Is the Avigation BigEye one of Longines' nicest pilot's watches?
Editor’s note: Almost all reissues of vintage timepieces have an exciting story to tell – that’s just the way it is, otherwise watchmakers wouldn’t bother remaking. Thing is, though, when a watch manufacturer does decide to create an homage timepiece, they usually have the original in their possession. That was not the case when Longines was first shown the original version of their now famed Avigation BigEye. Seriously, the brand had no idea the watch existed — they didn’t have a single example of it in their museum; they only found out because a keen Longines collector brought the watch to their attention. Boy oh boy though, was Longines happy they did, because the tribute timepiece they created went on to win GPHG’s ‘Revival Watch Prize’ in 2017. It’s hands down one of the nicest pilot’s watches the Swiss firm has ever produced. By now it should come as no surprise that Longines is a master when it comes to heritage reissues. The company has a proven track record almost as long and distinguished as its actual archives. From the Legend Diver through to the COSD and the Heritage 1945, the Saint-Imier brand rarely puts a foot wrong when it comes to vintage-themed…
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A premier watch auction is an inspiring event. Last week, I joined the bidders at Phillips auction house on Park Avenue in New York. As we progressed through the 74 lots on offer, I was struck by the truly global nature of the vintage watch market. The auctioneer and impresario Aurel Bacs flawlessly switched between English, Italian and French while at one point saying to the phone bank, “I wish I could understand what you’re saying!”, as bidders from around the globe gabbled with house specialists. Earlier, Mr Bacs noted that the highest online bid in any watch auction had just arrived, north of $1 million, from someone on some continent somewhere. The Phillips Game Changers auction was a moment of many such firsts. It was the first time at a US auction that more than five timepieces sold for more than $1 million. We saw the highest valuations for a Rolex GMT-Master, Rolex Presidential, and two Patek perpetual calendar chronographs. And it is highly commendable that Phillips was so successful given the rumblings of global economic uncertainty which have slowly become louder. Over the past three quarters the major world economies have underperformed — a very different context from 2017…
As 2019 draws to a close and I get the opportunity to reflect on the year that was (as well as prepare for endless upcoming jokes on my 2020 vision), it’s impossible not to acknowledge that it has been a massive year for Time+Tide. The team has worked hard on a number of different projects, including Edition Two of NOW Magazine and the Time+Tide Club, all while delivering a very passionate family of watch lovers the news of the watch world every day. Naturally, there’s a feeling of huge thanks to the readers who give such positive (and sometimes passionately constructive) feedback about the stories we write, the rest of the Time+Tide team, and the watch world at large for continuing to be a strange and fascinating place. So, after some digging through the archives (we published a lot of stories in 2019), these are five of my favourites. OPINION: Forget men and women, watches don’t need genders – Sandra Lane The effervescent fount of knowledge that is Sandra Lane made a very strong case earlier this year for the abolition of genders in the descriptions of watches. I couldn’t agree more. The most common elements of a watch that…
Creating a timepiece that needs to pay homage while simultaneously capturing the imagination of the horological community is no mean feat … in fact, it’s fraught with failure. Time and time again, we’ve seen new watches based on vintage timepieces be unveiled, only to have them fall flat on their crystal-domed faces. Unveiled at this year’s Baselworld, the DOXA SUB 200 aims to avoid the same fate as some of its counterparts. Based off the first-ever commercially available timepiece with a helium escape valve, which DOXA famously co-created with Rolex and released in 1967, the new SUB 200 has a lot to live up to. We’ve been able to spend a bit of time with the new amphibious timepiece and, thankfully, the initial impressions are good. For a start, the design of the 316L stainless steel case, which measures 42mm across and 14mm thick, has been very thoroughly thought-out, and gives a decent level of classic flair without looking like a pastiche. It’s more rounded than you may think, and due to shorter, curved lugs, the argument could be made that despite the measurements, the SUB 200 actually wears more like a 41mm watch. Those wanting to take the dive…
Sometimes, it pays to be conservative. It isn’t advice that should be regularly advocated; however, when it comes to what you wear on your wrist, sometimes it is a must to have something that is at the same time classic and crisp. In the case of the Baume & Mercier Clifton Baumatic white dial, that is exactly what you get, with a watch that tells you everything you need to know with its three hands and date window, and is quietly confident in how well it avoids seeking attention. Its starched white dial is almost vividly clear with minimal text across its surface, covering the Calibre BM13-1975A, which is a chronometer certified workhorse that boasts an impressive five days of power reserve. The 40mm stainless steel case fits nicely on most wrists, and the comfortable leather strap features a quick-change mechanism that allows it to be swapped out without tools in a matter of seconds. If you’re looking for a timepiece that makes no pretensions about what it offers, a wristwatch focused solely on the accurate and easy communication of time, you could do much worse than the Clifton Baumatic with a white dial. The Baume & Mercier Clifton Baumatic ref.…
It was only three short years ago when the first-ever Australian Seiko Boutique opened in Sydney, but the Japanese powerhouse has kept very busy, announcing the exciting news of the opening of the first-ever Australian Grand Seiko Boutique. This is a strong statement from the brand as they continue to drive the distinction of Grand Seiko being the premium offering compared to Seiko, which is reinforced by Melbourne luxury retailer Monards recently starting to carry Grand Seiko. While it is exciting news for fans of Grand Seiko to know there is a dedicated space for their favourite brand, it is also exciting that Australia will now have access to exclusive boutique-only pieces. These are three very cool pieces now available at the Grand Seiko Sydney Boutique. SBGA364 – The rose gold Spring Drive If you like the idea of one of the most innovative movements released in the last half-century cased in 40mm of pink gold with a matching bracelet, you’ll like the SBGA364. While most of the offerings from Grand Seiko fly somewhat under the radar, this is a more vocal expression of the brand that is known for their incredible level of finishing. Price: $55,300, boutique exclusive SBGZ001…
The topic of watches and their worth has been the talk of 2019. With never-ending threads of comments on social media, expressing frustration at the current prices of some pieces, retailers attempting to negotiate the challenge of managing wait-lists, and the growth of The Flipper in the world of watch buyers, it seems that 2019 was the year that watches became financial assets. While most of this commentary is essentially regret-filled grumbles about passing on a Patrizzi dial Rolex Daytona for four figures half a decade ago, there are some examples of well-considered and articulately structured thought on the topic. I recently read one such piece on The Open Caseback, which looked at three contributing factors for the bullish vintage sports watch market: auction houses, marketplaces and Instagram. Basically, a socially driven groundswell of interest in the depreciation a watch might experience once it leave the boutique has produced an example of Narrative Economics. While narrative is one of the most liberally employed words in current social science, Narrative Economics goes a long way to explaining the important role that storytelling plays in building interest around the long-term value of vintage wristwatches. Through the different narratives that are pushed by…
One of the most appealing elements of a Louis Vuitton watch is just how unabashedly bold they are in their design, as well as their wrist presence. The new Louis Vuitton Tambour Damier Cobalt is an excellent example, with its amply portioned 46mm stainless steel case, vivid dial graphics and branded rubber strap. The dial is styled with the iconic Damier canvas pattern that offers a chess board of black and navy, which is then overlaid with striking slashes of red and white to form the brand’s V. There aren’t many companies producing watches in the world with such visual strength in their brand that diagonal stripes over a chequered mosaic can offer enough optical cues to be instantly recognised across the room, but Louis Vuitton have done exactly that. The Louis Vuitton Tambour Damier Cobalt is confidently offering an aesthetic that does not look like every other steel sports watch on the market, of which there are many that could be mistaken for one another. And, in addition to its distinctive design, it boasts an automatic movement with 42 hours of power reserve, 100m of water resistance, and one of the most easily adjustable straps on the market that…
Editor’s note: If you’re after a sports watch with a GMT complication, the world is your oyster … err, well, you get what I mean. Almost every serious watchmaker on the planet makes a hardy, go-anywhere timepiece with a dual time zone function, and because of this, the subgenre has become somewhat homogenous – there just aren’t that many timepieces out there that look markedly different. One watch that does break the mould, however, is the limited edition Grand Seiko Blue Ceramic Hi-Beat GMT “Special”. Thanks to its inimitable dial, case construction and size – 46.4mm – this is a wristwatch like no other. And, chances are, you’ll never see more than one being worn in the same place, because just 350 examples exist. In the wonderful world of Grand Seiko, if it’s not using a quartz crystal – and, yes, that includes the Spring Drive – then inside is a Caliber 9S movement. Introduced in 1998, the Caliber 9S is the staple of all mechanical Grand Seikos and forms the base for everything from humble three-handers to hi-beats and GMTs. This year, Grand Seiko are celebrating the 20th birthday of the 9S with – in addition to quite a…
Editor’s note: It may surprise the uninitiated to read this, but creating a completely new calibre, in-house, from scratch, is a very, very costly exercise. And there’s a reason that most boutique and micro watchmakers stick to third-party movements from the likes of ETA and Sellita, because to make their own movements is financially unviable. That’s why this Nomos Tangente is so impressive, because the German marque has spent millions upon millions of euros to create their own calibre – DUW 6101. At the end of last year, we were lucky enough to go hands-on with this impressive timepiece and see the movement in action, and these were our initial thoughts. Surely there is no more contentious complication in the world of watchmaking than a seemingly humble date display? It’s hard to believe that something so useful, and seemingly ubiquitous, can be so divisive. One way to end the date/no date feud is to include it, but with a twist. And a twist is certainly what the Tangente neomatik 41 Update offers. The date is shown in the radial fashion, at the outermost extremity of the dial — already alleviating the issue of a dial-disfiguring date window, and working with…