HANDS-ON: Reach for the skies with the Oris Pro-Pilot Big Crown Day Date
For a few weeks in March, Avalon (part-way between Melbourne and Geelong) will become one of the busiest air spaces in the country. The normally sleepy airport will be transformed when state-of-the-art planes including the gigantic RAF Atlas airlifter and the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (in its first Australian sighting), will thunder down from the skies. The reason, of course, is the bi-annual Avalon airshow, the world’s third largest aviation trade show, and if you’re in the market for a private jet or just looking to stock up on heat-seeking missiles, no doubt it’s already in the diary. We’ll be there for a more down-to-earth purpose, spending time with event sponsors Oris, a brand with its eyes firmly on the skies. What better time to talk about the Big Crown Day Date, from their Pro-Pilot collection. Typically, pilot’s watches are pared-back, utilitarian affairs with simple cases and black and white dials, so this offering from Oris is definitely at the dressier end of the spectrum. While the bold printed Arabic numerals (that 4!) and highly readable hands are still present, the dial finish is a rich grey starburst, which makes a pleasant change from plain black. And though the 45mm case means there’s plenty of space, the…
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Watch events come and watch events go, but last Friday night’s star-studded extravaganza that started at the new Omega boutique in Sydney’s Martin Place, and carried on to a straight-out-of-a-movie private harbourside manor will not be forgotten quickly. Here are seven quotes from the night that speak volumes about the significance of what took place. “This is the biggest Omega boutique in the world.” – Omega President, Raynald Aeschlimann, on the two-storey Sydney boutique, which is as much a gallery and hang space as it is a traditional store. Check it out. “You kept your promise.” – Omega GM Megan Parker to Aeschlimann about his return to Australia – a promise he made on becoming president of Omega in 2016. “For so long Omega was about the James Bond Seamaster, but there really is an important legacy with women’s watches that is being celebrated upstairs.” – Cindy Crawford, referring to the ‘Her Time’ exhibition currently on display in the Sydney Boutique. “I will say how long I’ve worked with Omega – over 20 years, and that’s, like, a very long marriage… And we keep saying that we haven’t really had any fights yet.” – Cindy Crawford, after Aeschlimann was coy about the length of their…
This is a video we keep coming back to. It’s one of our most cinematic and visually beautiful videos to date, and it captures the skipper of Wild Oats XI, Mark Richards, in the lead up to the 2016 Sydney Hobart Yacht Race. It finds him in a reflective, but taut frame of mind – this was hardly a casual, breezy time for a chit chat, but Mark was focused and minced no words addressing questions about the art of competitive sailing and his love for a brand that’s been on his wrist for much of the journey; both as a tool watch to be relied on, but also to remind him of his incredible winning streak.
It’s a couple of sleeps until Valentine’s Day, which means the window for buying your beloved a watch is rapidly closing. If you’re thinking of pulling the trigger, congratulations, may the wind be at your back and the watch you want in stock. But before you buy, watch this 90-second refresher featuring someone you can trust. Her name is Brooke, her life revolves around creating unique and beautiful weddings over at farewell fiancé, and her message is short and sweet. What’s the mistake you’re most likely to make? How can you avoid it? Over to you, Brooke… P.S. – If you’re more inclined to try and score a watch for yourself on Tuesday, Ceri has some suggestions. Go forth and prosper selfish ones!
One of the greatest things about social media is its rich seam of photos posted by amateur watch lovers all over the world. Ronald Chew is one of those folk, and we can’t get enough of his feed, which is jam-packed with shots of watches – belonging both to him and his network of buddies. Get on board. NAME: Ronald Chew OCCUPATION: Personal trainer, military reservist and watch guy HANDLE: @Horologym FOLLOWERS: 18.7k LOCATION: Singapore Time+Tide: How do you keep busy? Ronald Chew: I’m a personal trainer, and have been teaching since 2008, and like any other physically fit male Singaporean, I’m also an NSman – a National Service Man. We were soldiers who have served two years of national service – in my case in the Army, but it also includes the Navy, Air force, Police and Civil Defence – and are on a 10-year reservist cycle. T+T: How do you unwind? RC: Pumping iron. Apart from that, looking at watch reviews on YouTube and scrolling through photos of watches on Instagram sets my heart racing – but it’s relaxing at the same time. Meeting fellow watch collectors over coffee is also another part of unwinding for me. T+T: What’s your daily watch?…
For those of our readers who don’t live in Australia, have a quick look at the below heat map. Bet you didn’t know heat maps went up to purple did you? Well, they do, and what that means is that we’re currently sheltering in the cooling AC of the office, and dreading the blisteringly hot commute home. So, those are our problems. You know what makes things better? Money. Well, not really. Happiness, friends and family are probably a safer long-term but, then again, you can buy watches with money. On that note, Happy Wind Down! What happened? So, it’s a little embarrassing, but I feel it definitely needs to be reported that #FelixFanClub happened. Thanks to an entirely off-the-cuff summary of IWC’s 2017 collection (see highlight gif above, but head here for the full magic), the fan club, which previously comprised of immediate members of the Scholz family, has exploded in popularity. Currently the hashtag is dominated by a (very handsome) dog that looks to be a schnauzer/terrier cross, but we expect that to change soon. What really mattered A story about the richest indiviauls in the watch industry did the rounds this week, originally published in Swiss biz mag Bilanz,…
We’re willing to bet that when you think of Breguet, the first thing that comes to mind is slim elegance, or maybe the old-world charm of their vintage chronos. But a casual/luxury sports watch? Not so much. Nevertheless, that’s exactly what the Marine 5817 is – Breguet’s take on a breezy weekender. Sure, it’s got all the brand’s classic hallmarks; the fluted middle case, the very particular lugs and, of course, that guilloche dial. But this is no delicate dandy. Water resistance is solid at 100m, there’s lume, the crown is protected by some unique, curved crown guard and it has a presence on the wrist far beyond what you’d expect for a 39mm x 11.82mm watch. While no one’s suggesting you complete an ultra-marathon in this guy, there’s no doubt it’s ready to tackle whatever life might throw at it, and it will do so in inimitable Breguet style. I was surprised to find just how versatile that style was. Normally I wouldn’t consider guilloche and roman numerals as everyday wear, but combined with the Marine’s masculine case styling (those lugs, that double bezel), they turned out to be very adaptable. The big date is a particularly useful complication. I find…
Felix and I are taking deep breaths. We’re getting plenty of exercise. Plenty of sun. And we’re changing our coffee order from latté to long-black, and – at least psychologically – replacing the contents of the water cooler with Cristal. Yes, Baselworld is only weeks away. For those that don’t know, the old B-W is the world’s biggest watch fair, held in Basel, Switzerland in March every year. We thought now would be the perfect time to post a caffeine-fuelled, EDM-powered flashback to begin to wind up for the big dance. What is Basel really like? Like this. If this post has led to questions about SIHH, please be our guest…
Hoping to unwrap a small box next Tuesday and hear yourself saying ‘Wow!’ with genuine delight and awe and exclamation marks? How did he/she know this was exactly the watch you wanted! Then follow our step-by-step guide to avoid the tears and inevitable relationship breakdown that will result from your significant other choosing the wrong present for your wrist. 1) Harness the power of Instagram Forget the eyes – Instagram is the real window to your soul, so make sure the right people are peering through it, noses pressed to the glass. Unless you’re weirdly devious, your partner will already be aware you’re obsessed with the ‘Gram, but now’s the time for a gentle reminder. First, ensure your recent posts feature enough shots of the watch you have your eye on to be unambiguous. You don’t want her merely thinking, “Oh look, he likes watches. I’ll get him a watch. This one from [insert chunky, gross, quartz monstrosity brand here] will do the trick.” Because it will not. For the next day or two, exclaim loudly every time you get a new like, before humbly insisting it’s not really your camerawork that deserves the praise, but the Tudor/Omega/JLC in the shot. Message still not getting through? Caption your next post, “Almost as beautiful…