century contemporary – compared to the typical J.N. Shapiro watch that features Roman numerals and a Breguet-inspired aesthetic. And the P.01 starts at US$21,500 in steel, which is not that much mor...
SJX Watches
Zenith marked the 50th Anniversary of the El Primero last year with several historical remakes, including the editions for Phillips auctioneers as well as the El Primero A386 Revival, a set of watches that were a near-exact reproduction of the original. Now Zenith has debuted the final A386 remake – in steel like the original – with the Chronomaster Revival “Manufacture Edition” that’s equipped with a dial inspired by a long-forgotten prototype. Initial thoughts The Manufacture Edition is good-looking watch but a crucial factor in its appeal is the material – and price. Last year’s A386 Revival trio was only in 18k gold – one each in white, pink, and yellow gold. The Manufacture Edition is in steel, making it the most affordable A386 yet. Handsome and striking with a well-proportioned case and dial, the watch is very much a typical El Primero A386. The star of the new remake is unquestionably the dial. Employing the same tri-colour palette that’s the A386 trademark, this replaces the traditional tri-colour with different shades of the same blue, ranging from a bright azure blue to a dark midnight navy. For someone who loves the colour, this is appealing. The juxtaposition of the blue registers against the white dial promotes a stark and legible look. And it’s also worth noting the watch is not a limited edition – a wise move to avoid having unlimited limited editions – though distribution will be limited to Zenith’s e-commerce store and the ...
SJX Watches
The world’s most prestigious yacht race, the America’s Cup has been sponsored by a variety of watch brands, which was Panerai until the last instalment – and to confuse things even more, the competing teams each have their own watch sponsors. Having been a backer of defending champion Team New Zealand for the last two decades, Omega now back to being a sponsor of the entire event as official timekeeper for 36th America’s Cup that’ll take place in 2021 off the coast of Auckland in New Zealand. Since the last time Omega was the official race timekeeper was in 2003, the brand is marking the occasion with the Seamaster Planet Ocean 36th America’s Cup, no doubt the first of several editions for the event. Initial thoughts With event-specific limited editions being an Omega favourite, this isn’t going to be the only America’s Cup edition. At the same time, the red-white-and-blue livery has been used on other watches. In short, the Planet Ocean America’s Cup isn’t going to be a particularly unique edition. But the watch itself is a strong proposition. Omega watches usually offer good value for money, combining high-tech mechanical watchmaking and high-end materials, which is the case for the Planet Ocean line at large. Though the America’s Cup model is a limited edition, it costs only about 10% over the standard model. So if you want a Planet Ocean but want something a bit more special than the stock offering, this is a good choice. A high-spec instrument...
Two Broke Watch Snobs
Owning a vintage Tudor Submariner is probably not in the cards for me. Luckily, I was able to borrow the Archetype One from Silver Watch Company. It’s an unapologetic homage to the Tudor Submariners. Could it scratch the itch?
SJX Watches
Just in April this year, Breitling unveiled the Breitling Superocean Heritage ’57 Rainbow, a limited edition of just 250 pieces that it sold out within a few hours according to Breitling chief executive Georges Kern. With the presses for the 250 barely cool, Breitling has announced another rainbow-theme diver, the Superocean Heritage ’57 Limited Edition II. This time, the limited edition is 1,000 pieces – but with a charitable twist: 500,000 Swiss francs from the sale of the new edition will go to charities that support healthcare workers. The bulk of the sum has already been donated, split evenly amongst six charities in six countries that are amongst the hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. Initial thoughts Issuing an almost-identical edition after the initial home run is not cool. It feels a bit too blatant. That said, it is substantially redeemed by the generous donation, which is equivalent to about 10% of gross revenue from the new “Rainbow II”. It is encouraging to see watchmakers leverage on their brand equity to aid relief efforts. As for the watch itself, the Rainbow II is actually a better looking watch. While the first edition had had a black dial and bezel, the new edition employs a blue dial and bezel that I find to be even more striking. The primary attraction is of course the rainbow-graduated hour markers that inject a playful element into what’s otherwise a serious-looking retro dive watch. While the rainbow markers may be divisive – I lo...
WatchAdvice
Introduction Clipping shut the deployant buckle of the just-refreshed IWC Portugieser Chronograph; it’s easy to see why this is one of the brand’s most popular watches, in Australia at least. It’s dressy, but still offers a healthy dose of sports functionality. What makes this new reference, announced back in February, even better the movement beating away inside. For the first time, it’s an IWC-manufactured calibre, and while it can’t be seen on the wrist, or make much of a difference to daily wear, it still feels like a significant step up. The Dial and Hands The face of the Portugieser Chronograph is refreshingly familiar, thanks to that iconic combination of applied Arabic numerals and leaf (or feuille) shaped hands. The chronograph layout puts a minutes register at the top and a running seconds display at six. I’m more familiar with the white-dialled version of the Portugieser so was happy to give the black a try. And boy, is this dial black. The colour is incredibly deep and dynamic; if you catch it on the right angle, it takes on a blue-ish sheen around the edges. I must say that, because of the dark dial and the slender, highly polished hands and hour markers, legibility was a bit of an issue at times. Still, the overall beauty made me forget about that fact almost immediately. IWC Portugieser Chronograph Reference 371609 The Case and Strap At 41mm, this watch is sized just right. The steel case sits well on the wrist, flush and, even though it is...
Time+Tide
We have had some moments over the six plus year journey of Time+Tide, and this is certainly one of them. We have been asked by Zenith, one of the great manufactures, to help them launch this – the FINAL El Primero Special Edition in the 50th Anniversary year – the Chronomaster Manufacture Edition. Above is … ContinuedThe post VIDEO: Watch our epic video about the new Zenith Chronomaster Manufacture Edition, which includes an invitation from CEO appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Hodinkee
“Far and away the best prize that life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing.” – Theodore Roosevelt
Revolution
Bremont updates the design of their MBII and launches a new online configurator that allows more than 100 permutations to create your own unique version.
Time+Tide
Let me start this review with an admission: I thought the Big Crown was going to turf many of its current models in 2020. The Milgauss, for example, is well past due for an evolution from its current form, if it remains at all. Likewise, the Air-King – which stylistically borrowed heavily from a set … ContinuedThe post IN-DEPTH: The Rolex Explorer II Ref.216570, sleeper classic or on the brink of extinction? appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
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