Hodinkee
This Lucky Man Buys Thousands of Watches For a Living
An interview with Crown & Caliber's Mark Hackman.
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Hodinkee
An interview with Crown & Caliber's Mark Hackman.
Hodinkee
A lovable watch that packs a nostalgic power-up.
Time+Tide
I love a watch on a bracelet. Somehow the aesthetic just speaks to me, while objectively they also are the most robust means of strapping a watch to your wrist. But not all bracelets are created equal, and their designs can really make or break whether or not a timepiece is a good fit for … ContinuedThe post Buckle up: Six of the best watch bracelets by fit appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
I might not be the most objective person in our team to write this story, given my well-known love affair with the slim, and, to me, sexy as hell 38mm Laureato I aim to get this year. For me this Genta-licious watch in its warm 904L steel is simply one of the best and most … ContinuedThe post The Girard-Perregaux Laureato Absolute Ti 230 smashes my preconceptions of a Genta classic appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
At Time-Tide, we have a history of covering the new releases of Elshan Tang, the owner and designer behind Zelos Watches in Singapore, and he seldom disappoints. I wouldn’t be exaggerating by proclaiming his prolific output to be a milestone that many a budding microbrand owner aims for and it’ll take more than a mere … ContinuedThe post MICRO MONDAYS: The Zelos Mako V3 Ti delivers a titanium diver for under $500 appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
Bell & Ross has long supplied timekeepers to various French military and police units, ranging from the bomb disposal team of the national civil defence agency to the tactical unit of the National Gendarmerie, GIGN. The brand was recently tapped to become the official watchmaker to the Patrouille de France, the famed aeronautics team of the Armée de l’Air et de l’Espace, the French Air and Space Force. To inaugurate the partnership, Bell & Ross has unveiled the BR 03-94 Patrouille de France, a limited edition designed in collaboration with the nine pilots of the aerobatics team. Cased in matte black ceramic, the chronograph has a dial in the colours of the French flag, along with the team logo at six o’clock. It is a 500-piece limited edition available to the public, while team members of the Patrouille de France will be issued with the same watch, but powered by a quartz movement. Initial thoughts Bell & Ross has made a variety of air force-unit watches in the past, as have other brands. Breitling, for instance, recently debuted an edition dedicated to the Red Arrows, the aerobatics team of the Royal Air Force. The Patrouille de France edition, however, stands apart in an important aspect: the members of the Patrouille de France – nine pilots and 35 engineers – are actually kitted out with an almost-identical watch. Produced in a run of 100 watches, the official-issue team watch is identical to the civilian version featured here, but it has a quartz movement ...
Time+Tide
For brands like Audemars Piguet, Patek Philippe, Rolex and Richard Mille it is crucial to understand the best means of acquiring these pieces preowned. Unless you’re a VIP customer, these highly sought-after brands don’t tend to be readily available to buy right away (if ever). Despite this, grey market dealers seem to have cases full … ContinuedThe post Richard Mille launches preowned retail partnerships to help people buy with greater confidence appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
While several of the watchmakers taking part in Only Watch 2021 have turned to historical timepieces for inspiration, all have created new watches for the biennial charity auction, except for Urwerk. An intriguing blend of new and vintage, the UR-102 “Gaïa” is actually one of the brand’s earliest watches that’s been given a new case back decor. Launched in 1997, the UR-102 had a low-cost aluminium case contrasted with a platinum case back, along with a wandering hours display. Urwerk retrieved an original example of the UR-102 to create the Gaïa, which is named after the watchmaking industry prize Urwerk’s twin founders received in 2020. The Gaïa preserves the aluminium case and movement, but its platinum back has been finished with a speckled, blue-lacquer motif inspired by the Gaïa Prize trophy. Initial thoughts While the complexity and materials of the UR-102 “Gaïa” pale in comparison to the brand’s modern-day creations, the Gaïa is significant for the brand both intrinsically and philosophically. The watch itself is historically important, being one of the brand’s first watches, while the reference to the Gaïa Prize is a symbol of Urwerk’s success since the difficult early days when the UR-102 was introduced. In fact, the watch encapsulates Urwerk’s progress over the past 25 years in a tangible sense, with the aluminium case of its early days now bearing the Gaïa Prize motif that exemplifies its success. UFO The Gaïa retains much of th...
Hodinkee
His brand is synonymous with mass-market affordability – not that there’s anything wrong with that. But Bernheim anticipates a day when RW can also speak to serious enthusiasts.
She'll turn your beloved Rolex, Patek, and Omega into edible treats. And she'll ship them right to your door.
Quill & Pad
In the spirit of enjoying soccer again at the highest level, Elizabeth Doerr highlights six Hublot ambassadors and friends of the brand associated with Euro 2020. They'll be wearing the limited edition Big Bang e UEFA Euro 2020 smartwatch, which features an app dedicated to soccer enabling users to follow the competition in real time.
SJX Watches
Parmigiani launched its first sports watch, the Tonda GT, last year. It has an integrated bracelet naturally – inevitable given current trends. Parmigiani is, however, pretty late to the game, since the high-end sports watch with an integrated-bracelet is well used idea. The big names have been doing it since the 1970s, courtesy of Gerald Genta, but the recent popularity of the style means many brands have had a go. Notable new entrants include Chopard, H. Moser & Cie., and even Citizen. Now their ranks are joined by Parmigiani, which, against the odds, has pulled it off with an original, high-quality luxury-sports watch. The Tondagraph GT in its original iteration that was a limited edition of 200 The origins of the Tonda GT might not seem promising. Lacking a historical sports watch design, Parmigiani elected to instead transform one of its dress-watch cases into a sports watch. Surprisingly, the Tonda GT is arguably better looking than the Tonda dress watch. The most compelling offering in the sports watch line is the Tondagraph GT, which combines a chronograph, annual calendar, and sensible pricing. Initial thoughts On paper the Tondagraph GT might not seem interesting. It’s yet another integrated-bracelet luxury-sports watch – and it’s powered by a modular movement. But in hand, the watch is surprisingly appealing. The case is big but thin, with a bracelet that’s equally slim, creating a watch with a comfortable, streamlined profile on the wrist. Even th...
Time+Tide
After losing his 1976 Rolex Daytona worth $350k in a skiing accident, things got even worse for British art dealer Christopher Jones.The post Art dealer loses 1976 Rolex Daytona worth $350k in skiing accident – insurer refuses to pay up appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Quill & Pad
It will come as no surprise to anyone who has read Joshua's pieces in the past that he likes a good jump hour mechanism. There is just something about that instantaneous change driven entirely by mechanical means that fascinates him. And yet not all “digital” watches require the use of jump hours and minutes; some don’t even use a jump at all, yet still read digitally. Here, he breaks down a list of his seven (plus change) favorite “digital” watches.
Revolution
Nomos Glashütte honors 50 years of Doctors Without Borders in the current global pandemic with special Tangente 38 edition.
Time+Tide
As A$AP Ferg rapped in his 2017 track Plain Jane, “Ferg is the name, Ben Baller did the chain,” solidifying the LA jeweller Ben Baller as the goldsmith of choice for hip-hop royalty. Ben has made jewellery for everyone who’s anyone, including Drake, Kanye West, Nas, The Weeknd, Snoop Dogg and Mariah Carey. He made the … ContinuedThe post SPOTTED: The custom Ben Baller BAPE x Kid Cudi x G-Shock DW-6900 appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
A frequent topic of news headlines recently is the US$11 billion tax bill faced by the Lee family that controls Samsung. South Korea’s 60% inheritance tax is the highest in the rich world, resulting in the gargantuan tax assessment after the death of Lee Kun-hee, the former chairman of Samsung. The late Lee was a reticent but prodigious collector of art, automobiles, and also watches – all of which are either being sold or donated to help cover the bill. According to the Financial Times, Lee amassed 23,000 works of art, including paintings by Basquiat, Dalí, Monet and Picasso. Valued at over US$2 billion, the art collection will be donated to various museums in South Korea to offset some of the taxes. Christie’s mega auction Comprised of several hundred wrist- and pocket watches, Lee’s timepiece collection was consigned to Christie’s, according to several industry insiders. The first watches from the collection will be sold on May 22 in Hong Kong at a sale led by Christie’s head of watches in Asia, Alexandre Bigler. Amongst the highlights of the collection is the unique Patek Philippe Ref. 1415 HU world time in platinum that once held the record for the most expensive watch ever when it sold for 6.6 million Swiss francs at Antiquorum’s Geneva auction in April 2002. Alexandre Bigler of Christie’s While the identities of the buyers of recent record-setting watches is often unknown except to a handful of well-connected individuals (the buyer of the US$31-mil...
Time+Tide
Introduction Whether it’s flaunting your bling or showing your mates just how good that new tropic strap looks on your Seiko Turtle, there’s no denying that the modern interest in watches is massively fuelled by Instagram, Alongside the wrist roll and the flat-lay shot, one of the most popular depictions is the apparently casual pocket … ContinuedThe post Watch photography made easy: How to master the pocket shot appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
If you’ve ever come across the singer and songwriter James Blake, you’ll know he’s got one of the best voices in the business and goes about his work with the detached cool of a guy that knows it. His unique style of ambient electronic music has won him critical acclaim and a global fan set, … ContinuedThe post From Grand Seiko to Audemars Piguet, 4 watches that show musician James Blake is a serious watch guy appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Revolution
The French word ingenieur means “engineer”, and the main selling point of IWC’s first watch with this name was that it was antimagnetic, with its movement being protected from potentially damaging magnetic fields via a soft-iron inner case.
Time+Tide
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. Too often in the realm of celebrity watch spotting we are subject to the usual suspects: Rolex, Patek Phillipe, Audemars Piguet, and Richard Mille. There is nothing wrong with that, as we all admire and desire watches from those brands. But it is far more interesting … ContinuedThe post Usher flexes his spectacular Purnell watches worth more than $450k appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
Since its founding three years ago, Qatar Watch Club (QWC) has collaborated with several watchmakers on special editions that paid tribute to its home country. The first was a Chopard L.U.C GMT with a burgundy dial – the primary colour of Qatar’s national flag – then a Tudor Pelagos featuring the country name in Arabic script, and most recently a Ulysse Nardin Freak X. It latest project is a tie-up with Hermès that resulted in special edition of the Arceau. Limited to 40 pieces, the Hermès Arceau Qatar Watch Club features an ebene, or “ebony”, dial that reflects the shared equestrian history of both the Parisian saddle maker and the Gulf state. Initial thoughts The watch is very much Hermès in nature and execution. Though distinctive, it is discreet. One of Hermès’ most distinctive models, the Arceau was first conceived in 1978, with its asymmetrical case inspired by a stirrup. The italicised Breguet numerals are stylish, giving the watch subtle flair. Equally subtle is the herringbone-textured dial that brings to mind Hermès fabric. The ebene dial colour is noteworthy. Rich in tone when executed right, brown is relatively uncommon in today’s watches, especially when green and blue seem to be the colours du jour. Long a colour associated with horse riding – Hermès saddles and riding boots can often be found in ebene – it is also a popular shade for the brand’s iconic Birkin bags. Coupled with orange accents – the five-minute markers and the...
Time+Tide
As of late, many watch enthusiasts have broached the subject of what the “Holy Trinity” really means and whether it still holds merit and relevance. For me, while there are many independent newcomers on the scene that fabricate and finish amazing timepieces, none have the rich and uninterrupted history and heritage that Patek Philippe, Audemars … ContinuedThe post INTRODUCING: the Vacheron Constantin Traditionnelle Split-Second Chronograph Ultra-Thin Platine appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
Continuing Louis Vuitton’s slow-but-steady progress upwards as a technical watchmaker, the Tambour Carpe Diem is its flagship watch for 2021. The Carpe Diem boasts a quadruple jacquemart – it incorporates four automata – along with a jumping hour and retrograde minutes display. Developed and produced entirely in-house at La Fabrique du Temps, the Geneva complications specialist owned by Louis Vuitton, the LV 525 movement in the Carpe Diem is accompanied by artisanal decoration on the dial. All of the engraving is done by Dick Steenman of Art&D; in Geneva, while the enamelling is the work of Anita Porchet, who needs no introduction. Initial thoughts One of the most impressive watches of the year, the Carpe Diem is highly complicated – and boasts extremely fine enamelling – but the gothic style will be a bit too much for many. I saw the watch in person a few weeks ago, and I was amazed by the delicate quality of the artisanal decoration. The memento mori motif is not for me, but the work is unmistakably excellent. The snake is enamelled by Anita Porchet and particularly fine. It’s extremely slender and its skin is incredibly nuanced, covered in scales and the Louis Vuitton monogram. The tail of the snake is coiled around a single brilliant-cut diamond, while the eyes of the snake are a pair of rubies The only tangible downside of the watch is its size. It is almost 47 mm in diameter and 15 mm high, and feels every bigger due to the narrow bezel and tall, sloping...
SJX Watches
Twenty-twenty one sees Rolex revamp both its Explorer references, just in time for the 50th anniversary of the model. The new Explorer II ref. 226570 gets a new movement, while preserving the familiar style of previous model, the ref. 216570 that was launched exactly a decade ago. That means a second time zone hand in orange; fixed, brushed steel bezel; a largish, 42 mm case; and a white or black dial. While the new Explorer II is similar to its predecessor in terms of aesthetics – though the case is slimmed slightly and bracelet widened – it is powered by the cal. 3285, one of the latest-generation Rolex movement. Initial thoughts The new Explorer II is a major technical update thanks to the new movement, but in terms of look and feel, it is likely indistinguishable from its predecessor. Anyone who was a fan of the preceding model – this is a superior version of the same because the new movement is substantially better. But for those who thought the 42 mm case was too wide, it’s still 42 mm, albeit with redesigned lugs to make it slightly narrower. I find the 42 mm case a bit too big, but the version with the “polar” white dial has long been a favourite, and the new movement makes it more appealing, notwithstanding the case. For what it costs at retail the Explorer II is an excellent buy – as most Rolex watches are – though it’ll probably be tough to land one for now. Nips and tucks The Explorer II has a 42 mm case made of Oystersteel, which Rolex’s o...
SJX Watches
A. Lange & Söhne first unveiled the Lange 1 Tourbillon Perpetual Calendar in 2014. Still the most complicated Lange 1 in the line up, the watch combined an instantaneous perpetual calendar with a discreet tourbillon only visible on the back side. Fast forward seven years later, Lange finally unveils a simplified version – but still a complicated watch – the Lange 1 Perpetual Calendar, now without the tourbillon. Two variants are available: in pink gold with a grey dial, or in white gold with a solid pink gold dial. Initial thoughts At a glance, one can be forgiven for thinking this is another version of the Lange 1 Perpetual Calendar Tourbillon. It is, however, a completely new model that distills the design to focus on a fascinating perpetual calendar, without the added complexity and cost of a tourbillon. In typical Lange style, there were no shortcuts taken: the watch is powered by a new(ish) movement, rather than the same calibre minus the tourbillon. The removal of the tourbillon makes it more accessible, but the new watch is still a hefty €98,000 with the grey dial (and a bit more for the pink gold). At the same time, it might dilute the status of the pricier, flagship tourbillon variant. Nevertheless, the Lange 1 Perpetual Calendar is intrinsically an exemplary perpetual calendar – in both construction and design – especially the pink gold dial (or “salmon”) being a trendy colour that would likely be the more popular choice. An upgraded moonphase ...
Time+Tide
Back when I was first dipping my toes into the waters of watch enthusiasm, the IWC Big Pilot was one of the first luxury watches that captured my admiration. I had no means to afford it at the time, and I did not have the level of understanding I do today, but its utility and … ContinuedThe post VIDEO: How does the new IWC Big Pilot 43 differ from the original Big Pilot 46? appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Two Broke Watch Snobs
Kaz and Mike lay down their picks for a single watch at $250, $500, $1,000, $1,500, $2,000, $3,000, $4,000, and $5,000!
Time+Tide
I’ll bet many people weren’t even aware of the name o2T, and that’s a big credit to TAG Heuer. It takes guts to downplay the micro-wonders of the mythical tourbillon, swirling slowly inside its cage at 6 o’clock. While we daily see references with less dazzle but 10 words to their model designation, here it’s … ContinuedThe post INTRODUCING: The TAG Heuer Carrera Heuer o2T gets a dark blue makeover to allow its flying tourbillon to shine appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Revolution
Max Büsser brings us through the journey that has been the MB&F; Legacy Machine family of watches, 10 years on since the LM1 was introduced. He recounts the challenges that lay ahead of him in creating MB&F;’s second collection and the friends who were there along the way to help realize the aptly named Legacy Machine timepieces.
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