Latest watch news · Page 1433

I am a collector of world time and time zone watches, and own several from mainstream brands. I had long had my own ideas of an ideal travel watch, and this is the tale of how one came to be. A world time watch should simultaneously show at least 24 time zones on the dial. There are principally three dial types that can do this: first is a map of the Earth with time zones marked out; second is a disc with 24 reference time zones indicated by city names; third is a 24 hour ring in conjunction with a ring of reference time zones, widely known as the Cottier world time, after Swiss watchmaker Louis Cottier who built the first wristwatch with the mechanism. Top row, from left: Lottermann & Söhne Weltzeituhr 1, Tissot Heritage Navigator, Patek Philippe ref. 5230G Bottom row: Dubey & Schaldenbrand Weltzeit, Junkers 6892-5 Serie Worldtimer, Jean-Mairet & Gillman Sport. Images – respective brands The first two variants use the entire dial to display world time, leaving no room for additional complications. The Cottier-system can as well dominate the design, with only the centre of the dial available for decorations or additional indications, making it difficult to embellish the dial with motifs relating to a specific brand. Reducing the displays can create a more interesting dial layout, but this results in microscopic indicators that are hardly readable. For this reason, I now prefer time zone watches with only one additional zone time shown on a 24-hour scale, often labelled ...

Editor’s note: Jaquet Droz is a brand with an increasing presence on our fair shores. And while they’re best known for their watches that exhibit a decent amount of both pomp and circumstance, there’s a lot to be said for their simpler offerings, which are still distinctive as all get-out. Don’t believe us? Check out … ContinuedThe post Full metal Jaquet Droz – the Astrale Grande Heure Minute  appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Editor’s note: There’s something in the air at Grand Seiko. The brand is busting out new designs left, right and centre. It’s an exciting time to be a fan of Japan’s premier watchmaker. Case in point, the Grand Seiko Spring Drive SBGY003 …   Grand Seiko has just announced its latest releases at Basel 2019 … ContinuedThe post Slender and springy – the Grand Seiko Spring Drive SBGY003 appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

It maybe small, but boy does it pack a punch.

With one watch unveiled each month since the start of the year, the A. Lange & Söhne “25th Anniversary” series is coming to a completion. The ninth watch has just been announced – the Little Lange 1 Moon Phase. Of the 10 piece anniversary set, this is arguably the most esoteric and least known Lange 1, being an elegantly conceived complication inside a case that was originally devised as a smaller men’s watch, but is now a ladies’ watch. Measuring a compact 36.8mm in width, the Little Lange 1 Moon Phase was first unveiled in 2009 – seven years after the launch of the full-size, 38.5mm Lange 1 Moon Phase. Subsequently in 2017, it evolved to incorporate a new caliber based on the second-generation Lange 1 movement. Though the original Little Lange 1 was introduced as a watch for men in the late 1990s, the Little Lange 1 Moon Phase was a ladies’ watch from the get-go and decorated as such, with mother-of-pearl dials, diamond bezels and most recently a guilloche dial. But with the subdued anniversary colours of blue and silver, the latest Little Lange 1 Moon Phase is the first instance where it could be for men wanting a smaller watch. The dial of the watch is solid silver, with blued steel hands and printed blue markings. As with the Grand Lange 1 Moon Phase “25thAnniversary” unveiled earlier in the year, the white-gold lunar disc in the seconds sub-dial is hand-engraved with stars that vary in size and shape, creating a detailed depiction of the ni...

The Little Lange 1 Moon Phase is the ninth watch to join A. Lange & Söhne’s 25th anniversary editions for the Lange 1.

A modern take on an everyday sport watch tuned for travel.

Over the years I’ve seen a lot of new chronographs. Some are impressive, and many are ordinary. But few are as hands-down gorgeous as the Vacheron Constantin Cornes de Vache that I first saw at Watches and Wonders in 2015.  With its classical proportions and comely, cow-horn-shaped lugs it was a love-at-first sight affair. However, the … ContinuedThe post INTRODUCING: The Vacheron Constantin Historiques Cornes de Vache 1955 in steel  appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

A tech-forward halo watch charts a new course for Oris.

Oris Big Crown ProPilot X is a stunner several years in the works, the fruition of broad modernisation across the company in terms of technology and design.

The other day, Phillips announced Phillips PERPETUAL, an always-on showroom of curated horological goodness. Because while blockbuster sales of celebrity pieces have a place, the opportunity for mass volume sales and Phillips, along with the other major auction players is jumping at it. For an in-depth look at the ever-changing business of selling very fine … ContinuedThe post RECOMMENDED READING: This is what the auction business looks like in the Instagram age appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Bell & Ross’s latest design reminds us why the two gentlemen have made such waves over the nearly three decades they have been around in watchmaking.

Bell & Ross new collection: the BR 05, with an integrated case and bracelet design targetted at the luxury sports bandwagon. We take a detailed look.

Luxury sports watches in steel with distinctive case shapes and integrated bracelets have been an unstoppable trend of late. Though the segment was born in the 1970s with the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak and then Patek Philippe Nautilus, it’s arguably at the high-water mark now. Several brands have joined the party with their own luxury sport watches, each designed with a different impetus, but often met with a certain degree of controversy. Recent examples include the Vacheron Constantin Overseas, Piaget Polo S, and Girard-Perregaux Laureato. And now, it’s the turn of Bell & Ross (B&R;) with the BR 05. Unsurprisingly, the BR 05 is a riff on the most iconic Bell & Ross design – the circle-within-a-square case. The BR 05 enters a crowded segment in both an affordable manner; it’s kitted out with a well-constructed case and customised movement for under US$5000. An unmistakable form At first glance, the rounded-square case and bezel with visible screws inevitably brings to mind Gerald Genta’s classics. But on its own, the BR 05 is a logical derivative of the signature B&R; case. The BR 05 is a compact watch, with a wide bezel making it look slightly smaller than it actually is. The case measures 40mm across and 10.4mm in height, which is relatively slim and within the general ballpark of such watches. That being said, a case below 10mm would have given it more elegant and classical proportions. And in contrast to the merely adequate depth rating of the ...

In the field of watch design there’s a lot to be said for restraint. Not every dial needs to be flashy, nor every case overwrought. Sometimes, all you need - all you want even - is a watch that looks good (no matter what), and can do anything, or at least anything most normal people … ContinuedThe post VIDEO: The perfect gentleman – Tissot’s Gentleman Automatic appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Over the last few years the Laureato line has emerged as Girard-Perregaux’s valiant hero - a sporty steel warrior well equipped to win wrists across the world. Earlier this year, at SIHH in Geneva, Girard-Perregaux unleashed their latest expression of the Laureato – the evolved Laureato Absolute.  This darkly clad watch was offered in a … ContinuedThe post Absolute power – the Girard-Perregaux Laureato Absolute Chronograph  appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Barolo Chinato is basically a spiced wine made from a base of Barolo. But it is so much more than a usual spiced wine (and in no way to be compared with the sangria or mulled wine that Ken Gargett calls "abominations"). Find out exactly what Ken thinks is so special about Barale Fratelli's Barolo Chinato right here.

Summer's not over yet!

For any brand creating a new collection, the challenge lies in the tension between aesthetic innovation and consistent design language. With the new Bell & Ross BR05, the brand has successfully maintained their core visual identity with a circular dial and squared-off case, exposed screws at the corners of the case, and bold Arabic numerals. … ContinuedThe post INTRODUCING: The Bell & Ross BR05 appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

I think we've got a hit on our hands here.

You are invited! Vacheron Constantin at MBS to view and experience the incredible heritage pieces from Les Collectionneurs and the Nickname Collection..

The executive director of the Willard House and Clock Museum will discuss clock making in 18th century America.

The Vacheron Constantin Historiques Cornes de vache 1955 drives some collectors mad with lust; the latest steel version is no respite.

Originally available in platinum and then rose gold, the Vacheron Constantin Historiques Cornes de Vache 1955 is a well regarded vintage remake, being well executed and faithful to the original. It’s modelled on the ref. 6087 of the 1950s, which was characterised by pointy, horn-shaped lugs, hence the model name; cornes de vache translates as cow horns. Now it is available in stainless steel, making the Cornes de Vache the second Historiques model to be offered in the metal, after the Historiques 1942 and 1948 triple calendars. The steel case naturally makes it far more accessible, with a retail price that’s a third less than the same in platinum. Material aside, the specs of the new model are identical to the earlier precious metal versions. The case is 38.5mm in diameter, and contains the cal. 1142 movement. Now made in-house by Vacheron Constantin, the cal. 1142 is derived from the Lemania 2310. Vacheron Constantin has upgraded the movement in several ways, most notably with a free-sprung balance wheel. The dial is a pale grey with a fine “velvet” finish and red accents on the elapsed seconds track. All of the applied hour markers are 18k white gold, as are the hands. Notably, this is not the first Cornes de Vache in steel. In 2017 Vacheron Constantin produced a small run of 36 watches – with a steel case and dark grey dial – for American watch blog Hodinkee. Key facts and price Diameter: 38.5mm Height: 10.9mm Material: Stainless steel Water resist...

Generally speaking, watch collectors fear three things: brick walls, unforeseen service costs, and the vagaries of international shipping. I’m not sure about points one and two, but Kelvin has certainly come up against the whims of global logistics conglomerates. But, before you get too stressed out, it’s OK – he won! Or got very lucky, … ContinuedThe post “Somebody at the logistics company had stolen my watch” – or how Kelvin was reunited with his Blancpain  appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

One of the malaises sweeping the Swiss watch industry is, in my oh-so-humble opinion, that of homogeneity. From a distance, the world from the wrist down looks remarkably similar: round, black-dialled steel sports cases in a style that sits somewhere on a spectrum between vaguely retro to full-blown reissue. I’m well aware that this isn’t … ContinuedThe post HANDS-ON: Louis Vuitton Tambour All Black Chronograph 46 appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Memo is a relatively new fragrance house founded in 2007 by John and Clara Molloy. Its latest scent, Luxor Oud, has changed Martin Green's perceptions of agarwood and here he shares why.