BREAKING: The TAG Heuer Connected Modular 45 – a smart watch, a mechanical watch and a tourbillon, all in one
TAG Heuer has just announced the “first luxury connected watch bearing the Swiss made label” and a new concept that allows you to change the smart watch module (the whole case, in other words) for a mechanical module; either a time-only automatic Calibre 5 or a COSC-certified chronograph Tourbillon Heuer 02-T. The concept of modularity also extends to the lugs, strap and buckle, all of which can be interchanged with a simple click. Engineered in collaboration with Intel, the Connected Modular 45 is water-resistant to 50m, features GPS, an NFC sensor for payments, and a high definition AMOLED screen, as well as a wide selection of unlimited, customisable TAG Heuer dials. The components have been constructed from a range of quality materials, such as satin or polished grade 5 titanium, black ceramic and 18k rose gold. The smart watch module is powered by an Intel Atom processor Z34XX series and operates on Android Wear 2.0. It has 4GB of storage memory and a lithium battery which is good for a full day of power and is fitted with a small water-resistant microphone enabling the wearer to communicate with it using Google Assistant, as well as a sapphire crystal touchscreen, to be used alongside the command crown at 3…
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Mechanical watches are very important to me. Not only are they the way I earn my living, they’re also a real passion. So it was with a sense of very real unease that I prepared for this review. Not because I have a fundamental aversion to quartz, connected or smart devices, but because I was concerned, deep down, that what the Apple Watch offered might be more compelling to me than the bridges and barrels I love so much. You see, while I’ve been a ‘watch guy’ for the past decade or so, I’ve been an ‘apple guy’ for far, far longer. I learnt to type in ClarisWorks, to create in Paint. And later, the covetable objects of my teenage years were iPods, iBooks and (later) iPhones. I’m typing this right now on an iPad, surrounded by a sum total of five Apple screens, so it’s fair to say I’ve drunk deep from the Cupertino Kool-Aid. And if any smart watch can win me over, it’s likely to be the Apple Watch. The hardware From its launch in 2015, the Apple Watch has evolved from a few products into a fully-formed ecosystem. Now offered in two sizes, numerous case materials and finishes as well…
Le Locle-based Ulysse Nardin made their debut showing at SIHH this year, and we have to say, they brought the heat. We’re used to brands showing us one or two major novelties, but it’s safe to say UN went far beyond that. From technical tourbillons and regatta timers through to stunning dress pieces, vintage reissues and haute horlogerie wonders, the scale and substance of Ulysse Nardin’s offering meant their booth had a real buzz. What does this mean for Australian watch fans? Well, expect to see and hear a whole lot more about UN in the coming months as the brand makes inroads into the local market.
When it comes to partnerships, there are a few routes watch brands typically embark on. There’s the celebrity ambassador, which is often little more than name awareness and a few key appearances. Then there’s the high-profile event tie-in, which usually results in a limited edition with a few dial tweaks. And there’s the organisational partnership, which, in its best form results in two like-minded parties creating something that benefits all involved. It’s this last model that Oris tends to opt for, and they do it well. Oris Australia has a strong track record in supporting charitable organisations, notably their work around the Great Barrier Reef, but also their partnership with the Royal Flying Doctor Service – a comprehensive air ambulance service that provides primary healthcare to people living in rural and remote communities, across a swathe of Australia encompassing 7.13 million square kilometres. It’s essential work that the RFDS has been undertaking since 1928, which Oris has been actively involved in since 2013, releasing the first generation of the Royal Flying Doctor Service watch, as well as providing ongoing support. Today Oris and the RFDS unveil the second generation of the RFDS watch, in the perfect setting of the Avalon Airshow. And it…
Dust off your fedora Indiana, we’re going into the archives… Longines is a brand whose history the Time+Tide team has delved into before – pretty much every time they release an often best-in-show heritage reissue – and frankly, we haven’t been able to get enough. That’s because, while Longines has one of the most impressive archives of watches in existence, as well as countless accolades for timekeeping achievements, the brand has always kept relatively quiet about it. That all changed in January with the announcement of the ‘On This Day’ campaign over at longines.com – which was around the same time we became involved. How? Well, we’ll be choosing our ‘best of’ from each month of memories and wrapping them into short videos that tell the story. In Episode 1, we set the scene at Saint-Imier in 1832…
Anyone who’s followed the SIHH 2017 releases will have noticed a few clear trends emerging – more entry level options, more yellow gold, that sort of thing. One trend that wasn’t as remarked upon in all the excitement of the fair was the way several brands made significant changes to their marketing and identity. Baume & Mercier is a case in point. Over the past few years they’ve invested time and effort into building their image as a brand with a long and proud heritage, and their product releases – particularly in the Clifton and Capeland collections – reflected this history. All that changed in Geneva, with the brand announcing a fresh, youthful face and a new name to go with it – the Clifton Club. Meanwhile, the runaway success that is the Shelby Cobra collaboration continues to evolve…
Between you and me, we were pretty happy with Cartier’s SIHH 2017 collection. And no, not just because the re-release of the Panthère gives us carte blanche to post this picture of Pierce Brosnan in his ’80s prime: No, it’s because we’re all big fans of the Drive, and the powers that be in Cartier’s product development team saw fit to bless us with two very handsome new versions – one with a moon phase, and an extra-flat version that is, in our not-so-humble opinion, stripped-back perfection. Our only problem with it? The lack of a steel version. Let’s just say our fingers are crossed for next year.
When our good friend Justin Mastine-Frost was assembling his lists of last year’s best watches at various budgets, one entry in the 3-4k category sprung out – the Hyperchrome 1616. And no, not just because of how huge it is. The reason it stood out is because it challenges many of the stereotypes and preconceptions about Rado watches. When I think Rado, I immediately visualise sleek, thin cases, instantly recognisable thanks to the opalescent sheen of ceramic. Well, the 1616 is none of those things, but that doesn’t mean it’s not Rado to the core. You don’t have to be an expert to realise that the 1616 is inspired by the ’70s, an era where the prevailing attitude to watch design was the bigger and bolder, the better. Its muse is a watch called the Cape Horn, which had a distinctive shape with the same sort of rounded-off square case that we see here. Rado has taken this silhouette and run with it, bumping up the size to a highly polished 46mm that will not go unnoticed on your wrist. You’d be forgiven for thinking it’s polished steel but in fact it’s a specially treated titanium which makes it almost as scratch-resistant as ceramic. So even on this ostensibly heritage-styled…
Over the past few years we’ve come to depend on Montblanc for their faultless heritage-inspired reissues and ‘real world’ pricing structure, so imagine the surprise on our faces when we caught our first glimpse of their 2017 line up. Sure, there were still plenty of Heritage Chronométrie pieces and new 4810 models, but the real star of the show was the completely re-imagined Timewalker. In the video, Andrew and I discuss the pros and cons of the brand’s new, automotive direction and while we didn’t quite see eye-to-eye on the on the Timewalker, we could both very much get behind the new bronze additions to the 1858 collection.