MICRO MONDAYS: The Zero West TT-58 gets revved up with Aston Martin’s panache
We recently covered up-and-coming British manufacturer Zero West, and their Spitfire S4-P9427 aviation watch. But pilot’s watches are not the only horological ace up their sleeve, they also encapsulate great moments in British history on land and sea. Across all three lines, one common theme they share are distinctive cases and aesthetics that can only be construed as Zero West. Founders Andrew Brabyn (designer) and Graham Collins (ex-black ops military engineer) truly work to make creations that stand out from the norm and rework heritage inspirations in fresh forms. Today, let’s dig in to one of their British automotive-inspired timepieces, the Zero West TT-58. The backstory The Zero West TT-58 was inspired by the sixth and final round of the Royal Automobile Club Tourist Trophy held in West Sussex. Renowned as the world’s oldest continuous motor race, the event drew competitors from all over the globe. The drivers behind the Aston Martin cars, Stirling Moss and Tony Brooks, were dominant from the start and soon established a sizeable lead over their fellow racers. According to Zero West, “The race was frantic and saw some accidents and mechanical failures. Multiple pit stops ensued but the David Brown Aston Martins finished 1-2-3,…
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As we’ve recently established, in Matt’s story here, we are no stranger to the discussion around Rolex scarcity. Trust me, as regular watch buyers, we totally get it. I am personally disappointed and dismayed each day I don’t hear back from the authorised dealers in New York City and beyond that I visited to express interest in the Oyster Perpetual 36 model upon its release this year. Sadly, these Perpetual watches perpetually frustrate customers who can’t seem to get ahead in the enigma that is the Rolex waitlist. But you don’t have to suffer in silence. Here are five Rolex models available just over and just under retail pricing via Bob’s Watches – which enjoys a reputation as a trusted vendor of pre-owned Rolex worldwide. Each of the photos below are actual shots of real inventory available now at Bob’s Watches Rolex Explorer 214270 The Rolex Explorer is an extremely versatile timepiece that will go with any wardrobe and can be utilised in any daily or formal situation. This modern Explorer 214270 is 39mm in diameter, with its case and bracelet made of Rolex’s coveted 904L steel that wears akin to a precious metal on the wrist. One hundred metres…
There’s a famous Bond scene in Octopussy where Roger Moore’s 007, clad in his customary white tuxedo, sits down to play a spot of high-stakes backgammon. His adversary – the malevolent Kamal Khan – is surreptitiously cheating, using a set of loaded dice. Unfazed, Bond accepts Khan’s 200,000 rupee wager and, using a Fabergé egg as collateral, promptly switches the dice to throw a perfect double six. Moore shrugs off his triumph with his usual expression of wry bemusement. “It’s all in the wrist,” he insists. It’s a throwaway line, but it turns out that the wrist is indeed regarded with inordinate significance in certain quarters. Some people believe that it really is “all in the wrist”, with the complex joint that bridges the hand to the forearm credited with determining everything from your sex life (or lack thereof) to your gym gains and choice of wristwear. More specifically, it’s the precise size of your wrist that counts. Does your wrist size dictate your choice of watch? Let’s start with the most relevant category for Time+Tide readers. Assuming you want your watch to complement your appearance, rather than become a Flavor Flav-style accessory, then case size and proportion matter. You…
Editor’s note: A few months back, we announced that former Editor of GQ Australia, Mike Christensen, was to be our first European Editor. In this series, ‘11 Days of Londoners’, Mike will be sharing the stories of a few notable local collectors, starting on Day 1 with King Nerd, and with a stellar lineup still to come. Lastly, you might ask, why 11 days? That, friends, will become clearer over time … Over the past few years, man about town, Mr James Yates, has made a name for himself in the health space, specifically as a mental health advocate working closely with the likes of Mr Porter. He also happens to know a thing or two about horology, so we caught up to chat all things watches in his life right now. The watch I’m wearing today is a … Tudor Black Bay Fifty-Eight, based on a vintage Tudor from 1958. I like the vintage look of it, where they have used a softer colour on the dials. I also prefer the 39mm case as it’s a little smaller than most modern watches and sits better on my wrist. It was recommended to me by my close friend Max Newlan, who deals…
Last week, Phillips held their latest watch auction in Hong Kong: the Phillips Hong Kong Watch Auction XI. As per usual, there were some very neat, rare, and illustrious lots that collectors would salivate over – eager to add such fine timepieces to their collections. While the globe may have taken a beating this year from the pandemic, it is clear that top-tier collectors and buyers are still eager to acquire fine watches for top-dollar hammer prices. This auction, however, had an unexpected assembly of new watches. Each of the new colours within the 2020 Stella-inspired Rolex Oyster Perpetual 36 models were up for grabs – a fact that has invoked the ire of many on our, and Rolex’s, social media platforms. It is rather sad that consumers, myself included, can’t find one of these watches at retail and yet all of them were together in one auction for purchase. This inaccessibility has been the elephant in the room of the watch industry for a couple of years, but never like what we’ve seen in 2020, and we had to cover it in more detail in the 2020 edition of NOW Magazine (you can buy it and read the 3000…
I got to wear this icon-inspired Bremont Hawking in white gold for a brief moment in time, which is particularly apt given its association with Stephen Hawking. Here’s my ten pennies’ worth on the watch. Truth be told, I am desperate for this watch not to disappoint because Hawking is a hero of mine I’d like nothing to ever taint. I went through similar emotions when Omega-loving Eddie Redmayne portrayed Hawking in the British physician’s very own Hollywood blockbuster. Fortunately, Redmayne came through with the goods and won an Oscar. It made me happy that someone of Hawking’s great scientific importance and intellect had been further eulogised and made culturally more relevant because of it. So, no pressure, Bremont — as long as this watch wins some awards at next year’s Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève, we’ll be sweet. Jokes aside, the thing about collaborations, partnerships, pairings – however you want to describe them – they need to feel authentic by possessing actual meaning and synergy. With a luxury market now rife with brands and personalities looking to make a quick buck or million, a successful one requires a solid backbone for any hype garnered to be able to subsequently…
If you aren’t across Seiko modding, that’s fair enough. While popular in some circles of the watch community, it certainly isn’t a mainstream practice, despite the level of fervour of its disciples. Earlier in the year we took a look at a few pretty interesting mods that had been made, including with painted dials, ceramic bezels, skeletonised handsets and more. But there is a common theme in a lot of Seiko mods – they’ve been changed to look like certain stainless steel sports watches. While it’s a budget approach to avoiding a waitlist, we wanted to shine the spotlight on a few of the more inspired mods, that open the sports watch rule book only to set it on fire. Here are a few creative Seiko mods that caught our eye recently from @seikomods. Supernova The polished ceramic bezel is the perfect frame for this red-hot dial. It has been hand painted with a gradient of colour that begins with bright yellow in the centre of the dial and transitions to fire-poker red around the minute track. The other details I like are the black and red hands with high-contrast white lume filling all three of them. Underwater adventures The…
Editor’s note: ‘11 Days of Londoners’ continues with a UK-based microbrand you likely know and love, none other than Farer Watches co-founder Stu Finlayson. The past 10 years has seen a host of brilliant British brands pop up and Farer is certainly one of the most exciting. The spirit of adventure and exploring is at the heart of its ethos, thanks to co-founders Stu Finlayson, Ben Lewin, Jono Holt and Paul Sweetenham. Finlayson talks us through his Farer journey and a quest for Farer watches to seek ambition beyond the ordinary. The story behind the watch I am wearing today The Farer Maze is from our recently released GMT Bezel collection. I love this watch because of the white tile-effect dial, which is reminiscent of a swimming pool. I’ve just put it on our Oyster-style bracelet, which has made it feel like a new watch. It’s named after Maze Hill – one of the three roads that surround the Royal Observatory at Greenwich in London, the home of GMT. Other watches I have in my collection I have a few vintage watches, mainly from the ’60s, but nothing particularly expensive. A tropical dial 1960s Angelus chronograph Cal. 215, a super…
Editor’s note: Everything at Time+Tide is filtered through the primary red and blue of the UK flag this week, as we properly break a bottle on the ship’s bow to herald our new London-based European Editor, Mr Mike Christensen. So it seems only fair that we shift the Friday Wind Down to Mike’s time zone for once. You will have noticed the ‘11 Days of Londoners’ series that aims to introduce Mike, and some prominent Londoners, to you via their wristwear. We’ve also timed the most epic week of 2020 with the London Evening Wind Down – with Issue #3 of NOW Magazine just dropped (eeeee!), the 2021 Club Strap now available, AND a big old English clue about what is to come next week. I’ll hand the reins back to Nick now, to talk about everything else that’s been going on. Have great weekends, all. Go make some memories – Andrew One of the most, if not the most, enjoyable things about working at Time+Tide is meeting the passionate watch enthusiasts who read our site every day. And there are lots of them. I might be speaking to the friends of some friends at a bar and the topic of work…