LIST: 7 of the toughest watches – the new breed
Back in days of yore (AKA 2015), we rounded up nine of the biggest, baddest, most unbreakable timepieces we could find, and created the most fierce gang of watches the world had ever seen. Much like Dolph and JCVD, those guys are still the OG toughies, but in the subsequent years an entirely new generation of invincibles has risen through the ranks. So, without further ado, meet the new breed. Just don’t look them in the eye. Bremont MBII – White Most pilots watches haven’t been built to handle the stresses that come from being shot out of a moving fighter jet in 0.8 of a second. This one has. Bremont developed the MBII in partnership with ejector seat maker Martin-Baker, and last year added a white dialled version (perfect for Iceman). Cool as it is, it’s not quite a match for the MBI, which Bremont will only sell to people who have *actually* ejected from a plane using a Martin-Baker seat. Now that’s an exclusive club. Tudor Pelagos LHD The blue version of the mighty Pelagos made the last edition of this list, but we couldn’t resist including the latest addition to the family, as the LHD has a killer left hook. While…
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While most eyes were on Roger Federer and the Rolex GMT Master-II BLNR he strapped on to hoist his 18th grand slam trophy at the Australian Open in Melbourne on Sunday night, there were other watches nearby worth noticing. Yes, there was the Richard Mille RM 27-02 tourbillon worn by Nadal throughout all five sets – but that’s not what we’re talking about. Our attention was grabbed by the exceptional piece worn by Mirka Federer, with its emerald bezel and diamond pavé dial. Now, this isn’t your regular stone-strewn Rolex. This watch is special – so special it doesn’t even show up on the Rolex website, even when you type in the reference: 228396TEM. A platinum Day-Date 40 is already a heavy hitter, but what makes Mirka’s stand out is the stones; emeralds on the bezel and cardinal indices, brilliant diamonds all over the dial and a few more large baguettes for the other hour markers. Rolex’s meticulous stone selection and uniform setting is legendary, as this watch certainly demonstrates. And if that wasn’t ‘wow’ enough for you, there’s the price tag – it’s said to come in at a cool 430,000 Euro. Now, that is a kick-ass timepiece – and a most…
For many years, the Nomos recipe for watchmaking success was straightforward: take clean-yet-quirky dial details with a few dashes of colour, set this against a neutral black or white backdrop and wrap the whole thing into a steel case. Not the most groundbreaking approach, but it’s certainly been effective in helping Nomos – once the definition of ‘a watch lover’s watch brand’ – grow in popularity to the point where it’s now an increasingly important player. Of course, with growth comes the need to evolve and innovate. And so, in the past few years Nomos has been busy on both fronts, developing the Swing System and slim new neomatik movements, as well as experimenting with precious metals (on the Lux and Lambda) and some new colour schemes (though to be fair, they’ve dabbled palette-wise before, but typically with their limited editions). The somewhat teutonically named Metro neomatik Champagner is a perfect example of this ‘new Nomos’, powered by the impressive neomatik DUW3001 movement and decked out in soft champagne tones, with popping neon highlights originally seen on the ‘First Edition’ series. (In fact, the only discernable difference between that limited series and this regular production model is the shade of the ‘neomatik’ dial text.) A…
Insta feed in need of some fresh inspiration? Step right this way, as we chat to one half of industrial designers Discommon, who’ve been making waves in just about every industry of late, with their collaborations and creations. Their promise: “work with us and we will make exactly what is in your head.” NAME: Neil Ferrier OCCUPATION: Chief Conspirator at Discommon, where his background in mechanical engineering and product development is put to good use on all manner of creative projects. HANDLE: @discommon FOLLOWERS: 13.5K LOCATION: California How did you end up making stuff? It was all Oakley’s fault. I worked there in the advanced product development team right after college, and I was thrown in at the deep deep end, doing projects for the US special forces. It was terrifying at first, but also so liberating. Oakley was a baptism in “do it right or don’t do it” – a mantra I feel is sorely lacking in today’s often fast and cheap society. There was always a passion for creating in me, but Oakley basically let that fire loose. When I started my consulting firm, Discommon Concepts, my partner [Jeremy Hadden, Chief Technical Disruptor] and I realised we didn’t…
Ready to shake your tail feather? Let’s hope so, seeing as today kicks off the Chinese year of the rooster. Luckily, there’s a way to get into the spirit of things without having to hire a head-to-toe cockerel costume, and for that, we have Dior to thank. A vision in red, the Dior VIII Grand Bal Plume 2017 Chinese New Year Limited Edition is the perfect marriage of haute couture and horlogerie. Think of all the Dior gowns in luxuriant fabrics and cunning construction you’ve seen on A-listers at awards ceremonies over the years. They’re showstoppers – and this is no different. See that oscillating weight (in prime position on the dial-side of the watch), with its diamond-embellished feathers? That constantly moves, like the swish of a hoop skirt at a ball. (And yes, those are rooster feathers. What else did you expect?) There are yet more diamonds set into the buckle. And if that weren’t bold enough, the red alligator strap is really no wall flower. (The crown, meanwhile, is engraved with CD – and yes, we know it’s for Christian Dior, but why not also Ceri David?) And yes, we did also use the word ‘horlogerie’, so this…
Australia Day yesterday, Chinese New Year tomorrow – so much partying to be had. But you know what we’re celebrating here in the T+T office? Overcoming jet lag. Seriously, today is the first day this week we’ve managed to maintain concisousness at four in the afternoon. Not sure if it’s wise, but we think that’s something to drink to. Kung Hei Fat Choi Australia! What happened Insta-royalty WatchAnish unveiled this season’s must have horological lifestyle accessory – Rolex-inspired sunnies that are “a fusion between watches and watching.” Apparently. All we really want to know is: do the bezels rotate? In local news, Brisbane police have released footage of a man brazenly stealing a $15k Rolex by swapping it with a fake. The switcheroo occurred on January 27, 2016, almost a year after the same man stole a $5k TAG Heuer. We suspect the police released the video to dissuade him from knocking off a $35K Hublot this year. What really mattered Leading online watch sales site Chrono24 released some annual stats on what people searched for in 2016. In the most un-shocking revelation ever, black-dialled steel sports Rolex models are quite popular. More interestingly, they also included lists of models that were…
The 2017 Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race kicks off tomorrow in earnest, with men’s and women’s elite races, as well as a more laidback People’s Ride planned for the weekend, against the backdrop of some of Australia’s most stunning roads. In the lead-up to the action, we caught up with the man himself – and the only Aussie to ever win the Tour de France – Cadel Evans. Sitting down with him at TAG Heuer’s flagship boutique in Melbourne (the brand is the official timekeeping partner for the race), we chatted, naturally, about all things time-related. Time+Tide: What do you like about watches? Cadel Evans: Well, I’m always travelling, so it can be a bit hard to treat yourself at times – you can’t take a nice car or a swimming pool around the world with you. A nice watch is a different story – you strap it on and it’s always there. Plus, I’ve lived in Switzerland for the past 20 years, so I’ve really had no choice but to become a watch lover. There’s two great vintage stores near me in Lugano with some incredible pieces – I was really tempted by a German military issue Autavia the other…
January 26 marks Australia Day – a public holiday to celebrate the melting pot that is our nation. For many, that will involve a barbecue, a slip-n-slide and an esky full of cold ones. For us at T+T, as well as all that, it will involve raising a glass to the Australian watch industry. Granted, it may be small, but that doesn’t stop it punching above its weight. Here are just three of those homegrown brands. Aegir Instruments This Perth-based brand began in 2007 as a one-off project by Todd Caldwell, a commercial diver who couldn’t find quite what he needed. When it became clear there was interest beyond his diving colleagues, the company has continued to evolve. Check out our review of the limited edition Concept Diver 2. Erroyl Set up in Canberra in 2014, Erroyl kicked things off with its Heritage Collection, which was joined a year later by the Regent Collection, including our pick, the Nero. Melbourne Watch Company Launched in 2013 following a successful campaign crowd funded by the online watch community, the brand’s timepieces are all named after Melbourne locations – including this, the Portsea. Feature image: sydney-australia.biz
Let’s get this out of the way early on. Does the Girard-Perregaux Laureato share some visual similarities with other well-known luxury steel sports watches? Sure, but we can easily think of half a dozen watches that fit that particular bill. AP and Patek don’t have a monopoly on ’70s design. And make no mistake, the Laureato is very much a ’70s design. In fact, as far as watch designs go, it’s got a great backstory. The first Laureato, released in 1975, was a quartz, arriving as it did six years after the invention of the quartz wristwatches. Not only that, it was (according to GP) the first quartz movement made entirely in-house, and it also determined the frequency standard 32,768 Hz that’s still used today. Quite a feat given the novel and complex technologies involved. The watch – designed by an Italian architect, its octagonal bezel inspired by the footprint of Florence’s famous dome – was a hit, and by the latter part of the decade it had become GP’s best-seller. Even then, the key elements of bezel, hobnail dial pattern and integrated bracelet were key design features. And it’s not like the Laureato has suddenly reappeared after a long absence. The collection was given an upgrade…
When I opened the box in the hotel room, after arriving in Queensland for the Rado-sponsored Brisbane International tennis tournament, I was taken aback. This was not the watch I was expecting. Perhaps years of indoctrination and the current advertising campaign – with a ball bouncing around in a 3D model of a Match Point dial – made me assume it would be a Hyperchrome chrono of some kind, but nevertheless it was a pleasant surprise. Considering the program includes actually playing tennis and that my suitcase was full of laid-back summer clothing, a simple, ultra-light (the name does not lie) three hander on a grey canvas strap was just right. My first impression was… What? This is Rado? Although we shot this watch at Basel 2016, it had slipped under my radar. A closer inspection revealed a very cool concentric engraving pattern on the dial and the trademark ‘floating’ logo; some nice nuances to the overall sporty, simple design. Once I put it on I felt… Comfortable. This is a watch that’s extremely light, but not unsubstantial; it’s still solid enough. The light ceramic case construction and canvas strap make it extremely comfortable and appropriate for summer, when bulky clothes and bulky watches…