Hodinkee
Bring a Loupe: A Rare '70s Patek Philippe, An 'Exotic' Universal Genève, And a '40s Chronograph From A Ski Competition
Rarity is the name of the game in this edition of our round-up.
Hodinkee
Rarity is the name of the game in this edition of our round-up.
Deployant
Luminox releases 3 new Bear Grylls Survival Series watches. We go hands-on with one of them: the Chronograph Bear Grylls Survival 3740.
WatchAdvice
See how the Breitling Superocean Heritage stack up against other dive watches! The year 1957 was an important one in Breitling’s history, as this was when the brand first released the Superocean collection. In fact, the decade of 1950 saw some prestigious brands such as Rolex and Omega release dive watches (Submariner, Seamaster 300), with Breitling following suit in the latter years. Breitling released the Superocean model in two variants; chronograph and non-chronograph. Some of the originals from 1957 are much sought after today by Breitling and watch enthusiasts. In celebration of the 60th anniversary of the Superocean, in 2017 Breitling redesigned the Superocean Heritage line and released anniversary editions which come in both chronograph and non-chronograph versions, much like the originals from 1957. Both these editions were made by Breitling to resemble original versions in terms of design, with only the movement update being the significant change in the watches. The watch models came in 42mm and 46mm sizes with the chronograph version available in 46mm. All three size variants came in 3 different dial colour variations; black, blue and brown. In 2018, Breitling re-vamped the Superocean Heritage line once again by introducing the chronograph and non-chronograph versions in 44mm, along with a 42mm gold and stainless steel version. The three different sizes (42mm, 44mm, 46mm) offer a whole lot of flexibility to the general public to be able to match almost an...
Time+Tide
Editor’s note: The tourbillon is an anachronism that is representative of the watch industry as a whole in a little way. It was conceived hundreds of years ago to solve problems that were pressing at the time, but despite being technologically surpassed by other devices in the meantime, it is currently facing its heyday with … ContinuedThe post Why tourbillons are more accessible than ever thanks to the TAG Heuer Carrera Calibre Heuer 02T appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Revolution
In the pantheon of emblematic sports chronographs, it’s the Zenith El Primero Ref. A3818 “Cover Girl” that inflames desire to the extreme.
Time+Tide
It’s a new segment. It’s called Battle Royale. Someone nominates a collection, and we fight to the death for our favourite from said collection until there is one opinion standing. Well, not really. That would be bloody, time-consuming, fairly hard to adjudicate and likely to upset HR. So, why don’t we just make our case … ContinuedThe post Battle Royale: The T+T Team debate which is the best modern-day Rolex Daytona appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Revolution
All the functions, and only the crown. Looking back at the ingenious Ateliers deMonaco Quantieme Perpetual QP-EZ.
Time+Tide
The week before last, three members of the T+T team went on a national roadshow. Though, in reality, it was more of an airshow, considering we covered more than a lazy 10,000km in six days. The goal was to meet members of the Time+Tide Club in their own cities. It was a magical mystery tour … ContinuedThe post What is it with Perth and Daytonas? Glenn explains his ‘unusual’ 116500LN in the days after Horology House scandal appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Two Broke Watch Snobs
The new Presage Prestige watch is inspired by a classic from Seiko’s past, their first-ever chronograph.
Deployant
Zenith is the first manufacture to create an automatic integrated column wheel movement, and promptly christened it the El Primero.
Hodinkee
It's not all steel and ceramic.
SJX Watches
Almost exactly a year after Breitling announced the Navitimer Ref. 806 remake – a spot-on remake of the first Navitimer and a smash hit – the watchmaker has applied the same formula for the AVI Ref. 765 1953 Re-Edition, a limited edition of 1,953 watches in steel. Introduced in 1953 and produced in several variants until 1965 when it was rebranded the Co-Pilot, the AVI ref. 765 was typical of mid 20th century pilot’s chronographs, with large Arabic numerals, syringe hands, and a steel rotating bezel. In fact, it is reminiscent of the Type 20 chronographs supplied by Breguet, Auricoste and other firms to the French navy and air force during the same period. Remade exactly And the AVI ref. 765 was oversized for the era, with a case measuring 41.1 mm. According to Breitling, the AVI Re-Edition replicates the original to the smallest detail, down to the tenth of a millimetre of case diameter. The steel bezel is even secured by three screws in exactly the same spots as on the original. Only two external elements on the remake have been changed: one is the removal of “Geneve” from the dial, a necessity given Breitling’s location; and the other is the increased water resistance of 30 m. That being said, modern production techniques and materials mean that rather than being perfectly identical, the replica is probably better in fit and finish than the original. The lacquer-filled engraving on the bezel, for instance, is more precisely done on the modern version. The vi...
Hodinkee
A collectable classic pilot's chronograph reborn as a limited edition for a new era.
SJX Watches
An annual edition now in its 14th year, the “Laureus Sport for Good” helps support the foundation of the same name, which promotes sport amongst disadvantaged and disabled children around the world. In a departure from the norm of using a current model as the base, the 2020 edition is a brand-new reference that’s not yet in the catalogue (though it probably will be by Watches & Wonders 2020), the Portugieser Monopusher Chronograph “Laureus Sport for Good”. The Portugieser Monopusher Chronograph is an unusual watch: a manual-wind, single-button chronograph with a long power reserve of 192 hours, or eight days. It’s powered by the cal. 59360, which has a notably thin chronograph mechanism built over the cal. 59000 eight-day movement. The movement, however, not actually new. It was last used in 2015 inside the Portofino monopusher chronograph, but subsequently absent until now. (Reputedly the movement had kinks that required fixing, particularly in terms of timekeeping while running the chronograph.) The cal. 59360 with its thin chronograph mechanism; note the wide and flat column wheel The movement is wide and relatively flat, resulting in a large watch that’s 46 mm wide and just shy of 14 mm high. Given the traditional Portugieser design of a wide dial and narrow bezel, the size of the watch is particularly pronounced. As is traditional with the Laureus edition, the dial is a deep, metallic blue with ample space for the two chronograph registers as well as the...
Hodinkee
This is the 14th watch IWC has made with the foundation.
SJX Watches
Having unveiled the vintage-inspired Presage Automatic Chronograph ref. SRQ031 in October 2019, Seiko has returned to the same historical wristwatch with the Presage Prestige 2020. Comprising of three variants – SPB127J1, SPB131J1, and SPB129J1 – the new Presage is once again modelled on the “Crown” chronograph ref. 5719A-45899 that was unveiled in 1964 to mark that year’s Tokyo Olympics. The vintage original was a mono-pusher chronograph with basic functionality, featuring a central, elapsed seconds hand and black plastic bidirectional bezel for recording times of over a minute. Last year’s Presage chronograph was a step up from the original with three counters, but this year’s Presage Prestige does away with the chronograph altogether. But since the original had a plain dial without registers, the new Presage Prestige manages to look pretty much the same. The original “Crown” chronograph from 1964 All three versions of the Presage Prestige differ only in dial colour, and are otherwise identical in terms of dimensions, design and movement. Because of the styling of the “Crown” Chronograph, the Presage Prestige manages to be fairly faithful to the original. Nearly all of the elements of the dial, from the chapter ring with the applied hour markers and oblong “lume” plots to the dauphine hands, are a close-enough replica of the original. Granted it has been modernised with the usual tweaks found in remakes, including a slightly larger case and ...
Time+Tide
Ben came into the Time+Tide offices to buy a NATO strap for his TAG Heuer Monaco. But the conversation quickly turned to the unusual Bulgari diver’s watch on his wrist. Here, Ben explains the backstory behind the purchase and why - despite it contradicting everything he normally likes in a watch - he absolutely loves it. Originally, … ContinuedThe post What Sealed The Deal: Ben’s Bulgari Diagono Scuba appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
Well, this is a bit different to a normal What Sealed The Deal … seeing as this Baume & Mercier Capeland Chronograph is actually my watch. I purchased it late last year after a particularly dogged haggling match that started with a seemingly innocuous Gumtree.com ad. Anyway, I’ll spare you the deets of the torrid exchange … ContinuedThe post What Sealed The Deal – James’s Baume & Mercier Capeland Chronograph appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Revolution
Sinn introduces two new pilot watches, the 158 Pilot Chronograph inspired by the Sinn Bundeswehr and the 104 St Sa A B E in a radiant blue.
Revolution
TAG Heuer dedicates its 160th anniversary to the Carrera, a watch birthed from the mind of the one and only Jack Heuer.
SJX Watches
The new Sinn 158 is unusual in being a remake of a vintage watch originally produced by another company, but due to a quirk of history, simultaneously a Sinn. In the 1960s and 1970s Heuer supplied the German armed forces, or Bundeswehr, with the 1550 SG flyback chronograph. Though typically military in style, the Heuer 1550 SG was fairly distinctive, with a black-coated rotating bezel and oversized sub-dials. A favourite remake In the 1980s, Sinn was contracted by the Bundeswehr to refurbish the 1550 SG watches, resulting in some having a Sinn-branded dial. At the same time, decommissioned or surplus watches were also acquired by Sinn, which then sold them to civilians. Having become something of a cult favourite due to its design, size, and affordability, the Heuer 1550 SG has been the subject of several past remakes by Sinn. Named the Sinn 155, the earliest remake was for the Japanese market in 2007, and later editions included a 155 for German department store Manufactum. A Heuer 1550 SG “Bund” from the 1970s. Photo – TAG Heuer Because of its hands, the 158 is the most modern-looking of the remakes, but still retains all of the key elements of the original, most notably the four screws to secure the inner case to the outer case, as well as the flat step where the lugs meet the bezel. Like the original, the 158 has a bead-blasted steel case with a bidirectional, black-coated aluminium bezel. The case is 43 mm like the 1550 SG, but slightly thicker at 15.15 mm high ...
SJX Watches
With an annual output of just over four million watches, Tissot is Switzerland’s largest watchmaker by volume, with the bulk of its watches being affordable and quartz. But it has also carved out a niche with equally affordable mechanical watches starting at a bit under US$400 for the Swissmatic (a close relative of the Swatch Sistem51 movement). One step up is the Powermatic 80, an automatic movement that more closely resembles a traditional calibre – with more metal components and less plastic bits. A complicated model within the family, if it can be called that, is the Tissot Chemin des Tourelles Powermatic 80 GMT. It’s a dual time zone automatic starting at just US$875 – a value proposition that is also unusual in being one of the few GMT watches price below US$1,000. Chemin des Tourelles is the street in Le Locle where Tissot has had its factory since 1907 (though the brand was founded in 1853), sitting beside the facilities of Mido, Montblanc, and Vulcain. Unsurprisingly, the Chemin des Tourelles GMT is traditionally styled, though surprisingly large; the collection also includes a similarly affordable time-only automatic as well as a chronograph. The case is simple in form but appealing, with a surprising degree of detailing. The look is enhanced by the polished bevel on the outside edge of the lugs, which also have a notch where they join the case. And the case and bezel also have contrasting brushes and polished surfaces, making the whole more visually in...
Hodinkee
A memento of the post-Apollo 11 "Giant Leap" world tour.
Deployant
Faubourg de Cracovie Chronograph is now available in a 'Panda' variation. The dial is enamel with a pair of cut out black enamel subdials. A red tipped seconds hand and red XII marker provides a sporty touch to the otherwise classic design of the dial.
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