Latest watch news · Page 1361

Fifty years ago, the automatic chronograph was born. Depending on which press release, it was the effort of either Zenith, Heuer (et al) or Seiko. The truth lies somewhere in the middle, and the former two brands have been busy celebrating in the traditional Swiss way (limited editions and, presumably, cheese). Seiko, though, has been … ContinuedThe post RECOMMENDED READING: Why Seiko won’t be producing a 50th anniversary chronograph appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

The buying and selling of second-hand watches has traditionally been an unglamorous, possibly even seedy, affair. The traditional image of that side of the industry has been one of tight margins, hard sales talk and the ever-present threat of fakes. Well, in the last few years it’s a part of the business that’s been undergoing … ContinuedThe post RECOMMENDED READING: This is what the future of the secondary watch market looks like appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Presage Arita Porcelain Dial The Presage collection has positioned itself as the collection that matches artistic craft with mass market affordability. Seiko rides on the mystic of its Japanese heritage, tradition and craft-culture to create watches with intriguing dials; from enamel to Urushi lacquer.  In Basel 2019, it released a new set of porcelain dialRead More

The latest Grand Seiko limited edition sports a dial inspired by a Japanese blizzard.

Editor’s note: The other day I caught up with someone who’d recently picked up an A. Lange & Söhne 1815 Up/Down, and holding it in my hand - by golly gosh, those German guys at ALS know their way around a watch. This piece might not be their most complicated or most hyped, but it’s … ContinuedThe post No downsides to the A. Lange & Söhne 1815 Up/Down appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Revolution steps inside a piece of NASA history where a consumer trailer was rigged up to keep Moon-walking astronauts – and planet Earth – safe.

Revolution pays tribute to the best chronograph movement there ever was, the Omega Calibre 321 (also known as the Lemania 2310).

When it comes to creative collaborations, few brands have the level of panache or skill that Hublot does. They have a few on the burner at the moment: their Orlinski watches and the one we’re looking at today – the Sang Bleu.  To be a little more specific, we’re looking at the Hublot Sang Bleu … ContinuedThe post Hublot’s Sang Bleu II, as explained by the man who designed it appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

All of the German watchmaker's 2019 releases will be on display, and then some.

You might not have noticed but we’ve hit the Omega Speedmaster pretty hard this week. Though, in our defence, we think it’s justified, what with the 50th anniversary of the Moon landing and all that. A few days ago, Felix asked the deep question of what actually makes a Speedmaster, and this morning we had … ContinuedThe post Speedy stories – 3 tales of Omega Speedmaster love appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

On this day, 50 years ago Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin walked on the moon. An incredible achievement in the history of humanity. What’s even more incredible is that this occurred less than seven years after President John F. Kennedy declared: “We choose to go to the Moon.”  Of course, along for the ride was … ContinuedThe post One small step for the Omega Speedmaster Apollo 11 50th Anniversary  appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Chill out Thursday: Musings on the Haselblad X1D camera system. DEPLOYANT Chill Out TGIF: Musings over the Hasselblad X1D camera system

Your weekly round-up of watches from around the web

James Ragan, former NASA engineer and the man behind the watch that went to the moon, shares ten anecdotes on the 50th anniversary of the moon landing.

How Omega first Commemorated the Apollo 11: The BA 145.022 – the astronauts who received them and where their watches are now.

Editor’s note: The Ulysse Nardin Marine Chronometer Torpilleur is a very interesting watch - a mix of modern build and very, very classical design. It’s a winner.  Story in a second The Marine Chronometer Torpilleur shows a new, focused and driven face of Ulysse Nardin. I’m going to start this review talking not about mechanical … ContinuedThe post Set sail for glory with the Ulysse Nardin Marine Chronometer Torpilleur appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

The original Perpetual Ludwig was launched in 1996 to mark the 150th anniversary of Ulysse Nardin. Its brilliantly conceived calendar mechanism showed the calendar in legible windows, while allowing it to be set backwards and forwards, even around midnight, via the crown – in short, the calendar could be set in any direction, at any time, without the need for any tools. Subsequent iterations of the watch grew progressively bigger – unfortunately many got progressively uglier – but two years ago Ulysse Nardin rolled out the Classico Perpetual Ludwig (alongside other historical remakes), which stuck to the original styling, albeit in a larger case. Powered by the same movement from 1996, the Classico Perpetual Ludwig remains an ingenious innovation despite being over 20 years old, and the new remake also manages to be good value. The UN-33 of the Perpetual Ludwig Ulysse Nardin’s signature blue enamel logo on the crown Ludwig and his wheels The watch gets its name from Ludwig Oechslin, an inventive, self-taught watchmaker whose professional qualifications are in ancient history and archaeology. Working for Ulysse Nardin while it was owned by the late Rolf Schynder, a Swiss entrepreneur who made his fortune making low-cost movements in Asia, Mr Oechslin was responsible for the bulk of the brand’s inventions, from the Freak to the astronomical Trilogy of Time. Mr Oechslin’s fundamental innovation in the Perpetual Ludwig – patents EP1351104B1 and CH6968...

Tudor S&G; this, Patek 5172G that, but wouldn’t you rather have something … different? Year after year it’s the same story. News breaks in January and March, and all you hear about are these “hero watches” from brands X, Y, and Z time and time again. Sure, that’s cool, and there’s a reason there is … ContinuedThe post 9 of the most underrated chronographs of 2019 appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

One Speedy for each year since mankind landed on the moon.

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.

Editor’s note: OK, so ‘fight’ might be a touch hyperbolic, but back when the Hermès Slim d’Hermès was first released it caused quite a stir. The most ardent fans were Ceri and Felix, and this is an account of their slightly tête-à-tête over this elegant, well-designed watch …  The story in a second With a slender … ContinuedThe post That time we got into a fight over Hermès appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

An extension to the elegant Tutima Patria line, now in stainless steel with either a magnificent cold enamel blue or grey dial. We review the Admiral Blue.

The photographer and adventurer offers an inside look at climbing Everest, finding the motivation, and skirting death – all while rocking a unique Vacheron Constantin prototype.

REVOLUTION profiles the recovery and eventual salvaging of the Apollo mission that went sideways.

Editor’s note: People love seeing the insides of a Rolex. Perhaps it’s because of their popularity or perhaps it’s the fact that their insides are always hidden behind a solid caseback. Whatever the reason, people love the chance to get a glimpse at these industrially impressive machines. So, here’s another look at that time Peter … ContinuedThe post RECOMMENDED READING: The deconstructed Rolex Submariner appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Kennsen Watches makes its debut with a notably clever and well-priced annual calendar chronograph powered by a patented calendar module on top of a Valjoux 7750. Though Kennsen is newly set-up, its founder David Lea specialises in constructing complications for other brands, explaining the surprising degree of technical innovation for a small start-up. Annual calendar chronographs are relatively uncommon on the market and most are fairly costly – Patek Philippe and Ulysse Nardin are amongst the handful of brands that offer one – making the new Kennsen the most affordable example today, with a retail price of just over US$5000. Despite its affordability, the Kennsen annual calendar chronograph is entirely Swiss-made. The case is produced by Victorinox, the famed maker of Swiss army knives and also watches, while the module was designed by Lea & Associé – Mr Lea’s design outfit – and manufactured by a firm in the Vallée de Joux. Made of stainless steel, the case is 42mm in diameter, with a polished bezel and case back, while the case band has a brushed finish. The dial, available in either black or champagne, has a clean and pleasant design. It features recessed sub-dials, applied indices and a telemeter scale in miles and kilometres on the outer rim. At one o’clock is a day and night indicator displayed in a small aperture, and nestled subtly next to the central axis of the dial is the month display, aligned on the same axis as the date at three. ...

Swiss watchmaking groups Richemont and Swatch Group just announced their first quarter and six-month results for 2019 respectively, with each going in opposite directions. Owner of brands like Cartier, IWC and Panerai, Richemont saw growth across most segments and regions. Overall sales were up 12% at constant exchange rates, with every region growing in the low teens save for the Middle East and Africa. Sales in Asia grew 10%, led by China, where demand is up due to lower taxes locally on luxury goods and more stringent checks on travellers importing items bought overseas. Most notable was the performance of its online channels, namely luxury fashion mall Yoox Net-a-Porter (YNAP), pre-owned watch merchant Watchfinder, and to a lesser extent. That growth is from a low base of comparison: last year’s first quarter for each platform was only two and one month respectively. That being said, online sales are still substantial, rising to 50% to €648m, almost equal to the €698m of sales in the Americas as a whole. The group’s watchmaking brands, which include A. Lange & Söhne and Vacheron Constantin, saw overall sales dip 2%. This was attributed to a reduction in the number of sales channels as well as reduced orders of new product by retailers. Up in Biel, where the Swatch Group has its headquarters, half-year sales were down 3.7% at constant exchange rates, to 4.07 billion Swiss francs. Net profit followed suit, shrinking 11.3% to 415m francs. For the full year, howe...