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When is faux-patina okay? Early thoughts on the new Omega Seamaster 007 Edition Time+Tide
Omega Seamaster 007 Edition Omega Dec 8, 2019

When is faux-patina okay? Early thoughts on the new Omega Seamaster 007 Edition

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.

Highlights: A Patek Philippe Trio at Phillips’ New York Auction SJX Watches
Vacheron Constantin Overseas prototype Dec 6, 2019

Highlights: A Patek Philippe Trio at Phillips’ New York Auction

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 ...

Omega Introduces the Seamaster Diver 300M 007 Edition SJX Watches
Omega Introduces Dec 5, 2019

Omega Introduces the Seamaster Diver 300M 007 Edition

Omega has just revealed the watch that will be strapped to the wrist of 007 in No Time To Die, Daniel Craig’s fifth movie playing James Bond that will open in April 2020. Developed with the actor’s input – he apparently likes vintage watches – the Seamaster Diver 300M 007 draws inspiration from vintage British military-issue watches, while offering modern functionality with a lightweight titanium case and high-spec movement. And unlike the James Bond editions to date – of which there are many – this is part of the regular collection. “When working with Omega, we decided that a lightweight watch would be key for a military man like 007,” says Mr Craig, quoted in the announcement for the watch, “I also suggested some vintage touches and colour to give the watch a unique edge.” Very vintage Worn on a mesh bracelet in the film but also available on a NATO strap, the watch is a 42mm Seamaster Diver 300M that’s entirely in titanium, bracelet included. But the styling goes all out – to the extreme – in being faux vintage. The dial and bezel insert are made of anodised aluminium in a dark brown to replicate the “tropical” look of vintage watches. According to Omega, the aluminium parts will fade over time – albeit over decades rather than years – for a bona fide tropical look. And the hands, numerals and indices are filled with eggshell-coloured Super-Luminova to mimic the appearance of radium “lume” on vintage watches. Military issue and prou...

Hands-On: Zenith El Primero Defy 21 Carbon SJX Watches
TAG Heuer Mikrograph one Dec 3, 2019

Hands-On: Zenith El Primero Defy 21 Carbon

Zenith’s streak of high-tech watches – including this year’s Defy Inventor and El Primero Double Tourbillon – began in 2017, when it unveiled the El Primero Defy 21. The watch is a chronograph with a dual-train construction that accommodates a high-frequency chronograph with a resolution of 1/100th of a second and a lightning seconds hand that whizzes round the dial once a second. Originally offered only in ceramic, titanium or gold, the high-frequency chronograph is available in a featherweight carbon composite case – arguably best suited to its styling and complication – with the launch of the El Primero Defy 21 Carbon. A familiar style The unusual movement of the Defy 21 is inspired by the similar constructed movement in the TAG Heuer Mikrograph, one of many high-frequency chronographs devised by Guy Sémon, the resident technical guru at TAG Heuer, a sister company of Zenith. Notably, the Mikrograph and the Defy 21 are the only serially produced, 1/100th of a second chronographs on the market today. Due to the movement’s dual-train architecture – essentially two independent movements on one base plate – the case is a large 44mm in diameter and 14.4mm high. But being carbon composite, it manages to remain lightweight despite the size. At the same time, the predominantly black colour scheme across the case and dial also makes the watch look smaller than it is, especially compared with versions of the Defy 21 in gold or titanium. Visually, the case i...

TAG Heuer Introduces the Carrera Heuer 02T Cortina Edition SJX Watches
TAG Heuer Introduces Nov 29, 2019

TAG Heuer Introduces the Carrera Heuer 02T Cortina Edition

Launched in 2016, the TAG Heuer Carrera Heuer 02T remains the most affordable Swiss-made chronograph with touribllon, starting at just US$17,000. Despite the price, the Calibre Heuer 02T is an in-house movement that’s automatic, COSC-certified, and equipped with a lightweight flying tourbillon that has a carbon composite upper carriage and titanium base. The latest variant of the affordable “grand” complication is a limited edition made for Singapore retailer Cortina Watch. Dressed in orange and back, the Carrera Heuer 02T Cortina Edition is being offered only online, via the retailer’s website. As with the standard model, the case measures 45mm wide and 16.4mm high. It features the modular construction that characterises the Carrera line. The case middle is black-coated titanium paired with a black ceramic bezel, while the lugs, pushers and crown are steel. The dial is semi-skeletonised to reveal the grey, sandblasted base plate of the movement. Orange accents are applied to the dial and bezel, including the chronograph hands, and even the carbon composite upper cage of the tourbillon, creating a striking contrast with the black components. Mechanically the movement is identical to the standard Heuer 02T. Based on the CH-80 chronograph movement, it’s equipped with a column wheel and vertical clutch for the chronograph. And it has a 65-hour power reserve, with the balance running at a frequency of 4Hz. Key facts and price TAG Heuer Carrera Heuer 02T Cortina Edi...

VIDEO: Maritime mastery with the Breguet Marine 5517 Time+Tide
Breguet Marine 5517 More than Nov 7, 2019

VIDEO: Maritime mastery with the Breguet Marine 5517

More than 200 years ago, Abraham-Louis Breguet was appointed as an official chronometer maker of the French Navy, and the tradition lives on today in the Breguet Marine 5517. The 5517 is a robust sports watch, machined in a lightweight titanium that almost perfectly matches the deep-grey dial tone, and offers a host of details … ContinuedThe post VIDEO: Maritime mastery with the Breguet Marine 5517 appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Grand Seiko’s big Black Ceramic Spring Drive Chronograph GMT (ref. SBGC221) Time+Tide
Grand Seiko s big Black Ceramic Oct 25, 2019

Grand Seiko’s big Black Ceramic Spring Drive Chronograph GMT (ref. SBGC221)

Editor’s note: Grand Seiko is typically seen as a restrained brand design-wise (dials excepted), but this 46mm chunk of titanium and ceramic proves that the brand has it in them to pull a modern sports chrono out of the bank when it matters … To be honest, when I first saw Grand Seiko’s contemporary-looking new … ContinuedThe post Grand Seiko’s big Black Ceramic Spring Drive Chronograph GMT (ref. SBGC221) appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

VIDEO: Grand Seiko’s “Snowflake blue” SBGA407 Time+Tide
Grand Seiko s “Snowflake blue” SBGA407 Oct 1, 2019

VIDEO: Grand Seiko’s “Snowflake blue” SBGA407

The Snowflake looms large in the minds (and on the wrists) of Grand Seiko fans - the 10-year-old titanium watch is an undisputed champion, and deservedly so. But now there’s a phalanx of other Snowflakes in the family – the dial comes with gold highlights and even in dressier cases. But one Snowflake that stands … ContinuedThe post VIDEO: Grand Seiko’s “Snowflake blue” SBGA407 appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

A different kind of luxury sports watch - the Breguet Marine 5817 Big Date Time+Tide
Breguet Marine 5817 Big Date Sep 9, 2019

A different kind of luxury sports watch - the Breguet Marine 5817 Big Date

Editor’s note: The Marine is Breguet’s star of the show at the moment, with a profusion of new models in the house - including some chic titanium options - but we can’t help but have a soft spot for this elegant beast, the Breguet Marine 5817 Big Date. What a looker …  We’re willing to … ContinuedThe post A different kind of luxury sports watch – the Breguet Marine 5817 Big Date appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Omega Introduces the Seamaster Aqua Terra Ultra Light SJX Watches
Richard Mille Aug 27, 2019

Omega Introduces the Seamaster Aqua Terra Ultra Light

Omega’s latest debut is a surprising one, an incredibly light wristwatch that is also incredibly expensive – traditionally territory held by brands like Richard Mille. Weighing just 55g, or about 10 sheets of A4 printer paper, the Seamaster Aqua Terra Ultra Light is made almost entirely of titanium, right down to the bridges and plate of the movement. And it retails for US$48,600. Developed in collaboration with Omega ambassador Rory McIlroy, a four-time majors champion and former world number one, the Aqua Terra Ultra Light is ostensibly conceived to be worn by athletes during competitions. A new(ish) alloy The case is 41mm but made from what Omega calls Gamma Titanium, which is actually titanium aluminide (TiAl), a relatively new titanium alloy that’s prized for its hardness and corrosion-resistance, even at high temperatures. That’s why it’s used for the blades of jet engines, amongst other things. Because the watch is meant to be worn by sportsmen, the crown is recessed and telescopic. It sits almost flush with the case when not in use, but a gentle push pops it out for winding and setting. And the dial is also titanium, but fashioned from a more common grade 5 alloy. It’s is finished with the signature horizontal fluting of the Aqua Terra range. The first titanium movement More unusually, the cal. 8928 Ti inside is also made mostly of titanium. The bridges and base plate are made of ceramised titanium, which is titanium coated with ceramic. The movem...

Hands-On: Urwerk UR-105 “The Hour Glass” SJX Watches
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Chronograph now Jul 24, 2019

Hands-On: Urwerk UR-105 “The Hour Glass”

Singapore retailer The Hour Glass kicked off its 40th anniversary limited editions with the all-platinum Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Chronograph, now followed by a pair of watches from leading independent watchmakers, De Bethune and Urwerk. The Singapore retailer is getting a three-piece limited edition based on the current UR-105, but one that’s also a throwback to the brand’s early creations. In aged bronze and titanium, The UR-105 “The Hour Glass” similar to the UR-105 CT Bronze unveiled earlier this year, but streamlined and sans the sprung lid over the front – a simplification of the design that’s also an improvement. Appropriate enough for a retailer that’s been selling Urwerk for 15 years, the commemorative edition features elements borrowed from Urwerk models over the years, creating a watch that’s a nostalgic reminder of the brand’s foundational watches from the early 2000s. UR-103 reborn The UR-105 was launched in 2014 as the successor to the UR-103, first launched in 2003. The bestselling Urwerk to date and arguably the brand’s signature watch, the UR-103 was the watch that made Urwerk a champion of avant-garde mechanical watchmaking. A nod to that milestone watch, the commemorative UR-105 features a U-shaped sapphire crystal, just as it was on the UR-103.03. While the very first version of the watch, the UR-103.01, featuring a narrow, curved window for the time, the UR-103.03 of 2005 expanded the view with a far larger cry...

Hands-On: De Bethune DB28 Steel Wheels Blue “The Hour Glass” SJX Watches
De Bethune DB28 Steel Wheels Blue Jul 24, 2019

Hands-On: De Bethune DB28 Steel Wheels Blue “The Hour Glass”

De Bethune is the latest amongst a number of watchmakers to take the covers off a commemorative edition to mark the 40th anniversary of Singapore watch retail powerhouse The Hour Glass. For the occasion, De Bethune has put together a variant of its signature DB28 with sprung lugs that’s entirely clad in brilliant, blued titanium. First unveiled in polished titanium in 2018, the Steel Wheels is essentially a DB28 wearing a little less. A partially open-worked dial – which is actually the delta-shaped barrel bridge – reveals its pair of skeletonised barrels and gears. While the original Steel Wheels captures the essence of De Bethune, combining its trademark design with the brand’s fundamental technical innovations, it was lacking a generous dose of blued titanium, a gorgeous, heat-treated alloy that is synonymous with the brand. Colour consistency That has now been rectified with the DB28 Steel Wheels Blue, arguably the purest – and bluest – distillation of the brand’s core values and technical achievements. It features an intense, mirror-polished, blued titanium case and dial that form a striking contrast against the exposed inner mechanics. Though blued titanium is also used by other brands today, De Bethune was amongst the first to mirror-polish its titanium cases and more crucially, started using heat treatment to blue titanium way back in 2006. An example of an early De Bethune using blued titanium, a DB25L from 2010 with a blued dial...

Introducing the Montblanc 1858 Split Second Chronograph “Only Watch” SJX Watches
Montblanc 1858 Split Second Chronograph Jul 14, 2019

Introducing the Montblanc 1858 Split Second Chronograph “Only Watch”

Montblanc recently introduced the 1858 Split Second Chronograph with a bronze case, black, multi-scale dial, and a monopusher, split-seconds Minerva movement inside. Priced at just 33,500 Swiss francs, it is a bargain as such things go. Now Montblanc has taken the covers off the one-of-a-kind, titanium version with a blue agate dial created for charity auction Only Watch 2019. Though it costs a bit more – the estimate is 42,000-48,000 Swiss francs – the watch still feels like a steal. The dial is made of blue agate, a hard, semiprecious stone, with a graduated colour that darkens towards the edges. Design-wise it’s the same as that found on the bronze model: inspired by a 1930s aviator’s chronograph made by Minerva, it has a double chronograph scale – a telemeter on the outer rim and a snail-shaped tachymeter in the middle. The contrast of white and red against the blue dial is both refreshing and striking. Notably, the dial forgoes the faux-aged “lume” of the bronze model; the cathedral hands and numerals are instead filled with white Super-LumiNova, letting the retro design speak for itself. The large dimensions of the case remain unchanged from the standard bronze model – 44mm in diameter and 14.55mm high – but it’s significantly lighter thanks to the lightness of titanium. The sapphire caseback reveals the gorgeous, hand-wound and hand-finished MB M16.31. It is essentially the MB M16.29 derived from a pocket watch movement, but w...

Tudor Introduces the Black Bay Ceramic One “Only Watch” SJX Watches
Tudor Introduces Jul 1, 2019

Tudor Introduces the Black Bay Ceramic One “Only Watch”

Continuing the tradition of one of a kind dive watches for Only Watch that started in 2015, Tudor has just unveiled the Black Bay Ceramic One. Entirely clad in matte black but composed of several different materials, the Black Bay Ceramic One is starkly different from any other Tudor dive watch. The 41mm case is made of ceramic, while the bezel is black-coated titanium fitted with a ceramic bezel insert. Both the case back and crown and black-coated steel, but the back is unusual – it’s the only Tudor watch with a display back aside from the little loved North Flag. The sapphire back reveals the MT5602 movement, a “manufacture” calibre with 70-hour power reserve and silicon hairspring. The dial is all-black to match, with the markings and text printed in glossy back to distinguish them from the matte black dial surface. The hands and hour markers are filled with black Super-Luminova, which will glow green in the dark, albeit dimly. And the strap is rubber, but lined on the top with matte black alligator, which is the same construction as the rubber-calf strap found on the recently launched Black Bay P01. The Black Bay Ceramic One (ref. M7921/001CN) has an estimate of 4,500-5,500 Swiss francs. If past Tudor watches made for Only Watch are anything to go by, it will blow right past the estimate straight out of the gate and probably finish just over 300,000 Swiss francs. It’ll be sold on November 9, 2019 at Christie’s in Geneva. Visit onlywatch.com for the ...

The stealthy, sexy, surprising Bulgari Octo Finissimo Ceramic  Time+Tide
Bulgari Octo Finissimo Ceramic  Bulgari’s Jun 18, 2019

The stealthy, sexy, surprising Bulgari Octo Finissimo Ceramic 

Bulgari’s Octo Finissimo family has been shattering records left, right and centre since its introduction in 2014. But the watch that really captured the hearts and minds of fans and critics alike was the Octo Finissimo Automatic - initially offered in sandblasted titanium, and shortly after in distinctive steel and gold versions. Well, this year … ContinuedThe post The stealthy, sexy, surprising Bulgari Octo Finissimo Ceramic  appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Introducing the Cartier Santos Chronograph Deployant
Cartier Santos Chronograph DEPLOYANT - May 18, 2019

Introducing the Cartier Santos Chronograph

The Cartier Santos sees a major design upgrade with its newly cased line. Notably, the profile of the case, bezel and thickness have become more streamlined. The new case also features a quick release strap design, reminiscent of smart watches -- think Fitbit, Apple Watch. But what really makes this design great again and still a novelty despite its otherwise 'fashionable' status lies in the movement of the new Santos de Cartier Chronograph.