Latest watch news · Page 878

Having built a reputation with original timepieces characterised by Neo-Gothic flair, Stepan Sarpaneva celebrates his 20th year in watchmaking with a pair in typical Sarpaneva style – Stardust and Stardust “Nostromo”. Limited to twenty pieces each, the duo embody Sarpaneva’s trademark aesthetic styling in their hand-finished, open-worked dials and Korona case.  Initial thoughts I have long admired Sarpaneva for being different. The man has a unique and often quirky vision of watchmaking that is evident in his timepieces, which are also finished well in terms of cases and dials. While Sarpaneva has not done much in terms of movements, his original approach is very much independent watchmaking. While different from its past offerings, both Stardust variants are still recognisably Sarpaneva with their radial dial motif and sculpted case. Stardust (left) and Stardust “Nostromo” The iridescent colours of the Stardust are not exactly novel, but it is a different take on the fashionable “rainbow” watch and it is certainly executed well since Sarpaneva does impressive dial work in its price segment. On the other hand, the dark colours of the Stardust “Nostromo” give it a more sci-fi feel that goes well with Sarpaneva’s house style. Both Stardust model are priced at €16,500 each, making them slightly affordable than the comparably spec’ed Valterri Bottas “Kilpisjärvi” released last year. While hefty on its face, the price tag is easily justifi...

Norqain and the Hakuna Mipaka Oasis have teamed up again for the Independence 40mm Hakuna Mipaka. The leopard print pattern extends to the soft-touch rubber strap. The watch takes on some more feminine features to coincide with International Women’s Day. The Swahili phrase “hakuna mipaka” translates to “no limits”. This is the slogan for Dean … ContinuedThe post The Norqain Independence 40mm Hakuna Mipaka is a “no limits” watch appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Vacheron Constantin recently opened their brand new flagship boutique in the heart of Sydney’s CBD. To help celebrate the opening, the maison are housing a selection of Heritage High Complication models on the third level of the new boutique. We’ve highlighted four pieces from the exhibition. The watches will be on display for all of … ContinuedThe post Vacheron Constantin display a selection of heritage high complication models in Sydney appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Nearly fifty years since Japanese explorer Naomi Uemura (1941-1984) scaled several of the world’s tallest mountains – and crossed Greenland on a dog sledge with a Seiko on his wrist – Seiko introduces the Prospex 1970 Diver’s Modern Re-interpretation “The Naomi Uemura Limited Edition” (SLA069). Inspired by the ref. 6105 “Captain Willard” that accompanied Uemura on his solo dog sledge run from Greenland to Alaska in 1976, the SLA069 has a mountain-motif dial and blue coating on the bezel and crown. Initial thoughts This limited edition makes sense philosophically since it’s a Japanese watch that pays tribute to a Japanese explorer who wore something similar on his expeditions. The design is obviously based on the ref. 6105, a model commonly referred to as “Captain Willard” by enthusiasts after the lead character who wore one in Apocalypse Now. Seiko has done several ref. 6105 remakes in the recent past, including another Uemura edition, but the SLA069 has details that make it distinctive, like the textured dial and blue access on the case. As a limited edition, the SLA069 is slightly priced higher than regular production “Captain Willard” divers, but not very much more, making it an appealing proposition for someone who wants a retro diver with a few modern details. Willard style Uemura was a legendary explorer known for feats of mountaineering and exploration before disappearing in 1984 while descending Mount Denali after reaching the summit. B...

Not just more, but we're talking a higher-spec Dive-GMT with a brand new movement.

Automatons, or autonomous mechanical objects have a storied history that can be traced all the way back to ancient times. They were mostly modeled after animals, plants or other forms of natural phenomena, amusing and delighting audiences through their seemingly spontaneous movements. Many modern-day automatons follow in this tradition but not Jacob & Co. The […]

Seiko ventures into new (and much requested) territory this week with the release of a new collection of GMT divers within their Prospex family. Using their modern 6159 design language seen in watches like the SPB187 with MM200 roots, the new watches strike a fine balance between their roots, and a strong contemporary vision for the range. Seiko has proven quite adept at this in recent years with their restructuring of their dive watch collections, but these latest examples bring something new to the table: a GMT complication within a new 3 day automatic movement, the 6R54.  The new Prospex GMT diver range welcomes two new references in the SPB381 and 383, and in true Seiko fashion, a single limited edition in the SPB385. Each welcomes the new 6R35 within a steel 42mm case that measures 12.8mm in thickness, and should wear quite similarly to this SPB187 we went hands-on with right here. The angular case gets the distinctive deep chamfer along the lug which has a relatively short overhang to make for a perfectly manageable experience on the wrist. These watches mark the first time a mechanical GMT movement has made its way into the Prospex dive watch, as the GMT diver is something of a niche genre, and may, to some extent, excuse the fact that this is a caller style GMT execution. The GMT hand can be set independently in one-hour increments, making it a better option for those who work with or communicate with other time zones more than for those who travel between them fr...

I prompted AI to make me watches that don't exist yet, and while I wouldn't wear most of them, I had a lot of fun.

The 90s Sporty Collection from G-Shock is a line of watches that pay homage to the iconic designs and colorways of the 1990s. This collection is a throwback to the era of neon colors, oversized clothing, and popular sports like basketball and skateboarding. The coloring of these models is the same as the popular coloring of the G-SHOCK DW001, which went on sale in 1994. The three base models of this lineup are the standard DW5600, the front button DW6900Y, and the Analog-Digital GA110Y. These cool designs provide a choice of variations that accentuate any style or fashion. The 90s Sporty Collection from G-Shock is a line of watches that pay homage to the iconic designs and colorways of the 1990s. This collection is a throwback to the era of neon colors, oversized clothing, and popular sports like basketball and skateboarding. The coloring of these models is the same as the popular coloring of the G-SHOCK DW001, which went on sale in 1994. The three base models of this lineup are the standard DW5600, the front button DW6900Y, and the Analog-Digital GA110Y. These cool designs provide a choice of variations that accentuate any style or fashion. The post The 90’s Are Back! – Check Out These New G-Shocks In The Windup Watch Shop appeared first on Worn & Wound.

It's called The Road Through America. And you're invited to come along for the ride.

For me, this International Women’s Day feels somehow different or perhaps more poignant to previous years in our horological microcosm. That’s because, I think, perhaps we are seeing a shift in the way that women and indeed the larger concept of gender is portrayed in watch culture. For over a century, watches have been clearly … ContinuedThe post Some reflections on female watches on International Women’s Day appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

For this 28-year-old watchmaker, crafting a timepiece by hand is more than a personal goal. It's an opportunity to teach others how to make modern watches in the purest way possible.

The Lamborghini Miura is something a legend, and not just of its era. It is arguably among the most beautiful sports cars ever produced, and set the template for the rear mid-engined two seat supercar. Fewer than 1,000 Miura’s were produced between 1966 and 1973, and tend to fetch 7 figure sums when they appear at auction. While the car is firmly out of reach for many of us, Atelier Jalaper has found a way to incorporate a small piece of that car into the dial of a watch called the AJ-P400. Like the car, the watch will be quite limited in production, naturally, as parts of the car aren’t exactly easy to come by. The watch takes other design cues from the Miura, and brings it all together in a mostly respectful manner.  The AJ-P400 is offered 4 colorways, each a take on the colors seen on the original Miura, including light blue, green, and orange joining a full black dial. The inspiration appears to be Azzuro Mexico for the blue, Verde Rio Metalizzato for the green, and of course, Arancio for the orange, though none look to be dead ringers for the distinctive paint codes. The color is used sparingly, only found in the chapter ring rehaut at the dial’s perimeter. Given the colors, it’s plenty to make a statement, however. The star of the show is the central dial piece, which is a piece of an actual Lamborghini Miura, according to the brand. According to Atelier Jalaper, it took them over a year before finding what they were looking for in France, and what they foun...

Reservoir continues its streak of car inspired dials with a new lineup based on the design and colours of the tachymeter of the legendary Porsche 365.

Kim Kardashian clearly has an eye for a watch with rich provenance and a historical tale to tell.The post Kim Kardashian has quietly built a watch collection worthy of a billionaire appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Responsible for some of the most reliable and well-priced diver watches on the market, Seiko is synonymous with the genre. The Japanese watchmaker continues to expand its dive watch offerings, but now with a second time zone complication. A “modern reinterpretation” of its Hi-Beat 300 m dive watch from 1968, the Prospex 1968 Diver’s GMT is the first mechanical dual-time zone dive watch in Seiko’s Prospex sports watch collection. The SPB383 Initial thoughts Arguably the collection offering the best value in Seiko’s line-up, Prospex is going slightly upscale with the second time zone movement, while maintaining its strong price-performance ratio. The standout among the new models is the SPB381 with its deep green dial. While the limited edition SPB385 with its textured, “ice blue” dial is undoubtedly fancier, the SPB381 is clean and functional but appealing with its palette. The SPB381 Though it is a two-time zone watch, the Diver’s GMT is still primarily a dive watch. So it retains the traditional elapsed time bezel and clever places the 24-hour scale on the flange around the dial. That said, the Diver’s GMT is more accurately a dual time zone watch with an independently adjustable 24-hour hand, rather than a true GMT that has an adjustable local-time hour hand (as found in pricier Grand Seiko models). This means a few extra steps when setting the time for a change in time zones, though it is a perfectly acceptable compromise considering the price. At U...

The importance of the water source for distilleries is well-known and crucial for style and quality. How special, then, for a distillery to have access to the melted snow from Mt Fuji, but only after those waters have spent fifty years filtering their way down to an aquifer 100 meters below the Distillery, for its sole use.

Well, it wasn't the solid-gold Swatch some were hoping for – but this collector had to have it anyway. Read on for coverage of the scenes in both Tokyo and London.

Popular for making artisanal dials affordable, Seiko’s Presage Craftsmanship series has been facelifted for the 110th anniversary of the brand’s first watch. The dials continue to be decorated with techniques ranging from fired enamel to Japanese lacquer, but the Presage case has been refined into an all-new design. The restyled Presage is making its debut as a quartet of limited editions with dials in fired enamel (SPB393), traditional lacquer known as urushi (SPB395), Arita porcelain (SPB397), and translucent Shippo enamel (SPB399). The Shippo enamel dial of the SPB399 Initial thoughts Amongst the most affordable watches with fancy dials, the Presage Craftsmanship series has always been a good value proposition. Made with artisanal techniques typically found on pricier watches, the dials are all impressively executed especially considering the price, which starts at US$1,450 for the enamel dial SPB393 and tops out at US$2,050 for the SPB399 with a Shippo enamel dial. While the dial work was always impressive, earlier models had cases that were simple in form and somewhat chunky. Now Seiko has solved that with a redesigned case that appears thinner and more refined. The new case style makes it debut on this quartet but given its merits will inevitably become standard for future Presage Craftsmanship models. Due to the 6R series movements within, the new case is still large (the larger model is almost 41 mm wide and over 14 mm high) but it has been significantly r...

Introducing the Seiko SLA069 Naomi Uemura Limited Edition, with cues of glacial colours Inspired by the conquests of one of Japan’s best-known explorers Powered by a GS-derived automatic movement, the Caliber 8L35 Naomi Uemura was a man of focus, commitment and sheer will. He was the first person to solo-climb Denali, the highest mountain peak … ContinuedThe post The Seiko SLA069 Naomi Uemura pays homage to Japan’s most famed explorer appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Ok. So we just published a story on the new Swatch x Omega MoonSwatch Moonshine, honing in on the reactions we compiled upon its unveiling. In the story, Zach touched upon a cheeky FAQ list we shared on Instagram. Interestingly, while we disclosed this was genuinely a Swatch-supplied frequently asked questions list, its rather playful … ContinuedThe post The Swatch x Omega MoonSwatch Moonshine FAQ is not a joke. Here’s proof appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Oh, the Swatch x Omega MoonSwatch. Around this time last year, the unveiling of the concept and original collection was a massive moment for the watch space – the ripples of which extended far beyond the niche of watch enthusiasm. Massive queues, a lack of accessibility, while the launch certainly stirred up a lot of … ContinuedThe post Your reactions to the Swatch x Omega MoonSwatch Moonshine – the good, the bad, and the indifferent appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Mido had a bonafide hit on their hands in 2020 with Ocean Star Decompression Timer, a colorful skin diver based on the original Ocean Star divers from the 1960s. The brightly colored sectors allow divers to time decompression stops by sight, but for those of us who tend to spend most of our time topside, it was just a fun way to incorporate some color into a style of watch that sometimes veers toward the sober. The viral success of that release (it sold out quickly and seemed to dominate Instagram for a brief period of time) makes it somewhat surprising that Mido hasn’t returned to the format more frequently in the years since, but here we are with what I think many would argue feels like a natural follow up.  The Ocean Star Decompression Worldtimer takes the colorful sector layout of the Decompression Timer and applies it to another complication altogether. The execution is actually rather simple, even if the dial appears to be extremely complicated. In the dial’s interior, we have the same decompression table as seen in the prior version of the watch. But at the perimeter, Mido has added a 24 hour scale, and instead of a traditional dive bezel, we get a rotating city ring for time indication. Importantly, the bezel maintains a minute scale, with 10 minute intervals marked off in the midst of international cities, which means you could still use this watch as a dive tool if you needed to.  The dial is a lot of fun, and if you were drawn to the original, there’s a ...

Last year, I wrote about the Taucher 2 from Heinrich – a moderately sized dive watch packed with retro touches, even if not all of them were to my taste. Today, I’m looking at the next step in the evolution of the Taucher 2 line. There are a lot of similarities between the two models, but a few obvious changes as well – and not just the addition of a GMT hand. So, how does the Taucher 2 GMT stack up? Heinrich Watches are making this GMT available in three varieties. All are the same in terms of case and bracelet and differ only in the dial, and chapter ring, color. I’ve been spending some time with the ‘safe bet’ black dial as well as the more adventurous blue and yellow combination. These two are also joined by a white dial with a blue and white ‘Pepsi’ colored chapter ring. Each of the two models I’ve looked at not only differs in color scheme but also in texture. The blue dial gets a sunburst pattern, while the black dial is treated to something a little more unusual. The three-dimensional pattern resembles Clous de Paris, but on an enlarged scale, and with a curved pattern that brings to mind the lines of longitude and latitude as they span the globe. Such an impression is no bad thing on a GMT watch. $1500 [Hands-On] The Heinrich Taucher 2, Now in GMT Guise Case Stainless Steel Movement Sellita SW330-2 Elaboré Dial Black, Blue or White Lume BGW9 SuperLuminova Lens Sapphire Strap Stainless steel Water Resistance 200M Dimensions 41x43mm Thickness 14mm...

But hurry, because it's (literally) only available today.