FRIDAY WIND DOWN: TAG Heuer celebrate the Carrera in Chadstone and there’s a reason we love Rolex forums
Yet another regrettable effect of COVID is that, over the last twelve months, it’s stopped most of the watch community from experiencing timepieces in the metal. Thankfully, that’s starting to change in Australia as, with the pandemic increasingly under control, watch events are starting to happen once again. One of the first public events is the TAG Heuer x Porsche pop-up in Chadstone, Melbourne this week. The pop-up will be there until March 14 and is celebrating the recently announced partnership between the two brands, which are united by their respective Carrera products. As well as a very nice Porsche 911 Carrera on display, TAG Heuer are also showing a great range of vintage and modern Carrera references in the space, documenting the history of the collection as a racing chronograph for the gentleman driver. So if you’re in Melbourne and have some spare time this weekend, it’s definitely worth checking out. As a sweetener, TAG Heuer are also offering a free gift to Time+Tide readers at their Chadstone boutique for the duration of the pop-up with every watch purchased. Just mention “Time+Tide” to the boutique staff in order to receive your mystery gift. Have a great weekend and here’s…
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It doesn’t feel like that long ago since Lewis Hamilton became the most decorated F1 driver of all time, winning his seventh world championship in November after a COVID-disrupted but nevertheless enjoyable 2020 season. Now, with less than a month until the 2021 calendar kicks off in Bahrain, there is no shortage of things to get excited about. Seeing Aussie Daniel Ricciardo and Brit Lando Norris team up together for McLaren has many frothing at the bit; equally the new series of Netflix’s Drive To Survive is bound to fire up our engines; but naturally it’s the timepieces planted on the drivers’ wrist come podium time that really have us on the edge of our seats. Time+Tide’s resident petrolhead Fergus Nash has given you an extensive rundown of what watches to expect to see in F1 in 2021, but for watch enthusiasts in the UK only, there’s a late addition to the grid. Indeed, after a speedy announcement of a different kind tying the knot with Porsche last month, TAG Heuer has now unveiled a special edition Formula 1 piece in line with the chequered flags being waved in Bahrain (quite literally when you see the dial). Considering a TAG…
Let me pose a little thought experiment. How much have Rolex online forums cost the global economy in terms of wasted productivity in the workforce? How many hours are lost speculating over the Crown’s possible new releases, comparing advice on how to change an Oysterflex, or conducting snap polls on whether to buy the GMT Root Beer or the blue dial Submariner (two tone)? By my calculations, the dollar value would buy Paul Newman’s famous Daytona several times over. Rolexforums.com has hosted more than 11 million posts alone. But what is the psychological impetus behind this intense buzz of activity? Hiwa Khezri decided to find out. During his Masters degree in Management and Strategic Marketing at the Catolica Lisbon School of Business and Economics, he completed a dissertation that delved into Rolex online brand communities (AKA Rolex’s unofficial fan-boy sites). Hiwa analysed a mountain of posts from two Facebook sources – the Rolex Forum and the Rolex Forum Norge (Noreweigan) for his paper entitled: A Netnographic Study of Rolex Members’ Motivations for Online Engagement. You can read the whole thing here. But essentially Hiwa found that the reasons for posting came down to three main drivers. 1. Social validation Members…
As far as ubiquitous movements go, the SW200 and its variants is one to make your eyes light up when you see it on a specification sheet. Originally a clone of the ever-loved ETA 2824, once the patent had expired, Sellita’s version remains just as reliable, affordable and well-performing as its ETA twin. The 4Hz beat rate, 38 hour power reserve and moderate 4.6mm thickness makes it a great all-rounder movement for any watches that can house it. Here are five great examples… Montblanc 1858 Automatic The SW200 is no stranger to luxury treatment, being disguised here as the calibre MB 24.15 in this Montblanc 1858 Automatic — probably one of the best exploration-themed watches of the modern era. The smoked-blue fumé dial combined with the silver steel case and crisp white highlights evoke the feeling of a snow-swept mountain, as depicted by the instantly recognisable Montblanc logo. The thin, rotating compass bezel just adds to the vintage charm of the 40mm watch, as do the printed minute markers and large cathedral hands. Offering 100m of water resistance, this watch can handle the most intrepid adventure, while the 20mm lug width ensures you can put it on an adventure-ready alternative…
At the start of last month, TAG Heuer announced a partnership with a pretty special brand: Porsche. Why you might ask? What’s the difference between this and any old automotive / watchmaking relationship? The difference lies in the closely linked histories of these two brands, both united by a passion for going fast and the talismanic word “Carrera”. To celebrate this relationship, a TAG Heuer x Porsche pop-up has just opened in Chadstone, Melbourne, which is showing a number of vintage Heuer Carrera references in an exposition of the shared history between TAG Heuer and Porsche. The linked history between TAG Heuer and Porsche begins in 1950, nearly a decade and a half before both companies released products named Carrera in 1963. In the middle of last century, the Carrera Panamericana car race first ran in Mexico, covering more than 3500km as it snaked its way though the countryside. It was an extremely dangerous race with minimal safety precautions, leading to its cancellation after only five years and more than 20 deaths. Nevertheless, the high-octane legend was born. Now in 2021, the two brands have come back together in collaboration (despite some photography from TAG Heuer hinting at the partnership…
Despite a full 12 months passing since COVID began restricting the places we can go and the people we see, the watch world still hasn’t worked out how to run an interesting event online. Starved of the opportunity to present watches in the metal, the polite way to describe most virtual events is dull at best. Recently, however, Bremont took a step in the right direction by at least hosting an event with a fascinating guest. The guest in question? None other than the Gurkha and ex-member of the British Special Forces Nirmal Purja or as he likes to be called, Nims. If you’re a regular reader of Time+Tide you’ll likely be aware of the relationship that Bremont has with Nims who’s broken a number of mountaineering world records while wearing their watches. On the face of it, it’s a relationship that could look like just another watch brand ambassadorship that serves to tick a marketing box. But beneath the surface, there’s a genuine connection between Bremont and Nims. In 2018, Nims left the military to concentrate his efforts on mountaineering and. in 2019, he embarked on a journey to scale all 14 of the world’s highest peaks that are…
It’s late-February in the UK, winter is still biting and though there are only baby signs of the lockdown being lifted, there is still a sense the end could be nigh. “Sadwear” has gripped much of my Instagram feeds’ sartorial choices over the past 12 months, but I have resolutely resisted wearing tracksuit bottoms while WFH-ing. Instead, it’s been a prerogative of mine every day to dress up for my walk down the garden path to work, much to the amusement of my wife, children and unsuspecting neighbours, whether that involves a full-on suit and tie or a more casual dress-down floral shirt on Friday. Of course, this also extends to watches; I’ve had fun mixing up what piece I wear for each “occasion”. There might not be any actual events to attend that really warrant your dress watch and certainly no overseas trips to justify your GMT, but that doesn’t mean you can’t just, you know, wear them for the love of wearing a nice watch. Indeed, if lockdown has been good for anything, it’s given us the chance to rethink some of the “rules” of watch-wearing etiquette, and what watch type you should wear when. To help disrupt…
Rapper Bobby Shmurda wasted no time after being released from a six-year prison stint to make sure that his wrist game was back on point. What did he first put on? An iced-out Rolex Sky-Dweller, of course. Bobby Shmurda, born Ackquille Jean Pollard, was jailed more than half a decade ago with several other members of the gang GS9 for weapons possession and conspiracy to commit murder. The sentence was handed down in 2014 just as Bobby’s hip-hop career took off with the smash hit Hot Ni**a, which peaked at No.6 in the Billboard Hottest 100 list. He was released at the end of February this year to the excitement of the hip-hop community, and was immediately greeted by rapper Quavo, who arranged a celebration in his honour. As reported by GQ, who clinched the first interview with Bobby Shmurda on his first day out of jail, he was greeted with racks of designer clothing, a barber and a new chain gifted by fellow rapper, Rowdy Rebel. But that wasn’t all. He was also presented with a Rolex Sky-Dweller that appears to be fully set with aftermarket diamonds. The watch was reported not to fit his wrist immediately thanks to…
The force is strong with Seiko and it’s clear they are not holding back this year with some fantastic new releases. The Sharp Edged Presage collection is known for its robust elegance, featuring eye-catching dials in highly scratch and water-resistant cases. Previously we all had a plethora of dials to admire in the time and date format. For those who want a little more complication, Seiko has now introduced the Seiko Presage Sharp Edged GMT collection. The stainless-steel cases of the Seiko Presage Sharp Edged GMT collection are all 42.2mm in diameter, 13.7mm thick and a manageable 49.2mm lug-to-lug across the wrist. The sharp and angular geometry of the case is reminiscent of a creation from Grand Seiko, but with a level of finishing more in line with Seiko’s price point. The lug hoods are nicely satin brushed, with the caseband and outer squared facet of the lugs mirror polished. The contrasting finishes result in a sporty yet elegant timepiece that plays well with light. The cases are 100 metres water-resistant, which means you can safely explore all environments with the watch. And considering it is a GMT, you can utilise the 24-hour hand and black 24-hour bezel to keep…
According to the Urban Dictionary, the definition of a baller is: “A person that makes shit happen. Without additional context, ‘baller’ typically is assumed to imply demonstrated ability in generating prodigious amounts of cash money, and/or a proficiency with creating frequent and mind-blowing sexual opportunities (note the non-gender specific reference, implying that ballers can be men or women, gay or straight — it is a matter of perspective).” If this be you, finding your wrist-match in our NOW magazine is a joyful experience, as even the smallest picture of any of these sparkly wrist-jewels will induce a Cheshire Cat grin. I’ll even start by cheekily suggesting a “womens” watch as an introduction as gender specifications are dying out, and frankly I want this particular AP for myself. Here are five killers from Vacheron Constantin, Audemars Piguet, Hublot and Louis Vuitton Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Concept Frosted Gold Flying Tourbillon Truth be told, if the glittering delight of the frosted gold and the nine-word designation of this tour de force from Audemars Piguet didn’t captivate you, we’ll book you an appointment with a psychiatrist. With its stippled gold surface and multi-tiered sunburst blue dial, this women’s Royal Oak Concept was nothing…