VIDEO: Revisiting the Rolex GMT-Master II 'Root Beer' in Everose Rolesor with Oyster Bracelet
Editor’s note: In preparation for an epic upcoming article that tracks a year on the wrist with the Rolex Root Beer, we thought we’d revisit this video that comprehensively positions it among its 2018 crop of sports watches. Watch it for side by side comparisons with the Full Everose version and the Pepsi, which largely hogged the limelight in the beginning. It’s a great refresher on the model, before the soon-to-be-dropped deep dive into what it’s like to own and wear the model on a regular basis. The interesting thing to note from the copy below, which was written when we released the video, is that at the time this model was largely overlooked by the media. There was intense scrutiny and hysteria around the Pepsi, and the Full Everose version emanated a glow akin to the opened suitcase in Pulp Fiction. It gives me a wry smile to read the last line: “I’m sure that once the Pepsi sugar high has worn off a little, the glittering Rolex GMT-Master II in Oystersteel and Everose will have its time in the sun, but we thought we’d shine a little light on it early.” This proved prophetic, with the Root Beer now among the most desirable Rolex models…
The post VIDEO: Revisiting the Rolex GMT-Master II ‘Root Beer’ in Everose Rolesor with Oyster Bracelet appeared first on Time and Tide Watches.
Editor’s note: Here we continue a new style of review that pits two similarly specced watches against each other, in an arena that is less touched up, and more true to the naked eye than our usual images. Last week we had a super-popular Seiko and the Tudor Black Bay Fifty-Eight. While both alike in specs, they were at very different price points. So, this time we thought we’d pit two dive watches with similar specs and aesthetics – from the golden mid-century era – and almost an identical price, against each other. There is extra sass here, because one is proof of the bullish new Seiko price positioning and the other is proof that Omega has dive watches of great quality hiding somewhat “in the shadows” as Thor says. Who will prevail? That is, as always, largely up to you and your tastes. Enjoy! There are some sharp vintage-inspired divers for $5000-10,000AUD ($3500-7000USD) out there. But what if you want to quench your thirst for vintage tool watches with something less common that signifies a studied personal style? And dare we make the criteria include that magic word: availability? Here are two sharp examples not seen on many wrists – both with the…
While there is certainly something emotional and special that is particular to mechanical timepieces, there are just certain things they will never be able to do as well as digital watches. Case in point: the new GBX100 models are the latest additions to the G-Shock G-LIDE lineup of sports watches, a known favourite among some of the world’s top surfers and ocean adventurers. These three new models come in a familiar robust G-Shock package … but with a twist. These models, in particular, have the ability to display information required by surfers, jet-skiers, boat barons, sea captains, and even those with a house near the ocean who may need to be prepared for possible flooding. What am I getting at here? The G-LIDE lineup stands out from other G-Shock models through its ability to give the wearer (whoever they may be) high tide and low tide times and levels. Through an easy-to-use mobile application, it is a simple process to select one of approximately 3300 locations and tide points around the globe. Its wide display and high-definition MIP (Memory In Pixel) LCD ensures absolute legibility for standard functions like Tide Graph, Moon Data, high tide and low tide times, and…
It was one of our most popular ‘who to follow’ posts ever. @barnfindwatches stepped up to the plate way back in 2017 to share some of his secrets as a master bargain hunter. His key takeaways are below, but before we get into them, let’s call out something important. The massive spike in traffic when the story went live revealed a truth that remains unchanged to this day. There is nothing quite like a barn find to light up a watch lover. Like a match to Indiana Jones’ methylated spirits-soaked torch in a cave, it ignites the mind. Visions of adventure. Riches. History. This was brought to the fore once again when Eric Ku, or @fumanku on Instagram, posted a picture from five years ago on his Facebook. While re-telling that story on social media, we asked about your own barn find wins. Our inbox was regaled with some absolute beauties, including this one, by @speedyfett So we thought we’d go one step further in the Friday Wind Down and extract some of the juiciest answers from @barnfindwatches’ interview, including some less obvious models to look out for, as well as his most epic barn find ever. Find a Q&A…
We recently reported that the Apple watch has gone from strength to strength in the last reporting period, and now outsells the entire Swiss watch industry to the tune of 10 million watches. Smartwatches, as a category however, are not exactly sweeping all before them in 2020. While wearables have seen significant growth over the past several years – largely due to their usefulness to the medical market in addressing spiraling healthcare costs, aging populations, and the burden of chronic disease – smartwatches have not been immune from COVID-19’s crippling effects. Delays in production mean that the number of smartwatch shipments in 2020 will be 9% lower than in 2019. The smartwatch market, has declined since the COVID-19 outbreak, the market is expected to start recovering from 2021 onwards. By contrast, cccording to GlobalData, the wearable tech market was worth nearly $27bn in 2019 and is likely to grow to $64bn by 2024 due to its increased awareness during the pandemic, including tracking disease contact, predict symptoms and monitoring patients. Tina Deng, MSc, Senior Medical Devices Analyst at GlobalData comments: “The pandemic greatly increased the awareness of wearable devices as their use cases increased. This has resulted in an increase…
One of the most interesting things about the Coronavirus pandemic is how everyone has had to adapt to the new norm. Social distancing, working from home, Zoom catch-ups and stockpiling booze and toilet paper like it’s gold bullion. All part of a day’s work in 2020. It’s also been fascinating and, for the most part, motivating to see how sports franchises across the globe have dealt with essentially not being able to operate since March. Now, for some disciplines, nothing much could be done – NFL, NBA, MLB, AFL, NRL, EPL … they all had to pack up shop for a fair chunk of the year. But other sports, thanks to the ever-growing popularity of Esports, have been able to not only survive online, but thrive. Motorsport is one such discipline that very quickly adapted to the digital-only era, and it’s been brilliant to see that it’s made the sport, if anything, more accessible and inclusive. What was once a grossly expensive spectacle, reserved for a privileged few, can now be enjoyed by anyone with an internet connection, sim racing set-up and a desire to clip apexes and dive-bomb opponents in breaking zones. That’s why Hublot and Ferrari have teamed…
Being a left-hander ain’t easy. While struggle might be overstating it slightly, there are constant daily reminders to the 10 per cent of the population who are southpaws that we are living in a right-handed world. Using a fountain pen is likely to result in an inky mess, and don’t get me started on scissors. Can openers require a flexibility warmup before use, and the number keys on the right side of a computer keyboard are pretty much useless to us. In recognition of the quotidian frustrations we deal with on a daily basis, today (Thursday the 13th for those who have lost track in lockdown) is International Left Handers Day, and we thought it was the perfect opportunity to take a closer look at the watches designed to be worn on the right wrist, of which there are some absolute classics. 1. Tudor Pelagos LHD This might be the most well-known left-handed watch in the watch community at the moment, and for good reason. It’s a great watch on so many levels. Featuring a 42mm titanium case, 500m of water resistance and Tudor’s own in-house caliber MT5612-LHD, this watch also has some great history behind it. From 1970, Tudor…
Editor’s note: This week, Eric Ku, vintage watch dealer and friend of Time+Tide, posted about five years having passed since the remarkable watch barn find story involving a LeCoultre Deep Sea Alarm. A man by the name of Zach Norris came across an interesting-looking watch at a local Goodwill store, featuring a price tag of $5.99. He bought it in a heartbeat, suspecting it was worth more than the tag suggested, and was delighted to discover its true value. He was flooded with offers for the watch, one of which came from Eric Ku. He agreed to sell the watch to Eric for a cool $35,000. That’s right, nearly 6000 times the price he paid for it. We put a call-out to see if anyone else had their own story of successful thrift shop hunting, and Frank (@SpeedyFett on Instagram) reached out, telling the tale of his vintage Gruen Ocean Chief. Enjoy! I have a barn find story from a couple years ago that is pretty special. I took my family on vacation to Philadelphia for my kids to experience the old historic area. Little did I know that in addition to the Liberty Bell, just around the corner was…
As a regular attendant of various get-togethers (or ‘GTGs’ for the time poor) for watch enthusiasts in New York, you can get used to seeing some pretty outstanding watches in the wild. While many flex their recent Rolex acquisition or the perfectly patinated vintage Speedmaster, there are also a fair share of watches that while lower in monetary value, still pack a mighty horological punch. True enthusiasts of the hobby understand it doesn’t take a second mortgage on your house to afford a well-built watch. So, I’ve been keeping notes on the most popular affordable models on the ground in America. Here are 10 of the most commonly spotted watches under $1000 USD. 1. Casio G-Shock GA2100 “CasiOak” Inspired by the original DW-5000C, the GA2100 evolves the original’s octagonal form, creating a rugged and robust watch with the integrated octagonal look people have come to love. The watch design and form presents a true value opportunity for any collector on a budget, as it gives one the opportunity to have an integrated octagonal design that is by no means a rip-off of other brands. That said, its shape has inspired the nickname “CasiOak” as enthusiasts have found this to be…
The meteoric resurrection of DOXA over the last 18 months has been both exciting and heartwarming to witness. What started out as a strong showing at Baselworld 2019 (think solid gold SUB 200T and SUB 200) has been followed by a succession of compelling offerings that neatly bridge the gap between heritage and contemporary watchmaking. And now we have a new Sub 300. And there is quite a story here. This watch drastically dials down the tool watch vibes and sees DOXA honing in on the hotter than ever steel sports watch market. It is more wearable, more refined, has a specced up movement and it has its eyes on the wrists of not just vintage or retro watch lovers already turned on to Doxa and its dive watch legacy, but also the luxury watch buyer in general. Now, though, DOXA is, like so many other brands out there, looking to its past for future inspiration, but with a host of modern twists, and slick refinements. Enter the all-new SUB 300 – a vintage-inspired diver that looks like it’s been pinched right off Dirk Pitt’s wrist, circa-1970s, thrown in the trunk of a time-travelling DeLorean and dropped off at our…