5,230 articles · 43 videos found · page 9 of 176
Quill & Pad
Most will agree that re-painting a dial is a big no-no. Vintage pieces with re-painted dials can be had for a steal as they are difficult to shift and mostly unwanted. But not all dial restorations are created equal, and we do encounter varying degrees of “upgrades.” Some of these upgrades are purposeful deception, while others are not. Here is what one watchmaker feels about the subject.
Time+Tide
When an anniversary comes along for a brand, it is almost obligatory for them to release a special-edition watch – which is great news for us. The Speake-Marin Ripples watch made waves upon its debut as the brand’s first entry into the steel-sports category. In celebration of their 20th anniversary, we now have 50 pieces … ContinuedThe post Speake-Marin celebrates their 20th anniversary with a gold dial Ripples Anniversary Edition appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
Singapore watch retailer Cortina continues with its roll-out of special watches to mark its golden jubilee. Following limited editions from Blancpain, Patek Philippe, and H. Moser & Cie. comes the TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph Cortina Watch. While it might sound like yet another vintage-inspired chronograph, the latest Carrera is unlike anything TAG Heuer has done before. Instead of the usual steel, the case is 18k yellow gold, while the dial is made of maw sit sit, a little-known green gemstone found only in the northern parts of Myanmar. And the hour markers and hands are of course 18k yellow gold to match. Initial thoughts The base-model Carrera powered by the in-house Heuer 02 calibre is an appealing watch to begin with, especially in steel where it’s an affordable proposition with a historical design. But it is primarily a practical, everyday watch, which is arguably what it should be given its history as a motorsports chronograph. The Cortina edition, however, is the opposite. It is pricey, very much so in fact, but it is special. Green is the fashionable colour in watchmaking now, so you might be forgiven for feeling weary when faced with yet another dial in the colour. But green dials certainly capture the zeitgeist of today, and perhaps personify the “hype” watch culture exemplified by the famous olive-dial sports watch. The new Carrera, in contrast, runs counter to that. It is definitely green, but the natural stone dial means it is a intrinsically v...
SJX Watches
A venerable retailer of vintage timepieces and independent watchmaking, Shellman marks its 50th year in business. Still in its landmark Ginza store that curiously sits slightly below street level, the Tokyo retailer has announced a series of one-off and limited edition watches to mark the occasion. The latest commemorative edition is a pair from Habring², the Felix Shellman 50th Anniversary and Chrono-Felix Shellman 50th Anniversary, both featuring a discreet champagne-tone sector dial with thoughtful details. The flagship Shellman store in Tokyo’s Ginza district Initial thoughts Habring² offers honest quality and solid engineering, which makes it tangible qualities impeachable, especially in its price segment. So the appeal of a specific Habring² watch boils down to its specific design. While sector dials are common today, perhaps too common, Shellman was a pioneer in this type of design, having debuted its first Habring² with a sector dial in 2017, well before the style became a fad. For that reason, these anniversary watches have a stronger resonance than the average sector dial. The time-only And the two are also intrinsically appealing because of their careful design. At a distance both appear to be typical “sector” dials – attractive but more of the same. Up close, however, the dial designs are both smartly executed with strong attention to detail. The leaf-shape hands, for instance, are a familiar shape, but here they are heavier than usual, giving the ...
SJX Watches
Launched in 2021, the Little Lange 1 Moon Phase was one of the simpler models in last year’s lineup but easily appealing. It is the first Lange 1 to have a dial made of aventurine glass, or “gold flux” as Lange labels it, a material rarely found on the brand’s watches but always popular when it makes an appearance. Conceived as a mens’ watch in 1998 – the average dress watch was still about 35 mm then – the Little Lange 1 has since evolved into a feminine watch. It’s basically the Lange 1 for ladies and the base model for a variety of female watches, often in pastel colours accented with mother-of-pearl or diamonds. The new Little Lange 1 continues the theme with its sparkly dial, but it stands apart from recent models in several ways; it feels different, perhaps even masculine. We take a close look at the Little Lange 1 to weight its appeal. Initial thoughts Thanks to off-centred yet logical displays, the Lange 1 is one of the most distinctive offerings from the German watchmaker. And the starry, aventurine glass dial, along with the moon phase, create a charming, slightly whimsical appeal that isn’t present on the standard models, which are formal and serious looking. Despite the shimmering, reflective dial, the new model is understated on the wrist, thanks to its dark colours and white metal case. These tone down the sparkle of the dial, which comes from the metallic inclusions in the glass. More appealing but equally understated are the star-shaped ...
Video
The Fratello team is in Geneva for Watches and Wonders 2026. They'll be bringing you daily updates from the show, including personal highlights and some impressions on the fairy's biggest releases.
Quill & Pad
The Antiquorum auction in Monaco on July 21, 2021 represented the first time that a brand-new stainless steel Patek Philippe Nautilus with olive-green dial came up at auction. Elizabeth Doerr shares the eye-watering result of that lot plus other notable auction highlights.
Time+Tide
Earlier this year, Longines added two new Art Deco sector dialled automatic watches to their DolceVita Collection. The collection is the brand’s answer to a classically styled Tank-shaped watch. These new iterations translated the design of their Heritage Classic Sector Dial into the more dressy confines of a DolceVita. As the watches have started to … ContinuedThe post There’s a new Tank in town: The Longines DolceVita adds sector dials to its range appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Quill & Pad
Antiquorum will be holding its next auction in Monaco on July 21, 2021, where collectors will have a chance to bid for the very first time on a Patek Philippe Reference 5711/1A-014. Yes, this is the brand-new stainless steel Nautilus with olive-green dial introduced in April 2021 as the model replacing the blue-dialed Reference 5711/1A-010. While that's noteworthy, there are a number of other lots worth looking at too.
SJX Watches
Back in 2019, Longines introduced the Heritage Classic, a remake of a 1934 watch with a “sector” dial. Combining a popular, retro style with an affordable price tag – we gave it a thumb-up in our review – the original Heritage Classic was a success. Now Longines has given the Heritage Classic a black dial, while keeping the rest of the formula the same. Initial thoughts Longines can’t be accused of being imaginative, but that’s perfectly fine as the brand’s forte, at least for watch enthusiasts, is its vintage remakes. In fact, the new Heritage Classic comes just months after the Avigation Bigeye in a new colourway was unveiled. Aside from the dial, the new Heritage Classic is identical to the 2019 model in every regard, so it has the same appeal as its predecessor, though I prefer the black dial over the silver. The 2019 Heritage Classic There’s an austerity to the dark dial that better fits the “sector” dial, which is occasionally known as a “scientific” dial. I already liked the clean and minimalist look before, and now its lines seem sharper in black. However, the black dial forgoes the heat-blued hands of the silver dial, which is a shame, but a necessity given the need for contrasting hands. Priced at US$2,150 on a leather strap and slightly more on a beads-of-rice bracelet, the new Heritage Classic also has the same price – a good thing since that the 2019 original was one of the best value propositions of the year. The new Heritage Cl...
Quill & Pad
The Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Tribute Small Seconds with green dial capitalizes on the 2021 green trend and is one of the special watches celebrating the 90-year anniversary of the Reverso. It’s a stunning timepiece with a vintage-inspired dial featuring a lacquered green sunray pattern, faceted hour markers, dauphine-style hands, and a large subsidiary seconds counter at 6 o’clock. Here Bhanu Chopra runs through the reasons for considering a purchase.
Video
The Fratello team is in Geneva for Watches and Wonders 2026. They'll be bringing you daily updates from the show, including personal highlights and some impressions on the fairy's biggest releases.
Revolution
Patek Philippe’s outgoing steel Nautilus 5711 is given one last hurrah with an olive green dial for its end of series edition, the reference 5711/1A-014
Time+Tide
Sustainability, veganism and organic materials may be the way forward, but they’re still a foreign language to many of the larger players in the watch industry. But microbrand Studio Underd0g is displaying a more progressive mindset after making the world’s first ever watch with a dial made from eggplant skin. Just like a bespoke wristwatch, … ContinuedThe post Studio Underd0g makes the world’s first ever watch with a dial made from eggplant appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
Introduced to commemorate the 10th anniversary of De Bethune’s signature watch, the DB28XP is a pared-back, slimmer and more wearable take on the original model, though still instantly recognisable with its trademark pivoted lugs. Now De Bethune unveils the most exotic variant of the watch to date, the DB28XP Meteorite. It retains many of the elements the brand is known for, but the highlight is a brilliantly blued meteorite dial. Meteorite dials are common, even on inexpensive watches, but De Bethune’s meteorite is unlike any other in watchmaking. Though the material is just like any other meteorite, it has been heat-treated, creating a blue oxidisation that gives it a special blue sheen. Initial thoughts De Bethune is one of my favourite independent watchmakers – I love the Kind of Two Tourbillon from earlier in the year. Innovation is its raison d’etre, and the new DB28XP Meteorite exemplifies that, both technically and aesthetically. While heat-blued titanium is a De Bethune hallmark, heat-blued meteorite takes the look to a whole new level. The gold-studded “starry sky” dial captures the cosmos on the wrist. Though the look is very different, the DB28XP Meteorite has all of the wearability of the standard model. It has sprung, pivoted lugs that allow it to cling to the wrist, while also being more compact than the original, full-size DB28. The brand has previously utilised the blued meteorite in the Dream Watch 5 and Kind of Blue Meteorite – both sp...
Time+Tide
The Octo Finissimo has become a real fan-favorite in the watch community and redefined expectations for the ultra-thin watch category. Many have expressed concern about the saturation of integrated stainless-steel sports watches, but the Bulgari Octo Finissimo, originally introduced in 2014 gave buyers the best of both worlds: an integrated bracelet sports watch, but with … ContinuedThe post INTRODUCING: The Bulgari Octo Finissimo S Silvered Dial is the Silver Surfer we never knew we wanted… appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
While still in its infancy compared to the historical juggernauts of the horological world, Ming is already turning heads for all the right reasons. One of the heads they have turned is none other than John, who took a chance on a brand he hadn’t known a whole lot about and purchased the Ming 17.06 … ContinuedThe post EVERY WATCH TELLS A STORY: John is blown away by the dial of his Ming 17.06 Copper appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Video
For many years, I have brought up the debate between Rolex watches vs other luxury watch alternatives such as Omega. Today, this watch collector discussion still lives on, though perhaps it is time to consider trying...
Time+Tide
A. Lange & Söhne don’t always do things by the book. The year is 2019. The demand for steel luxury sports watches is at an all-time high. And along comes the brand’s brand new Odysseus model. The polarising design (with naysayers focusing on the thicc steel bracelet as a flaw) took the established trope of … ContinuedThe post INTRODUCING: A. Lange & Söhne’s Odysseus in white gold with ghost grey dial is a total smokeshow appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
Montblanc’s recent line of vintage-inspired models, including last year’s perpetual calendar, now includes the Heritage Manufacture Pulsograph, an attractively retro mono-pusher chronograph that’s well-priced – considering the Minerva movement within. First launched in steel with a salmon dial, the chronograph gets a richer colour palette this year with a pink-gold case matched with a tobacco dial for a warm look no doubt inspired by aged watch dials that have faded from black to brown. Despite all the vintage detailing and “tropical” colours, the watch still doesn’t feel overly retro. The case is well suited to the vintage styling, measuring 40 mm wide thanks to the compact MB M13.21 movement. The calibre is nearly 10 mm smaller than the MB M16.29 movement built for pocket watches that Montblanc has relied on more frequently and results in much larger watches. The case is entirely polished, which contrasts against the matte dial executed in several finishes: a dark, matte surface on the periphery, followed by the grained chapter ring with applied pink gold markers, and finally the central portion in a sun ray-brushed finish. In keeping with the vintage look, the dial itself is slightly domed, a subtle detail that is evident in the sloping edges of the recessed counters. The retro style is further enhanced by a domed, “box-type” sapphire crystal. The arrowhead movement But as is always the case with Minerva-powered Montblanc watches, the highlight is ...
Time+Tide
Some watches take the world by storm the moment they are released. Some, however, take a little while longer to be appreciated. The true significance of the Universal Genève Polerouter, first released in 1954, and its subsequent offshoots are still in the process of being properly recognised. Not only was it the first really significant … ContinuedThe post Why the Universal Genève Polerouter was the game-changing dial from the 1950s appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
2019 is the year of the blue dial. Doesn’t matter if it’s a steel sports watch, solid gold dress watch or a one-off pièce unique – if you want your wrist flex to be as en vogue as a pair of R.M. Williams and beige chinos, a timepiece with a blue dial is the only … ContinuedThe post HANDS-ON: The Baume & Mercier Clifton Baumatic 10436 White Dial appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
Longines ended the year with two spot-on vintage remakes, the just-launched Heritage Military 1938 and the earlier Heritage Classic “sector” dial that’s just arrived in stores. The Heritage Classic is based on a 1934 Longines wristwatch with dial style known as “sector” or “scientific”. Fashionable today because of its distinctive yet retro look, the sector dial was fairly common in the early 20th century, being found on both pocket- and wristwatches made by a variety of brands, ranging from Patek Philippe to Zenith. So Longines doesn’t have any special claim to the design, but with a retail of just over US$2000, its sector-dial remake is arguably the bang for the buck. At 38.5mm in diameter the Heritage Classic is compact and wears well. It’s slightly larger than the vintage originals – typically 35mm or so, while rarely and expensively 37mm or larger – but not by much. Because the case diameter has been kept smallish by modern standards, the sub-seconds at six is correctly positioned, unlike on most remakes that match large cases with small movements. While the seconds sits closer to the centre of the dial than on the vintage original, the dial still looks correctly laid out with good balance. The remake (left), and the original from 1934 that’s in the Longines museum. Image – Longines Besides the diameter, the case profile is also well done. At 10mm, the height is proportional to the diameter, with a fairly high, single-step bezel and a slim c...
Time+Tide
This has unquestionably been the year of the contentious steel sports watch, with just about every watchmaker and their Bernese entering the fray in what has to be the most hotly contested genre of timepieces in the current watch market. Chief among these new steely provocateurs is Chopard’s Alpine Eagle. We’ve been fortunate enough to … ContinuedThe post HANDS-ON: Chopard’s svelte Alpine Eagle 41mm with Bernina Grey dial appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
Longines continues its streak of solidly made and eminently affordable vintage remakes with the Heritage Classic featuring a “sector” dial. The segmented dial design revisits a style, sometimes known as a “scientific” dial, that’s currently popular, one that has been done by brands as diverse as Habring2, Jaeger-LeCoultre and Laurent Ferrier. The sector dial was fairly common in the first half of the 20th century, and unlike most other companies doing remakes, Longines actually did produce such watches back in the day. According to Longines, the Heritage Classic is modelled on a watch from 1934 that’s in the company museum. As with the original, the sector dial on the remake is two-tone, with the chapter ring for the hour markers having a concentric brushed finish, while the central portion is finely grained. The markings are all printed, while the hands are blued steel. The Heritage Classic (left) and its 1934 inspiration The modern day remake is a faithful approximation of the original, right down to the typography for the Longines logo. It’s correctly proportioned as well, with a steel case that’s larger than the original but not too large, measuring 38.5mm in diameter and 10mm high, including the domed, “box glass” sapphire crystal. And because the case is matched with an appropriately sized movement that’s 25.6mm (or 11 1/1”’) wide, the subsidiary seconds does not sit too close to the centre of the dial, as is the case with large cases an...
Time+Tide
Editor’s note: For Daytona fans, everyone’s all about the Cerachrom bezels these days. And while it’s hard to deny the allure of that super-hard, slick material, I prefer my bezels metal, and preferably precious. Which is why I’m still so into this 2016 release, the Rolex Daytona in white gold with blue dial (ref. 116509). … ContinuedThe post The heavy-hitting Rolex Daytona in white gold with blue dial (ref. 116509) appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
Editor’s note: At this point, saying Grand Seiko do exceptional dials is a bit of a cliché, but c’mon – look at this thing. It’s flat out incredible – delicate, detailed and still somehow fun. This is what Grand Seiko excel at, and this is why people love them … The foundation upon which modern … ContinuedThe post Dial for days – the Grand Seiko SBGH267 appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Deployant
We go inside Glashütte Original's in-house dial facility in Pforzhiem to show you how the vintage dials on the Sixties edition are made.
Time+Tide
Last year’s release of the Black Bay S&G; was something of a slow burn. In the heat of the initial announcements, all eyes were on the impressive Black Bay Chrono. As time passed, people seemed to realise what a looker the steel and gold was - no doubt helped by the fact that it was prominently … ContinuedThe post HANDS-ON: Pop a cork and celebrate – the Tudor Black Bay S&G; now comes with a champagne dial appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Deployant
The Vacheron Constantin Overseas series: 2018 sees the emergence of a black dial version beautifully framed by the shimmering gleam of the steel case.
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