LIST: Luke’s 5 favourite articles of 2020
How many watches have you seen in the metal this year? My personal tally would surely be an all-time low. The COVID pandemic cancelled watch fairs while product viewings turned into digital affairs where white-gloved reps waved their timepieces at you over live video streams. There’s no real substitute for any of this, of course. To truly appraise a watch you have to hold it in your hands to feel its heft, click its bezel, watch how the sunlight bounces off the dial. But when you’re denied that opportunity due to a merciless pandemic keeping you house-bound for months on end, then you have to find other ways to scratch that horological itch. Luckily, great watch writing brings timepieces to life and makes their intimate details almost tangible. I’m fortunate to work alongside some mighty talented folk who can do that better than most. Here are some of my favourite pieces from Time+Tide’s archives from 2020. HANDS-ON: The virile vitality of the Hublot Big Bang Millennial Pink – Fergus Nash Fergus annoys the hell out of me because he makes it all look so bloody effortless. He’s not even a full-time journo, but he writes with such fluency and ease…
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Editor’s note: A few months back, we announced that former Editor of GQ Australia, Mike Christensen, was to be our first European Editor. In this series, ‘11 Days of Londoners’, Mike will be sharing the stories of a few notable local collectors, starting on Day 1 with King Nerd, and with a stellar lineup still to come. Lastly, you might ask, why 11 days? That, friends, will become clearer over time … As well as being the world’s most well-known male supermodel, David Gandy is a role model for how to be a quintessential English gentleman and modern man. A fellow doting father like myself, the keen car and watch lover talks us through his carefully thought-out collection of timepieces. The story behind the watch I’m wearing today It’s a Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Classic. I bought the watch when my daughter was born a few years ago and I have her initials and date of birth engraved on the back. It’s a watch I have always admired, and has quickly become my favourite. What I love most about watches It’s a hard question to answer. The same as people ask me where my passion for classic cars started. None of my family ever had an interest or could…
If you’re a regular reader of Time+Tide, you’re no doubt familiar with both Seiko and the delectably finished Grand Seiko, but you might never have heard of King Seiko. Seiko stopped producing King Seiko watches in the mid-1970s, and have never made them again … until now. The new King Seiko KSK SJE083 is set to hit stores in January 2021, and will be a hugely exciting moment for the legions of devoted Seiko enthusiasts itching to see the first watch to bear the King Seiko name in decades. Back in the 1960s, Seiko split their Suwa-based business entities to promote competition within the organisation. This was designed to drive the two new factory locations to become more competitive against European watchmakers. High-end watches were to be produced by Grand Seiko in the Suwa Seikosha factory, while King Seiko pieces were to be made in the Daini Seikosha location. As a result, Grand Seiko was first produced in 1960 (with the brand celebrating its 60th anniversary this year), while the first King Seiko was launched a year later in 1961. In 1965, the latter released the King Seiko KSK (the original reference was 44-9990), the template for the all-new King…
Editor’s note: Here at Time+Tide, we not only want to cover all of the best watch releases in the articles we write but also offer some of those watches at the Time+Tide Marketplace. We work hard to make sure the pieces we are proud to offer in our Marketplace are not only quality watches that we would love to have in our own collections, but also horologically interesting and watches we believe would find happy homes in our readers’ collections. So with that out of the way, let’s take a look at five back-to-work watches that are currently available at the Time+Tide Marketplace and would look great on your wrist as we slowly make our way back to our offices after COVID. DOXA SUB 300T Is the dress watch dead? Look at Oscar night: film stars in tuxedos on the red carpet with large steel sports watches popping out from under their cuff. What does this have to do with the tough DOXA SUB 300? Well, everything. It means that you can beat off those back-to-work blues with an iconic vintage diver from DOXA. You no longer need to relegate your favourite dazzling coloured tool watch to weekend wear.…
The whole idea of a microbrand is to do things differently from major watchmakers. Whether that be better bang for buck, experimenting with unusual materials, or just creating wacky designs, any taste can be catered for as long as enough interest can be found through Kickstarter. Over the years, the taste of the mainstream has crept into the micro world too, flooding the market with vintage-style dive watches powered by entry-level Japanese movements. While there’s nothing wrong with that model — in fact, some are absolutely great — CODE41 return to the original ethos of being unafraid to experiment. The DAY41 is their latest example, and it begs to be stared at. The DAY41 began life as a concept for a women’s watch, though as it took shape, it revealed itself to prove that any watch can be gender-neutral as long as you enjoy how it looks. The availability to order it in 37mm or 40mm isn’t just designated to the gender binaries, as the personalisation to order whichever case finish and strap style you want allows you to make it as masculine or as feminine as you’re inclined, without worrying if it will fit your wrist properly. The only exceptions to…
It isn’t easy for just anyone to become a watch manufacturer. It takes determination, know-how and a passion for watchmaking to claim that dwindling slice of the sales pie not consumed by the larger conglomerates. But fortunately there are those taking big strides, while putting their own spin on modern horology. Eugen Wegner is a brand recently revived by Jonas Bley – the great-great grandson of Eugen himself – who is looking to drive the watchmaker forward. Jonas has brought three new watches to the table: the Hevelius (39mm time-only), Phoenix (time and date), and our primary focus today, the Eugen Wegner One chronograph. The Eugen Wegner One is the most complicated of the trio, a heritage-inspired chronograph that evokes classic design in today’s marketplace. The backstory In 1897, the brand established its first workshop in Gdańsk, Poland. Eugen Wegner, an award-winning young watchmaker from Germany, quickly gained a reputation for creating high-quality timepieces. With the help of his wife, his creations became highly sought-after throughout the region and demand for his work grew. A few decades later, Eugen Wegner’s first-born son entered the business in 1920 after spending some time in South America with fellow competitor Hans-Ulrich of…
Editor’s note: A few months back, we announced that former Editor of GQ Australia, Mike Christensen, was to be our first European Editor. In this series, ‘11 Days of Londoners’, Mike will be sharing the stories of a few notable local collectors, starting on Day 1 with King Nerd, and with a stellar lineup still to come. Lastly, you might ask, why 11 days? That, friends, will become clearer over time … Bill Prince served as the Deputy Editor of the British Edition of GQ for 23 years and aside from his interest in all things horological, Bill is also a former music journo and has interviewed everyone from Mick Jagger to David Bowie and Elton John. He is also a member of the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève Academy – further proof of his standing in the watch business. I buy watches … Because they represent the intersection between engineering, aesthetics and design. Rather like a fine wine, a great watch reflects the successful combination of a number of discrete disciplines, in service to the creation of a genuinely beautiful yet functional object. There’s a reason why the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak “Jumbo” is currently the most coveted male accessory on…
We recently covered up-and-coming British manufacturer Zero West, and their Spitfire S4-P9427 aviation watch. But pilot’s watches are not the only horological ace up their sleeve, they also encapsulate great moments in British history on land and sea. Across all three lines, one common theme they share are distinctive cases and aesthetics that can only be construed as Zero West. Founders Andrew Brabyn (designer) and Graham Collins (ex-black ops military engineer) truly work to make creations that stand out from the norm and rework heritage inspirations in fresh forms. Today, let’s dig in to one of their British automotive-inspired timepieces, the Zero West TT-58. The backstory The Zero West TT-58 was inspired by the sixth and final round of the Royal Automobile Club Tourist Trophy held in West Sussex. Renowned as the world’s oldest continuous motor race, the event drew competitors from all over the globe. The drivers behind the Aston Martin cars, Stirling Moss and Tony Brooks, were dominant from the start and soon established a sizeable lead over their fellow racers. According to Zero West, “The race was frantic and saw some accidents and mechanical failures. Multiple pit stops ensued but the David Brown Aston Martins finished 1-2-3,…
As we’ve recently established, in Matt’s story here, we are no stranger to the discussion around Rolex scarcity. Trust me, as regular watch buyers, we totally get it. I am personally disappointed and dismayed each day I don’t hear back from the authorised dealers in New York City and beyond that I visited to express interest in the Oyster Perpetual 36 model upon its release this year. Sadly, these Perpetual watches perpetually frustrate customers who can’t seem to get ahead in the enigma that is the Rolex waitlist. But you don’t have to suffer in silence. Here are five Rolex models available just over and just under retail pricing via Bob’s Watches – which enjoys a reputation as a trusted vendor of pre-owned Rolex worldwide. Each of the photos below are actual shots of real inventory available now at Bob’s Watches Rolex Explorer 214270 The Rolex Explorer is an extremely versatile timepiece that will go with any wardrobe and can be utilised in any daily or formal situation. This modern Explorer 214270 is 39mm in diameter, with its case and bracelet made of Rolex’s coveted 904L steel that wears akin to a precious metal on the wrist. One hundred metres…
There’s a famous Bond scene in Octopussy where Roger Moore’s 007, clad in his customary white tuxedo, sits down to play a spot of high-stakes backgammon. His adversary – the malevolent Kamal Khan – is surreptitiously cheating, using a set of loaded dice. Unfazed, Bond accepts Khan’s 200,000 rupee wager and, using a Fabergé egg as collateral, promptly switches the dice to throw a perfect double six. Moore shrugs off his triumph with his usual expression of wry bemusement. “It’s all in the wrist,” he insists. It’s a throwaway line, but it turns out that the wrist is indeed regarded with inordinate significance in certain quarters. Some people believe that it really is “all in the wrist”, with the complex joint that bridges the hand to the forearm credited with determining everything from your sex life (or lack thereof) to your gym gains and choice of wristwear. More specifically, it’s the precise size of your wrist that counts. Does your wrist size dictate your choice of watch? Let’s start with the most relevant category for Time+Tide readers. Assuming you want your watch to complement your appearance, rather than become a Flavor Flav-style accessory, then case size and proportion matter. You…