951 articles · 7 videos found · page 28 of 32
Quill & Pad
The Grand Seiko Nature of Time is a collection of four watches celebrating the Japanese system of dividing the year into 24 small seasons called sekki. Two of the watches have stainless steel cases and are powered by a mechanical high-beat caliber, while the other two are housed in titanium and run on Spring Drive Caliber 9R65. And let's have a look at those 'seasoned' dials!
Time+Tide
Editor’s note: King Nerd is someone you’re likely to have seen pop up on Time+Tide over the years. Most recently, he was part of our “11 Days of Londoners” series. But since then, he has been prolific to say the least with collaborations spanning George Bamford and Franck Muller, to Dr Martens and even Jaguar. … ContinuedThe post King Nerd writes touching personal tribute to the late Prince Philip appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
Unveiled alongside the flagship The Citizen Caliber 0200, the Series 8 is a line of affordable, integrated-bracelet sports watches equipped with slim automatic movements that have increased magnetism resistance. The Series 8 is made up of three sub-collections: the 870, 830, and 831. All are similar, but have different case and dial constructions, as well as different movements, but are all accessibly priced affordable, starting at $1,200 for the 831 and rising to US$2,000 for the 870. Initial thoughts The Series 8 is essentially a luxury-sports watch done accessibly – the case is angular and faceted, with both brushed and polished surfaces finishes, while the bracelet is integrated. While the styling brings to mind several other well-known watch designs, the Series 8 watches are not outright copies, which is a good thing, especially at this price range where originality harder to find. The 870 with its two-piece bezel The 830 with its three-layer dial of mother of pearl under a metal lattice Though all three models are slightly different, they are almost identical in size at 40 mm wide and a relatively thin 10-12 mm high. That’s a good size that large enough but not so big that the watch feels chunky, which is likely for this type of design beyond a certain size. The 870 with its two-colour bezel seems the most appealing of the trio, with both its case and bracelet being more streamlined. Both the 830 and 831 have the same case that’s slightly octagonal, which m...
SJX Watches
The Omega Speedmaster Professional is an icon for one reason: the three astronauts of Apollo 11 each worn one during the Moon landing of 1969. And five decades later, Speedmaster remains the only mechanical watch that’s part of NASA’s official kit for astronauts. After many Speedmaster limited editions marking its longstanding relationship with the American space agency, Omega now unveils a set of NASA Velcro straps for the Speedmaster Moonwatch. Initial thoughts From memorable advertisement starring George Clooney and Buzz Aldrin to the paraphernalia and accessories that accompany the multitude of Moonwatch iterations, Omega relentlessly reminds us about the provenance of the Moonwatch, and doubles down on the NASA association with the new straps. The NASA-themed straps are a first, but also a logical and expected extension of the Moonwatch franchise, especially since independent strap makers have offered similar aftermarket straps in the past. The new straps are cool and affordable, making them something of a perk for Speedmaster enthusiasts. As an owner of a Moonwatch myself, I’m a fan of the new straps. Not only are they a nod to the history of the Speedmaster Professional, but they also inject a bit of fun into the no-nonsense Speedmaster design. And they also bring to mind the extra-long velcro straps that actual astronauts use in order to wear the Speedmaster on a space suit. Who doesn’t want to feel like an astronaut? If Omega’s earlier velcro straps ar...
Deployant
We got up-close and hands-on with the new AP Royal Oak Offshore Diver, now in three dial options, a new caliber 4308, and an interchangeable strap system.
Time+Tide
Audemars Piguet is coming in hot for 2021, and AP is not pulling any punches. It is clear the plan is to usher in a new era of timepieces, and in particular the Audemars Piguet 2021 Royal Oak Offshore collection is home to two brand new innovations: an all new in-house caliber and the first-ever … ContinuedThe post INTRODUCING: The Audemars Piguet 2021 Royal Oak Offshore 42mm Collection with a new movement and interchangeable strap system appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Deployant
The Hour Glass has just released a beautifully curated online exhibition launched now (Thursday 11 March at 2000 hrs SGT). The exhibition, called The Persistance of Memory, is a comprehensive survey of the last fifty years of artisanal watchmaking, showcasing stories and the 150 rare watches assembled for this show. Details within. The Persistence ofRead More
Revolution
Grand Seiko brings their ground breaking caliber 9SA5 to two more watches with superb dials within the Heritage Collection Series 9: SLGH005 & SLGH007
Revolution
Piaget brings their 21st century Polo into their ultra-thin fold with the Polo Skeleton, powered by the now evolved, 2.4mm 1200S1 self-winding caliber
Time+Tide
When a watch enthusiast approaches a timepiece, they usually ask about specifications like case diameter or movement caliber first. Most people, however, will first want to know the price. It can prove a bit of a shock that such a small object can have such a high price tag. It is no secret that luxury … ContinuedThe post Here’s why a Patek Philippe can take six (or more) years to make – a timeline appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
In spite of some not inconsiderable distractions, there were some pretty decent watches released in 2020. Quite a few of them actually. Omega relaunched their serially produced caliber 321, Bulgari executed the Octo Finissimo in steel, Grand Seiko launched an entirely new escapement in their SLGH002 and DOXA brought their most iconic design into the … ContinuedThe post Nick’s 3 favourite watches of 2020, including Cartier, Seiko and Hamilton appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
Editor’s note: This year at Hublot has focused heavily on celebrating the 40th anniversary of the brand, but there was another important new chapter in the history book of the masters of fusion. The in-house Meca-10 movement, a caliber that has been restricted to the classically round Big Bang case, was set free into the … ContinuedThe post The gold and the beautiful: the Hublot Spirit of Big Bang Meca-10 King Gold appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
Hublot don’t do things by half. If they do something, they do it full throttle, and you can see that in the in-house movements they produce. You won’t find a simple three-handed caliber; no, instead you’ll find chronographs, tourbillons and some of the most impressive power reserves in the game. Of their in-house movements, this … ContinuedThe post VIDEO: The technical tour de force of the Hublot Spirit of Big Bang Meca-10 Titanium appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Hodinkee
In praise of the peripherally wound Caliber 350.
SJX Watches
Famous for its no-nonsense “tool” watches, some of which are supplied to the German military and law enforcement, Sinn’s latest debut is slightly different. Inspired by auto racing, the R500 chronograph is a watch that shows the brand can have some fun, while being properly functional. Modelled on a funky chronograph Sinn produced in the 1970s, the R500 is a “bullhead” chronograph, with the twin pushers positioned like horns at one and 11 o’clock. While the style very much evokes the 1970s, the R500 is built like a robust modern wristwatch, with titanium case rated to 200 m that’s resistant to extreme low and high pressures. Initial thoughts Radically different from Sinn’s usual fare of pilot’s or military-style watches, the R500 is arguably the most interesting watch amongst the brand’s recent releases. It’s recognisably 1970s in style, but with a clean dial design that avoids the “exotic” dial found on the vintage original, which was a typically 1970s feature that can look dated today. A notable element of the dial design is the power reserve indicator at 12 o’clock, which seems unnecessary for an automatic watch. But German rally champion Peter Göbel, speaking during a video interview for the launch of the R500, noted that a fully-wound mainspring is crucial before starting a race – since the chronograph can be used to time laps – so it is useful in that context. And it’s also unusual against the broader landscape because “bullhea...
Deployant
As the year of the 160th anniversary of Seiko’s founder, Kintaro Hattori, draws to a close, Grand Seiko proudly celebrates his life and achievements with a Spring Drive masterpiece. The watch is powered by Caliber 9R02 and features a Platinum 950 case with indexes and hour and minute hands in 14K white gold. A secondRead More
Quill & Pad
When Piaget introduced the manual wind Caliber 9P at the 1957 Basel Fair, at only 2 mm in height, it was considered an impossibility. Three years later, in 1960, Piaget stunned the watch world once again with Caliber 12P, an automatic movement that broke world records for its svelteness. What does that have to do with a vintage watch Martin Green saw? Find out here.
Hodinkee
Grand Seiko's new Hi-Beat caliber 9SA5, in steel for the first time.
SJX Watches
Grand Seiko has progressively introduced a diverse line up of watches to mark its 60th anniversary, ranging from a remake of the vintage 3180 to the heavily jewelled 8 Days to the T0 Constant Force Tourbillon, while also opening the Grand Seiko Studio Shizukuishi production facility. Now the brand has finally reached the last of it anniversary watches with the Grand Seiko 60th Anniversary Caliber 9SA5 Hi-Beat 36000 80 Hours SLGH003. Although the 60th anniversary watches are numerous, the most significant was the Hi-Beat 80 Hours SLGH002, which was powered by the newly-developed 9SA5, the first of a new generation of movements that will underpin the Grand Seiko collection. The SLGH002 was available only in 18k yellow gold and correspondingly pricey, but now the movement is available in the all-steel SLGH003. Initial thoughts From the perspective of being a more affordable version of the yellow-gold SLGH002, the SLGH003 is appealing. It’s still an expensive watch – the retail price is US$9,700 – but a lot less than the US$43,000 of the gold model. But from the perspective of it being one of several anniversary editions, many of which share the same dial colour, it is less appealing. That is especially so given that the 9SA5 movement will inevitably be made available in regular-production models that will probably cost a bit less. So if the colour and design is a big draw, then the SLGH003 is a buy. If not, just wait for the next one. Anniversary livery The SLGH003 h...
Deployant
Grand Seiko unveils a concept caliber T0 - Constant-Force Tourbillon with an interesting new double cage design for a remontoir tourbillon.
Hodinkee
Grand Seiko's new concept tourbillon is its first tourbillon, and its first constant-force caliber as well.
Hodinkee
It's 11 o'clock, do you know where your Czapek is?
Time+Tide
Say what you will, but there are few cooler mods you can make to a stainless steel sports watch than removing its bezel … just ask Marlon Brando. It’s obviously a sentiment that Seiko agrees with, as 2020 has seen them release no fewer than 11 new iterations of its iconic 5 Sports model without … ContinuedThe post Seiko answer people’s prayers with the smaller and bezel-less 2020 Seiko 5 Sports models appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
To commemorate the 60th anniversary of its first extra-thin wristwatch that was launched in 1957, Piaget launched a series of anniversary watches in 2017, including the flagship Altiplano Tourbillon High Jewelry watch, powered by the cal. 670P caliber that’s a mere 4.6mm tall. Piaget has since continued the series with additional variants featuring exotic dial materials, such as last year’s Altiplano Thin Meteorite. And now Piaget unveils the Altiplano Tourbillon Infinite Blue, a trio of limited-edition, high jewellery tourbillon wristwatches decorated with the infinity symbol rendered in diamonds. Initial Thoughts The race to produce the thinnest wristwatch ever reached its zenith in the 1970s and 1980s, after which tastes shifted in the new century towards ever-larger watches, particularly with the rise of luxury-sports watches. But some watchmakers, notably Bulgari and Piaget, have continued to slim their watches. In that context, the Tourbillon Infinite Blue does not do anything revolutionary, but take takes a tried-and-true formula and elaborates on it with a high level of execution. Baguette diamonds on the bezel and dial, brilliant-cut diamonds on the case band and lugs of the Ref. G0A45044 Like many other modern-day extra-thin watches, the largish diameter of 41 mm is necessitated by the movement’s architecture, which sees the components are spread out, instead of stacked up as in a conventional movement. The size and thinness of the bezel means that the w...
Quill & Pad
Fifteen years after its original launch, the A. Lange & Söhne Lange 1 Time Zone gets a mechanical upgrade in the form of a new caliber that includes a daylight savings time indication among other new features. Elizabeth Doerr looks at the Lange 1 Time Zone's evolution and what's so very special about this new model.
SJX Watches
With its Geneva debut in April 2020 cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the watch fair once known as SIHH is moving to Shanghai. Its organisers have just announced Watches & Wonders Shanghai will take place from September 9-13, 2020 at West Bund Art Center. W&W; Shanghai will see only 11 brands take part, down from 30 at the Geneva event. The exhibiting brands are A. Lange & Söhne, Baume & Mercier, Cartier, IWC Schaffhausen, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Panerai, Piaget, Roger Dubuis, and Vacheron Constantin – all owned by Swiss luxury group Richemont – as well as independently-owned brands Parmigiani Fleurier and Purnell. Like the original fair in Geneva, the Shanghai event will be invite-only, and will include new product launches, talks, as well as watchmaking classes. Alongside the physical exhibition in Shanghai, W&W; will also unveil the new products on its website. With the Chinese watch market now in the midst of a sharp upturn post-pandemic – evidenced in the results of both Richemont and the Swatch Group – China is likely the single largest national market for luxury watches that is operating close to normal, making the migration of the event from Geneva to Shanghai eminently logical.
SJX Watches
Unveiled in 2015, the ref. 5370P-001 was Patek Philippe’s second split-seconds chronograph powered by an in-house caliber, after the watches equipped the smaller, slimmer, and far more expensive CHR 27-525 movement. With a black grand feu enamel dial featuring Breguet numerals that gave it an eminently classical style, the ref. 5370P was a hit with fans of the brand. Now the black-dial ref. 5370P has been discontinued and replaced by the Split-Seconds Chronograph Ref. 5370P-011. The new model is identical – with the same CHR 29-535 PS inside a 41 mm platinum case – except for the dial, which is now grand feu enamel in a stunning blue. Initial thoughts Like many others, I am a huge fan of the 2015 original for its balanced, restrained design that is also eminently legible and clear. As a fan of Patek Philippe’s traditional designs, the watch was also appealing for the design lineage that can be traced to Patek Philippe watches of the mid-20th century. While the original is compelling for its vintage cues, the new version feels more modern with the blue enamel dial. As a colour that’s been in vogue for a couple of years, the new dial transforms the personality of the watch into one that is more contemporary. While this facelift will undoubtedly be popular because blue dials are the colour du jour, I still have a preference for the original as the black enamel dial was more understated and in keeping with the brand’s historical designs. Precious materials Being...
Hodinkee
A classic Patek caliber is reworked to become a museum on the wrist.
Deployant
The Lange 1 Time Zone gets an update with a new in-house caliber movement and dial changes 15 years after its introduction. What has changed? What remains?
Time+Tide
The Seiko Presage collection has long been a popular part of the brand’s lineup thanks to the well-tuned value proposition, and the amount of watch you get for your money. The Seiko SPB161 is another fine example. Featuring a crisp enamel dial and powered by the automatic Seiko caliber 6R27, you are once again gaining … ContinuedThe post HANDS-ON: The Seiko SPB161, an entirely new Presage dial design inspired by a clock from the ’70s appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
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