This Chopard L.U.C XP is a dress watch with a difference
Editor’s note: First released at Baselworld 2017, Chopard’s L.U.C XP turned heads from the moment it was unveiled. And, as we wrote at the time, it’s a compelling timepiece that blends everyday practicality with real dress watch sensibility. The aesthetics of this watch aren’t its only saving grace, however … far from it. Thanks to being an L.U.C timepiece, you’re also getting a watch with the mechanical prowess and bespoke finishing only to be expected of Chopard’s haute horology offshoot. Below are some further thoughts and specs on this great watch. Enjoy. I don’t want to sound like a jaded watch journalist because – let’s be honest – those guys are the worst. But having said that, there were not too many surprises at Baselworld 2017. I knew we’d be seeing Speedmasters from Omega, a Sea-Dweller from Rolex and some crazy-but-cool collabs from Hublot. I didn’t expect to be blown away by a simple, smart little dress watch from Chopard. Now, don’t get me wrong, I’ve got a lot of time for Chopard’s fine watchmaking (and indeed their high jewellery – though I’m not the target market there), but the way the Chopard L.U.C XP managed to combine proper high horology, classical restraint and…
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Watch enthusiasts face a somewhat unique challenge. When asked, “What are your hobbies?”, if you answer “rugby” or “dining out”, your response is almost immediately understood. In my own experience, when I say “watches”, the response is, more often than not, another question. “Watches?” My answer only seems to create echoing confusion. There are a lot of beliefs about the watch industry that aren’t necessarily correct, but they aren’t wrong either. They’re just not as nuanced as they could be. The zeitgeist seems to be that watches are an outmoded technology, like the riding crop. When horses were the main form of transportation, we needed one. With cars, not so much. Similarly, when we didn’t have mobile phones, or smart watches, we needed a mechanical watch. Now that we have better timekeeping tech, the watch seems vestigial. So being part of the #watchfam (a controversial term itself) means that you also have a chance to serve as an ambassador, or perhaps educator. Our community, and the industry, is actually quite effective in this role. We make great use of Instagram to show all kinds of fascinating timepieces. As Napoleon is rumoured to have said, “a good sketch is better than…
There’s a cliché that men are often clueless when it comes to choosing the right gift for a woman – especially (weirdly) when she’s the Significant Other in their lives. That, combined with the eye-rolling that all of us at Time+Tide do when an email with “Valentines” in the subject line lands in our inboxes (which has been happening quite a bit over the past month), prompted me to ask Nick and James which watch they would offer their SO as a Valentine’s Day gift. Then, from a woman’s point of view (a woman who, every 14th February, cringes at the flood of hearts-red roses-teddybears-and-bows kitsch that – somehow – is supposed to show that you love her), I would critique their choices. So here we go. My Valentine’s Day Choice: Nicholas Kenyon – White gold Piaget with lapis lazuli dial Part of you can’t really get too excited about Valentine’s Day, thanks to the relatively mindless consumerism that happens halfway through February each year, but another part admits that spending time with your significant other, and maybe even getting a gift, is never a bad thing either. While watches are more of a focus at work than at home for…
Few names loom larger in the horological hemisphere than Mike Tay … and it is very easy to understand why. Here is a man at the helm of the largest and most influential watch retailer in the entirety of the Asia Pacific – The Hour Glass. It’s a region which many regard to be the preponderant market on the globe. With 40-plus stores under Tay’s stewardship, the Singaporean’s advice and counsel is sought by pretty much every watchmaker on the planet. In short, he is the pulse of watch retailing in this part of the world. Tay’s story of how he rose to prominence is an interesting one and, rather oddly, both he and his family’s relationship to Australia, and more specifically Melbourne, is, to a degree, pivotal in both the creation and success of The Hour Glass. Furthermore, this year will see the official opening of The Hour Glass’s new Melbourne boutique at 252 Collins Street, formerly known as Kodak House, which promises to be a flagship like no other. Back in 2017, A Collected Man interviewed Tay, and it’s a great read. Hit this link to read it.
Editor’s note: Releases of reissued heritage field watches over the last few years have been a hugely successful avenue for a number of brands, thanks to the clean design language and no-nonsense layout of the watches. But what about the original examples of these important watches? Originally produced for the Allied armed forces during the Second World War, the colloquially known Dirty Dozen are the template for the barebones time-only watch of today. Let’s take another look at the brands that helped establish this iconic style but aren’t as lauded in the history books. The “Dirty Dozen” are watches produced by the 12 British Ministry of Defence contractors during World War II who were tasked with strapping watches to the wrists of Allied forces. While some of the brands are bigger and better than ever before, a few have slid into relative obscurity or the books of insolvency firms. I wanted to take a look at which of the Dirty Dozen survive today … Which of the Dirty Dozen survive today? During the Second World War, the MoD took the opinion that civilian watches weren’t up to the task of providing accurate timekeeping to their soldiers, and decided they needed…
The Doomsday Clock started ticking in 1947. This was the brainchild of an international group of researchers called the Chicago Atomic Scientists who’d participated in The Manhattan Project – an R&D program that resulted in the production of the first nuclear weapons. Essentially, the Doomsday Clock was designed to calculate precisely how close we are to global catastrophe. Mankind’s proximity to annihilation was simply expressed by the number of “minutes” to midnight. The people who determine the time on the clock aren’t just a bunch of wild-eyed loons. The board is made up of scientists and other boffins with deep knowledge of nuclear technology and climate science – many of them serve as consultants to governments and international agencies. Any change to the clock’s timing is only done after consultation with an illustrious board that currently includes 13 Nobel Laureates. When the Clock was launched in 1947, the time was set at seven minutes to midnight. This figure was calculated on the basis that the greatest danger to humanity came from nuclear weapons and the fact that the US and the Soviet Union were set on a collision course for a nuclear arms race. Over the past 73 years, the…
Editor’s note: If you missed the first part of this story, you can find it here, and enjoy as Bruce tells the tale of his journey through the frigid trees of the Calgary countryside to a watch meetup with the RedBar crew. Here is the second part of his epic adventure. I quickly discovered a logistical challenge in that the pub tables were so long, it was difficult to mingle with people who weren’t in my immediate area. My photographer sidekick had already gotten up and was making the rounds and snapping pictures, so I proceeded to get into a conversation with the gentleman on my immediate right-hand side about Seiko and his love for dive watches. I got out my watch roll and showed him the new Seamaster among others. About half a beer later, I chatted with the person to my left and we were comparing his white dial Grand Seiko with my white dial Datejust and the finishing differences between the two. The person to his left also got in on the debate and, before I knew it, my Datejust was making its way to the far end of the long table. I looked to the right…
Editor’s note: After we were recently witness to Hublot’s latest novelties released in Dubai, it’s worth taking another look at one of the most innovative designs from the brand in recent years – the Hublot Classic Fusion Ferrari GT. Available in three case materials, the gentle curves were a new direction for Hublot, who are known for their bold and angled designs. But why the change of direction? Let’s look closer. A Hublot with soft, flowing lines. Now there’s a phrase I never thought I’d write. The Ferrari–Hublot collaboration has produced a stream of watches since 2011, each time with a different look and feel: from Big Bang variations to the outstanding MP-05 LaFerrari and, two years ago, the Techframe. But where the Techframe is all straight lines and strong angles, this new Classic Fusion piece is smooth and curvy – Gran Turismo with beautiful coach-building, rather than high-octane motorsport. In designing this watch, Ferrari’s Centro Stile has taken the automotive metaphor further, suspending the round case within the bezel. The resulting void between the two circles adds both visual and physical lightness, as well as creating extra surfaces where the light can play. Four exposed ‘H’ screws (rather than…
The GPHG-nominated DOXA SUB 200 has succeeded in capturing the watch world’s attention since its unveiling at Baselworld 2019, what with its vibrant dial options, 200 metres of water resistance, and fetching, vintage-inspired 42mm stainless steel case. There was just one niggling issue for some — the beads of rice bracelet was perhaps a tad cumbersome on the wrist, especially in the warmer months. What it really needed was a rubber strap. Black, yes, but also on vibrant colours to give it some pop. Check them all out in our marketplace, now. The intrepid product development team at DOXA obviously held the same sentiment, because the entire SUB 200 collection has just dropped for a second time with a brand new rubber strap, and it is good. Very good. Let me count the ways. From the moment you fasten the new rubber band to your wrist, it is obvious that this is an item that DOXA has poured A LOT of attention and, more importantly, money into. It does not feel cheap. The Milanese-style pattern, for example, is intricate and smaller than you’d expect, especially when compared to other watchmakers’ implementations of a Milanese rubber band (think Longines Legend Diver…
This week on Great ‘Grams, we’ve got a tennis superstar, a fully custom wristwatch by George Daniels, and a southpaw Rolex Day-Date, and more. The tennis superstar in question is none other than Gaël Monfils, who this week posted about a new Instagram account he has started (@myson.watches) that will focus specifically on his watch collection. In his post announcing the account, he was wearing what appears to be a Patek Philippe Annual Calendar Regulator 5235G, a watch that is as unusual as it is under-appreciated, and certainly a piece that requires an immersion in the world of Patek Philippe before it can be fully understood. Gaël has been involved in the watch industry over the last few years as a GPHG jury member, and has shown the depth of his collection by posting pieces by both Patek Philippe and F.P. Journe, gathering almost 2000 followers in just four days. While it’s common for tennis players to publicly wear rare and expensive watches, it’s less common to see a tennis player wearing a watch that isn’t on their wrist through a sponsorship arrangement of some form, so it’s fantastic for a champion to publicly support the watch industry more broadly.…