INTRODUCING: The Rolex Submariner ref. 122610LV – the Ceramic "Kermit"
Green is known to be a special colour for Rolex. In recent eras, to buy a new Rolex sports watch that had any parts fabricated in this particular green you would have to secure a stainless steel Rolex Submariner “Hulk”, yellow gold Rolex GMT-Master II, or yellow gold Rolex Daytona. It is usually quite rare that the “Rolex Green” makes it on to one of their steel sports models, with the Rolex Submariner “Hulk” being one of the most sought-after watches in the world – many leaving their authorised dealers empty-handed with at best a false sense they will climb the waiting list quickly in time. Prior to the Rolex Submariner “Hulk”, the hot green watch was the Rolex Submariner “Kermit” 16610LV. Introduced to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Submariner model, Rolex shocked the world with its bright green aluminum bezel – a nod to their primary brand colour green, used on all of their boxes and paperwork. The Rolex Submariner “Kermit” was discontinued after seven years of production in 2010, ushering in the era of the “Hulk” Submariner (now discontinued). So why are we discussing the Kermit? Because it’s back – larger and tougher than ever. The new Rolex…
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Father’s Day – a 24-hour span when dads across the country are celebrated for their patriarchal guidance and then receive dreary presents like jocks, socks, gift vouchers and the best bottle of Penfolds that can be had for 20 bucks. Sounds awful, doesn’t it? And, for most men, that’s what it’s like. But, for the dad who happens to be a watch enthusiast, things can be different – you can actually buy your old man something he’ll like. Trouble is, just as every father is not the same, every horological aficionado differs, too. That’s why we’ve devised this handy list, and everything you see below can be bought right here, at the Time+Tide store. Rugged dad There’s a certain type of dad who likes to slide into those carpe diems with maximum gusto, to take it to the limit each and every day and get out amongst it. You know the ones – up at the a**crack of dawn and owns a 4WD jacked up with off-road tyres and covered with amusing and often offensive stickers. A barbecue-ruling, Bonds singlet-wearing jack-of-all-trades type, the kind of guy who would rather camp under the stars than stay in any six-star hotel. If…
Vintage field watches can be a minefield, full of mechanical issues, aftermarket parts, or just a victim of horrendous overvaluing on the likes of eBay. All of this seems to go against their original ethos, which was to be legible, reliable and able to take a beating in the outside world. Of course, as watches have become less and less practical, the aesthetics of these watches have become priorities, especially when it comes to homages or reissues. Mitch Mason’s inaugural Kickstarter for their Chronicle promises to change that, returning to a formula that aligns itself with those original tough-as-nails timepieces, all the while offering familiar yet fresh designs. There are four variations of the Chronicle, each giving their own unique character to the watch, as they’re not just a simple colour change. Two of the models have a sandwich dial construction, with a layer of sunken luminous paint beneath the dial, adding a depth to the quarterly numerals. Of these, the Steel Blue is the most visually stimulating. A denim-blue dial with vertical brushing allows the bright orange seconds hand to pop, almost evoking a ’70s racing chronograph. The Jet Black version is the most classically handsome model. With the…
Editor’s note: If you missed Part 1, make sure you check it out as it includes the likes of Moser, Chopard and Greubel Forsey. In the best dials of 2020 Part 2 we keep the eye-catching dials rolling, from affordable microbrands all the way to the most haute of horology. Enjoy! anOrdain Model 2 Time-consuming vitreous enamel with a high breakage quota, and a Scottish microbrand producing time-consuming small batches of 36mm watches. This quirky combination must have been a hard sales pitch to secure funding from the bank managers, but had they seen the end result, the arguments would be swiftly silenced. The deep lustre of the candy-coloured enamel dials of anOrdain has gained them a steady stream of followers, and it’s easy to see why their models sell out quicker than a hypothetical steel Sub in an AD’s window. Here is the purple fumé version of the Model 2 with its pebble-smooth 36mm case, a charmingly pointed crown guard of sorts, and that pretty face. Find a good macro shot or YouTube review and you’ll be spellbound by the surface depth perception; glass being the closest likeness to the vitreous enamel, also known as Grand Feu. It is a…
Let’s be honest, 2020 is not just a year of disastrous market decline, job losses and lockdowns. This year has also been one of rapid change and lateral thinking within the horological community. There have also been many heartening examples of the show going on, despite the uncertain backdrop. And with another stunning timepiece in the Bulgari Octo Finissimo Tourbillon Chronograph Skeleton Automatic, it’s proof again that there’s no stopping Jean-Christophe Babin and Bulgari, as we witness yet another record-breaking complication for the ultra-thin Octo Finissimo. What is a certainty is that the Finissimo line was launched only six years ago, but it has changed our perceptions of ultra-thin in every category, from aesthetics to functionality, and here is, dare I say, the pinnacle of the catalogue. The chronograph GMT was released in 2019, wowing even the Finissimo sceptics (all of three people) with its engaging design and functionality. This is no less than the blessed marriage of this and the Finissimo Tourbillon, in itself a masterpiece of delicate micro-engineering. The case measures 42mm by a still unbelievable 7.40mm thickness, and comes in the silken sandblasted case still representing horology on-point in 2020. The caliber BVLA388 has a 50-hour power…
We like to believe that we maintain basic control of our personal space. Within the limited orbit of our bodies, we think that we stand relatively secure as masters of our physical domain. As it turns out, this is a total delusion. The world’s most legendary “theatrical pickpocket” is Apollo Robbins (below), who possesses the dexterity of a supernatural ninja. The American entertainer is most famous for an encounter with former president Jimmy Carter’s Secret Service detail in which he successfully pilfered the agents’ pockets of everything from their security badges to Carter’s itinerary. Essentially, Robbins’ act involves removing objects from people’s jackets, trousers, fingers and necks before returning them while they’re still unaware of the theft. Robbins is so good he can take the spectacles off someone’s face without them noticing. Given this nimble-fingered expertise, making someone’s watch melt off their wrist into his pocket is almost embarrassingly pedestrian. Although, memorably, Robbins did once pinch the Patek Philippe from Ace Greenberg, former chairman of Bear Stearns investment bank. Robbins’ skill is so uncanny that psychiatrists, neuroscientists and the military have scrutinised his methods for what they reveal about the limitations of human attention. But while he’s widely recognised as…
Wow, so that was an experience I didn’t expect to have in 2020. A few days in Geneva, yes. But in August, with the sun out and zero time spent in Palexpo halls? Nonetheless, wherever there are new watch releases, Time+Tide is always on the ground. In no particular order, here are what I thought were five of the best watches at the Geneva Watch Days exhibition. Girard-Perregaux Laureato Infinity 42mm The new Laureato Infinity 42mm really floated my boat this week. GP’s Laureato sports watch is probably my favourite line out there, so I always get a buzz seeing a new iteration. And 2020, for all its other misgivings, didn’t disappoint. I like the Laureato for its no-nonsense dial and sleek hexagonal bezel, and to have it in black onyx with rose gold markings is a winning evolution. Not many luxury sports watches can be dressy but, once again, the Laureato has proved it can. Bulgari Aluminium Chronograph Few chronographs have taken my fancy this much of late, but it’s the combination of the playful spin on a late ’90s piece and the sexy rubber strap with aluminium links that’s done it for me. At a significantly lower price point…
It’s no secret that we are massive fanboys (and girls) of DOXA. It’s why we’re the Australian distributor for the brand. Do we distribute lots of brands? No, just one. We believe DOXA offer some of the best bang for buck on the market for the watch lover – whether it’s at the higher end in watches like this, the COSC-certified carbon, dive-ready SUB 300 Aqualung Carbon US Divers Limited Edition, which we covered in-depth here. Or at the entry level, with the superb DOXA SUB 200, in just about all the colours of the rainbow. So, with just 5 watches remaining of the 300 produced in this stunning Limited Edition run, we thought we’d publish a video tribute to show you up close why we’re such big fans. If you’d like to try your hand at picking up one of the remaining watches, hit here. The stunning video is by Anthony Do, a fellow DOXA lover. We recommend you check out his channel if you like this dramatic, moody style.
Willing suspension of disbelief is part of the viewer’s contract with any film. But if you like watches, you still crave authenticity when it comes to a character’s timepiece. Much of the time, prop masters deliver the horological goods, too. You think of Captain Willard’s trusty Seiko 6105 in Apocalypse Now, Patrick Bateman’s Rolex Datejust in American Psycho or Steve McQueen’s Heuer Monaco Chronograph in Le Mans. But sometimes artistic licence is also applied to the actors’ wristwear in a case of “fake it till you make it” or at least manage to wangle a heftier wardrobe budget. Some offenders, listed below, do not have that excuse. Quentin, we love you, but what you did to Uma’s wrist in Kill Bill 2? Really? Ryan Gosling’s fake Patek in Drive Drive, a slick noir thriller about a taciturn getaway driver, made Ryan Gosling an overnight style icon and launched a thousand “get the look” articles. Most of the attention was centred on that satin bomber jacket with a scorpion embroidered on the back. But every element of Gosling’s get-up was deconstructed by eagle-eyed fashionistas determined to identify everything from his low-rise Acne jeans to his chocolate brown driving gloves (made by…