42,864 articles · 252 videos found · page 988 of 1438
Quill & Pad
In this non-chronological multipart series called “History of Ferrari Watches,” Elizabeth Doerr takes us through a comprehensive look into the Girard-Perregaux Pour Ferrari collaboration, which took place between 1993 and 2004 and culminated in the Girard-Perregaux Pour Ferrari Tribute to Enzo Ferrari Tourbillon with Three Gold Bridges perpetual calendar chronograph.
SJX Watches
Launched earlier this year as the latest addition to Piaget’s compact Polo S line up, the Piaget Polo Skeleton joins a crowded field of luxury-sports watches. But it is a novel enough proposition – being a skeletonised, automatic sports watch – to make it notable. And it helps that the Polo Skeleton is exceptionally slim, thin enough that it feels similar to Piaget’s Altiplano dress watches on the wrist. Initial thoughts Piaget loaned me a Polo Skeleton in blue for a couple of days, and two features stood out: its slimness and how well it wore (save for the clasp buttons, more on that below). The Polo Skeleton is wide but flat, and sits elegantly on the wrist. Even though the bracelet is relatively thick compared to the case, that is only apparently when the watch is off the wrist. On the wrist the bracelet pairs well with the case, despite not being an integrated design. Having a skeletonised movement with coloured bridges give the Polo Skeleton a distinct look. This contrasts with the standard time-only Polo S, especially with its linear-pattern dial, that does admittedly bring to mind other luxury-sports watches. At the same time, the finishing and style of the cal. 1200S in the Polo Skeleton bring depth and texture to the face, while also injecting a bit of movement with the rotor and balance wheel. The Polo Skeleton is offered in two guises – blue or grey treatment for the movement – and the blue is the more striking by far. It is also more legible due to ...
Revolution
Two new takes on the automatic tourbillon by Richard Mille
Time+Tide
Whenever Ming introduces a new watch, the brand’s followers immediately mark their calendars and ensure they set aside time to race to the checkout for one of these highly coveted watches. The designs of this independent watch brand are absolutely distinctive, with every component meticulously crafted to reflect the design language of Ming Thein. Ming … ContinuedThe post Making a buzz: Ming x Massena Lab collaborate to create honeycomb hotness appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
Having buttressed their online fashion offering with an impressive collection of fine watches, Mr Porter has become a real force to be reckoned with over the last decade. To celebrate their 10th birthday, they’ve collaborated with IWC on a damn tempting version of their Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41, a piece that delivers superb legibility at … ContinuedThe post #Kixntix: A limited edition IWC Pilot’s Watch 41 from Mr Porter meets Puma’s street-tough suede appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Deployant
Breitling super charges their Chronomat collection. Now with the B01 chronograph returns to 44mm, and a new 4 year calendar model is added.
SJX Watches
Introduced last year as part of the 175th Anniversary trio, the 1815 Rattrapante Honeygold “Homage to F.A. Lange” is the first straightforward split-seconds chronograph wristwatch unveiled by A. Lange & Söhne. Simpler, but not simple, the 1815 Rattrapante is appealing in the way that many Lange watches are – the quality of fit and finish is obvious – but it is also notable in both style and movement construction. Initial thoughts A small run of just 100 watches, the 1815 Rattrapante is mostly sold out. Nonetheless it’s a beautiful and unusual enough that it is worth a look. While the other two “Homage to F.A. Lange” 175th Anniversary limited editions – the 1815 Thin and Tourbograph – are powered by movements found in other models, the 1815 Rattrapante is equipped with its own calibre, the L101.2. Granted, the L101.2 derived from the movement in the 1815 Rattrapante Perpetual Calendar, but it is still substantially different. For one, it has more elegant proportions than the average complicated Lange, with a profile that’s relatively flat. The brand’s complex watches are often big – both wide and thick – so the 1815 Rattrapante stands out for being smaller in comparison. It is a still a largish 41.2 mm in diameter, but just 12.6 mm high. While clearly an 1815 in style, the Rattrapante diverges in its colours. Lange rolls out fewer colour iterations of its models than its peers, which makes this combination unorthodox. Bringing to mind the f...
SJX Watches
Last year’s 60th anniversary was a major event for Grand Seiko, which unveiled several new movements and plenty of limited editions to mark the occasion. The most notable launch was probably the 9SA5 movement, a high-frequency and high-end automatic calibre. The movement made its debut in the luxe yellow-gold SLGH002, then in the steel Grand Seiko 60th Anniversary Hi-Beat SLGH003 a few months later. Since then the movement has been installed in a similar, but even more pricey platinum edition, and finally the regular production “White Birch” SLGH005. The cal. 9SA5 All the models are essentially the same, save for different dial finishes and case materials. Here we take a close look at the SLGH003 in steel as a representative for the “SLGH” family. Like its siblings in the family, the SLGH003 is a brand-new reference. The case and dial designs evolved from the existing and familiar Grand Seiko style, but inside is a radically new movement – the cal. 9SA5 with a Dual Impulse escapement. The aesthetic changes have created more refined exterior that better showcase the brand’s case finishing, but more crucially, the improvements signify the brand’s moves upmarket – exemplified by the more elaborate movement and higher price tag. The SLGH003 Initial thoughts Unique among the Grand Seiko line up in terms of its movement and styling, the “SLGH” family boasts new features that are mostly for the better, such as the more elaborate case and sophisticated mov...
Quill & Pad
If you love De Bethune and you love green, you will find this new version of the DB27 Titan Hawk mesmerizing. And its verdant, microlight-finished dial center isn't all there is to love: unusually for De Bethune, the Titan Hawk is now powered by an automatic movement.
SJX Watches
Taking place on Friday, April 23, 2021, Sotheby’s first live watch auction of the year takes place in Hong Kong. Important Watches is a full-sized sale led by the unique Rolex “Zenith” Daytona in platinum with a turquoise “Stella” dial, which might just set the record for most valuable automatic Daytona ever sold at auction. But the 296-lot sale is diverse in the traditional manner of Hong Kong auctions, encompassing vintage Patek Philippe, modern grand complications, and an assortment of independent watchmaking. Here’s a roundup of a few noteworthy lots at the auction, including a Patek Philippe ref. 1518 in exceptional condition, a pair of gorgeous pocket watches decorated with the very best of Geneva miniature enamelling, and the F.P Journe Coffret 38 made up of five watches with steel cases. The auction will start at 11 am local time on April 23 at the Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre, while the catalogue and online bidding are available on Sothebys.com. Lot 2185 – Vacheron Constantin miniature enamel pocket watch The middle decades of the 20th century were a golden age for miniature enamelling in Geneva, with the cities best watchmakers recruiting its best enamellers to decorate pocket watches. One example of such work is lot 2185, a yellow gold pocket watch made in 1948 by Vacheron Constantin that bears a miniature enamel painting by Hélène May Mercier (1910-1996), an artisan who learnt the craft with another famed enameller, Carlo Poluzzi...
Quill & Pad
The perpetual calendar (along with the split-seconds chronograph) ranks among Martin Green's favorite complications. Here he highlights 5 perpetual calendars that caught his eye during Watches & Wonders 2021.
Revolution
IWC has introduced eye-catching variations of the Big Pilot Perpetual Calendar, two new colorways for the Pilot Chronograph, and a Top Gun Big Pilot Perpetual Calendar special edition.
SJX Watches
Unveiled alongside the flagship The Citizen Caliber 0200, the Series 8 is a line of affordable, integrated-bracelet sports watches equipped with slim automatic movements that have increased magnetism resistance. The Series 8 is made up of three sub-collections: the 870, 830, and 831. All are similar, but have different case and dial constructions, as well as different movements, but are all accessibly priced affordable, starting at $1,200 for the 831 and rising to US$2,000 for the 870. Initial thoughts The Series 8 is essentially a luxury-sports watch done accessibly – the case is angular and faceted, with both brushed and polished surfaces finishes, while the bracelet is integrated. While the styling brings to mind several other well-known watch designs, the Series 8 watches are not outright copies, which is a good thing, especially at this price range where originality harder to find. The 870 with its two-piece bezel The 830 with its three-layer dial of mother of pearl under a metal lattice Though all three models are slightly different, they are almost identical in size at 40 mm wide and a relatively thin 10-12 mm high. That’s a good size that large enough but not so big that the watch feels chunky, which is likely for this type of design beyond a certain size. The 870 with its two-colour bezel seems the most appealing of the trio, with both its case and bracelet being more streamlined. Both the 830 and 831 have the same case that’s slightly octagonal, which m...
SJX Watches
One of several historical reissues Longines launched this year, the Heritage Silver Arrow is modelled on a wristwatch produced for a brief period starting in 1955. Named after the aluminium-bodied Mercedes race cars of the period, the watch was sleek, simple, and accented with details in the metalwork, something that the remake captures well. Notably, this is the second remake of the Silver Arrow, the first was launched in 2009 as the Silver Arrow 1955, and it had a date at three. Initial thoughts It’s becoming a cliche, but Longines does vintage remakes well and also does a lot of them. The designers at Longines are well versed with remakes, and they have clearly gotten better with time. The Silver Arrow still manages to outdo its peers in many ways, because it manages to get practically everything right. Longines’ remakes are uniformly good, but to varying degrees, and the Silver Arrow is one of the best. That’s helped by the fact that the vintage original is a straightforward watch, with only a few key elements that define the watch. Longines got all that right: the details are reasonably correct and well executed, the quality of finish is good, and the watch is a good size that evokes the feeling of the vintage original. Like all vintage remakes, the Silver Arrow is neither creative nor imaginative, but it is a handsome watch that is strong value for money. And that’s enough to make this a compelling choice for someone looking for a time-only watch in the US$2...
WatchAdvice
Pros: Calibre El Primero 9004 and it’s 1/100th of a second Chronograph Skeletonised Ultrabule dial Microblasted titanium case Cons: Wrist sizes smaller than 6.5ich won’t be able to enjoy the 44mm case size Some may find it to be too thick on the wrist Spend countless minutes staring at the 1/100th of second hand in motion Over All Rating: 8.4/10 Value for money – 8.0/10Wearability – 8.0/10Design – 9/10Build Quality – 8.5/10 In June 2020, Zenith introduced the first new “spectrum” of colour for their DEFY 21 chronograph model. The DEFY 21 model was given an ultraviolet finish, which let’s be honest was absolutely stunning! The ultraviolet treatment was given to the majority of the timepiece, the main plate, the rotor on the case back and the colour on the fabric effect strap. Combine this with the subtle matte finish of the micro-blasted titanium case, and what you are left with is a timepiece that is hard to put down. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Chamath Gamage (@champsg) Now, Zenith has released this DEFY 21 model in their latest colour scheme, Ultrablue. Never being afraid to create artistic masterpieces in watchmaking, Zenith has introduced this latest colour on the back of what can only be seen as a successful launch to the DEFY 21 Ultravoilet. The colours used in the Ultrablue to produce the standout effect are cool tones of deep indigo and electric blue. The only question is, does the Ultrablue live up to the same hype as the...
Revolution
The lowdown on all of Audemars Piguet’s freshness offerings in 2021, with Royal Oaks galore and the Calibre 4401 now in the Royal Oak Chronograph.
Deployant
The Zenith Chronomaster Revival A385 is a faithful reproduction of one of the original three stainless steel El Primero models from 1969, which featured Zenith's first gradient dial in a smoked brown tone and pronounced vignette effect that darkens towards the edges.
SJX Watches
Having been resurrected three years ago, Ikepod is returning to collaborations with contemporary artists, this time for Megapod designed together with Tom Christopher, best known for his paintings of New York City streetscapes. Based the automatic model launched last year, the Ikepod X Tom Christopher Megapod is a 200-piece edition sold exclusively online, reflecting the reborn Ikepod’s focus on affordable watches sold direct to the consumer. The Tom Christopher Megapod is the brand’s first artist collaboration since the Jeff Koons and KAWS watches created by an earlier iteration of the company. To recap, the brand was originally founded by Swiss businessman Oliver Ike and industrial designer Marc Newson in 1994, but failed to achieve commercial success despite its distinctive designs, in part due to high retail prices that resulted from its small production and high-quality components. It closed its doors in 2006, before being revived by art collector and dealer Adam Lindemann, whose influence helped gets Mr Koons and KAWS on board. But the brand continued to focus on pricey watches, and went bust once again in 2012. Now owned by a pair of Swiss entrepreneurs, the latest iteration of Ikepod is very much sticking with entry-level watches. Initial thoughts Having been the brainchild of Mr Newson, and then backed by Mr Lindemann, Ikepod’s idiosyncratic timepieces were long popular with certain well-heeled fans of contemporary art. Kanye West, for instance, sported a...
SJX Watches
When Longines first remade a 1970s pilot’s chronograph as the Avigation BigEye Chronograph, it was well received for being a faithful re-interpretation priced affordably, as most other Longines reissues are. While the 2017 model was a dead ringer for the vintage original, Longines has just facelifted the watch, giving it a titanium case and gradient blue dial. That gives the Avigation BigEye Titanium more modern look, which along with the upgraded case, results in a steeper price that’s about a quarter more than that of the steel model. Initial thoughts Longines has been hitting it out of the park with its recent remakes – the Silver Arrow, Classic “Tuxedo” Chronograph, and Heritage Classic “Sector” Dial – that are smartly designed and good value, and despite the hike in price, BigEye Titanium is no exception. While the steel BigEye had a utilitarian look like the 1970s original, the titanium version is decidedly more contemporary. The gradient blue dial is bold, and also fashionable today, with a sandblasted texture adding further visual intrigue. I like the juxtaposition of the black sub-dials against the blue gradient finish, though the faux patina on the hands and indices might be a bit too affected, especially with the modern look. Despite the tweaks, the BigEye Titanium retains the same legible design, thus preserving the historical raison d’etre of its design. Another notable feature is the titanium case, which makes the new BigEye the brand...
Deployant
Omega released the latest update to the Speedmaster Moonwatch Professional chronograph early this year with some much appreciated upgrades. Several changes were made to the dial and case, but most notably, the movement is now co-axial and anti-magnetic. For speedy owners, a magnetised Speedmaster happens once ever so often and can be quite a pain sometimes. Apart from its technical improvement, the new iteration also features several design updates to the dial and case.
SJX Watches
Collaborations between watchmakers and automobiles manufactures are common, but unsurprising given the focus on engineering and styling shared by the two industries. Despite the obvious synergies, the watch-and-car tie ups of recent years have rarely enjoyed unbridled success. Now TAG Heuer is seeking to upend the trend with a partnership with Porsche, the German marque whose 911 is the longest-lived sports car in history. The partnership is being inaugurated with the Carrera Porsche Chronograph Special Edition Calibre Heuer 02 – a thoroughly apt product given that the flagship product of each brand shares the same name inspired by the Carrera Panamericana of the 1950s. Initial thoughts The inaugural watch of the partnership has modest ambitions. On the surface, it appears to be a gentle facelift of the Carrera Sport Chronograph introduced last year. The case and movement remain the same, but the design features a few subtle elements drawn from Porsche’s racing pedigree. The execution is smart without being over-the-top, avoiding the pitfall of excess automotive elements that accompany many automotive collaborations. At US$6,050 on a bracelet, the Carrera Porsche Chronograph is priced at a small and reasonable premium of about 5% over the standard model. Compared with watches resulting from earlier automotive partnerships, the Carrera Porsche Chronograph is affordable, and remains a good value proposition, offering a little extra for Porsche and sports car enthusiasts....
Time+Tide
It was way back in 1969 that the first-ever gold Omega Speedmaster rolled off the production line, made for one wrist in particular – that of Richard Nixon. The caseback was engraved to read: RICHARD M. NIXON – PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES – “to mark man’s conquest of space with time, through time, on … ContinuedThe post IN-DEPTH: This Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch is as good as (Sedna) gold appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Revolution
Zenith’s latest at LVMH Watch Week 2021, includes the DEFY 21 Urban Jungle, Pilot Type 20 Silver Chronograph and the initially launched Chronomaster Sport and A385 Revival.
Deployant
Full hands on review of the new Zenith 2021 edition of a ceramic case in a cool urban green to their innovative Defy 21 chronograph collection.
SJX Watches
Having sold the first publicly-known Daytona “Zenith” in platinum, Sotheby’s is going to offer yet another. Once again a unique example, the Cosmograph Daytona ref. 16516 in platinum – and a blue-lacquer “Stella” dial – will go under the hammer at Sotheby’s Hong Kong watch auction in April 2021. “Sothebys is delighted to present this automatic Zenith Daytona rendered in platinum with a ‘Tiffany blue’ lacquered ‘Stella’ dial in April,” says Sam Hines, Sotheby’s head of watches, who adds, “Manufactured in 1998, this previously unknown watch comes from the same collection as the record-breaking platinum Daytona with hardstone lapis lazuli dial sold by Sotheby’s last year.” The “Tiffany blue” lacquered dial of the platinum Daytona that’ll be sold in April According to Sotheby’s, only five platinum Daytonas with the Zenith El Primero movement were made in the late 1990s, at the request of Rolex’s then chief executive Patrick Heiniger. Each example was unique in having a different dial, but all were equipped wit the same cal. 4030 derived from the Zenith El Primero, which was phased out in favour of the in-house cal. 4130 in 2000. The late Heiniger kept one for himself, and gifted the remainder to key business partners of Rolex. Sotheby’s has since sold two of the five, each achieving a record price for an automatic Daytona. The first was a wedding present to a member of the Gobbi family that owns the eponymous watch retailer in...
Quill & Pad
After celebrating the fiftieth anniversary of Gérald Genta's eponymous company founded in 1969, Bulgari embarks on reinstating the niche brand within its own ranks, kicking off with a captivating, revamped version of the Gérald Genta Arena Bi-Retro Sport. Find out the fascinating history behind this formerly independent brand and the series of events leading to this decision right here.
WatchAdvice
The Zenith Chronomaster Revival “Shadow”, a timepiece clouded in such mystery that its existence was all but forgotten, until recently. The story behind this timepiece goes back to 1970, where after the iconic El Primero movement was produced by Zenith, the manufacture also produced a prototype for a manual winding chronograph. This chronograph model was housed in a blackened steel case, which was quite rare during the ’70s. The manufacture produced only a handful of these concepts, with the watch never making it into full production. Soon after, the quartz crisis hit, which forced Zenith’s El Primero savior Charles Vermont to store all the plans and designs for mechanical watches including El Primero designs in a secret walled off attic in the manufacture. Just imagine though, if this beautiful all-black timepiece was never to be uncovered by the manufacture! Luckily this wasn’t the case, as in 2019 when Zenith began celebrating their 50th anniversary of the El Primero Chronograph caliber, the team at the manufacture decided to go through all the plans, designs, and parts that they found in the secret attic. Among the numerous items hidden away, was a box that contained the original prototype of this special black chronograph model. A model that hasn’t been seen by anyone since the early 1970s. The Chronomaster Revival “Shadow” project is a remake of the original 1970 model. Zenith, however, decided that instead of faithfully reproducing a replica of...
SJX Watches
An iconic auto-racing chronograph of the 1970s, the Monaco ref. 1133 was nicknamed the “Steve McQueen” after the actor wore one in the 1971 film Le Mans. And now one of the actual examples worn by McQueen in the film has just become the most expensive Heuer ever sold, achieving US$2.21m with fees at Phillips’ New York auction. There were several Monacos on hand for the production of Le Mans, with McQueen retaining two after filming wrapped. The record-setting watch in question is one of the two that McQueen gifted to Haig Alltounian, both the chief mechanic for the film as well as the actor’s personal mechanic. McQueen (left) and Haig Alltounian (far right) during the filming of Le Mans Mr Alltounian received the watch – engraved with “To Haig Le Mans 1970” on the back – just after filming for Le Mans concluded. Mr Alltounian himself consigned the watch to Phillips for its recent New York watch auction, making its provenance impeccable. The bidding opened at US$150,000, progressing steadily until the air thinned at the half-million dollar mark – which leads to the conclusion that the majority of bidders had a similar limit in mind. Then only three phone bidders were left. The three-way tussle ended with a US$1.8m hammer price – with London-based James Marks of Phillips winning the lot for his client. The result was US$2.2m inclusive of fees, an all-time record for any Heuer watch. It’s also a convenient feather in the cap for TAG Heuer, which is ...
Deployant
The latest co-creation between TAG Heuer and Bamford Watch Department, the world’s ultimate hub for personalised luxury, is an exclusive Aquaracer timepiece equipped with the Calibre 5 Automatic movement and limited to 1,500 pieces. Press release information with editorial commentary in italics. TAG Heuer Aquaracer Bamford Limited Edition Reference WAY208F.BF0638 is available now. Retail S$5,500Read More
Deployant
Louis Erard continues to partner with watchmaking creators, and builds another bridge with high-end watchmaking by working alongside Vianney Halter, an artist whose every creation is a collector’s dream item. Here, the latest novelty is the Louis Erard x Vianney Halter – a 178 piece limited edition, automatic regulator, priced at CHF 3,500. Press releaseRead More
Question, suggestion, or just want to say hi? Drop a note.