HANDS-ON: The Rolex Oyster Perpetual GMT-Master II in Oystersteel (ref. 126710BLRO), with a Jubilee bracelet
You’ve either been sleeping or taking a break from social media to have missed the news on this one. As part of their new Baselworld 2018 releases, Rolex have released for the very first time a ‘Pepsi’ GMT-Master II in ‘Oystersteel’ (which is the new Rolex terminology for their 904L steel). Yes, a two-colour red and blue Cerachrom bezel insert, WITH a Jubilee bracelet. Vital statistics The five-link Jubilee bracelet is also made from Oystersteel and features an ‘Oysterclasp’, which allows for 5mm of adjustment. It’s also worth noting that this is the first time we’ve seen a Jubilee bracelet on a sports Rolex in modern times. The Oystercase also received some changes and has been redesigned. It’s noticeably different in comparison to the GMT-Master II BLNR (Batman), which is also still in production. Aesthetics aside, the new Pepsi GMT also features an entirely new generation movement — the 3285 calibre, which features a beefed-up 70-hour power reserve. Another small, yet noteworthy, detail is the additional Rolex crown on the dial, which you’ll notice at six o’clock, between ‘Swiss’ and ‘Made’. This appears to be on all new 2018 models. It’s small touches like these that help collectors distinguish between different…
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With Day 2 of Baselworld over, and the Time+Tide team all retiring to their quarters for as much sleep as can possibly be had with chronic collective jetlag, it’s time to charge a nightcap glass and scan the comment section for your thoughts and observations over the past 24 hrs. The first subject of note carries over from day one, and the Battle of the Pepsi GMTs, which still rages. We think Matthew may just be onto something with his not at all unhinged conspiracy theory, perhaps the grand plan for Rolex SA is coming together after all? Sanjay, meanwhile, ushered another contender into the coliseum for the Battle of the Pepsis… Meanwhile, after dropping our Longines Range Review video one switched-on viewer picked our official pre-roll voiceover artist, Mr Craig Willis. We’re all positively starstruck that The Voice of Australia (and tennis, and AFL) lent us his golden tonsils to introduce all of our videos at Basel this year. We also took a peek in the back room at Omega and got a glimpse of their 2018 novelties as well the new upgraded Seamaster 300. Barely up on social, and it’s already a crowd pleaser. Even the ‘Great Date Window Debate’ seemed to be…
The foundation upon which modern Grand Seiko is built is the calibre 9S, first unveiled 20 years ago. Basel 2018 sees the Japanese brand pay tribute to this important movement with this new Grand Seiko model, the SBGH267 Vital statistics Grand Seiko’s dial and case finishes are rightly lauded for their high level of quality. But the far less visible movement is just as significant. And, if the watch is automatic, the chances are high that movement is the 9S. First introduced in 1998, this movement, with its high level of precision, lengthy power reserve and rock-solid construction, was ahead of its time for a high-volume commercial calibre. With a distinctive purple oscillating rotor in the style we’ve come to expect from Grand Seiko’s LEs, it forms the heart of this watch, which features a subtle mosaic pattern dial in Grand Seiko’s blue, as well as a completely new 39.5mm wide by 13mm tall case. This version is in steel, but there’s also a yellow gold version and a platinum model with a V.F.A. (very fine adjusted) movement, which promises accuracy of +3/-1 seconds, compared to the +5/-3 range of the SBGH267. On the wrist Classic Grand Seiko. The design is…
In addition to the scene-stealing 9S 20th anniversary pieces, Grand Seiko have announced two new Spring Drive models at Baselworld 2018. Reference SBGA373 with a champagne dial, and SBGA375 in rich blue. Vital statistics With its inexorably smooth sweeping seconds hand, there’s something hypnotic about Grand Seiko’s Spring Drive technology, powered and regulated by an ingenious combination of kinetic, magnetic and electrical energy. And while the Snowflake tends to garner the most attention, there are other time and date members of the collection, the most recent being these two. Both are powered by the 9R65, visible through clear casebacks on both models, and housed in broad-shouldered 40mm, 44GS-inspired steel cases. It’s worth noting that these pictures are of prototype models, and I’ve been told that the (very) large crowns are likely to be replaced by something a little smaller and more balanced. On the wrist Grand Seiko’s champagne dials are exceptional and — apparently — very technical, requiring numerous layers of lacquer to achieve that soft golden colour that is nigh on impossible to capture with any accuracy. In direct, bright light it fades to silver. It may lack the flash of the brand’s more distinctive dials but it’s still…
Cola was the hot topic leading up to Baselworld 2018 when it came to speculation about new Rolex releases. Would the Big Crown twist the lid off a new ‘Coke’, a two-colour red and black Cerachrom bezel GMT-Master II model, or rather open a cold can of Pepsi, referring to the two-colour red and blue Cerachrom bezel GMT-Master II? The fact that it was the latter was not a surprise as much as the fact that it was in stainless steel, or ‘Oystersteel’, as 904L steel is to be known henceforth. The new generation Jubilee bracelet choice, as well as a new movement — the 3285, extending the power reserve from 48 to 70 hours — made this a very meaningful evolution of the wildly popular collection. Rolex’s dextrous little parry landed a hit squarely on journalists, fans and the industry, but no sooner was that noted by the scorers then the other releases also started to emerge. In addition to the expanded GMT-Master II range, which also includes the first ever Everose GMT-Master II, we have a proportionally improved Deep-Sea Sea-Dweller and a gem-set Daytona that is hot, hot, HOTline bling.
The Longines Legend Diver Watch, a reimagined version of a diving watch from the 1960s, had a dramatic reintroduction in 2017, care of the Milanese bracelet addition — perhaps the best strap hack of the year, period — and now it’s going to set pulses racing even faster with a new version in black PVD. Vital Statistics Apart from the PVD, the Legend Diver remains true to the bold styling that made the original timepiece something of an icon in the Longines canon. It houses Longines’ L888 caliber. In terms of design, the lines of the original watch have been preserved, including the boxed glass (but in sapphire crystal) and the bidirectional internal turning diving bezel. While upholding the 1960s spirit of this legendary timepiece, Longines have also equipped it with contemporary and high-performance technical characteristics, including a black PVD coating for a resolutely modern design, a sapphire crystal, two crowns and a screw-down back to guarantee water-resistance to 30 bar. The bezel is activated and stopped by the crown located at 2 o’clock, allowing the wearer to determine the remaining dive time. The steel 42mm case is coated with a layer of black PVD and has an illustration of a diver…
Longines are expanding their HydroConquest collection for 2018 with new models featuring a bezel with a coloured ceramic insert matched to the colour of the dial. Vital statistics Longines are expanding their HydroConquest collection for 2018 with new models featuring a bezel with a coloured ceramic insert matched to the colour of the dial. The existing characteristics of this collection remain, including water-resistance to 300 metres, a unidirectional rotating bezel, screw-down crown and case back, crown protection, hands and the hour markers applied with SuperLuminova, and a double security folding clasp with integrated diving extension. There are new grey, black and blue sunray dials and a new rubber strap in colours that match the dial, which is said to be more ergonomic and more comfortable. The metal bracelet version combines polished and brushed steel. The new HydroConquest is available in 41mm and 43mm sizes for models with three hands and a calendar, and 41mm for the chronograph model. Initial thoughts You don’t need to mention the Big Crown here to reiterate what a ceramic bezel — with all its show-stealing shine, modernity and scratch resistance — can make to a legit dive watch’s appeal. It’s unlikely to have that kind of riotous…
Stop us if you’ve heard, or seen, this one before (and the odds are increasingly high that you have, as this video was filmed a couple of years ago), but as unbelievable as it may be to the watch journos in the house, some people don’t have any clue what this ‘Basel’ thing is and what being there is actually like. The Time+Tide team is in various states of migration, all heading from different points – Dubai, Canada, Brisbane, Amsterdam, Melbourne – to Basel, and while we’re travelling, I guarantee you one thing: when you say you’re going to Baselworld, you more often than not get met with blank looks. Airline staff, family members, non-watch-addicted friends. Look, the concept is comprehensible enough. A watch fair. A lot of hype. An exhibition hall. But that just doesn’t cut it. I say over and over, “It’s BIGGER than a ‘fair’, it’s more like a world expo, or Vegas, or …” Then I invariably reach into my pocket, hit the YouTube app and play this one again, Sam. It captures everything I love about the big dance, this big watch fair. The energy, the affluence, the bloated distortion of scale and perspective. It’s…
With Baselworld 2018 just around the corner, fevers around the Time+Tide office are running hot, contemplating what Rolex is likely to drop in Basel in a few days time. Looking back at Rolex releases in Basel over the past seven years, we assess some of the mic-dropping releases in the Rolex line-up and the likelihood of seeing updates to those models in 2018. 2017 – Rolex Sea-Dweller 126600 Boom. Probably the most talked about watch of Basel 2017, Rolex launched the new Sea-Dweller a mere three years after its previous incarnation, with a 43mm case (to some controversy), cyclops date window (to even more controversy) and red ‘Sea Dweller’ text on the dial (to no controversy at all). Chances of seeing a new Sea-Dweller at Basel 2018? Somewhere between ‘never’ and ‘impossible’. 2017 – Rolex Sky-Dweller in Rolesor Rolex made the Sky-Dweller available in stainless steel (with a white gold bezel) for the first time ever, with new dial variants and an accessible price (albeit not availability). The blue-on-blue and black-on-black dials simply stole the show. Chances of seeing a new Rolex Sky-Dweller at Basel 2018? Too soon. 2016 – Rolex Oyster Perpetual Air-King 116900 2016 saw Rolex put a steroid…
When it comes to Longines’ yearly new releases we are like heatseeking missiles for the vintage fire the brand has at its disposal – few archives are as deep or as versatile as Longines, and it means they can pick and choose between adventurers watches, avant garde designs, classic dress, the options are almost endless and they impress with regularity. But, we rarely look at the everyday collections that, to put this bluntly, are the watches that the brand sell in staggering quantities. The Master Collection, for example. That is, until I noticed it for the first time at a launch in Sydney, last year. That discovery led to more discoveries. All of which are captured in this video, in which we look at the watch that won me over, and then explore the two bestselling models in Longines’ stunning Sydney boutique, in the Queen Victoria Building.