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Balance Wheel

The oscillating wheel at the heart of every mechanical watch.

Introducing the Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch 321 Platinum SJX Watches
Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch 321 Platinum Jul 21, 2019

Introducing the Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch 321 Platinum

As it marks the 50th year of the Moon landing, Omega introduced a variety of Speedmaster Moonwatches in steel and in gold, but none with the revived cal. 321 movement, until now. The first watch to land the cal. 321 – a second will debut later in the year – is the ultra-luxe Speedmaster Moonwatch 321 Platinum that’s a special, as opposed to a limited, edition. Visually it’s pretty much a typical Speedmaster Professional, save for the use of expensive materials for all the external components. The case is the standard 42mm with twisted, “lyre” lugs, but rendered in a particular platinum alloy, Pt950Au20, that is 95% platinum along with a small amount of gold. The bezel is also platinum, with an insert in black ceramic with white enamel markings. The “stepped” dial, as it was on vintage Speedmasters, is made of polished black onyx, while the hour, minute and register hands, along with the hour markers, are 18k white gold (the central seconds hand is plated brass, a necessity because the reset function requires it to be lightweight). All the chronograph sub-dials are made of moon meteorite. The case back reveals the cal. 321, a remake of the Lemania CH27 of the mid 20th century. Found in the early Speedmaster models, where it was named the Omega cal. 321, the movement has been reproduced in great detail. And according to Omega, it is distinct from its distant relative, the modern day Lemania cal. 2310 that has been in continuous production for several d...

RECOMMENDED READING: This is what the future of the secondary watch market looks like Time+Tide
Jul 20, 2019

RECOMMENDED READING: This is what the future of the secondary watch market looks like

The buying and selling of second-hand watches has traditionally been an unglamorous, possibly even seedy, affair. The traditional image of that side of the industry has been one of tight margins, hard sales talk and the ever-present threat of fakes. Well, in the last few years it’s a part of the business that’s been undergoing … ContinuedThe post RECOMMENDED READING: This is what the future of the secondary watch market looks like appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Up Close: Ulysse Nardin Classico Perpetual Ludwig SJX Watches
Ulysse Nardin Classico Perpetual Ludwig Jul 19, 2019

Up Close: Ulysse Nardin Classico Perpetual Ludwig

The original Perpetual Ludwig was launched in 1996 to mark the 150th anniversary of Ulysse Nardin. Its brilliantly conceived calendar mechanism showed the calendar in legible windows, while allowing it to be set backwards and forwards, even around midnight, via the crown – in short, the calendar could be set in any direction, at any time, without the need for any tools. Subsequent iterations of the watch grew progressively bigger – unfortunately many got progressively uglier – but two years ago Ulysse Nardin rolled out the Classico Perpetual Ludwig (alongside other historical remakes), which stuck to the original styling, albeit in a larger case. Powered by the same movement from 1996, the Classico Perpetual Ludwig remains an ingenious innovation despite being over 20 years old, and the new remake also manages to be good value. The UN-33 of the Perpetual Ludwig Ulysse Nardin’s signature blue enamel logo on the crown Ludwig and his wheels The watch gets its name from Ludwig Oechslin, an inventive, self-taught watchmaker whose professional qualifications are in ancient history and archaeology. Working for Ulysse Nardin while it was owned by the late Rolf Schynder, a Swiss entrepreneur who made his fortune making low-cost movements in Asia, Mr Oechslin was responsible for the bulk of the brand’s inventions, from the Freak to the astronomical Trilogy of Time. Mr Oechslin’s fundamental innovation in the Perpetual Ludwig – patents EP1351104B1 and CH6968...

That time we got into a fight over Hermès Time+Tide
Hermes Jul 18, 2019

That time we got into a fight over Hermès

Editor’s note: OK, so ‘fight’ might be a touch hyperbolic, but back when the Hermès Slim d’Hermès was first released it caused quite a stir. The most ardent fans were Ceri and Felix, and this is an account of their slightly tête-à-tête over this elegant, well-designed watch …  The story in a second With a slender … ContinuedThe post That time we got into a fight over Hermès appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Kennsen Debuts with the Smart & Affordable Annual Calendar Chronograph SJX Watches
Patek Philippe Jul 18, 2019

Kennsen Debuts with the Smart & Affordable Annual Calendar Chronograph

Kennsen Watches makes its debut with a notably clever and well-priced annual calendar chronograph powered by a patented calendar module on top of a Valjoux 7750. Though Kennsen is newly set-up, its founder David Lea specialises in constructing complications for other brands, explaining the surprising degree of technical innovation for a small start-up. Annual calendar chronographs are relatively uncommon on the market and most are fairly costly – Patek Philippe and Ulysse Nardin are amongst the handful of brands that offer one – making the new Kennsen the most affordable example today, with a retail price of just over US$5000. Despite its affordability, the Kennsen annual calendar chronograph is entirely Swiss-made. The case is produced by Victorinox, the famed maker of Swiss army knives and also watches, while the module was designed by Lea & Associé – Mr Lea’s design outfit – and manufactured by a firm in the Vallée de Joux. Made of stainless steel, the case is 42mm in diameter, with a polished bezel and case back, while the case band has a brushed finish. The dial, available in either black or champagne, has a clean and pleasant design. It features recessed sub-dials, applied indices and a telemeter scale in miles and kilometres on the outer rim. At one o’clock is a day and night indicator displayed in a small aperture, and nestled subtly next to the central axis of the dial is the month display, aligned on the same axis as the date at three. ...

What is the Omega Speedmaster? Time+Tide
Omega Speedmaster? Jul 17, 2019

What is the Omega Speedmaster?

This week seems to be an appropriate one to ask what, as far as a product-focused watch news and review site goes, is a profoundly philosophical question: what is the Omega Speedmaster? Simple, non? Well, sort of. At the base level, the Speedmaster is Omega’s long-running family of professionally oriented chronographs. But it’s so much … ContinuedThe post What is the Omega Speedmaster? appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Grand Seiko Introduces the Spring Drive GMT SBGE248 SJX Watches
Grand Seiko Introduces Jul 16, 2019

Grand Seiko Introduces the Spring Drive GMT SBGE248

While Grand Seiko watches are classical and often formal, the Grand Seiko Sport collection is all about larger, more casual watches, The latest addition to the Sport line is the Spring Drive GMT SBGE248, the first Grand Seiko with a yellow gold bezel and crown. Yellow gold has been widely used for Grand Seiko watch cases, including for the commemorative Grand Seiko Heritage SBGW252, but the two-tone look is a first for the brand – an indication of its conservative approach to design. The contrast of yellow gold and blue is a tried and tested – and perhaps slightly overdone – approach for a luxe sports watch, evidenced by the popular Rolex Submariner ref. 116613. On the new SBGE248, yellow gold is applied generously and the colour stands out. The bezel is 18k yellow gold, as is the crown, while the hour markers, hands and markings on the dial are all gilded. Though the bezel itself is gold, the insert is scratch-resistant sapphire, just as it is on the standard Spring Drive GMT.   Size-wise the watch is identical to the standard model, with a case diameter of 44mm. The case is stainless steel, as is the bracelet. It is powered by the self-winding Spring Drive cal. 9R66 that guarantees an accuracy of within 15 seconds a month – or half a second a day – and a power reserve of 72 hours. The incredible accuracy is thanks to the electronically-regulated, mechanical oscillator inside; the regulation in turn is governed by a quartz oscillator with an integra...

Feeling thin with the Piaget Altiplano 40mm Ultra-Thin date pink gold Time+Tide
Piaget Altiplano 40mm Ultra-Thin date Jul 16, 2019

Feeling thin with the Piaget Altiplano 40mm Ultra-Thin date pink gold

Editor’s note: A little while ago, Andrew spent a week with the slender beauty that is the Piaget Altiplano 40mm Ultra-Thin date, an unusual expedition into the world of ultra-slim dress watches. So, here goes …  This week on the wrist is borne almost purely out of curiosity. I have tried on Piaget Altiplano watches … ContinuedThe post Feeling thin with the Piaget Altiplano 40mm Ultra-Thin date pink gold appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Panerai’s latest lean, green timekeeping machines – PAM00995, PAM00998, PAM00999 and PAM00997 Time+Tide
Panerai s latest lean green Jul 15, 2019

Panerai’s latest lean, green timekeeping machines – PAM00995, PAM00998, PAM00999 and PAM00997

Panerai’s Radiomir is the diving brand’s most dressy offering, lacking some of the heft - as well as the crown guard - of its Luminor and Submersible brethren. But it’s still every inch (or should that be millimetre) a Panerai. That super-distinctive case, those hands and, of course, those numerals. This time around, we’ve been … ContinuedThe post Panerai’s latest lean, green timekeeping machines – PAM00995, PAM00998, PAM00999 and PAM00997 appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

5 Instagram watch cliches that need to be cancelled, right now Time+Tide
Jul 15, 2019

5 Instagram watch cliches that need to be cancelled, right now

Ah, Instagram. That platform that sucks, according to my phone’s digital wellbeing section; well over an hour a day of my life into its colourful void. It’s a social media platform that might as well be made for watches - highly visual, and the wristshot is perfectly framed in that square crop. I’ve made some … ContinuedThe post 5 Instagram watch cliches that need to be cancelled, right now appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

RECOMMENDED READING: Why did auctioneer Aurel Bacs buy a modern quartz watch? Time+Tide
Jul 12, 2019

RECOMMENDED READING: Why did auctioneer Aurel Bacs buy a modern quartz watch?

If you haven’t heard of Aurel Bacs, that is something that needs to change. While the word influencer has been irreparably ruined by people who use Instagram at the beach, it is one of the most fitting words to describe his impact on the global vintage watch market. The founder of the watch department at … ContinuedThe post RECOMMENDED READING: Why did auctioneer Aurel Bacs buy a modern quartz watch? appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

The heavy-hitting Rolex Daytona in white gold with blue dial (ref. 116509) Time+Tide
Rolex Daytona Jul 12, 2019

The heavy-hitting Rolex Daytona in white gold with blue dial (ref. 116509)

Editor’s note: For Daytona fans, everyone’s all about the Cerachrom bezels these days. And while it’s hard to deny the allure of that super-hard, slick material, I prefer my bezels metal, and preferably precious. Which is why I’m still so into this 2016 release, the Rolex Daytona in white gold with blue dial (ref. 116509). … ContinuedThe post The heavy-hitting Rolex Daytona in white gold with blue dial (ref. 116509) appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

RECOMMENDED READING: Trust in the Tool Watch Time+Tide
Jul 10, 2019

RECOMMENDED READING: Trust in the Tool Watch

As you might have noticed (here, here and here), I’m quite interested in bulletproof watches being used in situations with bullets (figuratively). I enjoy, as much as the next guy, reading about the (somewhat theoretical) limits of well-made watches, if it be temperature, altitude or water pressure. But what I love even more is reading … ContinuedThe post RECOMMENDED READING: Trust in the Tool Watch appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Hands-On: Genus GNS 1 Wristwatch SJX Watches
Roger Dubuis Jul 9, 2019

Hands-On: Genus GNS 1 Wristwatch

While it’s a new brand that just made its debut, Genus is founded on the watchmaking talent of an industry insider who has spent a lifetime working on complications. Its first watch is the GNS 1 that tells the time with an ultra-exotic complication with the minutes travelling across the dial like a train. Conceptually the GNS 1 harks back to the burst of creativity that started in the early 2000s, when watchmakers went all out with imaginative complications to display the hours and minutes. This was the heyday of the Harry Winston Opus series and the birth of brands like MB&F; and Urwerk. The brand Genus was founded by entrepreneur Catherine Henry and Sébastien Billières, founder of GMTI, a specialist watchmaking workshop. The son of a watchmaker, Mr Billières started his career at Roger Dubuis in 1999, followed by a stint at Urwerk. In 2011, he set up GMTI, which specialises in primarily in assembly and servicing of complicated movements for major watch brands. Now staffed by 25 watchmakers, GMTI’s repertoire is diverse, ranging from tourbillon movements bearing the Poinçon de Genève, or Geneva Seal, to time-only movements produced on an industrial scale. Telling the time According to Mr Billières, the GNS 1 is the realisation of his long-held ambition of creating his own watch, after spending his career doing it for others. The GNS 1 is essentially an exceptionally avant-garde display of the hours and minutes. Even when static the face is impressive...

HANDS-ON: The Dan Henry 1962 Racing Chronograph is perfectly pitched (and priced) nostalgia Time+Tide
Jul 8, 2019

HANDS-ON: The Dan Henry 1962 Racing Chronograph is perfectly pitched (and priced) nostalgia

Dan Henry is a pretty great little watch brand - the brainchild of a Brazilian watch collector who is dedicated to making affordable modern versions of classic designs. And while other brands go down this path of well-priced retro nostalgia, too often it comes across as inauthentic pastiche. But this isn’t an accusation you can … ContinuedThe post HANDS-ON: The Dan Henry 1962 Racing Chronograph is perfectly pitched (and priced) nostalgia appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

The Forgotten Most-Complicated-Watch-Ever Made for the Most Famous Banker Ever SJX Watches
Patek Philippe Graves “supercomplication” which sold Jul 7, 2019

The Forgotten Most-Complicated-Watch-Ever Made for the Most Famous Banker Ever

The timepieces that held the title of “most complicated watch ever”, as well as their famous owners, are mostly well known – save for the long-lost English grand complication commissioned by banker J. Pierpont Morgan. Morgan was a great collector of watches, and his grandest timepiece was a double-dial, astronomical pocket watch made by J. Player & Son. It  was the most complicated English watch ever made, and perhaps the most complicated watch in the world at the time of its completion. Though Morgan’s watch has long been surpassed in complexity by other hands, and it bears the name of a defunct English brand, it has arguably the greatest provenance of all super-pocket watches. Unlike James Ward Packard or Henry Graves, who were both wealthy, accomplished, and little known individuals outside their fields, Morgan is still the best known banker in history; the biggest bank in the United States today bears his name. The grandest of all time But first, a brisk walk through the grand complication hall of fame. The most famous most-complicated-watch-ever is, of course, the Patek Philippe Graves “supercomplication”, which sold for US$24m in 2014 and still holds the record for the most expensive watch ever sold. Commissioned by American banker Henry Graves Jr in 1925, and delivered in 1933, the Graves pocket watch outdid the now obscure Leroy 01 that was sold in 1904 to a Portuguese millionaire. And it also surpassed the various watches produced for automobile ...

5 Mount Everest watches that are literally high horology Time+Tide
Jul 7, 2019

5 Mount Everest watches that are literally high horology

As long as the internet and watch enthusiasts exist, there will be arguments about what the first watch on Mount Everest was. But rather than discussing semantic possibilities of the interpretation of 60-year-old advertisements, we wanted to look at a selection of Mount Everest watches (not just which was first). Smiths de Luxe   The … ContinuedThe post 5 Mount Everest watches that are literally high horology appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Original sin – the Bulgari Octo L’Originale in black and gold Time+Tide
Bulgari Octo L’Originale Jul 7, 2019

Original sin – the Bulgari Octo L’Originale in black and gold

Regular readers will register precisely zero surprise when I state that the entirety of Time+Tide are raging fans of Bulgari’s distinctive Octo - but, if we’re being completely real (and when are we not?), then it’s the Octo Finissimo that attracts the lion’s share of our ardour. But it’s not the only arrow in that … ContinuedThe post Original sin – the Bulgari Octo L’Originale in black and gold appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

In 2019, rose gold is looking like a steel Time+Tide
Jul 7, 2019

In 2019, rose gold is looking like a steel

Editor’s note: The year is 2019, and solid gold is worth less than steel. While this seems strange on the face of it, especially to those more recently in the horological hobbit hole, steel doesn’t look like it’s getting less shiny anytime soon. So taking a macro view of the watch buying landscape, gold pieces … ContinuedThe post In 2019, rose gold is looking like a steel appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

RECOMMENDED READING: Cultural perceptions of time aren’t all straightforward Time+Tide
Jul 6, 2019

RECOMMENDED READING: Cultural perceptions of time aren’t all straightforward

Here at Time+Tide, we write a lot about watches. What we don’t write about as much is what the watches are actually communicating to us - time. And while time seems fairly straightforward (or is it straightbackward?) as a concept, cultural perceptions of time are highly variable, with these differences impacting language, writing and commercial activity … ContinuedThe post RECOMMENDED READING: Cultural perceptions of time aren’t all straightforward appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Hearts of darkness – the Tudor Heritage Black Bay Dark Time+Tide
Tudor Heritage Black Bay Dark Jul 4, 2019

Hearts of darkness – the Tudor Heritage Black Bay Dark

Editor’s note: With the announcement of Tudor’s ceramic Black Bay for Only Watch 2019, we found our minds turned, inexplicably, to the darker things in life. And while the chances of owning that dark phantom are slender, the Tudor Heritage Black Bay Dark is a much more achievable goal …  The story in a second: … ContinuedThe post Hearts of darkness – the Tudor Heritage Black Bay Dark appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Which of the Dirty Dozen survive today? Time+Tide
Jul 3, 2019

Which of the Dirty Dozen survive today?

The “Dirty Dozen” are watches produced by the 12 British Ministry of Defence contractors during World War II who were tasked with strapping watches to the wrists of allied forces. While some of the brands are bigger and better than ever before, a few have slid into relative obscurity or the books of insolvency firms. … ContinuedThe post Which of the Dirty Dozen survive today? appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Old is the new black, 8 of the best heritage watches of 2018 Time+Tide
Jul 2, 2019

Old is the new black, 8 of the best heritage watches of 2018

While orange might be the new black, another obvious trend in the contemporary watch market is the lean towards heritage styling. This has been a consistent motif across the industry for a number of years now, but 2018 was a year when the number of heritage watches almost eclipsed those with more contemporary design. In … ContinuedThe post Old is the new black, 8 of the best heritage watches of 2018 appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Live from London: George Daniels Space Traveller I Sells for US$4.56m SJX Watches
Patek Philippe Grandmaster Chime Jul 2, 2019

Live from London: George Daniels Space Traveller I Sells for US$4.56m

The George Daniels Space Traveller I, one of the most important watches of the 20th century, has just sold at Sotheby’s in London for  £3.62m, or about US$4.56m, all fees included. That makes the Space Traveller I the most expensive watch sold in 2019 so far – though it will doubtlessly be eclipsed by the Patek Philippe Grandmaster Chime in steel for Only Watch – and the most expensive watch ever by an independent watchmaker. A big boost to Sotheby’s market share in watch auctions, the record-setting Daniels was the final lot in the first auction of Masterworks of Time, the sale of a collection of over 800 pocket watches owned by Erivan Haub, the late German supermarket tycoon. The last time the Space Traveller was sold was in 1988, where Haub paid  220,000 Swiss francs for it at Sotheby’s in Geneva. Prior to that, the watch was been sold by London antique watch dealer Bobinet in 1982 to a collector by the name of Jay Lennon. In almost forty years, the Space Traveller has had only three owners. The auction Having concluded just over an hour ago, the auction took place on a pleasant summer’s day in London, but it was slow going in the half-filled room. The average age of the attendees was notedly higher than that for a wristwatch auction, reflecting the niche nature of pocket watch collecting. But a crowd started to form as soon as it came to the Space Traveller, and the atmosphere perked up. Bidding started out as a tussle between an absentee bidder...

Dialled in – the 10 most interesting watch dials of 2018 Time+Tide
Jul 1, 2019

Dialled in – the 10 most interesting watch dials of 2018

As we naturally personify the objects we come into contact with, the hour and minute indicators on a watch become articulating hands, and the dial becomes a face. Just as we will closely study the faces of the people around us, we search for meaning in the faces of our watches as we read the … ContinuedThe post Dialled in – the 10 most interesting watch dials of 2018 appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.