Latest watch news · Page 1369

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...

The watch auction market has hit serious momentum over the last four or five years, with record-breaking results being produced every season. While a portion of the soaring prices can be attributed to macro factors - such as democratised information on vintage watches through the explosion of sites that cover the topic - this isn’t the whole … ContinuedThe post RECOMMENDED READING: Peculiar economics of the vintage watch market appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Everyday divers’ watch from Rolex The Submariner is a quintessential divers watch produced by Rolex.  The Submariner model represents a historic turning point in diving watches. When the Submariner was released in 1953, it was the first divers watch that had a waterproofness to 100 metres. This combined with the breakthrough Rolex had with its revolutionary Oyster bracelet design in 1926 represented the two significant turning points in the diving watch history.  Rolex had created the Submariner with a specific goal in mind, to be used for underwater exploration and diving. Not only had Rolex met this goal, they also paved the way for how diving watches should be made. When the Submariner was released, it was given to many deep-sea professionals to be worn and tested during their diving exploration missions. Dimitri Rebikoff (a well-known French Engineer recognised for his work involved in underwater photography) loved the watch so much that he stated “it not only held its own when tested in extreme diving conditions but also proved itself to be a vital equipment to a diver’s arsenal”. Over the years, the Submariner has become a modern icon in Rolex’s professional  collection. The Submariner is so popular that it can be found on the wrists of people from many different professions. This particular model is also known  as the ‘Hulk’ due to its beautiful green sunburst dial and bezel.  The dial is not just a standard green finish either. The sunburst dial...

Anyone who followed Formula 1 in the 1990s to the early 2000s would remember Rubens Barrichello as effective driver. Though the Brazilian did not win any championships, he notched up 11 wins and 68 podium finishes. Like many fellow Formula 1 drivers, Mr Barrichello likes watches and was once an Audemars Piguet ambassador; the Royal Oak Offshore Rubens Barrichello II of 2006 was one of the hottest watches of the era.  Unsurprisingly, Mr Barrichello is apparently a fan of the Rolex Daytona – arguably the auto racing watch – explaining his collaboration with Artisans de Genève, a Swiss outfit that specialises in customising Rolex watches. They gave his Rolex Daytona a makeover to create “La Barrichello”, a strikingly and heavily modified Cosmograph Daytona with an open-worked movement. Notably, Artisans de Genève just last year performed a similar custom job on a Daytona belonging to Juan-Pablo Montoya, another F1 driver who was active in the sport at the same time as Mr Barrichello. Both drivers’ skeletonised watches are novel in a good way; much of Artisans de Genève’s other creations are modern Daytonas modified to look like vintage “Paul Newman” Daytonas, which is arguably less interesting. Creative differences “La Barrichello” started out as the all-steel Daytona ref. 116520, which is the preceding generation of Daytona that was first introduced in 2000 before being replaced by the ref. 116500LN (distinguished by its ceramic bezel) in 2...

A new red version of the brand's aquatic-inspired Horological Machine.

Taking its inspiration from the deep-sea jellyfish, MB&F; colours its latest platinum Aquapod red.

MB&F; releases a new version of the HM7 Aquapod in Red Platinum. This new model is released with several new features. Full specifications and information.

Editor’s note: The Blancpain Tribute to Fifty Fathoms MIL-SPEC, aside from being a damn good-looking dive watch, serves as a reminder that brands can reissue mid-century military watches without breaking the internet. We thought we’d take a look back at this Blancpain Fifty Fathoms tribute, which tells the story of when watches were specially designed … ContinuedThe post The Blancpain Fifty Fathoms that tells the story of the frogmen who used them appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Imagine being able to buy vintage pieces in factory-fresh condition, with a warranty. You can, with Vacheron Constantin’s Les Collectionneurs.

Watch collectors who were around in the late 1990s and early 2000s would remember Ventura. It specialised in – literally – design watches. All its timepieces were created by noted industrial designers, including Flemming Bo Hansen and more frequently, Hannes Wettstein, who also designed the Nomos Zurich. The house style was sleek, pared back, slightly Scandinavian, but also distinguished by unusual materials – Ventura made liberal use of surfaced hardened titanium (Titanox) and steel (Durinox), a great novelty at the time. The Ventura V-Matic Ego remake But the brand made a pivot into high-end, self-winding electronic watches in the early 2000s, which unsurprisingly ended in Ventura going bust. Now Ventura is being resurrected by its former owner, UK-based watch importer Zeon Ltd (that’s in turn owned by a Hong Kong watch manufacturer), in partnership with Stephan Hürlemann, the designer who took over Wettstein’s studio after his death. I liked very much what Ventura was doing back in the day – the combination of design and materials was unique – but the original watches were surprisingly expensive, particularly by the standards of the time. The new remakes manage to reproduce the original design in a similar alloy, at a notably affordable price. Designer watches for less The revived Ventura sticks to a tried and tested sales formula: direct to the consumer via crowdfunding platform Kickstarter, making the new Ventura watches notably affordable, s...

While antique categories such as art, furniture and artefacts have long been recognised as stores of value, watches are a relative newcomer to the game of “buy low, sell high”. And this poses an interesting question – can watches help you get rich? It seems like every auction season, old records are broken, and new … ContinuedThe post RECOMMENDED READING: Can you get rich from collecting watches? appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

It’s a truism to say that the watch industry loves an anniversary, and while mostly it’s the watch brands doing the celebrating, this time it is a retailer celebrating the big 4-0. Boy, are they celebrating in style.  The Hour Glass is one of the major retail figures in the Asia-Pacific region, with more than … ContinuedThe post INTRODUCING: An Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Chronograph to celebrate The Hour Glass’ 40th anniversary appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Rolex Cosmograph Daytona 116500 Review A timepiece born on the racetrack tying the history of Rolex and motorsport together, needs very little introduction. The rich history and sheer presence of the Rolex Cosmograph Daytona are partly why it’s one of the most sought-after watches in today’s Rolex line-up.      It was only just recently that Paul Newman’s Rolex Cosmograph Daytona auctioned for a staggering $ 17.8 million (USD). This was easily the most expensive timepiece sold to date. The current Cosmograph Daytona doesn’t exactly have the same worth as Paul Newman’s, however it does illustrate just how much the Daytona models in general are valued.    The Cosmograph Daytona was first introduced in 1963 for the purposes of meeting demands of drivers in the world of performance motor sports. Even the name “Daytona” derived from the world of motor sports itself. In the early 1900s, a racing track to set land speed records was found in Daytona, Florida. From 1903 to 1935 around 80 Speed records were set in Daytona, with 14 records being the fastest land speed set in the world. As more and more speed attempts and records were being set at Daytona, it caught a lot of global attention and eventually became known as the “world capital of speed”. Rolex’s ties to the Daytona international speedway track came about when Sir Malcolm Campbell who was known as the king of speed, was seen sporting a Rolex Oyster model during one of his speed attempts. This led ...

For the second year running, Breguet, Blancpain, Jaquet Droz and Glashütte Original - The Swatch Group’s top-tier brands - are showcasing their latest and greatest at Melbourne retailer Monards Crown boutique.  Melbourne Watch Week, as it’s called, is running from June 20 to 30 (slightly longer than a week, but who’s counting). It’s a great … ContinuedThe post LIST: 7 watches to check out at Melbourne Watch Week appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Twelve countries and 9,600 miles of four-cylinder adventure.

The full story behind the undisputed king of the deep.

Bovet takes its writing desk-inspired case to the next level and incorporates it in a most stunning timepiece. Enter, the Récital 26 Brainstorm Chapter One.

The watch industry fixture talks about the early days of online horology, why his collection is so diverse, and the one watch he tells everyone to buy.

If it’s at all possible, HYT’s depiction of time takes an even zanier turn, with its latest, and cheekiest, skull-faced SOONOW.

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Every year Chanel debuts a handful of timekeeping objects that are sleekly monochromatic yet lavishly constructed of precious materials like gold and rock crystal. They are beautiful, expensive, and the sort of object that would look at home in a US$100m penthouse. And because there are enough such penthouses to go around, these objets d’art inevitably find owners every year. Last year’s collection of objects included the Monsieur de Chanel Chronosphere, a clock within a glass globe supported by blackened-bronze lions, which was a five-piece limited edition. But the collection also included the one of a kind Monsieur de Chanel Pocket Watch suspended in a jewelled stand, an object that is simultaneously discreet and extravagant. Photo – Chanel Although the pocket watch and its stand retail for almost US$800,000, it is discreet to a fault.  All of the materials within are precious, but the entire object is almost monochromatic. The pocket watch can be removed and carried, but is more likely to function as the ultimate desk clock. Standing about 25cm, or 10in, high, the stand is polished 18k white gold and panelled in glossy obsidian, a black, volcanic rock. And while it does not look the part, the sculpted lion is also 18k gold, but coated entirely in smooth, black Hyceram, a composite of ceramic and polymer. The diamonds within the stand are substantial, but subtle – the lion’s paw rests on a 18k gold sphere covered in baguette diamonds. The big ca...

You know, over these past couple years, our opinions on A LOT of things have changed. But what Michael and I didn't anticipate is our view on traveling with watches doing a total 180. Are "travel watches" real? Is whatever the hell watch you wear while traveling a "travel watch?" Or is the idea of a travel watch still alive and well?

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“An all-time favourite among pilots and aeronautical enthusiasts since 1952” – Breitling If you have ever been on the look out for a pilot’s watch, whether being a pilot yourself or just having pure admiration for the workings of pilot watch then the Breitling Navitimer has to be up there at the top of the list.  Breitling has a variation of models in the Navitimer range, with sizes ranging from 38mm all the way to 48mm. The model we have in our hands today is the Navitimer 01 version in 43mm diameter. This Navitimer is the previous edition to the current Navitimer 1 B01 Chronograph in 43mm diameter. The two models are relatively unchanged with the new model getting a facelift logo on the dial and the addition of a sapphire crystal case back for the first time on a 43mm to showcase the B01 movement. At first glance the dial does look super busy. But there’s a reason why everything is the way it is.  When the Navitimer was launched in the 1950’s it was considered one of the most practical tool watches made available for Pilots. It’s no wonder then that the Navitimer was endorsed as the official timekeeping instrument of the “Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA)”. With only a few minor updates the navitimer has remained unchanged, with Breitling even going on to claim that this is the only wristwatch that has a chronograph function that is in continuous production for more than 50 years. So what exactly is the features present in the Navitimer d...

One of the more prominent watches in the Rolex line up, the Sky-Dweller is a timepiece that is a true testament to the ingenious creativity that goes on in the in-house manufacturing of this brand. The watch itself is protected by 14 patents, therefore, it would come as no surprise that it’s also one of Rolex’s most complicated watches. The craftsmanship alongside sophistication is displayed to the highest quality in the Rolex Sky-Dweller.       Unlike other Rolex models, the Sky-Dweller has one characteristic feature that stands out from the rest. This being the off-centre 24-hour display disk on the dial. This disk shows a second timezone that enables travellers to differentiate between daytime hours (9 am) and nighttime hours (9 pm) in that second timezone. The two timezones on the watch are displayed simultaneously. The local time is displayed through the normal hour, minute and second hand on the watch. The fixed red triangle under the Rolex logo on the dial indicates the chosen reference time on the 24-hour display disk. The time on the display disk can be set with relative ease through the use of a complex mechanism that allows the main hour hand to be adjusted independently backwards or forwards in 1-hour portions. When the hour hand is being adjusted, the minute and second hand are not affected.       On the Rolex Sky-Dweller, the local time is displayed on the main dial, with the second timezone being shown on the 24-hour display disk. If you were to ...

A seriously close look at a particularly special watch.

Breguet - as we discovered last week - is a pretty classic brand. Heck, they’ve even got a line called the Classique. So when we saw a story on what Wes Lang - controversial American contemporary artist and collaborative creative to the stars - thought of the buttoned-up brand, you can bet we hit the … ContinuedThe post RECOMMENDED READING: This is what Kanye’s go-to art guy thinks of Breguet appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.