Hunter S. Thompson: The unlikely Rolex Man
“I hate to advocate drugs, alcohol, violence, or insanity to anyone, but they’ve always worked for me.” Hunter S. Thompson was good like that. Always generous when it came to doling out whacked-out life advice. In his writing, he offered heartfelt tips on many things, from hotel liaisons (“Don’t have sex in the lobby – it’s usually awkward”) to optimised forms of hedonism (“Have an objective to give your bender a theme. For instance, stalking and killing a wild pig with a bowie knife”). This type of off-kilter wisdom reflects Thompson’s libertarian values and drug-addled life. Until these hard-living ways dulled his creative fire, he channelled this material into Gonzo journalism – an energetic form of subjective reporting that involved the writer becoming a central participant in the story. Yet what truly supercharged Thompson’s writing was his electric style, a form of hyperbolic invective that influenced countless young journalists all over the planet. On the back of his Fear And Loathing books in particular, Thompson became a countercultural hero, right up until his suicide in 2005. But given the unorthodox nature of his daily existence – the firearms, the pranks involving frozen elk hearts, the oceans of Chivas Regal –…
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Homage watches within the enthusiast community can be quite a contentious topic at times. Are they rip-offs? Cash cows? Sell-outs? Unoriginal? The reality is opinions can vary, but the true metric or equaliser of any watch to an extent is how they perform on the grey or second-hand market. While the objective of most homage watches is to supply a mass-produced low-cost alternative to widely renowned designs, the Gevril Tribeca has established itself as the textbook example of how to release an homage watch. The watch is so desirable that it now sells at practically three times or more its final retail price of $2900. The last watches sold at retail were in 2018 when Revolution sourced 67 NOS watches that had yet to be assembled from Gevril. A year later, at Christie’s (in an online auction in partnership with The Keystone), one was sold without box and papers for $9375! So, what makes this watch the king of homage? Let’s explore the curious case of the Gevril Tribeca… I know what you are thinking: Zach, it’s a Paul Newman Daytona homage … of course it’s desirable. Upon closer examination, however, this is not the full story. As an example,…
Editor’s note: To stay at the top of your game for decades takes more than luck. More than skill. More than talent. It takes perseverance, and it takes an ultimate commitment to your craft. When Russell Crowe sat down with GQ a couple of weeks ago to deconstruct his most popular characters, it reminded us of the time he met with us to talk watches. Within a couple of lines, he’s in absolutely top form: “If you get the responsibility to tell someone’s story, and if it’s true, you’ve gotta bust your balls for it.” The occasion of our meeting was not exactly a joyous one. His impending divorce meant dividing up his estate, and a veritable sack of watches was on the chopping block. But Russell relished the opportunity. He spoke about each watch with incredible charisma. His mellifluous baritone flitted from stories about his movies, to random airport purchases, to even more mundane details. And yet, throughout, you find yourself gripped. Hanging on every word. We want to share this great memory with you in as much detail as possible. So please find on this post, the backstory, the video and the sales results for all his watches. The GQ video, which is equally amazing,…
Is there any question that lights up a watch lover more than this one: What is the watch that got away? The answer is always interesting. Always! And it can plumb the very depths of emotion. You will likely see a visible wince, followed by regret, anger and recriminations flashing across the storyteller’s face as he or she relives the episode as they talk about it. As part of our editorial meeting on Monday, the question was floated to the whole team. James’ face was racked with pain as he relived passing on a 16520 Daytona. “While I was at uni, a mate offered me a mint Zenith Daytona Ref.16520 W-Series ‘Patrizzi’ dial with full box papers for $8000 AUD,” James sighed. “I had about enough money in my bank account to afford a 24-piece bucket of Colonel Sanders’ finest, so I had to pass on the Rolex. Seeing as a good one now goes for about the same as a 10 per cent deposit on a house, I’m more than slightly emotional about the missed opportunity.” There were howls from the rest of us that cackled over our laptop speakers. Zoom mini-screens showed all of us bent over with…
To even the most casual Time+Tide reader, the Rado Captain Cook is likely to be a known quantity. A strong, stainless steel, vintage-inspired design, backed up by a reliable modern movement in a range of sizes … all true, but that’s no longer the extent of it. For the first time, we can now add three Rado Captain Cook bronze references to the collection. Named after the British explorer who achieved the first recorded European contact with the east coast of Australia, the Rado Captain Cook was first produced from 1962 until 1968. This was a legitimate dive watch that capitalised on a golden age of underwater exploration, when scuba diving became popular with the public at large, and watchmakers rushed to put watches on the wrists of this new breed of submerged shopper. The instantly recognisable design was revived in recent years, and the collection has enjoyed strong success as a fresh and eye-catching offering from the brand. The exciting addition of the Rado Captain Cook Bronze marks a tangent within the collection that gives a totally new look and feel to a well-established part of the brand’s stable. The bronze produces an attractively warm tone in the 42mm case,…
Almost two years ago I had the opportunity to acquire a watch that was on my grail list – the Patek Philippe 5066 Aquanaut. The deal Not having an unlimited source of funds to blow on a beautiful watch, the transaction necessitated that I not part with one of my watches, but rather all of the watches in my collection (in addition to a few thousand dollars). Like a fantasy football trade, to get one of the best of the best it meant I needed to let go of some pretty well-known brands and watches to get close to their asking price. The Aquanaut The 5066 really resonates with me for its discreet yet haute design that proudly displays its beautifully finished movement via an exhibition caseback. Being 36mm in diameter, with a less integrated rubber strap that was more flexible for my smaller wrist, it was a watch from Patek Philippe I felt could be a safe daily wearer, especially as the watch was over 100m water resistant (provided one routinely checked and maintained its gaskets). In the moment, to make this deal happen, I was prepared to part with four watches that were the most valuable in my…
A few years back, I remember interviewing Jean-Claude Biver and asking how he thought smartwatches would impact the traditional watch industry. Biver insisted the innovation was positive, saying that he believed smartwatches “will bring the attention of young people back to the wrist”. In other words, they would persuade a new generation to start wearing watches once again. Well, smartwatches certainly seem to have stimulated something. This piece from Business Insider reports that Apple shipped 31 million watches last year compared with the estimated 21.1 million shipped by the entire Swiss watch industry put together. That’s an astounding feat of leapfrogging by Apple. We reviewed the Series 5 model here. “Analogue wristwatches remain popular among older consumers,” says Neil Mawston, Strategy Analytics’ executive director, in the article. “But younger buyers are tipping toward smartwatches and computerised wristwear.” Three key facts from the story about Apple outselling the Swiss Watch Industry There is an established preference among younger consumers for smartwatches instead of traditional Swiss timepieces from the likes of Tag Heuer, Swatch, and Tissot. With its numerous health-related features, the Apple Watch has helped blur the lines between traditional wristwatches and health-specific wristwear such as Fitbits. This represented growth of…
Mike Tyson has led a truly crazy life. We don’t have time to go into it all here: the horrific childhood, the dizzying ascent, the pet tigers, the rape conviction, the coke habit, the comeback(s), the ear biting, the tragic death of his daughter, the facial tattoos … Let’s just say that Tyson hasn’t pulled any punches in the life-experience department. His watches overall have not been as wild, but several of the stories surrounding them have a familiar ring. In January 2000, for example, the Mike Tyson circus arrived in London. “Iron Mike” was there to fight the British heavyweight champ Julius Francis. But in the lead-up to the bout, Tyson decided to head out for a spot of retail therapy. Flanked by his six bodyguards and the boxing promoter Frank Warren, Tyson entered Graff Diamonds on Old Bond Street where he launched into a epic spending spree. Tyson selected a diamond watch with a sapphire dial, an emerald and diamond bracelet and two pocketwatches (one of which was a pornographic automaton of a couple having sex). All went smoothly, until the store manager deigned to enquire who would be footing the £426,000 bill. Tyson shrugged off the demand and…
Last year, Seiko fans around the world had a collective skipping of heartbeats when the Japanese firm announced the release of the SLA033. This was no normal Seiko dive watch. As its full name suggests, the Seiko Diver’s Re-Creation Limited Edition SLA033, is a watch inspired by one of the most iconic Seiko dive watches of all time — the 6105. The 6105 was forever embroidered in the fabric of popular culture when it was worn by Martin Sheen in Apocalypse Now. The model was favoured by real American G.Is in combat, which made the placement all that more authentic. This year, Seiko have announced the release of the Seiko SPB151J and Seiko SPB153J, two new references based on the classic 6105 wristwatch. But what is different — and what will be most exciting for enthusiasts about these two — is they won’t be produced in limited numbers. A watch from humble beginnings, the 6105 was launched into the stratosphere when it found its way onto the wrist of Martin Sheen as he starred as Captain Willard in blockbuster film Apocalypse Now. Ever since, it has been one of the most sought-after historical Seiko references, with examples in good condition commanding…
Editor’s note: We recently covered the launch of Dan Henry’s latest addition to his range, the Dan Henry 1937, a cleanly designed chronograph that looks back to some of the most iconic watches in the category. If we need any more proof that Dan’s watches are taken very seriously by all levels of enthusiasts, we need look no further than horological aficionado Mr Eric Wind’s personal Instagram account. He posted the gorgeous brushed silver dial version of the 1937 (see it below), with the caption, “Just a spectacular dial … Amazing to get a watch this beautiful for only $270.” So, the heat is back on. With that in mind, and the pressing need for everyone to get across the DH backstory (it’s a seriously great one that iterates in a clever website), we wanted to take a look back at a few of the other remarkably well designed pieces the brand has released over the years, as well as remind ourselves exactly who Dan Henry is as a watch brand. To understand Dan Henry, the brand, we first need to understand the man behind it, none other than Dan Henry, himself. Dan Henry may well be one of the most prolific…