Category: *News Columns

The debate about customised watches after they have left the factory is one that has been raging for generations. Is personalising your watch a laudable expression of individuality? Or is it a crass bastardisation of the very art of watchmaking? Here, Nick Kenyon and James Robinson tackle the debate head on. Nick Kenyon – The For Argument One of the reasons that I am both appreciative and incredibly lucky to have been born in Australia is there is the freedom to pretty much do whatever you want, so long as you aren’t hurting or defaming anyone else in the process. I’m able to express myself however I choose, whether that’s in the way I dress, the things I do, or the things that I say. These exact principles should also apply to the world of watch collecting. If someone decides to modify their new watch, it has absolutely nothing to do with anyone else other than them and their watchmaker. After all, there are innumerable reasons that a person might be interested in the world of watches, including their sense of style and how they present themselves to the world. If they decide to DLC-coat their watch or cover it…

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John Reardon is one of the world’s foremost experts on collectible vintage watches, having recently left his position as Christie’s International Head of Watches, and one of the areas he is most passionate about is vintage Patek Philippe. So what better way to express that passion and put his wealth of knowledge to good use than start his own dealership of vintage Patek Philippe? He launched Collectability to guide interested members of the watch world on their Patek Philippe collecting journey, buying and selling only the rarest and most interesting pieces produced by the Calatrava cross-bearing manufacturer, offering everything including gold and enamel cigarette lighters, solar desk clocks and even the mythical Patek Philippe “Nautellipse”. As part of his work with the Patek Philippe collecting community, John recently sat down to interview one of the most interesting Instagram accounts I’ve ever seen, despite it only being started a little over a year ago — @horology_ancienne. Run by a father-son duo, the account is one of the best lessons in important wristwatches you might be able to take, focusing on a number of different brands, including vintage Patek Philippe. Their focus is to educate, engage and, most importantly, “to give a totally…

The post RECOMMENDED READING: An interview with one of the world’s foremost vintage Patek Philippe collectors appeared first on Time and Tide Watches.

The standout from the new Zenith 2020 novelties is hands down the DEFY Midnight collection. What immediately caught my attention was that Zenith were leading their 2020 new releases with a women’s collection that appeared — in the preamble — to not only be a new product in itself, with various attributes, but for those attributes to be assembled around a strong concept, albeit a very simple one. And that is, an evocation of the night sky on the dial. Hardly groundbreaking in theory, but when played out, it actually has plenty of poetic detail to incorporate. One remains sceptical about new concepts in watch collections. Long bows are almost always drawn. But immediately in the metal I was impressed. The concept iterates in the graduation of the sky at dusk; the way the colour intensifies from the horizon up to the heavens. The immediate comparison is the Rolex James Cameron Deepsea Sea-Dweller, which has a similar concept in reverse — the deepening and darkening of colour as you descend to the depths of the ocean. The navy blue variant — the eponymous model from the collection as it best evokes ‘midnight’ in terms of its night sky — starts at the bottom of the…

The post The Zenith DEFY Midnight is a (very) early contender for women’s collection of the year appeared first on Time and Tide Watches.

The standout from the new Zenith 2020 novelties is hands down the DEFY Midnight collection. What immediately caught my attention was that Zenith were leading their 2020 new releases with a women’s collection that appeared — in the preamble — to not only be a new product in itself, with various attributes, but for those attributes to be assembled around a strong concept, albeit a very simple one. And that is, an evocation of the night sky on the dial. Hardly groundbreaking in theory, but when played out, it actually has plenty of poetic detail to incorporate. One remains sceptical about new concepts in watch collections. Long bows are almost always drawn. But immediately in the metal I was impressed. The concept iterates in the graduation of the sky at dusk; the way the colour intensifies from the horizon up to the heavens. The immediate comparison is the Rolex James Cameron Deepsea Sea-Dweller, which has a similar concept in reverse — the deepening and darkening of colour as you descend to the depths of the ocean. The navy blue variant — the eponymous model from the collection as it best evokes ‘midnight’ in terms of its night sky — starts at the bottom of the…

The post The Zenith DEFY Midnight is a (very) early contender for women’s collection of the year appeared first on Time and Tide Watches.

Up until a month ago, if you’d asked me whether or not it was appropriate for a man to have diamonds adorning his timepiece, my response would’ve gone something like, “Only if he’s a vapid member of the glitterati, or his vocation is spitting bars”. Bedazzled, iced-out, frosty … whatever you want to call a wristwatch covered in cut-up pieces of highly pressurised carbon, I just couldn’t get behind the the uber shiny aesthetic. You see, I like to think that watches represent utilitarian practicality — they’re a tool that should tell the time, not tell everyone else around you how poor they are. My oh my, how times change, though, because after a revelatory afternoon back in early December, I now endeavour to own a dazzling, diamond-clad wristwatch before the decade is out. How has this massive contradiction come to be? Well, perhaps rather surprisingly, it all started with a trio of Franck Mullers. Long known for their expertise in precious gem-setting, Franck Muller really can make a watch sing like few other watchmakers. And when we had three of their shiniest timepieces arrive in the office just over a month ago for a photoshoot, my revelation was set in…

The post OPINION: Diamonds are a man’s best friend appeared first on Time and Tide Watches.

Up until a month ago, if you’d asked me whether or not it was appropriate for a man to have diamonds adorning his timepiece, my response would’ve gone something like, “Only if he’s a vapid member of the glitterati, or his vocation is spitting bars”. Bedazzled, iced-out, frosty … whatever you want to call a wristwatch covered in cut-up pieces of highly pressurised carbon, I just couldn’t get behind the the uber shiny aesthetic. You see, I like to think that watches represent utilitarian practicality — they’re a tool that should tell the time, not tell everyone else around you how poor they are. My oh my, how times change, though, because after a revelatory afternoon back in early December, I now endeavour to own a dazzling, diamond-clad wristwatch before the decade is out. How has this massive contradiction come to be? Well, perhaps rather surprisingly, it all started with a trio of Franck Mullers. Long known for their expertise in precious gem-setting, Franck Muller really can make a watch sing like few other watchmakers. And when we had three of their shiniest timepieces arrive in the office just over a month ago for a photoshoot, my revelation was set in…

The post OPINION: Diamonds are a man’s best friend appeared first on Time and Tide Watches.