EDITOR’S PICK: Russell Crowe’s watch auction, and 3 lots to look out for
As we told you a little while ago, Rusty is auctioning off a whole lot of his personal possessions, memorabilia and, of interest to us, watches. If this is news to you, here’s a recap. It’s all going down in Sydney tonight, and our eyes are going to be firmly fixed on three key lots. Lot 198 – Panerai Luminor Submersible PAM 64C This lot has a lot (sorry) going for it. The La Bomba is one of the real Panerai classics, and has everything in it that the Paneristi love. Plus this one is showing some lovely age on the lume. So even aside from the Rusty connection this is an attractive offering. Estimate $6000 – 9000. Lot 203 – Rolex Yacht-Master On the other hand, this Rolex is all about the movie connection. You have to love the fact that Crowe bought a Yacht-Master to celebrate his 2003 sailing epic Master and Commander, and got it engraved. Extra props for the fact that he never took the Rolex caseback sticker off. That’s the mark of a real watch guy right there. Estimate $10,000 – 15,000. Lot 206 – Cartier Tank Américaine chronograph Another interesting option. Cartier, along with…
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The power of ‘celebrity’ is not a new concept. As far back as the ancient pharaohs, celebrities have been put on a pedestal (sometimes literally) and we’ve obsessed into the lives of the powerful, the wealthy and the beautiful. These days, technology puts the beautiful people at our fingertips, and this all-access, always-on, microscope into famous lives continues to fuel the celebrity fire. And that desire for fame through association is at its strongest when it comes to celebrity-owned objects. Tonight, Russell Crowe will auction off a collection of movie memorabilia, jewellery and watches at Sotheby’s in Sydney as part of his ‘Art of Divorce’ garage sale (2001 Mercedes Benz, anyone?). Watches on offer range from an Armani quartz watch (estimate $500-$1000) to a late ’90s yellow gold Rolex Daytona – at well over $40,000. It will be interesting to see how Rusty’s celebrity impacts the sale of his 29 timepieces. In light of this auction, we thought it would be fitting to look at other famous watches that have gone under the hammer, just to see how much of a difference a famous provenance makes. Note, prices are all estimates based on available RRPs at the time of manufacture.…
Chopard have had a really solid last couple of years when it comes to their new releases, and all told they did not disappoint at Baselworld 2018. Some funky new colours were added to the Mille Miglia line, but one of the real stars of the show was this new take on the L.U.C Quattro. Past iterations of the piece, while technically brilliant, have always come off as quite conservative. For 2018, the Quattro takes on much more casual airs, and though limited to only 50 pieces worldwide, we can’t help but hope that a similar variant will make it to series production further on down the road. Here’s what you need to know about this rose gold gem while they’re still on the market. Vital statistics At its core, this is pure Chopard L.U.C fine watchmaking at its best. The hand-winding caliber of the Quattro is an impressive one, delivering a 9-day power reserve from four stacked mainspring barrels (two stacked pairs), all crammed into a very modestly sized caliber. Believe it or not, the caliber itself is only 3.7mm thick — thinner than the conventional 3-hand caliber 2824 from ETA, for that matter. This isn’t a new caliber…
It was only a matter of time before Hublot wound up in the smartwatch game, and somewhere in the onslaught of new product, Baselworld 2018 was the time and place for it to become a reality. The Big Bang Referee 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia, or BBR2FWCR for short, follows on the heels of other LVMH Group Smart Watches (TAG Heuer and Louis Vuitton are already in the game), though Hublot tell a pretty interesting story about this piece’s creation when compared to its siblings. So, the story goes (or how the brand chooses to weave it) that during a meeting with the FIFA organisation, Hublot were asked if they could create some sort of smartwatch specifically for the referees. We’ll take that with a grain of salt, but if you’re going to make a FIFA smartwatch, the referee idea makes sense. The reality is the watch exists, and it’s time to see what it’s all about. Vital statistics It’s no surprise that the Intel Atom processor of the Big Bang Referee is the exact same as what is found in the current TAG Heuer Connected watch. Its 35.3mm dial provides ample space to read out functions and manipulate its…
When you name something ‘Unico’, it’s only fair that people ask what is unique about it. At least this was my logic when confronted with an uncased Hublot Unico movement at the manufacture, on a visit that took place after SIHH in January this year. The head of Hublot’s High Complication Department, Emmanuel Missillier, was happy to oblige in providing more detail about the movement, picking three of its defining characteristics. I went in with some basic knowledge. I knew that the Unico was Hublot’s first in-house movement, and also that it is a flyback chronograph (Emmanuel also demonstrates how a flyback chrono works if you’re not aware). Beyond that, I was interested to learn that the Unico’s strengths are in its power – both in terms of power reserve and also the way it preserves power with different component materials. That’s all I’ll give away in the introduction, watch the video for more.
While I know Bulgari released a full suite of new models at Baselworld 2018 — including a nice new Lucea and variants on the Octo Roma — really, it was all about their geometric critical hit, the Octo. And while we didn’t exactly see the Octo come in new shapes and sizes (it’s still very square), we did see it come in a genuinely interesting new mix of case finishes and complications. Take, for example, the new carbon minute repeater, giving the chiming champion a completely new feel. And then there’s their latest record-breaker, the Octo Tourbillon Automatic, a technical tour de force that looks good to boot. But, for me, the real star is the two new case variations on the Octo Finissimo Automatic, in rhodium-coated steel and pink gold. I’m especially taken by the pink gold, which has never looked so low-key. In the comments on one of our videos, someone asked the question (and I’m paraphrasing here): “How is it that a jewellery house is making such excellent watches?” My answer is that they’re making cohesive, distinctive, zeitgeist-y and genuinely good timepieces precisely because they’re a jewellery house. They’re not so bound by the covenants and conventions of the…
We’ve come to associate Fifty Fathoms with minimalistic dials, so this Day Date model – one of three new pieces released at Baselworld 2018 to mark the 65th anniversary of the original diving watch – is a real shift in style. This doesn’t mean that Blancpain are suddenly getting all decorative, though; rather, they have looked to their 1970s archive for the design cues. Vital Statistics While the aesthetic is retro, everything else is bang-up to the minute, with all of the technical advances that Blancpain have brought to their dive watches in recent years. The movement is based on the acclaimed calibre 1315: the balance is non-magnetic silicium and the three barrels deliver a mighty five-day power reserve. The Day Date 70s comes in the same 43mm brushed steel case and its unidirectional bezel has a ceramic insert and markers filled with Liquidmetal – a scratch-proof alloy developed by Swatch Group and used by several of its brands, notably Omega. There’s a choice of four different wristbands: vintage-style antiqued leather, sail-canvas or NATO straps, or a steel bracelet. On the wrist Three years after launching the original Fifty Fathoms, Blancpain introduced the Bathyscaphe explicitly for civilian, rather than professional…
Affectionately named for its tuna-can-for-the-wrist design, the Seiko Tuna collection holds many “firsts” in the dive watch world. From being the first to feature a dual layer construction with a one-piece inner case, to introducing the accordion-style rubber strap. In 1978, it also welcomed Seiko’s – and the world’s – first foray into professional quartz dive watches, with the addition of the 600m “Golden Tuna”. Which you might have already noticed (if you’re any good at maths) is celebrating its 40th birthday at Basel 2018. Vital statistics Seiko have marked this special occasion with the release of a limited-edition re-creation that hits all the familiar notes starting with a 7C46 quartz movement ticking away at its heart. On the outside is a 49.4mm zirconia ceramic shroud that protects the golden-coated titanium inner case. And a screw-down crown that helps secure the 1000m water resistance rating of the 15.4mm thick case. There’s also a separate commemorative limited-edition version that swaps the black ceramic shroud for a golden Cermet protector, and the golden-coloured inner case for a hard-coated black one. Both are of course available with Seiko’s classic accordion-style silicone strap. On the wrist The Seiko Tuna is no shrinking violet; however,…
Hublot have made big strides in recent years to establish watchmaking credibility as a counterweight to its heavy-hitting celebrity power. Regular nominations in various GPHG categories – across womens and mens watches – have been a meaningful benchmark for progress, and new crowd-pleasers, such as the delightful movement architecture of the Meca-10, have opened up a fresh conversation with watch lovers about what wearing a Hublot actually means in the modern day. To this end, when we were invited to the manufacture in Nyon to better get to know the brand, we were immediately interested in the High Complication Department and thought we might use its expertise to get inside the cases of some of the most popular, desirable and useful complications that Hublot offer. So, prepare yourself, we have a little three-part miniseries coming your way – each honing in on a complication. But rather than telling the story from A-Z, we get quickly down to business and isolate each complication’s idiosyncrasies. In this video, it’s the tourbillon cage itself on a watch that takes roughly 10 times longer than a Hublot Unico chronograph to construct.
In the opening scene of this video, which was shot on the final day of Baselworld 2018, I say to Felix, “We’re doing a list?!” with a type of delirious, high-pitched Seinfeldian disbelief. What I meant was, seriously, how could we be? We just arrived at Basel! How is it that we are distilling our fancied from the flock, already? What’s interesting is that the first impression favourites are usually quite accurate. When I look back at 2017 and 2016, the lists are still pretty spot on for my tastes. I even now own a few of them. However, what’s different this year is that I knew I’d picked one wrong watch almost as soon as we were out of my list and into Felix’s. I’ll get straight to it. The Tudor. I should have gone with my instincts and chosen the Fifty-Eight. The decision to go with the GMT though was not a frivolous one. It was a mental tussle that raged over the five days before we finally committed to our 10. It went something like this, with the angel being the Fifty-Eight, and devil being the GMT. Like always, the devil won, but it shouldn’t have. …