Revolution
Blancpain’s Ocean Commitment inspires the Fifty Fathoms Exceptional Year
The Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe has had an amazing year.
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Revolution
The Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe has had an amazing year.
SJX Watches
Launched in 2004 as an offshoot of the 2000 Series, the Aquaracer is the quintessential TAG Heuer dive watch. Solidly constructed and usually good value, the Aquaracer has pretty much stuck to the same aesthetic since it was launched. But it leaves staid looks behind with the Aquaracer Bamford Limited Edition, a surprisingly cool diver designed by Bamford Watch Department (BWD), the watch customiser par excellence. Coming a week after the Girard-Perregaux Laureato Ghost, the new Aquaracer is the second BWD collab in as many weeks. But the Aquaracer at the other end of the spectrum, both in design and price. The Laureato Ghost was entirely in white ceramic, while the Aquaracer is all matte titanium and more accessibly priced – although it is expensive for an Aquaracer. Initial thoughts BWD excels at applying new colours and textures to existing designs to create a whole new look. This has been achieved here, most notably with the sandblasted finish on the case and bracelet. Because the material is titanium – nearly all Aquaracers to date are steel – the result is a grey, granular surface that gives it the feel of no-nonsense “tool” watch. The dial features a notable degree of nuance for a “tool” watch, including a radial pattern and moulded Super-Luminova blocks for hour markers. A quirky detail that’s been found on other BWD watches also makes an appearance here: an alternating white-and-orange tip for the seconds hand, which brings to mind a clownfish o...
Quill & Pad
To commemorate Stephen Hawking, English watch company Bremont created a set of limited-edition watches honoring the late theoretical physicist: the Bremont Hawking and Hawking Quantum models. As the brand’s tenth limited edition, the Hawking watches pay homage to some of the greatest accomplishments of an Englishman in the last century. And like that titan of cosmology, there is more than meets the eye here.
Time+Tide
In Scandinavia, our long dark winters should be a fertile breeding ground for horology. Just as the oppressive gloom sent the Swiss inside to tinker about with watchmaking tools and lathes, you might expect a similar tradition to have developed in these parts – Scandinavian design and Nordic minimalism are, after all, deeply engrained in … ContinuedThe post MICRO MONDAYS: The Bravur x Wingårdh delivers Nordic modernism at its most clean and serene appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
Editor’s note: This is a story that focuses on two things, being the collection and story of the man that almost certainly owns more Speedmasters than any other collector on earth, Mr Bhaskar Eswaran. It also leads into a description of the new Omega Authentication service for watches more than 30 years old. I am … ContinuedThe post This collector has a different Omega Speedmaster for every day of the year, and has even made ‘Speedy Suspenders’… appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Quill & Pad
The upcoming year-end Phillips auction, Racing Pulse, takes place on Saturday, December 12, 2020 in New York. Here Elizabeth Doerr highlights five epic timepieces from Richard Mille and Panerai owned and worn by Hollywood action star Sylvester Stallone, sometimes in famous films, and at least one of which has reached icon status.
Deployant
In this Chillout TGIFridays episode, we begin our exploration into using large format cameras and lenses to do watch macro photography. Large format cameras for watch photography Large format cameras have historically been the mainstay in professional work, where maximum image quality is of critical importance. These are large cameras, often reduced to the essenceRead More
SJX Watches
Having restored one of the Louvre’s most important timepieces – La Création du Monde, an 18th-century astronomical clock owned by King Louis XV – Vacheron Constantin subsequently announced a three-year partnership with the Parisian museum last year. The very first collaborative project between the watchmaker and museum has finally arrived: Les Cabinotiers “Bid for the Louvre”. A one-off timepiece that will feature a miniature of a work of art in Louvre selected by the client – who will chose it during a private tour of the museum – the watch will be sold at Bid for the Louvre, an online auction at Christie’s that takes place from December 1-15. Other luxury brands as well as contemporary artists have also contributed items to Bid for the Louvre, and all proceeds from the auction will go to the museum. The courtyard of the Louvre with the famous glass pyramid designed by I.M. Pei Initial thoughts Vacheron Constantin’s Métiers d’Art watches are decorated with varied artisanal decorative techniques, but they are almost always exceptionally beautiful. The dials are sometimes intricate, sometimes delicate, and occasionally elaborately ornamental, but always executed to a high level, by both the brand’s in-house artisans as well as independent specialists like Anita Porchet. In fact, many of the Métiers d’Art watches feature dial work finer than comparable watches from the competition. What makes the Louvre watch special is the opportunity to rep...
Time+Tide
Too often in a TV drama, a character’s watch is just a random accessory lobbed in by the wardrobe department at the last minute. Yet when it’s done right, a watch can become infused with psychological depth and meaning. And when it’s done to absolute perfection it can deliver a tell-tale insight into a character’s … ContinuedThe post Sean Wallace’s Rolex Datejust in Gangs of London shows that the watch doesn’t always maketh the man appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
The Longines Legend Diver Bronze is a pitch-perfect, vintage-style diver. Yet somehow it’s failed to get the attention it deserves due, in part, because understatement is the name of its game. While the Rado Captain Cook turns heads with its lush colourways and the Oris Divers Sixty-Five makes noise with its ever-changing iterations, this bronze … ContinuedThe post HANDS-ON: The Longines Legend Diver Bronze makes warm metals cool again appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Quill & Pad
Looking at the Louis Moinet Space Revolution, the latest in the brand's Cosmic Art collection, fills you with incredulity: is it a watch? Is it a piece of kinetic art? Is it a bird? Is it a plane? Or did it spring from the mind of George Lucas? Make up your own mind by checking it out right here.
Time+Tide
This year, Longines is jumping on board the Black Friday sales and, boy, are there deals to be had. With watches from across their different collections up for grabs, if you’ve been in the market for one of the Saint-Imier brand’s watches for a while and haven’t pulled the trigger, today is the day to … ContinuedThe post Our 5 picks from the (crazy) Longines Black Friday sale appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
Almost exactly a year after the inaugural limited edition designed by Alain Silberstein, Louis Erard has just unveiled its second collaboration, this time with Vianney Halter, the watchmaker best known for a unique, steampunk-inspired aesthetic. Designed by Mr Halter and made by Louis Erard, the Le Régulateur Louis Erard x Vianney Halter is based on the Excellence Régulateur, but dressed up with many of the independent watchmaker’s signature design elements on the dial. Initial thoughts The dial is executed with the distinctive aesthetic found on Mr Halter’s best-known watches, namely the Antiqua and Classic – which were penned by American designer Jeff Barnes. Although the case and dial layout are identical to Louis Erard’s stock regulator model, the typography and hands of Mr Halter are unique enough to make it instantly recognisable. As it is based on the standard model, the Régulateur Vianney Halter has the same strengths and weaknesses. Most obviously, it is affordable and good value, but the case is thick at a little over 12 mm high, meaning it feels slightly chunky. Conceptually, this collaboration functioned exactly like the earlier one with Alain Silberstein, but it feels less complete because of the background of the collaborator. While Mr Silberstein was always a watch designer, Mr Halter is well established as a watchmaker and known as a skilled prototypist. As a result, while the new watch possesses a recognisable Vianney Halter style – and it ...
SJX Watches
Perhaps the quintessential Blancpain dress watch, the Villeret is simple yet distinctive in style. Named after the own where Blancpain was founded, the Villeret collection has existed since the resurrection of the brand in the 1980s, but almost always with a white dial. So the latest to join the line up is unusual: the Villeret Extraplate Boutique Edition, a richly coloured watch in yellow gold and metallic olive green. Initial thoughts While exceedingly simple in design, the Villeret is made up of several subtle elements that make its instantly recognisable. The Roman numerals, for instance, have an unusual, geometric font that give them a slightly modern look. Add to that leaf hands with an open centre, and the narrow, double-stepped, bezel, and it is a Villeret. The design is easily defined, but the Villeret line up is mostly made up of watches that resemble each other – most commonly a solemn white dial matched with a rose gold case. The highlight of the new model is its colour, which makes a big difference. A first for Blancpain, the combination of a yellow gold case with a green dial is starkly different from the typical Villeret iterations. The colours are more contemporary and less old fashioned, resulting in a dress watch that stands out. Because both the case and dial colours are warm, the watch has a rich, saturated look that is striking, but perhaps not for everyone. That said, it is only 40 mm wide and 8.7 mm high, compact dimension that give it a discree...
Time+Tide
The Omega Speedmaster is one of the most celebrated watches of the last half-century, in part because of the countless different versions the brand has released. But in a world where a limited-edition Speedmaster isn’t a new thing anymore, is the watch community still interested in another new release? This watch has put it beyond … ContinuedThe post The Omega Speedmaster ‘Silver Snoopy Award’ 50th Anniversary will spark joy in even the coldest heart appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
Just as IWC overhauled their Pilot’s collection in 2019, this year is all about the Portugieser collection for the Schaffhausen-based brand. While there are more than a dozen new references within the 2020 lineup, there’s one particular piece that not only captures the new direction of the collection but also encapsulates what IWC does so … ContinuedThe post Complexity made simple with the IWC Portugieser Perpetual Calendar 42 Boutique Edition appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Watch consumers are always looking for a fresh new face to add to their wrists and collections. The irony, however, is we also tend to flock to familiar designs – references we believe are iconic. So how do we solve this problem? As per usual, Bamford has the answer. The Bamford Watch Department is known … ContinuedThe post INTRODUCING: The TAG Heuer Aquaracer Bamford Limited Edition appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
The new Omega Speedmaster ‘Silver Snoopy Award’ 50th Anniversary is many things, but limited in numbers it is not. That’s right, for the first time ever, the brand has released a non-limited edition Snoopy Speedy. For many collectors who missed out on the other two references – released in 2003 and 2015 – this is an … ContinuedThe post VIDEO: The feel-good watch of the year? The uplifting power of the Omega Speedmaster ‘Silver Snoopy Award’ appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Hodinkee
We're feeling grateful for the watchmaking on display in this pre-Thanksgiving lineup.
Time+Tide
If you, like many others, stumbled across the watch collecting hobby entirely by yourself, you know that feeling of loneliness. You may spend hours perfecting a wrist shot to show off your grail purchases, incredible bargains, or vintage eBay snipes, only to have friends and family snub you by exclaiming, “You bought another watch?” Well, … ContinuedThe post Do your friends think watch collecting is strange? These are the best watches to get your friends into watches appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
The Speedmaster Professional is so well known, so in command of its hallowed place in the history of watchmaking, how could you possibly find an alternative? Given that it is a watch that has actually been to the moon (conspiracy theories about the Mojave Desert aside), any comparisons will have to be approximate at best. … ContinuedThe post Attention space cowboys: 5 alternatives to the Omega Speedmaster that you probably haven’t considered appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
OK, let’s start by remembering the SBDC007, the legendary Seiko Shogun. Now I might be slightly biased because, at one point, I had two of them - after reading reviews saying the watch was so good it’d make you forget your other wrist-worn beauties. Well, believe the hype. The watch was that good and pretty … ContinuedThe post HANDS-ON: The new Shogun is finally here in the form of the Seiko Prospex SPB189 and SPB191 appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
Founded by a pair of Japanese watchmakers, Kikuchi Nakagawa got its start in 2018 with the launch of the Murakumo, a time-only wristwatch inspired by the Patek Philippe Calatrava ref. 96 of the 1930s. Now the duo once again look to Swiss watchmaking of the same period for the Ichimonji. Kikuchi Nakagawa’s newest watch sticks to the elegantly focused formula that defined the Murakumo – a black-polished steel case, along with hand-made hands, and a Vaucher movement. The emphasis is recreating the vintage aesthetic as well as honing the case finishing to the highest level. Initial thoughts The appeal of the Ichimonji is very much like that of its predecessor. It looks and feels like a vintage watch, but not quite, because it is clearly finished to a far higher level, a quality that is discernible in how the surfaces catch the light. Design wise the watch faithfully recreates the sensation of a vintage watch, but elevates it to another level of refinement thanks to a keen attention to detail. Take for instance the hour numerals for five and seven, which have been replaced with dots in order to avoid cutaway numerals. And the external finishing of the watch is similarly elevated. In fact, there is likely no other watch in this price segment with a similarly finished case. The case is polished by hand as a movement component would be, as are the hands. While the baton-shaped hands appear similar at a glance, but are actually three dimensional and hand finished to create br...
Time+Tide
With eBay being one of the largest marketplaces in the world, the go-to platform for sellers looking to find buyers for their goods, it can be home to some of the most desired and in-demand products worldwide – including watches. While some have hesitated to take the plunge on a watch purchase via the site, … ContinuedThe post The most expensive watches sold on eBay in 2020 appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Quill & Pad
Champagne is not a wine that most people enjoy at home or by themselves as they might a good red or a top spirit. Champagne is for occasions and for sharing and enjoying with friends. If times have been tough for the large Champagne-based houses, they have been even worse for many of the small growers and their champagnes. Here Ken Gargett take a look at two up-and-coming growers for your consideration.
Hodinkee
Rolling out the red ceramic.
Deployant
Two weeks ago, MB&F; celebrated 10 years of our HM3 Frog by announcing the “FrogX” anniversary editions. The Frog was one of the two crazy watches debuted by MB&F; in 2010. The same year also saw the release of the radical HM4 Thunderbolt. To celebrate the 10th Anniversary, MB&F; transforms the original HM4 prototype intoRead More
Revolution
MB&F; marks the 10th anniversary of the HM4 with a pièce unique made from the very prototype that was used to launch the watch in 2010, meet the HM4 Kittyhawk.
Time+Tide
The perpetual calendar is widely recognised as one of IWC’s greatest strengths. Back in the 1980s, legendary watchmaker Kurt Klaus was challenged to develop a new version of this highly intricate mechanism. He responded with an ingenious upgrade that essentially streamlined the complication by doing away with the correctors and enabling the calendar functions to … ContinuedThe post HANDS-ON: The IWC Portugieser Perpetual Calendar 42 Boutique Edition would make Kurt Klaus smile appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
Being quarantined in our homes this year has encouraged us to binge more series and films than ever before. Fortunately, it’s the golden age of TV dramas, which means you don’t have to re-watch an episode of The Office or Seinfeld for the 100th time. One such show that has recently taken Netflix by storm is … ContinuedThe post Bulova makes a scene-stealing cameo in Netflix’s “The Queen’s Gambit” appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
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