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Up Close: Cartier Tank Cintrée 100th Anniversary SJX Watches
Cartier Tank Cintrée 100th Anniversary Jan 18, 2021

Up Close: Cartier Tank Cintrée 100th Anniversary

Announced quietly late last year and already in stores, the Cartier Tank Cintrée 100th Anniversary (ref. WGTA0057) is a limited edition to mark the centenary of the jeweller’s formal watch for men. A handsome watch that faithfully replicates nearly all elements of the vintage original, the anniversary edition is distinct from the 2018 Tank Cintrée in both case and movement. In fact, the anniversary model is actually a revival of the 2005 Tank Cintrée. The elegance and refinement, however, comes at an unusually high price. A variety of modern-day Tank Cintrée iterations Initial thoughts The Tank Cintrée is a formal watch, with all the elegance and simplicity that dictates, while being a form watch, instead of a plain, round shape that most dress watches are. That’s the singular talent of the Tank Cintrée, explaining why it remains appealing after a century. Practically a one-to-one remake of the 1920s Tank Cintrée, the anniversary edition – like most other vintage remakes – scores high on beauty since the original was attractive, but low on imagination and novelty. And more notably, the anniversary edition is a revival of the a more recent watch, the Tank Cintrée in yellow gold of 2005 – both have the same case and movement. Perfectly executed as a remake, the anniversary edition reproduces the look of a vintage original well in all aspects. But the anniversary edition approximates how a 1920s example would look today, after a century of ageing, rather ...

Up Close: A. Lange & Söhne 1815 Thin Honeygold “Homage to F.A. Lange” SJX Watches
Casio n along Dec 23, 2020

Up Close: A. Lange & Söhne 1815 Thin Honeygold “Homage to F.A. Lange”

Unveiled earlier in the year to mark the 175th anniversary of the founding of A. Lange & Söhne, the 1815 Thin Honeygold “Homage to F.A. Lange” is one of a three-piece set created for the occasion, along with the Tourbograph Perpetual and 1815 Rattrapante. The 1815 Thin is a simple watch done well. Like the rest of the anniversary editions, the 1815 Thin has a Honeygold case, and more unusually, an enamel dial, a feature that’s rarely found on entry-level Lange watches. And for those reasons, the 1815 Thin is surprisingly good value, despite being a pricey timepiece. Initial thoughts Though it costs a substantial amount of money, the 1815 Thin is actually strong value. To start with, it’s an A. Lange & Söhne – which means sterling quality – and also a limited edition, with the case in an unusual metal, plus a dial in fired enamel. Though it’s the largest run in the anniversary line up, the 1815 Thin is a limited edition of just 175 pieces. And though Lange has made several limited editions in Honeygold – which costs substantially more than ordinary gold to machine – the cumulative number of watches in the metal is fairly small, at just over 1,000. The 175th Anniversary “Homage to F.A. Lange” trio in Honeygold – (from left) 1815 Thin, Tourbograph Perpetual, and 1815 Rattrapante Enamel dials are also uncommon for Lange, and decidedly rare in a time-only watch. The last time Lange offered a time-only watch with an enamel dial was 19 years ago with th...

Cricket legend Michael Clarke: Hublot is a game-changer “that is never scared to be different” Time+Tide
Hublot Dec 16, 2020

Cricket legend Michael Clarke: Hublot is a game-changer “that is never scared to be different”

What’s the best way to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Hublot for the Australian arm of the brand? Through our national sport of cricket, of course. And that’s exactly what Hublot Australia have done, bringing together two Australian cricketing greats in Michael Clarke and Pat Cummins to mark the launch of the new Hublot Classic … ContinuedThe post Cricket legend Michael Clarke: Hublot is a game-changer “that is never scared to be different” appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

After 6 years of dreaming about it, we’ve finally released our first watches, and we’ve partnered with George Bamford Time+Tide
Dec 10, 2020

After 6 years of dreaming about it, we’ve finally released our first watches, and we’ve partnered with George Bamford

We are beyond excited to introduce the Bamford London x Time+Tide GMT1 Limited Edition of 50 pieces which is available here and the GMT2, a Limited Production 2021 model that will only be available for 12 months. These are the first two watches ever released by Time+Tide, and they arrive to mark a year when … ContinuedThe post After 6 years of dreaming about it, we’ve finally released our first watches, and we’ve partnered with George Bamford appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Baltic Introduces the HMS and Bicompax Perpétuel Editions SJX Watches
Baltic Introduces Dec 2, 2020

Baltic Introduces the HMS and Bicompax Perpétuel Editions

A newly established specialist retailer in Dubai, Perpétuel is making its debut with the Baltic x Perpétuel HMS and Bicompax, a pair of watches conceived to mark the 49th National Day of the United Arab Emirates, which was formed in 1971, hence the 71-piece edition. Both are variations of the signature timepieces of Baltic, a French brand that got its start on crowdfunding platform Kickstarter and has since made accessibly priced, retro-style watches its specialty. The HMS Initial thoughts Baltic offers a strong value proposition with its vintage-inspired watches featuring stepped bezels and sector dials that are powered by Chinese movements, explaining the affordable pricing. The Perpétuel editions are novel. Although their Eastern Arabic numerals on the dial are common in watches for the Middle East, they are not often found in entry-level watches, especially those with retro designs. Combined with the forest-green dial colour, both models are very much catered to the culture of the Middle East. But they also have substantial appeal for anyone outside the region, thanks to the colour, smart design, and graceful style of the Eastern Arabic script. But the Perpétuel are pricey, being notably more expensive than the standard models. However, they are still affordable in absolute terms, and considering the small, 71-piece run, remain fair value for money. HMS and Bicompax Both the HMS and Bicompax share the same case dimensions of 38 mm by 12 mm. Matched with a domed Hes...

Business News: Richemont Six-Month Watch Sales Plunge 38% SJX Watches
Cartier Nov 7, 2020

Business News: Richemont Six-Month Watch Sales Plunge 38%

Richemont just reported its sales for the first half of the financial year – the six months to end September 2020 – and most of the numbers are in the red. The Swiss luxury group that owns Cartier and IWC saw sales fall 26% year on year, though the quarterly numbers show a gradual recovery. Sales were down by 47% in the first quarter but recovered enough to dip just 6% in the second quarter, owing to a gradual reopening of the economy. This no doubt inspired optimism amongst investors, who sent the group’s share price up almost 9% by the close of trading. Optimism notwithstanding, the declines extended to all performance metrics. Operating margin fell sharply to just 8.3%, almost half that for the same period in 2019. The falls in sales and margins collectively led to stark, 82% fall in operating profit. Net profit cratered, going from €869m in the first half of 2019 to just €159m. Beyond the negative numbers, the report was also notable for what it did not include. With rumours swirling about changes to Richemont management at the very top level – particularly about the tenure of chief executive Jerome Lambert – it was widely speculated the results announcement would include personnel changes, but nothing was forthcoming. Woe for watches and everywhere but Asia The global pandemic meant a global fall in sales, but with drops varying from region to region. As expected, Asia Pacific performed the best, with sales falling just 4%. Negative growth in the fir...

Grand Seiko Introduces the 60th Anniversary Hi-Beat SLGH003 SJX Watches
Grand Seiko Introduces Oct 13, 2020

Grand Seiko Introduces the 60th Anniversary Hi-Beat SLGH003

Grand Seiko has progressively introduced a diverse line up of watches to mark its 60th anniversary, ranging from a remake of the vintage 3180 to the heavily jewelled 8 Days to the T0 Constant Force Tourbillon, while also opening the Grand Seiko Studio Shizukuishi production facility. Now the brand has finally reached the last of it anniversary watches with the Grand Seiko 60th Anniversary Caliber 9SA5 Hi-Beat 36000 80 Hours SLGH003. Although the 60th anniversary watches are numerous, the most significant was the Hi-Beat 80 Hours SLGH002, which was powered by the newly-developed 9SA5, the first of a new generation of movements that will underpin the Grand Seiko collection. The SLGH002 was available only in 18k yellow gold and correspondingly pricey, but now the movement is available in the all-steel SLGH003. Initial thoughts From the perspective of being a more affordable version of the yellow-gold SLGH002, the SLGH003 is appealing. It’s still an expensive watch – the retail price is US$9,700 – but a lot less than the US$43,000 of the gold model. But from the perspective of it being one of several anniversary editions, many of which share the same dial colour, it is less appealing. That is especially so given that the 9SA5 movement will inevitably be made available in regular-production models that will probably cost a bit less. So if the colour and design is a big draw, then the SLGH003 is a buy. If not, just wait for the next one. Anniversary livery The SLGH003 h...

Nomos Introduces the Lambda Limited Edition in Steel SJX Watches
Glashütte Original Ulysse Nardin or much Oct 6, 2020

Nomos Introduces the Lambda Limited Edition in Steel

Conceived to mark a major occasion for its hometown, the Nomos Lambda 175 Years Watchmaking Glashütte is a limited edition with a glossy lacquer dial that’s unusual for the brand. But it is more notable for being the first time Nomos is making its top-of-the-line watch available in steel. As a result, the new Lambda is far more affordable, despite being a limited edition. Initial thoughts Introduced in 2013 alongside its discontinued, tonneau-shaped sibling, the Lambda was Nomos’ first upscale watch and available only in an 18k gold case. Despite its qualities, the Lambda was expensive for Nomos, a brand that does simple, affordable watches well. Very expensive, in fact, with the base model in gold priced at US$17,000. It was too much of a stretch for Nomos to reach that high in the price spectrum. So the new steel Lambda makes a lot of sense. It keeps the ultra-clean dial design of the original Lambda, as well as the attractively-finished movement, while making it far more affordable. At US$7,500, it costs less than half the cheapest gold Lambda. For anyone who likes the original Lambda but couldn’t stomach the price, this is perhaps the perfect watch. That said, US$7,500 is still a lot for a Nomos. While the brand can compete strongly in its core price range of US$2,000-4,000, competition is tougher over US$7,000. For similar money, one can get an Glashütte Original, Ulysse Nardin, or much else. A 42 mm Lambda in 18k rose gold Minor refinements The 175th annivers...

Panerai Introduces the Luminor GMT ION Singapore Edition PAM 1177 SJX Watches
Panerai Introduces Oct 1, 2020

Panerai Introduces the Luminor GMT ION Singapore Edition PAM 1177

A limited edition created to mark the opening of the revamped Panerai boutique in Singapore – which is now almost a decade old, having opened in 2011 – the Luminor GMT ION Special Edition PAM01177 is a variation on the standard-production PAM01033. Featuring a 44 mm case, it’s accented in red, the key colour of the Singapore national flag, and bears the island nation’s emblem on the case back. Initial thoughts The highlight of the new Luminor GMT are aesthetic tweaks – although Panerai is doing a red crown for the first time here. It is not majorly different, but the design is on point for a sports watch, with the red elements easily blending in without disrupting the typical clean style of the Luminor. Despite the simplicity of the colour palette, it manages to stand apart from most current sports watches because it avoids being blue, the colour that’s all the rage now. And it is very much a contemporary Panerai in style, doing away with the heavily-traditional designs of the brand’s historically-inspired models. With the tweaks being modest, it is priced reasonably as such things go. This costs S$13,850, about 7%, or S$900, over the standard PAM01033. But it’s worth keeping in mind the P.9010 inside the ION edition is a noticeably simpler movement than the P.9011 found in the PAM01033, lacking the power reserve indicator on the back for instance. Overall, it is a good-looking sports watch, though the simpler movement is a bit of a downer. Singapore deta...

A. Lange & Söhne Introduces the Tourbograph Perpetual Honeygold “Homage to F.A. Lange” SJX Watches
Casio n all three are Sep 9, 2020

A. Lange & Söhne Introduces the Tourbograph Perpetual Honeygold “Homage to F.A. Lange”

Conceived to mark the brand’s founding in 1845 by Ferdinand Adolph Lange, the “Homage to F. A. Lange” 175th Anniversary collection is the centrepiece of A. Lange & Söhne’s debuts at Watches & Wonders 2020 in Shanghai. The commemorative line up is made up of three watches – spanning the price spectrum – all featuring Honeygold cases, special movement decoration, as well as dials that are new in either colour or material. And appropriately for the occasion, all three are from the 1815 line – named after the birth year of F. A. Lange –  that is characterised by a pocket watch-inspired aesthetic with Arabic numerals. The flagship of the anniversary collection is the Tourbograph Perpetual Honeygold “Homage to F.A. Lange”, a 50-piece limited edition variant of one of the most complex wristwatches made by Lange – it’s detailed below. The other two watches are explained in separate stories: the 1815 Rattrapante Honeygold, and the more affordable 1815 Thin Honeygold. The 175th anniversary trio (from left): 1815 Thin, 1815 Rattrapante, and Tourbograph Perpetual Honeygold As with the 165th anniversary watches of 2010, the new commemorative trio is entirely in Honeygold – including a Honeygold dial for the Tourbograph Perpetual. A gold alloy exclusive to Lange, Honeygold is a cross between rose and yellow gold. Because of its difficult nature, the metal has only ever been used for limited-edition watches because of its scarcity and price. According to Lan...

Business News: Watches & Wonders Shanghai to Happen September 2020 SJX Watches
Vacheron Constantin all owned Jul 23, 2020

Business News: Watches & Wonders Shanghai to Happen September 2020

With its Geneva debut in April 2020 cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the watch fair once known as SIHH is moving to Shanghai. Its organisers have just announced Watches & Wonders Shanghai will take place from September 9-13, 2020 at West Bund Art Center. W&W; Shanghai will see only 11 brands take part, down from 30 at the Geneva event. The exhibiting brands are A. Lange & Söhne, Baume & Mercier, Cartier, IWC Schaffhausen, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Panerai, Piaget, Roger Dubuis, and Vacheron Constantin – all owned by Swiss luxury group Richemont – as well as independently-owned brands Parmigiani Fleurier and Purnell. Like the original fair in Geneva, the Shanghai event will be invite-only, and will include new product launches, talks, as well as watchmaking classes. Alongside the physical exhibition in Shanghai, W&W; will also unveil the new products on its website. With the Chinese watch market now in the midst of a sharp upturn post-pandemic – evidenced in the results of both Richemont and the Swatch Group – China is likely the single largest national market for luxury watches that is operating close to normal, making the migration of the event from Geneva to Shanghai eminently logical.  

His & Hers: 4 of the best couples watches money can buy, including Audemars Piguet, Omega and TAG Heuer Time+Tide
Audemars Piguet Omega Jul 7, 2020

His & Hers: 4 of the best couples watches money can buy, including Audemars Piguet, Omega and TAG Heuer

Recently, a reader from the Land of the Free dropped us a line asking if we could help with a conundrum he’d been having. You see, this lovely fellow and his wife are soon to celebrate their 20th wedding anniversary, and he wants to purchase a matching his and hers set of timepieces to mark … ContinuedThe post His & Hers: 4 of the best couples watches money can buy, including Audemars Piguet, Omega and TAG Heuer appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Grand Seiko Introduces the Paris Vendôme Limited Edition SJX Watches
Grand Seiko Introduces Jun 8, 2020

Grand Seiko Introduces the Paris Vendôme Limited Edition

To mark the recent opening of its first store in continental Europe – and its biggest boutique in the world – Grand Seiko has unveiled the Paris Vendôme Limited Edition, either in platinum (SBGK011) or rose gold (SBGK013). With a dial motif inspired by the streets of Paris, the limited edition is powered by the 9S63 movement. Located at the corner of the posh Place Vendôme famous for being home to jewellers and the Hôtel Ritz, the new Grand Seiko boutique is the brand’s largest store ever, with a floor area of over 190 square metres (or some 2000 square feet) spread over two floors. Distinctly Japanese in style and materials – the floors are tatami and the screens, bamboo – the is the work of Kengo Kuma, one of Japan’s leading contemporary architects. The Grand Seiko Boutique Paris Vendôme Grand Seiko’s location on the square with the entrance to the store at the lower right corner of the photo, adjacent to the white awning Initial thoughts If the limited editions look familiar, it’s for good reason – they are based on the Grand Seiko Elegance Collection introduced last year, featuring the same case, movement, and dial layout.  The refined dimensions of the Elegance Collection immediately made it one of my favourites of the Grand Seiko collection. Although Grand Seiko watches are well designed and equipped with great movements, the cases tend to wear large and thick, something the Elegance Collection managed to avoid.  The 9S63 as seen in a ...

Nomos Introduces the Tangente 38 Amsterdam Edition SJX Watches
Nomos Introduces May 25, 2020

Nomos Introduces the Tangente 38 Amsterdam Edition

To mark its 45th Anniversary, Ace Jewelers has once again turned to Nomos, resulting in the Tangente 38 Amsterdam Edition. It’s the third watch in the retailer’s Amsterdam series of limited editions, but the first based on Nomos’ signature Tangente, which was given a few Amsterdam-inspired tweaks in tribute to the retailer’s hometown. Initial thoughts Like Ace Jewelers’ earlier Nomos editions – the Club Campus Amsterdam and Zürich Weltzeit Amsterdam – the new Tangente features an attractive black, white and red colour scheme based on the Dutch capital’s coat of arms. The splash of red inject a playful character to what is ordinarily a monochromatic watch. All the Amsterdam-specific details add up for a coherent and handsome design, even as a stand-alone Tangente independent of its inspiration. And it costs exactly the same as standard edition, making it a no-brainer if you like the stark colours. The Amsterdam editions: Zürich Weltzeit (left), Tangente 38 (middle) and Club Campus (right) Amsterdam-inspired The strong use of black, white and red is nod to the Amsterdam coat of arms. Though the dial is high contrast, the reference to the Dutch city is subtle. The dial is stark, in matte-black with silvered minutes track, hands and indices as well as accents of bright red in the seconds hand and the triply Saint Andrew’s crosses at six o’clock. The central element of the Amsterdam coat of arms, the trio of Saint Andrew’s crosses is also engraved on...

Vacheron Constantin Introduces the Traditionnelle Tourbillon Chronograph SJX Watches
Vacheron Constantin Introduces Apr 24, 2020

Vacheron Constantin Introduces the Traditionnelle Tourbillon Chronograph

Vacheron Constantin’s hand-wound chronographs are, for the most part, powered by either the Lemania-based cal. 1142 or the mono-pusher cal. 3300 that was developed in-house. Freshly unveiled at Watches & Wonders 2020, the Traditionnelle Tourbillon Chronograph belongs in the latter camp. Notably, the new tourbillon-chronograph is powered by the same movement that was last seen in 2015 inside the Harmony Tourbillon Chronograph made to mark the 260th anniversary of the brand. The in-house movement combines a mono-pusher chronograph with the brand’s signature Maltese-cross tourbillon and was absent from the line-up for several years, but now it returns in fine form. While the Harmony was a cushion shape, the Traditionnelle Tourbillon Chronograph is conventionally round in form. Entirely polished, the case is in pink gold and measures 42.5 mm across and 11.7 mm high, making it large but fairly slim. The silver dial with a tachymeter scale is characterised by a rather unusual, asymmetric layout, with the tourbillon at 12 o’clock, 45-minute chronograph counter just below, and a small power reserve indicator at six. The impressive cal. 3200 Inside is the cal. 3200, which is identical to movement inside the Harmony Tourbillon Chronograph, with one difference –  this lacks the gilded and engraved tourbillon bridge that was unique to the 260th anniversary watches. Instead the tourbillon here is secured on the back by a simpler brass bridge decorated with Cotes de Geneve...

VIDEO: All three limited edition watches from the new Seiko 55th Anniversary dive watch collection Time+Tide
Seiko 55th Anniversary dive watch Apr 17, 2020

VIDEO: All three limited edition watches from the new Seiko 55th Anniversary dive watch collection

This year, Seiko is celebrating 55 years since their first-ever dive watch, which was released in 1965. Since then, the dive watch has become a core part of Seiko’s offering, with innumerable watches released over the years, many of which have developed cult followings. To mark this occasion, Seiko have released a trio of limited … ContinuedThe post VIDEO: All three limited edition watches from the new Seiko 55th Anniversary dive watch collection appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

IN-DEPTH: Grand Seiko Movements – Part II, the Spring Drives Time+Tide
Grand Seiko Movements – Part II Mar 21, 2020

IN-DEPTH: Grand Seiko Movements – Part II, the Spring Drives

If you haven’t yet read Part I, find the full article right here.  This year, to mark its 60th anniversary, Grand Seiko has introduced two new movements, representing each of the brand’s two pillars: Calibre 9RA5 is a Spring Drive movement while Calibre 9SA5 is a traditional mechanical movement. These are entirely new movements, with every … ContinuedThe post IN-DEPTH: Grand Seiko Movements – Part II, the Spring Drives appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

What should you do when a knife-wielding maniac tries to steal your Rolex? Time+Tide
Rolex ? Picture Mar 12, 2020

What should you do when a knife-wielding maniac tries to steal your Rolex?

Picture the scene: it’s a dark night and you’re leaving work when suddenly a man in a balaclava accosts you, waving a 12-inch knife in your face. Give me your Rolex or I’ll “f***ing stab” you, he yells.   This was the nerve-jangling scene that confronted Mark Ewart last week as he left his business, … ContinuedThe post What should you do when a knife-wielding maniac tries to steal your Rolex? appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Grand Seiko Introduces the 60th Anniversary Hi-Beat 80 Hours SLGH002 SJX Watches
Grand Seiko Introduces Mar 5, 2020

Grand Seiko Introduces the 60th Anniversary Hi-Beat 80 Hours SLGH002

Of the half-dozen commemorative editions Grand Seiko is rolling out to mark its 60th anniversary, one watch is significant over all the others, because it has a brand-new calibre that represents the first of a new generation of movements. A complete rethink of the 9S family of movements – first unveiled 22 years ago – the 9SA5 makes its debut in the Grand Seiko 60th Anniversary Limited Edition (ref. SLGH002). While the movement is cutting-edge for the brand, the design of the SLGH002 is a throwback to vintage Grand Seiko – the dial emulates the aesthetics of the first Grand Seiko 3180 of 1960 but with a modern twist, namely with widened hands and hour markers. As a result, the dial is quintessential Grand Seiko, having a sculptural quality thanks to the broad dauphine hands and substantial, applied 18k gold hour markers. Even the frame around the date window is 18k gold. The star above six o’clock indicates “SD”, or “special dial”, which means gold hour markers (and sometimes a gold dial) Made of 18k yellow gold, the case has a diameter of 40 mm and a thickness of 11.7 mm. Most of its surfaces have a brushed finish, interspersed with wide, faceted bevels that are mirror polished. The watch is notably thin for a self-winding Grand Seiko – the typical high-frequency Grand Seiko has a case just over 13 mm high – as a result of the new 9SA5 movement, which is the work of the Grand Seiko Studio Shizukuishi (formerly known as the Shizukuishi Watch Studio). ...

Seiko Introduces the Presage Prestige Crown-Chronograph Remake SJX Watches
Seiko Introduces Feb 17, 2020

Seiko Introduces the Presage Prestige Crown-Chronograph Remake

Having unveiled the vintage-inspired Presage Automatic Chronograph ref. SRQ031 in October 2019, Seiko has returned to the same historical wristwatch with the Presage Prestige 2020. Comprising of three variants – SPB127J1, SPB131J1, and SPB129J1 – the new Presage is once again modelled on the “Crown” chronograph ref. 5719A-45899 that was unveiled in 1964 to mark that year’s Tokyo Olympics. The vintage original was a mono-pusher chronograph with basic functionality, featuring a central, elapsed seconds hand and black plastic bidirectional bezel for recording times of over a minute. Last year’s Presage chronograph was a step up from the original with three counters, but this year’s Presage Prestige does away with the chronograph altogether. But since the original had a plain dial without registers, the new Presage Prestige manages to look pretty much the same. The original “Crown” chronograph from 1964 All three versions of the Presage Prestige differ only in dial colour, and are otherwise identical in terms of dimensions, design and movement. Because of the styling of the “Crown” Chronograph, the Presage Prestige manages to be fairly faithful to the original. Nearly all of the elements of the dial, from the chapter ring with the applied hour markers and oblong “lume” plots to the dauphine hands, are a close-enough replica of the original. Granted it has been modernised with the usual tweaks found in remakes, including a slightly larger case and ...

Hands-On: Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Grande Tradition Tourbillon Céleste SJX Watches
Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Grande Tradition Tourbillon Jan 31, 2020

Hands-On: Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Grande Tradition Tourbillon Céleste

Jaeger-LeCoultre unveiled a trio of grand complications last year, a substantial number given how complex each watch is, although two of the three are powered by existing movements. The Master Grande Tradition Répétition Minutes Perpétuelle (the only one equipped with a new calibre) and the Gyrotourbillon 3 Meteorite were launched first, and late in the year came the Master Grande Tradition Tourbillon Céleste to mark 15 years of partnership with the Venice International Film Festival. Among the brand’s grand complications, the Tourbillon Celeste is one of the most interesting, boasting a quirky combinations of functions – an orbital, flying tourbillon calibrated for sidereal time as well as a star chart, and sidereal annual calendar. And it is also unusually high tech for a Jaeger-LeCoultre, with the movement being equipped with a silicon escape wheel and pallet fork. A simpler complication As with most of Jaeger-LeCoultre’s recent grand complications, the movement in the Tourbillon Céleste is an iteration of an earlier calibre – something the brand has made a habit of in recent years, which is a bit of a shame given its rich history in movement development. Specifically, the movement inside is a streamlined and simplified version of the more complicated Master Grande Tradition Grande Complication, which was launched in 2010 and also included a minute repeater. Being a separate module mounted on the case-back side of the movement, the repeater was s...

Konstantin Chaykin Introduces the Mouse King SJX Watches
Konstantin Chaykin Jan 24, 2020

Konstantin Chaykin Introduces the Mouse King

Russian watchmaker Konstantin Chaykin had a hit on his hands when he unveiled the Joker at Baselworld 2017. Inspired by the “moving eye” clocks invented by German clockmaker J. Oswald in 1926, the Joker has since been iterated into several new versions, including the one-off Joker Selfie that sold for 75,000 Swiss francs at last year’s Only Watch charity auction. To mark the upcoming Chinese Year of the Rat, Konstantin has created a special variant of the Joker – the Mouse King – featuring the same “rolling eye” time display, but powered by a new base movement. According to Konstantin, the genesis of the watch came during the recent Christmas season, when he read the German fairytale The Nutcracker and the Mouse King, or Nussknacker und Mausekönig in its original language, to his daughter. A story about a nutcracker doll that comes to life and then defeats the evil Mouse King, the fairytale is the basis for Tchaikovsky’s ballet The Nutcracker. But most relevant to Konstantin is the fact that one of its main characters, Drosselmeyer, is a clockmaker. And in another coincidence, the Chinese Year of the Rat begins on January 25, 2020, which is also his daughter’s birthday. And so the Mouse King watch was created, as a limited edition of seven watches – because the evil Mouse King has seven heads, each wearing a golden crown. It indicates the hours and minutes regulator-style with a”moving eye” display, along with the moon phase at six o’clock ...

Great ‘Grams: MLK Day, Joshua Trees, and a very special AP Time+Tide
Casio n Jan 23, 2020

Great ‘Grams: MLK Day, Joshua Trees, and a very special AP

This week the US celebrated Martin Luther King Day, a reminder of Mr King’s work as a civil rights leader campaigning against segregation, and also a reminder that our efforts to build a more equal world mustn’t subside as we move forward. To mark the occasion, the watch collecting community was offered a post of … ContinuedThe post Great ‘Grams: MLK Day, Joshua Trees, and a very special AP appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

TAG Heuer Introduces the Carrera 160 Years Silver SJX Watches
TAG Heuer Introduces Jan 15, 2020

TAG Heuer Introduces the Carrera 160 Years Silver

To mark its 160th anniversary this year, TAG Heuer just unveiled the Carrera 160 Years Silver Limited Edition, a remake of the Carrera 2447S from 1964 that’s a quintessential vintage Heuer. Though simple, the ref. 2447S is still fairly distinctive with a monochromatic colour palette and the recognisable Carrera case with its facetted lugs. The ref. 2447S was characterised by a radially brushed silver dial – the “S” in the model reference denotes a standard, silver dial without a tachymetric scale – that arrived only in 1964, replacing the white dial that was one of the launch colours, alongside black. Limited to 1860 pieces, the Carrera 160 Years Silver remains largely faithful to the original, save for a few tweaks like a larger size, restyled hands and necessary technical upgrades such as water resistance and the movement. While the original was 36 mm, the remake is 39 mm, a more appropriate size for a modern watch, if not exactly ideal for a remake. But it is finished just like the original, being entirely polished. And the case is topped by a domed sapphire crystal, which replicates the look of the acrylic glass on the original. A Carrera ref. 2447D, which shares the same silver dial but includes a decimal scale Besides the case, another obvious difference on the remake are the chronograph registers: the running seconds is now at six o’clock, while it sat at nine on the original. That is a consequence of the in-house movement inside. A more subtle upgrade ...

Zenith Introduces the Defy 21 Land Rover Edition SJX Watches
Zenith Introduces Jan 13, 2020

Zenith Introduces the Defy 21 Land Rover Edition

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...

Why the Longines Heritage Collection is going from strength to strength Time+Tide
Longines Heritage Collection Dec 6, 2019

Why the Longines Heritage Collection is going from strength to strength

Owning a watch that has been given to you as a gift has a sentimental element that can get even more meaningful over time. Anyone who has been fortunate enough to have received a watch as a gift, a milestone or something to mark an achievement, will know what I’m on about – it’s an emotional … ContinuedThe post Why the Longines Heritage Collection is going from strength to strength appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.