INTRODUCING: The menthol-fresh Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Chronograph Limited Edition in 18k white gold
In a week marked by the one-millimetre revolution, Audemars Piguet has quietly tip-toed into the room and released a frosty breeze of a limited Royal Oak to everyone’s surprise. As if by magic, a new reference of the perfectly sized 39mm Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Chronograph Limited Edition in 18k white gold appeared on their website. This is no revolution, but rather a superb dial colour variation suiting the white gold to a tee. I’m thinking this is a sharp move by AP, though with a short 100-piece production run they might be gone rather quickly, as this combination is a bright menthol-fresh breeze for the wrist. The chronograph version of the Royal Oak is, of course, nothing new, but as with any icon, there is a reason behind the status, the same reason it is for many considered the Audemars Piguet of choice. One of these reasons is the delicate presence this king of sleek integrated bracelets has on the wrist with its 39mm diameter and sleek 11mm thickness. I am very much looking forward to trying one of these on, as the svelte nature of the bracelet’s embrace is somewhat perplexingly made more comforting in the gold versions I…
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Over the past five years or so, I have bought, traded and sold watches in order to build and grow my collection. Two months ago, I was able to acquire a watch that I am still in disbelief I am able to own and wear. High on my grail list, the A. Lange & Söhne 1815 Up/Down 221.021 was always an endgame watch for me. It was something I wanted to work towards and eventually be able to call mine. They say don’t meet your heroes, in the worry they may disappoint you once you meet them in the flesh – or, in this case, in the metal. So, does the watch live up to my expectations? Let’s find out… The backstory/recap Swiss watches, in this industry, are typically the focus of conversation. The “Holy Trinity”, in regard to the pinnacle of watchmaking, refers to three Swiss brands: Patek Philippe, Audemars Piguet and Vacheron Constantin. Many argue, however, that A. Lange & Söhne should be considered as equally prestigious as the three aforementioned brands. With German ancestry myself, it has always been a company that has piqued my interest. The traditional German style, with a 3/4 bridge plate and an…
The wild profusion of colours in the new Rolex Oyster Perpetual collection caught many by surprise this week. And it immediately had people drawing parallels with the colour suites of other brands. It begs the question, are these new sporty and youthful lacquer dials – in candy pink, turquoise blue, yellow, coral red and green – a blast from Rolex’s past, or something completely new, perhaps inspired by other brands? A Brief History of Rolex Dials and Color Rolex is primarily known as a brand of modesty and incremental change, built upon robust and reliable watches. More often than not, you will typically see Rolex watches in four colors (at least in their steel watches) – Black, White, Silver, and Blue. Their precious metal watches of the past, however, were a bit more adventurous in dial tone and configuration. In 1956 the Rolex Day-Date was released and became one of the brand’s most luxurious and prestigious watches. Just four years after its release, not a long time in Rolex years, they began to experiment with the lineup, introducing dials with diamonds and eastern arabic numerals. Stone dial configurations were brought into the mix as well – fabricated from stones such as Onyx, Jasper,…
Seiko in 2020 is like a bull incensed: never slowing, threatening in intent and thrilling to watch. Amongst the slew of limited editions across all of their ranges, one of the most attention-capturing is the Seiko SNE566P — a professional-grade diving watch in a sumptuous ‘root beer’ colour scheme, and available now only to Australians at a recession-friendly price. As much as Seiko is renowned for having legible dials, this particular reference is up there with the best. The indices are large and filled with Seiko’s proprietary LumiBrite, guaranteeing that you’ll have no trouble reading this watch in the dark. The hands are easily distinguishable between hours and minutes, using a similar hand set as the beloved ‘SKX’ style, albeit with a slightly shorter hour hand. The date window has been given a magnifier, which may not be to everyone’s taste, though it does make it much more legible from a variety of viewing angles. The white printing on the dial is crisp and not too distracting, from the precise minute track around the chapter ring to the Prospex ‘X’ logo and ‘Diver’s 200M’ text proving the watch is up to ISO specifications for a diver’s watch. As with the SNE435P,…
Many of us are re-evaluating our preferred size of watches, as the trend is ever-increasing (or should that be shrinking?) towards 36-40mm watches for men, with vintage vibes. In my case, it’s a matter of practicality. My wrist is on the slender side and I wear a shirt most days, so a 45mm wrist chunk is not going to work. The increasing range of options is a godsend for many of us. But have diminishing sizes hit all categories? Let’s say we’re looking for a tough, no-nonsense modern tool watch that can take a beating. In other words, a diver. The editor threw down the gauntlet with the seemingly unattainable goal of a full-on technical 300-metre ISO-spec diver being a key pre-requisite at a size of less than 40mm. The bonus round was to find five without vintage cues or cream-coloured lume. Modern in style, please. Surely this is an impossible quest? Seek and you shall find, I say. 1. Oris Aquis Date – the bestseller What can we say, the Aquis Date from Oris in Hölstein, Switzerland has been a resounding success, and has transformed into what is now a considerable range. The Aquis has, for many, made Oris…
Girard-Perregaux was established in 1856 in the watchmaking town of La Chaux-de-Fonds, thanks to the marriage of Constant Girard and Marie Perregaux. The workshops origins were actually as early as 1791, but were not acquired by Girard-Perregaux completely until 1906. Though its history and heritage is in line with brands such as Patek Philippe (1839), Vacheron Constantin (1755), and Audemars Piguet (1875), Girard-Perregaux has not necessarily achieved the same brand power as the holy trinity mentioned prior. That being said, the brand has always made great watches both aesthetically and horologically — and the new Laureato Infinity Editions are a powerful case that the brand deserves a seat at the top table. A year before the introduction of the Patek Philippe Nautilus, and three years after the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak, Girard-Perregaux was one of the first to offer a sporty elegant model equipped with an octagonal bezel and an integrated steel bracelet in 1975. The design of the Laureato stands out in this category with contrasting lines and curves through a blend of polished and satin-brushed surfaces. Girard-Perregaux’s goal was to create a ‘sporty-chic’ watch, complementing both casual/sporting and formal attire. It is an extremely versatile watch in function, form and…
While it pains us as Victorians to write this, for we remain in the dark depths of our second lockdown, the Sydney Hublot boutique is open for business. And with Father’s Day just a few days away, it had us thinking we should loudly remind you of that fact, and then go virtually shopping for six of the best watches currently in stock. The challenge for this list was – like all the different dads out there – about showing diversity, which was in fact, not as difficult as it once was. The brand may have re-entered the world with the Big Bang, and one setting, which was full on, all the time. But now it’s different. There is light and shade. And there is the chance once again to gratuitously showing Andrew’s favourite bracelet of the year, the Hublot Big Bang Integral in King Gold. Hublot Big Bang Integral in King Gold The Hublot Big Bang Integral in King Gold was launched at the LVMH watch fair in Dubai earlier this year to resounding praise for its bracelet that is as innovative as it is spectacular. As the name suggests, the bracelet integrates perfectly with the case of the…
The launch of any new Rolex model this year is a hugely exciting event, but the complete overhaul of the Submariner collection is a moment in time that will be looked back on as the beginning of a new chapter in the history of one of the most celebrated watches ever. Typically, when Rolex moves to update a specific model, they move gradually, perhaps introducing a reference in precious metal or two-tone, before adopting the update across the stainless steel references. But 2020 is no normal year, and after fears we would see no new models from the Big Crown this year, we have the opposite outcome – the entire Rolex Submariner collection has been updated. Included in this update is the new Rolex Submariner Ref. 124060 41mm no-date, which may be the most distilled expression of the dive watch, and now with a different movement, case size and bracelet. The Rolex formula for success can be boiled down to a simple core idea – evolution, not revolution. And this doesn’t mean being out of touch with the times. It refers to the gradual and considered progress that each of their watches goes through and how, over decades and decades,…
Grand Seiko continue to celebrate their 60th anniversary with another limited edition to commemorate the milestone. The latest anniversary model is the Grand Seiko SBGR321, which adds a fifth piece to the first four references that were released earlier this year. The initial four anniversary models included the hi-beat SBGH281, the ladies STGK015, the heritage quartz SBGP007 and the sports quartz SBGP015, which makes this latest limited edition automatic a nice addition to the family. All five of the anniversary limited editions feature striking and expertly finished rich blue dials, with red accents throughout. The latest Grand Seiko SBGR321 is cased in 40mm of steel, measuring a robust 13mm tall and, in line with the rest of the anniversary references, comes complete on a stainless steel bracelet that is secured with a folding clasp. The attractive blue dial features an eye-catching sunburst finish that makes the richness of the blue pop even further, and is uninterrupted, bar the immaculately faceted and polished hour markers and a date window at 3 o’clock. The show really begins, however, when you flip the watch over, with a double-take prompting display caseback that hints at the inspiration behind the watch. Behind the sapphire crystal…