HANDS-ON: Top of the world – the epic, awesome Jaeger-LeCoultre Tourbillon Geophysic Universal Time
As far as boss complications go, the world timer is pretty up there. Not only is it technically impressive, it’s also visually arresting: the city ring and typically colourful layout make walking around with one of these on your wrist the watch equivalent of playing Beyoncé’s ‘Run the World (Girls)’ wherever you go. Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Geophysic Tourbillon Universal Time takes it to the next level by adding — yes, you guessed it — a flying tourbillon into the mix, for that extra horological pop. But before we get to the tourbillon, let’s take a step back and talk Geophysic. The Geophysic collection, relaunched a few years ago, is a typically sober and not-too-dressy take on a scientist’s watch. A key feature of the line is the true second, which sees the hand move in crisp, one-second increments rather than the typical mechanical sweep. The true second featured on the regular production world timer, but hasn’t made it to this Tourbillon model. In fact, any form of seconds hand has dropped from the equation, to give all the more space for the flying tourbillon (the first ever integrated into a world timer), that forms the heart of calibre 948. For me, the…
The post HANDS-ON: Top of the world – the epic, awesome Jaeger-LeCoultre Tourbillon Geophysic Universal Time appeared first on Time and Tide Watches.
Since the launch of the Defy 21 last year, and the shockingly innovative Defy Lab later in 2017, it wasn’t a matter of speculation that more releases for the new collection were coming to Baselworld in 2018. The new Zero G is this year’s Halo watch from the brand as we wait for the groundbreaking new escapement to trickle down to series production. Though this is a new execution, the Zero G’s clever gyroscopic escapement — said to have been based on the concept of the gimbals used in old marine chronometers — is nothing new. Oddly enough, the first execution of the Zero-G was also a Defy, known as the Defy Xtreme Zero-G Tourbillon. Since that massive half-million dollar beast’s launch, Zenith have further refined the mechanism, scaling it down to a more modest size that no longer requires a large dome in the crystal to accommodate its freewheeling functionality. Vital statistics Regardless of how new the innovation is, there’s much to love about the new Zero G. At its heart, a high-beat El Primero caliber delivers a 50-hour power reserve to its indication of time and running seconds, with a subtle power reserve display to the right of…
Amidst the pile of big and bold Hublot offerings at Baselworld 2018, it was a pleasant surprise to see a rare level of conservatism land on the table in the form of a more compact Big Bang Unico Chronograph — four references measuring 42mm in diameter, offered in King Gold, King Gold and ceramic, titanium and ceramic, and the titanium and ceramic model seen here. For some, one of the biggest gripes about the Big Bang is its significant presence on the wrist, and after closer examination, this slightly reduced variant puts the chronograph on just enough of a diet. Vital statistics Visually speaking, the new 42mm Big Bang Unico looks like it is simply a scaled-down version of its 45mm sibling, but that isn’t exactly the case. A close examination of its self-winding flyback chronograph calibre reveals at least some slight modification, explaining why though its specs are the same, the new derivative movement is called the HUB1280 rather than the HUB1242 listed on Hublot’s website. We do know that the new calibre is also thinner, allowing Hublot to trim away some excess case thickness in the process. Of the four variants, this titanium version is perhaps the most…
Seiko have again released a duo of modern re-interpretations of one of their OG dive watches – the Seiko 6159. Sitting alongside the modern re-creation – the newly released SLA025, which was also just revealed here at Baselworld 2018 – the pair echo the original design of Seiko’s first hi-beat diver but wrap it up in a slightly more contemporary package. Vital statistics Available in two variants, the cases are thinner and hark back to the design of the original, except now they have a screw-in case-back and measure 44mm across and 13.1mm thick. They’re also joined by thinner bezels, with black for the SPB077, and blue for the SPB079. The black dials have highlights of silver – instead of the original’s gold – and slightly redesigned hour markers, as well as a set of modern-day Seiko arrow hands and the Prospex logo printed in the lower half of the dial. Both are water resistant to 200m and feature a Seiko 6R15 movement with a power reserve of 50 hours. And if you’re a fan of steel bracelets you’ll have to opt for the black bezel SPB077, which is the model we’re focusing on here. On the wrist It captures…
Named after the Carrera Panamericana, a legendarily dangerous car racing event of the early 1950s that took place across the open roads of Mexico and was cancelled after resulting in too many fatalities. The TAG Heuer Carrera is an icon of the motorsport-inspired watch world. And this year it celebrates 55 years since its release with a stable of new releases, like this pair of heritage-inspired Carrera Calibre 16 Chronographs, released at Baselworld 2018. Vital statistics There are two colours available, a black dial and a blue. Both with contrasting white subdials and highlights of red and orange. The top subdial measuring the chronograph minutes, while the bottom does hours, and a running small seconds takes the position at 9 o’clock. Ceramic bezels are embedded with a tachymeter scale and sit atop 100m water-resistant steel cases that measure 41mm wide and house the TAG Heuer Calibre 16, which is either a Valjoux 7750 or Sellita SW-500 movement. And a stainless-steel bracelet will come on the blue dial version, while the black dial gets a black perforated leather strap with red stitching. On the wrist They’ve definitely captured the look of many of the Carreras of days gone by. However, the…
We all love a birthday. And watch brands love them as much as anyone – an excuse to celebrate, a hook for a new collection. At Baselworld 2018 Omega have marked the 25th anniversary of the Seamaster Professional Diver 300M (aka the James Bond watch) with a revamp. It was the SMP that kicked off Omega’s relationship with the Bond franchise, becoming something of a late-1990s icon as Pierce Brosnan wore a series of tricked-out, weaponised versions of the watch over the course of four movies. Vital statistics With 14 new variations – six in stainless steel and eight in steel-gold combos, three dial colours and a choice of rubber strap or steel bracelet – Omega’s revamp of the Seamaster Professional Diver 300M is about updated materials and mechanics rather than a major redesign. The case diameter has increased from 41mm to 42mm and the Seamaster’s distinctive cone-shaped crown for the helium escape valve sits at the 10 o’clock position. For the first time on a Seamaster Diver 300M, the case-back is sapphire crystal. The movement is Omega’s well-proven co-axial chronometer calibre 8800 (introduced in 2016), which is METAS-certified for magnetic resistance to more than 15,000 gauss and has a…
With another contemporary nod to Seiko’s original hi-beat diver – the 1968 ref. 6159 – a familiar face has received a limited-edition update. Based on the venerable Seiko MM300 dive watch, this commemorative limited edition not only pays tribute to its vintage inspiration with a host of updates, but also to the lush green forests and abundant marine life that can be found around the island of Yakushima at the southern end of the Japanese archipelago. Vital statistics The one-piece 44.3mm case is now set off with a deep green dial and zirconia ceramic bezel. And Hardlex has been replaced by a sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating on both the inside and out. Giving life from within is the Seiko calibre 8L35 with 50 hours of power reserve. And the 5, 10, 15 and 20-minute markers on the bezel have been given an especially bright dose of Lumibrite to increase their presence in the dark. Both the stainless-steel case and a matching steel bracelet are also given a super-hard coating, with the option to switch out to a silicone strap that’s also supplied. On the wrist The MM300 has long been a favourite of the Seiko community, and this commemorative…
You’ve either been sleeping or taking a break from social media to have missed the news on this one. As part of their new Baselworld 2018 releases, Rolex have released for the very first time a ‘Pepsi’ GMT-Master II in ‘Oystersteel’ (which is the new Rolex terminology for their 904L steel). Yes, a two-colour red and blue Cerachrom bezel insert, WITH a Jubilee bracelet. Vital statistics The five-link Jubilee bracelet is also made from Oystersteel and features an ‘Oysterclasp’, which allows for 5mm of adjustment. It’s also worth noting that this is the first time we’ve seen a Jubilee bracelet on a sports Rolex in modern times. The Oystercase also received some changes and has been redesigned. It’s noticeably different in comparison to the GMT-Master II BLNR (Batman), which is also still in production. Aesthetics aside, the new Pepsi GMT also features an entirely new generation movement — the 3285 calibre, which features a beefed-up 70-hour power reserve. Another small, yet noteworthy, detail is the additional Rolex crown on the dial, which you’ll notice at six o’clock, between ‘Swiss’ and ‘Made’. This appears to be on all new 2018 models. It’s small touches like these that help collectors distinguish between different…
The foundation upon which modern Grand Seiko is built is the calibre 9S, first unveiled 20 years ago. Basel 2018 sees the Japanese brand pay tribute to this important movement with this new Grand Seiko model, the SBGH267 Vital statistics Grand Seiko’s dial and case finishes are rightly lauded for their high level of quality. But the far less visible movement is just as significant. And, if the watch is automatic, the chances are high that movement is the 9S. First introduced in 1998, this movement, with its high level of precision, lengthy power reserve and rock-solid construction, was ahead of its time for a high-volume commercial calibre. With a distinctive purple oscillating rotor in the style we’ve come to expect from Grand Seiko’s LEs, it forms the heart of this watch, which features a subtle mosaic pattern dial in Grand Seiko’s blue, as well as a completely new 39.5mm wide by 13mm tall case. This version is in steel, but there’s also a yellow gold version and a platinum model with a V.F.A. (very fine adjusted) movement, which promises accuracy of +3/-1 seconds, compared to the +5/-3 range of the SBGH267. On the wrist Classic Grand Seiko. The design is…