5 of the hottest Jaeger-LeCoultre watches of 2019
Editor’s note: There’s word on the street that Jaeger-LeCoultre’s 2019 collection is in town. And that word is from us, because we’re throwing a party to celebrate the fact, tonight. If you’re a fan of enamel or the Master Ultra Thin collection, you should be all over these watches. Watch below and you’ll see why … The talk of the Jaeger-LeCoultre booth at SIHH was the incredible (and incredibly well-sized) Master Grande Tradition Gyrotourbillon Westminster Perpétuel, but that rare bird was in hot demand, so we didn’t manage any quality one-on-one time with it. But that’s OK really, as there were numerous other exquisitely finished offerings on hand, from the Reverso and Master families. Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Ultra Thin Moon Enamel This watch and the two other Master Thins take several design cues from the grand daddy Gyrotourbillon, but in a package that’s in the realm of mortals. The dials are a rich and complex blue guilloché, and the movements in these three pieces have been revamped and improved. Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Ultra Thin Perpetual Enamel Building on the same formula as above, this watch offers a significantly more complex perpetual calendar. Bonus points for a design that manages to balance…
The post 5 of the hottest Jaeger-LeCoultre watches of 2019 appeared first on Time and Tide Watches.
The guy in question is none other than Mark Cho, who’s kind of a big deal in the world of menswear. One of the co-founders of The Armoury and co-owner of Drake’s. He’s also a watch fanatic. He spent one of his first paychecks on an Omega Chronostop, and admits that after falling down the rabbit hole, he has bought close to 60 watches over the last 15 years. Mark was curious about what the perfect watch size was, as well as how this stacked up against the average wrist, so he put together a survey to find some answers. Given the business he’s in, those who follow him on Instagram (where the survey was published) are likely to be more sartorially inclined, possibly skewing the respondents towards smaller dress pieces. Altogether, the survey solicited almost one thousand responses (934 to be specific), and while that obviously isn’t the entire watch market, it’s still a significant enough pool to draw some conclusions from. And here are our top three takeaways. Men think they have smaller wrists than they actually do. Through conversations with clients, Mark noticed a comment that kept coming up in discussions around watch size. Men very regularly…
The watch industry is nothing if not traditional — and this habitualness extends into the realm of brand partnerships. Formula 1, tennis, car brands, yachting, the Olympics and other top-tier aspirational sporting and cultural events. These are the happy hunting grounds for Swiss marketing executives hoping to leverage a new audience for their finely wrought, ticking products. Cricket, though. That’s not an avenue traditionally known for its high-profile timekeeping tie-ins. Which is why Hublot, who have been official partners of the ICC Cricket World Cup since 2015, might, just quietly, have a hit on its hands. And the reason is simple. For all that large parts of the world might view cricket as something of a niche colonial sport, its appeal is far from narrow – it’s the second most popular sport in the world, pipped at the post only by football (or soccer, depending on where you are). One-and-a-half billion people are reported to have tuned into the 2015 Cricket World Cup, compared to, say, 98 million for the last Super Bowl. The fact that it’s a less competitive endorsement environment must certainly have its appeal. Hublot’s cricket pitch has certainly seen significant traction in Australia — which makes…
In the history of the 20th century, few years are as loaded with cultural weight as the year 1969. It’s defined in our collective memory as the year of Woodstock and the Moon Landing, but it’s also a year of great significance for watches. Chris Hall has done the heavy lifting here for QP Magazine, in this excellent long read that sums up just why 1969 mattered, watch-wise. Of course there’s the complex and multi-pronged development of the automatic chronograph — long regarded as one of watchmaking’s holy grails. And then there’s the aforementioned moon landing, in which Omega’s famous Speedmaster had a small, but significant role. And then, over in Japan there’s the dawn of a new age of timekeeping — the quartz era. And these are all important achievements to look back on; it doesn’t hurt that all these events happened 50 years ago — and no one loves a commemorative limited edition more than a watch brand. Like we said, 1969 was a busy year for watches. Read the full story (with bonus Concorde and internet!) over at QP.
Editor’s note: Our resident Canadian correspondent Justin is a man of some fairly intense and deeply held passions — at least when it comes to watches. His proclivities for bold straps and quirky indies are immediately apparent if you take even a quick glance at his Instagram. His love for the already iconic (and already discontinued) Rolex 116710 BLNR Batman is a little less top-line, but it’s there — all you need to do is scratch the surface. And that’s just what Justin did last year when he had a prolonged date with the watch … You all know the feeling. You spend months or even years dreaming about them, they become the background screen on your phone, tablet and laptop. You sit at your desk at work, and lay awake in bed at night skimming the internet for every possible trace of them. You’re infatuated, obsessed even, with even the remote possibility that they may one day become a part of your life. You may have never even felt their soft touch brush against your skin, but inherently you know … One day, someday, they will be yours. That’s right, the watch crush is real. We’ve all had them, and…
Chatter about controversial watches happens everywhere from the halls of Baselworld to the comments section of Instagram, but the fury is often short-lived. A couple of notable exceptions released in 2019 included the 11.59 Collection by Audemars Piguet, and for different reasons – the Tudor P01. When we posted a pic of it on Instagram this morning, we were sharply reminded that this model is not done polarising people. While it seemed that the delivery of a more steady stream of Black Bay Fifty-Eights (as well as a recent flourish of Black Bay S&G Chronographs) to retailers’ cabinets had taken the spotlight off this less everyday addition to the family, this morning it was suddenly front, centre and in the firing line. Both of loving and loathsome comments. Before we get to them, let’s review the story so far. The Tudor P01 Recap: Tudor shocked the watch-loving community at Baselworld 2019 with the release of the P01, a reissue of a prototype watch designed for the US Navy in the 1960s. The brand published teasers through social media before Baselworld that sent enthusiasts into a frenzy, with predictions that a reissue of their iconic Submariner dive watch was about to hit…
Editor’s note: Last week we kicked off our series on the ultimate watch glossary — well, now it’s back and slightly more complex. Read on if you want to know what really makes your watch tick … Mechanical watch, manual or automatic There are two types of mechanical watch, and the difference comes down to how the watch is wound. A manual watch must be wound by way of the crown, typically once a day, but it depends on power reserve (more on that shortly). This action winds the mainspring around the barrel arbour (the central post in the middle of the barrel in which the mainspring sits). The tension built up in this spring as it tries to uncurl is what drives the wheels of the watch forward. In an automatic watch, an oscillating weight (also known as a rotor) swings inside the watch as the wearer moves their wrist. This takes the place of the crown having to be manually wound and it keeps the mainspring wound throughout the day. The advantage of an automatic watch is therefore that power supply to the timekeeping organ of the watch is far more stable and, as a result, so too…
Editor’s note: There’s something in the fine, crisp Swiss water at chez Bulgari. Their watch design of late has been impressive, to say the least. And, as a recap, here’s a look at the hero releases from this year’s Baselworld. Enjoy the thinness. Over at Bulgari, the reign of the Octo Finissimo continues to flourish. At Baselworld 2019 the ultra-thin heavyweight collection gained two strong new members. And over on the women’s side, there’s a new golden serpent to adore. The hero of Bulgari’s set piece is the Octo Finissimo Chronograph GMT, a very smart addition (in both the style and engineering sense). It’s a completely new movement, and full of nice engineering details. It also boasts a lot of user-focused details, like that GMT. It’s a really useful combination of complications wrapped up in a wafer-thin package. The yin to the Chronograph’s yang is another, darker take on the Octo Finissimo — in fact, an entirely black take. This new ceramic version once again transforms the feel of the watch. Bonus points for opting for a sleek matt finish, and even a fully ceramic folding clasp. Finally, the Serpenti Seduttori, a woman’s watch that’s intended to be a more…
Editor’s note: Over the last few years, Rado — traditionally the masters of design-y ceramic timepieces — have stepped their heritage game WAY up. Their Captain Cook line, in particular, is a real gem, and a solid value prop. Here’s our take on Rado’s best heritage watches. Rado isn’t a brand that you typically think of when you think about ‘heritage’. On the one hand this makes perfect sense, as the brand is best known for their decidedly modern materials and avant-garde designs. But on the other, Rado has been around for a while (since 1917), and has a host of great old styles to draw on. And, in recent years, Rado has been more active in doing just that, and we’ve picked our favourites. Naturally, the Captain Cook looms large, in both its faithful — near facsimile grade — models, as well as the larger, more modern interpretations. And then there’s the super chunky, super funky HyperChrome 1616, a really cool take on a cushion case. If these watches prove anything it’s that Rado has what it takes to make a heritage release that holds up with the best of them, and we can’t wait to see what 2019…
One of the surprise highlights from the recent Swatch-stravaganza that was Time to Move was Blancpain’s Air Command – a really neat reissue of an historic pilot’s chronograph. It’s fair to say that prior to this release, knowledge of the Air Command was limited to hardcore Blancpain fans and seasoned professionals. Well, the timing couldn’t have been better for the Phillips & Blackbird Sports auction, held in Hong Kong recently. As Lot 814 was an exceptionally rare original version. This 1960s chronograph was in impressive condition — with an evenly aged dial and a very crisp looking 42mm steel case. The watch had an estimate of $390,000 – 780,000 HKD (or roughly $72,000 — $144,000 AUD). And clearly the star of the Air Command is on the rise, as this example hammered in well above estimate at $1,125,000 HKD — or around $208,000 AUD. If one of these rare birds is out of reach (understandable), there’s still a chance at the new release, though I expect that even that piece, which is limited to 500 pieces, will be hot property as well.