Back in 1957, Hamilton (then still an American watchmaker) launched the world’s first electric watch, the Electric 500. It was powered by a battery and never needed to be wound, and the movement was matched with the asymmetrical Ventura line that Elvis Presley made famous in his 1961 hit movie, Blue Hawaii. This was a […]
In the collective memory of watch enthusiasts, the legendary watchmakers are the likes of Breguet, Lange and of course the holy trinity of Audemars Piguet, Vacheron Constantin and Patek Philippe. Investigating the history of more affordable and less luxurious movements brings up ETA, Miyota and Seiko, but there is one company which never seems to … Continued
The post IN-DEPTH: The history of Landeron, the legendary manufacturer that never gets the recognition it deserves appeared first on Time and Tide Watches.
The post IN-DEPTH: The history of Landeron, the legendary manufacturer that never gets the recognition it deserves appeared first on Time and Tide Watches.
The watch industry has two major forces acting as historians. One is the obsessive group of passionate collectors who archive knowledge and record every minute detail they can, and the other is the marketing departments of brands who may omit or exaggerate certain facts to control their employer’s legacy in the public consciousness. Unfortunately for … Continued
The post The smallest watch you’ve never heard of appeared first on Time and Tide Watches.
The post The smallest watch you’ve never heard of appeared first on Time and Tide Watches.
It’s incredibly rare that anything truly new happens in the watch world, and even the most groundbreaking innovations can often have their roots in technology and theories from decades ago. Something that has been swirling around the fringes of popularity, for the last few years in particular, is the phenomenon of stone dials, whether they’re … Continued
The post IN-DEPTH: The history of stone dials appeared first on Time and Tide Watches.
The post IN-DEPTH: The history of stone dials appeared first on Time and Tide Watches.
While today’s watchmakers offer a wide variety of timepieces without the hour and minute hands most of us are accustomed to, one collection of modern Haute Horlogerie stands out in particular. We are talking, of course, about the A. Lange & Söhne Zeitwerk, with its rather unique jumping digital time display. And since the brand […]
We’ve covered some pretty strange watches here on Time+Tide, even a bunch which don’t tell the time, but it’s rare that we discuss something that doesn’t physically exist. The Doomsday Clock is a concept and a symbol which has been referenced across plenty of media forms — from 2 Minutes to Midnight by Iron Maiden … Continued
The post IN-DEPTH: The ominous history of the Doomsday Clock appeared first on Time and Tide Watches.
The post IN-DEPTH: The ominous history of the Doomsday Clock appeared first on Time and Tide Watches.
There are not so many watchmakers that are able to celebrate their 200th anniversary. So is Bovet. Among the different events organized to mark this milestone anniversary, MONOCHROME was honoured to be invited to spend a day at Bovet’s headquarters, the Motiers Castle. There, we were able to discover their brand-new museum, to attend masterclasses […]
Bremont has long been considered Britain’s largest watch brand. Now the founders, Giles and Nick English, are looking to build on that success after opening the doors this week to their much anticipated manufacturing and technology centre, The Wing. With the Bremont Manufacturing and Technology Centre (AKA The Wing), Bremont are looking set to stretch their lead, after their 19-year quest to increase vertical production on what is already a strong range of hardy tool watches. Through the shots of photographer Alan Schaller we get the first glimpses of what is a 35,000 square foot state-of-the-art facility at the edge of Henley-on-Thames in South Oxfordshire, to a scale not seen in the UK since the 1960’s. This facility essentially brings the Bremont mission statement to life: “To make exquisitely engineered mechanical timepieces on British soil with the lofty objective of reinvigorating the nation’s horological past, using our adventurous spirit, passion for detail, desire to innovate and dedication to the highest quality of customer satisfaction.” Time+Tide has reported at length on the exciting revival of British watchmaking (check out our article series “11 days of Londoners” ) and, personally, I’m a staunch believer in the growing market force of independent brands.…
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The MB&F Legacy Machine is coming up for its tenth anniversary. Just ahead of the launch of the LMX special anniversary model to mark the LM’s first decade of life, we’ve decided to take a trip down memory lane and recall all LM models produced by MB&F to date. Our in-depth retrospective of the Legacy […]
The word “concept” is something that is often associated with the world’s most enthralling works of art. A concept album can tell a very deliberate story, or explore a particular theme or idea in wondrous detail. A concept car is usually shown to represent the pinnacle of a designer’s imagination that’s invariably watered down should it make it into production. So when Audemars Piguet announced a concept watch in 2002, what was the world to think? Does it represent some bigger idea? Can I actually buy one? Why does it need to exist? Unpacking the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Concept isn’t instantly intuitive, but it begins with rebellion, technology and ingenuity. If you’re unfamiliar with the story of the original Royal Oak introduction in 1972, here’s a quick debrief. Seiko unveil their quartz-powered Astron in 1969, shaking the foundations of the watch industry. As the masses flocked towards the technology for its affordable reliability, the Swiss traditionalists were brought to their knees. Many brands held on for dear life, some even releasing their own quartz offerings, but many more collapsed. Audemars Piguet realised that their struggles didn’t have to be the end, but an opportunity for reinvention. Enter designer Gérald…
The post IN-DEPTH: Rebellion meets technology in the history of the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Concept appeared first on Time and Tide Watches.