IN-DEPTH: The Bell & Ross BR 03-92 Diver
The story in a second: The Bell & Ross BR 03-92 Diver transitions smoothly from the sky to the sea. In the time I spent with the Bell & Ross BR 03-92 Diver I came to think of it as an armoured car. Not the conspicuously bulked up and blinged-out vehicle beloved by the A-list, instead this diver is more akin to the subtly strengthened Land Cruiser, one that looks significantly like the regular model, but can handle IEDs and assault rifles. To me that’s what this Bell & Ross is — a super tough take on the brand’s famous instrument watch. The case It’s the case that really earned the armoured car analogy. From a quick glance, the BR 03-92 Diver shares the same 42mm steel case, but look closer and you’ll notice that quite a lot has changed to earn that 300-metre water resistance rating. The sapphire crystal is significantly super-sized, at 2.85mm thick, and the caseback, with its four screws, is a millimetre thicker than regular, non-diving models. And while these modifications would go largely unnoticed, the block crown guards and solid unidirectional bezel give the dive watch game away. The dial Bell & Ross dials have…
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We’re very proud to announce that the Time+Tide shop is officially open for business. The decision to launch a shop isn’t one we made lightly, or quickly. But it was made, and today we launch with a capsule collection of handmade straps and premium accessories, as well as the frankly stunning Seiko Presage SPB069 Moonlit Night. The reason we’ve decided to enter the heady waters of e-commerce at this point in time is simple. Australia is a long, long way from the rest of the world. To get our hands on the best straps in the world currently means hefty shipping fees and excruciatingly long wait times. The Time+Tide Shop changes that. At launch, we’ve sourced some of the best quality handmade straps in the world, including Jean Paul Menicucci, an Italian craftsman based in the town of Lucca, near Florence. In addition to premium straps made from quality materials including French calf and Horween Cordovan, we’ve put together our favourite watch accessories – one of the best spring bar tools we’ve used, some watch travel pouches so nice you’ll never want to take your watch out, and a double watch box that’s truly first class. There are also plenty more strap styles…
In case you missed it, Bulova launched their ‘Archive Series Collection’ in 2016, aimed at paying tribute to the brand’s heritage. They kicked off the collection with the Lunar Pilot Chronograph, which, if I’m honest, was a little underwhelming – the current competition for reissues is just too hot right now, and the Lunar Pilot missed the mark. They followed up the collection earlier this year with the ‘Stars and Stripes’ Chronograph C, which was a lot closer to the original 1970 release, but, in my opinion, not *quite* there. Regardless, the Archive Series Collection is a step in the right direction, as some collectors point to the history of Bulova as their main strength. Back in October, Bulova announced a partnership with New York-based retailer Analog/Shift, who specialise in vintage timepieces. Together, they cast a worldwide vote, to determine the next piece from Bulova’s history that would be reissued. Three choices were given: the 1972 Oceanographer ‘Devil Diver’, the 1970 Bullhead Chronograph, and the 1970 Surfboard Chronograph A. All cool choices, all with enormous potential. Well, the results just came in, and the majority voted for the Bulova Oceanographer ‘Devil Diver’. And when we heard the news, we got…
Tonight at midnight we will launch our shop and with it there will be an extremely limited allocation of a watch we’re all pretty struck by: the Seiko Presage SPB069 ‘Moonlit Night’, with a stunning blue enamel dial. What? Shop? Did he say shop? There’s no Time+Tide shop! More about this development tomorrow; this post is dedicated to the watch. Because there is, surprisingly – as the Japanese brand has a habit of leaving the editorialising to the media – quite a bit of detail and colour to report. Other key details, it is 40.5mm wide, has a sapphire crystal and is powered by a 6R15 movement. It comes on a blue alligator strap. The name gives much away about its romantic, dare we even say, poetic roots. Seiko do not usually name their watches. This makes them very difficult to tell your friends about. Unless, of course, you have a beautiful mind, and can rattle off Seiko references. Which describes no one in the Time+Tide team. So, long before we saw any images, when we heard the ‘SPB069’ was going to be named the ‘Moonlit Night’ our interest was piqued. Seiko have gone from one extreme to the other with this evocative timepiece.…
At Time+Tide we typically focus on the new – the latest reviews and news. But there’s always a place for the stone-cold classics, which is why, when we had a bunch of Black Bays in the office (more on that later in the week), we thought we’d take the opportunity to have a look at the Black Bays that started it all: the red, blue and black versions. And while these versions (which we borrowed from friends – thanks guys!) are the older, ETA models, they’re still pretty indicative of what this retro diver is all about. So while you’re likely familiar with these colourful, core Black Bays, it doesn’t hurt to look at them in crisp HD. And even though the oldest model is now five years old, and the competition for heritage divers has hotted up, we still think it’s pretty hard to beat the original Tudor Heritage Black Bay. Tudor Heritage Black Bay Australian pricing Tudor Heritage Black Bay on leather, $4030, on bracelet, $4410
Editor’s note: We’re very much on the record as being proud members of team Drive, so it was with real excitement that we had a look at the new models shown off at SIHH at the start of this year. And while the Moon Phases probably has the edge in terms of everyday wearability, when it comes to class, it’s hard to beat the Drive de Cartier Extra Flat. One of the standout watches of last year was the Drive de Cartier. The collection impressed with its assured case shape — a pleasing blend of robustness and classicism that, for many, epitomised what Cartier is all about. Well, the Extra Flat takes things a few steps further, removing any and all extraneous elements from the Drive and making it even more sublime. What do we mean? For starters, the watch is, well, flat. At 6.6mm thick it’s some 40 per cent more slender than the regular automatic Drive — a feat achieved largely thanks to the manually wound caliber 430MC (based on the Piaget 430P). Cartier has also made the case a touch smaller (39mm), removed the small seconds and foregone their usual guilloche on the dial. The resulting watch is far more dressy,…
Earlier this year I had a chance to have a look at Montblanc’s pre-SIHH offerings in scenic Wyoming, including this smart new evolution of the TimeWalker, the TimeWalker Manufacture Chronograph. There are two big changes to this 43mm sports chronograph; let’s start with the most obvious first. The dial. Instead of the black or silver tones of the existing TimeWalker chronos, this time we get some added vintage style, in the form of the ever-popular ‘panda’ dial (so named because the black on white layout looks a little like the endangered bear). The matt dial finish has a slight creamy look, in line with the retro vibe that’s going on here. The small seconds subdial has the inlaid Montblanc star. You’ll also notice the ceramic bezel is now fixed, and shows a tachymetre scale instead of a 12-hour readout. All told, these changes result in a strong, high-contrast look that’s always popular, and has been used by many (many) brands over the years. If you’re eagle-eyed, you may have noticed that this is now called the ‘Manufacture’ chronograph, and for me it’s the movement, the Calibre MB 25.10, that’s the really exciting development. This new movement is a column-wheel chrono…
The petite Montblanc Bohème Day & Night isn’t exactly bohemian, nor are any of Montblanc’s timepieces really, but as much as this watch has all the signs of studied fine watchmaking, the viewer has to acknowledge the Day & Night is a little romantic. For all Montblanc’s credibility, hard luxury can still have a softness, expressed in this case by a pristine silvery-white guilloché surface, floral Arabic numerals, and a miniature window on to the sky above. Through its dial’s crescent frame, the vista’s transformation across a 24-hour trajectory is illustrated in daytime in light blue with a dynamic golden sun, before moving into a dark blue at nightfall, decorated with a radiant old-world moon and its accompanied stars. Blued steel leaf-shaped and baton-shaped hands work in with the wistful sky tones. Usually Montblanc’s DNA is marked by a certain seriousness that women — who make up about 35 per cent of its customers and not merely as purchasers for significant men in their lives — are just as keen on expressing their horological choices. This watch has the elements of the dressy heritage-style timepieces we’ve come to expect from the house that was founded in 1906 and established on fine…
I’m just going to say it. Nowadays, no one actually “needs” a chronograph. I mean, really, how often does the need for a stopwatch arise? And if it does, we all have those smart little assistants in our pockets (gasp! blasphemy, I know). However, there’s a certain mechanical allure to the humble chronograph watch. No other complication requires quite as much interaction from its owner. From the compressing of a little pusher with our fingertips, to feeling the click of tiny levers and gears inside before the second hand races off. There’s a reason the chronograph is considered a must-have for any watch nerd. Every year we see a plethora of new chronograph releases, and this year we’ve picked 11 of our favourites. Omega Speedmaster 1957 This is anything but just another limited edition of the iconic Speedmaster. To celebrate the icon’s 60th birthday, Omega wanted to do something special, and the result is this pitch-perfect reissue. Sized at a faithful 38.6mm with broad arrow hands, an applied logo, and even a “dot over ninety” bezel. It’s as close as you’ll get to owning the one that started it all, without shelling out a six-figure sum. RRP $9725 Rolex Cosmograph Daytona…