Monochrome
Last year, Rolex unveiled a new collection (well, somehow a replacement for the Cellini line) of elegant, highly traditional dress watches, the Perpetual 1908. With a name inspired by one of the first Rolex watches fitted with the Perpetual rotor, it was clear that this new collection was all about traditions. A small seconds display, […]
Time+Tide
Let’s be honest. When people attend a watch fair as huge as Watches & Wonders, they’re most excited about new watches and not so much new colour schemes. There is an exception to this, and that’s when the colours are just too nice to ignore. Of the new IWC Portugieser Chronograph collection, we got our … ContinuedThe post A playful yet respectful new colour for the IWC Portugieser Chronograph appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
IWC isn't all about pilot's watches, as this year's bevy of interesting Portugiesers demonstrates.The post The inside scoop on IWC at Watches & Wonders 2024 from CEO Chris Grainger-Herr appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
The tourbillon is already one of the most mechanically impressive but elegant complications, neatly integrated into a tiny radius. For Watches & Wonders 2024, IWC sought to further iterate on the elegance of its manual-winding Portugieser Tourbillon, but rather than just introducing a new dial colour or strap option, the brand added a complication. Usually, … ContinuedThe post The IWC Portugieser Hand-Wound Tourbillon Day & Night shows the globe in a novel way appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Monochrome
One field of expertise immediately comes to mind when thinking about Piaget: the art of crafting ultra-thin watches. Throughout its history, the brand has become synonymous with legendary calibres, such as the 2mm thin 9P introduced in 1957 and the 2.3mm thin 12P micro-rotor movement unveiled in 1960. Approximately a decade ago, the groundbreaking 900P […]
Hodinkee
Inspired by various times of day, these dials infuse new life into the classic line.
Hodinkee
From the white birch dial to the satisfying click of a new manual movement, Grand Seiko may have just dropped their best dress watch in years.
Monochrome
IWC’s Portugieser Eternal Calendar is the undisputed calendar masterpiece of the Schaffhausen-based brand for Watches and Wonders 2024. A colossal technical milestone, the Eternal Calendar marks the brand’s first secular perpetual calendar. Unlike a perpetual calendar that will need a correction in 2100, the Eternal Calendar is fitted with a 400-year gear that overrides the […]
Fratello
Cartier is a brand that knows how to manage its hero designs. Few brands have as many iconic designs under their wings as the Parisian Maison. The Tortue is one that you may not be as familiar with as the Tank and the Santos. That could very well be because it hasn’t been in Cartier’s […] Visit Introducing: Cartier Privé Collection Tortue Hours/Minutes And Monopoussoir Chronograph to read the full article.
SJX Watches
Amidst the plethora of sports watches with integrated bracelets, the Zenith Defy Skyline stands out for its uncluttered design and relative affordability. Now the lineup is joined by the Defy Skyline Chronograph. The chronograph maintains many of the signature features of the existing models, such as its octagonal case and star-patterned dial. Debuting in three dial colours, Defy chronograph is amongst Zenith’s sportier offerings. Like other recent launches, it is powered by the second-generation El Primero calibre. Initial thoughts The Defy Skyline Chronograph is another option for an enthusiasts seeking a sports chronograph with a contemporary design and integrated bracelet. There are admittedly many, many options in this category, but the Defy chronograph is one of the value-minded offerings. At CHF11,900, the Defy chronograph with its in-house movement is competitively priced compared to other offerings in the sports watch market. The brand has opted for a conservative design while retaining a modern edge. Though the overall design is familiar, it has incorporates a few unusual details, including a polygonal flange around the dial. The watch is being launched in only three colours, all simple, easy shades that are well suited to the design, though not exciting. With the limited colours in mind, some might want to wait for subsequent releases that may adopt the colours found in its time-only counterpart. Zenith’s latest addition The Defy chronograph joins Zenith’...
Worn & Wound
Watches that do more than a human being is capable of are nothing new. Rolex, Omega, and others make dive watches that are capable of reaching depths that no man or woman could survive. The Rolex Deepsea Challenge is rated to 11,000 meters (which means it’s tested to even greater depths) while the deepest point in the ocean is about 10,900 meters, give or take. That means this particular dive watch can go deeper than any depth possible on the planet. Even that, somehow, feels more practical than IWC’s big release at Watches & Wonders, the Portugieser Eternal Calendar. This is the brand’s first secular calendar, which accounts for leap-year exception rules in the Gregorian calendar that play out over a 400 year span. A calendar complication that no living human will have a chance to observe do its thing in real time is one thing, but it’s the moonphase on this watch that is truly looking ahead: IWC claims it’s accurate to 45 million years. And just think, it wasn’t even ten years ago that the Apple Watch had many in this industry scared that watchmaking could be killed by smart-gadgets. Talk about confidence. The concept of a secular calendar will be worth a refresher for many, as it’s a truly rare complication that most brands simply don’t attempt given the incredibly long timeframes involved (the last one we discussed in these pages was from indie Furlan Marri). The gist is this: in addition to a leap year every four years, Gregorian calendar needs an ad...
SJX Watches
At Watches & Wonders 2024, Parmigiani Fleurier is launching the Tonda PF Micro-Rotor No Date, a concise sports watch clearly catered to those who want just two hands. Featuring a “Golden Siena” (or “salmon”) dial in its inaugural guise, the new Tonda PF barely deviates from the design of the original released in 2021, retaining the same case, proportions, and movement, but eliminates the date. Initial thoughts Among the sports watches launched during the integrated-bracelet-sports-watch fad, the Tonda PF stood out for its unique aesthetics that are neither boring nor flashy. While many of its competitors were often obvious derivatives of the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak and Patek Philippe Nautilus, the Tonda PF was more original and managed to retain some of the traditional design codes of Parmigiani’s more formal watches. From a distance, it is challenging to tell the difference between the Tonda PF Micro-Rotor No Date and the original. In fact, the only real difference lies in the dial design and colour. Although the differences are minimal, the salmon dial with a no-date layout offers a more refined aesthetic that will appeal to purists. At CHF23,500, the watch is priced the same as the date version and like it, is a decent-enough value proposition. Though it seems expensive when compared to more affordable alternatives like the Louis Vuitton Tambour or Moser Streamliner, the Tonda PF is more affordable than the Royal Oak or a Nautilus (which are mostly unobtaina...
Fratello
One part inside your watch makes one complete rotation every 400 years. Let that sink in. This is the case with the new IWC Portugieser Eternal Calendar ref. IW505701. The calendar will run flawlessly until the year 3999. A regular perpetual calendar would need three corrections (in 2100, 2200, and 2300). Only those centurial years […] Visit Hot Take: IWC Portugieser Eternal Calendar to read the full article.
Revolution
Fratello
You might have to look twice, but you’re looking at the updated IWC Portugieser Automatic 42. These models have a completely re-engineered case construction with a more slender side profile. The bezel-less watches feature double-domed box-style glass sapphire crystals for unobstructed views of the sunburst dials or the versions finished with 15 layers of transparent […] Visit The Refined And Reworked IWC Portugieser Automatic 42 - Plus New Dial Colors For The Portugieser Automatic 40 And Chronograph to read the full article.
SJX Watches
Perhaps the complication most associated with IWC, the perpetual calendar with its distinctive four-digit year display was introduced in 1985 in the Da Vinci. Today IWC takes the “perpetual” concept to its maximum with the Portugieser Eternal Calendar that boasts a supercharged perpetual calendar, otherwise known as a secular calendar, requiring no adjustment for a thousand years. In addition, it is equipped with a moon phase of unprecedented accuracy – a day in 45 million years. Initial thoughts Even though it appears similar to the standard Portugieser Perpetual Calendar – though it is slightly thicker and wider – the Eternal Calendar is an appealing and note-worthy proposition in terms of its technical merits. The rare complication, however, comes at preposterously steep price. Discreetly dressed in the classic Portugieser case, but the Eternal Calendar reveals a modern twist in the form of the glass dial that shows off the calendar works underneath. To accomplish that, the movement employs a sapphire bridge in the calendar module, marking the first time IWC is using the material as a structural element in a calibre. The extensive use of sapphire hints at the impressive technicality of the movement, giving a sense of tangibility to the mechanics within. And the mechanics are certainly worth admiring. An “eternal” or secular calendar complication is appealing, for both the mechanical inclined and even the plain romantic who wants something that will go on...
SJX Watches
Piaget does the unexpected to mark its 150th anniversary. Instead of a special edition of an existing timepiece, Piaget has profoundly reworked the Altiplano Ultimate Concept (AUC) – endowing it with a flying tourbillon. The thinnest tourbillon ever by some margin, the Piaget Altiplano Ultimate Concept Tourbillon 150th Anniversary measures 41.5 mm in diameter and stands just 2 mm high, crystal included. In other words, Piaget installed a tourbillon in the AUC while maintaining the same overall height. Initial thoughts The original AUC of 2018 was an impressive example of micro engineering. The innovative movement construction resulted in a case thickness of just 2 mm, while still managing to look like a conventional watch, as opposed to the panel-like appearance of the even thinner Richard Mille RM UP-01. Now Piaget has built upon the concept by adding a tourbillon to the slim construction. A tourbillon is not a practical addition, since chronometry was never the main point of the AUC. Instead, this is an exercise in pushing the limits of micro engineering. Piaget’s engineer surmounted the challenge and the result is nothing short of amazing. It’s crucial to note that adding a tourbillon to the AUC is not merely adding a tourbillon. Practically the entire calibre was reworked – according to Piaget one 90% of the parts are new – right down to reducing the number of spokes in the wheels to minimise energy consumption. Beyond its mechanics, the AUC Tourbillon also...
SJX Watches
For IWC, 2024 is the year of the Portugieser. The collection receives a full refresh that covers the Portugieser Automatic 40, Portugieser Automatic 42 (previously known as the 7 Days), Portugieser Chronograph, and Portugieser Perpetual Calendar 44. In addition, IWC has introduced an all-new model, the Portugieser Hand Wound Tourbillon Day & Night with a flying (and hacking) tourbillon. The standout debut, however, is without question the Portugieser Eternal Calendar – which we cover in a separate story. With the facelift, IWC has refined its core collection with subtle nips and tucks, including slimmer cases, while retaining the familiar design. The revamp includes new liveries including metallic finish dials in baby blue and champagne. The champagne finish, known as “Dune” Initial thoughts I’ve always enjoyed the aesthetic of the Portugieser collection, which is perhaps the only collection of dress watches of any brand where the (over)sizing is a feature rather than a drawback. The new collection is no exception; each piece is attractive and several models have received thoughtful technical upgrades, including an escapement with enhanced magnetism resistance. And the dials are not merely new colours, but sport detailed finishing and thoughtful details. Of course, there’s little in the way of true novelty in the collection outside of the Eternal Calendar that is a rare complication executed smartly but for an hard-to-believe six-figure price. Even the Tourbillo...
Time+Tide
The Piaget Altiplano Ultimate Concept Tourbillon is the thinnest tourbillon watch in the world.The post The Piaget Altiplano Ultimate Concept Tourbillon is the world’s thinnest tourbillon watch appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Monochrome
The competition for ultra-thin watches is more intense than ever. Watches with a thinness that would have been unimaginable a few years ago have recently been unveiled, with manufacturers squeezing complications into minimal space and tirelessly chasing microns. Bulgari’s Octo Finissimo saga has garnered widespread recognition in this realm. The brand’s remarkable series of records […]
Worn & Wound
Editor’s Note: For this edition of The Three Watch Collection for $5,000, we have a collection from collector Michael Chong. Michael has chosen a trio of watches that track his varied horological interests, from a quirky Seiko to perhaps the most classic watch design of them all, the Cartier Tank. There’s also a familiar Nomos Club Campus, but this one has a twist. Since high school graduation, I have spent 5 years navigating the vast world of watches, collecting and refining my collection to reflect my lifestyle and identity. However, I underestimated this task, and I now realize that this is a dynamic lifelong journey, subject to the natural or unexpected changes that humans go through in their life, whether it is relocation, career shifts, evolving needs or wants, or amending personal tastes/niches. Below I present my ideal three-watch collection under 5k, shaped by 5 years of this process. Seiko A829-6019 – $650 In 2020, while searching for an LCD Speedmaster 186.0004, I stumbled upon the Seiko A829-6019, which also boasted a NASA connection and was more affordable. I discovered this 1982 Seiko A829 on eBay up for auction with its original bracelet and endlinks. After doing deep research ensuring it was all 100% original, I purchased it and the watch was delivered the following week. Despite some wear and tear, including a scratched bezel and faded red accents, all functions, including the alarms (extremely loud), worked flawlessly. The standout feature was the...
Teddy Baldassarre
Looking at the watch market as it exists today, one will notice that the most popular styles, even on the luxury end, have their roots in “tool watches” aimed at a particular audience of users: professional and recreational divers, pilots and aviation hobbyists, competitive racing drivers and motorsport enthusiasts, military operators and outdoorsy weekend warriors. Nearly all of these styles trace their origins back to the early to mid-20th Century - an era in which, around the same time, many watchmakers were developing another style of tool watch, one that we really don’t see as much anymore because so many of its elements have been absorbed into the mainstream, incorporated into sport watches and dress watches alike: a watch targeting engineers and scientists who plied their trade around magnetic fields. Here are six of the most important watches from this now-rare genre and a bit of historical information about what each of them contributed. 1930: Tissot Antimagnetique The need for a watch that could withstand the ill effects of magnetic fields was felt as early as the 1920s, when the use of electricity in homes as well as businesses became more widespread. One of the first watchmakers to respond was Tissot, founded in 1850 in the Swiss town of Le Locle. In 1930, Tissot released to the market the aptly named Antimagnetique, the first wristwatch with a magnetism-resistant movement. Tissot accomplished this feat by using the non-magnetic metal palladium for v...
Worn & Wound
The Navitimer is one of a very small handful of watches that is quite simply an undisputed classic. If you say the name, it conjures an immediate image in the mind’s eye: a busy pilot’s chronograph with an uncommon (but completely useful) slide rule bezel. It has the look of a real flight instrument because in a very real sense that’s exactly what it is. But the very idea of what a Navitimer can be has changed a lot in recent years, with the introduction of references that skip the chronograph entirely. The Navitimer is now more than just a single iconic watch, it’s a collection of aviation inspired watches that use the classic as a starting point but branch out into all kinds of new areas. It’s the kind of thing that purists, frankly, sneer at. But it’s an undeniably shrewd move by Breitling to get the Navitimer name out there, and the watches on the wrists of new customers who may not be interested in a toolish chronograph whose design hasn’t changed much for decades. So now, in an expansion of the collection tied to Breitling’s 140th anniversary, we have a new Navitimer GMT and Automatic 41. The Navitimer Automatic 41 is perhaps the most straightforward execution of the Navitimer aesthetic, sans chronograph, yet. It’s not the first Navitimer in a 41mm case without a chrono complication, but it is the first without a date at the 6:00 position. This dateless execution is considerably cleaner and will probably be of greater appeal to enthusiasts than ...
Hodinkee
Plus a Breitling Premier Datora and a limited Panerai Mare Nostrum.
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