A look back at the Longines Heritage Military COSD
Editor’s note: As evidenced by the release of the popular Heritage Military watch, Longines have a long history in manufacturing reliable tool watches for the world’s armed forces. One that is sometimes overlooked today, but got people talking when it was first released, is the Longines Heritage Military COSD. A considered nod to the watches the brand produced around the time of WWII, the Military COSD is another strong contender for an everyday watch — with a 40mm case, super-legible dial, and workhorse movement, there is a lot right about this watch. Felix has the full story below. The story in a second: Inspired by a watch designed for the British military in WWII, the Heritage Military COSD watch is the latest in a long line of strong vintage-inspired pieces from Longines. Longines routinely produce some of the best heritage reissues available, for two reasons. Firstly, their position in the Swatch Group allows them to create high-quality watches at accessible price points. But secondly — and more importantly — they have an amazing history full of great pieces that are ripe for reinterpretation. The Spirit, the Weems Second-Setting Watch, the Legend Diver, the Majetek — they’re all great watches inspired by Longines’ extensive back…
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As you might have noticed (here, here and here), I’m quite interested in bulletproof watches being used in situations with bullets (figuratively). I enjoy, as much as the next guy, reading about the (somewhat theoretical) limits of well-made watches, if it be temperature, altitude or water pressure. But what I love even more is reading true stories of watches in dangerous situations and seeing how they perform. I also suspect that I am not alone in being a passionate consumer of horological testimonials that fall outside of a marketing budget, with there being an evident growth in interest in watches with military provenance. I recently came across this piece in the Financial Times, discussing tool watches being used for their intended purpose — as tools. Despite modern GPS technology claiming more wrist real estate than half a century ago, in 2019 many adventurers are choosing to wear a more traditional tool watch. Unsurprisingly, watches like the Breitling Emergency are seriously functional watches in remote parts of planet earth, responsible for saving the lives of dozens of people over the years. It’s a nice reminder that while #deskdiver watches are crucial tools for navigating the wilds of terra corporata boardroomus (trans. corporate…
TAG Heuer’s Monaco at 50 celebration rolls on — we’ve already seen editions one and two — and the third, formally known as the TAG Heuer Monaco 1989-1999 Limited Edition, has just been announced in New York City. The basis for this watch is the Calibre 11-powered Monaco (obvs), in its distinctive (and large wearing) 39mm case, with offside crown. And while previous versions have been decidedly colourful in green and red, this edition is more monochrome in flavour. The dial is realised in stunning silver. Or, to be more technical, a grey-grained rhodium-plated dial that’s been given a sandblasted finish. The applied horizontal indices shine out against this matt background, and the red and blue printed details add just the right amount of pop. These colours are echoed in the blue perforated strap with its contrasting red stitching. This limited edition watch (limited to 169 pieces, so proper limited) comes in a fancy 1990s-inspired dark blue box, with a horizontal check-pattern stripe. And while the green and the red versions were hot, I really like this one for its understated charm, and I can’t wait to see what the next two versions looks like. TAG Heuer Monaco 1989-1999 Limited Edition…
Editor’s note: We remember back when times were simpler. Back before there were half-decade waitlists, before secondhand watches were doubling retail prices, and before everything Tudor made was in-house. It was back in 2014 when Tudor first showed us the versatility of the Black Bay range, and the brand deeply impressed the watch community when they released the Black Bay Blue. This was also the year when Time+Tide started, and Felix’s review of this new Black Bay Blue was one of the most popular stories on the site for a long time. So we thought we’d look back at this simple sports watch to see how it’s aged over the last half-decade, and reflect on just how much the industry has changed in that time. Introducing the Tudor Black Bay Blue As a brand, Tudor is a lot like Rocky, in that Rolex’s little brother is a plucky fighter come good again. UNLIKE Rocky, Tudor’s releases just get better and better with each passing year. Baselworld 2014 sees two big crowd-pleasing releases from Tudor, and a new range that is understated in the extreme, though still enticing. We’ll talk more about the Ranger and the Style later, but for now let’s focus…
The other week, Nick showed us some of the highlight pieces from the upcoming Only Watch auction. There was a bunch of spicy pieces destined for charity greatness, but one watch kept drawing my attention — the Louis Vuitton Spin Time. There are a few reasons why this watch stands out. Sure, there’s diamonds (3.33 carats of them) — but that’s par for the course in a watch playing at this level, and then there’s the unique Spin Time display, which is quite cool, as Andrew discovered here. And, of course, being Louis Vuitton, this watch comes with a pretty dope hand-painted, high-watchmaking trunk. But really, the reason this watch stands out is the dial. Grand Feu enamel on a white gold base, hand-painted with an LV logo and a pretty awesome, ’90s-inspired rose motif. It’s an arresting enough miniature picture on its own, but the fact that it’s the work of Anita Porchet takes it to the next level. There aren’t many people who can do miniature enamel painting at this level (it was one of the dying arts that the fine watchmaking renaissance of the ’90s prevented from being lost forever) and Anita Porchet is — along with…
“We were initially thinking about buying a watch for me for a wedding piece, but the thing about buying for a watch collector is that it’s hard to buy something they don’t already have.” ‘Every Watch Tells A Story’ is a new series we’ve filmed, encouraging people to come in to our HQ, live how we live at Time+Tide and get in front of the camera and talk. The subject is personal. It’s your watch. How it came to be on your wrist. The journey in the lead-up. The particulars of its purchase. In my story, I talk about a very lucky eBay pickup of a watch at well under 10 per cent of its current value. It’s pretty much no holds barred too. So far, we’ve heard about watches being handed over in casinos in lieu of cash. There’s a little yarn about $20 Rolexes in op-shops (which I was shocked and amazed to hear happened in my village on the coast just outside of the city). And here, Dane gets to the heart of the charm of tiny independent watchmakers who are able to customise their timepieces. ochs und junior produce just 130 watches a year, and all…
In yet another flash of creativity and marketing cunning, H. Moser & Cie have lit up watch lovers all over the world by sending out one of their watches — the Pioneer Centre Seconds Funky Blue Black Edition — on a tour with no road map. And absolutely no guarantee of whose couch it will be crashing on from continent to continent, let alone its safety along the way. Track its live location here, and with #pioneertour. The concept of the #pioneertour is elegantly simple. They will give it to a friend with these instructions: keep it for a week, take some happy snaps of what you did with it, and where, and then bestow it to another worthy watch-loving friend to do the same. Preferably one who is soon jumping on a jet plane. Because this tour, like the watch itself, is all about a pioneering spirit. It’s about wanderlust. Adventure. And exploration. You will be able to track the journey of the Pioneer Centre Seconds Funky Blue Black Edition on this dedicated landing page, as well as on Instagram @moserwatches under the hashtag #PioneerTour. Subscribers will receive H. Moser & Cie. newsletters with a recap of all the Pioneer adventures,…