Deployant
A manual winding dress watch sets itself apart from its self winding counterparts mainly due to its relative thinness. While there are some ultra thin automatic movements out there, a manual winding dress watch deserves a spot in any collection for what it represents. Simplicity, history and elegance.
SJX Watches
Launched earlier this year as its new flagship perpetual calendar wristwatch (replacing the venerable Langematik Perpetual), the Lange 1 Perpetual Calendar (L1 QP) appears to be a simplified version of the same watch with a tourbillon from 2012. But it is actually entirely different. Though the L021.3 inside the L1 QP borrows from the architecture of an existing calibre, it has been extensively reengineered and substantially upgraded, as is the norm for Lange. And despite the new mechanics, the L1 QP retains the assuringly familiar face of the Lange 1. Initial thoughts The L1 QP was long awaited for the simple reason that is makes a good idea – a calendar cleverly displayed in the distinctive layout of the Lange 1 dial – far more affordable than it was. When it was first launched, it was combined with a tourbillon, which lifted the price to well over US$300,000. Now the same calendar layout is available in a watch priced at about US$100,000. That’s still a lot of money, but within the ballpark for a perpetual calendar from a high-end brand. Comparable watches like the recent Patek Philippe ref. 5236P cost about the same. So price wise, the L1 QP is acceptable, even reasonable value, because it is an excellent perpetual calendar. The display is unique, but strongly functional. The crucial bits of information, namely date and month, are easily readable. Add to that the trademark, asymmetric layout of the Lange 1, and the result is a display that excels in both clarit...
SJX Watches
Following the recent return of platinum to Panerai’s line up, the brand is continuing with precious metals, but this time with a far more elaborate movement boasting a perpetual calendar and GMT. Despite its complications, the Luminor Perpetual Calendar – available as the Goldtech PAM 742 or Platinumtech PAM 715 – is smartly designed, with a clean dial that’s typical of Panerai, clean enough it resembles as a day-date Panerai at a glance. Initial thoughts Arriving in a Panerai wristwatch for the very first time (though there was the co-branded Panerai-Ferrari FER015 of 2007), the perpetual calendar was only incorporated in one other Panerai timepiece, the uber-complicated planetarium clock made in 2014 to commemorate Gallileo Galilei. While simpler, the perpetual calendar wristwatch doesn’t disappoint, with its concise calendar display. While the complication is now common, few brands can boast calendar displays that are both distinctive and legible – Moser being one of the few. Perhaps more important for Panerai than any other brand, given the simplicity of its trademark design, the streamlined display means the Luminor Perpetual Calendar still looks very much like a typical Panerai. Unlike the recent time-only Platinumtech Luminor with blue hands, the Perpetual Calendar has pink gold hands that blend into the olive background better As the dial being the familiar Panerai design, it falls to the case materials to distinguish Luminor Perpetual from the...
SJX Watches
One of IWC’s signature wristwatch lines – the other being the Portugieser – is the Pilot’s Watch, a collection descended from the timepieces dating to the earliest days of aviation. Popular for its functional styling and general affordability, the Pilot’s Watch collection is regularly updated – IWC revamped the range in 2016, 2019, and again this year – and diverse. There are two threads running through IWC’s modern-day Pilot’s Watch collection that connect to the brand’s historical aviator’s watches: the smaller “Mark” watches typically associated with the British Royal Air Force (RAF) and the oversized “B-Uhr” made for the German air force of the Second World War. Big pilot and small pilot – Mark IX and B-uhr The origins IWC’s history in aviator’s watches started the Special Pilot’s Watch ref. 436, now widely known as the “Mark IX”. Conceived by the two sons of Ernst Jakob Homberger, the then-owner of IWC, the Mark IX was unveiled in 1936. Homberger’s sons were both licensed pilots and understood the features required for good pilot’s watch, resulting in style that is now synonymous with the pilot’s watch genre. IWC was not the only maker of pilot’s watches during the period, though it was arguably the most successful since it continued to be a leading supplier of aviator’s timepieces for the next two decades. The Mark IX had a 38 mm case – extraordinarily oversized in an era when the standard man’s watch was a...
Hodinkee
Sure, it's as much a dress watch as it is a dive watch. But they don't call it the Seamaster for nothing.
Quill & Pad
A collector got in touch with Martin Green about an engraving project on a Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Classique that he was planning. What caught Martin's attention was that the collector was collaborating with an engraver very close to his home, so he seized the opportunity to follow the project as it unfolded. He shares his experiences and photos here.
Deployant
In commemoration of the brand's 185th anniversary in 2018, Jaeger-LeCoultre introduced the Reverso Tribute Tourbillon Duoface in platinum.
Quill & Pad
“The M2 Pioneer is a pilot’s watch,” Gustavo Calzadilla, Tutima’s U.S. president, stressed to Chris Malburg, explaining that it was not meant to be a diver’s watch. “True,” he countered. “But how often do watch fans ever get into the cockpit or strap on a scuba tank and jump into an 30-degree, gin-clear lagoon?” And that is just what Chris did. Dive in with him right here!
SJX Watches
Louis Erard has embarked on a journey into the realm of special dials lately, starting with grand feu enamel and followed by hand-made guilloche – done affordably as is typical of the brand. And now Louis Erard is continuing apace with Excellence Régulateur featuring dials in lapis lazuli, malachite, or aventurine glass. But this time, however, the special dials are different. Louis Erard has opted for its signature regulator-style display, instead of the time-only format used on earlier editions, adding more character to the exotic-material dials. Initial thoughts Regulators have long been a specialty of Louis Erard, and it’s a complication that’s uncommon this price point, especially a regulator with in-line hours, minutes, and seconds. The regulator watch has been the base for several interesting limited editions, especially the collabs with Alain Silberstein and Vianney Halter. Despite not being a collab with a notable personality, the latest regularly is equally interesting, because the dial materials are typically found in watches at a much higher price point. Recent examples including the platinum Omega Seamaster 300 or even the multi-million dollar, piece unique Rolex Daytona in platinum. In contrast, the new regulator is relatively affordable at just under US$3,200. At the same time, the regulator also costs less than the earlier special editions, namely the models with guilloche or enamel dials, making it an even better value proposition. Tho...
SJX Watches
When I spoke with Parmigiani chief executive Guido Terreni earlier this year, he described his plans for the brand’s product as having a “new direction for design, which is less ostentatious”, adding that Parmigiani will ” go back to the craft and excellence of the early days… with an eye on the world of today.” With the new Tonda PF collection launched to mark Parmigiani’s 25th anniversary, Mr Terreni appears to have pulled it off. Made up of four watches – ranging from a time-only to a pricey split-seconds – the Tonda PF is a synthesis of Parmigiani’s recent integrated-bracelet sports watch and its earlier Toric timepieces that were classical and Breguet inspired. The result is a sleek case and integrated bracelet matched with a refined yet minimalist guilloche dial featuring solid-gold hands and indices. Initial thoughts In a review two months ago, I wrote that liked the Tonda GT sports watch, though I thought the dial could be done better in several ways. The new Tonda PF does exactly that. It keeps everything that was good with the Tonda GT and enhances the rest. The dial has been stripped of superfluous elements while gaining a barleycorn engine turning. In fact, the dial is almost Moser-ish in its restraint, with the only marking being a small “PF” logo, which is made of solid 18k gold. And the upgrades in materials continue with the case, with all the steel model getting a knurled platinum bezel. And the movements have been enhanced. The...
SJX Watches
After the Streamliner made its debut in chronograph form last year, H. Moser & Cie. has just grown the line of luxury-sports watches to include the Streamliner Perpetual Calendar. As is typical of Moser’s house style, the new perpetual calendar is streamlined in design and presentation, with the dial indicating the date and month while remaining minimalist, avoiding sub-dials entirely. The inaugural version of the Streamliner Perpetual Calendar gets a black fumè dial, giving the watch a subtle palette that’s fitting for its minimalist aesthetic. Notably, the monochromatic, shades-of-grey livery also harks back to the limited edition chronograph that was the opening model of the collection. Initial thoughts Compared to the two earlier Streamliner models – chronograph and time-only respectively – the latest is the most representative of Moser because of the ingenious movement within. A movement that made Moser’s reputation when it was resurrected in 2005, the calibre is one of the few that truly reimagines the perpetual calendar. While the Streamliner chronograph has an equally ingenious movement, the perpetual calendar movement is Moser’s own, which makes it that much more special. While appearing similar to the other versions of the Streamliner, the Perpetual Calendar differs in a few respects, which makes it stand out against its siblings in the Streamliner range, and more appealing for that reason. The design is slightly more nuanced, possessing details l...
Time+Tide
There is an appeal to a time only watch that is undeniable. The ability to pick it up at a moment’s notice, simply set the time and go, brings a sense of horological fresh air to what at times seems like too complicated a life. Add to that a manual wound movement, which hearkens back … ContinuedThe post Introducing: Grand Seiko’s time only trio of limited edition green machines appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Revolution
Available in the Shop: Our Latest Selection of Cartier Tank Françaises with Watchfinder & Co.
Hodinkee
"I do, in fact, want something heavy and luxurious to call my own."
Quill & Pad
Philippe Dufour's daughter Daniela has now completed her formal watchmaker studies and has begun working with her famous independent watchmaker father. Notably, she just completed her first new-generation Simplicity.
SJX Watches
I’m pleased to reveal the very first 10th anniversary edition, the Habring² Erwin “Star”. Inspired by uncommon 1950s wristwatches that have long been a favourite of mine, the Erwin “Star” was almost three years in the making – my first email to Habring² was dated February 2019. It took longer than expected to realise, but I am proud of the result. Update August 5, 2021: Sold out, thank you for the interest. The genesis of the idea came to me a decade ago, when I first encountered the 36 mm “Japan Limited” that Habring² created for Shellman, a storied retailer of vintage timepieces and independent watchmaking in Tokyo. More recently, Habring² applied a similar formula to the Erwin LAB02 for Massena Lab. In the time since, I got to know Richard and Maria Habring, the husband-and-wife team behind Habring², and gained a deep appreciation of the brand uncommon approach to making quality watches accessible while emphasising practical-minded engineering. The foundation of the Erwin “Star” is Habring²’s trademark time-only wristwatch. Its proportions are almost ideal at 38.5 mm by 10.5 mm, while the A11s movement within features a jumping, or deadbeat, seconds. What makes it special – and instantly distinctive – is the “star” dial in a blue that varies with the light. The inspiration Watches from the 1950s with star hour markers have long appealed to me. Specifically, it is the Rolex ref. 6088 “Galaxy” that stands out in my memory. Produc...
Revolution
Available in the Shop : A Fine Selection of Jaeger-LeCoultre Reversos from Watchfinder & Co
Deployant
Girard-Perregaux expands its Laureato Absolute collection with a new version of the automatic time only watch in Titanium - the Ti 230.
SJX Watches
While the Reverso was conceived as a sports watch – it flipped over to protect the crystal – the swivelling case makes more sense today as a double-faced complication (or a canvas for miniature painting). And that’s precisely what Jaeger-LeCoultre (JLC) has done with a variety of models, ranging from the twin-time zone Duoface to the Hybris Mechanica Calibre 185 Quadriptyque with four faces. The Quadriptyque is the flagship model for the Reverso’s 90th anniversary, with 11 complications and a price tag north of US$1.6 million. Also created for the anniversary, but more affordable – relatively speaking – is the Reverso Tribute Nonantième that shows a single time on two faces, a conventional one on the front, and a charming secondary display on the back. Initial thoughts With a case that’s among the largest of Reversos, the Nonantième is a big watch. Pick it up and the size is immediately apparent; it would be considerably more elegant if smaller. It feels like a chunky, complicated watch. In fact, it’s almost as large as the Quadriptyque in diameter and length, despite being far simpler. On the front it’s typical of current Reverso design. All of the elements on the dial are classical and work together well. The only piece of the front that stands out is the moon phase display, which has a textured moon that gives the dial a little life. Its better side is the reverse, which shows hours and minutes in a manner that’s decidedly special for a Reverso. ...
SJX Watches
A relentless pursuit of diminishing returns seems to be the norm in the world of high-end watchmaking. Better finishing, lightness, longer power reserve, or chronometric performance, refined and enhanced to the nth degree – there is always something to improve, but by tinier and tinier margins. Brands and watchmakers, in turn, often develop a specific niche, trying to best each other with ever-smaller improvements. In the niche of ultra-thin watches, there are only a handful of serious players. Piaget is one such player. The brand’s forte is thickness, or rather, thinness – Piaget has held the record for the thinnest production watch on multiple occasions, with only a handful of rivals able to best its various records. And now it’s the reigning champ once again with the Altiplano Ultimate Concept (AUC). Just 2 mm high in its entirety, the AUC is so thin it looks almost like an optical illusion in photos – and a prop in real life. But it is a perfectly functional – and water-resistant – mechanical wristwatch. So the question is, how did Piaget do it? And of course, do the diminishing marginal gains justify the retail price of approximately 400,000 Swiss francs? Altiplano evolution Prior to the AUC, Piaget’s best-known attempt at the crown was the Altiplano 900P. Released in 2013, the Altiplano 900P stands just 3.65 mm high. It held the record of the thinnest mechanical watch on the market until 2015, when the title taken by Piaget’s sister brand, Jaeg...
Time+Tide
Longines is one of the more successful and storied Swiss watch manufacturers over its lengthy history, which dates all the way back to 1832. But when most of us think of vintage Longines, we think of beautifully proportioned dress watches from the 1950s and their critical contribution to pilots watches from the early ’30s. In … ContinuedThe post 6 watches that tell the history of Longines dive watches in the ’60s and ’70s appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
Singaporean collector Benjamin Chee has long been involved in watchmaking as a hobbyist, having set up two brands in the last decade, Maison Celadon for dress watches and Millechron for sports watches. While his earlier endeavours were powered by excellent Vaucher movements, Mr Chee’s latest venture is the most haute horlogerie to date. Taking its name from Mr Chee’s initials, the BCHH Celestial Voyager combines fine watchmaking with metiers d’art in series of pièce unique world-time wristwatches executed by independent watchmaker Andersen Genève. Cased in platinum, each of the seven watches in the series features a cloisonné enamel dial depicting a different stylised map. At the same time, the watches are accented by details like soldered lugs and a mother of pearl inlay on the back. Initial thoughts The Celestial Voyager is typical of Andersen’s products, meaning it’s classical in design and well made in an artisanal manner. But like many of Andersen’s watches, the Voyager is bespoke, so it reflects Mr Chee’s preferences and eye for detail. Take for instance the dial, which is elaborate in a discreet manner. The cloisonné enamel centre is the highlight, and most watches would stop there, but here the cities ring is made of sparkly aventurine glass. Elements like the cities ring play a supporting role, but getting them right often distinguishes the great from the good. The Celestial Voyager gets most of it right, and is one of the better looking...
Quill & Pad
The A. Lange & Söhne Langematik Perpetual is pure WIS geekery wrapped up in a totally classic – and Germanic – design. But maybe your outfit calls for something else? In that case, Elizabeth Doerr suggests the new Saxonia Thin with aventurine dial, which she finds irresistible.
Time+Tide
Longines is well known for producing important pilot’s watches in the 1930s and gorgeous dress watches in the ’50s. But one area that’s sometimes overlooked, is Longines’ impressive track record with dive watches. From as early as 1937, Longines was making strides in the race to make a functional and truly water-resistant watch when they … ContinuedThe post VIDEO: A short history of Longines dive watches in the glorious ’60s appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
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