Integrated-Bracelet Sport Watches · Page 79

SJX Watches

Jun 11, 2021

Up Close: Parmigiani Tondagraph GT Chronograph Annual Calendar

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...

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Time+Tide

Jun 11, 2021

RECOMMENDED WATCHING: Unboxing the Audemars Piguet Black Panther with Anthony Joshua

When it was first announced that Audemars Piguet and Marvel would be collaborating on a watch, social media lit up with criticism of the project. Yet only a couple of months later, the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Concept “Black Panther” Flying Tourbillon has been seen on the wrists of more taste makers than you can … ContinuedThe post RECOMMENDED WATCHING: Unboxing the Audemars Piguet Black Panther with Anthony Joshua appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

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Deployant

Jun 10, 2021

Patek Philippe Nautilus Ref. 5711/1A: Meditations on the last in the series to be made in steel, now with an olive green dial

We meditate on values and features of the latest Patek Philippe Nautilus Ref. 5711/1A-014 in olive green dial - the last of the steel Nautilus species..

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Time+Tide

Jun 4, 2021

The Baume & Mercier Riviera joins the green party

Recently we saw the return of the Baume & Mercier Riviera in the form of three configurations: the 42mm Baumatic, 42mm Automatic, and 36mm quartz. Amongst the Time+Tide team we unanimously welcomed the Riviera and lauded the line for creating a more affordable opportunity to get a quality integrated, stainless-steel sports watch. But the Riviera … ContinuedThe post The Baume & Mercier Riviera joins the green party appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

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Revolution

Jun 4, 2021

Introducing the Bvlgari Octo Tattoo Aria

Wei Koh speaks with Laurent Picciotto, founding owner of Chronopassion in Paris, and one of the most influential personalities in contemporary watchmaking; Mo Coppoletta, a London-based aesthete renowned for his artistic tattooing; Fabrizio Buonamassa Stigliani, Product Creation Executive Director of Bvlgari on the now sold out limited edition of 10 pieces, the Octo Finissimo Tattoo Aria.

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Time+Tide

Jun 4, 2021

Inside a $140,000 watch scam (& how to avoid getting conned yourself)

This watch dealer almost got caught in a $140,000 watch scam, when a con-artist swapped a Patek Philippe Nautilus with a fake.The post Inside a $140,000 watch scam (& how to avoid getting conned yourself) appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

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Time+Tide

Jun 2, 2021

A concept car for the wrist: Girard-Perregaux teams up with Aston Martin on the Tourbillon with Three Flying Bridges

You never really know what to expect from a brand collaboration. When I first saw that Aston Martin had teamed up with Girard-Perregaux, courtesy of the gorgeous green-liveried Formula 1 team, I assumed that we’d soon see the likes of Sebastian Vettel and Lance Stroll sporting something like a special-edition Laureato in British Racing Green. … ContinuedThe post A concept car for the wrist: Girard-Perregaux teams up with Aston Martin on the Tourbillon with Three Flying Bridges appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

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SJX Watches

Jun 1, 2021

Parmigiani Introduces the Tondagraph GT “Panda”

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 ...

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SJX Watches

Jun 1, 2021

Girard-Perregaux Inaugurates Aston Martin Partnership with Skeleton Tourbillon

Earlier this year, Girard-Perregaux announced a new partnership with Aston Martin, most famous for being the carmaker of choice for James Bond. The watchmaker also signed on as a sponsor of the Aston Martin Cognizant Formula One racing team, but a collaborative watch was absent, until now. Girard-Perregaux has just taken the covers off the inaugural watch of the partnership, the Tourbillon with Three Flying Bridges – Aston Martin Edition, a sleek, modern interpretation of the watchmaker’s signature complication. Initial thoughts When the partnership was first revealed, the first watch that came to mind was an auto-racing chronograph on an integrated bracelet, making the all-black tourbillon a bit of a surprise. But the integrated-bracelet sports watch is now commonplace, so I am glad Girard-Perregaux went with the Flying Bridges tourbillon, a complication unique to the brand. The tourbillon movement is, of course, an evolution of the brand’s iconic Tourbillon with Three Gold Bridges that was invented in the mid-19th century and found in Girard-Perregaux’s finest pocket watches, including one that was sold to the then President of Mexico, the famous “La Esmeralda”. A decidedly more classical version of Girard-Perregaux’s tourbillon That said, the Aston Martin edition isn’t entirely new – the watch is actually based on the Neo Tourbillon with Three Bridges launched in 2018, but the new movement has been skeletonised even further, hence the “Floating” b...

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Time+Tide

May 30, 2021

#Kixntix: The casual luxury of the Bulgari Octo Finissimo Titanium GMT Chronograph with Louis Vuitton high tops

Within seven years of its debut in 2017, the Bulgari Octo Finissimo is already a modern-day classic, its slender and aggressively architectural shape transforming the finesse of the O.G Octo from 2012. Every Octo Finissimo with its paper-thin movement is a feat of engineering, akin to the art of building a scale model galleon in … ContinuedThe post #Kixntix: The casual luxury of the Bulgari Octo Finissimo Titanium GMT Chronograph with Louis Vuitton high tops appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

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Time+Tide

May 29, 2021

Crime or sublime: Tinie Tempah picks up his customised Audemars Piguet Royal Oak

As we’ve touched upon when reporting on Cardi B and J Balvin, “buss-down” watches are a huge trend outside of the niche collecting community. Trained collectors stay away from the practice, recognising that a factory original watch is considered a more pure aesthetic and that customising a watch can (at times) be a bad choice … ContinuedThe post Crime or sublime: Tinie Tempah picks up his customised Audemars Piguet Royal Oak appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

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SJX Watches

May 27, 2021

Highlights: The Creatives at Phillips’ Hong Kong Watch Auction

Having rounded up some of the interesting and probably overlooked at Phillips’ upcoming Hong Kong watch auction, we now take a look at some of the independent watchmaking highlights in the sale. The auction includes big ticket headline lots like a F.P. Journe Tourbillon Souverain, and of course the F.P. Journe tourbillon disguised as Harry Winston. But it also encompasses the less obvious, including a Alain Silberstein Tourbillon Marine, Singer Reimagined Track 1, a Bulgari-era Gerald Genta perpetual calendar in gold and tantalum, and an early-generation H. Moser & Cie. Perpetual 1 that’s excellent value. The Hong Kong Watch Auction: XII takes place in the evening of June 5 (lots 801-852), and on June 6 (lots 853-1112). The full catalogue and registration for bidding are available online. Lot 809 – Alain Silberstein Tourbillon Marine Black Sea Cheerful and eminently affordable, the Tourbillon Marine is typical Alain Silberstein. Mr Silberstein’s once explained his approach was to create unique, personalised wristwatches that arouse the emotion. By that measure, the Tourbillon Marine succeeds – it sets itself apart from every diving watch. In his 1990s heyday, Alain Silberstein was rebellious and avant-garde, standing in stark contrast to the strictly conservative style that dominated high horology at the time. This watch is from the early 2000s, but still very much a quintessential Alain Silberstein creation. The dial is quirky and playful – the deep sea ren...

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Time+Tide

May 24, 2021

Why I bought the Bulgari Octo Finissimo: What the owners’ experience is really like

The Bulgari Octo Finissimo is well on its way to being a modern classic. Launched just seven years ago in 2014 and drawing off the sharp Italian geometry of the Octo Roma, it is a collection that has gone from strength to strength, breaking world records for thinness on average once every year. That’s right, … ContinuedThe post Why I bought the Bulgari Octo Finissimo: What the owners’ experience is really like appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

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Quill & Pad

May 23, 2021

Stainless Steel Patek Philippe Nautilus Market Madness: Thoughts On The Current Market Situation - Reprise

Since January of 2016, secondary market prices of stainless steel Patek Philippe Nautilus models have surged in a fashion rarely seen. This phenomenon – and it is that – is exceptional for reasons including the relative age of the models involved, the magnitude of the surge, and the speed with which it struck. Here Tim Mosso takes a closer look at the current secondary market insanity of the Nautilus.

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Time+Tide

May 23, 2021

From Neymar to Lebron - 4 powerhouse athletes spotted wearing the AP Royal Oak Concept Black Panther

The AP Royal Oak Concept Black Panther took the watch world by storm, and some very well known athletes have been spotted wearing it.The post From Neymar to Lebron – 4 powerhouse athletes spotted wearing the AP Royal Oak Concept Black Panther appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

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Time+Tide

May 19, 2021

What were the best (non-Nautilus) Patek Philippe releases of 2021? We asked Patek expert John Reardon

Patek Philippe have been in the headlines a lot already this year. Firstly for the announcement that the Nautilus ref. 5711 was to be discontinued, and again when the collector community was shocked at proposed changes to the Archival Extracts program. All this before they even released a new watch. When they did release their … ContinuedThe post What were the best (non-Nautilus) Patek Philippe releases of 2021? We asked Patek expert John Reardon appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

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Deployant

May 18, 2021

New: Girard-Perregaux Laureato Absolute Infrared: exclusive for the China market

Girard-Perregaux is releases a new timepiece created exclusively for the Chinese market: the Laureato Absolute Infrared. Release info and commentary.

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SJX Watches

May 17, 2021

Up Close: Audemars Piguet Code 11.59 Selfwinding Flying Tourbillon Chronograph

Launched just last year, the Code 11.59 Selfwinding Flying Tourbillon Chronograph is the flagship model in Audemars Piguet’s oft-discussed line of run watches. Executed well in almost every way, the Code 11.59 Tourbillon Chronograph underscores the potential of the family. But more importantly, the watch encapsulates AP’s strengths. Despite being known largely for the Royal Oak, and widely criticised for the Code 11.59 and then the Royal Oak Concept Black Panther, AP remains AP. The brand is a long-established, top-tier watchmaker that knows how to make fine watches. That is amply evident in the Code 11.59 Tourbillon Chronograph. Initial thoughts The Code 11.59 was widely panned online at launch, though the virtual mob’s rage was overdone, taking the weakness of specific models and generalising it across the entire line. The dials on the three-hander and chronograph were bland, but the other models were more appealing. But the Code is in fact an impressive collection in terms of finish and construction – though some dials still can be improved – especially the octagon-within-a-circle case that’s difficult to appreciate in photos. But the Code 11.59 has gained traction since, especially with the subsequent facelifts that combined smoked, lacquered dials and two-tone cases that immediately made the watch more attractive. At the same time, highly complicated models have joined the line up, including the open-worked tourbillon and Grande Sonnerie, which add to...

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SJX Watches

May 17, 2021

Bell & Ross Introduces the BR 05 Skeleton Nightlum

Very much the fashion of today, sports watches with integrated bracelets have proliferated rapidly at every level of the price spectrum. At the more accessible end is the Bell & Ross BR 05 launched two years ago and now available in three formats: time-only, chronograph, and skeleton. Continuing a glow-in-the-dark theme established by several recent models, Bell & Ross (B&R) now unveils the BR 05 Skeleton Nightlum. Legible in the dark Initial thoughts Though the BR 05 was contentious because of its design, I’m a fan. The square case – with perfectly aligned bezel screws – evoke B&R’s signature watches like the BR 01 and BR 03, making the BR 05 instantly recognisable. And it is executed well, with strong finishing on the case and bracelet considering the price. The most striking BR 05 model is arguably the skeleton variant, and that remains true with the BR 05 Skeleton Nightlum. Revealing most of the movement, including key bits such as the balance wheel and mainspring, the skeleton is a good looker. The BR 05 Skeleton Nightlum to be more attractive than its predecessors, including last year’s iteration in blue. It has a tactical feel thanks to the all-black movement, bringing to mind the recent BR 03 Diver Military and feels true to the brand’s history of watches for military and police personnel. Notably, the new Skeleton Nightlum has a clear dial, in contrast to the blue-tinted dial found on last year’s Skeleton Blue. The clear finish gives the Sk...

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Time+Tide

May 14, 2021

HANDS-ON: The Tissot PRX represents the best of ’70s watch design at a great price

The decade of the disco ball was a good one for watch design, both in terms of the creativity and breadth of designs that were released in the 1970s. It was 1978 when Tissot released their first PRX watches, that followed the same blend of angular case shapes and integrated bracelets that had already become … ContinuedThe post HANDS-ON: The Tissot PRX represents the best of ’70s watch design at a great price appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

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Time+Tide

May 12, 2021

VIDEO: The pitch-perfect Tissot PRX brings you an integrated steel sports watch for a bargain price

Editor’s note: The heat around the pitch-perfect Tissot PRX models has not died down, and neither has the demand, which is understandable when you consider the price point of $550AUD. And things are set to go up another notch in a couple of months when the Powermatic automatic models follow in lockstep. But for now, … ContinuedThe post VIDEO: The pitch-perfect Tissot PRX brings you an integrated steel sports watch for a bargain price appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

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SJX Watches

May 11, 2021

Swatch Goes Green with Big Bold in Plant-Based Plastic Composite

Having introduced the oversized Big Bold in bright, funky iterations such as the Jelly Fish Neon, Swatch is now going minimalist – and green – with the Big Bold Bioceramic. Clad in solid, pastel colours, the Big Bold Bioceramic is clean and coherent. Though simple, it manages to be interesting in both style and materials. The open-worked dial reveals some of its mechanics, while the case is composite of ceramic and plastic made from plant matter. Initial thoughts For those who appreciate the bold presence of large watches like the Royal Oak Offshore, the Big Bold is a lot of fun at a far more accessible price. So when the Big Bold was launched a few years ago, I very much liked the idea of a 47 mm plastic watch. But I found the earlier iterations to be at either extreme – too funky or too plain. The latest version, however, lands in the sweet spot for me. Vibrant in colour – especially in “power pink” or sky blue – but pared back in design, the new Big Bold also has an open-worked movement that’s intriguing despite being quartz. And the new “bio-sourced” material also adds to the appeal, as does the fact that it only costs a bit over US$100. The Big Bold is ergonomic, despite the seemingly massive diameter. With almost non-existent lugs, its lug-to-lug span is a mere 44.8 mm, a length more commonly found on watches with a diameter of around 36 mm. Despite the wide case, it wears well on most wrists, without a significant overhang on either side of the w...

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Time+Tide

May 2, 2021

Watches on integrated bracelets have a secret downside. Does Vacheron Constantin have the cure?

Grail watches come in all shapes and sizes, from that vintage Seiko chronograph to a German masterpiece from the town of Glashutte. But when it comes to current hype, one category trumps them all: the integrated bracelet sports watch. For me, the elusive Patek Philippe Nautilus 5711 is still one of my ultimate dream watches, … ContinuedThe post Watches on integrated bracelets have a secret downside. Does Vacheron Constantin have the cure? appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

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Revolution

Apr 30, 2021

Available in the Shop : Two Incredible IWC Ingenieurs

The French word ingenieur means “engineer”, and the main selling point of IWC’s first watch with this name was that it was antimagnetic, with its movement being protected from potentially damaging magnetic fields via a soft-iron inner case.

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