23,442 articles · 178 videos found · page 681 of 788
Revolution
Attention, Star Wars fans. URWERK is celebrating May 4th with a UR-100 Gold model inspired by C-3PO, and a special auction for the watch is being launched to support organisations fighting the COVID-19 pandemic.
SJX Watches
Returning to a metal it has not used in a long time, Urwerk debuts the UR-100 Gold Edition in 18k yellow gold. It’s a limited edition of just 25 watches, with the first watch slated to be sold to benefit medical research in an online auction. The Gold Edition is the fourth iteration of the brand’s entry-level watch, which was previously available only in steel. Because of the case material, the Gold Edition is more costly, but by a reasonable margin, than the earlier steel versions. Initial thoughts Though Urwerk watches make the most sense in steel or titanium – those materials match the sci-fi style and mechanics – they have the most appealing tangible feel in precious metal. And brushed yellow gold has a restrained-but-luxe look that I like, though I would worry about it being quite easily scuffed. The downside of an Urwerk watch in gold or platinum is typically weight, and the resulting poor ergonomics. But as the UR-100 is one of the smallest, and definitely the slimmest, Urwerk watches to date, it is likely the most wearable gold Urwerk to date. Importantly, it’s priced at about 20% over the steel version, or 10,000 Swiss francs, which is reasonable as such things go. The Gold Edition is worth the stretch, assuming you can live with the less-robust case material. 2N gold The gold case is finished with a pronounced brushed finish, with the edges framed by polished bevels, resulting in a soft sheen that goes with the pale colour of the alloy – 2N gold accor...
Time+Tide
If you’re reading Time+Tide, then you probably already own a watch. In fact, I suspect, you’re likely to have a fair old few. There’s that slimline dress watch that nestles so comfortably beneath your shirt cuff. The rugged diver that you love in spite of the fact that you barely know how to snorkel. Perhaps … ContinuedThe post There is a scientific reason that you ache for new watches, this is it appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
Editor’s note: This week on Micro Mondays we focus our gaze on a British brand that has made waves in the space over the last few years, delivering affordably priced watches with ample character to make them stand out from an increasingly crowded segment of the market. Farer are not immune to taking cues from … ContinuedThe post MICRO MONDAYS: The Farer Oxley GMT offers quarantine comfort, for the right amount of cost appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
The first rule about Schnitzel Dinner is that you don’t ask to be invited to Schnitzel Dinner. You be nice to Frank from Monochrome. You wait by the inbox. You hope like hell you’re going to be in ‘the 45’. The first part was the problem for us at Time+Tide. The Dutchies are just so … ContinuedThe post What is the ‘Baselworld Schnitzel Dinner’, and why does it matter? appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
Watch customisation is now a field you can get into at high and low price points, but it’s still fair to say that going bespoke with a quality watch fit for the Ministry of Defence for example, is generally reserved for the upper echelons of independent watchmaking. And up at a price point where you … ContinuedThe post Bespoke, baby! You can now build your own custom Bremont Martin-Baker appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Quill & Pad
Vacheron Constantin launches two new brown-toned FiftySix models – Self-Winding and Complete Calendar – in 5N red gold cases. Elizabeth Doerr likes their retro vibe very much. What do you think?
Time+Tide
It takes an iron will to walk past an A. Lange & Söhne dealer without losing a few minutes of your day. The German masters ensure their collections soar above the competition, bewitching onlookers and dominating wish-lists around the world. If you’re lucky, dead in the centre of the captivating display will be a Zeitwerk … ContinuedThe post INTRODUCING: The A. Lange & Söhne Zeitwerk Minute Repeater, the three-quarters of a million dollar watch appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Deployant
Czapek & Cie presents the Quai des Bergues “Sursum Corda” – a unique piece created to celebrate the 175th anniversary and offers to uplift the spirit.
Time+Tide
I still get lost in the details of the Rolex Submariner that was my first serious watch. The proportions of its features seem divinely inspired, everything ideally sized and placed. Its glossy black dial is startling to look at, somehow bottled essence of the pure void. When I put it on, the oyster bracelet, in … ContinuedThe post In defence of obvious watches appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
When applied to watches, “bespoke” brings to mind the ultra-complicated timepieces made for famous historical figures like James W. Packard and Henry Graves Jr., who each commissioned a succession of one-off watches that pushed the technical boundaries of watchmaking in the early decades of the 20th century. One of those watches, the landmark Patek Philippe “Supercomplication” made for Graves, long held the title of most-expensive-watch ever sold. In the modern day, watchmakers continue to create unique watches. Patek Philippe does it quietly for its best clients, while Vacheron Constantin is more public with its Atelier Cabinotiers department that specialises in customised timepieces. Similarly, artisanal independent watchmakers like Voutilainen often accept commissions. But as a collector, how easy is it to dip your toes into the waters of bespoke or custom watchmaking? This is my maiden experience with such watches, which started at Andersen Geneve some six years ago. Svend at work Industrial vs. artisanal I first wanted to get involved in the creation of a custom watch in 2014. I already knew then it could not merely be changing colours on the dial or hands, neither could it be an engraved monogram. What I wanted was a truly unique world-time watch with a Louis Cottier-type mechanism. At the same time, I had a certain budget in mind, so I approached independent watchmakers that made watches I liked, but with steel cases. Somewhat naively, I thought adding a ti...
Quill & Pad
Ah, gift giving! If there’s another ostensibly positive activity so burdened with the risk of a negative outcome, GaryG has yet to find it. And a watch that looks like a skull for a special present isn't perhaps a conventional choice, but he had no doubt that this particular skull would receive an enthusiastic reception. Find out why right here.
Quill & Pad
Elizabeth Doerr is currently enjoying watching 'The Last Dance' miniseries about Michael Jordan's career, and even more so thanks to glimpses of the great watches she keeps spying as the series progresses. She's only two episodes in at present, but what grabbed her right from the first minutes was the fact that both Jordan and Bulls forward Scottie Pippen are wearing large, noticeable watches by Roger Dubuis. Find out which ones here.
Deployant
We challenged you to #ShootYourWatches, and you responded. We picked our favourites and showcased them in two earlier articles and here.
SJX Watches
Ming is a “micro brand” that has gained tremendous recognition in a remarkably short period thanks to a well-cultivated design language and smart pricing. While the brand started out with the affordable 17 series, it then went upmarket with the 19 series. Now the brand has unveiled a new model that’s in-between the two, the Ming 27.01. In many ways it’s an evolution of the entry-level 17 series, with a more elaborately-conceived but notably thin case as well as a major upgrade in terms of mechanics, resulting in a slightly higher retail price of 3,950 Swiss francs. Initial thoughts The 27.01 is a good-looking derivative of the 17 series that launched the brand. But it’s not just a similar design, the watch has been upgraded in a useful way, mainly with slimmer proportions and a more interesting movement. Though the base movement is a pedestrian ETA Peseux, it’s been smartly modified to look different and attractive (though the revamped bridges look a bit skimpy leading to minor worries about shock resistance). While the 17 series was great value for money – and cost very little money – the 27.01 is pricey in comparison. It’s priced substantially higher, at about US$4,000, which is still reasonable value, but less easily compelling than the 17 series. An exercise in reductivism While the 27.01 retains the same 38 mm case diameter as the 17.01, its height of just 6.9 mm 27.01 makes it the slimmest Ming watch to date. Because of its svelte dimensions, the ca...
Time+Tide
The story of the Portugieser begins with two businessmen from, you guessed it, Portugal. They went to IWC asking for a watch as accurate as a marine chronometer but could be worn on the wrist, something that hadn’t been done before by the brand. The only way the Schaffhausen-based manufacturer could meet the brief was … ContinuedThe post INTRODUCING: The IWC Portugieser Automatic 40, a new contender for the ultimate ‘one watch’ appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
This time a couple of weeks ago, the challenge was set, and it was formidable. A fast approaching watch fair – Watches & Wonders – with no watches in sight. None to have. None to hold. None to video. What choice but to fold? We didn’t do that, though. We’re Aussies, we don’t give up … ContinuedThe post FRIDAY WIND DOWN: An open letter describing how you schooled us on the place of watches in a pandemic. How can they still matter? appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
This year, Cartier are shining the spotlight on the pioneering age of aviation as a source of inspiration. And that brings to the fore the wristwatch that started it all, the Santos-Dumont. The model returned to prominence in 2019 with the quartz Cartier Santos-Dumont. While the Cartier family and Brazilian inventor Alberto Santos-Dumont are inexorably … ContinuedThe post INTRODUCING: The Cartier Santos-Dumont “La Demoiselle” Limited Edition in platinum, a feast of details appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Deployant
We take a look at some of the Panerai novelties from Watches and Wonders 2020, with new additions to the Luminor and Submersible collection.
SJX Watches
Audemars Piguet is one of the most recognised brands in haute horlogerie, but since François-Henry Bennahmias took over as chief executive in 2012, it has enjoyed turbocharged growth, with turnover more than doubling to over a billion francs in 2019. As the crisis hit, Audemars Piguet was still in the midst of executing some drastic strategic changes in the brand’s distribution and marketing – eliminating all third-party retail as well as pulling out from the SIHH trade fair. Has the crisis changed its plans? François-Henry Bennahmias answers our questions from his home in Nyon, a town 40 minutes to Audemars Piguet’s headquarters in Le Brassus (which just opens its new museum shaped like a glass spiral). Francois-Henri at home in Nyon How has this crisis impacted your business? All our manufacturing sites are closed; 85% of our stores worldwide are closed. So we are drastically impacted as you can imagine. 2020 will be affected in a substantial way. But with what our team have achieved in the past eight years, Audemars Piguet can weather the storm. Our financial health is good. We are able to keep every single employee around the world on the payroll. That is mainly what we have been working on: taking care of our people, of their health and of their jobs. In this regard, I would say that all is good! Obviously, the situation calls for a deep reflection on the “after”. Anyone who believes that we will go back to the normal we once knew is completely mistaken. ...
Hodinkee
Deep-cut inspiration re-thought for a modern tribute to a forgotten chronograph.
Revolution
The new Tonda references feature smaller case sizes, mechanical calibers, and the richest of looks to adorn the most delicate wrists.
Two Broke Watch Snobs
As Baselworld prospects continue to fade, Sinn conducts their first-ever live streaming event to introduce new releases.
Quill & Pad
These four new additions to the Jaeger-LeCoultre 2020 Master Control collection are powered by manufacture movements of the highest quality combined with refined aesthetics and an elegant, instrument-style allure. Sabine Zwettler takes a closer look at them here.
SJX Watches
Sinn‘s signature dive watch is the near-indestructible U1 that’s a large 44 mm in diameter. Now Sinn has unveiled the mid-sized version of the same, the U50, which offers all of the goodness of its bigger brother but in a 41 mm case. Initial thoughts I am a fan of the original U1 because it is seriously minded in its functionality, encompassing design, material, and testing. And it is affordable, making it great value for money. The new U50 has almost all of the same features and similar pricing, so it is hard not to like it. But one caveat: though the U1 is a largish 44 mm, it never really felt that large, perhaps because of the short lugs and wide bezel (thus a small dial). So while the U50 may fit better on some wrists, it might look smaller than its 41 mm diameter suggests. U50 at 41 mm (left), and U1 at 44 mm Super steel Like the U1, the new U50 has a case made of submarine steel, the same alloy used for the German navy’s submarines. Highly resistant to seawater corrosion and also especially nonmagnetic, the steel alloy comes from ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems, a builder of naval vessels, and is the same material used for the hull of the stealthy U212 class of submarines. It’s rated to 500 m – hence the U50 moniker – and powered by the no-nonsense Sellita SW300-1, a clone of the ETA 2892. That’s less than the 1000 m of the U1, but 500 m is still plenty – and about the same depth rating as most navy submarines. And if the submarine steel alloy alone wasn...
Deployant
Montblanc is building up its identity as the adventurer brand, heritage sports. In particular, there is, as with many other brands, the obsession with navigation and the reminiscence of European adventurism. Of the models this year, the brand has mostly stuck to its guns with the Geosphere, and Monopusher. The 24 hour single hand watch is also rather unique. The case dimensions for the watches remain on the more hefty side of things, as expected especially with the thicker movement Monopusher automatic.
Revolution
Divers, pilots and … drinks? Sinn’s 2020 releases appeal to a broad range of tastes.
SJX Watches
While Bulgari is probably best known for the ultra-thin Octo Finissimo and serpent-inspired, jewelled timepieces, one of its earliest wristwatch icons – and one with a broader appeal – is the Bulgari Bulgari, which happens to have been designed by Gerald Genta. And the new Bulgari Bulgari Cities Special Edition 2020 – each accompanied by a set of prints – actually harks back to the origins of the design, which was conceived as an entry-level watch. Introduced in 1977, the Bulgari Bulgari was Genta’s adaptation of the Bulgari Roma, a digital quartz watch that Bulgari gifted its top 100 clients in 1975. Engraved with “BVLGARI” and “ROMA” on its bezel, the watch borrowed from ancient Roman coins with the reigning Emperor’s name inscribed on the circumference. Genta transformed the dinky gift into the Bulgari Bulgari, which has since become one of the jeweller’s trademark watches. The Bulgari Bulgari of 1977 (left), and the dinky digital watch of 1975. Photo – Bulgari Initial thoughts The new Cities Edition takes inspiration from a limited run of watches with black-plastic cases in the early 1990s. Though small, those were good-looking watches, because they combined the classic Bulgari Bulgari style with a stark black-and-gold livery. But the cases were plastic and the watches felt cheap – though to be fair they were cheaply, and fairly, priced. Now Bulgari has translated the same look into a larger, upgraded watch with a steel case and in-house mo...
Quill & Pad
The Armin Strom Gravity Equal Force Oster Edition is the result of an informal meeting between Denver-based retailer Jeremy Oster, Armin Strom head of watchmaking Claude Greisler, and independent watchmaker extraordinaire Kari Voutilainen. Not surprisingly, the collaboration resulted in a stunning, technical watch limited to just 10 pieces and available only through Oster Jewelers. It's a must-see!
Hodinkee
I would rather die of passion than of boredom. — Vincent van Gogh
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