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Quill & Pad
What appeals to Elizabeth Doerr about Jaquet Droz is that within the Swatch Group's 190 separate companies (including 18 marques), the brand operates very much like an independent watchmaker and its artful timepieces reflect this. Here she goes deep into the history of one of the Swatch Group's oldest brand names, celebrating the 300 years since the birth of its founder.
Time+Tide
Recently, myself, Frank from Monochrome, Wei from Revolution and RJ from Fratello got together for a Zoom call that had no loftier intention than to kill our boredom for a couple of hours. The idea was to talk about the winners and losers from Watches & Wonders, the same way we’ve done in the media … ContinuedThe post VIDEO: Andrew, Frank, Wei & RJ pick the 4 best watches under $10k, including IWC, Oris and ‘rapper’s weed’ appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Quill & Pad
Lot 434 in the Antiquorum auction on May 9, 2021 is an ultra-rare A. Lange & Söhne Lange 1 in stainless steel. A. Lange & Söhne never officially launched a stainless steel watch before the recent Odysseus, but there are a few steel Lange 1s in existence and they are quite sought after by collectors. Elizabeth Doerr explains why here.
Quill & Pad
Following the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic and the isolating feel of digital fairs, the prospect of a bright, sunny, warm, and welcoming in-person Dubai Watch Week warms our hearts immensely! And we are in for a real treat this time around for more reasons than simply celebrating a return to normality and the ability to touch and feel new watches and meet with old and new friends as Elizabeth Doerr explains.
SJX Watches
Introduced last year as part of the 175th Anniversary trio, the 1815 Rattrapante Honeygold “Homage to F.A. Lange” is the first straightforward split-seconds chronograph wristwatch unveiled by A. Lange & Söhne. Simpler, but not simple, the 1815 Rattrapante is appealing in the way that many Lange watches are – the quality of fit and finish is obvious – but it is also notable in both style and movement construction. Initial thoughts A small run of just 100 watches, the 1815 Rattrapante is mostly sold out. Nonetheless it’s a beautiful and unusual enough that it is worth a look. While the other two “Homage to F.A. Lange” 175th Anniversary limited editions – the 1815 Thin and Tourbograph – are powered by movements found in other models, the 1815 Rattrapante is equipped with its own calibre, the L101.2. Granted, the L101.2 derived from the movement in the 1815 Rattrapante Perpetual Calendar, but it is still substantially different. For one, it has more elegant proportions than the average complicated Lange, with a profile that’s relatively flat. The brand’s complex watches are often big – both wide and thick – so the 1815 Rattrapante stands out for being smaller in comparison. It is a still a largish 41.2 mm in diameter, but just 12.6 mm high. While clearly an 1815 in style, the Rattrapante diverges in its colours. Lange rolls out fewer colour iterations of its models than its peers, which makes this combination unorthodox. Bringing to mind the f...
Quill & Pad
Lot 165 at Phillips' Geneva Watch Auction: XIII on May 8-9, 2021 is one of the most important prototypes in the history of IWC. A true rarity and a true piece of watch history. It is Richard Habring’s personal Portugieser Split-Seconds Chronograph prototype. Elizabeth Doerr shares its history and meaning here. And why its creator is parting with it.
Deployant
The Black Bay Fifty-Eight 925 is in every way a well-designed and reliable tool-watch. The novelty of the rarely used silver case will add to its collectibility - not referring to flipping potential, but a fun factor for any watch collector.
SJX Watches
Unveiled just last week alongside its sterling-silver sibling, the Black Bay Fifty-Eight 18K is Tudor’s first solid-gold dive watch. A significant milestone for Tudor that perhaps reveals aspirations further up the price spectrum, the Fifty-Eight 18K lives up to its ambitions. Initial thoughts In late 2019 I was speaking with a senior Tudor executive and got an inkling that a solid-gold watch might be in the works. Being a fan of the brand (and fortunate enough to own a few of them), that was something I was very much looking forward to. Now Tudor has finally done it, and I am impressed with the result. The Black Bay Fifty-Eight 18K is attractive, feels good in the hand, and is also well priced. The only disappointment is the lack of a matching gold bracelet. I know that would hike the price by at least 50%, but even then it would be a good buy – and it would be truly cool. Fingers crossed a bracelet is in the works. But even sans bracelet the new Fifty-Eight feels good in the hand. It’s sized (almost) exactly the same as the steel Fifty-Eight, making it the perfect size for an easy-to-wear dive watch. Naturally, the gold version is slightly heavier than the steel equivalent, but the weight is just enough to seem substantive, but not so much it’s unwieldy on the soft fabric strap (more on the weight reduction below). The weight gives the Fifty-Eight 18k an appropriately expensive feel. But as is always the norm with Tudor watches, the quality of the watch lives ...
Revolution
Wei Koh gives us his thoughts and goes hands with Cartier’s 2021 collection of Tank Must - including the Solarbeat version - the Louis Cartier and the Cloche de Cartier trio in yellow gold, pink gold and platinum.
Quill & Pad
Please join this Quill & Pad round table discussion in which we discuss what we did and didn’t like at the inaugural (and hopefully final) digital edition of Watches and Wonders Geneva 2021. There were plenty of highs and more than a few lows during the week-long watch fest, and a sheer avalanche of new watches.
SJX Watches
Founded by watchmaking genius Ludwig Oechslin, best known for the inventive timepieces he created for Ulysse Nardin like the Freak and Trilogy of Time, Ochs und Junior specialises in brilliantly simple complications that are minimalist, functional, and idiosyncratic in style. Dr Oechslin is best known for his calendar complications, particularly the Perpetual Ludwig he invented for Ulysse Nardin, which remains the centrepiece of his latest wristwatch, the Calendario Cent’anni. Italian for “hundred-year calendar”, the Calendario Cent’Anni (CCA) will indicate the calendar till the end of this century, like most other perpetual calendar watches, but it is executed in Ochs und Junior’s inimitable style. And while the CCA retains the Ochs und Junior look, it will be offered in three fixed variations (each named after a Roman numeral), instead of being endlessly customisable as the first-generation Ochs und Junior perpetual calendar was. From left: CCA III, II and I Initial thoughts Perpetual calendars were once an expensive complication, but the proliferation of mass-produced as well as unconventional, streamlined calendar mechanisms have brought about many affordable perpetual calendars, with the cheapest starting at around US$9,000. But few perpetual calendar watches are as interesting as Dr Oechslin’s invention. While it does cost more than the most affordable perpetuals with a retail price of about US$16,600, the CCA is truly innovative. Dr Oechlin’s perpetu...
Time+Tide
The TAG Heuer Monaco is a classic in every sense of the word. I mean, Steve McQueen famously wore it on the silver screen and if you’re looking for an endorsement from the King of Cool, it doesn’t get much better than that. The Monaco has been a collection that has regularly been refreshed in … ContinuedThe post HANDS-ON: TAG Heuer Monaco Green Limited Edition is a fumé fantasy appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
I admit that I wasn’t much of a Panerai fan. Nothing against the brand – it’s just that large, military-inspired watches aren’t my cup of tea. However, I’ve always been intrigued by the loyalty and enthusiasm that the brand engenders in Paneristi, its most loyal aficionados. In a nod to that following, Panerai launched a limited edition for the 20th anniversary of the Paneristi forum last year – the sixth watch created for the community. Few brands have their own watch forum, much less one that has lasted two decades. Clearly, there’s a lot of love for Panerai watches, and I’ve always wondered what lay behind that. When Panerai offered me the chance to test-drive the Luminor Logo 44 mm PAM01084, the latest version of its entry-level model, it was the perfect opportunity to venture outside my comfort zone and see what Panerai is all about. Initial thoughts The PAM 1084 is very much what I had expected. Let’s start with the positives. One is a utilitarian and eminently legible dial that is quintessentially Panerai – I never had an issue telling the time. Another is the classic Panerai case with its signature, oversized crown-lock bridge. And at 44 mm, it has significant wrist presence, but doesn’t feel overly large due to its short, sloping lugs. There is substantial heft to the watch, but it comes across as reassuring rather than bulky. And despite being one of the most affordable references in Panerai’s current lineup, the PAM 1084 retains much of...
Time+Tide
Can the Casio G-Shock GSW-H1000 cause an upset in the smartwatch market? For me, living in Norway where most of my mates are very outdoorsy (you try telling them you don’t like skiing), I’m already seeing a scary decline in mechanical watches. Everyday at the office for many translates to a naked wrist or an … ContinuedThe post The Casio G-Shock smartwatch alternative is here with the G-Shock GSW-H1000 appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
With a knack for technically innovative yet fun timepieces, Belgian watchmaker Ressence now unveils the Type 1 Spymaster, a limited-edition series of watches – each accompanied by a non-fungible token (NFT) artwork – conceived in collaboration with New York espionage museum Spyscape. NFTs are digital tokens stored on a blockchain – the digital ledgers that also store cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ether – that are essentially assets in digital format. Each of the 21 watches in the Type 1 Spymaster series is accompanied by its own NFT, a unique video artwork referencing the watch that also serves as a certificate of authenticity. The first publicly-available example of the Type 1 Spymaster, numbered “008”, will be offered at Sotheby’s Important Watches auction in Hong Kong on April 23 with an estimate of HK$170,000-300,000, or US$21,000-38,000 (we covered a few highlights from the sale earlier this week). It will be sold to benefit a good cause, with all proceeds going to the Make-a-Wish (UK) Foundation, which works to fulfil the wishes of young children with terminal illnesses. Initial thoughts NFTs have catapulted into prominence in recent months – a digital image sold for US$69 million at Christie’s in March 2021 – becoming the biggest and hottest fad in an era of fads. Watchmakers have jumped on the bandwagon as well, but if there’s a brand that’s NFT ready, it is Ressence. Having both filled a watch case with oil and installed magnets with...
Time+Tide
Writing this I feel the need to put on a double-breasted suit. But even then, I suspect that I still wouldn’t feel suitably attired for an encounter with Le Temps Celeste, a trio of wrist art within Les Cabinotiers, Vacheron’s upper echelon of historical and ultra-complex timepieces. Consider these mere examples of the bespoke possibilities … ContinuedThe post Le Temps Celeste, 3 pieces of next-level craftsmanship from the inner sanctum of Vacheron Constantin appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
We’re BACK with the streetstyle-centric #kixntix, and what better way to celebrate some of the sharpest watches to come out of Watches & Wonders than with some fresh Nikes? This time I’m enamoured by the cutting-edge engineering of the new Zenith DEFY 21 Spectrum collection. Powered by the tour de force 9004 movement – the … ContinuedThe post #Kixntix: Pairing up the dazzling Zenith DEFY 21 Spectrum with a fresh blue Nike Air drop appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Quill & Pad
A fellow journalist friend asked Elizabeth Doerr for a subjective listing of her “top” Patek Philippe watches of the twenty-first century. In her article, though, she cited only one of Elizabeth's top five choices. So here Elizabeth shares the full list. You may be surprised at some of her very subjective picks.
Quill & Pad
In the world of fine Swiss watchmaking, the name Breitling is synonymous with top-notch chronographs. And in the 2021 Premier Heritage collection, Breitling commemorates its technical pioneers Léon, Gaston, and Willy Breitling with three new very attractive vintage-style chronographs.
Time+Tide
Before anyone gets heated, no I am not about to try and “cancel” Entourage. Whether or not the show would be able to survive the present cultural landscape is an entirely different discussion, and one we are not having here. This is about watches. Recently on Instagram stories, I noticed friend of Time+Tide, Brynn Wallner, … ContinuedThe post This Rolex scene with Ari from Entourage shows how much the watch world has changed appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
Editor’s note: A few weeks after Bremont opened the doors of its impressive new watchmaking facilities, The Wing, our European editor Mike Christensen was treated to a guided tour from the British brand’s co-founder Nick English, to see what all the fuss is about. Gobsmacked, absolutely gobsmacked. It was like someone had transported me to … ContinuedThe post INTERVIEW: What we learnt from Nick English about Bremont’s grand plans for The Wing appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
Celebrating their 175th anniversary this year, Ulysse Nardin is a tried and true manufacture with rich heritage and history. Established in 1846, Ulysse Nardin built its name by fabricating some of the most reliable and high-quality marine chronometers. While most brands of their age remain stuck in the past, refusing to depart from their classic … ContinuedThe post Now for something completely different: Ulysse Nardin at Watches & Wonders 2021 appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Quill & Pad
As the resident gentleman of Quill & Pad, Martin Green feels that the time is soon approaching to write an obituary announcing the death of the dress watch. He thinks that its passing is coming and it's not an isolated event. But it still hurts.
Time+Tide
Recently I published my thoughts on the new Tudor Black Bay 58 18K in yellow gold. Tudor really surprised us all this year at Watches & Wonders, throwing their hat in the ring for the higher price tier of precious-metal watches. Personally I think the watch is stunning, but nothing is perfect. I would have … ContinuedThe post Top collectors react to the leftfield Tudor Black Bay 58 in 18K gold. Would they buy it? appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
Though now often overlooked in favour of a luxury-sports watch, the Calatrava is perhaps the quintessential Patek Philippe – it was introduced in 1932 and named after the brand’s emblem – possessing a diversity of designs that all share an elegant simplicity. Patek Philippe’s second instalment of new watches at Watches & Wonders 2021 focus on fine, sophisticated wristwatches – it also just announced a striking new perpetual calendar – and naturally encompasses the Calatrava, which sees the addition of the Calatrava “Clous de Paris” ref. 6119. A tribute to well-known Calatrava models such as the ref. 3919 and its successor, the ref. 5119, the ref. 6119 blends several signature elements of past designs in a larger case to create a more contemporary guise that’s available in rose or white gold. Importantly, the ref. 6119 is powered by the newly-developed, hand-wind cal. 30-255 PS, a large, thin movement with twin barrels – and an impressively high moment of inertia for the balance wheel. The cal. 30-255 PS Initial thoughts I’ve always been a fan of the Calatrava, especially variants with a hinged, “hunter” back like the ref. 5227. Best described as fine watches for gentlemen, they typify Patek Philippe’s traditional and refined approach to watchmaking. But the cases of previous generations of the Calatrava were relatively small – the ref. 3919 was 33 mm, while the ref. 5119 had a 36 mm case. And more recent models, like the 40 mm ref. 6007 int...
SJX Watches
Just as the new Octa Automatique is slated to join the catalogue, F.P. Journe is marking the 20th anniversary of the model with the Octa Automatique 20th Anniversary. The 99-piece limited edition harks back to the original Octa Réserve de Marche of 2001, then the brand’s entry-level watch. Like the 2001 original, the 20th anniversary edition has a grained, yellow gold dial with a silver sub-dial. And more notably, it is powered by the cal. 1300.3 – but with the bridges and main plate in rhodium-plated brass, just as it was on the original. One of the original Octa Reserve prototypes The prototype movement Initial thoughts The Octa Automatique 20th Anniversary is modestly novel, but will appeal strongly given how it revokes the first-generation model. Given the current outsized desirability of F.P. Journe’s early watches with brass movements, this will be a hot watch. Nips and tucks Though seemingly identical to the original model, the new Octa Automatique is subtly different in terms of design, and substantially different in movement construction. The displays have been rearranged and enlarged to suit the predominately larger case sizes offered by F.P. Journe today. While the original was 38 mm, the standard sizes are now 40 mm and 42 mm. As a result, the date display is slightly larger than before, while the hour numerals are also bigger. Because the date has grown in size, the power reserve display now sits marginally lower than where it used to be. A subtle detai...
Time+Tide
Cool, icy cool. That’s what we have here, in a watch that brings to mind the German form over function we know from Sinn. With an air of indestructability, the Vero Open Water is a watch in which I can see no trace of vintage, or even the slightest trace of retro homage. And this … ContinuedThe post MICRO MONDAYS: The Vero Open Water is an elegant tool that offers a welcome break from vintage appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
First revealed in 2015 inside the Harmony Grande Ultra-Thin Complication Chronograph, the cal. 3500 is a thin, split-seconds chronograph movement with a beautiful construction and novel peripheral winding mechanism. After a brief hiatus, the cal. 3500 has returned at Watches & Wonders 2021 with the Traditionnelle Split-Seconds Chronograph Ultra-Thin Collection Excellence Platine. Cleaner and more formal in style than the Harmony of 2015, the new Traditionnelle split-seconds boasts the same gorgeous cal. 3500, and because it’s a Collection Excellence Platine (CEP) edition, a solid platinum dial. Vacheron Constantin is on a roll with the CEP watches in 2021, with the Traditionnelle split-seconds being the second CEP edition for the year, after the elegant and quirky American 1921. Initial thoughts I was wowed by the cal. 3500 when it made its debut in the Harmony split-seconds chronograph in 2015, and found it a shame that the movement disappeared from the catalogue. The cal. 3500 deserved to be revived, and now it has been. Beautifully traditional in its construction and endowed with intricate and elegant details, the cal. 3500 is one of the finest modern-day chronograph movements. Beyond its aesthetics, it is also exceptionally thin at just 5.2 mm high, making it a feat of construction. And it is also innovative with its peripheral winding mechanism, which is admittedly not new but almost never found on classically handsome movements. The cal. 3500 The Traditionnelle sp...
SJX Watches
Named after Chopard founder Louis-Ulysse Chopard, the L.U.C line is all about haute horlogerie, encompassing both complications and fine finishing. To commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Chopard Manufacture in Fleurier, the brand is releasing the L.U.C QF Jubilee, a doubly-certified chronometer with a steel case, offering a finely finished movement at a relatively accessible price. Initial Thoughts The L.U.C QF Jubilee is an attractive watch that straddles the line between vintage and modern design. It is 39 mm wide and a hair under 9 mm thick, making it the perfect size for a classically-styled dress watch. The vintage inspiration extends to the shape of the lugs and the proportions of the mirror-polished case – both the bezel and case back are domed and sandwich a thin case middle, giving it proportions reminiscent of watches from the first half of the 20th century. Despite being a dress watch, the QF Jubilee is surprisingly practical – the hands are filled with Super-LumiNova, as are the indices. While the sector-style design and syringe hands are vintage-inspired, the blue-on-silver colours and lume are concessions to modernity. But the best thing about the watch is the movement, which is an in-house automatic with a sophisticated construction and refined finishing. Even though the calibre is not decorated to the top grade of L.U.C finishing (those have the Poincon de Geneve), it is good enough to be better than almost all watches at this price range. The vinta...
Time+Tide
Editor’s note: King Nerd is someone you’re likely to have seen pop up on Time+Tide over the years. Most recently, he was part of our “11 Days of Londoners” series. But since then, he has been prolific to say the least with collaborations spanning George Bamford and Franck Muller, to Dr Martens and even Jaguar. … ContinuedThe post King Nerd writes touching personal tribute to the late Prince Philip appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
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