The Pepsi Generation – 4 of the best Pepsi-bezelled watches
When it comes to fizzy drinks, the Cola Wars rumble on – The Pepsi Challenge Vs The Real Thing. But for watches, no contest: the red-and-blue has been the clear winner since Rolex’s ref.6542 first saw the light of day in 1954. Although Rolex totally ‘owns’ the distinctive bi-colour bezel, its GMT-Master (now Master II) is not the only Pepsi game in town. And with that watch being so hard to get – current and vintage models all command massive premiums – it’s a good moment to consider other ways to get that Pepsi fix. Tudor Black Bay GMT Here we have the GMT-Master II’s little cousin: it comes from the ‘other branch’ of the Rolex empire and costs less than half the price (list price, obviously, not the absurd premiums now being asked). Its Pepsi-ness comes in more subdued tones than the Rolex: the blue is navy blue, the red has a burgundy cast and the anodised aluminium gives the bezel a more matt appearance. The dial is also matt, with a slightly grainy finish and the date is perfectly legible, without a Cyclops lens. You get the key Black Bay design iconography: snowflake hands (for both minutes and…
The post The Pepsi Generation – 4 of the best Pepsi-bezelled watches appeared first on Time and Tide Watches.
Editor’s note: Bruce has written a few great Rolex reviews for us – but this one is a bit special. It takes place not over a few days or weeks, but years. It’s one of our favourite T+T stories, and definitely deserves a re-read. So, settle in for our long-term Rolex Datejust review … One fateful day after deciding it was finally time to get a Rolex Submariner, I walked into my local Rolex boutique and proceeded to try on the “wrong” watch. The only reason I even agreed to try on the Datejust was because I’d convinced myself it was the right thing to do. I would try on a few models, then do what most 30-something reasonably successful men do, and buy a black dial Submariner. The Datejust was supposed to feel like a watch my father should wear, correct? I bought the watch on the spot The model I tried was a reference 116200, 36mm in stainless steel with a smooth bezel. It had a white dial with Roman numerals, including IIII for the number “4”, which I thought odd at the time, only later discovering the magical balance of the clockmaker’s four. The theme of discovery that showed…
Editor’s note: To celebrate the fact that the first Australian allocation of the Longines Legend Diver black goes on sale at 8am tomorrow, we’re looking back at OG Legend Diver. Black or steel, Milanese or sailcloth. No matter how you slice it, it’s a winner of a watch. Longines was making stellar heritage reissues well before it was cool. Case in point is the stylish ’60s-inspired Legend Diver, first released way back in 2007. And while it’s become de rigueur for most major brands to release one or two retro pieces a year, the Longines Legend Diver (LLD) pioneered the reissue genre, and still holds its own, thanks to a well-balanced trifecta of timeless good looks, clear vintage style and cracking value. First off, let’s tackle the style. The internal rotating bezel and twin crowns of the Legend draw their inspiration from a type of dive watch that was popular in the ’60s and ’70s called the Super Compressor. Most dive watches rely on thick cases, crystals and gaskets to create an impermeable wall to keep moisture out. The Super Compressor’s approach, however, was slightly different. Developed by case-maker E. Piquerez SA (EPSA), it relied on the external pressure of the water to…
Editor’s note: The Tissot Heritage Petite Seconde isn’t a new watch but, oh boy, it’s still a good-looking piece of wristwear. The simple case, numerals, and dial texture all add up to an entirely pleasing watch … The story in a second: Tissot‘s latest heritage release is another hit. In these days of the never-ending vintage revival, it seems that every brand has to have a heritage collection, regardless of whether they have any actual heritage. That’s not a problem Tissot has to deal with, as the brand dates way back to 1853, a depth of history that’s reflected in the strength of their current heritage lineup. The latest member is this handsome fella, the Tissot Heritage Petite Seconde, a hand-winding hero based on a 1943 design, which is entirely suited to the modern day. The dial There’s an interesting story about this reissue, and it centres on one word on the dial. The Heritage Petite Seconde is a tribute to an antimagnetic watch from 1943. When the watch was originally shown at Baselworld this year it featured a line of text reading ‘antimagnetique’ under the wonderfully retro, sweeping Tissot logo. As you can see, that word is no longer…
Editor’s note: It’s been quite a week for the Patek Philippe Nautilus. First, it had to deal with the stinging news that our very own Sandra Lane no longer desires it. Which was quickly followed by claims that it had murdered collectors, in a manner of speaking. Sandra was not alone in her views. Time+Tide’s social channels lit up like a proverbial Christmas tree, with people complaining that there were no Patek models under their tree either. Despite having great relationships with ADs, despite offering to pay over retail, and so it went. And then, in a visual today that’s doing the rounds on Instagram, somebody has helpfully put together a chart of exactly how much more each model costs on the grey market vs RRP. It caused us in the office to ask the question: Is the Nauti really that nice? Is it really THAT good a steel sports watch? We eu-Google-ised it and came across this story written by David Chalmers from a whopping four years ago. The conclusion? Yep. It’s all that. Always has been. Likely always will. Enjoy this torturously attractive, and thorough, tribute to why the Patek Philippe IS the Ultimate Steel Sports Watch. In the rarefied air of the high-end sports…
I distinctly remember the first time my interest was piqued in Bremont. Until then, I’d seen the brand around, but not been attracted to what appeared to be pretty plum conservative designs. I’d noticed the watch in Kingsman: The Secret Service and thought it was a clever, jolly appropriate spot for such a British brand, but again I hadn’t particularly warmed to the look of it – and without the ability to blow up enemies with it in real life, had no pressing urge to learn more. But then, in a meeting with an Australian distributor, a conversation took a twist. He had a swollen black eye. “What happened to your face, Leon, are you ok?” I asked. Leon launched into a story about standing on a stool to do something in his back room. About falling and landing on a tiled floor. “But the real miracle,” he said, “is that I actually landed on my wrist first and this is all that happened to my watch!” He proffered his wrist. On it was a Martin-Baker III on bracelet, and I inspected it closely – some marks on the bezel, a mini-bear claw swipe of scratches on the bracelet, but very…
So, this article is worth it for the image alone. Aside from the fact that Indy would never wear a 5711, it’s pretty perfect. The Patek Philippe hype is real. But beyond the sassy visuals, it’s a decent overview of the brand, its key models and how its watches are made, even if the why-they’re-in-for repair story isn’t forthcoming: I wanted to know funny stories of how watches get broken. Perhaps an oligarch got into a fight with his supermodel girlfriend and she hurled his prize Patek at a wall one morning. Maybe a rapper fell backwards off a yacht after too much Coconut Ciroc. But no such stories were forthcoming from the made men of Patek, who swear an oath of omerta every bit as serious and binding as Michael Corleone’s. Read the whole thing over at British GQ.
Editor’s note: This year at SIHH we were treated to another look at the stunning Cartier Révélation d’une Panthère, and the 2019 version was helpfully explained to us thus: “Last year it had 900 gold beads forming the face. This year it is 650 diamonds. We had to redevelop and re-engineer everything. Diamonds and gold are not the same materials: one is heavier and the diamond is a bit thicker, which meant changing the size of the cavities in the panther head. It was a good challenge for us. The diamonds are brilliant shaped and they can move in three dimensions. We engraved cavities and developed a fluid that ensures the diamonds move slowly. The diamonds are effectively floating in the fluid and then they fall slowly into the cavities. The entire watch is filled with fluid. One of the challenges was that this fluid must also be invisible. It must be completely transparent. It took five years of development.” Impressive stuff. For more, here’s Sandra’s take on the 2018 version … Over the past decade, while earning its chops as a serious technical watchmaker, Cartier has demonstrated time and again its mastery of the artistic crafts – métiers d’art…
Editor’s note: At this point, saying Grand Seiko do exceptional dials is a bit of a cliché, but c’mon – look at this thing. It’s flat out incredible – delicate, detailed and still somehow fun. This is what Grand Seiko excel at, and this is why people love them … The foundation upon which modern Grand Seiko is built is the calibre 9S, first unveiled 20 years ago. Basel 2018 sees the Japanese brand pay tribute to this important movement with this new Grand Seiko model, the SBGH267 Vital statistics Grand Seiko’s dial and case finishes are rightly lauded for their high level of quality. But the far less visible movement is just as significant. And, if the watch is automatic, the chances are high that movement is the 9S. First introduced in 1998, this movement, with its high level of precision, lengthy power reserve and rock-solid construction, was ahead of its time for a high-volume commercial calibre. With a distinctive purple oscillating rotor in the style we’ve come to expect from Grand Seiko’s LEs, it forms the heart of this watch, which features a subtle mosaic pattern dial in Grand Seiko’s blue, as well as a completely new 39.5mm wide…
Editor’s note: Since we originally ran this story back in 2017, the star of @KingNerd has grown ever brighter – he’s Revolution’s in-house engraver, and works on all sorts of dopeness. Definitely worth a second look. Real nerd @KingNerd might not be a real monarch, but he is royalty in the world of fine engraving. Definitely worth a follow if you’re into acanthus leaves and long guns. Oh, and watches. Tell me about yourself: My name is actually John, after my father and his father and so on, but friends started calling me Johnny and it’s kind of stuck! I’m a James Purdey & Sons (a very famous London gunmaker) trained engraver and was born and raised in West London. How do you unwind? Unwinding can consist of a few things for me – kicking my feet up and reading comics, listening to hip hop, going to a museum, looking at art or spending time with my family. My little boy, Hudson, decides whether I’m actually allowed to chill and do nothing, haha. What’s your daily watch and why? My daily watch at the moment is the Linde Werdelin Hard Black II, but I also collect Seikos. As for other watches in my collection,…