I went to my first watch auction, here's what I found
I was equal parts excited and curious when a package from Sotheby’s Australia landed on Felix’s desk last month. Upon opening, it revealed a catalogue for their upcoming Important Jewels auction, and while the jewellery portion of the catalogue was full of fabulous gems and precious metals, I was obviously much more interested in the wristwatches on offer. While reading the catalogue I noticed that despite watch lots being comparatively few in number, there were several great pieces, including representation from Rolex, Patek Philippe, Cartier, and Heuer. One of the rarer pieces heading for the block was a Heuer Autavia “Jo Siffert” Chronograph ref. 1163, so named because it was worn by the racing champion in the late ’60s. Astutely, this was selected as his pick of the lots by the owner of the catalogue I was reading; however, I fell in love with a yellow gold Cartier Tank Américaine. I got in contact with the man responsible for the auction, Hamish Sharma (who has the best job title in the world — the Head of Jewels at Sotheby’s Australia), and he was kind enough to meet with me and show me the watches that had been consigned. I went to the…
The post I went to my first watch auction, here’s what I found appeared first on Time and Tide Watches.
Earlier this year, Andrew spent some (very) quality time in New Zealand with Louis Vuitton and some of their most serious watchmaking. If you haven’t seen the video, it’s definitely worth a look (as is this one), but we reckon this watch, the Louis Vuitton Tambour Moon Flying Tourbillon ‘Poinçon de Genève’ is worth a second look, as our photographer Jason Reekie has worked wonders with his macro lens. If you’re in the mood for a seriously high-end statement piece, this should be of interest to you. The 42.5mm case is in Louis Vuitton’s classic ‘tambour’ shape — inspired by a hand drum, with an inwardly curving case. But the case is playing second fiddle here to the elaborate, open-worked movement. And what a movement. It’s Geneva Seal certified, so you know it’s quality (and made within the Canton of Geneva to boot). The design is also charming — the functional elements are arranged vertically in a series of overlapping circles, with the tourbillon at six garnering the most attention. And even though it’s solid gold and very serious, you can’t help but be captured by the light and airy atmosphere of this lovely Louis Vuitton. 
Editor’s note: Jerry Seinfeld has dropped another series of the excellent Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee, so we thought we’d repost Dan’s wrap from last year of some of the most interesting watches worn on the series. Stay tuned for the update … Jerry Seinfeld can do no wrong, and after having been streamed more than 100 million times, Seinfeld’s pet project, Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee, recently premiered its new season on Netflix after nine seasons as a web series on the digital network Crackle. Staying true to the title’s premise, this simple yet compelling series sees Jerry introduce a new celebrity comedian in each episode, picking them up in a unique vintage car and heading out for coffee. The pair then riff, unscripted, on all manner of topics to varying comedic degree. It’s safe to say that where there are celebrities there are luxury watches. We take a look at some of the best from this season and those that preceded it. Season 10, Episode 1: Jerry Seinfeld wears a G-Shock ‘Rangeman’ In this episode, Jerry picks up The Hangover star and Between Two Ferns host Zach Galifianakis in a ridiculous VW Thing. Based on the German World War II equivalent of the Jeep,…
There are many potential pitfalls you could encounter when buying a luxury watch. Especially if it’s your first time. The desire to make a seasoned choice right off the bat is understandable, but it’s important you don’t put too much pressure on yourself to get it exactly right first time. In fact, making mistakes is part of the fun, and definitely part of the learning process. It certainly doesn’t feel like a barrel of laughs when you make a purchase that turns out to be a total waste of money, but you’ll never make that mistake again. If you find yourself really nervous about buying, owning and, crucially, wearing a luxury watch for the first time, one of the avenues you could explore to make the experience a little less stressful is the vintage route. Buying pre-owned (or pre-loved as we are wont to say these days) has a few advantages. Firstly, in almost all instances, it is cheaper. That should be a load off your mind when the relatively expensive item on your wrist threatens to catch itself on every door, bannister, and brick wall as you get used to it being there over the first few days. Secondly,…
IWC is famous for their pilot’s watches, and rightfully so — they’re instantly recognisable and a genuinely iconic modern design. And while the design born in the middle of last century was for a very specific purpose — as a navigational tool for aviators — the passing of time has seen the collection grow and evolve. Today, IWC’s pilot’s family consists of four distinct sub-collections: Spitfire, the Saint Exupéry watches, the Classics, and the boldly modern Top Gun selection. Over the next four weeks we’re going to explore each of these groups in detail, kicking off with Top Gun. Top Gun, named for the Naval Air Station school in Miramar, is where IWC’s pilot’s watches look to the future. The collection is heavy on chronographs, with dark, modern aesthetics, and in more high-tech materials than elsewhere in the line-up. Andrew visited the brand’s Melbourne boutique to inspect three models in more detail. IWC Pilot’s Watch Double Chronograph Top Gun Ceratanium This 44mm watch made a big impression when it was released at SIHH this year. And not just because the double chronograph is a famous complication for IWC, but because of the novel use of Ceratanium, an alloy of titanium and…
Editor’s note: Last year we did a team whip around and asked ourselves what watches we bought, not for us, but because other people told us we should. We might not like to admit it, but it’s true. So here we go, the watches we’ve bought because of peer pressure. Humans are, by and large, social creatures. We thrive in communities, and derive strength, support and inspiration from others. At least, that’s the view if you’re an optimist. If you’re a glass half empty kinda person, feel free to replace the word community with mob. Either way, these broad general principles apply to watches. The true lone wolf is rare, and most of us look to others for our wrist-based inspiration and validation. And it’s true of us, too. Come with us, as the T+T team share the tales of watches they bought because other people told them to. Cam’s herd mentality Halios To be honest, I’ve never really bought a watch because someone directly told me to, but I do like to do my research before I buy. And the lovely folk around the various online watch forums can be a wealth of information, as well as a little…