Recommended Reading: The Ultra-Rare Reverso-Cased Pateks You Probably Never Heard Of
Now you don't see it, now you still don't see it.
Now you don't see it, now you still don't see it.
Hodinkee
There's nothing more comforting than a vintage watch on a cold winter day.
Revolution
We’re back again with another curated selection of Cartier pieces in partnership with Watchfinder & Co. This batch includes a Tank Francaise as well as a perennial favourite, the iconic Pasha. So let’s take a look at what’s on offer.
Time+Tide
The Christie’s New York auction ended yesterday with their final event of the spring season representing an important touchstone for the market. The predicted top lot, Andy Warhol’s chic Patek Philippe Calatrava surprisingly didn’t turn out to be the star of the show with Cartier instead making the headlines with their quirky Crash. While the … ContinuedThe post At the closing spring auction of Christie’s New York , Cartier Crash-es through the estimate ceiling to outshine Andy Warhol.. appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Quill & Pad
As a discerning lover of dress watches for more than two decades, the visual impact that this new Tribute 1 had on Martin Green was profound. First and foremost, there are the proportions. And then there's the beautiful hand-finished movement, restrained design,100-hour power reserve, and superb quality.
SJX Watches
Two years after the base-model Royal Oak got was revamped with a latest-generation, in-house movement, Audemars Piguet has quietly updated its chronograph counterpart. Though it might seem barely changed at a glance, the Royal Oak Chronograph ref. 26239 is very much a different watch, and one that’s tangibly improved. Launched earlier this year, the new Royal Oak Chronograph retains the recognisable style of its predecessor and is seemingly alike, save for a crucial detail. The chronograph registers have been lightly revised, giving away its most important upgrade – the cal. 4401 inside that’s the first in-house calibre found in the Royal Oak Chronograph. The new movement made possible a redesigned dial that is subtly different, but substantially better. Studying the dial layout of a chronograph is an exercise in details, but it reveals how proportions are crucial to beauty. There aren’t many chronographs on the market today with perfect proportions, simply because most movements in use today were designed years ago for smaller cases and dials. The dial on the new Royal Oak Chronograph, however, stands out as an excellent example that is almost perfect. Initial thoughts With half a dozen new calibres having made their debut with the Code 11.59 in 2019, from time-only to tourbillon, Audemars Piguet has a stable of latest-generation movements that are being progressively installed in the Royal Oak. Two years ago, the three-hand ref. 15500 was the first Royal Oak t...
Quill & Pad
Elizabeth Doerr guest stars on this episode of the Tim Mosso podcast but turns the tables when she ends up interviewing Tim about his history as a collector, his experience with the Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso, and his views of the 90th anniversary of this famed watch. Elizabeth and Tim discuss the Reverso series at length and reflect on their favorite models from its 90-year history.
Time+Tide
The Cartier Crash is a bit of an enigma in the history of the French brand. The story behind its Salvador Dali-esque design is far-fetched – a Cartier Tank was returned for repair to the London boutique after being in a car crash, the unusual shape the result of the gold melting in the heat … ContinuedThe post The Cartier Crash is officially trending after popping up in Tyler The Creator’s new video appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Quill & Pad
Martin Green had the pleasure of participating in the Cartier #TankTalk with George Cramer, which saw Cartier's Amsterdam boutique staff sharing experiences selling these watches on a daily basis and George and Martin sharing how they perceive the different models. This gave everyone more in-depth insights, strengthened by the presence of historic Tank models as well as the entire new Must collection.
Time+Tide
All too often we discuss watches as assets. Usually when we hear about people selling pieces from their collection it is part of an effort to fund the next watch – something I am well documented in doing. But when you reach a certain collection tier, or have the right references, moving such watches can … ContinuedThe post Fancy a vintage Daytona or Calatrava? This watchmaker is selling his magnificent collection… appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
Parmigiani launched its first sports watch, the Tonda GT, last year. It has an integrated bracelet naturally – inevitable given current trends. Parmigiani is, however, pretty late to the game, since the high-end sports watch with an integrated-bracelet is well used idea. The big names have been doing it since the 1970s, courtesy of Gerald Genta, but the recent popularity of the style means many brands have had a go. Notable new entrants include Chopard, H. Moser & Cie., and even Citizen. Now their ranks are joined by Parmigiani, which, against the odds, has pulled it off with an original, high-quality luxury-sports watch. The Tondagraph GT in its original iteration that was a limited edition of 200 The origins of the Tonda GT might not seem promising. Lacking a historical sports watch design, Parmigiani elected to instead transform one of its dress-watch cases into a sports watch. Surprisingly, the Tonda GT is arguably better looking than the Tonda dress watch. The most compelling offering in the sports watch line is the Tondagraph GT, which combines a chronograph, annual calendar, and sensible pricing. Initial thoughts On paper the Tondagraph GT might not seem interesting. It’s yet another integrated-bracelet luxury-sports watch – and it’s powered by a modular movement. But in hand, the watch is surprisingly appealing. The case is big but thin, with a bracelet that’s equally slim, creating a watch with a comfortable, streamlined profile on the wrist. Even th...
Deployant
In conjunction with the 90th anniversary of the Reverso, Jaeger-LeCoultre introduces the Reverso Tribute Nonantième, featuring a uniquely designed display.
Revolution
Introducing the Piaget Altiplano Tourbillon Aventurine
SJX Watches
Shortly after launching the Earth-friendly Big Bold Bioceramic made of plant-based plastic, Swatch is venturing off the planet and towards the stars with the Space Collection. A line of five watches conceived in collaboration with American space agency NASA, the Space Collection is inspired by NASA’s colours and spacesuits. It is made up of a trio of extra-large Big Bold watches with Bioceramic cases, along with a pair of more classical Gent models in regular plastic. Old school Swatch: Space Race (left) and Take Me to the Moon. Initial thoughts I’m a big fan of Swatch and own several, including the MoMA “Starry Night” launched last month. The brand is often neglected by enthusiasts because of its fun and low-cost watches, despite Swatch having played a pivotal role in keeping Swiss watchmaking going during the Quartz Crisis. In fact, Swatch was crucial enough that its parent company renamed itself Swatch Group, despite owning brands like Omega and Breguet. It comes as no surprise that I like the new Space Collection, especially the Big Bold models. The Space Collection represents Swatch doing what it does best – offering fun, interesting timepieces at an accessible price point. In fact, the Space Collection models are likely the most affordable NASA-endorsed watches on the market. To put things in perspective, even the top-of-the-line Big Bold Chrono is cheaper than Omega’s NASA velcro straps. Starting at US$125 for the time-only version – the line up in...
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 ...
SJX Watches
Parmigiani got on integrated-bracelet sports watch bandwagon last year with the launch of the Tonda GT, in both chronograph and three-hand formats. Like many of its luxury-sports watch peers, the Tonda GT was penned with the help of a (somewhat) famous designer, Dino Modolo, an industry veteran whose best known work comes from his time at Vacheron Constantin, where he designed the original Overseas. While the Tonda GT is arguably Parmigiani’s first bona fide sports watch, it is surprisingly good – stay tuned for a review soon – and now Parmigiani has unveiled a pair of Tondagraph GT chronographs with “panda” dials. Decorated with clou triangulaire guilloche, the silvered dials are matched with glossy black ceramic registers, elevating the retro “panda” to a new level. Somewhat confusingly, the Tondagraph GT will be available in steel with a modular movement featuring an annual calendar, or in 18k gold equipped with a pure-play, integrated chronograph movement that’s both high-frequency and finely constructed. Initial thoughts The Tonda GT has an appealing, original look that most crucially avoids looking derivative, an easy pitfall in the integrated-bracelet sports watch segment. And despite being one of the many such sports watches, the Tonda GT stands out with its own style that is inspired by Parmigiani’s dress watches, resulting in a look that’s best described as curious but attractive. The Tondagraph’s case and bracelet are neither angular nor ...
SJX Watches
A Singaporean retailer that specialises in affordable, unconventional watches such as SevenFriday and Gorilla, Red Army Watches (RAW) now debuts its own label, KEF Elements. The brand’s maiden model is the Time & Space, a time-only wristwatch with an aventurine-glass dial bearing a glow-in-the-dark zodiac constellation. Initial thoughts Having known RAW founder Sugi Kusumadi for several years, I’ve come to admire Sugi’s passion for unusual timepieces. That’s been evident in past collaborations RAW has embarked on with a number of brands, most notably with Gorilla and Stowa. Its own brand feels like a natural next step for RAW. While the brand is brand new, KEF Elements is very much like many of the brands RAW carries, offering an intriguing aesthetic for relatively little money. Inspired by “the mystique and vastness of space”, the aventurine-glass dial lives up to the Time & Space moniker. Its sparkling surface and luminous constellation successfully evoke the cosmos. Aside from the aventurine dial, another striking aspect of the watch are the dozen dials on offer, each bearing one of the 12 zodiac constellations. An individual zodiac constellation at this price is an unusual proposition, so kudos to RAW. Celestial themes on aventurine glass have been done before, but they are usually accompanied by a hefty price tag, thus making the price of KEF Elements watch notable. With a current pre-order price of S$789, or a little bit under US$600, KEF Elements’ d...
Deployant
The watch is classically Cartier, and has a novel case shape which its Prive line is known for. It is priced at S$39,400 in gold and S$44,600 in platinum and is limited to 100 pieces per model. The small production number and the novel case shape is the biggest sell point of the watch, but in comparison, a gold Tank Louis Cartier with the same movement is approximately 40% less expensive.
Quill & Pad
The Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Tribute Small Seconds with green dial capitalizes on the 2021 green trend and is one of the special watches celebrating the 90-year anniversary of the Reverso. It’s a stunning timepiece with a vintage-inspired dial featuring a lacquered green sunray pattern, faceted hour markers, dauphine-style hands, and a large subsidiary seconds counter at 6 o’clock. Here Bhanu Chopra runs through the reasons for considering a purchase.
Two Broke Watch Snobs
The fashion mogul has built an empire, but will that be enough to produce a watch that rates more "likes" on Instagram? Read it here!
Revolution
Patek Philippe introduces its first complicated quartz watch, the Aquanaut Luce Travel Time, and new extensions for the time-only Aquanaut Luce & Chronograph
SJX Watches
First introduced in 2018 in the lively colours of grey and orange, the Aquanaut Chronograph ref. 5968A was a surprising execution from a brand typically conservative in style. Patek Philippe now expands the model line with the Aquanaut Chronograph Ref. 5968G in white gold, available in either midnight blue (ref. 5968G-001) or khaki green (ref. 5968G-010). Initial thoughts The new Aquanaut Chronograph iterates an existing model by drawing on elements from other Aquanauts. The midnight blue and khaki green dials are familiar because they are found on the time-only Aquanaut Ref. 5168G that’s also in white gold. Dial and case metal aside, the new chronographs are identical to the ref. 5968A of three years ago. Although the colourways aren’t novel, they are good looking, conveying a contemporary aesthetic that complements the sporty nature of the Aquanaut Chronograph. The bright colours, juxtaposed against the case of white gold – traditionally a metal for formal occasions – exemplifies the modern concept of a sports watch where it’s more luxury than sport. Between the two, my pick would be the midnight blue: its gradient finish is striking, and better reflects the elegance and historical style that are quintessentially Patek Philippe. My pick out of the two The retail price of the new chronograph is a hefty US$69,190, which is about 50% more than the steel version. Though steep, the increment is conventional for a precious metal case relative to steel. But given th...
Time+Tide
The new Longines Silver Arrow makes me think we’re due for a strong comeback of the functional steel dress watch. Clean-cut with a proportionate, 38.5mm case that invokes a ’50s Mad Men vibe, it feels fresh in our niche horological world, saturated as it is with vintage divers and sports-watch largesse. The Silver Arrow achieves … ContinuedThe post VIDEO: The Longines Silver Arrow offers ’50s elegance with an architectural twist appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Deployant
Possibly the most iconic design created by Jaeger-LeCoultre, the Reverso was first created in 1931. It was birthed from a practical need by British officers, to have a wristwatch that could survive the harrowing effects of a game of polo. The latest iteration in 2021, the 90th anniversary of the Reverso, comes in a green dial, set to the simple sub-seconds time only wrist watch.
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