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Two Broke Watch Snobs
The COVID-19 crisis has had an immense effect on nearly every facet of our day-to-day lives - from global economics to modernized healthcare, and the trivial hobbies we indulge in.
Time+Tide
Last week’s Celebrity Watch Death Match pushed it to the limit, as John Mayer and Ed Sheeran, according to you guys, ended in a white-knuckle draw. I called it 3-1 for Mayer, but you begged to differ. We had ourselves a 2-2 deadlock. So we were forced to clarify the rules. What happens when it’s a hung … ContinuedThe post Celebrity Watch Death Match – John Mayer Vs. Ed Sheeran … the rematch! appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
![Business News: Baselworld Inches Towards Calamity [Updated]](https://watchesbysjx.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/geneva-city-lake-quai-du-mont-blanc.jpg)
SJX Watches
Writing in a manner graceful yet irate, the president of the exhibitors committee of Baselworld – mostly made up of brands that exhibit that the event – has penned a quietly scathing letter to the organisers of Baselworld. [The fair’s response to the letter can be found in the addendum at the end of the article.] The letter, which I received a copy of, expresses the exhibitors’ dissatisfaction at well, everything, from the new date for the event to the proposed refunds for the “postponed” fair, while asking for a refund of fees paid for the cancelled event. Significantly, the letter ends with: “we fear that this will be the end, pure and simple, of Baselworld…”. While on the surface this might seem to be a group of exhibitors pushing back, it is a more nuanced – and perhaps more uplifting – picture. The president of the exhibitors committee, Hubert J. du Plessix, has a day job: head of investments and logistics at Rolex, in addition to being the president of the watchmaker’s pension fund. If there was ever a sterling example of the philosophy “speak softly and carry a big stick” in watchmaking, this is it. Seen in that light, Mr du Plessix, and by extension his employer, are standing up for the little guy: defending the interests of exhibitors who can ill-afford Baselworld even in the best of times, in an attempt to help the wider watch industry that is now on the edge of the precipice. The central atrium of Messe Basel, the convention hall des...
Revolution
New technology emerges in Jaquet Droz’s modern skeleton interpretation of the Grande Seconde.
SJX Watches
A contemporary take on the brand’s iconic watch – itself based on a 18th century pocket watch – the Jaquet Droz Grande Seconde Skelet-One Plasma Ceramic is a sleek and modern open-worked wristwatch, now in a new, high-tech case material. Originally available in ordinary ceramic, the watch has now been given a case of “plasma ceramic”, an unusual material that’s best described as a ceramic that resembles metal. The material begins are white ceramic that’s treated with a plasma gas, essentially ionised gas created at 20,000°C. The process of plasma carburising transforms the surface layer of the white ceramic into a metal oxide, giving the ceramic a grey, metallic finish while retaining all of the desirable properties of ceramic including hardness, low density and scratch resistance. Though plasma ceramic has been a hallmark of the Swatch Group and its many brands, including Rado, Omega and Blancpain, it is being used for the first time by Jaquet Droz. The case measures 41.5 mm across and 12.48 mm high, making it a tad larger than its gold counterparts, which is typically the case for ceramic cases due to the necessities of construction in an ultra-hard, but potentially brittle, material. Unusually for ceramic that is typically mirror-polished all round, the case is finished with contrasting surfaces – the bezel and top surfaces of the lugs are brushed while the case band has a polished finish. A clear sapphire disc forms the Grande Seconde dial, wit...
SJX Watches
A yearly tradition starting two years ago, the Sixties annual edition is a limited-production run of Glashütte Original’s well-liked, retro Sixties. In contrast to the sedate, Teutonic colours of the regular models, the Sixties annual editions are characterised by dials in bold colours and elaborate patterns, all produced the traditional way at its sister company located just several hours away. The annual edition began in 2015 as an experimental collection of watches with dials in over-the-top colours, before becoming an annual edition, first with a green dial patterned after water droplets, followed by an orange version of the same motif last year. Now Glashütte Original has gone in the opposite direction with the Sixties and Sixties Chronograph featuring pale-blue, dégradé dials finished with a simple, radial brushing. Decidedly more restrained than the earlier editions, the new “glacier blue” dials are still nuanced and striking. Subtle blue As with all of the dials found on the Sixties annual editions, the new “glacier blue” dials are produced by the what was once the Th. Muller dial factory in Pforzheim, historically the heart of the German jewellery and clockmaking industry, and now owned by Glashütte Original’s parent company, Swatch Group. The blue dials are finished in a dégradé, or graduated, colour that darkens towards the edges – an effect that requires multiple steps to achieve. It starts with a dial blank made of German silver that is...
![The Audemars Piguet [Re]master01 Selfwinding Chronograph is like a remastered classic on vinyl, played on crystal clear modern speakers and turned up to 11](https://timeandtidewatches.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/ap4.jpg)
Time+Tide
In what we hope will be the first of many watches to be unveiled in these dark times, Audemars Piguet has recently released their latest model. Called the Audemars Piguet [Re]master01 Selfwinding Chronograph, this new piece is actually a reinterpretation of one of the Le Brassus firm’s early 20th-century watches. In no way is this … ContinuedThe post The Audemars Piguet [Re]master01 Selfwinding Chronograph is like a remastered classic on vinyl, played on crystal clear modern speakers and turned up to 11 appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Quill & Pad
Main Ridge Estate has been considered as producing not only some of the Mornington Peninsula’s best Pinot and Chardonnay, but some of the best anywhere in Australia, pretty much from day one. Small quantities of its wines do manage to make their way to international markets, but you’ll need to search for them. Ken Gargett explains why you might want to do just that.
Hodinkee
Or, the story of my grandfather's forgotten Submariner.
Revolution
Hublot is today quietly making waves with its R&D; innovations which have even attracted the attention of the European Space Agency.
Two Broke Watch Snobs
This week we wax poetic on the profundity of the “one watch collection”… and debate whether such a thing is even possible anymore.
Time+Tide
Anyone remember H. Moser & Cie.’s “April Fools” prank from last year? We just revisited it on our Instagram stories. If you missed it, allow me to explain. The @moserwatches Insta post from April 1, 2019, displayed what looked like a brand new model of the Swiss watchmaker’s popular Venturer range. But it was immediately … ContinuedThe post H. Moser & Cie started a joke that started the whole world wanting, now it’s ready for your wrist, for real appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
WatchAdvice
INTRODUCTION There is a story that is Bremont. One of hardship and loss. One of innovation and perseverance. A young brand, perhaps, in an industry filled with centuries-old maisons, but perhaps by virtue of this very fact, Bremont is not burdened by legacy approaches and is boldly pushing forward to create timepieces of exceptional character and quality in house, at their own workshop in Henley-on-Thames. Aviation is the defining theme for the company, and it shows in their watches, their partnerships, and in the love of flight of brothers-founders Nick and Giles English. I’ve had the pleasure of recently acquiring the distinctive MBII watch, and today I am glad to be sharing some words about my experience, feelings, and thoughts on it with you. Nick and Giles love for aviation has heavily influenced Bremont’s direction, from it’s branding to partnerships. And, although Bremont has since expanded beyond the category, Pilots watches are still very much the essence of the brand, remaining its core focus since launch. Over a decade ago, Bremont was approached by aviation company Martin-Baker, who supply over 70% of the world’s air forces with ejection seats for their fighter jets, with collaboration in mind. In 2010 these discussions led to the development of the Martin-Baker (MB) range, which included the MBI, a model reserved solely for Martin-Baker ejectees. Now a decade into production, the MB range is quintessentially Bremont, and their most popular collection...
Quill & Pad
To my longtime friends in the watch hobby, and perhaps to regular readers here as well, the mention of my name may conjure up a number of connotations: patron of the independents, fan of A. Lange & Söhne, admirer of Patek Philippe grand complications, and longtime customer of Jaeger-LeCoultre, among other characterizations more or less favorable. But vintage?
Time+Tide
We’ve tallied up the results from last week’s CELEBRITY WATCH DEATH MATCH: John Mayer Vs. Ed Sheeran … there’s been an upset, and it’s a big one. I declared the bout, which was mostly a Patek vs Patek punch-up, a win for the longer in the tooth collector that is John Mayer. I marked him … ContinuedThe post CELEBRITY WATCH DEATH MATCH: John Mayer Vs. Ed Sheeran – the results appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Two Broke Watch Snobs
By any measure, the Kickstarter campaign of the Hamtun H2 titanium dive watch was a wild success. Fully funded in less than 30 seconds, the pledges ultimately exceeded $550,000 with 1,300 enthusiastic backers in the queue...
Time+Tide
Halios is one of the most popular microbrands in Australia. At an average Aussie get-together odds are you’re almost certainly going to see a Seaforth or two, at the least. So, with a lot of love for what Jason’s doing, and with a lot of respect for the momentum he’s building, we’re delighted to give … ContinuedThe post Bid now on this awesome Halios unique piece and support Vancouver General Hospital’s COVID-19 Response Fund appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Quill & Pad
Martin Green highlights three new watches that we would have seen for the first time at Watches & Wonders 2020 had the fair run: the new Montblanc Heritage Monopusher Chronograph, the Cartier Santos-Dumont XL, and Roger Dubuis's Excalibur Twofold that introduces a new material to watchmaking: LumiSuperBiwiNova.
SJX Watches
Akrivia, and by extension its founder Rexhep Rexhepi, became a star in independent watchmaking with the launch of the Chronometre Contemporain in 2018, a unique version of which went on to sell for 360,000 Swiss francs at charity auction Only Watch. While its success was recent, the brand was actually founded in 2012, having made its debut with the AK series, characterised by a wholly-different aesthetic, one that Rexhep himself describes as a startup’s attempt to make an impression. The bridge between the twin collections of Akrivia – the contemporary AK series and the classical Chronometre Contemporain – is the AK-06. It’s powered by a variant of the movement found in the Chronometre Contemporain, but enhanced by doing away with the dial to reveal the under-dial mechanics, but installed inside an AK-style case, albeit one that’s been redesigned and streamlined. The AK-06 in titanium (left) and steel Beyond being a blend of both Akrivia styles – the best of both worlds if you like the case design – the AK-06 is perhaps historically significant, being the last of the first-generation Akrivia models, since Rexhep has indicated the AK series will eventually feature a wholly new case design. But whatever you think of the case, the movement of the AK-06 is absolutely marvellous. In fact, it is arguably more compelling than the similar calibre in the Chronometre Contemporain, because with the AK-06 all of its engaging mechanics are revealed on the front. AK case...
SJX Watches
Phillips Perpetual has just unveiled its sartorial collaboration with The Armoury – a special edition of the City Hunter 2 jacket, a bestseller at the menswear retailer founded by Mark Cho (who once had the misfortune of buying a stolen F.P. Journe and then wrote a story about it). More importantly, the entirety of the proceeds from the sale of the jackets go to the COVID-Solidarity Response Fund set up by the World Health Organisation (WHO). As the London-based watch boutique of the eponymous auction house, Phillips Perpetual offers a selection of timepieces available for immediate purchase, a proposition meant to fill the gap between the traditional bi-annual watch auctions according to its founder James Marks, a hedge fund manager turned watch specialist. The Phillips Perpetual x The Armoury City Hunter 2 is its first offering beyond watches – and will support a good cause. A meld of several traditional European hunting jacket styles, the City Hunter 2 jacket is made of knitted jersey, essentially tightly-woven wool that is slightly stretchy and notably robust. The jacket is unlined and has a “seamless construction” where the fabric panels are joined edge to edge, giving it a relaxed fit. It’s usually available in dark blue, grey, or olive green with matching stitching, but the Phillips Perpetual version is in dark grey-houndstooth fabric with a contrasting white stitching. And perhaps more pertinently, Francois-Paul Journe himself wears a City Hunter jacke...
Two Broke Watch Snobs
After its release in 2013, the Swatch Sistem51 collection has proven itself as a fun, geeky, and affordable option for the mechanically-obsessed collector looking for more out of the Swatch brand.
Quill & Pad
Are you ready for fine high horology with a bit of glamour? Here are two of the more affordable and elegantly sporty models from two of watchmaking’s finest brands: Audemars Piguet and Patek Philippe.
Deployant
We review the Yema Rallye Mario Andretti Limited Edition, a remake of the original timepiece that Mario Andretti wore in the 1969 Indy 500.
SJX Watches
On April Fools’ Day last year, H. Moser & Cie. published a doctored image of a watch with an all-black dial missing hands, a riff on its watches with blacker-than-black dials. The hoax watch turned into something of a hit, which has led to the latest trio of limited editions, the Vantablack Black Hands – which will also be available online directly from the brand. All three watches – ranging from a stainless-steel base model to a limited-edition tourbillon – feature dials coated in Vantablack, a high-tech coating that absorbs almost all incident light – making it extremely and almost absolutely black – matched with black-coated hands. Because the coating on the hands is more of a dark grey, and also glossy, the hands do actually stand apart from the dial, appearing to be suspended in nothing because the dial is so black. The Endeavour Tourbillon with the reflection being on the crystal, rather than the dial Venturer Vantablack Black Hands XL in steel Invented by a spin-off from the University of Surrey in the United Kingdom, Vantablack is made up of carbon nanotubes arranged vertically, like a surface covered in really fine fur. The carbon nanotubes absorb 99.965% of incident light, resulting in a surface that resembles a deep, dark hole, which is an quirky and strangely appealing finish for a watch dial. Even though other substances are even blacker than Vantablack – with the record held by an MIT invention from 2019 – Vantablack is the best-known...
Revolution
It’s been 23 years since Montblanc first began to develop timepieces. The 1858 collection of this year shows just how far it’s come.
Hodinkee
One of a new trio from Moser featuring the blackest dials in existence.
Two Broke Watch Snobs
Overwhelmed Swiss factory guy 1: “Hold up, why is there a tachymeter scale if half the numbers are gone?” Overwhelmed Swiss factory guy 2: “Because of le quartz, man. Don’t ask questions. Do you want to lose your job?!”
SJX Watches
As modern, high-end chronographs go, the Vacheron Constantin Historiques Cornes de Vache 1955 is one of the most desirable, being a beautifully executed remake that’s faithful to the vintage original, while powered by an upgraded version of a well-regarded movement. The latest version of the Cornes de Vache 1955 has a steel case, making it even more unusual amongst high-end chronographs, which are almost always found in precious metal cases. As a result, the Cornes de Vache is now significantly more accessible – while retaining the retro design and excellent movement – at least by the standards of such watches. Cornes de vache French for “cow horns”, Cornes de Vache comes from the shape of the lugs, a slight variation on the better-known “teardrop” lugs. The inspiration for the watch is the ref. 6087, the brand’s first water-resistant and anti-magnetic chronograph that was in production from 1955 to the mid-1960s – and featured the very same “cow horn” lugs. Made in yellow or pink gold as well as platinum, the ref. 6087 is rare – only 36 pieces were produced over a decade or so. A vintage ref. 6087 “Cornes de Vache” in yellow gold that sold for 106,250 Swiss francs at Phillips in 2015. Photo – Phillips Like the vintage original, the modern-day Cornes de Vache was initially only available in precious metals: first in platinum, followed by pink gold, with the steel model only making its debut last year. It is worth noting that steel is used s...
Time+Tide
The bund strap needs to stay in the past.The post NOT ON MY WATCH: Please stop with the Bund strap, it is just terrible appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Quill & Pad
It seems a bit ironic to Ken Gargett that, as the world goes into an unprecedented lockdown to deal with the novel coronavirus pandemic, he reviews a wine, the Yalumba The Caley Cabernet Sauvignon Shiraz 2014, which celebrates one of the most peripatetic members of the wine industry. Yet here we are.
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