HANDS-ON: Janus-faced – the Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Tribute Moon
It’s fair to say that, for most people, Jaeger-LeCoultre in 2017 has been synonymous with the Master Control series we’ve spoken about at length. On the one hand, these watches deserve their time in the sun; on the other hand, you might have missed the truly stylish Reversos JLC released this year. For me, the star of the swivelling show is this two-faced beauty, the Reverso Tribute Moon in steel. Last year JLC launched a Reverso subcollection – the Tribute Line – that honours the spirit of historic Reverso models, a mission the Tribute Moon well and truly delivers on, with equally beautiful night and day dials. I’m always struck by just how much watch you get with a Reverso. Of course you get one elegant watch with two distinct personalities, but on top of that you get the practically of two time zones and, in this case, the romance of a moonphase (matched with the less-romantic but eminently practical date), all in one of the most distinguished-shaped watches in the business. These pictures speak clearly to the beauty of the watch: the subtlety of the silver dial’s eggshell finish, and the richness of its twin’s clous de Paris texture, the lustre…
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There are some sweeping generalisations in the watch world when it comes to the watches preferred by professionals in different fields – Breitling for airline pilots, Hublot for NBA players, Nomos for architects… but reality doesn’t quite conform to prevailing watch-lover logic. The fact is those that leap from high altitudes don’t choose a Zenith as their wrist machine of choice, like Felix Baumgartner. Formula 1 drivers no longer don chronographs, they’re more likely to be painted on their gloves. We put our usual watch-only criteria aside to learn what these watch-looking machines actually do and why they are necessary. Luke Rogers – Australia’s leading wingsuit skydiver Brisbane-based Luke Rogers, one of the country’s top professional wingsuit skydivers or pilots, thinks nothing of flying through a 1,000-foot zone at 250 km/h. Sure, it might be one of the most dangerous sports on earth, but the exhilarating hit of the supreme glide ratio of 2.5:1 or more (or, in civilian terms, for every metre dropped, two and a half meters are gained moving forward) hooks anyone who has ever dreamt of flying. “That large watch looking thing on my wrist is my altimeter which tells me what height I am for safety,”…
Sports luxury is one of those ephemeral subgenres in watchland that hides a multitude of sins. It’s easy for a watch maker to label any oversized solid-gold diver as sports luxe, but the reality is that most of these watches will never see any actual sports time. Frankly, that’s not good enough. So we found a select handful of timepieces that you could wear with ease on the court or in the boardroom. Rolex Yacht-Master 40 Oysterflex It’s an obvious choice, but this Everose beauty’s inclusion isn’t solely due to the action-ready and oh-so-comfy Oysterflex. The slim case profile and Cerachrom bezel are also key attributes in the Yacht-Master’s success as a sports-ready status symbol. RRP $31,650 Patek Philippe Aquanaut I was never really on team Aquanaut, but then I caught up with David and his ‘one watch’ Patek Philippe, and I just got it. Like the Rolex, the Aquanaut has the winning combo of rubber strap and slender case. But beyond that there’s a dazzling mix of finishings, an interesting dial and top-notch movement. Beautiful but not delicate. Montblanc TimeWalker Date Montblanc’s recently gave their hallmark TimeWalker line an automotive makeover, one which leans heavily on chronographs. But…
We’ve been hitting the bottle this week, but not for the usual reasons. No, this week we’re celebrating that riot of colour and fun that is the Presage Cocktail Time. Now, you might be asking, what is Cocktail Time? Isn’t it about five o’clock? Well, yes and no. Cocktail Time is the on-point name of the latest dressy addition to Seiko’s Presage Line. You see, Seiko has a rich tradition of fan-driven monikers, with everything from ‘monsters’ to ‘samurais’. These colourful nicknames make sense really. ‘Turtle’ certainly rolls of the tongue a lot easier than SRP777, for example. But the Cocktail Time represents something of an important shift, as this is the first time Seiko themselves have embraced the less-formal naming conventions, which means that instead of a dry assemblage of SRPB41, SRPB43 and SRPB46, we now have watches named for the cocktails that they resemble – the Blue Moon, Sky Diving and Manhattan respectively. So, in showcasing these very attractive watches we naturally ended up in a bar, with a barman, matching drinks to watches. It’s something we definitely suggest you try at home, and, after watching this you’ll know how. Cheers to that!
Last night the Kingsman returned in Kingsman: The Golden Circle, with a new head tailor to the fore and a new watch on his wrist, the TAG Heuer Connected Modular 45 Kingsman special edition. The success of the first movie, Kingsman: The Secret Service, was unprecedented, and not just because it was a British spy movie that challenged Bond – many critics commented that, in fact, it out-Bonded Bond on just about every level. It was groundbreaking in the clever way that it integrated products, fashion and watches into entertainment in a manner that involved the audience in a knowing way, neatly avoiding any sour advertorial aftertaste (it also helped boost suit sales in South Korea). That is a best-case tightrope never walked before by a big-budget motion picture. By the way, if your finger is hovering over the ‘book now’ button and you want to skip to the movie review, scroll past the watches, it’s at the bottom. However, putting the movie itself aside, there is an interesting play here in the way that TAG Heuer has executed its partnership with the movie franchise. Even non-watch fans might find this telling. Bremont passes the baton to TAG Heuer – which is a better fit? Kingsman: The…
This month was full of milestones, travel and precious metals. Not only did it mark one full year of #SpottedByAG, but we also officially warmed our (not-so-new) Time+Tide HQ (a tad overdue – we know). It started with a trip over to the windy city, Wellington – where I had the pleasure of meeting some of the Red Bar NZ crew, followed by a tour of the local boutique (Partridges), who kindly hosted brunch. The first watch I noticed as I sat down was an Omega Speedmaster ‘Snoopy’, on the wrist of member Mike (@Nzer.Mike). Given the limited production, you don’t see these too often, so they’re somewhat of a rare bird. I also sized up another Omega Speedmaster, albeit a little older, with some eye-catching patina. It turned out to be from 1973, and was in fantastic condition. It’s owner, Cole (@Cole_Sharpp), treated himself later that morning to a new Tudor Black Bay Steel (which I take no responsibility for). I must say, for the dozen or so guys who turned up, the crew really brought the heat. A big thank you to Jarrod and Pat from Red Bar NZ, and Andrew from Partridge Jewellers, for the hospitality. Not…
During the day, Andy is a sharp-dressed businessman, but come sundown he’s a gym-loving, whisky-drinking major watch nerd. Although he loves watches of all shapes and sizes, he has a particular penchant for one specific brand… NAME: Andy Zhang OCCUPATION: Businessman & Watch Nerd HANDLE: @A_Zhangerator FOLLOWERS: 17.5k LOCATION: SYD, AU Hey Andy, how do you unwind? Well, I’m a workaholic but I do love a well-balanced lifestyle. That means hard-core gym sessions, balanced out with lots of whisky and cigars. Normally I go to the gym to relax and get rid of the stress from the office. Afterwards I read up on watch news to keep up to date with the industry. I love researching brands, and discovering what they do differently to create value and demand for their watches. Sometimes, if it is a seriously long day, I’ll play some jazz music and grab a glass of Japanese whisky. So, what’s your daily watch and why? At the moment my daily ‘beater’ is also my ‘one watch’, and it’s the Richard Mille RM35-01 Rafael Nadal. For me, it’s such a perfect watch, and extremely comfortable to wear – it’s super scratch-resistant and light. I wear my RM35-01 at work,…
By now it should come as no surprise that Longines is a master when it comes to heritage reissues. The company has a proven track record almost as long and distinguished as its actual archives. From the Legend Diver through to the COSD and the Heritage 1945, the Saint-Imier brand rarely puts a foot wrong when it comes to vintage themed pieces. Longines’ latest is the Avigation BigEye, a handsome 41mm brushed-steel chronograph that draws on the marque’s strong aviation links. The design is based on a historical pilot’s chronograph, similar in style to the Type XX watches made by a range of brands, including Breguet. As with all good pilot’s watches, legibility is key, and the BigEye’s spartan colour scheme and relatively plain design very much honours that promise, with bold hash marks, large Arabic numerals, and traditional stick hands. But the most interesting design feature is the oversized elapsed minutes counter, the ‘Big Eye’ that gives the watch its name. This 30-minute subdial is larger than the running seconds and elapsed-hour counter, to give it maximum presence. Some people may find this larger counter slightly off-putting, but I find that this variation, along with the different layouts on the subdials, keeps things…
The New York Times has published a story about the upcoming auction of Paul Newman’s Rolex Daytona and revealed new facts about the whereabouts of the watch. Until recently it was considered one of the world’s great “lost watches”. But all that time its owner, James Cox, knew exactly where it was. On his wrist. Soon, it will be auctioned for a sum that may exceed $US10 million. These quotes sum up the incredible story. And lastly, write a note for yourself: help someone fix a treehouse this weekend. Despite the fact that it was a gift from his wife of 50 years, Joanne Woodward, Paul Newman regifted it to his daughter Nell’s boyfriend at the time, James Cox. Mr Cox said he was helping repair a treehouse on the Newman property when the blue-eyed actor approached and asked the time. “I said, you know, ‘a hair past a freckle,’ or some comment meaning ‘I don’t have a watch’.” Mr Cox, now 52, said. “To which he (Newman) replied: ‘Well, here, here’s this watch. If you remember to wind it, it tells pretty good time’.” Mr Cox wore the watch for nearly a decade on construction jobs and gardening – my heart just stopped –…