Results for Meteorite Dial

Awake Concepts Returns with a New Pair of Limited Editions Sporting Meteorite Dials

We first wrote about Awake last year, when they launched the very high concept Mission to Earth, a blockchain enabled, NASA co-branded watch that really sought to tell a very specific story about space exploration. I was a fan of that watch, mostly for the way it unapologetically leaned in to those larger themes, becoming what I suspect is a watch that was more sought after by NASA collector types than traditional watch enthusiasts. Their latest watch, dubbed “Time Travelers,” but also part of the Mission to Earth series has a similar point of view but a very different aesthetic, and in some ways feels a bit more coherent in how it gets its very specific message across.  Time Travelers is all about exploring the origins of our solar system through meteorites, the small asteroid fragments that are older than our planet and continue to teach us quite a bit about the nature of how planets and life were formed. Unsurprisingly, the centerpiece of this watch is its meteorite dial, crafted from a sliver of the Muonionalusta meteorite that struck the surface of our planet over one million years ago. The unique striations seen on a meteorite dial can’t be reproduced naturally on earth, and in addition to adding an element of poetry to an object whose primary concern is the passage of time, they also just look incredibly cool, and have a visual impact that is a lot fun. The case of the Time Travelers watch is crafted from recycled titanium, and will be available in two colors...

New: De Bethune DB25 Starry Varius Aérolite

De Bethune enhances their spectacular DB25 Starry Varius lineup with a 5 piece a year limited edition rendition in a magnificent meteorite dial.

Want crazy value and creativity? Your next watch should be a microbrand - here are 5 brands to start you off

Five years ago, Thor Svaboe got in touch with a Singaporean brand called Zelos to enquire about buying a bronze-cased Hammerhead diver with a meteorite dial. Being a piece of asteroid that exploded millions of years old and subsequently plummeted to earth, a meteorite is, of course, an extremely rare material. But this cosmic exclusivity … ContinuedThe post Want crazy value and creativity? Your next watch should be a microbrand – here are 5 brands to start you off appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Rolex Introduces the Cosmograph Daytona Meteorite

Rolex has released new references of the Cosmograph Daytona with meteorite dials, in each colour of gold as well as the option of a bracelet or silicon Oysterflex strap. The versions on Oysterflex are matched with a black ceramic bezel, while the bracelet models featured gold bezels. Initial Thoughts Meteorite dials on Rolex watches are not new – the meteorite dial with Roman numerals made its debut on the Daytona almost two decades ago –  and the current lineup includes features both the Day-Date and GMT-Master II with meteorite dials. The meteorite dials will be available in all three colours of gold (from left): Everose, white, and yellow gold The new arrivals are essentially a modest facelift – they share the same case, bezel, and mechanics as current gold Daytona – albeit one that is very well done. They are certainly eye-catching, especially combined with high-contrast black registers (the first-generation meteorite dials had matching meteorite registers). The new look is fairly priced. Depending on the case metal and choice of bracelet, expect to pay a premium of 10-15% over a standard gold Daytona model. Exotic dials Made of a slice of iron meteorite, the dial is first etched with acid to highlight the Widmanstätten pattern, the streaky motif created by the crystalline structure of the material, and then polished. But it still retains a slightly textured surface, unlike the perfectly smooth lacquered finished of most Daytona dials. As is conventional for...

J.N. Shapiro Introduces the Infinity Series P.01 Guilloche Meteorite

An educator turned guilloche specialist, Joshua Shapiro launched his namesake brand, J.N. Shapiro, in 2018 with the Infinity Series. a classically-styled wristwatch with a hand-made guilloche dial featuring a nested engine-turned pattern of his own invention. His latest creation is the Infinity Series P.01, a collaboration with Collective, an American watch-collector club. Though it looks similar to the standard Infinity Series at first glance, the P.01 most definitely isn’t. While it does have a guilloche dial, the dial material is not the usual silver and gold, but meteorite – a first in watchmaking. Initial thoughts Two things stand set the P.01 apart from Mr Shapiro’s work so far. The first is tangibly impressive – an engine-turned meteorite dial, a significant accomplishment in terms of craft and skill. The result is a striking surface that overlays the natural and random Widmanstätten pattern of the meteorite with Mr Shapiro’s sharply-executed engine turning, which sounds confusing but appears to be a pleasing mix of order and chaos. But perhaps more important for J.N. Shapiro as a brand is the brand-new serif typeface for the Arabic hour numerals. Designed with the help of an artist, the numerals give the watch a style that’s distinct – and more 20th century contemporary – compared to the typical J.N. Shapiro watch that features Roman numerals and a Breguet-inspired aesthetic. And the P.01 starts at US$21,500 in steel, which is not that much mor...

Hands-On: Hermès Arceau L’Heure De La Lune

Hermès, as a brand, usually has an elegant, light and sometimes whimsical house style that makes it unique amongst luxury houses. The Arceau L’Heure De La Lune unveiled at SIHH at the start of the year exemplifies the house style, although the case is thicker than ideal. Functionally, the Arceau L’Heure De La Lune is a straightforward watch – it shows the time, date and phases of the Moon in both the Southern and Northern hemispheres. But the execution of the time and date is striking and clever. Orbital moon phases The two are essentially orbital displays, as each is on a sub-dial mounted on a rotating, central carousel. The carousel take 59 days to make one complete revolution around the dial. But each sub-dial also rotates on itself as the carousel turns. As a result, each sub-dial is always the right way up regardless of its position. Both sub-dials also double up as the moon phase indicator, with position of each sub-dial indicating the age of the Moon in each hemisphere. And in a bit of whimsy, the hemispheres have been inverted, with the Southern on top and Northern below. The Arceau L’Heure De La Lune with a meteorite dial The inventive display was built by Chronode, the complications specialist founded by Jean-Francois Mojon, which has a diverse body of work that includes Urban Jurgensen’s P4 movement, the MB&F; LM2, and the constant force tourbillon of IWC. The display module by Chronode. Photo – Hermes Chronode conceived and builds the ...

Up Close: Rolex GMT-Master II Meteorite Ref. 126719BLRO-0002

In the Rolex sports watch hall of fame, the GMT-Master II is arguably the most practical. It is a relatively affordable, dual time zone watch; and there are, after all, more people who travel than those who dive or race or sail. At the same time, the GMT-Master has always been available in precious metal, in 18k Everose for instance, and also lavishly bejewelled like the popular sapphire and ruby “SARU”. The new meteorite dial GMT-Master II, on the other hand, is bling meets functionality without the gemstones, making it an unusual and compelling watch. And it’s also the first time Rolex has used meteorite in a watch other than the Daytona or Day-Date. In fact, the meteorite GMT-Master probably the most practical ultra-luxe travel watch out there. And it costs only about US$1600 over the standard white gold GMT-Master with a blue dial, making it a worthwhile upgrade. Maybe “Pan Am” Rolex has not revealed what inspired the meteorite GMT-Master, but the GMT-Master “Pan Am” or “Albino” is obvious. Reputedly made in small numbers for executives at Pan American Airways – the company credited for the creation of the GMT-Master – the GMT-Masters fitted with white dials are either the refs. 6542 or 1675. A handful are known and have sold for well into six figures, but the white dial examples are controversial and often accompanied by unending questions as to whether they are legit. A jewel of a watch In contrast, the modern day equivalent of...

Prestige HMS Stainless Steel: Romain Gauthier Launches its First Steel Series Watch

Romain Gauthier’s first series watch in stainless steel brims with distinctive detail, not least a unique crown configuration and rare meteorite dial.

Introducing: The De Bethune DB28 Kind of Blue Tourbillon Meteorite

De Bethune shows off the coolest watch since their DB28 Kind of Blue, now with a blued meteorite dial.

Bell & Ross BR-X5 Meteorite: a solid Muonionalusta dial, not a veneer

Bell & Ross drops a 250-piece BR-X5 with a dial cut from a single slab of the 1906 Muonionalusta meteorite from northern Sweden. 41mm x 12.8mm steel, COSC-certified BR-CAL.323 (Kenissi) with 72-hour reserve. €8,900 on rubber, €9,400 on the integrated bracelet.

Breitling Launch Meteorite-Dial Chronomat In Collaboration With Erling Haaland

RECOMMENDED READING: Rare rocks? The truth about Rolex meteorite dials

Where do Rolex meteorite dials come from?The post RECOMMENDED READING: Rare rocks? The truth about Rolex meteorite dials appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Introducing New Rolex Daytona Meteorite Dials for 2021

Introducing - The Vulcain Skindiver Nautique Meteorite, a New Dial for a Compact Diver

Since its debut in 2023, Vulcain’s Skindiver Nautique has quickly moved from a niche revival piece to a regular part of the brand’s present-day catalogue. These watches draw inspiration from Vulcain’s 1960s skin-diving models. Back then, diving as a hobby was gaining popularity, and compact, practical dive watches like the Nautique felt at home both in and […]

15 Watches with Meteorite Dials, From Under $1,500 to $100,000+

Watches with meteorite dials are a decidedly small but steadily growing niche within the timepiece industry. As more and more watchmakers, large and small, turn to the literally out-of-this-world material to add intrigue and visual flair to their watches, meteorite’s profile among collectors and enthusiasts has risen — especially now that owning a meteorite-dial watch isn’t necessarily out of reach for all but the most deep-pocketed customers. The appeal of meteorite-dial watches is easy to discern: each dial is literally unique, with a textured surface made up of so-called Widmanstätten patterns formed by millions of years of heat, pressure, and slow cooling of the fallen space rock from which they are derived. Unlike more conventional dial materials, like brass, meteorite connects the watch’s wearer not only to the history, and even prehistory, of the natural world but also to the great beyond of outer space and the mysteries it holds. Here I have assembled a list of 15 meteorite-dial watches in a variety of styles and a wide range of price segments, starting under $1,500 and topping out in six-figure territory.  Bulova Lunar Pilot Meteorite Limited Edition Price: $1,495, Case Size: 43.5mm, Lug Width: 20mm, Crystal: Sapphire, Water Resistance: 50 meters, Movement: Quartz HPQ NP20 Bulova’s Lunar Pilot is a modern homage to the watch worn by astronaut Colonel Dave Scott during the Apollo 15 moon mission for NASA — the only privately owned watch ever to visit ...

Hands-On With The New Norqain Wild One Meteorite 42mm

Today, we go hands-on with the latest Norqain release. The Wild One Meteorite 42mm Special Edition is the first watch from the brand to use this exciting material as a dial medium. Plus, as is normally true of the watches in the Wild One line, it debuts a new case color in the company’s proprietary […] Visit Hands-On With The New Norqain Wild One Meteorite 42mm to read the full article.

New: Omega Speedmaster Moonphase Meteorite

Omega releases two new models of the Speedmaster Moonphase with Meteorite dials. One with a blue accented dial and the other in a black one.

Behind The Lens: Rolex GMT-Master II Meteorite: Global Travel Meets Outer Space

GaryG had the opportunity to borrow a Rolex GMT-Master II BLRO Meteorite from a long-time friend to photograph and wear. This watch's main event is the dial, a thin slice of metallic meteorite whose crystalline structure reflects the slow cooling process that took place as the meteor hurtled through space. Here he tries a variety of photographic techniques to learn which works best on the dial's unique structures. Which are your favorites?

Behind The Lens: Rolex GMT-Master II Meteorite, Where Global Travel Meets Outer Space - Reprise

GaryG had the opportunity to borrow a Rolex GMT-Master II BLRO Meteorite from a long-time friend to photograph and wear. This watch's main event is the dial, a thin slice of metallic meteorite whose crystalline structure reflects the slow cooling process that took place as the meteor hurtled through space. Here he tries a variety of photographic techniques to learn which works best on the dial's unique structures. Which are your favorites?

EDITOR’S PICK: JLC’s Master Calendar Meteorite is out of this world

Editor’s Note: Meteorite dials are nothing new – but we rarely see this exotic dial material on otherwise conservative pieces. The juxtaposition creates a truly special watch with a one-of-a-kind dial that we’d never get tired of staring at.  One of the watches we were most looking forward to seeing in the metal at SIHH 2015 … ContinuedThe post EDITOR’S PICK: JLC’s Master Calendar Meteorite is out of this world appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Longines Conquest Heritage Central Power Reserve gets a light blue dial

Longines refreshes one of its most quietly interesting re-editions with a light blue opaline dial. Still 38mm, still the same central power-reserve rotating disc, still the silicon-hairspring L896.5. €3,950 on strap, €4,050 on bracelet.

Rocking A New Look: The Maen Manhattan Stone Dial Series

There’s nothing wrong with a good stone dial. Even though they’ve been a thing for the past 2-3 years, I never get bored with seeing one. Granted, I do need to like the watch it’s in, and it also needs to fit the style. With the Maen Manhattan, the former is definitely not an issue. […] Visit Rocking A New Look: The Maen Manhattan Stone Dial Series to read the full article.

Ming 37.06 Royal Selangor: A Hammered Pewter Dial That Actually Makes Sense

Ming's latest limited edition teams up with Malaysia's most famous pewter house for a dial unlike anything else in the 37-series

First Look: The IWC Ingenieur Automatic 35 'Pool' Dial (Ref. IW324902)

IWC's compact 35mm Ingenieur gets a summer-ready Pool blue dial with the familiar grid pattern. Cal. 47110 automatic (Cartier 1847 MC base), 100m water-resistance, integrated steel bracelet. €11,100, part of the permanent collection.

Omega Quietly Drops the New Speedmaster Moonshine Gold Green Dial

No press release, no lifestyle campaign, just a fresh reference on Omega's website. The new Speedmaster Moonshine gold with the green step dial gets Moonshine gold subdials with an azurage pattern and a slightly thinner case. Cal. 3861 Master Chronometer, ~€45,100.