FRIDAY WIND DOWN: The rumours and regrets edition, as well as new Omega and a brand new Bremont building
The pandemic has forced the watch industry to evolve. Not just in the way that retail has had to adapt, but in the way that new watches are launched. A decade ago, every brand rotated in orbit around the gravitational mass of the various watch fairs such as Baselworld and SIHH, but today new watches are released every week. This was a change that was going to happen anyway, however, Coronavirus has turned a medium-term possibility into a present reality. In saying that, you can tell that the watch community still revolves in unison because of one phenomenon – rumours. Rumours about upcoming product launches wouldn’t exist without coordinated, multi-brand release weeks the likes of which we are approaching with Watches & Wonders 2021. We’ve had it confirmed from the brand that the Patek Philippe ref. 5711 has been discontinued and that it will be replaced by something new this year, but speculation on what that looks like is reaching boiling point. It is unconfirmed that Patek Philippe are having two launch events, one of which will be focused around a single watch. Will this be the ref. 6711 Nautilus in titanium? Will it have a green dial (the Aquanaut…
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I’ll bet many people weren’t even aware of the name o2T, and that’s a big credit to TAG Heuer. It takes guts to downplay the micro-wonders of the mythical tourbillon, swirling slowly inside its cage at 6 o’clock. While we daily see references with less dazzle but 10 words to their model designation, here it’s simply the Heuer 02 calibre we know, with a very quietly spoken T, in the revamped TAG Heuer Carrera Heuer o2T. This understatement is in direct contrast to the clean-cut opening at the base of the dial, a small haute horologerie marvel peeking out at us fixed by a navy blue cage. The 250 pieces of what is the pinnacle of TAG Heuer’s Carrera range has been upgraded with a razor-sharp titanium version of their larger sports case, and a formal, dark tone of blue befitting its stature. We will absolutely forgive TAG Heuer for using a rather large 45mm case, as we remember that this is a self-winding chronograph movement with a flying tourbillon, a big heart for even a large case. But wouldn’t you agree that here it is absolutely worth every extra millimetre, in a case that seems even a bit more…
As the anticipation rises and the desert air shakes from F1 engines firing up, before the five lights go out at the 2021 season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix, we will see the Rolex hands ticking into position, ready to start racing. Time+Tide will, of course, have watches on the mind. Any sport associated with speed and timing has some link to timekeeping and watches by association. But, unlike Omega with the Olympics, and Seiko with World Athletics, Formula 1’s litany of watchmakers are all entwined even deeper. Not only with timing the laps, but also with the sport’s reputation for opulence and cutting-edge engineering. Developments in the world of F1 timekeeping sponsorship aren’t usually the most exciting part of a season. This, after all, is a sport where the cars travel at over 320kmph, political turmoil bubbles away in the paddock and there are occasional spectacular crashes where modern safety measures (usually) allow drivers to walk away unscathed. But for keen-eyed viewers there is a lot to be gleaned from which watches are worn where. While the regulations for 2021 only allow minimal changes to be made to the cars from last season, this year has seen quite a lot of…
Of late, eBay has been making serious strides into the pre-owned watch market and they certainly aren’t slowing down. They recently started a new Instagram account dedicated solely to watch content and just a few months ago announced their Authenticity Guarantee program to verify watches sold for $2000USD and over. This week eBay is offering another sweetener to consider their platform if you’re a watch buyer. They’re offering a $500USD discount on watches that cost more than $2500USD until March 28 (see T&C below). To make the most of this deal and a half, we’ve pulled together a list of eight pretty interesting watches that span a range of brands and complications, but all ring the till up to about $5kUSD, just to make sure your $500 discount is going to work. Rolex DateJust with blue dial We all know that stainless-steel Rolex is a white-hot category and if you add a blue dial into the mix, it only gets more desirable. This 36mm Rolex DateJust features a blue dégradé dial that is just a delight to look at and the case looks to be in decent condition. While the bracelet is not original, the price reflects this missing piece…
While Grand Seiko watches invariably have more of a claim to being works of art than practically all other brands at their price point (and beyond), the Grand Seiko SBGD207 is on a whole other level. Masterpiece is not a term the brand throws around lightly. The Masterpiece collection within Grand Seiko’s catalogue represents their peak craftsmanship: they are high-end watches with high-end price tags and high-end watchmaking. To better understand the amount of time it takes to produce these watches, last year’s Grand Seiko SBGD205, a limited run of ten pieces, has yet to be completed by the manufacturer. The Grand Seiko SBGD207 Spring Drive 8 Day Masterpiece 140th Anniversary Limited Edition of 15 pieces is the sequel to the SBGD205, which incorporated blue sapphires and diamonds into a gorgeous dial. The Grand Seiko SBGD207, however, incorporates rich green tones into its dial – quite timely considering green increasingly seems like the colour of 2021. The platinum case is 43mm in diameter and 13.5mm thick. While the diameter on paper may seem large, the compact lugs mitigate the wrist presence of the watch on what could easily be a unisex option. Platinum is a tough and heavy precious metal,…
Bremont has long been considered Britain’s largest watch brand. Now the founders, Giles and Nick English, are looking to build on that success after opening the doors this week to their much anticipated manufacturing and technology centre, The Wing. With the Bremont Manufacturing and Technology Centre (AKA The Wing), Bremont are looking set to stretch their lead, after their 19-year quest to increase vertical production on what is already a strong range of hardy tool watches. Through the shots of photographer Alan Schaller we get the first glimpses of what is a 35,000 square foot state-of-the-art facility at the edge of Henley-on-Thames in South Oxfordshire, to a scale not seen in the UK since the 1960’s. This facility essentially brings the Bremont mission statement to life: “To make exquisitely engineered mechanical timepieces on British soil with the lofty objective of reinvigorating the nation’s horological past, using our adventurous spirit, passion for detail, desire to innovate and dedication to the highest quality of customer satisfaction.” Time+Tide has reported at length on the exciting revival of British watchmaking (check out our article series “11 days of Londoners” ) and, personally, I’m a staunch believer in the growing market force of independent brands.…
There are easier ways of making a living than becoming a professional boxer. To win a world title requires almost pathological commitment with boxers typically training three times a day, doing roadwork first thing, strength and conditioning at midday, before honing their ringcraft with sparring, pads and bags in the afternoon. Throw in the dietary sacrifices required to make your fight weight – not to mention navigating the snake-pit of mercenary promoters – and the challenges facing a boxer are extreme. And that’s all for a career that can suddenly end with the connection of a single punch. British boxer Lawrence Okolie ground his way through those challenges to become WBO cruiserweight world champion last week. The motivation that drove the 28-year-old forward? The promise of obtaining a Rolex Sky-Dweller. After just 16 professional fights, Okolie clinched the WBO belt with a sixth-round knockout of Krzysztof Glowacki at Wembley Arena thanks to an explosive right hook. But as he dodged and weaved his way through the fight, Okolie had one eye not just on the title belt but on gaining the watch of his dreams. “Throughout the whole fight, all I was thinking was one thing,” Okolie told The Daily…
Bronze is nothing particularly new to dive watches. For a time now we have seen manufacturers leverage bronze for its history in diving and the precious metal like tone it carries on the wrist. But not all bronze is created equal. While collectors typically prefer natural patina, in favour of forced or faux-patina, Instagram is ripe with shots before and after bronze cases were left to “force age” – going so far as to leave a watch in egg wash to create a “found at the bottom of the sea” aesthetic. In my opinion, however, the grey-green tone that results (known as verdigris-oxidation) is not very desirable. It creates a corrosive look that can completely deaden the precious tone of bronze. While such a corrosive surface layer is known to protect the underlying metal from further corrosion, it can be quite harmful to your skin and even result in turning your wrist green. This is why Omega spent years developing a whole new alloy for the category, the fruits of their labour being the new Omega Seamaster 300 Bronze Gold, with a Bronze-Au375 Gold alloy that both your eyes and skin will appreciate. The beauty here is you get a…
When it comes to Omega dive watches, the Seamaster 300 is an enthusiast favourite. Yes, the Diver 300M collection is hugely popular, but for those who aren’t after a contemporary design and prefer the softer and more balanced designs of the Omega archives, then the Seamaster 300 is where you may well eventually find yourself. For 2021, the Bienne-based watchmaker has reinvigorated the collection with all new Omega Seamaster 300 references that remain faithful to the original design, but have a few key updates. With that in mind, we wanted to take a closer look at the new Omega Seamaster 300 versus old variations and unpack the key differences. The dial construction This year the Seamaster 300 has received a totally new dial, both in its construction and in its details (which we’ll get to in a minute). It features what is known as a sandwich dial, which is a first for Omega and basically means that it has two dials sandwiched together to add more visual depth. The baseplate of the dial is German silver, which is coated in vintage-coloured Super-LumiNova, before being covered with the second dial of common bronze which has the hour markers and numerals cut…
Recently I stumbled upon an article from ScreenRant where they delve into whether or not it is safe to shower with your Apple Watch. Showering with your watch is a hot and steamy discussion within the watch community. On Clubhouse, for example, I have encountered collectors who are vehement advocates for both sides. Some like myself would never dare to unless absolutely necessary, while others can’t imagine taking a shower without their holy trinity sports pieces. To clear the air a bit on the issue, let’s dig into water-resistant watches and the potential dangers of showering with them. 30 metres and below… The original Apple Watch was not billed as a swimmable watch, that specification did not arrive until the Series 2. The first Apple Watch had an IPX7 water resistance rating, which meant it theoretically could survive being submerged in 1 metre of water for 30 minutes. It was not recommended to shower with the watch at all. Most splash resistant watches are 30 metres water-resistant, and even at that depth rating are not recommended for any water activity beyond washing your hands. The only exception to that rule that I am familiar with is the F.P Journe Elegante,…