Tudor's Black Bay Ceramic One sold for a ridiculous amount at Only Watch 2019
If history is anything to go by, we shouldn’t have been surprised at news coming out of Only Watch 2019 that Tudor’s entry into the charitable auction, the Black Bay Ceramic One, had sold for a staggering 350,000 CHF ($515,000 AUD). In fact, for Tudor’s third pièce unique entered into Only Watch to do anything other than command a crazily large bid would’ve been an abnormality. Why, you may ask? Well, the Swiss marque’s first “Only Watch”, the Tudor Black Bay One, was submitted for auction at the 2015 event, and while the estimate for the stainless steel diver was a mere few thousand Swiss francs, it ended up selling for a monolithic 375,000 CHF! Two years later, Tudor was back at Only Watch 2017 with the Black Bay Bronze One, and, just like its inimitable steel counterpart, it too sold for a whopping chunk of change – 350,000 CHF, to be precise. However, while the previous two Tudor Only Watches represented only slight deviations from the standard models they were based off, the Black Bay Ceramic One represents wholesale change for the Black Bay, and it’s all to do with the 41mm case. This is the first Black Bay…
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Seiko’s fit for purpose range of Prospex LX Line Diver’s watches has beaten some tough competition from the likes of Longines, Ressence and De Bethune to take home the award for best Diver’s watch at GPHG 2019. This is an important win for the Japanese manufacturer for two reasons: firstly, the winning Seiko is a Prospex, not a Grand Seiko, and secondly — and perhaps more significantly — the victory shows that the Seiko watches that sit below the aforementioned GS marque are being taken far more seriously, despite the hefty price tag that they now command. Mind you, even with the not inconsequential retail price, you are getting a lot of watch for the money. Take, for example, the Seiko Prospex LX Line SNR029J1. It costs $8500 AUD, but you’re getting a professional-grade diver’s watch that’s water resistant to 300 metres. It’s a big case — measuring in at a bulky 44.8mm and 15.7mm thick — but because both the case and the conforming bracelet is hewn from titanium with a super-hard coating, it sits on the wrist with an overriding sense of lightness and tactility. Also, let’s not forget that all of Seiko’s Prospex LX Line Divers are fitted with…
Editor’s note: When it comes to making timepieces with an affiliation to the full-throttle world of motorsport, few watchmakers have more success than TAG Heuer. Take this TAG Heuer Autavia Jo Siffert Collector’s Edition for instance. Here is a wristwatch that faithfully pays homage to the original Heuer Autavia 1163T or, as it’s more commonly known, the ‘Siffert’ Autavia. The Heuer Autavia 1163T earned its nickname because, perhaps rather obviously, it was worn by the late Swiss Formula 1 driver Joseph “Jo” Siffert. It was a brilliant timepiece, and this modern interpretation is just as good, and late last year we were lucky enough to have a play with it. Before we talk about the watch, some backstory. Calibre 11 has been one of the leading TAG Heuer resources since 2009, and the driving force behind the site is David Chalmers. A quick search of my email archive tells me that I’ve known David since 2011, and I’ve always been impressed not only by his knowledge of all things Heuer but his willingness to share it. If you’re a particularly astute reader you might recognise his name from T+T, as he writes the occasional piece for us, which is only fair, given that he’s…
What is it about leading actors and their affinity for Rolex’s range of stainless steel sports watches? It almost seems like it’s a rite of passage – become a famous thespian and then immediately adorn one’s wrist with a steel 6263. Whether it’s Steve McQueen, Paul Newman (obviously), Daniel Craig … the list just goes on and on. And then there’s Hollywood’s current “hard man”, Jason Statham. Statham loves a vintage steel Rolex, as evidenced by the countless paparazzi photos that have caught the British actor sporting quite a few different iterations of old-school professional models. Perhaps most notably, Statham has, for quite some time, worn an awesome example of the Rolex Explorer II ref. 1655 “Steve McQueen”, which is an easy one to spot thanks to its iconic bright orange 24-hour hand. What’s more, whether it’s clairvoyance or just good taste, Statham has owned this famed timepiece for quite some time before the prices skyrocketed. In addition, Statham has posted several photos of himself on his Instagram wearing a couple of particularly nice variants of the ultimate “hype beast” vintage Rolex, the Paul Newman Daytona, more specifically the aforementioned ref. 6263. The Brit is also rather keen on rocking…
TAG Heuer’s fabled Monaco wristwatch, a timepiece immortalised in the annals of motorsport as a result of Steve McQueen sporting one in the 1971 film Le Mans, is for the first time in its history being produced with an in-house movement. That’s right, whether you were aware of it or not, the TAG Heuer Monaco has, since its inception in 1969, been produced with an externally sourced movement. Back in 1969 it was the Calibre 11, and throughout the course of the next 50 years of its production the Monaco would employ a number of different third-party movements, such as the Calibre 12, Calibre 17 or Valjoux 7740. Sure, there have been exceptions to this rule, like, for example, the anomalous TAG Heuer Monaco V4, which was first unveiled in 2004 and utilised a highly experimental belt-driven movement made by TAG Heuer that was meant to replicate the appearance of a Formula 1 car’s pistons. However, besides these very limited outliers, the Monaco has always remained a timepiece powered by a third-party movement … until now. TAG Heuer has seen fit to bestow the iconic timepiece with its own in-house Calibre 02, which was first unveiled in 2017, housed inside…
It’s been a very busy week of watches in Geneva, with Only Watch 2019 setting new records, and the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG) awarding prizes to some of the best watches of the year (which included some upsets). Amidst the clamour and drama of the GPHG, where the pitting of brands head to head can increase the blood pressure of some ardent watch enthusiasts, the focus can sometimes miss the truly impressive feats of technical engineering that are on display. One of these feats is the Vacheron Constantin Traditionnelle Twin Beat Perpetual Calendar, a watch that not only offers a complex calendar function, but also does it with a power reserve of 65 days. Here’s how more than two months of power reserve is possible. Most mechanical watches are regulated by a single balance spring that oscillates at a set rate (either measured in hertz, which can be converted to vibrations per hour), and the steady in and out breathing of this spring is what keeps the watch running on good time. A slower number of oscillations from the balance spring can make the watch less accurate, but can extend the power reserve, while a faster rate of…