Revolution
The 35-year Story of the Pasha de Cartier
We trace the 35-year story of the sporty round watch with a crown-cap and assured sense of style that is Cartier’s Pasha de Cartier.
Results for Watch Crown Types
21,460 articles · 224 videos found · page 284 of 723
Revolution
Time+Tide
IN-DEPTH: The Omega Planet Ocean Vs. the Omega Seamaster 300, is there a winner?
Since 1948, Omega have been perfecting their formula for conquering the sea. What began as a splash-proof dress watch, quickly spiralled into a race for innovation amongst Switzerland’s finest as to who could plunge the deepest depths and still tell the time. The Seamaster line is Omega’s crown jewel in technical achievement and design, with … ContinuedThe post IN-DEPTH: The Omega Planet Ocean Vs. the Omega Seamaster 300, is there a winner? appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
Business News: Swatch Group Sales Plunge on Pandemic Closures
Swiss watchmaking conglomerate Swatch Group just announced its half-year 2020 results and unsurprisingly, it took a huge hit due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Although the group, which owns brands like Omega and Longines, had a good start in January with an operating margin of 17.3% – with the watch and jewellery brands performing a bit better than movement- and component-production division – the lockdown progressively imposed across the world since February severely impacted sales, leading to a steep declines in revenue and half-year operating loss, a first for the group. Group sales for the first half plunged 43.4% at constant exchange rates from a year earlier, resulting in an operating loss of CHF327m, compared to a profit of CHF547m for the same period in 2019. Most of the drop in sales was attributed to the lockdowns in most countries, resulting in widespread store closures. The Swatch Group saw up to 80% of both its own boutiques and third-party retailers close, meaning it had to rely on partially “partially feasible” e-commerce. And even after lockdowns were lifted, the group permanently vacated some of its retail space, as evidenced by disputes with its former landlord in Hong Kong, which has sued the Swatch Group for several million in allegedly unpaid rent. Due to its swiftly-streamlining retail network, the group’s employee count was trimmed by 6.5% since December 2019 to approximately 33,700 employees. This was also confirmed by anecdotal evidence fro...
SJX Watches
Business News: James Murdoch to Become Major Shareholder in Baselworld Owner
Having been pummelled by the COVID-19 pandemic and the implosion of Baselworld, the watch fair’s owner MCH Group has just announced a CHF104.5m rescue led by the canton of Basel and James Murdoch. But the crown jewel is not the Baselworld watch and jewellery fair, but Art Basel, which is undoubtedly the prize Mr Murdoch is after. As part of the rescue, the canton of Basel will convert its CHF30m loan to MCH into equity, with the balance being made up of a rights issue priced at a 25% discount to the 30-day average for MCH shares, which hit a peak of CHF80 in 2017 and traded around CHF17 in recent weeks. Through his family investment office Lupa Systems, Mr Murdoch will underwrite the rights issue, subscribing to all rights not taken up by other shareholders. At the same time, the canton of Basel and its regional bank have extended the repayment period for outstanding loans to MCH, while a bond offering is planned in the near future. Beyond shoring up the finances of MCH, the exercise will leaving Mr Murdoch with 30-44% of MCH Group, along with three board seats. Restrictions on shareholder voting rights will also be abolished, removing the outsized voting power of the cantons of Basel and Zurich, once the dominant influences in MCH. A long-term investment Mr Murdoch is the younger son of Rupert Murdoch, perhaps the most powerful figure in the broadcast and news business in the Western world. Recent newspaper reports have said the younger Murdoch was negotiating with MC...
SJX Watches
Rémy Cools Introduces the Tourbillon Souscription
A French watchmaker who is just 23 years old, Rémy Cools has just revealed the finished prototype of his debut watch, the Tourbillon Souscription. Mr Cools’ creation is a large watch with no visible crown, giving it a contemporary silhouette, but the look is still heavily classical in style, with the movement and dial strongly influenced by 19th century watchmaking, especially the work of Abraham-Louis Breguet and Jacques Frédéric Houriet according to Mr Cools. Initial thoughts I met Mr Cools at Baselworld 2019 and got to examine the unfinished prototype. It was complete and working, but had not yet been decorated. The prototype was an extremely striking watch, with a strong pocket watch aesthetic but still unique. While clearly modelled on the works of Breguet, it manages to avoid looking like a Breguet. Now that the watch is finished, it is no doubt more impressive; Mr Cools’ photos of the movement and its parts reveal an impressively high level of decoration. Two things go against the watch. One is the pair of crowns on the case back. They are easy enough to use, but feel unnecessarily complicated. The crowns, however, are probably something you get used to and forget about afterwards. The second drawback is the massive height of the watch, which is only 40 mm wide. It stands 15 mm high – including 7 mm of domed sapphire crystal – which gives it a really tall profile. And the thickness is accentuated by the relatively small diameter. That said, the height is ...
Time+Tide
Nick’s lockdown YouTube playlist feat. Russell Crowe, a very special Rolex and eagles at altitude
Recently, Andrew put together his greatest hits from the Time+Tide Watches YouTube channel, chronicling some of the finest pieces of information and entertainment-rich video we have ever produced. It wouldn’t be fair to let him have all the fun, though, so I put together my own list, much of which I enjoyed for years before … ContinuedThe post Nick’s lockdown YouTube playlist feat. Russell Crowe, a very special Rolex and eagles at altitude appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
Vacheron Constantin Introduces the Égérie Ladies’ Collection
Reviving a name once used for a line of tonneau-shaped women’s watches, Vacheron Constantin has just unveiled the Égérie, now a round watch with an unusually positioned crown. Translating as “muse”, Égérie is a slightly larger and more casual automatic watch for ladies, setting it apart from Vacheron Constantin’s current offerings for ladies, which are mostly downsized or quartz versions of men’s watches, as well as pricey, high-jewellery timepieces. That also sets it apart from its namesake, introduced in 2003 with a tonneau case, which lasted several years in the catalogue but never quite took off. Inspired by haute couture according to Vacheron Constantin, the new Égérie line is centred on two models, with either a moon phase or date. Each is offered in pink gold or steel, as well as a fully diamond-set version in white gold, for a total of five models. Égérie Self-Winding (top row), and Égérie Moonphase All models share a fully polished case with a diamond-set bezel, with a silver opaline dial featuring an offset sub-dial at two o’clock that sits just beside the crown, topped with a moonstone cabochon. The dials are decorated with a pleated, radial guilloche done the traditional way, with a hand-operated rose engine. The engine-turning is intersected up by a chapter ring with spherical markings for the minutes and applied gold hour numerals. Specially designed for the collection, the numerals are a modern take on traditional Breguet numerals...
SJX Watches
Business News: Swatch Group Annual Profit Falls with Hong Kong Slowdown
Hong Kong’s political unrest has resulted in the first fall in annual profits at the Swatch Group since 2018. The world’s biggest watchmaking group, which owns brands like Omega and Longines, just announced its 2019 results, showing declines in both sales and profits. Net profit fell 13.7%, while sales declined 1.8% at constant exchange rates, or 2.7% at current rates, to 8.24 billion francs. The drops in profit and sales were primarily due to a drastic contraction of its business in Hong Kong – a city with a population of just 7.4 million – where Swatch Group owns over 90 retail stores, largely catering to shoppers from the China. Sales in Hong Kong for the second half of 2019 fell by 200 million francs. While Hong Kong was the key driver of the decline, it was not the only one. The luxury watch business in general is suffering from anaemic growth, which is also evidenced by the watch division results at diversified luxury groups like LVMH and Kering. On a more positive note, Swatch Group has managed to fulfil its stated aims of reducing operating expenditure and thinning inventory. Operating expenses dipped about 6%, while operating cash flow rose 30% in 2019. And after several consecutive years of growth, the group’s inventories declined by 1% in 2019, to a still-substantial 6.85 billion francs at cost. It’ll be a slow 2020… With Swatch Group predicting the situation in Hong Kong will continue to be “challenging” in 2020, it is in a weaker positio...
SJX Watches
Swatch Introduces the Big Bold Jelly
One of the iconic Swatch watches from its 1980s heyday was the Jelly Fish (ref. GZ010), which was unveiled in 1983, the same year Swatch itself was launched. A quartz movement entirely exposed in a clear plastic case – accented with brightly coloured hands – the Jelly Fish was a bestseller that encapsulated what Swatch was all about: no-frills but fun watchmaking. The Jelly Fish remained in production, in one form or another – there was even a COSC-certified chronometer limited edition (GK124) in 1990 – for over two decades. Now the spirit of the Jelly Fish returns as the Big Bold Jelly, essentially the same idea but in a larger watch case. The Big Bold Jelly features a quartz movement inside a Big Bold case, just like the recent limited editions created in collaboration with fashion label A Bathing Ape (BAPE). The case is a large 47mm in diameter, with the crown unusually positioned at two o’clock. But just as with the original Jelly Fish, the case is clear plastic, while the band is translucent silicone. And the hands are rendered in bright colours – red, yellow and blue – with a bit more colour provided by the gilded wheels within the movement. Key facts and price Big Bold Jelly Ref. SO27E100 Diameter: 47mm Height: 11.75mm Material: Clear plastic Water resistance: 30m Movement: Quartz Functions: Hours, minutes, and seconds Strap: Silicone with aluminium pin buckle Availability: At Swatch stores Price: US$110 For more information, visit Swatch.co...
Two Broke Watch Snobs
Archimede SportTaucher Review – How Do You Say ‘Badass’ in German?
If you are keen to find a non-homage dive watch with a superbly machined case, top-notch crown, thoroughly sensible dial, and beefy (but surprisingly comfortable) bracelet, you just hit the jackpot.
SJX Watches
Swatch Inaugurates New Headquarters in Biel
A long snaking building that stretches some 240m, the new Swatch headquarters in Biel, or Bienne in French, is the culmination of five years of work. Selling about 9.5m watches a year for about 450m Swiss francs of revenue, according to Swiss bank Vontobel, Swatch was the foundational company of its parent, the aptly named Swatch Group, which also owns Omega and Longines. Like many of its parent company’s recent projects, the Swatch building was designed by Japanese architect Shigeru Ban, the 2014 Pritzker Prize winner who is best known for his works of wood or paper, as well as his temporary structures for humanitarian aid. Its new home is covered in a honeycomb timber grid that incorporates windows, nine balconies and solar panels. Visible from the inside is the Swatch logo, derived from the Swiss cross, incorporated into some of the grid’s cells. And hidden within the structure is a network of wires and cables for telecommunications, electricity and the like. The Swatch headquarters, with the Omega building at the far left The Swatch building ends in La Cite du Temps, which sits in front of the Omega factory and headquarters Shigeru Ban, Nayla Hayek, and Nick Hayek Jr at the opening ceremony on October 3, 2019 The glass-walled Swatch store in front of the new headquarters With the new headquarters in the background Light, flexible and sustainable, the timber beams used for the outer structure number some 4,600, all precisely cut to fit with join with each other per...
Quill & Pad
Grand Seiko Spring Drive Chronograph GMT SBGC203: You Can Have It All
The Grand Seiko Spring Drive Chronograph GMT SBGC203 has a bold appearance due to both its generous diameter of 43.5 mm and even more so by the large chronograph pushers and crown. Despite being such a substantial watch, Martin Green was surprised how well it sat and wore on his modestly sized wrist. Here he summarizes a week wearing this versatile all-rounder.
Deployant
Short takes: TUDOR Black Bay Chrono Steel and Gold
The history of the TUDOR divers’ watch dates back to 1954 and the launch of reference 7922. The basic design with a bezel, triple link bracelet and screw-down crown laid down the aesthetic and technical foundations of an ideal divers’ watch.
SJX Watches
In-Depth: Commissioning a Custom Andreas Strehler Wristwatch
I am a collector of world time and time zone watches, and own several from mainstream brands. I had long had my own ideas of an ideal travel watch, and this is the tale of how one came to be. A world time watch should simultaneously show at least 24 time zones on the dial. There are principally three dial types that can do this: first is a map of the Earth with time zones marked out; second is a disc with 24 reference time zones indicated by city names; third is a 24 hour ring in conjunction with a ring of reference time zones, widely known as the Cottier world time, after Swiss watchmaker Louis Cottier who built the first wristwatch with the mechanism. Top row, from left: Lottermann & Söhne Weltzeituhr 1, Tissot Heritage Navigator, Patek Philippe ref. 5230G Bottom row: Dubey & Schaldenbrand Weltzeit, Junkers 6892-5 Serie Worldtimer, Jean-Mairet & Gillman Sport. Images – respective brands The first two variants use the entire dial to display world time, leaving no room for additional complications. The Cottier-system can as well dominate the design, with only the centre of the dial available for decorations or additional indications, making it difficult to embellish the dial with motifs relating to a specific brand. Reducing the displays can create a more interesting dial layout, but this results in microscopic indicators that are hardly readable. For this reason, I now prefer time zone watches with only one additional zone time shown on a 24-hour scale, often labelled ...
SJX Watches
Introducing the New Seiko 5 Sports Collection
Long offered in a dizzying range of iterations – all priced extremely affordably – the Seiko 5 Sports collection has, for the longest time, enjoyed stardom in the segment of watches below US$200. The affordability of the range and its core features – automatic winding, day and date, water resistance, a durable case and bracelet, plus the recessed crown at four o’clock – have been a gateway drug for aspiring watch enthusiasts who have never owned a mechanical timepiece. The Seiko 5 Sports line-up has just been streamlined, and now consists of five core variants, each conceived for a specific style of dress. The entire line-up will be made up of 27 specific models. All the watches are essentially “diver-lite”, looking much like Seiko’s “SKX” scuba diver’s watches but not built to the same robust standards. The new Seiko 5 Sports collection is centred on a common watch design, sharing the same case, rotating bezel, hands, and dial design. And the movement used across the line is the self-winding cal. 4R36. All the redesigned models are identified by the new Seiko 5 logo that has the “5” rotated 45 degrees to the left. The first Seiko 5 Sports from 1968 What seems to be missing from the revamp is a new version of the popular Seiko 5 Sports “field watch” that has a distinctive, military-inspired design and has long been a perennial favourite for first-timers to the watch world. Given Seiko track record in swiftly iterating a model into do...
SJX Watches
IWC Introduces the Big Pilot “Right-Hander” Limited Edition
IWC’s popular, oversized pilot’s watch is already available in as many variations as the sky is high, but the latest limited edition – the Big Pilot’s Watch “Right-Hander” – is the first that’s a “destro”. Italian for “right”, destro is a nickname often applies to watches with a left-handed crown, and thus catered to right-handed people. Because the onion-shaped crown sits at nine o’clock instead of the usual three, the movement inside has been rotated 180 degrees, bringing the power reserve indicator to nine o’clock as well. For those wondering if this is inspired by a historical, “destro” pilot’s watch, the answer is no. This is just a reinterpretation of a bestselling model. Crown-aside, the look is pretty much stock Big Pilot. The dial is a dark grey, with luminous markings and hands in white SuperLuminova. The rest of the watch is identical to the standard model. The steel case is 46.2mm in diameter, with automatic cal. 52010 inside. It’s the second generation of the flagship IWC automatic movement, featuring a seven-day power reserve and a Pellaton winding mechanism with its pawls and winding wheels in wear-resistant ceramic. Key facts Diameter: 46.2mm Height: 15.6mm Material: Steel Water-resistance: 60m Movement: Cal. 52010 Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds, date and power reserve Winding: Automatic Frequency: 28,800bph, or 4Hz Power reserve: 168 hours (7 days) Strap: Calfskin with folding clasp Price and availab...
Time+Tide
BUSINESS NEWS: Why the Swatch Group has millions of watches sitting in warehouses
The Swatch Group have published their 2019 Half-Year Report, revealing some interesting information. The group has reported an increase in their inventory levels, which include components, movements and watches, to a total of 7.1 billion Swiss francs (up 2.6 per cent from 2018). More broadly, the group, which owns brands such as Tissot, Longines and … ContinuedThe post BUSINESS NEWS: Why the Swatch Group has millions of watches sitting in warehouses appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
Living with the Panerai Luminor 1950 3 Days GMT PAM 1033
Originally a no-nonsense dive watch made for the frogmen of the Italian navy during the Second World War, Panerai has been moving towards more civilian-friendly sports watches. The evolution is best illustrated by the Luminor Due, which is smaller and thinner, and as far removed from a traditional Panerai as possible while still retaining the signature crown locking mechanism. At the same time, Panerai has also rolled out watches that are oversized like the military originals, but with an increasingly variety of dial colours, like the quartet with blue dials in 2016. Such metallic blue dials are currently fashionable, so it’s no surprise Panerai has continued with the same colour. The recent Luminor 1950 3 Days GMT PAM01033 is essentially an upsized, 44mm version of the PAM 688 from 2016. I had one on the wrist for a few days – here’s how the test drive went. Compared with the earlier PAM 688, size is not the only difference with the new Luminor PAM 1033. A small but significant design tweak is the colour of the hands: instead of gold hands as as before, the hands now match the case. Though the change is seemingly minor, it gives the watch a different look, one that’s more contemporary, because the hands, though small, are the focal point on the dial. But the beige Super-Luminova on the dial and hands is faux-vintage, which does not quite match the newness of the blue dial. The dial is a “sandwich” construction, a signature feature of Paner...
SJX Watches
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...
SJX Watches
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...
Time+Tide
HANDS-ON: The Seiko Diver’s Re-creation Limited Edition SLA033
Seiko’s archive is full of exceptional and much-loved dive watches. One of the brightest lights in this pantheon is the 6105, a real workhorse of the 1970s, and a distinctive one at that - thanks to its large, cushiony case and a crown at four. And while the visuals of the watch certainly didn’t hurt, … ContinuedThe post HANDS-ON: The Seiko Diver’s Re-creation Limited Edition SLA033 appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
VIDEO: 3 standout Submersibles from Panerai’s SIHH 2019 collection
If you had any doubts about Panerai’s position as kings of the deep, their SIHH 2019 release catalogue would have dispelled them. Panerai’s hero watch is, of course, the Submersible. It’s one of the brand’s most interesting designs, as it honours their historically important case shape (cushiony, with a fairly famous crown guard), while adding … ContinuedThe post VIDEO: 3 standout Submersibles from Panerai’s SIHH 2019 collection appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Deployant
Live from SIHH 2019: Greubel Forsey
We come to the ultra high end of Greubel-Forsey. The new watch, Art Piece Edition Historique, the Final Edition for the Art Piece Collection. 33 more pieces will made. 11 in plat. CHF 555,000 without tax. A push of the crown will cause the small aperture which is closed with a shutter “Art Piece” toRead More
Two Broke Watch Snobs
Steinhart Ocean One Vintage Red Review
Your first impressions on the watch are that the case is simple and extremely sharp. The bezel and the crown have nice, sharp edges rather than soft coin edges found on some other watches.
Revolution
2018 Revolution Round-Up: Ressence
This year, at SIHH 2018, Ressence presented the Ressence Type 2 e-Crown Concept watch, an automated setting technology for mechanical watches.
Revolution
Swatch Group-Audemars Piguet Collaboration Creates Non-Magnetic Balance Spring
The Swatch Group announced on 29 August the creation of a revolutionary balance spring with exceptional paramagnetic characteristics. This balance spring is made from a new non-magnetic compensating alloy called Nivachron™ which the Swatch Group developed in collaboration with Audemars Piguet.
Revolution
Master Stroke - The Rolex GMT-Master: Part 1
As the Crown and Shield each release their own version of the legendary “Pepsi”, revolution takes a guided tour through the first three decades of Rolex’s celebrated pilot’s watch, the GMT-Master.
Time+Tide
VIDEO: The heart of Panerai – the new Luminor Marina Logo 3 Days in steel
The heart of Panerai’s line-up has to be the entry-level Luminor. A 44mm watch with the classic crown guard-equipped Luminor case and not much in the way of frills. White or black dial, white logo or blue, small seconds or not, and a range of strap options. That’s pretty much it. But you know what? … ContinuedThe post VIDEO: The heart of Panerai – the new Luminor Marina Logo 3 Days in steel appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Two Broke Watch Snobs
Swatch Sistem51 Review: Should You Keep The Receipt?
The first time that I was introduced to a Swatch Sistem51 was in a marketing email from Hodinkee announcing their collaboration with Swatch. The Swatch Sistem51 cost $150, which piqued my interest immediately. It was only a fraction of the cost of anything else that Hodinkee offered (besides a magazine).
Time+Tide
NEWS: The results from Russell Crowe’s auction, including a surprisingly expensive Speedmaster
Last night, the provocatively titled Russell Crowe: The Art of Divorce auction took place in Sydney, an event which was, essentially, a rather high-brow garage sale. Unsurprisingly, it was the lots relating to his Oscar-winning role in Gladiator that saw the strong returns, a breastplate netting $152,500, an aluminium sword $85,400, and a a chariot … ContinuedThe post NEWS: The results from Russell Crowe’s auction, including a surprisingly expensive Speedmaster appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.