5 fresh summer flavours for a DOXA summer
Summer is now thankfully just around the corner, which means we can ditch the black on black garb and finally bring some colour back into our lives and, more importantly, onto our wrists. And luckily, we’re now stocking DOXA’s entire collection of colourful timepieces, including the SUB 200, SUB 300T and SUB 1500T. These watches feature vivaciously coloured dials that are perfect for December through February, and will look on point whether you’re headed to the beach, rooftop bar or the bottom of the ocean floor. We’ve picked out five of the hottest examples, and you better break out the sunglasses, because these bad boys are bright! DOXA SUB 300T Aquamarine Featuring what many are referring to as the “Tiffany Dial”, the SUB 300T Aquamarine presents a powerful summer aesthetic that’s sure to bring out your best when the thermostat cracks 30 degrees. $2990 DOXA SUB 1200T This wouldn’t be a list about DOXA watches without mentioning a timepiece with a “DOXA Orange” dial. This SUB 1200T is a special wristwatch, not least for the fact that it’s limited to just 1200 examples worldwide, and it features the famed helium escape valve. $2990 DOXA SUB 1500T Searambler This SUB 1500T…
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Ever since its unveiling way back in 2005 at Baselworld, Hublot’s Big Bang has been not only an inimitable collection of timepieces but also a provocateur in the horological landscape that has challenged the notion of what a timepiece can and should be. As we’re sure many of you will already know, the Big Bang is the brainchild of a true doyen of the watchmaking world, Mr Jean-Claude Biver. Mr Biver, who came onboard with Hublot in 2004, was tasked with reinvigorating the brand and taking it to the next level. His answer was the Big Bang. Its distinctive portal-shaped case, paired with Carlo Crocco’s signature natural rubber strap, marked it out as a distinctly different timepiece compared to its contemporary rivals and, to this day, you can still spot a Big Bang on the wrist from miles away – it’s that iconic. And here are three of our favourite iterations: Hublot Big Bang Tourbillon Power Reserve 5 Days Blue Sapphire This watch perfectly sums up what Hublot is all about – technical and material innovation that’s at the very forefront of the industry. You see, not only is the Big Bang Tourbillon Power Reserve 5 Days Blue hewn from…
Editor’s note: The Rolex Milgauss is a distinctly underrated timepiece. In fact, it may be one of the most forgotten-about models in Rolex’s current Professional line-up. And many of us thought leading up to Baselworld this year that it may well be discontinued, due to Rolex parading the Milgauss all over their social platforms and featuring the watch heavily at events like this year’s Australian Open. I’m really glad the rumours weren’t true, though, and that the Milgauss lives on, because in a sea of Submariners and Sea-Dwellers, the Milgauss provides a refreshingly original aesthetic that’s unlike anything else that Rolex currently makes. We went hands-on with the “Z-Blue” Milgauss a little while ago, and these were our initial impressions. Even though many look to Rolex as a steadfast, unchanging bastion of the watch world, there are some definite outliers in the field. Bejewelled GMT-Masters, leopard Daytonas (which have now given way to unobtainium rainbow Daytonas). These models are so uncommon and special that they do not really skew the public’s view of Rolex as a manufacturer of all-business timepieces. The Rolex Milgauss aims to offer a moment of madness to everyday watch wearers. For years it has been known as the scientist’s watch…
As much as it pains me to say it, for most people out there, spending anything more than a few hundred dollars for a wristwatch is a faintly absurd idea. However – as I’m sure most people reading this will agree – once you get bitten by the particularly costly watch bug, all of a sudden the rationale around what a “reasonable” sum of money is for a new timepiece suddenly escalates … greatly. It’s a predicament that a good friend of mine finds himself in at the moment. Just a few short months ago he thought the notion of paying anything close to a grand for a wristwatch was plain batty. And then, at a house party one evening, he saw my Longines HydroConquest, and he couldn’t stop staring at it. I let him wear it for the rest of the night, and any further attempts made by him to remain social that evening flew out the window. His eyes stayed glued to the watch. What happened next to my friend is what perennially happens to anyone when they find themselves going down the horological rabbit hole for the first time. Hours, maybe even days, were lost on the…
I have always found it strange that the majority of watch brands, who rely so heavily on their long history to market their watches, also make it very difficult for collectors to access any information on vintage pieces from that same brand. Admittedly, there are several brands that are able to provide interested owners with archival extracts for their vintage watches, but it is a minority of manufacturers who support enthusiasm for any watches that were not released last Baselworld. One of the brands in this more broad-minded minority is Vacheron Constantin, whose Les Collectionneurs watches have recently arrived at their Melbourne boutique. The premise of the collection is that the brand will acquire rare and interesting examples of vintage Vacheron Constantin, either at auction or from private collections, before restoring them at their own manufacture to the best possible condition. From there, these watches are then offered for sale with a certificate of guarantee and a 2-year warranty period, as well as coming with the history of the watch from the Vacheron Constantin archives, outlining when and where the watch was originally sold, period correct details of the case and movement, and the historical context that outline the importance…
First released in 1962, the Rado Captain Cook offers firepower on the wrist, as well as more than half a century of rich history. The initial production numbers may have been small during the swinging ’60s, but the Captain Cook left its mark on dive watch enthusiasts around the world, and in 2017 Rado treated its fans with a re-release of the famous watch. In this example with a black dial, we are offered a 42mm steel case with a glossy black bezel that frames the dial nicely. The blend of brushed and polished surfaces on the case add contrast, and sharpen the lines of the case as they taper into the faceted lugs. Arriving on a beads of rice bracelet is the perfect companion to the Captain Cook, giving a taste of the pioneering dive watch days with this style of bracelet was enormously popular, as well as the functional aspect of supreme comfort that it offers. While the market for Swiss-made dive watches is a crowded one, the Rado Captain Cook Automatic can proudly stand on its own two feet, with a strength of design that has carried it over five decades, and is both accessibly sized and…
Editor’s note: Whether we like to admit it or not, professional watch modifiers are here to stay. And we can almost understand why — if you want to be an individualist in a sea of ostensible regularity, imparting your own touch on an otherwise middle of the road item can be enjoyable. But what about when watchmakers collaborate with the vicarious modifiers? What then? Some would argue that it’s the best of both worlds, ergo, a modified and therefore unique piece, which retains important things like a factory warranty backing and better resale values. This TAG Heuer Monaco Bamford is a prime example of modifier meeting manufacturer, and these were our initial impressions of the oddity. In many ways, you could say that few people have had as significant an impact on the watch industry from a design standpoint in recent years than George Bamford. Beloved by many, despised by a good few at least, Bamford is single-handedly the reason why watch customisation is now so prevalent in offerings directly from watch manufacturers. After many years on his own, his recent collaborations with LVMH, selling brand-authorised custom offerings from the TAG Heuer, Zenith, and Bulgari catalogues, further legitimised his efforts,…
TAG Heuer has been using its venerable chronograph-equipped Calibre 16 movement for more than two decades now. In fact, the storied movement has been utilised by the Swiss watchmaker in a great many of its models since 2005, when it was first released in the then new and completely overhauled Carrera. It’s pretty easy to understand why TAG has used the Calibre 16 so religiously across its model line-ups for so long – this is a workhorse of a movement that benefits from a great many features, including self-winding, chronograph complication, date complication, 12-hour counter, 30-minute counter, running seconds, 42 hours of power reserve and an operating frequency of 28,800 (4Hz) vibrations per hour. It also has a bit of a reputation as being bulletproof, thanks to its strong and well-documented lineage to the Valjoux 7750 – one of the greatest chronograph movements of the 20th century. So, with all this in mind, we thought we’d take a look at three of our favourite TAG Heuer watches that are rocking a Calibre 16. TAG Heuer Carrera Calibre 16 Ref. CV201AR.BA0715 We’ve actually been fortunate enough to spend a fair bit of time with this particular TAG Heuer Carrera Calibre…
Because that’s what Australian retailer Kennedy Luxury Watches are proposing with their ‘Kennedy Luxury Watch Service’. Just 12 subscriptions will be available for that 100k, and all watches will, apparently, be “suited to the lifestyle, interests and personality” of each subscriber. And it’s got us asking: where does this idea fall on an axis between madness and genius? The concept itself is not new. We pay mortgage brokers to find us the best mortgage rates, we pay stockbrokers to buy and sell our shares. Why not pay a retailer to help you build your watch collection? The logistics certainly are appealing for the time poor, and cash rich / watch hungry. The individually selected timepieces will be delivered to the subscriber’s desired location each and every month for the next year. In addition, the 12 subscribers to the luxury concierge service will be gifted a state-of-the-art 12-spot watch winder from luxury safe and watch winder manufacturer Buben & Zorweg, which is valued at circa $15,000. We expect you’re now saying to yourself what we did, along the lines of, ‘Great, but what are the watches?’ Am I getting Pepsi with a side of rare Big Pilots, or dogs and lemons?…
Editor’s note: Turns out that James Marsden is rather fond of a timepiece or two. Which is probably not much of a surprise to anyone, considering that if you are a Hollywood A-Lister and not into watches, there’s probably something wrong with you … but I digress. Anyway, a few years ago, Time+Tide founder Andrew McUtchen was fortunate enough to interview the Westworld star about his love affair with timepieces. It’s an interesting read, and if you’ve got the time, I highly recommend it. One of the last people I saw before I left Australia for SIHH in January was James Marsden. He was on television, in dusty dungarees, with a vest, boots and a cowboy hat. His face was etched with pain. He’d just been shot by Ed Harris. Again. The television show is Westworld, the character is Teddy, and my wife and I remain obsessed with both. We’d binged our way through the first season in a matter of days, and then, a 27-hour flight and a broken night of sleep later, there I was with that very same character (Teddy) in real life. Reassuringly for you, dear reader, my interview questions extend well beyond his role on the incredible series, quickly…