Latest watch news · Page 1370

Independent watchmakers are a major presence at Only Watch 2019, accounting for almost half the 50 lots in the charity auction coming. Importantly, two of them will probably end up in the top five by value – the F.P. Journe Astronomic Blue and the Rexhep Rexhepi Chronomètre Contemporain “Only Watch”. While the Astronomic Blue is the most complicated wristwatch F.P. Journe has ever made, the Chronomètre Contemporain “Only Watch” is a time-only watch, with a suitably modest estimate of 40,000-60,000 Swiss francs, though it’ll probably sell for five to seven times the low estimate. Hammered, and enamelled The key element that sets the “Only Watch” edition apart from the standard Chronomètre Contemporain is the dial. Completely unique because of the technique – used here for the first time in an Akrivia watch – the dial combines the surfaces finish of Akrivia’s two distinct collections: the hand-hammered decoration of the contemporary AK line and the vitreous enamel of the classic Rexhep Rexhepi range, named after the brand’s founder. Several attempts were required to get a perfect dial – Rexhep showed me one of the rejects with a cloudy finish in September – but the result is quietly impressive. Note that it is hammered and then enamelled, but not hammered enamel. Ordinarily a new dial colour doesn’t mean very much, but because the Chronomètre Contemporain regarded, and Rexhep has kept his promise not to do variations or custom orders of th...

Please enjoy a candid discussion between four of our team members who have had the pleasure of already seeing the A. Lange & Söhne Odysseus in the metal and fully understand its background. Do we love it or loathe it? And more importantly, would we buy one?

Watches with complications - like the chronograph, moonphase or, in this case, the GMT - are less about practical function and more about possibility. Sure, these watches are designed to excel on the road (or in the air for that matter), but for most wearers, that is an infrequent reality. Still, the possibility of far-off places … ContinuedThe post Have watch will travel – 5 GMTs under $5K that are ready to hit the road appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Imagine, if you will, that you’re a watch fan in the 1990s or even early 2000s. Through some incredible new complication (I suspect Urwerk’s invention), you’re jumped forward in time to 2019. While some things remain the same, the changes are pretty incredible. Take, for example, this watch. It’s a one-off piece made by Zenith, designed … ContinuedThe post Hard stone and heavy metal come together for what might be the coolest Zenith El Primero yet appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Jamaica, Jeeps, and ten more movies to add to your must-watch list.

The Odysseus is the culmination of both a transformative journey for Lange and a watch that collectors and connoisseurs of the brand have been wanting, waiting for, dreaming about, and clamoring for since the brand was re-founded in 1994: a daily wearer by A. Lange & Söhne in hardy stainless steel. And here it is.

BREAKING: Lange announces entry into the luxury sports watch genre: the A. Lange & Söhne Odysseus. Here is the definitive review of the new release.

Introducing the A. Lange & Söhne Odysseus, featuring their new day-date complication in a steel case and on a steel bracelet.

Lange & Söhne presents a quiet revolution in steel from Saxony.

It’s been an open secret for years that A. Lange & Söhne has been working on a sports watch, ever since the time of its founding chief executive Gunter Blumlein, so the latest launch is not a surprise. Ideas percolate for a long time at Lange: the digital time display, for instance, was first mooted in 2001, but only introduced in 2009 with the Zeitwerk. And now it is has finally arrived. Named Odysseus Datomatic, the watch is a day-date that’s the first in a new line of sports watches of the same name. It’s a 40.5mm watch in steel, rated to 120m, and powered by a new automatic movement. Initial thoughts I like and respect Lange tremendously, because its products are all engineered and finished well. Despite being a largely mainstream brand owned by a luxury group, Lange has managed to retain its characteristic quality. I do find some of the watches needlessly complicated or over designed, but the fundamental quality is unquestionable. For that reason, I hoped I would like the sports watch. And I do, but not the bracelet. I spoke with Lange chief executive Wilhelm Schmid just before the launch, and he summed up the Odysseus: “We have not changed our fine watchmaking. It’s typical Lange, but it took us a long time to find the face and find the design.” The watch – minus the bracelet – looks like a Lange, which means it’s serious looking, a bit plain, but obviously high quality from the way the small details catch the light. On the wrist the Odysseus sit...

Fans of one of the world’s pioneering diving watches will have reason to join the queue straight away – the latest Blancpain Fifty is drop-dead gorgeous.

What are the most talked-about watches of 2019? Depends who you ask, obviously, but in a sizeable part of Planet Watch-Nut the answer is “luxury steel sports watch on integrated bracelet” – although not necessarily for good reasons (unless you count over-hype and over-pricing as good). During the past couple of weeks, in another part … ContinuedThe post Steel. Sports. Lange. Meet the A. Lange & Söhne Odysseus appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

The story in a second: The Doxa SUB 1200T offers a huge amount of legacy, technical capability and exclusivity. Let’s press rewind for a second: the year is 1969, and Doxa S.A., a storied watchmaker established 80 years previously, in 1889, unveils the first publicly available dive watch in the world with a helium escape … ContinuedThe post IN-DEPTH: The DOXA SUB 1200T appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Earlier this week, Felix took a closer look at a watch that has to be a frontrunner for nicest dress watch of the year, the blue dial Omega Trésor. While it’s certainly a good-looking watch, there are two other members of the Trésor family that might even beat it to the punch. The Omega Trésor has … ContinuedThe post VIDEO: A closer look at the Omega Trésor appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

If you are into watches and in the New York area, you'll want to check out WatchTime New York held in Manhattan’s stylish Gotham Hall on Saturday and Sunday, 25-26 October, 2019. Here Sabine Zwettler highlights a few of her favorite pieces on show there.

The famous clockmaker will discuss the world of independent horology.

Watchcapes: Featuring the F. Berthoud Chronomètre FB 1.4-4 "Night Star" for Only Watch 2019 - with wallpaper sized images and details on the watch.

We speak to Rolex Testimonee and marine biologist Sylvia Earle in this episode of the Revolution Watch Podcast. We also ask: what’s happening to SIHH?

An historic watch with an extremely personal connection.

It’s a wide spread that includes pickings from near every genre of watch collecting. We pick a tiny sample of lots to be auctioned this coming weekend.

The only independent watchmaker in Hungary, Aaron Becsei, or more properly Becsei Áron, has created a distinctive style for his eponymous brand, Bexei – ornate, Gothic engraving; a double-ellipse case; and top-class movement finishing. His latest creation, a custom and unique grande and petite sonnerie wristwatch named Vox Vinum, is all of the above, except in a more conventional round case. Created at the behest of an important, Asian collector of independent watchmaking, the grande sonnerie took more than a year to complete. It is the first, and so far only, striking watch ever produced by Bexei. The Vox Vinum The grand sonnerie A grande et petite sonnerie – French for “large and small strike” – is widely regarded as the pinnacle of mechanical watchmaking. Also known as a clockwatch, it strikes the hours and quarters en passant, as they pass. And it is also a minute repeater, being able to chime the time on demand. Modern day grande sonnerie wristwatches are exceedingly rare – the number of watchmakers having produced one can be counted on both hands. The most notable makers of grande sonnerie wristwatches are Patek Philippe with its Grandmaster Chime, F.P. Journe with the recently discontinued Sonnerie Souverain, and Greubel Forsey as well as Vacheron Constantin, both of which use the same base movement in their respective grande sonnerie wristwatches. But the pioneers in the field were Philippe Dufour in 1992, and followed shortly after by Gerald Gen...

Following on the launch of its automatic chronograph a year ago, London-based Farer recently released a new collection of hand-wound chronographs, which are fairly unusual in this price category where automatic chronographs dominate. This time around, it’s more than just a new line as the watches are the official timers of the 2019 Bernina Gran Turismo, a classic car race across the Bernina Pass in the Swiss Alps. Three standard models and one limited edition make up the new Chronograph Hand-Wound line, though the limited edition quickly sold out, and all carry the brand’s DNA with distinctive, retro designs and bold colours. Though the individual models share the same house style, each is detailed differently, right down to the size of the hour numerals, something Farer does for all its mode lines. All models share the same, cushion-shaped stainless steel case measuring 41mm by 12.9mm (and 43mm lug-to-lug). It’s rated to 100m and fitted with a domed sapphire crystal. For contrast, the front and sides are brushed with a polished steel exhibition back, and the pushers are also polished. The knurled crown is steel but topped with a bronze insert embossed with Farer’s logo, a standard feature on all hand-wound Farer watches; other models have a solid bronze crown. Let’s take a closer look at what differentiates the Bernina, Cresta and Moritz chronographs. Bernina Named after the Bernina Gran Turismo – a hillclimbing race around St Moritz for classic cars  – ...

Editor’s note: These days, it’s very easy for a watch to be too fussy, too over-designed. Whether it’s unnecessary complications, awkward aesthetics or misjudged attempts at innovation, sometimes a watch just needs to be a watch. A great example of this is Tudor’s Black Bay 41 Blue. This is a timepiece that first and foremost … ContinuedThe post Taking another look at the Tudor Black Bay 41 Blue appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Some addresses are legendary, and one of them is 9 Curzon Street in Mayfair, London. Established in 1875, it is the home of Geo. F. Trumper, which has grown in a little over a century into a British icon (helped in no small part by Bond, James Bond). Here, Martin Green takes a deep breath and dives into the fragrant world of Geo. F. Trumper.

A watch with vintage style that makes a positive impact.

A little while ago, Andrew ran a series of overview videos on the various members of the IWC Pilot’s family. And, to be honest, it’s a story well worth telling, as the Pilot’s watch is one of the most recognisable and iconic wristwatch designs of the last 100 years. And while IWC don’t have a … ContinuedThe post A quick flyover of IWC’s Pilot’s collection feat. the Classic, Le Petit Prince, Spitfire and Top Gun lines appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.