5 things you never knew about Audemars Piguet's Royal Oak
If you regard yourself as a fan of luxury watchmaking, it’s probably fair enough to assume that you have heard of the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak. For those of you that haven’t, it is, quite simply, an icon. It is the epitome of luxury steel watches, and there’s a good reason for that (read on to find out). Aside from being designed in a single day by the endlessly inventive mind of Gérald Genta, the Royal Oak’s popularity has endured. And as one might expect for a model so steeped in history, a few myths and legends have sprung up since its release. Here are a few interesting facts that may confirm or debunk those swirling rumours that might have reached your ears. The octagonal bezel was inspired by a diver’s helmet More often than not, it is said that the instantly recognisable bezel of the Royal Oak was inspired by a ship’s porthole. While this does seem a plausible explanation, it is false. The bezel, with its eight polished bolts, is actually inspired by a diver’s helmet – the kind you’d expect to see a modern-day commercial diver wearing (not the big, grilled, copper-type you associate with Jules Verne).…
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For many years now, watchmakers on all levels have tried to separate themselves from the pack by experimenting with different watch case materials. Nowadays, we’re used to seeing some highly impressive materials make their way onto our wrists. Ceramics, plastics and carbons are all enjoying their day in the sun, but how do the older, more traditional metals stack up against one another? Here’s a quick guide to the most popular metal cases on the market today. Stainless steel Stainless steel is a common, highly resistant, easy-to-machine alloy that comes in a few types. The most common (by far) is 316L stainless steel. This is hypoallergenic, surgical grade steel that is favoured by many manufacturers for its ease of use and affordability. Although 904L steel (the kind used by Rolex) has the potential to be more resistant to corrosion and to hold a high polish better, the margin for error in the performance of these two types of steel actually overlaps, so in practical terms, while 904L is generally regarded as superior, the difference is minimal (and could theoretically be non-existent). Bronze Bronze is far from a traditional material for watch cases but is currently very much in vogue.…
Kanye West is many things: hip-hop superstar, fashion designer, maverick genius, not to mention Kim Kardashian’s other half. What he is not often recognised as is a beacon of sound common sense. It turns out there’s a very good reason for this. Yeezy’s public comments suggest a man who is not only a full-blown egomaniac (“By 50% I am more influential than Stanley Kubrick, Apostle Paul, Picasso…”) but also slightly deranged (“I would never want a book’s autograph. I am a proud non-reader of books.”) Oh dear. Nevertheless, there was a moment when the 42-year-old rapper uttered the most profound truth imaginable. It’s worth repeating not to aid your ceaseless quest for knowledge and wisdom but because, far more importantly, it could help rationalise your next watch buy. “The only luxury is time,” Kanye said in a rare lucid moment. “The time you spend with your family.” Hard to argue with that one. In the final analysis, spending time with the people you most love – whether friends or family – is something we should all prioritise a whole lot more of. Luxury splurges from bespoke suits to fine wine are all very well. But let’s face it: on your death-bed you’re…
The Patek Philippe Nautilus forms the basis of this historic brand’s sports collection, which rivals the very best in the business. And the genesis of this iconic model shares its history with another legendary sports watch, further cementing the status of the man behind both pieces. Designed by Gérald Genta, the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak hit the market four years before he followed up with the Nautilus, which debuted in 1976. Being responsible for two of the industry’s most recognisable references firmly established Genta’s reputation as the father of luxury sports watches. And while we’ve had the best part of half a century to become well acquainted with the Patek Philippe Nautilus, this storied timepiece still has a few lesser-known facts up its sleeve. The original Nautilus had more in common with the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak than just the same designer In the ’70s, the concept of a luxury sports watch was in its infancy. And, in those days, many major brands were still in the habit of fitting their new models with movements designed by rivals brands. Case in point, both the Nautilus and the Royal Oak were originally driven by the same super-slim automatic calibre from Jaeger-LeCoultre,…
The Horological Society of New York, the oldest watchmaking guild in America, formed 1866, is one of the world’s leading educators on all things watchmaking and horology. For the first time ever they are coming to Australia. We are proud to be the official media partner for the tour. We are joining with event partner, The Hour Glass, to make this maiden voyage a smashing success. Classes will run on February 29 and March 1. Buy tickets here. The esteemed guild will be offering classes in Melbourne on how your mechanical watch works — covering everything from how the escapement works to the setting mechanism. It will be hosted in the new eight-storey The Hour Glass building on Collins Street, which is in its last stages of renovation, and is due to reopen early 2020. When we say it will be an exclusive opportunity, we are not overstating things. Just 32 chairs will be available — and we know that several of those have already been snapped up by the watch addicts in the @timetideclub, which you can join (and by doing so gain access to the Closed Insts group) at www.timeandtide.club if you haven’t already. Early heads-up on all kinds of things…
It’s that time of the year where we sift misty-eyed through the archives, getting nostalgic about the horological highlights from the past 12 months. From Instagram watch clichés to the “unholy shitstorm of hurt feelings” provoked by Audemars Piguet, this is my top five. Sandra Lane on why hype and high prices are killing it for watch collectors Decade-long waiting lists. Manufactured shortages. “Gentlemen dealers.” Steel sports watches being listed at 200 per cent of their RRP… The inimitable Sandra Lane takes aim at the money-chasing mania that is ruining things for genuine watch collectors. 5 Instagram watch cliches that need to be cancelled Are you guilty of these Instagram watch crimes? If so, you need to learn your lesson, change your ways and preferably delete your social-media accounts forever. Felix Scholz explains why. Seiko vs. Garmin – who will survive an ultramarathon? Are digital sports watches all they’re cracked up to be? Nick Kenyon put a Garmin Forerunner up against his trusty Seiko dive watch. Then he ran 100km to discover how they’d both measure up. How to react to the Code 11.59 The Audemars Piguet was one of the most widely panned watch releases of the year. Andrew…
Everyone’s familiar with Antiques Roadshow, the TV program where members of the public have their dusty collectables examined and valued by experts. This often results in a pleasant surprise, as you can see from Time+Tide’s own coverage of some of the momentous watch discoveries on the show. But not all of the “reveals” are pleasant. A recurring disappointment involves furniture. For example, in 2018 an Irish silver table from 1740 was brought to appraisers in Belfast. It was beautifully designed and the grain of the wood was clear (video here, article here). The table looked brand new. The appraiser mentioned that many of these tables are typically much darker in appearance, in part because original owners used peat to heat their homes and the soot would become deposited on furniture over time. The appraiser knew the table had been restored, “taken right down to the wood”, in his description. The owner agreed. And because of that restoration, the table lost AUD$13,400 of value. The dark soot and years of “damage” does not detract, it is actually valued by collectors. It bestows uniqueness onto furniture, it makes the table unlike any others. The work done on the table by a furniture…
Chronographs are, to this day, one of the most useful complications you can find on a wrist watch. They’re just so practical — whether you’re timing your next run, daily commute or next lap time around the Phillip Island Grand Prix track, a chronograph has got you covered. Thing is, though, because of its complexity, the exceedingly useful complication normally commands a higher price point than your standard three-hander. However, there are exceptions to this rule, and we’ve found three admirable chronograph-equipped wristwatches for under $1000 AUD: DAN HENRY ALARM CHRONO 1972 A specialist in “derivation mash-ups”, the Dan Henry brand takes what it believes to be the best bits of the past and cobbles them together in yet another attractive and cohesive package. The 1972 Alarm Chrono takes high-level design cues from all over the place, with a splash of Omega here, and a dollop of Porsche there. The result is an extremely wearable, weirdly timeless beater for not much money at all. Limited (as is the norm for Dan Henry watches) to 1,972 pieces. Ref No: 1972 / Case size: 41mm / Case material: PVD Steel / Movement: Miyota 0S80 / Price: USD$350 UNDONE SNOOPY STARLIGHT To mark the…
There have only ever been three smart watch reviews in the three thousand review history of Time+Tide. Which makes this review special. The reason we wanted to get our hands on one of the latest Apple Watch Series 5 models was the host of new features, including some new and luxurious materials, many of which approximate the luxury watch world we live in – full ceramic? Full titanium? Don’t mind if we do. After spending some time with it on the wrist (including running a marathon with it on), I found that there were some things to report (other than Apple selling 6.8 million watch units in Q3 of this year), even if it doesn’t get your heart rate up in exactly the same way that a mechanical watch does. Or does it? I look forward to your thoughts in the comments section.
Just like new parents have a large number of bad photos of their children on their phones, watch collectors have a large number of bad photos of watches on their phones. The number of photos is large because we love watches like new parents love their children, and the reason they are bad is because it is actually quite hard to take a good photo of a watch. The myriad of polished surfaces catch every reflection you don’t want, and the lighting is either too bright or too dark, leaving you with about a 5% success rate of Instagram-publishable pictures. This is the reason (apart from the fact he’s a great bloke) that we love our photographer Jason so much, as he has proven himself more than capable of taking a very nice watch photo. While he’s captured literally tens of thousands of watch photos in 2019 — a fact that makes picking any favourites a challenge — I did some digging in the archive to find this modest selection that were my personal favourites from this year. TAG Heuer Monaco V4 Platinum Bulgari Octo Finissimo Chronograph GMT anOrdain Model 2 Vacheron Constantin Les Collectionneurs – Silver Pocket Watch from 1942 Hublot…