Hodinkee
Auctions: Nine Highlights From Only Watch 2021
A Unique Royal Oak Jumbo and Tudor Black Bay GMT – and much, much more.
Results for The Royal Oak Launch Story
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Hodinkee
Time+Tide
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.
Time+Tide
This reader just found a Vacheron Constantin 222 in his sock drawer worth $115k
Paul Draper* peered into his sock drawer looking for the watch. He’d just read Nick Kenyon’s story on Time+Tide about how a new report estimates that $60 billion USD of watches are gathering dust in people’s homes due to their owners’ failure to recognise what their timepieces are actually worth. The article gave Paul pause … ContinuedThe post This reader just found a Vacheron Constantin 222 in his sock drawer worth $115k appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
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.
Time+Tide
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.
SJX Watches
Living With: Tudor Black Bay Chrono “Panda”
Tudor was founded in 1946 expressly to offer good value, specifically, its founder Hans Wilsdorf (who’s better known to establish Rolex) wanted Tudor watches to offer the trademark dependability of its bigger brother, but at a more accessible price. Seventy-five years later that remains true, with watches like the Black Bay 58 being amongst the best dive watches in its price segment. When I covered the Tudor Black Bay Chrono “Panda” at its launch earlier in the year, I wrote it is “likely the best-value sports chronograph one can find under US$5,000”. So I naturally jumped at the opportunity to test drive the watch for a week. Initial thoughts The Black Bay Chrono “Panda” is, on its face, a more accessible alternative to the Rolex Daytona, now virtually impossible to get at retail. The similarities between the two are obvious: a “Panda” dial with one line of red text, screw-down pushers, and a black tachymetre bezel. Yet to simply pigeonhole the Black Bay Chrono “Panda” as a more affordable Daytona would do it a disservice. The Black Bay Chrono possesses enough character to stand on its own. It’s instantly recognisable as a Tudor with the signature “snowflake” hands matched with round indices. Though the new Black Bay Chrono is near identical visually to the first-generation model, it has been refined with a slightly thinner case. Nevertheless, the watch is still relatively thick on the wrist, slightly beefier than the Breitling Premier B01 wh...
Time+Tide
FRIDAY WIND DOWN: How to avoid getting scammed when you sell your watch and Grand Seiko blue snow
You don’t hear about watch scams very often. So when the inside story of a fiendish attempt recently emerged, we interviewed the gentleman who almost became the victim. Gautaman Senivasan is a Singapore watch collector and trader who invited a prospective buyer into his home to inspect some watches he was selling. What happened next … ContinuedThe post FRIDAY WIND DOWN: How to avoid getting scammed when you sell your watch and Grand Seiko blue snow appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Quill & Pad
Vintage Watch Snobbery – Reprise
Standing before What Makes Me Tick's eyes was the most perfect of God’s creatures, a wonderful mix of Audrey Hepburn and Penelope Cruz. He thought his heart had skipped a beat, and he heard the chimes of every single minute repeater Patek Philippe had ever created – all chiming at exactly the same time! Six months later the gentle creature and he were married. This extraordinary story reflects the marvelous world of vintage watches: finding the rare bird, linking it to a story, and never letting it go.
Time+Tide
TRADING FACES: Why I swapped a birth year Rolex Explorer and Ming 27.01 for my grail watch…
Early on when I joined the Time+Tide team, I wrote a story that detailed how I got my Rolex Submariner. As both a watch collector and journalist, I felt the subject would resonate and, as that became my most read story ever, it would seem I was right. Just to recap: as a 27-year-old, I … ContinuedThe post TRADING FACES: Why I swapped a birth year Rolex Explorer and Ming 27.01 for my grail watch… appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
Book Review: Konstantin Chaykin: Haute Horlogerie, With Russian Soul
Konstantin Chaykin: Haute Horlogerie, With Russian Soul. By Alexey Kutkovoy. Chaykin.ru; €230 Just glancing at Konstantin Chaykin’s repertoire tells you that there must be many stories behind his watches and clocks – they are markedly out of the ordinary. To tell some of those stories behind the timepieces – and his own story – Konstantin recruited renowned Russian watch journalist Alexey Kutkovoy in 2019. Despite Konstantin being a perfectionist, Mr Kutkovoy had journalistic freedom. “I was not bound by his control, so I had the privilege to compose my own independent vision with some nice subjects discovered, and I’m happy he left that untouched,” mentions Mr Kutkovoy. The Joker Selfie made for charity auction Only Watch 2019 His life and work The result is Konstantin Chaykin, a wide-ranging book that’s both an overview of Konstantin’s first 17 years of watchmaking as well as the myriad tales about his watches and clocks. Konstantin Chaykin is 384 well-filled pages, laid out in an unusual design that befits the individualism found in his watches. Originally published in Russian, the book is now available in English in a limited edition of 1,000 copies. Mr Kutkovoy decided to present Konstantin’s story in two separate threads – a timeline and an evolution of Konstantin’s clock and watch inventions – that presents a detailed history in a most accessible way. The opened cover of Konstantin Chaykin The first section is a chronological narrative, ...
Time+Tide
Three men apprehended for robbery of a Richard Mille RM 11-03 in Beverly Hills
Back in March, we covered the story of a horrific watch theft in Beverly Hills California where a Richard Mille robbery occurred leaving an undisclosed women wounded by a firearm. Shay Belhassen was targeted for his RM-11-03 Flyback Chronograph in rose gold, a watch worth $500,000, while dining with a female companion at celebrity hotspot … ContinuedThe post Three men apprehended for robbery of a Richard Mille RM 11-03 in Beverly Hills appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
Up Close: Grand Seiko 60th Anniversary Hi-Beat SLGH003
Last year’s 60th anniversary was a major event for Grand Seiko, which unveiled several new movements and plenty of limited editions to mark the occasion. The most notable launch was probably the 9SA5 movement, a high-frequency and high-end automatic calibre. The movement made its debut in the luxe yellow-gold SLGH002, then in the steel Grand Seiko 60th Anniversary Hi-Beat SLGH003 a few months later. Since then the movement has been installed in a similar, but even more pricey platinum edition, and finally the regular production “White Birch” SLGH005. The cal. 9SA5 All the models are essentially the same, save for different dial finishes and case materials. Here we take a close look at the SLGH003 in steel as a representative for the “SLGH” family. Like its siblings in the family, the SLGH003 is a brand-new reference. The case and dial designs evolved from the existing and familiar Grand Seiko style, but inside is a radically new movement – the cal. 9SA5 with a Dual Impulse escapement. The aesthetic changes have created more refined exterior that better showcase the brand’s case finishing, but more crucially, the improvements signify the brand’s moves upmarket – exemplified by the more elaborate movement and higher price tag. The SLGH003 Initial thoughts Unique among the Grand Seiko line up in terms of its movement and styling, the “SLGH” family boasts new features that are mostly for the better, such as the more elaborate case and sophisticated mov...
Time+Tide
PSA: Russell Crowe confirms purported ‘Cinderella Man Rolex Submariner’ up for sale is not his watch
Update #2:The never-ending story goes on… Since publishing this update we have spoken to Fog City Vintage (@fogcityvintage), who removed the Rolex Submariner listing – with an asking price at that time of $22,500USD – and refunded the seller as soon as it came to light that the provenance of the watch was not as originally described. As … ContinuedThe post PSA: Russell Crowe confirms purported ‘Cinderella Man Rolex Submariner’ up for sale is not his watch appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
Cartier Introduces Slightly Ironic Cartier Libre Jewelled Watches
Cartier Libre reimagines signature Cartier case shapes as high jewellery timepieces. Iconic designs like the Crash, Baignoire, Tank Chinoise, and Diagonale have all been given the Libre treatment since the line’s launch in 2017. At Watches & Wonders 2021, Cartier debuts the latest Cartier Libre duo – the Baignoire Turtle and Tortue Snake – both jewelled, enamelled, and slightly ironic: a turtle dressed like a snake, and a turtle named after a bathtub. Initial Thoughts Extravagantly styled and impeccably decorated, the new pair of watches are whimsical, as the Libre line has always been, but for the first time draw on the natural world for inspiration. Despite being seriously lavish jewellery watches, the two have a sense of humour. Each case shape is inspired by an object – tortue translates as turtle, and bagnoire, bathtub – but each watch is decorated with a motif from something else entirely, bringing to mind surrealist art. The turtle Definitely the more glamorous of the two watches, the Bagnoire Turtle is also the more legible of the two, thanks to the use of blued-steel hands that contrast against the diamond-set dial. And it is more convenient, being powered by a quartz movement, though that makes it less appealing to a watch enthusiast. The Baignoire Turtle is decorated like, well, a turtle. Both the bezel and dial have been divided into pentagonal and hexagonal panels, outlined in blue enamel. The panels themselves are decorated with brilliant-cut di...
Revolution
Introducing Panerai’s Bronzo Blue Abisso and Luminor Marina eSteel
For 2021, Panerai powers ahead with an update on its iconic Bronzo and the launch of its Luminor Marina eSteel watches made using recycled steel
Time+Tide
How not to talk to total strangers about their watch
I was 35,000ft over the Atlantic when I first freaked someone out about his watch. It was in the line for the airplane toilet. A guy was ahead of me, wrestling a full-bladdered toddler. This, I reasoned, is exactly the moment he’ll want a stranger to ask about his Panerai. He’ll tell me the story … ContinuedThe post How not to talk to total strangers about their watch appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Revolution
Introducing Omega’s 2021 Collection of Watches
With the incredible success of the Speedmaster line, Omega’s chief Raynald Aeschlimann is also now lifting up the Seamaster family with three new watches which together form an impressive second act for Omega in 2021 following the massively successful new Speedmaster launch.
Time+Tide
INTERVIEW: British Watchmaking’s brave new dawn
As one British alliance lies wounded from failing to remain in touch with the times, another is going from strength to strength. Indeed, unlike the Royal Family, the Alliance of British Watch and Clock Makers has time on its side. Late last year, while Britain was coming to terms with the double whammy of another … ContinuedThe post INTERVIEW: British Watchmaking’s brave new dawn appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
In-Depth: Mid-Century Movado Chronographs
Every time you read a story about the ocean, there’s a good chance you’ll see that it is “95% unexplored”, or “we know more about the surface of the moon than of the seafloor”. As most tropes go, they are as annoying as they are true, and in this case they’re also an apt metaphor for vintage watch knowledge. While the details of vintage Patek Philippe and Rolex have been mapped down to their going trains, numerous brands remain relatively uncharted – a Marianas Trench’s of knowledge awaiting exploration. Midcentury Movado chronographs lie squarely at those depths; let’s dive in. As we arrive at the door of our submersible, we must first acknowledge those who have assembled taxonomies of this scantly-explored abyss: the late Fritz van Osterhausen, author of The Movado History, and the excellent M95 chronograph reference the e-newsletter Rescapement published a few years ago. Using their ballast - no, I haven’t run out of nautical metaphors yet - we hope to fathom yet further. Today, we’ll peer into with what many consider the pinnacle of Movado collecting, its exceptionally-cased midcentury chronographs. History Until the 21st century, Swiss watch production was predominantly a cottage industry. Specialists manufactured the case, dial, or ebauche (movement blank), and peddled their wares to as many brands as possible. While final products were modified to brand specifications, family traits are easily discernible across marques that shared sup...
Deployant
Cartier Tank à Vis and Santos Galbee: why I bought both!
Sharon Tan shares with us the story of how she came to buy the Cartier Tank à Vis, via the route of a Cartier Santos Galbee.
Time+Tide
Patek Philippe sales in 2020 down by 20% is not any kind of big deal
Yessir, the cone of silence surrounding the manufacture of Patek Philippe has lifted twice in a week. The brand are surfing atop of a media wave of their own making. Only last week we reported first on the discontinuation of the already near-impossible to get Nautilus ref. 5711, and in our story here we shared … ContinuedThe post Patek Philippe sales in 2020 down by 20% is not any kind of big deal appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
Massena Lab Quietly Drops a Prototype Series of Chronographs
Having gotten its start with collaborations with brands like Habring2, Massena introduced its first wristwatch under its own name last year. Now it’s following up with a hush-hush launch of the Archetype 0.0, a “pre-series prototype” watch that’s neither a limited edition nor regular production. Like the earlier Uni-Racer, the Archetype 0.0 is a vintage-style chronograph conceived with an eye for details that only an enthusiast would appreciate. But unlike its predecessor, the Archetype 0.0 isn’t modelled on a specific vintage watch, instead it is a blend of elements that give it a mid-20th century air, while also having modern conveniences like a 100 m water-resistance rating and a domed sapphire crystal. Initial thoughts The Archetype 0.0 has a “sector” dial with a gilt finish – glossy black lacquer with gold print – a perennial favourite that’s not novel but always appealing. Similar dials are attempted often, but because Massena Lab founder William Rohr is a veteran watch collector and industry insider, the Archetype 0.0 gets even the smallest elements right. The numerals, for instance, have tiny serifs, while the six is “open”, as they would be on vintage watches. And the darker print for the logo and sub-dials is another delightful detail. Although vintage in style, the case is unusual in that it’s not usually found with gilt, “sector” dials in vintage watches, making the combination novel in a subtle manner. Notably, the case is rated t...
Time+Tide
Boxer Amir Khan’s son gets £30,000 Rolex Cosmograph Daytona as a first birthday present
Some champions refuse to wear their hard-earned Rolex through staunch working-class pride – like MMA fighter Michael Bisping in our story here. But British boxer Amir Khan is a man of style and hardly shy of wrist. And why not start the “taking care of it for the next generation” sentiment literally by getting your … ContinuedThe post Boxer Amir Khan’s son gets £30,000 Rolex Cosmograph Daytona as a first birthday present appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
AUCTION NEWS: This Vacheron Constantin sold for just 40 per cent of its $3 million prediction. Is 2021 off to a catastrophically slow start?
I did choose to be very optimistic in my story last week about the astounding Vacheron Constantin Tour de L’Ile reaching a cool record $3 million to kick off a healthy 2021. The estimate was set at Antiquorum’s Important Modern & Vintage Timepieces in Monaco to a spread of $1.8 – $3 million. But the watch … ContinuedThe post AUCTION NEWS: This Vacheron Constantin sold for just 40 per cent of its $3 million prediction. Is 2021 off to a catastrophically slow start? appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
Blindsided by brilliance: three Grand Seiko watches from 2020 that we never saw coming
Grand Seiko and their meticulous artistry never cease to amaze me. Each watch has a rich back story with every dial tone, texture, case form and finish carefully selected in order to best convey the brand’s grammar of design. Their relationship with Japanese culture and the nature that surrounds their workshops really shines through in … ContinuedThe post Blindsided by brilliance: three Grand Seiko watches from 2020 that we never saw coming appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
Living With: H. Moser & Cie. Streamliner Flyback Chronograph Funky Blue
H. Moser & Cie. launched the Streamliner Flyback Chronograph almost exactly a year ago with a launch edition of a 100 pieces that sold out quickly. I liked the watch when I first saw it in late 2019. Both its design and execution were done well, and the movement is special. Unlike many of its peers, the Streamliner is an original in a segment dominated by derivative watches. So when I was offered the chance to borrow the prototype for a few days – off the wrist of Moser chief executive Edouard Meylan, who had been wearing it skiing – it was an easy yes. Initial thoughts Reminiscent of the 1970s and 1980s sports watches – but not the obvious ones like the Nautilus and Royal Oak – the Streamliner is one of the few integrated-bracelet sports watches that isn’t derivative, which is a feat in itself. The “Funky Blue” version has exactly the same design and movement, but with a new dial in a graduated, metallic blue that’s even more striking. I do, however, miss the vertically-brushed finish on the dial of the launch edition, which was uncommon amongst Moser watches. The subtle, radially-brushed finish of the Funky Blue dial Aesthetic aside, a key part of its appeal lies in the HMC 902 movement, a calibre developed by Geneva specialist Agenhor. Not only is the construction clever, it is also good looking, despite its modern aesthetics. Traditionally-styled chronograph movements like the L951.1 of the Datograph are usually the most attractive, but the HMC 902 is...
Quill & Pad
Rutherglen Muscats: Fortified Liquid Delights From A Historical Australian Wine Region
Ken Gargett remembers it as though it was yesterday: the aroma from this small glass was the most alluring, enticing, extraordinary thing he had ever smelled in his life. Indeed, the nose of a great Muscat is for him one of the three great aromas one can find in the world of wine (the other two being a first-class, mature champagne and a great Burgundy). In this story, he introduces us to the beautifully fragrant world of Australia's Rutherglen Muscats.
Quill & Pad
Book Review: ‘Stalin’s Wine Cellar’ By John Baker
Whether 'Stalin’s Wine Cellar' is a journey about chasing fakes, or if these bottles hidden away in the former Soviet Union are genuine, the story makes for a rollicking saga. And if the bottles are genuine, who really did own them and what on earth might they be worth? The tale takes us on twist after twist and has been described as “Raiders of the Lost Ark for wine lovers.” Ken Gargett couldn't put the book down.
SJX Watches
In-Depth: Patek Philippe Grande Sonnerie Ref. 6301P-001
Patek Philippe closed 2020 in a big way with the launch of the Grande Sonnerie ref. 6301P-001 in November. The most complicated wristwatch unveiled by the Geneva watchmaker in recent years, the Grande Sonnerie is a grande and petite sonnerie carillon. With last year’s Geneva watch fair cancelled, the brand unveiled its new releases one by one throughout the year, starting with the limited-edition Calatrava ref. 6007A in June, allowing each new model to be in stores as soon as it was announced. The Grande Sonnerie ref. 6301P-001 was no different, albeit on a tiny scale, with reputedly only a handful available in each region – all sold before the launch. Initial thoughts An impressively large watch, the ref. 6301P feels like a modern-day grand complication. The size is a consequence of the wide and complex movement, so the watch has good proportions all things considered. But the styling is classical, incorporating many elements from vintage Patek Philippe watches – and also the ref. 5370P split-seconds chronograph – which gives it an elegant appearance, something helped by the relative thinness of the case. Still, it is clearly a contemporary watch – Patek Philippe rarely does exact remakes of vintage watches – with details that mark it out as such, including the recessed case band and the luminous hands. The fact that the watch is contemporary is evident in the movement, which looks and functions like a modern calibre, reflecting Patek Philippe’s measured,...
Quill & Pad
42 Favorite Facts For 2020
At the end of 2020, 'The New York Times' published a story entitled “74 of Our Favorite Facts for 2020,” which contained 74 of the most interesting, striking, or delightful facts that the editors found in articles published by the newspaper last year. Elizabeth Doerr was inspired and now shares 42 interesting facts from Quill & Pad stories in 2020. Enjoy!