3,325 articles · 14 videos found · page 95 of 112
Deployant
The Lange 1 Time Zone gets an update with a new in-house caliber movement and dial changes 15 years after its introduction. What has changed? What remains?
Time+Tide
Who says the sequel can’t be as good as the original? TAG Heuer have just dropped their second collaborative timepiece with Japanese outfit Fragment Design, and it looks fresh to death. Consider it the Empire Strikes Back to equal, or even exceed Star Wars. This watch is an absolute masterclass in masculine minimalism that is … ContinuedThe post INTRODUCING: The masterclass in macho minimalism that is the TAG Heuer x Fragment Design Chronograph appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
Smart and original in design, the Octo Finissimo is extremely slim, well priced, and a strong seller for Bulgari, which has rolled out many iterations, including one in matte-black ceramic last year. Now Bulgari has added the shiny version to the line up with the Octo Finissimo Black Sandblast-Polished Ceramic. Initial thoughts The new Octo in all its glossy glory is ideal for anyone who found the original ceramic Octo flat and dull. But I prefer the matte version – the muted look very much suits the style of the watch. At the same time, polished ceramic, especially for a thin and lightweight watch, is too reminiscent of plastic. That aside, the technical appeal of the ceramic case and bracelet is the same as with the matte model. Both are constructed identically – simple and complex at the same time – differing only in the finish and colour. Though visually identical to the metal-alloy models, the ceramic Octo has an entirely different construction, which was a necessity due to the material. That’s an appealing factor in itself, because the watch was designed from the ground up as an all-ceramic watch; even the dial is ceramic. The new Octo Finissimo is light and smooth on the wrist. In fact, it is difficult to distinguish the tangible feel of the two ceramic versions from each other, and even from the titanium version. And like all other versions of the Octo, the new version wears well, with one caveat: wrists below a certain circumference don’t really sui...
Revolution
Chopard joins the Revolution x The Rake Covid-19 Solidarity Auction with an incredible Mille Miglia GTS Power Control Grigio Speciale Prototype worn by Ryan Reynolds in the Netflix original film 6 Underground
Time+Tide
The Seiko Presage collection has long been a popular part of the brand’s lineup thanks to the well-tuned value proposition, and the amount of watch you get for your money. The Seiko SPB161 is another fine example. Featuring a crisp enamel dial and powered by the automatic Seiko caliber 6R27, you are once again gaining … ContinuedThe post HANDS-ON: The Seiko SPB161, an entirely new Presage dial design inspired by a clock from the ’70s appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Hodinkee
An original take on a classic form factor.
SJX Watches
Zenith marked the 50th Anniversary of the El Primero last year with several historical remakes, including the editions for Phillips auctioneers as well as the El Primero A386 Revival, a set of watches that were a near-exact reproduction of the original. Now Zenith has debuted the final A386 remake – in steel like the original – with the Chronomaster Revival “Manufacture Edition” that’s equipped with a dial inspired by a long-forgotten prototype. Initial thoughts The Manufacture Edition is good-looking watch but a crucial factor in its appeal is the material – and price. Last year’s A386 Revival trio was only in 18k gold – one each in white, pink, and yellow gold. The Manufacture Edition is in steel, making it the most affordable A386 yet. Handsome and striking with a well-proportioned case and dial, the watch is very much a typical El Primero A386. The star of the new remake is unquestionably the dial. Employing the same tri-colour palette that’s the A386 trademark, this replaces the traditional tri-colour with different shades of the same blue, ranging from a bright azure blue to a dark midnight navy. For someone who loves the colour, this is appealing. The juxtaposition of the blue registers against the white dial promotes a stark and legible look. And it’s also worth noting the watch is not a limited edition – a wise move to avoid having unlimited limited editions – though distribution will be limited to Zenith’s e-commerce store and the ...
Hodinkee
This is the final version of the A386 available with the original Revival case.
Deployant
Zenith revamps the Elite collection of unisex watches. The classic line now comes with a new dial and case design. The Elite Moonphase is available in two sizes, 36 mm and 40.5 mm, understandably the equivalent of two sizes for ladies and men.
Quill & Pad
The 2020 Hermès Slim d’Hermès GMT features two subdials: one for the date at 6 o’clock and one for the home time shown using the brand’s own “escaped numerals” at 9 o’clock. There is also a night-and-day indication for local and home times (L and H). And good news: unlike the original palladium-encased Slim d'Hermès GMT, this gorgeous new release is not limited.
SJX Watches
Introduced in 2013, the original Quantième Perpétuel was a concise perpetual calendar with useful features, as well as a peculiar, egg-shaped steel ring around the centre of the dial. Now the design has been refined – but all functionality retained – to create the new F.P. Journe Quantième Perpétuel with gold numerals. And though this was officially announced only recently, the watch has already been available at boutiques for several months. Initial thoughts Compared to the earlier F.P. Journe calendar watches, the Quantième Perpétuel was a big improvement with its highly legible display and improved user friendliness. But the first generation dial was odd because of the steel ring around the centre. That’s been changed with the new model, and the improvement is substantial. The new dial appeals because it doesn’t try too hard to be different. Instead, it differentiates itself in more subtle ways. And the boutique-only blue-dial version is unusual, which is a plus if you’re looking for something different. F.P. Journe has rarely used matte, dark blue dials on standard-production watches; historically only limited editions and custom watches had such dials. Silver and gold Borrowing the clous de Paris engine-turned centre from the Chronometre Souverain, the dial is made of solid silver, while the applied numerals and calendar window frames are solid gold. The addition of gold frames for the calendar do make the positions of the windows more obvious, whic...
SJX Watches
Unlike last year’s El Primero A384 Revival that was a one-for-one remake of the vintage original, the latest A384-based watch is a modern creation inspired by a vintage prototype. The Chronomaster Revival “Shadow” takes it monochromatic colours from a 1970 prototype that had a large, 41 mm case in black-coated steel. It had an entirely look and feel, but the black-and-white colour have been applied to the Shadow with striking effect. Initial thoughts The Shadow adopts a look often found in sports watch, but it’s an effective, functional look. And Zenith was smart with the details, streamlining the dial for a clean, stark look. The outer seconds track and date, for instance, have both been done away with, and the tachymetric scale has been simplified. That does affect functionality – elapsed seconds can’t be measured – but it’s an attractive look. And the micro-blasted case finish is relatively delicate, since even the tiniest nick or scratch will stand out against the matte, grained surface, but it’s a perfect fit for the design. Overall the Shadow is a good alternative for someone who likes the A385 case shape, but wants a clean, modern style instead of a faithful vintage remake. Vintage inspiration The Shadow is a blend of modern and vintage elements. The 37 mm case is identical in size and form as the A385, but unlike the A385 case that is in steel, this is in micro-blasted titanium. It’s same material used for the case of the Defy 21 Land Rover. Cre...
Quill & Pad
Last year, Colin Alexander Smith's mother showed him a silver pocket watch. All she could tell him about it was that it had belonged to his grandfather. The watch appeared to be older than his grandfather, though, and he embarked upon a quest to identify it and discover the original owner. The story took a few interesting turns as he reveals here in a truly interesting trace of the origins.
Hodinkee
The new Hi-Beat caliber offers the first new series-produced escapement in over two decades.
SJX Watches
Sinn‘s signature dive watch is the near-indestructible U1 that’s a large 44 mm in diameter. Now Sinn has unveiled the mid-sized version of the same, the U50, which offers all of the goodness of its bigger brother but in a 41 mm case. Initial thoughts I am a fan of the original U1 because it is seriously minded in its functionality, encompassing design, material, and testing. And it is affordable, making it great value for money. The new U50 has almost all of the same features and similar pricing, so it is hard not to like it. But one caveat: though the U1 is a largish 44 mm, it never really felt that large, perhaps because of the short lugs and wide bezel (thus a small dial). So while the U50 may fit better on some wrists, it might look smaller than its 41 mm diameter suggests. U50 at 41 mm (left), and U1 at 44 mm Super steel Like the U1, the new U50 has a case made of submarine steel, the same alloy used for the German navy’s submarines. Highly resistant to seawater corrosion and also especially nonmagnetic, the steel alloy comes from ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems, a builder of naval vessels, and is the same material used for the hull of the stealthy U212 class of submarines. It’s rated to 500 m – hence the U50 moniker – and powered by the no-nonsense Sellita SW300-1, a clone of the ETA 2892. That’s less than the 1000 m of the U1, but 500 m is still plenty – and about the same depth rating as most navy submarines. And if the submarine steel alloy alone wasn...
Deployant
F. P. Journe celebrates 20 years of the Chronomètre à Résonance with a new rendition of the resonance watch, with a new movement - the caliber 1520.
Quill & Pad
Throughout the years, IWC has carefully extended its collection, adding complications and new variations, yet always under careful consideration of its original “DNA.” In 2020 IWC expands the Portugieser collection with new automatics, perpetual calendars, and chronographs.
Deployant
We love that the popular chronograph gets an upgrade to an in-house chronograph caliber. This is very important for IWC to stay competitive especially with Georges Kern's Breitling B01 chronograph caliber. At around the same price but with a stock movement, the older model Portugieser Chronograph would become a party joke without the much needed upgrade.
Revolution
The caliber 945 in a new case and dial layout celebrates 10 years of the Master Grande Tradition Grande Complication, celebrating The Art of Sound by Jaeger-LeCoultre.
Hodinkee
A sleek new take on Lange's original chiming watch.
Hodinkee
A complicated Portugieser is the new home for IWC's caliber 89900.
SJX Watches
Characterised by a wide, sober dial with Arabic numerals and small seconds at six o’clock, the quintessential IWC Portugieser wristwatch has almost always been an extra-large, hand-wound timepiece, starting with the original ref. 325 of 1939. But for Watches & Wonders 2020, IWC has introduced a smaller take on the classic with the Portugieser Automatic 40. Available in four references, three in steel and one in pink gold, the new Portugieser Automatic is 40.4 mm wide and 12.4 mm high, making it quite a bit smaller and slimmer than the popular Portugieser 7-days ref. 5007. Notably, the latest Portugieser isn’t the first compact, self-winding variant of the model. In fact, it harks back to the little-known and uncommon Portuguese ref. 3531 of 1998 that was 35 mm and automatic. But in terms of design, the Portugieser Automatic 40 looks very much like a contemporary model. In fact, with the railway minute track and small seconds at six, it’s almost a dead-ringer for the Portugieser Hand-Wound Eight Days ref. 5102. Inside is the relatively new cal. 82200, which first made an appearance in the Da Vinci Automatic Edition “150 Years” in 2018. Offering a 60-hour power reserve, the movement is equipped with the latest-generation Pellaton winding system, which replaces the push-pull winding pawls that are found in the entry-level automatic cal. 32000. In addition, the automatic wheel, pawls and cam are made of wear-resistant ceramic. Key facts and price IWC Portugiese...
Hodinkee
The Privé Collection Asymétrique debuts with an openworked in-house movement, caliber 9623 MC
SJX Watches
As it does every couple of years, or decades, Cartier reintroduces one of its iconic wristwatches, this time the Pasha de Cartier. Launched in 1985 and a big hit in the decade after, the Pasha was Cartier’s original round-case bestseller, long before the Ballon Bleu. Three decades on, the new Pasha makes its debut once again at Watches & Wonders 2020 as a full-fledged collection with models for both men and women, from time-only to skeleton tourbillon, as well as diamond-set versions. Variants of the new Pasha 41 mm for men Mysterious origins Despite having a round case – Cartier is most famous for its shaped watches like the Tank and Santos – the Pasha is amongst the most historically-important Cartier timepieces, apparently. Legend has it that Cartier first created a water-resistant watch in 1934 for the fabulously wealthy Pasha of Marrakesh, Thami El Glaoui, who wanted a watch he could wear while swimming. The result was one of the first-ever luxury-sports watches. While the Parisian jeweller no doubt made a watch to fulfil the Pasha’s request, it was most likely a rectangular Tank Etanche, rather than anything resembling today’s Pasha watch. Inspired by that tale, the modern-day Pasha was born in 1985, penned by the hand of Gerald Genta, the prolific designer whose heyday in the 1970s and 1980s saw him create a string of hits, ranging from the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak to the Bulgari Bulgari. Genta’s creations were often avant-garde in their day, and his...
SJX Watches
Casio’s best selling G-Shock Full Metal – essentially the original G-Shock design of 1983 executed entirely in steel (or titanium) – is now available in yet another iteration. The G-Shock Full Metal ‘Grid’ (ref. GMW-B5000CS) is covered in a square-lattice motif that represents the “time tunnel that connects the past with the future”, a nod to the vintage inspiration of the Full Metal model. The case and bracelet are stainless steel that’s first finished with a black ion plating, and then laser engraved with the grid pattern, bringing to mind the laser-engraved pixel pattern on last year’s camouflage model. The laser not only light etches the surface, but also removes the black coating, revealing the steel substrate beneath. Both the case and bracelet are covered in the etched grid, with the motif continuing onto the crystal as a printed pattern, Aesthetics aside, the Full Metal ‘Grid’ is identical to the standard steel model. The case is the same size as well as weight, and contains the same electronic module that has the usual functions as well as smartphone connectivity via Bluetooth. It’s solar powered and charged via solar cells on the face; at full charge it’ll run almost two years with the power-saving function turned on. The screw-down case back also features the laser-engraved motif The Grid is priced at US$800, which is a step up compared to the US$550 for the entry-level black-coated model. That’s because it’s a limited-production s...
SJX Watches
There are few brands that can make modern-day reissues of historical watches powered by the same movement as the vintage original. Zenith, as it happens, is easily able to, thanks to its long-lived El Primero. The chronograph movement celebrated its 50th anniversary last year with several commemorative A386 limited editions, including a one-off in platinum for charity, but most were in gold and thus pricey. On the other hand, the El Primero A384 Revival is a faithful remake – including a “ladder” bracelet – that’s part of the regular collection, and also affordable. Since 1969 While the A386 is the iconic El Primero chronograph – and today the most valuable – the A384 was introduced at the same time (along with the A385), making it part of the debut range of El Primero watches. One reason the A384 doesn’t quite have the stature of the round and relatively-ageless A386 is also one of its most distinctive qualities: a tonneau- or cushion-shaped case that instantly identifies it as a watch of the late 1960s and 1970s. The easily recognisable design has made the tonneau-shaped A384 a popular base for a variety of limited editions, including one based on a fictitious watch featured in the Japanese manga Lupin III. Romain Marietta, the brand’s chief of products, also indicated during a recent conversation that the A384 will continue to be the base for limited editions, while the A386 will not be reproduced again except in exceptional instances since it is syno...
Deployant
We review the Yema Rallye Mario Andretti Limited Edition, a remake of the original timepiece that Mario Andretti wore in the 1969 Indy 500.
SJX Watches
As modern, high-end chronographs go, the Vacheron Constantin Historiques Cornes de Vache 1955 is one of the most desirable, being a beautifully executed remake that’s faithful to the vintage original, while powered by an upgraded version of a well-regarded movement. The latest version of the Cornes de Vache 1955 has a steel case, making it even more unusual amongst high-end chronographs, which are almost always found in precious metal cases. As a result, the Cornes de Vache is now significantly more accessible – while retaining the retro design and excellent movement – at least by the standards of such watches. Cornes de vache French for “cow horns”, Cornes de Vache comes from the shape of the lugs, a slight variation on the better-known “teardrop” lugs. The inspiration for the watch is the ref. 6087, the brand’s first water-resistant and anti-magnetic chronograph that was in production from 1955 to the mid-1960s – and featured the very same “cow horn” lugs. Made in yellow or pink gold as well as platinum, the ref. 6087 is rare – only 36 pieces were produced over a decade or so. A vintage ref. 6087 “Cornes de Vache” in yellow gold that sold for 106,250 Swiss francs at Phillips in 2015. Photo – Phillips Like the vintage original, the modern-day Cornes de Vache was initially only available in precious metals: first in platinum, followed by pink gold, with the steel model only making its debut last year. It is worth noting that steel is used s...
Quill & Pad
Ikepod has recently launched its second Kickstarter campaign with a new collection, the Megapod. Focusing on a three-hand dial with modern minimalistic details, the Megapod feels very much the descendent of the original Megapode collection and definitely fulfills the requirements for a solid, high-quality mechanical watch featuring incredible design at an affordable price.
WatchAdvice
In 2018, the Omega Seamaster Diver 300M celebrated its 25th anniversary since the first release back in 1993. To celebrate this momentous occasion for one of the brands popular range, Omega gave the Seamaster Diver 300M a complete changeover while still retaining some of the design cues from the original model. The original 1993 Omega Seamaster 300M was introduced as a replacement for the Seamaster 200M model. Jean-Claude Biver cleverly marketed the original 1993 Omega Seamaster Diver 300M to raise the popularity of the model quite a bit, by having James Bond wear it in the 1995 film ‘Goldeneye’. Since the first Seamaster Diver 300M, there have been four generations of models including the latest 25th-anniversary release. Almost all generations kept the same design cues with changes coming from different materials and movements. From first glance, the most notable changes throughout the four generations are the case sizing and the bezel design. The bezel seems to get larger numerals in each of the latest generations. Design: The 25th-anniversary edition has a laser-cut wave pattern dial, similar to the 300M model released by Omega in 2006. The latest version, however, has more prominent waves, making them much more easily visible. The wave pattern certainly adds a unique look to the dial while drawing attention to what the watch is really about. Even with the wave pattern, however, the dial is still easily legible. This is thanks to the rhodium-plated hour indexes ...
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