VIDEO: Tissot’s Chrono XL Classic
Here at Time+Tide we make no bones about our love of Tissot’s heritage offerings, but the truth of it is that those old-style pieces make up a small percentage of the brand’s line-up. Chronographs, in particular big sporty chronographs like this Chrono XL Classic, dominate the brand, at least here in Australia. And it’s easy to see why: this 45mm watch offers plenty of plus-size punch, but enough traditional styling to keep things civil. It’s quartz, which means you get a cool little 1/10th of a second register, for all your ultra-specific timing needs. The Chrono XL Classic is also offered in a range of case materials, dials and straps. Tissot Chrono XL Classic Australian pricing and availability Prices for the Tissot Chrono XL Classic start at $475.
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Before we get into the meat of this, it goes without saying that there’s no love lost between me and the average Omega Speedy. Yes, I absolutely have to (and do) respect their history, what they have done for the mainstream popularity of quality watchmaking, and so forth … but, generally speaking (with the exception of the MkII and a handful of more obscure references), the countless modern references of Speedmaster out there just don’t do anything for me. But then I saw the Apollo 8 and thought, “OK, maybe ONE more version won’t be the end of the world …” The Apollo 8, from the get-go, is my kind of odd duck. Between its unique partially cutaway dial, bright yellow accents, a ceramic case, a specially modified hand-winding calibre, there’s a lot going on here that ensures this piece isn’t your average Speedmaster dial variation. Its design is a tribute to the Apollo 8 mission that orbited the moon, and, as you can see from the imagery, there’s a lot of “moon-ness” to its design. Though it’s still a larger 44.25mm diameter case — a far cry from the more svelte OG Speedies — it is a touch thinner than…
Rado had a great year of releases in 2018, with a diverse mix of watches that played to their traditional high-tech material strengths, as well as to some of their traditional designs. And while ceramic naturally played an important part, it was used in some surprising ways — like when it was mixed with bronze to create a very cool HyperChrome, and mixed with other metals to create the new alloy Ceramos. And then there were the brand’s tributes to their historic Captain Cook models, two similar but different takes on a great old internal bezel diver. And while the small version is cool, my heart really sings for the 45mm version.
The story in a second: A rare case of quartz having legit enthusiast appeal, albeit in a clever, and very novel, fashion. Say “it’s quartz” and countless watch nerds cringe; however, there have been some exceptions to the rule over the years. Of course, Grand Seiko Spring Drive calibers get a pass on account of the brand’s epic design and finishing, as well as the fact that they run a quartz oscillator in the place of the balance wheel, but everything else is done mechanically (to state things as simply as we can). And then there’s the F.P. Journe Elegante 48, which is a completely different animal. Longines has also been toiling away in the battery-powered department, and their V.H.P. calibers, which were refreshed in 2017, carry with them some impressive specifications. Accurate to +/-5 seconds per year, Longines integrated a special functionality to these calibers that allows for internal correction for magnetism or shock via a “gear position sensor” that effectively can tell if things are out of whack and adjust the caliber as required. Weird, but clever for sure. With the GMT Flash Setting model, the brand pushed a step further and have basically created the most idiot-proof…
I like to imagine this time of year as an Advent calendar for watch lovers, with pre-release announcements being dropped each and every day as the countdown to SIHH 2019 ticks ever closer. Today’s delectable delight comes courtesy of Jaeger-LeCoultre, and not only is it new, it’s also blue, and delivers an impressively novel take on one of their classics. Say hello to the Master Ultra Thin Moon Enamel. Since its beginnings in the famed Vallée de Joux, Jaeger-LeCoultre have been driven by precision. A search for accuracy that has seen the brand develop more than 1200 calibres and earned it the honourable title of “the watchmaker of watchmakers” – with many of JLC’s high-end valley neighbours calling on the manufacturer to help supply them with movements. The brand-new Master Ultra Thin Moon Enamel not only displays that generations-old technical know-how but also highlights some of the Maison’s other in-house métiers, namely, their incredibly skilled handcrafts of guillochage and enamelling. Limited to 100 pieces worldwide, each dial is meticulously crafted by hand, with patience being not just a virtue but an absolute necessity during the entire manufacturing process. Culminating in a stunning combination of a captivating shade of intense blue…
For a site ostensibly about fine mechanical watches we spend a decent amount of time talking and thinking about watches of the smart variety. But we come at the genre (which is, thanks to Apple, the biggest category of watch in the game at the moment) from a fairly particular (dare I say biased) perspective, whereas Wired, one of the most venerable and respected tech news sites in the world, comes at it, it’s fair to say, from another point of view entirely. Which is why the fact that their fundamental experiences with smartwatches so closely mirror my own, right down to those danged proprietary chargers. Worth a read. 
This is among my favourite days of the year. When, from the relative peace and quiet of the gap between Christmas and New Year, there’s a chance to look back at another 12 months of Time+Tide. 2018 was our biggest year yet, in every sense — traffic, travel, trips to the post office to mail out magazines, as well as more trolls and gladiators than ever before; it all escalated quickly. It was awesome. These are my favourite four stories of the year. Russell Crowe tells us all the watch stories I didn’t know what ‘AMSR’ was until this video. I was telling people about the odd, extremely enjoyable feeling that Russell Crowe’s voice caused me. Shivers. Goosebumps. “That’s AMSR,” someone said, before expanding. “Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response.” So, in addition to the content itself — a detailed breakdown of the how, who, where and why of many of Rusty’s watches — there’s also the sheer listening pleasure of his delivery. This story, too, was another high-water mark for us. Where did the big guy, and his auction house, go to reach Australia’s watch buyers and collectors? Where else but Felix Scholz and T+T; a job well done by the…
A little while ago, Tudor shared two short videos with their premier ambassador, Mr David Beckham, that looked at two of his Tudor watches. And I’ve got to say, as far as showing what a brand is all about, they’re pretty hard to beat. The first video looks at the first Tudor watch Beckham owned and wore, a 1969 Snowflake Sub, which Beckham describes as an “old, messed up watch”. And while I wouldn’t go quite so far as to say it’s messed up, it has certainly lived a life, with a beautifully faded ghost bezel and some real age on the dial. What’s better than the watch though is Beckham’s attitude towards it: he appreciated the authenticity of old objects and, given that he wears it most days, “likes to think he’s added a scratch or two”. Now, there is absolutely no doubt that Beckham has added a scratch or two to his Tudor Black Bay Blue, a watch that he’s taken riding, and has put through its paces. Deep, shiny silver scratches are visible on the case and, most notably, the aluminium bezel insert — marks earned during roadside repairs and general adventuring. What’s even better is that Beckham…
For this year’s instalment of the T+T version of “these are a few of my favourite things”, I’m going to substitute noodles, poodles, and brown paper packages tied up with string for videos. So, without any further Julie Andrews’ references, here are five of my favourite videos. Russell Crowe talks exclusively to us about the stories behind his watches, and why he’s selling them Unsurprisingly, our video with the Kiwi who became an actor, who became a star, who collected watches (AKA Russell Crowe) was popular. In fact, it’s our most popular video to date, with a cool half a million views and a total watch time of more than 2.5 million minutes. Are you not entertained? I ditched my mechanical watch for the Apple Watch Series 3 Edition, and this is what I discovered Fun little bit of backstory: I filmed this review while nursing a fairly terrible migraine. But headaches aside, I think this video came together really well, and the watch is quite excellent, regardless of what the inevitable YouTube comments storm might say. Felix’s top 10 watches from Baselworld 2018 This is a great example of the Andrew and Felix double act in full flight. In…