Category: *News Columns

As the year ends, the time has come to reflect, and reflect I shall. We published A LOT of content this year, and I’ve been tasked with the serious challenge of picking my top five. Well, here they are. HOW TO: Hide your watch obsession, 9 handy hints First up is a piece I wrote personally, simply because I enjoyed writing it so much. The response to this article was overwhelmingly hilarious, and not only were these handy hints practical – for a lot of watch collectors, they were a little too real. The best part was that the list was based on my personal experience, and those around me. OPINION: Buying a new watch? Don’t even think about investment value For me, the title says it all – Sandra absolutely nailed the brief. One of the top questions I get asked is, ‘Which watch will be a better investment, X or Y?’ – and it drives me crazy. Unless we’re talking rare vintage watches, the answer is almost always, ‘If you’re buying a watch for investment purposes – don’t.’ Now I can just send this link. HANDS-ON: Seiko show their dark side with the Prospex SSC673P and SNE493P Oh…

The post LIST: Andy Green’s favourite stories of 2017 appeared first on Time and Tide Watches.

When we think of Grand Seiko, it’s easy to associate them with classic but slightly left-of-centre designs: architectural case lines and instantly recognisable designs. Which is why this watch was such a surprise when we first saw it — it’s a deeply traditional dress watch design. A simple round case, in yellow gold no less (though there are steel and platinum versions too), seems like it’s from a different time, which makes perfect sense, as the watch, the SBGW252, is a re-creation of the first Grand Seiko from 1960. And of all the versions, this yellow gold number has to be the closest to that 1960 original, and not just because of the yellow gold case material. The creamy opaline dial, simple double baton hour markers and shining gold dauphine hands all paint a picture of mid-century modishness. The very slim alligator strap is also stylistically apt. It’s important to note that while the SBGW252 looks like it might be from 1960, it’s been updated where it counts. The glass is sapphire, the case is a slightly larger-than-original 38mm, and the movement is the manually wound 9S64. Grand Seiko re-creation in yellow gold, ref. SBGW252, Australian pricing and availability Grand…

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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 first quartz clock with atomic precision. This tech was at the heart of a pioneering sports timing instrument invented by Longines, the Chronocinégines. This at the time cutting-edge machine generated a film strip composed of a series of pictures recorded at 1/100th second, allowing judges to record the moment an athlete crossed the finish line. Quartz wristwatches followed 15 years later with the dashing ‘Ultra-Quartz’ model, released in 1969. The Ultra-Quartz would not look at all out of place among modern heritage reissues with its radially brushed cushion case, applied indices and vertically brushed dial. This watch is ‘Very High Precision’ by name and by nature – it promises accuracy of +/-5 seconds a year, compared to…

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Hublot take their motto – The Art of Fusion – very seriously. It’s an ideology we’ve witnessed them bring to life ever since their very first watch, which combined a gold case with a natural rubber strap – the likes of which had never been seen before. It’s also an attitude that has allowed for some extremely esoteric partnerships. From French contemporary artists, all the way to synth-rock band Depeche Mode. This year they’ve joined forces with world number one golfer Dustin Johnson. And created a watch specifically designed for golfers to calculate and keep track of their scores. To manufacture the very first mechanical golf watch with an aperture display, Hublot began with the 45mm case of the Big Bang Unico and constructed it from an amalgamation of carbon fibre and aluminium – called Texalium and made exclusively for Hublot. The result is a watch with 100m of water resistance that weighs a mere 97.93 grams. And one with a finish that resembles the familiar texture of a golf ball. Hublot have never been one to take par for the course. And on the inside, they’ve fitted a brand-new module to form the newly complicated MHUB1580 in-house movement. Which…

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Editor’s note: Matt Hranek’s now sold-out book, A Man and His Watch, is one of the real standouts of the watch year, a beautiful and thoughtful text, packed with 76 stories of watches and the people who wear them. So taken were we by this book, we asked Matt if it would be possible to republish a few of his interviews. He kindly said yes.  SYLVESTER STALLONE actor, director & screenwriter Tiffany & Co. gold Rolex Submariner reference 1680/8 This, by far, is the watch I’m most emotionally connected to. The first time I saw it, it was on the wrist of the rock star Gregg Allman, lead singer of the legendary Allman Brothers band. It was in 1976, we were on a plane, and Gregg was sleeping; I looked over and saw the most beautiful watch I had ever seen. As soon as we landed, I tracked one down, and it’s been my pride and joy ever since. It was the first valuable thing I could afford to buy, and I still love it dearly. The strength, the simplicity, the masculine shape — it was perfect. It still is! It’s like Rocky says to Adrian in Rocky II: “Do…

The post INSIGHT: Sylvester Stallone and his Tiffany & Co Rolex Submariner appeared first on Time and Tide Watches.

Editor’s note: Matt Hranek’s now sold-out book, A Man and His Watch, is one of the real standouts of the watch year, a beautiful and thoughtful text, packed with 76 stories of watches and the people who wear them. So taken were we by this book, we asked Matt if it would be possible to republish a few of his interviews. He kindly said yes.  SYLVESTER STALLONE actor, director & screenwriter Tiffany & Co. gold Rolex Submariner reference 1680/8 This, by far, is the watch I’m most emotionally connected to. The first time I saw it, it was on the wrist of the rock star Gregg Allman, lead singer of the legendary Allman Brothers band. It was in 1976, we were on a plane, and Gregg was sleeping; I looked over and saw the most beautiful watch I had ever seen. As soon as we landed, I tracked one down, and it’s been my pride and joy ever since. It was the first valuable thing I could afford to buy, and I still love it dearly. The strength, the simplicity, the masculine shape — it was perfect. It still is! It’s like Rocky says to Adrian in Rocky II: “Do…

The post INSIGHT: Sylvester Stallone and his Tiffany & Co Rolex Submariner appeared first on Time and Tide Watches.

“Art is subjective” – a phrase I’m sure you’ve heard, and even said once or twice. Usually in response to someone who has made some rather critical comments about a particular artist or piece of work you like. Whether it’s a painting, a song, a photograph, or a sculpture. There’s always going to be two camps – those who love it, and those who don’t. And like art, Hublot’s bold and sometimes brash designs often divide opinion. But that hasn’t stopped them from pushing the envelope, and developing some incredibly innovative designs. Because you see, Hublot loves art. It’s part of their DNA.  And over the years they’ve collaborated with countless artists. From tattoo artist Maxime Büchi to street artist Tristan Eaton. And this year, bestselling French contemporary artist Richard Orlinski. Centred on his “Born Wild” concept, Orlinski’s work is brought to life by brightly coloured sculptures cut with multiple diamond-like facets. His Pop Art-style beasts – seen all around the world – ranging from his “Wild Kong” gorilla sculpture on the Croisette in Cannes to a 5-metre tall bear on the snowy slopes of Courchevel. Now bringing his radical approach to watches, Richard Orlinski has designed a completely new…

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