TRADING FACES: A Patek Philippe and a panda dial Omega Speedmaster for a Rolex Submariner?
As a collection grows, at times it means a collector needs to be prepared to trade or sell one of their pieces in order to fund the next. At a certain point, many collectors adopt a ‘one in, one out’ policy in order to curb spending or keep a collection compact and refined. This is the story of one of the bigger trades I have made in my time as a collector, and how (and why) I was able to get my dream sports watch: a Rolex Submariner ref. 114060. What I traded … Omega Speedmaster Automatic (ref. 323.30.40.40.04.001) The Omega Speedmaster 323.30.40.40.04.001 is an automatic watch with a white and black dial with a date window at the 4:30 position. This chronograph features a small seconds counter, 30-minute recorder and 12-hour recorder with a central chronograph hand. The bezel, with its tachymetric scale, is mounted on a 40mm stainless steel case and presented on a stainless steel bracelet. Being a modern Speedmaster, it has a scratch-resistant sapphire crystal, and ticking inside is Omega’s chronometer certified caliber 3304 (based on the Valjoux 7753). Believe it or not, it’s also 100 metres water resistant, which allowed me to actually take…
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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…
The Moser Swiss Alp Watch is a thoroughly intriguing proposal, in what seems a familiar smooth shape of a rectangular pebble with re-imagined wire lugs. Your non-horologically biased mates, family and colleagues will no doubt pose the question as to why this has a crown and a hand-sewn alligator strap, only to be silenced by the mesmerising blue depth of the fumé dial. A dial with depth and detail that doesn’t distort or disappear when seen at an angle … what is this witchcraft? Yes, this was designed as a statement piece. You will understand the deeper meaning without mentioning any tree-based fruits. Take it as a call to action or a thought-inducing detail that makes you nostalgic for the days without a single beep, reminder or buzz from your wrist or phone (which was on a side table in the hall — I’m that old, folks). Wind the manual movement up and while doing so, immerse yourself in a feeling of time being precious – while swiping Data Off on your phone. But no matter the intrinsic meaning or zen-inducing ocean-like blue depths, this is a perfectly sized 38.2mm smooth piece of horology, special enough to make you think that,…
If it’s the rugged tool watch charm of the Captain Cook or the historically energised dimensions of the Golden Horse, Rado is probably best remembered in recent years for the watches inspired by the archives of the brand. But there’s a part of the Rado family that watch enthusiasts might be less familiar with, a part that leaves the vintage design cues at the door and instead celebrates space-age materials with a contemporary flair. The Rado True Square collection hails from this lineage within the family. Ceramic cases that appear to be borderline liquid in their appearance, integrated bracelets and curious dials are what you’ll find here. Not a beads-of-rice bracelet in sight. As we take a closer look at the Rado True Square collection, we’ll be focusing on two references that encapsulate the breadth of what the collection has to offer, despite how similar the specs might read on paper – the True Square Automatic Diamonds and the True Square Open Heart. Siblings in name and body, but watches that present two very different faces to the world. First focusing on the Rado True Square Open Heart, and an immediate impression is made by the skeletonised dial. While some…
Seiko’s 2020 arsenal of new watches has yet another devastatingly attractive addition in the Seiko Astron SSH073J. In parallel with the mechanical in-house divers and sports watches we can’t seem to get enough of, we find the ultra-precise Astron series, here shown in the dressy darkness of titanium and ceramic. I apologise in advance for more Star Wars references, but they are too tempting. With this on Mr Vader’s wrist, the Death Star would always be on time, as the Astron accuracy is legendary. We sing the praises of Grand Seiko’s Spring Drive and Quartz models with their beguiling mix of craftsmanship and mechanical excellence, but this is something else. The Astron series, with their tough, high-tech focus, does not get the column space they deserve, as they are damn impressive at what they do. This year is the 160th anniversary of Kintaro Hattori, the founder of Seiko, and they have chosen to mark this with a limited edition of their laser-sharp solar-powered GPS watch, the Astron SSH073J. And when we say devastatingly handsome, we mean it. It’s hard to think of a cleaner execution of the Astron, and the colour scheme? A symphony of black and gold in a…
Editor’s note: As we discussed here and in Part 1 of this article, watch lug to lug is an oft misunderstood element in finding the perfect fitting watch to your wrist. Here’s why. Ressence Type 1 Slim (42mm x 46mm) While some Ressence Type references push upwards of 52mm lug to lug, if you are looking for one of their more compact offerings, the Type 1 Slim is your best bet. At 46mm in lug to lug measurement, the 42mm case wears very well on the wrist. Its wire lugs taper the strap downward, creating an absence of unnecessary fixed length. This Ressence watch is a great example of why you need to pay attention to lug profile as much as case profile. Larger diameters do not necessarily mean a larger watch. The front of the watch is all dial, with no bezel to take up dial diameter. This creates the illusion of a much larger watch, but it is in fact just that: an illusion. RRP: $20,600 USD/approximately $28,710 AUD Bulgari Octo Finissimo Automatic (40mm x 46mm) Starting to think 46mm is the perfect vertical length of a watch? Then the Bulgari Octo Finissimo is another watch that should…
Editor’s note: As I go to post this review, something very sad just dawned on me. It’s been over three years since I’ve had a holiday as long as the power reserve of this watch. Which is 10 days. Ten. Days. Which means this watch would still be ticking after one wind upon my return from these far-too-short ‘holidays’. I digress, but that sad example goes a long way to establishing the technical credibility of this watch, and to proving the point that as soon as lockdown ends, I’m outta here for a while. Enjoy – Andrew Hublot are well known for their patented brand of boldly designed and technologically advanced watchmaking, and if there’s one watch that embodies those qualities, it’s the Hublot Spirit of Big Bang Meca-10 King Gold. The barrel-inspired case measures an extroverted 45mm and is hewn from one of the brand’s in-house precious alloys in King Gold, which has an array of complex finishes. The exposed bezel screws, articulating case shape and black rubber strap all see to the fulfilment of the bold design requirement. And within this thoughtfully designed case is where the technologically advanced component is evident. Powering this warmly toned behemoth is Hublot’s manufacture Calibre…
Ceramic is a notoriously tricky material to work with in watchmaking, with only a handful of brands able to produce the material at scale. One of the few brands that can claim to have mastered it is Rado, who are well known for their brightly coloured and scratch-resistant timepieces. While Rado use the material throughout a number of their different lines, one of the collections that benefits significantly from the expertise is the Rado True Square collection, which features pebble-smooth ceramic cases and bracelets to match. Within the True Square range, there are two references that show the breadth of the collection – the Automatic Open Heart and the Automatic Diamonds. Despite both featuring the exact same 38mm square case and integrated bracelet, they offer totally different feelings on the wrist. The Automatic Open Heart does what it says on the tin, with a very finely skeletonised dial that gives an almost totally uninterrupted view of the movement within. Certainly not something you see every day. In contrast, the Automatic Diamonds is as sleek as black velvet, with the polished case and bracelet serving up a shimmering backdrop for the deep black dial that is studded with four diamonds. Elegance…
It goes without saying that fans of Omega Speedmaster are some of the most ardently passionate people within the watch community and, indeed, the general population. As a watchmaker, Omega understand and foster this enthusiasm, and have this year acknowledged the legions of Speedy supporters with a very special new release. To commemorate one of the most important moments in Speedmaster history, the Biel-based brand has produced the all-new Omega Speedmaster ‘Silver Snoopy Award’ 50th Anniversary, and this old dog has a very new trick up its sleeve. Behind the sapphire caseback of the Omega Speedmaster ‘Silver Snoopy Award’ 50th Anniversary is a mechanical animation when the chronograph is activated that shows Snoopy seated in his Command and Service Module (CSM), making a journey to the far side of the Moon. The moon itself is ‘painted’ onto the sapphire crystal caseback using a “micro-structured metallisation” process, and sits in front of a disc with the Earth on it, creating a sense of distance between the two. The Earth disc sits directly behind the 9 o’clock running seconds sub-dial and, as a result, will rotate just as the Earth does, except once every 60 seconds. Surrounding the Earth disc is the…