5 Rolex models just over and just under RRP that you can pick up now on Bob’s Watches, including a surprising Daytona…

Five Rolex models available near retail pricingAs we’ve recently established, in Matt’s story here, we are no stranger to the discussion around Rolex scarcity. Trust me, as regular watch buyers, we totally get it. I am personally disappointed and dismayed each day I don’t hear back from the authorised dealers in New York City and beyond that I visited to express interest in the Oyster Perpetual 36 model upon its release this year. Sadly, these Perpetual watches perpetually frustrate customers who can’t seem to get ahead in the enigma that is the Rolex waitlist. But you don’t have to suffer in silence. Here are  five Rolex models available just over and just under retail pricing via Bob’s Watches – which enjoys a reputation as a trusted vendor of pre-owned Rolex worldwide. Each of the photos below are actual shots of real inventory available now at Bob’s Watches Rolex Explorer 214270 The Rolex Explorer is an extremely versatile timepiece that will go with any wardrobe and can be utilised in any daily or formal situation. This modern Explorer 214270 is 39mm in diameter, with its case and bracelet made of Rolex’s coveted 904L steel that wears akin to a precious metal on the wrist. One hundred metres…

The post 5 Rolex models just over and just under RRP that you can pick up now on Bob’s Watches, including a surprising Daytona… appeared first on Time and Tide Watches.

4 years ago

We got it dead wrong. So, which colour Rolex OP 36 2020 models sold for the highest price at the recent Phillips Hong Kong Watch Auction?

Phillips Hong Kong Watch Auction XILast week, Phillips held their latest watch auction in Hong Kong: the Phillips Hong Kong Watch Auction XI. As per usual, there were some very neat, rare, and illustrious lots that collectors would salivate over – eager to add such fine timepieces to their collections. While the globe may have taken a beating this year from the pandemic, it is clear that top-tier collectors and buyers are still eager to acquire fine watches for top-dollar hammer prices. This auction, however, had an unexpected assembly of new watches. Each of the new colours within the 2020 Stella-inspired Rolex Oyster Perpetual 36 models were up for grabs – a fact that has invoked the ire of many on our, and Rolex’s, social media platforms. It is rather sad that consumers, myself included, can’t find one of these watches at retail and yet all of them were together in one auction for purchase. This inaccessibility has been the elephant in the room of the watch industry for a couple of years, but never like what we’ve seen in 2020, and we had to cover it in more detail in the 2020 edition of NOW Magazine (you can buy it and read the 3000…

The post We got it dead wrong. So, which colour Rolex OP 36 2020 models sold for the highest price at the recent Phillips Hong Kong Watch Auction? appeared first on Time and Tide Watches.

4 years ago

We got it dead wrong. So, which color Rolex OP 36 2020 models sold for the highest price at the recent Phillips Hong Kong Watch Auction?

Phillips Hong Kong Watch Auction XILast week, Phillips held their latest watch auction in Hong Kong: the Phillips Hong Kong Watch Auction XI. As per usual, there were some very neat, rare, and illustrious lots collectors would salivate over – eager to add such fine timepieces to their collections. While the globe may have taken a beating this year from the pandemic, it is clear that top tier collectors and buyers are still eager to acquire fine watches for top dollar hammer prices. This auction, however, had an unexpected assembly of new watches. Each of the new colors within the 2020 Stella-inspired Rolex Oyster Perpetual 36 models were up for grabs – a fact that has invoked the ire of many on our, and Rolex’s, social media platforms. It is rather sad that consumers, myself included, can’t find one of these watches at retail and yet all of them were together in one auction for purchase. This inaccessibility has been the elephant in the room of the watch industry for a couple of years, but never like what we’ve seen in 2020, and we had to cover it in more details in the 2020 edition of NOW Magazine (you can buy it and read the…

The post We got it dead wrong. So, which color Rolex OP 36 2020 models sold for the highest price at the recent Phillips Hong Kong Watch Auction? appeared first on Time and Tide Watches.

4 years ago

The Time+Tide team pick their favourite ever watchspot in a movie, from Le Chiffre to Le Gosling

This year has been the year of “stay at home”, resulting in a sort of carte blanche to binge all the televisions series and movies that your heart desires. This meant it was a no-brainer for us to revisit our favourite watches in film, so today we have assembled like The Avengers to bring you our picks for watches that make cameos and appearances in film. Let the battle begin … Andrew McUtchen: Crazy, Stupid, Love – Rolex Oyster Perpetual Chronometer Bubbleback (1946) Putting aside the fact that this is my go-to rom-com for all time, sufficing as gym inspiration (Gosling’s rig is out of control), celebrity crush central (Emma Stone, divine; Gosling, already mentioned) and endless laughs care of an in-form Carell, there’s also a very nice and unexpected watch to gawk at, a pebbly old Rolex Bubbleback in 14k yellow gold. There’s something of an overall vintage aesthetic to Gosling’s personal brand, codified not only by his wrist choices but also his wardrobe, and he wears it well. Think also of the Omega he wore in La La Land, also alongside Stone. He was way ahead of the curve of plummeting watch case sizes, too. This one looks to be…

The post The Time+Tide team pick their favourite ever watchspot in a movie, from Le Chiffre to Le Gosling appeared first on Time and Tide Watches.

4 years ago

7 crazy creative Seiko mods that don’t look like *ahem* Swiss steel sport watches

creative Seiko modsIf you aren’t across Seiko modding, that’s fair enough. While popular in some circles of the watch community, it certainly isn’t a mainstream practice, despite the level of fervour of its disciples. Earlier in the year we took a look at a few pretty interesting mods that had been made, including with painted dials, ceramic bezels, skeletonised handsets and more. But there is a common theme in a lot of Seiko mods – they’ve been changed to look like certain stainless steel sports watches. While it’s a budget approach to avoiding a waitlist, we wanted to shine the spotlight on a few of the more inspired mods, that open the sports watch rule book only to set it on fire. Here are a few creative Seiko mods that caught our eye recently from @seikomods. Supernova  The polished ceramic bezel is the perfect frame for this red-hot dial. It has been hand painted with a gradient of colour that begins with bright yellow in the centre of the dial and transitions to fire-poker red around the minute track. The other details I like are the black and red hands with high-contrast white lume filling all three of them. Underwater adventures  The…

The post 7 crazy creative Seiko mods that don’t look like *ahem* Swiss steel sport watches appeared first on Time and Tide Watches.

4 years ago

The best pilot watches of 2020 over $10K, feat. Rolex, IWC and Breitling

best pilot watches of 2020 over $10kSome of us love diver’s watches, some skeletonised dress watches. But no matter what you do — driving a truck or stuck behind a desk — maybe nothing is more tempting in watches than the world of aviation, whether it be invoking the adventurous spirit of WWII dogfights, or the memories of Top Gun. You might actually fly a twin-prop Cessna and rely on the infallibility of a top-tier pilot’s watch to back you up in an emergency. Here is a top 5 of the best, from high-tech weapons-grade ceramic to aged black steel with rose gold accents. Chocks away as we look at a few of the best pilot watches of 2020 over $10K, and yes, you will notice that we have expanded the category to include all sky-dwellers that turn left when they enter the plane. IWC Top Gun ‘SFTI’ Edition Big, bold, tough and black. Story done. Sorry, if you don’t know your pilot’s watches from divers, this might be your first impression, but look closely and the tool expertise of IWC quickly becomes apparent, from pure functionality to the sharp pop of red detail. A silky smooth case of ceramic and IWC’s own Ceratanium — yes, it does what…

The post The best pilot watches of 2020 over $10K, feat. Rolex, IWC and Breitling appeared first on Time and Tide Watches.

4 years ago

Business class for an economy fare: the best pilot watches of 2020 under $10K

best pilot watches of 2020 under $10kWatches and aviation have long been on the same flight path, with multiple timepieces made specifically to take to the skies. Without aviation, for example, we would not have the historic Cartier Santos – named after Alberto Santos-Dumont, the pilot who requested its creation. Known for their larger cases and high degree of legibility, pilot’s watches have attracted many buyers over the years who’ve never ventured anywhere near a cockpit. But whether you’re a budding Top Gun or permanently grounded, these are the best pilot watches of 2020 under $10K. Longines Spirit 40mm blue dial on leather strap The Spirit 40 from Longines is like an album where every song is a hit – it just strikes all the right notes. At 40mm, it has a nice modern case size and is water resistant to 100m with a screw-down crown. Underneath the anti-reflective coated sapphire crystal is a highly legible and rich blue dial with a magnificent sunburst gradient texture. While some will always fret over the aesthetic of a date-window, the date disc perfectly matches the blue dial and blends harmoniously with minimal interruption. There’s 64 hours of power reserve, thanks to its reliable movement, upgraded with a silicon…

The post Business class for an economy fare: the best pilot watches of 2020 under $10K appeared first on Time and Tide Watches.

4 years ago

Our 5 picks from the (crazy) Longines Black Friday sale

This year, Longines is jumping on board the Black Friday sales and, boy, are there deals to be had. With watches from across their different collections up for grabs, if you’ve been in the market for one of the Saint-Imier brand’s watches for a while and haven’t pulled the trigger, today is the day to scratch that itch. Here are five of our favourites that are available in the Longines Black Friday sale. Longines Heritage Military COSD This watch is special because it was part of the first batch of Heritage models that Longines has since become so renowned for. Released back in 2015, the no-nonsense field watch is a faithful nod to the robust tool watches that Longines has long produced for the armed forces of the world. The blocky 40mm case houses the brand’s own automatic caliber L888, which features a very healthy 64 hours of power reserve. RRP: $2575. Sale price: $1545 Visit Longines right here to check it out. Longines Conquest V.H.P. GMT  There aren’t many Swiss watchmakers who take quartz watchmaking seriously – Longines is one of them. Not only are they making very accurate quartz watches, but they are technically innovating with their Flash Setting…

The post Our 5 picks from the (crazy) Longines Black Friday sale appeared first on Time and Tide Watches.

4 years ago

Do your friends think watch collecting is strange? These are the best watches to get your friends into watches

best watches to get your friends into watchesIf you, like many others, stumbled across the watch collecting hobby entirely by yourself, you know that feeling of loneliness. You may spend hours perfecting a wrist shot to show off your grail purchases, incredible bargains, or vintage eBay snipes, only to have friends and family snub you by exclaiming, “You bought another watch?” Well, if you really want others to appreciate your hobby like you do, you need to give them a taste for themselves. Whether you save up for something special or gather some buddies to pitch in, these are five of the best watches to get your friends into watches too, from cheapest to dearest. Casio AE1200WH-1A It’s safe to say that every soul on the planet is familiar with Casio’s digital watches, thanks to the ubiquitous $20 AUD marvel, the F-91W. They’re rugged, last forever, and their retro-utilitarian stylings have cemented them as classics with even the snobbiest of wristwatch enthusiasts. However, if you want to step it up a notch, the AE1200 series offers a wide set of useful features with a much quirkier and distinguished appearance. The ability to store multiple alternate time zones, complete with LED world map display, makes this a perfect watch…

The post Do your friends think watch collecting is strange? These are the best watches to get your friends into watches appeared first on Time and Tide Watches.

4 years ago

Attention space cowboys: 5 alternatives to the Omega Speedmaster that you probably haven’t considered

The Speedmaster Professional is so well known, so in command of its hallowed place in the history of watchmaking, how could you possibly find an alternative? Given that it is a watch that has actually been to the moon (conspiracy theories about the Mojave Desert aside), any comparisons will have to be approximate at best. This will be an attempt to offer alternatives to the actual space-flown chronograph that can also muster period-perfect and legible chronographs with monochromatic balanced designs. The Speedmaster now represents a huge range, from the Speedmaster Professional to versions in platinum and gold, but all are essentially functional and tool-minded chronographs. So without further ado, let’s take a look at a few possible options. Bell & Ross Heritage BRV2-94  Flight-inspired, like most of the Bell & Ross range, this is a slightly smaller, yet more muscular, proposition to the beloved Speedy. While the brushed and polished 41mm case is Daytona-esque with its distinctive crown guards, screw-down pushers and broad-shouldered looks, the dial is a pure vision of monochromatic legibility. The dial is a pure twin-register chronograph with clear B&R design elements like the polished, dagger hour hand and sword minute hand and – my favourite touch…

The post Attention space cowboys: 5 alternatives to the Omega Speedmaster that you probably haven’t considered appeared first on Time and Tide Watches.

4 years ago