Deployant
New: Parmigiani Tonda PF Micro-Rotor Platinum Stone Blue
Ever noticed someone’s watch & instantly felt the "Old Money" vibe radiating from it? Presenting the Parmigiani Tonda PF Micro-Rotor in Platinum Stone Blue.
Deployant
Ever noticed someone’s watch & instantly felt the "Old Money" vibe radiating from it? Presenting the Parmigiani Tonda PF Micro-Rotor in Platinum Stone Blue.
Time+Tide
Emerging from the shadow of icons like the Royal Oak and Nautilus, the Louis Vuitton Tambour Brown Ceramic stands to be a future classic, Zach argues.The post The Louis Vuitton Tambour Brown Ceramic is going to be a future classic appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Teddy Baldassarre
Vacheron Constantin is one of the oldest watch brands in the world, founded in 1755 by Jean-Marc Vacheron and François Constantin, and also one of the very few firms tracing their origins back to the 18th Century that can boast an uninterrupted history of watchmaking - a history now well into its third century. Like other brands we’ve covered previously in our "Price of Admission" series, particularly Breguet, Vacheron Constantin is inarguably an elite-level watchmaker, with a level of pricing commensurate with its historical and technical renown. Finding the entry-level pieces in the Vacheron Constantin collection - and even defining what "entry-level" means for this brand - is a challenging proposition, but here is a rundown, family by family, of the most attainable timepieces from the Genevan manufacture that are available today. OVERSEAS The Overseas collection, launched in 1996 and given a high-profile revamp and relaunch in 2016, traces its origin to an unusual and now highly collectible watch released during Vacheron Constantin’s 220th anniversary in 1977. That watch, called the 222 and recently re-released as part of Vacheron’s Historiques collection, was short-lived in its original incarnation but established many of the codes now evident in the Overseas: a six-sided bezel inspired by the maison’s Maltese cross emblem; an integrated bracelet with a similar aesthetic, and an overall bold and sport-oriented character. In its contemporary version, ...
SJX Watches
Audemars Piguet’s 150th anniversary debuts are centred on perpetual calendars (at least for now), marking the closing of one chapter and the opening of another. The ingenious new calibre 7138 perpetual calendar marks a definitive new chapter in the brand’s history, while the Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar “150th Anniversary” Openworked is the swan song for a storied cal. 2120 movement that Audemars Piguet (AP) has relied on for decades. Presented in titanium with a polished BMG bezel, the final edition perpetual calendar is inspired by the Royal Oak pocket watch ref. 25729. This pocket watch lends its sapphire-and-blue aesthetic to the anniversary perpetual calendar, although the pocket watch was ironically powered by a manual wind calibre (as pocket watches tend to be). The ref. 25729PT was a 20-piece limited edition with a matching platinum chain, made in 1992 for the 20th anniversary of the Royal Oak Initial thoughts The anniversary edition marks the end of the cal. 5134/5135 (and the preceding cal. 2120/2800), the long-lived perpetual calendar movement that AP launched in 1978. While great in its time, the movement was dated and somewhat low-tech by modern standards. The retirement of the movement is well deserved, and it is certainly going out in style. At a distance the anniversary perpetual calendar is familiar, but up close it reveals details that make it a little bit more interesting than its peers. These include the blue ringed-sapphire dial, retro signatu...
Time+Tide
The Royal Oak Offshore is not a subtle watch, but these two new ceramic models are more understated than most.The post Audemars Piguet adds two stealthy ceramic chronographs to its Royal Oak Offshore range appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Monochrome
Audemars Piguet’s Royal Oak Offshore debuted in 1993 as the Royal Oak’s bolder, more virile brother with a muscular case and bold juxtaposition of materials. In 2021, the “Beast” was given a facelift, resulting in a more ergonomic 43mm case with redesigned pushers housing the brand’s integrated automatic flyback chronograph movement. No stranger to ceramic […]
Time+Tide
It's been a great run.The post The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar Openworked 150th Anniversary says goodbye to the Calibre 5135 appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Monochrome
About two years ago, Audemars Piguet released an absolutely stunning watch, the black ceramic Royal Oak Offshore Chronograph, a.k.a the Black Beast. A monochromatic and high-tech take on one of the most important watches of the brand – at least in modern days – this watch merged the classic look of the 1993 ROO with […]
Monochrome
Last year, with the John Mayer limited edition, Audemars Piguet announced the end of its older perpetual calendar movement, the calibre 5134. And indeed, as we have seen with the launch of the next-gen Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar Selfwinding, there is now a new and modern calibre 7138. But it’s not entirely the end of […]
Monochrome
About a year ago, when Audemars Piguet held its yearly event to present its new collection, the brand introduced a highly appealing version of the Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar Selfwinding, made with artist and seasoned collector John Mayer. Besides the incredibly textured dial, AP issued a highly important statement. This watch marked the swan song […]
SJX Watches
Audemars Piguet kicks off its 150th anniversary in a big way with an all-new perpetual calendar movement, the Audemars Piguet Calibre 7138. Making its debut in both the Code 11.59 and Royal Oak, the cal. 7138 is a landmark in traditional perpetual calendars. In fact, the movement is perhaps the most sophisticated and user-friendly perpetual calendar from an establishment brand. The calendar relies on the classic “grand lever” mechanism that’s been reinvented in an ultra-thin manner, but more importantly, the cal. 7138 employs an ingenious and innovative setting mechanism. Consequently, it is impressively intuitive and also foolproof. All the calendar indications are set via the crown, and the movement can’t be broken by setting it at the wrong time. Together, these features mark the cal. 7138 out as one of the most notable perpetual calendar movements on the market today. The cal. 7138 debuts in the Code 11.59 (left) and Royal Oak. Image – Audemars Piguet Initial thoughts The perpetual calendar has long been a key part of the history of Audemars Piguet (AP), especially after the bestselling ref. 5548 was launched in 1978. So a brand-new perpetual calendar for its 150th anniversary is fitting. At the same time, the calibre illustrates AP’s tremendous advances as a vertically integrated, industrial-haute horlogerie manufacture that has developed an splendid stable of in-house calibres in a relatively short period of time. The irony is that the cal. 7138 is almost...
Revolution
Time+Tide
Five Code 11.59s, three Royal Oaks, and two Offshores kick off the brand's 150th anniversary celebrations.The post Audemars Piguet kicks off 150th anniversary celebrations with 10 watches, including a brand new perpetual calendar appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Revolution
Time+Tide
The brand's first use of platinum for a no-date Tonda PF model, this Parmigiani is the epitome of understated luxury.The post Parmigiani Fleurier releases a new platinum Tonda PF Micro-Rotor with a stunning Stone Blue dial appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Fratello
It’s Sunday again, so it’s time for another Sunday Morning Showdown. Mike and Jorg go head to head in a battle over integrated-bracelet sports watches this week. Two weeks ago, we had a similar match-up when Vacheron’s 222 went up against the Royal Oak. This week, two more famous watches in the same category fight […] Visit Sunday Morning Showdown: Girard-Perregaux Laureato 38mm Vs. IWC Ingenieur Automatic 40 to read the full article.
Time+Tide
A horological tribute to Gérald Genta's favourite gemstone, the Maestro 2.0 Lapis Lazuli Ultra-Thin offers what it says on the tin.The post Gerald Charles’s first hardstone dial model, the Maestro 2.0 Lapis Lazuli Ultra-Thin, celebrates Genta’s favourite stone appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Deployant
Girard-Perregaux and Aston Martin have come together to create a new chronograph that celebrates both brands. The Girard-Perregaux Laureato Chronograph Aston Martin Edition sports an exclusive feature: an iridescent dial created with automotive paint, inspired by the colours of British sports cars, which adorn Aston Martin’s iconic vehicles.
Revolution
Monochrome
The drum-shaped Tambour watch of 2002, Louis Vuitton’s first foray into high-end watchmaking, underwent a sea change in 2023 to become a player in the luxury sports watch sector. Equipped with an integrated bracelet and slimmed down, the new Tambour has appeared in sporty stainless steel and luxurious gold cases. Alongside the release of the […]
Time+Tide
GP's 6th collaboration with Aston Martin is a titanium Laureato Chronograph with a dial that uses iridescent green automotive paint.The post Girard-Perregaux debuts its sixth collaboration with Aston Martin, marking the beginning of the latest Formula 1 season appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Worn & Wound
Among higher end Swiss watch brands, few have experienced a greater turnaround, at least on the surface, over the past several years than Parmigiani Fleurier. Parmigiani has always been a brand that knowledgable collectors and enthusiasts have praised and found a great deal of value in, but the brand itself didn’t always seem healthy. Before Guido Terreni took over in 2021, it would have been quite common to find heavily discounted Parmigianis on the gray market – a common symptom of overproducing too many references and not being able to find your core customer. Under Terreni, the brand’s output has been streamlined and everything just seems more thought through. And while I don’t have insight into sales statistics, you certainly don’t see the brand’s current catalog selling for closeout prices on the discount sites, a sign that they’ve got production under control, at the very least. One of the brand’s biggest gambits has been the exploring the integrated bracelet sports watch market with the Tonda PF collection. Launched at a time when every luxury brand was throwing their hat in the ring in this particular category, Parmigiani has sought to differentiate itself from competitors in the luxury integrated bracelet sports watch world by leaning into the luxury angle, and perhaps a little away from the sport. Inspired by a “sartorial approach” to watch design, the Tonda PF is all about feel, texture, and proportions in a manner similar to a bespoke sui...
SJX Watches
Now entering its second year, Alto has returned with two new editions of its debut model, the Art 01. The Art 01 Monochrome Grey and Monochrome Black editions feature bead-blasted titanium cases that enhance the brand’s distinctive futurist aesthetic. Founded by Thibaud Guittard, the Paris-based brand has also announced the arrival of Raphaël Abeillon as Creative Director. Mr Abeillon joins Alto after more than a decade designing watches at Cartier. Initial thoughts Over the past few years, many brands have doubled down on integrated bracelet sport watches and historical re-issues, leading to fatigue among collectors and insiders alike. In this context, the Alto Art 01 is a breath of fresh air, pulling inspiration from far-flung fields like yacht design, cinema, and contemporary art. While the hexagonal louvered dial is unusual and attractive, the Art 01 shines because of its case design. Reasonably sized at 45 mm x 40 mm, the bead-blasted titanium case features faceted sapphire crystals front and back. Thanks to its slim micro-rotor movement, the Art 01 is quite svelte at just 8 mm thick. The Art 01 is powered by a bespoke micro-rotor movement made for Alto by Le Cercle des Horlogers. On paper, the movement looks fairly ordinary, ticking at 4 Hz and running for 48 hours on a full wind. That said, the movement is unusual in that it is open-worked and partially made of titanium, which contributes to the light weight of the watch. In terms of pricing, the Monochrome Editi...
Worn & Wound
eBay Finds is back! This bi-monthly installment will feature a selection of watches currently listed on eBay that have caught the eye of editor Christoph McNeil (@vintagediver). If you come across any hidden gems on the ‘Bay drop us a note at info@wornandwound.com for potential inclusion! Vintage Benrus Starting off this week with a classic Benrus 3 Star vintage dress watch. The yellow gold fill case has a nice slim bezel and slim lugs, and is in excellent condition. The silver dial has a really neat radial brushed finish that radiates outward to the right from the 9 o’clock side, very unusual. There is a gold framed round date window at 6 o’clock that has a matching round date magnifier window in the original acrylic crystal. The watch comes on a gold tone stretch bracelet that probably isn’t original but is definitely period correct. This gem comes in the original Benrus box. Runs well per the seller, but no picture of the automatic movement. View auction here Vintage Hamilton LED Watch Another week, another vintage LED watch. These seem to be coming out of the woodwork lately for some reason. But I’m glad they are because they are just too retro-cool. This example is a vintage Hamilton with its original bracelet and box and hangtag. The watch is gold plated, with a slim, space-age case and integrated bracelet. The seller states the bracelet will fit a 7.25” wrist max, and snugly at that, so keep this in mind if you have a larger wrist. The watch runs, and ...
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