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Zirconium-dioxide sintered ceramic; scratch-proof, colour-fast. Rado 1986, Rolex Cerachrom 2005.
Moser's wildest Streamliner yet pairs a flying tourbillon skeleton with a ceramic case, all under the Alpine F1 banner
A 250-piece limited edition in dark blue ceramic that gives Bremont's 500m diver a more wearable, less tactical personality
The Swiss micro-brand goes harder with its ceramic sports watch, adding motorsport-inspired red accents, a matte black case, and a COSC-certified movement to the mix.
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The Chanel J12 is once more available with an 18K gold bezel and accents The gold details help the unisex watch lean into its feminine aspects It’s still a fully-specced dive watch with 200m of water resistance Since the reintroduction of the Chanel J12 in 2019, there’s been a lot of focus given to the … ContinuedThe post A touch of gold for the ceramic Chanel J12 appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
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The Skyline series gets two new models, decked out in sinister full black ceramic The Defy Skyline Skeleton Black Ceramic is a real contender among stealth-wealth showpieces Both models are powered by time-only El Primero calibres Zenith’s Defy collection has gone over to the dark side for Watches and Wonders. The brand has just released … ContinuedThe post Zenith’s Defy Skyline Black Ceramic models cross over to the dark side of horology appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Worn & Wound
It’s a good time to be an Aston Martin fan. Review embargoes finally lifted on their next generation hypercar, the Valkyrie (spoiler alert, it’s bonkers); their Formula 1 team is showing a shocking amount of pace with the legendary Spainiard, Fernando Alonso (don’t call him old) at the wheel; and finally, as of today, that iconic Aston Martin Racing Green is now available in the new fully ceramic Laureato from Girard-Perregaux. The Laureato is low key one of the great integrated sport watches at the high end, and this is the first time it’s been offered in AMR green, as well as being fully rendered in ceramic. The newest limited edition additions to the Laureato range will be offered in both the 38mm and 42mm sizing, mirroring what is currently offered elsewhere in the collection. More options is never a bad thing in our book, though in my brief time with the watch I found the 38mm to wear exceptionally well given the shape of the case. Unlike other integrated watches, the Laureato manages the lug transition in a way that more closely resembles the footprint of a more traditional lug placement, leading to a more ‘true to size’ experience with the watch. With that in mind, the 42mm doesn’t wear overly large, and given the weight of the watches will not present much in the way of heft, either. Both sizes are relatively scant, with the 42mm measuring 11mm in thickness, and the 38mm measuring a hair over 10mm in thickness. With a case and bracelet constructed o...
Deployant
Rado releases a new Captain Cook, in ceramic, as an extension to the 4 models released in the High-Tech Ceramic Edition in 2021.
Hodinkee
For the first time, the Offshore is fully back in black (ceramic, that is).
SJX Watches
Amongst the usual Royal Oaks just debuted by Audemars Piguet (AP) is the Royal Oak Offshore Selfwinding Chronograph 42mm Black Ceramic. It’s the very first Offshore entirely in ceramic – both the case and bracelet are ceramic, as are the pushers and crown. And like all newer Offshore 42 mm models, it’s powered by the in-house cal. 4404. Initial thoughts The new Offshore is a straightforward proposition – monochromatic in black and white, and mostly ceramic. It’s essentially the original Offshore in a fancier execution, both in terms of materials as well as the movement. So you appreciate the relative simplicity of the original Offshore design, this is easy to like. Part of the appeal comes from the material. The all-black ceramic livery suits the no-frills aesthetic of the original Offshore well. At the same time, AP excels at finishing ceramic so the case and bracelet have the same lustrous surfaces as their metal counterparts. As a result, the watch has a tangible, tactile quality that is appealing. That said, ceramic is slightly glossier than metal, so the brushed surfaces don’t have the same matte finish as the metal equivalents. The only downside is the price – CHF70,000 before taxes. That’s almost double the model in steel and only a little less than the version in rose gold. According to AP that’s due to the difficulty of finishing the ceramic bracelet, but the price is still difficult to rationalise. Ceramic end to end While AP does offer Royal Oa...
Deployant
Hublot launches a new Spirit of Big Bang in black ceramic to celebrate the Year of the Rabbit in a collaboration with Chinese artist Wen Na.
Time+Tide
The new Hermes H08 case uses three materials: rose gold, titanium, and ceramic We dig the H08 collection for its sporty chic look that’s distinct to the brand This new model is approximately twice the price of the previous titanium models Within the sports watch category a lot of designs can look similar. For example, … ContinuedThe post INTRODUCING: The new Hermès H08 in rose gold, titanium and ceramic offers a refreshing take on sporty chic appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Revolution
Grail Watch is proud to unveil the sophomore release of Chapter 1: Dream Collaborations between Bell & Ross, the brand that broke the mold in the ’90s and 2000s with their aviation-inspired designs, and our artist-in-residence and watch design extraordinaire, Alain Silberstein. Grail Watch 4 is a trilogy of watches rendered in black ceramic and […]
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Ball may not be the most recognisable name in Swiss watchmaking, but their heritage goes all the way back to 1891, and the heyday of railroad timers. In fact, due to an Ohio railroad collision (the Great Kipton Train Wreck), founder Webb C. Ball, a well-known jeweler, instituted a railroad timekeeping standard to prevent future … ContinuedThe post VIDEO: The Ball Engineer Hydrocarbon DeepQuest II Ceramic is a beast of a dive watch – and that’s a good thing appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
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After rolling out the Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar in black and then white ceramic – making them the first all-ceramic Royal Oaks – Audemars Piguet put new colours on hiatus, until now. The Le Brassus watchmaker has just unveiled the Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar ref. 26579CS in blue ceramic, making it the first Royal Oak entirely in coloured ceramic (aside from black or white). Initial thoughts Though ceramic has long been a favoured case material at Audemars Piguet (AP), it is typically employed for certain components, usually the bezel, to create two-tone appearance. AP has rarely made entirely watches in ceramic until recently. Even now AP only has eight Royal Oak models entirely in ceramic, out of dozens of references in total. And of the eight, six are black ceramic. So the latest Royal Oak is special just because of the colour. Admittedly, the colour is not unique in watchmaking. And the all-blue aesthetic is certainly polarising. But an all-ceramic Royal Oak is always attractive in terms of look and feel, because the case and bracelet finishing is exemplary. More broadly, the electric blue Royal Oak perhaps captures the zeitgeist of contemporary watch collecting perfectly with its brash colour, unusual materials, and integrated bracelet – it is a watch of the times. It costs CHF129,000, making it more expensive than the equivalents in steel or titanium, but there’s nothing else quite like it, which helps make the price a bit more digestible. High-tech blue ...
Time+Tide
On the long list of watch brands known to excel with ceramic, Rado easily finds its place in the top five. Going beyond just a shiny bezel insert, the brand makes full use of the material in a large percentage of their watches from ceramic cases to ceramic bracelets. They’ve been doing it for years, … ContinuedThe post HANDS-ON: Rado’s new Captain Cook High-Tech Ceramic is a statement piece and material flex appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Hodinkee
A modern update on a rich diving pedigree, the Bathyscaphe in black ceramic hits the nail right on the head.
Time+Tide
Hublot has always been known for pushing the envelope of material use in their latest releases. Contrary to that regular scheduling, LVMH Watch Week 2022 saw the release of the Hublot Big Bang Integrated Time Only. While certainly a more simplified take on a classic Hublot recipe, the Integrated Time Only (a change from the … ContinuedThe post HANDS-ON: The Hublot Big Bang Integrated Time Only is ceramic luxury, simplified appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
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Having devised the granular Frosted Gold finish that’s now found on several Royal Oak models, Italian jewellery designer Carolina Bucci has teamed up once again with Audemars Piguet, but on a collaboration that goes in an entirely different direction. This time it’s all about contemporary materials and aesthetics with the Royal Oak Selfwinding Carolina Bucci Limited Edition 34 mm in black ceramic with an iridescent, laser-engraved sapphire dial and a generous dose of pink gold accents. Initial thoughts Though the Royal Oak has an unmistakable identity, Ms Bucci has proven that the iconic octagonal design can be a canvas for something different. Her latest creation proves that remains true. Although this is merely a new dial, the execution is novel enough to be interesting. The dial isn’t traditional in either technique or materials – the dial is ultra-modern in fact – yet still preserves the classic Royal Oak aesthetic with a chequerboard pattern that evokes its signature tapisserie guilloche. Pairing the iridescent dial with the muted black ceramic case makes the watch even more striking, resulting in an eye-catching aesthetic despite the moderate case of just 34 mm. Still, its modernity in both style and techniques means it could be criticised as a gimmick. But that is too harsh. It’s less timeless than a traditional Royal Oak, but still a timeless design. And it is definitely chic. The hands and applied markers are pink gold, as are the nuts on the bezel R...
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Until five years ago, the Rado Captain Cook was a largely forgotten watch. This handsome skin diver with a rotating bezel was in circulation from 1962 to 1972, before Rado moved onto fresh horological pastures and began establishing its reputation in the world of high-tech ceramics. But then in 2017, the brand surprised the watch … ContinuedThe post VIDEO: The evolution of the Rado Captain Cook continues with more high-tech ceramic models appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
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Hublot is all about material innovation and each year they continue to step it up. This Watches & Wonders, for example, they expanded their sapphire portfolio by adding the colour purple. But while it seems Hublot can bring something new each release cycle with ease, each effort is, of course, the fruit of extensive labour … ContinuedThe post INTRODUCING: Hublot debuts the first-ever 100% ceramic-cased minute repeater appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
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Having unveiled a series of integrated-bracelet watches in candy-coloured ceramic at Watches & Wonders 2022, Hublot has followed up with a “high complication” in ceramic, the Big Bang Integral Cathedral Minute Repeater Ceramic. While complicated watches in end-to-end ceramic already exist, striking watches in ceramic are rare, with only Hublot and Audemars Piguet having made such watches. The Big Bang Integral is novel for combining both a tourbillon and repeater, one with longer-than-usual cathedral gongs in fact. And it manages to be water resistant in contrast to most striking watches that are merely moisture-proof, due to the challenge of sealing the slide while allowing maximum sound transmission. Initial thoughts The latest Big Bang Integral perfectly encapsulates Hublot as a brand, illustrating its strengths (and a few weaknesses). It’s powered by a complex, in-house movement contained matched with a case and bracelet that showcases the brand’s proficiency with unusual materials – all of which is possible thanks to the brand’s expansive yet agile manufacture. In typical Hublot fashion, the watch is loud – visually rather than acoustically – even in black. It looks like a Hublot, and the brand has essentially only one aesthetic. It has a technical, modern aesthetic that goes well with the open dial, a feature that’s uncommon in minute repeaters but useful since it reveals the entirety of the strikework. At almost US$300,000, the Tourbillon Repeat...
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Launched in 2007, Top Gun is IWC’s line up of all-ceramic pilot’s watches. But since its inauguration over a decade ago, the Top Gun has largely relied on a singular colour of ceramic – black in either a matte or glossy finish. IWC did offer a few models with coloured ceramic cases, but they were limited editions, until now. At Watches & Wonders 2022 IWC revealed ceramic cases in white or green with a pair of Pilot’s Watch Chronograph Top Gun Edition – both regular production models. Instantly evoking stormtroopers from Star Wars, the “Lake Tahoe” edition has a case of white ceramic, while the “Woodland” edition is in forest-green ceramic. Both are 43.5 mm in diameter and contain the in-house cal. 69380. The two new models double the range of ceramic colours offered by IWC. They join the Pilot’s Watch “Mojave” editions launched in 2019 that had an unusual sand-coloured ceramic case, and last year’s “Laureus Sport for Good” in blue ceramic. “Woodland” Initial thoughts Long the brand’s bestselling line, the Pilot’s Watch has been a focus of IWC in recent few years. The brand has made safe bets with iterating on popular models that have received upgrades such as in-house movements, new dial colours, or more compact cases in new materials. In comparison the latest pair of chronographs are more adventurous. Intrinsically interesting because of their colours, the white and green ceramic cases are relatively uncommon for chronographs in this ...
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Top Gun editions have been a staple of IWC’s catalogue since 2007. Over the years, the collection has become a space of exploration for the brand – utilising advanced materials such as ceramic to push the boundaries of what it means to be a top-notch pilot’s watch. Many of these designs leveraged the stealth appeal … ContinuedThe post HANDS-ON: IWC reveal two new Top Gun Chronographs in “Lake Tahoe White” & “Woodland Green” ceramic appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
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Hublot have never had any issues with realising bold, eyeball-grabbing designs and exploring a range of colours and materials that other brands have yet to even attempt to tackle. But sometimes two minds are greater than one. Once again, Hublot has partnered with Swiss tattoo artist Maxine Plescia-Buchi to continue their saga of Sang Bleu … ContinuedThe post HANDS-ON: Hublot launches three new scratch-resistant iterations of the Big Bang Sang Bleu II in ceramic and Magic Gold appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
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With Hublot, the most intimidating barrier for me was often the larger sizing their references were typically produced in. Hublot, unapologetically, favours larger diameters as the canvas for their bold personality and mastery of materials. Personally, I felt excluded from the party at times, liking the brand’s novelties but not being prepared to tackle their … ContinuedThe post HANDS-ON: The Hublot Big Bang Integral Time Only brings 40mm to titanium, ceramic and 18K yellow gold appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
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During the holiday break, the Time+Tide team caught a very interesting post in the r/Rolex thread on Reddit, where a user claimed he was offered a very intriguing trade opportunity from a dealer. The offer was a straight trade, watch for watch, with no cash involved. On the table was the chance to swap his … ContinuedThe post A dealer is offering to trade a black dial ceramic Rolex Daytona for a “Tiffany blue” Rolex OP – what would you do? appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Hodinkee
The yearly partnership with Laureus continues, only this time we get a blue ceramic case.
Quill & Pad
During a visit to D.Dornblüth & Sohn in eastern Germany, Bhanu Chopra noticed a new matte black ceramic dial in the workshop and loved the look so much that he asked the independent watchmaker to replace the more standard silver dial on his Dornblüth 99.1 with the new black one. And he's very pleased with the result.
SJX Watches
Long an annual tradition for IWC – now in its 15th consecutive year in fact – the “Laureus Sport for Good” edition is back once again in its usual blue livery that echoes the emblem of the eponymous charity with the IWC Pilot’s Watch Automatic Edition ‘Laureus Sport for Good’. Each annual Laureus edition sees IWC facelift one of its watches, from the classical Portofino to the sporty Pilot’s Watch, typically in a simple fashion with the addition of a blue dial – good enough but not quite great. This year the brand is doing something a bit more special with its entry-level aviator’s watch, which gets a blue ceramic case in a first for the brand. Initial thoughts As is typical of the IWC Pilot’s Watch, the new Laureus edition is simple, coherent and appealing. But it offers a bit more with the tone-on-tone case and dial, making it slightly more special than the standard Pilot’s Watches, or even past Laureus editions. Though IWC used a similar formula for the Laureus edition of two years ago – that had a polished, black ceramic case instead – the latest edition is tangibly better. For one, a blue ceramic case is rare, having been utilised by only a handful of watchmakers, and it also looks pretty cool. At the same time, the watch has been upgraded in technical terms. It houses the new, five-day cal. 32111, which is derived from the cal. 32115 first seen in the ultra-shock resistance Big Pilot XPL. Both are in turn modified versions of the cal. 32...
Time+Tide
The domination of blue-dialled steel sports watches has been slowly diminishing in the public eye lately, as waves of innovation are beginning to overtake the appeal of what’s familiar. Bronze cases, green dials - these trends aren’t just popular because they look fantastic, but because they’re refreshing. The Hublot Big Bang Integral in deep blue … ContinuedThe post IN-DEPTH: The Hublot Big Bang Integral Blue Ceramic shows the evolution of the sports watch appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
Hublot are a brand who love to outdo themselves, as well as outdoing everyone else. With the craze for blue-dialled steel sports watches fading slightly, there’s a chance to pounce on forging the new watch trends for decades to come, and the Big Bang Integral in blue ceramic is a real marker of what the … ContinuedThe post VIDEO: The Hublot Big Bang Integral Blue Ceramic shows the potential future of sports watches appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
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Founded just five years ago, Gorilla has already established a distinct house style, born of the its two founders’ eye for design. Notably, one of the founders, Octavio Garcia, was design chief at Audemars Piguet for over a decade. The latest from the brand is reassuringly familiar, channeling the style of its inaugural model, but a major step up in terms of form, function, and price – the Fastback Thunderbolt Chronograph. Equipped with a smartly skeletonised dial, it’s the brand’s first chronograph but retains with Gorilla’s recognisable case style. The case is multi-material: a ceramic bezel, followed by an anodised aluminium ring, and then a black-coated titanium case middle and back Initial thoughts Gorilla’s past offerings have been appealing for several reasons. Though evocative of some other well-known designs, its watches are original and handsome – a rare sight at the US$800 price range – and they are usually executed in unusual combinations of materials like titanium and ceramic. At the same time, the brand managed to make uncommon complication relatively affordable, namely the wandering hours display that’s most famously associated with Urwerk and Audemars Piguet in modern watchmaking. The latest offering is an extension of the brand’s strengths. Despite being its first chronograph, the Fastback Thunderbolt Chronograph is well put together, having a skeletonised front that’s intricate in detail and rich in colour that manages to pres...
SJX Watches
For its second round of new launches for 2021 – after the headline-grabbing Black Panther watch – Audemars Piguet (AP) unveiled Royal Oak models in a range of sizes and complications. The novelties are, in short, gorgeous variations of the brand’s octagonal watch. One of the most notable is the smallest amongst the new models. For the first time, AP is applying the full-ceramic treatment to a smaller Royal Oak. The Royal Oak Selfwinding 34 mm Black Ceramic is no doubt good news for enthusiasts who want a more compact but unusual version of the simple Royal Oak (availability notwithstanding). Polished and brushed ceramic Initial thoughts While ceramic has long been synonymous with makers of high-end sports watches like AP, it was used sparingly for the Royal Oak, until four years ago when the Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar Black Ceramic made its debut. But the all-ceramic Royal Oak models since then have been complicated, including a white-ceramic perpetual calendar or the skeletonised double balance. That makes the 34 mm model in black ceramic a pretty big deal – it’s the first base-model Royal Oak in ceramic. But being a Royal Oak, it still feels familiar, which is a good thing if you like the Royal Oak as I do. Despite being amongst the simplest of Royal Oaks, the new 34 mm model is striking. The pink gold accents on the bezel and dial create the right amount of contrast to break up the monochromatic ceramic, giving the black ceramic a touch of luxe. Consequent...
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