INTERVIEW: Chad and Chase McQueen on family, legacy and TAG Heuer
A few weeks ago, on a wet and gloomy morning, I made my way to the 2016 Motorclassica, held at Melbourne’s Royal Exhibition Building – jostling through the crowds of people who were out in force despite the rain to see a superb assortment of new and vintage cars and motorcycles. They may have been excited, but I was even more on edge, because thanks to TAG Heuer I was about to meet the McQueen family – specifically the son of the late Steve McQueen, Chad McQueen, and his own son, Chase. At first, I wasn’t sure why I was nervous. Then it hit me; I was about to meet the King of Cool’s son (the Prince of Cool) who shared genetics, and therefore scientifically, his ultra-coolness too. Having always appreciated Steve McQueen as an actor, anti-hero and style god – it was about to get very real. As Chad approached with his entourage, he lit up the room, metaphorically as well as literally thanks to his bright Porsche racing jacket. His son, Chase, gave off more of an inconspicuous vibe – blending in with the rest of us as he sat with watchmaker Shalen Gokoolparsadh, inspecting the inner workings of…
The post INTERVIEW: Chad and Chase McQueen on family, legacy and TAG Heuer appeared first on Time and Tide Watches.
Deck the halls with badass blackness, fa la la la la, la la, la la. There are slow burn watches – the new Air-King, the Globemaster Annual Cal – and then there are immediate, towering infernos. The new Monza is the latter. It’s the least daggy retro piece of the year, and maybe ever. We also found it quite versatile in the outfit-matching department, turning a biker jacket, white T-shirt and jeans into something iconic – but it also looks unreasonably awesome with a sharp suit. It’s black for the future, one of our absolute favourites, and worthy winner of the Revival Watch Prize at GPHG 2016. Who should you buy this for? Yourself. Otherwise you’ll only envy the recipient, and that wouldn’t be any good, would it? What’s the damage? Under 7k TAG Heuer Monza ref. CR2080 Australian pricing TAG Heuer Monza ref. CR2080, $6700
Next up in our festive lineup is one of this year’s crowd favourites – the IWC Pilot’s Watch Mark XVIII. This modestly-sized, understated watch goes to show that when you’ve got good design and an enviable pedigree, you don’t need bell and whistles (though that Santoni strap certainly adds to the lustre of the piece). Who should you buy this for? You don’t need to be a flyboy to appreciate the Mark XVIII’s good looks – this simple, clean timepiece looks good on any wrist. What’s the damage? Under 8k IWC Pilot’s Watch Mark XVIII Australian pricing IWC Mark XVIII, $6100 on leather and $7500 on stainless steel bracelet
Coming face-to-face with an award-winner can be nerve-wracking. When you’ve watched from afar, seen photographs, read reviews, you’re always curious to know whether things will live up to the hype. These days, after all, it’s spin that makes the world go round. So, yes, the preamble to meeting Piaget’s pink gold Limelight Gala, complete with Milanese bracelet, was understandably tense. This was just a couple of weeks after it had won the ladies’ watch prize at the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG) – what if, away from her wintry hemisphere of choice, she wilted under the harsh Australian sun? What if, in this chaotic, exhausting lead-up to Christmas, I mis-shuffled my facial expressions, and instead of a ‘Wow’ dealt out a yawn? I needn’t have worried. She may have been a long way from her Swiss home, but as with all the true divas, there were no signs of jet lag. She was golden. And I don’t merely mean ‘made of gold’ – even though that’s true: 18k pink gold. I’m talking about a radiance that somehow goes beyond the material. Golden like sun-kissed sand. Like maple syrup. Like the light just before sunset on a summer’s evening. Too poetic?…
When Tudor took their technical diver, the mighty Pelagos, and transformed it into the Pelagos LHD, they created a late – and very worthy – entrant into all the ‘Top Watches of 2016’ lists. It was a nice little left hook that hit more than just the southpaw audience. Because, in addition to flipping it so that the lefties among us will appreciate it, they also gave it an oh-so-subtle vintage make over. The result is (almost) a completely different watch, and one that’s Ned Flanders approved. Who should you buy this for? That left-handed watch lover in your life has always been really tricky to buy for. Not this year. What’s the damage? A little north of $5K, but well under $6k Tudor Pelagos LHD Australian pricing Tudor Pelagos LHD, $5250
Editor’s Note: It’s the time of year when we start thinking about gifts we might find under the Christmas tree in three (three?!) Sundays’ time, and while there’s definitely more than one watch on our wishlist, this slender, technical take on the Octo is right up there. Can you blame us, given how shapely, sheer and utterly luxurious it is? Anyway, we’re just crossing our fingers everyone’s noticed how nice we’ve been this year. Our love of the Octo is well documented – and real. You wouldn’t expect such an unconventional, octagonal case shape to be so stylistically flexible, but it is. And this year Bulgari showed off the Octo’s darker side with the Ultranero collection. Most blacked-out watches tend towards the tactical end of the spectrum, so the Octo Ultranero Finissimo Skeleton is a genius move, and a refreshing change of pace. Its broad pink gold bezel, architecturally skeletonised BVL 128SK movement and black DLC-treatments create a delicate balance of form and space, and show the Octo in an entirely new light.
Today we peel back the hypothetical door on our digital advent calendar (though we’re giving away some real stuff too FYI) to reveal the deep blue dial of the Montblanc 1858 Small Second. We’re big fans of the 1858 in general, as it hits just the right balance between everyday wearability and heritage style. The smart pricing doesn’t hurt, either. Who should you buy this for? If there’s someone in your life whose breast pocket is lined with Montblanc writing instruments, but who’s lacking in the wrist department, this is the perfect way to get them in the game. What’s the damage? A little north of $5K Montblanc 1858 Manual Small Second Australian pricing Montblanc 1858 Manual Small Second, with blue dial on leather, $5120
It’s one of the original (if not THE original) dive watches – the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms. And since its introduction in 1953, it has proved to be a rugged and versatile design. Today though, the two main pillars of the Fifty Fathoms collection are the regular version, styled after that 1953 original, and the Bathyscaphe, which takes its look from the simpler, civilian version of the watch, first released in the ’60s. Given that this week has been all about the latest (and greatest) addition to the Bathyscaphe family on Time+Tide, we thought it’d be a good idea to compare this angular, stripped diver to its curvier sibling. Luckily we happen to have some truly sumptuous pictures of the Fifty Fathoms handy – from a photographic love letter penned by pro-shooter Kristian Dowling, who makes the FF look more beautiful than we’ve seen it before or since (seriously, hit the link and get ready to swoon). Rather than give you a blow-by-blow account, we’d prefer to let the pictures speak for themselves, with just a touch of commentary thrown in for good measure. The dial Fifty Fathoms: The dial of the original is a deep, glossy black – a classic, slightly vintage…
*Singing* On the third day of Christmas, my true love gave to me, a Tudor Black Baaaaay 36! *stops singing* Sorry about that people, but we’re a little bit excited. And looking at this watch, can you blame us? Sure, it might be a little fella at 36mm across, but he’s got the polish (on the bezel and glossy dial, especially) to pull it off. Who should you buy this for? This is a great all-rounder that looks the business on any number of wrists, so we suggest grabbing it for your S.O. and then you can ‘borrow’ it on occasion. What’s the damage? Under $3000 (a little bit more if you want it on a bracelet) Tudor Heritage Black Bay 36 Australian pricing Tudor Heritage Black Bay 36, $3400 on bracelet, $3000 on leather
No, we’re not dedicating this Wind Down to Stevie Nicks and her choice of timepieces (though that would be amazing). No, this week we’re talking conspiracy theories and scuttlebutt. So break out the tin foil hat and the tinnies, it’s time for the most scurrilous Wind Down yet. But before we begin, we can confirm the rumours that Time+Tide is on YouTube are wholly true – please join us there! Videos dropping daily in December, and very often in the New Year. That is how we do. What happened? The rumour: Breitling is for sale A few days ago Bloomberg reported that Breitling was considering a sale, according to “three people familiar with the matter”. Apparently it’s far from a done deal, with the likely buyer being an established luxury player, rather than a private equity firm. Plausibility factor: 5/10 As one of the few remaining sizeable independent watch brands, Breitling is a natural target for this sort of story, and given the current state of the industry, it’s the right time for it, too. Possible buyers could include Kering or the Citizen Group. Or it could be just a rumour. The rumour: There will be no ‘Palace’ at Baselworld 2017…