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Dress Watches · Page 84

A. Lange & Söhne Introduces the Lange 1 Daymatic “25th Anniversary” SJX Watches
Aug 2, 2019

A. Lange & Söhne Introduces the Lange 1 Daymatic “25th Anniversary”

The gradual, one-a-month rollout of the 10-piece A. Lange & Söhne 25th anniversary is, fortunately, almost at an end, with number eight just being unveiled: the Lange 1 Daymatic “25th Anniversary”. Launched 16 years after the Lange 1, the Lange 1 Daymatic was an exercise in practicality, being the first watch in the family to be powered by a self-winding movement, the cal. L021.1. And it also included a day of the week indicator, in addition to the date. A splitting image of the original Though functionally different, it was a mirror image likeness the original Lange 1, featuring the familiar asymmetric dial, but inverted. A retrograde display for the day of the week replaced the power reserve of the original. Not only does the Daymatic look like the original, it also has the same dimension, and even retains the pusher for the date at 10 o’clock. But despite the upgrades, the Daymatic has never been as popular as the original Lange 1, leaving it as the least known of the line-up. The new Daymatic is the commemorative, white gold rendition of the model. At 39mm in diameter and 10.4mm high, it is just 1mm wider and 0.6mm thicker than the standard Lange 1. And, in keeping with the anniversary colour theme, it features a solid silver, argenté dial with recessed, grained segments that’s paired with blued steel hands. Instead of the applied hour markers found on the standard Daymatic, the Roman numerals and indices are printed in blue. Visible through the ...

Up Close: Vacheron Constantin Overseas Perpetual Calendar Ref. 4300V SJX Watches
Jul 31, 2019

Up Close: Vacheron Constantin Overseas Perpetual Calendar Ref. 4300V

Vacheron Constantin’s sports luxury line-up is a diverse one, including a world time, dual time, and chronograph. The most appealing models in the range, however, are unquestionably the Ultra-Thins, which are unfortunately only available in 18k gold, making them the most expensive. But they are slim, sharply executed and sit beautifully on the wrist. The collection includes two ultra-thin models, the time-only Overseas Self-Winding Ultra-Thin, and the Overseas Perpetual Calendar Ultra-Thin ref. 4300V. Both share the same base movement, and nearly identical dimensions; close your eyes and it’s difficult to tell the two apart on the wrist. But this story is only about the top of the line perpetual calendar. Cutting an elegant figure The perpetual calendar looks like all other Overseas watches, with the trademark bottle cap bezel and sloping case sides. But it is the most elegant of them all despite being a largish watch. It is exceptionally refined in profile – the case is 41.5mm in diameter, but just 8.10mm high. The elegant proportions are similar to those of the luxury sports watch greats, namely the Royal Oak and Nautilus. Because the watch is available only in 18k white or pink gold, it weighs enough to feel as expensive as it is. The weight is reassuring, and an important quality. Put simply, it’s a big, flat and heavy watch, which is what a luxury sports watch should be. Though the perpetual calendar is available in pink gold on a leather or rubber st...

IN-DEPTH: The Piaget Altiplano Automatic 40mm with meteorite dial  Time+Tide
Jul 30, 2019

IN-DEPTH: The Piaget Altiplano Automatic 40mm with meteorite dial 

The story in a second: Ultra thin and out of this world, we have to be talking about the Piaget Altiplano Automatic 40mm with meteorite dial. Piaget’s Altiplano is a staple in the world of ultra-thin watches, with an elegance that matches its slenderness. This limited edition version dials (if you’ll pardon the pun) the elegance … ContinuedThe post IN-DEPTH: The Piaget Altiplano Automatic 40mm with meteorite dial  appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Full power! The IWC Portofino Hand-Wound Moon Phase Time+Tide
Jul 25, 2019

Full power! The IWC Portofino Hand-Wound Moon Phase

Editor’s pick: If you’re in the market for a massive, 45mm manually winding dress watch with more power than you can shake a mainspring at, we think the IWC Portofino Hand-Wound Moon Phase might just be up your alley …  Few things are as tactile and pleasing as manually winding a watch, and I’ve got … ContinuedThe post Full power! The IWC Portofino Hand-Wound Moon Phase appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

A. Lange & Söhne Introduces the Grand Lange 1 “25th Anniversary” SJX Watches
Jul 24, 2019

A. Lange & Söhne Introduces the Grand Lange 1 “25th Anniversary”

The story of the A. Lange & Söhne 25th anniversary set is now well known: slated for October launch, the set will comprise 10 different Lange 1 watches, all clad in the same blue and silver livery. One watch has been announced a month since the start of the year, and the latest addition is the Grand Lange 1 “25th Anniversary”. First introduced in 2003, the Grand Lange 1 was initially criticised for meddling with an iconic design. It has since matured well, helped by several redesigns as well as a movement conceived specifically for the watch. Grand Lange 1 25th Anniversary Bigger and better It’s the larger brother of the Lange 1, with a case diameter that’s 2.5mm larger; making it 41mm compared to 38.5mm for the classic Lange 1. But because the movement inside was designed to fit the watch, it scales up the design while adhering strictly to the proportions and geometry of the original Lange 1. The new movement was required to accommodate the signature, off-centre displays of the Lange 1, which sit on a neat grid. The cal. L095.1 is 34.1mm, compared to the 30.4mm of the first generation Lange 1 movement, the L901.0. An upside of the larger movement is the consolidation of the twin barrels of the smaller Lange 1 into a single, larger barrel, while still maintaining the 72-hour power reserve. That leads to a small but crucial difference on the dial of the Grand Lange 1: the lettering at seven o’clock reads “Gangreserve 72 Stunden”, German for ...

EVENT: Celebrating the slender wonders of Piaget in Melbourne Time+Tide
Jul 18, 2019

EVENT: Celebrating the slender wonders of Piaget in Melbourne

Piaget is a brand that exudes class, and has style to spare. This was something that Time+Tide and our guests got an up-close lesson in on Wednesday night, when the brand showcased their ultra-thin masterpieces for us.  For watches that look so slight, the Piaget Altiplano packs a punch - I had the pleasure of … ContinuedThe post EVENT: Celebrating the slender wonders of Piaget in Melbourne appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Feeling thin with the Piaget Altiplano 40mm Ultra-Thin date pink gold Time+Tide
Jul 16, 2019

Feeling thin with the Piaget Altiplano 40mm Ultra-Thin date pink gold

Editor’s note: A little while ago, Andrew spent a week with the slender beauty that is the Piaget Altiplano 40mm Ultra-Thin date, an unusual expedition into the world of ultra-slim dress watches. So, here goes …  This week on the wrist is borne almost purely out of curiosity. I have tried on Piaget Altiplano watches … ContinuedThe post Feeling thin with the Piaget Altiplano 40mm Ultra-Thin date pink gold appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Editorial: The Pursuit of Greatness in Vintage Complications SJX Watches
Jul 14, 2019

Editorial: The Pursuit of Greatness in Vintage Complications

There is no real point in collecting anything unless for the sake of beauty. The moment I see a watch for the first time is always the most crucial. The pieces that ended up entering the collection always touched me viscerally when I first saw them.  Over time, almost unconsciously, as the collection took shape, the watches not only have a uniformity of standard and taste, but also reflect an intuition distinctly my own.  Taste is the developed perception of aesthetics unique to every collector, while standard pertains to quality and rarity. In the big picture, “beauty” – in both tangible and abstract terms – has come to encompass all three: aesthetics, quality, and rarity.  The watches I crave and seek, be it the best examples of the most important references of the most important manufactures, or unique “time-only” examples of incredible quality and design, must be eternal in their beauty. In this article we delve into a few complicated watches close to my heart.  Passing time cannot affect an object that is truly beautiful. Just look at two of the most important Patek Philippe landmark complicated references: ref. 1518, the first perpetual calendar chronograph wristwatch in the world, and ref. 3448, the first self-winding, perpetual calendar wristwatch. Their designs are perfectly balanced, timeless, as fresh today as when they were first introduced – in the early 1940s and the early 1960s, respectively.  For years, the daunting challenge had been in ...

Introducing the Lange 1 Moon Phase “25th Anniversary” SJX Watches
Jul 11, 2019

Introducing the Lange 1 Moon Phase “25th Anniversary”

With one watch unveiled each month since January, we are now more than halfway through the 10-piece Lange 1 “25th Anniversary” set. The latest addition, the Lange 1 Moon Phase “25th Anniversary” was supposed to be launched in June, but instead made its debut this month to coincide with the opening of the brand’s Zurich boutique. First introduced in 2002, the Lange 1 Moon Phase is essentially the base Lange 1 with the clever incorporation of a moon phase in the sub-seconds. Subsequently, the second generation Lange 1 Moon Phase also evolved to feature a more advanced moon phase display. The new and improved Lange 1 Moon Phase was novel for the fact that its moonphase display also doubled up as a day and night indicator. Instead of a single disc with two fixed moons as is convention, the display relies on a rotating figure of 8, with each end forming one gold moon. The “8” is superimposed on an independently revolving blue disc that represents the sky. Half the disc is in a light blue, indicating day time and the second half is dark blue for the night sky, with laser-cut stars dotting it. The deconstructed display of the Lange 1 Moon Phase On the commemorative Lange 1 Moon Phase “25th Anniversary” however, the moons are in white gold keeping in line with the anniversary colours of silver and blue. The dial of the watch is solid silver, with blued steel hands and blue printed numerals. Visible through the sapphire case back is the 25th Anniversary set’s ...

Hands-On: Genus GNS 1 Wristwatch SJX Watches
Jul 9, 2019

Hands-On: Genus GNS 1 Wristwatch

While it’s a new brand that just made its debut, Genus is founded on the watchmaking talent of an industry insider who has spent a lifetime working on complications. Its first watch is the GNS 1 that tells the time with an ultra-exotic complication with the minutes travelling across the dial like a train. Conceptually the GNS 1 harks back to the burst of creativity that started in the early 2000s, when watchmakers went all out with imaginative complications to display the hours and minutes. This was the heyday of the Harry Winston Opus series and the birth of brands like MB&F and Urwerk. The brand Genus was founded by entrepreneur Catherine Henry and Sébastien Billières, founder of GMTI, a specialist watchmaking workshop. The son of a watchmaker, Mr Billières started his career at Roger Dubuis in 1999, followed by a stint at Urwerk. In 2011, he set up GMTI, which specialises in primarily in assembly and servicing of complicated movements for major watch brands. Now staffed by 25 watchmakers, GMTI’s repertoire is diverse, ranging from tourbillon movements bearing the Poinçon de Genève, or Geneva Seal, to time-only movements produced on an industrial scale. Telling the time According to Mr Billières, the GNS 1 is the realisation of his long-held ambition of creating his own watch, after spending his career doing it for others. The GNS 1 is essentially an exceptionally avant-garde display of the hours and minutes. Even when static the face is impressive...

Up Close: Akrivia AK-02 Tourbillon Hour Minute SJX Watches
Jul 9, 2019

Up Close: Akrivia AK-02 Tourbillon Hour Minute

Last year’s Akrivia Chronomètre Contemporain made its young creator, Rexhep Rexhepi, a star, but the brand’s foundational watch is actually the “AK” series. Chunky and slightly sporty, the AK watches are a world away from the classical styling of the Chronomètre Contemporain, but boast the same level of movement finishing, along with a bonus of elaborately hand-hammered dials. The second model in the AK series was the AK-02 Tourbillon Heure Minute, or “Hour Minute” – a time-only watch with a tourbillon regulator. The AK-02 is probably the finest finished tourbillon wristwatch in its price segment, and in the price segments above it as well. The AK case It’s a fairly large watch, with the case measuring 43.0mm with and 12.9mm high. But the lugs are short so it feels fairly compact on the wrist. And because the AK-02 is typically found in a steel case, as is pictured here, or occasionally titanium, it is usually lightweight. Gold cases are available for a modest premium, though rarely requested. The case feels like it’s trying too hard, and consequently feels overly built, with thick lugs and a high case band. It’s too chunky for my taste, and doesn’t quite suit the refined movement inside. That being said, the AK-style case has it fans for several reason. The design is distinctive, more distinctive than the old school Chronomètre Contemporain case. And it is also finished to a high degree, with contrasting polished and brushed surfaces; the...

HANDS-ON: Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Master Grande Tradition Tourbillon Zodiaque Time+Tide
Jun 27, 2019

HANDS-ON: Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Master Grande Tradition Tourbillon Zodiaque

When you look at Jaeger-LeCoultre’s core offerings from their Reverso and Master Collection lines it’s easy to see why the brand has something of a reputation for straight, sober watchmaking. But don’t forget that Jaeger-LeCoultre is also capable of absolute top-shelf high-complication, high-jewellery pieces like this (frankly astonishing) Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Grande Tradition Tourbillon Zodiaque.  So what … ContinuedThe post HANDS-ON: Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Master Grande Tradition Tourbillon Zodiaque appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Up Close: Vacheron Constantin Traditionnelle Manual-winding ‘Collection Excellence Platine’ SJX Watches
Jun 26, 2019

Up Close: Vacheron Constantin Traditionnelle Manual-winding ‘Collection Excellence Platine’

Every couple of years Vacheron Constantin gives one of its watches the ‘Collection Excellence Platine’ treatment, constructing the watch entirely in platinum, from case to the stitching on the leather strap. First introduced in 2006, the ‘Collection Excellence Platine’ range now consists of nine models, including the Traditionnelle World Time, Patrimony Traditionnelle 14-Day Tourbillon as well as Traditionnelle Complete Calendar that was launched last year. Now the line is joined by the hand-wound Traditionnelle, a simple, time-only watch executed in the most precious way possible. Small, heavy and monochromatic A focused exercise in classic dress watch design, the Traditionnelle Manual-winding is among the leading candidates in the category of hand-wound, time-only dress watches. It is arguably the quintessential Vacheron Constantin formal watch, being free of complications and superfluous elements. And though it faces strong competition from the likes of the A. Lange & Söhne 1815 and Patek Philippe Calatrava, the Traditionnelle ‘Collection Excellence Platine’ (CEP) is unique in being all-platinum, end to end. With the CEP treatment, the watch has evolved to its ultimate form. The dimensions of the case remain unchanged – 38mm wide and just 7.77mm high. It features discreet decorative details like a fluted case back and straight, angular lugs that incorporate the form of a Maltese cross. But in the area where most time-only dress wat...