The week the watch world changed
If you are the kind of person that thinks the watch media should “stay in [their] lane” when it comes to commenting on anything but the latest watch releases, then it’s best you scroll on to the next story. This one, like many recent posts by brands and individuals in the industry, is about this week in the world and not just this week in watches. I respect that Time+Tide is a refuge from reality for some and I am not offended if you prefer to leave it that way. Ultimately though, this is a message of hope and optimism. And lastly, of pride, to be in the watch industry at this time when it is bravely pivoting to be a voice for change, regardless of the cost. “Each time a [person] stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope, and crossing each other from a million different centres of energy and daring those ripples build a current which can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance.” Robert Kennedy This week we are blacking out the Friday Wind Down as a…
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One fact that seems to have been roundly overlooked in recent years is the slow, steady, but really quite emphatic, elevation in Hublot’s yearly releases. In terms of technical complexity, case design and overall finishing. The Hublot of 2020 is not the brand that Jean-Claude Biver re-introduced to the world 15 years ago with the Big Bang. The Big Bang took the original spirit of Hublot’s previous designs – the rubber strap, exposed bezel screws and “ears” on the case sides – and blew them up in a 44.5mm case, capitalising on the trend of large watches at the time. It was a huge success, winning design prizes and tripling the number of orders that year. But looking back, it was an entirely different proposition to the diverse, creative and high-polished collections gleaming in the windows of boutiques and retailers today. Like the Mountain, who this week deadlifted 501kgs, the brand was record-breaking and impressive, but it lacked refinement. And Hublot no longer lacks that. Hublot has, in fact, become an amalgam of that same brute power, but with Brad Pitt in black tie finesse that can see the brand hold its own when it comes to finishing and overall…
Editor’s note: Watchmaking is founded on incremental progress. The slow accumulation of applied knowledge that produces a better and better product with each passing year. That is exactly what TAG Heuer have achieved with their latest generation Connected Watch, offering the most optimised blend of Swiss luxury and Silicon Valley tech that we have seen in a smartwatch to date. Andrew spent some quality time with the TAG Heuer Connected Watch generation 3 before it was released to get a better understanding of what it is all about, and how it is better than the previous generations. Without further ado, enjoy his Week on the Wrist review. The latest generation of the TAG Heuer Connected Watch has just been released and it represents a major and — practically everyone would agree — welcome departure from the tech and mindset of the previous two generations. Simply because it is now powered by Google Wear OS, which allows the Swiss to do what they do best — a dramatically refined and more luxurious case and overall design — and it lets Google run the hardware, with a raft of improved apps and functions, most of which we explore in the video. In terms of…
Certain expertise has always been found in specific parts of the world, creating hubs of creativity and technical innovation. So what would happen if you put the watchmaking nous of La Chaux-de-Fonds and the tech capability of Silicon Valley together into a watch? You get the TAG Heuer Connected watch, generation 3. The first generation of the Connected watch was released in 2015 (the same year as the first Apple Watch), followed quickly by the second in 2017. This year, we get more of a quantum leap than an incremental improvement. The generation 3 is two things: the most technically advanced and yet most mechanical watch-like yet. When the first generation was released, it offered features that had rarely been seen in a smartwatch at that time, with Spotify and Google Maps offering a degree of connectedness that was leading edge. In the most recent generation, those features that were once a novelty are now standard, and TAG Heuer has continued to lift the bar in terms of what’s on offer. For this generation, TAG Heuer have partnered with Google. The watch is powered by Google’s Wear OS software that offers the laundry list of features you might have seen…
Editor’s note: ‘Modding’ a watch is not a trend in watchmaking, it is a trope. It has, and always will be, a part of the watchmaking and watch-wearing world as companies and individuals seek to personalise and individualise watches. A uniquely modified watch becomes more of a statement. And it offers an alternative to a ‘Piece Unique’, one-off watch. This story is the first in ‘The Modifier’s Series’, which looks at the main players in the modding game. Coming up, MAD, Bamford and more… For so many of us, Rolex — for all of its flaws — remains the pinnacle of the watch world. While inflated prices may be making the barrier to entry higher, the dream of slaving away for years to finally reward yourself with a hallowed five-pointed crown is still very much a thing, and a universal marker of success. To those who have already achieved this dream, maybe even multiple times, the question becomes: what next? Sure, you could go for some precious metal, haute horology, minute repeater, dual-axis tourbillon which costs as much as an average Monaco apartment. Or you could have the timepiece of your dreams personally crafted by Artisans De Genève. Since 2016, Les Artisans…
George Daniels is almost universally recognised as the greatest watchmaker of his lifetime, and even if you haven’t heard of him, you might have seen evidence of his work on the dial of millions of Omega watches around the world — the words CO-AXIAL. His most significant contribution to watchmaking was the development of his co-axial escapement, the first serious step forward in watchmaking in more than 200 years, and was first put to work in the Omega De Ville Co-Axial Escapement Limited Edition. That’s right, not much had changed in two centuries before Daniels began his work. His co-axial escapement was important because not only did it improve the accuracy of a typical mechanical watch, but it also vastly improved the mechanical efficiency of the movement so that it would need less regular servicing. Legend has it that Daniels woke in the middle of the night with a complete picture of what the escapement would look like, but really it was the cumulative efforts of 20 years of work that led him to develop his invention. In essence, the co-axial escapement was successfully able to eliminate almost all friction between the pallet fork and the escape wheel, an improvement on…
Fans of Franck Muller will know there is something in the Vanguard collection for everyone. With more than 30 different references in the current lineup, including chronographs, tourbillons and skeletonised movements, the independent watchmaker has ensured that no matter where you want to take your watch, there is a generously curved creation for you. Despite the range of options, each reference evokes a specific lifestyle that each watch is suited to, be it for the international money mover, or the type who prefers to spend their time on the deck of a yacht. When it comes to the Franck Muller Vanguard Classic, however, the cleaner design might speak most strongly to those who prefer a less cluttered approach to watchmaking. With the Franck Muller Vanguard Classic reference V45 SC DT TT NR BR NR, you get the same concave caseback that wraps intuitively along the contours of your wrist that all members of the Vanguard family offer, but on the dial side you’re treated to a sight that is striking without being overwhelming. The bold Arabic numerals are a rich ruby red in colour, which pop against the lightly patterned black dial, and occupy the majority of the dial real…
This year is a big one for Grand Seiko as it is the 60th anniversary of the brand, a number already made special with several limited editions. Over the last few days they have released several more, one of which is arguably their most impressive dive watch yet. Say hello to the Grand Seiko SLGA001, a titanium diving watch that is powered by a brand new Spring Drive movement, and is water resistant to 600m. Before we get to why the new movement is important, let’s focus on the case and dial. At 46.9mm x 16mm, the dimensions are initially daunting for anyone with wrists smaller than Dwayne Johnson, but they are actually significantly less hefty, thanks to the material of the case and bracelet. The watch is made of a special high-intensity titanium, which is 40 per cent lighter than the typical steel used in watchmaking, and has the added benefit of basically being impossible to scratch. This reduction in weight would contribute to a reduced sense of bulk on the wrist, which has sometimes been the feedback for the larger dive watches produced by Grand Seiko. The shape of the SLGA001 case features relatively short lugs, which make…
Find Part 1 of the Rolex Datejust history right here. A Power Watch in 1989: The Reference 16233 A good example of the historical adaptability of the Datejust came with the reversal of world fortunes in the 1980s. There were the literal fortunes made by young traders on Wall Street but also the overall optimism drawn from events of the decade leading up to the fall of communism in Eastern Europe. It was a good time to be Rolex (was there ever a bad time?), who used the energy of the time to evolve the Datejust into the reference 16233 you see here. This particular example is a vibrant and expressive combination, which in my mind completely sums up a lot of the cultural surge and individualism of the ’80s while eschewing some of the more questionable lapses in taste. In contrast to the earlier 1601, this Datejust streamlines the visuals in the form of a slim sapphire crystal and flat dial. The necessary quality textures are still present via the slightly more substantial fluted bezel and the geometrically perfect gold bar hour markers, which have lume plots subtly integrated into their ends. Mobile phones, personal computers and fax machines…
The clichés applied to these watches are endless: iconic, archetypal, essential … and the list goes on. What can be said about the Rolex Datejust that hasn’t already been said? Quite a bit actually when presented with the opportunity to look at a cross section of the watch’s evolution firsthand. Most Time+Tide readers will know that the Datejust model goes all the way back to 1945 and in this article we are going to look at the Datejust starting in the second half of the 20th century and continuing to present day, as the three watches we have on hand represent a combined 50 of the total 75-year Rolex Datejust history. A Comforting Reward in 1970: The Reference 1601 By 1970, the Datejust had established itself through the post-war period as the go-to watch to celebrate middle-class success. I know from personal research that the 1601 in this particular article was gifted by the first owner’s wife to him in celebration of his retirement from a long career in the defence department of the Canadian government. Imagine if you will, a man in his mid-60s, who has served his country for decades, opening the gift-wrapped box and seeing the glint…