Deployant
Armchair Picks: Kunal Khemka’s 3 of the best from Watches & Wonders 2023
Our contributor, Kunal makes his top 3 picks from the watches revealed during last week's Watches & Wonders. From Rolex, Chopard and JLC.
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Deployant
Our contributor, Kunal makes his top 3 picks from the watches revealed during last week's Watches & Wonders. From Rolex, Chopard and JLC.
Quill & Pad
Pierce Brosnan’s personal and professional timepieces have included big names like Rolex, Cartier, Omega, Jaeger-LeCoultre, and Panerai, but also intriguingly Speake-Marin. What influence do the roles he plays have on his personal watch taste? Martin Green provides the answer.
Revolution
See the new Chopard novelties up close with Chopard President Karl-Friedrich Scheufele and Revolution Founder Wei Koh. At Watches and Wonders 2023, Mr Scheufele and his vaunted brand unveiled the Chopard Alpine Eagle XPS with salmon dial, which is driven by the chronometer-certified L.U.C 96.40-L movement with 65 hours of power reserve; and the high-frequency […]
SJX Watches
One of the strongest value propositions at Watches & Wonders is from an unsurprising contender, Tudor. Not entirely new but still compelling, the Black Bay GMT is a new version of the brand’s travel staple, now facelifted with a silver dial that brings to mind the mythical Rolex GMT-Master “Pan Am”. Initial thoughts Since its release in 2018, the Black Bay GMT has been a crowd pleaser, and the newest variant will be as well. Its tangible features like the in-house calibre are obvious, and less apparent is the subtle historical connection. While a silver dial on a sport watch isn’t novel, this is particularly notable for the unspoken reference to the historical Rolex GMT-Master with a white dial reputedly made for Pan American Airways. The fact that the GMT-Master “Pan Am” is so famous yet controversial in terms of provenance gives this Black Bay GMT an amusing and interesting historical angle. Apart from the dial, there is no difference between this and the version with a black dial that came before. The price remains unchanged, and it still offers great value for money. The only criticism that I have is the same as for the earlier version: the case is chunky at 41 mm in diameter; the case is thick as well. I’m certain a more compact Tudor GMT model will arrive one day, especially with the just-launched Black Bay 54 that is 37 mm. Opaline dial The dial on the new Black Bay GMT retains the same dial layout with “snowflake” hands, including its lozen...
Hodinkee
The line represents TAG Heuer's answer to the colorful Rolex Oyster Perpetuals and Omega Aqua Terras.
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Worn & Wound
Christopher Ward’s C63 Sealander, the brand’s value oriented, all purpose sports watch that debuted in April 2021, is getting an upgrade this week, and for a good cause. With all of the press concerning Christopher Ward’s Bel Canto at the end of last year, it would be easy to forget that they have another, perhaps even more significant, horological achievement in the Calibre SH21 movement. This five day, chronometer certified movement is the brand’s flagship, and the first industrialized mechanical caliber from a British watch brand in fifty years. It’s genuinely historic, so when they put it in a watch for the first time, it’s a special occasion by default. These new Sealanders live up to the occasion not just in terms of design and aesthetics, but by being the face of a worthy charitable endeavor as well. The C63 SH21 Blue Marine is the latest watch that Christopher Ward has made in partnership with the Blue Marine Foundation, a marine conservation organization that the brand has worked with several times. For this release, 5% of the sale price of Blue Marine watch will go back to the organization to benefit their efforts around cleaning the ocean of rising levels of plastics. Similarly, the C63 SH21 Snow Leopard is being launched with the David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation, another longtime Christopher Ward charitable partner. The DSWF is a wildlife charity that funds conservation projects throughout Africa and Asia, and for this release 5% of the sale of ...
Worn & Wound
Watches & Wonders is fast approaching, and that means one thing: we’re running out of time to make predictions. It seems like everyone has some ideas about what we might see later this month in Geneva from Rolex, Tudor, Patek Philippe, and others, and that certainly includes the Worn & Wound editorial team. The key difference, as podcast listeners are well aware, is that we have a demonstrated history of being completely, 100%, wrong. Here now are our wildest thoughts on what we might see at Watches & Wonders in just a few short weeks. These might seem a little crazy, but would you really have thought Rolex might release a lefty GMT at this time last year? We didn’t think so. Zach Weiss I’m really not good at making predictions for Watch & Wonders or other release events, and this year, half of the brands have already unveiled at least something coming up already (we keep embargos, so don’t even ask). That said, last year I did jokingly say in the office that if Tudor came out with a BlackBay 58 with a GMT and a steel bezel, I’d buy it, assuming the notion was too absurd. Sadly, that’s not in writing, so you’ll have to take my word for it, but I did follow through with the BBPro purchase. Anyway, I’m not making any such promises this year. Last year was one of big releases as it was the first true-Swiss tradeshow post-Covid lockdown. This year, I don’t think we’re going to see such exciting launches in general. So, prediction one is just a more ordi...
Hodinkee
The Rolex Daytona isn't the only chronograph ready for your wrist.
Hodinkee
I didn't forget about vintage Rolex or Heuer either.
Hodinkee
Two editors share their favorite V-Day picks and what follows is some agreement, some disagreement, some Cartier, some Rolex, and lots of hearts.
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Time+Tide
Rolex and Omega are the Coke and Pepsi of the watch industry. As two of the biggest brands in the world, they are constantly pitted up against one another head to head. Since the brand’s inception, Rolex has been known for incremental progress and updates. Omega, on the other hand, has taken more risks and … ContinuedThe post HANDS-ON: The Omega Speedmaster Super Racing is the brand’s most accurate watch yet appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Hodinkee
From the expected (vintage Rolex, Patek, and Cartier) to the unexpected (unique Parmigiani, Franck Muller, and Breguet) rare watches were on wrists and on sale in Miami Beach.
SJX Watches
The world’s biggest luxury-watch fair, Watches & Wonders (W&W;), is set to take place in Geneva from March 27 to April 2, 2023 at the Palexpo convention centre. The successor to both SIHH and Baselworld, W&W; will see forty-eight brands showcase their latest. This year’s exhibitors include Rolex, Patek Philippe, Chanel, as well as the the big luxury groups, namely Richemont, which owns Cartier, Vacheron Constantin, and A. Lange & Söhne, and LVMH, owner of TAG Heuer, Zenith, and Hublot. W&W; will be open to the public on its final two days of April 1 and 2. Tickets, however, will be required to attend W&W;. They will be available for purchase on the W&W; website starting February 1, 2023, at 12 pm (GMT+1). A ticket costs CHF 70, similar to that of Baselworld. Beyond the fair in Palexpo, W&W; also encompasses events in the city centre meant to enhance accessibility. Exhibiting brands with boutiques along Rue du Rhône and Rues Basses, adjacent streets in Geneva’s prime shopping area, will stage their own events and exhibitions in their stores. At the same time, the organising body of W&W; will have talks and panel discussions at its headquarters at Pont de la Machine. The public days of W&W; bring it closer to the Baselworld model, which historically opened its doors to one and all, both in terms of exhibitors and visitors. As a result, Baselworld enjoyed a six-figure visitors numbers in its best years (though its exhibitors included the jewellery trade and suppliers). In ...
Hodinkee
CP Time cofounder Albert Coombs walks us through his Pateks, Rolex, and a precious family watch.
Time+Tide
Two dive watches have long battled for the title of the original diver’s watch: the Rolex Submariner and the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms. Technicalities can drag this debate into murky deep waters, but irrefutably the pair are the founding blueprints of what we all expect from a dive watch. Born in 1953, the Fifty Fathoms has … ContinuedThe post What is so special about the new Blancpain Fifty Fathoms 70th Anniversary Act 1? appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
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Time+Tide
Omega’s main point of distinction in the modern era is their METAS-certified Master Chronometer co-axial movements. They have superb build qualities inside and out, and are wonderfully decorated – albeit industrially. But, the Omega Speedmaster 321 was an incredibly well-received novelty upon its debut in 2020 thanks to its heritage qualities rather than a future-forward … ContinuedThe post HANDS-ON: The Omega Speedmaster 321 is the grail-Speedy of the modern catalogue appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
Anyone who knows me knows I’m a sucker for all things 007. The action, the intrigue, the charm, the gadgets… and most of all, the watches. The Rolex Submariner, the Breitling Top Time, the Omega Seamaster, the Seiko Golden Tuna, and even the Gruen Precision dress watch from Dr No, they’ve all shaken my martini. … ContinuedThe post The TAG Heuer Aquaracer Night Diver recreates a cruelly overlooked Bond watch appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
Having covered the year’s best from independent watchmaking, we now turn to the big names (but leaving out the value buys below US$5,000 that we cover in a subsequent story). The notable launches from establishment marques were predominantly evolutionary, either new-and-improved versions of existing models or vintage remakes. Nothing was a landmark achievement – except for the monumental Rolex Deepsea Challenge that is less of a watch than a statement of technical prowess. While not strikingly novel, many of the year’s best watches are executed very, very well. One of the best is the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Extra-Thin ref. 16202. Practically unchanged from the 1972 original in terms of design, it doesn’t do anything new in terms of design. The the new “Jumbo” nonetheless is a superior watch, mainly thanks to a brand-new movement as well as subtle improvements to the case. As we detailed in our in-depth review, the “Jumbo” retains the look of the original, right down to the colour of the dial, which is reproduced with PVD treatment. But it is the new cal. 7121 that’s the star. Amongst the things, it boasts an efficient, bi-directional winding system, as well as a higher beat rate for the balance wheel, resulting in more stable timekeeping. But perhaps most important is the addition of a quick-set date. While getting this watch at the retail price is a Sisyphean task, it is one of the year’s top watches simply because it makes a classic much better....
And my mom's Rolex Yacht-Master started it all.
Hodinkee
Pack some comfortable shoes, grab your raincoat, and leave your Rolex at home. This London native is taking you on a (totally unbiased!) horological tour of the greatest city in the world.
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Hodinkee
Here's a first look back at 2022 – and a preview of our forthcoming superlative awards.
Quill & Pad
Ian has a fairly narrow frame of reference when it comes to buying watches for himself: his taste runs to independents, in-house movements, and superlative hand-finishing. So why on earth did he buy a Corum Bubble, which is from a big (for him) brand and outfitted with an ETA 2892 movement with an industrial finish? And it's huge!
SJX Watches
Having delved into the origins, concept, and design of the Grand Seiko Kodo Constant-Force Tourbillon SLGT003, we now turn to the granularity of its technical qualities. The Kodo is first and foremost a chronometer in the vein of the watches that lay behind the founding of Grand Seiko (GS). A brand focused on precision timekeeping since its establishment in 1960, the opening act of GS in its first decade was competing in observatory chronometer trials at Neuchatel and Geneva – and winning, much to the horror of the Swiss. Several decades later the brand is still pursuing perfect accuracy in both mechanical, quartz, and hybrid formats, most notably with the novel Spring Drive. The Kodo powered by the cal. 9ST1 is the latest, and arguably greatest, endeavour in chronometric precision from GS. But it is like no GS that has come before it. Rather than rely on modern technology and materials, the Kodo instead revisits traditional mechanical solutions, namely as the constant-force mechanism and tourbillon. Combining the two in a wristwatch mark a milestone for GS, or any Japanese watchmaker for that matter. To understand the mechanical systems within the Kodo, we must first understand the fundamental challenges in precision timekeeping. The factors that influence precision fall into two categories, the first related to the barrel or energy supply, and the second, gravity’s effect on the balance or oscillator. Energy challenges The barrel is the source of energy in a conve...
Time+Tide
The IWC Portugieser collection is rooted in both class and utility. It was an elegant solution, originally presented in 1939, due to demand for a marine-deck chronometer experience that could be translated into a wristwatch. It was oversized for its time – a rather sporty characteristic – but still every bit as elegant as its … ContinuedThe post HANDS-ON: The new IWC Portugeiser Chronograph IW371620 is a near-perfect warm weather watch appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Quill & Pad
Ferdinand Berthoud was known for passing on his knowledge, taking in his first apprentice shortly after he opened his first workshop, which resulted in H.M.8, a fantastically accurate ship's chronometer. The new FB 2RSM.2-1 is the modern spiritual successor to the H.M.8 and it originated with a modern apprentice.
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