Coronavirus chaos as Bulgari pulls out of Baselword 2020, and Australian boutique openings cancelled
The Bulgari booth is among the most grand at the Baselworld fair. Opposite TAG Heuer at the entry to Hall 1, it is a glittering sentry to what was only a few years ago the highlight of the yearly calendar for the world watch industry. Peak glamour. Peak PR. Peak hype. As of this morning, it – like so many other brands – will no longer be there in 2020. The move will continue to literally change the face of the fair, which in 2019 had an open space where the enormous, central Omega booth used to be. Organisers will have another major void to fill in a short space of time. In a statement this morning, Bulgari has cited concerns around the spread of Coronavirus as the reason for the late move. The CEO of Bulgari, Jean-Christophe Babin, has not, however, ruled out participation in 2021. “We are obviously disappointed not to participate in 2020, but as told already in past, we remain open for 2021 onwards to continue with Baselworld and we will take our decision by June 2019 once Baselworld 2021 concept, dates and costs will be clarified. We also wish to continue to collaborate as much…
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Editor’s note: If you could wear only one watch for the rest of your days, what would it be? You’d need something legible, with a reliable movement and maybe a date. You’d need something that you can dress up or dress down, that came on a bracelet but you could also wear on a well-made leather strap. And if you were being really picky, you might want a GMT function too, just to make international travel that bit more comfortable. When you add up all of those things, you can come up with a handful of great watches, but none potentially greater than the Rolex Explorer II. Let’s take a closer look at what this polar watch is like on the wrist, and why it might be the only watch you ever need. Back when I was shopping for my first Rolex, I was offered a ‘new old stock’ Explorer II 16570 by the local boutique at a decent discount. I brushed it off at the time due to a fixation with the Submariner (which ironically ended up as a Datejust) and also the limited knowledge that it was a past model and recently replaced by an improved 216570 in…
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…
I don’t know about you, Australian watch lovers, but I’ve always looked lustfully, enviously and with more than just a faint sense of sadness at all the things the Horological Society of New York (HSNY) get up to over there. Somewhere. Beyond the sea. Not only in America, mind you. Wherever they go with their Traveling Education tours. One day, I thought. One sweet day. Well, that day has come. And it hasn’t come with the price of a plane fare or Manhattan accommodation attached. The oldest American watchmaking guild is coming to us! Yes. The Horological Society of New York will be in Australia in a New York Minute – days to be precise. It’s time to get excited. We’re more than just a little bit freaked out to include this part from the HSNY’s press release about the tour, too. “For the first time in Traveling Education history, HSNY will also collaborate with a regional media partner — Australian watch media publisher Time+Tide.” It gets even better, because this event has a door prize you’re going to want to win. The press release goes on: “As the country faces critical times, HSNY is honoured to match The Hour Glass’s…
Editor’s note: Last night, Brad Pitt won the 2020 Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his role as Cliff Booth in the Quentin Tarantino thriller Once Upon A Time In Hollywood. While his tailored shirt cuff didn’t reveal his watch during his acceptance speech, if he was wearing one we can be fairly confident it would have been a Breitling, given his membership in the Breitling Cinema Squad. If our dreams could come true, however, it would have been the watch he wore during his award-winning performance as a Hollywood stuntman in Once Upon A Time In Hollywood. In case you missed the story around the era-incorrect watch, we’re recapping it right here. Last night I went to see the new Quentin Tarantino film, Once Upon A Time In Hollywood, and while plot tension and A-grade acting kept me on the edge of my seat, I was kept guessing by what Brad Pitt’s character was wearing on his wrist. So what was Brad Pitt’s watch? As the movie progressed, I could tell it was a gold watch, worn on a bund strap, and it was a chronograph of some kind in a bullhead configuration (with the pushers at the top of the watch). But…
The 92nd Academy Awards were held in Los Angeles, California and have just concluded. The big winners were Joaquin Phoenix, who won Best Actor for his portrayal of Arthur Fleck in Joker, Brad Pitt for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for his performance in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, and the Korean film Parasite, which became the first non-English language film to take the top honour. As for the watches, there were some interesting pieces on the wrists of attendees. In no particular order, here are the highlights. Josh Gad and his two-tone Chopard Alpine Eagle The newly released Chopard Alpine Eagle made an appearance on the red carpet, courtesy of actor Josh Gad, who wore the steel and 18k gold two-tone model. The two-tone colour scheme does pair quite nicely with formal attire. Spike Lee and his Rolex GMT-Master in 18k Everose Gold Veteran director Spike Lee wore a purple and yellow outfit with the number 24 on it, which paid tribute to the late Kobe Bryant. Lee was wearing a Rolex GMT-Master in 18k Everose Gold with bi-colour “Root-Beer” ceramic bezel. His wife Tonya wore a 18k yellow gold Cartier Roadster. Omar Sharif Jr and his Bulgari Chronograph Omar Sharif…
Australia and Seiko have always had a strong relationship … in fact, pretty much every major Japanese watchmaker, whether it be Seiko, Grand Seiko, Casio, Citizen … whomever it is, we folk Down Under love a Japanese timepiece. And, out on my watch spotting expedition at the weekend, this sentiment was shored up no end. Enjoy. Ty’s Seiko Prospex SRPD50K Ty’s gorgeous Seiko Prospex SRPD50K, aka the “Aussie only Turtle”, is a pretty stunning watch and perfectly sums up our country’s love affair with Seiko and, more acutely, Seiko dive watches. Resplendent with its combination of anthracite coating and yellow gold accents — which can be found on the bezel, crown, indices and handset — this Turtle is a serious looker. Take into account that just 1000 pieces were made exclusively for the Australian domestic market, and this may well be one of the rarer turtles out there … period. A great watch and a very, very worthy weekend warrior. Well done, Ty! Nick’s Seiko Liner J14069 Myself and Deputy Editor, Nicholas Kenyon, actually took part in an event down at Phillip Island over the weekend called the San Remo Channel Challenge 2020. And while I’d rather not talk about the race…
Towards the end of last year I was fortunate enough to experience the Vacheron Constantin Les Collectionneurs watches in the metal. They are a shining example of something that many watch manufacturers are looking to execute — exceptional pre-owned pieces sold by the manufacturer. The program has been running for a number of years now, where the brand will buy back pristine examples of vintage Vacheron Constantin watches, either at auction or from private collections, before they restore the watches at their factory and offer them for sale with a full archival extract, warranty and authenticity guarantee. In essence, Vacheron Constantin are eliminating many of the pitfalls that vintage watch enthusiasts face when they look to add another piece to their collection. One of the most striking watches I saw at the new Vacheron Constantin boutique in Collins Street, Melbourne, was the ref. 4178 dual-register chronograph in pink gold from 1942. This was mentioned by the brand as one of their most historically important chronographs, as well as one of the most collectible, thanks to the 36mm diameter, sensationally proportioned dial and charmingly shaped lugs. Interestingly, the same ref. 4178 (albeit with a slightly different dial configuration) was reviewed by Bexsonn…
Need to know Well, I bet nobody saw this coming … another day, another dive watch with a green dial. But is this new Longines HydroConquest a cynical marketing-based exercise aimed at cashing in on the peripheral hype caused by the Rolex Submariner Ref.116610LV? Or has Longines tried to create something truly unique in the space? Well, let’s examine the watches. For a start, there’s not one but two shades of green available. The first has been designated as “Khaki Green”, while the other is what Longines describes as “a brighter green hue” when comparing it to the khaki — think of it as something akin to forest green. The Khaki Green HydroConquest will be made available in both 41mm and 43mm case sizes, while the forest green example will only be available in the 41mm stainless steel case. Both watches will come on either a stainless steel bracelet or matching rubber band. Swapping between these two options will also be a doddle, thanks to an easy to use quick-release function. The Khaki Green example will become a mainstay in the HydroConquest line-up, while the brighter forest green example will be a boutique-only exclusive. As is the case with the rest…
Independence is a rare commodity in watchmaking. To have it is one thing; to hold on to it is quite another. We’ve seen many great brands consumed by hungry conglomerates over the past two decades, with several big names falling under group ownership since 2009. But what of those that remain? Which labels still stand firm, able to govern their keels and steer the ship wherever they wish to travel? Our list of the top five independent watch brands of the last decade takes on a journey around the world, stopping off in three countries, in a search of self-governing superstars. And so, in no particular order, here’s who made the cut … Grand Seiko There are a lot of annoying things about Grand Seiko. Whoever is in charge of product photography and post-production needs to take a long and contemplative walk in the rain. But despite these (widespread) gripes, Grand Seiko remains one of the most fantastic brands in the world. The designs are dreamy, the finishing second to none, and the movement technology (especially the Spring Drive) is something else. A better strategy for the globalisation of the brand would be appreciated, but once the powers that be…