The heavy-hitting Rolex Daytona in white gold with blue dial (ref. 116509)
Editor’s note: For Daytona fans, everyone’s all about the Cerachrom bezels these days. And while it’s hard to deny the allure of that super-hard, slick material, I prefer my bezels metal, and preferably precious. Which is why I’m still so into this 2016 release, the Rolex Daytona in white gold with blue dial (ref. 116509). I mean, just check it out … Two thousand and sixteen will surely go down in the annals of watch-lore as the year of the Daytona. Not only did Rolex finally update their stainless steel icon, but they also unveiled two new precious metal versions. We’ve already looked at the oh-so-shiny green and yellow gold version, and today we hold in our hands the slightly more understated white gold option. The main change here is, of course, the dial. The iridescent blue starburst is called, somewhat unimaginatively, ‘blue’ by Rolex. We were hoping for something more romantic, like ‘ocean depths’ or ‘arctic night’. Regardless of what you call it, the dial is a stunner, and the perfect counterpoint to the high shine of the heavy white gold case, especially with the red highlights on the counters and the ‘Daytona’ text. As far as colour combos go,…
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Marlon Brando’s Rolex GMT-Master ref. 1675, worn by him on the set of Apocalypse Now, is to be auctioned by Phillips Watches Department. The story was broken by the New York Times, with the provenance of the piece being traced from Brando, who in 1995 gave the watch to his adopted daughter Petra Brando Fischer, who in turn gifted the watch to her husband Russel Fischer as a wedding present in 2003. The Rolex GMT-Master in question is a relatively classic ref. 1675, with a few interesting customisations added by Marlon Brando. While shooting Apocalypse Now, a member of the film crew told him not to wear the Rolex as it didn’t fit the character of a US soldier in the Vietnam War living off the land. Rather than getting rid of it completely, Brando popped the bezel off the watch instead, giving it a more beaten look, and he continued to wear it while shooting. He also scratched his own name into the caseback, inscribing “M. Brando” in a style that looks like the watch lived its life in the jungle. The watch is also on an after-market strap, similar to the one in Apocalypse Now, having shed its…
Joe, Kevin and Nick Jonas are the trio behind the band The Jonas Brothers. And aside from a love of smooth pop-rock tunes, they’ve got a demonstrated penchant for fine timepieces. They started out wearing Rolex timepieces, as this early-era picture of the brothers all wearing Datejusts in various guises shows. These days they all favour the Rolex GMT-Master II. Certainly when you’re travelling around the world for gigs, the ability to track a second time zone comes in handy. Kevin Jonas is the oldest brother and frequently wears the recently released reference 126710 BLRO, which is the new stainless-steel version featuring the bi-colour blue and red bezel nicknamed “Pepsi” by collectors. It comes on a Jubilee bracelet. He also has a reference 116618LN yellow gold Submariner. Joe Jonas is the middle brother and also wears a “Pepsi” GMT-Master, but his version is the reference 116719BLRO, which is the 18k white gold version on Oyster bracelet. Recently he has been sporting an Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Extra-Thin Tourbillon in 18k pink gold, which certainly is a statement on the wrist. Rounding out the trio is youngest brother Nick Jonas, who also happens to have the most variation when it comes…
A brief history of luminous watch dials Murphy’s Law states, “A man with one watch knows what time it is. A man with two watches is never sure.” In watch collecting circles this is invariably true, but the number of watches in a collection is likely proportionate to the mania of the addiction, rather than proportionate to how punctual the collector might be. It also seems to be true that you need to know what time it is most urgently when you don’t have a clock nearby. This seems to happen generally at night, when you wake in a panic, disoriented and wondering how long till you need to get up for work, and you can’t see your alarm clock for the simple reason you only uncover it once you turn on the light. I like to think this was the problem the Swiss boffins were trying to solve when they started producing watches with luminescent dials, tired of the drowsy confusion in the middle of the night and determined to bring clarity to this midnight mire. In reality, it was driven by the need for soldiers in WWI to have watches that were easy to read in low light.…
Editor’s note: Is this the coolest Rolex Day-Date ever? Regardless of how you answer that question, this is objectively one of the rarest watches Rolex has manufactured in recent years, with it being conspicuously absent from any Rolex catalogue or website. We spotted Mark Wahlberg wearing one on Ellen, but more excitingly, we also noticed Mirka Federer wearing one at the Australian Open in 2017. Given her husband is currently playing (quite well) at Wimbledon, we thought it might bring him some good luck if we reminded the world just how good Mirka’s taste in watches is. 430,000 euros of gem-set goodness While most eyes were on Roger Federer and the Rolex GMT Master-II BLNR he strapped on to hoist his 18th grand slam trophy at the Australian Open in Melbourne on Sunday night, there were other watches nearby worth noticing. Yes, there was the Richard Mille RM 27-02 tourbillon worn by Nadal throughout all five sets, but that’s not what we’re talking about. Our attention was grabbed by the exceptional piece worn by Mirka Federer, with its emerald bezel and diamond pavé dial. Now, this isn’t your regular stone-strewn Rolex. This watch is special — so special it doesn’t even show up…
Editor’s note: As evidenced by the release of the popular Heritage Military watch, Longines have a long history in manufacturing reliable tool watches for the world’s armed forces. One that is sometimes overlooked today, but got people talking when it was first released, is the Longines Heritage Military COSD. A considered nod to the watches the brand produced around the time of WWII, the Military COSD is another strong contender for an everyday watch — with a 40mm case, super-legible dial, and workhorse movement, there is a lot right about this watch. Felix has the full story below. The story in a second: Inspired by a watch designed for the British military in WWII, the Heritage Military COSD watch is the latest in a long line of strong vintage-inspired pieces from Longines. Longines routinely produce some of the best heritage reissues available, for two reasons. Firstly, their position in the Swatch Group allows them to create high-quality watches at accessible price points. But secondly — and more importantly — they have an amazing history full of great pieces that are ripe for reinterpretation. The Spirit, the Weems Second-Setting Watch, the Legend Diver, the Majetek — they’re all great watches inspired by Longines’ extensive back…
As you might have noticed (here, here and here), I’m quite interested in bulletproof watches being used in situations with bullets (figuratively). I enjoy, as much as the next guy, reading about the (somewhat theoretical) limits of well-made watches, if it be temperature, altitude or water pressure. But what I love even more is reading true stories of watches in dangerous situations and seeing how they perform. I also suspect that I am not alone in being a passionate consumer of horological testimonials that fall outside of a marketing budget, with there being an evident growth in interest in watches with military provenance. I recently came across this piece in the Financial Times, discussing tool watches being used for their intended purpose — as tools. Despite modern GPS technology claiming more wrist real estate than half a century ago, in 2019 many adventurers are choosing to wear a more traditional tool watch. Unsurprisingly, watches like the Breitling Emergency are seriously functional watches in remote parts of planet earth, responsible for saving the lives of dozens of people over the years. It’s a nice reminder that while #deskdiver watches are crucial tools for navigating the wilds of terra corporata boardroomus (trans. corporate…
TAG Heuer’s Monaco at 50 celebration rolls on — we’ve already seen editions one and two — and the third, formally known as the TAG Heuer Monaco 1989-1999 Limited Edition, has just been announced in New York City. The basis for this watch is the Calibre 11-powered Monaco (obvs), in its distinctive (and large wearing) 39mm case, with offside crown. And while previous versions have been decidedly colourful in green and red, this edition is more monochrome in flavour. The dial is realised in stunning silver. Or, to be more technical, a grey-grained rhodium-plated dial that’s been given a sandblasted finish. The applied horizontal indices shine out against this matt background, and the red and blue printed details add just the right amount of pop. These colours are echoed in the blue perforated strap with its contrasting red stitching. This limited edition watch (limited to 169 pieces, so proper limited) comes in a fancy 1990s-inspired dark blue box, with a horizontal check-pattern stripe. And while the green and the red versions were hot, I really like this one for its understated charm, and I can’t wait to see what the next two versions looks like. TAG Heuer Monaco 1989-1999 Limited Edition…
Editor’s note: We remember back when times were simpler. Back before there were half-decade waitlists, before secondhand watches were doubling retail prices, and before everything Tudor made was in-house. It was back in 2014 when Tudor first showed us the versatility of the Black Bay range, and the brand deeply impressed the watch community when they released the Black Bay Blue. This was also the year when Time+Tide started, and Felix’s review of this new Black Bay Blue was one of the most popular stories on the site for a long time. So we thought we’d look back at this simple sports watch to see how it’s aged over the last half-decade, and reflect on just how much the industry has changed in that time. Introducing the Tudor Black Bay Blue As a brand, Tudor is a lot like Rocky, in that Rolex’s little brother is a plucky fighter come good again. UNLIKE Rocky, Tudor’s releases just get better and better with each passing year. Baselworld 2014 sees two big crowd-pleasing releases from Tudor, and a new range that is understated in the extreme, though still enticing. We’ll talk more about the Ranger and the Style later, but for now let’s focus…