Revolution
A Rare Tudor: The Tudor Black Bay State of Qatar
A very small number of Tudor Black Bay watches bear the State of Qatar insignia, which makes them sought after by collectors.
22,197 articles · 221 videos found · page 732 of 748
Revolution
A very small number of Tudor Black Bay watches bear the State of Qatar insignia, which makes them sought after by collectors.
Time+Tide
I had a secret wish this autumn, which was the intricate dial structure of the Seiko Presage Sharp Edged series filtering into the round case Presage range, and here we are, perfectly paired with a Milanese mesh strap instead of a bracelet. The Seiko Presage series is well known for the Cocktail Time series, glossy … ContinuedThe post HANDS-ON: Seiko Presage SRPF37J and SRPF39J, where Sharp Edge meets Milanese 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.
Time+Tide
More than 50 years ago, an aviation team led by pilot Tom Lecky-Thompson embarked on what they referred to as codename “Blue Nylon”. So, what was the top-secret project? The group was making preparations for Lecky-Thompson’s attempt to enter the Transatlantic Air Race in 1969, which involved pilots flying from London all the way to … ContinuedThe post HANDS-ON: The AVI-8 Hawker Harrier Blue Nylon is a tempting sub-$500 throwdown for aviation fans 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.
Quill & Pad
There are thousands of things to love about Greubel Forsey watches, but the thing that has always been the hook in the root of Joshua Munchow's brain is the variety of distinct shapes that atypically assemble to create very unique timepieces. With the release of 2020's Balancier S, yet another inspiring set of shapes entered his universe, which he share with us here.
Deployant
I reviewed the Canon EOS R5, a full frame 45Mp mirrorless camera two weeks ago, with photograph examples last week. This week – the followup with the smaller brother to the R5 – the R6. I put it on its paces, mainly shooting watches, but also a few portraits along the way. How does itRead More
Time+Tide
The Patek Philippe Nautilus ref. 5711 might be your grail of grails, or simply the perfect taste of ’70s glamour. There is a reason so many love the porthole-inspired steel perfection, which – in the present day – is flat out unattainable even with cash to spend. So, that pampering AD appointment with $40-60,000 ready … ContinuedThe post 5 alternatives to the Patek Philippe Nautilus that are Nauty By Nature appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
Combining an unusual variety of complications that nevertheless go well aesthetically, the Master Ultra Thin Tourbillon Moon is the latest tourbillon wristwatch from Jaeger-LeCoultre, which has made something of a speciality in iterating its tourbillon movements with various additional complications. Powered by the newly-developed cal. 983, the new watch features a moon phase, pointer date, and tourbillon regulator. And its case is made of Le Grand rose gold, a fade-resistant gold alloy unveiled only earlier in the year. Initial thoughts The Master Ultra Thin Tourbillon Moon is a handsome watch executed in the typical Jaeger-LeCoultre style. The design is classical, with a handful of details that refine the look, including the applied hour markers and metal-deposition moon phase scale. And the movement is decorated well, though largely by mechanical methods, and the result is visually appealing. But it is a bit large at 41.5 mm in diameter, and also thick at 12.1 mm high – giving it dimensions similar to a sports chronograph. The cal. 983 in the Master Ultra Thin Tourbillon Moon And the retail price of US$88,500 is high. Jaeger-LeCoultre’s strength is haute horlogerie in the middle of the price segment – though it’s been drifting upwards – alongside brands like Ulysse Nardin and H. Moser & Cie. But both those brands recently launched tourbillons of comparable quality – the Blast and Endeavour Cylindrical Tourbillon respectively – that cost less. Master To...
Time+Tide
If you’re a regular reader of Time+Tide, you’ll probably know that Audemars Piguet are well known for their skill in making tourbillons. This year alone, the Le Brassus-based brand has released a number of tourbillon watches, which we’ve covered here, here and here, but Audemars Piguet isn’t slowing down. Today the watchmaker announced the release … ContinuedThe post INTRODUCING: The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Selfwinding Flying Tourbillon 41mm is a bridge between the past and the future appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
Chopard recently unveiled the latest iteration of its Mille Miglia chronograph, a long-established model with conventional looks lightly inspired by classic cars. But it also unveiled the Mille Miglia Lab One Tourbillion, which is also automobile-inspired but instead by modern-day, hybrid hypercars. Drastically different and unabashedly contemporary, the Lab One is large, lightweight, and boasts a technically-impressive form movement with two notable features, a vertical hacking mechanism for the tourbillon as well as a back-winder crown. Initial thoughts While Chopard’s catalogue includes numerous classical, complicated watches that are well done – basically the entire L.U.C line – few of them possess strong design and rarely jump out at you. The Lab One is the opposite: unusual and original, and appealing – but polarising in terms of design. This not Chopard’s first foray in high-end, complicated sports watches, though it has not had much success in a segment dominated by brands like Richard Mille and Hublot. While its peers have refined their aesthetic into a recognisable style, Chopard is not well versed at such design. The watch is replete with car-inspired elements, but incorporated with varying degrees of coherence. It does, however, excel at watchmaking. Compared with the competition, the Lab One wins hands down in terms of technical achievement relative to price. Impressively kitted out with a hacking tourbillion, the Lab One is priced at $129,000,...
Time+Tide
It’s certainly time for a Friday afternoon beer, and for no more reason than the eyebrow-raising results that came out of the GPHG overnight. The GPHG is, of course, the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève or, as is endlessly repeated, “the Oscars of watchmaking”. The ceremony was held yesterday, with a couple of awards that … ContinuedThe post FRIDAY WIND DOWN: The GPHG winners were what?! 007 is confirmed to be a woman, and we look at some pretty Hublot pastels appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
Famous for its no-nonsense “tool” watches, some of which are supplied to the German military and law enforcement, Sinn’s latest debut is slightly different. Inspired by auto racing, the R500 chronograph is a watch that shows the brand can have some fun, while being properly functional. Modelled on a funky chronograph Sinn produced in the 1970s, the R500 is a “bullhead” chronograph, with the twin pushers positioned like horns at one and 11 o’clock. While the style very much evokes the 1970s, the R500 is built like a robust modern wristwatch, with titanium case rated to 200 m that’s resistant to extreme low and high pressures. Initial thoughts Radically different from Sinn’s usual fare of pilot’s or military-style watches, the R500 is arguably the most interesting watch amongst the brand’s recent releases. It’s recognisably 1970s in style, but with a clean dial design that avoids the “exotic” dial found on the vintage original, which was a typically 1970s feature that can look dated today. A notable element of the dial design is the power reserve indicator at 12 o’clock, which seems unnecessary for an automatic watch. But German rally champion Peter Göbel, speaking during a video interview for the launch of the R500, noted that a fully-wound mainspring is crucial before starting a race – since the chronograph can be used to time laps – so it is useful in that context. And it’s also unusual against the broader landscape because “bullhea...
SJX Watches
Saving the best for last, Patek Philippe has just announced the Ref. 6301P-001 Grande Sonnerie. Powered by a movement derived from that in the Grandmaster Chime ref. 6300G uber-complication, the new Grande Sonnerie is impressively complicated – which is why Patek Philippe set up a dedicated workshop for its assembly – yet surprisingly thin. Unlike the Grandmaster Chime that was a multi-complication, the ref. 6301P is a focused mechanical masterpiece: a grande and petite sonnerie, striking the time en passant, or as it passes. But it is also a carillon, striking on three pairs of hammers and gongs, instead of the usual two. All its mechanical accomplishment is dressed in classical style, with an aesthetic reminiscent of the ref. 5370P split-seconds chronograph – a black enamel dial with Breguet numerals and a recessed case band. Initial thoughts With a movement derived from the Calibre 300 found in the Grandmaster Chime, the Grande Sonnerie is almost as large, a necessity due to the size of the movement. At 44.8 mm in diameter, the Grande Sonnerie is a large watch, but it is surprisingly thin at just 12 mm high, which is perhaps unsurprising given Patek Philippe’s traditional inclination towards thin watches. Unlike the brand’s other extra-large grand complications, like the Grandmaster Chime or Sky Moon Tourbillon, the Grande Sonnerie has a more restrained, traditional design. Though imposing, it looks reasonably elegant due to the pared-back styling and subtle ...
SJX Watches
Launched in 2010, the bug-eyed HM3 Frog was perhaps the quintessential MB&F; wristwatch during its five-year run, having been discontinued in 2015. Now it’s making a brief return for its 10th anniversary as the limited-edition HM3 Frog X – with a case made entirely of sapphire crystal. Originally launched as the slightly robotic-looking Horological Machine No. 3 (HM3), the model evolved into the more organic Frog, which gained a pair of sapphire domes that made its instantly distinctive. Now MB&F; has taken the idea even further: inspired by frogs with transparent skin according to MB&F;, the HM3 Frog X is entirely clear and whimsically colourful in three different shades. Initial thoughts Changing the case material gives the Frog X a whole new look, which is surprising, since the design is exceptionally idiosyncratic. In fact, the sapphire Frog resembles a grand piano. The crystal case also gives the watch a more cohesive, organic flavour, avoiding the visual breaks between different materials like crystal and metal alloy. And the sapphire Frog also seems more pared back, at least in photos, than the most sapphire-case watches that tend to be flashy. And having the same shape and size, the Frog X shares a crucial quality with the earlier versions of the HM3: good wearability despite the avant-garde design. Because the case is neither excessive long nor wide, and has tiny lugs, it sits well on the wrist despite its seemingly large size. This ease of wear is doubtlessly ...
SJX Watches
The very first Philippe Dufour Simplicity 20th Anniversary to leave Mr Dufour’s workshop was the first major example of independent watchmaking at Phillips’ Retrospective: 2000-2020 auction. It set a very high bar, hammering for 1.1 million Swiss francs, or 1.36 million francs including fees, which is equivalent to US$1.51 million. Almost forty times the retail price of the Simplicity when it was launched in 2000, the price is a new record for the model. The result handily crosses an earlier record set just a month ago at Sotheby’s in Hong Kong, where an 34 mm example from the original production run sold for US$662,000. The Simplicity 20th Anniversary features a hinged hunter back, a feature not found in the original series Impressive as it is, the record price was reached swiftly. Although the estimate was 200,000-400,000 francs, a bidder on the phone represented by Tiffany To of Phillips opened with a 450,000 franc bid. The phone bidder was joined by a handful of fellow phone as well as in-room bidders – Mr Bacs commented during the proceedings there were seven phone lines active – along with a solo bid online from Singapore. The price rose quickly in 50,000 and 100,000 franc steps, with Ms To’s phone bidder clinching the prize. The seven-figure price for the Simplicity elevates Mr Dufour to the rarefied territory of living independent watchmakers whose wristwatches have sold for above US$1m at auction. There are just two watchmakers who can make that clai...
Time+Tide
Editor’s note: Andrew here. And of course I’m chiming in because I’m nervous. Which is a polite word for the Australian equivalent: shitscared. For example, if I Google ‘workhorse’ on Time+Tide (which I’m frankly too terrified to do), there will almost certainly be 100 responses. If I Google ‘beater’, perhaps several hundred. We are guilty … ContinuedThe post #shitcollectorssay: Dear everyone, please stop saying these six phrases. Thanks in advance. appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
If you read Time+Tide regularly, you’ll know that stainless steel Rolex watches are almost exclusively more expensive on the secondary market than they are at retail. This isn’t a new phenomenon, though it does seem to have taken on a new life with the advent of the “waiting list”, an ethereal allocation system that Rolex … ContinuedThe post FRIDAY WIND DOWN: The five most inflated Rolex references may surprise you, and plenty more appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
What does ‘Ragnarok’ mean? In a word: Armageddon. A dramatic name for one of Nordic origins (me), and a dramatic set of preconceptions for a debut in Nordic Haute Horlogerie via Glashütte. Elbow nudging greetings are exchanged with Tom André Tidemann, and we go for a walk in the crisp air of Scandinavian autumn. The … ContinuedThe post The ‘Ragnarok’ by Tidemann Watches might be the first ever haute horlogerie release with its own heavy metal theme song… appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
A line of sports watches that’s modern in style and mechanics, the Defy was previously available only in mostly traditional materials, namely titanium, ceramic, or gold. But the base model now gets an upgrade with the Defy Classic Carbon that has a carbon-composite case, and more interestingly, a bracelet entirely in carbon composite. Initial thoughts Carbon composites are desirable in engineering for their lightness and strength, which is why they are used in aircraft bodies and Formula 1 cars. In watchmaking the material is useful for its lightness, but even more useful for its distinctive look. It is widely used for watch case, and sometimes in movements, so it’s no longer as novel as it was. This isn’t the first carbon-composite case for Zenith; the El Primero Lightweight of 2013 claims that title, while the El Primero Defy 21 is currently in the catalogue. So the Defy Classic Carbon isn’t groundbreaking, but it does look good. The liberal use of carbon composite suits the design well, with the techno-organic random pattern of the composite going well the open-worked dial, resulting in a sporty, fresh look that’s the best amongst all of the base-model Defy watches. The version equipped with a carbon fibre bracelet looks best naturally, because of the coherent, unbroken aesthetics and also rarity – while carbon-composite case are common, an integrated bracelet in the material is rare. Weighing just 65 g with the bracelet – about half the weight of a si...
Deployant
Not just any ordinary tourbillon equipped wristwatch, God forbid that a tourbillon can be allowed to be called ordinary, but one which feature the tourbillon and another complication. Double Whammy so to speak. Here is a list of six of the best when it comes to piling another complication over the grand tourbillon. From theRead More
Deployant
Ressence partners with Eugenio Amos, founder of Automobili Amos to create a new bezel design for their Type 5 which relates to the Lancia Delta Futurista. Ressence Type 5X Short Pitch about the watch. Second 10th anniversary piece in the Ressence collection X. Limited to 40 pieces. Motoring focused creation related to the passage ofRead More
SJX Watches
Longines has a grand history in wristwatch chronographs, some of which has been translated into appealing modern remakes. Granted the remakes don’t have legendary movements like the 13ZN of old, but they are affordable and well designed. There have been many remakes – Longines is adept at churning them out – but the Heritage Classic Chronograph “Tuxedo” is perhaps the best in recent memory. Based on a 1940s watch in Longines museum, the Tuxedo chronograph gets it right, both in the broad strokes but also the finer details. Initial thoughts In many ways the Tuxedo chronograph is more of the same from Longines, another vintage remake that’s well done. That would make it competent but nothing outstanding. But the Tuxedo chronograph is arguably different, because it is more adept than earlier remakes in its details. At arm’s length the watch looks like a typical replica, a watch that has vintage design but the size and shine of a modern watch. It is obviously a modern watch, but the attention to detail in its design and construction make it obvious that the designers understand vintage watches. This, like any other remake, is not about originality or creativity. It succeeds or fails on how well the vintage design has been reproduced, while allowing for modern materials and features. By that measure the Tuxedo chronograph aces the test. The case, for instance, has two finishes – a polished middle and a brushed bezel – while the case middle is extremely narrow...
SJX Watches
Having recently ditched its takeover of Tiffany & Co. – citing looming US tariffs on French goods – LVMH has now done what many industry insiders long expected – clinching the deal at a lower price. The owner of Louis Vuitton and Bulgari will pay US$131.50 a share for the American jeweller, instead of the US$135 originally agreed. The discount is more modest than expected, slightly over 2%, which translates into savings of about US$400m, against a total deal value of about US$15.8 billion. The deal is expected to close in early 2021. Regardless of the price, Tiffany is an important addition to LVMH’s expansive stable of luxury brands. Although LVMH is the world’s largest biggest group by a large margin – its 2019 sales were €53.7 billion – it has a comparatively small presence in “hard” luxury, namely watches and jewellery. That segment now makes up less than 10% of its sales, but Tiffany will bulk it up significantly. In fact, the deal’s completion will mean that LVMH owns two of the three largest makers of branded jewellery – Tiffany and Bulgari.
Time+Tide
The Seiko Corporation, across its various brands, is known for making competitively valued watches with beautiful dials you cannot find from other brands – even at higher price points. The cocktail watches, as of late, have incorporated some gorgeous dial tones and textures, all of which are eye candy to the wearer and those who … ContinuedThe post INTRODUCING: The Seiko Presage SRPF41J and SRPF43J raise the bar with new and limited cocktail flavours appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
The Independent Spirit: Time Makers Since 1985. By Olivier Muller. AHCI.ch; CHF75.00 Conceived by the Académie Horlogère des Créateurs Indépendants (AHCI), the new book on independent watchmakers wants to address the persistent problem the founding members sought to remedy when they set up the association in 1985. Svend Andersen, one the two cofounders along with Vincent Calabrese, aptly describes the book in the foreword as a publication to raise awareness of independent watchmaking in a manner that’s not available from the mainstream watch press. In essence, the book is an update to The Hands of Time that was published 10 years ago for the AHCI’s 25th anniversary. Like the decade-old edition, the new book serves mainly to market the association’s members, with its structure being familiar to anyone who has seen the booklets that the AHCI has occasionally published, with each member is granted equal real estate to explain his work. The anniversary book of 2010 (left), and ‘The Independent Spirit’ A selection of AHCI booklets published over the last two decades In their own words… The AHCI’s 29 current members gets six pages each in The Independent Spirit, while the seven candidates for membership and 16 former members have one page each. Although Swiss watch journalist Olivier Müller is the “author” of the book, most of its content is a self-presentation by the watchmakers. In my reading, even his editing of their prose must have been restrain...
Quill & Pad
Our friends at The Watches TV had a chance to see the Hermès watches for 2020 – and they (and we) were in luck to also hear from La Montre Hermès CEO Laurent Dordet. Host Marc André Deschoux goes through the new Hermès pieces one by one, beginning with the 2020 L’Heure de la Lune, the first version of which launched in 2019, which he thinks is "A super-hot watch.” Things go seriously wacky from there.
SJX Watches
Finnish independent watchmaker Stepan Sarpaneva is famous for his frowning moon “face”, an instantly recognisable emblem of contemporary watchmaking. But he also makes more affordable watches under the S.U.F. Helsinki label, which recently launched the S.U.F. Sarpaneva x Moomin, a cartoon watch that is seriously good. Created to celebrate the 75th anniversary of Moomin, a series of books and comics by Finnish author Tove Jansson, the Moomin watch is based on the S.U.F. 180, a fuss-free three-hander that’s inspired by vintage military-issue watches, but dressed up with a three-layer dial hand painted in multiple shades of Super-Luminova. Even in moderately low light, the dial glows in technicolor glory – that alone is worth the modest price of admission. Initial thoughts The S.U.F. Sarpaneva x Moomin is different and compelling, but easy to wear and put together notably well. Specifically, the dial and case are executed to a high level. The dial is three layers, and then hand finished and hand painted, while the case is a slim but robust construction that is finished skilfully. And the Moomin watch retailed for €5,000, or about US$5,900 – making it excellent value for money. The quality and detail of the dial – think of it as affordable metiers d’art – is especially outstanding for the price. Admittedly, Moomin has no particular resonance for me – and won’t for anyone who isn’t a fan of the comic – but the dial in itself is appealing. It’s qu...
SJX Watches
Fine finishing in high-end watchmaking automatically brings to mind polished bevels, black-polished steel, Cotes de Geneve, blueing, and even perlage. But less thought is given to frosting, even though it is prominent in the grandest of timepieces made by leading independent watchmakers. Put simply, frosting is the treatment of a metal to create an uneven, pitted surface. A beautifully rough finish, frosting dulls the appearance of the component it is applied to. Many brands rely on the technique for decoration, but often in strikingly different forms. Akrivia, Greubel Forsey, Masahiro Kikuno, and Roger W. Smith are all known for their frosted finishes, but each differs from the other in technique and aesthetic effect. The frosted bridges on the front of the Greubel Forsey Hand Made 1 Heroes and sidekicks When it comes to finishing methods in horology, I like to separate them into two categories: heroes and sidekicks. The sidekicks – such as perlage, graining, and of course frosting – are the methods that help the heroes stand out. Do not think any less of the sidekicks because without them, the heroes would not get the attention they deserve. The heroes are the methods that make you wonder: “This is beautiful – how did they do that?” Black polishing, blueing and engraving are just a few of them. As in the comic books, heroes and sidekicks work together to make each other look good. But as is frequently the case in fiction, sidekicks are often forgotten. Take fo...
Time+Tide
In Scandinavia we have a traditional saying: all good things come in threes. And, boy, does this apply to clocks in 2020. First, the Hodinkee table clock that broke the internet and brutally maimed the comments section, then the futuristic T-Rex from Massena LAB, MB&F; and L’Epée. And here comes lucky number three – the … ContinuedThe post Mass gains! Hublot are peak 2020 as they release a mechanical desk clock FOUR TIMES the size of the Meca-10 model appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
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