3,862 articles · 51 videos found · page 116 of 131
Quill & Pad
Barolo Chinato is basically a spiced wine made from a base of Barolo. But it is so much more than a usual spiced wine (and in no way to be compared with the sangria or mulled wine that Ken Gargett calls "abominations"). Find out exactly what Ken thinks is so special about Barale Fratelli's Barolo Chinato right here.
Time+Tide
One of the malaises sweeping the Swiss watch industry is, in my oh-so-humble opinion, that of homogeneity. From a distance, the world from the wrist down looks remarkably similar: round, black-dialled steel sports cases in a style that sits somewhere on a spectrum between vaguely retro to full-blown reissue. I’m well aware that this isn’t … ContinuedThe post HANDS-ON: Louis Vuitton Tambour All Black Chronograph 46 appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
Ming made its debut with the affordable and well received 17.01 – which cost only US$900 – later revived as the 17.03 for the brand’s anniversary. Both models were limited editions, but popular enough that Ming has just unveiled the 17.06, which is essentially an improved version of the 17.01. The basics like the case size and movement are the same, but several details have been upgraded. To be produced in limited numbers each year, the 17.06 retains the styling of the original model, but incorporates subtle design tweaks as well as more substantial construction changes. The 17.06 retains the raised, luminous hour track that’s a Ming signature The bezel, for instance, is now secured by screws from inside the case, making removal for polishing easier. And the hands also sit closer to the crystal. Notably, the 17.06 is the first serially produced Ming wristwatch to have a stainless steel case. According to the brand, this resulted from the steel prototypes of the 17.06 being particularly well-liked by the brand’s founders. The 17.06 is available in two guises, each priced at slightly more than the original 17.01. Both are powered by an ETA 2824-2 “top grade” that’s regulated in five positions. The 17.06 Copper has a copper-tone dial with an engraved motif, matched with a case with alternating brushed and polished surfaces. It’ll be limited to 300 pieces a year. The 17.06 Monolith is all black – the dial is matte black while the case is sandblasted...
Time+Tide
The recent anniversary of the moon landing saw my Instagram feed explode with Speedmaster wrist shots, and an overwhelming number of watch brands releasing special edition watches to commemorate the event. But when the new Zodiac Astrographic Limited Edition somehow beat the algorithm and made its way onto the top of my explore feed, I … ContinuedThe post A watch for C-3PO – the Zodiac Astrographic Limited Edition appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
If you’ve been paying attention to the wonderful world of watches for more than 15 minutes, you’ll have worked out that high-tech materials, often with fancy proprietary names, are a big deal. Isographs, Aeronith, Sedna gold, unobtanium and all the rest. This sort of fancy nomenclature is stock-in-trade of Swiss marketing departments, but it’s also … ContinuedThe post RECOMMENDED READING: Material innovation in watchmaking – the new breed appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
Highly regarded for its classically finished timepieces, Laurent Ferrier has just announced a major change in its management – Francois Servanin, who owns most of the company, will be taking management control, alongside Laurent Ferrier and his son Christian. Though only being officially announced today, the news was made known to Laurent Ferrier retailers several weeks ago, with Mr Ferrier himself speaking to several to reassure them that it is a new beginning, with great things to come. An entrepreneur who made his fortune with Auverland, a maker of jeeps and armoured vehicles for the French military, Mr Servanin was an auto racer in the 1970s and 1980s, having competed at Le Mans. It was there that he met Mr Ferrier, himself a former racing driver. Mr Servanin bankrolled the founding of Laurent Ferrier, and has a majority stake in the company. Ferrier father and son – Laurent (left) and Christian The gorgeous Galet Tourbillon movement Taking over from outgoing chief executive Vanessa Monestel, Mr Servanin will be the fourth leader of the brand since it was founded in 2013. The management turnover at Laurent Ferrier has led to the brand losing some of the momentum its enjoyed in its early years, when it was a rising star of old school, Genevois watchmaking; Mr Ferrier had spent a large part of his career at Patek Philippe. Laurent Ferrier’s self-winding calibre Since its first two models – the Galet Tourbillon and Galet Micro-Rotor, both developed with the hel...
SJX Watches
Omega’s latest debut is a surprising one, an incredibly light wristwatch that is also incredibly expensive – traditionally territory held by brands like Richard Mille. Weighing just 55g, or about 10 sheets of A4 printer paper, the Seamaster Aqua Terra Ultra Light is made almost entirely of titanium, right down to the bridges and plate of the movement. And it retails for US$48,600. Developed in collaboration with Omega ambassador Rory McIlroy, a four-time majors champion and former world number one, the Aqua Terra Ultra Light is ostensibly conceived to be worn by athletes during competitions. A new(ish) alloy The case is 41mm but made from what Omega calls Gamma Titanium, which is actually titanium aluminide (TiAl), a relatively new titanium alloy that’s prized for its hardness and corrosion-resistance, even at high temperatures. That’s why it’s used for the blades of jet engines, amongst other things. Because the watch is meant to be worn by sportsmen, the crown is recessed and telescopic. It sits almost flush with the case when not in use, but a gentle push pops it out for winding and setting. And the dial is also titanium, but fashioned from a more common grade 5 alloy. It’s is finished with the signature horizontal fluting of the Aqua Terra range. The first titanium movement More unusually, the cal. 8928 Ti inside is also made mostly of titanium. The bridges and base plate are made of ceramised titanium, which is titanium coated with ceramic. The movem...
Hodinkee
The latest in lightweight mechanical sports watches from Omega features a movement made in ceramized titanium.
SJX Watches
A Singapore retailer that focuses on affordable, unusual timepieces, Red Army Watches (RAW) is marking its 15th year in business with a series of limited editions, made in collaboration with brands that personify its ethos. Last month the Gorilla Fastback “RAW Celebratory Edition” was launched, and this month sees the debut of the Stowa x RAW Darth Pilot, an all-black aviator’s watch. Stowa is, of course, the German watchmaker that is well loved for its accessible watches, mostly priced below US$1500. The brand was resurrected by its current owner, Jorge Schauer, in 1997, but was first established in 1927 by Walter Storz; the brand name is a contraction of “STOrz WAlter”. In its original incarnation Stowa was one of the five watch brands that supplied the oversized beobachtungshr, or B-Uhr for short, to the Luftwaffe, the German air force of the second world war. A smaller, contemporary B-Uhr Watches inspired by the vintage B-Uhr are now a key model line for Stowa, and the RAW Darth Pilot is based on the standard Stowa Verus, which is a modern take on the original Baumuster A B-Uhr. Compared to the vintage original, all the dial markings are larger, while the typography and hashmarks are rounded, as are the hands, giving it a more modern look. Most aviator-style watches are oversized and chunky, but the standard Verus is a compact 40mm in diameter (Stowa also offers an extra-large 43mm version of the Verus). And the all-black finish gives it an even smaller...
Time+Tide
Editor’s note: In the last few years Montblanc has made quite the pivot away from the dressier end of the watch spectrum, to some sportier, more robust models. Case in point, the Montblanc TimeWalker Manufacture Chronograph from a few years ago now. While Montblanc is not a mainstream chronograph brand, with watches this smart, it’s … ContinuedThe post Another look at the Montblanc TimeWalker Manufacture Chronograph appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
In case you’re not familiar with Seiko’s Prospex line, it’s a venerable series of ‘professional specification’ watches that are made with a purpose. It’s a long-running series full of iconic divers with colourful names like the Turtle and the Tuna Can. Baselworld 2019 bore witness to what is perhaps the boldest iteration of the collection yet … ContinuedThe post Exploring the dark side with the Seiko Prospex LX Black editions appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
Every year the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG) provides a point of interest for the watch community. Long after the hype of SIHH and Baselworld has died down, it’s a chance to catch our breath, look back at the year that was, and assess how many good watches were made in the preceding 12 … ContinuedThe post Un-GPHG 2019 – the watches we wish would win appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
Editor’s note: A couple of years ago, life got a lot easier for the Melbourne Rolex collector. Rolex Australia blessed the coffee-obsessed city with a shiny new service centre, a move that made the already appealing prospect of buying a Rolex even more appealing, with the knowledge that a repair would be as pain-free as … ContinuedThe post Finding satisfaction at the Melbourne Rolex Service Centre appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
As has become a tradition for Singapore children’s charity Kidz Horizon Appeal, its annual fundraising dinner will include an auction of one of a kind watches created especially for the event. Past auctions included timepieces by Audemars Piguet, Greubel Forsey, Vacheron Constantin and Voutilainen. This year’s line-up is made up of three watches from Roger Dubuis, Franck Muller, and Louis Moinet, the proceeds from which will go to the charity that funds medical treatment for children from poor families. Inspired by the colours of the Greek island, the Franck Muller Vanguard Mykonos (also pictured above) is the first watch from a limited edition of 28 made for the brand’s retailer Sincere Watch, which donated the watch to Kidz Horizon. It’s a variant of Frank Muller’s popular sports watch, with a polished steel case that has an integrated strap and a white resin insert running lengthwise along its side. Inside is the FM 0800, an automatic ETA movement. Vanguard Mykonos Commissioned by an anonymous donor, Roger Dubuis put together the Excalibur Huracàn “Kidz Horizon”, based on the wristwatch inspired by Lamborghini’s V10 coupe. Ordinarily available only with a titanium case, the Kidz Horizon edition has a case made from a combination of lightweight materials: titanium for the bezel and back, and a skeletonised case middle in C-SMC carbon – the same carbon composite used in the Huracan. The red accents on the dial and bezel are also unique to ...
Two Broke Watch Snobs
Juvenia has worked to cultivate a niche of abstract visual elements since the 1920’s that had separated them from the rest of the Swiss brands as the guys that were “out there.”
Time+Tide
Editor’s note: In the world of luxury steel sports watches, the Girard-Perregaux Laureato family is underrated. More than two centuries since they started making watches, the Laureato is made by a brand that has some of the richest history in horology. In that time, Girard-Perregaux have added significantly to the art of mechanical watchmaking, with … ContinuedThe post Girard-Perregaux Laureato 42mm, a sleeper in steel appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
Editor’s note: Many executives in the Swiss watch industry are boring. They went to finance school, and they sell watches by looking at a balance sheet, never finding any of the watches in their own catalogue inspiring, and therefore never inspiring anyone to buy one. This could not be further from the truth for Edouard … ContinuedThe post Why Edouard Meylan sells watches smarter appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
Editor’s note: Why is this unassuming looking farmhouse in the Swiss countryside so important to a brand as large as Cartier? Because it houses the workshop for Cartier’s Maison des Métiers d’Art, sanctuary to a set of artistic skills and techniques that are hundreds of years old. It is in this farmhouse that some of … ContinuedThe post Keeping tradition alive at the Cartier Métiers d’Art appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
The Swatch Group have published their 2019 Half-Year Report, revealing some interesting information. The group has reported an increase in their inventory levels, which include components, movements and watches, to a total of 7.1 billion Swiss francs (up 2.6 per cent from 2018). More broadly, the group, which owns brands such as Tissot, Longines and … ContinuedThe post BUSINESS NEWS: Why the Swatch Group has millions of watches sitting in warehouses appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
Editor’s note: Flipping is one of the hot-button watch issues of 2019, and TBH we’re a little over it. So here’s the other side of the equation - what makes a watch a keeper? In this story from a few years back we asked our readers what made their watches keepers, and then we chimed … ContinuedThe post What makes a watch a keeper? appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Hodinkee
Jack takes a macro look at a beautiful vintage camera made by Jaeger-LeCoultre.
SJX Watches
Originally a no-nonsense dive watch made for the frogmen of the Italian navy during the Second World War, Panerai has been moving towards more civilian-friendly sports watches. The evolution is best illustrated by the Luminor Due, which is smaller and thinner, and as far removed from a traditional Panerai as possible while still retaining the signature crown locking mechanism. At the same time, Panerai has also rolled out watches that are oversized like the military originals, but with an increasingly variety of dial colours, like the quartet with blue dials in 2016. Such metallic blue dials are currently fashionable, so it’s no surprise Panerai has continued with the same colour. The recent Luminor 1950 3 Days GMT PAM01033 is essentially an upsized, 44mm version of the PAM 688 from 2016. I had one on the wrist for a few days – here’s how the test drive went. Compared with the earlier PAM 688, size is not the only difference with the new Luminor PAM 1033. A small but significant design tweak is the colour of the hands: instead of gold hands as as before, the hands now match the case. Though the change is seemingly minor, it gives the watch a different look, one that’s more contemporary, because the hands, though small, are the focal point on the dial. But the beige Super-Luminova on the dial and hands is faux-vintage, which does not quite match the newness of the blue dial. The dial is a “sandwich” construction, a signature feature of Paner...
Deployant
We take a close look at the Bulova Accurtron Spaceview and marvel at the level of engineering in this small watch made decades ago.
Hodinkee
This is the stuff that watch collecting nightmares are made of.
Time+Tide
Fifty years ago, the automatic chronograph was born. Depending on which press release, it was the effort of either Zenith, Heuer (et al) or Seiko. The truth lies somewhere in the middle, and the former two brands have been busy celebrating in the traditional Swiss way (limited editions and, presumably, cheese). Seiko, though, has been … ContinuedThe post RECOMMENDED READING: Why Seiko won’t be producing a 50th anniversary chronograph appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
Swiss watchmaking groups Richemont and Swatch Group just announced their first quarter and six-month results for 2019 respectively, with each going in opposite directions. Owner of brands like Cartier, IWC and Panerai, Richemont saw growth across most segments and regions. Overall sales were up 12% at constant exchange rates, with every region growing in the low teens save for the Middle East and Africa. Sales in Asia grew 10%, led by China, where demand is up due to lower taxes locally on luxury goods and more stringent checks on travellers importing items bought overseas. Most notable was the performance of its online channels, namely luxury fashion mall Yoox Net-a-Porter (YNAP), pre-owned watch merchant Watchfinder, and to a lesser extent. That growth is from a low base of comparison: last year’s first quarter for each platform was only two and one month respectively. That being said, online sales are still substantial, rising to 50% to €648m, almost equal to the €698m of sales in the Americas as a whole. The group’s watchmaking brands, which include A. Lange & Söhne and Vacheron Constantin, saw overall sales dip 2%. This was attributed to a reduction in the number of sales channels as well as reduced orders of new product by retailers. Up in Biel, where the Swatch Group has its headquarters, half-year sales were down 3.7% at constant exchange rates, to 4.07 billion Swiss francs. Net profit followed suit, shrinking 11.3% to 415m francs. For the full year, howe...
WatchAdvice
Founded in 1992 as a university project, Bell & Ross was formed by two friends; Bruno Belamich and Carlos Rosillo. These two young entrepreneurs had a joint vision of creating a watch that embodied the idea of combining functionality and robustness into one timepiece. When the manufacturing for Bell & Ross watches started, they had to get them made by a third-party manufacturer in Germany by who we know today as SINN. As the first models of Bell & Ross watches were released, they came with the inscription “by SINN” on the dial. SINN’s partnership with Bell & Ross lasted until 2002, when Bell & Ross were able to acquire their own manufacturing plant in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland. After the acquisition of the manufacturing plant is when Bell & Ross wanted to expand their range of watch models and create a timepiece that carried their ideologies while keeping the aesthetics of the watch as simple as possible. To do this, they looked towards the military forces, diving commandos and air-forces to draw inspiration from. Bruno Belamich and Carlos Rosillo knew that the military forces and their counterparts used instruments that have easy readability while having toughness to endure the rough situations. This was the inspiration behind the first model the BR – 01 and also the start of their most iconic BR Instrument range, released in 2005. This watch became one of the most recognisable timepieces in the the watch industry and gave the brand the international exposu...
Time+Tide
Editor’s note: You know heritage has moved from ‘trend’ to ‘the new normal’ when Patek Philippe (that most conservative of Swiss mavens) release what is, essentially, a heritage re-release, back in 2017 … Heritage is here to stay. What started as a trend intended to appeal to the hardcore collectors has slipped into the mainstream, … ContinuedThe post The case, the dial, the Patek Philippe ref. 5320G Perpetual Calendar appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
Perhaps the most successful ladies’ watch design of the 21st century, the all-ceramic J12 made Chanel a significantly player in watchmaking. After a run of nearly 20 years, the first generation J12 finally bowed out at Baselworld 2019, where it was replaced by the new J12. Possessed of not just a new design, but a “manufacture” movement produced by a joint venture of Chanel and Tudor, the new J12 is a major event for Chanel not just because it will sell in vast numbers, but because it’s the first entry-level watch powered by proprietary movement. The man behind the revamp of Chanel’s star wristwatch is Arnaud Chastaingt, a modest man with a keen eye for detail who leads the Chanel Watchmaking Creation Studio. A graduate of two Paris-based design schools, the École des Arts Appliqués and Strate School of Design, Mr Chastaingt spent a decade styling watches at Cartier before joining heading across the city to Chanel. The Calibre 1 inside the Monsieur de Chanel Since starting at Chanel in 2013, Mr Chastaingt has overseen a slew of new designs, most notably the brand’s first in-house, high-end men’s watch, the Monsieur de Chanel (which really impressed me at its launch). Unlike most watch designers, Mr Chastaingt oversees the design of the entire watch, including the movement, explaining why Chanel’s own movements share a distinctive house style centred on repeating circles. I recently spoke with Mr Chastaingt explain the genesis of the J12. He wa...
SJX Watches
Montblanc recently introduced the 1858 Split Second Chronograph with a bronze case, black, multi-scale dial, and a monopusher, split-seconds Minerva movement inside. Priced at just 33,500 Swiss francs, it is a bargain as such things go. Now Montblanc has taken the covers off the one-of-a-kind, titanium version with a blue agate dial created for charity auction Only Watch 2019. Though it costs a bit more – the estimate is 42,000-48,000 Swiss francs – the watch still feels like a steal. The dial is made of blue agate, a hard, semiprecious stone, with a graduated colour that darkens towards the edges. Design-wise it’s the same as that found on the bronze model: inspired by a 1930s aviator’s chronograph made by Minerva, it has a double chronograph scale – a telemeter on the outer rim and a snail-shaped tachymeter in the middle. The contrast of white and red against the blue dial is both refreshing and striking. Notably, the dial forgoes the faux-aged “lume” of the bronze model; the cathedral hands and numerals are instead filled with white Super-LumiNova, letting the retro design speak for itself. The large dimensions of the case remain unchanged from the standard bronze model – 44mm in diameter and 14.55mm high – but it’s significantly lighter thanks to the lightness of titanium. The sapphire caseback reveals the gorgeous, hand-wound and hand-finished MB M16.31. It is essentially the MB M16.29 derived from a pocket watch movement, but w...
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