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Results for WOSTEP (Watchmakers of Switzerland Training and Educational Program)

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Richard Mille launches preowned retail partnerships to help people buy with greater confidence Time+Tide
Audemars Piguet Patek Philippe Rolex Jul 3, 2021

Richard Mille launches preowned retail partnerships to help people buy with greater confidence

For brands like Audemars Piguet, Patek Philippe, Rolex and Richard Mille it is crucial to understand the best means of acquiring these pieces preowned. Unless you’re a VIP customer, these highly sought-after brands don’t tend to be readily available to buy right away (if ever). Despite this, grey market dealers seem to have cases full … ContinuedThe post Richard Mille launches preowned retail partnerships to help people buy with greater confidence appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

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The Minase Divido Urushi Maki-e is a futuristic window to an ancient Japanese craft Time+Tide
Minase Jul 1, 2021

The Minase Divido Urushi Maki-e is a futuristic window to an ancient Japanese craft

At a time when most people gravitate towards modern sports watches or the tempting flavours of vintage nostalgia, there’s a path less crowded, where you will find small manufacturers like Minase. With a round two-piece watch case like few others, Zaratsu-finished angles, and sharp Japanese design, The Minase Divido Urushi Maki-e, is a fascinating world … ContinuedThe post The Minase Divido Urushi Maki-e is a futuristic window to an ancient Japanese craft appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

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Only Watch 2021: Tudor Black Bay GMT One SJX Watches
Tudor Black Bay GMT One Jul 1, 2021

Only Watch 2021: Tudor Black Bay GMT One

Tudor’s entry into Only Watch 2021 is typical – a reinterpretation of one of its current models – but at the same time strikingly unusual. The Black Bay GMT One is a dual time zone with a heavily aged finish on the case and bracelet, along with an open back showing off a movement similar to that found in the recent Black Bay Ceramic. Initial thoughts Tudor’s watches are ordinarily excellent quality and tremendous value, though most are styled within certain aesthetic confines. The brand gets to do things differently at Only Watch, and the Black Bay GMT One is probably the most interesting to date. Most Tudor watches look shiny and new, and even those that acquire a patina remain pristine under the crystal. The GMT One is purposefully aged, even on the dial and movement, which gives it a lived-in look that’s appealing in a sports watch. Granted, the aged bracelet seems a bit much – I’d wear it on a strap – but given that there’ll only be one of these and it’ll sell for about US$350,000 that’s a moot point. Lastly, it’s notable that the GMT One is powered by a Master Chronometer movement, perhaps a reference to the strategic genius of the similar movement found in the Black Bay Ceramic. Slightly worn The GMT One has a case steel and bracelet that are identical to that found on the standard model, except for the surface treatment. Both are finished with a black coating that is then partially and randomly worn off via tumble polishing, creating an aged-...

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Only Watch 2021: Audemars Piguet Royal Oak “Jumbo” Ref. 15202XT SJX Watches
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak “Jumbo” Ref Jul 1, 2021

Only Watch 2021: Audemars Piguet Royal Oak “Jumbo” Ref. 15202XT

Audemars Piguet (AP) has made no secret of the fact that it’s retiring the Royal Oak Extra-Thin ref. 15202 at the end of 2021 – along with the slim cal. 2121 movement inside. Essentially a remake of the original Royal Oak ref. 5402 “Jumbo” launched in 1972, the ref. 15202 will be missed and its successor much anticipated. But AP is saying farewell in style at Only Watch 2021 with the Royal Oak “Jumbo” Extra-Thin Only Watch ref. 15202XT in titanium and bulk metallic glass. Despite the modern materials, the watch is a dead ringer for an “A Series” Royal Oak ref. 5402 because the dial is a replica of the original, right down to the typography. Note the typography, as well as “Swiss” at six under the indices – details identical to those on the ref. 5402 Initial thoughts It’s hard to render the ref. 15202 unattractive. Close to the original in look and feel, the ref. 15202 has been iterated several times in the last few years, with each version slightly different in style but similarly attractive – examples include the “salmon” or smoked-green versions. Dressed in shades of grey, the Only Watch edition differs from its predecessors in colour and texture, but remains equally handsome. The all-grey, tone-on-tone palette has an appealing industrial feel, which suits the angular style that’s slightly brutal but refined in construction. The colours are not the only differentiating factor for the Only Watch “Jumbo”. The sandblasted titanium case ...

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Only Watch 2021: F.P. Journe FFC Blue “Francis Ford Coppola” SJX Watches
F.P. Journe FFC Blue “Francis Ford Jul 1, 2021

Only Watch 2021: F.P. Journe FFC Blue “Francis Ford Coppola”

F.P. Journe’s creation for Only Watch 2021 is an interesting one – the FFC Blue, characterised by a hand on the dial that displays the hours. Like F.P. Journe’s past contributions to Only Watch, the FFC Blue is powered by a prototype movement – rough around the edges and lots of character – and features a case of tantalum, the grey-blue metal synonymous with the bestselling Chronometre Bleu. Named after the initials of Francis Ford Coppola, the film director best known for The Godfather, the FFC Blue originated in a 2012 visit to Mr Coppola’s residence. The director asked Mr Journe a seemingly innocuous question over dinner, wondering whether it was possible to tell the time with a human hand. Mr Journe mulled it over and over several years devised a mechanism with the help of Mr Coppola, who sent sketches of the desired finger positions for each hour. The unveiling of the FFC Blue also marks the 20th anniversary of the F.P. Journe Octa and its automatic cal. 1300 (it’s the second watch to mark the occasion in fact), which is the base movement of the FFC Blue. Initial Impressions At first glance, the FFC Blue is bizarre for F.P. Journe. The hand sculpture on the dial is unlike most of the brand’s other designs, which are mostly conservative and often Breguet-inspired. Upon closer examination, indeed a bizarre watch it is – in a good way. The mechanism is an impressive example of an automaton, a complex answer to a simple question: how can the human hand...

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Only Watch 2021: Patek Philippe Complicated Desk Clock Ref. 27001M-001 SJX Watches
Patek Philippe Complicated Desk Clock Ref Jul 1, 2021

Only Watch 2021: Patek Philippe Complicated Desk Clock Ref. 27001M-001

Departing from its Only Watch tradition of unique versions of current-production wristwatches, Patek Philippe’s contribution to Only Watch 2021 is a desk clock with perpetual calendar modelled on a 1923 original now in the Patek Philippe Museum. The Complicated Desk Clock Ref. 27001M-001 is inspired by a desk clock owned by James Ward Packard, the American automobile tycoon who was one of Patek Philippe’s leading clients in the 1920s. Made of sterling silver and vermeil with inlays of American walnut, the clock contains a 31-day movement featuring a perpetual calendar. Initial thoughts Topping the mega, CHF31 million result for the Patek Philippe Grandmaster Chime ref. 6300A at Only Watch 2019 would be hard to imagine since the Grandmaster Chime is the most complicated and expensive watch in the brand’s catalogue. Resetting the counter with a desk clock is a shrewd move since its avoids comparisons with the wristwatch of 2019. That said, the desk clock is actually more unique than anything else Patek Philippe has made in recent memory – it is literally the timepiece of this form that exists. Even the unique Dome Clocks and desk clocks that Patek Philippe offer in its annual Rare Handcrafts line up are based on standard templates. It’s worth noting that the desk clock has a “rose-gold opaline” dial similar to that of the Grandmaster Chime ref. 6300A, so it might make a nice pair for the buyer of the 2019 watch. Packard’s clock The inspiration for this clock...

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The Hamilton Khaki Field Mechanical Bronze is the best value bronze watch around Time+Tide
Hamilton Khaki Field Mechanical Bronze Jun 29, 2021

The Hamilton Khaki Field Mechanical Bronze is the best value bronze watch around

Bronze is all the rage right now. The metal ticks a lot of boxes, offering a precious metal tone without a precious metal price premium. The cases typically generate a patina and, as we all know, vintage aesthetics are very on trend. Plus, it’s an alternative to the ever ubiquitous stainless steel and allows collectors … ContinuedThe post The Hamilton Khaki Field Mechanical Bronze is the best value bronze watch around appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

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Time Trial: The Low-Down on Tudor Black Bay Fifty-Eight Bronze Revolution
Tudor Black Bay Fifty-Eight Bronze Jun 29, 2021

Time Trial: The Low-Down on Tudor Black Bay Fifty-Eight Bronze

Wei Koh gives his initial takes on the new Black Bay Fifty-Eight Bronze, which takes its lead from the first iteration of the Bronze watch, with a brown dial and bezel insert. He walks us through the creation process of the bronze-aluminium alloy they use, also demonstrating the new clasp on the bracelet called T-Fit, which allows the wearer to alter the length by 8mm quickly and without the need for any tools.

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2021 Zenith Chronomaster Original Revealed WatchAdvice
Zenith Chronomaster Original Revealed Let’s Jun 29, 2021

2021 Zenith Chronomaster Original Revealed

Let’s rewind a little, back to 2019. Zenith was celebrating the 50th anniversary of the El Primero and presented a box of 3 watches limited to 50 sets. Included in the set was the highly sought after A386 re-edition in steel. The only way to get your hands on this piece was to buy the box set, which came with a fourth slot for a forth-coming “1/1000th of a second” chronograph, to be released at a later time. Yes there were other A386 anniversary editions that can be had separately, but they came in precious metal. What people wanted was the steel A386. Zenith kept teasing the market with various versions of it, but not the exact iconic version that was released in 1969, as one of the first to house this ground-breaking chronograph movement.  Then in 2020, the Manufacture edition dropped, with a prototype dial that was found in a little box up in the attic where Charles Vermot hid the tools, parts, and plans to build the El Primero back in 1975. The idea was that you could only purchase the Manufacture edition when you visit the Zenith Manufacture. Sort of like a gift shop purchase at the end of the tour. It would be extremely difficult to come by as you’d have to have made the trip to Switzerland to pick one up.  Look, we gotta give it up to the product designers and planners. hats off to Romain Marietta, who probably has one of the best jobs in the industry. This was a superb idea. This guaranteed exclusivity and collectability. But then we all knew what happene...

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Seiko Introduces the Presage Studio Ghibli with an Enamel Dial SJX Watches
Grand Seiko Jun 28, 2021

Seiko Introduces the Presage Studio Ghibli with an Enamel Dial

Seiko has long incorporated Japan’s unique pop culture into its watches – from Gundam to Street Fighter – and now it’s turned to the legendary anime film studio behind hits like Spirited Away. The Presage Studio Ghibli Castle In The Sky is inspired by the 1986 anime film about a pair of children protecting a magic crystal from government agents. Despite the cartoon inspiration, the new Presage has a classical design with Breguet hands, a fired-enamel dial – and no date window. Initial thoughts The Castle in the Sky edition gets a few things right. It combines a few specialties of Seiko – the fired enamel dial, Japanese pop culture, and a modern, workhorse movement – all for under US$1,500. That said, the mid-range price is novel for a collaborative model in this vein, since the brand’s earlier crossover editions were either priced substantially higher (as a Grand Seiko) or lower (a Seiko 5). Also notable is the no-date dial. While Seiko has long offered enamel dials in affordable watches, it usually installs a date function on the three-hand models, perhaps a concession to the brand’s focus on fuss-free practicality for its watches. Leaving out the date is not only significant from a philosophical standpoint – perhaps it’s an admission the design matters more than its utility – but the omission of a date aperture makes for a higher quality look. The date window never looked good, especially since the aperture revealed the relatively rough edges...

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MICRO MONDAYS: The Peren Nera Rogue is a future-proof take on a mythical 60s diver Time+Tide
Jun 27, 2021

MICRO MONDAYS: The Peren Nera Rogue is a future-proof take on a mythical 60s diver

Gone rogue: UK / US /adjective: “Behaving in ways that are not expected or not normal.” You might think this a tough-talking opening pitch, but when you add the back story of the Peren brand and the new Peren Nera Rogue, it makes sense. The owner Andy Bica-Popi hails from Transylvania (yes, the logo does … ContinuedThe post MICRO MONDAYS: The Peren Nera Rogue is a future-proof take on a mythical 60s diver appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

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Why do some luxury watch brands provoke genuine hate? Time+Tide
Richard Mille thrill you or make Jun 27, 2021

Why do some luxury watch brands provoke genuine hate?

Are you on team Rolex or team Omega? Does the horological excess of Richard Mille thrill you or make you shudder? In the world of luxury brands emotions can run deep. This week I discovered an intriguing exploration into the fickle world of consumer behaviour, in the Jing Daily newsletter and a story entitled: “Why … ContinuedThe post Why do some luxury watch brands provoke genuine hate? appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

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Hands-On: Bell & Ross BR 03-93 GMT SJX Watches
Bell & Ross BR 03-93 GMT Being Jun 25, 2021

Hands-On: Bell & Ross BR 03-93 GMT

Being best known for its aviation-instrument watches, it is logical that Bell & Ross also does well with watches that keep track of a second, and now a third, time zone. The brand’s catalogue includes a variety of travel watches, with the latest being the BR 03-93 GMT. It’s an improved version of the brand’s longstanding dual time zone in a square case, now enhanced with a bi-directional, 24-hour bezel in “Coke” colours that allow it to display the time in up to three places. Initial thoughts Bell & Ross (B&R;) launched the original BR 03-93 GMT in 2016, which was the brand’s first wristwatch to combine the signature square case with a second time zone. The first-generation model has a fixed bezel, limiting its functionality to just two time zones. Subsequently, B&R; introduced a model with a rotating, 24-hour bezel – allowing it to track a third time zone – but in a more conventional round case. The BR V2-93 GMT, the first B&R; watch to feature a bi-directional, 24-hour bezel. Photo – B&R; While the square BR 03 case and rotating second time zone bezel might seem like an obvious combination, it has never existed, until now. The new BR 03-93 GMT is the first to install a bi-directional, 24-hour bezel on the brand’s best-known case design. Given B&R;’s roots in “tool” watches for pilots and other professionals, I’m surprised that it took as long as it did for B&R; to combine the two. The 24-hour bezel is executed in the familiar halves of black and...

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FRIDAY WIND DOWN: Write us a letter, you might end up in the Friday Wind Down. Like this dude who is spitting fire facts. Time+Tide
Jun 24, 2021

FRIDAY WIND DOWN: Write us a letter, you might end up in the Friday Wind Down. Like this dude who is spitting fire facts.

We get a lot of ‘mail’ at Time+Tide, if you can generously call random DMs, strange emails to info@ and so on as correspondence. The most existentially challenging this week was one – from Eric A – that read simply: Why? The likelihood is it related to something particular. Like, in the context of this … ContinuedThe post FRIDAY WIND DOWN: Write us a letter, you might end up in the Friday Wind Down. Like this dude who is spitting fire facts. appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

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Baselworld 2022 is back, but does anyone care any more? Time+Tide
Jun 24, 2021

Baselworld 2022 is back, but does anyone care any more?

Just like the Fast and Furious franchise, the Baselworld watch fair is refusing to die. That’s right, Baselworld 2022 is back, but it’s unlikely to be better than ever, or even a shadow of its former self. If you’re just joining the story now, it’s important you know the history behind the slow and agonising … ContinuedThe post Baselworld 2022 is back, but does anyone care any more? appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

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Russian Clockmaker Anton Suhanov Debuts His First Wristwatch SJX Watches
Jun 24, 2021

Russian Clockmaker Anton Suhanov Debuts His First Wristwatch

Anton Suhanov is best known for impressive desk clocks – the most recent of which features a triple-axis tourbillon within a metallic flower – but he has just unveiled his first timekeeper for the wrist. Inspired by automotive gauges, the Racer Jumping Hour GMT is an inventive take on the dual time zone wristwatch and boasts a double retrograde display along with a jumping hour. Initial thoughts His talents were already evident in his desk clocks, but Mr Suhanov now proves he can be equally imaginative with wristwatches. He once worked in Konstantin Chaykin’s workshop, which perhaps contributed to the novel design. Automotive-inspired watches rarely capture the style of a dashboard without looking silly, but the Racer manages to do so successfully. The design instantly evokes the dashboard of a vintage automobile thanks to several clever design elements, including the tiny canopies over each retrograde display as well as the arched guilloche and tiny jump hour winds that gives the dial a sense of perspective. The Racer is more complex than it looks – the time-display module has as many parts as an entire chronograph movement – although the base movement is a tried and true, but no-frills ETA 2824. Still, with a price of a bit over US$17,000, the Racer offers good value given the original design and mechanical complexity, most of which is accomplished in-house by Mr Suhanov. Inventive design and mechanics The slightly retro dial indicates the hours and minutes o...

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Am I too old for a purple G-Shock? Don’t ask my kids. Time+Tide
Casio GMWB5000RD-4 While supposedly red Jun 24, 2021

Am I too old for a purple G-Shock? Don’t ask my kids.

Feel free to judge me. After reading my story on wanting a demure 36mm Carrera reissue in 18K gold on a leather strap, you might think I’m losing my marbles buying this dazzling all-metal purple G-Shock, the CasioGMWB5000RD-4. While supposedly red, close-up it’s a vibrant flash of mad purple-ish burgundy. And boy does it it … ContinuedThe post Am I too old for a purple G-Shock? Don’t ask my kids. appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

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Why the DOXA SUB 300 was the perfect one watch for me to take on vacation Time+Tide
Doxa SUB 300 was Jun 23, 2021

Why the DOXA SUB 300 was the perfect one watch for me to take on vacation

Last week I spent some time abroad with my family in Aruba, and before the trip, like any watch collector, I had to make the choice of which watch, or watches, I would take with me. I knew swimming in the ocean, time on the tennis court, and happy hour drinks would be involved, so … ContinuedThe post Why the DOXA SUB 300 was the perfect one watch for me to take on vacation appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

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VIDEO: The TAG Heuer Aquaracer Professional 300 in titanium is a lightweight delight Time+Tide
TAG Heuer Aquaracer Professional 300 Jun 23, 2021

VIDEO: The TAG Heuer Aquaracer Professional 300 in titanium is a lightweight delight

Titanium, generally speaking, is an under-utilised watchmaking material. It’s super light on your wrist, the darker tone of the metal looks great (especially when it’s sandblasted) and it’s still hard-wearing enough to handle anything you might throw at it during your day-to-day. After the success of TAG Heuer’s titanium collaboration with Bamford, we now have … ContinuedThe post VIDEO: The TAG Heuer Aquaracer Professional 300 in titanium is a lightweight delight appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

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