HANDS-ON: The Seiko Prospex SNR045J is like a Rolex "Hulk" Submariner on steroids
The first time I held the Seiko Prospex SNR045J in my hands, I laughed, turned to my left, and said to Deputy Editor Nick Kenyon, “What on earth is this?” To describe the limited edition dive watch as evocative is more than an understatement – it conjures up many, many thoughts in my mind, scrambles them, and leaves me feeling very confused, for a number of reasons. Firstly, it’s yet another (ir)regular Seiko that blurs the lines between Seiko and Grand Seiko. Secondly, look at the size of it! Who is this watch made for? And thirdly, why can’t I stop staring? And why is it only looking and feeling better the longer I have it attached to my wrist? Well, as a consequence of these perplexing queries, I spent the next 48 hours wearing the Hulky puck, steadfast that I’d get to the bottom of my curiosities, which, I hazard to guess, might be some of your curiosities too. The case BIG … it’s bloody big. How big? Enormous. More specifically – 44.8mm across and a positively chonky 15.7mm thick. And these measurements only tell half the story. Because the lugs are short and quite stubby, and the overall…
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Editor’s note:The furore over the Patek Philippe Nautilus 5711 in recent years – that we have covered exhaustively – is interesting to consider in the context of this piece, that was written way back in 2014. It is essentially a long and detailed review of the new Nautilus models that were released that year. It was quite a collection, too. For Nautilus fans, this year had everything. And, from the perspective of 2020, which so far has been lean to say the least, this is a gluttonous feast. Along the way, we also mused on the history of the Nautilus and the era from whence it came. It’s a great read for those wanting to better understand the mythologised status of the Nautilus, which remains practically inaccessible (at RRP at least) to this day. In the rarefied air of the high-end sports watch, the Patek Philippe Nautilus is still the King. You could fill your day reading pages of passionate prose that argue the merits of the watch relative to others, but there is something about the Nautilus that sets it apart from a less cerebral point of view. Pure feel. In fact, when the Time+Tide editorial team sat down earlier this year…
Not the zingiest name I’ve come across, I must admit. Is this a statement, an actual watch – or something stolen by an Area 51 engineer from an alien craft? It might be all of the above and, boy, it’s brash and edgy (pun intended). Consider this an ongoing story as much as it is a watch. While everyone is staring goggle-eyed at the bold architectural structure with its bombardment of colours and textures, I will endeavour to explain the mission of this Garbage Watch. Vollebak is at the cutting edge of high-tech fashion, and this is their first watch. In their catalogue you’ll find the Carbon Fibre T Shirt, engineered with 120 metres of carbon fibre and an indestructible graphene-coated jacket. This is no purveyor of sartorial chic in the traditional sense, but part of the future of the garment industry. The Garbage Watch is a collaboration with Re-Made, a holistic recycling project from the design gurus at Wallpaper*, and more than the sum of its recycled parts. The watch will be ready for delivery in 2021 – with a waiting list sign-up initiating a journey through the design, recycling and production process concluding in a major talking point…
The watches of Hollywood mobsters tend to contradict the old adage that crime doesn’t pay. For any self-respecting gangster, the wrist is valuable real estate on which to flaunt your ill-gotten gains. Sure, you may be trying to evade the long arm of the law, but your watch invariably denotes your cashed-up status as a man on the make. Preferably in gold, if available. The upshot of this trend is some fascinating watches that make a life as a career criminal look relatively appealing. (As Woody Allen said on crime: “The hours are good, you meet a lot of interesting people, you travel a lot.”) Here, Time+Tide runs its eye over the watches of the most notorious gangsters on screen. Scarface (1983) Brian De Palma’s cult film tells the tale of Tony Montana (Al Pacino) who arrives in 1980s Miami as a penniless Cuban refugee with big dreams. As he explains with characteristic directness, “I want what’s coming to me … The world, Chico, and everything in it.” Following through on his goals with ruthlessness and wild violence, Montana succeeds in transforming himself into a cocaine kingpin against a soundtrack of Giorgio Moroder synths. The watch in Scarface There’s still plenty…
Friday has come around with lightning speed this week. And hot on the heels of our story last week about James Murdoch buying into Baselworld’s parent company, MCH, comes the news that a new show, called “HourUniverse” will debut in April 2021 in Basel. Yes, timed perfectly to align with the newly announced Watches & Wonders show in Geneva. “The new concept is a B2B2C meeting point that places the consumer at the heart of its focus … including CPO (Certified Pre-Owned).” The unanswered questions are how it will place journalists like us in two cities at once, and who will show, and what wiener sausages they will serve, and, and … We will keep you posted on these breaking stories as they happen. In other news, we welcome two new models to our marketplace from Ball Watches. We have selected the Engineer Hydrocarbon and the Engineer Hydrocarbon AeroGMT II with red and blue, which is something of a coup, as it’s currently a USA-only edition, and not available elsewhere. There will be more on these models over the coming weeks. Exclusivities have been the flavour of an otherwise bustling week for us, with the exquisitely styled Dan Henry 1937…
Twenty-seven … that’s how many watches Grand Seiko have already unveiled this year. And that’s not really an accurate statement – 27 new watches have been released to the Australian market. If you include limited editions, boutique editions and models from other regions, the number is closer to 40. The wheels may well have fallen off 2020 in just about every sense, but Grand Seiko seems to have actually gained a set – making some damn fine watches and trucking through chaos in fine style. Better still, it seems as though someone back at HQ in Tokyo has twigged that 44mm+ watches that are thicker than the new Hodinkee Travel Clock aren’t exactly what most watch enthusiasts want. No, Grand Seiko’s new timepieces are shrinking, and they’ve started exercising – get ready for some curves in all the right places. This new-found design philosophy is perfectly demonstrated in their latest releases – the Grand Seiko SBGE253, SBGE257 and SBGE255. These three new GMTs have piqued many people’s interest, and rightly so because there’s a lot to like here. The case The stainless steel case, for instance, measures just 40.5mm across and 14.7mm thick, which is very reasonable, considering the mechanical innards.…
The summer watch is a category as important as pilot’s watch or doctor’s watch, but without the historically derived definition that comes from a serious professional context. A loose definition might include a watch that needs to be robust, waterproof and easy to read after five Aperol Spritzes, but it also needs to be fun and communicate a bit of personality. After all, the summer holidays (regardless of the hemisphere you live in) are a time when the workplace persona can be dropped, you can relax into the warmer weather and leave your more conservative timepieces in the safe for a few weeks. Bright colours, uncommon textures and interesting materials are all part of the summer watch playbook, as they aim to complement your board shorts instead of your boardroom suit and tie. For all those reasons, the new TAG Heuer Aquaracer “Tortoise Shell” is one of the most compelling summer watches to hit the market this year. Being born into the Aquaracer family of TAG Heuer makes perfect sense, as the tool watch DNA of the collection nicely matches up with the brief of being a robust and waterproof watch. True to heritage, this latest member of the Aquaracer…
A couple of weeks ago, in a moment of sheer lockdown boredom, Andrew snapped a shot of his Rolex GMT-Master II Root Beer with the caption #WRUW, which no doubt we all know is an acronym for ‘What are you wearing?’ But not, in any way, referring to clothing. Watches only. In the truly spirited fashion of a Time+Tide reader (all enthusiasts of the hashtag #WhatAreYouWearing), we were flooded with wristshots as people shared what they were wearing in that moment. It might just be that everyone is stuck at home in some form of lockdown, or it might be that people were feeling generous and wanted to share a moment out of their day, but our DMs were suddenly full to the brim with images of beautiful watches. Paper plane icons for days. So to celebrate some of those fine timepieces for those that were napping, and in case you missed it on our Instagram stories, we’ve put together a collection of some standouts. Starting with a big round of root beers… #WRUW There were a lot of people drinking root beer last week, enjoying that rich chocolatey bezel and two-tone magnificence. All dressed up with nowhere to go? The…
We’ll spoil the suspense here straight up and say that we’re fans of Dan Henry here at T+T – the Brazilian watchmaker’s ability to create timepieces that capture the enthusiasm and spirit of some rare (and much more expensive) watches is no mean feat. That’s why last year, when Dan himself reached out to us to help launch his great 1962 model, we were only too happy to oblige. Now, I think we can all agree: A LOT has happened in the last 12 months. However, the tradition that Dan Henry and T+T started a year ago is being honoured. That’s right, Mr Henry is unveiling a brand new watch, and we’ve got the distinct privilege of being the first to be able to tell you about it. Introducing the Dan Henry 1937. Stylised to pay homage to the Art Deco era and the gorgeous watches it spawned, the 1937 chronograph is a handsome piece of kit, and reminiscent of watches such as Vacheron Constantin’s Ref.4072 and Patek Philippe’s Ref.130. The case There will be not one but four separate models in the new collection from launch, and all of them will feature the same 39mm 316L stainless steel case.…
LVMH’s Dubai Watch Week may have been only seven months ago, but it genuinely feels like it could’ve been last century. Cast your mind back those long, long … long seven months, though, and there seemed to be a general consensus among punters and professional hacks alike that there was one novelty that eclipsed all else. I am, of course, talking about the TAG Heuer Carrera 160 Years Silver. Kudos to TAG, it is a brilliant timepiece. T+T founder Andrew McUtchen even said that it “might be the perfect watch”. Thing is, though, it wasn’t the best watch unveiled at the boojee event in the desert. Contrary to popular belief, the real MVP was Bulgari’s Octo Finissimo in satin-polished stainless steel. The words “game” and “changer” get thrown about quite a bit in the editorial and marketeering worlds, but mark my words, this watch, cliché or not, is exactly that. In fact, I’m shocked that more folks in our world weren’t shouting from the rooftops upon its unveiling. Here is a luxury steel sports watch with an integrated bracelet, gorgeously finished manufacture movement with a platinum micro rotor and a blend of archetypal visual cues with a real, truly unique…