Taking another look at the Panerai Luminor Due PAM00943
Editor’s note: Panerai are known for many things – a rich Italian heritage in watchmaking that dates back to 1860, steep aquatic history providing watches for the naval forces of many countries, most notably Italy and Egypt, and a quintessential design language that has spanned the better part of a century … the list goes on. What Panerai is not known for is making watches to pair with a suit-and-tie combo. In fact, something like a 47mm Submersible Bronzo is about the farthest thing away from what we’d want to don at a black tie event. However, Panerai’s Luminor Due is a collection of watches that can do just that, thanks to a diverse range of case sizes that start at just 38mm. Anyway, Time+Tide’s own Felix Scholz went hands-on with the versatile timepiece earlier this year, and if you’ve got the time, it’s definitely worth a read. HANDS-ON: A Panerai for the suit and tie – the Luminor Due PAM00943 It would be easy to dismiss the Luminor Due — Panerai’s latest fully fledged line — as a collection oriented towards women. After all, it’s the collection that houses 38 and 42mm watches. But the fact that I am on…
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TAG Heuer has unveiled its penultimate limited edition 50th anniversary Monaco, and this one pays homage to the wonderful era that was the noughties. This is the fourth iteration of the limited-run watches, which are celebrating 50 years of the fabled original Heuer Monaco, first released in 1969. We’ve already seen the eclectic mix of ’60-’70s, ’70s-’80s and ’80s-’90s, which have been introduced at various stages throughout the year and each have their own unique flair and style. Sticking to the basic formula seen on the rest of the limited-run models, the 1999-2009 edition still utilises the same 39mm steel case and perforated calfskin leather strap, now finished in black. Inside the familiar case is TAG Heuer’s tried and true Calibre 11, a self-winding movement equipped with a chronograph and date complication that offers customers up to 40 hours of power reserve. The 1999-2009’s biggest changes can be seen in the design of the dial, which now features a black opaline base with white opaline sub-dials and a white circular minutes tracking ring, which does a great job of further emphasising the iconic and distinctive square case of the Monaco. Splashes of red can be seen on the second hand,…
SJX Watches recently published a fascinating story by Brandon Moore that takes a look at the impact that Instagram and other social media platforms have had on the scrutiny and importance of watch movement finishing. Moore talks to former Patek Philippe watchmaker and founder of Akrivia watches, Rexhep Rexhepi, about the influence of the social media app and how it has affected not just Rexhepi’s business, but also the larger watchmaking community as a whole. The article also rather interestingly points out that intricate watch movement finishing is actually a relatively new phenomenon, as previous generations of watchmakers saw overly decorated movements as unnecessary and simply a method of marketing. Anyway, this is a very interesting read, and if you’ve got the time, we highly recommend giving it a read by clicking the link here.
There are certain watches out there in the horological ether that are not only lauded by loyal followers but also able to accomplish a hell of a lot for little outlay. Whether it is accuracy, toughness and dependability, innovation, or technicality, these cult-like timepieces are worth far more than the sum of their parts, and we are honour-bound to ensure that you know about them. So, much like a former Aussie cricketer did when he dated a British actress, here are three watches that punch well above their weight: Swatch Sistem51 Whichever way you look at it, the Swatch Sistem51 is a truly brilliant and innovative wristwatch and represents one of the most important technical advancements in horology in the last decade. This is a self-winding mechanical watch that can be had for less that $200 AUD, and it’s accurate to within five seconds a day, and it offers 90 hours of power reserve. How can the Sistem51 be so cheap? Well, the hint is in the name. There are only 51 moving parts in this watch, and the whole thing is assembled entirely by robots. Downsides? Well, the movement is sealed in the case, and if it breaks, it…
OK, we’ll skip the whole “shaken, not stirred” routine and skip to the salient facts. Omega has just released its latest Bond-themed timepiece, the Omega Seamaster 50th Anniversary of On Her Majesty’s Secret Service – and it’s pretty awesome. Limited to just 7007 pieces (see what they did there?), the Bond watch pays homage to, as the name would suggest, the 1969 classic Bond movie On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. There are quite a few unique styling cues that feature on this bespoke timepiece, and some of them are pretty impressive. For a start, the limited edition wristwatch is based on the standard steel 42mm Seamaster 300M Professional, and features a black ceramic and PVD dial with the signature Bond gun-barrel motif and 9mm bullet hole at its centre. At 12 o’clock, the 18k yellow gold index is stylised to look like the Bond family crest, and the rest of the hour indexes, as well as the hour, minute and second hands, are finished in 18k yellow gold. In addition, adorning the left-hand side of each case is an 18k yellow gold plate engraved with the watch’s individual number and the famed 007 logo. The limited-run timepiece also has a…