RECOMMENDED READING: Breaking down the hype behind the Omega Aqua Terra Ultra Light
The headlines this week have been full of Omega’s latest Aqua Terra, the very matt, very lightweight Omega Aqua Terra Ultra Light. The major selling point has been its light weight of 55 grams, a new alloy and its fancy new disappearing crown trick. It’s made with golf in mind, but the potential is more than that. I was pretty excited by this release, until I caught wind of the price, which is just under $50K USD. Now, sometime T+T writer Justin has written a punchy analysis of this piece (and whether it lives up to the hype and the sticker price) over at Watchuseek — well worth a read. When all is said and done, though, I can’t wait to try it on. Read the full story here.
The post RECOMMENDED READING: Breaking down the hype behind the Omega Aqua Terra Ultra Light appeared first on Time and Tide Watches.
Editor’s note: Not everything in the watch world has to be same-samey. And the Farer Aqua Compressor Hecla is a great example of that. It’s got two crowns, a big, cushiony case and style for days. If left-of-centre is your thing, you’ll want to have a read of Andy’s review … A parcel recently landed on my desk. It had made the journey all the way from the United Kingdom, and it contained two pieces from British microbrand Farer Universal. Launched earlier this year, these models made waves with their colourful dials and brightly accentuated designs. So when the opportunity arose to test drive a piece, just in time for the Australian summer, I dived right in and put the Farer Universal Aqua Compressor Hecla through its paces. The first thing I noticed was — of course — the striking blue floating dial, with a wave-cut pattern, which changed gradients with the shadows. It was the perfect base for the raised polished numerals, which added some nice sophistication to the dial. In terms of legibility, we have the extra-large handset, with white Super-LumiNova — a great colour choice given the rich blue dial. A final touch: a warm and bright…
Editor’s note: It’s 2019 and bronze is here to stay. And I’ve got to say that, as far as trends go, this is one I can very much get behind. And while the combination of bronze case, heritage style and gradient dial is more common today than in the past, the Zenith CP-2 Bronze Flyback Chronograph is a fabulous looking example. Here’s Justin’s review from when it was released, back in 2018 … There’s no denying how many of us are often frustrated by the frequent “mild updates” launched by brands — new dial colours, new case and bezel materials, and the like; however, this year in Geneva, Zenith were one of the few to do so with such thoughtful execution that we couldn’t not make it a point of discussion. Yes, we’re talking about the beloved Cairelli chronograph reissue, the Pilot Cronometro Tipo CP-2 Flyback, unveiled in bronze (as well as aged steel) for 2018. Bronze continues to gain huge traction in the “accessible luxury” segment, and having first capitalised on the trend in 2015 with the bronze Pilot Type 20, creating a bronze CP-2 was a logical choice. Surprisingly, one of the key selling points of the new…
Earlier in the week we posted a list of worthy Father’s Day gifts, with a strong bent towards straps and accessories that are actually available in the T+T store. Well, today we’re doubling down on the dad, with a handful of watches suited to the father figure in your life. Grand Seiko 9F86 Quartz GMT If your dad is anything like mine, all they want is a ‘good watch’ — which is code for something that will do the job (any job really) without needing to be overly precious. If that rings true to you, let me suggest these quartz GMTs from Grand Seiko. Perfect size, impeccable quality, useful functions and absolutely zero fuss. Hard to beat. $4400 Tissot Seastar 1000 Another watch that’s hard to beat on the value-proposition front, the Tissot Seastar 1000 offers a lot of the bells and whistles that make a modern Swiss watch great (80 hours of power reserve, ceramic bezel and a fancy dial), in a package that’s good looking and unostentatious. $1000 Montblanc Summit 2 Dad is into his connected devices but needs to level up in the wrist department? How about the stylish Montblanc Summit 2? Smaller, and much more wearable…
The Master collection has been a staple in Longines’ catalogue for some time, epitomising the sort of casual elegance for which the bramd is so well known. The latest member of this family — the Longines Master Moonphase — continues to offer the strong combination of timeless style and well-integrated small complications that we saw last year with the clever Annual Calendar model. This time around the additional functionality is taking more of a romantic bent — in the form of a moon phase and pointer date combination. Before we dial in on the complication, let’s take a look at the overall picture. The new Longines Master Moonphase models are offered in either 40 or 42mm cases, with a range of dials — black or silver barleycorn, a fine textured pattern that is a hallmark of the Master line, and this version, in a blue sunray finish. This version is also the larger 42mm version with restrained applied baton markers (the smaller blue offering adds some top Wesselton diamond hour markers into the mix, if you’re looking for a bit of bling). The combination of classical case shape, versatile modern case size and on trend blue dial treatment add up…
It might surprise you to learn that one of my favourite watches from this year’s SIHH show was the Dazzling Rendez-Vous from Jaeger-LeCoultre. The Rendez-Vous has been a strong women’s offering for some time, but this Dazzling version really ups the ante. This is thanks largely to that outer ring of 36 diamonds, which dominate the bezel. And while the size and clarity of these rocks is impressive, what really makes them shine is the setting — they use a griffe, or claw-like setting, which shows off much more of the surface of the stones and lets in more light, which equals … you guessed it, more dazzle. And this latest addition to the JLC DRV (as I’ve taken to calling it) is more dazzling still, thanks to the fully set case and bracelet. Really, it’s outstanding. The bracelet boasts 310 stones weighing 22.27 carats, which is more than enough to sink your teeth into. And then there’s the profusion of stones on the case and the inner bezel. But even though this timepiece is positively dripping, there’s plenty of delicacy at play too. The mother-of-pearl dial is rich, with a finely detailed outer section that is ’tiled’ and, of…
It’s somewhat paradoxical, but the explosion of interest in fine timepieces, fuelled by the internet and social media, has also resulted in the increased popularity of offline meetings. And they’ve always been there — before Instagram and Facebook were the prime drivers of the ‘watchfam’, it was the various watch forums, like Timezone and Purists, that resulted in that weird ritual of online-friends-but-offline-strangers meeting in public, and piling lots of watches out onto tables, much to the bemusement of strangers. More recently still, this get together culture has evolved again, thanks to events such as Fratello Watches Speedy Tuesday world tour and Worn & Wound’s Windup Watch Fair. These events bring together more fans, brands and other players in the space than is practical otherwise. To date, though, there’s not been a lot happening on this front in Australia, something that Paxton Wong is hoping to change with Watchfest, a collector event taking place in Sydney on the 6th and 7th of September. So, we spent a few minutes chatting to Mr Wong to find out more. What’s the idea behind Watchfest? “I wanted to bring the collectors together. I wanted to bring the collectors to influence the new people.…
Editor’s note: Last night, Longines went live with their online shopping facility, and I’ve spent a bit of time browsing what’s on offer. And it should come as no surprise that I’m pretty into the ‘heritage’ section of the site. And one watch, which I saw last year and was really taken by, is the Longines Skin Diver. So I thought the timing was right for another look … Longines heritage reissues are — much like the designs they’re inspired by — the stuff of legend. And speaking of legends, you might notice that the dial design of the Skin Diver resembles that of the Legend, with distinctive hand sets and long hour and minute markers. That’s because both watches trace their origin back to the Nautilus Skin Diver, Longines’ first dive watch. But while the Legend has an internal bezel, the bezel here is very much your traditional bezel, and black to boot. This, combined with the creamy-toned printing and rich, almost pebbly dial texture (offered on either a tropic-style rubber or Milanese mesh) adds up to a watch that more than lives up to its heritage. Also, you’ll be happy to note: no date window. Longines Skin Diver…
Editor’s note: Sometimes, amid all the hullaballoo around specifications, it’s easy to forget what makes watches fun. Sure, helium escape valves can play a part in that. But if we’re completely honest, it’s about how a watch looks on the wrist, and makes us feel. And by those metrics, the Christopher Ward C65 Trident Automatic is a winner … Over the years I’ve had a few run-ins with UK-based brand Christopher Ward, having reviewed some of their older world time and jump hour watches. I’ve never tried one of their more mainline pieces on for size though, but when I saw the press renders for the C65 Trident Automatic I figured it was about time I changed that. The C65 Trident is an attractive piece, a neo-vintage diver that offers a strong blend of today’s practicality and yesterday’s charm. Clocking in at a decent 41mm across, and 11.5mm high, this stylish steel chap is offered in either blue or black dials, with a range of straps. The boldest, and vintagest (is that a word? It is now) option is the blue dial on this ‘vintage oak’ distressed leather strap. The brown, almost saffron, leather strap is a good tonal match…