Latest watch news · Page 1357

The Lange 1’s 25th anniversary celebrations continue with the launch of a special version of the watch that gave the icon an automatic winding mechanism: the Lange 1 Daymatic “25th Anniversary”.

Editor’s note: Why is this unassuming looking farmhouse in the Swiss countryside so important to a brand as large as Cartier? Because it houses the workshop for Cartier’s Maison des Métiers d’Art, sanctuary to a set of artistic skills and techniques that are hundreds of years old. It is in this farmhouse that some of … ContinuedThe post Keeping tradition alive at the Cartier Métiers d’Art appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

If you love watches, you probably want to wear them all the time. The past CEO of The Swatch Group Nicolas Hayek was famous for wearing half-a-dozen watches at one time, and even if you aren’t quite that eccentric, you might still feel like you’re missing something when you don’t wear a watch. But this … ContinuedThe post RECOMMENDED READING: Should you wear a watch when exercising? appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

IWC’s popular, oversized pilot’s watch is already available in as many variations as the sky is high, but the latest limited edition – the Big Pilot’s Watch “Right-Hander” – is the first that’s a “destro”. Italian for “right”, destro is a nickname often applies to watches with a left-handed crown, and thus catered to right-handed people. Because the onion-shaped crown sits at nine o’clock instead of the usual three, the movement inside has been rotated 180 degrees, bringing the power reserve indicator to nine o’clock as well. For those wondering if this is inspired by a historical, “destro” pilot’s watch, the answer is no. This is just a reinterpretation of a bestselling model. Crown-aside, the look is pretty much stock Big Pilot. The dial is a dark grey, with luminous markings and hands in white SuperLuminova. The rest of the watch is identical to the standard model. The steel case is 46.2mm in diameter, with automatic cal. 52010 inside. It’s the second generation of the flagship IWC automatic movement, featuring a seven-day power reserve and a Pellaton winding mechanism with its pawls and winding wheels in wear-resistant ceramic. Key facts Diameter: 46.2mm Height: 15.6mm Material: Steel Water-resistance: 60m Movement: Cal. 52010 Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds, date and power reserve Winding: Automatic Frequency: 28,800bph, or 4Hz Power reserve: 168 hours (7 days) Strap: Calfskin with folding clasp Price and availab...

It’s easy to forget or overlook the magnitude of what Hublot has achieved with their materials innovation - the scale and scope of their sapphire pieces is impressive to say the least, and their use of ceramic is amongst the most interesting in the business (which is no small feat given that every brand and … ContinuedThe post HANDS-ON: Pop pop! The Hublot Big Bang Unico Blue Magic appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Editor’s note: Not many know it, but Australia was one of the most important markets for Hans Wilsdorf as he built the businesses of Rolex and Tudor in the early part of the 20th century. Tudor watches have been in Australia for the best part of 100 years, proving that Australians know great value when … ContinuedThe post Tudor in Australia for almost 100 years? Here’s why appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Two queens are better than one.

Almost exactly a month ago at Sotheby’s in London, the George Daniels Space Traveller I sold for £3.62m, or about US$4.56m at the time, including all fees. It became the most expensive English watch ever sold, breaking the record set by the second Space Traveller that sold in the same venue two years earlier. After the landmark 2017 sale, the Space Traveller II disappeared into private hands somewhere in the United Kingdom. Now it has reemerged at the Science Museum in London, where it will be on display for at least three years. Made entirely by hand, as were all his watches, the Space Traveller II was produced after Daniels had sold the first version of the watch, which he greatly regretted. Along with the Grand Complication, the second Space Traveller was worn by Daniels until the end of his life. The first Space Traveller The first Space Traveller was conceived to commemorate the Moon landing of 1969, which is why it displays both mean solar time – the usual 24 hour day we use on Earth – as well as sidereal time, which is time based on the Earth’s rotation around the Sun. Once Daniels embarked on making the second Space Traveller to replace the first, he endeavoured to make it more complex, incorporating his proprietary “compact chronograph” mechanism. But it is no ordinary stopwatch, because the chronograph in the Space Traveller II can switch between mean solar time and sidereal time thanks to a clutch mechanism. “It is fitting that this stunning ...

We take a close look, examined, and analysed the propostion of the new independent brand born in Poland - the Chopin Opus 10 Number 12.

Trade your sweep hand for a ticker and come quartz with us.

This is one of those watches that makes so much sense I’m amazed it didn’t exist until now. But before we dive into the details of the IWC Big Pilot Edition ‘Right-Hander’, let’s step back and have a quick recap on the Big Pilot.  The Big Pilot is a watch with two distinct histories. The … ContinuedThe post HANDS-ON: The IWC Big Pilot Edition ‘Right-Hander’  appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

If you’re reading this, you probably know who Gérald Genta is, and if you don’t, you probably recognise the name. He was the most prolific watch designer of the 20th century, having been the source of inspiration for the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak, the Patek Philippe Nautilus and the Omega Constellation. He designed for everyone, … ContinuedThe post RECOMMENDED READING: The Gérald Genta archives appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Delve into the history of dial design and the elements that make up some of the most famous watch faces of our time. In part 1: sector dials.

Chanel has been slowly but steadily building up its line of mechanical watches powered by high-end, in-house movements. Most notable is the Monsieur de Chanel jump hour, created with the help of respected independent watchmaker Romain Gauthier, who sold a minority stake in his company to Chanel several years ago. Mr Gauthier also had a hand in last year’s Boy.Friend Skeleton, a top of the line variant of Chanel’s fashionable rectangular watch. Fancy mechanics are usually the preserve of men’s watches, but the Boy.Friend Skeleton boasts an impressively thoughtful, open-worked movement, the Calibre 3. In fact, the design and details of the in-house movement show that it was conceived from the ground up with a particular aesthetic goal in mind. It’s the only way to create a skeleton movement that looks as coherent as this does. An especially beautiful detail are the gilded bevels on the outermost frame of the base plate and the sub-seconds, which emphasise the finish and shape of the movement. Chanel circles The Calibre 3 has been constructed to incorporate a series of repeating, interlocking circles, a favourite motif of Chanel’s chief watch designer, Arnaud Chastaingt. The motif starts with the bridges and base plate, which are all brass finish with a frosted surface coated in black amorphous diamond-like carbon (ADLC). A telling indication of the attention to detail put into its construction lies in how the bridges are constructed. Instead of being a sing...

Now that we’re more than halfway through, I think we can all admit that 2019 has been a bit of an odd one, as far as years go. If you had told past Felix that a slender steel quartz Cartier would be one of the best watches of the year, he would have scoffed.  But … ContinuedThe post HANDS-ON: Cartier’s Santos-Dumont is guaranteed to add class to your daily wear  appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

For some, money is no object. For most, this is far from the case, but still an enjoyable intellectual exercise of “what if”. So, what if you win the lottery, and after taking care of the dull administrative duties (mortgage, student loan, etc), you decide to treat yourself to a couple of nice watches and, … ContinuedThe post The 11 most exciting chronographs of 2018 appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

A form-follows-function homage to one of the most influential design schools of the 20th century.

To commemorate Singpore's 54th birthday, Casio G-SHOCK is collaborating with SKL0 (Singapore's Sticker Lady) to produce a limited edition timepiece.

"At the tone, the time will be ... "

I can only imagine the joy that must have been felt in Omega’s design department when it was announced that Tokyo would be hosting the 2020 Olympic Games. Not only has Japan had an incredible influence on design, but their flag - a simple red sun in a white field - lends itself to some interesting … ContinuedThe post INTRODUCING: The Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean Tokyo 2020 Limited Edition appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

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...

For the brand's fifth massive showcase, they're heading to Southeast Asia.

Today’s entrant into the ‘Every Watch Tells a Story’ hall of fame is Dale. It turns out that Dale has a bit of a thing for pilot’s watches, and for good reason - Dale is a commercial airline pilot. And the pride of his collection is none other than the mighty Breitling Navitimer. In case you’re not … ContinuedThe post Dale is an actual pilot – and he wears a Breitling Navitimer appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

The 21st of July 1969 at 02:56:15 GMT marks a momentous step in world history, as this was when the Astronaut Neil Armstrong stepped off the Apollo 11 Lunar Module “Eagle” to become the first human to stand on another planet. Astronaut Buzz Aldrin accompanied Neil Armstrong in achieving this incredible feat when he also joined his compatriot on the lunar surface. Buzz Aldrin who has been an Omega ambassador since 2009, wore the Omega Speedmaster Professional on the Apollo 11 space mission, which is when it became the first watch to be worn on the moon. The Omega Speedmaster Apollo 11 50th Anniversary limited edition not only celebrates the historic occasion of celebrating the 50 years since the first Speedmaster on the moon, but is also the first watch in history to use Omega’s new patent-pending alloy; 18k Moonshine Gold. This pioneering new Gold alloy offers a lighter tone than a normal yellow Gold alloy would, while also having a much higher resistance to colour fading. This 18k Moonshine Gold alloy has been used on the dial and the casing which helps accentuate the colour from the darker tones used throughout these parts. The bezel along with the Omega logo, diamond polished indexes and the highlighted 11 on the 11-hour mark are all done in the 18k Moonshine Gold alloy. Omega has cleverly made the 11 o’clock hour marker in Arabic Numeral instead of the beveled indexes as a tribute to the Apollo 11 Lunar module “Eagle”. The hour and minute hands are designed...

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.

It's still got that loving feeling.

A unique take on American watchmaking.