LIST: 5 of the greatest watch moments on Antiques Roadshow
I have a not-so-secret love in my heart for Antiques Roadshow — specifically the UK version, but the US version is pretty good, too. If you’re not familiar with the concept, it’s a show where random members of the public show up and have their junk/priceless artefacts evaluated by a range of hilariously eccentric antiques experts. And while a great part of the joy for me is finding out that creepy dolls can be crazy expensive, really it’s all about that moment they reveal the price and the owner of said crazy dolls (or carpet once owned by someone famous) either hides their sadness at not being sudden, surprise millionaires, or — equally as good — when they’re suddenly in possession of something really valuable and they pretend they’re not planning to sell it as soon as the cameras turn off. And while everything about Antiques Roadshow is pretty great, I especially love it when someone brings a watch on. So, in the interest of sharing my love, I scoured YouTube for five of the best. You’re welcome. Smith & Sons Pocket watch Let’s kick off with some classic Roadshow — there’s a lot to like here. The exceptionally dressed appraiser, the…
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When the Tudor Black Bay GMT debuted this year at Basel it would’ve been easy to describe it as being overshadowed by the much-hyped Rolex GMT that was also showcased. But it’s not that simple. The Tudor is a hit in its own right, and I knew I had to have one. I had to wait half a year before I could get my hands on one and I can safely say that Tudor has once again reinforced their reputation as a brand to watch. My first impression was … that it might be too big and therefore uncomfortable. The 41mm case, water resistant to 200m, which houses the amazing new manufacture MT5652 movement, is very thick, at 15mm top to bottom. I found the clever folks at Tudor have worked some subtle angles underneath the case sides and tapered the lugs in such an elegant fashion that the Black Bay GMT actually wears smaller than the dimensions suggest. My other initial thought was that this watch might be Tudor’s take on the Rolex GMT, but after my first full day of wear, it became clear that the Black Bay GMT was very much its own watch. Once I put it…
We have a bit of a man crush in the Time+Tide office on English actor Tom Hardy. After a film debut in Ridley Scott’s Black Hawk Down there has rarely been a misstep in his career — from Batman’s arch rival, Bane, in The Dark Knight Rises to taking over the mantle of Max Rockatansky in Mad Max: Fury Road. More than just his choices in playing legendary characters, this fascination with Tom Hardy is arguably more about his swagger, cool demeanour and seeming disdain for the traditional celebrity culture — opting to keep his personal life … well, private. He has shown little tolerance for interviews and press junkets (you can see one his finer moments tearing through an interviewer here), and even keeps his charity efforts with The Prince’s Trust on the down-low (which should answer everyone’s questions as to why he was a guest at the royal wedding). With his latest film, Venom, hitting theatres today, we take the opportunity to look at Tom’s career, by way of the watches he’s worn in them. 2012, This Means War, Christian Dior Chiffre Rouge In 2012, Tom played Tuck, a loose cannon CIA operative who is pitted against his partner when they discover…
Here at Time+Tide we are constantly finding ourselves getting caught up in what’s new and improved – taking it upon ourselves to keep you guys updated on the latest in watch releases (it’s a tough job, I know, but someone has to do it). Every once in a while, however, we like to look back and catch up on the ones we missed. And, well, frankly we also love a chronograph, so we couldn’t resist getting our hands on Zenith’s Chronomaster El Primero 42mm. It doesn’t matter if you’re a seasoned collector or a fresh-faced newcomer to the world of watches, the history of Zenith’s El Primero high-beat chronograph will forever be a fascinating story to tell. Released in 1969 as one of the world’s first three automatic chronographs (alongside Breitling/Heuer’s Chronomatic and Seiko’s Speedtimer), the famed high-beat calibre is today as iconic as the watches it features in – ranging from Hublot’s Spirit of Big Bang to Bulgari’s Octo Chronograph. Perhaps the most well-known partnership, however, is the calibre’s adoption by Rolex, which saw modified versions of the El Primero used inside the newly modernised Daytonas of the 1990s. In fact, if it wasn’t for the El Primero, the…
Editor’s note: As much as I enjoy my morning ritual of choosing, winding, and setting my watch for the day ahead, I am not a morning person. And sometimes all I want to do is grab & go. That’s where watches like this pair of solar-powered Seiko Prospex divers come in handy. Hotter than hot, they both offer a rock-solid option that is ready and waiting to take on the day, even when I’m not. Seiko has just released three limited edition black divers, and they couldn’t be hotter. We’ve already shown you the automatic SRPC49K, but there are two solar options on the table as well. The SSC673P is a stealthy version of the SSC618P we looked at a little while ago. It’s worth noting that in these images the 15-minute demarcation period on the bezel is quite pale. We shot a pre-production model, and I’m not sure if the colour will be the same on the final model. It measures 43.5mm across and is powered by the cal. V175. Seiko Prospex SSC673P Moving onto the SNE493P. With the now familiar black and orange colour scheme, this solar diver has a raised chapter ring that adds a nice amount of…
Last week, Montblanc officially opened their seventh Australian boutique, at Chadstone in Melbourne – Australia’s largest high-end shopping precinct. And I must say that Montblanc looked right at home, nestled amidst some of the largest luxury and fashion names in the world. The brand has a strong presence in Australia, with six other dedicated retail spaces dotted across the country, but none of them looks quite like this — as this boutique has been made in line with their new Neo2 design concept, designed by Noé Duchaufour-Lawrance. It’s intended to be more relaxed, a nice change from the sometimes intimidating boutique experience. The space is open and inviting, almost living room-like, except that no one I know has a living room this stylish or pristine. And while the space itself was relaxing, what I was really excited about was what was inside: walls of writing instruments and timepieces — including a few special higher-end pieces, like the TimeWalker Chronograph Rally Timer — and leather goods. I was particularly keen to see the new (Montblanc M)Red, which is seriously sexy, as well as Montblanc’s new high-end hard cases, the #MY4810 collection, which looks set to go toe-to-toe with Rimowa. Watches, however,…
I don’t think we’d be telling anyone anything new by saying vintage is sooo hot right now. Price escalation, predominantly driven by the vintage Rolex market at auction, has created incredible demand for vintage timepieces. But it can seem we get the short end of the stick in the land Down Under when it comes to access, quality and quantity of vintage stock. That being said, the Australian pre-owned watch market is abuzz with quality buys at the moment, if you look hard enough. So we took it upon ourselves to explore just some of the timepieces available right now, across our great land. Here are five of the best vintage watches available in the Australian market. 1967 Tudor Oyster Prince ref. 7928 – $11,995 The rapid escalation in vintage Rolex prices is now being reflected in prices for late ’60s and early ’70s divers from Rolex sister brand, Tudor. This example is about as original as you’ll find. The bracelet has been discarded, likely from years of wear, while the original dial and hands have a beautiful patina, which reflects the age. There’s no box or papers – but who needs them? This one is a keeper. View the listing…
I think we’ve all found ourselves in a similar situation to this before: you wake up, the morning after a big night out and all is seemingly well. At least until the night’s events start trickling back into your mind’s eye, and an odd sensation begins to stir deep down inside, giving you the feeling that things are not quite as they should be. You then roll over and notice something lying there next to you, something that in the unforgiving morning light is not what you were first expecting to see … Flashing before your eyes is a notification from eBay, exclaiming, “Congratulations! You won this item.” And before you even have time to react, the regret has started to sink in. Frequently associated with the purchase of expensive items like a house or a car, buyer’s remorse is a very real thing in the watch world. After all, we all know that our much-loved pieces of wrist candy can sometimes come attached to hefty price tags. However, it’s not always the money that is the biggest factor, because buyer’s remorse occurs most frequently when we must make a difficult decision. Stemming from a cognitive dissonance that arises when…
Editor’s note: The watch industry is, in general, pretty big on segmentation. According to them, we should be wearing something different for every different activity in our lives. But that way madness lies. I’m a fan of watches that fit a range of purposes, and ranges don’t come much wider than sports AND luxury. So, in that spirit, here are five of the best … Sports luxury is one of those ephemeral subgenres in watchland that hides a multitude of sins. It’s easy for a watch maker to label any oversized solid-gold diver as sports luxe, but the reality is that most of these watches will never see any actual sports time. Frankly, that’s not good enough. So we found a select handful of timepieces that you could wear with ease on the court or in the boardroom. Patek Philippe Aquanaut I was never really on team Aquanaut, but then I caught up with David and his ‘one watch’ Patek Philippe, and I just got it. Like the Rolex, the Aquanaut has the winning combo of rubber strap and slender case. But beyond that there’s a dazzling mix of finishings, an interesting dial and top-notch movement. Beautiful but not delicate.…
Editor’s note: For a little under two centuries, Ulysse Nardin have been making marine chronometers fit for the captains and commanders of the ocean. In recent years, however, with watches like their Freak and Executive Skeleton collections, they’ve quickly propelled themselves to the forefront of watchmaking — being the first to use the innovative material silicon in their movements. The Marine Chronometer Torpilleur combines the best of both those worlds, so without further ado … Story in a second The Marine Chronometer Torpilleur shows a new, focused and driven face of Ulysse Nardin. I’m going to start this review talking not about mechanical watches, but naval warfare. In the late 19th and early 20th century, naval dominance was all about massive floating fortresses, with thick plate armour and a massed battery of cannons. These ships, which culminated in the dreadnought class of battleships, were the undisputed masters of the seas. To counter these ungainly behemoths, the Torpilleur, or torpedo boat, was developed. Streamlined, fast and modern, the Torpilleurs were armed with the latest technology — the self-propelled torpedo. These low-cost boats were intended as battleship-killers and presented a real threat to the dominance of the big ships. Now, do you really…