Results for WOSTEP (Watchmakers of Switzerland Training and Educational Program)

Wynns Coonawarra Estate John Riddoch Cabernet 2018: Beautifully Refined, Elegant, And Powerful

Ken Gargett describes the Wynns Coonawarra Estate John Riddoch Cabernet 2018 as beautifully refined, elegant, and powerful with the structure and fruit to last and improve for another 10, 20, or 30 years. An exquisite Cabernet, one of Australia’s best, and his score reflects it. Here Ken also gives us more than ample background on Wynns, the premier producer in Coonawarra, South Australia.

Just Because: A Real Frog Professor Reviews The G-Shock Frogman Borneo Rainbow Toad

He's an expert in all things amphibian, but today, his eyes are fixed squarely on his wrist.

Introducing: Open Your Heart To The Vacheron Constantin Traditionnelle Complete Calendar Open Face

Sometimes when you pop the hood, you can just leave it open.

Editors' Picks: Our Favorite New Watches of 2021

It was a good year for watches – see which ones made our final cut.

Vacheron Constantin Introduces the Traditionnelle Complete Calendar Openface

Artisans de Genève Introduces the Lance Armstrong Skeleton “Daytona”

Known for customised watches created for celebrity athletes, Artisans de Genève (ADG) has just revealed its latest project, the Armstrong. Based on a Rolex Daytona ref. 116520, the watch was commissioned by former pro cyclist Lance Armstrong. Though it looks thoroughly contemporary, it is modelled on the vintage Daytona ref. 6239 “Pulsations”, one of which just sold at Phillips for US$693,000. The vintage inspiration is literal, yet reinterpreted creatively. The Armstrong has been skeletonised and heavily modified, with both the hour register and automatic winding mechanism removed, resulting in an unusually minimalist watch. Initial thoughts Leaving aside Mr Armstrong’s chequered past – he was a cancer survivor and then multi-time world champion before getting a lifetime ban for doping – his namesake watch is surprisingly interesting. Although it is clearly modern in style, the Armstrong is vintage inspired – it is literally a manual-wind, “pulsations” Daytona. In that sense, it is actually a vintage remake with imagination. A significant amount of effort was clearly expended to get there, and the work appears to be of high quality. Doing away with large chunks of the movements feels drastic, yet the result is intriguing, both conceptually and visually. Or put more simply, it’s weird in a good way. The customisation is priced at about US$45,000, but that excludes the watch, which the client has to supply. It’s fair enough given the substantial work on...

Czapek Debuts the Antarctique “Monochrome White”

Revived six years ago via crowdfunding, Czapek’s original claim to fame was being the original business partner of Patek before he joined with Philippe. The brand has since gained traction thanks to its proprietary movements and more recently, a sports watch with an integrated bracelet. Now the sports watch is the basis of a collaboration between Czapek and Dutch watch magazine Monochrome. Featuring a muted, all-white livery, the Antarctique “Monochrome White” has a grained dial in pearl white. Initial thoughts While the Antarctique is a new entry into the integrated-bracelet sports watch segment, the design sticks to a familiar formula because there are only so many ways a sports watch with an integrated bracelet can be accomplished. The Monochrome edition sets itself apart with its white dial – a good look that’s unusual for a sports watch, a category where blue, grey, and green dials dominate. It’s a refreshing look that’s also practical, as light-coloured dial makes for good legibility. The case and bracelet of the Antarctique are also finished neatly with contrasting surfaces, but where the watch shines is the movement. Developed in-house with the help of specialists, it’s a micro-rotor automatic with a modern style but unusual details that evoke vintage pocket watch movements. Few competitors in this category and price range have movements that are similarly elaborate in construction and finish. The individual “finger” bridges for the gear tra...

Hermès H08 | Limited Edition for HODINKEE

Hermès H08 | Limited Edition for HODINKEE

Hey, HODINKEE!: Helium Valves, Breguet Numerals, Ultra-Rare Complications, And Bad Breakup Advice

Breaking up is hard to do, but calculating the date of Easter is harder.

New: Edox Hydro-Sub Automatic Chronometer Limited Edition

Edox reintroduces their Hydro-Sub with a new limited edition Automatic Chronometer, reviving the 1965 model of the same name.

Lewis Hamilton vs. Max Verstappen / IWC vs. TAG Heuer: The One Formula 1 Race Where Everyone Wins

With the 2021 Formula 1 season's last race taking place this weekend, December 10-12, 2021, in Abu Dhabi, and Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) and Max Verstappen (Red Bull) tied for first place, the heat is on like never before. The battle between Hamilton and Verstappen is, in essence, also a competition between the two watch brands who sponsor them: IWC (Hamilton) and TAG Heuer (Verstappen), with both brands benefitting from the battles on the track. Martin Green takes a closer look.

“This is what watch collecting is all about” - Aurel Bacs on the Tiffany Blue 5711/1A-018 selling at Phillips for $6.5M USD

This week, the watch world was eagerly awaiting what the result of “lot 1T” would be, and, not if it would break the record for the highest hammer price for a 5711 Nautilus, but rather by how much. Watching the bidding live, even remotely you could feel the energy and excitement in the room. For … ContinuedThe post “This is what watch collecting is all about” – Aurel Bacs on the Tiffany Blue 5711/1A-018 selling at Phillips for $6.5M USD appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

The good, the bad and the ugly: 19 Instagram reactions to the new Patek Philippe Tiffany Blue 170th Anniversary Nautilus

You know those calm-headed people who are inherently non-judgemental? Rather than leap to a hasty conclusion they patiently analyse an issue from every perspective, let it all percolate for a while before reaching a tentative verdict. Well, those folk were conspicuous by their absence when Time+Tide dropped the news of the new Patek Philippe Tiffany … ContinuedThe post The good, the bad and the ugly: 19 Instagram reactions to the new Patek Philippe Tiffany Blue 170th Anniversary Nautilus appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

INTRODUCING: The Franck Muller x Bamford Watch Department Snoopy inspired Crazy Hours

“Yesterday I was a dog. Today I’m a dog. Tomorrow I’ll probably still be a dog. Sigh! There’s so little hope for advancement.” These words were uttered by Snoopy, the iconic but ultimately fictional dog who’s a product of cartoonist Charles Schulz’s wonderful imagination. But little did the wisest of wise canines know what would be … ContinuedThe post INTRODUCING: The Franck Muller x Bamford Watch Department Snoopy inspired Crazy Hours appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Auctions: Some Usual And Unusual Suspects Coming Up At Phillips NY, December 11th

Just in time for the season, an auction with a little something for everyone.

Building Your Dream Watch Collection with a Single Click

Imagine a movie script about a watch collector. Immersing yourself as the protagonist, you’re a young and ambitious watch enthusiast starting out both in terms of your career, and your journey in watch collecting.

Auction Watch: Patek Philippe 1518 “Pink on Pink” Sells for US$9.57m

Widely regarded as the best “pink on pink” 1518 ever to emerge, the ref. 1518 once owned by Prince Mohammed Tewfik A. “T.A.” Toussoun of Egypt lived up to expectations and then some, having just sold at Sotheby’s in New York for US$9.57 million including fees. While almost 300 ref. 1518s were produced, only about fifth of them were in pink gold, with the majority in yellow gold. And just 14 are “pink on pink” with salmon-toned dials matched with a pink gold case. The 14th “pink on pink” ref. 1518 known, this was consigned by the heirs of the late prince, who passed away earlier this year aged 95. He was a first cousin to the the last King of Egypt, Farouk I. The prince pictured in the 1970s The prince was the original owner of this ref. 1518, which he bought on July 25, 1951 according to the certificate that accompanied the watch – which makes it the only “pink on pink” ref. 1518 with its original certificate. The watch remained in his possession since then, seemingly hardly worn, explaining its near-pristine condition. All those factors combined to create a tremendous interest from bidders, almost a dozen of them, all on the phones with Sotheby’s representatives. Bidding was easy and enthusiastic at the start, with one bidder making a million-dollar jump from two to three million, presumably in an attempt to deter the competition. It didn’t work and though there were just a handful of bidders past the five-million mark, the proceedings contin...

In-Depth: Parmigiani Revives a Louis-Elisée Piguet Grande Sonnerie

A grand old name in highly complicated movements, Louis-Elisée Piguet was active in the second half of the 19th century and most famous for his grande sonnerie and perpetual calendar calibres. Amongst his clients for ebauches, or movement blanks, were famous names like Patek Philippe and Vacheron Constantin – and his work was perhaps an inspiration for Philippe Dufour in the 20th century. A prime example of one such ebauche – featuring a grande sonnerie and minute repeater no less – was acquired by Michel Parmigiani in the late 1990s. A watchmaker and restorer extraordinaire, Mr Parmigiani and his daughter, Anne-Laure, recently led a project to finish and enhance the movement, resulting in La Rose Carrée, a spectacular pocket watch to mark his namesake brand’s 25th anniversary. Initial thoughts Like the recent Vacheron Constantin Tribute to Johannes Vermeer pocket watch, La Rose Carrée is a masterpiece catered to a narrow audience. There are few collectors of pocket watches nowadays, at least relative to wristwatches, especially pocket watches with seven figure price tags. But inaccessible as it may be,  La Rose Carrée is certainly worthy of admiration. The quality of craft and decoration is par excellence – an all-star team of artisans was recruited to complete it – and the ebauche was a masterpiece even unfinished. Stylistically, La Rose Carrée is also unusual in being more contemporary than the average grand complication pocket watch. The geometric f...

Holiday Gift Guide: Ten Watches Under USD 5,000

2021 brought us a few impressive timepieces under $5,000 that are compelling enough to make our holiday shopping list. We decided to have fun by pairing them with different personalities.

Introducing the Richard Mille RM 35-03 Automatic Rafael Nadal

Candy colours so much in vogue these days are nothing new for Richard Mille; what’s new is the variable geometry butterfly rotor spinning within.

Why December 7 Plays A Vital Role In A. Lange & Söhne’s History

The saying “history repeats itself” is often associated with unfavorable occurrences. But this is definitely not the case with A. Lange & Söhne and December 7, a date that has marked milestones for the brand three times now. Sabine Zwettler explores the significance of the founding day of Glashütte’s finest manufactory.

Farewell to the Omega Ploprof in steel - the tooliest of tool watches

The stainless-steel Omega Ploprof (a French contraction of “Plongeur Professional” i.e. professional diver) is now discontinued, leaving the titanium case as the only new option at retail.  What’s more it is now a “heritage model” making me suddenly feel rather old. The Ploprof is big, chunky and looks like it would be more at home … ContinuedThe post Farewell to the Omega Ploprof in steel – the tooliest of tool watches appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Bollinger B13 Champagne: Not So Much ‘No Time To Die’ As ‘A Great Wine To Drink’

Ken Gargett takes a look at the new Bollinger Blanc de Noirs one-off, the B13 from the (unusual) 2013 vintage. And decides that this is no shrinking violet and that no one is going to taste this and start thinking how delicate, how elegant. It is a big, bold, full-of-flavor champagne.

The Story of the World’s Most Famous Reversible Watch

History’s most famous reversible wristwatch would never have been invented were it not for Joseph Ford Sherer, then a lieutenant in the 44th Regiment of Sylhet Light Infantry of the East India Company’s army. The story begins in the middle of the 19th century in Manipur, a state in east British India, where Lieutenant Sherer observes locals play a game known as sagol kangjei. Translating as “horse hockey”, the game was long played by local royalty. The game has players on horseback wielding sticks to hit a ball across a rectangular field. The Lieutenant reported his observations to his boss, Captain Robert Stewart. The two men eventually began to play the game, which evolved into what is now known as polo. In March 1859 Sherer and Stewart established their own polo club, Silchar Kangjai Club, and four years later the earliest written rulebook for polo was. With that, the pair started a long tradition of polo-playing among British soldiers in India. And soon polo would find its way around the world with polo-playing soldiers across the Commonwealth – the first polo match was played in Europe sometime in the late 1860s. Lieutenant Joseph Sherer, Assistant to the Superintendent of Cachar (second from left), with his bearers, Manipur, 1861. Image – National Army Museum As the game grew in popularity, a problem arose: polo players would often damage the crystals on their wristwatches, sometimes with errant mallets. During a visit to India in 1930, César de Trey ...

EDITOR’S PICK: The 7 watch-collecting commandments of Shark Tank’s Kevin O’Leary

EDITOR’S NOTE: Imagine you could spent pretty much whatever you liked on watches. You had deep enough pockets to essentially ignore budgetary concerns and snap up virtually any new watch that you fancied. It’s a dream scenario for most watch lovers, but that’s the reality for Shark Tank investor Kevin O’Leary, thanks to his estimated … ContinuedThe post EDITOR’S PICK: The 7 watch-collecting commandments of Shark Tank’s Kevin O’Leary appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

In-Depth: Everything You Need To Know About The Rolex Explorer Ref. 14270

And some things you don't.

EDITOR’S PICK: Five platinum watches to put on your wish-list

EDITOR’S NOTE: Marc Hayek, CEO of Blancpain, Breguet and Jaquet Droz, said it best. “Platinum is among the noblest and most precious of metals,” he told The Financial Times. “It has extraordinary properties that make it extremely resistant, but also difficult to process and finish. Creating platinum watch cases requires special savoir-faire. It results in beautiful white/grey-coloured models that do not tarnish. Hence, platinum is … ContinuedThe post EDITOR’S PICK: Five platinum watches to put on your wish-list appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

The Schmidt List: 5 Extraordinary Balance Wheels - Reprise

The balance wheel, the critical regulatory organ of a mechanical watch, is expected to deliver a consistent frequency with a tolerance of as little as 0.001 percent. With so much at stake, why complicate things by altering a pure and simple geometric shape? Why reinvent the wheel? Well, here are five balances that definitely did reinvent the wheel.

Introducing the Sarpaneva X Moomin

Sarpaneva X Moomin results in a delightfully unique Moomin-themed timepiece that marries Sarpaneva’s broody humour with cartoon levity.

Breitling Premier B15 Duograph Hands-on Review

What we love: Split Second Complication with 100m WR- Yes please!Open caseback displaying manual winding movement Beautifully laid out dial  What we don’t love: Thickness, some may find this hard to wear under the cuff Could do without cutout numbers on the dial (2,4,8 and 10)Due to the design of the top sapphire crystal glass, cannot see the tachymeter scale properly when looking directly at the dial  Overall rating: 8.125/10 Value for money: 8/10 Wearability: 7.5/10 Design: 8.5/10 Build quality: 8.5/10 It’s not often you get a watch for a review and fall in love with it straight away! Well, for me this was the case with the new Breitling Premier B15 Duograph. Released a day earlier than the Watches of Wonders in 2021, Duograph is a part of the Premier heritage line. Originally released in 1943, Duograph is a spilt second complication that pays tribute to three generations of inventors – Léon, Gaston & Willy Breitling. Breitling used the term ‘Duograph’ in 1940 which refer to the complication “Chronograph Rattrappante”. Design: Breitling Duograph is offered in stainless steel or an 18K Red Gold case. The case size is 42mm with a thickness of 15.3mm and lug to lug measurement of 50mm. The variant we are reviewing today is the stainless steel model with the sunray blue dial.  Duograph had a fixed bezel and the Cambered sapphire (glareproofed both sides) acts as a bezel on its own. This Sapphire crystal top glass has a thickness of 3mm which adds to the o...