The 10 best skeleton dials from 2018
Skeleton dials are interesting, not because they offer a garish look at something exposed but because they showcase the sheer level of complexity involved in modern watchmaking. Without searching for photos of the movement of your watch online, or doing a John Goldberger (and opening your million dollar Rolex 4113 with a cheese knife), the regular watch enthusiast can’t just look at the mechanism of their watch. A skeleton dial offers a view of the mechanism that is less invasive, and more intimate, by offering a window into a part of the watch usually saved for the eyes of watchmakers. To celebrate this style of dial design, we wanted to have a look at the 10 best skeleton dials from 2018. TAG HEUER CARRERA GMT HEUER 02 The Heuer 02, the next generation of TAG Heuer’s mechanical chronograph movement, has been augmented with a GMT complication for the first time inside this avant-garde take on the sporty Carrera. A stripped-back dial features an additional bright red hand that indicates a second time zone by pointing to the 24-hour scale of its bicoloured ceramic bezel. This watch is large and very much in charge on the wrist. Ref No. CBG2A1Z, Case…
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For better or worse, Kickstarter is now a firmly entrenched part of the watch production, retail and marketing landscape. Watches have historically been a phenomenally popular category on the crowdfunding platform, but for every glittering success story, there’s an equal number of projects left on the cutting room floor. If you’re the kind of curious cat who’s wanted to know more about the data behind Kickstarter watch projects, boy is it your lucky day. WatchPro posted this snazzy report from Swiss consulting company Mercury Project, who break down the data in interesting, and meaningful ways. Turns out just more than half (52%) of watch projects fail. A rate that has been consistent for years. The real interesting takeaway, though, is this: “Overall, the number of projects is flat since 2017, but the number of backers is drastically down. To reach their financial goals, creators have now to become more professional in term of product proposal, but also in term of marketing, in order to attract backers.” Read more at WatchPro.
In a world overflowing with safe-and-similar watch designs, Franck Muller is a breath of fresh air. As in this ladies tourbillon (a recent addition to the Cintrée Curvex Collection), the confident use of colour, the beautiful balance of traditional and avant-garde, the refined details on the dial, and the voluptuous curves of the case have been signatures of the brand since it was founded by the eponymous Mr Muller 28 years ago. For anyone whose interest in watches didn’t begin until after the millennium, it’s hard to understand how much impact Muller has had on the modern watch industry, both technically and aesthetically. In 1984, as a 26-year-old upstart, he produced his first tourbillon watch – at a time when hardly anyone knew what a tourbillon was and you could count the people capable of making one on the fingers of one hand. He tossed 1930s–inspired forms, classical details and traditional finishing into a blender and came out with an exciting, avant-garde aesthetic that broke all the prevailing rules (namely: staid, safe, unimaginative). In short, Franck Muller showed the world that watches could be technically fascinating, great fun and very beautiful – things that we now take for granted. Another…
Editor’s note: The other day I was spending some time at my local Blancpain stockist, and I found my eyes consistently being drawn to the Bathyscaphe (which was only a little awkward as I was meant to be checking out Blancpain’s 2019 releases, which was a decidedly Bathyscaphe-free zone). And while the Bathy is offered in a few variants, one of the coolest is the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe in black ceramic … Blancpain’s Bathyscaphe is one of those rare, chameleonic watch designs. A watch that, broadly speaking, owes great fidelity to its primogenitor, but a watch that doesn’t look dated. It’s a neutral watch — something that gives the Bathyscaphe broad appeal and great versatility. In steel, it’s a classic, traditional dive watch, but here, in black ceramic, it’s something much more modern in style. And the execution of the ceramic really is gorgeous. Crisp lines, even brushed finishes, really lovely stuff — the material is finished like metal, but with ceramic’s advantages of light weight and scratch resistance. No matter how you slice it, the case of this watch is cool. The dial isn’t half bad either, and I quite like how reserved Blancpain has been, keeping the hour…
Dan Henry is a pretty great little watch brand — the brainchild of a Brazilian watch collector who is dedicated to making affordable modern versions of classic designs. And while other brands go down this path of well-priced retro nostalgia, too often it comes across as inauthentic pastiche. But this isn’t an accusation you can level at Dan Henry. There is so clearly a level of love, care and attention that goes into these watches that the intention is never really in question. And the brand new Dan Henry 1962 Racing Chronograph is a great example of this. As you might be able to deduce from the name, the 1962 Racing Chronograph is inspired by racing chronographs from the, um, 1960s. The 39mm steel-cased chrono comes in three dial variants — panda, inverse panda and blue — and is powered by a meca-quartz movement (a Seiko), which gives you quartz accuracy, battery life and price tag combined with the feel of a mechanical chrono. We got out hands on the panda and the blue options. It’s a solid option for this sort of watch. The dial, hands and tachy are all lovingly done, with strong Universal Genève vibes (especially the straight-up Panda), thanks to the…
As long as the internet and watch enthusiasts exist, there will be arguments about what the first watch on Mount Everest was. But rather than discussing semantic possibilities of the interpretation of 60-year-old advertisements, we wanted to look at a selection of Mount Everest watches (not just which was first). Smiths de Luxe The source of much argument and marketing budget, the Smiths de Luxe was taken to the summit of Mount Everest. The dispute lies in whether the watch was worn on the wrist or kept in a pocket, but, regardless, it was carried in some fashion to the highest point on earth. The watch in question now lies in the London museum of the Worshipful Company of Clockmakers. Rolex Oyster Perpetual Chronometer Rolex were a sponsor of the 1953 expedition to the top of Mount Everest, with each member of the group loaned one of a batch of prototypes to wear. These watches were offered with the expectation of their return upon completion of the attempt, to allow Rolex to test how the watches were affected by the altitude. The watch now resides in the Beyer Clock and Watch Museum in Zürich, Switzerland, after being provided…
Regular readers will register precisely zero surprise when I state that the entirety of Time+Tide are raging fans of Bulgari’s distinctive Octo — but, if we’re being completely real (and when are we not?), then it’s the Octo Finissimo that attracts the lion’s share of our ardour. But it’s not the only arrow in that particular octagonal quiver. There’s the chronograph, the Roma (kind of), and this guy here — the Bulgari Octo L’Originale. While the Octo L’Originale isn’t a new model this year, this latest version has been given a look that is, as the kids say, fresh. The 41mm case, with its 110 facets, is dark and deadly thanks to a black DLC coating, except for the crown and the octagonal bezel that sits beneath the blackened, round bezel. The effect is more subtle than we’re used to with black and gold watches, and gives the effect of the occasional flash of gold, rather than a full-on flash. The black is the perfect foil for the rose gold. High-contrast, sporty and luxe, all in one package. The dial is also a winner: minimal text, grained matt finish and rose gold text and applied numerals — with the trademark…
Editor’s note: The year is 2019, and solid gold is worth less than steel. While this seems strange on the face of it, especially to those more recently in the horological hobbit hole, steel doesn’t look like it’s getting less shiny anytime soon. So taking a macro view of the watch buying landscape, gold pieces with siblings on the stainless steel hype train represent a comparatively strong value proposition. So we decided to have a look back at one of the best looking rose gold watches from 2015, the Patek Philippe Nautilus 5711-1R. The story in a second: Patek Philippe have released a rose gold and dark chocolate version of the classic Nautilus 5711. Never mind the buzz-piece (hello there Pilot), it’s their best release of 2015. There was a lot of fuss about Patek Philippe’s new watches this year, with the eyebrow-raising Calatrava Pilot and their much more on-brand split-seconds chronograph. If Patek made music rather than watches, the Pilot and the split-seconds would be their latest album’s lead singles. Big, highly produced and attention-grabbing. Initially they’re the only songs getting played. After a little bit of time and reflection though, we have some important news: our favourite track…
Editor’s note: Wouldn’t it be great if you could start every day with a sunrise, without having to get out of bed early? Felix makes the case that this is possible thanks to the Halios Seaforth, featuring a dial as radiant as the morning sun, without a price tag that gives you sunstroke. The other reason it’s worth revisiting this watch is, as Type7 noticed, it seems like everyone with an Instagram account is in Greece at the moment, making all of us in the southern hemisphere very jealous. Summer watches like this one will keep us warm till November. Every November/December, like clockwork, I start pondering what constitutes the perfect summer watch, due in large part to the fact that in these months the mercury begins to rise rapidly. So what makes a summer watch? To be a contender, I think a timepiece must have three essential characteristics: water resistance, weather-suitability and a fun personality. This Halios Seaforth delivers on all fronts. Halios, if you’re not familiar, are a small Canada-based microbrand, who have risen to the top of the multitudinous mass of microbrands through their constantly strong watches, which are well built and — importantly — original when…