How to wear a watch like nobody is watching
Editor’s note: There’s a lot to love about Jeff Goldblum. Like pretty much everything really. And for us at least, one of his key character attributes is his ability to wear a dainty gold Cartier Tank like he doesn’t give two whits for what the rest of the world thinks. Bravo. The same devil-may-care watch-wearing attitude also makes RDJ, Conor McGregor, Serena Williams and our very own Tim Cahill stand out in the watch department … There are watches we wear in our real lives and there are watches we imagine we would be brave enough to wear in our imaginary lives. There are watches we wear based on our budget, and there are watches we would buy should money be no object. This is a story about people wearing those kind of watches with no single trace of self-consciousness. With total and utter authority. There’s a lot we can learn about owning our wrist choices from these people. So here goes, a guide to wearing a bosstown, big-boy watch like nobody is watching. Jeff Goldblum – Cartier Tank in gold Many of us have admitted to wanting to wear a solid gold Cartier Tank, in concept. Mr Goldblum doesn’t do…
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If there was ever a case study for the difference a dial (and bezel) can make, the 2019 edition of the Tudor Black Bay Bronze with its slate grey dial is that watch. The new colour is subtle, and executed in a sophisticated manner, making for a dramatic improvement on the now discontinued khaki/brown version. Before we get to the cool grey makeover, a recap. The Black Bay Bronze (or BBB to its friends) is — you guessed it — a bronze-cased version of Tudor’s flagship Black Bay. Specifically an alloy of bronze that’s high in aluminium, meaning you won’t get the sort of crazy green patina that was super popular a few years ago. As you’d expect, it’s an in-house movement, the MT5601. It’s still also the biggest of the Black Bays, rocking in at 43mm across, so if you’re slight of wrist, consider yourself warned. It comes on either a leather or fabric strap, though it’s worth noting that these days it’s an either/or situation, not both. But, that dial. Slate grey really is an accurate term in this case. The dial looks cool and inviting — just like a slate floor on a hot day. It’s also an…
Most of the time we’re OK living in Australia. We’ve got great beaches, a laidback culture and some colloquial slang that’s more colourful than a hatful of rainbow bezels. But sometimes we feel we’re missing out. And today is one of those days. When we spotted this article on Uncrate about a US boutique-only Omega LE, we felt the thirst. And not just because it’s a collab between Omega and their best pal Clooney’s spirits company Casamigos. No, this watch, in matt black ceramic on sailcloth with teal text, has us feeling all sorts of things. You can feel them too, over at Uncrate. 
Editor’s note: Ahh, bezel screws. Along with date windows, nothing riles up the watch-loving populace quite as much as a misaligned, exposed bezel screw. So, in that spirit, here’s an opinion piece we wrote on just that topic a little while ago … “Such a shame they don’t take the time to align their screws. I wouldn’t buy one purely because of this.” Every time we post a picture of a watch with exposed bezel screws (mostly Hublot or Bell & Ross) we get a variation of this comment. And I’m well and truly over it. While many brands use exposed screws on bezels, the most commonly cited example is that of the iconic Royal Oak from Audemars Piguet. It’s certainly what all the commenters on our social feeds reference when they’re lambasting other brands for their inability to align screws. But you know the funny thing? The screws on the AP’s bezels aren’t screws. In fact, they’re threaded nuts that fit neatly and immovably into the perfectly hexagonal holes in the bezel. They’re secured via the screws on the caseback, which —surprise surprise — aren’t neatly aligned. In contrast, the bezel screws on your Bell & Ross or Hublot are…
The inimitable Niki Lauda died yesterday, and Formula 1 lost one of its most enduring icons. And I don’t know about you, but my own little tribute to this man will take the form of finishing off Formula 1: Drive to Survive (and marvelling at the on and off-track intensity of the sport), and re-watching Rush, the 2013 Ron Howard biopic detailing the professional rivalry between Niki Lauda and James Hunt. Rush is an excellent film, and in addition to being exquisitely played by Daniel Brühl, Niki Lauda served as a technical advisor. Read more about the film, and particularly the role TAG Heuer played in it, in this article by the charming Miguel Seabra over on WorldTempus.
Mido is one of those strange beasts in modern watchmaking – a largely under-the-radar brand that’s also owned by one of the largest corporations in the business (the Swatch Group). Already this is a good place to start, as the former factor means you can get some unexpected and unusual design choices, paired with the benefits (production quality, parts, etc) that come with being part of the Swatch Group. The Mido Multifort Patrimony is a great example of this. A sweet retro-looking watch at a seriously impressive price. First of all, the Mido Multifort Patrimony comes in three flavours: steel with a graduated grey dial, gold tone with an anthracite dial, or this steel and blue number. They’re all 40mm across by 11.95mm high, which is pretty perfect proportions for this sort of watch in 2019. The case design is simple but stylish, with a non-fussy, low-profile crown and some decent detail on the lugs. The dial, though, is what will really get people excited. It’s a pretty straight execution from the mid-century watch design playbook, but that’s A-OK. The shimmering, subtly graduated dark blue is very on-trend, and the clearly segmented dial, complete with pulsometer scale and inner minute track,…
The above question greeted me when I opened my email this morning — it was such a perfect allegory (heck, watches, chocolate and Bacs are amongst the most Swiss things ever) that I had to open it. Eventually, I scrolled through the mailing list, and came to the article, an extensive GQ profile of Phillips’ majordomo of watches, and one of the bolder figures in the world of watches. It’s a long, rollicking narrative that covers off the greatest hits (Newman’s Newman features a fair bit), and a well-researched one too. Here’s a taste: “More than any other individual, Bacs is responsible for the current hysteria in the vintage-watch market. He’s an auctioneer, yes, but like the timepiece-obsessed Flavor Flav before him, he is also a once-in-a-generation hype man—a watch enthusiast who has helped change how timepieces are talked about and sold all over the world.” Good stuff, huh. Read the whole thing over at GQ.
When the time came to see Omega’s 2019 collection I was pretty sure I knew what I was going to see, and what I was going to like. Speedmasters (obvs) and Seamasters mostly. And to be fair, I was not disappointed. But I was surprised. I was surprised by some very nice new additions to Omega’s thin, manually wound Trésor family. Specifically this Sedna gold number with a grey enamel dial. I had seen this watch’s red-dialled sister earlier this year, and while it was nice, it was also a fairly flashy, esoteric piece. This watch, while similar from a specs point of view, is something else entirely. Subtle, elegant, and with not a single extraneous element. The 40mm case is very nicely sized (it could easily go smaller too), and thin at just under 11mm high. The case is simple, as are the applied batons (double batons at 12, 3, 6 and 9), with minute plots between. The Sedna gold plays really beautifully with that dark grey enamel, contrasting in colour, but matching in terms of sheen and lustre. The view is impressive from the rear, too: the Master Co-Axial 8928 features a Sedna gold balance bridge that’s missing…
‘Manufacture’ is one of those watchmaking buzzwords you hear fairly frequently. Basically, it’s a fancy word for factory, but in the slow-moving and hallowed halls of horology it’s so much more. Think airy, well-lit rooms with highly skilled watchmakers investing countless hours on minute details most will never see. A far cry from the typical image of the noisy, grimy factory floor. Over at Mr Porter’s Journal, the excellent Alex Doak runs through five of the greatest, and longest-running Swiss Manufactures, from Audemars Piguet thorough to Girard-Perregaux. Worth a read. 
Time to Move, which took place last week in Switzerland, is the higher end Swatch Group brands’ alternative to Baselworld. And because they’re the prestige brands, it’s only fitting to expect some prestigious watches. We were not disappointed. Here are three watches that are less about telling the time and more about showing the world just how much fun can be had with time. Harry Winston Histoire de Tourbillon 10 Sure, American jewellery house Harry Winston is better known for astonishingly large, clear diamonds arranged in exquisite pieces, but they’ve got pretty solid form when it comes to timepieces too. Time to Move was the first time their Geneva facility was opened up to media, and the level of care and craft involved in their high jewellery watches was impressive to say the least. But the watch we’re showing you today doesn’t have a single carat of stones on the case. But it does have four tourbillons. FOUR. One tourbillon is already an extravagance, but four?! This 53mm wide monster is pure extravagance of the most decadent kind; it’s also the first watch ever to rock four tourbillons at once. I mean, why not? Jaquet Droz Magic Lotus Automaton No one…