Results for The 1985 Swatch Consolidation

An Ode To The Casio G-Shock GW-B5600-2ER

We watch collectors come up with “rules” regarding our hobby. For example, “Every watch collection should have a dress watch, a sporty piece, and a beater.” This is the imperative many of us live by. While the former two may not be the cornerstones of my collection, at least not intentionally, I do have a […] Visit An Ode To The Casio G-Shock GW-B5600-2ER to read the full article.

Bulova Begins their 150th Anniversary Celebration with the Premier of the Documentary “America Telling Time”

Next year, Bulova turns 150 years old, but you’ll forgive them if they start the celebration a little early. Last week in New York City, the band’s home for its entire history, Bulova hosted the world premiere of America Telling Time, a documentary about an hour in length that charts the course of the brand through 150 years of being, quite literally, an American standard in time telling. Watching the film in a room full of watch collectors, watch media, and Bulova staffers it became clear that Bulova is truly unlike any other watch brand, and not for the usual reasons we typically invoke that possibly overused phrase. Bulova’s history is tied inextricably to American history in a way that no other brand can replicate, which is a simple fact of its founding, longevity, and ability to always be on the cusp of trends in culture and watchmaking.  Before sitting down to watch the film at the premiere, I had an opportunity to speak with Jeffrey Cohen, President of Citizen Watch America, and Patty Schmoyer, Vice President of Marketing at Bulova, about what we could expect later that evening when the documentary would be shown. “You’re going to see how Bulova played a vital role in our society,” Cohen told me. He then went on to list the seemingly endless arenas in which Bulova was a factor in American life. The space program, being a pioneer in radio and television advertising, and promoting equal pay for equal work at a time when a large American company taking a s...

Alpina Launches the Alpiner Extreme Skeleton

For more than 140 years, Alpina has made a name for itself as a premier watch brand for sportsmen and adventurers alike. Now under the Citizen Watch family, the Swiss brand continues to bring to market exciting watches that often punch way above their weight class. Take, for example, the latest release by the brand: the Alpiner Extreme Skeleton. Coming in two references, depending on the strap chosen, these watches mark an interesting advent for the brand: marrying sports watch performance with a skeletonized dial in one.  Every millimeter of this Alpiner iteration has been consciously redesigned for both aesthetics and performance. It’s hard to talk about this watch without mentioning the namesake skeleton architecture of the watch. Of course, the lack of a proper dial gives us a peek into the inner workings of the movement; it’s the small finishes throughout the watch that make it truly impressive. Take, for instance, the finishing on the movement that alternates between satin and polished surfaces. Or the hour markers applied by hand to the crystal, giving them a floating appearance against a dialless backdrop. Or the luminescent hands which tie it all together and remind one that this is, first and foremost, a sports watch. It’s all packed into a compact and wearable 39mm x 40.55 mm cushion case. Noted earlier, this watch comes in two references. The first (AL-520GSKT3AE6B) is a monochromatic gray variant that’s inspired by the Alpine foothills. This reference...

Swatch × Omega: Is The Super Blue Moonphase The Best-Looking MoonSwatch Yet?

Reasons Behind the Swatch Group’s Profit Slump and How Things Could Improve

The Roundup: Familiar Favorites and Some Newcomers Too

The Roundup is the Windup Watch Shop’s weekly rundown of the latest and greatest watches, accessories, EDC, and more. Top billing belongs to the Treat Yourself category, which spotlights special watches worth their price tag, while the Value-Packed Pick celebrates a timepiece that provides great bang for buck. Upgrade Your Kit highlights indispensable everyday carry gadgets. When You Have Too Many Watches is all about accessories and peripherals for your watch collection. Last but not least, the Deal of the Week is a limited time bargain that you will not want to miss. Don’t forget to join the Windup Watch Shop Rewards Program to save and earn points with every purchase. The Windup Team is also available to schedule a consultation or demo with you to answer any questions you may have. This week we kick things off with something you’ve never seen before: the Zodiac Super Sea Wolf Pro-Diver made in collaboration with the RedBar watch club. Next, we appreciate the fact that G-Shock has made a genuinely smaller everyday watch in the form of the Digital Basic. The Remix from Gerber is our kit feature this week, while our very own Hexagon Watch Tube covers all your watch storage needs. Last but not least, the Citizen “Fugu” dive watch is our deal of the week. You won’t want to miss any of this. The Roundup is the Windup Watch Shop’s weekly rundown of the latest and greatest watches, accessories, EDC, and more. Top billing belongs to the Treat Yourself category, whi...

First Look – Launching From the Netherlands, this is the VPC Type 37HW

Many watch enthusiasts and collectors will undoubtedly dream of creating their own watch at some point, but few actually set out to do it. And from those that do embark on the Herculean undertaking of launching a brand, even fewer eventually make it and bring an actual finished product to the table. It’s by no […]

Value Proposition – The Bang On 1960s Retro Vibe of the Timex Marlin Jet

US watch brand Timex is on a mission to recuperate its former glory, and one of its strategies is to resurrect winning designs from its past. Renowned for its accessibly priced mechanical and quartz watches, in the early 1960s, one in three watches sold was a Timex. The Marlin, a mechanical dress watch designed in […]

The Swatch x Blancpain Bioceramic Scuba Fifty Fathoms Ocean of Storms celebrates a different kind of ocean

Beyond the Surface: Three Intriguing Facts About Swatch x Blancpain Scuba Fifty Fathoms

Another one bites the dust: Freddie Mercury’s Seiko sells for big bucks

We discuss the Queen frontman's humble Seiko, the semi-finalists for the inaugural Louis Vuitton Watch Prize as well as rare vintage Vacherons making their way Down Under.The post Another one bites the dust: Freddie Mercury’s Seiko sells for big bucks appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Blancpain and Swatch Launch the Bioceramic Scuba Fifty Fathoms Collection

It’s a Close Encounter of the Horological Kind with the New UFO Clocks from Ulysse Nardin

Eagle-eyed watch and horology enthusiasts are experiencing a close encounter of the third kind as Ulysse Nardin has dropped three new versions of its avant-garde UFO (Unidentified Floating Object) marine chronometer table clock. Based on the original UFO from 2021, the trio of new colors celebrates Ulysse Nardin’s special relationship with three famed retailers: Swiss-based Bucherer (Ice Blue), Japanese retailer Yoshida (Green), and The Hour Glass (Champagne) in Southeast Asia. The clocks are limited to 30 in each color and are available exclusively through these retailers. Ulysse Nardin commemorated its 175th anniversary back in the spring of 2021 by introducing the first series of UFOs in a batch of 75 examples in dark blue. All sold out quickly. In the fall of that year, at Only Watch, a unique one-off in orange hammered for an eye-watering CHF 380,000. Clearly, there was interest in this unapologetically futuristic take on the marine chronometer – once a crucial tool in navigation at sea and the pinnacle of precision timekeeping. Ulysse Nardin claims this is the fruit of two years of research and development in partnership with L’Épée, whom you may recognize as past collaborators with MB&F;. A closer look at the UFO reveals a product that builds on UN’s history as masters of the marine chronometer while pushing the boundaries of design and engineering. Aesthetically, the UFO is like a JLC Atmos clock that decided to let loose: the half-sphere base houses a tun...

Owner’s Review: Happy Compromises with the Bulova Oceanographer

Watch collecting has a few rites of passage: Buying an Invicta on vacation. Eagerly purchasing too many watches and quickly filling a watch box. Experiencing buyer’s remorse and selling those watches to recover funds for future purchases. Seller’s remorse setting in, followed by repurchasing watches. With one exception, the Bulova Oceanographer helped me check all of those boxes. I purchased my first Oceanographer during the buying/selling frenzy many enthusiasts go through. Seeing watches in stores and at meetups is cool, but can’t compete with the experience of ownership. Ownership removes the fear of scratching a watch while learning how it feels in 90% humidity. It allows you to test if a bezel still turns after a day at the beach, and to find those annoying design flaws that only become apparent after a few days on the wrist.  $750 Owner’s Review: Happy Compromises with the Bulova Oceanographer Case Stainless steel Movement Miyota 821D Dial Black Lume Yes Lens Sapphire Strap Bracelet/rubber strap Water Resistance 200 meters Dimensions 44 x 46mm Thickness 15mm Lug Width 20mm Crown Screw down Warranty Yes Price $750 For a couple years, I had a watch coming and going every month. It was a constant game of hunting for opportunities, always selling, trading and buying. Sometimes I’d make $50, sometimes I’d lose $50. Sometimes I’d organize a trade on Reddit, and anxiously wait to see if the person on the other end of the deal was scamming me (they never were)...

A Week in Watches Ep. 50: Omega’s Got the Whole World in their Hands

We’re up to episode 50 of A Week in Watches! This week we’ve got several new releases with little in common other than being new. That’s fine by us though. First up is the brutal Ollech & Wajs 8001, their first integrated bracelet sports watch in 50 years. Then we have a Bremont testing instrument turned watch. After, we check out two new offerings from Aera, one in blue the other in gray. And finally, Omega dropped some new Aquaterra worldtimers that are worth knowing about. This week’s episode is sponsored by Whatnot, a live-stream auction app where you can buy and sell unique items. Come join the Windup Watch Shop for their first stream on Tuesday, April 23rd at 5PM Eastern, where they will be showing and selling various items from the shop. Follow this link to sign up for Whatnot and get $15 in credit toward your first purchase. The post A Week in Watches Ep. 50: Omega’s Got the Whole World in their Hands appeared first on Worn & Wound.

Inside the Collection: Common Threads Through Uncommon Chronographs

I am not a chronograph guy. At least that’s what I keep telling myself. I’ve owned my share of chronographs over the years, but they always seem to be first on the chopping block when something new comes along that I need to clear out space for. They also, in general, don’t appeal to me aesthetically. I tend to like a less cluttered, more serene dial than what you’ll find on a typical chronograph, simply because of the nature of the complication itself. And I certainly don’t belong in the nerdiest segment of chronograph lovers, who have deeply held beliefs about the best chronograph movements ever made, and can rattle off the most minute differences between Speedmaster references at the drop of a hat. I admire the dedication and knowledge of these hardcore chronograph superfans, but I’ve never counted myself among them.  And yet, day to day, the watch I’ve worn the most by far over the last year is a chronograph that flies in the face of everything I tend to think about my own watch preferences. And if you were to ask me, “Hey Zach, out of all of your watches, which one has your favorite dial?” I’d have to respond with another chronograph, that has one of the most intricate and beautifully made dials I’ve had the pleasure of owning. So what’s going on here? How did such a non-chrono guy wind up with this weird chrono subcollection?  My IWC Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41 Ceratanium has effectively become my daily wearer since picking it up last sum...

The Tangente Neomatik Blue Gold is Very Blue and Unexpectedly Gold, Kind Of

I don’t have any way to scientifically prove this, but I’m willing to bet that most people, if asked to close their eyes and picture a Nomos watch, will imagine a Tangente of some kind in their head. Nomos has been around long enough to create a whole bunch of beautiful watches, and some that are not the Tangente have become icons (or close to it) in their own right. Every model family has its ardent supporters, from the Zurich world timers to the funky and colorful Tetras, you can find watch enthusiasts who are obsessive about each and every Nomos watch. But the Tangente remains the halo piece, the signature. It’s the one that you can most easily see all the things that make Nomos special within it. The Bauhaus influenced design, the playful use of color and shape, and, above all, a very specific type of casual elegance.  Perhaps understandably, Nomos has iterated almost endlessly on the Tangente over the years. I’m sure someone is keeping track of the many variants, case sizes, dial colors, and so forth, but that task is well beyond my own capabilities at this point. Suffice it to say, they’ve made a lot of Tangentes. And the new one, which they’ve dubbed the Neomatik Blue Gold, is a very nice looking one indeed, if not immediately easy to understand based on name alone. That’s OK. I might not have an encyclopedic knowledge of every Tangente ever released, but I’m a professional watch person, and you better believe I’m up to speed on the new one.  The...

Introducing: The Swatch Pigcasso Limited Edition (Live Pics & Pricing)

A plastic watch designed by a sort-of-famous pig. Nope, it's not April 1st.

Weekend Rewind: Omega Isn't The Only Swatch Group Brand To Boast A Bond Watch

And it's not who you might expect.

FRIDAY WIND DOWN: This is how to handle the scarcity of in-demand watches

Recently we covered the Rolex watch shortage phenomena, and the rare official statement provided by Rolex to Yahoo Finance in relation to their story. Rolex’s statement effectively claimed that scarcity was not a part of their strategy and that production cannot increase without compromising quality (which was something that Rolex would never do). But this … ContinuedThe post FRIDAY WIND DOWN: This is how to handle the scarcity of in-demand watches appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

EDITOR’S PICK: Why Bruce’s Wayne’s watches in The Dark Night triology are pitch-perfect

Jaeger-LeCoultre as Bruce Wayne's watch in the Batman movies is an inspired choice, so exquisitely tuned to its owner’s personality.The post EDITOR’S PICK: Why Bruce’s Wayne’s watches in The Dark Night triology are pitch-perfect appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Why this is the ideal brand partner for the Zenith DEFY Midnight

Watch brands always want you to write about their new ambassadors / friends of the brand. Whenever such opportunities are dangled, there’s a tacit understanding that there’ll be at least some watch-related chat to ensure the brand’s product gets the exposure it deserves. That’s just how it works. The problem is that during such an … ContinuedThe post Why this is the ideal brand partner for the Zenith DEFY Midnight appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

INTRODUCING: The 2021 Vacheron Constantin Overseas Collection

Many watch enthusiasts have become caught up with the Patek Phillipe Nautilus and Audemars Piguet Royal Oak. The aforementioned brands and references have reigned supreme in the integrated stainless-steel category for decades, but the challenge of sourcing one at retail has led many to finally give due credit to the equally fascinating Vacheron Constantin Overseas. … ContinuedThe post INTRODUCING: The 2021 Vacheron Constantin Overseas Collection appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Rockstars rocking vintage watches, Part 1 – The yellow gold Patek Philippe Edition

Celebrity watch spotting is a pastime of watch enthusiasts - there is something more genuine about a watch in the wild on a famous wrist than a planted timepiece as part of a contractual ambassadorship. While many opt for flashy precious metal and gemstone-covered watches to convey a sense of status and success that ties … ContinuedThe post Rockstars rocking vintage watches, Part 1 – The yellow gold Patek Philippe Edition appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

When Accuracy Mattered – Part III: The Triumph of Brands Over Watchmaking

The demise of chronometry competitions last year – when the final edition of Concours International de Chronométrie took place – finally killed the dangerous heresy that a watch is a practical instrument that should be trusted to show the correct time. With the elimination of the last scientific and independent assessment of a watch’s worth, the cult of haute horlogerie comes into its own, reinforcing its definition of a watch as an emotional product born of passion, tradition and prestige. Trials to see who can produce the most precise, accurate and reliable watch originated in Geneva in 1879, when the head of its observatory, Professor Emile Plantamour, devised a testing routine that rated watches in the various positions and temperatures encountered in everyday wear. Observatories soon became the influencers of the pocket-watch age, determining the legitimacy and worth of luxury timepieces. American magnates like James Ward Packard, Henry Graves Jr and Pierpont Morgan secured the most highly rated pieces. A Longines split-seconds chronograph pocket watch that was tested at the Neuchatel Observatory in 1968; this particular example once belong to Jean Pitallier, the former president of the French Cycling Federation (FFC) Despite the advent of wristwatches, the Neuchatel Observatory kept the competitions alive until 1968 when Japanese entrants swept the board. In 1972, deputation of Swiss watch brand executive petitioned the Neuchâtel government minister Ren...