LIST: Cleared for take-off – 10 of the best pilot’s watches
First things first, just what is a pilot’s watch? While I think most of us could instantly recognise one, there isn’t an exact formula like there is when it comes to dive watches — and there’s a lot more to it than simply being a watch a pilot would wear. Ultimately (since you asked), a pilot’s watch is one that is instantly readable at a glance, whether in simple time-only form, or more complicated with functions that a pilot might find useful. And while we can’t all be Maverick or Iceman (no one wants to be Goose), we can still live out the fantasy and feel the need for speed with these … Breguet Type XXI 3817 Andrew developed a serious watch crush on the Breguet Type XXI back at Baselworld 2016 and honestly, I can see why. Those creamy old-world Arabic numerals, the iconic fluted middle caseband, and a view to the first-rate flyback dual-time movement inside. Talk about masculine bravado. RRP $17,800 Breitling Navitimer 01 The icon, the legend, the chronograph with an inbuilt flight computer. The Navitimer and its typical slide rule bezel has graced countless cockpits for more than 65 years. And this year the classic is joined…
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From the first days of my downward spiral into my geeky obsession with horology, the world of the independent watchmakers has always held a warm place in my heart. Even when the Swiss watch industry was filled with doom and gloom, these small passion-fuelled outfits forged ahead, creating new and innovative releases at a time when the big-box brands were doing their best to stay afloat by releasing an endless flood of dial variations and other minor updates. In recent years, this unique microcosm of watchmaking has continued to see growing interest from the collecting and enthusiast community at large, as more and more watch fans develop a taste for high watchmaking that skews a little outside the norm. This year at SIHH I spent an inordinate amount of time in the Carré des Horlogers — the show’s independent watchmaking hub, and my “home away from home”, if you will — to take an in-depth look at what the industry’s more creative minds have cooked up for the new year. Here’s what I uncovered. Richard Mille RM 53-01 Tourbillon Pablo Mac Donough Squeezing Richard Mille onto this list involved a bit of debate, as in terms of market presence and…
They’re always problematic, best-of lists. Best? On what grounds? When it comes to these personal Top 10s, they’re purely based on the things that we, as individuals, like about watches. Best, says who? For this video, it’s best, says me. And, to that end, what I like most about watches is the way they make me feel — it’s all the intangibles, like how it rests on the wrist, what part it could play in my life, what unspoken, metal to skin story it tells about the people that made it. And then, when worn on my wrist, what it might say about me to the world. As for the magic of television and whether or not we collaborated on our personal Top 10s, I have my hand on my heart: Felix and I actually succeeded in keeping our favourite watches of 2017 away from each other right up until the date this was filmed. And that’s no easy task in an office like ours. So, be assured, this video definitely contains traces of real incredulity. Really? That one? No! Not that one! Etc etc. As for my list, it chopped, it changed, it was pulled from a shortlist that was actually very…
Yesterday we published the first part of our most-read reviews of 2017, covering off Bulgari, Grand Seiko, Rolex, Longines and some more Rolex (for good measure). Today we go through the top five watch reviews of 2017, with some expected and some more surprising results … 5: IN-DEPTH: Tudor’s Black Bay Chrono – greater than the sum of its parts? Baselworld always delivers a surprise or two, and this year it was courtesy of Tudor, and their first in-house, integrated chronograph. The biggest surprise wasn’t that the Black Bay DNA could handle a chrono, but rather that much of the movement architecture was provided by Breitling … 4: IN-DEPTH: The Omega Seamaster Aqua Terra Master Chronometer The Omega Aqua Terra — with its robust build and subtle flash — has always been a solid choice for daily duties, but this year’s upgrade to Master Chronometer status made it that much more compelling. 3: HANDS-ON: Return of an icon – the TAG Heuer Autavia TAG Heuer’s Autavia reissue was highly anticipated, and it did not fail to deliver. The good looks and good size rounded off by the welcome return of the CH80 movement (albeit under the name of the Heuer-02).…
Reviewing watches isn’t everything we do, but it’s certainly the heart of it. And this year we’ve photographed, videoed and generally dissected some of the best. So, in the tradition of end-of-year wrap-ups we thought it an excellent idea to run through our top 10 watch reviews of 2017, according to the cold hard stats of our analytics engine. Today we’re going through numbers 10 to five, kicking off with Bulgari’s slender superstar … 10: HANDS-ON: Barely there brilliance – the Bulgari Octo Finissimo Automatic Some watches have a serious honeymoon period, starting with that first blush of excitement at Basel and gradually softening as the year goes on. For Bulgari though the honeymoon isn’t over as the Octo Finissimo is as fresh today as it was on the first day we saw it. 9: HANDS-ON: Grand Seiko has just released their first professional diver, the Hi-Beat 36000 Professional 600m (refs. SBGH255, SBGH257) and we find it intimidating Grand Seiko’s first professional dive watch is this mighty (and massive) monster, a 46.9mm chunk of titanium that still looks every inch a Seiko diver … 8: HANDS-ON: A classic, redefined – The Rolex Oyster Perpetual Datejust 41 in steel The Datejust…
One of the highlights for me this year has been the increasing number of regular contributors writing on Time+Tide. Whereas a few years ago T+T was essentially the Andrew and Felix show, the last 12 months has seen new voices and fresh perspectives join the mix. I couldn’t be happier. This is also reflected in the increasing diversity of our stories. News and reviews are still at the core of what we do, but as you can see it’s not the be-all and end-all. Here are five stories I’m particularly proud of from this year. VIDEO: Which TAG Heuer Monaco is right for you? The Calibre 11 (CAW211P) vs the Calibre 12 (CAW2111) This year we jumped into videos in a big way, reviewing watches left, right and centre. But it’s hard to top Andrew’s comparative review of TAG Heuer’s iconic Monaco, in Monaco. On a yacht. HOW TO: Let your significant other know you’re buying a watch – 8 strategies for success Oh this one hit a little too close to the bone. Andy’s slighty-tongue-in-cheek-but-not-really guide for ensuring your significant other is onside when you spend frankly extravagant amounts of money on something you don’t need will make you laugh,…
I like to think of myself as a very ‘everyday’ kind of guy who, for the most part, lives a life wearing smart casual. I’m talking that perfect balance of comfort, function and style. This balance, of course, extends to my tastes in watches, as versatility is paramount — and I like to be prepared. Today we’re looking at the best ‘everyday’ watches of 2017, and only the most versatile made the cut. We’re talking watches that you can start your day with at the gym, wear through a day at the office, and then out to a nice dinner. Tudor Heritage Black Bay 41 First up, the Tudor Black Bay 41 — a simple and refined steel watch, with a beautiful black dial. The BB41 is as at home in the gym as it is in the office. Being a Black Bay, it’s water resistant to 200m, so will stand up to whatever you decide to throw at it over the weekend. Unlike others in the Black Bay collection, the 41 has a polished bezel, which gives enough sparkle that you can dress it up nicely. And if you’re looking to dress it down, then the OEM Camouflage fabric strap transforms…
Whenever long-term friend (and sometime contributor) to T+T Ben Zachariah drops into the office, talk quickly turns to the fact that in every car guy there’s a watch guy waiting to get out (and vice versa). Because although Ben is very much into the horological, he’s even more into the automotive; unsurprising, given that he’s the man behind car investment firm Harris & Silverman. And with watch brands targeting their classic car tie-ins more aggressively than ever before — as well as a certain Daytona hitting the block — our chats about these two intersecting interests have taken more of a speculative edge. With the big names, like Porsche and Rolex, already commanding hefty premiums, we started thinking about the ‘next big things’. So, we set a challenge: Ben would come up with five cars, from the ’70s to today, that he believes have solid investment potential, and I’d come up with five watches to accompany them. The car — Monteverdi 375L Coupe Ben: The Monteverdi 375L is a Swiss luxury grand tourer, combining a chassis from Germany, bodywork from Italy, and a large thumping V8 from the US. Like Lamborghini, the Monteverdi brand was born from a falling out…
Ah, the heritage reissue. AKA vintage-inspired or revival watchmaking. Whatever you call it, it’s clear that this trend is here to stay, with vintage-inspired designs running the full gamut of incredibly faithful reproductions of historic models to more modern interpretations with a retro feel. Omega Railmaster We know the Railmaster had to make this list, but the only question is — which one? Do you go for the super legit, super limited reissue of the 1957 original, or go with the vintage-esque vibes of the regular production, Master Chronometer version? Availability and a seriously smart price meant we opted for the latter. RRP from $6525 Seiko SLA017 Have you ever wondered what sells quicker than hotcakes? The answer — Seiko’s SLA017, a reissue of their first ever dive watch, the 62MAS. Like all of Seiko’s greatest models, the 62MAS has a serious fanbase, and they couldn’t get enough of this high-end Seiko, limited to 2000 pieces. RRP $5500 Grand Seiko re-creation Seiko don’t have a monopoly on smart remakes of mid-century designs, as this very straight up and down remake of Grand Seiko’s first watch (from 1960) proves. No bells. No whistles. But pure class. RRP $25,200 in yellow gold. …
I’m just going to say it. Nowadays, no one actually “needs” a chronograph. I mean, really, how often does the need for a stopwatch arise? And if it does, we all have those smart little assistants in our pockets (gasp! blasphemy, I know). However, there’s a certain mechanical allure to the humble chronograph watch. No other complication requires quite as much interaction from its owner. From the compressing of a little pusher with our fingertips, to feeling the click of tiny levers and gears inside before the second hand races off. There’s a reason the chronograph is considered a must-have for any watch nerd. Every year we see a plethora of new chronograph releases, and this year we’ve picked 11 of our favourites. Omega Speedmaster 1957 This is anything but just another limited edition of the iconic Speedmaster. To celebrate the icon’s 60th birthday, Omega wanted to do something special, and the result is this pitch-perfect reissue. Sized at a faithful 38.6mm with broad arrow hands, an applied logo, and even a “dot over ninety” bezel. It’s as close as you’ll get to owning the one that started it all, without shelling out a six-figure sum. RRP $9725 Rolex Cosmograph Daytona…