NEWS: More than Moonwatches – these are the Omegas you can expect to spot in new moon film First Man
If you happen to be a watch fan or a space enthusiast, this Thursday in Australia is the day you’ve been waiting for, with the opening of Universal Pictures’ First Man. Based on the book by James R. Hansen, the movie chronicles the life of Neil Armstrong in the years leading up to the historic Apollo 11 mission to the moon in 1969. It’s directed by Oscar-winning director Damien Chazelle, and stars known watch collector Ryan Gosling. It should come as no surprise then that a movie about the moon landing is also going to be Omega watch-spotting heaven. If you’re into watches (you’re here, so I’m going to assume you are) then you might already know the story of the famed Omega Moonwatch. But if not, I’ll quickly break it down. In 1964, NASA put the call out to the watch brands of the world, searching for a watch that could qualify for use on their manned missions. Officially announcing the Omega Speedmaster as “Flight Qualified for all Manned Space Missions” on March 1, 1965, and beginning the Speedmaster’s journey into space on the wrists of astronauts on the final Mercury missions as well as during the Gemini, Apollo, Skylab…
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Editor’s note: An affordable Swiss-made tourbillon. Words like that were once considered something of an oxymoron. That all changed, however, when in 2016, TAG Heuer’s Carrera Heuer-02T came along, causing something of a stir amongst the watchmaking elite. Well, with this year’s release of the chronometer grade TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph Tourbillon Tête de Vipère, those shock waves are once again being felt. And we thought we’d revisit this interview with Director of the Research Institute for the Watch Division at LVMH, Mr Guy Sémon. With Felix asking the big questions, and seeking out just what it is that has the industry talking. One of the hottest topics at this year’s Baselworld fair was TAG Heuer’s ’20k tourbillon’. And that nickname is even more impressive when you translate it into US dollars, which gets it much closer to 15k. It represents the brand’s comparatively accessible take on that most hallowed (and most expensive) of complications. TAG Heuer’s aggressively priced Carrera Heuer-02T — which retails in Australia for $20,450 — stirred equal measures of surprise and scepticism. Patek Philippe President Thierry Stern held nothing back when he said that such a low-priced tourbillon was “nearly a joke”, commenting: “If [TAG Heuer are] willing to try to kill the quality…
In my eyes there’s no better backdrop than the French Riviera to launch a luxury dive watch. And it seems Ulysse Nardin think so too, unveiling four new iterations of their Diver Chronometer amongst the glamour and affluence at this year’s Monaco Yacht Show. Plotting a cleaner bearing for the collection with a host of aesthetic updates. Beginning with four brand new textured dials that replace the wave pattern found on the previous version of the Diver Chronometer. There are two regular production models – a deep blue and an all-black dial version — plus two limited editions: the grey-dialled Diver Great White (300 pieces), and a red and gold accented black dial version that’s been specially made to celebrate the Monaco Yacht Show (100 pieces), with the tiny country’s red and white flag displayed at 12 o’clock, and a unique date wheel reflecting this year’s show dates, with a red colouring for the 26th, 27th, 28th, and 29th date numerals. While each dial may differ slightly in colour, they all feature the exact same layout. An indicator at 12 o’clock helps keep track of the power reserve, while the date and a small seconds subdial are nestled neatly at…
The story of Omega’s Speedmaster “Tintin” is the tale of a watch that almost never was. The same goes for Nathan and his red-and-white chequered dial Speedy. When did you first see/hear about it? I have always found the most interesting watches to be unique variations of classic designs. The Tintin fits this description perfectly, and from the moment I saw it online, I knew I would eventually own one. It was actually a few years after it had been revealed that I decided to do a bit more research. What I uncovered was the most intriguing story about a failed partnership and a half-complete watch, one that should have never really come to market. Any story behind the purchase? There was quite a bit of drama surrounding the purchase! When I first saw this Tintin for sale in Brisbane I hesitated and unfortunately someone in Sydney bought it before me. However, a few months later I saw another for sale in Sydney and I made sure I wasn’t going to let it get away from me. When I got hold of the watch, it became clear that this Tintin was the same one that had been taken to Sydney…
Last month, we filled you guys in on “6 oddball watches of an oddball comedian”, following the announcement that Sotheby’s would be auctioning various collections of art, furniture and watches that Robin Williams shared with his second wife, Marsha Garces Williams. Well, the results are in, and wrapping up the New York auction with a sale total of just over $6 million USD, the majority of the 310 lots sold. As we expected, all 44 watches sold for more than their auction estimates. The biggest earner was a gold-plated rectangular quartz Hamilton that Williams wore during filming of Dead Poets Society, which sold for $32,500 USD after an estimate of $1000 – $2000 USD. The most expensive, selling for $52,500 USD, was a white gold Franck Muller minute repeating tourbillon, which had an initial estimate of $25,000 – $35,000 USD. Below we’ve listed a few of our favourites, as well as the results of our 6 oddball picks. But for the full list, be sure to visit the Sotheby’s site. Lot 118 Azimuth Estimate $500 – $1000 USD. Sold $3500 USD Lot 119 Ikepod Hemipode Estimate $500 – $1500 USD. Sold $7500 USD Lot 129 Alain Silberstein Triple Calendar and…
I have a not-so-secret love in my heart for Antiques Roadshow — specifically the UK version, but the US version is pretty good, too. If you’re not familiar with the concept, it’s a show where random members of the public show up and have their junk/priceless artefacts evaluated by a range of hilariously eccentric antiques experts. And while a great part of the joy for me is finding out that creepy dolls can be crazy expensive, really it’s all about that moment they reveal the price and the owner of said crazy dolls (or carpet once owned by someone famous) either hides their sadness at not being sudden, surprise millionaires, or — equally as good — when they’re suddenly in possession of something really valuable and they pretend they’re not planning to sell it as soon as the cameras turn off. And while everything about Antiques Roadshow is pretty great, I especially love it when someone brings a watch on. So, in the interest of sharing my love, I scoured YouTube for five of the best. You’re welcome. Smith & Sons Pocket watch Let’s kick off with some classic Roadshow — there’s a lot to like here. The exceptionally dressed appraiser, the…
Here at Time+Tide we are constantly finding ourselves getting caught up in what’s new and improved – taking it upon ourselves to keep you guys updated on the latest in watch releases (it’s a tough job, I know, but someone has to do it). Every once in a while, however, we like to look back and catch up on the ones we missed. And, well, frankly we also love a chronograph, so we couldn’t resist getting our hands on Zenith’s Chronomaster El Primero 42mm. It doesn’t matter if you’re a seasoned collector or a fresh-faced newcomer to the world of watches, the history of Zenith’s El Primero high-beat chronograph will forever be a fascinating story to tell. Released in 1969 as one of the world’s first three automatic chronographs (alongside Breitling/Heuer’s Chronomatic and Seiko’s Speedtimer), the famed high-beat calibre is today as iconic as the watches it features in – ranging from Hublot’s Spirit of Big Bang to Bulgari’s Octo Chronograph. Perhaps the most well-known partnership, however, is the calibre’s adoption by Rolex, which saw modified versions of the El Primero used inside the newly modernised Daytonas of the 1990s. In fact, if it wasn’t for the El Primero, the…
Editor’s note: As much as I enjoy my morning ritual of choosing, winding, and setting my watch for the day ahead, I am not a morning person. And sometimes all I want to do is grab & go. That’s where watches like this pair of solar-powered Seiko Prospex divers come in handy. Hotter than hot, they both offer a rock-solid option that is ready and waiting to take on the day, even when I’m not. Seiko has just released three limited edition black divers, and they couldn’t be hotter. We’ve already shown you the automatic SRPC49K, but there are two solar options on the table as well. The SSC673P is a stealthy version of the SSC618P we looked at a little while ago. It’s worth noting that in these images the 15-minute demarcation period on the bezel is quite pale. We shot a pre-production model, and I’m not sure if the colour will be the same on the final model. It measures 43.5mm across and is powered by the cal. V175. Seiko Prospex SSC673P Moving onto the SNE493P. With the now familiar black and orange colour scheme, this solar diver has a raised chapter ring that adds a nice amount of…
I think we’ve all found ourselves in a similar situation to this before: you wake up, the morning after a big night out and all is seemingly well. At least until the night’s events start trickling back into your mind’s eye, and an odd sensation begins to stir deep down inside, giving you the feeling that things are not quite as they should be. You then roll over and notice something lying there next to you, something that in the unforgiving morning light is not what you were first expecting to see … Flashing before your eyes is a notification from eBay, exclaiming, “Congratulations! You won this item.” And before you even have time to react, the regret has started to sink in. Frequently associated with the purchase of expensive items like a house or a car, buyer’s remorse is a very real thing in the watch world. After all, we all know that our much-loved pieces of wrist candy can sometimes come attached to hefty price tags. However, it’s not always the money that is the biggest factor, because buyer’s remorse occurs most frequently when we must make a difficult decision. Stemming from a cognitive dissonance that arises when…
Editor’s note: For a little under two centuries, Ulysse Nardin have been making marine chronometers fit for the captains and commanders of the ocean. In recent years, however, with watches like their Freak and Executive Skeleton collections, they’ve quickly propelled themselves to the forefront of watchmaking — being the first to use the innovative material silicon in their movements. The Marine Chronometer Torpilleur combines the best of both those worlds, so without further ado … Story in a second The Marine Chronometer Torpilleur shows a new, focused and driven face of Ulysse Nardin. I’m going to start this review talking not about mechanical watches, but naval warfare. In the late 19th and early 20th century, naval dominance was all about massive floating fortresses, with thick plate armour and a massed battery of cannons. These ships, which culminated in the dreadnought class of battleships, were the undisputed masters of the seas. To counter these ungainly behemoths, the Torpilleur, or torpedo boat, was developed. Streamlined, fast and modern, the Torpilleurs were armed with the latest technology — the self-propelled torpedo. These low-cost boats were intended as battleship-killers and presented a real threat to the dominance of the big ships. Now, do you really…