RECOMMENDED READING: Steve McQueen and the watches he wore
Here’s a question for you: Who is the greatest male style icon of the 20th century? Is it Paul Newman? No. Is it Elvis Presley? Absolutely not. Is it James Dean? No, but getting closer. OK, as the title rather obviously suggests, the greatest male style icon of the 20th century was, by some margin, Steve McQueen. Here was a man who set the tone for what was considered cool in just about every facet of what men cared about, whether it be what cars to drive, what clothes to wear and, most importantly, what watches to have attached to your wrist. In fact, McQueen’s influence was such that, to this day, the Rolex Explorer II ref. 1655 is known as the “Steve McQueen Explorer”. Now, McQueen had quite a few timepieces in his own personal collection besides the 1655, but the prolific actor also wore some iconic timepieces on the silver screen from watchmakers like Heuer, Rolex and Jaeger-LeCoultre. Rather luckily for us, Jared Paul Stern, writing for Maxim magazine, has studied some of McQueen’s most iconic roles to see what timepieces he wore. Whether you’re a fan of McQueen’s style, or just want to know what watch he…
The post RECOMMENDED READING: Steve McQueen and the watches he wore appeared first on Time and Tide Watches.
I like interviewing Jean-Christophe Babin. There is a playfulness to the Bulgari CEO; in fact, I’d go so far as to say there’s a wickedness to his personality that makes the exchange unpredictable. You don’t know what’s going to happen, or what direction the conversation will take. But wherever it goes, it’s almost always with the element of surprise. Take this last conversation. We were reflecting on a previous interview, where he’d – what do you know – startled me with a twist in the script. In terms of moments in interviews I’ve never forgotten, it’s up there. The interview was focused on the Octo Finissimo Tourbillon shortly after its release. The meeting was in Shanghai, at a boutique within the Bulgari Hotel Shanghai. It was an interesting discussion, and centred on Bulgari’s goal – to make high complication watches as comfortable and therefore as wearable on the daily as possible. How did he demonstrate this point? You’ll just have to watch to find out.
While wandering the booths of Dubai Watch Week, any enthusiastic eye can spot Rolex, Patek Philippe and the rest of the usual suspects on the wrists of other attendees, but it was a surprise to see a flash of orange pass by one afternoon. Sure enough, after stopping and speaking with Julian briefly, I confirmed it was indeed a Doxa SUB 300, and that not only was it one of four in his collection but he was also a diver who happily used it while exploring the murky depths. When did you first see/hear about it? I first came across Doxa as a watch brand shortly after I decided to focus my small watch collection predominantly on dive watches. This made sense to me as I’m a scuba diver and this “DNA” for a collection had an authenticity that I liked. When reading up on the topic I discovered the very long and significant history of Doxa with dive watches. The fact that Doxa had both real credibility in the dive watch field (akin to Blancpain & Rolex) together with relative anonymity, even with “watch guys”, was an irresistible combination. Any story behind the purchase, and the deciding factor? I…
We’ve all heard of a wrist flex, but what about an invitation flex … is that a thing? Well, if it wasn’t before, it is now, because hip hop heavyweight, music producer and entrepreneur Jay-Z has gone and sent out Rolex’s eponymous Daytona as VIP invitation gifts to his inaugural Shawn Carter Foundation Gala. In case you were wondering, the Rolex Daytona in question was the solid 18k Everose gold example with the black and pink dial, ref. 116505. Just to clarify … this pink gold Daytona has a recommended retail price in Australia of $49,750. What on earth! And while we’re not sure how many Daytonas were sent out, it was at least two, because both Meek Mill and Swizz Beatz posted about their “boujee” gifts from Hov (Jay-Z) in their Instagram stories. Mr Mill must’ve been so ecstatic that he forgot which way to place the Daytona in the box, writing in his story: “Hov sent these as VIP passes, SMH this rich shit getting out of control lol”, with the artist adding, “I’m not joking lol.” Mr Beatz concurred with Mill’s sentiments, writing on Instagram: “Levels. Hov is on another level with the invite game, it came…
If I could offer one piece of advice for anyone who is ever asked to speak at a watch event, it is this: know your stuff. At the second launch of Doxa watches in Australia in a week, this time in Sydney at the home of Oscar Hunt tailors in York Street, I spoke about 1967. It was the year Doxa released the SUB 300 to the public, a watch that brought superior submarine attributes to everyday divers. It was lucky I had my facts straight. The ice had barely clinked my glass in a final cheers before getting back to the watches after the proceedings before I was approached by a Sydney guest. He presented me with a magazine called Triton, which incorporated another publication, Diver International. The date of the magazine was 1967. The cover featured an incredibly overwrought looking pair of scuba tanks with ‘Diving on liquid air’ the headline. The first double-page advertisement was for the Doxa SUB 300. The ad, written beautifully like all advertising from the ’60s, listed the “27 incontestable advantages” of the SUB 300. It also promised that all models would be delivered in a “…luxury box which you can later use…
Dubai Watch Week is in its fourth year, and is hitting a scale that should be making the other watch fairs around the world take notice. In the context of Baselworld being in some of the worst trouble it has experienced in its 100+ year history and SIHH (now called Watches & Wonders in 2020) losing the commitment of some of its largest brands, and both of the fairs changing their dates in an attempt to make them more convenient to attend (though this was cited as the reason for both Seiko and Grand Seiko pulling out of the 2020 fair), Dubai Watch Week is gaining significant traction and attention. But what exactly is Dubai Watch Week? Is it a trade show like Baselworld or SIHH, where new watches are released? And if it isn’t, what’s the point in going, and who is it for? Baselworld and SIHH have always traditionally been trade shows, where brands can meet with their retailers, retailers can place their orders for the year having seen the new watches, and members of the press can attend to offer coverage and commentary on latest releases. They aren’t designed for members of the public (SIHH was an…
It’s fair to say that Hublot is mostly known for their iconic range of Big Bang timepieces. And that’s completely understandable, as the Big Bang is the brainchild of the Swiss watchmaking doyen, Jean-Claude Biver. Furthermore, the timepiece itself is credited with saving Hublot from an uncertain future when it was first released in 2005. However, for those looking for something that is perhaps a little more left field from the disruptive Swiss marque, Hublot’s range of Classic Fusion timepieces represent a compelling blend of svelte sophistication and signature innovative design. Here are three of our favourites: Hublot Classic Fusion Aerofusion Chronograph Orlinski Green Ceramic Representing one of the latest creations born from the ongoing collaborative works of Hublot and French artist and sculptor Richard Orlinski, the Aerofusion Chronograph Orlinski Green Ceramic is striking to say the least. It’s a watch that permeates Hublot’s expertise in material innovation, and the angular 45mm solid green ceramic case offers a truly unique proposition for buyers looking for a watch that pushes the boundaries of form and function. $24,800 Hublot Classic Fusion Ferrari GT Titanium What we love about Hublot’s newly released Classic Fusion Ferrari GT Titanium is that, for once, Ferrari…
At Baselworld 2019, Hublot released a new chronograph in partnership with Ferrari that looked almost un-Hublot. We had become so used to recognising the hard angles and faceted cases of the brand founded by Carlo Crocco that the flowing curves of the newest Classic Fusion were staggeringly svelte in comparison, and suddenly appealing to an entire new part of the watch-loving community with the Hublot Ferrari GT. Here, we take a look at two examples from the new collection, examining in more detail the partnership between Hublot and Ferrari, and how this relationship has made its effect felt on the collection. Available in either King Gold, 3D carbon or titanium, the Hublot Classic Fusion Ferrari GT collection offers something totally visually different to the brand’s stable, while still delivering the shared R&D with one of the finest car manufacturers ever. Hublot Classic Fusion Ferrari GT price Hublot Classic Fusion Ferrari GT, in titanium is limited to 1000 pieces and is $28,400 AUD, in King Gold is limited to 500 pieces and is $50,000 AUD, and in 3D Carbon is limited to 500 pieces and is $35,100 AUD. Made in partnership with Hublot. However, the opinions expressed in this article are our own…
The limited edition watch is a tactic used by watch brands that is receiving increasing numbers of eye-rolls as dozens are churned out each year. But where many brands simply change a dial colour and limit production to 200 pieces, Bremont has been making limited editions with a difference. Cutting through the noise of endless small production runs that are small because a marketing department suggested it, Bremont limited editions are limited for good reasons, such as the Bremont H-4 Hercules having an original piece of the H-4 “Spruce Goose” inlaid in the rotor, or the Bremont Supersonic containing a piece of Heathrow’s last remaining Concorde. In their latest limited edition, they have worked with Rolling Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood on the eponymous Bremont Ronnie Wood “1947 Collection”. While Wood is known around the world for his part in one of the most successful musical acts of all time, he is also a talented visual artist, even being featured as a child on a BBC program after winning a sketching contest. He studied at the Ealing Art College when he was a young man, which was the same school that Freddie Mercury and Queen also studied art. In his latest project…
Let’s be honest, Antiques Roadshow isn’t always the most enthralling of television shows – it’s not going to goad you into teetering on the edge of your seat, hanging off every last word of the inevitably gingham-clad, stodgy presenter. However, sporadically, there are some complete gems that come up on the show for peeps like you and me who adore all things watches. A classic example of this infrequent brilliance is the time that a chap from the States brought in his 1963 Rolex GMT-Master “Pepsi”. It’s not just any old Pepsi either – this steel professional timepiece has got more than a few rarities adorned on its heavily patina’d dial. For a start, it was sold new at Tiffany & Co. in New York, and that of course means that its dial is “Tiffany-signed”, which is a huge boon. Additionally, the faded gilt dial (another paucity) has the rarified underlined “Officially Certified” text. This gives the GMT an unquestionable one-two knockout combo for collectors. What’s even cooler about the watch is that the owner has worn it every single day for the last 40 years, and rather amusingly, to drive home that fact, the video cuts to the gent’s…