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Time+Tide
As much as it pains me to say it, for most people out there, spending anything more than a few hundred dollars for a wristwatch is a faintly absurd idea. However – as I’m sure most people reading this will agree – once you get bitten by the particularly costly watch bug, all of a … ContinuedThe post 3 great steel sports watches for under $3K appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
After a record-setting auction weekend in Geneva, the action moves to Hong Kong in the last week of November. Chatter about the Hong Kong auctions this year are dominated by one watch, the Patek Philippe ref. 2523 twin-crown world time in pink gold with a blue enamel dial, because it carries the highest pre-sale estimate in watch auction history of 55m-110m Hong Kong dollars, or about US$7m-14m. Instead of being sold along with the rest of the watches on November 27, it will be the opening lot in the evening sale of 20th century and contemporary art on November 23. With the top lot in the evening sale – Five Nudes by Sanyu – having an estimate of HK$250m-550m dollars, or about US$32m-70m, the twin-crown world time hardly looks out of place. The Audemars Piguet Jules Audemars Equation of Time But the ref. 2523 aside, the rest of the Christie’s sale is made up of 239 more affordable timepieces, including an ultra-rare Patek Philippe ref. 3651 chronograph and a value-buy Audemars Piguet Jules Audemars Equation of Time in platinum. Here’s a look at highlights from the sale. And the full catalogue can be found here. Lot 2298 – Patek Philippe Nautilus ref. 3800/108G in white gold, with diamonds and emeralds This is shameless 1990s bling – a Nautilus ref. 3800/108G. The suffix means it’s 18k white gold, fully set with brilliant-cut diamonds and having 11 baguette-cut emeralds for the hour markers. The watch feels weighty in the hand, though the case is compact. An...
WatchAdvice
The future of watchmaking for Zenith can be narrowed down to one word: Defy. The Defy collection started with the release of the Defy El Primero 21 back in 2017, which was the quite amazing hundredth-of-a-second chronograph. This was followed by the first-generation Defy Lab (known now as Defy Inventor), which Zenith states is the world’s most accurate watch with its new ground-breaking monocrystalline silicon oscillator. Luckily enough, we had a chance to review the Zenith Defy Inventor as well, which you can check out here. Zenith has added a mini collection of three ceramic models to the Defy Classic range. The models in the Defy Classic Collection has a three-hand plus date feature and comes in three colour variations: White ceramic, Black ceramic and Blue ceramic. The piece we have on our hands today is the elegant Defy Classic Blue Ceramic. Having a colour outside of the typical white and black in a ceramic, which is the norm, definitely brings something different to the table. Although the colour blue may have its limitations with what it can be worn with, compared to all black and white ceramic watches. Despite this limitation, the blue ceramic certainly is an eye-catcher when on the wrist. Like the other two models in the Zenith Defy Classic Ceramic range, the blue ceramic comes with its own matching blue rubber strap. Sometimes having too much of the same colour throughout the watch can be too “in your face” as well. The blue used by Zenith for this cera...
SJX Watches
Produced for the key markets in an important region, the Defy El Primero 21 South East Asia Edition is based on Zenith’s well-priced, 1/100th of a second chronograph, with one edition each for Singapore, Indonesia and Malaysia. All three watches share the same red and white livery – reflecting the colours found in each country’s national flag – but with a respective national landmark printed on the case back. The Defy El Primero 21 is one of two true 1/100th of a second chronographs on the market that are serially produced – the other being the Mikrograph produced by Zenith’s sister company TAG Heuer. Both share a similar movement architecture, but the Mikrograph came first and inspired the construction of the Zenith calibre. Landmarks The colour scheme of the trio is a nod to the flag of each country, all of which happen to include red and white. The power reserve, minute counter, chronograph hands and crown are accented in red. The watch is otherwise mechanically identical to the standard version. It is powered by the self-winding El Primero 9004 movement, which utilises two independent sets of mainsprings, gear trains and balance wheels. The timekeeping escapement runs at a frequency of 5Hz, while the chronograph escapement runs at 50Hz, allowing the watch to resolve to 1/100th of a second. And more so important in a high frequency movement, the escape wheels – the fastest rotating wheel in the transmission system – and pallet forks are made of silicon...
Time+Tide
Editor’s note: Question: What do David Gandy, Gerard Butler, Eric Bana, Bradley Cooper and Adrien Brody all have in common? Answer: They’ve all been spotted wearing a Bulgari Octo. And apart from being five exceedingly good-looking dudes, they’re all rather tall gents. So naturally, our fearless leader Andrew McUtchen pondered, “What would this beefcake collective … ContinuedThe post That time we made a fantasy basketball team out of celebs who wear the Bulgari Octo appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
TAG Heuer’s fabled Monaco wristwatch, a timepiece immortalised in the annals of motorsport as a result of Steve McQueen sporting one in the 1971 film Le Mans, is for the first time in its history being produced with an in-house movement. That’s right, whether you were aware of it or not, the TAG Heuer Monaco … ContinuedThe post INTRODUCING: The TAG Heuer Monaco 02 appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
In a first for watchmaking, an establishment watchmaker has collaborated with an auctioneer in creating a pair of limited edition wristwatches, resulting in the El Primero A386 designed by Phillips. The tie-up has resulted in a pair of watches, one in steel with a “tropical” dial, and the other in striking black and gold – with the total number made being just 69, a nod to the year of the El Primero’s launch. The two watches are actually part of the same creative process that spawned the platinum El Primero A386 One-Off that will soon be sold for charity. Aurel Bacs and Alex Ghotbi of Phillips were responsible for conceiving the look of both watches. According to Phillips, the duo imagined being designers of the brand-new El Primero in 1969, rather than looking back from today and creating a modern remake. The yellow gold El Primero is consequently a combination that was common back in the day – think Rolex Daytona “John Player Special” though never produced by Zenith. And the steel version is not actually a “tropical” dial, rather it is a reference to the brown colours fashionable in design and apparel during the 1960s. Hence it has its sub-dials in three shades of brown, a riff on the “tricolour” registers of the original A386. And the steel watch comes with a bonus: a steel “ladder” bracelet with straight end links that’s a replica of the same found on the original A386. Key facts and price El Primero A386 Phillips Limited Edition Ref. 30.P38...
SJX Watches
Phillips’ thematic auction this season is titled Double Signed: A Celebration of the Finest Partnerships Between Manufacturers and Retailers, with a catalogue composed of watches with retailer signatures mostly on the dial, but occasionally on the case back. Though a retailer signature in itself does not make a great watch, many watches in the sale are already superb watches, but made even more special by the retailer’s mark, like the Rolex GMT-Master ref. 6542 below. More broadly, Double Signed is more historically evocative than most other thematic auctions, because many of the retailers cited within represent a particular time and place that is long gone, even if the retailer remains in business. Examples include Serpico y Laino of Caracas, which no doubt prospered during Venezuela’s good times that are now long forgotten, or Le Palais Royal of Havana that was the island’s premiere retailer before the Communist revolution. Here’s part one of the roundup of highlights from the sale. (And part II is here.) Lot 11 – Vacheron Constantin tourbillon pocket watch ref. 92244 “Asprey” One of the most proper examples of haute horlogerie in the sale is this Vacheron Constantin pocket watch that contains an observatory-certified tourbillon movement from the 1940s, though the watch was only finished and sold in 1992. It’s believed that in the 1990s, Vacheron Constantin discovered a small number of tourbillon movements that had been tested and certified as chronomet...
Time+Tide
Editor’s note: I’m sure that at one point or another you’ve been wearing your favourite watch and thought, “This is definitely ‘gram’ worthy”. But taking the perfect wrist shot is by no means a simple task. In fact, it’s an art form that can be exceedingly complicated and multifaceted. Luckily for us, however, back in … ContinuedThe post HOW TO: Take the perfect Instagram wristshot appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
Nothing raises the heart rate of a watch enthusiast faster than the story of a tool watch being used in the environment it was originally designed for, which was why I almost needed to call an ambulance when Nic told me the story of his Bremont ALT1-WT made for his RAAF squadron. Nic’s job is … ContinuedThe post What Sealed The Deal – Nic and his custom military Bremont ALT1-WT appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
Though the Konstantin Chaykin Joker Selfie was already explained in great detail by Bjorn Meijer a couple of weeks ago, it’s compelling enough for a second, quick look, since I just received a new set of photos. Konstantin’s standard Joker (or Clown) wristwatch is well known, while also being fairly straight forward mechanically. The one-off Joker Selfie he created for the upcoming Only Watch charity auction is fundamentally and dramatically different, although the shares the familiar funny face. To start with the case is made of bulat, a high carbon steel alloy better known as Wootz steel. Sometimes incorrectly known as Damascus steel, bulat is an alloy with a patterned surface that’s a result of the metals mixed within. The irregular structure of the alloy, combined with its hardness, means it was a challenge to make the Joker Selfie case. Konstantin only completed the case after two discarded cases due to structural problems that emerged after machining. The Joker Selfie tells the time like the standard Joker, with the pupils in each eye pointing to the time, with a moon phase display incorporated into the mouth of the clown. And it has the day of the week, indicated with emoticons, much like Alain Silberstein’s trademark “smileday”, at 12 o’clock. But it also has an additional “secret” display, with a swivelling lever under the dial that covers either the hours or the day of the week display. It’s a gravity-activated mechanism that shows the hours ...
Hodinkee
We're back with your weekly dose of vintage watch finds from around the web.
SJX Watches
The upcoming Phillips New York auction includes an unusual watch: the Monaco Piece d’Art, a one-off vintage watch restored and hand-finished by TAG Heuer that’s being sold to benefit a charity in the city. Created to mark the 50th anniversary of the iconic square-case chronograph, the Monaco Piece d’Art started out as a ordinary example of the Monaco ref. 1133B – also known as the “Steve McQueen” after the actor wore one in the 1971 film Le Mans – one of several specimens in TAG Heuer’s own museum. Hand-decorated and upgraded The Monaco ref. 1133B was powered by the Calibre 11 Chronomatic, one of the first automatic chronograph movements ever launched; the Chronomatic made its debut in 1969, the same year as the Zenith Primero and Seiko cal. 6139. Though important in the history of watchmaking, the Chronomatic movement was functional and fuss-free. So TAG Heuer decided to change that. The movement inside the Monaco Piece d’Art was taken apart and then carefully decorated, part by part, by a four-person team of watchmakers over three months. The steel levers and springs of the chronograph mechanism were straight grained and bevelled, screws heads were flat polished, gears were given circular graining, and so on. Even the countersinks for the jewels and screws were polished. The refinished movement inside the Monaco Piece d’Art (left), with an original Calibre 11 Chronomatic But the reworking of the movement was not merely aesthetic. The jewel count was...
Hodinkee
It was awarded to Mike "The Bike" Hailwood by Mr. Heuer himself.
Hodinkee
From the most sought-after vintage Rolex to unique pieces being auctioned for charity, we've got it all this week.
Hodinkee
As the El Primero turns 50, take a look back at the story of its birth and the man that protected its very existence.
SJX Watches
A long snaking building that stretches some 240m, the new Swatch headquarters in Biel, or Bienne in French, is the culmination of five years of work. Selling about 9.5m watches a year for about 450m Swiss francs of revenue, according to Swiss bank Vontobel, Swatch was the foundational company of its parent, the aptly named Swatch Group, which also owns Omega and Longines. Like many of its parent company’s recent projects, the Swatch building was designed by Japanese architect Shigeru Ban, the 2014 Pritzker Prize winner who is best known for his works of wood or paper, as well as his temporary structures for humanitarian aid. Its new home is covered in a honeycomb timber grid that incorporates windows, nine balconies and solar panels. Visible from the inside is the Swatch logo, derived from the Swiss cross, incorporated into some of the grid’s cells. And hidden within the structure is a network of wires and cables for telecommunications, electricity and the like. The Swatch headquarters, with the Omega building at the far left The Swatch building ends in La Cite du Temps, which sits in front of the Omega factory and headquarters Shigeru Ban, Nayla Hayek, and Nick Hayek Jr at the opening ceremony on October 3, 2019 The glass-walled Swatch store in front of the new headquarters With the new headquarters in the background Light, flexible and sustainable, the timber beams used for the outer structure number some 4,600, all precisely cut to fit with join with each other per...
Time+Tide
Editor’s note: Razor-sharp details, timeless style and a solid new movement make the Baume & Mercier Baumatic an excellent option for an everyday dress watch that doesn’t break the bank. The story in a second: Classic on the outside, contemporary on the inside. Baume & Mercier are onto a winner here. I’ve always thought Baume … ContinuedThe post Another look at the Baume & Mercier Baumatic – one of the best everyday dress watches at its price point appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Hodinkee
We're back with a round up of tempting vintage watches from around the web to carry you into the weekend.
Time+Tide
There was a lot going on in the middle of the 1960s. The space race was in full swing, the Australian dollar was introduced, and the launch of the Girard-Perregaux 1966 Collection. This collection was launched alongside a number of other projects that Girard-Perregaux were working on, including being aggressively competitive in the Neuchâtel Observatory … ContinuedThe post VIDEO: Mid-Century Magic with the Girard-Perregaux 1966 Collection appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
Back in January, Panerai unveiled the Luna Rossa Challenger Submersible Carbotech, which kicked off the watchmaker’s official sponsorship of Luna Rossa, the challenger of the 36th America’s Cup that takes place in 2021. And now the brand has introduced three Luminor watches – the Luna Rossa Regatta (PAM01038), the Luna Rossa Chrono Flyback (PAM01037), and the Luna Rossa GMT (PAM01036) – dedicated to the sailing syndicate, which has fellow Italian brands Prada and Pirelli as its main sponsors. Only just unveiled at the Salón Internacional Alta Relojería (SIAR) watch fair in Mexico City, the three watches are characterised by high tech materials that also used in Luna Rossa. The watches share the same monochromatic palette, with a distinctive “sandwich dial” made up of a lower dial plate with luminous paint for the numerals that’s capped with an upper dial plate covered in sailcloth from Luna Rossa. Though each use different case materials, they all share the same titanium case back engraved with the Luna Rossa and the team logo. Luminor Luna Rossa Regatta (PAM01038) A dedicated yachting chronograph, the Luminor Luna Rossa Regatta is the flagship model of the range. It has a 47mm case in Carbotech, a proprietary carbon fibre-reinforced polymer, making it massive but lightweight. First introduced in 2015, the material is produced by layering sheets of carbon with a polymer resin in between to create a light and strong composite with a woodgrain appearance. ...
SJX Watches
Invented by pioneering independent watchmaker Vincent Calabrese in 1980 – whose specialty remains intriguing shaped movements – the Golden Bridge has become a Corum signature – a tiny, baguette-shaped movement suspended in watch cases of varying shapes and sizes. Despite being almost 40 years old, the Golden Bridge remains an impressive feat of movement construction, and one that is not as highly regarded as it should be. The latest iteration of the watch is the Golden Bridge Round 43 Art Deco, which installs the Golden Bridge movement in a conventional, round case, but frames it on both sides with sets of brass wires, evoking the cables of suspension bridges. Two versions are available: one with gilded wires and a yellow gold movement, the other with rhodium-plated wires and a matching movement. Mechanically the CO 113 movement is identical to that found in earlier versions. Taking its name literally, the movement has its bridges and main plate in solid 18k gold. It was born out of Mr Calabrese’s original design – which was delicate and finicky – having been reengineered about a decade ago by Laurent Besse, an independent watchmaker who formerly worked for Corum after his own workshop went bust. The case is a large 43mm and made of titanium coated in diamond-like carbon (DLC), giving it a glossy black finish. Its size means it loses the delicate elegance of the originals, which were all contained in narrow, rectangular cases, but conversely the round cas...
Time+Tide
Vacheron Constantin is one of the grand dames of Genevan watchmaking - tracing their lineage and continuous operation back to 1755, or 260-odd years. Shortly after Vacheron Constantin’s founding, Captain Cook set sail for Australian shores, claiming it as British sovereign territory in 1770. It took Vacheron Constantin a little longer to make its way … ContinuedThe post NEWS: Vacheron Constantin opens first Australian boutique in Melbourne appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Deployant
De Bethune brings back this revolutionary chronograph designed in 2006. The watch is uses the monopusher concept but pushes it farther by having all counters displayed centrally
SJX Watches
In the tradition of its extravagant exhibitions, Cartier has recently opened Cartier, Crystallisation Of Time in Tokyo’s National Art Centre. Made up of some 300 items, ranging from jewels to clocks to objet d’art, the exhibition is the third Cartier exhibition in Japan since the 1990s (and the 34th globally). Notably, half the exhibits are on loan from private collections, with the rest being from the Cartier Collection, the jeweller’s own trove of over 3000 items spanning 1860 to the modern day. More unusually, this is the first exhibition that includes contemporary Cartier creations from the 1970s and later, in contrast to past events that only included historical objects. The exhibition explores the jeweller’s rich history by juxtaposing vintage jewels, timepieces and objects against their modern equivalents or relations. So a lavish portico mystery clock made of gold, rock crystal and onyx from 1923 sits beside a 2016 mysterious tourbillon pocket watch hanging in its rock crystal and jade stand. Large ‘Portique’ mystery clock (left); and mysterious tourbillon pocket watch with stand Desk clock, circa 1929, made of ebonite, mother-of-pearl, and coral (left); and magnetic clock from 2016, in white gold, lapis lazuli, and mother-of-pearl It’s organised into three themes, detailing the jeweller’s work in materials, design, and cultural inspiration. The two scarab motif jewels, for instance, are six decades apart, but share the same Ancient Egyptian theme...
Time+Tide
The Fifty Fathoms is a stalwart of the dive watch, dating back to 1953. And, as you might expect, the watch has seen a few revisions over the years, including ones like this, that stretch the boundaries of a rough-and-ready tool watch. Because a 45mm fully gold dive watch is a heck of a flex. … ContinuedThe post VIDEO: Blancpain’s Fifty Fathoms in full gold and bright blue appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Two Broke Watch Snobs
Timex has come a long way in the last few years and has started to reach into their back catalogs and even make watches here in the US. But at their core, they still make a durable, affordable watch that looks great and can give many years of great service with very little maintenance.
Deployant
The Sixties line presents legendary 1960s design and embodies the art of Glashütte watchmaking, whose traditions date back to 1845. It was only in 2018 that the popular line saw the first of its striking annual editions. For its annual edition 2019, the German manufactory presents the Sixties and Sixties Panorama Date in multi-faceted orange.
Time+Tide
There is no designer in the watch game like Fabrizio Buonamassa Stigliani. He is sketching, pardon the millennial turn of phrase here, literally all of the time. When he’s being interviewed. When he’s in a room by himself waiting to be interviewed (I disturbed him in the act as I was early). And, you suspect, … ContinuedThe post “Even more style than the titanium” – the black ceramic Bulgari Octo Finissimo explained by its designer appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
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Acclaimed in ancient literature and collectible today, swords made by the Gassan school trace their lineage back centuries, as is only possible in Japan. The school originated some 800 years ago, dating back to the early Kamakura period, approximately the 13th century. It started at the base of Mount Gassan, the highest of a trio of sacred mountains in what is now Yamagata prefecture. Though the school became dormant sometime in the 16th century, it was revived sometime in the mid 1800s by a descendant of the Gassan family in Osaka. The revival was successful and the Gassan school made swords for several Japanese emperors in the 19th and 20th century. Six generations on, the Gassans continue their craft with Sadanobu Gassan, and his father, Sadatoshi, now based in the city of Sakurai in Nara prefecture, about six hours southwest of Tokyo. At Baselworld 2019, Casio announced its collaboration with Sadanobu Gassan to create the G-Shock MR-G “Gassan” MRG-G2000GA, which has key parts of the case and bracelet finished by Mr Gassan himself in his workshop. In essence, it links the Gassan family’s eight hundred centuries of tradition with the latest in Japanese timekeeping technology. We got in touch with Mr Gassan to discuss his work for G-Shock, and also the state of his ancient craft. The interview has been edited and condensed. The G-Shock MR-G “Gassan” MRG-G2000GA What made you want to continue in your family’s footsteps? At a young age, I witnessed my...
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