H2-Whoa: Our top 5 dive watches of 2019
This year has seen countless examples of new and exciting dive watches flood the already perpetually popular sub-genre. And while most new entrants into the amphibious watch market have been successes, some have done far better than others. With that in mind, we thought we’d share with you our favourite five dive watches of 2019. LONGINES HYDROCONQUEST FULL BLACK CERAMIC The HydroConquest range is a too-often overlooked corner of the Longines universe. But you sense that the collection has grander plans to expand with some hot additions in the last 12 months. Chief among them is the HydroConquest in black ceramic, which gives this piece an undeniably stealthy appearance. Its 43mm case makes it viable as a powerful desk diver during the week as well as a fun watch for the weekend. Ref No: L3.784.4.56.9 / Case size: 43mm / Case material: Black Ceramic / Movement: L888.3 / Price: $4850 RADO CAPTAIN COOK AUTOMATIC 42MM The Captain Cook collection from Rado is one that hits particularly close to home for those who live in Terra Australis, thanks to its reference to the explorer James Cook. The Rado Captain Cook imbues the same spirit of adventure and discovery through its robust…
The post H2-Whoa: Our top 5 dive watches of 2019 appeared first on Time and Tide Watches.
The Patek Philippe Nautilus forms the basis of this historic brand’s sports collection, which rivals the very best in the business. And the genesis of this iconic model shares its history with another legendary sports watch, further cementing the status of the man behind both pieces. Designed by Gérald Genta, the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak hit the market four years before he followed up with the Nautilus, which debuted in 1976. Being responsible for two of the industry’s most recognisable references firmly established Genta’s reputation as the father of luxury sports watches. And while we’ve had the best part of half a century to become well acquainted with the Patek Philippe Nautilus, this storied timepiece still has a few lesser-known facts up its sleeve. The original Nautilus had more in common with the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak than just the same designer In the ’70s, the concept of a luxury sports watch was in its infancy. And, in those days, many major brands were still in the habit of fitting their new models with movements designed by rivals brands. Case in point, both the Nautilus and the Royal Oak were originally driven by the same super-slim automatic calibre from Jaeger-LeCoultre,…
The Horological Society of New York, the oldest watchmaking guild in America, formed 1866, is one of the world’s leading educators on all things watchmaking and horology. For the first time ever they are coming to Australia. We are proud to be the official media partner for the tour. We are joining with event partner, The Hour Glass, to make this maiden voyage a smashing success. Classes will run on February 29 and March 1. Buy tickets here. The esteemed guild will be offering classes in Melbourne on how your mechanical watch works — covering everything from how the escapement works to the setting mechanism. It will be hosted in the new eight-storey The Hour Glass building on Collins Street, which is in its last stages of renovation, and is due to reopen early 2020. When we say it will be an exclusive opportunity, we are not overstating things. Just 32 chairs will be available — and we know that several of those have already been snapped up by the watch addicts in the @timetideclub, which you can join (and by doing so gain access to the Closed Insts group) at www.timeandtide.club if you haven’t already. Early heads-up on all kinds of things…
It’s that time of the year where we sift misty-eyed through the archives, getting nostalgic about the horological highlights from the past 12 months. From Instagram watch clichés to the “unholy shitstorm of hurt feelings” provoked by Audemars Piguet, this is my top five. Sandra Lane on why hype and high prices are killing it for watch collectors Decade-long waiting lists. Manufactured shortages. “Gentlemen dealers.” Steel sports watches being listed at 200 per cent of their RRP… The inimitable Sandra Lane takes aim at the money-chasing mania that is ruining things for genuine watch collectors. 5 Instagram watch cliches that need to be cancelled Are you guilty of these Instagram watch crimes? If so, you need to learn your lesson, change your ways and preferably delete your social-media accounts forever. Felix Scholz explains why. Seiko vs. Garmin – who will survive an ultramarathon? Are digital sports watches all they’re cracked up to be? Nick Kenyon put a Garmin Forerunner up against his trusty Seiko dive watch. Then he ran 100km to discover how they’d both measure up. How to react to the Code 11.59 The Audemars Piguet was one of the most widely panned watch releases of the year. Andrew…
Everyone’s familiar with Antiques Roadshow, the TV program where members of the public have their dusty collectables examined and valued by experts. This often results in a pleasant surprise, as you can see from Time+Tide’s own coverage of some of the momentous watch discoveries on the show. But not all of the “reveals” are pleasant. A recurring disappointment involves furniture. For example, in 2018 an Irish silver table from 1740 was brought to appraisers in Belfast. It was beautifully designed and the grain of the wood was clear (video here, article here). The table looked brand new. The appraiser mentioned that many of these tables are typically much darker in appearance, in part because original owners used peat to heat their homes and the soot would become deposited on furniture over time. The appraiser knew the table had been restored, “taken right down to the wood”, in his description. The owner agreed. And because of that restoration, the table lost AUD$13,400 of value. The dark soot and years of “damage” does not detract, it is actually valued by collectors. It bestows uniqueness onto furniture, it makes the table unlike any others. The work done on the table by a furniture…
Chronographs are, to this day, one of the most useful complications you can find on a wrist watch. They’re just so practical — whether you’re timing your next run, daily commute or next lap time around the Phillip Island Grand Prix track, a chronograph has got you covered. Thing is, though, because of its complexity, the exceedingly useful complication normally commands a higher price point than your standard three-hander. However, there are exceptions to this rule, and we’ve found three admirable chronograph-equipped wristwatches for under $1000 AUD: DAN HENRY ALARM CHRONO 1972 A specialist in “derivation mash-ups”, the Dan Henry brand takes what it believes to be the best bits of the past and cobbles them together in yet another attractive and cohesive package. The 1972 Alarm Chrono takes high-level design cues from all over the place, with a splash of Omega here, and a dollop of Porsche there. The result is an extremely wearable, weirdly timeless beater for not much money at all. Limited (as is the norm for Dan Henry watches) to 1,972 pieces. Ref No: 1972 / Case size: 41mm / Case material: PVD Steel / Movement: Miyota 0S80 / Price: USD$350 UNDONE SNOOPY STARLIGHT To mark the…
Just like new parents have a large number of bad photos of their children on their phones, watch collectors have a large number of bad photos of watches on their phones. The number of photos is large because we love watches like new parents love their children, and the reason they are bad is because it is actually quite hard to take a good photo of a watch. The myriad of polished surfaces catch every reflection you don’t want, and the lighting is either too bright or too dark, leaving you with about a 5% success rate of Instagram-publishable pictures. This is the reason (apart from the fact he’s a great bloke) that we love our photographer Jason so much, as he has proven himself more than capable of taking a very nice watch photo. While he’s captured literally tens of thousands of watch photos in 2019 — a fact that makes picking any favourites a challenge — I did some digging in the archive to find this modest selection that were my personal favourites from this year. TAG Heuer Monaco V4 Platinum Bulgari Octo Finissimo Chronograph GMT anOrdain Model 2 Vacheron Constantin Les Collectionneurs – Silver Pocket Watch from 1942 Hublot…
2019 has spawned a literal plethora of new watches for all us timekeeping enthusiasts out there in the horological ether to enjoy. And while not all of them have been unmitigated successes *cough, cough*, the best watches of the year, in my opinion, have been the rather large assortment of reissue and homage pieces. Chief among these new reinterpretations of classic watches is Rado’s Golden Horse collection. First released in 1957, the Golden Horse represented a convincing interpretation of a go-anywhere, do-anything wristwatch that adhered to the fundamentals that make up a ubiquitous timepiece. Reintroduced in early 2019, the new Golden Horse collection picks up where the original left off, and let me start by clearing something up from the get-go: there isn’t a single bad model in the new Golden Horse Collection – they are all very impressive watches, especially when you consider the price point. But, personally, anecdotally, this limited edition 1957 is the best new Golden Horse. Sporting a highly polished 36.5mm stainless steel case that stays very true to the original watch’s dimensions, this rarified timepiece is straight-up gorgeous. The concentrically patterned, shimmering glossy black dial is an utter joy, and the way it manages to…
Editor’s note: Can you judge the success of a watch’s overall aesthetic based purely on its subdials? If you could, then this Seiko Presage Urushi Byakudan-nuri Limited Edition SPB085 would be an instant success. The calendar subdials of this watch, located at three and six o’clock, feature a gorgeous deep red tinge that is created through a process called the Byakudan-nuri technique. It makes for a very handsome look indeed, and it’s no wonder why this watch sold out so quickly when it went on sale late last year. Over the last few years, Seiko has made a habit of releasing limited editions with exceptional enamel dials at very reasonable prices. First, there was the Moonlit Night, then the Shippo enamel, and now, the Urushi Byakudan-nuri. The vehicle for these delicate, incredible dials is the Presage collection. A classic round steel watch that marries dependability with dressability. But really, this 40.5mm case, and the 6R21 movement behind it are known quantities, and not what we’re here for. Honestly, we’re here for the dial. As is common with Seiko’s watches, especially the special, limited ones, there’s a story to this dial. It has been designed to evoke the look of the night sky…
Ever since its shock unveiling at Baselworld 2017, Rado’s exciting range of Captain Cooks has represented a compelling proposition for anyone who’s in the market for a solid, fit-for-purpose dive watch on a budget. However, most of the collection is on the larger size, measuring in at a fashionable and contemporary 42mm. Fans fond of the original Captain Cook, which was first unveiled in 1962, shouldn’t fear however, because those who are after a smaller and more faithful reinterpretation of the Captain Cook need look no further than the limited edition ref. R32500315. Possessing the same exact dimensions as the first Captain Cook, the diminutive limited edition timepiece’s stainless steel case measures a period-correct 37.3mm across. The vintage aesthetics don’t stop there, though, as this watch also sports a gorgeous sunburst bronze dial that harkens back to the ’60s aesthetic, as does the fauxtina-lumed hour indices and accompanying handset, which comes complete with an exacting oversized arrow head of the hour hand. The vintage-inspired case is capped with a highly domed sapphire crystal, which is treated with an anti-reflective coating, ensuring legibility no matter the conditions. As a result of the crystal sitting proud of the case itself, and contrasting…