VIDEO: 5 TAG Heuers that impressed at Baselworld 2018
TAG Heuer’s 2018 line-up is, as you’d expect, dominated by chronographs. But just because one complication is the focus, it comes in a surprisingly diverse range of forms. First up is the Carrera Calibre 16, a round steel number with a pleasingly retro dial offered in blue or black. It’s a good looking watch, and one squarely aimed at the vintage lovers out there. Also on the vintage side of the fence is the boldly striped Monaco Gulf 2018 Special Edition. For the more modern types there’s the latest take on the modular-cased Carrera, the Carrera Heuer 02 GMT Chronograph. This large 45mm is quite distinctive, with a blue and black ceramic bezel and red GMT. While blue and black might not be the colour we historically associate with Heuer GMTs, it has appeared in their catalogue in recent years. Keeping with the big and bold theme, there’s a very cool blue ceramic tourbillon, with an even cooler name — the Tête de Vipère, or viper’s head. And finally there’s the smaller version of the Connected, the Modular 41, which essentially is still the same watch, just a little smaller, which is, I think, a very good thing.
The post VIDEO: 5 TAG Heuers that impressed at Baselworld 2018 appeared first on Time and Tide Watches.
With another contemporary nod to Seiko’s original hi-beat diver – the 1968 ref. 6159 – a familiar face has received a limited-edition update. Based on the venerable Seiko MM300 dive watch, this commemorative limited edition not only pays tribute to its vintage inspiration with a host of updates, but also to the lush green forests and abundant marine life that can be found around the island of Yakushima at the southern end of the Japanese archipelago. Vital statistics The one-piece 44.3mm case is now set off with a deep green dial and zirconia ceramic bezel. And Hardlex has been replaced by a sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating on both the inside and out. Giving life from within is the Seiko calibre 8L35 with 50 hours of power reserve. And the 5, 10, 15 and 20-minute markers on the bezel have been given an especially bright dose of Lumibrite to increase their presence in the dark. Both the stainless-steel case and a matching steel bracelet are also given a super-hard coating, with the option to switch out to a silicone strap that’s also supplied. On the wrist The MM300 has long been a favourite of the Seiko community, and this commemorative…
Seeing Seiko at Basel 2018 can be a pretty overwhelming experience. There’s. Just. So. Many. Watches. Trays and trays of them. It’s easy to get distracted, to lose sense of the bigger picture and be bogged down in the minutiae of Presage dials or the subtly tweaked new cases. But we managed to stay above the fray this time ’round, to use our limited time to focus on the surefire hits from the line-up. Like the new blue enamel-dialled Presage, the significantly re-worked Astron, and Prospex. Lots of Prospex. There’s the new limited edition Turtle, with an incredible dial inspired by a blue whale. Then there’s the epic re-creation of the first quartz saturation diver. And finally, the real stars of the show, the 1968 Automatic Diver’s models. But you know what, we’re only scratching the surface with these watches. There’s still plenty of Seiko stories to tell this year …
TAG Heuer have a long history in motorsport. Heuer chronographs adorned the dashboards of now priceless Porsches and Ferraris that were being rallied in the 1960s. Fans of Steve McQueen will know he wore a Monaco in his famous 1971 film Le Mans. Then only three years after that film, TAG Heuer championed digital precision timing at the highest echelon of motorsports – Formula One. Their relationship with F1 is so strong in fact, they’ve had the Formula 1 watch in their range for more than three decades. These days, TAG Heuer are a major sponsor of the Red Bull Racing F1 team. Time+Tide were invited to the international launch of the Red Bull Racing Connected watch earlier this week, an event held in the lead-up to the first race of the F1 season at Melbourne’s Albert Park. The official name of the watch is the succinct TAG Heuer Connected Modular 45 Aston Martin Red Bull Racing Special Edition, and is a limited run of their second generation Connected, a smartwatch Andrew spent some time with a year ago. This new Mod 45 is surprisingly slight on the wrist, due to TAG’s employment of a titanium case and lugs. But…
In the wee hours of this morning, as I was recording this voice-over, it occurred to me that the only watch from the new Rolex GMT-Master II collection currently not receiving a massive amount of coverage at Basel 2018 was the one in the middle – with both Oystersteel and Everose elements, the two-tone, or as Rolex call it, Rolesor model. It just so happens that, at this point in time, it’s the one I’m most fixated on. I think, without stealing too much of my own thunder, it’s the way that all the colours, finishings, materials, and fine details come together – and play off one another. I’m sure that once the Pepsi sugar high has worn off a little, the glittering Rolex GMT-Master II in Oystersteel and Everose will have its time in the sun, but we thought we’d shine a little light on it early.
With Day 2 of Baselworld over, and the Time+Tide team all retiring to their quarters for as much sleep as can possibly be had with chronic collective jetlag, it’s time to charge a nightcap glass and scan the comment section for your thoughts and observations over the past 24 hrs. The first subject of note carries over from day one, and the Battle of the Pepsi GMTs, which still rages. We think Matthew may just be onto something with his not at all unhinged conspiracy theory, perhaps the grand plan for Rolex SA is coming together after all? Sanjay, meanwhile, ushered another contender into the coliseum for the Battle of the Pepsis… Meanwhile, after dropping our Longines Range Review video one switched-on viewer picked our official pre-roll voiceover artist, Mr Craig Willis. We’re all positively starstruck that The Voice of Australia (and tennis, and AFL) lent us his golden tonsils to introduce all of our videos at Basel this year. We also took a peek in the back room at Omega and got a glimpse of their 2018 novelties as well the new upgraded Seamaster 300. Barely up on social, and it’s already a crowd pleaser. Even the ‘Great Date Window Debate’ seemed to be…
I always feel a slight apprehension walking into the Tudor press presentation at Baselworld. My expectation levels are maxed, and I’m always worried that the new range won’t live up to the high standards of the previous year. And, as usual, I needn’t have worried, as Tudor’s Basel 2018 collection is STRONG. New dials, movements, complications and collections — Tudor has it all. First of all, there’s a brand-new line, the 1926, a dressy, everyday option with strong hints of vintage and a decent dash of bling. Speaking of bling, there’s a new dial for the S&G — a new, molten gold champagne dial that really amps up the lux-factor of the already showy Black Bay. But it’s the Black Bay Fifty-Eight where things really start getting interesting. Ostensibly a smaller, 39mm Black Bay; for me the real charm of this watch lies in the slimmer profile, giving it a completely different (and really good) on the wrist feel. All these new additions are pretty great on their own, but the one that has everyone talking is the Black Bay GMT. And it’s easy to see why. Powered by a new movement, this GMT is integrated, meaning you can jump the…
Seiko’s venture into the dive watch world came hard and fast. Releasing their first dive watch in 1965, just three years later they upped the ante and introduced the Seiko 6159. A one-piece cased 300m rated diver, powered by a hi-beat movement that until then was being used only by the Grand Seikos of the time. Now, 50 years later – and revealed here at Baselworld 2018 – Seiko have re-created the original, with the brand new SLA025. Vital statistics With its black dial and bezel highlighted by polished golden hour markers, hands, and 60-minute scale, it has all the looks of the original. But, then, there’s also the framed date window at 3 o’clock and a familiar touch of red at the tip of the seconds hand that completes the package. Things are then taken one step further, by Zaratsu-polished lugs that define the sharp shape of a 44.8mm – and 15.7mm thick – monocoque steel case, with a screw-down crown. And, of course, there’s still a hi-beat calibre inside, racing away at 36,000 vibrations per hour – the modern Seiko 8L55. A slightly less finished version of the Grand Seiko 9S85, the 8L55 has a power reserve of 55 hours, and was designed and crafted for…
In addition to the scene-stealing 9S 20th anniversary pieces, Grand Seiko have announced two new Spring Drive models at Baselworld 2018. Reference SBGA373 with a champagne dial, and SBGA375 in rich blue. Vital statistics With its inexorably smooth sweeping seconds hand, there’s something hypnotic about Grand Seiko’s Spring Drive technology, powered and regulated by an ingenious combination of kinetic, magnetic and electrical energy. And while the Snowflake tends to garner the most attention, there are other time and date members of the collection, the most recent being these two. Both are powered by the 9R65, visible through clear casebacks on both models, and housed in broad-shouldered 40mm, 44GS-inspired steel cases. It’s worth noting that these pictures are of prototype models, and I’ve been told that the (very) large crowns are likely to be replaced by something a little smaller and more balanced. On the wrist Grand Seiko’s champagne dials are exceptional and — apparently — very technical, requiring numerous layers of lacquer to achieve that soft golden colour that is nigh on impossible to capture with any accuracy. In direct, bright light it fades to silver. It may lack the flash of the brand’s more distinctive dials but it’s still…
What if you were a brand born in a cockpit and were an ace at aviation-inspired watch designs? What would be your next step? Why, you’d design a plane, of course! And that’s exactly what Bell & Ross have done. The brainchild of Bruno Belamich – co-founder and creative director of Bell & Ross – the BR-Bird is a way-out V12-powered propeller-engine aircraft that’s designed for speed. With short, broad wings placed nearly at its tip and a single-seat cockpit set as far back as possible, the ultramodern bird was designed to compete at the Reno Air Races – an extreme aviation speed competition set on the edge of the Nevadan desert. To commemorate this flight into the world of aviation, Bell & Ross have also introduced two brand-new limited-edition watches inspired by the decorative elements of the BR-Bird. Vital statistics Limited to 999 pieces and dubbed the BRV Racing Birds, the pair – consisting of a three-hander, and a chronograph – sport the colours and aesthetic of their high-flying inspiration. White dials are highlighted by hints of orange and grey, and the font for the blue Arabic numeral hour markers is taken straight from the on-board counters of the…