Revolution
Blancpain 50 Fathoms 2019
As the original creator of the diver’s watch, Blancpain looks not only to maintain this lofty standing, but finds a way to continue evolving.
Results for Mother of Pearl Dial
32,503 articles · 151 videos found · page 962 of 1089
Revolution
Revolution
Getting to Know Rado’s Ceramos
Revolution continues the story on Rado’s mastery of materials to find the truth behind the brand’s mystery material.
SJX Watches
Hands-On: Rolex Daytona Orange Sapphires Ref. 116578SACO
Those unfamiliar with the world of ultra-bling Rolex watches must wonder – who are they catered to? Dictators? Drug dealers? Nightclub owners? Instagram influencers? But the answer is actually something more common. All of us inevitably know someone like this: the middle-aged man usually in athletic wear by Louis Vuitton and Gucci, and whose idea of formal wear is an embroidered velvet suit from Dolce & Gabbana that resembles curtains from a chateau. He’ll probably drive a super car that is “stickered”, either the whole car wrapped in a matte, metallic finish, or worse, “stickered” with flames and stripes on the sides. Then this gentleman will probably be wearing a watch like this. And if he isn’t, he will really want one. It’s easy to poke fun but the nattily dressed gent is enjoying himself and who can fault that? And so it is with this watch, which has certain, look-at-me appeal that is just calling out to be enjoyed. This is the new and uncommon Daytona ref. 116578SACO with an orange sapphire-set bezel. Cosmograph Daytona ref. 116578SACO Each year Rolex unveils a handful of bejewelled watches that are shown to the press and public at Baselworld – last year’s was the Daytona “rainbow” and this year had the Day-Date “rainbow” – while also releasing a smaller number of gem-set models on the quiet, which are usually only shown to retailers. This year’s hush-hush launches included the GMT-Master II “SARU” in Everose gold, but als...
Hodinkee
Sunday Rewind: Wait, A Vacheron Constantin Moon Watch?
The strange existence of an untold Apollo 14 watch and the five-year hunt for more information.
Time+Tide
The sporty sleek TAG Heuer Link Calibre 5
Editor’s note: I’ve got a real soft spot for the TAG Heuer Link - and indeed for integrated bracelets more generally. It’s such an evocative design for the brand, and one that is due for a serious comeback (if everything else ’90s is an indication). So, have another look at the cool, clear lines of … ContinuedThe post The sporty sleek TAG Heuer Link Calibre 5 appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
Introducing the Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch 321 Platinum
As it marks the 50th year of the Moon landing, Omega introduced a variety of Speedmaster Moonwatches in steel and in gold, but none with the revived cal. 321 movement, until now. The first watch to land the cal. 321 – a second will debut later in the year – is the ultra-luxe Speedmaster Moonwatch 321 Platinum that’s a special, as opposed to a limited, edition. Visually it’s pretty much a typical Speedmaster Professional, save for the use of expensive materials for all the external components. The case is the standard 42mm with twisted, “lyre” lugs, but rendered in a particular platinum alloy, Pt950Au20, that is 95% platinum along with a small amount of gold. The bezel is also platinum, with an insert in black ceramic with white enamel markings. The “stepped” dial, as it was on vintage Speedmasters, is made of polished black onyx, while the hour, minute and register hands, along with the hour markers, are 18k white gold (the central seconds hand is plated brass, a necessity because the reset function requires it to be lightweight). All the chronograph sub-dials are made of moon meteorite. The case back reveals the cal. 321, a remake of the Lemania CH27 of the mid 20th century. Found in the early Speedmaster models, where it was named the Omega cal. 321, the movement has been reproduced in great detail. And according to Omega, it is distinct from its distant relative, the modern day Lemania cal. 2310 that has been in continuous production for several d...
Time+Tide
RECOMMENDED READING: Why Seiko won’t be producing a 50th anniversary chronograph
Fifty years ago, the automatic chronograph was born. Depending on which press release, it was the effort of either Zenith, Heuer (et al) or Seiko. The truth lies somewhere in the middle, and the former two brands have been busy celebrating in the traditional Swiss way (limited editions and, presumably, cheese). Seiko, though, has been … ContinuedThe post RECOMMENDED READING: Why Seiko won’t be producing a 50th anniversary chronograph appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Hodinkee
Introducing: The Grand Seiko SBGE249 Limited Edition Spring Drive GMT (Live Pics & Pricing)
The latest Grand Seiko limited edition sports a dial inspired by a Japanese blizzard.
Revolution
Moon Germs and Airstream’s Part in Saving the World
Revolution steps inside a piece of NASA history where a consumer trailer was rigged up to keep Moon-walking astronauts – and planet Earth – safe.
Time+Tide
Hublot’s Sang Bleu II, as explained by the man who designed it
When it comes to creative collaborations, few brands have the level of panache or skill that Hublot does. They have a few on the burner at the moment: their Orlinski watches and the one we’re looking at today – the Sang Bleu. To be a little more specific, we’re looking at the Hublot Sang Bleu … ContinuedThe post Hublot’s Sang Bleu II, as explained by the man who designed it appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
One small step for the Omega Speedmaster Apollo 11 50th Anniversary
On this day, 50 years ago Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin walked on the moon. An incredible achievement in the history of humanity. What’s even more incredible is that this occurred less than seven years after President John F. Kennedy declared: “We choose to go to the Moon.” Of course, along for the ride was … ContinuedThe post One small step for the Omega Speedmaster Apollo 11 50th Anniversary appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Hodinkee
Bring a Loupe: A Jaeger-LeCoultre Varsity, A 1978 Tudor Submariner With Military Provenance, And A Universal Geneve Compax Ref. 22499
Your weekly round-up of watches from around the web
Revolution
Reliving History with James Ragan: NASA’s Man Behind the Moonwatch
James Ragan, former NASA engineer and the man behind the watch that went to the moon, shares ten anecdotes on the 50th anniversary of the moon landing.
Time+Tide
Set sail for glory with the Ulysse Nardin Marine Chronometer Torpilleur
Editor’s note: The Ulysse Nardin Marine Chronometer Torpilleur is a very interesting watch - a mix of modern build and very, very classical design. It’s a winner. Story in a second The Marine Chronometer Torpilleur shows a new, focused and driven face of Ulysse Nardin. I’m going to start this review talking not about mechanical … ContinuedThe post Set sail for glory with the Ulysse Nardin Marine Chronometer Torpilleur appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
Up Close: Ulysse Nardin Classico Perpetual Ludwig
The original Perpetual Ludwig was launched in 1996 to mark the 150th anniversary of Ulysse Nardin. Its brilliantly conceived calendar mechanism showed the calendar in legible windows, while allowing it to be set backwards and forwards, even around midnight, via the crown – in short, the calendar could be set in any direction, at any time, without the need for any tools. Subsequent iterations of the watch grew progressively bigger – unfortunately many got progressively uglier – but two years ago Ulysse Nardin rolled out the Classico Perpetual Ludwig (alongside other historical remakes), which stuck to the original styling, albeit in a larger case. Powered by the same movement from 1996, the Classico Perpetual Ludwig remains an ingenious innovation despite being over 20 years old, and the new remake also manages to be good value. The UN-33 of the Perpetual Ludwig Ulysse Nardin’s signature blue enamel logo on the crown Ludwig and his wheels The watch gets its name from Ludwig Oechslin, an inventive, self-taught watchmaker whose professional qualifications are in ancient history and archaeology. Working for Ulysse Nardin while it was owned by the late Rolf Schynder, a Swiss entrepreneur who made his fortune making low-cost movements in Asia, Mr Oechslin was responsible for the bulk of the brand’s inventions, from the Freak to the astronomical Trilogy of Time. Mr Oechslin’s fundamental innovation in the Perpetual Ludwig – patents EP1351104B1 and CH6968...
Time+Tide
That time we got into a fight over Hermès
Editor’s note: OK, so ‘fight’ might be a touch hyperbolic, but back when the Hermès Slim d’Hermès was first released it caused quite a stir. The most ardent fans were Ceri and Felix, and this is an account of their slightly tête-à-tête over this elegant, well-designed watch … The story in a second With a slender … ContinuedThe post That time we got into a fight over Hermès appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Deployant
Review: Tutima Patria Admiral Blue SS
An extension to the elegant Tutima Patria line, now in stainless steel with either a magnificent cold enamel blue or grey dial. We review the Admiral Blue.
Revolution
Apollo 13… a close call for NASA… and Omega
REVOLUTION profiles the recovery and eventual salvaging of the Apollo mission that went sideways.
Time+Tide
RECOMMENDED READING: The deconstructed Rolex Submariner
Editor’s note: People love seeing the insides of a Rolex. Perhaps it’s because of their popularity or perhaps it’s the fact that their insides are always hidden behind a solid caseback. Whatever the reason, people love the chance to get a glimpse at these industrially impressive machines. So, here’s another look at that time Peter … ContinuedThe post RECOMMENDED READING: The deconstructed Rolex Submariner appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
Kennsen Debuts with the Smart & Affordable Annual Calendar Chronograph
Kennsen Watches makes its debut with a notably clever and well-priced annual calendar chronograph powered by a patented calendar module on top of a Valjoux 7750. Though Kennsen is newly set-up, its founder David Lea specialises in constructing complications for other brands, explaining the surprising degree of technical innovation for a small start-up. Annual calendar chronographs are relatively uncommon on the market and most are fairly costly – Patek Philippe and Ulysse Nardin are amongst the handful of brands that offer one – making the new Kennsen the most affordable example today, with a retail price of just over US$5000. Despite its affordability, the Kennsen annual calendar chronograph is entirely Swiss-made. The case is produced by Victorinox, the famed maker of Swiss army knives and also watches, while the module was designed by Lea & Associé – Mr Lea’s design outfit – and manufactured by a firm in the Vallée de Joux. Made of stainless steel, the case is 42mm in diameter, with a polished bezel and case back, while the case band has a brushed finish. The dial, available in either black or champagne, has a clean and pleasant design. It features recessed sub-dials, applied indices and a telemeter scale in miles and kilometres on the outer rim. At one o’clock is a day and night indicator displayed in a small aperture, and nestled subtly next to the central axis of the dial is the month display, aligned on the same axis as the date at three. ...
SJX Watches
Business News: Richemont and Swatch Results; Massive Inventories at Swatch
Swiss watchmaking groups Richemont and Swatch Group just announced their first quarter and six-month results for 2019 respectively, with each going in opposite directions. Owner of brands like Cartier, IWC and Panerai, Richemont saw growth across most segments and regions. Overall sales were up 12% at constant exchange rates, with every region growing in the low teens save for the Middle East and Africa. Sales in Asia grew 10%, led by China, where demand is up due to lower taxes locally on luxury goods and more stringent checks on travellers importing items bought overseas. Most notable was the performance of its online channels, namely luxury fashion mall Yoox Net-a-Porter (YNAP), pre-owned watch merchant Watchfinder, and to a lesser extent. That growth is from a low base of comparison: last year’s first quarter for each platform was only two and one month respectively. That being said, online sales are still substantial, rising to 50% to €648m, almost equal to the €698m of sales in the Americas as a whole. The group’s watchmaking brands, which include A. Lange & Söhne and Vacheron Constantin, saw overall sales dip 2%. This was attributed to a reduction in the number of sales channels as well as reduced orders of new product by retailers. Up in Biel, where the Swatch Group has its headquarters, half-year sales were down 3.7% at constant exchange rates, to 4.07 billion Swiss francs. Net profit followed suit, shrinking 11.3% to 415m francs. For the full year, howe...
Time+Tide
What is the Omega Speedmaster?
This week seems to be an appropriate one to ask what, as far as a product-focused watch news and review site goes, is a profoundly philosophical question: what is the Omega Speedmaster? Simple, non? Well, sort of. At the base level, the Speedmaster is Omega’s long-running family of professionally oriented chronographs. But it’s so much … ContinuedThe post What is the Omega Speedmaster? appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
Dive into the Longines Legend Diver Black
We’re on record as being fans of the Longines Legend Diver Black - in fact, we like it so much we’re selling it in our shop. The attraction is immediate: if you just look at these photos, obviously apparent. It’s stealthy, sexy and very, very sharp. In case you need a quick primer: 42mm, 300m … ContinuedThe post Dive into the Longines Legend Diver Black appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Hodinkee
Happenings: Celebrate The Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe Limited Edition For HODINKEE Tonight In NYC
It's the end of Dive Month and we're finishing off strong.
WatchAdvice
Bell & Ross BR 03-92 Ceramic Heritage Review
Founded in 1992 as a university project, Bell & Ross was formed by two friends; Bruno Belamich and Carlos Rosillo. These two young entrepreneurs had a joint vision of creating a watch that embodied the idea of combining functionality and robustness into one timepiece. When the manufacturing for Bell & Ross watches started, they had to get them made by a third-party manufacturer in Germany by who we know today as SINN. As the first models of Bell & Ross watches were released, they came with the inscription “by SINN” on the dial. SINN’s partnership with Bell & Ross lasted until 2002, when Bell & Ross were able to acquire their own manufacturing plant in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland. After the acquisition of the manufacturing plant is when Bell & Ross wanted to expand their range of watch models and create a timepiece that carried their ideologies while keeping the aesthetics of the watch as simple as possible. To do this, they looked towards the military forces, diving commandos and air-forces to draw inspiration from. Bruno Belamich and Carlos Rosillo knew that the military forces and their counterparts used instruments that have easy readability while having toughness to endure the rough situations. This was the inspiration behind the first model the BR – 01 and also the start of their most iconic BR Instrument range, released in 2005. This watch became one of the most recognisable timepieces in the the watch industry and gave the brand the international exposu...
SJX Watches
Highlights: Sotheby’s Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch Auction
Taking place on July 19, Sotheby’s thematic auction to mark the 1969 Moon landing – Omega Speedmaster: To the Moon and Back, Celebrating 50 years since Apollo 11 – is all about the Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch, plus a handful of watch accessories and lunar paraphernalia. The auction is 50 lots, covering a variety of Speedmaster models, starting from the very affordable to “grail” references like the ref. 2915-1 and “Alaska III” prototype. For those interesting in a lot-by-lot opinion of the sale, check out the article written by Speedmaster enthusiast William Roberts over at speedmaster101.com. Here’s a look at a couple of highlights. Lot 10 – Speedmaster ref. 2915-1 The ref. 2915-1 is substantially different from the later Moonwatches but is the one that started it all, being the very first reference of the Speedmaster ever. Its particular combination of features – steel bezel, “broad arrow” hands, straight lugs – give it a distinct and appealing look compared to the later Speedmasters. This particular appears correct, albeit showing its age. The wear seems pretty even throughout, from the case to dial to back, and is detailed in Sotheby’s condition report. According to the extract, it was delivered to Mexico in 1958, a year after the model was introduced. With one of the best examples of the ref. 2915-1 having sold for just over US$400,000 at Phillips last year, the estimate for this well-worn example is US$150,000-200,000. Lot 13 ...
Time+Tide
Felix’s first nice watch – an Archimede Pilot that’s still in the rotation 10 years on
So it’s a little bit weird to be writing an intro blurb for my own ‘Every Watch Tells a Story’ video, but there you go. I’d also say that my own ‘story’, brief as it is, doesn’t stack up to some of the others we’ve got in terms of drama. But it is my story, … ContinuedThe post Felix’s first nice watch – an Archimede Pilot that’s still in the rotation 10 years on appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
EVENT: IWC unveil the 2019 Pilot’s Collection at cosy winter speakeasy in Sydney, including the stunning Timezoner and Ceratanium TOP GUN
Last night, IWC launched their new Pilot’s Collection at an intimate event in a venue dressed perfectly to capture the machismo, the aeronautical legacy and the overall class of the brand. The walls were adorned with pilot paraphernalia, the tables were festooned with dried native flowers and many wrists were adorned with IWC watches; the … ContinuedThe post EVENT: IWC unveil the 2019 Pilot’s Collection at cosy winter speakeasy in Sydney, including the stunning Timezoner and Ceratanium TOP GUN appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Revolution
The 12 Apollo Astronauts (and their trusty Speedmasters)
Today, to commemorate the Golden Jubilee of the Apollo 11, we remember the 12 men who have walked the moon, and the faithful Speedmasters that accompanied them on their celestial voyages.
SJX Watches
Grand Seiko Introduces the Spring Drive GMT SBGE248
While Grand Seiko watches are classical and often formal, the Grand Seiko Sport collection is all about larger, more casual watches, The latest addition to the Sport line is the Spring Drive GMT SBGE248, the first Grand Seiko with a yellow gold bezel and crown. Yellow gold has been widely used for Grand Seiko watch cases, including for the commemorative Grand Seiko Heritage SBGW252, but the two-tone look is a first for the brand – an indication of its conservative approach to design. The contrast of yellow gold and blue is a tried and tested – and perhaps slightly overdone – approach for a luxe sports watch, evidenced by the popular Rolex Submariner ref. 116613. On the new SBGE248, yellow gold is applied generously and the colour stands out. The bezel is 18k yellow gold, as is the crown, while the hour markers, hands and markings on the dial are all gilded. Though the bezel itself is gold, the insert is scratch-resistant sapphire, just as it is on the standard Spring Drive GMT. Size-wise the watch is identical to the standard model, with a case diameter of 44mm. The case is stainless steel, as is the bracelet. It is powered by the self-winding Spring Drive cal. 9R66 that guarantees an accuracy of within 15 seconds a month – or half a second a day – and a power reserve of 72 hours. The incredible accuracy is thanks to the electronically-regulated, mechanical oscillator inside; the regulation in turn is governed by a quartz oscillator with an integra...