Results for Sapphire Crystal

Review: The New Breitling SuperOcean Heritage Oceania Limited Edition

To celebrate the partnership with the World Surf League, Breitling has released a new SuperOcean Heritage Oceania limited edition in 42mm and 36mm, the perfect summer watch pair! What We Love The white dial is great for summer Blued hands and indices are a really nice touch The new Milanese bracelet is super comfortable on the wrist What We Don’t The domed crystal is still an issue, but less so with the white dial No comfort adjust on the bracelet for the warmer days A rubber strap option could have been a good inclusion as well Overall Rating: 8.75 / 10 Value for Money: 9/10 Wearability: 8.5/10 Design: 8.5/10 Build Quality: 9/10 According to the latest data, around 85% of Australians live no further than 50km from the coast. And the majority of those are based on the East Coast. We are an island nation after all, with most of the interior of the country uninhabited. So, for those reading this who live in Australia, the ocean isn’t a backdrop; it’s a way of life for many. From the long, rolling breaks of the Gold Coast to the raw, reef-lined coastlines of North Queensland, to the rugged beaches down south. We, along with our New Zealand cousins, love the sand and surf. So it is no surprise that the Breitling SuperOcean is a great-selling watch in this part of the world. Originally conceived in the 1950s as a professional dive watch with a distinctly elegant edge, the SuperOcean Heritage has since evolved into something broader: a watch that speaks to ocean cultur...

The ABCs of Time - All About the Different Crystals Used in Watches Today

If you’re not a big watch nerd like us, you likely don’t give a lot of thought to the glass covering watch dials. It’s not just a generic window and a bigger deal than you might think, as we’ll see in this instalment of the ABCs of Time. Some enthusiasts even demand one type over another, […]

Through the Looking Glass: Tinted Sapphires

The new HYT Conical Tourbillon Infinity Sapphires is a high complication fit for Thanos

The HYT Conical Tourbillon Infinity Sapphires is a limited edition of 8 pieces Its tourbillon calibre, with a spiral balance inclined at 30 degrees, was developed with master watchmaker Eric Coudray Framing the tourbillon, distinctly coloured gems – fuchsia, blue-grey and yellow – rotate at different speeds around the dial I am rather comfortable in … ContinuedThe post The new HYT Conical Tourbillon Infinity Sapphires is a high complication fit for Thanos appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

New: HYT Conical Tourbillon Infinity Sapphires

HYT releases a new 8 piece limited edition watch combining a conical tourbillon with animation: HYT Conical Tourbillon Infinity Sapphires.

The Grand Seiko SBGD213 roars with hand-set diamonds and blue sapphires

The new Grand Seiko SBGD213 is the sequel to last year’s SBGD209 The paw-like shape of the faceted case is inspired by the Grand Seiko lion mascot The case and dial are set with a combined total of 5.62 carats of diamonds and 1.25 carats of blue sapphires, all set by hand Grand Seiko is … ContinuedThe post The Grand Seiko SBGD213 roars with hand-set diamonds and blue sapphires appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Patek Philippe Introduces the Jewelled Ref. 5271 with Sapphires or Rubies

Patek Philippe has introduced two variants of its classic paired complication: the Perpetual Calendar Chronograph Ref. 5271/11P and Ref. 5271/12P are set with blue sapphires and rubies respectively, with each having a graduated finish dial in a matching colour. Both new references retain the look and feel of the ref. 5270 but certainly pack a punch with their flamboyant jewelled cases. The first serially-produced gem-set variants of the reference in 11 years, the new pair joins the existing diamond-set ref. 5271P as the bling versions of Patek Philippe’s archetypal complication. Initial thoughts Much of the excitement over new releases from Patek Philippe tend to be centred on its sports watches nowadays but that’s not all that the brand has been doing. At Watches & Wonders in March, the brand launched a new version of the longstanding ref. 5270 that featured a smoked green dial that was widely applauded (no doubt in part due to the current popularity of the colour). But the recent launches left me wondering, what else can Patek Philippe do to up its game beyond its mastery of complications? Well, now we have an answer. In terms of the design, the new ref. 5271s retain the classic layout and distinctive feel of the perpetual calendar chronographs that the brand is known for, but with a few adjustments to the dial that give it a more contemporary feel. And then the coloured gemstones transform a watch that is ordinarily sedate into something over the top. While gem-se...

New Release: Ulysse Nardin Freak Vision - the first automatic watch in the Freak Collection

Introducing the first automatic watch in the Freak Collection, the Ulysse Nardin Freak Vision Vision: incorporating a super-light silicium balance wheel with nickel mass elements and stabilizing micro-blades and a new case design made even thinner by a box-domed crystal.

Czapek Promenade Transparencies Aqua Blue: The Blue-on-Blue Limited Edition That Actually Works

38 pieces, a fumé sapphire dial, and a colour palette that makes the movement part of the story

Introducing: Czapek Promenade Transparencies "Aqua Blue"

What We Know Today, Czapek has lifted the curtain on a new limited-edition addition to its Promenade line of everyday dress watches. The Czapek Promenade Transparencies "Aqua Blue" expands on a design motif first introduced with the Fratello x Czapek Promenade Transparencies "Veridian Green," this time applying the Transparency concept to a wholly in-house-devised model. Here, the "Veridian Green" sapphire-gradient dial has been swapped for a similar "Aqua Blue" variant, with the fumé effect achieved through a special metallization process in which small dots of metallic coating are applied to a sapphire disc. The dots themselves — which measure just eight microns each — are laid out in varying density to achieve the gradient effect, which radiates out from the small seconds subdial at 4:30. Unlike the Fratello limited edition, which had applied markers, the Promenade Transparencies "Aqua Blue" uses light blue 3D Super-LumiNova markers, which match the lume on the handset. Visible through the translucent dial is the SXH7, a skeletonized take on Czapek's in-house SXH5 micro-rotor automatic caliber. The SXH5 was first launched by the brand in 2020, and now finds itself at the heart of a number of watches in the Czapek lineup, including the Antarctique and, as the SXH5.1, in the solid dial Promenade. The SXH7, which is visible from both directions, is handsome, with plenty of modern, somewhat industrial touches (like sandblasted plates) and enough handcraft to keep tradi...

Into the Blue: Czapek’s Promenade Transparencies Aqua Blue 

In the lead up to Geneva Watch Days, Czapek has unveiled the Promenade Transparencies Aqua Blue — a gradient blue variant of a sapphire-dialled dress watch the brand released in late 2024. The watch breaks little new ground but the blue-on-blue look reveals a keen eye and an awareness of colour theory. Initial thoughts I have mixed feelings about sapphire dials, but I liked Czapek’s approach to opening up the Promenade when the brand launched its “Viridian Green” collaboration with Fratello in 2024. The “Aqua Blue” edition gets many of the same things right, with a dark-enough tint that the exposed movement elements don’t overwhelm the design. In fact, at some angles, the exposed movement looks more like a graphic element, akin to the Octo Finissimo Automatic BVL 138 Sketch. On the wrist, when the movement is not back-lit, the dial appears much darker, and the movement components are even less obvious. This split personality extends to the overall format of the Promenade, which is conveniently sized at 38 mm and is about 11 mm thick. The latter dimension is a bit chunky for an automatic dress watch with a micro-rotor movement, but it gives the watch a robust, almost sporty feel. And the extra thickness likely contributes to the reassuring 50 m test depth. An optional milanese-style steel bracelet completes the transformation from dressy to sporty, should one wish to do it all with one watch. A close look reveals thousands of printed dots that are responsible...

Movement And Dial Hand In Hand: Czapek Promenade Transparencies Aqua Blue

Czapek & Cie introduces the Promenade Transparencies Aqua Blue, a new 38-piece limited edition that takes the transparency concept from the Czapek × Fratello Promenade Transparencies Viridian Green and gives it a new color palette and dial execution. The watch combines a 38mm stainless steel case with a blue fumé metallized sapphire dial, allowing Czapek’s […] Visit Movement And Dial Hand In Hand: Czapek Promenade Transparencies Aqua Blue to read the full article.

Czapek goes transparent with the new Promenade Transparencies Aqua Blue

Czapek expands the Promenade collection with the Transparencies Aqua Blue with a smoked sapphire dial to subtly showcase the movement.

Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe 70th anniversary: a proper 1968 re-edition

37.4mm steel, box sapphire, meteor-grey sunburst dial, cal. 1150 with 100-hour reserve. Blancpain marks 70 years of the civilian diver with a faithful re-edition of the 1968 Bathyscaphe. 300 pieces, €14,850.

Video: The Best Seiko Diver Just Got Better!

I’ve owned my Seiko Marinemaster SBDX001 for over ten years, and it impresses me as much today as it did back in 2015. However, the original Marinemaster had some “flaws.” Such as the Hardlex crystal, steel bezel insert, and flimsy-feeling clasp and diving extension. Seiko released many references after the SBDX001, but not all of […] Visit Video: The Best Seiko Diver Just Got Better! to read the full article.

The New Timex Deepwater Meridian Is an Affordable Automatic GMT With Rolex Style

The new Deepwater Meridian 200 Automatic GMT brings sapphire, a ceramic bezel, and 200m of water resistance to a $549 Timex. A closer look.

4-Digit, 5-Digit or 6-Digit Rolex: The Three Eras, the Real Differences, and Which One Fits You

Every serial-obsessed Rolex conversation starts here: the reference number tells you the era, and the era tells you the spec. Acrylic vs sapphire, aluminium vs Cerachrom, tritium vs Chromalight, and why the 5-digit refs are the sweet spot most collectors quietly agree on.

Hands-On With The Hublot Big Bang Tourbillon Automatic Yellow Neon Saxem

Hublot’s Big Bang Tourbillon Automatic Yellow Neon SAXEM is one of those watches that leave you in awe, combining neon sapphire brilliance with high-complication tourbillon watchmaking. What We Love The bold Yellow Neon SAXEM case completely transforms under different lighting. The skeletonised dial offers a beautifully balanced design that gives the watch real mechanical theatre. Few watches in watchmaking will command attention quite like this, especially in natural light. What We Don’t The 44mm case size wears better than expected, but it is still on the larger side. Even sapphire lovers may find the Yellow Neon SAXEM a lot to handle. A black structured strap option would let the case and dial take centre stage even more, while simultaneously reducing the overall ‘distinctive’ presence of the watch. Overall Rating: 8.6 / 10 Value For Money: 8.5/10 Design: 9.0/10 Wearability: 8.0/10 Build Quality: 9.0/10 Few timepieces in the world of watchmaking can grab attention like a bright yellow-coloured watch. Now imagine adding a transparent sapphire case to the mix, and suddenly, you have something that becomes almost impossible to ignore on the wrist. That is exactly what we get with the Hublot Big Bang Tourbillon Automatic Yellow Neon SAXEM. This is a watch that does not ask to be seen, but rather commands it the moment you see it. In that regard, this, in my opinion, is the kind of timepiece that perfectly encapsulates what Hublot is all about. Since the beginnin...

The Timex Marlin Jet Automatic Watch Gets an America 250 Edition

The Timex Marlin Jet Automatic America 250 is a 38mm limited edition of 500 pieces, with red-white-blue styling, a domed crystal, and an exhibition caseback.

Hamilton Khaki Field Mechanical 250 Review: The Military Watch I Waited a Decade to Buy

A hands-on review of the Hamilton Khaki Field Mechanical 250, exploring its military heritage, 36mm sizing, acrylic crystal, and more.

Introducing - The New ArtyA Purity Tourbillon Sport Editions

Artya is known for not shying away from creativity, boldness and boundary-pushing designs, and proves this once more with its latest release. Following earlier models like the Purity Tourbillon, Purity Stairway to Heaven and Purity Central Tourbillon housed in the brand’s signature sapphire cases, the Geneva-based manufacture now introduces the Purity Tourbillon Sport Edition, a limited […]

Farer updates its GMT Bezel collection, introducing two new striking guilloché dials

Farer refreshes its GMT Bezel collection with two new colours, featuring sharp, striking guilloché dials and sapphire bezel inserts

Introducing the Zenith G.F.J. Calibre 135 Double Signed with Naoya Hida & Co.

The emergence of Naoya Hida as a major player in the independent space has been one of the more exciting developments in watches over the last few years. Whether Hida’s watches are to your taste or not (or your budget) there’s no denying that the brand presents a crystal clear point of view and takes no shortcuts to execute on it. In an environment with, frankly, a lot of half baked ideas, there’s something satisfying about a brand that knows exactly what it is. So it’s incredibly interesting that right on the heels of their recent 2026 launches, the brand has announced a new collaboration with Zenith on their G.F.J. platform.  This is honestly one of those world-colliding moments for me and I’m pretty excited about not only the watch but what this might signal for both Zenith and Naoya Hida moving forward. The G.F.J. feels like the right line for a brand like Naoya Hida to work within – it’s already cited as a watch that trades a little on the current trend toward artisanal dials (in exotic stones, specifically) that have become favorites among many high end indies. And there’s an undeniable synergy between the classic mid century design codes of the G.F.J. case and Naoya Hida’s aesthetic sensibility.  The G.F.J. Calibre 135 Double Signed with Naoya Hida & Co. is the first in what Zenith is referring to as their new “Double Signed” program, which will, according to the brand, invite selected partners to reinterpret iconic references. The naming con...

First Look - The Rado Captain Cook High-Tech Ceramic Chronograph in Navy Blue

Rado’s foray into the world of dive watches in 1962 resulted in the Captain Cook, a somewhat quirky watch that didn’t emulate the rugged tool watches populating the underwater scene. Defined by its less utilitarian character, the Captain Cook had a compact 35mm case, an inward-sloping bezel, a domed acrylic crystal, a pivoting anchor at […]

Hands-On: The A. Lange & Söhne Lange 1 Perpetual Tourbillon Lumen

The watches of A. Lange & Söhne very rarely gets a chance to step out of the stoically traditional design language the brand has established since its relaunch in 1994, but one collection from the brand offers a unique respite from it all. Lange's Lumen series is now in its 16th year since the introduction of the Zeitwerk "Luminous" back in 2010, with its inaugural display of smoked sapphire, blacked-out details, and, of course, luminous numerals for the hour and minute discs. But while that model was the first to be executed, the following Grand Lange 1 Lumen in 2012 was the first model officially given the name "Lumen." Last month, at Watches and Wonders, Lange introduced the seventh Lumen in the lineup, with the new Lange 1 Tourbillon Perpetual Calendar Lumen. Following the absolutely bonkers Datograph Perpetual Tourbillon in Honeygold released in 2025 for the Datograph's twenty-fifth anniversary, this new glow-in-the-dark take on the very complicated Lange 1 model marks a pattern of increasing complication (and resulting price points) for the Lumen series. A closer look reveals that there's a lot going on, and for nerds, it's certainly a feast for the eyes. In person, the cold, austere look of the chunky, 41.9mm case in platinum immediately struck me, as it was a welcome return to the combination of a smoky, black look with white metal from the past two Lumen iterations in Honeygold (that Datograph Perpetual Tourbillon and its predecessor, the Zeitwerk). For a design ...

Anoma Debuts Two New References as Part of their Permanent Collection

Matteo Violet-Vianello founded Anoma back in 2024 with a crystal-clear concept that noticeably drew from the worlds of architecture and design as well as forms in nature. The brand’s debut offering set the tone for what has quickly become Anoma’s trademark: a triangular case. Those who follow the brand on Instagram well know that the brand’s cult following has become, dare I say obsessed with finding the soft, triangular form with rounded edges in the wild, citing pieces of furniture, buildings, river stones and other everyday objects that mimic the shape. From the get-go, Anoma has taken the approach of dropping limited edition collections rather than having a permanent catalog. The A1 First Series from 2024 was notable for its two-tone blue dial and was quickly followed up by two variations the following year: the A1 Slate offering a more neutral color palette and later the A1 Optical offered in two colorways – one monochromatic and the other two-tone – each highlighting a guilloche dial that has the unique and organic appearance of a fingerprint. Now, Anoma departs from its own tradition of highly limited executions, creating its first core collection. The new anchors for the brand include the A1 Abyss and A1 Stone. The pair very clearly echo models of the past with the Abyss giving us a twist on the First Series with a singular shade of blue that’s a bit lighter and brighter than the original two-tone. At first glance, this model appears simple, but there...

Oris Built A 35mm Reissue That Actually Earns Its Heritage

The new Oris Star Edition revisits a 1966 milestone with a 35mm tonneau case, plexiglass crystal, and a dial that stays true to the original.

Tudor Introduces The New Black Bay 54 In Blue

It’s been three years since Tudor surprised us with the Black Bay 54. The smallest of the Black Bay models has since become a popular option for people who love a modestly sized Tudor dive watch. The new addition to the lineup comes with a nice sapphire-blue dial and bezel. It’s a color that really […] Visit Tudor Introduces The New Black Bay 54 In Blue to read the full article.

The Uber-Lange 1 Gets the “Lumen” Treatment

A. Lange & Söhne turns once again to its greatest hits for its flagship launch at Watches & Wonders 2026. The Lange 1 Tourbillon Perpetual Calendar “Lumen” bestows the translucent, luminous treatment to the top-of-the-line Lange 1 in a 50-piece limited edition in platinum. Powered by the L225.1, an upgrade on the previous generation movement, the latest Lumen edition has a grey-tinted sapphire dial that reveals glow-in-the-dark elements, including the date discs and moon phase. Over the back, the edition is also set apart by a pair of steel cocks sporting engraving of stars. Initial thoughts The Lange 1 Tourbillon Perpetual Calendar “Lumen” stands out as one of the most appealing Lumen models; I’d rank it up there along with the original Zeitwerk “Phantom” in terms of appeal. The Lumen treatment works best with lot of obvious luminous components, which is the case here. Flourishes like the luminous bases for each of the Roman hour numerals are a pleasing touch. The twin engraved steel cocks are especially noteworthy; the concept is classic Lange but the engraved star motif adds variety. That said, the Lange 1 Tourbillon Perpetual Calendar “Lumen” scores highly, maybe even perfectly, in terms of intrinsic and tactile appeal. The technical accomplishment is also top class: the calendar is instantaneous, movement construction is sophisticated, and decoration is outstanding. But this arguably scores less well in terms of originality or creativity. The moveme...

The ArtyA Complexity doubles down on the idea of a tourbillon

Building a watch with two inclined tourbillons is no small feat, and ArtyA has managed to pull it off with a sapphire case to boot.The post The ArtyA Complexity doubles down on the idea of a tourbillon appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.