INTRODUCING: The Zenith DEFY 21 Ultrablue adds a touch of indigo to a high-tech tour de force
Only two weeks ago we introduced you to the firework display of bedazzling colours in the DEFY 21 Felipe Pantone, which hypnotised us with small, fresh flashes of the rainbow. This time, Zenith shows us how the angular tool presence of the DEFY series projects an image of quiet elegance, in the Zenith DEFY 21 Ultrablue. As the more formal and less outrè brother of the Ultraviolet of 2020, the new Ultrablue is no less of a wrist presence. This time, the dark, matte sandblasted titanium case is matched to the comfortable signature DEFY rubber strap with an indigo blue textured fabric pattern. The light high-tech dynamic language of titanium is a perfect way for Zenith to underline what is their technical tour de force chronograph. Just as the Felipe Pantone edition thoroughly distracted us from what is a seriously impressive version of the El Primero calibre, one press of the top right pusher and you’ll be sold. The mad whizz of the 1/100th second hand through its 360,000vph will boggle your synapses. Equally mind-bending is the fact that all the tech of the twin escapements will fit within a case of such lightness and softness of touch thanks to…
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The fan favourite Omega Seamaster Diver 300m is getting more than a facelift in 2021. That’s right, the watch best known for appearing on the wrist of 007 will now be available in full ceramic in the all-new Omega Seamaster Diver 300m Black Black. And that repetition in the name is for emphasis. This watch is very black indeed. The new design keeps the same 43.5mm case size as the other ceramic reference (ref. 210.92.44.20.01.001 on rubber) with 14.47mm thickness, but is slightly larger than the traditional Diver 300m that measures 42mm in diameter. In ceramic, it is a watch you can expect to wear considerably lighter than the typical stainless-steel case construction thanks to the ceramic material, weighing in at 115g or about 20% lighter than in steel. The Omega Master Chronometer Calibre 8806 powering the new ceramic dive watch is consistent with other references within the collection, offering 55 hours of power reserve and magnetic resistance to 15,000 gauss. You might be wondering how you tell the time on a watch that is completely black, but Omega has considered this practicality. The ceramic has been finished variously across the watch, from the case to the dial to the…
Watch enthusiasm is initially generated by the product – there’s no doubt that the art of watchmaking and the many resulting creations are the main draw that hooks people in. But what really sustains the hobby, and helps it grow, is the sense of community in watches. Within #watchfam there are many collecting groups dedicated to bringing like-minded watch lovers together, typically to share a few drinks and talk watches. Two watch lovers, however, wanted to take the idea of a watch collectors’ club a step further. Collective™ Horology was started by founders Gabe Reilly and Asher Rapkin to create a positive and intimate space for horological enthusiasts to come together and share their love for all things watchmaking. What separates Collective Horology from other clubs is their efforts focus on creating collaborative pieces for its members. I found this dynamic intriguing, so I (virtually) sat down with Gabe and Asher to better understand what drives the Collective and how you can join in on the fun. Time+Tide: What led you guys to creating Collective Horology? Gabe: One of the things we’ve seen since the days when Asher and I were lusting after Invictas on the Poor Man’s Watch Forum,…
Finally, after a five-year hiatus, my inner petrolhead is awakened from its slumber, and by a watch! I will not bore you with my younger days of owning British sports cars from the Triumph GT6 to a Lotus Elan to a lovely series 1 Jaguar XJ6 from 1970 with dark blue leather seats. But one glance at the Bremont Jaguar E-Type 60th Anniversary Chronograph and I’m getting a delicious sense of deja-vu. I can almost smell the petrol and Connolly leather. I’ve got both family and past in the UK, so I do feel a little bit less objective than I should. But come on, how can you not get slightly patriotic about the Brits with their new focus on watchmaking profiled in our stories here. Bremont are well known for their intrinsically British offerings, ultra strong steel cases, and handsome tool watches – an oft-abused term (not by me, surely?), but here it honestly rings true. The Bremont team will this week inaugurate their new factory and showroom and are a big part of bringing watchmaking pride and scale back to the green isles of Great Britain. Here we have two unashamedly proud British chronographs with a large dollop…
Seiko’s pop culture collaborations have offered a sensational demonstration of playfulness and creativity in watch design of late. You need only look to their Street Fighter or Naruto-inspired Seiko 5 lineups to see just how unique these watches can be, but the latest collaboration with recently-independent Kojima Productions takes things up a notch, bypassing the entry-level and going straight for the luxury quartz model that is the revitalised Seiko Astron. Taking inspiration from the cutting-edge quartz technology that Seiko embarked on in the late ‘60s and the GPS-powered digital sorcery of modern watches, this Astron sets to explore unknown galaxies through its links to Ludens, the bad-ass sci-fi mascot of Kojima Productions. Kojima Productions is the Tokyo studio led by Hideo Kojima that devised the cult game Death Stranding that won the “PC Game of the Year” at last year’s Golden Joystick Awards. The watch is packed with almost as many references to Ludens as it is with high-tech functionality, with the most evident being the carbon fibre weave pattern on the dial reflecting the skeletal mask which Ludens wears beneath his space helmet. The weekday, 24-hour, and alternate time zone subdials are integrated on a single plane, representing the…
I’ve had quite a few microbrands in my personal watchbox. In fact, my first new mechanical watch after a waning vintage obsession was a microbrand. Due to the smaller nature of these businesses, one of the main attractions of buying these watches is the possibility of interacting with the brand owner during the retail process and even developing a relationship of sorts. In addition, there is something cool about the ability of these plucky small manufacturers, many of which are run by one person, to go out alone and stand up to the greats. Alan Tsao of Tsao Baltimore is one of these guys and the 32-year-old founder has now released a brand new model: the Tsao Baltimore Legacy. A small producer like Alan has the agility to feel the pulse of the watch-collecting community and respond fast, releasing models that hit the sweet spot at the right time. Liberated from the bureaucratic rigmarole that working with a large design team involves, he’s able to make quicker decisions and jump on trends while they’re still beginning to crest. If the owner has the right eye for design and colours, there can be a hyper quick turnaround compared to, say, a…
What’s better than one complicated Cartier? Three complicated Cartiers, especially when they arrive in a specially designed marquetery finished and lacquered wooden box. These three pieces that make up the new Cartier Fine Watchmaking Rotonde de Cartier Precious “Icons Set”, which share the two uniting themes of mystery and skeletonisation. But in a world where the brand is best known for their classic designs from the beginning of the 20th century, what does this trio of large platinum watches really offer? Is it a case of complication for its own sake, or do these pieces actually add something to the current catalogue of the French-founded firm? For more than a hundred years, Cartier have played with illusion in their product design, but more specifically in their watch and clockmaking. Cartier Mystery Clocks are some of the most coveted examples of horological handicraft in existence, with 101 different examples offered by Christies in an important sale last year that showed the mind-bending diversity of design. It is this legacy that has inspired these three watches, each of which features a tourbillon at its heart and an element of historical mystery in their design. Astromysterious This is my personal favourite of the…
Dive watches are probably the single most popular watch category and with good reason. They are robust, water resistant and, as dress codes become increasingly casual, can also be worn pretty much anywhere you aren’t expected to wear a bow-tie. The variations within dive watches over the decades are another reason that collectors find them so compelling. Some dive watches have important links to armed forces around the world, which can send enthusiasts into a frenzy of minutia obsession. Likewise the different ways that brands have creatively overcome the challenges of the deep, such as legibility or helium build-up, allow for rich scholarship into the details of such evolutions. But at the core of it, we all just love watches that look great and don’t need to be wrapped in cotton wool as we go about our busy lives. And if we don’t have to spend a fortune, that’s even better. So what are the best affordable dive watches out there right now? We’ve put together a list of 11 different references from a number of different brands that will all ring up the till less than $5k (in watch collecting, everything is relative, especially what is affordable) and represent…
Our European Editor, Mike Christensen, tested out the new Tissot PRX, a throwback to a classic design from 1978. After a week on the wrist, here is what he made of one of the most accessibly priced integrated bracelet watches around. What was your first impression? Hear me out here, but… surely I’m not the only person to have a mild fascination with North Korea? Specifically the secretive country’s industrial peak in the 1970s when it was more commonly known as the People’s Republic of Korea. Or PRK. PRK, PRX – no one can argument there’s an uncanny resemblance there. Hence my rather unusual initial impression of the relaunch of this popular stainless-steel sports watch by Tissot, which has always been recognised for its integrated bracelet. North Korea aside, I was immediately struck by its sleek design contours and how lost you could get in the depth of the black dial – staring into it provided hours of soul-searching. How does it feel on the wrist? Considering its size of 40mm, it wears particularly slim and light and is the opposite of cumbersome while still managing to feel extremely robust (what the ‘R’ stands for). Incidentally, the ‘P’ stands for…
Season three of Drive to Survive dropped at 6pm Melbourne time on Friday March 19th and, if you were anything like me, then you were up until 4am watching the entire series in one sitting. Okay, so maybe you’re not that obsessed, but if you’re even a little bit like me then your eyes were probably drawn to all of the watches. Formula 1 has a long history with timekeeping, as does all motorsport, but when you see the Rolex billboards plastered over nearly every Grand Prix, you realise just how much watches are part of F1’s DNA. As we did when season one of the show came out, I binged Drive to Survive and tried to spot as many interesting watches as possible. Here are some of the highlights. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari driver) Hublot MECA-10 Black Magic As a member of F1’s emerging young guard, he’s proven himself to be one of the best drivers on the planet, to the point of thrashing four-time world champion and ex-Ferrari teammate Sebastian Vettel on track. He’s clearly Ferrari’s future, having signed the longest term contract ever in the Scuderia’s history and, as a model for Giorgio Armani, he’s also a total…