Results for NOS (New Old Stock)

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Greubel Forsey GMT Sport Even within Dec 5, 2019

Hands-On: Greubel Forsey GMT Sport

Even within the rarefied realm of haute horlogerie, Greubel Forsey has taken watchmaking to a level of craft few others can match – not just in terms of finishing, but innovation in chronometry while also establishing its own inimitable, three-dimensional aesthetic. And now, the brand has combined all of that onto its first sports watch – the GMT Sport. While nearly identical to the existing GMT in terms of function, combining a world time with an inclined tourbillon, the GMT Sport looks nothing like any other Greubel Forsey. And its movement is mostly made of titanium, having been reconstructed to fit into the new ovoid case. Despite being strikingly different, the watch is tremendously impressive on many fronts, especially in its finishing and construction. The new look Depth rated to 100m, the GMT Sport is a large watch that is organic in shape, with no right angles, a handful of edges, and only few flat surfaces. But it has a mechanical-looking style, with lugs secured to the case by visible screws and prominent pushers. The construction is complex and masterful, with the most unusual feature being the crystal and bezel, which are curved on multiple planes. When viewed from the top, the case appears circular, but it is in fact, tonneau-shaped with an oval bezel that is curved vertically from 12 to six o’clock. To fit the curvature of the case, the crystal is also oval-shaped and curved, which further highlights the architectural depth of the movement. The circ...

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Jaeger-LeCoultre unveiled Dec 3, 2019

In-Depth: MB&F; LM Thunderdome Triple-Axis Tourbillon

The flying tourbillon wristwatch for women – the Legacy Machine FlyingT – that MB&F; launched last year foreshadowed its latest watch – the Legacy Machine Thunderdome, boasting the fastest ever triple-axis tourbillon developed by independent watchmaker Eric Coudray. No doubt multi-axis tourbillons are hardly new, especially after Jaeger-LeCoultre unveiled its first Gyrotourbillon in 2005 – which was also developed by Mr Coudray – but the LM Thunderdome takes the concept further by every metric, primarily by building on past ideas to achieve higher cage velocities than ever before. Most intriguingly, the Thunderdome movement incorporates a tourbillon lever escapement first devised by Albert H. Potter – a talented American watchmaker who worked in Geneva in the late 19th century – as well as an unusual multi-axis tourbillon that utilises a carrousel for its outermost cage, christened the TriAx. The ingenious construction of the tourbillon is thanks to Mr Coudray, who now runs complications workshop TEC Ebauches and is best known for the numerous exotic tourbillon movements he has developed. After his two-decades at Jaeger-LeCoultre where he became the resident technical genius, Mr Coudray worked for several brands of varying levels of credibility, including at Cabestan where he perfected its vertical tourbillon, and more recently at Cecil Purnell, where he created the Spherion tri-axial tourbillon, which has a similar construction to the Thunderdome. Besides...

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H. Moser & Cie Introduces Dec 2, 2019

H. Moser & Cie. Introduces the Heritage Centre Seconds Funky Blue

A year ago, H. Moser & Cie. debuted the Heritage Pilot’s Watch, a retro, aviation-inspired watch with grey fumé dial for Swiss retailer Bucherer that was then a one-off unlike anything else in the brand’s line-up. Now the watch has officially joined the collection as the Heritage Centre Seconds Funky Blue, positioned as an entry-level model priced under US$14,000. The watch has a familiar design, for good reason: it’s modelled on early pilot’s watches from the 1920s that were produced by a host of brands including Longines and Zenith, and also Heinrich Moser, the predecessor of H. Moser & Cie. At the same time, according to Moser chief executive Edouard Meylan, the Heritage watch takes some inspiration from early 20th century wristwatches that were converted pocket watches with wire lugs soldered on for wear on the wrist. While the Heritage measures 42mm in diameter like a majority of Moser’s watches, it is just 11.1mm high, making it one of the brand’s slimmest models. Its stainless-steel case features an onion-shaped crown and thin lugs to mimic wire lugs. The case is largely polished, punctuated with fine, vertical fluting on its flanks, a detail taken from another watch in the Moser line-up, the Pioneer. The dial is a dark, metallic blue finished with sunburst brushing and the brand’s signature fumé treatment that gradually darkens towards the edges. But the most distinctive feature are the large Arabic numerals – modelled on the painted radium ...

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Dec 1, 2019

Cambodia’s First Watchmaking School Opens in Phnom Penh

One of Asia’s quickest growing economies, Cambodia remains a relatively small market for mechanical watches, but now boasts its own watchmaking school – led by a pair of former WOSTEP instructors – which will begin operations in mid 2020. Supported by a local real estate conglomerate, the Prince Horology Vocational Training Center will offer a full-time, two-year course in watchmaking. Totalling some 3,400 hours of training, the watchmaking course will be comprehensive and modelled on the education offered by Swiss watchmaking schools. Designed by a team that includes a former director of WOSTEP, Switzerland’s leading watchmaking school, the course includes watchmaking history and culture, toolmaking and maintenance, repair and servicing of both mechanical and quartz watches, as well as some parts production. Filled with brand new equipment, the school is ready for its first students Located in the Chrouy Changvar district of central Phnom Penh, the country’s capital, the Prince Horology Vocational Training Center recently opened its premises, which are fully equipped with brand new benches and tools, giving students the opportunity to learn both watch repair as well as movement part production and finishing. The school’s leadership team includes Jessica Thakur, formerly an instructor at Richemont’s American watchmaking school in Texas and then at WOSTEP, as well as Maarten Pieters, who was the director of WOSTEP from 2002 to 2018. Prior to that, Mr Pieters ...

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Vacheron Constantin Introduces Dec 1, 2019

Vacheron Constantin Introduces the Les Cabinotiers Minute Repeater ‘Romantic Note’

Originally set up by Vacheron Constantin to build custom or bespoke watches upon client commission – like this minimalist grand complication – Les Cabinotiers has undergone a subtle evolution since chief executive Louis Ferla took over in 2017. Les Cabinotiers now creates a small collection of one-off timepieces each year. Most are marketed to the firm’s top clients, typically at a luxe but low-key annual event, but a selection is launched at SIHH. This year’s Les Cabinotiers presentation is now taking place in Singapore, and amongst the watches unveiled is the graceful Les Cabinotiers Minute Repeater Ultra-Thin ‘Romantic Note’. The watch has a largish 41mm pink gold case in the style of the Traditionnelle line, which means straight, simple lines, giving it a fairly modern look. But the dial is eminently classical: eggshell-coloured fired enamel with all the markings, namely the railway minute track and numerals, done in black enamel, matched with Breguet-style hands. Reminiscent of the asymmetrical Historiques 1921, the dial is unusual in its typography – the numerals look like Breguet numerals but are not quite, instead they are slightly more italicised, with less line variation, and heavier in weight. The movement inside is the cal. 1731, the slim, hand-wound movement that’s also found in the regular-production Patrimony minute repeater. It features a centrifugal governor for the repeater. Key facts and price Les Cabinotiers Minute Repeater Ultra-Thin ...

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Time+Tide

Nov 25, 2019

RECOMMENDED READING: Steve McQueen and the watches he wore

Here’s a question for you: Who is the greatest male style icon of the 20th century? Is it Paul Newman? No. Is it Elvis Presley? Absolutely not. Is it James Dean? No, but getting closer. OK, as the title rather obviously suggests, the greatest male style icon of the 20th century was, by some margin, … ContinuedThe post RECOMMENDED READING: Steve McQueen and the watches he wore appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

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Omega Introduces Nov 25, 2019

Omega Introduces the James Bond Limited Edition Set

Omega is slowly counting down to the latest James Bond film, No Time to Die, which is scheduled for April 2020, with a trickle of 007-themed watches. Just two months ago it debuted a Seamaster Diver 300M to mark half a century of On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (OHMSS),  and now it’s the release of a box set of two watches in steel and gold respectively, presented in a suitcase by British luggage maker Globe-Trotter. Limited to 257, the James Bond Limited Edition Set is made up of a pair of Seamaster dive watches almost identical to the earlier OHMSS edition but without the date. Both are essentially variants of the 42mm Seamaster Diver 300M but tweaked to incorporate several references to 007. The stainless-steel model features a black ceramic bezel insert with a white enamel scale, while the yellow gold version has a scale of Ceragold, which is ceramic with gold filling for the markings. Both have black ceramic dials engraved with the gun barrel motif taken from the title sequence of James Bond films. The hands and indices of both models are yellow gold, with the 12 o’clock marker inspired by the fictional Bond family coat of arms. A subtle detail is the “50” embedded within the luminous marker at ten o’clock, visible only in the dark, a nod to the 50th anniversary of OHMSS. And there’s also the tiny “007” that takes the place of the marker on the minute track. A commemorative plate bearing the set serial number is screwed into the side of the case, ...

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Rolex Daytonas as VIP invitations Nov 24, 2019

#JayDay: Jay-Z just used a bunch of solid gold Rolex Daytonas as VIP invitations

We’ve all heard of a wrist flex, but what about an invitation flex … is that a thing? Well, if it wasn’t before, it is now, because hip hop heavyweight, music producer and entrepreneur Jay-Z has gone and sent out Rolex’s eponymous Daytona as VIP invitation gifts to his inaugural Shawn Carter Foundation Gala. In … ContinuedThe post #JayDay: Jay-Z just used a bunch of solid gold Rolex Daytonas as VIP invitations appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

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Nov 22, 2019

How to justify your next watch #2, the ‘Hey, it could be coke and hookers’ defence

NOTE: The problem is that some people just don’t get it. They don’t understand how important, nay, how essential, your next watch is. Not just to your happiness, but also to your sense of purpose, your ability to be a complete person. Against the blockers in your life, we have a new weapon. The Enabler. He is … ContinuedThe post How to justify your next watch #2, the ‘Hey, it could be coke and hookers’ defence appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

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Audemars Piguet Two-Tone Royal Oak 15400 Nov 20, 2019

Rediscovering the Audemars Piguet Two-Tone Royal Oak 15400

Editor’s note: With so much attention and speculation surrounding the all-steel variants of Audemars Piguet’s Royal Oak 15400 and now 15500, it’s easy to forget that the Holy Trinity watchmaker also offers their most prized timepiece in two-tone steel and 18k Pink Gold. And while it’s easy to comprehend why the stainless steel variants are … ContinuedThe post Rediscovering the Audemars Piguet Two-Tone Royal Oak 15400 appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

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Singer Nov 19, 2019

Singer Reimagined Introduces the Track 1 Emirates Edition

Singer Reimagined, a sister company of Singer Vehicle Design, the acclaimed Californian outfit that modifies 964-series Porsche 911s, made its debut in 2017 with the Track 1 – a watch with a retro case but an ingenious, modern movement. The brand has since introduced several limited editions for key cities, including Geneva and Hong Kong. Now, to coincide with Dubai Watch Week, it is launching the Track 1 Emirates Edition, a smartly coloured iteration with contrasting dial textures for more intuitive reading. Measuring 43mm wide and 15mm high, the watch features a ceramic-coated aluminium case, created by subjecting aluminium to an electro-plasma oxidation process that creates a thin layer of ceramic on its surface. This gives the case a hard, scratch-resistant surface while keeping it lightweight, although the coating can be damaged by impact. In the same vein, the bezel, pushers, crown and case back are in titanium, but coated with zirconium nitride (ZrN), a hard ceramic that is pale gold in colour. The dial features black, concentric hour and minutes discs on the periphery with an olive-green centre and a gilt tachymeter flange, while all the hands are orange. The watch is otherwise mechanically identical to the standard versions. It is equipped with one of the most revolutionary chronograph movements of recent times – the AgenGraphe, which was developed by Agenhor, a respected Geneva complications specialist led by Jean-Marc Wiederrecht. Boasting five patents for...

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Vacheron Constantin Introduces Nov 19, 2019

Vacheron Constantin Introduces the Overseas Dual Time with a Black Dial

Launched last year in steel with a blue or silver dial (and also in 18k rose gold), the Vacheron Constantin Overseas Dual Time is now available in the most obvious dial colour – black. Though not readily discernible in photos, the new black dial is made up of glossy, translucent black lacquer over a sunburst-brushed surface, giving it a slightly nuanced colour that’s similar to that found on the Overseas Perpetual Calendar with a blue lacquer dial. And because the minute track is printed on a matte, granular chapter ring, the result is a subtle, two-tone dial. Dial aside the watch is identical to the earlier Overseas Dual Time. Home time is indicated by a red-tipped hour hand in the centre, which is in turn linked to the day and night display at nine o’clock. The second time zone is set via the crown, but the quickset corrector for the date function is operated via a screw-down pusher at four o’clock. It’s powered by the 5110 DT, a variation of the brand’s workhorse automatic movement that is widely used throughout the Overseas line. As with all Overseas watches, the 5110 DT has a solid gold rotor cast in the form of a compass rose. The under-dial view of the movement, showing the levers and springs that control the day and night display (at 10 o’clock), and the date (at four o’clock) And the case includes the quick-release strap mechanism that’s standard across the Overseas range. A small tab easily releases the bracelet or strap, allowing for a rapid s...

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Doxa summer Summer Nov 18, 2019

5 fresh summer flavours for a DOXA summer

Summer is now thankfully just around the corner, which means we can ditch the black on black garb and finally bring some colour back into our lives and, more importantly, onto our wrists. And luckily, we’re now stocking DOXA’s entire collection of colourful timepieces, including the SUB 200, SUB 300T and SUB 1500T. These watches … ContinuedThe post 5 fresh summer flavours for a DOXA summer appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

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Audemars Piguet Longines Sinn Nov 18, 2019

The Hour Glass Marks 40 Years with Contemporary Art

Singapore-based watch retailer The Hour Glass, one of the world’s largest, is marking its 40th anniversary this year with a series of limited editions from brands like Audemars Piguet, Longines, Sinn, and Urwerk. More unusually, the anniversary encompasses exhibition of specially commissioned contemporary art by boldface artists and designers – Daniel Arsham, Marc Newson, nendo, and Studio Wieki Somers. Appropriately, each artist’s work is a meditation on the concept of time. Together they form Then Now Beyond, an exhibition curated by a committee made up of British architect David Adjaye, auctioneer Aurel Bacs, and The Hour Glass chief Michael Tay, and managed by art advisory outfit The Artling. Then Now Beyond is on show in The Hour Glass’ largest store in Singapore, Malmaison – from now till end February 2020 – within a gallery area designed by JoAnn Tan Studio, a Milan agency best known for the window displays created for Hermes, Fendi and other major fashion labels. Then Now Beyond Daniel Arsham, an American artist based in New York, is known for his “eroded” works meant to look like objects of today viewed in the distant future, but perhaps better known for his collaborations with the likes of Adidas and Rimowa. His work for the exhibition is a variation of a motif he has explored before. Titled Hourglass, it is an “eroded” hourglass cast in bronze, with the body of the hourglass broken to reveal an aged pocket watch and camera within. Daniel ...

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TAG Heuer Calibre 16s Nov 15, 2019

3 TAG Heuer Calibre 16s that can do it all

TAG Heuer has been using its venerable chronograph-equipped Calibre 16 movement for more than two decades now. In fact, the storied movement has been utilised by the Swiss watchmaker in a great many of its models since 2005, when it was first released in the then new and completely overhauled Carrera. It’s pretty easy to … ContinuedThe post 3 TAG Heuer Calibre 16s that can do it all appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

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Patek Philippe Announces Watch Art Grand Nov 14, 2019

Patek Philippe Announces Watch Art Grand Exhibition 2022 in Tokyo

Just a month after the Watch Art Grand Exhibition in Singapore closed its doors – after receiving some 68,000 visitors – Patek Philippe has revealed the next event will happen in three years’ time, in 2022. Slated to take place in Tokyo, Japan, the event will no doubt pay tribute to one of Patek Philippe’s biggest, oldest and most sophisticated markets. And as it was with past events, the exhibition in Tokyo will be accompanied by a slate of event-exclusive limited editions, just as it was recently in Singapore. The Aquanaut Singapore 2019 ref. 5167A-012 The announcement of the next exhibition comes just days after the Patek Philippe Grandmaster Chime in steel made for Only Watch 2019 sold for 31m Swiss francs, smashing the last world record. And it’ll probably still be the world’s most expensive watch in 2022. The sixth Watch Art Grand Exhibition will take place in Tokyo in 2022, most likely in fall. Dates and venue have yet to be announced, but we’ll publish it as soon as information is available.  

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Zenith Defy Classic Blue Ceramic Nov 14, 2019

Zenith Defy Classic Blue Ceramic Review

The future of watchmaking for Zenith can be narrowed down to one word: Defy. The Defy collection started with the release of the Defy El Primero 21 back in 2017, which was the quite amazing hundredth-of-a-second chronograph. This was followed by the first-generation Defy Lab (known now as Defy Inventor), which Zenith states is the world’s most accurate watch with its new ground-breaking monocrystalline silicon oscillator. Luckily enough, we had a chance to review the Zenith Defy Inventor as well, which you can check out here. Zenith has added a mini collection of three ceramic models to the Defy Classic range. The models in the Defy Classic Collection has a three-hand plus date feature and comes in three colour variations: White ceramic, Black ceramic and Blue ceramic. The piece we have on our hands today is the elegant Defy Classic Blue Ceramic. Having a colour outside of the typical white and black in a ceramic, which is the norm, definitely brings something different to the table. Although the colour blue may have its limitations with what it can be worn with, compared to all black and white ceramic watches. Despite this limitation, the blue ceramic certainly is an eye-catcher when on the wrist. Like the other two models in the Zenith Defy Classic Ceramic range, the blue ceramic comes with its own matching blue rubber strap.  Sometimes having too much of the same colour throughout the watch can be too “in your face” as well. The blue used by Zenith for this cera...

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Revolution

Nov 12, 2019

The Strength and Might of the Paneristi

Prepare yourself for a watch story like no other about a watch community like no other, as told by metalhead, DEA agent and lifelong Paneristi @GregWatchman

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Tudor s Black Bay Ceramic Nov 11, 2019

Tudor’s Black Bay Ceramic One sold for a ridiculous amount at Only Watch 2019

If history is anything to go by, we shouldn’t have been surprised at news coming out of Only Watch 2019 that Tudor’s entry into the charitable auction, the Black Bay Ceramic One, had sold for a staggering 350,000 CHF ($515,000 AUD). In fact, for Tudor’s third pièce unique entered into Only Watch to do anything … ContinuedThe post Tudor’s Black Bay Ceramic One sold for a ridiculous amount at Only Watch 2019 appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

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Patek Philippe Grandmaster Chime ref 6300A Nov 9, 2019

Smart Money: 5 of the best buys from Only Watch 2019

Most of the hype around the results of Only Watch 2019 has been wholly and solely squared at the monumental, record-breaking price achieved by the Patek Philippe Grandmaster Chime ref. 6300A, and it’s pretty easy to understand why … it sold for $31 million CHF (roughly $52 million AUD)! However, away from the white noise … ContinuedThe post Smart Money: 5 of the best buys from Only Watch 2019 appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

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Quill & Pad

Louis Moinet Compteur De Tierces – Nov 9, 2019

Discovery, Firsts, And The Louis Moinet Compteur De Tierces - Reprise

The Louis Moinet compteur de tierces is one of the most remarkable finds in horological history in an extremely long time: it was the very first chronograph ever made, though no one knew this until recently. Get the details here!

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Vacheron Constantin clinched Nov 8, 2019

Introducing the Winners of the 2019 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève

This year’s GPHG saw a total of no less than 196 watches entered into the running for one of the night’s awards. The jury, presided over by Aurel Bacs, then pre-selected 84 models, divided into 14 categories. The latter included four new awards – the Iconic Watch, Diver’s Watch, Calendar and Astronomy and Horological Revelation. The outcome is similar to last year’s, with a strong ratio of independents among the winners. Out of 18 watch awards, eight were awarded to independents including Kudoke (Petite Aiguille), Ming (Horological Revelation) and newcomer Genus, (Mechanical Exception), while virtuoso watchmaker Voutilainen scooped two awards (Men’s Watch and Artistic Crafts). The biggest winner of the evening was Audemars Piguet who took home three awards including the top prize – the Aiguille d’Or – for its Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar Ultra-Thin. The watch is the world’s thinnest automatic perpetual calendar at just 6.3mm in height, achieved primarily by using a modified ultra-thin cal. 2120 as a base with a smartly designed perpetual calendar module on top that has an integrated end-of-month cam on the date wheel and a 48-month wheel with a novel geometry. Elsewhere, having lost to Genus in the Mechanical Exception category, Vacheron Constantin clinched the Innovation award with its Traditionnelle Twin Beat Perpetual Calendar. The watch addresses the problem of having to reset a perpetual calendar that has lain dormant. It utilises two balances osci...

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Audemars Piguet Code 11.59 Tourbillon Openworked Nov 7, 2019

Hands-On: Audemars Piguet Code 11.59 Tourbillon Openworked “Only Watch”

At Only Watch 2017, Audemars Piguet’s Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar in black ceramic – but with a one-off blue dial – sold for a whopping 800,000 Swiss francs, with two phone bidders driving it to nearly seven times the high estimate. It was the third most expensive watch in the sale. This year’s contribution is no Royal Oak – far from it – but it’s surprisingly worthy of a second look. In fact, it’s probably the best-looking watch to emerge from the brand’s often criticised Code 11.59 line. Amidst the flak heaped upon it, the Code 11.59 range had a couple of standouts, including the Tourbillon Openworked. And that’s where AP started for Only Watch 2019. The Tourbillon Openworked Only Watch retains the slim, beautifully finished skeleton movement, eschewing the contentious Code 11.59 dial altogether. And the movement has a two-tone finish that smartly highlights the most important mechanical components. To match the movement, the Only Watch edition features a two-tone case that does justice to the Code 11.59 construction in a way the uniform colour of the standard models simply couldn’t. Superbly constructed In terms of size, the case is identical to the standard model – 41mm by 10.7mm. Beyond immediate impressions, the case is wonderfully constructed with a subtle and intriguing mix of shapes and finishing made obvious by the two-tone materials. The octagonal case middle is pink gold, while the rest of the case, including the lugs, are white gold,...

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Audemars Piguet where he started his Nov 5, 2019

Highlights from Jean-Claude Biver’s Collection on Show in Geneva

Now the non-executive chairman of the watch division at LVMH, Jean-Claude Biver has enjoyed a remarkable career in the watch industry that has spanned some 45 years. That success has enabled him to build a timepiece collection that is both magnificent and diverse, ranging from vintage Patek Philippe to modern independent watchmaking. Now the entire collection will be on display for the first time at Phillips in Geneva, after which it will embark on a world tour. Bookends of Mr Biver’s career so far: a Royal Oak ref. 5402 ST by Audemars Piguet, where he started his career And a Hublot Big Bang Tourbillon Chronograph Titled Jean-Claude Biver: A Retrospective. Share, Respect, Forgive, the exhibition includes two dozen watches – including some lovely Patek Philippe pocket watches – that are amongst the best examples of 20th century watchmaking. Notably, the collection also includes several watches by prominent independent watchmakers, many of which were relatively recent purchases. They include a Philippe Dufour Simplicity in rose gold – the exact watch we featured several weeks ago in fact – and a fresh-off-the-press Akrivia Chronometre Contemporain in platinum. According to an inside source, Mr Biver’s late-in-life interest in independent watchmaking, and also the Rolex Daytona “Zenith”, is the result of counsel from his son, Pierre, who is a specialist at Phillips’ London office, showing that the love of watches can be hereditary. A Patek Philippe Ref. 15...

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Louis Vuitton Oct 31, 2019

The Rise and Fall of Asprey of London (and a Personalised F.P. Journe Wristwatch)

An F.P. Journe Octa Calendrier caught my eye at Phillips’ upcoming Geneva auction, not because of the watch itself, but because of the name engraved on the movement: “John R. Asprey”. Now 82, John Rolls Asprey ran his family’s luxury emporium in its heyday, when it was a purveyor of watches, jewels, silverware, fine bookbinding and hunting accessories, with the Sultans of Brunei and Oman as its top clients. Unusually, Asprey was a prominent name in two diverse segments of watchmaking – what are now valuable vintage watches, think “Khanjar” Rolex watches, as well as modern-day independent watchmaking. How it came to be is the remarkable story of the rise and decline of a grand name in British luxury retail. A wondrous emporium Long before luxury brand names had coalesced into conglomerates like LVMH and Richemont, they were independent, family-owned enterprises that were small but globally known – at least by the right clientele. Amongst them were names that are still famous today, including Cartier, Louis Vuitton, and Tiffany & Co., but also one that is less well known now, Asprey of London. Founded in 1781 and having opened in 1847 at 167 New Bond Street – still its premises today, albeit leased – Asprey was once London’s leading luxury merchant. In some ways, it was the ultimate gift shop, where one could buy all manner of exotic and exquisite goods from all over the world, from books to watches to sceptres to crystal. Many of the elaborate objects ...

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Ulysse Nardin Oct 31, 2019

Hands-On: Sinn 356 Pilot Chronograph “The Hour Glass”

Continuing with its series of limited editions to mark its 40th anniversary, retailer The Hour Glass has just announced a special variant of the Sinn 356 Pilot Chronograph. A no-frills aviator’s watch, the 100-piece edition is the retailer’s most affordable commemorative model to date, priced at 3,850 Singapore dollars, or about US$2,800. In keeping with the series’ recurring theme of dial colours inspired by vintage watches – ranging from salmon on a Nomos to champagne on a Ulysse Nardin, the dial of the Sinn has a variegated, aged finish. Ideal dimensions The Sinn 356 is a simpler version of the Sinn 256 made for the Japanese market – itself the smaller version of the Sinn 156 conceived as a military chronograph for the German military. It’s a no-nonsense fliegerchronograph, or aviator’s chronograph, with just the essentials – a fixed bezel, large hour numerals, and syringe hands. It does also have the somewhat pointless date and day, but a consequence of the fact that the original 356 used the Valjoux 7750. It has the calendar as a standard feature, and was the de facto movement for most chronographs at the time. The stock 356 Dial aside, the commemorative edition is identical to the standard model. The stainless-steel case measures 38.5mm, making it one of the smallest pilot’s chronographs on the market. However, it is still considerably thick, a little bit too thick at 15.5mm, due to the height of the movement inside. As a result it sits high on th...

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De Bethune DB28 Yellow Tones Even Oct 29, 2019

Hands-On: De Bethune DB28 Yellow Tones

Even amongst avant-garde watchmakers, De Bethune stands out for its substance – aesthetic and material innovation matched by technical ingenuity. At its core, the brand has reimagined the most fundamental aspects of mechanical timekeeping, from the barrel to the hairspring, while pushing the boundaries of traditional complications, be it the moon phase, tourbillon or chronograph. But arguably its most distinctive innovation is an aesthetic one, which has come to define the brand no less – heat-blued titanium. The brand has used the alloy for more than 15 years across various parts of the watch, even making almost a whole watch out of it. But now De Bethune has a twist on the theme, resulting in the DB28 Yellow Tones in brilliant golden titanium. Fiery yellow Though the colour of the new DB28 is striking, it is by no means loud, as the amber shade of yellow isn’t the same as yellow gold and doesn’t pass off as such. In fact, it looks more like fresh brass than gold. The colour was achieved through thermal oxidisation of the surface, essentially the same process as that used for blued titanium (and also the same for blued steel). The yellow surface, just like the blue, is the result of an oxide that forms on the surface of titanium when it is heated to a certain temperature. But amber yellow tone in this case was created by heating it at a lower temperature than used for blued titanium. Titanium undergoes different stages of oxidation when heated, and yellow is o...

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Patek Philippe Grandmaster Chime ‘Only Watch’ Oct 28, 2019

Up Close: Patek Philippe Grandmaster Chime ‘Only Watch’ ref. 6300A in Stainless Steel

Long the record holder for the most valuable watch at the biennial Only Watch charity auction, Patek Philippe has probably outdone itself this year. For Only Watch 2019, it’s put together a unique version of the most complicated wristwatch it’s ever made, the Grandmaster Chime ‘Only Watch’ ref. 6300A-010 in stainless steel. Now in its 14th year, Only Watch is an auction of one-off timepieces donated by brands, with proceeds going to support medical research. Patek Philippe has claimed the title of the top lot in nearly all Only Watch auctions, including the most recent in 2017 that saw a Patek Philippe ref. 5208T in titanium sell for 6.2 Swiss francs. And in the auction before that, in 2015, the Patek Philippe ref. 5016A in steel sold for 7.3m Swiss francs. But the steel Grandmaster Chime for Only Watch this year will probably exceed those results, albeit by a margin that’s hard to predict. The buyer of “The Only One” will be the special one By most metrics it’s the ultimate watch – not only is it the most complicated wristwatch ever made by Patek Philippe, it is also the most expensive timepiece in the current Patek Philippe catalogue. And then there’s the style of the watch, which is catered exactly to current tastes. In fact, the elements of the watch are so perfectly suited to today’s fads in watch collecting that it might be a clever and discreet in-joke – a bit of humour from the serious Geneva watchmaker. The size and complexity of the Gr...

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Oct 26, 2019

RECOMMENDED READING: An interview with Daryn Schnipper

A Collected Man recently interviewed Daryn Schnipper, and if you don’t know who she is … you really should. Schnipper has been working at Sotheby’s in New York since 1980, first as a watch expert, and now as Senior Vice President of the auction house and Chairman of the International Watch Division. What’s more, Schnipper … ContinuedThe post RECOMMENDED READING: An interview with Daryn Schnipper appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

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SJX Watches

A. Lange & Sohne Oct 24, 2019

In-Depth: A. Lange & Söhne Odysseus Datomatic

It’s been an open secret for years that A. Lange & Söhne has been working on a sports watch, ever since the time of its founding chief executive Gunter Blumlein, so the latest launch is not a surprise. Ideas percolate for a long time at Lange: the digital time display, for instance, was first mooted in 2001, but only introduced in 2009 with the Zeitwerk. And now it is has finally arrived. Named Odysseus Datomatic, the watch is a day-date that’s the first in a new line of sports watches of the same name. It’s a 40.5mm watch in steel, rated to 120m, and powered by a new automatic movement. Initial thoughts I like and respect Lange tremendously, because its products are all engineered and finished well. Despite being a largely mainstream brand owned by a luxury group, Lange has managed to retain its characteristic quality. I do find some of the watches needlessly complicated or over designed, but the fundamental quality is unquestionable. For that reason, I hoped I would like the sports watch. And I do, but not the bracelet. I spoke with Lange chief executive Wilhelm Schmid just before the launch, and he summed up the Odysseus: “We have not changed our fine watchmaking. It’s typical Lange, but it took us a long time to find the face and find the design.” The watch – minus the bracelet – looks like a Lange, which means it’s serious looking, a bit plain, but obviously high quality from the way the small details catch the light. On the wrist the Odysseus sit...

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