Dress Watches · Page 57

Time+Tide

Dec 5, 2022

Gwendoline Christie never felt more beautiful on Netflix’s ‘Wednesday’ set wearing Cartier Tank Louis

Netflix’s Addams Family spin-off Wednesday has taken the world by spooky storm, with Jenna Ortega’s self-choreographed dance scene going certified viral. But, while much attention has been given to Ortega’s performance as Wednesday Addams, watch enthusiasts may have clocked Game of Thrones actor Gwendoline Christie sporting a Cartier Tank Louis Large in her role as Nevermore … ContinuedThe post Gwendoline Christie never felt more beautiful on Netflix’s ‘Wednesday’ set wearing Cartier Tank Louis appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

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Hodinkee

Dec 4, 2022

Pre-Owned Picks: Six Dress Watches To Carry You Into The Winter Months

End the year in style.

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SJX Watches

Nov 30, 2022

Hands On: IWC Portofino Perpetual Calendar

IWC has a suite of instantly recognisable models synonymous with the brand, namely the Pilot’s Watches and of course, the Portugieser. But one collection does get as much recognition as its peers, despite being almost 40 years old. Named after the famous seaside city in Italy, the Portofino was introduced in 1984 (though the inaugural model didn’t yet have the Portofino name at the time) as an oversized pocket watch-style wristwatch, something of a clarion call to persist with mechanical watchmaking after the Quartz Crisis. Now the brand has revived one of the classics from the line with the Portofino Perpetual Calendar. At 40 mm in diameter, it’s the most compact of IWC’s perpetual calendars and is equipped with an in-house movement from the 82000 family. Initial thoughts The perpetual calendar is a sought-after complication for its utility but also its aesthetics, especially when it includes a moon phase, which adds a touch of romanticism to the design. IWC’s latest take on the complication is straightforward, practical, and priced reasonably enough. In fact, it’s essentially a visually-simplified version of the Portugieser Perpetual Calendar 42, which uses the same movement but inside a larger case. While not revolutionary in technical terms, the Portofino Perpetual Calendar is a solid performer with a concise design. It retains all the features that made the 1990s original appealing but adds a few contemporary touches in both design and the in-house base m...

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Hodinkee

Nov 29, 2022

The Spec Sheet: Going Art Deco With The Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso

Put your JLC down, flip it and reverse it.

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SJX Watches

Nov 29, 2022

Insight: Fine Watchmaking Market Map in 2022

For almost as long as I’ve been interested in watches, I’ve tried to find an objective way to visualise the stratification of the various luxury watch brands. I’m as fascinated by the process of watchmaking as much as the products themselves, and I wanted to find a way to differentiate brands based on the production techniques they employ, yet do so objectively. I believe you can tell a lot about a brand’s values and capabilities by looking at their methods, but it can be difficult to penetrate the smoke and mirrors of luxury watch marketing to see what’s really going on behind the curtain. An objective measure: watchmaker-hours per watch In my review of the Saxonia Thin last year, I used the metric “watches per watchmaker” to illustrate the economics of A. Lange & Söhne. While this is not a perfect metric, it is simple and quantitative, and crucially, it can often be derived from publicly available information. Taking this analysis one step further, I added Swiss, German, and Japanese national statistics for working hours to calculate the maximum possible number of watchmaker-hours per watch for more than 50 luxury watch brands. The start of the map, the Saxonia Thin How to interpret this metric The watchmaker-hours metric is not the number of hours that a watchmaker spends on every watch. Rather, it’s the theoretical maximum number of hours that a brand’s watchmakers could possibly spend with each watch. This workrate can be viewed as a simple proxy fo...

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Time+Tide

Nov 28, 2022

MICRO MONDAYS: The Vario Versa is two-faced in the best possible way

Let’s not beat around the bush. If you’ve spent any time lusting over releases from Jaeger-LeCoultre, chances are that you’ve fallen in love with a few different versions of the Reverso Duoface. Similarly, if you’ve been following Cartier’s releases, the colourful additions to the Tank Must revival have had watch enthusiasts absolutely smitten from the … ContinuedThe post MICRO MONDAYS: The Vario Versa is two-faced in the best possible way appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

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Revolution

Nov 24, 2022

BVLGARI Octo Finissimo, The New Icon Part IV: The Eighth Record Breaker

When the BVLGARI Octo Finissimo Ultra launched earlier this year, it was a horological mic drop that blew the minds of everyone in the industry. At only 1.80mm thick, it is the eighth record breaker in eight years and the culmination of the Octo Finissimo’s journey to explore the heights of ultra-thin watchmaking. In the […]

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Hodinkee

Nov 23, 2022

The Two Watch Collection: The Grand Seiko SBGW033 130th Anniversary Limited Edition And The A. Lange & Söhne Saxonia Thin 37mm

Demonstrating how a shared philosophy about watchmaking can produce different, but complementary, expressions.

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Time+Tide

Nov 23, 2022

HANDS-ON: The new IWC Portofino Perpetual Calendar IW344601 and IW344602

Most people associate IWC with pilot’s watches, which makes total sense due to their rich aviation history and classics like the Mark and Big Pilot series. But with their Portugieser and Portofino collections, IWC prove they still know how to appeal to dressier sensibilities. The latest duo of Portofino watches, the IWC Portofino Perpetual Calendar … ContinuedThe post HANDS-ON: The new IWC Portofino Perpetual Calendar IW344601 and IW344602 appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

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SJX Watches

Nov 23, 2022

Hands-On: Piaget x Phillips Altiplano Origin China Edition

Descended from Piaget’s ultra-thin dress watches that first emerged six decades ago, the Altiplano is the brand’s quintessential dress watch in the modern day. Minimalist and refined, the Altiplano is pared back, legible, and well-proportioned – not to mention very thin – as expected from a brand that launched its first ultra-thin watch in 1957. The latest addition to the ultra-thin lineup is the 21-piece limited edition that emerged from a collaboration between Piaget and auctioneers Phillips, the Altiplano Origin China Special Limited Edition. It will be available only at Piaget boutiques in China with the exception of the prototype numbered “00/21” that will be sold at Phillips’ upcoming Hong Kong sale on November 28. Initial thoughts Ordinarily found with a conservative and somewhat plain silver dial, the Altiplano gets a major makeover with a lacquered green dial paired with pink gold hands and indices that liven up its usual monochromatic look. It’s clearly a dress watch yet manages to stand out against all the other dress watches. That said, the dial is almost perfect, but not quite – the date window with a white date disc looks out of place. I would have preferred the dial to do away with the date altogether. The case remains the same as the standard model with a wearable and modern size of 40 mm matched with a thinness of just 6.36 mm that’s further enhanced by the slim lugs. Its height, or lack thereof, is thanks to the cal. 1205P, among the...

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SJX Watches

Nov 22, 2022

Highlights: Complications at Phillips’ Hong Kong Auction

Having covered highlights from the independent watchmakers at Phillips’ The Hong Kong Watch Auction: XV, we now dive into the complicated timepieces in the sale that takes place on November 28 and 29 – an appropriate theme given that the three most valuable lots according to the estimates are complicated watches from Patek Philippe. In this roundup, we look at nine lots that stand out. Some like the ref. 5207P with the uncommon mahogany guilloche dial are six-figure, headline lots, while others are value propositions that might slip under the radar but worth noting, like the Cartier Privé Tonneau XL Skeleton Dual Time. Registration for bidding and the entire catalogue for sale can be accessed here. The ref. 5207P with a brown guilloche dial and matching obsidian inlays in the case and slide Lot 817: A. Lange & Söhne Lange 1 Time Zone “Buenos Aires” Here, we have the Lange 1 Time Zone that was first introduced in 2005. With the trademark Lange 1 dial layout and oversized date, the Time Zone maintains the recognisable Lange 1 style with its “Golden Proportions” despite being able to do much more than a standard Lange 1. This particular variant came about when Buenos Aires retailer Simonetta Orsini requested a limited edition for Argentina. The cities disc thus has Buenos Aires (“B. AIRES”) to indicate UTC-03:00, instead of Rio de Janeiro as is the norm for the model. But more significant for the Lange enthusiast is the silver dial with blue hands and ma...

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Hodinkee

Nov 20, 2022

The Conversation: We Discuss The Perfect Dress Watch And Other Hot-Button Issues

Much more than idle chit-chat.

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SJX Watches

Nov 18, 2022

Highlights: Independent Watchmaking at Phillips Hong Kong Auction

With the curtain having just come down on the Geneva sale season, auction houses are migrating to Hong Kong for the second half of the autumn auctions. Going on the block at Phillips’ The Hong Kong Watch Auction: XV are 270 lots that encompass heavy-hitters and “hype” watches, but as usual we’ll take a look instead at a few interesting watches, starting with a selection of independent watchmaking. We round up nine notable creations from the independents, mainly time-only watches with high-quality construction and unique design, such as a Voutilainen Vingt-8 with a skeletonised dial and the Ludovic Ballouard Upside Down. The auction takes place on November 28 (lots 801-938) and November 29 (lots 939-1070). The full catalogue and sale registration can be accessed on Phillips.com. Lot 829: Roger Dubuis Hommage H37 A modern-day chronometer heavily inspired by traditional watchmaker – the aesthetics are a practically a revival of styling from the good old days – the Hommage H37 is an easy watch to like. Living up to its name, the Hommage pays tribute to classical gentlemen’s watches. It’s a three-hander in a classically-sized 37 mm case that contains a Lemania-based self-winding movement certified as a chronometer by the Besançon Observatory. The Hommage case was modelled on the Patek Philippe ref. 1463 “Tasti Tondi” chrongraph, though the resemblance is less obvious on the time-only model. But the simple lines are undeniably appealing despite their sim...

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SJX Watches

Nov 16, 2022

Hands On: Cartier Pebble Reissue

Launched to mark 50 years since the original was created by the jeweller’s London workshop, the Cartier Pebble was also perfectly timed to ride the wave of interest in vintage Cartier form watches that began during the pandemic. Looking much like the original but with enough tweaks to set it apart as a modern timepiece, the Pebble reissue is the second commemorative reissue after the Tank Cintrée 100th Anniversary from two years ago. With only six large-size Pebbles made by Cartier London in the 1970s, the original Pebble was long a peculiar watch known only to a few Cartier aficionados. The reissue has changed that, but it is a limited edition of only 150 pieces, a small enough number that it will leave some would-be buyers disappointed. Initial thoughts A hair’s larger than the vintage original, the reissue is a smallish watch by modern standards at 36 mm in diameter but feels larger than that due to the form. In fact, 36 mm is probably the largest it can go without changing the shape; any larger and it will resemble a dinner plate. On the wrist it cuts a striking figure and unlike other vintage remakes, the new Pebble might pass for a modern watch thanks to its novel form. Minor adjustment have been made to the design of the reissue that give it a more refined appearance than the original. The Roman numerals, for instance, have tighter lines. The result is a watch that looks thoughtfully designed. Everything about the reissue is executed well, case to dial to cr...

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Time+Tide

Nov 15, 2022

HANDS-ON: The IWC Portugieser Automatic IW500715 is handsome and powerful

I recently tackled the new IWC Portugieser Chronograph IW371620, a solid summer watch that brings the youthful summer vibes to a classic and storied collection and manufacture. But a chronograph is not always everyone’s flavour. Unless you are dead-set on using a mechanical and analogue timekeeper for timing cars on the racetrack, or more realistically … ContinuedThe post HANDS-ON: The IWC Portugieser Automatic IW500715 is handsome and powerful appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

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Hodinkee

Nov 12, 2022

Pre-Owned Picks: C’est Magnifique! Six Dress Watches Under $5,000

We can safely say the holiday party season is nigh, do you have the perfect watch?

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SJX Watches

Nov 10, 2022

Grand Seiko Introduces the Hand-Wind Spring Drive “Asaborake” SBGY011

Having launched several elegant and concise time-only watches this year, Grand Seiko has unveiled something once again simple but still unusual: the first regular-production, manual-wind Spring Drive 44GS, the Heritage Collection SBGY011 “Asaborake”. The SBGY011 combines two of the best elements of Grand Seiko (GS), namely the hybrid Spring Drive movement and the distinctive 44GS case. While the combination has been seen before, the SBGY011 brings something new to the table because the movement is manual wind, instead of self-winding as most Spring Drive calibres are. Initial thoughts I appreciate the SBGY011 because it retains the key features of the original, namely the 44GS case, silver dial, and hand-wind movement – but reinterpreted to incorporate contemporary elements such as the Spring Drive movement and patterned dial. Combined with the 44GS case, the silver dial gives the SBGY011 an aesthetic that’s close to the vintage 44GS of 1967. In fact, it’s essentially a modern, more technically-capable version of the original, which also contained a hand-wind mechanical movement. In fact, the SBGY011 is only the second hand-wind Spring Drive watch with a 44GS case, and the first and only one that’s not a limited edition. The hand-wind movement matters because the 44GS case is exponentially more attractive when it’s thin; in this case it is only 10.5 mm high. In comparison, a typical automatic Spring Drive is around 13 mm thick. Notably, despite being a regul...

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Deployant

Nov 10, 2022

New: IWC Portugieser Automatic 40 in burgundy dial for Chinese New Year of the Rabbit

IWC goes early to welcome the new Year of the Water Rabbit (22 Jan 2023) with a magnificent new Portugieser Automatic 40 with a burgundy dial.

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Hodinkee

Nov 7, 2022

Watch Of The Week: My Family History Involves Two Vintage IWC Watches And Four Generations Of Military Service

Oren Hartov, watch writer and fourth-generation veteran, has a question. Can a solid-gold dress watch also be a military watch?

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SJX Watches

Nov 7, 2022

IWC Introduces the Portugieser Automatic 40 “Chinese New Year”

Continuing with its occasional practice of special editions to mark the Chinese Lunar New Year, IWC debuts the Portugieser Automatic 40 Edition “Chinese New Year” to commemorate the Year of Water Rabbit that begins in early 2023. The limited edition retains the style of the classic Portugieser but dressed up with a riveting burgundy dial with gilt numerals and hands. Initial thoughts As an admirer of vintage timepieces, I find few watches that match the distinctive simplicity of the original Portugieser ref. 325 from 1939. So the Portugieser Automatic 40 is easy to like since it echoes the feel of the vintage original. The Portugieser Automatic 40 Edition “Chinese New Year” stands out with its unusual dial. Bright red is the traditional colour of Lunar New Year, but its darker counterpart is a more appropriate hue for a dress watch. While the design still evokes the original – the gold hands and numerals give it a vintage feel – the burgundy dial is more dynamic than the conventional silver alternative, giving it a more versatile feel than the formal original. More importantly, the new Portugieser is not merely a fancy dial catered to Asian buyers. The case back reveals the in-house movement that’s one of the better automatic movements in this price segment. Lastly, the Chinese New Year edition costs US$1,000 more than the standard edition, which is an acceptable premium for the new dial as well as the commemorative rabbit rotor. The only downside for a co...

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SJX Watches

Nov 4, 2022

Making a Mark: Understanding the 1931 Alphabet Typeface by Jaeger Le-Coultre

Watchmakers have long embarked on collaborations with artists, from Geneva jeweller Gilbert Albert and his Brâncuşi-inspired designs for Patek Philippe to the Zen creations by the Japanese architect Tadao Ando for Bulgari. Such collaborations are amongst the best ways for a watch brand to broaden its appeal. Jaeger-LeCoultre (JLC) has been exploring such relationships with “Made of Makers”, an initiative made up of collaborations with varied designers and artisans from other disciplines, including mixologist Matthias Giroud and the Michelin-starred pastry chef Nina Métayer. Its latest partnership is with Spanish typographer and illustrator Alex Trochut, who has penned a font specifically for the brand, the 1931 Alphabet. Alex Trochut Initial thoughts On its face, this might sound like the typical artistic collaboration embarked upon by a watchmaker. But this has a subtle twist in engaging with watch enthusiasts as it’s all about personalisation of the watch.  The 1931 Alphabet can transform a stock Reverso into something unique and something that would not be out of place Jay Gatsby’s wrist. It’s a prime example of typography as a decorative art in watchmaking. The attention to detail in the font design is evident in the kerning of the letters, which includes the use of negative space to create balance.  The 1931 Alphabet Given this typeface’s strikingly bold design, it is a perfect pair for the Reverso. Since its introduction in 1931, the model has evolve...

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Time+Tide

Nov 4, 2022

FRIDAY WIND DOWN: Jaeger-LeCoultre opens pop-up Reverso 1931 Café in NYC

This week Jaeger-LeCoultre brought their pop-up Reverso 1931 Café to the upper east side of New York City. Jaeger-LeCoultre explains: “This season, the Reverso 1931 Café opens in different locations around the world from New York to Tokyo. Immerse yourself in an Art Deco setting for an enchanting journey through the aromas and flavours of … ContinuedThe post FRIDAY WIND DOWN: Jaeger-LeCoultre opens pop-up Reverso 1931 Café in NYC appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

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SJX Watches

Oct 31, 2022

Laurent Ferrier Introduces the Square Micro-Rotor SHH Edition

Having recently reopened Sincere Haute Horlogerie (SHH), a “concept” store dedicated to independent brands, Singapore retailer Sincere commissioned limited editions from several watchmakers to mark the event, including the Greubel Forsey Double Balancier Convexe in purple. Following that, SHH has unveiled another finely decorated time-only wristwatch, the Laurent Ferrier Square Micro-Rotor SHH Edition. With Breguet numerals on the front and a natural escapement on the back, the SHH Edition is classical but given a contemporary aesthetic with a gradient mint green. Initial thoughts A store with 19 brands on its premises, SHH certainly has a diversity of watchmaking on offer. But amongst its most technically accomplished time-only watches are the creation of Laurent Ferrier. Seemingly plain-vanilla on the front, the brand’s Micro-Rotor is tells a different story on the reverse. The movement revives Abraham-Louis Breguet’s escapement from two centuries ago, while the automatic winding mechanism is elaborately executed. It is a watch that is easily appreciated by collectors who appreciate history and chronometry. Like most collaborative editions, the SHH edition retains the flavour of the original, but with enough tweaks that it appeals to the target audience, namely watch enthusiasts who like classical design. While many of the dial details are familiar, they are combined in a coherent and restrained manner. The effect is subtle but significant. When I first encounte...

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Hodinkee

Oct 27, 2022

Steal Vs. Splurge: Jaeger-LeCoultre Or Longines: Which Ultra Thin Gets The Win?

It feels good to have a whisper-thin watch on the wrist. Does it feel six times better when it costs $8,600 instead of $1,275? Today, the JLC Master Ultra Thin Date takes on the La Grande Classique de Longines.

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