FRIDAY WIND DOWN: 21st July, 2017
There’s an inherent irony in the Friday Wind Down that gets me every time. It’s often the last item on my weekly to do list — the one thing between me and a (very) well-earned knock off drink. For me, writing this isn’t much of a wind-down, if you know what I mean. So with that (and a beer) firmly in mind, I’m going to make this short and sweet. What happened We had more tourbillons in the office over the last week or so than usual, and in general, we’ve been photoshoot city. Our go-to snapper, Jason has really been excelling himself recently, moving from Hublot to JLC to Panerai seamlessly and flawlessly. I mean seriously, how nice is this caseback? We’ve also been having more fun with smartwatches. Previously I’ve dabbled with Apple, and Andrew’s been known to TAG it up, but recently we’ve been playing with Montblanc’s offering. Find out how it stacks up next week. What really mattered Ummmm, Georges Kern? I swear absolutely no one (especially and importantly Richemont senior management) saw that one coming. And Breitling? Double wow. Let’s just say that Breitling’s 2018 collection just got a whole lot more interesting. The week in…
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Editor’s Note: Sometimes it’s the first line of a story that grabs you, but in this case, it was the last. The very last sentence in fact. Adam Craniotes, co-founder of RedBar Group and longtime friend of Time+Tide (go on a virtual tour of NYC with the big man here, just don’t drive home afterwards, that Bloody Mary looks bloody strong) recently penned a review of the Patek Philippe: The Art of Watches Grand Exhibition and it concludes with these words: All in all, it’s hard to overstate just how incredible – and important – this exhibition is. At a time when the industry is reeling from a worldwide economic downturn, buyer reluctance in the face of years of out of control price hikes, and indifference from a new generation of consumers, the Art of Watches Grand Exhibition makes a compelling case for traditional watchmaking as a relevant exercise to novices and seasoned collectors alike. The occasional tremors of FOMO (fear of missing out, on horological majesty) that had afflicted all in the T+T office since the exhibition was announced swelled in my chest to full blown, full body envy. I had it bad. The exhibition was incredible, important. So, damn. How could we transport…
Today we catch up with the enigmatic Swiss penguin (hey, it’s what her profile says) with a love for complicated watches and a top notch feed. Meet @LindaZinha… NAME: Viviana – but please, call me Vivi OCCUPATION: Watch retail HANDLE: @LindaZinha FOLLOWERS: 3K LOCATION: Switzerland Tell me about yourself: I’m a twenty-something-year-old girl who is nuts about watches — and have been ever since I started my career, about 9 years ago. I speak 4 languages fluently and a 5th language (only under torture). I’m lucky enough to have two nationalities, and enjoy the perks of both, travelling lots and meeting new people. How do you unwind? I hardly ever have time to unwind for real. I work from 9am until 7.45pm, which includes a two-hour commute, so I do lots of reading! Otherwise, I enjoy going to the gym or dancing. A good movie is also something that can put my mind off a long day, and when my brain is too tired to read. Lately, I have been reading a lot of management books. What’s your daily watch and why? My weekday watch is a Montblanc Dual Counter. I really enjoy wearing it because it’s not a girly…
Chronographs are amongst the most popular complications with collectors. Perhaps because people use them for important timing events in their daily lives or – more likely – they speak to the spirit of adventure and action that’s hard to resist. Whatever the reason, here are six that have stood the test of time. Omega Speedmaster Professional Any list of classic chronographs has to include the mighty Speedy. Sure, it might not be the most original option, but it’s been to the moon, people… the MOON. $6375 on steel TAG Heuer Autavia One of TAG Heuer’s mightiest chronos is the Autavia, which is back in fine form for 2017. If your taste in automobiles tends to preclude features like park assist and ABS, this could be for you. $6800 on steel Breitling Navitimer Rattrapante The Navi has been around since forever (or early 50s at least), but we haven’t seen a split-seconds version before. Turns out it was worth the wait. $14,900 Vacheron Constantin Overseas Chronograph Last year Vacheron Constantin revamped their sporty Overseas, giving the sharp and sporty collection a well-deserved upgrade. That famous bracelet is now even better than ever. $43,200 Rolex Cosmograph Daytona There’s not much to say about the new…
In a short statement published on their website, Richemont has announced that Georges Kern has resigned, effective immediately. Kern, long time CEO of IWC was promoted to the prominent position of ‘Head of Watchmaking, Marketing and Digital’ for the entire Richemont group just four months ago. He has been seen by many as one of the leading figures in bringing luxury watchmaking into the digital age. Richemont chairman, Johann Rupert made a statement on the surprise (if not shocking) departure: “Georges has been offered an interesting opportunity to become an entrepreneur. He has had a very successful career at IWC Schaffhausen and we wish him well.” We’ll update you as this story unfolds.
There is a band of world and business leaders who choose discreet watches over luxury pieces with value tantamount to a home deposit, recoiling at the thought of wearing a watch fashioned in their namesake or brandished as a status symbol. It would be a foolish misstep, however, to underestimate these style sleeper cells; men of influence, they resolutely reign in their domains. Steve Jobs – the late Co-Founder, Chairman and CEO of Apple Inc. Net worth: At the time of his death in 2011, Jobs’ net worth was estimated at US$10.2b Watch: Seiko BCRP St. Steel Back / 33mm / Ref. 6431-6030, c1982 Price: US$180 Jobs’ supremely classic Seiko was sold in 2016 for US$42,500 by US-based auction house, Heritage Auctions, who was consigned the watch by Jobs’ longtime house manager, Mark Sheff. Like his unerring appearances in a black turtleneck and blue jeans, and the barebones of his Californian digs, the watch is a lesson in simplicity, with its white face, black Arabic numerals, black metal bezel, and black leather band with plain pin buckle. By the state of the back of the band, it looks like Jobs wore the watch until it was on its last lap.…
It’s a Wind Down for one this week, as I’m currently alone in the office engaging in some fairly serious desk dancing to this sprawlingly awesome mix. But it’s not all fun and games because watches are a Very Serious Business. Just ask the Swiss. Or the Germans or Japanese for that matter. So, have a drink, but make sure it’s a serious one — more Manhattan, less Melbourne Bitter. What happened? Omega announced their latest Bond limited edition, the Commander’s Watch. It’s hard to tell, but the summery feel of this Seamster caused more askance eyebrow-raising than most Omega LEs. Richard Mille announced Margot Robbie as their latest brand ambassador. That is all. What really mattered? Patek wrote a letter to their dealers, telling them to stop letting watches out of their stores in original packaging. That means the brown outer boxes and the sealed plastic bag. Why? Tackling the grey market of course. Will dealers comply? Will it change anything? The lineup for Only Watch 2017 was unveiled and while we’re busy drooling over the Journe, speculating on the Patek, and nodding appreciatively at the WOSTEP watch, I think it’s interesting that wunderkind-auctioneer Aurel Bacs has lost out to…
When I first saw the new gold Daytonas at Basel, I didn’t quite know what to make of them. After the phenomenal success of last year’s new steel and Cerachrom Daytona, further extension of the line seemed inevitable, and precious metals the logical step. But I did not expect – and was somewhat confused by – the choice to pair these yellow, white and Everose gold Daytonas with an Oysterflex bracelet. Add to this the fact that I was feeling some pretty intense feelings about the new Sea-Dweller and Sky-Dweller, and it’s fair to say that I didn’t give these new models the attention they deserved. Well, that changed last week when I got to spend time with some new pieces here at home, and while the shine hadn’t worn off the two ’Dwellers, I found myself coming back, again and again, to the yellow gold Daytona. It’s a decidedly modern take on the powerhouse chronograph, with its high-contrast black and gold colour scheme and blend of materials including ceramic, gold and rubber. While the upgrade to Cerachrom is significant, that’s something we’re all pretty familiar with now; instead it’s the Oysterflex that radically changes what this watch is, and…
Brandon’s one of the big personalities of the Instagram watch fam, with a revolving collection and crisp photography. He’s one of the guys behind Head2HeadCopycat and calls Texas home. Hook ’em horns! NAME: Brandon Zabodyn OCCUPATION: Commercial Banker HANDLE: @bzabodyn214 FOLLOWERS: 33k LOCATION: Texas, USA Tell us about yourself. I’m Texas born and raised. I’m married to my high school sweetheart, Jenna, and have two kids, Dayton and Mallory, who pop up on the feed every now and then. We both graduated from the University of Texas and love our Longhorns. I’ve been in banking for around 14 years but recently took a brief break to help the family business (scrap metal recycling) during an expansion. I’ve always had a love for watches, going back to my days as a teenager, when I’d see the “successful” guys around town with gold Presidents and Submariners and such. In small-town Texas, there’s Rolex (you know, the only watch that doesn’t “tick”), then there’s everything else. When I was 16 I saved up for my first G-Shock, and then it was stolen several months later. As funny as it is, that actually sparked it for me. The first “real” watch I bought myself (after I got my first bonus at my…
Money can’t buy experiences are so-called for a reason. They’re more about connections than cash. But Longines is offering three people an impossibly rare watch along with the chance to be treated (and to travel) like royalty when they receive it at an event somewhere in the world from none other than Kate Winslet, whose foundation to help autistic children will receive all of the proceeds. Not a portion, the entire amount. The three winners will even get to take a friend or partner. In addition to this trip, the winner +1 will also be gifted another international trip to an event of their choosing. Let’s be real. This is a feel-good story of Titanic proportions that the two of you will dine out on for the rest of your life. So let’s get to it. Here’s what you need to know: Five 18k gold Flagship Heritage Limited edition watches have been designed and created in collaboration with Kate Winslet. One is owned by Kate, one has been set aside for the Longines museum and three are being auctioned online right now with all proceeds going to Kate’s Golden Hat Foundation. The bidding starts at $25k. Considering that business class flights alone…