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Reader Submission: Why I call myself a watch nut
This mid-week, we have a reader submission. Michael Ho talks about his collecting journey. Michael is a long time friend of the Chief Editor.
30,887 articles · 2,071 videos found · page 795 of 1099
Deployant
This mid-week, we have a reader submission. Michael Ho talks about his collecting journey. Michael is a long time friend of the Chief Editor.
Time+Tide
A few days ago, as I sat in front of my watch box, a familiar thought crossed my mind. One I’ve already shared with you all before. And that’s the feeling that I own too many watches. Some may consider this a random thought but when 10 watches are staring back at you, it’s not … ContinuedThe post Did Grand Seiko just give us the perfect two-watch collection? appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Deployant
IWC introduces new versions of the Portugieser Automatic and the Portugieser Chronograph, both featuring contrasting white and blue dials.
Hodinkee
The first Chinese watch brand to win at the GPHG is a poetic and potent example of watchmaking's continued global evolution.
SJX Watches
Since it acquired Geneva complications specialist La Fabrique du Temps in 2012 Louis Vuitton has been steadily growing and refining its complicated watch offering. Last year it debuted the Carpe Diem minute repeater with automaton, the most complex watch LDFT has developed to date. But the signature completion of Louis Vuitton (LV) is still the patented three-dimensional jumping hours known as Spin Time. The complication relies on 12 cubes to indicate the hours, rotating one by one every hour. Since its introduction in 2009, the Spin Time has been iterated into a variety of formats, including a GMT, regatta countdown chronograph, and most recently a glow-in-the-dark extravaganza. But its most refined form is arguably the Spin Time Air launched in 2019 that has a dozen “floating” cubes arrayed around a movement suspended between the front and back crystals. Initial thoughts The Spin Time Air has all the elements of an interesting watch. Both transparent and striking, the “floating” display brings to mind historical mystery timepieces, with the tall Tambour case serving as the perfect frame for the suspended display. But it is the cubic hour display sets it apart. The hour display is truly unique, even when compared against the most exotic in independent watchmaking. It brings to mind Urwerk’s cubic display found in the UR-210, but that’s a three-dimensional reinterpretation of the wandering hours, whereas the Spin Time is actually an innovative take on the jum...
Time+Tide
We don’t want be party-poopers here, but let’s face it, the End Times do increasingly seem to be nigh. Reasons not to be cheerful include global warming, the pandemic, the ongoing war in the Ukraine and escalating tensions in Taiwan. Throw in a spot of monkeypox and the fact that a pint of beer now … ContinuedThe post Watches that will help you calm down and cheer up appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
A watch designer by profession, Richard Benc started Studio Underd0g in early 2020 during the lockdown in London, having previously designed watches for Braun, the German consumer goods maker famed for its shavers and industrial design. His brand got its start with a series of affordable mechanical chronographs defined by a quirky aesthetic, including examples modelled on the colours of watermelon and mint-chocolate chip ice cream. Now Studio Underd0g has taken the covers off its latest two-counter chronograph, Strawberries & Cream. Inspired by the colours of the eponymous desert, the watch was born from chance meeting from Miguel Seabra, a Portuguese journalist specialising in tennis and watches. A fan of Studio Underd0g from its inception, Mr Seabra and the brand’s founder shared a joke last year about the perfect dessert while watching tennis in summer, resulting in this edition. Initial thoughts While salmon is a fad, mechanical watches for men in bright pink are uncommon, which immediately sets Strawberries & Cream apart from its competitors. Admittedly this not the first pink dial from Studio Underd0g – the first was the Watermelon watch in bright green and pink – but this is arguably the more appealing since the colours simple go better together while being more wearable. The price-to-quality ratio of the Strawberries & Cream is good. The watch gets most things right. Both the case and dial are basic but interesting nonetheless, while the movement is a gentl...
Deployant
Vacheron Constantin introduces a new dial colour to the acclaimed Overseas Perpetual Calender Ultra-Thin Skeleton model, now with a full gold bracelet.
SJX Watches
Based in the capital city of the Netherlands, Fratello Watches is a watch magazine best known for having coined the social media hashtag “Speedy Tuesday” dedicated to the Omega Moonwatch. But its latest announcement comes from the realm of independent watchmaking in the form of the Fratello x Louis Moinet Memoris Spirit 40 Chronograph Limited Edition. A new take on Louis Moinet’s signature chronograph, the Fratello edition will be available on its website on August 16. The 25-piece limited edition employs orange accents to dress up the open-worked aesthetic of the Memoris Spirit, which has a laterally-coupled, column wheel-equipped chronograph constructed on the dial. Initial thoughts More compact than past Louis Moinet chronographs, the Memoris Spirit 40 is wearable and lightweight, although it remains a notably thick watch due to the height of the movement. The height is justified because the watch is all about the movement, which is obviously interesting. All of the intricacies of the chronograph mechanism are exhibited on the dial, making it one of the few watches to have a traditional chronograph set-up visible on the front. However, the base movement relies on the architecture of the Valjoux 7750, which is a good thing from a reliability and functionality perspective, though one would hope for something fancier at this price point. The styling of the watch is simpler than the average Louis Moinet, but still elaborately conceived. The lugs, for instance, are ope...
Time+Tide
During my time at Time+Tide, the flow of curious timekeepers coming across my desk has been constant, yet, the CIGA Design Blue Planet stands out as one of the more notable ones. As the first Chinese brand to ever win an award at the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève, claiming the Challenge Watch Prize in … ContinuedThe post MICRO MONDAYS: The CIGA Design Blue Planet won a GPHG award, yet is still surprisingly affordable appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Quill & Pad
It seems that watches are here to stay, at least for the foreseeable future, as a mainstream fashion category. With the good comes the bad, of course, and one characteristic is that it attracts a set of well-off, low-information buyers. GaryG shares his tips for navigating uncertainty in watch collecting in 2022.
Time+Tide
Social media has long overtaken our lives, but no platform today draws more eyeballs than Tik Tok. A Gen Z minefield of dances, duets, thirst traps, sketches, “stitches”, and shenanigans, Tik Tok racks up more views than any of its competitors. During the pandemic, one gentleman who became internationally viral was Khaby Lame. The Senegalese-Italian … ContinuedThe post The world’s most followed Tik Tok superstar Khaby Lame fittingly wears the lamest watch… appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Quill & Pad
Not one to shy away from wild watches and unique combinations, in late 2021 Urwerk debuted a special tenth-anniversary UR-110 to commemorate the launch of the original UR-110 in 2011: the UR-100 Bakelite.
Deployant
The new release marks Kurono's success once again in textbook execution of a product launch. It begins with a great design, good pricing and finishes with great marketing. Riding on Hajime's popularity, the brand story benefits from the watchmaker's credibility. The design is classic and accessible, with finishing that is a bar above most in its segment. It also benefits from finding a niche in the USD1-4k segment, in a non-mass production vertical. Its limited production possibly limited by assembly and manufacturing capacity works ironically in its favor, to create scarcity.
Time+Tide
Welcome to Cheap Thrills, where we highlight offbeat watches that are pure fun, at prices that won’t sear a hole in your wallet. Today, we’re taking a look at the unique, artsy offerings from Mr. Jones Watches. When you first see one of the quirky timepieces from London’s Mr. Jones Watches, you may be thinking, … ContinuedThe post CHEAP THRILLS: Mr. Jones Watches will brighten your day every time you look at your wrist appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Quill & Pad
Graham's releases a trio of Single Harvest Tawny Ports called the Cellar Master’s Trilogy comprising The Apprentice, The Artisan, and The Master. Ken Gargett gives us the lowdown on how it's made and how it tastes.
Revolution
Wei and Jeremiah geek out over the different approaches taken by two independent watchmakers in their pursuit of chronometric perfection: Montres KF’s Karsten Frässdorf and De Bethune’s Denis Flageollet. Frässdorf’s EI8HT Evolution Meteorite is the latest iteration of the bespoke only EI8HT released in 2020 – a modern interpretation of centuries old inventions. Flageollet’s approach […]
Deployant
Hanhart extends their classic pilot chronographs Pioneer Mk I and Pioneer Mk II with a new dial variation in the form of the Reverse Panda.
Time+Tide
Seiko is launching a new Australasian Limited Edition from the Prospex range that is inspired by one of the most stunning holiday destinations in Australia – Noosa in Queensland. The colourway for this timepiece is the seemingly always on-trend black and blue but adds popping bright yellow accents. The dial has a very subtle texture … ContinuedThe post INTRODUCING: The Seiko Prospex SPB347J “Noosa” appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
Seiko has gone beyond the green and gold to release two watches inspired by Australia’s natural environment that will be limited to the Australasian market. We’ll tackle the first of these now: the Prospex SRPJ35K “Eucalyptus”, but you can read our first impressions of the Prospex SBP347J “Noosa” right here. Both watches are released along … ContinuedThe post INTRODUCING: The Seiko Prospex SRPJ53K “Eucalyptus” appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
Editor’s Note: When Nicolas Cage recently gushed over his Grand Seiko on the red carpet, many of you in the comments noted how he should become an ambassador for the brand – and we agreed it would definitely be a fun pairing. This then got us thinking what other ambassador match-ups we would want to see. … ContinuedThe post Fantasy Watch Ambassador: Willem Dafoe and the ever-cheeky Konstantin Chaykin appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Deployant
Vacheron Constantin created a unique space for collectors to connect and share watchmaking passion. Here is our pictorial report of our visit to Villa 1755.
SJX Watches
Continuing the brand’s well-known intentions to liven up the Calatrava, Patek Philippe unveiled a brand-new take on its quintessential dress watch at Watches & Wonders earlier this year, the Calatrava ref. 5226G-01. The ref. 5226G indicates where the Calatrava line is going – more contemporary design, albeit still informed by vintage models hence the faux vintage lume, which is enhanced with sharper and higher quality detailing. Despite an entry-level watch of sorts (despite a substantial price tag), the ref. 5226G is nonetheless elaborately executed. The hobnail decoration found on last year’s ref. 6119 “Clous de Paris”, for instance, has been repurposed and applied to the case band. The dial gets a pronounced grained finish And the case a clous de Paris decoration Initial thoughts I first encountered the ref. 5226G in larger-than-life format when it appeared on the floor-to-ceiling display on the side of Patek Philippe at Watches & Wonders. The scale of the projection meant the patterned dial and hobnail case were instantly obvious. Though unexpected elements in an entry-level Patek Philippe, they work well together, both on screen and in real life. Patek Philippe at Watches & Wonders 2022 with its oversized digital display. Image – Watches & Wonders When I tried on the watch during the fair, my positive impression was reinforced. Even though the ref. 5226G is a combination of elements not usually put together, it is compelling and appealing in the metal. ...
Time+Tide
Watches have always been much more than tellers of time. They hold memories and are one of the most personal items someone can own. With that in mind, it shouldn’t be surprising when more is added to the equation by getting a watch engraved. Whether through a message or symbol etched on the back, it’s … ContinuedThe post Scratching beneath the surface – should you engrave your watch? appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Quill & Pad
For a relatively small manufacture like Armin Strom, scaling the production is not an easy thing, nor something that is always as desirable as it looks. However, creating watches that remain virtually unobtainable for most (potential) clients also isn't. That is why Armin Strom is already releasing the second edition of the Orbit, which is also limited to 25 pieces.
Time+Tide
The ability to display two time zones on a single dial has cropped up quite a lot over the course of history, but it was rarely more than a niche curiosity before the advent of flying. Now, the idea of a pilot’s watch without a GMT complication feels somewhat incomplete, and that’s why the new … ContinuedThe post IN-DEPTH: The Longines Spirit Zulu Time Collection appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Quill & Pad
When you talk with watch enthusiasts, the conversation often branches out to other areas of passion; one of these is inevitably sound systems. Martin Green doesn't have firm statistics, but there are a considerable number of audiophiles among watch collectors. And like him, they will be probably be smitten with the Sonomaster Chronograph made by Reservoir.
SJX Watches
A great deal of meaning is placed on anniversaries in watchmaking and Cortina Watch is celebrating its Golden Jubilee in 2022 with a slew of limited edition watches and a very special clock. The latest timepiece for the Singapore retailer’s milestone anniversary is the H. Moser & Cie. Endeavour Cylindrical Tourbillon Skeleton “Cortina Watch 50th Anniversary”. A variant of the Endeavour tourbillon, this 10-piece limited edition watch features the brand’s signature fumé dial in blue, along with a one-minute flying tourbillon equipped with an uncommon cylindrical hairspring. Initial thoughts The watch combines the elegant and minimal design typical of Moser with the more contemporary that results from the cleanly open-worked movement. And despite being based on an existing model that was just introduced in March of this year, the Cortina edition is still impressive, largely thanks to the skeletonised movement. The cylindrical hairspring maybe be an anachronistic novelty rather than a practical innovation, but one that is rare in modern watchmaking, visually interesting, and historically significant, being rooted in 19th century marine chronometers. Moser aesthetics At 42 mm in diameter, the Cortina edition has the same dimensions as the standard model in white gold. In contrast, the Cortina version is in 18k red gold. Time is indicated on a domed sub-dial at 12 o’clock with the graduated “Funky Blue” finish that is synonymous with Moser. But unlike most othe...
Time+Tide
“If it’s not measurable then it’s not manageable.” It’s a saying beloved of accountants, number crunchers and other po-faced types, often looking to protect you from your, let’s face it, hare-brained ideas based on some purported “gut feel”. But this would seem to be the personal manifesto of Andre Nader. The data analyst is a … ContinuedThe post This data analyst microchipped his wardrobe to track cost per wear. What he found could change how you buy watches forever appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
EDITOR’S NOTE: Jeff Hess is one of the world authorities on Rolex. As CEO of Duber Time and owner of Old Northeast Jewellers and Hess Fine Auctions, he’s bought vintage Rolex for almost 40 years and is the co-author of Rolex Wristwatches: An Unauthorized History (Schiffer Publishing). Here he explains some of the most common pitfalls you’ll face … ContinuedThe post The biggest mistakes you can make when buying vintage Rolex (and how to avoid them) appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
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