VIDEO: 5 of the best independent watches from SIHH 2018
If you know a little bit about how the world of watches works, you’ll likely know that it’s a space dominated by a few big groups (namely Richemont, Swatch and LVMH), each with their own stable of brands. SIHH is a show dominated by Richemont brands — big names like Cartier, IWC and Montblanc. But they’re not the only show in town at the Salon. Some larger independent brands, such as Richard Mille, show as well, as do a a select group of smaller names. These smaller names — low in production numbers but high in quality, innovation and prestige — congregate in the Carré des Horlogers, an opulent cul-de-sac, populated by some of the most exceptional (and expensive) watches at a fair all about exceptional (and expensive) watches. Who better to show us around than Andrew and sometime contributor and full-time indie-lover Justin Mastine-Frost. Over to you, Justin …
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TAG Heuer have, much like Marty McFly and Doc Brown, gone back to the future with their latest partnership, with Gulf Oil International. If you’re not familiar with the world of historic Heuer, the pairing of the Swiss watchmaker and venerable oil company is perhaps surprising, but one larger-than-life character pulls it all together: Steve McQueen. In 1971, during the film Le Mans, McQueen wore a Heuer Monaco while driving a Porsche 917 emblazoned with Gulf’s distinctive blue and orange stripes. Vital statistics Now, it’s not just the car that has the livery, it’s also the special edition Monaco Gulf, a regular calibre 11-powered Monaco (much like this one), with a blue sunburst base, and bold powder blue and orange stripes on the right-hand side of the dial, and a Gulf Oil logo above the date at six. The strap is a nice blue perforated calf, with contrasting orange stitch. First thoughts Now, this isn’t the first Gulf-striped Monaco TAG Heuer have produced, not by a long shot, but this is a particularly nice interpretation, thanks largely to the choice of the classic calibre 11 Monaco as a base. And while the big bold stripes aren’t to everyone’s tastes, if…
I’m putting myself out there in this video, which aims to establish whether the Panerai Luminor or Radiomir collection is more your jam. I’m pulling zero punches when I admit, in the opening few seconds, that at the time I bought my first ‘real’ watch, a Luminor PAM 177, I didn’t even know the Radiomir collection existed. This video is for people who are still unsure where they would stand if push turned to Panerai purchase, but want to explore. Is the slightly more svelte Radiomir, with its rounded cushion case, right? Or are you more connected to the big old Luminor crown guard? Beyond the looks, what about their histories? The stories that explain why they exist? If you’ve ever considered any of these questions, we hopefully have the answers for you right here. Back to that first luxury watch love of mine, the Luminor. The truth is, it wouldn’t have made much difference at the time if I had been more educated. I’d seen it in a magazine I was editing. It was a profound case of love at first sight. As bizarre as it might seem now, I’d never been much into watches before that moment. Little did I…
It’s that time of year again where Tinseltown rolls out the red carpet for an evening of self-congratulatory grip-and-grinning, closing out the award season run with the Academy Awards, affectionately known by the name given to its ‘Academy Award of Merit’ prize in 1939 – the Oscars. Hollywood scandal and politics aside, the Oscars does produce some high-end glamour and more than a few enviable timepieces. Willem Dafoe – Best Supporting Actor Nominee – IWC Schaffhausen Da Vinci Chronograph Edition Laureus Sport for Good Foundation Timothée Chalamet – Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role Nominee – JLC Reverso Tribute Duoface – pink gold Sam Rockwell – Best Supporting Actor Winner – Rolex GMT-Master II 16710 Jordan Peele – Best Original Screenplay winner, Best Director Nominee, Best Picture Nominee – Montblanc Star Classique Donald Glover – IWC Portofino Chronograph in 18-carat rose gold Michael B. Jordan – Piaget Altiplano gem-set timepiece in 18-carat white gold Armie Hammer – Montblanc Heritage Spirit Pulsograph Kobe Bryant – Apple Watch Series 3 Andy Serkis – Montblanc Heritage Spirit Date Automatic Tom Holland – Piaget Altiplano Skeleton BONUS: Winston Churchill (Gary Oldman) – Best Actor Winner – Replica Breguet Split-seconds, minute repeating pocket watch…
Editor’s note: It’s just 37 days until the 2018 Commonwealth Games, to be held on Australia’s glorious high-rise holiday haven, the Gold Coast. This alarming reminder brings one of the oddest, in its way quite refreshing, watch releases of the year sharply back into focus; the Conquest V.H.P. Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games edition. I don’t know if it’s just us, but the topic of quartz-movement powered watchmaking also seems to be back on the agenda more than usual, with, for example, the recent release of Grand Seiko’s 25th anniversary of the 9F, with two limited editions, the SBGT241 and SBGV238. Whatever the case, the old crystal-oscillating enemy ain’t what she used to be, and curiosity about quartz is on the rise. Longines is the official partner and timekeeper of the XXI Commonwealth Games to be held on the Gold Coast, Australia in April 2018 and they have just announced the watch of the Games, the ‘Conquest V.H.P. (Very High Precision) Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games’. The Conquest V.H.P. sees Longines turning back the clock to a particularly golden year for both naming components: 1954. It was the year the first Conquest watch was released and it was also the year Longines launched the world’s…
Last year, Andy and I put together a fun little speculative list on heritage reissues we’d like to see in 2018. It was a fun story, so we thought we’d revisit it — with a Basel twist. We sat down over some cold brew (coffee, not beer) and hashed out our wish list of Basel releases, and then brutally critiqued the plausibility and flaw in each other’s ideas. Like I said, fun. Tudor Green Pelagos Andy: Somewhere, someone on the interwebs had the idea (and photoshop skills) to turn the Tudor Pelagos green (one of our photos no less!). Now, for obvious reasons, I’m a sucker for green — and let me just say — this works. In terms of likelihood, I’m 50-50 here: the Pelagos already comes in a pretty bold blue, so green isn’t unreasonable. This release will come down to how close Tudor want to play to Rolex’s Green Submariner. Either way, I think we will see the Pelagos receive a little more attention this year, and Tudor might give the Black Bay collection some time on the backseat. Likelihood: 5/10 Felix’s take: Cool as it would be, I think it would infringe on Rolex’s rich green turf too…
If you love watches and happen to find yourself in Melbourne, Collins Street is the place to be. If you also happen to be a Paneristi (even a budding one), you now have even more of a reason to visit, with Panerai setting up shop and opening their very first Australian boutique at 360 Collins Street. The space has been designed by Spanish architect Patricia Urquiola, who chose to reflect the timeless traditions of the Florentine watch manufacturer by decorating the 60-square-metre boutique with iconic Panerai details. Warm golden-brown tones of bronze, wood and brass echo their naval origins, and a special corrugated glass features throughout, with grooved glass windows shaping the shopfront’s curved corners. The pièce de résistance is a large clock that sits proudly upon the wall, shaped as the recognisable dial of a Luminor Marina – yes, it works and, oh yes, it glows. The centre of Italian culture here in Australia, Melbourne seems a natural fit for Panerai to begin their boutique journey down under. Opened in partnership with Australian retailer Kennedy, it also marks the brand’s 75th boutique to open worldwide. And just because – here are two boutique-only editions you can pick up in…
Since its surprise reveal a little over a year ago, the Laureato has become an increasingly significant player in the luxury sports category, thanks to its crowd-pleasing good looks and impressive mechanics. SIHH 2018 showed us that the Laureato is an increasingly important part of GP’s lineup too, as handsome new chronograph variants dominated their latest batch novelties. But I was particularly taken by this black ceramic-on-rubber offering. Announced late last year, to me this Laureato really lives up to its sporty pedigree, thanks to its hard-wearing 42mm lightweight ceramic construction and rubber strap. Now, typically I’d advocate for the bracelet variant, especially on a integrated case style like this, but here I think the rubber really works. It makes the Laureato far more casual, and really wearer-friendly, and better honours the casual spirit of the design. While the bracelet versions of this watch (whatever the material), look quite work-ready, this Laureato really needs to be worn with short sleeves, preferably on a teak deck somewhere unseasonably warm. And with its 100m of water resistance, super-hard case and general air of masculine charm, this watch is more than up for whatever adventure you might have planned. This watch proves that…
If you’re a regular reader, I’m willing to bet that your views around quartz timekeeping will be pretty negative. After all, this is a technology that was (almost) responsible for the downfall of mechanical watches. But, as you’re about to find out, not all quartz watches were created equal. Sure, there’s the cheap and cheerful plastic contraptions that consist of battery, circuit board and a very big spacer. And then there’s the 9F. Seiko pioneered quartz technology with the release of the Astron back in 1969, and they’ve innovated ever since. Of all their many achievements in the field, one of the most impressive is the 9F, introduced in 1993 as part of Grand Seiko’s quartz line. Simply put, it’s a true, high-end quartz movement, treated with the same level of care and precision as a traditional mechanical movement. Hand-assembled, with 133 parts, an aged quartz crystal, which is paired with a specifically programmed integrated circuit, for optimal accuracy. Not to mention the sealed, finely aligned coil block. The date wheel shifts in 1/2000th of a second, and the whole thing can go for 50 years without needing lubrication. And on the accuracy front, it’s good for +/- 10 seconds…
One of the strongest, all-round collections of SIHH was, without a doubt, the Jaeger-LeCoultre Polaris. Coming off a strong 2017 lineup, JLC hit all the right notes with their brand new Polaris collection. While this five-strong family of watches is clearly influenced by the Polaris of yore (for more on that, check out Andy’s look at the origins of the model), this is more interpretation than pure homage. Sure, there’s the Polaris Memovox, which is the closest the collection gets to a one-for-one reissue, but there are also relatively simple automatic and date models (the date is my pick of the litter, FWIW). The Polaris DNA is strong in these models, thanks to the dial, as well as the dual crown layout, but it also works wonderfully in the more complex Chronograph and Chronograph WT options. All told, the 2018 Jaeger-LeCoultre Polaris family is considered and commercial in equal measure, and already looks set to be one of the year’s highlights.