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Quill & Pad
This is the story of the final watch – or, truthfully, pair of watches – that GaryG happened upon at a Sotheby’s auction in late 2017 and felt that he just had to have: two 1970s prototype pieces made by Jaeger-LeCoultre. But why "unsalable"?
Quill & Pad
The hashtag #fliegerfriday is dedicated to the genre of flieger, or pilot’s, watches posted on social media on Fridays. Tutima, which has a long history in pilot's watches, asked Bhanu Chopra for some advice on developing a special-edition #fliegerfriday chronograph and together they came up with the Tutima Flieger Friday Chronograph Limited Edition. Here is its compelling story.
SJX Watches
Set up only in 2005, Minase is a Japanese brand that excels in high-end cases, befitting a company that’s an offshoot of precision toolmaker Kyowa Co., which also manufactures watch cases and bracelets. The latest from Minase combines its top-of-the-line case making with artisanal craft – the Divido Deep Blue Urushi Silver Maki-e has a traditional lacquer dial created collaboration by lacquer artist Megumi Shimamoto. Initial thoughts Exuding a Japanese character in how it combines cutting-edge technology with an ancient craft, the new Divide has a sharply-finished, angular case with an artisanal dial. As with all Minase watches, the case finishing is the most obvious highlight – not only is the case itself elaborate and multifaceted, but each of the surfaces has been finished to a high level with a flat polishing technique, resulting in well-defined breaks between brushed and polished planes. Resembling the robots of Japanese anime, the sleek is design interrupted by only one element, the oversized date window, which mars the purity of the lacquer dial. That said, the date wheel itself is done in good taste, being black with white print. Megumi Shimamoto carefully applies urushi to the dial with a finely-tipped brush In a world of uninspired, recycled watch designs, the Divido is a breath of fresh air – at a hefty price. With its well-executed case and Japanese lacquer dial, the new Divido costs a bit over 5,300 Swiss francs, a 63% premium over the version launc...
Revolution
Montblanc partners with Sincere Fine Watches to issue an 8-piece limited edition of their revered 1858 Split Second Chronograph with a red gradated dial
SJX Watches
Just last year Montblanc introduced the 1858 Split Second Chronograph powered by a gorgeous, mono-pusher Minerva movement. Debuted in a bronze case, the watch was a hit, and for good reason, it combined attractive, well-chosen vintage details and an well-finished movement, all for a very fair price. Having unveiled several other limited-edition versions of the watch since, Montblanc is continuing with the theme with the 1858 Split Second Chronograph Limited Edition 8, an exclusive for Singapore-based retailer Sincere Fine Watches that has a smoked, dark red dial and a titanium case. The 1858 Split Second Chronograph for Sincere Initial thoughts After the launch edition, Montblanc debuted an eight-piece limited edition in November 2019 made for Mexican watch fair Salón Internacional Alta Relojería (SIAR) that had a striking jade dial, which was followed by a hundred-piece limited edition with a stunning gradient-blue grand feu enamel dial in April of this year. And in between, it managed to put together a one-off example with an agate dial for charity auction Only Watch 2019. That makes the new Sincere edition the fifth iteration of the 1858 split seconds in less than 24 months. But fortunately it does not feel overdone – yet – given the small production runs for each version, as well as the interesting variety of dial materials. The first version of the 1858 split seconds in bronze The most obvious point of appeal of the watch is movement, which is derived from...
Revolution
Grand Seiko has a reputation as the maker of perfectly finished watches, where precision and performance of the highest calibre are valued above everything. And when it comes to their dive watches, the same depth is there…
Hodinkee
How solving a design problem for 10% of us benefits the other 90%.
Hodinkee
Behind the development of the GA-2100.
Deployant
Seiko re-creates the King Seiko of 1965 with this latest release. This is also a part of the release in celebration of Seiko's 140th Anniversary.
Revolution
We collaborate with Moritz Grossmann on the special-edition Benu 37 Steel that both inherits and reinvents the traditions of Saxon watchmaking.
SJX Watches
Just announced as an exclusive for Seiko’s longtime distributor in several Asian countries, the Grand Seiko Spring Drive GMT “Champagne Diamond” SBGE267G is a variation on Grand Seiko’s longstanding Spring Drive GMT sports watch with its characteristic sapphire-covered bezel and sloping case flanks. Dressed in richer colours than the black or blue of the typical Grand Seiko sports watch, the SBGE267G has a dial rendered in metallic brown that’s matched with yellow gold-plated hands and indices. Executed in steel, the SBGE267G is powered by the 9R66 Spring Drive movement that has a second time zone function. And it’s an edition of 140 pieces meant for five countries, making it a fairly small run relative to other recent Grand Seiko limited editions. Initial thoughts Over the last couple of years, Grand Seiko has rolled out a variety of limited editions in a diversity of dial colours, but the SBGE267G still manages to be be different. Its look is distinctly more luxe than the standard Spring Drive GMT – the chestnut brown employed for the dial is unusual for Grand Seiko and striking, particularly combined with the gilt hands and markers. The brushed metallic dial surface catches the light nicely In the usual Grand Seiko fashion, the quality of the watch is excellent, with the dial and hands being especially outstanding for a watch of this price. Fabricated with a diamond-tipped tool, the hour markers and hands all have razor-sharp edges and near-mirrored su...
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
Launched with a solid-colour, grand feu enamel dial, the Code 11.59 Selfwinding Flying Tourbillon has been given simple but significant facelift with a new dial that’s a mix of aventurine glass and vitreous enamel. Made up of ground, powdered aventurine glass mixed with enamel powder, the dial has a deep, glossy surface with the characteristic sparkly metallic inclusions of aventurine glass. Initial thoughts When Audemars Piguet first launched the Code 11.59, only the perpetual calendar model had an aventurine-glass dial, and it was one of the best looking watches in the line up. Though not exactly identical, the aventurine-glass dials on the new tourbillons are no doubt as appealing, especially since they fill up the expanse of the dial. Even though the Code 11.59 lacks the desirability of the fashionable Royal Oak, it is an appealing watch when done right, as this one is. The new dial is a good fit for the case, which was well done to begin with. Featuring a fairly complex construction for a round watch, the case is sharply finished. Arguably the only downside of the case is its size, which is not large at 41 mm wide, but feels chunky on the wrist. The cal. 2950 made its debut last year with the Code 11.59. Also found in the recently launched Royal Oak tourbillon, the cal. 2950 is an attractively designed movement with an unusual detail: a grande sonnerie-style winding click integrated onto the barrel ratchet wheel. With a retail price of about US$150,000, the Code 11...
Time+Tide
Buying a pre-owned watch can be full of dangers. The watch might be fake, or not have all of the original parts, and it can be very hard to know all that - unless you have the original documentation of the watch. But even if these original papers have remained with the watch all these … ContinuedThe post NEWS: Hublot has perfect 2020 vision in their new e-warranty system appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Deployant
MB&F; extends the range of its watches for ladies with the latest addition to the FlyingT - introducing the LM Flying T in Lapis Lazuli.
SJX Watches
Introduced in 1961 as a top-of-the-line Seiko, the King Seiko label is being revived for the brand’s 140th anniversary. A remake of the second King Seiko model of 1965, the Seiko 140th Anniversary Re-creation of King Seiko KSK (ref. SJE083) is a limited-edition automatic that’s only the second King Seiko remake in as many decades. It comes along a long time after the first very remake, which was the SCVN001 introduced as part of the Historical Collection in 2000. Initial thoughts Like most Seiko remakes, the King Seiko KSK is faithfully executed, albeit with a few tweaks to accommodate the new movement. The case is larger than the original, and the dial now incorporates a date display. But the tweaks to the design are done artfully enough that the remake still looks very much like a vintage watch. And while Grand Seiko remakes are numerous, making them less uncommon than they once were, this is only the second King Seiko remake to date. While it is almost a certainty there will be more remakes to come, this is fairly special edition for the time being. The vintage King Seiko KSK “44KS” of 1965 Interestingly, the remake also sits in between Grand Seiko and entry-level models like the Presage in both price and quality, making it a useful proposition for someone who has a budget that doesn’t quite reach Grand Seiko level. Fittingly since the vintage original was conceived as a high-end wristwatch – comparable to Grand Seiko but perhaps a step down in luxury –...
Revolution
Nicola Andreatta and Gregory Bruttin, the dynamic duo behind today’s Roger Dubuis, lead us fearlessly down the path of watchmaking for the future, and share the vision they have for hyper horology.
WatchAdvice
Chronoswiss is a Lucern based Swiss watchmaking company that was founded in 1983. Created during a time where quartz timepieces were the popular choice for wristwear, Gerd-Rüdiger Lang founded Chronoswiss, as he believed in the timeless fascination of mechanical timepieces. Chronoswiss was a brand made for visionaries, pioneers, and nonconformists. They were the first brand to miniaturize the regulator into a wristwatch, and then build a whole collection of watches around this design. Chronoswiss is also a specialist when it comes to skeletonised watches. They have been practicing this craft in watchmaking for more than 30 years, while also giving the skeletonised timepieces a modern twist. For Chronoswiss, the process of skeletonising a watch isn’t just simply removing pieces of the dial to see the movement underneath. For this Swiss brand, skeletonisation of a watch is to “highlight the key points such as open-gear trains to cutting away as much as possible to create extremely see-through timepieces”. The Opus Chronograph is a watch born from Chronoswiss’s expertise in creating aesthetic skeleton timepieces. Introduced in 1995, the Opus Chronograph advanced the skeletonising chapter at Chronoswiss. The latest 2020 version of the Opus Chronograph has been thoroughly updated. This exceptionally complex 300-part masterpiece has been modernised with new geometric features that fit better on the wrist while also making it more comfortable for everyday wear. The...
Hodinkee
The latest Saxonia Thin is the horological equivalent of sipping champagne at midnight.
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...
SJX Watches
First unveiled in 2018 in either pink or white gold with black dials, the Saxonia Outsize Date is now offered in the chromatic opposite, once again in both metals but with a silver dial. Characterised by a no-frills design centred on the extra-large date display, the new Saxonia is identical to the earlier version. The case remains the same compact 38.5 mm in diameter, and contains the L086.8 movement (which is a close relative of the L155.1 in the Odysseus sports watch). Initial thoughts Very much typical of A. Lange & Söhne in style, the new Saxonia is a clean, serious-looking wristwatch with a high level of fit and finish, packaged in a modestly-sized, 38.5 mm case. It is simplicity done well. While the original version in black had a stark and decidedly more modern look found in few Lange watches, the new Saxonia has a more classical aesthetic that is more in keeping with the brand’s house style, which should please traditionalists. Priced at a bit over €26,000, or about US$30,000, the Saxonia Outsize Date is reasonable value given its quality, both inside and out; the movement is finished to Lange standards, while the dial is solid silver with solid-gold hands and markers. The only thing that might be a minus is the L086.8 movement, because it is not as elaborate as the first-generation Lange automatic movement, the L921 “Sax-O-Mat” that is now only found in the Langematik Perpetual Calendar (as the L922.1) and Saxonia Annual Calendar (L085.1). The newer L086...
Time+Tide
The whole idea of a microbrand is to do things differently from major watchmakers. Whether that be better bang for buck, experimenting with unusual materials, or just creating wacky designs, any taste can be catered for as long as enough interest can be found through Kickstarter. Over the years, the taste of the mainstream has … ContinuedThe post INTRODUCING: The CODE41 DAY41 is batshit crazy (in the best possible way) appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
It isn’t easy for just anyone to become a watch manufacturer. It takes determination, know-how and a passion for watchmaking to claim that dwindling slice of the sales pie not consumed by the larger conglomerates. But fortunately there are those taking big strides, while putting their own spin on modern horology. Eugen Wegner is a … ContinuedThe post MICRO MONDAYS: The Eugen Wegner One is the watch to revive the family fortunes appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Hodinkee
The low-key peak of Japanese watchmaking.
SJX Watches
Tudor has just opened its latest boutique in Singapore, marking the occasion with an exhibition of vintage Tudor watches that chart the evolution of the brand’s dive watches since the 1950s – Six Decades of Tudor Divers’ Watches. Taking place from December 1-13 at the boutique in ION Orchard mall, the exhibition showcases pivotal historical models, with five watches from the Tudor’s museum on show, including the first-ever Tudor dive watch, the ref. 7922 as well as the “snowflake” issued to the divers of the French navy. Here’s a look at some of the highlights on show. The display of diver’s watches, and in the background a 1986 photo of Marine Nationale divers wearing the Tudor Submariner ref. 9401. Photo – Tudor The Submariner ref. 9401/0 “MN” issued to French navy divers The early days Established by Rolex founder Hans Wilsdorf with the intention providing more affordable watches that nonetheless had the same dependability as Rolex timepieces, Tudor has a rich history in water-resistant watches catered to professionals since the 1940s. Naturally, its most iconic sports watches have been dive watches, a lineage that started in 1954 with the self-winding Oyster Prince Submariner ref. 7922. The ref. 7922 The brand’s first dive watch, the ref. 7922 was launched a year after Rolex unveiled its first Submariner. As with all Tudor watches of the 20th century, much of the ref. 7922, save for the movement, was manufactured by Rolex, resulting in a watch ...
Quill & Pad
The Phillips Racing Pulse auction showcases something of a timeline of Panerai history, including the legendary Luminor Slytech Daylight owned by Sylvester Stallone, as well as Paul Newman's Rolex Daytona and Steve McQueen's own Heuer Monaco from the filming of 'Le Mans.' And that is not even all! Elizabeth Doerr shares 12 of the extremely entertaining highlights here.
Time+Tide
This year has been the year of “stay at home”, resulting in a sort of carte blanche to binge all the televisions series and movies that your heart desires. This meant it was a no-brainer for us to revisit our favourite watches in film, so today we have assembled like The Avengers to bring you … ContinuedThe post The Time+Tide team pick their favourite ever watchspot in a movie, from Le Chiffre to Le Gosling appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
If you aren’t across Seiko modding, that’s fair enough. While popular in some circles of the watch community, it certainly isn’t a mainstream practice, despite the level of fervour of its disciples. Earlier in the year we took a look at a few pretty interesting mods that had been made, including with painted dials, ceramic … ContinuedThe post 7 crazy creative Seiko mods that don’t look like *ahem* Swiss steel sport watches appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Deployant
Last week we took the first step towards attempting to make macro photographs of watches using large format cameras and lenses with sheet film. This journey begins in small steps, the first being to start with a 4×5 large format camera and lens, but using a digital back, as it allows us immediate feedback, andRead More
SJX Watches
Previously, in Part I of this series, we analysed and reviewed over 40 watch movements in terms of their potential chronometric performance – via the Horological Density Factor (HDF), which encompasses balance power and power reserve against the size of the movement – and debated the various trade-offs that had been made in order to achieve specific technical or aesthetic characteristics. Many readers then asked how more commonly known and accessible movements compare. To answer that we needed more data from the industry. Fortunately, Swiss movement makers Valjoux, Fabrique d’Horlogerie de Fontainemelon, Unitas, as well as their parent company Ebauches SA – now all part of ETA – once published beautifully comprehensive, detailed data sheets that included balance wheel inertia values. Armed with this data, we have been able to analyse and plot a further 25 movements alongside the previous group (with the disclaimer that it might not be fully up to date since the data sheets date from before the Quartz Crisis in the 1970s) to give a total of 68 to allow further investigation and review. The analysis Several popular movements have been added: the workhorse ETA 2824-1 and -2, the ubiquitous ETA Valjoux 7750 chronograph, the large diameter ETA Unitas 6497-1 and -2, and the ETA Peseux 7001. We also added, among others, the integrated chronograph cal. 4130 in the Rolex Daytona, and the modular chronograph versions of both the ETA 2892 (known as the ETA 2894) as well as...
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