Latest watch news · Page 476

2024 was all about the Portugieser at IWC, the brand’s most classic and elegant collection. Of course, the star of the show was the Portugieser Eternal Calendar, a secular calendar watch that made it to our list of the best watches of the year. There were many more updated versions of this emblematic watch launched […]

We dive into the history of one of the oldest and most influential watchmakers in the world, this 'Holy Trinity' brand.The post The history of Vacheron Constantin, the oldest brand of the Holy Trinity appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

In 2014, Girard-Perregaux induced triple-takes at Baselworld with its Tri-Axial Tourbillon. While the name is clinically literal, the romance is in the dance. And GP’s mega-watch is a thrilling dance partner.

Presented in 2024, the Cimier 711 Heritage Chronograph is a modern reinterpretation of one of the brand’s 1960’s models, the Faux Chronographe, a simplified and affordable take on the chronograph watch. Produced in large quantities, it allowed users to measure short time intervals by initiating and halting the independent central seconds hand. If the modern […]

We’re finally back with another episode of Fratello On Air after a lengthy break from the holidays, illness, and travel! This week, we’re reflecting on 2024 and some key events that shaped the year. Enjoy the episode, and we look forward to 2025! For our listeners, the watch content begins after 27 minutes. This podcast […] Visit Fratello On Air: Reflecting On 2024 to read the full article.

Looking for the bi-metal look, all under the benchmark of US$3,000?The post These 5 affordable two-tone watches have all the swagger, but just a little bit of the cost appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

We kick off the first Tuesday of 2025 with a reader’s story on his Speedmaster. This week’s contribution comes from Ricardo Rio, who resides in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Ricardo has been part of the Speedy Tuesday community for a long time. He has a professional background in sports and joined BMX Freestyle cyclist José Torres […] Visit A Speedmaster Collector’s Story - Marking A Special Olympic Moment to read the full article.

Let me set the stage for you: somewhere in Switzerland, a Longines executive is sitting in a leather chair, sipping espresso, and staring out over the Alps. “What if,” they muse, “we take a perfectly good dive watch, strip it of its most basic functionality, make it out of fancy plastic, and charge five grand for it?” Cue applause from the boardroom, a slow clap from a guy in a turtleneck, and voilà-the Longines Ultra-Chron Carbon is born.

I was happy to see Peter Speake return with PS Horology and the Tsuba. Peter was one of the first independent watchmakers I got to know well on a personal basis, and I have followed his career for almost two decades now. I first met Peter sometime in 2005, either at Baselworld (it was my first time there) or in Singapore during his regular round-the-world tours. He was then a fresh face in independent watchmaking, having just founded his brand Speake-Marin in 2002. In the context of the period, when independent watchmaking was a truly niche segment, Peter was a star (although he is modest enough he might disagree). Founded by Peter and Daniela Marin, who were then married, Speake-Marin was a promising brand with many of the ingredients for success, including a strong aesthetic (thick, chunky, and ETA-based but I liked it), good watchmaking and quality thanks to Peter’s own skill, and of course Peter himself – the personality is as important as the product in independent watchmaking. The unique Majestic Monkey of 2008, one of the first custom Speake-Marin watches I saw in person Peter was not the only watchmaker I met around that time, but I got to know him better than most other indie watchmakers, as a result of an annual watch fair that took place in Kuala Lumpur, the Malaysian capital. Known as A Journey Through Time (AJTT), the watch fair was staged by YTL Corporation, a Malaysian conglomerate with diversified interests ranging from power generation to luxury shoppi...

Spending some time with one of my favorite releases from last year.

Since I picked up the Zeitwinkel 273° Saphir Fumé in the fall of last year, I’ve been meaning to write something about it. It’s an incredible watch, probably the best I’ve owned, and I feel lucky to have it. That’s a strange thing to say, I know. I’m sure Zeitwinkel would happily sell this watch to anyone who was willing to provide the agreed upon amount of money – luck doesn’t really have that much to do with it. But there are things about this watch that are special and set it apart from other watchers I’ve owned that make having it in my watch box and on my wrist a unique pleasure.  This isn’t an owner’s review, because what I really want to talk about with respect to the 273° aren’t the specs, or the finishing, or even the experience of wearing it (all are great, by the way). What I want to talk about is the strange route I took to focusing on Zeitwinkel and picking the 273°. It echoes, I think, the piece I wrote at the end of last year for our “My Year in Watches” series, where I talked about a renewed focus on independent brands. Zeitwinkel is about as independent as it gets, and that’s a big reason why this watch resonates with me – it reflects the very specific interests of the brand founders, and represents a certain no-compromises approach to watchmaking that can’t easily be found with brands owned by big luxury groups, and certainly not at the price point of the 273°.  I’ll be honest here and admit that I was largely unfa...

About a month ago, out of the blue, Omega released a new, rather polarizing and unique-looking version of its emblematic chronograph, the Speedmaster Pilot Flight Qualified. Well, it wasn’t really out of the blue, but we’ll come back on that in a few. Colourful, tool-oriented and with a dial full of references to the world of […]

If 2024 was defined by the rise of shaped cases and stone dials, it appears that 2025 is starting off with more of the same. Last year, Toledano & Chan had an unexpected hit with their debut watch, the B/1, which was a contemporary riff on the classic Rolex King Midas and similar avant garde designs, with a Brutalist inspired case shape and on-trend lapis lazuil dial. Now, for the brand’s second serialized release (they produced a pair of one-offs for auction last year  with cases crafted from carbon and meteorite) they’ve made a handful of subtle refinements to the original idea, added a mother-of-pearl dial, and introduced a dramatic, faceted crystal. It’s a more complex idea but shows in clear terms how the brand might grow with future releases, showing that they have plenty of tricks left up their sleeve and intend to keep their momentum going.  The new watch, dubbed the B/1.2, prominently features an asymmetrical sapphire crystal that echoes the lines of the angular case. Faceted and asymmetrical crystals are rare in watchmaking. Production of crystals in unusual shapes, particularly when made from sapphire, is challenging and expensive. Perhaps even more importantly, a crystal with facets will distort, to some degree, whatever is viewed through it, which is not ideal for time telling. It’s perhaps especially not ideal for time telling on a watch with a dial that does not include markers or numerals of any kind, like the B/1.2. But that underscores the whole...

Drawing on Speake's fascination with Asian history and culture, the Tsuba is the first release from his new venture.

This second release reveals a softer side of the brand's Brutalist inspired design.

Over the holiday break, I frequented the local Chinese restaurant not once, not twice, but three times. And each time, before my General Tso was brought to the table, I would pore over the paper placemat, going to the list of everyone’s birth year in my head. Oh, he’s definitely a horse, I’d think. Her? A dragon…eh, I don’t see it. I, myself, am a Sheep, which makes sense considering I’m pretty much useless and wear a lot of wool. But the real star of the show is the Snake. Representing wisdom, rebirth, and vitality – I’m cautiously optimistic about what 2025 may bring for us. And that optimism is only fortified by the string of new watches that are coming from Longines right out of the gate for the New Year. Their latest limited-edition, a Conquest Heritage model designed to honor the Chinese zodiac, is a bold, thoughtful design, and a welcome addition to this year’s Lunar New Year offerings from some of our favorite brands.  What’s noticeable first about this new edition to the Conquest Heritage line-up is the sunray gradient dial that’s as eye-catching as it is unique. Being a traditional color in the Chinese New Year tradition, red seems a fitting choice that also helps to set this specific reference apart from the more neutral dial colors of the line, which is all beige, black, and silvers. The gradient is a particularly smart choice, giving the lumed gold indices room to shine, while not being too vibrant against the stainless steel case. On th...

Let’s get one thing straight. I have been a proud lefty for my entire life, and I would never dream of abandoning my roots. If you’re a southpaw who feels betrayed by this article, just know that I would have felt exactly the same way before this happened to me. The wrist we wear our … ContinuedThe post Why I converted wrists, and how it could happen to you appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

The Chinese Lunar New Year is just around the corner, and on the 29th of January, the Chinese zodiac welcomes the Year of the Snake. To celebrate the event, Longines unveils a 2,025-piece limited edition of its Conquest Heritage with a rich red gradient dial and a special engraving on the caseback of a snake […]

Peter Speake returns withPS Horology and released a new collection with two models: the Tsuba Blue and the Tsuba Dong Son.

On the back of the hefty, 10-year LVMH-Formula 1 sponsorship deal signed last year, TAG Heuer now returns as the official timekeeper of Formula 1, just in time for the sport’s 75th anniversary in 2025. This is a homecoming of sorts of TAG Heuer, which was official timekeeper for F1 for a decade from 1992. In fact, the brand’s roots in motorsports go back several decades - Heuer was the first luxury watch brand to display its logo on a Formula 1 car in 1969, and the first to sponsor a team in 1971 when it partnered with Scuderia Ferrari. And TAG Heuer famously signed Ayrton Senna as an ambassador in 1988, just before he became a champion driver. Jack Heuer (centre, in blue) at Ferrari in Maranello In fact, the brand name itself references F1: well before TAG Group acquired Heuer in 1985, the Saudi-owned group was already shareholder in McLaren and only sold its stake in the automaker and racing team last year. TAG Heuer’s return to F1 comes at an opportune time, with the sport having evolved into a global entertainment franchise under the ownership of Liberty Media. According to F1, it now boasts an audience of 750 million fans, many of whom are drawn into the sport by the hit Netflix series, and also an upcoming film starring Brad Pitt.  

Oris proudly introduced its ProPilot X Calibre 115 in 2019. The launch event back then took place in Shanghai, China. Now, five years later, the brand introduces a new limited edition of its impressive ProPilot X with a 10-day power reserve for the upcoming Chinese New Year. According to the Chinese, 2025 will be the […] Visit Introducing: The Oris ProPilot X Calibre 115 Year Of The Snake Limited Edition to read the full article.

In an unexpected move and with great noise, LVMH officialised a partnership that was rumoured to be closed for several weeks in October last year. Indeed, LVMH, the world’s largest luxury conglomerate, officially signed on as a Global Partner of Formula 1 in a groundbreaking 10-year deal, with what was certainly one of the most […]

1940s chronograph, but make it colourful: DeMarco takes 1940s pilot's chrono inspiration and conveys it in a modern mechaquartz manner.The post The DeMarco Chronograph makes a strong and affordable debut appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Peter Speake has been captivating watch enthusiasts for over three decades, primarily through the creations of Speake Marin, the brand he co-founded and helmed as a watchmaker from 2002 to 2017. In 2022, Speake launched his new venture, PS Horology, and the brand’s debut timepieces – the Tsuba Blue and Tsuba Dong Son editions – […]

Independents are getting ever more hot. Here are five of our favourites from last year.The post Our favourite independent brand watches of 2024 appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.