INTRODUCING: Audemars Piguet goes all-in on green for the 2021 Royal Oak collection
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak models are among the most coveted watches in the entire world. Owners of the various references already make other collectors green with envy, but the new 2021 Royal Oak Collection will make onlookers envy the green. Somewhere Conor McGregor’s #NewWatchAlert spidey sense just started tingling, because this new collection of five watches (four of which are limited editions) has definitively locked in green as the color of 2021. While all the watches have green dials, Audemars Piguet has done a great job of offering a wide spectrum of case metals – ranging from lightweight titanium all the way to hefty noble platinum. Audemars Piguet Royal Oak “Jumbo” Extra-Thin / 39 mm 15202PT.OO.1240PT.01 The Royal Oak “Jumbo” Extra-Thin has always had a special place in the hearts and minds of collectors due to the purity of its dimensions and aesthetic. Its design harkens all the way back to the original Royal Oak that Gerald Genta disrupted the industry with in 1972. However, this new model could very well be the end of an era for the Royal Oak Jumbo, as during our call with the AP Social club to discuss the upcoming novelties, Francois-Henry Bennahmias and Michael…
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Limited editions of Blancpain divers are hot commodities in today’s marketplace, so when they are announced it’s best to act fast if you’re looking to secure one for your collection. They also have the added benefit of speaking to a wider spectrum of wrists, taking on a smaller 40.3mm case diameter reserved for limited editions. The Blancpain Tribute to Fifty Fathoms No Rad Limited Edition is a tribute to the brand’s famed Fifty Fathoms that proudly boasted the fact that it did not use any radioactive compounds to increase the visibility of the diver. Context The Original Fifty Fathoms No Rad was born from the realisation that radioactive compounds such as radium could be very harmful to the health of those who interacted with the material. Many military watches of the era utilised radium and, as the health concerns arose, these organisations were looking for watches that could provide legibility without exposure to dangerous materials. Blancpain, ahead of the curve, introduced the Fifty Fathoms No Rad in the mid 1960s as a clear assurance that no harmful radioactive compounds were used in the watch. According to Blancpain, “In the early 1960s, radium – a radioactive element used in watchmaking for…
Green is the new blue, someone told us last year and, with the benefit of hindsight, this might well be the case. The evidence from 2020 and the early months of this year was saturated with gorgeous greens from lime flash to mossy dark elegance. Amid this sea of green, one of my favourite shades is the downplayed formality of olive tones. This is a distinct sub trend that started two or three years ago and anchors the bold notion of colour with a subdued panache. This particular segment of the green spectrum with its darker, more subtle nuances and hints of grey and brown, is as versatile as it is eye-catching. It actually proved quite difficult to pick my goal of five, so here are 10 examples of the best olive-green watch dials from refined dress pieces to military-tough field watches. Farer Field Watch Exmoor Farer has built a reputation as a small brand with an emphasis on vintage inspiration, often slim of design with fresh colours and bags of personality to spice things up and take them to another level. What distinguishes Farer from the microbrand pack is a British sartorial take on the simple, mechanical wristwatches we…
Over the last decade, the watch media has played an increasingly important, and intertwined, part in the watch industry. From increased coverage of newly released watches to publications becoming authorised retailers for brands, the landscape has shifted forever. And out of this paradigm shift, one of the coolest things to be born is the watch media collaboration watch. While it’s fair to debate how broad the definition of media collaboration watch might be (the Time Zone forum produced a limited edition watch with RGM back in 1999), the trend can be traced back as seriously gaining momentum in 2015 with the Hodinkee collaboration with MB&F. Even Time+Tide joined the party at the end of last year with our Bamford London x Time+Tide GMT1. So with more than half a decade in the rear window, enough time has passed to consider the question: what are the best watch media collaborations? Nick Kenyon – IWC Pilot’s Watch Automatic 36mm Special Edition for The Rake and Revolution While I’ll admit I had a very soft spot for the Fratello Speedmaster “Speedy Tuesday” Limited Edition, there is something incredibly enchanting about this three-handed IWC. I think it’s the fact that, while there are lots of heritage reissues…
The DOXA Sub 300 is a strong diver’s watch with vintage leanings. But the Sub 300 Aqualung US Divers Limited Edition in carbon fibre offers a completely different proposition. Essentially, it refashions the piece with a modern edge – the sharp and moody presence of the industrial carbon fibre turning up the emphasis on the Sub 300 as a pure tool watch, while at the same time highlighting the vivid dial. DOXA is now pairing all six references in the Sub 300 range with the inviting tactility of that new carbon fibre case. Don’t be fooled, however, by the bright colours and feather-light weight. This watch remains a serious diver powered by a COSC-certified ETA 2824-2 movement that reminds us that under the surface, every minute counts. First Impressions When we first laid our eyes on this new range, the bright dials seem even more prominent framed by the matte, silky darkness. This carbon fibre composite has an industrial vibe with silvery flecks of visible fibre bringing an even stronger presence to the Sub 300, not to mention that extraordinary lightness (it weighs just 87g). Retaining the distinctive tonneau shape, the 13.4mm thickness is svelte for such a rugged tool.…
Our weekly Micro Mondays feature has become a big success since its inception last year. The featured pieces often appeal because of their more accessible approach to watchmaking with a delightful blend of superb value and quirky designs that just wouldn’t happen in a listed company with a large design department. Purely on the basis of online traffic, these are the 10 most popular microbrands on Time+Tide from last year – a mix of new offerings and others that are fast evolving from fledgling independents into larger scale productions. 10. Kurono Japanese watchmaking artisan Hajime Asaoka makes stunning bespoke watches. The only problem: the starting price is around $40,000. Kurono is the more accessible side of Asaoka-san’s art deco splendour. The production is managed by Precision Watch Tokyo Co. Ltd, while the dial and caseback – signed Bunkyō Tokyo – refers to the special ward in Tokyo where Hajime’s design studio is located. As a microbrand Kurono is well-established with two new models launched this year, including a new version of their art deco classic bicompax chronograph. Unfortunately, and as usual, it instantly sold out based on a well-organised tier system for orders. And yes, they are already rising in…
You’ll have heard this about vintage watches before: tread carefully when you have these pieces serviced and who you allow to work on them. With Rolex, in particular, you’ll be aware of the dangers of having the factory service their vintage watches and the horror stories of these coveted watches losing the elements that make them so valuable in the process. Rolex’s own service centres are not like Patek Philippe or Audemars Piguet. They do not have a heritage department to painstakingly restore and re-fabricate vintage parts in order to keep everything period correct. Instead, their objective is to make their watches as robust and high-performing as possible. So while many consumers appreciate faded bezels and patinated dials that have lost their lume, Rolex does not. They will, in fact, replace these components with modern alternatives and, in terms of polishing, will likely refinish even if you demand they leave the case and bracelet untouched. But a less acknowledged and even harsher reality to servicing vintage Rolex has been raised by watchmaker Jordan P. Ficklin via a post here on ProfessionalWatches.com: there are only a finite number of period correct parts left and, as the supply dwindles, they will only…
The heritage trend has definitely saturated the marketplace with virtually every manufacturer looking to their past to create interest in their products. Some do this better than others. With the current ubiquity of the faux-patinated aesthetic, designs have to be pushed even further to stand out. Re-interpretations of heritage designs typically signal that the design is largely unchanged besides minor elements being modernised to ensure they are faithful tributes. Longines, however, has taken a more interesting route of late – leveraging heritage frameworks but issuing them with new skins that cater to modern trends. We saw the Longines BigEye Avigation freshen up a past design with a shaded petrol blue dial. Now a similar shade of smoked blue lacquer has been introduced to the Longines Legend Divers collection, alongside a smoked coffee brown lacquer dial for those hankering for a warmer aesthetic. The dimensions remain the same as the original 2007 black dial model that helped usher in the vintage-inspired trend with its stainless-steel case 42mm in diameter (just like the original 7402 diver it was inspired by), 12.7mm thick, and 52.4mm lug to lug. The 300 metre water-resistant watch has a screw-down caseback, as well as two screw-down crowns…
A few weeks back, I wrote about my own Casio G-Shock GA2100-1A (AKA the CasiOak) that I had modified and received a lot of positive feedback about. Many people expressed interest in how different the watch looked after the modification. While I did note that the bracelet wasn’t particularly comfortable on the wrist, I agreed that the CasiOak was one of the coolest looking modified watches I’d ever held in my hands. But the versatility of the CasiOak extends far beyond a simple steel case and bracelet. The creative lengths that the watch community has gone to in creating weird and wonderful mods is genuinely impressive, and I wanted to take a look at a few examples that really stand out as some of the best CasiOak mods out there. Diamond bezel on orange rubber Gem-set G-Shock’s aren’t totally unheard of with Floyd Mayweather showing off his diamond and ruby set digital watch last year, but diamonds on a CasiOak is a new one. Wowsers! Two-tone case and bezel Two-tone watches aren’t as popular as they once were in their 1980s prime. But this mod has a full stainless-steel case and bracelet with a rose-gold tone bezel. Is this the…
Thanks to the vintage looks of its steel case, the DOXA SUB 300 is a cult diver’s watch. But ever since the SUB 300 Aqualung US Divers in carbon fibre came out, its dark presence has haunted the dreams of DOXA fans (in a good way). Sleek and moody, the DOXA SUB 300 Carbon turns up the emphasis on the SUB 300 as a pure diver’s tool, while at the same time underlining the blisteringly fresh dials. If, like me, you fancy the stealthy embrace of carbon fibre, this is very much your ticket. I do warn you though, you will have serious decision issues, as we have six colourful references in the DOXA SUB 300 Carbon collection to choose from. As a whole new sub-category (pun intended) within the DOXA portfolio, the smooth tactility of the high-grade carbon fibre takes the brand to another level. As icing on the candy coloured cake, these babies are COSC-certified, chronometer spec diver’s watches. Professional Part of the rise of DOXA from niche favourite to Instagram star is the Swiss brand’s tight focus on diving watches. That’s why it seems apt to start with the zesty orange of the Professional in the classic DOXA…