Get ready for Dustin Martin to appear on a billboard near you, draped in luxury watches…
Editor’s pick: The Norm Smith Medal is awarded to the best player in an Australian Rules Football Grand Final. If you win one, you’re all but guaranteed sports legend status for life. If you win two, you’re one of the game’s all-time greats. It’s unlikely you’ll ever have to buy yourself a beer in a bar again. If you win three, you’re a man called Dustin Martin. ‘Dusty’ was the difference in the Tigers win over the Cats on Saturday night, and we’re imagining there’s been plenty of talk over at Kennedy, an Australian jeweller and watch retailer, where he was the face of a campaign in 2020. We won’t be surprised when he once again graces city billboards and ad-banners draped in more Panerai and IWC. Congratulations to Dustin and the Tiges on an epic win. Now, let’s read again about how Kennedy working with sporting ambassadors, as opposed to models, is a good thing. Luxury brands invariably dangle a world of mahogany-panelled exclusivity. Viewed through the prism of their marketing, life is presented as a stately whirl of weekend polo, yachts and vintage convertibles. Access is restricted by a velvet rope and the relative depth of your wallet. But…
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Editor’s note: There’s always been a healthy competitiveness between Time+Tide and Watchonista. This was evident when we recently did an Instagram live session that quickly degenerated into a State Of The Collection showdown between Andrew, Josh, and his wife Viviana. Now, they’ve gone and upped the ante by sponsoring a NASCAR team. So, if there are any obscure sports out there that have prominent branding opportunities, we’d like to hear from you. The Nordland Wife-Carrying Association? The Shropshire Bog-Snorkelling League? No sport will be excluded from our consideration. Please note: Payment in T-shirts, magazines and watch straps. Game on, Watchonista … Both the founding Watchonista team in Switzerland, as well as the budding team based in NYC, have a fondness for racing and motorsports. When the opportunity presented itself to get involved with NASCAR, Watchonista saw a green light to mix profession and passion – driving awareness to the brand and opportunities that racing partnerships can potentially bring to the world of watches. Having formerly partnered with sports and endurance cars with Rebellion Racing, Lamborghini Super Trofeo, and Tour Auto, this is not Watchonista’s first foray into the world of racing. In fact, they have also provided coverage on the motorsports…
It feels like a lifetime ago that I was heading home from the DOXA Australia Launch Event to pack my bags for Dubai Watch Week 2019. Since then, the global pandemic put a stop to any in-person watch events (with the exception of the LVMH Watch Week and more recently at a socially distanced Geneva Watch Days), which included the demise of the longest-running watch event in the world – Baselworld. But the youth of Dubai Watch Week gives it an advantage against the traditional trade show. Flexibility. And this year the organisers of Dubai Watch Week are demonstrating their dynamism with the Horology Forum 2020 to be held virtually. The Horology Forum 2020 began last night in earnest, with a panel debating the nature of the grey market. RedBar founder Adam Craniotes said in the session, which can be viewed at the link below, that “the grey market is a creation of the brands, and they need to address it, instead of kicking the can down the road.” The final session is to be held on November 9. Last year’s speakers included Jean-Claude Biver, Mohammed Abdulmagied Seddiqi, Aldis Hodge, Fabrizio Buonamassa Stigliani and even @shameonwrist, and this year the line-up…
Editor’s note: If you missed the first part of this series, make sure you check out eleven of our favourite chronographs of 2020 under $10K right here. In this part we are looking at the other side of the coin – the best chronographs of 2020 that ring the till at $10K and over. Here we go. Audemars Piguet [Re]master01 Selfwinding Chronograph This was one of the 2020 high points for AP, engaging Andrew in our big feature here, and myself as soon as we saw the press photos. It sparked much discussion on the mighty internet; to me it is a delectable vision of the colourful past made future proof. If you are an ascetic minimalist, look away now, as the aesthetic mixes colour and materiality unlike any other reference in their catalogue, with the high-tech heart of the renowned movement from the CODE 11.59. The shape is delightfully round, with an unfeasibly smooth transition from pink gold bezel to case side, with oblong pushers and vintage-styled crown as proportionate as they are delightful. The functionality is as strong as the gold dial is vibrant, with blued hands and teardrop lugs completing a pure vintage composition of delightful contrasts…
One of the key pillars of a well-made watch is legibility. Consumers are always critical of how a dial is laid out and how strong and visible the luminescent material becomes once it’s in a darker setting. The Bulgari x The Rake x Revolution “White Light” Octo Finissimo Chronograph GMT brightens up 2020 with its fully lumed dial. This watch is seriously lit. The case The Octo Finissimo Chronograph GMT is the world’s slimmest self-winding watch with a chronograph and GMT function, with a 42mm extra-thin titanium case that is only 6.90mm thick. The case maintains the baroque faceted profile, but differs from the production version through the inclusion of a tachymeter scale etched into the bezel of the watch – which only increases the level of utility and functionality on an already complex watch. The titanium push-down crown is set with a ceramic element, and the watch has a depth rating of 30 metres. The dial The dial shares the same layout as the production model, but is taken to new heights with its “White Light” makeover. Like an F.P. Journe Élégante, the dial is entirely made of a luminescent material that creates a positive display, in favour of…
Earlier in the week we uncovered a group of celebrities whose daily weapon of choice is not just a modded Rolex, but a modded Milgauss. And not just modded, fully blacked-out, including the bracelet. In our research for that story, with a little help from Nick Gould, we discovered this example – David Beckham wearing a murdered-out Rolex Sea-Dweller. Never forget that Becks is a proper watch addict. Tudor ambassador he may be, but connoisseur of many other models he remains! Also including some pretty unusual Tudor references, one of which is included below for good measure. David Beckham – Rolex Sea-Dweller David Beckham is widely known as a Tudor ambassador – and is frequently spotted wearing variations of the Black Bay lineup. That being said, the soccer legend has been known to wear other luxury watch brands as well – including a custom blacked-out Rolex Sea-Dweller. The black DLC or PVD treatment really mutes down the flashy nature of the watch, deadening and making non-reflective its high-polished surfaces. Rolex is known for making watches that can be immediately recognised from afar. The stealth factor, inherent in all black designs, makes the watch much more under the radar – pairing…
There’s no doubt that 2020 has been a strong year for chronograph releases. From vintage reissues to thoroughly modern expressions of the wrist-worn stopwatch, the range of offerings has been diverse and exciting. Let’s take a look at 11 of the best chronographs of 2020 under $10K. TAG Heuer Carrera 160th Silver True to its pure ’60s inspiration, the TAG Heuer Carrera 160th Silver is sharp enough to straddle three categories, and still come up trumps. As a pitch-perfect vintage chronograph it retains the original inspiration, as viewed through a non-reflective Leica lens in perfect filtered daylight. The functionality and legibility is superb through one of the purest silver sunray dials out there, with razor-sharp print and clean-cut black hands. With its versatile 39mm size and slender case it sits as well with an Italian suit as a pure dress watch and, with its versatile clean-cut style, would make a perfect one-watch collection. Should you want more pizzazz and colours in the same case, read on. Price: $9350AU. Montblanc Heritage Monopusher Chronograph salmon dial Another great introduction to 1940s and ’50s vintage style is the delicious salmon-coloured dial of the Monopusher Chronograph introduced this year by Montblanc. While this is…
We recently reported on Jean-Claude Biver’s view of the pandemic, after he sat down on a Zoom call with our European Editor Mike. The larger piece of work there was this extraordinary historical document, celebrating a wild 24 years with Hublot. But this digression, where Biver assesses the damage done to the industry by COVID-19 is worth sharing. Four watches from Jean-Claude Biver’s personal collection Jean-Claude Biver is quoted so often on all matters relating to the luxury watch industry because he is nothing short of a horological superhero. The legendary watch entrepreneur brought Blancpain back to life, resuscitated Omega and turned Hublot into a super-brand for which LVMH paid almost half a billion dollars. As a result, he’s assembled a private watch collection that would do King Midas proud. Auction house Phillips understands the appeal, which is why they’ve launched a touring exhibition of Biver’s personal timepieces. After stints in Hong Kong and New York, the collection has now pitched up in London until the end of the month (details here). Here are four highlights from it. Patek Philippe Perpetual Calendar Chronograph Reference 1518 “There are some pieces I bought for the history and then there are some pieces…
The Bulgari Octo Finissimo has seen the update it was waiting for this year, with the announcement in January that it was going to be produced in steel. The months since that announcement have felt both very slow and very fast at the same time, and some may have missed that the Bulgari Octo Finissimo satin-polished steel is now available in both black and blue dial colours, giving fans of the brand the option of dialling up the dress or sport factor. Recently, Time+Tide was fortunate enough to spend some time with the blue dial reference at Geneva Watch Days, where we took the time to soak up what may well be the best new sports watch of 2020, with the heavily faceted case engineered to be water resistant to 100m. The blue dial is certainly the most viable option as a daily wear within the Octo Finissimo range, with the black dial perhaps a more suitable evening companion. Bulgari Octo Finissimo satin-polished steel with blue dial price and availability: The Bulgari Octo Finissimo satin-polished steel with blue dial is $17,800AU and is available from both Bulgari boutiques and authorised dealers across the country. Made in partnership with Bulgari. However,…
Jeff Jenkins is the author of the last article published on Time+Tide, about a scandal engulfing Australia Post. It is his first-ever story on Time+Tide. In a nutshell, the CEO of Australia Post Christine Holgate gifted four Cartier watches to her staff, each worth around $3000. You can read more below. The point isn’t the story, what seems on face value to be yet another 2020 example of dodgy corporate behaviour. The point is the name of the author. You’ll know Jeff Jenkins if you’re one of two things. A music nut: for he has written multiple biographies of famous music personalities, including Molly Meldrum. (And a book we wrote together in our past lives, with a friend Barry about the Australian guitar-maker Maton – one for the guitar geeks in the crowd.) He also co-hosted a cult Community TV show Chartbusting ’80s, which he’d probably prefer we didn’t link to. Either that, or the name rings a bell because you’re a writer for Time+Tide. Because Jeff is the person you send your copy to. Jeff is our proofreader. Jeff scrutinises every single story that goes up on the site. One glaring exception is this one, because I want to surprise…