Coming off third best: 4 great bronze watches from 2019
One of the most polarising materials to make a return to prominence in watchmaking over the last couple of years has been bronze. Why does this ancient material cause so much conjecture when it’s used as a timepiece’s case material? Well, for a start, it can’t come into direct contact with your skin for prolonged periods of time, because if it does, there’s every possibility your left wrist will end up looking like Bruce Banner’s when he gets angry. And, unlike steel, for example, a bronze watch will drastically change in appearance over the course of your ownership, as it is highly reactive to things like air, water, sweat … you get the picture. But bronze does have distinct benefits, too, and chief among them is an extreme resistance to corrosion. As a result, CuSn (bronze’s molecular formula) has been heavily utilised in the cases of dive watches. It is also, subjectively, a very handsome material for watch cases, and these are four of our favourites bronze timepieces from 2019: IWC BIG PILOT’S WATCH PERPETUAL CALENDAR SPITFIRE The Big Pilot series is one of the most iconic ranges within the IWC catalogue. For a brand capable of some seriously high-end…
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How to define microbrand watches is a conversation topic that has worn out many watch journalists’ tongues. With proposed criteria ranging from price to retail model and everything in between, there isn’t much consistency in how this new phenomenon is received or perceived. Perhaps one thing that can unite the explosion of newcomers that the industry has seen since the advent of crowdfunding platforms is independence. You don’t find micros in a group. They may band together with other micros to pool event resources and widen their audience reach, but they are generally the ones in control of the purse strings and, most crucially, design decisions. Group ownership does funny things to a brand. It can bend them all out of shape and into new shapes that fit the group’s overarching narrative but not the brand itself. Microbrands are not beholden to such nonsense and, so, along with independence, you should expect to find a clean narrative that translates well into identifiable, high-value products trying to offer a lot of bang for your buck. And the best way to do that is to not go too crazy. Depart the beaten path, sure, but don’t beat it to death. Stick close…
Nothing says flex like a solid gold timepiece. Doesn’t matter what sort of gold it is either — yellow, white, pink … if it’s 18k, then chances are you’ve obtained a level of wrist-worn one-upmanship that few can ever hope to own. And 2019 was not shy at all about giving birth to some very, very hot examples of precious metal marvels from a number of different watchmakers. We’d love to mention all of them, but as the title of this story would suggest, the need for summation means that we must choose our five favourites … so here they are: H. MOSER & CIE. ENDEAVOUR BLUE LAGOON It is rare to see one of the industry’s most mercurial brands tapping into the current mass-market trends, but in the case of the H. Moser & Cie. Blue Lagoon that is exactly what’s happening. It seems the wealthiest watch collectors in the world are not, in fact, immune to the industry’s current obsession with teal. Achingly beautiful is the only way we can begin to describe it. Ref No: 1200-0206 / Case size: 40mm / Case material: White Gold / Movement: HMC 200 / Price: $34,850 PIAGET ALTIPLANO The Piaget Altiplano collection…
The importance of advertising in the world of luxury watchmaking can hardly be overstated. How a brand is perceived is everything. An effective campaign cannot just establish a model as a classic of the future, but position a brand so effectively that not even decades of half-hearted follow-ups or PR missteps seem capable of affecting its standing. Ambassadorships often go hand-in-hand with advertisements – a trend arguably started by Hans Wilsdorf’s decision to strap a Rolex Oyster to Channel swimmer Mercedes Gleitze and then featuring her image in the write-up of her endeavours. But that is ancient history. Let’s focus instead on the five best watch ads from the last 50 years. Rolex We’ll get this one out of the way early. You can’t ignore the power of The Crown, and so omitting it from a list of this nature would be for nothing but effect. Credit where credit is due, no brand has the visibility of Rolex, and that position has been helped by astute, if somewhat conservative campaigns, throughout its history. Here we see the classic Day-Date model pitched as the watch of presidents. You don’t get much better than that. Patek Philippe If you’ve not seen Patek…
Today is a first in our home state of Victoria. It is the first day ever that a state of disaster has been declared by our Premier, Daniel Andrews, ahead of an “unprecedented” fire threat over the coming days. I mentioned this in my Editor’s Letter. Since then, it’s gotten worse. In our state alone (and it’s an even more dire situation in NSW), 800,000 hectares have been burned by more than 50 active fires, four people have died and 28 are missing. And this is not to mention the number of Australian native animals that have been lost. In response, a small thing we’d like to do to help is offer a DOXA SUB 200 with orange dial for sale at auction (no reserve), with all proceeds donated to the Bushfire Disaster Appeal, which has been set up to help fire-threatened regions in Victoria and New South Wales. Included with the watch will be a Time+Tide lapel pin in sterling silver (an item that is not for sale) as well as a Tuscan leather travel pouch in our famous burnt orange. ABOUT THE WATCH Released at Baselworld 2019, this SUB 200 diver’s watch, which is based on a DOXA…
The idea of a grail watch – the would-be jewel in the crown of our collection for which we all strive – is well established. Not only does it make for some really interesting discussions over coffee, but it also helps shape your collection’s direction and deepens your understanding of the watch industry and what you want to get out of it. The term “grail watch” has been used for so long and by so many people that its meaning is already starting to change. Or, should I say, its parameters are starting to relax somewhat. Whereas originally a grail watch was assumed to be the pinnacle of your collection – the one piece that you would choose above all others were money, era or limitation no object – you often hear people using the word in the plural form. Having several “grails” might once have been seen as greedy (or even crass). But nowadays, with the practice of watch collecting an evolved art, it seems acceptable to have a grail for all seasons. Maybe a golden grail, or a quartz grail, or a diving grail … Whatever helps signpost your way towards a fine and well-rounded collection. But, with…
The more you look at different watches, the more critical you become, as you better understand what the watchmaker and designer were trying to achieve, and how successful they were at executing it in the final watch. This year, I got a lot of opportunities to handle hundreds of different watches, both new and vintage, and after thinking for a couple of weeks about the best of the new watches, these are my five favourites of 2019. Longines Heritage Classic It unfortunately isn’t often that brands nail the details of heritage-inspired wristwatches, but for me, Longines accomplished just that with their Heritage Classic, which was released at the end of 2019. At 38.5mm in diameter and just over 12mm tall, it is well sized for pretty much any wrist, as well as being fairly accurate to the dimensions of the original watch from 1934. The sector dial is engaging while restrained, and offers the best balance of vintage and modern of any watch this year. Greubel Forsey Hand Made The Greubel Forsey Hand Made is a watch that offers an almost spiritual impression when seen in the metal, such is the depth of human ingenuity and dedication that is evident.…
I once knew a glamorous magazine editor who presided over one of the big fashion monthlies. On the inside of her delicate wrist, beneath an impeccably curated collection of designer bangles, resided a small tattoo. Inked in block-capital letters was the single word: “NOW”. This tattoo was a strategically placed reminder for her to stay “in the moment”. Instead of catastrophising about the future or getting hung up on the past, this tattoo was a note-to-self that emboldened her to stay anchored in the “here and now”. Focusing on the present, she explained, was a way of staving off anxiety. But it was also an encouragement to appreciate whatever opportunity was on the table. Which, given her role at the helm of a fashion magazine, usually involved sipping a glass of champagne at some glittery launch while pontificating on why “cyber-goth” is the Next Big Thing. This is a sign of the times: mindfulness and meditation are all the rage. The whole world has apparently learnt to close their eyes and count to Zen. Meditation has become the daily habit of almost every insanely successful person you care to mention. Arnold Schwarzenegger, George Lucas and Paul McCartney are all Om-chanting…
Very few watch straps are as integral to the overall look and feel of a watch as a bracelet can be. On occasions, the bracelet is as essential to the watch DNA as the watch head – a continuation of the same concept, snaking around the wrist. The most famous bracelet design of all time probably belongs to the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak, which burst onto the scene in 1972. It not only redefined the genre of steel sports watches, but it also gave the world a willing poster boy for integrated design. Gérald Genta would continue this trend with the Patek Philippe Nautilus – another legendary steel sports watch. But though these models are perhaps the best example of watches that lose a huge amount of their original message by removing the bracelet, what about those watches that aren’t so wedded to the metal band that holds them to your wrist? Does it matter that you adhere to the designer’s vision whether you like it or not? In a manner of speaking, yes it does. You may not like a bracelet design, but it is always worth buying the watch on its bracelet if the designer has gone to…
It is becoming increasingly common to see small, emerging microbrands threaten to “pull back the curtain” on the luxury watch industry, in an attempt to upend the established order and claim a slice of the suddenly democratised pie for themselves. But how effective, or even responsible a strategy is it? Is it time to stop rewarding brands for trying to blow the whistle on the inner machinations of the luxury world for the sake of the industry’s future? Lies are never good, but mystery has its place in our lives. The idea that luxury should be in any way transparent is almost, given the very nature of luxury, counterproductive. A luxury purchase is not just about the item being purchased. In fact, it often has very little to do with an item’s relative value, rather its perceived worth. There is a sense of pride in being able to access something exclusive that only luxury can sire. Having all the pomp and circumstance stripped away by a bunch of newcomers who think that it is their civic duty to shine a light on the inner workings of an industry that exists to illuminate the lives of its customers can be a…