3,223 articles · 9 videos found · page 90 of 108
Two Broke Watch Snobs
"To my beloved Janet, I wish to honor our original agreement of ‘until death do we part’-and so I’ll be parting you with my Newman in tow..."
Quill & Pad
The Breguet Tradition collection, as exemplified here by the Tradition Automatique Seconde Rétrograde 7097, does just what it says on the label: provide tradition. And it does that very well as Ian Skellern illustrates in a comparison with an original 200-year-old Abraham-Louis Breguet Souscription pocket watch.
Hodinkee
In praise of the peripherally wound Caliber 350.
SJX Watches
The tourbillon regulator first found its way into the Royal Oak in 1997, with what was then a novel automatic movement with a hammer winding mechanism. Audemars Piguet has just announced the Royal Oak Selfwinding Flying Tourbillon 41 mm, a nod to the 1997 original, but with a twist – it’s the first Royal Oak equipped with a flying tourbillon. Launching in three variants, the new model is superficially similar to the existing Royal Oak tourbillon – it is very much the octagonal watch – but it is notably different, both in aesthetics and mechanics. From left to right: pink gold, steel, and titanium Immediately, the titanium version stands out, not only because the metal is used sparingly by the brand, but also because the dial has a grained finish instead of the conventional tapisserie guilloche. And it is powered by the newish cal. 2950, a self-winding movement, no doubt a subtle reference to AP’s status as a pioneering maker of wristwatch tourbillons – the brand introduced the first ever automatic tourbillon wristwatch in 1986. The Royal Oak Selfwinding Flying Tourbillon in titanium Initial thoughts The Royal Oak is an appealing watch in most guises – usually the simpler the better – not just for its design but also the complex and sophisticated case finish. And the tourbillon in titanium is particularly distinctive for its clean, modern dial that goes well with the industrial-chic style of the case design. Importantly, this is not a mere facelift. It’...
Deployant
Patek Philippe Twenty~4 Manchette In the world of ladies’ luxury timepieces, the Patek Philippe Twenty~4 has been the go-to collection for women since its debut in 1999. The goal initially was to create a watch that could be worn all day and was versatile enough for business or evening wear. And thus the original Twenty~4Read More
SJX Watches
While next year has yet to start, Seiko has begun the progressive release of the special editions marking the 140th anniversary of its founding in 1881 by Kintaro Hattori. Unquestionably one of the most beautiful of the anniversary, despite being only the second commemorative watch announced so far, is the Credor Eichi II with a dial in ruri blue (ref. GBLT997). The third variant of the Eichi II to date after the original and the rose gold version – or fourth variant if you count the edition for the Wako department store that’s nearly identical to the original – the new model features a porcelain dial glazed in a dark blue that’s reminiscent of lapis lazuli. Requiring two years of development to perfect according to Seiko, the blue glaze is applied in several layers that are individually fired in an oven to create the deep, nuanced colour. Initial thoughts The Eichi II is a brilliantly restrained watch that has a gently designed dial and gorgeously finished movement. Even though Seiko does make more complicated and expensive watches, the Eichi II is arguably the flagship watch of the brand’s top-of-the-line offerings, a halo product of sorts. While the new Eichi II in blue is no doubt beautiful, and perhaps more striking and unusual than the original, it feels like there are too many variants of a special watch. Even though the tangible qualities of the watch remain intact, its status as the ultimate time-only Seiko is being chipped away by the Eichi II iterati...
Deployant
As the year of the 160th anniversary of Seiko’s founder, Kintaro Hattori, draws to a close, Grand Seiko proudly celebrates his life and achievements with a Spring Drive masterpiece. The watch is powered by Caliber 9R02 and features a Platinum 950 case with indexes and hour and minute hands in 14K white gold. A secondRead More
SJX Watches
The very first Philippe Dufour Simplicity 20th Anniversary to leave Mr Dufour’s workshop was the first major example of independent watchmaking at Phillips’ Retrospective: 2000-2020 auction. It set a very high bar, hammering for 1.1 million Swiss francs, or 1.36 million francs including fees, which is equivalent to US$1.51 million. Almost forty times the retail price of the Simplicity when it was launched in 2000, the price is a new record for the model. The result handily crosses an earlier record set just a month ago at Sotheby’s in Hong Kong, where an 34 mm example from the original production run sold for US$662,000. The Simplicity 20th Anniversary features a hinged hunter back, a feature not found in the original series Impressive as it is, the record price was reached swiftly. Although the estimate was 200,000-400,000 francs, a bidder on the phone represented by Tiffany To of Phillips opened with a 450,000 franc bid. The phone bidder was joined by a handful of fellow phone as well as in-room bidders – Mr Bacs commented during the proceedings there were seven phone lines active – along with a solo bid online from Singapore. The price rose quickly in 50,000 and 100,000 franc steps, with Ms To’s phone bidder clinching the prize. The seven-figure price for the Simplicity elevates Mr Dufour to the rarefied territory of living independent watchmakers whose wristwatches have sold for above US$1m at auction. There are just two watchmakers who can make that clai...
Time+Tide
Does this seem familiar? Yes, the popular bronze Hanhart chronograph recently released by some good friends of ours, seen on a Time+Tide editorial wrist here ,is a bronze 417 chronograph. Now Hanhart has remade the original stainless steel icon – a crisp cut classic military pilot’s chronograph with an earthbound claim to fame. The man … ContinuedThe post Hanhart just quietly released the 417ES, a Pilot’s watch famously worn by McQueen, and it’s a sleeper vintage monster appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Quill & Pad
Our friends at The Watches TV entertained a visit from Peter Speake, The Naked Watchmaker, as he took apart a Vacheron Constantin world time pocket watch from 1949 – a feat firmly categorized in the “don’t do this at home” rubric. This World Timer is 71 years old, displays the time in 41 reference cities, is housed in a yellow gold case, and is completely original with all of its original parts and even the dial.
Deployant
For this week’s TGIF, we have the new(ish) Canon EOS R5. We had covered the original EOS R, and came away feeling a bit underwhelmed. So when the new “super-duper” R5 was released we got our hands on a loaner for a fortnight. As usual, we used the camera and several lenses for our watchRead More
Time+Tide
What does ‘Ragnarok’ mean? In a word: Armageddon. A dramatic name for one of Nordic origins (me), and a dramatic set of preconceptions for a debut in Nordic Haute Horlogerie via Glashütte. Elbow nudging greetings are exchanged with Tom André Tidemann, and we go for a walk in the crisp air of Scandinavian autumn. The … ContinuedThe post The ‘Ragnarok’ by Tidemann Watches might be the first ever haute horlogerie release with its own heavy metal theme song… appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Quill & Pad
The Mechanical Exception category features men’s or ladies’ watches with a special mechanism such as an innovative or sophisticated display, an automaton, a belt-driven movement, a striking or other acoustic function, or any other original and/or exceptional horological concept. And we surely have an intriguing set of finalists in the Mechanical Exception category this year: everything from a tumbling triple-axis tourbillon to an electronically controlled hybrid timepiece to a paper-thin mechanical watch and an automaton minutely replicating a 16-cylinder engine. And even more!
Quill & Pad
The Jaeger-LeCoultre Polaris Mariner Memovox doesn’t just sound as good below water as it does above, it sounds even better! While many of the recent Memovox models have been unashamedly contemporized, the Polaris Mariner Memovox is a relatively faithful tribute to the original 1965 Polaris. And it sounds as charming as the original, but better in every way.
Time+Tide
A proven trend within the world of watches is for brands to reinterpret historic models within their archives for modern-day release. Seiko has revived and renewed one of their classic ’70s divers with the new Seiko Prospex SPB183J 55th Anniversary Limited Edition. The case While slightly larger than the original, the Seiko Prospex SPB183J … ContinuedThe post INTRODUCING: The Seiko Prospex SPB183J 55th Anniversary Limited Edition is back in blue appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
It’s hard to believe it’s been four decades since the inception of arguably the most disruptive and provocative watchmaker in modern history. But we are indeed celebrating their 40th birthday and their first-ever watch – the Classic Original, otherwise known as the OG gold watch with a rubber strap. To commemorate the milestone, Hublot has … ContinuedThe post HANDS-ON: The Hublot 40 Years Anniversary Black Ceramic appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Quill & Pad
When Piaget introduced the manual wind Caliber 9P at the 1957 Basel Fair, at only 2 mm in height, it was considered an impossibility. Three years later, in 1960, Piaget stunned the watch world once again with Caliber 12P, an automatic movement that broke world records for its svelteness. What does that have to do with a vintage watch Martin Green saw? Find out here.
Quill & Pad
Both the Chronoswiss SkelTec and the new Opus chronograph show that Chronoswiss is on track to continuing the innovation begun with 1995's Opus chronograph. Anders Modig takes a dive into contemporary skeletonization with two brand-new models by the brand, including two reboots of the original Opus.
Hodinkee
Grand Seiko's new Hi-Beat caliber 9SA5, in steel for the first time.
SJX Watches
Grand Seiko has progressively introduced a diverse line up of watches to mark its 60th anniversary, ranging from a remake of the vintage 3180 to the heavily jewelled 8 Days to the T0 Constant Force Tourbillon, while also opening the Grand Seiko Studio Shizukuishi production facility. Now the brand has finally reached the last of it anniversary watches with the Grand Seiko 60th Anniversary Caliber 9SA5 Hi-Beat 36000 80 Hours SLGH003. Although the 60th anniversary watches are numerous, the most significant was the Hi-Beat 80 Hours SLGH002, which was powered by the newly-developed 9SA5, the first of a new generation of movements that will underpin the Grand Seiko collection. The SLGH002 was available only in 18k yellow gold and correspondingly pricey, but now the movement is available in the all-steel SLGH003. Initial thoughts From the perspective of being a more affordable version of the yellow-gold SLGH002, the SLGH003 is appealing. It’s still an expensive watch – the retail price is US$9,700 – but a lot less than the US$43,000 of the gold model. But from the perspective of it being one of several anniversary editions, many of which share the same dial colour, it is less appealing. That is especially so given that the 9SA5 movement will inevitably be made available in regular-production models that will probably cost a bit less. So if the colour and design is a big draw, then the SLGH003 is a buy. If not, just wait for the next one. Anniversary livery The SLGH003 h...
Quill & Pad
The two new Bulgari Aluminium models look a lot like their predecessors, which makes you realize how timeless the design is. They don't even look retro, highlighting the timeless quality of the original design. And the good news is that they are relatively affordable compared to other watches in Bulgari's collection. What else do these watches have going for them?
SJX Watches
One of the “It” watches of the 2000s was the Patek Philippe Twenty~4, which was launched in 1999 as an elegant yet everyday watch for women in steel with a bracelet and quartz movement, making it affordable and chic. Having unveiled the round Twenty-4 automatic two years now, Patek Philippe has rebooted the original Twenty-4 “Manchette”, once again in steel with new dials in blue and grey. And like the original, it has a steel bracelet, hence the nickname – manchette being French for “cuff”. Initial thoughts While the round, automatic Twenty-4 is larger and perhaps more casual, the original rectangular model is more compact, giving it a slightly more formal style – but the new dial design avoids looking old fashioned. And the rectangular Twenty-4 has been around long enough it is easily recognisable, despite the relatively simple styling, making it the signature Patek Philippe watch for ladies. The central element of the new Twenty-4 is the facelifted dial. Doing away with the diamond indices and Roman numerals of the original, the new dial is cleaner and more modern, while also having luminous hands and hour markers. The upside of a quartz watch is that it more easily accessible than a mechanical watch, in both pricing and functionality, avoiding winding and setting the time. And this particular model does not have a second hand, so its identity is hidden. Priced at about US$14,700, the Twenty-4 is very expensive for a quartz watch with a steel case. An...
WatchAdvice
Back in February this year, Breitling released the stunning re-edition to one of the much-loved aviation models from the past. The reference 765 AVI chronograph, born in 1953, was a popular piece among enthusiasts and is as much of a collectable now as it was back then. In 2020, Breitling decided to bring back the 765 AVI chronograph with almost the same design as the original, only this time with their modern in-house movement. Dubbed the AVI ref. 765 1953 Re-edition, this new model brings the same stylish flair as the original, but now is offered in stainless steel, 18k rose gold or 950 platinum. We at Watchadvice got our hands on the stainless steel model (reference AB0920131B1X1), as we think the black dial with steel casing is the most versatile out of the three. Before we dive into this latest re-edition, it’s good to look at the original piece’s history, to do the new one justice. Reference AB0920131B1X1 Although the Breitling AVI Ref. 765 was created in 1953, the creation of the Ref. 765 AVI started back in 1930. In 1930, Breitling released two pilot watches named the Premier ref. 765 and Ref. 734. These Ref. timepieces were more compact in design, with the tri counter layout cutting into the hour indexes. The 1930’s models were still elegant in design and would pave the future for the iconic Ref 765 Avi that would be born some 23 years later. The second world war had quite an impact on timepieces throughout the world, with many new watches coming into ...
SJX Watches
Best known as the watch worn by Pierce Brosnan playing James Bond, the Omega Seamaster Diver 300 M made its debut in 1993. But the blue-on-blue “Bond” model was not the flagship of the line. That distinction went to a chronograph composed of three metals – gold, titanium, and tantalum – an exotic and expensive combination two decades ago. The tri-metal combination (the original was the ref. 2296.80 for anyone curious) made a comeback as a time-only watch for the 25th anniversary of the Seamaster 300 M two years ago. Now, Omega has finally revealed a truer homage to the original, the Seamaster Diver 300 M Chronograph Gold Titanium Tantalum, which stays to the aesthetics of its inspiration but refined to be more contemporary and technically advanced. Initial thoughts The original version of the tri-metal chronograph isn’t the best known variant of the Seamaster – because it was extremely expensive for the period and sold poorly – so when the time-only variant debuted in 2018, the combination of metal was rather novel. The new chronograph feels exactly like that – it is handsome and modern, but like the 1993 original, it is very expensive. In fact, it is a lot more expensive, all things considered. Priced at a little under US$20,000, the new chronograph is significantly more expensive than its steel-and-gold counterparts – by a factor of 50%. While the price tag partially justified by the unusual material combination and good looks, the new Seamaster Chr...
Revolution
The UNDONE Aero Scientific 1940 pays tribute to the Weems Second Setting watch with a vintage-inspired affordable edition true to the original timepiece.
Quill & Pad
Close to 120 years after Abraham-Louis Breguet patented the tourbillon, master watchmaker Alfred Helwig (1886-1974) created a “flying” tourbillon at the German School of Watchmaking in Glashütte. The flying tourbillon became somewhat characteristic of Glashütte and lives on in a few very special watches today. Who was Alfred Helwig? Find out here.
SJX Watches
Patek Philippe has just taken the covers off the Calatrava Pilot Travel Time Ref. 7234G-001, a medium-sized take on its original dual-time zone aviator’s watch. Originally launched in pink gold, and then in steel as a limited edition, the compact pilot is now available in white gold. Now very much a familiar part of the Calatrava range, the pilot’s watch was a surprise when it was first launched. A radically new design for the classical watch manufacturer when it debuted in 2015, the Calatrava Pilot Travel Time sparked some controversy, mainly centred the generic aviator’s watch look and the oversized pushers. Several additional models later, the Calatrava Pilot is a full collection of watches, ranging from the time-only limited edition made for the New York Grand Exhibition to an alarm that chimes like a repeater, and now the mid-size Travel Time in white gold. Initial thoughts While the sporty look suits the original model with its large 42 mm case, the smaller case appeals to people with more traditional tastes or smaller wrists, making the new mid-size version an intuitive and complementary edition to the line. It’s essentially a more wearable version of an appealing watch. The Calatrava Pilot Travel Time looks more youthful than the average Calatrava, though that’s changing with recent releases like the ref. 6007A, owing to the oversized numerals and large pushers. Still, in traditional Patek Philippe style, the overall feel is refined for a pilot’s wat...
Deployant
Hublot celebrates the 40th Anniversary of Fusion by reinventing its Classic Original from 1980 as the Classic Fusion with new dials, materials and larger case size. Press Release Hublot Classic Fusion The new Classic Fusion models capture the elegance and timeless refinement of the 1980 Classic Original, as well as four decadesRead More
Revolution
Hublot re-introduces the original 1980 Hublot watch for the 21st century, in yellow gold, titanium and black ceramic (45mm) powered by an automatic movement.
SJX Watches
Long focused on affordable mechanical watches, Frederique Constant continued with its specialty after its acquisition by Japanese watchmaking giant Citizen. Now the Swiss brand has just revived its bestseller from two decades ago, the Highlife collection, which has been redesigned extensively. It’s a new watch in all but name – the revamped Highlife harks back to the integrated-strap of the original, but it is a design very much catered to today’s taste. The Highlife Perpetual Calendar Manufacture The new Highlife collection debuts with three models that share the same tonneau-shaped case and integrated bracelet with quick-release pins. The most interesting watch of the trio is the Highlife Perpetual Calendar Manufacture, which is affordable despite its in-house movement and styling that’s reminiscent of more expensive watches. The other two models in the line up are simple automatics: one is time-only with an “Open Heart” dial revealing the balance wheel, and the other is a COSC-certified three-hander with date. Highlife Automatic COSC The Highlife Heart Beat Initial thoughts The Highlife manages to translate the look of high-end luxury-sports watches into an affordable watch by keeping a few design elements and simplifying everything. It is unavoidably derivative in style, but competently designed. So the 41 mm case is a simple affair with simple lines and surfaces, but dressed up with a polished, domed bezel. However, it avoids looking too plain even with t...
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