Category: *News Columns

A lot of new watches are released every year. Big brands will often release 100 or more new unique variants (and fair enough, different dial/strap/material, etc take up a lot of this space), but even so, it’s fair to say that not every new watch gets its time in the sun. Sometimes that’s OK, as we’re talking about minor, or sometimes downright uninteresting updates. But sometimes otherwise excellent watches slip through the cracks. It’s worth noting that the more diffuse release schedule, especially from Swatch Group brands, means that we’re not seeing the same major release moments, which is a double-edged sword. There’s more oxygen around some releases, but the near-continuous dropping of new novelties does lead to fatigue. But luckily we’re here, shining a light on the sleeper hits of 2019 … so far. Omega Seamaster Diver 300M First cab off the rank comes from none other than Omega. Omega showed their major releases a little later than usual, at Time to Move in May. Even so, it’s fair to say that the hero releases were their Apollo 11 Anniversary pieces, and the new Seamaster Chronographs. The one that won my heart though was a simple new white-dialled variant of…

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Editor’s note: Why is this unassuming looking farmhouse in the Swiss countryside so important to a brand as large as Cartier? Because it houses the workshop for Cartier’s Maison des Métiers d’Art, sanctuary to a set of artistic skills and techniques that are hundreds of years old. It is in this farmhouse that some of the most skilled craftspeople in the world are tasked with painstakingly producing the high-jewellery part of Cartier’s collection. Cartier’s Maison des Métiers d’Art It is impossible to overstate the importance of tradition to the Swiss watch industry. It’s a business, after all, built on skills and techniques that by all rights have no place in the 21st century. Watchmakers in general are a rare and special breed. Fewer still are experts in the more specialised artistic crafts such as marquetry and enamelling, which places their talents in high demand. Collectively, these artisanal disciplines are referred to as Métiers d’Art, and Cartier is leading the way in preserving and fostering these nearly forgotten skills through the Maison des Métiers d’Art. Based in an 18th century Bernese-style farmhouse, a short walk from their main fine watchmaking facility, the Maison des Métiers d’Art is the perfect expression of…

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If you love watches, you probably want to wear them all the time. The past CEO of The Swatch Group Nicolas Hayek was famous for wearing half-a-dozen watches at one time, and even if you aren’t quite that eccentric, you might still feel like you’re missing something when you don’t wear a watch. But this begs the question, should you wear a watch when exercising? There are no hard and fast rules about mechanical watches and exercising, other than personal comfort, and potential damage to the watch. If you are comfortable wearing a watch while you exert yourself, and aren’t concerned about potentially breaking the timepiece, then go for it. If you are slightly more concerned, there are a couple of things you can consider. Risks to a watch could come from impacts, such as knocking it against a weight or jolting it up and down while running. It could also be at risk from moisture getting into the movement of the watch, an event that will reliably stop your watch from functioning any further. Despite these risks, however, there are still some watches that are suitable to be worn in the gym, which Chrono24 go into some detail about…

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Editor’s note: Not many know it, but Australia was one of the most important markets for Hans Wilsdorf as he built the businesses of Rolex and Tudor in the early part of the 20th century. Tudor watches have been in Australia for the best part of 100 years, proving that Australians know great value when they see it — value the brand continues to offer today. While our American and English cousins have only recently rediscovered the joys of Tudor watches (relaunching in the American market in 2013 and the UK in 2014), Australia can stand proud in the knowledge that we’ve been wearing watches emblazoned with the Tudor shield and Tudor rose for the last 83 years. Tudor first came to Australia in 1932. History shows that it was merely eight years after Hans Wilsdorf registered the trademark “The Tudor” in 1926. The Australian distributor was the jewellery firm Willis & Sons – who had been importing, wholesaling and manufacturing jewellery since 1858. While Australia in the ’30s wasn’t the centre of the watchmaking world, we did have a pretty significant expertise and background in jewellery, thanks to the gold rush – so it’s not entirely surprising that we would…

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If you’re reading this, you probably know who Gérald Genta is, and if you don’t, you probably recognise the name. He was the most prolific watch designer of the 20th century, having been the source of inspiration for the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak, the Patek Philippe Nautilus and the Omega Constellation. He designed for everyone, from Universal Genève and IWC, to Cartier and Bulgari, leaving his fingerprints on the majority of the most loved watches in production today. Considering his level of impact, it is exciting when more detail is uncovered about the artist’s life, which has happened through the Gérald Genta Heritage Association and a retailer Mr Genta had a close relationship with, The Hour Glass. Together they have brought to light a collection of photographs of Gérald Genta taken over several decades in Singapore and Malaysia. The full story can be found at The Hour Glass here.

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Now that we’re more than halfway through, I think we can all admit that 2019 has been a bit of an odd one, as far as years go. If you had told past Felix that a slender steel quartz Cartier would be one of the best watches of the year, he would have scoffed.  But here we are, and here is the Cartier Santos-Dumont. It is, as you’ll have surmised, a slender steel quartz watch and it’s quite incredible. To my mind, what’s great about this watch is the fact that it showcases everything that’s great about Cartier — namely, design — and doesn’t confuse the offering with anything else.  Santos-Dumont is, in fact, a new line for the brand — with a name and a shape inspired by Alberto Santos-Dumont, and his specially commissioned watch. What’s more interesting, though, is the change of gears this watch represents for the brand’s stylistic and strategic direction. It’s pared back, simple and restrained. All good things for a luxury brand in 2019.  And while it would be easy to put all these attributes together and come up with an uninspired piece, the Cartier Santos-Dumont manages to avoid these pitfalls. Partially because the case…

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Editor’s note: The other day, Nick popped into the office with his latest pick-up, a fairly awesome Seiko with a custom ‘Gator Bowl’ dial, which got me to thinking about custom dials, particularly those with corporate logos. They seemed to have had quite a moment in the past, but that time has definitely passed. And while a lot of people aren’t too keen on these dials, I’m quite a sucker for them. Here’s a story from a while back, where I go into bat for custom dials …  There’s a piece of pop culture folklore that says that when you retire, your employers give you a party and a gold watch. Now, if you were born after 1980, this concept seems like a quaint anachronism from some halcyon economic boom time, where job security was real and employers rewarded long service. But, trust us, we’ve watched Mad Men, back in the day this was actually a thing. And often the watches were personalised with the company logo. In the business, these watches are known as ‘presentation dials’, because, you know, they were presented to someone. And this is where things get weird/awesome. Supermarkets and fast food chains are about as far away from…

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I can only imagine the joy that must have been felt in Omega’s design department when it was announced that Tokyo would be hosting the 2020 Olympic Games. Not only has Japan had an incredible influence on design, but their flag — a simple red sun in a white field — lends itself to some interesting watchmaking interpretations.  Case in point is one of the first limited editions offered up by the Official Timekeeper, a Planet Ocean clad in white — dial, bezel and strap (there’s a chic grey NATO in the mix too), with a varnished red dot at the end of the seconds hand (a Rising Lollipop, perhaps?), and a red ’20’ on the bezel, for the 2020 Games, obviously. Olympic association aside, it’s a clean and good-looking take on a modern dive classic.  All else is as you’d expect: 39.5mm case, steel case and Master Chronometer Calibre 8800 movement. And as for the limited edition quantity? Do you even have to ask – 2020. 

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