Hodinkee
Auctions: A Chance To Buy An Original 'Polar Explorer' That Helped Guide Ernest Shackleton
Ernest Shackleton's 1907 Nimrod expedition fell short of the South Pole, but this timepiece has survived the ages.
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Hodinkee
Ernest Shackleton's 1907 Nimrod expedition fell short of the South Pole, but this timepiece has survived the ages.
Worn & Wound
Ming is back with an updated version of their 37.05, which you might remember was announced in late 2021 as the brand’s first watch with a moonphase complication. Ming has given the 37.05 Series 2 (which they’ve nicknamed the “Ad Astra”) a series of whimsical refinements that play on the inherent romance of a moonphase complication. Those aesthetic tweaks are, of course, uniquely Ming in nature, making use of their expanding proficiency with a variety of materials, and a rather ingenious use of high powered luminescent material. You’ll immediately notice that the big change to the new 37.05 is with the dial. Ming has gone from a textured blue dial with a subtle moonphase indicator at the 6:00 position to an anthracite dial with prominent brushed finishing. Star shaped holes have been added to the dial, which fill in with lume as the moonphase disc rotates underneath. The 37.05 still uses a sapphire upper dial, which is where you’ll find hour markers, the moon “mask” which is used to define the phase of the moon, as well as plenty of inlaid HyCeram lume to provide a bit of a light show when fully charged. Ming notes that the stars on the sapphire upper dial have HyCeram lume applied to both the upper and lower surfaces for increased visual depth. The 37.05 Series 2 is powered by the manually wound Sellita SW288-1, which is the same caliber used in the prior moonphase, and has been extensively reworked and decorated in the same fashion. The bridges have b...
Worn & Wound
If there was an easy knock you could make against the previous iterations of the Singer Reimagined chronographs, it’s that they were too big. At 43mm in a big cushion case, they have a ton of wrist presence to be sure, and require a larger wrist to pull off effectively. But they’re mechanically ingenious, and, in my opinion, pretty great looking from a purely aesthetic perspective, so I was always willing to forgive them for their size. Now, with a pair of watches in the brand’s new Singer 1969 collection, they’ve gone a long way toward answering doubters who made the large size of their earlier watches a dealbreaker. They’ve also incorporated new functionality, refining the mechanical piece to make their watches even more intuitive. The 1969 Chronograph is the heavy hitter of the pair of watches announced today. This watch features an updated Agengraphe caliber that’s smaller (to fit the new 40mm case) and also includes a time display. Elapsed time is still read from the centrally mounted hands, but the current time is now displayed in an aperture at 6:00 via a pair of rotating discs. The chronograph incorporates jumping minutes and hours for precision, and the caliber is capable of timing events of up to 60 hours, which is a feat only Singer can claim. The more modest 1969 Timer is my personal favorite of the two new watches. This is effectively an update of Singer’s Flytrack watches, which incorporate a 60 second timer via the centrally mounted running...
Worn & Wound
Sometimes, weird things happen on the watch release calendar that result in an almost mystical kind of synergy. We didn’t plan today as “racing inspired chronograph day,” but the surprise release of a new Rolex Daytona paying tribute to the 100th anniversary of Le Mans and an equally surprising new Seiko chronograph with more than a little racing and competitive timing heritage means that today is all about the many flavors of tracking elapsed time. Rounding out a trilogy of new chronographs today, we have news of the latest limited edition from Porsche Design, a special variant of the Chronograph 1 celebrating 75 years of Porsche. As car enthusiasts are likely well aware, this year marks the 75th anniversary of the first Porsche, the 356 No. 1 roadster. In the decades since, Porsche has become not just one of the most important carmakers in the world, but one of the most recognizable brands of any type. Porsche vehicles are known all over the world, and their iconic silhouettes and designs can be easily recognized even by people who don’t count themselves as car aficionados. The new watch, according to Porsche Design, is a tribute to the culture and legacy Porsche has built. The Chronograph 1 75 Years of Porsche Edition is very similar to the 1972 Limited Edition variant of the watch released last year, and discussed by Blake here. The differences are honestly so minute, they might only be appreciated by the most rabid Porsche Design collectors, but this is a ...
Worn & Wound
You can put this one in the category of: We Didn’t See it Coming. Seiko has just launched a new Prospex branded version of a watch that can be described as a true cult hit of the early aughts, the Seiko Sportura Kinetic. If you’re scratching your head trying to remember the Sportura and coming up empty, perhaps you know it as “the Jay Leno,” as the former Tonight Show host is fond of wearing one while tooling around in steam powered fire trucks from the 1910s, or whatever. The Sportura’s fans, though, are legion. Our co-founder Zach Weiss is a Sportura owner, and I don’t think he even drives a Duesenberg. The new watches are being framed as a new chapter in the ongoing story of Seiko as a timer of competitive sporting events, which dates back to the 1960s. The conceit of the Sportura was a deconstructed chronograph display that shows elapsed time in three separate dial displays, each covered with a small custom crystal, which must have been terribly expensive and difficult to fabricate. The new watches (there are four in total) are simpler, with a layout that consists of a main dial for the time at 6:00, with what amounts to a trio of subdials arcing over it that display elapsed time. On the new watches, everything is part of one dial, so we lose some of that weird disconnected feeling, but much of the aesthetic sensibility remains. Functionally, they’re a bit different from the originals, as you’d expect given advancements in movement tech. While Kinet...
Worn & Wound
As an object of pure fascination, there are few watch designs that come close to H. Moser’s Streamliner. I have been low key obsessed with it since the first Streamliner appeared in early, pre-pandemic 2020. That first chronograph was, at first, baffling to me. I found myself drawn to it even though I’m not really much of a chronograph guy, integrated bracelet sports watches aren’t my thing, and, at the time, I didn’t really appreciate Moser, either. At the end of the day, the Streamliner’s subversion of my own expectations of what a luxury integrated bracelet sports watch should be are what makes it successful. If you find the Royal Oak cold and clinical, the Streamliner is warm and organic by comparison. If the Nautilus is the choice of Patagonia-vested finance bros, the Streamliner gets the endorsement of sneakerheads. Even at its most opulent, it’s the kind of watch that makes me feel kind of giddy, as opposed to slack-jawed intimidation, which doesn’t always translate into a successful wearing experience in my opinion. In a landscape of integrated bracelet sports watches that all kind of feel like riffs on each other, the Streamliner still feels like a true original to me. For those reasons, I’m always interested in new versions of the Streamliner. As a blank canvas, it’s capable of communicating all of the things Moser excels at, depending on how they decide to execute any particular reference. The latest Streamliner is an update to the original c...
Quill & Pad
Dr. William Julien, an experienced watch collector, sent us a link to a video that he and his son, William Alexander Julien, made about the journey of his commissioning of a bespoke Grönefeld 1941 Remontoire. The nine-minute video is very moving and beautifully filmed and edited. I highly recommend that you pour yourself a glass of your favorite tipple and hit play: it will not disappoint.
Worn & Wound
Breitling revealed their modern Super AVI collection in 2021 at an airstrip in Dallas, with actual war planes and pilots on hand. We brought you live coverage right here, and as nice as we found some of the designs, the cases themselves, which clocked in at 46×15.9mm, were a tougher pill to swallow. In an attempt to address this, Breitling has introduced a new Classic AVI family into the collection, which features a more wrist-friendly 42×14.7mm case at the expense of the GMT complication found in the Super AVI family. Further still, within this release is a 41mm ref. 765 1964 Re-Edition that stays true to old school form both inside and out. The new Classic AVI watches bring the same design language we saw in the Super AVI, which itself is a reference to the Breitling reference 765 from the early ‘50s, a watch that earned the nickname “Co-Pilot” for its usefulness to pilots of the time. The Super AVI watches featured designs that drew inspiration from iconic WWII planes, and the Classic AVI collection makes use of the same schemes to great effect. This includes the P-51 Mustang, Vought F4U Corsair, Curtiss P-40 Warhawk, and Mosquito planes, which are each represented in the 4 different colorways. The newest AVI watches use the Breitling Caliber 23, which is their modified Valjoux 7753. This means the pricing is also considerably more attractive than the Super AVI collection, with prices starting at $5,800 for leather strap equipped watches, and $6,200 if you pre...
Hodinkee
Visiting Saxony is the perfect reason to revisit a five-year-old watch that didn't get its due.
Worn & Wound
Over the last few years, the Zodiac Super Sea Wolf has generated a head of steam in the collector community, becoming an unlikely talking point among enthusiasts as new iterations have been released at a fast clip. These watches have a common thread in that they all pay a certain amount of respect to classic vintage designs, but Zodiac has been extremely willing to play with color, and that’s been a large part of their success with this line in the recent past. Across both limited editions and releases in the permanent collection, Zodiac has proven that they aren’t afraid to experiment, and that exclusively creating sober dive watches without much of a personality is of little interest to them. This new release, then, feels like the culmination of what we’ve seen in Zodiac’s recent strategy, with what might be their most colorful watch yet, which ironically doesn’t even have a traditional dial. The new Super Sea Wolf Compression Skeleton prominently features the STP 6-15 automatic movement, plainly visible from the dial side. This is the first time we can recall Zodiac using a skeleton design in a modern context, and certainly within their dive watch line, so it speaks to their confidence in and pride in the STP caliber that they’d be willing to show it off in such a way. STP, of course, is Fossil owned movement manufacture that is a sister brand to Zodiac, and has played a large role in outfitting their recent releases with high quality, competitively priced...
Revolution
Benjamin Comar, CEO of Piaget, welcomes Revolution Founder Wei Koh and Revolution Editor-at-Large Eleonor Picciotto to experience Piaget’s Watches and Wonders 2023 novelties. This foray’s flagship complication is the Piaget Polo Perpetual Calendar Ultra-Thin, a 42mm watch that was presented in green dial a month before Watches and Wonders 2023, and is now available in […]
Hodinkee
The gram debuted in 2010. And since then, a lot of us have adopted a 'pics or it didn't happen' mindset. But these strange and wonderful watches very much did happen, even if you've never seen them in your feed.
Worn & Wound
It’s been almost a year since Maurice Lacroix unveiled the Aikon Tide watches. These colorful sports watches made from up-cycled ocean plastics represent a new entry point into the Maurice Lacroix collection, coming in at under $1,000 and making an overt play for the hard earned cash of a younger watch consumer. When the watches launched a year ago, many in the community rolled their eyes at another brand jumping on the green bandwagon with a “plastic” watch. But in the months since the Tide’s launch, a plastic watch of a different variety has absolutely taken over the watch world. The MoonSwatch is, admittedly, at a lower price point, but the enthusiastic response to those watches proves that nontraditional and considerably less expensive materials are capable of catching on in the right package. The Tide, then, isn’t going anywhere, and Maurice Lacroix has just unveiled a new version with their partners at Mahindra Racing in an appealing new colorway that might serve to remind some that there are other brands to consider in the plastic watch realm. Maurice Lacroix has had a relationship with Mahindra Racing since 2020. The team is part of the founding group of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, which is the premier circuit for the latest crop of single seater electric race cars. The new crop of electrics are serious pieces of tech unto themselves, with lightning quick acceleration and top speeds approaching 200 miles per hour. As with F1 and other moto...
Hodinkee
The new blue grain texture is undoubtedly cool – but what about the white gold RO we didn't get?
Quill & Pad
The BR 05 Copper Brown is very eye-catching in Martin Green's opinion and the sunburst effect on the dial gives a beautiful play of light, with the hue of the dial going from salmon to a darker tone of brown, depending on the angle and lighting.
Revolution
Wei paid a visit to Bell & Ross’ headquarters in Paris to meet with CEO Carlos Rosillo and Grail Watch’s artist-in-residence, Alain Silberstein to unbox Grail Watch 4 for the first time! The collaboration between Bell & Ross and Alain Silberstein didn’t seem likely to happen at first, as there were doubts that the design […]
SJX Watches
IWC has a suite of instantly recognisable models synonymous with the brand, namely the Pilot’s Watches and of course, the Portugieser. But one collection does get as much recognition as its peers, despite being almost 40 years old. Named after the famous seaside city in Italy, the Portofino was introduced in 1984 (though the inaugural model didn’t yet have the Portofino name at the time) as an oversized pocket watch-style wristwatch, something of a clarion call to persist with mechanical watchmaking after the Quartz Crisis. Now the brand has revived one of the classics from the line with the Portofino Perpetual Calendar. At 40 mm in diameter, it’s the most compact of IWC’s perpetual calendars and is equipped with an in-house movement from the 82000 family. Initial thoughts The perpetual calendar is a sought-after complication for its utility but also its aesthetics, especially when it includes a moon phase, which adds a touch of romanticism to the design. IWC’s latest take on the complication is straightforward, practical, and priced reasonably enough. In fact, it’s essentially a visually-simplified version of the Portugieser Perpetual Calendar 42, which uses the same movement but inside a larger case. While not revolutionary in technical terms, the Portofino Perpetual Calendar is a solid performer with a concise design. It retains all the features that made the 1990s original appealing but adds a few contemporary touches in both design and the in-house base m...
Time+Tide
Any Marvel fan, like me, had a fantastic week upon hearing the news that not only is Deadpool 3 on the way, but that Hugh Jackman is coming out of role-retirement to play Wolverine in the film once more. We all believed that Logan was Jackman’s last outing as the most recognisable member of the … ContinuedThe post Ryan Reynolds vs Hugh Jackman: Which superhero does watches better? appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
There’s a famous Bond scene in Octopussy where Roger Moore’s 007, clad in his customary white tuxedo, sits down to play a spot of high-stakes backgammon. His adversary – the malevolent Kamal Khan – is surreptitiously cheating, using a set of loaded dice. Unfazed, Bond accepts Khan’s 200,000 rupee wager and, using a Fabergé egg … ContinuedThe post Sex, biceps and watch choices – how your wrist size affects your life appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
Oris has been on a hot streak of late, debuting the ProPilot X cal. 400, various Aquis divers including the Billion Oyster Project Limited Edition, as well as the Wings of Hope Limited Editions among others. The independent brand has proven they can play in a versatile range of price points – maintaining entry-level pieces with … ContinuedThe post GENEVA WATCH DAYS: Oris delivers new Divers Sixty-Five with caliber 400 movement and more appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
Editor’s Note: Back at Watches & Wonders, Zach had the chance to sit down with Baume & Mercier CEO David Chaumet. In recent years, the brand seems to be going from strength to strength with their BAUMATIC calibres, Riviera designs and other value-driven offerings. Here David Chaumet offers his state of play for Baume & Mercier today … ContinuedThe post INTERVIEW: Talking colour, size and accessible pricing with Baume & Mercier CEO David Chaumet appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Hodinkee
Watches that either didn't get the attention they deserved or are primed for a second look.
Quill & Pad
The watch nerd that WMMT is, he rarely immediately wears his new watches, putting them aside for a few days and letting the anticipation grow. When it finally came time to wear his new Rolex, he took it out of the box and proudly put it on his wrist. And then horror struck: he didn’t feel anything, not a thing! Zilch, nada, niente! What to do?
Time+Tide
EDITOR’S NOTE: We recently ran the first part of our Watch Confessions in which Time+Tide began to interview members of the community to get them to share their watch-related secrets. In this second instalment, one anonymous watch lover tells how acquiring his dream watch didn’t turn out quite as planned… “Men can often do dumb things … ContinuedThe post WATCH CONFESSIONS: “Divorce made me buy a crazy expensive watch” appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
WatchAdvice
What we like: Great looking watch with solid engineeringExcellent fit and finishComfortable on the wrist What we didn’t : Crown guard may feel fiddly for day-to-day useSharpish edges on the claspNot the easiest watch to change straps Overall rating: 8.125 /10 Value for money: 7.5/10 Wearability: 8.5/10 Design: 8/10 Build quality: 8.5/10 First things first. Let’s all get our minds out of the gutter and leave the crude, juvenile schoolyard jokes behind. We’re better than that. Aren’t we? Yes, I get that jokes about balls are just too easy and we should all rise above it and move on to more sophisticated humour. Probably. Ball watches may not be front of mind for the vast majority of us considering a watch purchase, but it really shouldn’t be overlooked… once you get past the name… Yes, I know what I typed just in the previous paragraph. But it’s just too easy. As the size of your balls, all the best quality of the watches are hidden, away from prying eyes. But once you dive deeper you’ll see that perhaps these inner qualities are worth a second glance. Or three. To be honest, much like the rest of you, I’ve not given the Balls a second glance. Even though I’ve known about the brand for a long time, the only thing that I knew about them was their glow-in-the-dark capabilities, thanks to their tritium gas tube technology. Other than that, to me, they were just another brand utilising reliable workhorse movements from ETA/sellita, but not much else stood o...
Deployant
ouis Erard continues its streak of superb, modestly priced watches with their play on the dial with their latest release - the Excellence Guilloché Main II.
Hodinkee
Our friends in Brooklyn have opted to play the hits for their 10th anniversary.
Time+Tide
I’m at the beach in Sydney and the sun is beating down. I hop across painfully hot sand – yelping – to plunge into the ocean. I check the time. My Tudor indicates it’s a little past one. Just for fun I pull on the underside of the watch bracelet, it stretches out like freshly … ContinuedThe post OPINION: Why you should experiment more with aftermarket bracelets appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
Continuing the steady pace of personnel changes since French telecoms tycoon Patrick Drahi acquired Sotheby’s in 2019, the auction house has just announced an overhaul of its watches and jewellery departments in Asia. The chairman of Jewellery and Watches for the region is Wenhao Yu, formerly of Beijing-based Poly Auction. The jewellery department will be led by Regine Ngan, while the watch department promoted from within with Joey Luk being elevated to the top job. The trio will report to Josh Pullan, who was appointed Head of Global Luxury Division just last year after almost a decade as a manager in Sotheby’s digital and e-commerce departments, which no doubt explains Sotheby’s volume of online-only auctions. Left to right: Regine Ngan, Wenhao Yu, and Joey Luk A veteran of watch auctions despite her relative youth, Ms Luk was most recently Head of Sale, having been recruited to Sotheby’s from Phillips in 2018. Ms Luk succeeds Sam Hines who will “take on an advisory role for Sotheby’s worldwide Watches sales efforts”. Mr Hines led Sotheby’s to a record year in 2021, where watch auctions totalled over US$150 million. Sotheby’s also claimed the title of most expensive wristwatch sold at auction in 2021 with the Patek Philippe ref. 1518 “pink on pink” once belonging to an Egyptian prince that sold for US$9.57 million (pictured at top). He will be leaving Sotheby’s with a bang – his closing act will be a single-owner sale of 41 Patek Philippe wr...
Quill & Pad
Never let it be said that there was a bandwagon that Ian Skellern didn’t jump on. It looks like it’s the season for everyone to be sharing their favorite watches of 2021 so here are his top ten horological highlights of the last 12 months.
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