Bi-Compax Beauties: 3 great looking chronographs for the discerning timekeeper
Any type of chronograph is going to be an exceedingly handy complication for a wristwatch to possess. However, while the function of the chronograph is broadly the same no matter what make or model of watch you go for, they aren’t all aesthetically equal — not by a long shot. No, the best-looking chronographs on the market generally all have one thing in common: Bi-Compax Dials. That’s right, the simple and elegant look of two sub-dials, traditionally located at three and nine o’clock, provides a great amount of symmetry and harmony that, in turn, lends itself to a more arresting overall look. We’ve chosen three great-looking chronographs for the discerning timekeeper. Enjoy. HAMILTON INTRA-MATIC AUTO CHRONO BLUE DIAL The Hamilton Intra-Matic Auto Chrono blue dial is an absolute peach that stands out in this collection of very solid watches as something a little special. Powered by an adapted Valjoux 7753, this watch has a longer than average power reserve of 60 hours. Hamilton’s watchmakers have optimised one of the most epic workhorses in horology for a longer run time between winds – despite the movement operating at a standard 28,800 vibrations per hour. Ref No: H38416541 / Case size: 40mm /…
The post Bi-Compax Beauties: 3 great looking chronographs for the discerning timekeeper appeared first on Time and Tide Watches.
Editor’s note: The Minimalist watch brand is an unrelenting feature in the Sponsored section of your Instagram feed, and isn’t going away anytime soon. So if you were thinking of capitalising on some horological high-street chic without wasting any time in learning about the history of watchmaking, please enjoy this step-by-step guide to starting your own minimalist watch brand. It’s not as hard as you think. We all have friends who wear watches made by brands like Daniel Wellington and The Horse. We also all know that these watches are, essentially, identical. Yet somehow these simple quartz dress watch lookalikes seem to net their savvy owners massive piles of dosh. Some of us may have even wondered about starting our own minimalist brand like this (I know I have). Well, wonder no more as someone (who has chosen to remain anonymous) has uploaded a helpful guide to Imgur. Here’s the original, but we’ve reposted it in full below. Bravo, mystery writer. Enjoy.
While watches equipped with a moon phase complication aren’t without their detractors, for the astronomically inclined, they are wonderful devices. And, from an aesthetic standpoint, timepieces just tend to look better when they sport some form of moon on their dial. Don’t believe us? Well, take a look at these four watches … maybe they’ll change your mind. CHRISTOPHER WARD C1 MOONGLOW The Christopher Ward C1 Moonglow takes the whimsical moon phase complication and presents it in a fashion that belies its entry-level price bracket. With a galaxy of excellent moon-inspired watches released in July to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the moon landing (July 20, 1969), picking a favourite was never going to be easy. But this one, from the British watchmaker known for putting together a fine value proposition, might just be it. Ref No: C01-40AMP1-S00K0-CK / Case size: 40.5mm / Case material: Steel / Movement: JJ04 / Price: $2530 LONGINES 1832 Classically proportioned at 40mm, this watch strikes the challenging balance of having both a presence on the wrist as well as an understated charm that makes it suitable for just about any occasion where you’re wearing a tie or a T-shirt. Offering a date display around…
Hollywood’s night of nights, the Oscars, was just yesterday, and while most of the noise around this year’s event was Brad Pitt finally scoring his first ever gong for his supporting role in Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon A Time In Hollywood (and shedding a tear… oh, Brad!) for us watch tragics it was a great chance to see what the glitterati were wearing on their wrists. The Oscars is also about what – if any – kinds of trends the wrist choices might point to. And the early running there is, to not mince words, sports watches in precious metals and integrated bracelets. Here’s the proof. Oscar Isaac – Speedmaster Apollo 11 ref. 310.20.42.50.01.001 Oscar Isaac’s choice of an Omega Speedmaster Apollo 11 50th anniversary sums up the dominant trend in men’s timepieces at this year’s Oscars — professional or luxury sports model watches with integrated bracelets replacing traditional dress watches on leather bands, which is obviously the usual norm to accompany a black tie affair. Is that controversial? Maybe? We once wrote about this topic with specific reference to Rolex in a story called ‘No Submariners with black tie.’ Read it here. The other big theme from this year, also reservedly evidenced in this…
Grand Seiko may have been around for 60 years, but the opulent Japanese watchmaker isn’t showing any signs of slowing down. 2019 perfectly exemplified their hard-charging ethos of churning out horological hit after hit, with myriad wristwatches being unveiled that got the enthusiast community in quite the tizzy. We’d like to mention all of them, but, to keep it simple, we’ve whittled down all their releases from last year and focused on three of the best blue dials that the marque unveiled in 2019: GRAND SEIKO SBGK005 The Grand Seiko Elegance Collection got a real boost when reference SBGK005 debuted as part of a range promoting artisanal dial finishes. This blue dial is finished with the Mt Iwate pattern and coated with Urushi lacquer. The dial markings are applied via the ancient technique of Maki-e (gold and silver powder layered atop the lacquer). The Zaratsu method – developed to accentuate the aesthetic appearance of curved surfaces – is used to polish the case. Ref No: SBGK005 / Case size: 39mm / Case material: Steel / Movement: 9S63 / Price: $9600 GRAND SEIKO SBGN009 Released to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the first quartz watch, the SBGN009’s luscious blue dial has…
Sometimes you just want a watch that does what watches do best — tell the time. The clean designs and open savannahs of negative space give the wearer of a more simple time-only watch plenty of ground to project their own personality, while also offering a sense of simple refinement. With that in mind, let’s take a look at some of the best time-only watches from 2019, and see if we can be seduced by the more simple life. BALTIC AQUASCAPHE Baltic is fast making a name for itself as a seriously cool microbrand with a vintage range of accessibly priced timepieces. The Aquascaphe is the pick of the bunch, with a clean and clear dial that blends both pad-printed lume with a sandwich construction (the cardinal hours are given the sandwich treatment). A sapphire bezel insert alongside a double-domed sapphire glass gives a luxurious appearance on the wrist and puts it well above its pay-grade in the cost/value stakes. Ref No: Baltic Aquascaphe. Case size: 39mm. Case material: Steel. Movement: Miyota 9039. Price: USD$654 SERICA W.W.W. Serica is a brand that has released their first model this year with the W.W.W, a watch that wants to be on your wrist…
2019 was the year that Rado solidified their intent to deliver watches that not only pleased a loyal fanbase but surprised and captured the imagination of watch enthusiasts new to the brand. Everything from classically proportioned dress watches, to handsome and rugged tool watches and even bold reissues were released by the Swiss marque, to a great deal of fanfare. We’ve picked out the four watches that surprised and delighted us most in 2019 … here they are: RADO GOLDEN HORSE AUTOMATIC With clear design inspiration from the middle of last century, this Rado speaks to a time when a well-made watch was a daily necessity. The blue sunburst dial gives off an eye-catching shimmer that remains easy to read, with red accents. The slightly scored bezel and beads-of-rice bracelet offer other visual points of interest that make this a genuinely compelling consideration for an everyday watch. Ref No: R33101203/01.763.6101.3.220 / Case size: 41.8mm / Case material: Steel / Movement: Automatic / Price: $2750 RADO TRADITION GOLDEN HORSE 1957 LIMITED EDITION The Rado Tradition Golden Horse 1957 Limited Edition, limited to 1,957 pieces, comes in an era-appropriate case size of 36.5mm and underlines the designers’ wishes to truly honour the…
Watches on bracelets are great for a multitude of reasons. They are both durable and comfortable, relatively easy to adjust and aren’t ruined if you go swimming with them … all pointing to it being hard to go wrong if you get a watch with a bracelet. Besides, it’s always better to buy your watch with a bracelet if you can, because leather straps are much of a muchness, but the variation in a bracelet that might suit your watch is endless. With that in mind, let’s take a closer look at some of the best watches on bracelets from 2019. AUTODROMO GROUP B CORSICA BLUE Colour can make or break a watch. With the Autodromo Group B Corsica Blue, the vibrant, summery dial design definitely makes this package a winner. Autodromo has been quietly improving their offering since launching. An integrated strap, a striking, sporty design, and automatic movement are all steps forward. The Group B also shows some material advancement. It is made of lightweight titanium, while the bracelet (which can be subbed out for a strap) is made of stainless steel. Ref No: Group B – Corsica Blue. Case size: 39mm. Case material: Titanium (strap in steel).…
As is always the way on Australia Day weekends, I went to an endless succession of parties and barbecues. These shindigs are a great opportunity to go watch spotting and I was fortunate to stumble across a few exciting timepieces that had one thing in common — they were all vintage. So without further ado, here are my top three spots from the weekend: Ash’s Tudor Oyster Prince Ash only recently started getting into watches, but her appetite for vintage timepieces has grown rapidly in the last six months, and now you’ll find her on most weekends scouring markets, garage sales and op-shops for her next antiquated fix. This Australia Day, she chose to wear her early ’60s Tudor Oyster Prince. A gorgeous gold-capped number with a complementing champagne dial, Ash says that she was fortunate enough to pick this one up at Camberwell Market for a steal. It’s not an absolute minter but, as she explains, “It’s just for the weekends, and I like that it’s not perfect, because I can wear it out on days like today and not worry about clattering it on something like a door jam.” A very nice vintage piece indeed that gives off…
If you’re just getting in to watches, you don’t have to spend a lot to have a diverse and interesting collection to choose from. Here are some of the best affordable watches, that will still turn heads among your watch friends. Swatch Sistem51 You could easily argue that any Swatch on this list would be a good shout (with the possible exception of the curiously priced Flymagic), but the Sistem51 takes the crown because it is not just a great model from a world-famous, incredibly credible brand, but also because it is mechanically interesting. It is pretty darn hard to get any kind of technical conversation starter at around $300, with the best of the rest capable of dividing aesthetic opinion. With an automatic movement, optically dazzling “mystery rotor” and a raft of colourful, engaging styles, the Sistem51 collection is hard to beat. Q Timex Reissue 38mm Reissues tend to go one of two ways. They are either a massive success or a crashing failure. Chalk this one up in the former column. Here, Timex has nailed the design. Employing enough restraint to let the original style speak to a modern audience was a smart move. This update benefits from…