EDITOR’S PICK: Want the ladies to notice your watch? Here are 5 steps to impress
Editor’s note: We all love a little bit of attention, right? And for a watch guy, one of the best feelings in the world is when someone notices what’s on your wrist. Even if it is just another one of the watch fam. But what if it’s someone else you’re trying to dazzle, a lady perhaps? To find out, read on … Firstly, let’s not delude ourselves: your timepiece is going to impress more men than women. That’s a given. Unless, of course, it’s awful. If that’s the case, you’ll be slaying precisely no one — and also, how did you find your way to Time+Tide? However, there are a few ways you can maximise your chances of making an impression on the fairer sex with your choice of wristwear, at least a little. Listen carefully. Step 1: Choose something less obvious Less obvious than what? Less obvious than the one you’re most likely to choose, obviously. Because even though that un-aerodynamic chunk of metal on your wrist never fails to dazzle your mates and colleagues, it’s unwise to assume it’ll have a similar effect on the ladies. In the same way that we go for personality and intelligence over model-perfect looks in a…
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For me, the HyperChrome Ultra Light is one of the coolest, cleanest watches in Rado’s collection. Yes, Rado’s heritage collection is earning some serious cred, and their design-y limited editions really showcase their high-tech capabilities. But for me it’s all about the HyperChrome Ultra Light. It’s a regular, round, daily wear watch (and a well-sized one at 43mm) — but with a twist. The watch weighs hardly anything — 56 grams — thanks to the high-tech ceramic and titanium case construction. It also looks good, with a clean, sunburst dial in a chameleonic black-brown colour, and minimal printed details. The gold-tone case sides add a subtle touch of bling, which keeps it from being overly or aggressively minimal. So, high-tech construction and timeless style with a twist — classic Rado. Rado HyperChrome Ultra Light Rado’s HyperChrome Ultra Light, $4125
If you happen to be a watch fan or a space enthusiast, this Thursday in Australia is the day you’ve been waiting for, with the opening of Universal Pictures’ First Man. Based on the book by James R. Hansen, the movie chronicles the life of Neil Armstrong in the years leading up to the historic Apollo 11 mission to the moon in 1969. It’s directed by Oscar-winning director Damien Chazelle, and stars known watch collector Ryan Gosling. It should come as no surprise then that a movie about the moon landing is also going to be Omega watch-spotting heaven. If you’re into watches (you’re here, so I’m going to assume you are) then you might already know the story of the famed Omega Moonwatch. But if not, I’ll quickly break it down. In 1964, NASA put the call out to the watch brands of the world, searching for a watch that could qualify for use on their manned missions. Officially announcing the Omega Speedmaster as “Flight Qualified for all Manned Space Missions” on March 1, 1965, and beginning the Speedmaster’s journey into space on the wrists of astronauts on the final Mercury missions as well as during the Gemini, Apollo, Skylab…
Editor’s note: When I began the hunt for my first “good” watch I came up with a list of certain criteria: a black dial, 40 – 44 mm case size, and good looks. However, the main one was that it needed to be a chronograph. It was the added allure of a more complex inside paired with an incredibly useful function that made the complication an absolute must-have in my eyes. Whether you feel the same, or have your own preferences, there’s more than one reason to love a chronograph. In fact, here are six … Chronographs are amongst the most popular complications with collectors. Perhaps because people use them for important timing events in their daily lives or — more likely — they speak to the spirit of adventure and action that’s hard to resist. Whatever the reason, here are six that have stood the test of time. Breitling Navitimer Rattrapante The Navi has been around since forever (or early ’50s at least), but we haven’t seen a split-seconds version before. Turns out it was worth the wait. $14,900 TAG Heuer Autavia One of TAG Heuer’s mightiest chronos is the Autavia, which is back in fine form for 2017. If your taste…
Editor’s note: An affordable Swiss-made tourbillon. Words like that were once considered something of an oxymoron. That all changed, however, when in 2016, TAG Heuer’s Carrera Heuer-02T came along, causing something of a stir amongst the watchmaking elite. Well, with this year’s release of the chronometer grade TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph Tourbillon Tête de Vipère, those shock waves are once again being felt. And we thought we’d revisit this interview with Director of the Research Institute for the Watch Division at LVMH, Mr Guy Sémon. With Felix asking the big questions, and seeking out just what it is that has the industry talking. One of the hottest topics at this year’s Baselworld fair was TAG Heuer’s ’20k tourbillon’. And that nickname is even more impressive when you translate it into US dollars, which gets it much closer to 15k. It represents the brand’s comparatively accessible take on that most hallowed (and most expensive) of complications. TAG Heuer’s aggressively priced Carrera Heuer-02T — which retails in Australia for $20,450 — stirred equal measures of surprise and scepticism. Patek Philippe President Thierry Stern held nothing back when he said that such a low-priced tourbillon was “nearly a joke”, commenting: “If [TAG Heuer are] willing to try to kill the quality…
Nothing hints at the story of a watch more than its imperfections. A thick scratch across the crystal. Could that have been a motorbike accident? A near miss with a switchblade? A ding in the otherwise smooth shoulder of the lugs. Something mundane like an errant car door, or seatbelt buckle on a plane? A particular burnishing to a deployant, suggesting an activity performed daily by the wearer, such as aluminium MacBook Pro scratches in the case of all my watches. No watch imperfections have moved me quite like the ones on this watch that Omega Museum Director Mr Petros Protopapas entrusted to my gloved hand in this extraordinary experience we captured on film. In it, I ask to do exactly that. It’s rather greedy to listen back to. What watch in the museum would I like to see? “Not a watch that was near the moon, or that orbited the moon … one that walked ON the moon.” The watch he handed me? A NASA-issued Omega Speedmaster ref. ST105.003 that belonged to Eugene ‘Gene’ Cernan, the last man to walk on the moon as the Commander of Apollo 17 in December 1972. I have stolen enough thunder here. I hope you…
It would be easy to dismiss the Luminor Due — Panerai’s latest fully fledged line — as a collection oriented towards women. After all, it’s the collection that houses 38 and 42mm watches. But the fact that I am on record as being more than a little partial to the 42mm model aside, there are the larger members of the Due family, PAMs 943 and 944 respectively. Both are 45mm steel cases, which sees them aimed firmly at the fellas. If the larger size wasn’t enough of a giveaway, the more subdued colour palette should cinch it. Gone are the playful blues and fashion-forward strap options, in favour of stunning, shimmering anthracite. And really, this is a watch where the dial shines over the details. Don’t get me wrong, the details are good — classic Panerai design codes rendered in rich ecru lume, with a smidgen of text and a date window thrown in for good measure — but they don’t compete with the richness of the dial texture. This is one of the dressiest Panerais I’ve had the pleasure of wearing, and that’s absolutely OK. This is a Luminor Due, after all. And while the dive watch heritage is there,…
In my eyes there’s no better backdrop than the French Riviera to launch a luxury dive watch. And it seems Ulysse Nardin think so too, unveiling four new iterations of their Diver Chronometer amongst the glamour and affluence at this year’s Monaco Yacht Show. Plotting a cleaner bearing for the collection with a host of aesthetic updates. Beginning with four brand new textured dials that replace the wave pattern found on the previous version of the Diver Chronometer. There are two regular production models – a deep blue and an all-black dial version — plus two limited editions: the grey-dialled Diver Great White (300 pieces), and a red and gold accented black dial version that’s been specially made to celebrate the Monaco Yacht Show (100 pieces), with the tiny country’s red and white flag displayed at 12 o’clock, and a unique date wheel reflecting this year’s show dates, with a red colouring for the 26th, 27th, 28th, and 29th date numerals. While each dial may differ slightly in colour, they all feature the exact same layout. An indicator at 12 o’clock helps keep track of the power reserve, while the date and a small seconds subdial are nestled neatly at…
The story of Omega’s Speedmaster “Tintin” is the tale of a watch that almost never was. The same goes for Nathan and his red-and-white chequered dial Speedy. When did you first see/hear about it? I have always found the most interesting watches to be unique variations of classic designs. The Tintin fits this description perfectly, and from the moment I saw it online, I knew I would eventually own one. It was actually a few years after it had been revealed that I decided to do a bit more research. What I uncovered was the most intriguing story about a failed partnership and a half-complete watch, one that should have never really come to market. Any story behind the purchase? There was quite a bit of drama surrounding the purchase! When I first saw this Tintin for sale in Brisbane I hesitated and unfortunately someone in Sydney bought it before me. However, a few months later I saw another for sale in Sydney and I made sure I wasn’t going to let it get away from me. When I got hold of the watch, it became clear that this Tintin was the same one that had been taken to Sydney…
Last month, we filled you guys in on “6 oddball watches of an oddball comedian”, following the announcement that Sotheby’s would be auctioning various collections of art, furniture and watches that Robin Williams shared with his second wife, Marsha Garces Williams. Well, the results are in, and wrapping up the New York auction with a sale total of just over $6 million USD, the majority of the 310 lots sold. As we expected, all 44 watches sold for more than their auction estimates. The biggest earner was a gold-plated rectangular quartz Hamilton that Williams wore during filming of Dead Poets Society, which sold for $32,500 USD after an estimate of $1000 – $2000 USD. The most expensive, selling for $52,500 USD, was a white gold Franck Muller minute repeating tourbillon, which had an initial estimate of $25,000 – $35,000 USD. Below we’ve listed a few of our favourites, as well as the results of our 6 oddball picks. But for the full list, be sure to visit the Sotheby’s site. Lot 118 Azimuth Estimate $500 – $1000 USD. Sold $3500 USD Lot 119 Ikepod Hemipode Estimate $500 – $1500 USD. Sold $7500 USD Lot 129 Alain Silberstein Triple Calendar and…