What super-collector Roni Madhvani thinks about the steel sports watch craze
Roni Madhvani is one of the biggest vintage watch aficionados on the planet. His Instagram page – @roni_m_29 – is the stuff of legend and showcases his treasure trove of some of the rarest and most eccentric timepieces from the likes of Patek Philippe, Audemars Piguet and Cartier. Conspicuously, however, it’s one of the few watch ’Gram pages that isn’t littered with steel sports watches. Madhvani’s collection is focused on precious metal and unique case shapes. Whether it’s a Cartier Crash, Audemars Piguet “Disco Volante” or a Gilbert Albert-designed Patek Philippe, his Instagram feed is a wonderland of the strangest and most left-field watches out there. Here, Madhvani offers his thoughts on the steel sports watch phenomenon and explains the benefits in branching out. Nick Kenyon: What are your thoughts on the current hype around stainless steel sports watches? Roni Madhvani: “Horses for courses” as they say! I respect anyone’s tastes, but my personal thoughts are that there is so much out there when it comes to watches and particularly vintage ones, and it’s sometimes good to look out beyond a bit. Others, I suspect, view steel sports watches as an opportunity to flip and be a nice earner. So…
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For watch enthusiasts, it’s always a pleasure to get a closer look at our favourite watches – especially when the watch in question is the A. Lange & Söhne Zeitwerk. In his conversation with Mr. Macro himself, @horomariobro, Andrew gets a little more familiar with the Zeitwerk movement that essentially offers a digital watch in mechanical form. Within four masterful shots, @Horomariobro neatly lays out exactly what makes the digital display jump – and even digs into a hidden feature regarding the movement’s brake lever. AM: What are we looking at here? I assume it is A. Lange & Söhne. @Horomariobro: Yes! There are four quadrants to this video of my Zeitwerk. The Zeitwerk is a very iconic design that uses a digital display with a mechanical movement. The digital display numerals jump every single minute – and at every top of the hour, all the three digits jump together. In my shot I’m trying to show the mechanism in the movement, the remontoire, for the Zeitwerk is what makes the time jump. AM: Very cool! View this post on Instagram A post shared by Time+Tide (@timetidewatches) @Horomariobro: The first picture on the upper left, that’s more of…
What’s the best way to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Hublot for the Australian arm of the brand? Through our national sport of cricket, of course. And that’s exactly what Hublot Australia have done, bringing together two Australian cricketing greats in Michael Clarke and Pat Cummins to mark the launch of the new Hublot Classic Fusion 40 Years Anniversary collection. The Hublot Classic Fusion 40 Years Anniversary collection is a trio of new references inspired by the first-ever Hublot made back in 1980. Founder Carlo Crocco was behind the design of this original Hublot, which inspired Jean-Claude Biver and Ricardo Guadalupe to later coin the phrase “the art of fusion”, due to the watch’s solid yellow gold case being paired with a black rubber strap. This was a first for the watch industry and the start of a trend that dozens of brands have followed. Michael Clarke, a former captain of the Australian Cricket Team, has been a Hublot ambassador since 2014, and believes this willingness to evolve and push boundaries has been critical to the brand’s success. “This year has been incredibly challenging for everyone around the world, but thinking on your feet has been more important than ever…
George Bamford, founder of Bamford Watch Department and living proof that disrupting a traditional industry can bear new fruit for all and open it up to a more engaged, more youthful audience. Now drumroll, please, for a very special announcement. George, please tell us the story behind the watch you’re wearing today I am currently wearing the brand new Time+Tide edition Bamford London Dual Time GMT. It has been amazing working with Time+Tide to design and create this watch. I love how Time+Tide have put some wonderful hidden Easter eggs into this watch and I cannot wait to see images of people finding them. Time+Tide connects their readers to watches all around the world and I love that we have used our Bamford London Dual Time GMT for this edition as it is inspired by travel with the automatic 24-hour GMT hand function with internal rotating bezel allowing users to view a separate time zone. Collaboration excites me because … It brings strengths from all sides and the focus and desire to create something unique. Before you sit down together, you never know what will be the end result as one word or suggestion can inspire a whole new chain…
Editor’s note: A few months back, we announced that former Editor of GQ Australia, Mike Christensen, was to be our first European Editor. In this series, ‘11 Days of Londoners’, Mike will be sharing the stories of a few notable local collectors, starting on Day 1 with King Nerd, and with a stellar lineup still to come. Lastly, you might ask, why 11 days? That, friends, will become clearer over time … There may be British watch brands with a richer heritage, but none has claimed the attention and respect of the watch world quite like Bremont. In the space of just 12 years, brothers Giles and Nick English have become the movers and shakers of British watchmaking and even inspired many others to follow suit. Here, Nick reflects on his own special relationship with watches that would go on to shape his working life. The story behind the watch you are wearing today It’s based on an event that happened in Giles’ and my life just over 25 years ago. Our father used to own an ex-RAF Battle of Britain Memorial flight Mark XIX Spitfire. After his passing in 1995, this remarkable Spitfire, which had been in continuous RAF service since 1944…
Editor’s note: A few months back, we announced that former Editor of GQ Australia, Mike Christensen, was to be our first European Editor. In this series, ‘11 Days of Londoners’, Mike will be sharing the stories of a few notable local collectors, starting on Day 1 with King Nerd, and with a stellar lineup still to come. Lastly, you might ask, why 11 days? That, friends, will become clearer over time … If you’re going to drop out of university, you’d hope it was for a good reason. What if that reason was launching the career of 16-year-old Tinie Tempah when you were 21? That’s exactly what Dumi Oburota did, which started his days in the music business, where he still remains with a joint venture with Warner Music in London. He’s also one of the best-dressed gents on the planet – if you’re ever wondering what to look for this season, just check out his Instagram account. The story behind the watch you are wearing today I am wearing a Casio G-Shock x Bamford, which was given to me on my birthday by Tinie [Tempah]. We love what the Bamford team do with their watches. George is a good friend and this…
Editor’s note: A few months back, we announced that former Editor of GQ Australia, Mike Christensen, was to be our first European Editor. In this series, ‘11 Days of Londoners’, Mike will be sharing the stories of a few notable local collectors, starting on Day 1 with King Nerd, and with a stellar lineup still to come. Lastly, you might ask, why 11 days? That, friends, will become clearer over time … Bill Prince served as the Deputy Editor of the British Edition of GQ for 23 years and aside from his interest in all things horological, Bill is also a former music journo and has interviewed everyone from Mick Jagger to David Bowie and Elton John. He is also a member of the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève Academy – further proof of his standing in the watch business. I buy watches … Because they represent the intersection between engineering, aesthetics and design. Rather like a fine wine, a great watch reflects the successful combination of a number of discrete disciplines, in service to the creation of a genuinely beautiful yet functional object. There’s a reason why the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak “Jumbo” is currently the most coveted male accessory on…
Editor’s note: A few months back, we announced that former Editor of GQ Australia, Mike Christensen, was to be our first European Editor. In this series, ‘11 Days of Londoners’, Mike will be sharing the stories of a few notable local collectors, starting on Day 1 with King Nerd, and with a stellar lineup still to come. Lastly, you might ask, why 11 days? That, friends, will become clearer over time … Over the past few years, man about town, Mr James Yates, has made a name for himself in the health space, specifically as a mental health advocate working closely with the likes of Mr Porter. He also happens to know a thing or two about horology, so we caught up to chat all things watches in his life right now. The watch I’m wearing today is a … Tudor Black Bay Fifty-Eight, based on a vintage Tudor from 1958. I like the vintage look of it, where they have used a softer colour on the dials. I also prefer the 39mm case as it’s a little smaller than most modern watches and sits better on my wrist. It was recommended to me by my close friend Max Newlan, who deals…
Editor’s note: ‘11 Days of Londoners’ continues with a UK-based microbrand you likely know and love, none other than Farer Watches co-founder Stu Finlayson. The past 10 years has seen a host of brilliant British brands pop up and Farer is certainly one of the most exciting. The spirit of adventure and exploring is at the heart of its ethos, thanks to co-founders Stu Finlayson, Ben Lewin, Jono Holt and Paul Sweetenham. Finlayson talks us through his Farer journey and a quest for Farer watches to seek ambition beyond the ordinary. The story behind the watch I am wearing today The Farer Maze is from our recently released GMT Bezel collection. I love this watch because of the white tile-effect dial, which is reminiscent of a swimming pool. I’ve just put it on our Oyster-style bracelet, which has made it feel like a new watch. It’s named after Maze Hill – one of the three roads that surround the Royal Observatory at Greenwich in London, the home of GMT. Other watches I have in my collection I have a few vintage watches, mainly from the ’60s, but nothing particularly expensive. A tropical dial 1960s Angelus chronograph Cal. 215, a super…
Editor’s note: A few months back, we announced that former Editor of GQ Australia, Mike Christensen, was to be our first European Editor. In this series ‘11 Days of Londoners’, Mike will be sharing the stories of a few notable local collectors, starting on Day 1 with King Nerd, and with a stellar lineup still to come. Lastly, you might ask, why 11 days? That, friends, will become clearer over time … In the past decade, the hype around vintage watches has escalated to a point of no return. For all the woke vibes floating around the watch industry in 2020 and on people’s wrists, it’s great that the value of relic pieces has never been higher. One man knows this only too well, Mr David Silver of the Vintage Watch Company. The story behind the watch I’m wearing today I’m wearing my 1966 Vintage Rolex GMT-Master with Pepsi bezel. This watch features in the opening pages of my new book, Vintage Rolex: The Largest Collection in the World. I love to wear it on all variety of different skin straps which I have made in Italy. Each time I change the strap I feel like I’m wearing a new watch and get…