Hodinkee
Bring a Loupe: A Rolex GMT Master, An Eberhard Extra Fort, And An Angelus Chronodato
Your weekly round-up of vintage watches from around the web.
19,253 articles · 162 videos found · page 567 of 648
Hodinkee
Your weekly round-up of vintage watches from around the web.
SJX Watches
Vacheron Constantin’s annual collection of one-off and custom haute horlogerie watches was titled La Musique du Temps this year, being most made up of minute repeaters. They ranged from the strikingly simple to exceedingly ornate, with one of the prime examples of simplicity being the Les Cabinotiers Minute Repeater Ultra-Thin ‘Romantic Note’. Being one of two time-only minute repeaters in the collection – the other is ‘Dance of the Gemstones’ – the Romantic Note is essentially a variant of the regular-production Calibre 1731 repeater. It’s a large but elegantly proportioned watch, measuring 41mm by 8.5mm, so it sits wide but flat on the wrist. Though not overly large, the watch would be a bit more elegant if it were smaller. On a small wrist the wide-but-flat proportions can resemble a dinner plate. The smallest case size possible, given the diameter of the movement, is about 39mm, which would have given the watch a more tangible vintage feel. Design-wise the case is simple, which suits the watch well. The styling is taken from the Traditionnelle line, meaning it is relatively angular, with lots of flat surfaces when viewed from the front, which is deceptively simple. Much of the case detail lies in its profile – the case band has a single, lengthwise step, along with lugs inspired by the Maltese cross, the company’s logo. And the case back has a fluted edge as a design feature, being a snap-on, rather than screw-down back. Though the case design is fo...
Quill & Pad
If you like technology, watches, and sports – and you like them all together – you’re in luck: Richard Mille has just joined a McLaren co-created professional cycling team as one of the main sponsors: meet Team Bahrain McLaren!
Two Broke Watch Snobs
This week, Kaz and Mike tackle a substantial listener question submitted by @gmtchronodive on Instagram. Space, land, air, and sea - what are the ultimate watches that'll tackle these environments? Tune in, enjoy the show, and share your picks. Hope everyone is enjoying the holiday season so far!
SJX Watches
Tissot has a stellar reputation for well-made watches at notably affordable prices, like the recent Ballade Powermatic 80 or Heritage Petite Second. Switzerland’s biggest watchmaker by production, Tissot maintains a vast portfolio of vintage-inspired, dress and technology-focused watches, including a skeleton wristwatch with modern styling. Skeletonised watches are intriguing as the intricate mechanics that make a movement tick are front and centre. Combining both aesthetics and mechanics can be a tough nut to crack, however, as legibility in particular suffers when a movement is open-worked. Tissot managed to nail both looks and legibility with the T-Complication Squelette, which retails for a little under US$2000. At 43mm in diameter and 12mm high, the T-Complication Squelette is a sizeable watch on the wrist – it has presence – but also an expansive canvas of gears and springs. The stainless steel case is fully brushed with substantial “horn” lugs, and a handful of interesting details that contribute to its character. Most notably is the asymmetry on its upper right flank that is not initially obvious. The case subtly widens from the crown to the top-right lug, filling the angular space between the lug and case that’s present on the other three lugs. And the signed crown has an interesting knurled pattern reminiscent of a turbine, creating a subtle mechanical motif that is echoed in the movement. The bezel is relatively narrow and simply gets out of the way....
Time+Tide
For the first time ever, Jaeger-LeCoultre is opening a stand-alone boutique in Australia, which aims to offer greater access for their Australian enthusiasts than ever before. The brand is also quietly confident that the Australian market has reached a level of maturity that a complex and nuanced brand such as Jaeger-LeCoultre can capitalise on the … ContinuedThe post EVENT: Here’s why the first ever Jaeger-LeCoultre Sydney boutique is opening tomorrow appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Quill & Pad
Bart and Tim Grönefeld have been so successful that they cannot keep watches in stock, and people who order one of their models right now might have to wait at least a year. However, Martin Green didn't visit them to buy a watch, but rather to talk with the Dutch brothers about watchmaking and other perhaps more personal subjects. Please enjoy this somewhat different video!
Time+Tide
Much as it pains me to admit it, these days, haute horology is usually reserved for the rarified and uber-expensive micro-brands of the Swiss watchmaking world. It’s not that the heavyweights of the industry have completely given up on the idea of innovation – far from it – but it does seem as though there’s … ContinuedThe post 3 reasons why the TAG Heuer Monaco V4 Platinum is still amazing appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Hodinkee
Fratello Watches breaks into e-commerce with a limited-edition exclusive.
WatchAdvice
Despite recent turbulent times (pun intended #avgeek), under the guidance of Georges Kern and team, Breitling has re-established itself with a robust and cohesive line up of watches. Today, we take a closer look at a staple of the “air collection”, The Avenger, but more specifically, a newer addition, The Blackbird. Designed to be sleek and stealthy, this particular Breitling is a little different to the usual polished steel cases usually offered. CASE: Titanium has certainly gained popularity in recent years. Breitling went one step further and went full stealth mode, coating the large 48mm case (before you stop reading, there’s a 44mm option also), with “a highly resistant black carbon-based treatment,” aka DLC coating from what I’ve researched. While large in diameter, case thickness of 14.8mm and a lug width of 24mm (tapers to buckle), it’s surprisingly comfortable on wrist. The curved lugs combined with a canvas strap, allows the wearer to anchor down the watch, while the flat, untreated, screw-down caseback ensures a low profile is maintained. The 60 minutes, unidirectional bezel is smooth in operation and clicks into position cleanly. On the media model shown, there was a small amount of back-play; however, I’m confident this would be corrected by the small retaining screws found around the bezel edging. Inside, keeping time is the Breitling B17 movement (a base ETA 2892-A2) that is CSOSC certified, with 42hrs of flight time. The knurled,...
Time+Tide
One of the best things about TAG Heuer is the Swiss marque’s remarkable history with motorsport - few other watchmakers, if any, have such a rich back catalogue of timekeeping devices purpose-built for the ultimate expression of man vs machine. And while many will immediately associate the angular Monaco as the most iconic wristwatch associated with … ContinuedThe post We take a look at 5 seriously cool vintage TAG Heuer Autavias appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
To mark British racing driver Lewis Hamilton’s sixth Formula 1 World Championship, IWC has unveiled the “Lewis Hamilton” Big Pilot’s Watch Perpetual Calendar Edition. One of the most striking executions of the Big Pilot to date, the watch departs from the subdued, technical colours that characterise the line – which was inspired by German airforce navigators’ watches of the Second World War – and instead opts for a Bordeaux dial and pink gold accents. Measuring 46.5mm wide and 15.9mm high, the case is made of matte black ceramic, which accentuates its burgundy dial while downplaying its massive dimensions – though the watch is hard to miss on the wrist. The richly coloured dial is combined with a pink-gold crown and case back, while the hands are gold-plated and filled with cream-coloured Super-Luminova. All the indications are also printed in a golden hue, along with a black four-digit year disc and moons, matching the case. Visible through the case back is the in-house, automatic cal. 52615, which sports a solid pink-gold rotor. It features the brand’s trademark Pellaton winding system, a 7-day power reserve courtesy of twin barrels and most crucially, the landmark perpetual calendar module invented by IWC’s longtime technical guru Kurt Klaus. The perpetual calendar tracks the day, day of the week, date, month, four-digit year, with both northern and southern hemispheres moon phases displayed concurrently. All indications advance in a coordinated sequ...
Time+Tide
2019 is the year of the blue dial. Doesn’t matter if it’s a steel sports watch, solid gold dress watch or a one-off pièce unique – if you want your wrist flex to be as en vogue as a pair of R.M. Williams and beige chinos, a timepiece with a blue dial is the only … ContinuedThe post HANDS-ON: The Baume & Mercier Clifton Baumatic 10436 White Dial appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
It’s been a big year for Chopard, thanks in part to the release of the Alpine Eagle, the first ever steel watch from the brand, and one of the most discussed watches of the year. As this new sports watch got the world talking about Chopard, we thought it was the perfect time to take … ContinuedThe post VIDEO: 5 reasons Chopard are horological heavy hitters appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
Without further ado, I introduce to you Edition Two of NOW Magazine, available, well, now in the Time+Tide shop. A little backstory if you’ll allow me… What was my favourite memory from 2018? The answer is pretty easy. It was a moment in time. 5:55pm on a Friday in November to be exact. We did … ContinuedThe post INTRODUCING: Time+Tide’s NOW Magazine Edition 2, now available in the shop appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
Of the hundreds of thousands of wristwatches that have been created over the last century, how many are truly iconic? The answer: honestly, not many … not many at all. Candidly, there are probably fewer than 50 timepieces of the last 100 years that can claim to have had an impact on the zeitgeist of … ContinuedThe post HANDS-ON: TAG Heuer Monaco Calibre Heuer 02 appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Revolution
Phillips’ upcoming Game Changers watch auction in New York brings together some of the most extraordinary watches owned by the most extraordinary people.
Time+Tide
NOTE: We understand that you’ve found a new watch to add to your collection (congratulations!). But rationalising this fact – coupled with the fact that it’ll cost a bucket-load of cash – may not always sit well with the less horologically minded. That’s where we come in … Use The Enabler’s advanced levels of sophistry to validate … ContinuedThe post The Enabler: How To Justify Buying Another Watch. (#4: “The Milestone Celebration”) appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Quill & Pad
The Vacheron Constantin Les Cabinotiers Minute Repeater Tourbillon Four Seasons is an ode to the journey we all must take, the journey that even our great big planet takes every year as it grows, dies, and is reborn. We can celebrate the mechanics and ingenuity behind the watches, but this limited edition celebrates the fleeting nature of life itself.
Hodinkee
The "hole in one" of Talking Watches.
SJX Watches
Watches that are historical curiosities often make for good stories, and sometimes record-setting prices. The Patek Philippe ref. 2499 at Phillips’ upcoming New York sale, as it happens, is one such watch. Rare and usually expensive, the ref. 2499 is not the first perpetual-calendar chronograph made by Patek Philippe – that distinction goes to the smaller ref. 1518 – but it’s the most desirable, broadly speaking, because it has a largish case well suited to modern tastes. Introduced in 1950, the model is regarded to have been produced in four distinct series, each distinguished by various details like the shape of the pushers and the dial. The first series ref. 2499 is characterised by square, or rectangular, pushers, applied Arabic numerals on the dial, which also has a tachymetre on its periphery. For approximately the first two years of its production, the ref. 2499 relied on cases made by Emile Vichet, a Geneva specialist that was the go-to case maker for Patek Philippe during the period. Vichet case, round buttons. Image – Phillips Vichet and Wenger Vichet cases feature distinctive lugs, usually described as claw-like, which are elongated and curve sharply downwards. And because Vichet cases have a flat, as opposed to domed, case back, they sit slightly elevated, on the the tips of each lug, when placed on a table. The number of 2499s with Vichet cases is tiny: around four known in pink gold, and about 10 in yellow gold. Though Vichet went out of business i...
Time+Tide
Everyone’s first Rolex purchase is important - it’s a milestone that, for most, carries with it a great amount of pride and sense of accomplishment. And for almost all of us out there lucky enough to have bought their inaugural timepiece from the legacy watchmaker, it isn’t something that was entered into lightly; we have known … ContinuedThe post What Sealed The Deal – Joseph’s Rolex Oyster Perpetual 36 appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
Omega recently released the hotly anticipated Seamaster Diver 300M 007 Edition, in association with Bond’s newest upcoming adventure, No Time To Die. It isn’t the first watch Omega has produced in partnership with the legacy of Ian Fleming, not even the first one in 2019, but with its under the radar brushed titanium case, it’s … ContinuedThe post When is faux-patina okay? Early thoughts on the new Omega Seamaster 007 Edition appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
Editor’s note: There are lots of ways that watchmakers like to decorate their micromechanical marvels, such as engraving, polishing, brushing or even Côtes de Genève inside the case. While all of these techniques are wonderfully effective when done well, one of the most visually impressive (and generally underrated) techniques to finish a watch is hammering … ContinuedThe post Frosted gold is very, very underrated appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Quill & Pad
Blue has become a tradition of sorts these days in high-end stainless steel sports watches, yet Tutima's Patria is not a member of that club. While a few modest design changes could have very well made that an ambition, Tutima made the Patria more of an everyday dress watch. Here Martin Green explains why that is perfect.
Time+Tide
Editor’s note: A summer watch can be many different things, however, there is one prerequisite – it needs to be water resistant. I’m not talking about a mere 3-ATM either … a timepiece to wear December through February has got to be able to hang poolside or 100 metres below the deep blue. Panerai’s Submersible … ContinuedThe post This Panerai Submersible BMG-Tech is a killer summer watch appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
Owning a watch that has been given to you as a gift has a sentimental element that can get even more meaningful over time. Anyone who has been fortunate enough to have received a watch as a gift, a milestone or something to mark an achievement, will know what I’m on about – it’s an emotional … ContinuedThe post Why the Longines Heritage Collection is going from strength to strength appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Hodinkee
Your weekly dose of must-see vintage watches from around the web.
SJX Watches
The final watch auctions of the year take place in New York, and as usual Phillips is staging a thematic sale. Titled Game Changers, the auction is made up of watches owned by game-changing celebrities like Marlon Brando and Jack Nicklaus, or timepieces that were game changers in the horological landscape, like the F.P. Journe Octa Reserve de Marche prototype. Also in the sale is a would-be game changer: the Vacheron Constantin Overseas prototype in titanium, not yet a game changer since it has not been put into production, but being the coolest Overseas to date, it probably will. And also worth a look is the vintage Heuer Monaco with a hand-finished movement that’s being sold for charity. But this article is about a handful of Patek Philippe watches, including the sale’s top lot, a ref. 1518 “pink on pink”, as well as a less expensive but more intriguing skeleton pocket watch with paillonnee enamel decoration. The ref. 899 pocket watch decorated with blue enamel and paillons Lot 38 – Patek Philippe ref. 530 chronograph The ref. 530 is a desirable model because it’s oversized for a vintage watch – the case is 36.5mm in diameter – giving it proportions that are quite modern. And the ref. 530 is rare, although a several examples have come up at recent auctions. They sold for moderate prices, for varying reasons and perhaps a general market softness, so this one might be a chance to land a ref. 530 for a reasonable price. This example is attractive. The dial ...
Time+Tide
Here’s a question for you: how do you modernise something as traditional as a time-only dress watch? Do you utilise new-age materials? Or maybe blow-out the proportions of the timepiece? It’s a conundrum that Baume & Mercier faced with their understated range of Baume & Mercier Classima wristwatches. Their solution was to give owners the … ContinuedThe post When classicism meets contemporary: The Baume & Mercier Classima appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
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