HANDS-ON: Grand Seiko’s dressy GMT – the SBGM235
Most of Grand Seiko’s mechanical watches are built around one base — the 9S calibre, which turns 20 years old this year. The brand has celebrated with a series of limited editions, and this, the SBGM235, is the latest. Coming from the brand’s elegance collection, the SBGM235 follows the same fundamental form as the cream-dialled SBGM221, with a 39.5mm round steel case, and the 24 scale nested neatly inside the typically faceted and polished Grand Seiko hour markers. And while the fundamental design of the watch may be familiar, it’s the details that stand out. On the back, the 9S66 movement is celebrated with a commemorative caseback in Grand Seiko’s distinctive dark blue. And while that’s nice, it’s the dial where the action is. Like other 9S commemorative models, the dial is printed with a radial mosaic pattern, a pretty repeating motif of ‘G’ ‘S’ and the older Daini Seikosha logo. And while the other 9S anniversary pieces make liberal use of colour, the SBGM235 keeps it clean with a plain silver dial, with the exception of the GMT functions (hands and hour indicators) in blue. It’s a classy and distinguished Grand Seiko that wears well on the wrist, and…
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Story in a second: All the complications you could possibly want in a Panerai, in a small(er) package. There’s something about Panerai that I’ve always found fascinating. I don’t know if it’s because of the instantly recognisable shape of the case, the origins of the brand as a supplier of wrist-worn diving instruments to the Italian Navy, or simply the fact that they have got a certain presence on the wrist. Whatever it is, I’ve always wanted to get one, but it took a little while for me to find the right one. Other than the fact that they represent a fairly sizeable investment, I was concerned that the typical 44mm or 47mm models would look too bulky on my wrist. This all changed recently, when I got my hands on the *takes a deep breath* Luminor 1950 3 Days GMT Power Reserve Automatic Acciaio 42mm, better known as the PAM01537. The dial The dial itself is black, with a beautiful “Clous de Paris”, or Paris hobnail textured pattern, which, rather romantically, takes inspiration from the streets of Paris. The luminous Arabic numerals and hour markers are in the classic Panerai style, easily legible in any environment. The watch has two…
Celebrating the 50th anniversary of the supersonic aircraft, Concorde, Bremont have just released a trio of limited-edition models that not only pay homage but also incorporate a small piece of the iconic passenger jet in each case. Growing up, I remember being in absolute awe of the Concorde. With its air-piercing design and droop-down nose section – tilting down during take-offs and landings so the pilots could see the runway – and its way pushed back ogee-shaped wings that made it look like it was already moving at twice the speed of sound before it even left the hangar. Ten-year-old me would have given anything to be a passenger on just one sound-barrier-breaking transatlantic flight – hell, even now, 30-something-year-old me would do some bad things. The days of the Concorde were numbered, however, and British Airways retired its supersonic fleet on October 24, 2003, with the final worldwide flight taking place on November 26, 2003 – 34 years after it first took to the skies in 1969. Partnering with British Airways, aluminium from Alpha Bravo – the G-BOAB Concorde, which is in storage at Heathrow Airport – has been machined into a ring that sits just below the Bremont…
Editor’s note: The worlds of watches and cars have long been intertwined. Sharing countless similarities in their design and engineering, not to mention many and varied brand partnerships. It’s a match made in mechanical heaven. Here, Felix and Time+Tide friend, Ben, take us through five car and watch pairings with money-making potential. Whenever long-term friend (and sometime contributor) to T+T Ben Zachariah drops into the office, talk quickly turns to the fact that in every car guy there’s a watch guy waiting to get out (and vice versa). Because although Ben is very much into the horological, he’s even more into the automotive; unsurprising, given that he’s the man behind car investment firm Harris & Silverman. And with watch brands targeting their classic car tie-ins more aggressively than ever before — as well as a certain Daytona hitting the block — our chats about these two intersecting interests have taken more of a speculative edge. With the big names, like Porsche and Rolex, already commanding hefty premiums, we started thinking about the ‘next big things’. So, we set a challenge: Ben would come up with five cars, from the ’70s to today, that he believes have solid investment potential, and I’d come…
Editor’s note: Well, it’s October, so it’s fair to say that the year is — like the mainspring of a watch left on the bedside table for most of the weekend — slowly winding down. And for watch-loving folks, this means three things: One, we can start reviewing the year that was. Two, watches released this year are *theoretically* now available, though that’s not exactly the case with Rolex these days. And three, we can start hoping and dreaming about 2019. So, what better time to share our favourite Rolex releases. What a time to be alive! Cola was the hot topic leading up to Baselworld 2018 when it came to speculation about new Rolex releases. Would the Big Crown twist the lid off a new ‘Coke’, a two-colour red and black Cerachrom bezel GMT-Master II model, or rather open a cold can of Pepsi, referring to the two-colour red and blue Cerachrom bezel GMT-Master II? The fact that it was the latter was not a surprise as much as the fact that it was in stainless steel, or ‘Oystersteel’, as 904L steel is to be known henceforth. The new generation Jubilee bracelet choice, as well as a new movement — the 3285, extending…
It’s a tale as old as time: Chad meets watches, Chad meets Seiko, Chad meets Instagram, and the rest is, as we say, history. In his own words, Chad tells us his story of buying vintage for the first time, and why he chose the Seiko 6105. When did you first see/hear about it? I first learned about the Seiko 6105 shortly after becoming interested in watch collecting about 12 years ago. One of my entry watches was the Seiko SKX007. I quickly became curious about other Seiko models and learned that Seiko had a rich history of dive watches. Online forums, like Watchuseek, had many threads that traced the lineage of Seiko dive watches from the legendary 62MAS, released in 1965, up to modern day. I basically fell in love with all of them, but the 6105 really caught my eye. Made from 1970-1977, the 6105 came in two versions: one with a slim case, and one with the more recognisable cushion case. The latter was the one that spoke to me. The shape of the case was so unique and alluring. It somehow looked elegant and rugged at the same time, like a UFO that would be at…
Editor’s note: The Divers Sixty-Five from Oris might be a few years old now, but that in no way, shape or form makes it any less of an excellent watch. In fact, as far as bang-for-buck entry-level Swiss automatics go, it’s still hard to beat the retro style and solid quality of this everyday diver. Story in a second No risk of second-album syndrome here – this slightly larger take on the Divers Sixty-Five is a worthy, if slightly more mainstream, follow-up to the original release. There must be something good in the water at Hölstein, because Oris has been on fire lately. The 100 per cent mechanical brand has always had a solid following, thanks to its no-fuss divers and pilot pieces, but even though the watches represent excellent bang for buck, they’ve always been a little under the radar. That changed last year with the release of the original Divers Sixty-Five, a pitch-perfect reissue that hit all the right notes. Well, Oris has been busy making hay while the sun shines. There are now several new dial versions of the original model, as well as a 42mm limited edition bronze piece, which we’ll be tackling in-depth next week. Today, though, we’re…
The end of the year is fast approaching, and it’s about this time that the questions begin. “Hey Cam, what watches do you think we’ll see next year?” And although I’m not one to usually speculate – mainly because the watch industry is an infamously secretive place and I hate being proved wrong – by looking back at the past few years, it’s easier to paint a picture of the future by exploring the themes and trends we can expect to see continue and emerge when the new-release season begins. More green Without a doubt, one of the biggest trends of the last few years is a blue-coloured dial. And while the use of the accommodating shade shows no sign of slowing, its greener offspring has begun to make itself known in the industry. Green may not be quite as adaptable as blue, but there’s still plenty of versatility to the colour. From sober dark hues to iridescent stunners. More serious watchmaking from non-watchmaking houses “Fashion watch” was once a pair of dirty words in the time-telling industry. Not anymore however, with couture brands like Bulgari, Chanel, Louis Vuitton, and Hermès introducing some straight horological fire the past few years.…
Humans are, by and large, social creatures. We thrive in communities, and derive strength, support and inspiration from others. At least, that’s the view if you’re an optimist. If you’re a glass half empty kinda person, feel free to replace the word community with mob. Either way, these broad general principles apply to watches. The true lone wolf is rare, and most of us look to others for our wrist-based inspiration and validation. And it’s true of us, too. Come with us, as the T+T team share the tales of watches they bought because other people told them to. Cam’s herd mentality Halios To be honest, I’ve never really bought a watch because someone directly told me to, but I do like to do my research before I buy. And the lovely folk around the various online watch forums can be a wealth of information, as well as a little … well … shall we say persuasive. And one that I did purchase after reading countless praising posts was this Halios Delfin. Needless to say, I wasn’t disappointed, but in a very regretful stupor I later sold it to fund another purchase. The only saving grace was that it went…
Editor’s note: Had someone mentioned word of a sporty, steel-cased watch with a ceramic bezel and a very clear automotive inspiration, my first thought would be that it’s a chronograph. But this is no chronograph; in fact, Tissot’s PRS 516 Automatic Small Second is something even more interesting. Introducing a novel and, quite frankly, ridiculously fun take on the small seconds to the collection, with more value than you can poke any one of its three seconds hands at. One of the most surprising watches I’ve seen this year is the Tissot PRS 516 Triple Seconds. Tissot has taken their stalwart, sporty PRS and given it a smart makeover, and does it at a very competitive price. At first glance you’d be forgiven for thinking that this watch is a chronograph; after all, the PRS is a pretty sporty line. But look again and you’ll notice that the dial and lack of pushers doesn’t add up. Instead, those three subdials all display running seconds, but in 20-second increments. So the first 20 seconds are displayed on the top right dial, the second 20 at the lower dial and so on. It doesn’t really add much in the way of functionality…