Great 'Grams: The Cartier edition
As you might have picked up if you follow me on Instagram (@nick.kenyon), I have a soft spot for design-focused watches, generally on the smaller side of 40mm and especially those that are vintage. As a result, one of my favourite brands is Cartier, thanks to the strength and consistency that has been present in their designs for more than a hundred years. In that spirit, I wanted to share a few sensational posts I saw this week that were showing off the range of design and technical prowess on offer from Cartier. @misterenthusiast The grey works sooooo well thanks again @nixen_bixen This single pusher chronograph is part of the Collection Privée Cartier Paris, produced in a tonneau-shaped white gold case with wonderful blue dial markings that pair nicely with the blued steel hands. The manual-winding, dual-register chronograph is not your usual chronograph calibre either, as it was developed in partnership with F.P. Journe, Denis Flageollet and Vianney Halter. An absolute A-list cast of some of the finest watchmakers of their generation. @amsterdamvintagecartier “Baignoire Allongée” is French for elongated bathtub. A study by the New York Post claims there is a correlation between success and the amount of baths one…
The post Great ‘Grams: The Cartier edition appeared first on Time and Tide Watches.
When I started Time+Tide, back in 2014, I was interested in microbrands. This afternoon, six years later, we will have our first ‘Indie Explorer’ event at Time+Tide. Better late than never. In the Casual Friday ethos, it will be a very chill kind of deal. Watches. A beer or two. And almost certainly good people. Tonight is sold out, but to register for future events, hit: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/indie-explorer-part-1-laventure-lundis-bleu-eza-doxa-tickets-95324031745 Back to 2014, I remember one particular bronze Stowa pilot’s watch. And I distinctly remember the process before a purchase I went through. Where you’re looking intently at every photo you can find. Watching the WHOLE 24-minute Worn & Wound video review (when I met the guys, a few years later, I could still practically recite the script). Thinking and dreaming about it. I never pulled the trigger on the Stowa in the end. And, as it turns out, the brand didn’t need my business. Stowa have continued to do pretty well without me. But they are now joined by an increasing proliferation of micros that are exploding in popularity. And that is not an overstatement. There is no other word for it. The speed with which an increasing number of indie brands have entered…
Watches & Wonders Geneva (formerly SIHH) has been cancelled in an announcement by the FHH overnight, as a result of the growing concerns around the Coronavirus and its spread throughout the world. This comes off the back of both Citizen and Bulova announcing their withdrawal from Baselworld just days ago, and adds Watches & Wonders to the growing list of watch industry events that have been cancelled due to the virus. The most notable of these cancellations have been the Swatch Group retail and press event Time to Move, and the Grand Seiko Summit, which was to be held in Tokyo, as well as a host of boutique openings locally in Australia. “In view of the latest developments concerning the worldwide spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus, it is the Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie’s duty, as organiser of Watches & Wonders Geneva, to anticipate the potential risks that travel and important international gatherings could entail,” the FHH statement said. “Therefore, in order to protect the health and wellbeing of all our guests, press, partners and teams, the decision has been taken to cancel the upcoming edition of Watches & Wonders Geneva.” Despite this, the FHH confirmed it was optimistic for…
Editor’s note: When it comes to stunning dials and complicated movements made simple, no one does it better than Moser. The Moser Endeavour Perpetual Moon Concept in red gold is one such example, with an enchanting fumé dial and a perpetual moon phase that is so simply laid out, those not in the know might miss it. Let’s take another look at this wonderful example of what the Meylan brothers do best. There is absolutely zero doubt that Moser know their way around a fine dial. Their fumé is hypnotic perfection at its best. Last year the brand upped the ante with their conceptual perpetual with impossibly black Vantablack dial. Well, if this well of blackness (which is a wonder on the wrist) leaves you as cold as the black hole it evokes, there’s another, brighter option out there. The Endeavour Perpetual Moon Concept in red gold, with a more familiar, blue fumé dial. This piece, limited to 50 pieces (and only one in Australia — Melbourne, to be exact), offers, in addition to Moser’s trademarked dial, their wearable combination of masculine, swoopingly architectural case with those delicately scalloped sides and shapely bezel. It’s bold, but not overpowering, thanks to…
This week Time+Tide HQ sees two new opponents enter the ring, with Luke and Nick trading haymakers on the topic of a NATO strap on a dress watch — very vogue, or fashion faux pas? You be the judge of this one. Luke Benedictus – The For Argument In 2020, most of the dress codes surrounding watches are about as relevant as, ooh … Rove McManus. If you want proof things have loosened up, just look at the Oscars. This was, of course, a decidedly formal event, yet a bunch of monkey-suited actors eschewed classic dress watches in favour of sports watches in assorted precious metals. This is symptomatic of how we dress these days. It’s common to mix “high” with “low” as off-duty gear merges with formal workwear, and sportswear is paired with smarter items. Sneakers and tailoring? Why not — as long as you pick the right pair. But if you accept that a sports watch can accompany a tuxedo, well, surely the corollary applies too? Logic decrees that a dress watch can also pass muster in a setting that doesn’t require cufflinks or a tie. So why should you limit a NATO strap to a diver’s or pilot’s…
One of the biggest perks about this job is discovering things that I previously wouldn’t have known about myself. Now, I know that sounds both simultaneously profound and clichéd, and I am talking about watches after all, not the meaning of life … but it’s true, this job has taught me a great deal about myself that I otherwise wouldn’t have known. That’s what this Franck Muller Color Dreams did when I went hands-on with it … it completely shook up my personal status quo. Allow me to explain. If you’d told me that I’d fall head over heels for a robust, brushed steel, utilitarian tool watch with a matt grey dial and a faded bezel, I would’ve told you duh, that’s about as shocking as getting wet when you jump into a pool. However, if you told me that I’d become completely enamoured with a solid rose gold, rectangular-shaped timepiece with full diamond bezel, technicolour Arabic numeral dial and a green alligator leather band, I would’ve said you don’t know me from a bar of soap. But, as it turned out, I did not know myself from a bar of Dove hand soap, because this Franck Muller Long Island…
Swatch just dropped their latest James Bond collaboration – the Swatch X 007 Tribute Collection – and the big question on everyone’s lips is … can you still buy these exclusive models? And the answer is: sort of. A quick peruse of Swatch Australia’s ecommerce page shows that some models are still available, while others have already been snapped up by keen enthusiasts of everybody’s favourite secret agent. So we thought we’d walk you through each of the limited edition timepieces and, more importantly, tell you which ones you can actually still purchase from Swatch right now. Swatch Dr. No Ref.SUOZ302 With an aesthetic that pays homage to the opening sequence of the first ever James Bond film, Dr. No, this is a Swatch watch that we can get behind. The dark black rubber band and dial have been hit with bursts of quintessentially ’60s colours, with the rubber band sporting small coloured circles and the dial featuring prominent yellow hands and vibrant “NO” text replacing the normal hour indices, which provides a striking, fun and legible contrast to the matt black dial. We’re not sure whether we can see Sean Connery himself wearing one, but this is a cool…
Editor’s note: The tourbillon is an anachronism that is representative of the watch industry as a whole in a little way. It was conceived hundreds of years ago to solve problems that were pressing at the time, but despite being technologically surpassed by other devices in the meantime, it is currently facing its heyday with more being produced than ever before for an audience with a growing appetite. TAG Heuer are one tourbillon producer with a difference — they are working very hard to democratise the complication by making them less wildly expensive than other brands. With that in mind, let’s take a look at three tourbillon chronographs in the current TAG Heuer lineup that are more accessible than ever before. Fun fact: TAG Heuer is the largest Swiss producer of tourbillons. It’s a statement that if made a decade ago would have emitted oh-so-Swiss snickers of disbelief in the rarefied halls of Baselworld or SIHH. Tourbillons, according to the narrative, are the epitome of hand-crafting — tiny components that take precious hours to intricately assemble. But here we are, and TAG Heuer has upset the applecart with its CNC-produced tourbillon, which offers the same visceral, whirling coolness at a price that…
Whether you’re just getting in to watches, or looking for something to scratch the itch before your next big purchase, there are plenty of great timepieces out there that won’t break the bank. We’ve put together this list of five watches for under a $1000 Aussie dollars that are, despite their economy, still great. Enjoy. 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 DAN HENRY RACING CHRONO 1962 Dan Henry watches are always good value for money if what you care about above all else is the immediate visual impact of a piece. The Dan Henry Racing Chrono 1962 is another excellent example. Three classic colourways – Blue,…
It’s a new segment. It’s called Battle Royale. Someone nominates a collection, and we fight to the death for our favourite from said collection until there is one opinion standing. Well, not really. That would be bloody, time-consuming, fairly hard to adjudicate and likely to upset HR. So, why don’t we just make our case for our pick, and then try to eviscerate each other’s (clearly poor) choices in comments? The idea was hatched when we came to the realisation that, as a team, we agree on almost nothing when it comes to watches. Agreeing to disagree is such a way of life at T+T HQ that it’s practically a value you sign up for when you join the team. This colourful clash of opinions is never more apparent than when we discuss a collection within a brand’s lineup. So, without further ado, we bring you Battle Royale Episode 1, about a watch having yet another moment in the sun, for all kinds of reasons. Nick’s choice – the Rolex Cosmograph Daytona ref. 116508 While I certainly haven’t punched my ticket on the Rolex Daytona hype train that left the station a few years back, it’s impossible to argue it…