INTRODUCING: A vision in red – the brand new Omega De Ville Trésor 125th Anniversary Special Edition
It’s well known that Omega loves an anniversary, but the one that I’m currently celebrating with them in Bienne is quite significant. This year marks 125 years since the Calibre Omega — a 19-ligne movement that was so significant that, a few years after its debut in 1894, the company changed its name to the Omega Watch Company in 1903, and the rest, as they say, is history. But what made the Calibre so significant that it earned the declarative moniker of Omega — the last letter of the Greek alphabet — and the ‘ultimate’ achievement in watchmaking? Well, this calibre matters because it was innovative — it was awarded a patent for setting and winding via the crown, but more than that it mattered because it was the first serially produced movement, a movement that was not only produced using an industrial production line method, but it also meant that parts were produced very precisely, and thus interchangeable or replaceable. We might take it for granted now, but whenever you drop your watch in for a routine service, you owe a small debt to the Omega Calibre. To celebrate this achievement, Omega has released two very special watches. The…
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Gossip is one of the staples of SIHH and, as far as gossip goes, it doesn’t get much juicier than this. Bloomberg are reporting that Patek Philippe — one of the last great independently held watchmakers — may be considering a sale. Based on a note by analysts Berenberg, there’s industry talk of a sale, which would be expected to cost seven to nine billion euros. Now, write this off as pure speculation, but as the Bloomberg article suggests, there may be some basis to the rumour. The next question: who could buy it? Swatch or Richemont perhaps, but also don’t write off Kering, LVMH, Hermès or even Chanel, all of whom have deep pockets and form with high-end watch brands. There might be nothing to it, but what if there is? Read the full article here.
Constantly feeling like the Captain Cook offerings were either too big or too small? Problem solved. If you think about it objectively, watch collectors may be the most widespread sufferers of Goldilocks Syndrome out there. While many, regardless of interest, are picky about certain aspects of their life — what foods they eat, what colours they wear, how warm or tidy they keep their home, etc — but let’s face it, we fuss over millimetres on a disturbingly frequent basis. “I won’t wear anything over 40mm in diameter” or “When they changed the case size from 42mm to 43mm it completely ruined that watch” are things we’ve either heard or said on more than one occasion, and they were said with the utmost sincerity. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m just as fussy as anyone when it comes to this matter, as was proven this past Thursday night when Rado decided to present the global first look at the Rado Captain Cook 42mm diver in Toronto. When the Captain Cook models first launched in 2017, they stuck two polarised ends of the spectrum — a 37mm model that was true to the original case size (in steel), and a beastly…
Back in the 18th century, Pierre Jaquet-Droz wowed the courts of Europe with his Automates – three humanoid dolls, about one-third life-sized, that could variously write, draw and play music with uncannily lifelike gestures. Intended to promote his clocks and watches, and powered by scaled-up versions of mechanical watch movements, they were a stroke of marketing genius – as well as a remarkable demonstration of his skills. Eighteen years ago, when Swatch Group revived Jaquet Droz, it harnessed that legacy – developing automata on the minuscule scale needed to fit inside contemporary watches. This meant men’s watches, as Jaquet Droz had no collection specifically for women in the first 13 years of its modern existence. Then came the Lady 8 collection. Launched in 2013, its design adopted the brand’s signature figure-of-eight but rather than confining it to the dial, expanded it to create a sculptural double loop. The watch-case itself formed the larger circle and an extension formed the smaller, upper circle of the eight. Within that smaller circle lay a pearl or a polished stone, set invisibly so that it could be rolled this way and that, under the fingers – like a very sophisticated and sensual fidget toy.…
In recent years, Panerai has made some lateral moves, with watches like the more land-based Due. But for SIHH 2019, one of the original dive watch brands was underwater in full force. Their collection was chock-full of Submersibles (which is now a distinct line of its own). Panerai’s Marina Militare watches pay tribute to the brand’s naval roots, and that famous dial text was back this year, and on a watch that looks, frankly, incredible. The big 47mm Carbotech dial is paired with a carbon dial and even a newly designed handset. There’s a lot to like here, but see the video for what it’s like on the wrist. Panerai Submersible Marina Militare Carbotech (PAM00979) Australian pricing Panerai Submersible Marina Militare Carbotech, $28,700
To atone for our tardy 2018 Top 10 lists, and to prove we haven’t just spent a week in Geneva looking backwards, we’re moving quickly on now to what has been the work at hand the last five days – reporting on the first major watch fair of the year, something we call SIHH, or Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie. As usual, we have handled hundreds and hundreds of brand new watches. But slightly different to usual, instead of spending all of our time in Geneva bashing away on laptops in the evenings or in the 5-minute spaces between presentations, we dragged our cameraman Marcus around with us literally everywhere and – given a moment – we would quickly recap our picks. They are ordered by price (Australian dollars, by the way), because that seems to work best for you all. So, consider this a serious shout of ‘FORE!’ on the golf course. We have a veritable hail of videos of our picks incoming — it’s almost like you’re about to live the fair in its entirety, just a few days after the fact. The structure is this: Felix and I weigh in separately on our top three picks in three…
This year there’s a BIG twist with our video lists, which will start rolling in over the next week – we’re inviting you to share your picks in each price point in the comments section of YouTube. The commenter with the most likes on their SIHH 2019 list on 1 July 2019 will receive something that we do not offer for sale; a Time+Tide lapel pin handcrafted by an Australian ex-Rolex watchmaker in sterling silver (with an alloy of 92.5% silver and 7.5% copper to allow for some patina action as they age), acid-etched and polished. This pin is a living thing – ours have aged differently, they become unique very quickly. These were created for the Time+Tide team only. They will never grace the T+T shop. But seven of them are going out to the kings of the list-makers across these videos. OK, I’M READY TO LIST. HOW DO I GET INVOLVED? Excellent, let’s get down to it, because assembly IS required. Simply research all of the releases of SIHH 2019 (haha, simply, welcome to our world), break them down by price points of up to $10kAUD, $10-35kAUD and $35kAUD+ and then round it off with your three favourite high…
Breitling has just announced three retro takes on their iconic pilot’s watch — the mighty Navitimer — that evoke the golden age of jet travel. The Airline Editions capsule collection consists of tributes to three of the great airlines, Pan Am, Swissair and TWA. Each airline is the subject of nostalgic homage, in the form of a colourful, and undeniably cool, version of the Navitimer 1 B01. The context behind this capsule collection is quite interesting, as these are limited production, limited run watches, rather than a limited edition per se. The purpose behind this approach is to highlight specific historic stories or associations — something that Breitling has in spades. But onto the watches themselves. The Swissair edition is a black base dial marked by orange highlights of a tone that is particularly ’70s, along with a logo printed on the clear caseback. Pan Am is blue with a very similar orange, while TWA is orange details on a creamy, ivory dial and a nice vintage-style calf strap. Now, these watches are great and all, but I’ve got one problem. Why isn’t Qantas, Australia’s own flying kangaroo, in the mix?
Baume & Mercier’s foray into the world of in-house movements resulted in one of the biggest value propositions of 2018, the Clifton Baumatic. Well, this year the simple steel watch with an impressive five-day power reserve was the subject of a stylish makeover, in the form of a blue dial. But not just any blue. The cadran bleu, as it’s called, is a deep, dark graduated blue that veers strongly into black territory at its outer limits. It’s not as bold or flashy as some other graduated blue dials, but it’s also a lot more mysterious as black. Dial change aside, everything else is business as usual. The case is 40mm, and the watch comes either on leather (my pick) or a five-link bracelet. The movement is also offered in COSC or non-COSC variants. The COSC option features a sector-style crosshair on the dial. Baume & Mercier Clifton Baumatic Cadran Bleu pricing Baume & Mercier Clifton Baumatic Cadran Bleu, from 2400 euro, including tax.