ANNOUNCING: If you’re thinking about buying an Autavia, now is the time to move – our Collector’s Packs are on sale today
Our Autavia plus Collector’s Packs go on sale today. Last week, we announced that we’ve put together a Collector’s Pack to include with our limited sale of 10 TAG Heuer Autavia Calibre Heuer 02 watches. Today, the sale is live — you can check it out right now in the shop. The sale is for a few reasons, not least because we’re big fans of the watch and the movement – at its price, a manufacture chronograph with on-point panda looks is a solid proposition. It’s also because we wanted to throw a bit of a bash to celebrate co-founder of Time+Tide and the man behind Calibre 11, David Chalmers’ big win with the ‘Jo Siffert Collector’s Edition’. The real drawcard for buyers who can get to Melbourne in August is the lunch where David, one of the world’s leading Heuer experts, will do a Q&A about the experience of launching a Limited Edition with a brand as big as TAG Heuer. We have loads of questions, as we’re sure you will too. It’s going to be a big day. All buyers are invited, with a plus one for that special other watch lover, or tolerant better half, who will, at…
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Late last week, Dan innocently asked a question: “Hey, what watches would you get for $20k?” Let’s just say it opened a can of worms as well as some fast and furious debate. So, in the name of science, posterity and good old-fashioned entertainment, I decided to formalise this challenge. The rules? You have a budget of $20,000 AUD to fill up your fantasy watch box. You can buy as many or as few watches as you like, but you have to spend as close to the budget as possible. Pricing is retail, or market value if the watch is discontinued. And the final kicker? You can’t choose any watches you currently own … because where’s the fun in that? Cam’s awesome foursome Let’s have some fun. They say variety is the spice of life, well I love my food peppery and my wrist extra spicy. That’s why my fantasy collection is all about diversity. I don’t need a watch for every occasion, but I would like to have a few that can cover off a number of situations. There’s something for the weekend and for the office, something old and something bold. Tudor Black Bay GMT Travel has always been…
In our office it’s easy to get a little jaded to the wrist-sized awesomeness that visits the office on the regs. But last week our sense of wonder was well and truly present as H. Moser’s Bertrand Meylan dropped in before the Melbourne leg of his Australian roadshow. We were blown away because he had with him what seemed to be the entire Moser collection. Venturers, Pioneers, Alps – you name it. He even had a few special pieces that we can’t tell you about … yet. And in between photo sessions (I’ve rarely seen our photographer Jason look happier) and table tennis battles, I found some time to chat to Bertrand about all things Moser. Now, I’ll admit, I was a little wary in preparing for this one. I’ve seen how his brother Edouard handles generic marketing ideas, so I suspected I’d get similar treatment if my line of questioning turned to the old favourites of production numbers, SIHH vs Baselworld, and anything involving DNA. So I thought I’d ask some lol-worthy-yet-ultimately-insightful questions about the brand’s Very Rare tagline. Things like “fine art is also very rare — what’s the art world equivalent of Moser?” (I reckon Rothko FWIW).…
You all know the feeling. You spend months or even years dreaming about them, they become the background screen on your phone, tablet, and laptop. You sit at your desk at work, and lay awake in bed at night skimming the internet for every possible trace of them. You’re infatuated, obsessed even, with even the remote possibility that they may one day become a part of your life. You may have never even felt their soft touch brush against your skin, but inherently you know … One day, someday, they will be yours. That’s right, the watch crush is real. We’ve all had them, and they always beg the same question: Will the crush live up to the hype? Will all the lust and wonder and infatuation come to fruition, or will it all come crashing down in one of those moments of realisation that sometimes is better left unfulfilled? This is exactly the situation I faced. The Rolex GMT-Master II BLNR — known in our circles as the “Rolex Batman” — was just that crush for me since the first time I saw it. Anyone who knows me knows that I’m much more independent brand focused, and there’s seldom…
Let me level with you. There’s an official tie-in between this watch and the oh-so-English Goodwood Festival of Speed, one of the world’s leading events for motor enthusiasts. I could spend the next few hundred words talking about the synergy between the automotive and the horological (don’t get me wrong, there are real and entirely meaningful links), but for someone who hasn’t been to Goodwood and isn’t a “car guy” per se (I leave that to Andy), the backstory is kind of beside the point. The point being that this is an absolutely awesome-looking watch. First unveiled last year, the TimeWalker Manufacture Chronograph was already a pretty big step up for Montblanc’s core sports collection, as it graduated to the big boy leagues with a solid in-house column wheel chrono. The first generation, with its panda face, was a pretty good-looking offering, but this vintage-tuned model is even better. The base dial is a rich creamy colour, which looks like it was inspired by faded tropical dials or the rich, ivory paper stock (both work for a Montblanc watch). The subdials are a contrasting deep brown, while the rally-style strap is a glorious golden tan. It’s not all old school,…
In January 2017, Omega announced, with zero fanfare, a limited edition Speedmaster, made in collaboration with Fratello Watches, called Speedy Tuesday, named after the popular hashtag. Four-and-a-half hours later, all 2012 watches were gone. Well, hold onto your hats and get ready to flex those credit cards, because it looks like it’s about to happen again. The watch-oriented corners of social media have been buzzing with this intriguing image, part of what looks to be an email signed off by Omega President and CEO Raynald Aeschlimann. This image is also on Fratello’s Instagram with a single word caption: “Wait.” And as for the possible watch itself? Well, based on the image, speculation is leaning heavily in favour of the so-called Speedmaster Ultraman, a 1971 design made with an orange chronograph seconds hand. It’s a hot and somewhat controversial model much loved by Speedy fans. In short, the perfect choice for Speedy Tuesday II. I guess we’ll have to wait a few hours to find out. Our bet would be noon in Switzerland, which is 8PM AEST.
It started with a conversation. Two guys shooting the breeze. One of them, the Omega Museum Director, Petros Protopapas; the other, a publisher of content about watches — me. We were in Sydney, at the launch of the Australian flagship boutique in Martin Place, which is incidentally the largest Omega boutique in the world. I remember it was a beautiful summer’s day that was on the verge of becoming a midsummer night’s dream, starring Cindy Crawford and a harbourside mansion. An idea was forming about staging a “night at the museum”, at the Omega Museum, in Biel, Switzerland, opposite the ever-expanding Omega manufacture. Perhaps it was the cinematic ring to the name, “night at the museum”, but it caught the ear of Omega President Raynald Aeschlimann. Or that we’ve done two similar events in the past. First, the ‘Night of Omega firsts’. And then, ‘Her Journey Through Time‘, both starring Petros, who is an electric, eclectic M.C. “We should do this,” Mr Aeschlimann said. “We should definitely do this.” True to form, 18 months later, we did indeed. This time last week, to the minute just about, Omega invited a small number of international media, collectors and guest-speakers — around 30 in…
Famed comedian, actor and director Jerry Lewis, AKA the King of Comedy, died in August 2017 at the age of 91. He left behind the legacy of an incredible career that spanned over 60 years. Known for his slapstick humour, Lewis rose to fame in the ’40s and ’50s as one-half of comedy duo Martin and Lewis, with the equally legendary singer and actor, Dean Martin. He also left behind a substantial estate, filled with objects, both precious and pedestrian, that marked key milestones in his life. On June 22, Julien’s Auctions in Las Vegas sold an extensive 409-piece catalogue of Lewis memorabilia and personal effects, including his watches and jewellery collection. This auction proved that not all celebrity sales achieve the astronomical results we’re used to seeing through the might of Phillips, Sotheby’s and Christie’s, with what can only be described as underwhelming hammer prices. After a lifetime of achievement, Jerry’s own series of five Lifetime Achievement Awards brought in a lowly US$1600 for the set, and aside from two key watch sales — the LeCoultre gifted and inscribed by Dean Martin (achieving US$37,500) and the Patek Philippe gifted and inscribed by Sammy Davis Jr (achieving US$32,500) — the majority of…
Regular readers will be unsurprised to learn that we’re card-carrying fans of Moser’s Pioneer line here in the T+T office. Not only does it offer a dressed-down, somewhat less aristocratic option to the Moser family, but it also adds the joy of a steel case. Because while gold is very nice indeed, sometimes you’re happy to ditch the heft and shine in favour of something a little more hard wearing. Now, though, we’re in something of a quandary – blue or green? It was a simpler time when there was but one Pioneer Centre Seconds, with its luscious blue dial. But, with the addition of this Cosmic Green dial, we’re spoiled for choice. The green is somewhat more outré than the blue, and wouldn’t look out of place in the Emerald City. It’s certainly not a watch you’ll miss on the wrist – the large case size, incredible fumé finish and the vibrancy of the green ensure that. The original Pioneer is the slightly more conservative older brother to the funkier, fresher Cosmic Green. So really, at the end of the day it comes down to personal preference and mood. In the time I’ve been writing this, I’ve been trying…
A few years ago we were prepared to write off the use of bronze in watchmaking as something of a fad, limited to a few cult models. Well. We were wrong. The ancient alloy has boomed in popularity, thanks to its warm tones and, more importantly, the fact that it develops a unique patina over time. And while bronze cases look set to stick around, so far it’s a case material that’s found overwhelmingly in the heritage reissue aisle of the watch supermarket — which makes sense as it’s all about the old world charm. But, really, I think that’s a bit of a short-sighted choice. And it looks like someone at Rado agrees, as the HyperChrome Bronze offers a new path forward for the metal. It’s been selectively integrated into the sides of the case, while the bulk of the watch remains touch, and distinctly non-patina prone ceramic. It might be a meeting of new and old materials, but the thinking behind it is decidedly now.