LIST: 7 envy-instilling green dials
Today we’re following up on last week’s batch of blue-dialled watches with seven of the freshest green dials on the block. Green is shaping up to be the new en vogue colour, and I suspect that if we ran this list next year, we’d easily be able to double the number of entrants. Montblanc 1858 Monopusher Chronograph Limited Edition Let’s kick off with one of the first green watches of 2018, the oh-so-hot 1858 Monopusher from Montblanc. And while the smoky, graduated green dial is a looker, the real winning features are that the case is 40mm, and in the people’s metal — steel! 28,000 euro Seiko 1968 Automatic Diver’s Commemorative Limited Edition There’s one thing about dive watches … they can be a tad, how do we say, monochromatic. Well, that’s not the issue with this limited edition Seiko; not only is the dial a deep, dark, mossy green, but there’s also a green ceramic bezel. The only issue will be getting your hands on one. $5300 Omega Seamaster 300 Malachite This Omega is pretty much the polar opposite of the Seiko, except for the green ceramic bezel. Yellow gold and seductive dial cut from malachite, a semi-precious stone, is…
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Earlier this week we showed you a behind-the-scenes peek at how Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Polaris is put together. Well, we kick it up a notch and have a look at some of the brand’s most complicated — and most beautiful — pieces, find out a little bit about how they’re made, and meet the talented artisans who make them. Central to this story is Christian Laurent, JLC’s master watchmaker, a man with a twinkle in his eye and a clear passion for his work. During my visit, Mr Laurent presented JLC’s high complications, running through the brand’s achievements — innovative watches like the Duomètre and the Gyrotourbillon — which clearly demonstrate Jaeger-LeCoultre’s high-end credentials. Speaking to him later, Mr Laurent expanded on the importance of humans in making those watches: “We don’t make hundreds of pieces; for high complications it’s always very limited numbers — only the human hand is capable of doing these things.”
Start a conversation about vintage wristwatches and you’ll inevitably end up down a military history rabbit hole. With collectors and everyday buyers alike appreciating – and downright loving – the connection these simple military-issued watches have to history. A history that began with the First World War, where a “luminous wristwatch with unbreakable glass” was the first item on a British officer’s kit list. Nowadays, however, you don’t need to be one of the “few good men” to own one, with no shortage of brands out there offering all the legibility, strength and usability of a great military-inspired watch. Like Californian microbrand Seals Watch Co and their latest release, the Model C Field Explorer. Vital statistics World War II saw the introduction of a set of design requirements that now defines the military watch aesthetic we know today. And re-creating these guidelines, the Model C Field Explorer uses a lightly granulated black dial (also available in blue), Arabic numeral hour markers, luminous hour and minutes hands, a railroad minute track, sapphire crystal and a stainless-steel case. Measuring 40.5mm across and 11.40mm thick, the case is shaped like the battle tanks of the 1940s, with a water resistance of 200 metres,…
Rado is synonymous with a pioneering use of high-tech ceramic in watches. Attractively sleek, the material is lightweight, hypoallergenic, and virtually scratchproof, making it perfectly suited to watchmaking. However, not so much for those of us who like our watches with a peppering of patina, and enjoy a little wabi-sabi action every now and again. That’s where the brand new Rado HyperChrome Bronze comes in. Combining one of the most modern materials in watchmaking with the world’s oldest alloy. It’s an intriguing mix. Vital statistics This limited edition of Rado’s everyday HyperChrome chronograph retains its scratch-resistant ceramic, monobloc case. Only now it’s finished in a matt black, and then paired with side inserts that are constructed from a quick-to-patina bronze alloy – including the chronograph pushers and crown. Measuring 45mm across and 13mm thick, the case is water resistant to 100 metres, and features a polished black ceramic bezel printed with a tachymeter scale. While a curved sapphire crystal on the front gives view to the vertically brushed black dial, with rose gold applied indices and hands, and a three-register layout that shows the running seconds at three, chronograph minutes at nine, chronograph hours at six, and a discreet colour-matched…
Editor’s note: Earlier this week we ran a video that looked at Jaeger-LeCoultre’s new Polaris collection. While this video was being put together I found myself referring back to Andy’s article from earlier this year, which looked at the very interesting Polaris backstory. So here it is again, the story behind the Polaris. And, yes, I’m still holding out hope for a Polaris II. Today we’re looking back at the iconic Jaeger-LeCoultre Memovox Polaris, an extremely rare and somewhat mysterious dive watch — which lately has been garnering a lot of attention. The Memovox Polaris was an extremely functional offering, delivered by Jaeger-LeCoultre during a time when the world was fascinated by deep sea exploration. The 1950s and ’60s are referred to as the ‘golden age’ of dive watchmaking, and the Polaris was certainly a highlight of that period, which is why we’re taking a look at it today. Most of you should be familiar with the famous Jaeger-LeCoultre Memovox, given recent reissue pieces and famous ‘barn finds’ in the last few years. But if you’re new to the JLC Memovox Polaris (ref E859), we can understand why. Only 1714 were made — making it far less common than the Memomox timepieces…
The tit-for-tat battle between Piaget and Bulgari for title of “Master of the Ultrathin” rages on, and it would seem Bulgari has struck another blow at Baselworld in 2018 with the new Octo Finissimo Tourbillon Automatic. The new piece dethrones Piaget’s latest self-winder, the Altiplano Ultimate Automatic 910P that launched ahead of SIHH 2018 as the new thinnest automatic watch, and at the same time swipes the title from Audemars Piguet of world’s thinnest tourbillon, which the brand has been holding onto since 1986. Bulgari was able to swipe the title for thinnest tourbillon movement in 2015; however, it took them an additional few years to build a piece suitable to take on the mighty slender AP. Achieving both of these records in a single piece is impressive to say the least, so we had to take a closer look. Vital statistics A 3.95mm thick case, housing a 1.95mm thick caliber, the Octo Finissimo Tourbillon Automatic is a real work of art (not to mention engineering). Its wafer-thin mainspring still delivers an above industry-standard 52 hours of power reserve and, all told, the brand still managed to make its movement design visually appealing, which isn’t an easy task when…
Styled by renowned product designer Werner Aisslinger and his creative partner Tina Bunyaprasit, the Autobahn deviates from the German brand’s usual minimalistic palette, and introduces a whole new side to the Nomos catalogue. I’ll admit that when I first saw pictures of the Autobahn, I was left scratching my head, with the automotive-inspired design (the watch is a tribute to the famously speed-limitless highway system) was not something I ever expected to see. However, after getting my hands on one – during one of the more fun appointments at this year’s Baselworld – its purpose became clear in my mind, and my heart was quick to call shotgun. Vital statistics Remaining distinctly Nomos, the Autobahn adds a dash of driving sportiness to the catalogue. The bowl-shaped dial (in sports grey, midnight blue or silver plate) is modelled on the inclined surfaces of a racetrack, curving down towards its centre, and then further again on the sub-seconds dial. Spanning two-thirds of the way around the dial is a segmented luminous ring, reminiscent of a speedometer. And an extra-large elongated date window at 6 o’clock bears a resemblance to a dashboard odometer of a car. A newly developed in-house movement ticks away inside…
Over the next month or so we’re going to be running a series of colour-coded stories, where we focus less on the movements and case details and more on the dials. The brighter and bolder, the better. To kick things off we’ve rounded up a bunch of the best new blue dials because, honestly, who doesn’t love blue? From subtle to shimmering to downright electric, this versatile colour can go from sporty to dressy in the blink of an eye. Seiko Prospex ‘Save the Ocean’ SRPC91K1 Let’s start with a dial that has it all, and at a price that’s hard to beat. Yep, I’m talking about Seiko. Specifically, the latest take on the Turtle — the SRPC91K1, a conservation-oriented piece; a real showstopper of a dial that fades from pale to deep blue, all the while being interspersed with wavy lines, reminiscent of that most magnificent of mammals, the blue whale. $725 Patek Philippe Nautilus Ref. 5740 On the opposite end of the spectrum is another sporty number with a horizontally lined dial, this time from Patek. The latest take on the Nautilus, the QP-equipped reference 5740 was an obvious, and inevitable, inclusion on this list. And given its…
It’s always fun seeing Bell & Ross at Baselworld. Aside from the quality, and strong, distinctive DNA of their core offerings, the design-oriented brand is exceptionally good at creating narratives and mythologies around their watches. Case in point is the new Racing Bird series, a colourful take on their vintage line, inspired by a concept plane that (honestly) we wished was much closer to reality. Their collaboration with Renault’s F1 team has the same high speed, high-tech inspiration, but here it’s very much reality. And then there are the latest versions of their 2017 hit, the large and very much in charge BR 03-92 Diver, now offered in two new variants: a blue dial and a (smoking hot) bronze case. And finally there are smart, sensible, and very legible updates to their core — we particularly liked the catchily titled Horolum and Nightlum. So while it’s still squares aplenty over at B&R, there’s plenty of tales to tell and new looks to fall for.
Yacht rock is one of the Time+Tide office’s favourite genres of smooth, easy listening music, so it should come as no surprise that we’re more than willing to get behind the Franck Muller Vanguard S6 Yachting, which see’s the brand’s typical large, curvex case in mirror-like gold holds — well, less watch than you’d expect thanks to the heavily skeletonised movement inside. the bridges share the same stylish, angular geometry that we’ve seen on other Vanguard models. Here the bridges are in blue, which provides some beautiful contrast with the gold. Things start getting nautical when it comes to the finer details, with the compass points on the outer chapter ring and a seconds ‘hand’ at six that resembles a ye olde wind rose. All told this is a cool, very Franck Muller watch, big bold and with a distinctively fun personality.