HANDS-ON: The Moser Streamliner Centre Seconds dragon breathes pure fire
Once again they manage to surprise us, from ironic rectangular horology to a hypnotising collaboration with MB&F, to this, where Moser enter the ring for the strongly contested Integrated Steel Sports Watch Bracelet contest. Yes, I tried it on – and did not want to take it off – the H. Moser & Cie. Streamliner Centre Seconds. OK, the competition in this category is tough, but so is this smooth nugget. The case and bracelet is familiar from the GPHG-winning Streamliner Flyback Chronograph, but this time Moser sticks to their speciality, which is a beguiling time-only fumé dial. Except for a certain Italian angular svelte creation, nothing beats this for being different, and refreshingly free of inspiration from the top grails. The inspiration is here, but from the age of streamlined trains and cars of the ’30s with their smooth, honed speed-centric shapes. A case and bracelet, both setting new standards When you slip it on, the feeling is that of smooth comfort, or a flexible cuff-like piece of jewellery, not a watch with a bracelet. In its 40mm case this is an experience of one-ness, immensely refreshing in a time of homage and re-editions, and Genta derivatives ad nauseam.…
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The lockdown in Melbourne has made us miss a lot of things. An avocado-heavy brunch with friends. A cocktail at Eau-de-Vie. And also the opening of the brand new Jaeger-LeCoultre Melbourne boutique. You heard me correctly, Jaeger-LeCoultre has a new home in Melbourne at the Paris end of Collins Street, right next to its Richemont stablemates, Vacheron Constantin and Cartier. This is the second part of an Australian expansion by the brand, with the first-ever boutique in the country opening in Sydney last year. At the time, Justin Devaux, the Jaeger-LeCoultre Country Manager of Australia and New Zealand, explained the decision behind the expansion as a part of a longer-term strategy to “immerse the customer in the brand universe”. Mr Devaux went on to add, “I think overall that everybody is looking quite optimistically at the market in Australia. On our side we definitely expect to have a bright future in Australia, but Jaeger-LeCoultre is not an easy brand to understand, and is one that has mastered so many different areas of craftsmanship that you need to have a specific boutique to be able to have the time and expertise to explain the range of the skills we are offering with…
Military watches, or tool watches, are incredibly popular in today’s marketplace – with heritage becoming a huge emotional driver behind watch purchases. The Vario 1918 Trench Watch is a new and affordable option for buyers looking for a detail-driven and military-inspired timepiece. Vario carefully considers each component utilised within their Trench watches, working to provide the best build and value to the end consumer. The story Most tools and products are born as solutions to encumbrances and problems. To make our lives easier than they were previously. During the First World War, soldiers and officers utilised pocket watches that were integral to strategic efforts on the battlefield. But with shrapnel flying around, bullets ripping through the air overhead, every second counted – and any pauses to their effort, or time spent distracted in the pursuit of information, was an unwelcome vulnerability. Imagine, in the throes of battle, having to pull out your pocket watch and open the protective lid with gloved hands. In a setting where a second could be the difference between life and death, this configuration would no longer be acceptable. Further detriments of the utilised pocket watches of the time included a lack of luminescent material, and glass crystals that…
Sydney-based watch brand Bausele has been confirmed to produce two watches with the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) to mark their centenary. The RAAF’s 100th anniversary will be marked by two special watches that contain parts of RAAF aircraft. The last time the RAAF actually commissioned a watch was in the 1940s, when they commissioned the likes of IWC and Jaeger-LeCoultre, so this is something of a breakthrough in the short history of Bausele, which was only founded in 2011. The sense of occasion, and the connection it provides Bausele with a long and rich history, has spurred the brand on to their greatest heights in terms of design and contemporary appeal. These are far and away the most attractive, and on point, models in their broader range, which so far has yet to land on an identifiable design language. Founder of Bausele, Christophe Hoppe, worked very closely with the RAAF design team to perfect the two different watches, using the theme of the Air Force Centenary — “Then. Now. Always.” — as inspiration. In this spirit, the first watch is the Airfield, which looks back on those RAAF watches from the ’40s, and takes their clean tool watch aesthetic into…
When people think of Omega, the usual suspects are the Omega Speedmaster and Seamaster. But the truth is the catalogue is so much more than those two collections. The Aqua Terra is an unsung hero, and is arguably Omega’s answer to the Datejust – but with even more technical prowess. These watches feature casual builds with professional-level technology – and can even frequently be spotted in Bond films as the famous spy’s watch of choice. With Lashana Lynch set to wear a 38mm black dial Aqua Terra in No Time to Die, we thought it would be good to review in-depth the lesser discussed Aqua Terra 150M. The story in a second: The Aqua Terra recently received a major upgrade, and now we’re seeing Omega’s staple in a whole new light. Since it first surfaced in 2003, Omega’s Aqua Terra has been a versatile everyman: stylish and sartorial, but tough enough for the real world. This year the collection levelled-up to Master Chronometer status and we thought we’d take this sparkly 41mm rubberclad model for a spin. The case The case of the Aqua Terra hasn’t changed too obviously — it’s still the same classic shape, with sporty, swooping, twisted lugs and polished surfaces…
Hypebeast recently dropped the orange-flavoured candy of the Nike Air Force 1 ’07 LV8 Total Orange, a searchlight-bright version of the iconic trainer. As if the zesty orange wasn’t enough, they have teamed up with 3M for the metallic silver highlights, in an unashamed flash of reflections from the tiniest sliver of sunlight. This is the perfect time to crank up the volume on colour and to match orange with yet more orange. Matchy-matchy goes atomic level when paired with the new DOXA SUB 200 C-Graph. No matter if you’re just released into the world from isolation and back to work – or in a second-wave lockdown, this is a surefire way to pump up the mood of the day, paired with the latest orange dial SUB 200 C-Graph DOXA. Pick yourself up with the black and orange cheer-me-up factor from the trainers, and enjoy the matchup with what could be this year’s boldest, brightest chronograph. Killer look? Sorted. If you’ve had enough of monochrome tool watches or NATO-strapped divers, the vintage bling and superb comfort of the beads-of-rice bracelet strikes a perfect balance of eye candy and pure functionality. Price: $4350 AUD. Read up on Hypebeast about the Nike Air Force…
Dress watches are the epitome of traditional horology. I know, sports watches are trendy and consume a large portion of the conversation – but there is something, whether tangible or intangible, that dress watches provide that a sports watch simply cannot and never will. They may not be your daily wearer, you certainly won’t take a dress watch to the beach. But for those crucial moments, whether a wedding or a job interview, the formal dress watch provides a certain kind of gentlemanly confidence boost that you just can’t find in professional tool watches. When I go out into the world as Zach Blass, I wear my Black Bay Fifty-Eight – but in those moments when I need to be Mr Zachary B. Blass, only a dress watch such as my Lange 1815 Up/Down 221.021 can truly elevate me to the task at hand. While they do not always get as much time in the spotlight as they deserve, let’s take a look at eight of the best dress watches of 2020 over $10K. Piaget Altiplano Ultimate Concept I have to confess I have a bit of a bias here, as once upon a time I did work for…
Editor’s note: Before you ask, yes we have a date. April 2, 2021. It ain’t exactly days away, but at least we know how long the advent calendar has to be. A fair bit of chocolate is the upside. We are happy to report that one of the largest entertainment-related casualties of the pandemic, the delay of Daniel Craig’s last outing as James Bond in No Time to Die, can at least have closure with a release date. The anticipation factor being this high not unusual. Bond films have been eagerly anticipated pieces of cinema for the last 50 years, causing great buzz and excitement when they are announced. For watch enthusiasts though, it doesn’t mean there is only a new movie to watch – it means a new Bond watch to lust and drool after. From Rolex, Seiko, Hamilton, and most recently Omega, actors who have taken on the role of 007 have always had some spectacular timepieces on their wrists. For the first time however, a Bond actor has actually had a role in the design of the watch worn in a film, with Daniel Craig playing an advisory role in creating the last watch he will wear as…
Earlier this week, we shared our thoughts on phrases we are completely guilty of using at times, but wondered if it would be best to retire them. We’re not declaring right or wrong here, but rather just initiating a bit of a thought experiment and evaluating what effect our cultural rhetoric (so to speak) has on our industry and collecting community. It is no secret that tastes have homogenised quite a bit, and a case could be made that our common vernacular is one of the roots of the problem. Arguably, it creates a code of buyer conduct – rules that dictate our purchase decisions and remove independent thought from the equation. Worse still, it engenders yet more snobbery in a pastime that already has a bad rep for being, for lack of a better phrase, up itself and not as inclusive as, say, model trains. We put the question to you, the readers, and now present #shitcollectorssay: the Reader Choice Edition. A quick note that some reader responses were purely words and phrases some find objectionable: “timepiece”, “in-house”, “lightplay” for example, and even overused adjectives such as “stunning”. Thanks to all for getting involved, and answering the call. Giving…
This week, in an unusual move from the obsessive tool laboratory of Sinn Spezialuhren (yes, Special Watches — only tools and instruments may apply), comes a glittery fresh take on the social media and forum hive-mind favourite, the 41mm Sinn 103 pilot’s chronograph. In the Sinn 103 Sa G version they have taken what is a very compact and Leica-quality like monochromatic pilot’s watch and added colour. And what that intense sparkly green has done is transform this serious tool into a delicious piece of wrist candy. Metallic green sparkles in the sun and adds a delightful twist to a superb piece of ergonomic German engineering. If that wasn’t enough, it is also the debut of a Concepto movement in place of the ETA-based Valjoux 7750. More on that later. The venerable 103 has been a staple of the Sinn portfolio for many years. It is testament to both German engineering and the bulletproof nature of the Valjoux 7750 that you’ll find pre-loved, banged up ones still holding their value and soldiering on with close to COSC-accurate hearts. The detailing is classic ’50s pilot’s watch, without a single applied index in sight, and a purist vision of aviation wristwear. While you can…