VIDEO: The Street Fighter x Seiko Ryu edition hits you like a judo chop to the throat (in a good way)
If you’re a regular reader of Time+Tide, you’ll know we’re big fans of the Seiko 5 Sports x Street Fighter V Editions. We first took a look at the full collection, before zeroing in on the Blanka green machine and the Ken red rocket models, and now we’re going to take a closer look at the Ryu edition. It’s an interesting watch, not just because of its Street Fighter connection, but because it’s probably the most wearable/least bonkers watch in the entire collection. When you strap the Seiko 5 Sports SRPF19K Ryu to your wrist, you’re getting a more subtle nod to the fight game franchise and that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Consistent with the rest of the collection, the case measures a tidy 42.5mm in diameter and offers the same 100m of water resistance and houses the automatic 4R36 movement within. But the stark white of the textured dial, that matches the white fabric strap, creates the perfect textile canvas for the bold black and red “Coke” bezel. The white of the dial and strap are said to be inspired by Ryu’s Judo uniform and works a treat as an “if you know, you know” reference to his…
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Every year, the Time+Tide team publishes NOW, our annual print extravaganza. As it says on the cover, essentially it’s a watch buying guide that rounds up the year’s most notable releases into a greatest hits compilation of about 200 watches. But in amongst the usual suspects from the likes of Rolex, Omega and co are some genuine horological oddities. Here are some of weirdest watches – the strangest, most delightful creations we have been lucky enough to come across. Ranging from a Swatch to a million-dollar watch with one of the longest names in the magazine, prepare to be wowed. Hermes Arceau Pocket AAAAARGH! Have you always hankered after a pocket watch with a cover decorated with a Tyrannosaurus Rex made from hand-cut leather fragments? If so, you’re in luck! Yes, this fearsome visage, in fact, conceals horological craftsmanship of the highest possible order. Inside the white gold case, the enamel dial beats to the rhythm of a minute repeater and a tourbillon movement. And rest assured that despite the T-Rex motif, this isn’t a watch with short hands. Price $490,000 AUD Jacob & Co. Twin Turbo Furious La Montre Noire Bugatti Some watches are made by their stories created…
Whether it’s a bespoke luxury piece, a tough tool watch or even a daily diver, stainless steel is still watchmaking’s primary material of choice. Yet while 316L grade steel is increasingly used by a number of brands, there are, in fact, better, smoother and harder alternatives for watchmaking. Is there such a thing a precious steel? Well, in German, the name for stainless steel is “edelstahl”, effectively a portmanteau of “edel” which means “noble” and “stahl” which means “steel”, suggesting that some people certainly recognise the benefits of the hard-wearing material. But which is the best form of steel to use for making watches? Let the metallurgy commence! 316L This is your normal grade stainless-steel that’s used by everyone from $300 microbrands to top Swiss manufacturers. In short, it’s become the industry standard and an alloy widely used in the food and medical industries. If there is one brand that can unlock the full magic of 316L without having to resort to alchemy, it is Grand Seiko. The brand’s mastery of the Zaratsu technique uses a machine to achieve a uniform polish that is mind-bogglingly smooth, no matter how many watches we see with a GS logo at 12.…
Sometimes you get a horological itch that you just have to scratch. My latest is focused on the verdant charm of a green Rolex. But I’ll need one of Luke’s “The Enabler” excuses first. I’m currently running all manner of different scenarios through my mind, a veritable roulette wheel of justifications, trying to find the right one to make this purchase remotely acceptable to my better half. Please help with suggestions! But that’s just stage one, the second challenge is actually tracking one down … I’ve had a good look in the drawer marked “green” at Bob’s Watches, and lo and behold if I didn’t find the “Hulk”. I do love green, and while seriously practising my strategy to make this a late Christmas present for myself, there are plenty of good reasons to have a closer look at this bright 116610V 40mm Submariner. While I have nothing but respect for the all black iconic Submariner and its monochromatic tool sensibilities, I am a sucker for apple green, and this would easily be my jade-coloured drug of choice. This year, with the advent of the revised but still classic Sub, the green-dialled Hulk disappeared, with a new more reserved green…
When you’re a 25-year-old footballer earning upwards of £100,000 a week, a standard luxury watch can feel a little pedestrian. As Esquire UK’s Finlay Renwick writes in this illuminating story into the lifestyles of football’s elite: “For the best and boldest in Europe, your run of the mill Big Bang, Nautilus or Submariner just won’t cut the Colman’s. They’re after something a little more unique.” The man they go to in such circumstances is Matthew J. Jones, the man behind MJJ Exclusive. As the CEO and creative director, the 30-something’s day-job involves kitting out playboys, Saudi royals and footballers with watches and jewellery custom-made to their personal specifications. Suffice to say, this isn’t an area where the “less is more” mentality tends to hold sway as this gold, diamond and sapphire Rolex Datejust made for Liverpool midfielder Naby Keïta suggests. “I’d say 95 per cent of our business is to order,” Jones tells Esquire. “A player will come to us and we can create pretty much anything they desire. We’re actually working on a world first at the moment, a watch that is made completely out of sapphires.” Jones’ client list includes some of the best players on the…
BOLDR is a well-established microbrand with a strong following, which we covered earlier this year in a story on their tough, keenly priced Venture titanium field watch. We suspect there might be something new coming in January (hint!) but, for the moment, let’s take a look at the rugged BOLDR Odyssey Freediver that’s recently been released in five fresh versions. The Freediver is a cool diver’s watch at a perfectly sized 40mm with a 14mm thickness and BOLDR’s first custom 316L steel bracelet. Even from the dark stealthy teaser shots, the watch’s tough, angular shape immediately strikes you, with the strong dynamic of the downturned lugs with their intricate side bevel catching the eye. For a small brand like BOLDR, the quality of the case work and distinctive design suggests this diver will punch hard above its price point. To accentuate the angular, bead blasted case design, the lugs and crown guards have polished bevels that’ll give you a flash of reflection in the light for a signature BOLDR move. The large screw-in crown has an engraved logo, and a groove cut into the side, echoing the design of the technical diver’s bezel. All the Freedivers come on a bead-blasted…