LIST: The 4 best two-tone watches of 2017
Caveat. Two-tone never truly went away. There’s always been a hardcore for whom the power dressing dream of ‘80s excess never died. And now it looks like they were right all along, as the beguiling combo of precious and plain metals is back with vengeance in 2017. Is it because these watches offer a stronger value proposition in a penny-pinching climate, or maybe because their target market is too young to remember when they were cool the first time around? We’re not sure, and frankly, we don’t really care. We just know they look cool. Tudor Black Bay S&G While two-tone has been lurking in the corners of trend status for a little while now, I suspect the Black Bay S&G will be the watch that pushes it into the mainstream. After all, if it’s good enough for Becks… $5990 Rolex Sky-Dweller It would be impossible to talk two-tone without bringing up Rolex’s Rolesor. This is what Rolex call any watch cased with a mix of steel and precious metal. And while people have been losing it over the steel and white gold Sky-Dweller, we’re pretty into this crisp white dial and yellow gold combo. $21,700 Girard-Perregaux Laureato This Laureato…
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Flash through the gallery of any broadsheets’ business section and in their latest technology success stories you’ll either see bare wrists or smartwatches — in stark contrast to other bling heavy business sectors. Maybe the preference is to spend on intellectual property fees with watches only casting a faint shadow on their bedside tables. We went further, tracking down six local leaders and quizzing them on their wrist choices, both connected and classic. Tim Fung – Founder and CEO of Airtasker Rolex Oyster Perpetual 39 The premise of Airtasker – the online small jobs marketplace for outsourcing the services of handymen and errand runners in your neighbourhood – couldn’t be any more predicated on the awareness of that most precious commodity in our lives: time. So it comes as a surprise to learn that its Founder and CEO only started wearing a watch last year at the gentle behest of his uncle, having relied on his phone in the past. Fung’s uncle gave him a new Rolex Oyster Perpetual 39 when he got married. The gift took on even more personal resonance when his relative sadly passed away. “At the time it was a wedding present so it was, of…
There is a band of world and business leaders who choose discreet watches over luxury pieces with value tantamount to a home deposit, recoiling at the thought of wearing a watch fashioned in their namesake or brandished as a status symbol. It would be a foolish misstep, however, to underestimate these style sleeper cells; men of influence, they resolutely reign in their domains. Steve Jobs – the late Co-Founder, Chairman and CEO of Apple Inc. Net worth: At the time of his death in 2011, Jobs’ net worth was estimated at US$10.2b Watch: Seiko BCRP St. Steel Back / 33mm / Ref. 6431-6030, c1982 Price: US$180 Jobs’ supremely classic Seiko was sold in 2016 for US$42,500 by US-based auction house, Heritage Auctions, who was consigned the watch by Jobs’ longtime house manager, Mark Sheff. Like his unerring appearances in a black turtleneck and blue jeans, and the barebones of his Californian digs, the watch is a lesson in simplicity, with its white face, black Arabic numerals, black metal bezel, and black leather band with plain pin buckle. By the state of the back of the band, it looks like Jobs wore the watch until it was on its last lap.…
The big watch news of the week has been the announcement of the unique watches being auctioned off to raise funds for Duchenne muscular dystrophy in the seventh bi-annual instalment of Only Watch. And while everyone’s (rightly) excited about the Patek, F.P. Journe and Tudor unique pieces, we’re pretty sure that they’ll quickly move into the rarefied air of bajillionaire collectors. If you’re interested in trying your luck at scoring a one-of-a-kind piece of horology here are five options that we suspect will hammer in within reach of mere mortals come November 11. Konstantin Chaykin Joker Russian independent watchmaker Konstantin Chaykin had a breakout Basel this year, thanks largely to his clever and charming Joker, with its clever disc based time display and moon phase tongue. This version has a zirconium case and unique dial. Estimate 10,000 – 15,000 CHF Piaget Black Tie Vintage Watch If we’re honest, we suspect this Piaget will sell above its estimate, but gosh is it stunning. The Black Tie case acts as a perfect golden frame for the Pietersite stone dial, which looks like something straight off the wall of The Getty. Estimate 30,000 – 50,000 CHF Chronoswiss Flying Regulator “Red Passion” Chronoswiss…
There’s no better way for nascent female watch enthusiasts to dip their toes into luxe waters than scaling the vintage market for a play with men’s models. You can score an utterly original watch, with provenance or history to boot, but with a forgiving price tag. First up, just get scanning the spectrum. With a feel for the models that interest you and when expenditure is more considered, you can start to look at rarity, how watches will hold their value, the history of a house, exemplary workmanship and innovation. My entry into this world was a diminutive Jaeger-LeCoultre ladies cocktail hour piece from the early 60s, but I soon realised I was more than ready to play with cases sizes more commonly reserved for Mad Men-era alpha males. Get your boys club on with these impressive treasures, each with their very own special patina. Omega – De Ville ‘Emerald’ by Andrew Grima A lost Omega line in the true sense, the Emerald was only made from 1971 to 1973 and will appeal to vintage jewellery lovers because of Anglo-Italian Andrew Grima’s hand in its design. Grima, who had earlier designed Omega’s About Time collection in 1970, is a big card…
Are you under sartorial pressure in your nine to five? Feel the need to up your office attire? Well, we can’t help you with suits and shoes, but wrists? We’ve got you covered. We’ve found four perfect daily wearers that will dazzle your peers, no matter how dull your PowerPoint is. Rolex Oyster Perpetual Datejust 41 Over the decades the Datejust has become the definitive everyday casual option, and with its combination of refinement and rugged construction, it’s easy to see why. The Datejust 41, just released in steel, brings the classic up to a modern size and adds a next-generation movement to the mix. $9300 Oris Divers Sixty-Five I know what you’re thinking — a dive watch as an everyday dress piece? Madness, right? Hear us out. Oris’ heritage diver is far from chunky, and in this silver dial with a suede strap it’s far more elegant than action. $2800 Nomos Metro neomatik champagner If you’re an architect or an interior designer you probably already know Nomos. If you don’t, you might just be in the wrong job. If your idea of a work uniform involves more black skivvies and spectacles than your typical office, the Metro could be…
The northern parts of the world might be enjoying long, lazy afternoons of relaxation and summer fun, but down here in Australia things have taken a turn for the cooler. So to help take the chill off we’ve found four luxuriously warm timepieces to hold you over until the summer months. Bulgari Octo Roma With its dark caramel dial and rich chestnut strap, Bulgari’s brand new Octo Roma is the watchmaking equivalent of a well-worn Chesterfield, eternally stylish and always comfortable. $5950 USD Sinn 356 SA Pilot II The dial on this Sinn has to be seen to be believed. The finely guilloched copper dial shifts from brown to pink to orange, depending on the light. While everyone seems to gravitate to Sinn’s more traditional offerings, this little stunner is the sleeper hit. $3740 Ball Engineer III Bronze Star Outside of gold, bronze – with its rich lustre – is the warmest of case materials, so it’s the perfect tonal choice for the cold season. Pair with Harris tweed and something peaty from Scotland. $3595 Oris Aquis Date Now, diving in winter is only for the bravest of the brave. But if you must do it, at least the orange details…
Australia’s property market is brutal right now, with some eye-watering prices and fierce competition. Even if you’re in a position to buy, getting some actual skin in the game is hard, thanks to the shark pool known as the Saturday morning auction schedule. So, if you’ve lucked out one time too many, you might be tempted to throw in the towel, eat your weight in avocado toast and spend the deposit on a nice watch instead. Here are five contenders (all currently available in Australia, just FYI). Patek Philippe 5270G If we had to peg this gorgeous blue-dialled perpetual calendar chronograph from Patek to a suburb, it’d definitely be Sydney’s Vaucluse. $213,750 MB&F Legacy Machine Perpetual MB&F’s super complicated version of the Legacy Machine is edgy, chic and super exclusive, just like Fitzroy. $232,600 Greubel Forsey Signature 1 If you’re in the market for a Greubel Forsey – widely regarded as one of the finest ateliers working today – you’ve already got quite the portfolio under your belt. Perhaps it’s an alternative to your city penthouse? $267,000 Girard-Perregaux Constant Escapement L.M. If you appreciate modern lines and cutting edge techniques, be it in architecture or watches, then this GP should…
Editor’s Note: Way back at the start of this year, Justin put together a series of ‘best of’ lists covering off some of 2016’s finest timepieces – watches that offered maximum return for minimal investment. Now, as we hurtle head-first into that golden period in Australia known as EOFY (end of financial year), we start thinking about tax returns, bonuses and bargains. Sure, you could use this (hopeful) windfall to do the prudent thing and pay the bills – or you could buy a watch. So we thought now was the perfect time to revisit these lists in the form of one mega-smorgasbord list of 44 watches to whet your appetite. 8 watches under $1000 Seiko Turtle Reissue SRPA21K OK, so this guy’s a total no-brainer – a reissue of Seiko’s classic (and now quite collectable) 6309 series day-date divers. The originals were in production from roughly 1976 to ’88, and this past year saw countless fans shouting “Shut up and take my money” as the numerous variants of the Turtle reissue sold out, time and time again. The line includes something for everyone, including a gilt-dial variant, all black, all blue, a very cool grey made-for-the-Thailand-market Zimbe Turtle, and of course…