Category: SIHH 2017

At this stage in the game, bronze watches aren’t anything new; Panerai, Oris and Tudor have all played a role in pushing the patina-friendly metal mainstream. But until now, bronze has been the playground of tool-like dive watches, serious timepieces licked by salt and spray until a fine verdigris of adventure forms on the rugged case. Well, the latest wonder from Montblanc’s Villeret collection is set to challenge our perceptions of what this ancient metal means to watches. Far from a rough-and-ready diver, the 1858 Chronograph Tachymeter is a superbly refined monopusher chronograph, dripping in old-world charm, replete with historic logo, cathedral-style hands and a dial layout that wouldn’t look out of place on the wrist of a silk-scarf-and-shearling-wearing aviator. The bronze case amplifies all of these details, bathing the whole ensemble in a warm golden glow. The harmony between the case and the champagne dial is particularly pleasing. And while the use of bronze to evoke history isn’t new, Montblanc has smartly avoided concocting a contrived marketing narrative linking this frankly trendy material to some sort of nautical origin story. They’ve simply created a very handsome heritage piece, and clad it in a metal that – visually and culturally…

The post INTRODUCING: Montblanc pioneers refined patina with the 1858 Chronograph Tachymeter in bronze appeared first on Time and Tide Watches.

Cartier never fail to deliver the goods when it comes to their SIHH collection – historically offering a large range of new goodies with everything from consumer-friendly steel all the way up to fabulous, one-of-a-kind jewelled masterpieces. And while we’ll have to wait a few more days to see what’s in store for 2017, this early release already has us intrigued. This limited edition of 30 uses the Ronde Louis Cartier XL as a starting point – a very traditional white gold canvas, framed prettily with a bezel of baguette-cut diamonds. But it’s the dial where the magic happens. Cartier has a strong interest in artistic crafts – or Métiers d’Arts if you prefer – and has invested in a sizeable facility dedicated to fostering these niche skills. This year they’re showing off a brand-new technique called flamed gold, inspired by the traditional manual heating of hands (and screws) to a rich blue, a technique originally developed to harden these key components. Cartier’s artists have taken this originally utilitarian skill to a whole new place, giving life to a multi-coloured panther by applying heat to the solid gold dial. Greater temperature results in a deeper blue, so the first step…

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