What Sealed The Deal – John J and his Panerai 177
The greatest love stories basically go a little like this: lovers meet and instantly fall for each other, other forces separate them and they may never be together, then the lovers are reunited and all is well in the universe. This is also the basic story of John and his Panerai 177, which should indicate the depths of his passion for this particular watch. When did you first see/hear about it? A couple of years ago, I had a Panerai 176, which is a very similar model to this one, but without the hacking seconds. I loved it, but I got the Rolex itch, so had to sell the Panerai to fund the Rolex. I always wanted another one though, because for me it’s the quintessential Panerai. Brushed not polished (like a tool watch should be), manual wind, sandwich dial, and a reliable Unitas movement. I just love the way it wears. It’s my new daily at the moment, and I have to force myself to wear other pieces. Now I look at it and think, ‘When this exists, why is there such hype about Rolex?’ Any story behind the purchase? Nothing beyond that I had the sibling in the…
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The Polaris collection was launched by Jaeger-LeCoultre last year to pay tribute to the dive watches produced by the brand in the ’60s and ’70s. Instantly recognisable with the super-compressor style case and internal bezel, the Polaris has been given a new look in the Jaeger-LeCoultre Polaris Date. What makes this new edition different can be seen immediately in the dial, with a blend of finishes and shades of blue that place it at home in the water. The dial has three separate sections: the centre featuring a sun-rayed finish that looks almost liquid in its shimmer, which heavily contrasts against the grained ring that holds the Super-LumiNova filled hour markers, which are surrounded by the internal rotating bezel. The 42mm steel case is both polished and brushed to highlight the dial, and houses the in-house Calibre 899A/1, a movement that offers a date function for desk diving, as well as 200m water resistance for scuba diving. The two crowns at 2 o’clock and 4 o’clock allow control of the time setting and bezel adjustment, and are typical of the super-compressor cases of the 1960s. The Jaeger-LeCoultre Polaris Date also features a navy blue rubber strap with a tactile Clous…
It’s probably a bit generous to call me a ‘collector’, but as I continue on this journey, I’m discovering that I genuinely enjoy meaningful attempts by companies to do something different. In today’s expanded universe of microbrands and industry stalwarts, it can take a lot to stand out, but it takes even more to stand out in a good way. But that’s what I enjoy about the Citizen NY0080 line-up, the successor to the original NY0040 ‘Fugu’. To me, the Fugu line-up (in particular the black dial one that I own) is an excellent example of a watch that stands out from the pack in all the right ways. But much like actual puffer fish, the NY0080-12E might be an acquired taste. Many of the NY0080’s design elements can only be appreciated after some scrutiny. In this respect, the Fugu lives up to its namesake in a second way: you get a lot more than you bargain for once you get a bit closer. The combination of brushed and polished finishing interacts seamlessly to create curves that you swore were not there a second ago. The tapered lugs and case profile benefit the most from this effect, effectively bringing out…
For almost every watch enthusiast, the first sojourn into the world of the vintage watch market is two things: fun and inexpensive. The thrill of owning something that was created and worn several decades ago, the history, the gorgeous patina and, in most cases, the value for money – it just seems like there are zero downsides. My first vintage piece was a gold-capped Tudor Oyster Prince from the early ’60s. It wasn’t a minter by any means, with scratches and swirls galore adorning both the plexi and the case. But I didn’t care one bit, because in my humble eyes it was completely and utterly gorgeous! High off this perceived value, it wasn’t long before my collection had swelled rapidly with other vintage pieces from the likes of Omega, Universal Genève and IWC. They all varied greatly in appearance, style and condition, but they had one thing in common – they were cheap. With my most recent soirée into the buying of watches from yesteryear, however, I have strayed rather far from the path of my usual modus operandi. Essentially, I’ve gone from procuring timepieces worth a couple of hundred bucks each, to buying a single watch worth more…
There’s something really appealing about a well-priced travel watch, and the Atlas GMT, from micro brand Monta, certainly fits that bill. If you’re not familiar with Monta, they’re a relatively young brand inspired by the well-priced tool watches of yesteryear and, I’ve got to say, they’ve done a really good job of delivering on that mission. The Atlas GMT offers everything in moderation: size, style, and all the rest — it’s not too over the top in any way; 38.5mm wide by 10.2mm tall is a really great size for 2019, where we’re seeing what I (along with many others) would posit is a return to sanity in sizing — and many of those people would be the sort of people interested in this watch. But there’s a whole lot more to like about this watch than just the smart sizing. The crown, for example, is a pleasing ergonomic offering — not quite a flieger-style onion, but definitely usable. The detail on the bezel is pleasing, too — that radial brush really evokes mid-’70s and ’80s sports watches, especially with that 20mm oyster-style bracelet. The dial is also lovely — there’s a few options, but I like the light and airy…
Editor’s note: If you ever want to flex down at the NBAYOUNGBOAT Club, you want to have the appropriate attire — jacket, loafers, watch. And when it comes to the latter, we suggest the Yacht-Master. Surely, Lil Yachty would approve. This cool, calm and collected new Yacht-Master almost slipped past me. I was too busy falling in love (again) with the gold and chocolate Rolesor Yacht-Master, which was distracting me and dazzling my senses. But then, out of the corner of my eye, I spotted a flash of almost-iridescent blue, and my curiosity was piqued. I’m so glad it was, because this steel and platinum Yacht-Master, with its dark rhodium dial and blue highlights, is an absolute stunner, even though it’s a much more restrained affair than its Everose-embellished siblings (in both Rolesor and Oysterflex variants). This is partly down to the dark dial, but it’s also the bi-directional platinum bezel, which might sound weird given the material, but with a predominantly sand-blasted finish, it’s actually far less in-your-face than ceramic. Not that it’s plain, by any stretch. The shimmering dial, polished bezel elements and centre bracelet links means it pops where it counts, and the overall effect of metallic grey on metallic…
The story in a second: One of the best, most interesting watches of 2019. The case Wow. What a difference a case makes. Hublot, along with their friends at Ferrari’s Centro Stile, has taken the traditional Hublot design codes, deconstructed them, put them through the ringer a few times, and re-assembled them into something that’s very Hublot, but also completely fresh. The lines are dramatically softened, and the overall look is reminiscent of that bubbly, biomorphic school of watch design that had an extended moment in the ’90s. Having said that, it’s clearly a Hublot — the bezel, complete with exposed screws, the big 45mm case, that oversized machine-like crown. All present and correct. But there’s a lack of blockiness that is so refreshing, and entirely well suited to the Classic Fusion family. The soft, satiny finish of this titanium version is also super compelling and (it must be said) supremely photogenic. This watch rates in Jason — our main photo man’s — top watches of 2019. And I agree. The dial Again, all the Hublot goodness is there, but in a reframed way. It’s an open-worked chronograph (obvs), with radial Arabic numerals alternating with baton markers. The numerals liven…
Welcome to the Time+Tide 2019 Reader Survey! That time when we put some hard-hitting questions into a survey program, work some internet magic and set it free, for all you good people out there to answer. One lucky Australian survey respondent will win a TAG Heuer Autavia chronograph for their troubles. Take the survey now You should be familiar with this heritage-inspired chronograph, but if you’re not — here’s what you need to know. International folks are welcome to take part, and we encourage you to, but sadly the international competition logistics make it practically impossible to open such a high-value prize up to the world. Accept our apologies, please. Why do we do surveys like this? There’s a great Faith No More album called We Care a Lot — it sums up how we feel about you taking the time to do this. We care a whole lot about your answers. Edge of our seats might sound like a bit of an overstatement but it’s pretty true. We love this time of the year. Literally every response (and there were 3400 last time, so you can imagine how much work we got done over that period) is like a…
Editor’s note: The Seiko Prospex LX collection has finally hit Australian shores, so we thought we’d revisit this piece from Baselworld, where the design guru largely responsible for the look of the new line dropped some LX-oriented knowledge … Seiko’s Baselworld press conference is one of my few must-not-miss appointments, if only for a much-needed dose of humour. But for me, the real star of this year’s affair was Ken Okuyama. Mr Okuyama is an industrial designer with an eponymous studio, who made his name in the world of prestige cars, with a folio including such epic vehicles as the original Honda NSX, the Enzo Ferrari and the Ferrari California. And while much of his career has been spent with some of the great European marques, he’s recently turned his eyes homeward, working on raising the profile and prestige of Japanese and Asian brands. Which is why he’s the creative mind behind the brand new Prospex LX collection. Here are three things that stood out to me about how Mr Okuyama intends to make these watches stand out. “When left alone, heritage becomes antique” Evolution is required to make modern value for a brand’s heritage. Mr Okuyama reiterated that for…
Seiko is a brand with a lot of love in Australia — their watches, especially the divers, are incredibly popular, due in equal parts to their good looks, virtual indestructibility and high ratio of bang vis-à-vis buck. So, we’ve got no doubt that this Australia-only limited edition — a two-tone twist on the classic turtle — will be a hit. So, say hello to the Seiko Prospex SRPD50K. If you’re reading this, the fundamentals of the watch are likely familiar to you. A big, cushion-y case (which resembles the silhouette of a turtle — hence the name) that clocks in at 45mm across, 47.7mm top to bottom and 13.4mm tall. The movement is the solid caliber 4R36, and Hardlex crystal. The cosmetics, though, are completely new. The case has been treated with a dark grey/anthracite coating, which is a nice alternative to the straight-up matt black. It’s dark, but it’s still metallic. Add to this the yellow gold crown, bezel and applied dial details and you’ve got a watch that has all the wrist drama you could want. There’s also some high contrast on the dial — the slightly grained black dial is nicely offset by the soft white luminous…