8 of the best titanium watches: Part 1 is large, indestructible and mind-bendingly light
Titanium: the strong, ultralight metal of the future. Once exclusive to F1 parts and featherweight bike parts, the material is almost divisively light. Some people actually tell you that the light weight puts them off, as if a heavy watch is a sign of intrinsic value and quality. In the case (pun intended) of precious metals, yes, the heavy weight of a Submariner in solid gold does imbue it with an extra level of quality. But on an everyday watch or, even better, a diver’s watch? All positives in my book. How would sir like the intense legibility and strength of a 44mm+ diver’s tool with the lightness of a resin Casio? I’m exaggerating to make a point, but it’s still almost true, and from bargain microbrand to elegant dress watch in a Zaratsu suit, we have lined up a few of the best titanium watches for you right here. Grand Seiko SLGA001 Okay, let’s just say it is huge and be done with it. Unashamedly so. A dark blue threatening behemoth. Nothing can hide the fact, except the raison d’être of this very story: titanium! In our video review here, Nick started by describing it as almost daunting, and…
The post 8 of the best titanium watches: Part 1 is large, indestructible and mind-bendingly light appeared first on Time and Tide Watches.
Editor’s note: Posting stories about Rolex watches you can buy now is like trying to hold a live fish down to get the hook out. A very slippery business. We have had to re-write this post twice already, as the models we’re nominating are slipping away as quickly as we write about them. So, if you see anything you like, move fast, or forever hold your peace. And apologies in advance if – once again – they’ve disappeared before you snap them up. Entry-level Rolex. Words that don’t necessarily sit in the same sentence, but you still want to ask the question. What are the best affordable entry-level Rolex pieces, comparatively? We’ve scoured the inventory of Bob’s Watches and found the new truth. Yes, there are still good Rolex references to be found and no, there are no exaggeration here, this is reality. New and unworn Rolex Oyster Perpetual ref.126000 36mm Yes, you are seeing straight, this is a brand new silver dial Oyster Perpetual in the slender 36mm case for less than $7000 US. With its new case, with the familiar razor-sharp bevels on the balanced case sides, this is the most classic of the new OPs, a watch…
In a tough year, what better way to cheer yourself up than great articles on our beloved wrist-worn wonders. Hopefully you’ve enjoyed our content, whether languishing in lockdown or in a home office that’s hopefully more spacious than my little writer’s den (I gallantly offered the larger space to the wife). These are my favourite articles this year, a year surprisingly packed with horological content. Some for their poetic flourishes and some for their thought-provoking content. HANDS-ON: A poetic tribute to the Bulgari Octo Finissimo Tourbillon Chronograph Automatic – Fergus Nash I thoroughly enjoyed the rich prose of Fergus Nash on Bulgari. In his deep dive into the intricate architecture of the Bulgari Octo Finissimo Tourbillon Chronograph Automatic, I’m blown away by, well, everything. It gives me a headache trying to comprehend how Bulgari has managed to repeatedly trump their own award-winning Finissimo while running out of complications that can be made paper thin. Fergus is a true wordsmith, and I must admit to trying to remember some titbits of what is a truly broad vocabulary that puts the Haute into Horology. Is 2021 the year of the Finissimo Perpetual Calendar? Check out Fergus’ article right here. Play it cool:…
Skeleton dials are not necessarily everyone’s cup of tea, but the gearheads and engineers among us go crazy for the transparent aesthetic. They allow the wearer to see the internals of their watch throughout the day without having to flip the watch over to take a peek. When done right, it becomes a fascinating city of gears beneath the crystal that is sure to raise intrigue with any eye it catches. This year has had some pretty neat skeleton releases, so we have compiled 8 of the best skeleton dials of 2020 for your pleasure. Swatch x 007 ²Q While the transparency of a skeleton dial can command high price tags, the Swatch x 007 ²Q is a welcome exception. This will appear in the upcoming No Time To Die film this April on the wrist of Q, who is the man behind all of 007’s amazing gear and tech we see the agent use throughout the film. As a character who serves as the developer and keeper of techonolgy bestowed upon Bond it makes sense he would wear a skeletonised watch – as well as wear a cost-effective one at that, considering all the shenanigans and gear tests going on…
Have you ever wondered what racing cars and auction rooms have in common? In a 2006 publication, neurosurgeon Dr Eric Watkins published evidence that a Formula 1 driver can experience a pulse in the neighbourhood of 200 beats per minute during a race. According to the US Centre for Disease Control, this heart rate approaches, if not exceeds, the maximum heart rate for the typically aged Formula 1 driver. In this way, both race cars and auction rooms have a similar effect on those inside them, with hearts racing if you’re gripping a steering wheel or a paddle, a fact that gives an insight into the name of an upcoming Phillips “Racing Pulse” auction in New York. This name is a natural choice for the Phillips Watch Department. Arguably their most well-known sale of a watch took place in 2017 when the hammer dropped on the Rolex Cosmograph Daytona “Paul Newman” lot previously owned by Paul Newman. The engraving on the back, “DRIVE CAREFULLY ME”, was a reminder from Mr Newman’s wife to take care during the car races in which he competed. That watch achieved a then world record for a watch sold at auction, at more than $17…
The year is coming to a close (thank heavens) and there is a brighter horizon to look forward to in the coming months. However, there is value in reflecting on this past year, with the Time+Tide team coming in strong with amazing content throughout the doom and gloom – some of which you may have even missed! I took a deep dive into our archives and found the written content that struck a note with me this year, and have assembled my five favourite articles of 2020 for your viewing pleasure. INTRODUCING: The MB&F Legacy Machine Perpetual EVO is a new haute horlogerie player in the sports watch market – Thor Svaboe My favourite Norseman is always commended internally by the entire Time+Tide cast for his incredibly detailed descriptions of watches. Like the rest of us on the team, he lives and breathes watches – with his passion for all things horological shining through in each passing sentence. Thor, however, is a breath of fresh air in the sphere of watch media. Very few authors compose content like Thor. He is a pièce unique when it comes to putting the pen to paper, or fingers to the keyboard, as you…
There are three reasons to gift your child a smartwatch. One, it is a great way to introduce your kid(s) to the horological world and get them going early on their love for a timekeeper on the wrist. The second reason is timing; the holidays are almost here. The third reason is, having done some research this week, they’re actually very handy for lots of reasons, from safety to communication to the ways that they can encourage a healthier lifestyle. Since the birth of the category, which the Swiss have no doubt dreaded in its world domination, smartwatches have become a fan favourite among wrists of all ages and sizes due to their extensive capabilities, ease of use, and capacity to accessorise. Just in case you were pondering if now was the time to gift a smartwatch to a child in your life, we have assembled a list of five popular choices for smartwatches for kids in 2020. 321OU Smart Watch The 321OU Smart Watch is an attractive enough entry watch into the smartwatch category. It is quite clear the watch takes inspiration in its form from the Apple Watch, the highest selling watch worldwide, and yet is effectively a…
How many watches have you seen in the metal this year? My personal tally would surely be an all-time low. The COVID pandemic cancelled watch fairs while product viewings turned into digital affairs where white-gloved reps waved their timepieces at you over live video streams. There’s no real substitute for any of this, of course. To truly appraise a watch you have to hold it in your hands to feel its heft, click its bezel, watch how the sunlight bounces off the dial. But when you’re denied that opportunity due to a merciless pandemic keeping you house-bound for months on end, then you have to find other ways to scratch that horological itch. Luckily, great watch writing brings timepieces to life and makes their intimate details almost tangible. I’m fortunate to work alongside some mighty talented folk who can do that better than most. Here are some of my favourite pieces from Time+Tide’s archives from 2020. HANDS-ON: The virile vitality of the Hublot Big Bang Millennial Pink – Fergus Nash Fergus annoys the hell out of me because he makes it all look so bloody effortless. He’s not even a full-time journo, but he writes with such fluency and ease…
Editor’s note: Here at Time+Tide, we not only want to cover all of the best watch releases in the articles we write but also offer some of those watches at the Time+Tide Marketplace. We work hard to make sure the pieces we are proud to offer in our Marketplace are not only quality watches that we would love to have in our own collections, but also horologically interesting and watches we believe would find happy homes in our readers’ collections. So with that out of the way, let’s take a look at five back-to-work watches that are currently available at the Time+Tide Marketplace and would look great on your wrist as we slowly make our way back to our offices after COVID. DOXA SUB 300T Is the dress watch dead? Look at Oscar night: film stars in tuxedos on the red carpet with large steel sports watches popping out from under their cuff. What does this have to do with the tough DOXA SUB 300? Well, everything. It means that you can beat off those back-to-work blues with an iconic vintage diver from DOXA. You no longer need to relegate your favourite dazzling coloured tool watch to weekend wear.…
I love this time of year. Not only because the weather is nicer and the Christmas break is on the horizon, but because it offers a chance to reflect on the year that has been, and think about the work that Time+Tide has done in 2020. In short, it’s been an extremely challenging year. Of course, hospitality, entertainment and travel have been some of the industries hardest hit by the Coronavirus pandemic, but the watch industry has suffered too. Rolling lockdowns have forced factories to close and storefronts to shut. Events to launch watches have been cancelled (such as Watches & Wonders and Baselworld) and events that showcase the cultural importance of fine watches (such as No Time To Die) have also not happened. But despite all this, the watch industry has rallied together and persevered. Patek Philippe allowed some of its retailers to sell online for the first time ever, Geneva Watch Days was held, as the only Swiss watch show of the year and WatchFest Australia went ahead online to bring the Australian community closer together. There have been a lot of lows throughout 2020, but also a lot to be grateful for and a lot to be…