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Deployant
You are invited: Vacheron Constantin Exhibition on Sports Elegance in Watchmaking. July 13- Aug 24, 2020. VC Boutique, MBS, Singapore. Details within.
SJX Watches
Watch auction season is in full swing, two months later than its usual May timing. Phillips will be staging The Hong Kong Watch Auction: X on July 10, with 269 lots slated to go under the hammer. The catalogue includes a wide-ranging line-up of big-ticket complications, as well as some interesting examples of independent watchmaking. Below we take a look at a couple of highlights from the complications category, and we’ll look at some of the independents next week. You’ll find the full auction catalogue here. For a more personal take on the highlights: myself and Phillips’ head of watches, Thomas Perazzi, will be hosting a webinar to discuss the highlights from the sale on July 6 at 4:00 pm GMT+8. Registration is required to attend, and you can do it here. Lot 816 – A. Lange & Söhne Tourbograph “Pour le Mérite” in honey gold This A. Lange & Söhne Tourbograph “Pour le Mérite” was part of the 165th Anniversary Homage to F.A. Lange three-piece set made in 2010 to commemorate the 165 years since the birth of the company’s namesake founder. Made up of the Tourbograph, Lange 1 Tourbillon, and 1815 Moon Phase, the set was characterised by honey gold cases and guilloche dials. The most complicated Lange wristwatch aside from the monumentally unwearable Grand Complication, the Tourbograph incorporates a tourbillon, rattrapante chronograph, and fusée-and-chain transmission. It was first launched in 2005 as a limited edition of 50 with a platinum case, with th...
Time+Tide
In part three of our epic digital Baselworld event, Time+Tide’s Andrew McUtchen and Luke Benedictus spoke with Aussie swimming legend Michael Klim. Our timing was perfect, as Michael has just been inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame as part of Class of 2020. Swimmingworldmagazine.com reports that “Michael Klim has been called the best relay swimmer … ContinuedThe post Michael Klim has just been inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame, but he needs a watch for free-diving… appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Hodinkee
Engine turned and other worldly.
SJX Watches
An educator turned guilloche specialist, Joshua Shapiro launched his namesake brand, J.N. Shapiro, in 2018 with the Infinity Series. a classically-styled wristwatch with a hand-made guilloche dial featuring a nested engine-turned pattern of his own invention. His latest creation is the Infinity Series P.01, a collaboration with Collective, an American watch-collector club. Though it looks similar to the standard Infinity Series at first glance, the P.01 most definitely isn’t. While it does have a guilloche dial, the dial material is not the usual silver and gold, but meteorite – a first in watchmaking. Initial thoughts Two things stand set the P.01 apart from Mr Shapiro’s work so far. The first is tangibly impressive – an engine-turned meteorite dial, a significant accomplishment in terms of craft and skill. The result is a striking surface that overlays the natural and random Widmanstätten pattern of the meteorite with Mr Shapiro’s sharply-executed engine turning, which sounds confusing but appears to be a pleasing mix of order and chaos. But perhaps more important for J.N. Shapiro as a brand is the brand-new serif typeface for the Arabic hour numerals. Designed with the help of an artist, the numerals give the watch a style that’s distinct – and more 20th century contemporary – compared to the typical J.N. Shapiro watch that features Roman numerals and a Breguet-inspired aesthetic. And the P.01 starts at US$21,500 in steel, which is not that much mor...
Time+Tide
When it rains it drips. And in April 2020, at a time when we need it most – our kingdom for some new watches to write about! – it drips technicolour divers, classic chronos and two absolute blue beauties. Seriously. Like blue dialled watches? Prepare yourself. In a case of simply weird timing, just a … ContinuedThe post Our 4 picks from the new IWC, Breitling, Bell & Ross and Montblanc 2020 releases appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Two Broke Watch Snobs
Based on Delma’s Shell Star collection, the Delma Oceanmaster Antarctica is 44mm in diameter with a 13.8mm case height. It looks… bananas, and something about it just makes me want to finally buy a boat.
SJX Watches
Perhaps the quintessential modern Breguet watches, having been in the line-up for decades, the Classique 7137 and Classique 7337 have elegant proportions and classical dials that showcase the exacting art of traditional engine-turning. And they have just been face-lifted, retaining the traditional look while getting sleeker engine-turning and a streamlined moon phase. Though the changes are slight, the watches differ significantly in look and feel from the initial versions. Unusually, the new dial is also offered in dark blue (with a white gold case), historically an uncommon colour for Breguet. The other combination is the conventional rose gold with a silver dial. Both models feature a slim, 39 mm case with straight lugs and a reeded case band. Mechanically, they are identical to the earlier generation versions. The movements of both watches vary in height and calendar complications, but they share the same ultra-thin cal. 502.3 as the base. The Classique 7337 in pink gold with a silver dial Before going on to the details of the two, it’s worth a quick look at their history. The two models are descended from the refs. 3137 and 3337 respectively, both watches designed by the independent watchmaker Daniel Roth when he helped create the modern Breguet identity in the late 1970s. Mr Roth, in turn, was inspired by important, 19th century Breguet pocket watches; he successfully translated Breguet’s glorious past into the modern era. Being small watches by modern standard...
Two Broke Watch Snobs
Learn how the Longines Heritage Classic Sector helped TBWS Junior Contributor Aggressive Timing Habits overcome his horological hydrophobia in this watch review!
Quill & Pad
The date: January 13, 2012. The place: Glashütte, Germany, where one of GaryG's best friends had arranged for the two of them to visit A. Lange & Söhne. The vision: his friend extended his arm from the sleeve of his shirt, and what Gary saw left him reeling – his first view of the Lange Datograph Perpetual in white gold. He was confident from that very moment that this was a watch for him, but pursuit of the piece took four long years.
SJX Watches
An American watchmaker who unveiled his first watch in 2013, Keaton Myrick has spent the subsequent years refining the 1 of 30, a wristwatch crafted with traditional, artisanal methods. Since then the 38-year old has delivered several examples of the 30-piece edition, each customised to the client’s request in terms of design; the watch pictured is numbered “30/30” and is largely stock, with the only custom option being the engine-turned seconds sub-dial. Based in Sisters, a town in the Pacific Northwest state of Oregon, Keaton studied watchmaking at the Lititz Watch Technicum (LWT), a school in Pennsylvania established by Rolex, which he joined after graduation. After several years there, he returned to his hometown to set up a workshop specialising in repair and restoration. 1 in 30, numbered “30/30” Keaton’s time at LWT was the genesis of the 1 in 30. According to Keaton, each student at the LWT had to build a school watch based on the ETA Unitas 6497 (or the related 6498), a project that evolved into the 1 in 30. With inspiration from independent watchmakers like Philippe Dufour as well as complicated vintage pocket watches – the historical inspiration is particularly evident in the winding click – Keaton modified and refined the common and robust Unitas movement to create the impressive and original cal. 29.30 inside the 1 in 30. Cal. 29.30 Being easily available and reliable, the Unitas 6497 and 6498 are popular base movements for independent watch...
Quill & Pad
To mark its 50th anniversary in 2009, the International Museum of Horology in Le Locle, Switzerland launched an international chronometry competition. This effectively broke a long drought of 37 years since the last timing trial, which was held by the Observatory of Neuchâtel back in 1972. So what's going on now?
Quill & Pad
Roger Dubuis and Lamborghini have a special relationship: the watches that have so far come from this still relatively young collaboration have not only been impressive but also suck you into the world of Lamborghini without a car even being in sight. It is almost like the watchmakers at Roger Dubuis have infused this watch with motor oil and replaced the ticking of the escapement with the growl of an Italian high-performance engine. And the Excalibur Huracán Performante is all the evidence you need!
SJX Watches
Hong Kong’s political unrest has resulted in the first fall in annual profits at the Swatch Group since 2018. The world’s biggest watchmaking group, which owns brands like Omega and Longines, just announced its 2019 results, showing declines in both sales and profits. Net profit fell 13.7%, while sales declined 1.8% at constant exchange rates, or 2.7% at current rates, to 8.24 billion francs. The drops in profit and sales were primarily due to a drastic contraction of its business in Hong Kong – a city with a population of just 7.4 million – where Swatch Group owns over 90 retail stores, largely catering to shoppers from the China. Sales in Hong Kong for the second half of 2019 fell by 200 million francs. While Hong Kong was the key driver of the decline, it was not the only one. The luxury watch business in general is suffering from anaemic growth, which is also evidenced by the watch division results at diversified luxury groups like LVMH and Kering. On a more positive note, Swatch Group has managed to fulfil its stated aims of reducing operating expenditure and thinning inventory. Operating expenses dipped about 6%, while operating cash flow rose 30% in 2019. And after several consecutive years of growth, the group’s inventories declined by 1% in 2019, to a still-substantial 6.85 billion francs at cost. It’ll be a slow 2020… With Swatch Group predicting the situation in Hong Kong will continue to be “challenging” in 2020, it is in a weaker positio...
Time+Tide
It may surprise many reading this, but two out of the three Omega watches that really got the collective horological community talking in 2019 weren’t limited editions. In fact, the one limited edition watch that really struck a chord with enthusiasts, the Speedmaster Apollo 11 50th Anniversary, was just a gorgeous looking timepiece, regardless of … ContinuedThe post Shaken and stirred: 3 Omegas that got everyone talking in 2019 appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
Chronographs are, to this day, one of the most useful complications you can find on a wrist watch. They’re just so practical - whether you’re timing your next run, daily commute or next lap time around the Phillip Island Grand Prix track, a chronograph has got you covered. Thing is, though, because of its complexity, … ContinuedThe post Cheap thrills: 3 top chronographs for under a grand appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
An educator by profession, Josh Shapiro had a longtime interest in watchmaking, which sharpened into a pursuit of traditional engine turning in 2013. After several years of practice – and a roomful of guilloche machines – the self-taught guillocheur and watchmaker produced a handful of dials for American watchmaker David Walter in 2016. And last year Josh launched his own brand, J.N. Shapiro, which he now pursues full-time, while remaining a part-time vice principal at a high school in Los Angeles. His debut watch was the Infinity Series, named after the Infinity Weave, a proprietary guilloche pattern he invented. The first J.N. Shapiro Infinity Series delivered, the watch pictured here, was finished earlier this year – and is numbered “N.01”. Though Josh offers a variety of options for the case and dial colours, this watch hews closely to the prototype, with a rose gold case, silver dial, and blue hands. It’s important to note this is actually the first watch Josh sold, and consequently shows some of the inevitable inconsistencies of a watchmaker’s early work. There are a couple of stray marks and burrs on the dial, and a bit of lint, but the early work of independent watchmakers is usually inconsistent, which is part of the hand-finished charm, and also proof of how artisans evolve. Josh’s subsequent dials have improved tremendously. Josh Shapiro with one of his straight-line machines. Photo – J.N. Shapiro The Infinity Series has a simple but effect...
SJX Watches
One of the most intriguing timepieces being offered in the final run of watch auctions for 2019 is not a wristwatch, but an incredibly rare table clock made by Breguet in 1934 that’s going under the hammer at Christie’s. It hardly looks like a typical Breguet – having no engine-turning or gilding or blued steel hands – but is remarkably striking, with a skeletonised, architectural movement that is modern-looking despite being 85 years old. Abraham-Louis Breguet is rightly regarded as one of the most important watchmakers in history, whose inventions range from the natural escapement to the tourbillon, while being commercially savvy enough to become a leading watchmaker to the Ottoman Empire. But his descendants ventured into other businesses by the mid 19th century, most notably aviation, so the watchmaking operation was sold by Louis-Clément Breguet, grandson of Abraham-Louis, in 1870 to English watchmaker Edward Brown. The Browns kept the workshop in Paris, though it moved several times over the decades. During the century that the Brown family ran Breguet – Brown’s grandson George sold the company to French jeweller Chaumet in 1969 – the firm mostly retained the signature Breguet style and produced a large variety of timepieces, but in tiny quantities, often relying on external specialists for movements and components. Timepiece no. 3142 This clock is one such timepiece from the period. A unique piece according to the accompanying Breguet museum archive...
Quill & Pad
As Martin Green piloted the McLaren 720S Spider the first few meters through the busy streets of Munich, he was instantly surprised. Not about its powerful engine, which puts out an impressive 710 bhp, or the retractable hardtop and great-sounding engine notes, but at the ease with which this car drives at low speeds. And that's not all. Find out what else it can do here.
Time+Tide
The story in a second: The TAG Heuer Carrera Calibre 16 blue dial is a familiar face, which has been sleekly refined. If you know TAG Heuer, you’ll know the Carrera chronograph, a wristwatch that has been trackside at motorsport events for decades, offering those behind the wheel a functional timing tool. While some of … ContinuedThe post IN-DEPTH: The TAG Heuer Carrera Calibre 16 blue dial appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Hodinkee
The quintessential track watch gets an in-house engine.
Revolution
Your definitive guide to the Patek Philippe Watch Art Grand Exhibition 2019 in Singapore Marina Bay Sands from September 28 to October 13.
SJX Watches
Having only begun yesterday and open until October 13, the Patek Philippe Watch Art Grand Exhibition in Singapore is a watchmaking extravaganza – with free entry to the public – that’s already a box office hit on its opening weekend. Reputed to have cost some 20m Swiss francs, the vast historical and cultural showcase is the biggest Patek Philippe has staged to date, with 10 rooms spread over 1900m2, or over 20,000ft2. Pre-registrations for the event exceeded 35,000 people, with the total tally after two weeks expected to substantially surpass that; the first day alone saw some 4000 visitors pass through. The venue: Sands Theatre at Marina Bay Sands But as important as its broad appeal is the fact that the exhibition has drawn some of the world’s most important watch collectors to the city state. Outside of a factory event in Geneva, there probably hasn’t been this many custom Patek Philippe wristwatches together in one place. A custom dial ref. 5970J owned by the gentleman collector known as @horology_ancienne One of the major contemporary timepieces on show: the Star Calibre 2000 And arguably the most major watch of any sort in the exhibition: the landmark Calibre 89, the most complicated portable watch ever at the time of its creation in 1989 The six limited edition watches created especially for the event have garnered the most headlines, but the exhibition itself is worth a long visit because there’s a lot to see. It covers not just Patek Philippe, but...
Deployant
We bring you sneak previews of the Patek Philippe Watch Art Grand Exhibition in Singapore. And you are invited: From Sept 28 to Oct 13. Details within.
SJX Watches
Starting this weekend, the theatre inside Singapore’s Marina Bay Sands resort will become home to the epic, 16-day Patek Philippe Watch Art Grand Exhibition, the biggest and longest such event ever staged by the brand. Open from 28 September to 13 October, the enormous showcase of horological artefacts and prowess will take visitors through the company’s history while delving into its many innovations and milestones. Divided into 10 themed rooms, the exhibition will present a comprehensive array of timepieces spanning centuries, including the first ever perpetual calendar wristwatch, as well as legendary grand complications like the record-setting Calibre 89. Some 400 timepiece will be on display – all detailed in a hardbound catalogue that will be sold to benefit charity – and here are seven highlights of the show that are worth a second look. The first perpetual calendar wristwatch Although the distinction of inventing the first perpetual calendar watch goes to English watchmaker Thomas Mudge, who created it in 1762 – and the Patek Philippe Museum owns one such Mudge creation – it was Patek Philippe that built the first ever perpetual calendar in a wristwatch, back in 1925. It was a one-off creation powered by a movement dating to 1898. Initially developed for a women’s pendant watch, the compact calibre only found a home 27 years later inside the landmark wristwatch. Crucially, it was also an instantaneous perpetual calendar, with calendar i...
Time+Tide
Editor’s note: The dust has well and truly settled on this year’s watch releases, and they’re starting to filter out into the world and onto wrists. This is as true with Tudor as it is with anyone else. Though we haven’t seen any P01 watches out in the wild yet, we thought the timing was … ContinuedThe post It’s 6 months on, how are we feeling about Tudor’s 2019 releases now? appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
Watch collectors will listen, wide-eyed and slack-jawed, to stories about grandfathers in the ’60s wearing a Daytona while changing the oil in an engine, only giving the watch a quick wipe with a rag before dinner was served. This is so far from the present-day reality that a watch that was once a functional nice-to-have … ContinuedThe post INTRODUCING: The very versatile Serica W.W.W. appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Hodinkee
The strange existence of an untold Apollo 14 watch and the five-year hunt for more information.
SJX Watches
Taking place on July 19, Sotheby’s thematic auction to mark the 1969 Moon landing – Omega Speedmaster: To the Moon and Back, Celebrating 50 years since Apollo 11 – is all about the Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch, plus a handful of watch accessories and lunar paraphernalia. The auction is 50 lots, covering a variety of Speedmaster models, starting from the very affordable to “grail” references like the ref. 2915-1 and “Alaska III” prototype. For those interesting in a lot-by-lot opinion of the sale, check out the article written by Speedmaster enthusiast William Roberts over at speedmaster101.com. Here’s a look at a couple of highlights. Lot 10 – Speedmaster ref. 2915-1 The ref. 2915-1 is substantially different from the later Moonwatches but is the one that started it all, being the very first reference of the Speedmaster ever. Its particular combination of features – steel bezel, “broad arrow” hands, straight lugs – give it a distinct and appealing look compared to the later Speedmasters. This particular appears correct, albeit showing its age. The wear seems pretty even throughout, from the case to dial to back, and is detailed in Sotheby’s condition report. According to the extract, it was delivered to Mexico in 1958, a year after the model was introduced. With one of the best examples of the ref. 2915-1 having sold for just over US$400,000 at Phillips last year, the estimate for this well-worn example is US$150,000-200,000. Lot 13 ...
Time+Tide
This week marks the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission that saw Neil Armstrong walk on the moon. And on his wrist was an Omega Speedmaster. This moment ensured that the humble, manually wound chronograph was vaulted into the hallowed halls of history. But the Speedmaster story is about more than just that moonwatch. … ContinuedThe post 5 Omega Speedmasters that made it the legend it is today, and their modern equivalent appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
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