INTRODUCING: The Longines Silver Arrow is the watch that Don Draper would wear to the race track
We can all get caught up in the latest news about Nautilus or the next unobtainable Rolex. But for the majority of watch buyers, the most important timepieces are those that are accessibly priced and offer a ton of value. One brand that constantly delivers in this regard is Longines, a manufacture of longstanding heritage that provides quality Swiss watches with competitive specifications and pricing. The most recent entry into their catalogue is the new Longines Silver Arrow, a watch that at $3050 AUD offers a level of quality usually found at a much higher price point. The watch is a modern revival of the Silver Arrow originally released in 1956 by Longines. The name stemmed from a contest within the company to name the watch, and among 450 proposals “Silver Arrow” was the winning moniker with the name deriving from the dominant German racing cars of the era. The case diameter has been increased from approximately 35mm to 38.5mm to cater to modern sizing tastes, but in terms of it shape and form the Longines Silver Arrow faithfully echoes the original design. The real difference to the case is its 3mm increase in width, which has resulted in slightly…
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It’s turned into a mighty strange Australian Open. Before the Grand Slam event began, many players were herded into quarantine and forced to practise their drop-shots against their hotel-room walls. Next up, crowds were barred from Rod Laver Arena when Melbourne entered a hard five-day lockdown. Yet perhaps the most enduring change from this tournament is that human line judges are set to become a long-term casualty of COVID in a shift that might ultimately result in “Rolex!” being shouted instead of traditional “out!” calls. The line judges at the Aussie Open were ditched because of the new social-distancing restrictions on the number of people allowed on site. This promoted the introduction of HawkEye Live – technology that made instant calls on balls that were long or wide. Whenever a ball is hammered out, a 12-camera set-up inside each court sparks a “fault” or “out” call that is played over the sound system. But just as you can change the accent on your smartphone, the HawkEye digital system offers endless scope for customisation. Instead of the “out” and “fault” calls being voiced by robots, Open organisers understandably wanted Australian accents. As a result, tournament officials contacted agencies in every Australian…
The market for stainless-steel watches with blue dials is as hot as ever. And it makes sense for brands to produce watches that meet this demand. But how many more do we really need? The Grand Seiko SBGR321 was first announced towards the end of last year as a part of their 60th anniversary releases, and I finally had the opportunity to spend some time with it in the metal recently. It certainly ticks all the boxes that the market wants: a stainless-steel case and bracelet, a 40mm diameter and, of course, an attractive blue dial. But how much does it really add to the horological landscape? And have Grand Seiko done enough to stick out from the blue steel crowd? The case The Grand Seiko SBGR321 is a part of the brand’s Heritage collection and clearly flaunts the case to match. Inspired by Grand Seiko designs of the past, the 40mm stainless-steel case features sloping flanks and lines so sharp you’re drawn to inspect them up close. The case lines are articulated clearly thanks to the even vertical brushing on the tops of the lugs and the contrasting Zaratsu-polished case sides. This contrast accentuates the visual impression of the…
I have been a huge fan of Kurono watches since their introduction. Master watchmaker Hajime Asaoka should be applauded for the brand’s mission of trying to make high-quality timepieces more accessible to consumers. What really makes Kurono so intriguing, beyond these more approachable price points, is the design language utilised across the various lines. This Japanese take on Art-Deco design has really caught the eye of collectors around the world. No detail is left unconsidered and the Kurono designs really revive an era of more classical proportions and aesthetics. The Kurono Chronograph 1 received a great deal of praise, and was even nominated for a prize at the 2020 GPHG awards. This week the Kurono Chronograph 2 goes on sale, bringing the “Reiwa” brown, black, and copper aesthetic to the Kurono Chronograph watch. The dial shares the same layout as the Chronograph 1, packing in a ton of information without being cluttered. It is composed of rings, alternating in gloss black and brown with the two most inner circles framed with copper accents. The outer most black ring has a telemeter scale within it, which can be used to determine the distance of something that can be heard or seen…
Now I wholeheartedly confess to being a die-hard Seiko fan with two of the dearest favourites in my watch box being my inky black delight – Grand Seiko SBGR053 – and my limited edition Baby Marinemaster. The latter one is pertinent to this article as one of the many “inspired by” 62MAS heritage reissues from Seiko over the last three years that we’ve been lapping up like we actually need wristworn timetelling in 2021. But recently we (well, all credit to our deputy ed. Nick Kenyon) found an article on Worn and Wound from 2017, that we recommend you check out. The premise is, and massive kudos to writer Zq Chia for unearthing this, that something happened 21 years ago, unbeknownst to even the most diehard Seikobois (and I count myself in their ranks after buying 10 Seikos). The article suggests that Seiko actually planted the seed to what we today see as a huge market and trend for heritage, nostalgia and reissues – long before the hype kicked in. This was all the way back in 2000 when Seiko revived seven delectable references that most of us have never heard of outside Japan. Here are the three best watches…
Oris has always harboured a deep respect for the environment and supported efforts to protect the ocean and sea life therein. This isn’t a tokenistic move either. The brand really puts their money where their mouth is, aiming to become CO2 neutral by 2021 and incorporating recycled materials in both their watches and their packaging. In addition, Oris protects our wallets, too, consistently releasing offerings with high value at lower costs than many of their competitors, making their novelties attractive to both new and veteran watch collectors alike. Today, the brand has released their Oris Whale Shark Limited Edition, a watch based on the Oris Aquis GMT, with a a unique and eye-catching dial. So why whale sharks? The short answer is that they’re an endangered species that needs man’s help to survive. According to Oris ambassador and underwater photographer Gerardo del Villar, who has been documenting whale sharks for more than 15 years, “As top predators, sharks play an important role in the ecosystem by keeping species below them in the food chain, and as indicators of ocean health, they help to eliminate the weak and sick and to maintain balance with competitors, thus guaranteeing species diversity. Without whale…
Collaboration has become the name of the game. Be it in music, fashion or watchmaking, we’ve never seen such a diverse meeting of minds from around the world. But many collaborations leave you scratching your head, especially when two brands that have nothing in common come together to make a product that doesn’t make sense. Those strange and uncomfortably mismatched products serve as a striking contrast to those times when a partnership is, like the cereal, just right. The announcement of the new partnership between TAG Heuer and Porsche feels spot-on, not because they are both successful luxury brands in the 21st century, but because they share a rich history of involvement in motorsports. One that goes all the way back to when the Carrera Panamericana car race first ran in 1950, which makes the TAG Heuer Carrera Porsche Chronograph a natural distillation of this adrenaline-fuelled legacy. Featuring a 44mm stainless-steel case, the Heuer Carrera DNA is clear for all to see while, on the dial side of the watch, the links to motorsports are immediately obvious. Both partners are integrated here in a way that doesn’t seem remotely forced. Both Porsche and Heuer were inspired by the thrillingly dangerous…
Rod Stewart often recounts a piece of advice from his dad: “To be properly contented, a man needs three things: a job, a sport, and a hobby. So in my case, my job is singer, my sport is football and my hobby is model railroading.” Leaving aside the slightly dubious pursuit of model railways, Stewart has always been mad about football. He had trials with the London club Brentford in his teens and was still playing twice a week well into his mid 60s. But his passion for the game also extends to being a huge Celtic and Scotland supporter. On a recent episode of The Harry Redknapp Show podcast, the pop superstar talked about getting involved in a pitch invasion after Scotland beat England that resulted in him having his watch stolen clean off his wrist. On the podcast, Stewart mentioned going to watch the match at Wembley with his dad. Redknapp’s co-host, Dodge, asked him: “Rod please tell me, is it true you were caught running on the pitch for the England-Scotland game back in 1977?” “Yes, absolutely,” Stewart replied. After Scotland triumphed over the Auld Enemy by a 2-1 scoreline, fans swarmed the pitch to celebrate the…
Yessir, the cone of silence surrounding the manufacture of Patek Philippe has lifted twice in a week. The brand are surfing atop of a media wave of their own making. Only last week we reported first on the discontinuation of the already near-impossible to get Nautilus ref. 5711, and in our story here we shared the discreet and wild speculation surrounding a possible 6711 replacement. Now Watchpro reports Patek Philippe sales slumped by 20% in 2020. “2020 was not our best year, but it was okay,” is the leading quote of the story. This is hardly surprising, and probably a better than expected outcome, considering the brand shut down completely for two entire months. The Swiss watch industry at large fared considerably worse, as we reported in our story on a Deloitte report here. Two months equals 16.7% of the year in production, less when we consider Christmas and summer closing, so what can we say? No drop at all. WatchPro report the tone of the announcement as ‘insouciant’, because Patek Philippe has emerged from a pandemic that has shaken most brands to the bone stronger than ever. This is the comment of a President whose company is at the peak…
George Bamford is about as passionate and enthusiastic a member of the watch community as you’ll ever find. His boisterous energy is infectious whether he’s discussing his Ferrari 275 GTB or the Bamford Watch Department x Time+Tide GMT1. And it’s this energy that is set to be the driving force behind his new podcast GB Talks, where George will interview watch experts as part of a deep dive into underappreciated watches of the past. In his first episode, George speaks with journalist, writer, editor, speaker and consultant, Robin Swithinbank on what he considers to be one of the best sleeper watches on the market today – the Omega Seamaster 200 “SHOM”. First released at Baselworld in 1973, the Omega Seamaster 200 “SHOM” ref. 166.177 got its nickname after being used by the Service Hydrographique et Océanographique de la Marine, a division of the French Navy. Featuring an aggressively angular case that oozes ’70s style, it immediately reminds you of the more well-known Omega PloProf that spelled the beginning of the brand’s journey into the deepest parts of the ocean. The “SHOM” also helped pave the way for Omega’s close collaboration with the French Marine Nationale and was itself qualified for…