Hodinkee
HODINKEE Radio: For The Love Of Watches
Valentine's Day is for lovers (of watches, too).
35,356 articles · 264 videos found · page 323 of 1188
Hodinkee
Valentine's Day is for lovers (of watches, too).
SJX Watches
For an uncompromising mechanical watch enthusiast, one of the most dreaded words in the specifications of a watch is surely “quartz”. Oftentimes that dread is followed by the thought, if only it was mechanical… I must admit this went through my mind when I discovered the lovely Cartier Santos Dumont in 2019. And that was despite Cartier’s best efforts in communicating that the movement inside was a long-autonomy quartz calibre with a six-year battery life. The Cartier Santos Dumont trio, with only the XL variant (extreme left) being mechanical In the time since, I began to ponder the question: why do I seek the latest electronic gadgets, but am dismissive towards quartz watches? Just because quartz movements are often cheap and easily available, does that leave them uniformly uninteresting? The Quartz Crisis On Monday, December 29, 1969, tucked somewhere in the The New York Times was an eight-line paragraph that ended with “[the] world’s first electronic wrist watch with a crystal oscillator.” That electronic watch, as you may have guessed, was the Seiko Quartz-Astron. It was barely obvious at the time, but the announcement, innocuous as it was, would be the harbinger of a crisis for Swiss watchmaking. The father of all quartz watches, the Seiko Quartz-Astron 35SQ in 18K yellow gold The Quartz-Astron cost as much as a Toyota Corolla at the time of of its release – its price was equivalent to about US$1,200 – and was without a doubt a luxury product. Ov...
Hodinkee
These watches made a big impression at first blush.
Hodinkee
No, we're not giving out free watches. But the following six selections can make your spend go twice as far.
Quill & Pad
One streaming series Elizabeth Doerr was really looking forward to was 'And Just Like That,' the much-anticipated sequel to 'Sex and the City.' She has always loved the taboo-laden adventures of the quartet of New York City fashionista heroines of this story and their diverse love lives – escapism at its best with lots of funky fashion to ogle and girl talk to laugh along with. It was the perfect show for Cartier to fill with product placement, too, even if reviews haven't been the greatest. Here's why.
Revolution
A look at three main kinds of watches with two beating hearts.
Time+Tide
In the eyes of the larger watch marketplace, steel is the king. As a more entry-priced metal, with qualities highly suited for daily wear, it makes sense that the majority of watch buyers are drawn to these pieces. But today, with steel being all the rage, a bit of an ironic dilemma has arisen. While … ContinuedThe post Three highlights to keep an eye on in Zurich auction of rose-gold only watches appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
Originally announced in 2018, the Leica L1 and L2 (now renamed ZM 1 and ZM 2) wristwatches have finally made it to market. Developed with the help of a German watchmaker but very much a proprietary product, the ZM 1 and ZM 2 are both powered by variants of the same cleverly constructed calibre that is an impressive debut for the camera maker’s horological venture. Initial thoughts The Leica watch has a restrained, Germanic aesthetic with interesting details, but more importantly an interesting, thoughtful movement. Developed from the ground up for Leica, the calibre features useful complications like a power reserve and hacking, zero-reset seconds, but executed in an unusual yet practical manner. At the same time, the patented pull crown is novel without sacrificing functionality. The design of the movement is also appealing, with its partially open-worked bridges cleverly exposing the key components of the going train and complications The watch is big, but not excessively large. Considering the size of the calibre, the case dimensions are acceptable. That said, this is the limit, any larger and the case would be enormous. It helps that the styling is attractively low key. The dial and case appear simple at a distance, but reveal their details up close. The hands and hour markers, for instance, echo each other, while the crowns are finely knurled. Leica also avoided a common pitfall of watches inspired by other technically-oriented industries, no doubt thanks to Achim H...
Revolution
Time waits for no man, especially when it comes to Valentine’s Day. Frédérique Constant unveils tempting new timepieces to please and pamper both sexes
SJX Watches
Open to watchmakers aged between 18 and 30 from anywhere in the world, the F.P. Journe Young Talent Competition (YTC) is an annual affair that seeks to identify the most promising watchmakers of the future. Interestingly, any candidate who has “must have independently designed and created a timepiece and/or technical construction” can participate, whether or not he or she has formal training. A candidate can enter any type of timepiece – last year’s winner was 29-year old Mario Scarpatetti, whose entry was a longcase clock with a patented secular perpetual calendar mechanism of his own invention. The Kalendar Perpeten clock made by last year’s winner, Mario Scarpatetti Mr Scarpatetti won a CHF20,000 grant sponsored by Singapore retailer The Hour Glass, which is once again the prize for the YTC 2022. The winner will the selected by a jury of industry notables that include Francois-Paul Journe himself, Philippe Dufour, and Giulio Papi, who will make their choice according to four criteria: originality, technical complexity, aesthetics and finishing, as well as quality of make. Candidates can submit their entries on fpjourne.com.
Deployant
With Valentine's Day around the corner, we thought we might want to help out with six watches as gift ideas for your partner during this season of love.
Quill & Pad
Japanese whisky distillery Mars Shinshu is still working to establish its house style. "Searching for its soul,” distillery manager Koki Takehira calls it, and he is off to a wonderful start. At this stage, the whiskies appear to be from the elegant and complex end of the spectrum, and there is a gentle sweetness, more so than found in most Japanese whiskies. Ken Gargett takes us through the history of Mars Shinshu and shares tasting notes of a few of the whiskies.
Time+Tide
It’s the Winter Olympics, an event that once again raises baffling questions for those of us who haven’t grown up in Alpine regions. Why is that skier carrying an assault rifle? What are those curling guys doing with little brooms? And what in God’s good name is the sport of monobob? But then, of course, … ContinuedThe post FRIDAY WIND DOWN: Omega at the Winter Olympics and a special release for MB&F; appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Hodinkee
Perfect for beginners and value-driven veterans.
Hodinkee
So many pockets, so few pocket watches.
Long available only to the Japanese domestic market, Citizen’s top-of-the-line quartz watches have been slowly making their way into foreign countries in recent years (although last year’s high-end mechanical Caliber 0200 was launched internationally). The latest high-end quartz model, however, is being launched globally. The Citizen Iconic Nature Collection is a quartet of lightweight titanium watches featuring dials made of traditional, translucent Japanese paper dyed in vivid, natural colours. But the mechanics are cutting edge in contrast – a solar-powered quartz movement accurate to within five seconds a year. Initial thoughts Citizen’s ultra-accurate quartz watches are largely unknown outside of Japan, but that is gradually changing with the global rollout of new models, which are crucially dressed in eye-catching colours instead of the muted dials historically found on these watches. Citizen has used washi for dials on The Citizen before, but usually in a low-key white. The new Iconic Nature quartet calls to mind high-end quartz watches from Citizen’s Japanese rival, though Citizen’s offering edges ahead, at least on paper. The solar-powered A060 inside the Iconic Nature is accurate to +/- 5 seconds per year, while the Grand Seiko 9F movement is rated to +/- 10 seconds per year. And the practicality of the A060 is boosted by a perpetual calendar as well as an “on-demand” power reserve indicator. The price tag of US$3,500 is might seem high for an...
Hodinkee
It tells me what I need to know – and that's how much time I have left.
Quill & Pad
The Fibonacci number sequence is a discovery of mathematics and nature that has both amazed and confounded the scientific community for centuries. And it is the inspiration for the stunning engravings on the unique La Rose Carrée, a masterfully restored grande sonnerie minute repeater pocket watch made to celebrate the twenty-fifth anniversary of Parmigiani and launched to mark the seventieth birthday of the brand’s founder and master restorer, Michel Parmigiani.
Time+Tide
Editor’s note: When I was in Dubai recently for Dubai Watch Week, I had the chance to try on a Bulgari Serpenti in rose gold and white ceramic. The owner of the watch, Eleonor of @theiofj was more than happy to oblige, and I swapped her for my 15500 Royal Oak. It wasn’t just for … ContinuedThe post An open letter to Bulgari: Please consider making this version of the Serpenti, and I’ll buy one appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Deployant
Happy Chinese New Year of the Tiger. May this year bring blessings of good health, great prosperity and abundance in every good thing.
Time+Tide
There is a reason why many microbrands choose a diver as their first offering. It’s a category of watches that is not only robust but offers the brand a platform to say a lot through its design. From the bezel to the case, nothing is off limits when it comes to creating a diver. Thus, … ContinuedThe post MICRO MONDAYS: Horon Watches makes a splash with the Ocean Hunter, a collection of 300m divers at an affordable price appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
It’s no secret at Time+Tide that I am a bit of a GMT fiend. There is just something about that complication that gets my horological juices flowing. Which means when a brand decides to release a GMT, I’m all over it. Will it have a classic design? How will the lume be? How will the … ContinuedThe post HANDS ON: Clean and serene, the new TAG Heuer Autavia COSC GMT carries no excess baggage appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
Hublot have never had any issues with realising bold, eyeball-grabbing designs and exploring a range of colours and materials that other brands have yet to even attempt to tackle. But sometimes two minds are greater than one. Once again, Hublot has partnered with Swiss tattoo artist Maxine Plescia-Buchi to continue their saga of Sang Bleu … ContinuedThe post HANDS-ON: Hublot launches three new scratch-resistant iterations of the Big Bang Sang Bleu II in ceramic and Magic Gold appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Hodinkee
The 38mm and 41mm offerings get subtle tweaks for the Royal Oak's 50th birthday.
Meet a young brand that's high on value and low on self-seriousness – and that has a lesson for aspiring entrepreneurs.
Time+Tide
With Hublot, the most intimidating barrier for me was often the larger sizing their references were typically produced in. Hublot, unapologetically, favours larger diameters as the canvas for their bold personality and mastery of materials. Personally, I felt excluded from the party at times, liking the brand’s novelties but not being prepared to tackle their … ContinuedThe post HANDS-ON: The Hublot Big Bang Integral Time Only brings 40mm to titanium, ceramic and 18K yellow gold appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
Zenith is well-known for their mastery of hi-beat technology with calibres capable of measuring incredibly fine increments. When the Zenith Defy Revival A3642 was introduced last week, Zenith made it very clear in their assets that it was just the beginning of what was to come for the Defy line – the spark that would … ContinuedThe post HANDS-ON: The Zenith Defy Skyline brings a 1/10th of a second counter to a time and date watch appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
Editor’s note: One of the great things about dropping in on a brand’s HQ is that you invariably learn things you never would normally. On a recent visit, I discovered a lot about Maurice de Mauriac and the Dreifuss family, Daniel, the father, and Leonard and Massimo, the sons. And mostly it is this: they are completely crazy. Like … ContinuedThe post It’s tennis season and we have a handful of the “Stan Smith Signature Watch” Limited Edition by Maurice de Mauriac for sale at a great price appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Quill & Pad
It's no exaggeration to say that here at Quill & Pad we are big fans of the Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso. And in 2017 Urwerk introduced its own, very robust version of a reversible watch: the UR-T8 Transformer. It's a T-Rex for the wrist that acts much like a Reverso!
Time+Tide
In Ozark, Marty Byrde is wearily accustomed to high-stress scenarios. Physical danger is an occupational hazard when you’re a money launderer for a Mexican cartel. But in the third series of the Netflix show, Marty finds himself in a spot of real bother. Imprisoned in solitary confinement by a murderous drug lord, Marty’s captors subject … ContinuedThe post What Marty from Ozark can teach you about surviving Covid disruption and the value of date windows appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
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