5 watch releases that you might have missed in 2020, including a $200k+ Omega tourbillon
You’d be forgiven for not really caring about whether or not there’s been any new watches released this year – there are definitely more serious matters at hand. But, nevertheless, watchmakers have continued doing what they do best and there have been a plethora of great timepieces unveiled. Now, we’re not going to attempt to talk about all of them — there are not enough hours in the day, and many have already graced the site. But we thought we’d share with you our favourite five watches that you might have missed this year. Omega De Ville Central Tourbillon Omega really went to town with this one. It’s the watchmaker’s first-ever manually wound tourbillon to be Master Chronometer certified, and the centrally mounted mechanism looks stunning against its black backdrop and precious metal case hewn from an intoxicating blend of 18k Sedna and Canopus gold. Price circa $168,000USD. Jaquet Droz Grande Seconde Off-Centered Chronograph Jaquet Droz may well be one of the oldest brands in the game of horology, but this Grande Seconde Off-Centered Chronograph with gorgeous onyx dial proves the watchmaker has still got what it takes to make us step back and just say wow. If we had…
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Editor’s note: The Ball Engineer Hydrocarbon AeroGMT II USA-only edition is available now in the Time+Tide marketplace, alongside the Ball Engineer Hydrocarbon Original, a vintage-styled diver with some similar muscle. The Ball Watch Company is a brand founded on the principles of practical and robust solutions to timekeeping problems. They were established in the United States in the late 1800s after a series of tragic accidents on the country’s quickly expanding railway networks. There was no standard time that trains ran to, meaning that a deviation of a local train station’s clock could result in a train leaving too early or late, causing an accident. After one head-on collision between two trains in Ohio, Webb C. Ball founded the Ball Watch Company to comply with the newly established “Rail Road Standard” time that aimed to solve the problem. Today, Ball Watch Company continue to make watches in this ethos, prioritising legibility, accuracy and durability. The Ball Engineer Hydrocarbon AeroGMT II is one such watch that embodies this ethos, built as a practical modern tool watch. The 42mm steel case is built to withstand a lot, be it water intrusion, magnetism or shock. The case is specifically designed to be able…
Legends are made quickly in the microbrand world. In the case of the Halios Seaforth Bronze, news of its popularity could barely keep up with the speed at which it sold out, and while rumours of a second production run have been teased since January, second-hand Seaforths in bronze have been selling for more than their prior RRP. Not to be outshone, the French emerging mainstay Baltic have released their own bronze-cased, 200M, time-only watch, dripping in vintage character and with similarly perfect proportions. While these two watches are by no means clones of each other, no doubt they’ll be fighting over territory on your wrist. The case The dimensions of these two watches both sit in that masculine sweet spot for those who want big impact in a non-overbearing package. The Seaforth’s 40mm diameter and 48mm lug-to-lug should ensure a comfortable fit on smaller than average wrists, and the same goes for the Aquascaphe’s 39mm width and 47mm lug-to-lug. Both measure in at a modest 12mm high, including their domed sapphire crystals, so neither will provide too much of an obstacle to sliding under a cuff, if that’s the kind of environment you’ll be wearing it in. Although the…
The first time I held the Seiko Prospex SNR045J in my hands, I laughed, turned to my left, and said to Deputy Editor Nick Kenyon, “What on earth is this?” To describe the limited edition dive watch as evocative is more than an understatement – it conjures up many, many thoughts in my mind, scrambles them, and leaves me feeling very confused, for a number of reasons. Firstly, it’s yet another (ir)regular Seiko that blurs the lines between Seiko and Grand Seiko. Secondly, look at the size of it! Who is this watch made for? And thirdly, why can’t I stop staring? And why is it only looking and feeling better the longer I have it attached to my wrist? Well, as a consequence of these perplexing queries, I spent the next 48 hours wearing the Hulky puck, steadfast that I’d get to the bottom of my curiosities, which, I hazard to guess, might be some of your curiosities too. The case BIG … it’s bloody big. How big? Enormous. More specifically – 44.8mm across and a positively chonky 15.7mm thick. And these measurements only tell half the story. Because the lugs are short and quite stubby, and the overall…
Not the zingiest name I’ve come across, I must admit. Is this a statement, an actual watch – or something stolen by an Area 51 engineer from an alien craft? It might be all of the above and, boy, it’s brash and edgy (pun intended). Consider this an ongoing story as much as it is a watch. While everyone is staring goggle-eyed at the bold architectural structure with its bombardment of colours and textures, I will endeavour to explain the mission of this Garbage Watch. Vollebak is at the cutting edge of high-tech fashion, and this is their first watch. In their catalogue you’ll find the Carbon Fibre T Shirt, engineered with 120 metres of carbon fibre and an indestructible graphene-coated jacket. This is no purveyor of sartorial chic in the traditional sense, but part of the future of the garment industry. The Garbage Watch is a collaboration with Re-Made, a holistic recycling project from the design gurus at Wallpaper*, and more than the sum of its recycled parts. The watch will be ready for delivery in 2021 – with a waiting list sign-up initiating a journey through the design, recycling and production process concluding in a major talking point…
The watches of Hollywood mobsters tend to contradict the old adage that crime doesn’t pay. For any self-respecting gangster, the wrist is valuable real estate on which to flaunt your ill-gotten gains. Sure, you may be trying to evade the long arm of the law, but your watch invariably denotes your cashed-up status as a man on the make. Preferably in gold, if available. The upshot of this trend is some fascinating watches that make a life as a career criminal look relatively appealing. (As Woody Allen said on crime: “The hours are good, you meet a lot of interesting people, you travel a lot.”) Here, Time+Tide runs its eye over the watches of the most notorious gangsters on screen. Scarface (1983) Brian De Palma’s cult film tells the tale of Tony Montana (Al Pacino) who arrives in 1980s Miami as a penniless Cuban refugee with big dreams. As he explains with characteristic directness, “I want what’s coming to me … The world, Chico, and everything in it.” Following through on his goals with ruthlessness and wild violence, Montana succeeds in transforming himself into a cocaine kingpin against a soundtrack of Giorgio Moroder synths. The watch in Scarface There’s still plenty…
Twenty-seven … that’s how many watches Grand Seiko have already unveiled this year. And that’s not really an accurate statement – 27 new watches have been released to the Australian market. If you include limited editions, boutique editions and models from other regions, the number is closer to 40. The wheels may well have fallen off 2020 in just about every sense, but Grand Seiko seems to have actually gained a set – making some damn fine watches and trucking through chaos in fine style. Better still, it seems as though someone back at HQ in Tokyo has twigged that 44mm+ watches that are thicker than the new Hodinkee Travel Clock aren’t exactly what most watch enthusiasts want. No, Grand Seiko’s new timepieces are shrinking, and they’ve started exercising – get ready for some curves in all the right places. This new-found design philosophy is perfectly demonstrated in their latest releases – the Grand Seiko SBGE253, SBGE257 and SBGE255. These three new GMTs have piqued many people’s interest, and rightly so because there’s a lot to like here. The case The stainless steel case, for instance, measures just 40.5mm across and 14.7mm thick, which is very reasonable, considering the mechanical innards.…
The summer watch is a category as important as pilot’s watch or doctor’s watch, but without the historically derived definition that comes from a serious professional context. A loose definition might include a watch that needs to be robust, waterproof and easy to read after five Aperol Spritzes, but it also needs to be fun and communicate a bit of personality. After all, the summer holidays (regardless of the hemisphere you live in) are a time when the workplace persona can be dropped, you can relax into the warmer weather and leave your more conservative timepieces in the safe for a few weeks. Bright colours, uncommon textures and interesting materials are all part of the summer watch playbook, as they aim to complement your board shorts instead of your boardroom suit and tie. For all those reasons, the new TAG Heuer Aquaracer “Tortoise Shell” is one of the most compelling summer watches to hit the market this year. Being born into the Aquaracer family of TAG Heuer makes perfect sense, as the tool watch DNA of the collection nicely matches up with the brief of being a robust and waterproof watch. True to heritage, this latest member of the Aquaracer…
A couple of weeks ago, in a moment of sheer lockdown boredom, Andrew snapped a shot of his Rolex GMT-Master II Root Beer with the caption #WRUW, which no doubt we all know is an acronym for ‘What are you wearing?’ But not, in any way, referring to clothing. Watches only. In the truly spirited fashion of a Time+Tide reader (all enthusiasts of the hashtag #WhatAreYouWearing), we were flooded with wristshots as people shared what they were wearing in that moment. It might just be that everyone is stuck at home in some form of lockdown, or it might be that people were feeling generous and wanted to share a moment out of their day, but our DMs were suddenly full to the brim with images of beautiful watches. Paper plane icons for days. So to celebrate some of those fine timepieces for those that were napping, and in case you missed it on our Instagram stories, we’ve put together a collection of some standouts. Starting with a big round of root beers… #WRUW There were a lot of people drinking root beer last week, enjoying that rich chocolatey bezel and two-tone magnificence. All dressed up with nowhere to go? The…