INTRODUCING: 5 new Panerai Radiomir 1940s – the Mediterraneo Edition, inspired by the deep blue sea
Panerai has just dropped a quintet of new, boutique-only watches and they are straight fire. These watches, called the Mediterraneo Edition, are all in Radiomir 1940 cases, and include a 42mm steel automatic (PAM00933), a 45mm GMT and a 45mm GMT with power reserve (PAM00945 and PAM00946 respectively), a red gold 45mm automatic (PAM00934), and a large 47mm hand-winder (PAM00932). Now, aside from the cases, what unites all these watches are the dials. The dials on these watches are a gradient blue, produced using an exclusive manufacturing process. These sort of smoky, graduated dials are really on-trend right now, and Panerai’s execution looks – from stock images at least – exceptional. Lighter in the centre and fading to an inky black, they really do evoke a deep, dark ocean, and the contrast with the cream-coloured print and luminous materials is on point. We’re looking forward to seeing all these models (particularly the red gold, which should be stunning) in real life, when they arrive in boutiques in mid-to-late September. But if you like what you see, don’t delay, as apparently they’re very popular. Panerai Radiomir 1940 Mediterraneo Edition Australian pricing Panerai Radiomir 1940 Mediterraneo Edition PAM00933 (42mm, Automatic), $13,850;…
The post INTRODUCING: 5 new Panerai Radiomir 1940s – the Mediterraneo Edition, inspired by the deep blue sea appeared first on Time and Tide Watches.
When jetting off overseas, I like to pack light and travel easy. Between checking-in and shuffling my way through airport security and customs, to managing the sleepy-eyed excitement, that usually leads to increased bouts of forgetfulness. For me, the entire experience must be as uncomplicated as possible. That’s where a very handy GMT watch comes in. And scheduled for release in the next six months, Grand Seiko has just announced three brand-new dual-time-telling additions. Combining the dependability and high-end ability of Grand Seiko’s 9F quartz calibre with the functionality of a GMT. As synonymous with Grand Seiko as Zaratsu polishing and being hand-assembled (which, mind you, are also traits of these new additions), the quartz calibre 9F has been combined with a GMT complication for the very first time, creating the calibre 9F86. With the calibre’s impressive list of features – that already consist of a zero-backlash seconds hand, dial-edge reaching minute and seconds hands, and individually selected and aged quartz crystals – increased to now include a GMT complication with an independently adjustable hour hand. Also, despite the addition of the extra hand, the thickness of the familiar 39mm cases has only been increased slightly, to 12.1mm — thanks to…
Welcome to the land of tomorrow! No, you haven’t just stumbled out of a cryogenic chamber, à la Futurama. TAG Heuer have just unveiled the most modern version yet of their decisive dive watch, the Aquaracer 300M, sporting a brand-new carbon costume, and available in three different colourways. Starting today, each carbon-based model will be available exclusively through TAG Heuer boutiques and online around the globe. Blacked-out with a PVD coating, each version features a 41mm Grade 5 titanium case, and is then topped by a unidirectional rotating bezel that’s been crafted by a random injection of carbon fibres into a resin pressed at high temperatures. This produces a marbling black and grey effect that means no two Aquaracers are the same. As with previous versions, cases are rated to 300 metres of water resistance, and inside is where you’ll find a familiar automatic Calibre 5 movement. Separating the three models are highlights of blue, yellow, or rose gold, which can be seen on their black nylon straps, as well as on the minute markers, hands, polished logo, and text of their carbon-look dials. Similar in style to this year’s other carbon crowd-puller, the TAG Heuer Monaco Bamford – which…
Editor’s note: Omega’s Speedmaster is famous for being worn in space, but it’s not every day you meet one that has, well, actually been worn in space. Yet, that’s exactly what happened when Andy Green noticed the beaten-up Speedy on an astronaut’s wrist … A little while ago, I was in Sydney attending a conference for my day job. The opening speaker was Ron Garan Jr, a former NASA astronaut, who’s travelled 71 million miles for work, spent 178 days in space, orbited Earth 2842 times and enjoyed a grand total of 27 hours and three minutes taking part in EVAs (extravehicular activity) over four spacewalks. As Ron took the stage to share his experiences on the International Space Station (ISS), giving the sort of perspective that only an astronaut can have, I found myself a little distracted. You see, in the world of semi-pro watch-spotting, nothing is as cool as an astronaut’s watch, so all I could do was stare at his wrist with laser-like focus. From several rows back, it was obviously an Omega bracelet, but I was thrown by the chunkier case and unusual dial configuration. I couldn’t pick the model. Driven by a need to find out more, I hustled…
2018 is a fascinating time to be a watch collector, and as we can all agree — social media has an impact on the hobby we all love. This impact has been felt at all levels, whether that be market prices of specific ‘hot watches’, an increase in consumer influence over the design of watches, and the way watches are not only announced but ultimately sold. Whether the impact is positive or negative is open to interpretation. In recent years, we’ve not only seen all the major brands jump onto Instagram (thanks for joining us, Patek) but a notable increase in activity from the CEOs driving these brands. After all, it’s a great way to engage the audience, release new info — and, of course, promote the brand! Today we take a look at five watch industry executives, who are at the top of the ’gram game. Jean-Claude Biver – LVMH Watch Division – @JCBiver First up, the legendary Jean-Claude Biver, President of the LVMH Watch Division, Chairman of Hublot and Zenith, and CEO of TAG Heuer. Aside from being an industry tycoon, Mr Biver was one of the first CEOs we saw not only taking up but embracing the use of social…
A Swiss watch is a near-universally recognised symbol for quality, precision and tradition. And while that’s all well and good, there’s another thing that fine Swiss watches tend to be synonymous with — and that’s high sticker prices. And broadly speaking that perception is true — I constantly find myself uttering phrases like “this $60,000 watch offers tremendous value”, and Justin recently went into a little bit of detail as to why that’s the case. But, let’s be real here, that sort of watch is for the very few. But you know what? Just because the median price of a Swiss mechanical watch is the equivalent of a decent car, that doesn’t mean there aren’t outliers. So, we’ve rounded up six quality mechanical offerings, mostly from large, established brands with storied histories, all offering watches at under $1500. So if you’re looking for your first good watch, or are just a sucker for great value, check these out. Mido Commander Shade If there’s one valid complaint to make about watches offered at the more accessible end of the spectrum, it’s that they can tend to look a little samey. That’s one accusation no one will be throwing at the Commander…
In May last year, Tudor unveiled a brand new tagline – #BornToDare – and with it, a suitably daring ambassador, David Beckham. The choice of Beckham was a bold one on several fronts: he’s a bona fide A-lister with massive international star power, propelling Tudor to the next level of mainstream visibility. But beyond that, Beckham is a pretty perfect fit for the brand, as is clearly evident in the newest chapter in the brand’s #BornToDare campaign. Beckham, as captured by noted fashion photographer David Sims, is clad head-to-toe in natural, neutral tones and fabrics – a subdued colour palette perfectly in keeping with the Black Bay Bronze on his wrist. I’ve spent hours writing thousands of words on the Black Bay Bronze, about its rugged reliability, casual charms and individual patina, but it turns out that a picture does speak a thousand words, as the entire vibe of the watch is neatly encapsulated in this single picture. This campaign also sees Beckham don flannel and denim to go with the Black Bay Fifty-Eight, and appear in a series of videos where he tells stories of family, life on the pitch, and his first Tudor — a vintage model with its…
Editor’s note: The Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG) is the industry’s premier awards ceremony. One of the most exciting (and accessible) categories is the Petite Aiguille, which is open to watches with a retail price between 4000 – 10,000 CHF. The GPHG Jury has selected a shortlist of six watches, from a longlist of 21. The Longines Record in rose gold is one of the watches. It’s an interesting choice: a very classical design, COSC-rated movement and a lovely gold case. And while it’s up against some strong competition, it’s great to see this Longines, which represents something of a return to the brand’s classical roots, get recognition at the highest level. The awards take place on November 9. Last year, Longines doubled down with the release of the Record collection. Illustrating just how serious they are about creating classically handsome and highly accurate watches, with price tags that won’t break the bank. The result was their first ever COSC-certified collection that combined a variety of dial options and colours, with four different sizes of stainless-steel cases. I’ll admit that while the collection remained steady in the Longines wheelhouse, there was just that little something missing to completely draw me…
Editor’s note: Hublot’s heart beats to the rhythm of the in-house Unico movement. So it makes sense that their centrepiece collection, the Big Bang — with its heavily open-worked dial — is where the Art of Fusion brand shows it off. This year, they slimmed down the dimensions of their 2010-born Unico HUB 1242 movement, dubbing it the HUB 1280 and popping it inside a selection of smaller-sized cases. From King Gold to titanium, and a few stops in between, this is the thinner and slimmer 42mm Hublot Big Bang Unico Chronograph. Amidst the pile of big and bold Hublot offerings at Baselworld 2018, it was a pleasant surprise to see a rare level of conservatism land on the table in the form of a more compact Big Bang Unico Chronograph — four references measuring 42mm in diameter, offered in King Gold, King Gold and ceramic, titanium and ceramic, and the titanium and ceramic model seen here. For some, one of the biggest gripes about the Big Bang is its significant presence on the wrist, and after closer examination, this slightly reduced variant puts the chronograph on just enough of a diet. Vital statistics Visually speaking, the new 42mm Big Bang Unico…
We here at Time+Tide are particularly proud of Australian actor Chris Hemsworth … all right, we man-crush hard on the big fella. And not just because of his ruggedly handsome good looks, which give us regular Aussie men a good name around the world, but because the dude just gets how to wear watches. In GQ’s latest episode of YouTube series “Actually Me”, the Hollywood star goes not-so-deep undercover, creating real accounts for websites Quora, Twitter and IMDB, amongst a few others. And answering questions while flexing his Aussie-bred brand of humour. What captured our attention, though, wasn’t the fact that Thor would (and has) beat Captain America. in an arm wrestle, but, rather, the shimmer of gold that flashed on Hemsworth’s wrist – a 2015-released TAG Heuer Carrera Calibre 7 Glassbox in 18k gold. Considering he’s a proud TAG Heuer ambassador, it wasn’t so surprising. But wearing a dark-coloured sweater with his sleeves rolled up and subtle tats on show … never has a gold watch looked so good.