INTRODUCING: New Monaco, who dis? A black dial, a steel bracelet, and we’re looking at an icon with fresh eyes
The Monaco celebrated its 50th birthday last year, so you’d think, given the slew of new and limited releases, that it might be given a break in 2020. But somehow, TAG Heuer have saved the best for the square classic’s 51st in the form of a sexy black dial, and a steel bracelet. What a profound difference this one/two punch makes to the mood, and the experience of the watch. The case TAG hasn’t gone about reinventing the wheel for this new iteration of the angular icon– its stainless steel case remains identical to the one we first saw last year with the then new Monaco Heuer 02. That means the dimensions still measure in at 39mm x 39mm and a bulky >16mm thick. It’s a handsome-looking case, featuring a familiar, yet no less enticing, blend of polished and brushed sections that neatly blur the lines between flashiness and dynamism. The knurled, largish crown has the right proportions to match the rest of the case, and the chrono pushers that sit above and below the crown also blend seamlessly with the prevailing aesthetic – you can tell this is a design that has stood the test of time. The dial…
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Despite being one of the most well-known and regarded watchmakers in Switzerland, Hublot is a relatively young brand when compared to its 18th and 19th century peers. Hublot was founded in 1980, a mere four decades ago. In celebration of this milestone, the brand is marking its 40th birthday with the all-new Hublot Classic Fusion 40 Years Anniversary collection, which pays appropriate tribute to the first watch to ever have Hublot on a dial. The Hublot Classic Fusion 40 Years Anniversary collection comprises three limited edition references, with 100 available in yellow gold, 200 in titanium and another 200 in black ceramic. Compared to the micro-mechanical marvels that Hublot are well known for producing in 2020, this collection is reserved, expressing a distillation of the core Hublot aesthetic that was established by founder Carlo Crocco. The crucial aspects of this aesthetic include the precious metal watch on a rubber strap (a world first in 1980), as well as the exposed case and bezel screws that are still present in many Hublot designs today. Hublot Classic Fusion 40 Years Anniversary collection price and availability: The Hublot Classic Fusion 40 Years Anniversary in yellow gold is AUD$35,100 and limited to 100 pieces.…
Divers, the tough tool watches that become our best buddies on adventures, strapped on with a wetsuit as backup to a dive computer. All this sounds wonderful, though for those of you in lockdown they have an even more important task, which is to remind us of what will come, as well as adventures spent; keeping our spirits up. The Albany Watches AMA Diver is launching this week on Kickstarter, with the Albany name paying tribute to the WA city where the founder’s father grew up. This is a classic ’60s skindiver with an inspiration as beautiful as it is ancient. For more than 2000 years the Japanese female Ama pearl divers have kept their tradition alive, freediving off the coast. The numbers may be dwindling, but the oldest freediving Ama women are the toughest septuagenarians in the world, and an intrinsic part of Japanese history. The case is a simple, perfectly sized 40mm classic skindiver, with the all-important lug to lug being an ergonomic 48mm, depth tested during production and after assembly. The legible dial is classic diver chic, with the tempting choice of mother-of-pearl, blue or black, and the pleasant pop of a teal accent. This frames the…
After the success of the previous Swatch x 007 collaboration, another tough and colourful watch is back, now exclusively in time for the release of No Time To Die. In his infinite wisdom, Q has tinkered away in his basement and come up with the Swatch x 007 ²Q. Here we have a brash and colourful openworked sports watch in the SKIN Irony series, with a tough steel body, intensely Swatch, with a few tricks up its sleeve. In a world turned upside down, for 2020 Swatch and Q has done the same to the Swatch x 007 ²Q, with spectacular results, as the sporty vibe is just as cool in reverse, with added intricacy. The openworked calibre of the Swatch x 007 ²Q takes centre stage, framed by a wide silver sunray chapter ring, blue indices and lumed hands, cool characters to the brash red villainous colour of the rehaut, a bold move by the designer, Bond’s costume designer Suttirat Anne Larlarb. A superb mix of a sporty tool vibe with the smooth elegance of the lugless steel Irony case that works damn well. The inside-out vibe is underlined by the calm tartan print on the smooth brown leather…
If you’ve got $1mUSD to build a watch collection in 2020, you’re used to the finer things in life. But what would you do if you could only select watches that were released this year? This is the question that has been put to the T+T Team, and in this article the team will show how they would build a $1m 2020 watch collection. Here goes. Andrew McUtchen’s Picks Patek Philippe 5370P-011 What a difference a dial makes. Identical to the 2015 version, with a black grand feu enamel dial, this top pick is all about how a vital blue grand feu enamel dial brings a mid-Century era watch into the present, 70 years later. Purists prefer the black, but I find it thrilling how this simple change can give the whole watch a sense of relevance and modernity, especially at its pitch perfect case size of 41mm. Few movements on earth can compete with this split-seconds chronograph for beauty and complexity, proudly on display through the clear caseback. Price: USD $260,000 MB&F x H. Moser LM101 The head says the H. Moser x MB&F Endeavour Cylindrical Tourbillon, for the fact that it’s more novel and more of an even-handed…
Now, we all have an image of the Speedmaster Professional, the icon, the Tool of Tool watches, the Moon Watch. A beautiful 42mm piece of history, with its delicate white lumed baton hands pointing to a still timeless sixties minute track, and delicate slightly recessed sub chronograph registers on a plain, matt monochromatic dial. Twisted lyre lugs the stuff of a thousand replicas. But let’s be one hundred per cent honest with ourselves. This is not a watch per se, this is not an object to tell the time or make sure you catch the bus, but dreams made metal. Ironically, the Speedmaster Professional, arguably The Icon of tool watches, can be picked up from you local Omega dealer today, no waiting list, grey market madness or shady replicas, just pure history for the wrist with an easily scratched charming Hesalite crystal, enough to win NASA over. Instead this piece of steel represents all our collected dreams of another world, space exploration and of the toughest men on the planet, the mythical Astronauts that once set foot on the moon, their exploits abruptly replaced by soaring budgets propelling USA and the Soviet Union into the destructive spiral of Cold War.…
Like we said in the previous instalment, 2020 has been so bad that fantasy is often all we’ve had left. Fantasies of leaving our houses are still being had daily in Melbourne, and fantasies of new watches and sunny days are not far behind. So, to try to make something good of the bad, we’ve set ourselves a challenge as a team today, and that is to buy as many, or as few, watches as we’d like, up to the value of $10,000 USD. There’s only one rule. They had to be released in 2020. Here’s what happened. Coming soon, the MILLION DOLLAR VERSION. Andrew McUtchen’s Picks Glashütte Original Sixties Chronograph Glacier Blue I got pretty excited about these watches in the Virtual Baselworld Watch & Chill Episode, and that excitement hasn’t left me. We’re all, at the end of the day, dial people. And this one sends me wild. That utterly beguiling mix of sunburst and dégradé finishings, with the perfect symmetry of the Bi-Compax chrono dial, and the quixotic personality of the numeral font. It’s superb. RRP: $8300 (P.S. With the remaining $1300, I’m going to buy a bag of GO straps to go with this model –…
I can’t remember the last time we conducted a Fantasy Watch Collection poll at Time+Tide. But I’ve noticed something in 2020 amongst the team. With the majority of us locked down in Melbourne, Zoom meetings frequently degenerate into wistful commentaries on what we’re going to buy next. What’s where on the wish list. Fantasies aplenty. Would we buy this or that? This dreadful year has had us fleeing, as often as possible, to more positive thoughts. And, because we all love watches so much, they’ve played a very important part in being the silver-lining discussion topic. So, to try to harness this banter and distil it into content gold, we set a challenge. Three price points, unlimited choices, and a fictional wallet, stuffed with cash. To be transparent, there was no consultation between the team. That said — and in the interests of full disclosure — I chose my picks last and could snoop at the results. Andrew McUtchen’s Picks OK, I’m going with a more-is-more approach with my fantasy $5000 USD here. And I’ll tell you why. In a year as grim as 2020, I’ve needed daily dopamine hits. And there’s no dopamine hit quite like a #newwatchalert and all the…