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Results for The Quartz Astron Launch

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The Quartz Astron Launch Seiko

Christmas Day 1969: Seiko launches the world\'s first quartz wristwatch and detonates the Swiss watch industry.
Maurice de Mauriac Introduces the Rallymaster III, Inspired by the Lawn Courts of Wimbledon Worn & Wound
Ming all things tennis So Jul 5, 2024

Maurice de Mauriac Introduces the Rallymaster III, Inspired by the Lawn Courts of Wimbledon

I don’t know about you, but after seeing Challengers, I’ve been on a tennis kick lately. Having discovered the sport late in life, I’m now ravenously consuming all things tennis. So when I heard that Maurice de Mauriac has partnered with Racquet Magazine for the next iteration of their Rallymaster, I had to take a look. Like previous models, the Rallymaster III combines vintage elements with a clever eye for details, thanks to designer Carlton DeWoody’s playful touch points throughout the watch. With Wimbledon being the inspiration for this model (previous points of reference included Roland Garros and the US Open), there is a level of retro charm to this one that carries the theme throughout the watch. Most notably in this new reference, we have an olive-green dial that’s reminiscent of lawn courts and the use of 18-carat gold, giving the watch an overall elegant finish while still being playful. I’m particularly fond of the tennis ball indices and the seconds sub-dial at 9 o’clock, which features 20 second increments (the traditional tennis serve time). Finally, playing into British design language, DeWoody incorporates tan-colored straps to complete the ‘green over tan’ look, a favorite among British vintage and luxury car enthusiasts. Of the overall design, DeWoody says, “I aimed to bridge past and present, reinterpreting classic design with a contemporary lens. The colorful sub-dials and patterning of yachting and racing dials were the perfect insp...

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Introducing - The New Hanhart Austrian Air Force AW169M Limited Edition Monochrome
Ming devices Apr 5, 2024

Introducing - The New Hanhart Austrian Air Force AW169M Limited Edition

Hanhart was established in Switzerland in 1882 and relocated to Germany in 1902, positioning itself as a formidable competitor to the pricey Swiss-made stopwatches. It became successful by offering timing devices of comparable quality at a more accessible price point. A significant milestone occurred in 1938 with the development of the Caliber 40 mono-pusher chronograph […]

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A Watch Writer Creates His Ultimate Go Anywhere, Do Anything Watch with the VPC Type37HW Worn & Wound
VPC Type37HW VPC Mar 14, 2024

A Watch Writer Creates His Ultimate Go Anywhere, Do Anything Watch with the VPC Type37HW

VPC is a new brand founded by Thomas van Straaten, who may be familiar to some readers as a longtime writer at Fratello. The first watch from his new endeavor, the Type37HW, feels very much like the type of thing that someone fully engaged in this community would bring to life as a passion project. It has many of the hallmarks of an enthusiast focused watch, with lots of little details that get people in the business of writing about these things excited. Most of all, it feels foundational, like the beginning of a platform for future expansion. If there’s one thing watch writers can’t abide, it’s a watch that feels like a one off, vanity project, and, unsurprisingly, VPC doesn’t even have a whiff of that sentiment.  The VPC acronym that gives the brand its name stands for “Venustas Per Constantiam,” which equates to “charm through restraint,” and if you look at the overall presentation of the Type37HW you can really feel the restraint. The watch is sober but doesn’t feel boring, and each individual component part seems to be well considered and thought through. Whether you like the design or not is of course subjective, but I don’t think anyone could reasonably argue that the watch doesn’t have a coherent aesthetic.  The broad conceit here is that the Type37HW is a “go anywhere, do anything” style watch, and the specs reflect that. It’s 37.5mm in diameter and measures 9.8mm tall (including the crystal). The stainless steel case and bracelet ha...

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The Petrolhead Corner - Maturo Competition Cars Builds New Born Lancia 037 Rally Icons Monochrome
Ming together Jan 13, 2024

The Petrolhead Corner - Maturo Competition Cars Builds New Born Lancia 037 Rally Icons

Legends are created whenever something is achieved that was deemed impossible before that point in time. It happens through sheer determination, or the perfect coming together of all variable circumstances to allow someone, or something, to make a statement that lasts on for years, decades even. Throughout racing history, there are countless legendary events, drivers […]

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Introducing - The Citizen Eco-Drive 50th Anniversary Edition Monochrome
Citizen Eco-Drive 50th Anniversary Edition Mar 19, 2026

Introducing - The Citizen Eco-Drive 50th Anniversary Edition

While it was Seiko that first commercialised the quartz watch in 1969 with the legendary Astron, one could argue it was Citizen that took the ball and ran with it. While never abandoning mechanical watches, Citizen invested much of its research and development in quartz and light-powered technology, focusing on both accuracy and efficiency. Back […]

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Precious Porcelain: The Seiko Credor Goldfeather GCBY991 SJX Watches
Grand Seiko Jan 8, 2026

Precious Porcelain: The Seiko Credor Goldfeather GCBY991

Foreshadowing Credor’s Watches & Wonders debut in April (located alongside sister brand Grand Seiko), the Goldfeather GCBY991 Imari Nabeshima Porcelain is the brand’s first launch of the year. It pairs an ultra-thin hand-wound movement with a dial made using a traditional – and reputedly highly secretive – Japanese porcelain technique. But now the secret is out, cased in steel and limited to 60 pieces worldwide. Initial thoughts Originally envisioned in the 1970s as a vehicle for precious metal quartz watches, Credor later expanded into a catch-all brand for Seiko’s high-end offerings that didn’t fit the Grand Seiko aesthetic. Over the last few years, however, Credor has refocused and shrunk its catalogue from over 200 references in 2021 to fewer than 70 today, shedding legions of ladies’ quartz models while redoubling emphasis on artisanal crafts. The porcelain-dialed GCBY999 embodies this tighter focus and exemplifies the brand’s new motto: “the creativity of artisans”. Despite the Goldfeather branding – and Credor’s original purpose – the GCBY999 is cased in stainless steel. This is a welcome concession given the current price of gold, which is near all-time highs, especially since Seiko generally charges a higher premium for precious metal models than is typical for Swiss brands. As a result, the GCBY999 is good value within the Goldfeather lineup, despite its artisanal dial. The watch retails for JPY1.98 million in Japan, equivalent to about ...

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Space Time: Seiko’s Star-Powered Astron GPS SJX Watches
Citizen Dec 17, 2025

Space Time: Seiko’s Star-Powered Astron GPS

In the run-up to the holidays, Seiko facelifts its high-spec, multi-function quartz watch with the Astron GPS Solar refs. SSJ039 and SSH187 - limited editions of its satellite-linked models. While not available in stores until January, the new references make their public debut almost exactly 56 years to the day when the original Astron, the world’s first quartz wristwatch, was launched on December 25, 1969. Initial thoughts Despite pioneering efforts to develop quartz watches in Switzerland, and the commercialisation of category-defining products like the Swatch, the alpine nation has tended to lag a step behind its rivals from the land of the rising sun when it comes to quartz technology. As quartz watches matured and the underlying technology became commoditised, much of the Swiss watch industry redoubled its focus on mechanical watches, seemingly content to cede quartz leadership to brands like Seiko and Citizen. For their part, the dominant Japanese brands have continued to develop quartz watches with conscientious enthusiasm, bringing solar charging, radio frequency and satellite-based connectivity, and ultra-precise oscillators to maturity. In that context, the Seiko Astron is the embodiment of more than half a century of quartz leadership, and combines several of the brand’s strengths in two distinct limited edition models. Though the four-figure prices may come as a shock to buyers more familiar with offerings from brands like Apple, Garmin, and Casio, the A...

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First Look - Girard-Perregaux Launches the Calibre GP4800, its Next-Gen, In-House Movement with a Silicon Escapement Monochrome
Girard-Perregaux Launches Sep 23, 2025

First Look - Girard-Perregaux Launches the Calibre GP4800, its Next-Gen, In-House Movement with a Silicon Escapement

Girard-Perregaux has an extensive track record in watchmaking and is one of the most enduring integrated manufactures of the Swiss watch industry. In the 1980s, at a time when the quartz crisis had crippled mechanical watchmaking, the brand was among the first to champion the renaissance of traditional movements. Today, Girard-Perregaux announces the launch of […]

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First Look - Maurice Lacroix Joins the Ceramic Club with its Aikon Automatic 39mm and 42mm Monochrome
Maurice Lacroix Joins Nov 20, 2024

First Look - Maurice Lacroix Joins the Ceramic Club with its Aikon Automatic 39mm and 42mm

The Aikon collection was a sequel to Maurice Lacroix’s best-selling, sporty Calypso line from the 1990s. Following the launch of the first model with a quartz-powered movement in 2016, the Aikon upgraded its offer with mechanical movements in 2018. Moving beyond traditional stainless steel cases, the Aikon has appeared with bronze, PVD, titanium, and even […]

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First Look - Sundown In Down Under, With The TAG Heuer Aquaracer Solargraph x Time+Tide Sundowner Edition Monochrome
TAG Heuer Aquaracer Solargraph x Time+Tide Nov 14, 2024

First Look - Sundown In Down Under, With The TAG Heuer Aquaracer Solargraph x Time+Tide Sundowner Edition

In 2022, TAG Heuer introduced the Aquaracer Professional Solargraph, the brand’s first-ever solar-powered quartz model. This debut followed the release of the revamped Aquaracer Professional 200 series, featuring 40mm steel cases. The Solargraph retained the aesthetic and functional hallmarks of the Aquaracer line, quickly winning over TAG Heuer enthusiasts. Since its launch, several Solargraph variants […]

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Seiko Releases a Pair of Colorful Seiko 5 Sports GMT LEs for the Asian Market Worn & Wound
Seiko Releases Jan 2, 2024

Seiko Releases a Pair of Colorful Seiko 5 Sports GMT LEs for the Asian Market

In the spring of 2022, nearly overshadowed by the launch of a certain celestially inspired plastic quartz chronograph, Seiko introduced the Seiko 5 Sports GMT. A watch that brought mechanical GMT movements to the masses. Previously, the least expensive mechanical GMT watches were well north of four figures. Since then, there has been a flutter of affordable GMTs, but very few can match Seiko’s incredible value proposition. In the months following the initial release, there have been a few added color variants and just in time to end 2023 with a bang, Seiko is introducing two new pieces. The Thong Sia Limited Editions exclusive to Malaysia, Brunei, Hong Kong, Macau, and Singapore. They will be restricted to 1000 pieces in each colorway. The Ice Blue SSK029 features a light blue/white dial, with blue hour, minute and second hands, and a red GMT hand. The bezel is a combination of black and blue. The Passion Red SSK031 is, as you can imagine, quite the opposite of the latter model. Featuring a deep red dial, with steel hour, minute and second hands, and a gold GMT hand. This one has a red and black bezel.  These watches will be available from January 2024 and are limited to the Asian markets referenced above. Like all regional releases, they’ll undoubtedly pop up in the usual second hand and international retail outlets where watches like this can often be found shortly after becoming available, so be on the lookout if you’re interested in collecting some of the more h...

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HANDS-ON: The Seiko Prospex Speedtimer Solar Chronograph offers retro vibes with grab-and-go convenience Time+Tide
Seiko Prospex Speedtimer Solar Chronograph Dec 7, 2022

HANDS-ON: The Seiko Prospex Speedtimer Solar Chronograph offers retro vibes with grab-and-go convenience

Seiko has a long history in chronographs, including their first manually wound model from 1964, and the iconic 6139 – the first automatic chrono to hit the market in 1969. That was also the year of the world’s first quartz watch, the Seiko Astron. Naturally, the brands have therefore had a lot of experience producing … ContinuedThe post HANDS-ON: The Seiko Prospex Speedtimer Solar Chronograph offers retro vibes with grab-and-go convenience appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

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Swatch Drops the Bioceramic MoonSwatch Collab with Omega SJX Watches
Omega Perhaps Mar 24, 2022

Swatch Drops the Bioceramic MoonSwatch Collab with Omega

Perhaps the most surprising launch of the year so far, the Bioceramic MoonSwatch is a collaboration between Swatch and the maker of the Speedmaster Professional. The MoonSwatch is essentially Moonwatch “lite” – it has all the key details such as lyre lugs and a Velcro strap, but a quartz movement and small price tag. And the MoonSwatch is next level in terms of range. Whereas the original Moonwatch is mostly black, Swatch offers almost dozen variants of the MoonSwatch, each dedicated to the most significant bodies of the solar system, such as the Sun, Moon, and Mars. The MoonSwatch “Mission to Mars”, a tribute to the Speedmaster “Alaska Project” but with the entire case in bright red ceramic Initial thoughts The MoonSwatch is an exemplary crossover because its encapsulates the specialties of each brand. Combining the quintessential cheerful style of Swatch with Omega’s iconic Moonwatch results in a fun, lighthearted watch that’s very affordable. But it’s also a shocking product because the two brands are poles apart in terms of positioning and pricing. Put simply, an Omega strap costs more than the average Swatch watch. Swatch is clearly the winner. It’s an especially shrewd move for the maker of plastic watches, since some of the prestige and historical significance of Omega rubs off onto Swatch. As for Omega, it’s a purposeful act of brand dilution, no doubt in the hope that it brings the brand to a new audience that will aspire to own the real d...

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A concept car for the wrist: Girard-Perregaux teams up with Aston Martin on the Tourbillon with Three Flying Bridges Time+Tide
Girard-Perregaux teams up Jun 2, 2021

A concept car for the wrist: Girard-Perregaux teams up with Aston Martin on the Tourbillon with Three Flying Bridges

You never really know what to expect from a brand collaboration. When I first saw that Aston Martin had teamed up with Girard-Perregaux, courtesy of the gorgeous green-liveried Formula 1 team, I assumed that we’d soon see the likes of Sebastian Vettel and Lance Stroll sporting something like a special-edition Laureato in British Racing Green. … ContinuedThe post A concept car for the wrist: Girard-Perregaux teams up with Aston Martin on the Tourbillon with Three Flying Bridges appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

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Ikepod Introduces the Megapod Automatic SJX Watches
Mar 20, 2020

Ikepod Introduces the Megapod Automatic

After the successful launch of its debut line of quartz watches in 2018, the resurrected Ikepod has now unveiled the Megapod, a remake of the quintessential Ikepod design, but now with an automatic movement. As with its earlier quartz offerings, the Megapod is an affordable, crowdfunded project. Originally founded by Swiss businessman Oliver Ike and legendary industrial designer Marc Newson in 1994, Ikepod gained a cult following for its incredibly distinctive, organic-UFO design. But hindered by high prices and artsy marketing, the brand’s watches never really sold widely, leading it to struggle financially. Ikepod folded in 2006, before being revived shortly after and then going under again in 2012, when Mr Newson finally parted ways with the brand. The Megapod M001 with a blue, sunray-brushed dial In contrast, today’s Ikepod is all about the same signature aesthetic, but matched with affordability. Led by a three-man investor group that includes Christian-Louis Col, an old hand in the luxury goods business who was most recently sales director at glassmaker Lalique. Recognising that the main draw of Ikepod’s watches lay in the inimitable design, and not finishing or movements, the brand now relies on low-cost production: it assembles the watches in Hong Kong, using dials and hands from Taiwan and cases made in China. As with the initial quartz-powered models, the Megapod has a stainless-steel case in the original Ikepod shape. It is a tad larger than the quartz mo...

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