Revolution
The Watch Face: Gilt Dials
Delve into the history of dial design and the elements that make up some of the most famous watch faces of our time. In this part: gilt dials.
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Revolution
Delve into the history of dial design and the elements that make up some of the most famous watch faces of our time. In this part: gilt dials.
Time+Tide
Brand boutiques are pretty fun spots to visit as a watch lover. Because, choice. And it may surprise you to learn that Tissot very nearly has a boutique for every single day of the year - 361, in fact, including this shiny new example in MidCity Shopping Centre in Pitt Street Mall. It will house by … ContinuedThe post The three watches that caught our eye at Australia’s first standalone Tissot boutique, located in the heart of Sydney CBD appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
Editor’s note: The darling of the independent watch space, MB&F; show no signs of slowing their release of weird and wonderful watches. Timepieces that often elicit a confused reception at first glance, MB&F; clocks and watches become more delightful the longer you look at them, as you realise the playfulness at the heart of their … ContinuedThe post 11 reasons MB&F; are important for all watch lovers appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
Abraham-Louis Breguet’s contributions to horology are as numerous as they are fundamental. Practically every avenue of watchmaking is built on the foundations he laid down, from the perpetuelle self-winding mechanism to pare-chute shock-protection for balance pivots. But most famous of all was the tourbillon, patented in 1801. It was crucial to the precision of mechanical pocket watches and clocks, the only kinds of timepieces in use then, which normally sat in an upright, vertical position. The Breguet Souscription pocket watch of the 1990s that replicated the 19th century originals, right down to the pare-chute escapement The tourbillon, however, was not Breguet’s only effort in improving chronometric performance. Prior to the tourbillon, he created the lesser known but more elegant echappement naturel, or natural escapement, in 1789. It was a double-wheel chronometer escapement that in theory, needed no oil. Breguet managed to incorporate it into just 20 pocket watches, but serial production of the natural escapement ultimately eluded him as its design had inherent shortcomings – primarily backlash in the motion of its wheels – that made it impossible to commercialise. The idea was ahead of its time, and it would take some 200 years before technology made the natural escapement feasible. The concept of natural escapements continues to fascinate watchmakers, many of whom have conceived modern-day descendants, the most recent of which is the Ch...
Time+Tide
Vacheron Constantin’s Fiftysix collection - first released in 2018 - is a refreshingly upbeat take on mid-century design, full of personality and warmth. And this new Vacheron Constantin Fiftysix Complete Calendar in petrol blue keeps the tempo up. The case looks simple at first glance, but quickly gathers sophistication the more you study it. I … ContinuedThe post HANDS-ON: The Vacheron Constantin Fiftysix Complete Calendar in petrol blue appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Deployant
After bringing Laureato firmly back into the spotlight, Girard-Perregaux increases the case size and makes the watch look more sporty. Laureato Absolute is entirely clad in black PVD-treated titanium and water-resistant to 300 metres.
Time+Tide
Watch companies are pretty happy to jump on board as sponsors of all number of sporting teams, including Formula 1, boxing or tennis, for the obvious reasons that they have massive viewerships and highly engaged fans. One sport that definitely isn’t structured as a spectator-friendly sport is triathlon, begging the question as to why the … ContinuedThe post Why does the Breitling Triathlon Squad exist? appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
TAG Heuer is a brand that has always sat fondly in the hearts of Australians, with shared values of an active lifestyle spent outdoors. This week we were lucky enough to celebrate the launch of TAG Heuer’s latest novelties, including the Carrera Calibre Heuer 02T Tourbillon Nanograph and the exciting Autavia Isograph. Both releases are … ContinuedThe post EVENT: Tourbillon time with TAG Heuer in Melbourne appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
At Baselworld 2019, Doxa delivered a campaign of shock and awe with the release of a solid gold SUB 200 T.Graph that left Felix in the firm belief that the world was a better place for its existence. Today they have announced another SUB 200 T.Graph limited edition, this time in stainless steel, making it … ContinuedThe post INTRODUCING: DOXA SUB 200 T.Graph Stainless Steel Limited Edition appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Hodinkee
A great jacket and some classic shades – what more do you want?
Revolution
The Hour Glass’ 40th anniversary watch announcements continue today courtesy of Geneva based jeweler and watchmaker, Chopard.
SJX Watches
Most famous for making distinctively styled dive watches in the late 1960s and 1970s, Doxa produces pretty much the same watches today as annual limited editions. The latest is the Sub 200 T.Graph, a remake of a 1969 diver’s chronograph – the flagship model of its day and now a rare, sought-after watch. The watch was first reissued as a 50th anniversary commemorative edition with an 18k yellow gold case and bracelet at Baselworld 2019. Now the more sensible steel version has arrived, and is still faithful to the original in shape and style. Typical of 1970s design, the case is a chunky cushion shape and matched with a “beads of rice” bracelet. The dial is orange – reputedly easier to see underwater than black – with block-style markers and hands, also typical of 1970s watches. And all the luminous paint on the dial is faux vintage Super-Luminova in “old radium” colour, meant to replicate the look of the aged tritium on the vintage originals. And the bezel is Doxa’s own dual-scale bezel that has both the dive time in minutes and depth in metres, allowing for recording of time underwater without decompression stops. The movement inside is a “new old stock” Valjoux 7734, which is vintage and dates to the 1980s, but is not the same calibre as in the original. The original was powered by the Doxa cal. 287, a hand-wound movement that was a rebadged cal. 310-82 from Eberhard, a sister company of Doxa at the time. In its day, and still today, the cal. 7...
SJX Watches
When Zenith unveiled the El Primero Defy 21 two years ago, it was a breakthrough for the brand, offering a 1/100th of a second chronograph with twin regulators for an affordable US$10,000 or so. This year the brand has kicked things up a notch with the El Primero Defy Double tourbillon, which essentially replaces the regular escapements with two tourbillons – one conventional and the other ultra-fast. The high-frequency evolution The new double tourbillon chronograph is a logical evolution of the classic El Primero – albeit accomplished with some help from TAG Heuer – that remained unchanged for decades. Unveiled 50 years ago, the El Primero was the first integrated automatic chronograph, and crucially, the first serially-produced, high-frequency chronograph running at 36,000 beats per hour (bph), allowing it to measure time down to the nearest tenth of a second. It would take 48 years for it to evolve into its first major iteration, the El Primero Defy 21 of 2017, which took the high-precision chronograph to its extreme with a monstrously high frequency of 50Hz, capable of measuring time down to a hundredth of a second. The Defy El Primero 21 launched in 2017 – an exotic chronograph for a basic price While it is true that a higher frequency regulator results in a higher resolution chronograph, it comes at a cost. An ultra-high frequency escapement requires tremendous energy, and the friction generated by the rapid motion of its components in turn mean more f...
Time+Tide
The upper echelons of the investment banking world are inhabited by people who are paid large sums of money to take risks. Some working within the hallowed halls of serious finance prefer lower-risk investments, and others enjoy the thrill of having a larger appetite for risky business. If you want to know how safe your … ContinuedThe post RECOMMENDED READING: Do expensive watches make you risky with money? appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Deployant
A close look at the Roger Dubuis Excalibur Huracán Performante, inspired by this iconic Lamborghini supercar. We examine the details and ask if its worthy.
Time+Tide
Let me preface this by stating two things: (a) this is a slightly more philosophical discussion than usual, and (b) Franco Cologni is an important man in the watch business. After starting his career selling Must de Cartier products in the ’70s (of which I am a fan), he rose prominently within the Parisian organisation, … ContinuedThe post RECOMMENDED READING: Is there a paradox in watchmaking? Franco Cologni thinks so appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
In 2014, Bell & Ross’ signature BR 01 design spawned a futuristic, ultra-graphic spin-off that would take the brand miles beyond the cockpit – the BR-X1. While the watch inherited the distinctive circle-within-a-square case modelled on aircraft instruments, from there the execution swerves radically away from the retro-military look of the original, with the BR-X1 taking on a greater complexity in both construction and style. Iterated into numerous variants in the five years since its launch – including a Renault Formula 1 edition and White Hawk – the BR-X1 is characterised by open-worked dial revealing a skeletonised chronograph module and a complex case made up of a combination of materials – here titanium and ceramic – with rocker-style pushers pivoted on one end. This year, Bell & Ross (B&R;) has unveiled one of the most striking iterations of the BR-X1 to date, the all-black Phantom. The BR-X1 Phantom Going dark Watches with black cases and dials are relatively common today, ironically thanks in part to one brand that resisted the genre so vehemently that it spawned an outlaw cult of aftermarket all-black watches. Even with the flood of black watches on the market, few have gone above and beyond in making everything on the watch black. The first truly all-black watch was the smash hit Hublot Big Bang of 2006, which was followed by hordes more. But the greatest irony of such watches is that the illegible colour palette results in an eminent...
Time+Tide
To celebrate the centennial anniversary of the Bauhaus design movement, Swatch have released the Bau Swatch Collection of 25 new watches inspired by the pre-WWII German school of design. The Bauhaus design philosophy has had significant impact on a number of watch designs over the years, including from Patek Philippe, Nomos and Stowa. Now Swatch … ContinuedThe post In the Haus with the new Bau Swatch Collection appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
Look, full disclosure. We did not know (or indeed pay) Sherwood to give us this particular answer. But having said that, it’s quite nice to hear someone say they bought a watch off your review. And honestly, of the many (many) watches I’ve reviewed over the years, you could do a whole lot worse than … ContinuedThe post Sherwood’s Grand Seiko Snowflake appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Hodinkee
Clean, lean, and Grand Seiko through and through.
WatchAdvice
Today we’re taking an in-depth look at the 2019 Rolex GMT-Master II Batman 126710BLNR. Released earlier this year at Baselworld as part of the brand’s 2019 collection, the ‘new’ BLNR featured several updates and replaced the previous reference 116710BLNR, iconically known as ‘the Batman’. This new reference was quickly nicknamed the ‘Batgirl’, a term I don’t particularly like. Names aside, the reference 126710 was an instant hit leveraging its predecessor’s insatiable demand. The result of this incredible demand is very long waitlists – so if you ever get ‘the call’ – I suggest you answer, you won’t regret it! In case you thought Batman was just a DC character, this, Batman has been a highly desirable watch since the reference 116710BLNR was released way back in 2013. But let’s rewind a little further. The evolution of Rolexes iconic GMT-Master II collection has been interesting and potentially underappreciated. In 2005, Rolex debuted their Cerachrom (often referred to as Ceramic), on the Yellow Gold GMT-Master II (black dial, black bezel). Then, in 2007, Rolex released the Steel GMT-Master II reference 116710LN (the ‘Noir’), which featured an all-black cerachrom bezel. The Noir was arguably (or at least by Rolex standards) underrated until it’s discontinuation earlier this year. So, when the steel bi-coloured Batman (reference 116710BLNR) was released in 2013 – it caused a splash of excitement, which is yet to settle. One might ...
Hodinkee
Platinum, gold, and gem-set dials.
Two Broke Watch Snobs
I’m consistently on the hunt for vintage chronographs from these smaller brands, not just because they’re more attainable than their luxury brand siblings, but because they are interesting, rare, and varied in their aesthetics.
Time+Tide
Editor’s note: Rado’s star is firmly in ascendance these days, and that’s thanks to watches like their popular Captain Cook Reissue. And while we’ve got a whole lot of love for the smaller versions, sometimes - no matter what people say - size does matter. So, how about 45mm of Rado Captain Cook goodness? Rado’s … ContinuedThe post Vintage inspiration in a modern package – the Rado Captain Cook 45mm appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
If you’ve been reading what I’ve been reading over the last couple of weeks, you’ll have noticed I’m particularly interested in how the primary and secondary watch markets interact with each other, and what that looks like in specific contexts like an auction room. All that leads to is a question: does the collectible watch … ContinuedThe post RECOMMENDED READING: Does the collectible watch change over time? appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
Watches once owned by prominent personalities are captivating. Paul Newman’s “Paul Newman” Daytona, the Rolex “Bao Dai”, Buzz Aldrin’s Speedmaster Moonwatch, the Henry Graves Supercomplication, and even J. Pierpont Morgan’s lost pocket watch, are amongst most sought after timepieces in the world. In fact, a good number of the most expensive watches ever sold at auction have notable provenance, which turns a mere watch into a historical artefact. Probably the most important timekeepers in cycling, these are a pair of Longines split-seconds stop watches – refs. 7411 and 8350 respectively – that were used by Jean Pitallier, the former president of the French Cycling Federation, to time the Tour de France in the fading glory days of mechanical sports timing, just before quartz stopwatches took over. In fact, the pair of stopwatches are not merely chronographs, but also observatory certified chronometers. Watchmaking once represented the cutting edge research of mechanical engineering. Observatory time trials at Neuchatel, Geneva or Kew were rigorous scientific affairs, with movements Peseux 260 and Zenith 135 competing to be the most accurate movement in the world. But such movements were three-hand, time-only. Aside from tourbillon movements, very few complicated calibres were submitted to timing contests. Mr Pitallier’s pair of Longines were both certified by the Neuchatel observatory. The swan song of competitive timekeeping In modern day watch collectin...
Time+Tide
Every year the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG) provides a point of interest for the watch community. Long after the hype of SIHH and Baselworld has died down, it’s a chance to catch our breath, look back at the year that was, and assess how many good watches were made in the preceding 12 … ContinuedThe post Un-GPHG 2019 – the watches we wish would win appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Deployant
We take a look at the Tutima Hommage Minute Repeater, the first minute repeater wristwatch to be designed and manufactured in Germany.
Time+Tide
Watch collectors will listen, wide-eyed and slack-jawed, to stories about grandfathers in the ’60s wearing a Daytona while changing the oil in an engine, only giving the watch a quick wipe with a rag before dinner was served. This is so far from the present-day reality that a watch that was once a functional nice-to-have … ContinuedThe post INTRODUCING: The very versatile Serica W.W.W. appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
A watch and car man very much like George Daniels himself, David Newman – above in a recent picture with his Porsche 911 – is now the chairman of the George Daniels Educational Trust. Capitalised entirely by the proceeds from the sale of Daniels’ estate, the trust funds students in the United Kingdom, including those pursuing watch- and clockmaking. Mr Newman has overseen the trust since its inception, and shows no signs of slowing down. In the second part of my interview with him, he discusses how the trust came about, what it does today, and some of its upcoming projects. And Mr Newman talks about Roger W. Smith, the protege of Daniels and the torchbearer of his horological legacy. This is part two of the interview. Remember to finish part one before continuing on below. The interview has been edited for clarity and length. Tell us about how the trust and its charitable works came about. In the last ten years of George’s life, he was very occupied with what would happen when he passed away. He wanted to make sure everything was in place. I used to go to the island every three weeks. His kitchen had a very long table usually covered in correspondence and paperwork, and we spent hours there. He told me about the future and what he wanted to happen to his estate – his cars, motorbikes, clocks – which was important because he’d seen friends pass away and their collections dissipated. He was very aware that he was going to be passing away at some time and h...
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