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Time+Tide
Welcome back to Great ’Grams, where we take a look at some of my favourite Instagram posts of the last week, by some of the most interesting people in the watch world. Last week we spanned the gulf of limited edition A. Lange & Söhne to the best in vintage Seiko and more, but this … ContinuedThe post Great ‘Grams: A beautiful Bulgari and more … appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Hodinkee
The watch-industry legend has been awarded one of the French republic's most prestigious honors.
SJX Watches
Just as the inaugural LVMH Watch Week closed its doors – after Hublot, Bulgari and Zenith had presented their new timepieces – Louis Vuitton has something even bigger to boast about. The Parisian luxury brand, which is the biggest component of LVMH, has just acquired a stake in the world’s largest uncut diamond, which is also the second-biggest diamond ever. Discovered last April at the Karowe mine in Botswana, the Sewelô weighs 1,758 carats, or quite a bit larger than a tennis ball. Sewelo means “rare find” in Setswana, a language spoken in Southern Africa. It was the name chosen from some 22,000 entries that were submitted to a contest run by the mining firm that discovered the stone, Canadian outfit Lucara. Despite the moniker, the Sewelo is not unique – it is the second diamond over 1,000 carats mined by Karowe, after the 1,109 carat Lesedi de Rona found in 2015 and then sold for US$53 million to Graff, which cut it into in several smaller stones. Currently stored on the top floor of Louis Vuitton’s jewellery store on the Place Vendome in Paris, the Sewelô is covered in carbon, and its quality is unknown, although it was described as “near gem quality”, and containing “domains of high-quality white gem”, by Lucara. According to Louis Vuitton chief executive Michael Burke, quoted in The New York Times, the luxury house will only cut and set the stone after it has found a buyer, instead of keeping it as an object for exhibitions. Though Louis V...
Quill & Pad
At the 2020 LVMH Watch Week in Dubai, Hublot introduced a second chapter to its Rainbow concept by giving the shaped Spirit of Big Bang model the multicolored treatment. Martin Green thinks it is even better than the previous Big Bang edition as it's all down to the angles.
Revolution
The late Sultan of Oman was one of the most important watch collectors in the world, especially for vintage Rolex, Patek Philippe and IWC.
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Time+Tide
A lot of things have been said about Dan Henry timepieces – both good and bad. But to understand the watchmaker, we first need to understand the man behind the brand. Dan Henry may well be one of the most prolific vintage watch collectors on the planet, and his personal hoard of timepieces stretches well … ContinuedThe post Do you need a Dan Henry in your collection? appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
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There are a lot of traditions in the luxury watch industry. From the use of pegwood to polish bevels, to the Roman “IV” rendered as “IIII”, the culture of watchmaking is full of interesting customs passed down over generations. But the most fundamental tradition remains the reliance on incremental improvements towards better timekeeping. “Better” might mean absolute performance measured over a defined period such as an observatory trial (the objective of the superstar régleurs), or reliable long-term performance on the wrist. Regardless, for almost four hundred years the quest for better precision was the guiding principle of the trade. To paraphrase from historian David S. Landes’ Revolution in Time, “… it has always been the rule that the quality of [a watch] is a function of [its] precision.” Omega cal. 47.7 observatory chronometer, where the barrel and balance occupy almost all of the diameter. Image – Omega Today, some 50 years after mechanical timekeepers were left in the dust by their “better” electronic brethren, some makers of mechanical watches are more pious in their observance of this traditional approach to incremental improvement than their competitors. And if we look carefully, we can quantify this difference in approach by looking at how different watchmakers choose to use the available energy within their movements. Our interest was to find a way to quantify which watchmakers are making high-performance timekeeping choices and ...
Time+Tide
The debate about customised watches after they have left the factory is one that has been raging for generations. Is personalising your watch a laudable expression of individuality? Or is it a crass bastardisation of the very art of watchmaking? Here, Nick Kenyon and James Robinson tackle the debate head on. Nick Kenyon – The … ContinuedThe post Customised Watches: Watchmaking Crime or Horologically Sublime? appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Deployant
Breguet releases a new ladies watch with Tahitian mother-of-pearl adorned with sparkles of red and diamonds: the Breguet Classique Dame 9065.
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Zenith’s collaboration with Land Rover has produced the best-looking Defy 21 to date. Clad in matte grey with a handful of orange accents, the Defy 21 Land Rover Edition is pared back and minimalist compared to the typical Defy chronograph. It’s essentially a more compelling variant of a watch that is already strong value for money. Launched to mark the unveiling of the 2020 Land Rover Defender, the new Defy 21 has a case of micro-blasted titanium. The metal has been sandblasted to create an extremely fine, grained surface finish, giving it a dark grey appearance with a hint of olive green that evokes military equipment. The dial is finished in a similar shade of grey, with most of it reduced to the essentials. Both the hands and hour markers have been slimmed down and minimised, as has the power reserve indicator, which is now a narrow, horizontal window. Most of the usual automotive design elements have been avoided on the Defy 21, with the exception of the rotor, which is shaped like the wheel rim of the new Defender. But it is only visible from the back, and does not take away from the appealing minimalist look of the watch. Mechanically the Land Rover Edition is identical to the standard Defy 21, meaning it has twin oscillators and going trains, one for the timekeeping and the other for the 1/100th of a second chronograph. Key facts and price Defy 21 Land Rover Edition Ref. 97.9000.9004/01.R787 Diameter: 44 mm Height: 14.4 mm Material: Titanium Water resistance...
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Launched in 2005, the Big Bang was the watch that reestablished Hublot as a major watch brand. Fifteen years on, the model gets its most major revamp to date with the launch of the Big Bang Integral. While the basic concept is simple – it’s a Big Bang with an integrated bracelet – the new watch is a substantial upgrade in construction and finishing. The case was redesigned to fit the new bracelet, but also to accommodate a higher level of finishing. The Big Bang Integral King Gold Upgraded inside and out Most of the case edges, and also the pushers, have polished bevelling that contrasts with the brushed finishing on the top surfaces. The alternating surface finish continues onto the bracelet links, which are also facetted in profile. At the same time, the case construction has been improved in substance. Though the new case retains the traditional “sandwich” construction of the Big Bang, the filling of the “sandwich” is no longer resin, but is instead the same material as the front and back plates of the case. The only remaining resin bits are the resin lugs, or “ears”, on each side of the bezel at three and nine o’clock, the fundamental design feature of Hublot that was inspired by a ship’s porthole (hublot is porthole in French). The Big Bang Integral in titanium The All Black The new Big Bang is available in titanium or 18k King Gold as regular production models, and also the 500-piece limited edition Big Bang Integral All Black. Like its namesake...
Two Broke Watch Snobs
It’s the return of a classic. This time, you’re getting two episodes in one as the guys tackle their own affordable vintage watch categories.
Deployant
Edox is releasing a new limited-edition bronze SkyDiver Military, in homage to its 135-year history and for aficionados of fine military timepieces.
SJX Watches
The flagship launch for Bulgari at LVMH Watch Week is a compact tourbillon for ladies that’s technically interesting because it is powered by a newly-developed form movement. The Serpenti Seduttori Tourbillon is a moderately large ladies’ watch, with a case measuring 34 mm in diameter and a slim 8.9 mm high. Because it is a Serpenti – which is Italian for “serpent” – the case is shaped like a snake’s head, giving it an ovoid form that has quite a presence on the wrist. Available in white gold or rose gold, the case is set with diamonds, as is the dial (and there’s also a version in white gold with a matching bracelet, set in diamonds from end to end). Inside is the BVL150, a hand-wound movement constructed specifically for this watch. It’s a small movement, measuring 22 mm at its longest and 3.65 mm high, but still manages to accommodate a tourbillon and a 40-hour power reserve. More notably, the movement is a form movement; its shape traces the case, with the tourbillon taking centre stage at six o’clock. Unusually, the tourbillon looks like a flying tourbillon, but is a conventional tourbillon secured by a bridge. But the bridge is a piece of clear sapphire, with the pivot jewel in its centre, making it almost invisible. Another unconventional feature is the crown, which is positioned just between two and three o’clock – inclined at six degrees from the horizontal according to Bulgari – a necessity due to the compact size of the movement. Key fa...
SJX Watches
Unveiled alongside the new variants of the Octo Finissimo in gold or steel, the Octo Finissimo Automatic Black Sandblast-Polished Ceramic is another take on the all-ceramic model launched last year. While last year’s watch had a uniformly matte finish on the case and bracelet, the new ceramic Octo Finissimo has alternating sandblasted and polished surfaces, giving it a little bit more life, with the polished bits catching the light just right. The all-black look is made a little bit more interesting with the varied surface finish, but retains the extreme sleekness of the original ceramic Octo. Like the case, the dial is monochromatic, but made legible, to a degree, with different surface finishes. The dial itself has a matte, frosted surface, while the markings and hands have a glossy finish. The dimensions of the new ceramic Octo remain unchanged from the earlier model, at 40 mm wide and 5.5 mm high. Inside is the BVL138 movement found across the Octo Finissimo Automatic model range. Key facts and price Octo Finissimo Automatic Black Sandblast-Polished Ceramic Ref. 103368 Case diameter: 40 mm Height: 5.5 mm Material: Black ceramic Water resistance: 30 m Movement: BVL138 Functions: Hours, minutes, and seconds Frequency: 21,600 beats per hour (3 Hz) Winding: Automatic Power reserve: 60 hours Strap: Black ceramic bracelet Availability: At both retailers and boutiques Price: US$15,600, or 22,000 Singapore dollars For more, visit Bulgari.com.
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SJX Watches
Continuing with the sleek and successful Octo Finissimo, Bulgari has just unveiled two new variants of the extra-flat wristwatch at LVMH Watch Week, a pre-Baselworld launch event for the luxury group’s three watch brands, which include Hublot and Zenith. The new Octo Finissimo Automatic Satin-Polished – in either steel or rose gold – is an iteration of earlier models, and is distinguished by its case finish, which is mostly brushed, but highlighted with mirror polished edges and flanks. With alternating brushed and polished surfaces, the new case finish catches the light nicely. In contrast, current versions of the Octo Finissimo Automatic have a uniformly matte, sandblasted finish that is more muted. While the finishing is new, the case is exactly the same size – 40mm by 5.25mm, giving it an incredibly slim profile on the wrist. The new case finishing is paired with a glossy, black-lacquered dial that has markings and hands to match the case material – either 18k rose gold with a leather strap, or in stainless steel with a matching bracelet. The bracelet is an integral part of the Octo Finissimo, so price and material aside, the steel model is more compelling from a design perspective. Both are powered by the BVL138, the ultra-thin automatic movement that’s standard for the Octo Finissimo. The movement is just 2.23mm high, and relies on a platinum micro rotor for winding. Key facts and price Octo Finissimo Automatic Satin-Polished Steel Ref. 103297 Octo Finiss...
Time+Tide
It may surprise many reading this, but two out of the three Omega watches that really got the collective horological community talking in 2019 weren’t limited editions. In fact, the one limited edition watch that really struck a chord with enthusiasts, the Speedmaster Apollo 11 50th Anniversary, was just a gorgeous looking timepiece, regardless of … ContinuedThe post Shaken and stirred: 3 Omegas that got everyone talking in 2019 appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
Drake recently took to Instagram to let us know about his latest watch acquisition - a fully custom Patek Philippe Nautilus Annual Calendar Ref. 5726 that had been black DLC-coated and gem-set with dozens of emeralds. While Drake is well known for his love of the Genevan firm, this watch was special for a couple of … ContinuedThe post Drake shows us “Life is Good” with his custom Patek Philippe Nautilus designed by Louis Vuitton Artistic Director appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Hodinkee
A cherished watch lost on a motorcycle trip finds its way back to one of the greatest drummers of all time.
Time+Tide
Editor’s note: The hunt for a new watch is, for many watch enthusiasts, a huge part of the collecting experience. It isn’t enough to simply buy a watch, but a watch must be searched for long and hard, with its eventual discovery making the acquisition all the more exciting. This is the story of Joseph … ContinuedThe post What Sealed The Deal – Joseph’s Omega Speedmaster Limited Edition appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
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Time+Tide
Where to begin with Seiko in 2019? The Japanese watchmaker has been on a veritable roll for quite some time now, but for the last year of the decade, they really delivered. Whether it be the new Prospex LX Line Diver taking home the prestigious award for best Diver’s watch at GPHG 2019, a completely … ContinuedThe post These were 5 of the best new Seiko watches of 2019 appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Deployant
We take a closer look at the Gorilla Fastback GT Drift "Elise", a watch which mixes different materials for the case, and a very special indication of time.
SJX Watches
Chanel’s best known watch is unquestionably the all-ceramic J12, now in its refined and upgraded second generation. But its most interesting watch – from a mechanic and design perspective – is the Monsieur de Chanel. Originally offered only in precious metals, the watch was last year given a stylish makeover with the Monsieur Édition Noire that’s clad entirely in matte black ceramic. A jumping hour with retrograde minutes, the Édition Noire is powered by the Calibre 1, an original, integrated movement produced with help from independent watchmaker Romain Gauthier. But equally important is its design, which is discreetly brilliant. The watch has the sort of thoughtful aesthetic that pays attention to the whole but also the details – the typeface used on the dial was designed expressly for the watch – that is expected from the grand Parisian fashion house. In fact, the design is more coherent and informed than many watches created by traditional watchmakers. The Chanel elements of the watch are subtle, like the octagonal frame for the hours inspired by the Chanel No. 5 perfume bottle The long road Like other luxury fashion houses, Chanel has been working hard to make proper timepieces, watches that are well made and equipped with respectable movements. Earlier this year it took a 20% stake in movement maker Kenissi, in a joint venture with Tudor, which now produces calibres for the face-lifted J12. Kenissi is merely the latest investment in Chanel’s gradual...
Time+Tide
Editor’s note: One of Tudor’s lesser-known model ranges, the 1926 is an admirable everyday watch with a number of great benefits. For a start, it’s powered by a tried and true ETA movement, not one of Tudor’s in-house calibres. Why is that a good thing? Well, for a start, it keeps costs down, as evidenced … ContinuedThe post The Tudor 1926: a great daily timepiece for the classically inclined appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
Every year there’s a couple of timepieces that, for one reason or another, slip under the collective radar of us watch enthusiasts. There were more than a few examples in 2019: think the Citizen Eco-Drive Caliber 0100, Rado Golden Horse, Baume & Mercier Clifton Baumatic … the list goes on. But the watch that tends … ContinuedThe post HANDS-ON: The Longines Master Collection Ref. L2.673.4.92.0 appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
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