How to wear a watch like nobody is watching
Editor’s note: There’s a lot to love about Jeff Goldblum. Like pretty much everything really. And for us at least, one of his key character attributes is his ability to wear a dainty gold Cartier Tank like he doesn’t give two whits for what the rest of the world thinks. Bravo. The same devil-may-care watch-wearing attitude also makes RDJ, Conor McGregor, Serena Williams and our very own Tim Cahill stand out in the watch department … There are watches we wear in our real lives and there are watches we imagine we would be brave enough to wear in our imaginary lives. There are watches we wear based on our budget, and there are watches we would buy should money be no object. This is a story about people wearing those kind of watches with no single trace of self-consciousness. With total and utter authority. There’s a lot we can learn about owning our wrist choices from these people. So here goes, a guide to wearing a bosstown, big-boy watch like nobody is watching. Jeff Goldblum – Cartier Tank in gold Many of us have admitted to wanting to wear a solid gold Cartier Tank, in concept. Mr Goldblum doesn’t do…
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If there was ever a case study for the difference a dial (and bezel) can make, the 2019 edition of the Tudor Black Bay Bronze with its slate grey dial is that watch. The new colour is subtle, and executed in a sophisticated manner, making for a dramatic improvement on the now discontinued khaki/brown version. Before we get to the cool grey makeover, a recap. The Black Bay Bronze (or BBB to its friends) is — you guessed it — a bronze-cased version of Tudor’s flagship Black Bay. Specifically an alloy of bronze that’s high in aluminium, meaning you won’t get the sort of crazy green patina that was super popular a few years ago. As you’d expect, it’s an in-house movement, the MT5601. It’s still also the biggest of the Black Bays, rocking in at 43mm across, so if you’re slight of wrist, consider yourself warned. It comes on either a leather or fabric strap, though it’s worth noting that these days it’s an either/or situation, not both. But, that dial. Slate grey really is an accurate term in this case. The dial looks cool and inviting — just like a slate floor on a hot day. It’s also an…
Last year, Seiko announced their Save the Ocean initiative – a partnership between famed underwater explorer and conservationist Fabien Cousteau and Seiko Prospex. This program is aimed at raising awareness (and funds) for marine conservation. It was also a partnership that saw some very cool ‘Save the Ocean’ editions of classic Seiko divers. Well, it’s 2019 now, and time for another edition of this feel-good diver. And while the blue colour theme is the same, the details are a little different. Meet the Save the Ocean Great White Shark edition ’turtle’ diver, AKA the Seiko SRPD21K. Fundamentally, this is the same Seiko diver we all know and love: 45mm case, Hardlex crystal, more than enough lume to shake the room (tick, tick, tick, boom), a crown at four allowing you to change the time, day and date on the 4R36 movement, a diver’s bezel with a blue and black aluminium insert, and a solid steel bracelet. What’s new though is, of course, the dial. It’s a metallic, shimmering oceanic blue, with a pressed pattern on it evoking, if not quite Hokusai’s Great Wave then certainly some pretty choppy seas. The link between the watch and saving the ocean could not be…
Editor’s note: Ahh, bezel screws. Along with date windows, nothing riles up the watch-loving populace quite as much as a misaligned, exposed bezel screw. So, in that spirit, here’s an opinion piece we wrote on just that topic a little while ago … “Such a shame they don’t take the time to align their screws. I wouldn’t buy one purely because of this.” Every time we post a picture of a watch with exposed bezel screws (mostly Hublot or Bell & Ross) we get a variation of this comment. And I’m well and truly over it. While many brands use exposed screws on bezels, the most commonly cited example is that of the iconic Royal Oak from Audemars Piguet. It’s certainly what all the commenters on our social feeds reference when they’re lambasting other brands for their inability to align screws. But you know the funny thing? The screws on the AP’s bezels aren’t screws. In fact, they’re threaded nuts that fit neatly and immovably into the perfectly hexagonal holes in the bezel. They’re secured via the screws on the caseback, which —surprise surprise — aren’t neatly aligned. In contrast, the bezel screws on your Bell & Ross or Hublot are…
The inimitable Niki Lauda died yesterday, and Formula 1 lost one of its most enduring icons. And I don’t know about you, but my own little tribute to this man will take the form of finishing off Formula 1: Drive to Survive (and marvelling at the on and off-track intensity of the sport), and re-watching Rush, the 2013 Ron Howard biopic detailing the professional rivalry between Niki Lauda and James Hunt. Rush is an excellent film, and in addition to being exquisitely played by Daniel Brühl, Niki Lauda served as a technical advisor. Read more about the film, and particularly the role TAG Heuer played in it, in this article by the charming Miguel Seabra over on WorldTempus.
Mido is one of those strange beasts in modern watchmaking – a largely under-the-radar brand that’s also owned by one of the largest corporations in the business (the Swatch Group). Already this is a good place to start, as the former factor means you can get some unexpected and unusual design choices, paired with the benefits (production quality, parts, etc) that come with being part of the Swatch Group. The Mido Multifort Patrimony is a great example of this. A sweet retro-looking watch at a seriously impressive price. First of all, the Mido Multifort Patrimony comes in three flavours: steel with a graduated grey dial, gold tone with an anthracite dial, or this steel and blue number. They’re all 40mm across by 11.95mm high, which is pretty perfect proportions for this sort of watch in 2019. The case design is simple but stylish, with a non-fussy, low-profile crown and some decent detail on the lugs. The dial, though, is what will really get people excited. It’s a pretty straight execution from the mid-century watch design playbook, but that’s A-OK. The shimmering, subtly graduated dark blue is very on-trend, and the clearly segmented dial, complete with pulsometer scale and inner minute track,…
The above question greeted me when I opened my email this morning — it was such a perfect allegory (heck, watches, chocolate and Bacs are amongst the most Swiss things ever) that I had to open it. Eventually, I scrolled through the mailing list, and came to the article, an extensive GQ profile of Phillips’ majordomo of watches, and one of the bolder figures in the world of watches. It’s a long, rollicking narrative that covers off the greatest hits (Newman’s Newman features a fair bit), and a well-researched one too. Here’s a taste: “More than any other individual, Bacs is responsible for the current hysteria in the vintage-watch market. He’s an auctioneer, yes, but like the timepiece-obsessed Flavor Flav before him, he is also a once-in-a-generation hype man—a watch enthusiast who has helped change how timepieces are talked about and sold all over the world.” Good stuff, huh. Read the whole thing over at GQ.
‘Manufacture’ is one of those watchmaking buzzwords you hear fairly frequently. Basically, it’s a fancy word for factory, but in the slow-moving and hallowed halls of horology it’s so much more. Think airy, well-lit rooms with highly skilled watchmakers investing countless hours on minute details most will never see. A far cry from the typical image of the noisy, grimy factory floor. Over at Mr Porter’s Journal, the excellent Alex Doak runs through five of the greatest, and longest-running Swiss Manufactures, from Audemars Piguet thorough to Girard-Perregaux. Worth a read. 
Time to Move, which took place last week in Switzerland, is the higher end Swatch Group brands’ alternative to Baselworld. And because they’re the prestige brands, it’s only fitting to expect some prestigious watches. We were not disappointed. Here are three watches that are less about telling the time and more about showing the world just how much fun can be had with time. Harry Winston Histoire de Tourbillon 10 Sure, American jewellery house Harry Winston is better known for astonishingly large, clear diamonds arranged in exquisite pieces, but they’ve got pretty solid form when it comes to timepieces too. Time to Move was the first time their Geneva facility was opened up to media, and the level of care and craft involved in their high jewellery watches was impressive to say the least. But the watch we’re showing you today doesn’t have a single carat of stones on the case. But it does have four tourbillons. FOUR. One tourbillon is already an extravagance, but four?! This 53mm wide monster is pure extravagance of the most decadent kind; it’s also the first watch ever to rock four tourbillons at once. I mean, why not? Jaquet Droz Magic Lotus Automaton No one…
The Grande Seconde is perhaps Jaquet Droz’s most recognisable design, with an outsize second hand and characteristic figure 8 layout that you can spot from across a room. It’s also a versatile design that’s been called into service for a range of complications. But never a chronograph. Until this week’s release of the Jaquet Droz Grande Seconde Chronograph. This release isn’t just a single watch, but rather a fully formed collection. There’s a nice limited version, and a brace of steel-cased models, with asymmetrical dials. The dial options on offer are blue, taupe grey and sand-blasted silver. The blue will be — I suspect — the popular choice, but I was quite drawn to the grey: it has a modern, monochromatic look that plays well with the off-centre design and contrasts Jaquet Droz’s typically classic aesthetic. It’s also quite a textural dial, with several layers and a nice contrast between the sandblasted and satin finished sections. The fact that this stylish timer is a monopusher goes a long way to ensuring that the overall package remains elegant. The movement (calibre 26M5R) is made by Blancpain, and exclusive to Jaquet Droz. It’s an interesting layout, with timekeeping on the smaller dial…