Hodinkee
The Man With The Golden Sub
Diving for 40 years with a solid gold Rolex Submariner 1680.
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Hodinkee
Diving for 40 years with a solid gold Rolex Submariner 1680.
Time+Tide
I have a secret crush and an unrequited love for metal. Not the usual dazzle of gold or techy titanium, but another silk surfaced alloy, the unusual feel of aluminium. This time not heavy – like the music blasting me through gym time in my headphones, this is oh so light. I still remember that … ContinuedThe post The Bulgari Aluminium GMT is the ultimate travel-cool watch for your next summer holiday appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
Having introduced a new design language along with the all-new, automatic 9SA5 last year, Grand Seiko is now doing the same for the Spring Drive. The watchmaker has debuted a pair of Heritage Collection Seiko 140th Anniversary Limited Editions, the “Minamo” SLGA007 in steel and the “Tree Rings” SLGA008 in rose gold. Both are powered by the 9RA2 that’s part of the family of latest-generation Spring Drive movements first seen last year in the Grand Seiko Diver 600 m SLGA001. Just 5 mm high, the slimness of the 9RA5 means the pair of new models are the thinnest Grand Seiko Spring Drive watches to date. Initial thoughts The new models are essentially Spring Drive versions of the self-winding Heritage models launched last year (including an ultra-luxe platinum version and the more recent “White Birch”). That’s a good thing for two reasons. One is the intrinsic appeal of the design, which is vintage inspired and appealing, packaged in a case that’s a good size and easily wearable. And the other is the increased consistency in styling between Grand Seiko’s Spring Drive and automatic models, doing away with the confusing distinction between movements and designs. The “Minamo” SLGA007 in steel But that’s also the downside for the buyers of the limited-edition models (either these or the automatics), since the design has been replicated as a standard-production watch with the automatic movement, and the same will surely be done for the new 9RA2 Spring Dr...
Deployant
The Aqua Terra is a versatile luxury sports watch, with steel for the more utilitarian and gold for those who like the color and don't mind the price premium. The 150m water resistance will suffice any amateur diver/snorkeler needs and the movement is as advanced as it gets.
Revolution
The Clash [Un]Limited Baignoire mitten, a 3D printed rose gold mesh formed into a mitten with a Baignoire Allongée seamlessly incorporated.
SJX Watches
Essentially a dressed-up version of the Monsieur in black ceramic, the Monsieur Superleggera Edition takes inspiration from the J12 Superleggera, a chronograph named after the ultra-light racing cars of the mid-20th century. Like the J12, the Monsieur Superleggera has an obvious automotive theme in its design, with its time display redesigned to resemble a speedometer. Initial thoughts I’m a fan of the Monsieur de Chanel in its earlier iterations, including the original model in “beige” gold and more recent version in ceramic and marble. They were all clean, stylish, and mostly monochromatic – and equipped with a sophisticated, attractive movement. The Superleggera Edition has the same movement, but the style is the opposite. It has a techno-automotive style that tries a bit too hard for my tastes. While the texturing and scales have a clear automotive inspiration, they don’t add much to the visual appeal of the watch. Ironically, the inspiration for the new Monsieur, the J12 Superleggera of 2005, actually looks more streamlined, despite being a chronograph. Still, the Monsieur Superleggera probably like a fancy bodykit for a car – it’ll divide opinions. Anyone who finds the plainer Monsieur boring would applaud this. Superleggera Italian for “super light”, Superleggera was an Italian coachbuilder that specialised in lightweight automobile bodies comprising a tubular steel frame cover in thin, aluminium-alloy panels. Perhaps the most famous automobile w...
Quill & Pad
As Zenith is a sponsor of the Swiss Open in Gstaad, Elizabeth Doerr had the opportunity to attend the 2021 edition where she handled a number of Zenith’s most recent watch releases, falling in love with two in particular: the new Chronomaster Original and Chronomaster Sport Gold, both powered by the legendary (and now updated) El Primero chronograph movement.
Deployant
The Montblanc Heritage Pythagore Small Second Limited Edition 148, Montblanc takes the best vintage cues from Minerva’s rich past and iterates it for the present. Two models in 18 K rose or white gold with different coloured dials make up the collection.
SJX Watches
Announced by Seiko almost a year ago, the Custom Watch Beatmaker was an online contest to design the brand’s next sports watch. Seiko just unveiled the winner – which has been brought to life as a limited edition – the Seiko 5 Sports Custom Watch Beatmaker 2021. A surprisingly clean design, the winner has a gold dial circled by a “Pepsi” bezel. It was one of about 50,000 submissions, but it won by a surprisingly large margin of 8.5 million votes out of a 16 million-vote total – possibly due to a group effort by a forum dedicated to Seiko. Initial thoughts The Custom Watch Beatmaker contest was in many ways an official acknowledgment of the Seiko “mods” community that pursue aftermarket customisation of Seiko watches. It’s uncommon for a big brand to do so, though the contest was centred on the Seiko 5 Sports, the brand’s entry-level mechanical watch. But Seiko itself has changed the landscape since the contest was announced in October 2020. The brand has since launched numerous Seiko 5 Sports “crossover” editions featuring Japanese pop-culture themes, resulting in watches far from the average Seiko 5. In comparison, the contest edition seems less special, at least from an aesthetic perspective, since it’s basically rearranged the colours of a few elements instead of being an all-new design. Still, compared to the regular-production Seiko 5 Sports, the Beatmaker edition stands out. The gold, sunburst dial on a dive-style watch is uncommon, not to...
SJX Watches
One of the biggest surprises amongst A. Lange & Söhne’s mid-year launches is the return of the Langematik Perpetual (the other being a Handwerkskunst in an unusual rectangular case). Launched two decades ago, the Langematik Perpetual is the brand’s longest-lived model – powered by the same movement from the start – though it’s been gradually phased out. Having discontinued the gold and platinum versions, Lange then introduced a limited edition in Honey Gold in 2019, and nothing else – until now. The Langematik Perpetual returns back in style as a pair – with a dark blue dial in either a white or pink gold case. Initial thoughts The reintroduction of the Langematik Perpetual is unexpected, especially given the two-year gap between this and the last version. In fact, that already seemed like a farewell model – it was a limited edition in Honey Gold, the proprietary alloy Lange usually reserved for special occasions, like the recent 175th Anniversary “Homage to F.A. Lange”. But the revival of Langematik Perpetual makes sense from a historical perspective, since 2021 marks the 20th anniversary of the model, which was the brand’s first perpetual calendar and a special one at the time of its launch, being the first perpetual calendar wristwatch with an oversized date display. At the same time, it’s heartening to see the return of an exceptionally fine, automatic movement. The cal. L922.1 “Sax-O-Mat” has an off-centre, almost-micro rotor that is in...
Quill & Pad
The date: January 13, 2012. The place: Glashütte, Germany, where one of my best friends had arranged for the two of us to visit A. Lange & Söhne. The vision: my friend extended his arm from the sleeve of his shirt, and what I saw left me reeling – my first view of the Lange Datograph Perpetual in white gold. I was confident from that very moment that this was a watch for me, but pursuit of the piece took four long years.
Hodinkee
Hatchi matchi, now in rose gold.
Hodinkee
Combo metals became a signature of '80s watchmaking – and then went out of style alongside shoulder pads, pegged jeans, and jazzercise. But one of our writers never stopped loving them. And he says a new dawn of steel and gold is upon us.
Hodinkee
Even the King wears this particular solid gold Crown.
Deployant
Three years after its inception, Patek Philippe finally introduces a gold variant to the Aquanaut Chronograph model, the Ref. 5968G in khaki and blue.
Deployant
The Breitling Premier Datora is Breitling's take on a calendar chronograph with moon-phase. Featuring rectangular chronograph pushers and Arabic numerals, the heritage-revived Premier Datora displays a variety of details such as grooves on the case-sides, open sapphire casebacks and syringe hands. The Datora comes in stainless steel with a copper dial or in 18k red gold with a silver dial. “Datora” was a term used by Breitling in the 1940s and refers to a complete calendar chronograph displaying day, date, month and moonphase.
Revolution
For Patek Philippe’s 2021 rare handcrafts exhibition, the maison has launched the Patek Philippe Sky Moon Tourbillon Ref. 6002R-001 in rose gold
Time+Tide
The Cartier Crash is a bit of an enigma in the history of the French brand. The story behind its Salvador Dali-esque design is far-fetched – a Cartier Tank was returned for repair to the London boutique after being in a car crash, the unusual shape the result of the gold melting in the heat … ContinuedThe post The Cartier Crash is officially trending after popping up in Tyler The Creator’s new video appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
Patek Philippe keeps up the pace with the fourth instalment of new releases for the year, which were just announced at its annual Rare Handcrafts Exhibition in Geneva. While most of the watches at the exhibition are one-offs bestowed with colourful, artisanal decoration, the line up includes an ensemble of repeating watches, led by the flamboyant Sky Moon Tourbillon in pink gold and brown. Simpler, at least relatively speaking, is the Minute Repeater Perpetual Calendar Ref. 5374G that packs a pair of high-end complications fronted by a blue, grand feu enamel dial. Initial thoughts Today’s launches stand in stark contrast to the brand’s hottest watches of the moment – the sports watches that are arguably its most recognisable products now – that were its opening act for the year. Patek Philippe launched a slew of exquisite, highly decorated timepieces today, affirming its twin strengths – haute horlogerie and metiers d’art. The generous array of Rare Handcrafts, along with the fact that several are chiming watches, is a reminder that Patek Philippe is more than a faddish, integrated-bracelet sports watch. That said, the ref. 5374 is not entirely new (neither is the flagship Sky Moon Tourbillon ref. 6002R). In fact, the only truly new reference amongst the Rare Handcrafts complications is the Ladies Minute Repeater ref. 7040/250G. The ref. 5374 was first introduced in 2016 with a platinum case and black enamel dial – a formal, classical package. Now it ge...
SJX Watches
Usually associated with solar-powered, high-spec professional diver’s watches, Citizen has just launched something unusual. The Promaster Mechanical Diver 200 m is a higher-end dive watch powered by the automatic cal. 9051 and a case made of its proprietary, hardened titanium. Initial thoughts The new Promaster is a huge – it’s 46 mm wide – with an aggressively, slightly over-the-top-design. And for that reason it’s cool; the style and size will surely appeal to anyone who likes large dive watches. Importantly, the Promaster Mechanical Diver is automatic, which gives it a greater technical appeal for the watch enthusiast. Citizen’s dive watch offerings in recent years have either been solar or entry-level automatics (priced at between US$300-400), while the new Promaster costs about US$1,000. The price brings with its an impressively constructed case in hardened titanium, a massive bezel, and prominently domed sapphire crystal. With Citizen having a history of dive watches with even greater depth ratings, the followups to the new Promaster will be worth keeping an eye on, especially a 1,000 m diver in the same style. The case is 15.3 mm high, with almost half of that the bezel Large and light Despite the case size, the Promaster Mechanical Diver is lightweight. Both the case and bezel are Super Titanium, titanium that boasts an extra-hard surface thanks to Duratect treatment. The process takes place with the component in chamber that’s heated to several...
Deployant
Parmigiani refreshes the Tondagraph GT collection with two new models (steel and rose gold) with bi-colour dials with rubber strap or metal bracelet.
Quill & Pad
Bracelets are one of the most underappreciated watch components. They are often taken for granted, yet designing and crafting a good one comes with considerable challenges. Martin Green thinks that the new Breguet Marine bracelets are a winner, but especially in gold there's a price to pay.
Deployant
The watch is classically Cartier, and has a novel case shape which its Prive line is known for. It is priced at S$39,400 in gold and S$44,600 in platinum and is limited to 100 pieces per model. The small production number and the novel case shape is the biggest sell point of the watch, but in comparison, a gold Tank Louis Cartier with the same movement is approximately 40% less expensive.
Deployant
We managed to get our hands on with a sample of the Petermann Bedat 1967 Chapter 1 Jumping Seconds watch in pink gold recently. Here is the Watchscapes.
Deployant
The Patek Philippe Aquanaut 2021 lineup gets a fresh set of novelties. A new men's chronograph in white gold, and 5 new ladies Luce watches are released.
SJX Watches
Tudor hit it out of the park at Watches & Wonders 2021 with the surprising pair of precious-metal Fifty Eights (in 18k gold as well as sterling silver), but it’s clear the brand is not done with the year yet. Tudor has just taken the covers off the Black Bay Ceramic. The new 41 mm diver is the brand’s first regular-production dive watch with a ceramic case, but more significant is the fact that this is Tudor’s first watch to obtain METAS certification, making it a Master Chronometer. Initial thoughts The Black Bay Ceramic is a surprise. Tudor hinted at a new launch recently, but given it just announced a partnership with French Navy, or Marine Nationale, I was expecting an “MN” dive watch with blue dial. That said, it was inevitable a ceramic dive watch was in the pipeline after. For one, the brand already had a ceramic case chronograph in the catalogue with the usually overlooked the Fastrider Black Shield. And more importantly, the unique Black Bay Ceramic One – essentially the forerunner of the Black Bay Ceramic – sold for CHF350,000 at charity auction Only Watch 2019. The Black Bay Ceramic One from 2019 The Black Bay Ceramic While inevitable, the Black Bay Ceramic is still very much welcome. Its aesthetic is a good one, managing to feel contemporary despite the all-black aesthetic having had its heyday about decade ago. I would have hoped for a 39 mm Fifty-Eight case, instead of the 41 mm that it is, but its dark colours will make the case appear sma...
Quill & Pad
Since Baselworld 2018, Rolex has subtly been revisiting its 36 mm Datejust models. The two stainless steel/white gold models revealed at Baselworld 2019 were the last of these, and Saad Chaudhry is pleased to now delve into the new and improved details of this popular modern wristwatch.
Deployant
Patek Philippe re-writes the reference standard with their new Calatrava Ref. 6119. We do a deep dive into the rose gold model.
Time+Tide
Back in March, we covered the story of a horrific watch theft in Beverly Hills California where a Richard Mille robbery occurred leaving an undisclosed women wounded by a firearm. Shay Belhassen was targeted for his RM-11-03 Flyback Chronograph in rose gold, a watch worth $500,000, while dining with a female companion at celebrity hotspot … ContinuedThe post Three men apprehended for robbery of a Richard Mille RM 11-03 in Beverly Hills appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
Oblong in shape and entirely resin, the original G-Shock has evolved in recent years into something altogether more fancy, while retaining the signature 5000-series design. While the traditional resin models remain in the line up, the Full Metal collection has rapidly grown to include models in steel, titanium, as well as in ridiculous-but-cool 18k yellow gold. Taking things to the next level is the G-Shock Full Metal GMW-B5000TR. Made of a newly-developed titanium alloy that’s twice as hard as pure titanium, the latest Full Metal model has an unapologetically bold “rainbow” bracelet with links in four different colours. Initial thoughts I was shocked when I first saw the multicolour bracelet – it seemed too much. But I let it sit for a day, and the look started to grow on me. The Full Metal “Rainbow” is a G-Shock that truly caters to the enthusiasts, because it is so different and so unexpected, yet executed to a high standard – attributes that mark it out as a serious G-Shock for the collector who is willing to pay a premium for such things. Echoing the bracelet, the digital display is also multicolour The foundations of the watch are strong. Now almost 40 years old, the design remains durable – the square case is the iconic G-Shock – and looks as good as it did in 1983 when the DW-5000 made its debut. Rendering the design in rainbow colours and a new titanium alloy only adds to the appeal. That said, this is the latest of many, many Full Metal mode...
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