Results for 904L Oystersteel

T Teddy Baldassarre

Teddy Baldassarre

Tissot Aug 20, 2023

21 Best Tissot Watches for Men, from Under $600 to $2,000

Founded in 1853 by the father-son team of Charles-Félicien and Charles-Émile Tissot in the Swiss Jura town of Le Locle, Tissot is today one of the largest Swiss watchmakers in the world, with a versatile and varied collection of timepieces for men and women, from dressy to sporty to high-tech, all offering one of the industry’s best value propositions across the board (every watch we showcase here comes in under $2,000). With such a breadth of options, it's difficult to compile a list of the standouts, but for this (admittedly very subjective) compilation of the 21 best Tissot watches we strove to include just about all of Tissot's major collections, with an emphasis on men's watches with mechanical movements, particularly spotlighting the variations on the proprietary Powermatic Caliber 80. (For those who find themselves enthralled by one or more particular models on this list, most are available right here at TeddyBaldassarre.com; just follow the shopping links.) TISSOT SEASTAR Seastar 2000 Professional Powermatic 80 Price: $1,075, Case size: 46mm, Thickness: 16.3mm, Lug Width: 22mm, Crystal: Sapphire, Water Resistance: 600 meters, Movement: Automatic Powermatic 80.111 Tissot's ruggedly attractive Seastar family of dive watches, which debuted in the 1960s, welcomed its most robustly engineered member in 2021. The ISO-certified Seastar 2000 entices deep-sea enthusiasts with its integrated helium release valve at 9 o’clock, unidirectional dive-scale bezel with en...

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T Time+Tide

Time+Tide

TAG Heuer announces new trio Aug 18, 2023

FRIDAY WIND DOWN: New Tudor Boutique in Brisbane and TAG Heuer announces new trio of sports ambassadors

I’ll leave the novelty recap to our upcoming Last Week in Watches column, and there will certainly be a ton of news to come with Geneva Watch Days on the horizon, so below are some watch world headlines you may have missed this week. Tudor openes new boutique in Brisbane with The Hour Glass Tudor, in partnership … ContinuedThe post FRIDAY WIND DOWN: New Tudor Boutique in Brisbane and TAG Heuer announces new trio of sports ambassadors appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

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Q Quill & Pad

Quill & Pad

Chopard Alpine Eagle Cadence 8HF Aug 17, 2023

Chopard Alpine Eagle Cadence 8HF (High Frequency): Feel the Need for Speed! – Reprise

It has always surprised Martin Green that mechanical movements running at a high frequency have never become more popular. Chopard joined this exclusive club in 2012 with the L.U.C 8HF and now releases a follow-up with the Alpine Eagle Cadence 8HF, which also boasts an 8 Hz escapement.

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W Worn & Wound

Worn & Wound

Oris Releases Aug 14, 2023

Oris Releases the Dat Watt Limited Edition II, their Second Collaboration with the Common Wadden Sea Secretariat

The latest release from Oris, and one that highlights their ongoing Change for the Better initiative, is a sequel of sorts to a watch that became a cult hit when it was released in 2021. The Dat Watt Limited Edition II is very much in the same vein as the original Dat Watt Limited Edition, but with a few twists to make this new LE its own thing. Its release comes alongside an announcement from Oris that they’ve extended their relationship with the Common Wadden Sea Secretariat (CWSS) by another two years, the organization that works to protect the Wadden Sea, which provides the inspiration for the new watch.  The Wadden Sea covers 11,500 square kilometers in northern Europe, and includes shoreline in Denmark, Germany, and the Netherlands. This intertidal zone is a unique geographical space in that it happens to be the world’s largest unbroken tidal flats system, and is in a largely undisturbed state, thanks in part to the efforts of the CWSS. Because of the area’s size and the fact that it has been so well protected, it’s an important area for the study of the 10,000 species that live there. The Wadden Sea has held UNESCO World Heritage Site status since 2009 based on its importance to global biodiversity.  Like the first Dat Watt Limited Edition, this new release uses the Aquis diver as a platform, here in its 43.5mm footprint. The dial’s green tone is inspired by the waters in the Wadden Sea’s salt marshes, which act as critical natural storage for CO2. Thi...

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W Worn & Wound

Worn & Wound

Seiko Chronographs – Now Aug 14, 2023

Track Time With Three New Seiko Chronographs – Now In The Windup Watch Shop

There’s a place in any watch collection for a solid chronograph. There’s something so fun about having a little stopwatch on your wrist to track time. Even if you’re not using the commonly-seen tachymeter bezel to calculate speed, you’ll find yourself using it for countless tasks throughout the day. It can be really handy to know how long that meal’s been on the stove, or how long you’ve been letting that french press sit. Today, we have three new chronographs in the shop from Seiko. Two of the three feature quartz movements, while the other features a convenient and reliable solar chronograph. Let’s take a look at these exciting releases from Seiko that we’re thrilled to offer in the Windup Watch Shop. There’s a place in any watch collection for a solid chronograph. There’s something so fun about having a little stopwatch on your wrist to track time. Even if you’re not using the commonly-seen tachymeter bezel to calculate speed, you’ll find yourself using it for countless tasks throughout the day. It can be really handy to know how long that meal’s been on the stove, or how long you’ve been letting that french press sit. Today, we have three new chronographs in the shop from Seiko. Two of the three feature quartz movements, while the other features a convenient and reliable solar chronograph. Let’s take a look at these exciting releases from Seiko that we’re thrilled to offer in the Windup Watch Shop. The post Track Time With Three New Se...

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T Time+Tide

Time+Tide

Bulgari Octo Roma Chronograph Aug 14, 2023

HANDS-ON: The Bulgari Octo Roma Chronograph is the sportiest take on the sportiest Octo

When it comes to big watch fairs like Watches & Wonders Geneva, it’s often the brands that aren’t officially exhibiting at the show that have some of the most exciting releases. Step out of the frenetic hive of activity that is Palexpo and go exploring Geneva’s streets, hotels and bars and you’ll find all manner … ContinuedThe post HANDS-ON: The Bulgari Octo Roma Chronograph is the sportiest take on the sportiest Octo appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

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W Worn & Wound

Worn & Wound

Oris Aug 7, 2023

How to Do a Limited Edition Tribute the Right Way: Oris and the Hank Aaron Limited Edition

When you see press release after press release hit your inbox, with nearly every news item celebrating an anniversary, or honoring somebody who may or may not have anything at all to do with watches, it’s easy to become cynical. Watch companies, after all, exist in part to make money, and highlighting an association with the past, or a synergy with a partner, is relatively low hanging fruit to get your name, and watch, out there in front of the public, potentially grabbing fresh eyeballs that might not be familiar a brand’s particular story. Some brands navigate these waters with all the tact of a late night infomercial, but others have a knack for doing it gracefully, and authentically, and that was made evident over the course of the multi day launch event around the new Oris Hank Aaron Limited Edition in Atlanta.  One of the first things to know about Oris is that VJ Geronimo, CEO of the Americas for the brand, is a massive baseball fan. I mean, he’s really into it. Find him on Instagram, and you’ll see that his profile picture has him in a Yankees cap, posed in what I assume is the home team’s dugout. Oris Day at Yankee Stadium (and other major league ballparks) is an annual event, and once you experience a game with Oris, it all just kind of makes sense. Baseball is an old fashioned, uniquely American tradition in the same way that watchmaking is loaded with history and predominantly Swiss. In a contemporary context, the things that bind them together are c...

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T Time+Tide

Time+Tide

Piaget store Aug 5, 2023

Gun-toting thieves steal up to US$16 million worth of watches and jewellery from Piaget store in Paris

At lunchtime on Wednesday, two men and a woman walked into the Piaget store in Paris’ Rue de la Paix, situated just around the corner from the Place Vendôme. The trio were described by eyewitnesses as being “smarty dressed” – the men wearing grey suits and the woman in a green dress. Once inside the … ContinuedThe post Gun-toting thieves steal up to US$16 million worth of watches and jewellery from Piaget store in Paris appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

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T Time+Tide

Time+Tide

Jul 28, 2023

FRIDAY WIND DOWN: Movement maker giant Sellita caught up in Swiss super-storm

Our Friday Wind-Down usually serves as a restful, fun read after a week of slaving away beneath fluorescent bulbs and drop ceilings. This week, however, catastrophic news from La Chaux-de-Fonds has put a dampener on things, as inclement weather ripped through the region, causing significant damage to buildings, more than a dozen injured people, and, … ContinuedThe post FRIDAY WIND DOWN: Movement maker giant Sellita caught up in Swiss super-storm appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

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W Worn & Wound

Worn & Wound

Citizen Promaster ‘Fujitsubo’ Jul 25, 2023

Exploring Shipwrecks, Diving with Sharks and Getting SCUBA Certified with the Citizen Promaster ‘Fujitsubo’ in Black Super Titanium

At the dive platform’s edge located at the Phoecena’s stern, the aqua marine Bahamian waters sloshed around my SEAC F-100 fins. Any experience I had related to diving up to that point had been limited to a bit of low-stakes snorkeling and freediving, as well as reading about the exploits of Jacques Cousteau and Dr. Sylvia Earle or the fictitious adventures of Dirk Pitt and Julian Tusker. The week of PADI e-learning was helpful to develop a mental foundation of the do’s and don’ts down under and the pool session the day prior helped me trust the Aqua Lung regulator would deliver the precious air supply beneath the surface, but nothing was going to compare being out in open water for the first time. There was no longer the safety net of sitting behind a computer screen or being in the confines of a training pool – just the ocean. Gazing out past the platform, there was nothing but pure blue skies, crystal clear water and a silhouette of New Providence just visible in the distance. This was the real deal. With my left hand securing the SPG (submersible pressure gauge) tucked into the waist belt of my BCD (buoyancy control device) and my right over my mask and regulator, I attempted my best version of the giant stride. The Calm Before The “Giant Stride” / Image via Kristin Paterakis The partially inflated BCD kept me at the surface and following protocol, I immediately turned to the boat to give them the “okay” sign. The water was a bath-warm 83 degrees and a...

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T Time+Tide

Time+Tide

Longines Jul 22, 2023

New releases from AP, Baltic, Longines and more

Another week has come to a close. So, whether holding an espresso or a pint in your hand, kick back, relax, and dive into what we believe are 10 of the best releases over the last seven days. Among them, you’ll find a lot of independents and not just one but two collaborations between media … ContinuedThe post New releases from AP, Baltic, Longines and more appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

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W Worn & Wound

Worn & Wound

Jul 19, 2023

Using Your Time to Make a Difference: an Interview with Chris Baker

Chris Baker is not the typical watch enthusiast we’re used to reading about. He’s not an actor, a titan of industry, or any sort of celebrity brand ambassador. He is, however, the type of person we need more of. Chris describes himself as a “homelessness and housing advocate and service provider.” In fact, he is the founder of The Other Ones Foundation (TOOF) in Austin, Texas, a nonprofit that offers humanitarian aid, case management and extremely low-barrier work opportunities to people experiencing homelessness.  You may know Chris from Netflix’s hit reality show, Queer Eye. He was the hero featured in season 6, episode 8. For those unfamiliar, Queer Eye is a feel-good show where five hosts come into the lives of extraordinary people who do and represent extraordinary things, but need a hand in claiming ownership of the incredible people that they are. This was my introduction to Chris. I connected with his story so much that I began following him on Instagram, and over the last couple of years he’s become a friendly online acquaintance. Eventually I found out that Chris is a watch enthusiast, so I reached out to him to have a conversation about his love of watches and where they fit into his life.  Chris comes off as a rocker who’s made his way around the block, cracking jokes, delivering a bit of snark in a gravel tone, evoking some 90s grunge vibes – I was waiting for him to croon “Black Hole Sun,” alas, it didn’t happen. Instead he explained t...

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R Revolution

Revolution

Vacheron Constantin 222 - Jul 17, 2023

Unboxing the Vacheron Constantin 222 - In Conversation with Christian Selmoni

Join Wei and Christian Selmoni, Style and Heritage Director of Vacheron Constantin, as they unveil Wei’s personal 222. In this engaging conversation, we’ll explore the fascinating history and design philosophy behind the Vacheron Constantin 222, which has earned its reputation as one of the most coveted sports watches in the watch world today and can […]

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H Hodinkee

Hodinkee

Vacheron Constantin Jul 14, 2023

Pre-Owned Picks: A Rolex Rainbow Day-Date, A Vacheron Constantin With A Gold Movement, And The Anti-Magnetic Omega Seamaster 'Bumblebee'

Plus a throwback Breitling Re-edition LE and a Breguet Moonphase in this week's curated selection of what the Hodinkee Shop has to offer.

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T Time+Tide

Time+Tide

Ulysse Nardin UFO Final Edition Jul 13, 2023

Ulysse Nardin UFO Final Edition: The unidentified floating object of my desire…

If you’re working from home right now and looking out over your barren desk, take a moment to stop and think about what your options are for sprucing the place up. You could put a bunch of flowers on there perhaps, maybe a picture of your family, Or that elephant statue your mother-in-law got you … ContinuedThe post Ulysse Nardin UFO Final Edition: The unidentified floating object of my desire… appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

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T Time+Tide

Time+Tide

Seiko dive back into 1965 Jul 10, 2023

Seiko dive back into 1965 (and 2017) with the SJE093

The Seiko SJE093 is a faithful recreation of the 62MAS from 1965. It can be seen as an updated version of the SLA017 from 2017 with a more accurate case size. The 6L37 movement introduces Seiko’s new range of slimline calibers. To say that Seiko can sometimes be predictable would be a fair statement, as … ContinuedThe post Seiko dive back into 1965 (and 2017) with the SJE093 appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

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S SJX Watches

SJX Watches

Greubel Forsey Plans Major Manufacture Expansion Jul 10, 2023

Greubel Forsey Plans Major Manufacture Expansion

Greubel Forsey has revealed plans for a significant expansion of its manufacture in La Chaux-de-Fonds. Set to nearly triple the current size of the distinctive, sloping building, the CHF20 million project signals a broader strategic move for the brand as it seeks a larger share of the high-end sports watch sector. The expansion, scheduled to commence next year, will not only increase Greubel Forsey’s research and development capacity and provide additional amenities for guests and staff, but it will also enable the brand to increase production. This move aligns with the brand’s recent shift from producing mainly complex tourbillon watches to introducing simpler, sportier watches that target the segment dominated by Richard Mille. In addition to the expansion, the brand is poised to launch its eighth “Fundamental Invention” this year.  Nearly tripling in size The manufacture expansion is a key pillar of chief executive Antonio Calce’s ten-year vision for growing the brand and professionalising its operations. According to Mr Calce, the expansion will enable Greubel Forsey to pursue “ever greater creativity and excellence in hand finishing.” Antonio Calce The planned expansion of the manufacture is ambitious; the floorplan is set to nearly triple in size, from 2,000 m2 to 5,460 m2. Fortunately, the expansion will not alter the current building’s recognisable architecture of a glass box rising out of the grass. Instead, the expansion will build on and around...

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T Time+Tide

Time+Tide

TAG Heuer s Heritage Director would Jul 7, 2023

The three watches TAG Heuer’s Heritage Director would save if the brand’s museum was on fire

With an illustrious history stretching back to 1860, TAG Heuer have made an awful lot of watches over the years. Consequently, the brand’s museum in La Chaux de Fonds features over 3000 models that have been released, either by Heuer or the modern incarnation of the brand. As part of his role as Heritage Director … ContinuedThe post The three watches TAG Heuer’s Heritage Director would save if the brand’s museum was on fire appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

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S SJX Watches

SJX Watches

Louis Vuitton makes Jul 7, 2023

Gérald Genta Debuts a Mickey Mouse Repeater for Only Watch 2023

The Gérald Genta brand, which has recently been revived by La Fabrique du Temps (LFT), the watchmaking manufacture of Louis Vuitton, makes its debut with a unique creation for Only Watch 2023. The Gérald Genta Only Watch 2023 retains the brand’s signature octagonal case, a shape historically known as the “Success”, while showcasing the whimsical side of the brand with a champlevé enamel dial featuring Mickey Mouse carrying a birthday cake. And like many past Gérald Genta watches, it tells the time with a retrograde minutes and jumping hours – along with a minute repeater. Initial thoughts The long awaited comeback of Gérald Genta, a given after its sister brand Daniel Roth was resurrected, raised expectations given the brand’s elaborate complications of the 1990s as well as the current technical prowess of LFT. Unsurprisingly, the brand has combined two of the best known themes from its short history, the Fantasy line of Disney-licensed watches and striking complications. The watch is essentially a homage to Gérald Genta’s best hits of the 1990s. The Mickey House dial is a nod to the Fantasy watches, most of which had retrograde displays. And the octagonal case is modelled on the Success, a bestseller for the brand at the time. That said, the new case design has the addition of lugs that feel slightly out of place. The original Success designs either did without lugs entirely or had simple horizontal bar lugs, both of which arguably work better with the o...

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W Worn & Wound

Worn & Wound

Farer Finds Jul 6, 2023

Farer Finds the Balance Between Simplicity and Size with the Limited Edition Palmer GMT

The latest addition to Farer’s lineup of GMT watches is a balancing act between simplicity and the brand’s signature use of vibrant colors and bold accents. Farer is no stranger to dynamic dial colors, peculiar color combinations and large numeral displays that have separated Farer amongst the pack with their own distinguishable design language. It’s not just for looks either as their dial aesthetics account for prime legibility, both in daylight and low light situations thanks to the heavy dose of lume usage they’re notorious for, as well. It’s always an intriguing release when Farer releases a white dial because it allows the brand to explore minimal ways to apply color without sacrificing the Farer panache. With this new limited edition release, the Farer Palmer GMT hits the sweet spot in both simplicity and case size making it their most appealing GMT yet. The Palmer GMT doesn’t just use a standard tone of white for the dial; we are talking about Farer after all. Farer is calling the Palmer dial color “pearlescent opaline” which gives the dial’s surface a slightly creamier tinge. Each hour marker is raised from the dial thanks to the block of SuperLuminova that makes up its construction and is hit with a thick application of black paint on its top surface. This in combination with the black outlining of the handset maximizes legibility against the white, excuse me, pearlescent opaline dial. The use of numerals are much more subdued than were used to w...

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H Hodinkee

Hodinkee

Louis Vuitton Jul 5, 2023

Introducing: The New Louis Vuitton Tambour, Completely Reimagined As An Integrated Steel Sports Watch (Video)

Big news out of La Fabrique du Temps as Jean Arnault and LV release a totally new take on the Tambour.

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T Time+Tide

Time+Tide

Bulgari Serpenti Tubogas during BBC Jul 5, 2023

Phoebe Waller-Bridge wears vintage Bulgari Serpenti Tubogas during BBC “Unpopular Opinions” segment

Phoebe Waller-Bridge is a powerhouse comedic talent. The writer and actor masterminded the critically acclaimed television series Fleabag, produced and wrote the hit series Killing Eve, voiced the droid L3-37 in the Star Wars film Solo: A Star Wars Story, and was brought on as contributor for the screenplay of the last James Bond film, No Time … ContinuedThe post Phoebe Waller-Bridge wears vintage Bulgari Serpenti Tubogas during BBC “Unpopular Opinions” segment appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

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S SJX Watches

SJX Watches

Louis Vuitton Tambour Louis Vuitton has Jul 5, 2023

Up Close: Louis Vuitton Tambour

Louis Vuitton has redesigned its trademark wristwatch some two decades after it was introduced. In contrast to its predecessors, the Louis Vuitton Tambour has been refined and condensed into a thin, streamlined wristwatch that’s just 8.3 mm high. Sporting a touch of 1970s style, the new Tambour is equipped with the LFT023, an automatic movement featuring a micro-rotor. Representing the first of a new generation of Louis Vuitton movements, the LFT023 was developed by movement maker Le Cercle des Horlogers and features novel details like frosted bridges with relief borders and clear jewels. The new Tambour replaces all existing Tambour models, save for the high-end complications, like the automatons and minute repeaters, as well as the entry-level Street Diver. As a result, the once diverse and occasionally confusing offer of watches is rationalised to essentially three lines – Street Diver, the new Tambour, and complications. Initial thoughts Now 20 years old, the Tambour has been around long enough to become easily recognisable as Louis Vuitton’s trademark watch case. The original Tambour was an appealing design, particularly when paired with complications – I am personally a big fan of some complicated Tambour models – but it felt chunky even on a smaller scale. So the new Tambour is everything that the original was not – svelte and restrained. On its face it is not as recognisable as the original, but in profile it is clearly evolved from the original. The sl...

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W Worn & Wound

Worn & Wound

Furlan Marri goes Big What Jul 2, 2023

A Week in Watches Ep. 56: Omega goes Blue + Furlan Marri goes Big

What a week! On episode 56 of A Week in Watches we cover a lot, yet barely even scratch the surface of what launched (don’t worry, we’ll get back to it next week). We start off with a look at the second collaboration between Louis Erard and Massena LAB. From there, we descend the depths of the Omega Seamaster catalog with a special collection of 11 new watches for the lines 75th anniversary. After, there’s a speed round where we quickly cover the Tissot PRX 35mm, the Oris Divers Sixty-Five Steel 38mm Cotton Candy Collection, and the Cara Barrett x Timex collab. Whew. The last segment focuses on a truly epic project by Furlan Marri, the Secular Perpetual Calendar for the upcoming Only Watch auction in November. Quite a week. This week’s sponsor is Windup Watch Fair Chicago 2023! After a successful weekend in San Francisco, the highly anticipated Windup Watch Fair is heading back to the vibrant city of Chicago from Friday, July 14, through Sunday, July 16, 2023. The fair will be held at Venue West, located at 221 N Paulina St in the West Loop neighborhood of Chicago, and feature over 40 brands. Visit and follow windupwatchfair.com for the full list of participating brands. The post A Week in Watches Ep. 56: Omega goes Blue + Furlan Marri goes Big appeared first on Worn & Wound.

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W Worn & Wound

Worn & Wound

Tudor Throwback Jun 29, 2023

An Unlikely Tudor Throwback (in Solid Gold) Heads to Only Watch

We’ll have a lot more on our favorite lots from this year’s Only Watch sale next week, but on this day of big Tudor news, we’d be remiss not to mention their contribution to the 2023 edition of the charity auction, a solid gold chronograph inspired by their very first automatic chronograph. The Tudor Prince Chronograph One brings some luxury flair to the auction from the tool watch specialist, in a format that the brand had all but abandoned by the time they relaunched in the US over a decade ago. In addition to being a literal unique piece (as all watches in the Only Watch sale are) this one sports a new caliber that is honestly kind of hard to believe even exists in 2023.  The 12, 6, 9 chronograph display here is a familiar sight to anyone who has dabbled in enthusiast centric chronos – it’s the hallmark layout of the vaunted Valjoux 7750, an ubiquitous caliber if there ever was one, used by more brands than we can possibly count over the years, including, of course, Tudor. The Tudor Prince Chronograph line that made use of these movements as well as the earlier “Big Blocks” dating to the late 1970s have always been collector favorites, coming in a variety of colorways over the years. It differs sharply from modern Tudor chronographs that use their in-house caliber with a 3,6 9 layout that seems to beg for comparisons to the Daytona, which of course is made by Rolex, Tudor’s sister brand. Now that classic layout is back, sort of, with what Tudor describe...

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W Worn & Wound

Worn & Wound

Patek Philippe Jun 29, 2023

Only Watch is Upon Us Once Again, This Year Featuring Furlan Marri and the Debut of their Impressive Perpetual Calendar

Only Watch, the biennial charity auction that finds an increasingly diverse set of brands offering one-off watches to the highest bidder, is back this year, and we’re starting to get word of the sale’s participants and the watches they’ll have on offer. You might recall that in 2021, we saw Baltic participate for the first time, which, in our opinion, not only elevated their status considerably, but the entire microbrand scene as well. For those of us who have followed and supported small, enthusiast driven brands for years, there was a certain amount of gratification in seeing one of our favorites getting worldwide, mainstream attention alongside the likes of Tudor and Patek Philippe. It was even better when we saw that Only Watch didn’t fundamentally change what Baltic stands for as a brand – they still make reasonably priced and attractive watches for hardcore collector and enthusiast types. This year’s slate of Only Watch participants features another small brand that we’ve been paying very close attention to since they first came on the scene just two years ago. Furlan Marri’s Only Watch debut caps what can only be described as a meteoric rise for the brand, and the somewhat mind blowing watch they’ve unveiled is genuinely unexpected and exciting.  Before we get into the weeds on the new Furlan Marri perpetual calendar – yes, their perpetual calendar – let’s back up a minute, because it’s important to understand the short history of the bran...

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S SJX Watches

SJX Watches

Audemars Piguet Introduces Jun 29, 2023

Audemars Piguet Introduces the Royal Oak Flying Tourbillon Openworked “Only Watch”

Audemars Piguet (AP) is taking part in Only Watch for the fourth time with the Royal Oak Selfwinding Flying Tourbillon Openworked 41 mm “Only Watch”. In contrast to the low-key Royal Oak “Jumbo” made for the 2021 instalment of the charity auction, this year’s one-off creation is exceptionally striking in blue and white. The latest Royal Oak “Only Watch” is based on the regular-production Royal Oak skeleton tourbillon but made unique with a white ceramic case and bracelet along with a movement featuring blued titanium bridges and plates. The case and bracelet material is notably uncommon for AP. While the brand has a fair number of Royal Oak models in black ceramic, there are fewer in white ceramic. In fact, there is only one regular production model in white ceramic, the perpetual calendar. In the past, there were also a handful of Royal Oak Offshore models in white ceramic, including a chronograph and Diver. According to AP, one of the notable features of the bracelet is not only the material, but also that fact that is secured with “invisible pins”. This presumably means the pins holding the bracelet together are concealed with ceramic caps. The cal. 2972 inside is open worked in an angular, stylised manner that is very much AP’s house style. The bridges and base plate are blued titanium, while the bevels of the movement retain the natural grey colour of titanium for contrast, giving each of the bridges a pronounced outline. The rotor is 22k gold but ...

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W Worn & Wound

Worn & Wound

Louis Erard Jun 27, 2023

Louis Erard and Massena LAB Follow Up on Last Year’s Regulator with a New Monopusher Chronograph

Last year’s Massena LAB collaboration with Louis Erard, a regulator in an unmistakably classic style with variants in gold and rhodium dial executions, was a success for both brands, with the watch being shortlisted for the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève. This week, that release gets a follow up in the form of the new Le Chronographe Monopoussoir Louis Erard x Massena LAB, a monopusher chronograph that shifts the design language of last year’s release to a new complication. The driving force behind Massena LAB, to make a style of watchmaking typically reserved for only the most well heeled collectors accessible to anyone, is very much apparent in the new monopusher, as it takes both a complication and visual aesthetic that are often associated with a certain level of opulence and made them quite a bit more approachable. The monopusher is an interesting counterpoint to last year’s regulator. In terms of mechanical complexity, the monopusher has a clear edge, yet the design here is striking in its restraint. The regulator shows its time telling information in a busy cluster of hands and subdials, but with the monopusher we only get one additional register, a 30 minute counter at the 12:00 position. It’s a simple and straightforward execution of a complication that can often be something of an eye chart, and with the single pusher that simplicity is carried over to the chronograph’s literal operation as well.  Aesthetically, we get a similar treatment on the ...

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R Revolution

Revolution

Jun 21, 2023

In Conversation with Hervé Schlüchter; The Former Student, The Future Master

Wei is joined by Hervé Schlüchter for the first time ever, to unravel the L’Essential, the first watch of his namesake brand. Hervé Schlüchter was born in the Swiss Jura and is a former student of the watchmaking school in Porrentruy. In 2000, Hervé Schlüchter joined the independent brand Bovet and stayed for 16 years […]

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T Teddy Baldassarre

Teddy Baldassarre

Audemars Piguet Jun 20, 2023

What Will I Pay for an Entry-Level Audemars Piguet?

If you are on a quest for the “cheapest” Audemars Piguet watch, it’s best to accept one truism right up front: that the cheapest AP is still going to be, for most, a major investment. When it comes to the most desirable Audemars Piguet watches, you can expect to lay out no less than five figures even for a pre-owned model, and new models are so highly in demand that even their already pricey MSRPs will prove to be a frustrating mirage for many prospective buyers, as those watches will regularly be marked up even higher on the secondary market. Nevertheless, in keeping with our previous guides covering Rolex and Patek Philippe, and in the spirit of every Audemars Piguet owner/collector needing to start somewhere, here are three entry-level options from three AP collections, with some details on what makes each one distinctive. (Whether those distinctions are enough to move you to buy one will be up to you and, perhaps, your financial advisor.) Audemars Piguet began making watches in 1875, when founders Jules Louis Audemars and Edward Auguste Piguet first registered the brand in Switzerland’s Vallée de Joux. Now headquartered in the town of Le Brassus, it remains one of the very few privately owned firms in the watchmaking industry, still in the hands of the Audemars family. Renamed Audemars Piguet & Cie in 1881, the company primarily manufactured movements for other firms in its earliest days, including Tiffany and Co., but later gained renown for milestones like t...

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