Women’s Watch Wednesday – The Cartier Baignoire Allongée

Since its first wristwatch was created in 1904, Cartier has carved a name for itself as a daring and innovative brand that doesn’t shy away from shapes. Decade after decade, the brand unveiled incredible and unusual shaped watches, from the Tank to the Crash and even the Baignoire. Now, Cartier takes one of its premier […]

6 years ago

Hands-on – Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Tourbillon Extra-Thin Black Ceramic Ref. 26522

In the early 1970s, Audemars Piguet introduced a watch that would forever unite the worlds of luxury and sport. Now, almost 50 years later, the brand continues to find innovative and intriguing ways to reinvent the Royal Oak, ensuring it remains one of the most sought-after watch collections in the world. This year, Audemars Piguet […]

6 years ago

Hands-on – Panerai Submersible Chrono Guillaume Néry Edition PAM00983

It’s only March but Panerai has already made it clear that 2019 is unequivocally about the dive watch. The professional grade Submersible dive watch to be specific, which this year becomes a stand-alone collection in its own right. Alongside the new models, Panerai is also offering unique ‘experiences’ related to the world of the Submersible. These experiences are exclusively available to those who purchase one of the special, limited edition models within the new range. The Panerai Submersible Chrono Guillaume Néry Edition PAM00983 we are looking at today, for example, is limited to just 15 pieces and comes complete with a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

6 years ago

Hands-on – Speake-Marin One&Two Academic Full Moon

The Speake-Marin One&Two collection was launched just two years ago. First, the brand’s signature case, the Picadilly, got a facelift – a tasteful redesign conducted with Eric Giroud. Secondly, the movements inside are worth a look. In addition to the Small Seconds model and its Openworked development, the brand added a GMT version at SIHH 2019. And there was a nice, astronomical watch next to it, the Speake-Marin One&Two Academic Full Moon.

6 years ago

Women’s Watch Wednesday – Jaeger-LeCoultre Rendez-Vous Night & Day Jewellery Watch

Earlier this year at the Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie (SIHH), Jaeger-LeCoultre pulled out all the stops for its women’s watches. The brand’s much-coveted Rendez-Vous collection (released seven years ago in 2012 and created just for women) was top on the list when it came to new editions. Of particular note were the high jewellery pieces that flaunted new dials, new moon phase disks and beautiful prong settings.

6 years ago

VIDEO: The hottest Moser watch releases of 2019

Visiting the team at H. Moser & Cie. is always one of the highlights of SIHH. You never quite know what you’re going to get. Well, that’s not quite true. You know you’re going to be in for some surprises. And seeing Moser at SIHH 2019 did not disappoint. We knew about the Nature Watch, and that statement piece (literally, it was all about the statement of the watch industry’s environmental obligations) did not disappoint in real life (again, literally). Another high-level statement that impressed in real life was the exceptionally minimal Swiss Alp Concept Black — I just shudder to think about setting the time. Really, though, the watches that excited me were the more commercially oriented pieces, like the Pioneer with its ruggedised take on the tourbillon, and the (as always) exceptional dial on the Endeavour Centre Seconds Concept Blue Lagoon, which certainly lives up to its name. 

The post VIDEO: The hottest Moser watch releases of 2019 appeared first on Time and Tide Watches.

6 years ago

HANDS-ON: The Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Ultra Thin Moon Enamel

With the new Master Ultra Thin Moon Enamel, Jaeger-LeCoultre has pulled off quite a feat: it has transformed a quietly beautiful and discreetly elegant design into a take-your-breath-away showstopper. And it has done so without losing even a milligram of the class and refinement that has defined the model since it was first introduced in 2012. While JLC has added a variety of dial colours and finishes to the collection over the years, this new dial takes it to another level, showcasing the Maison’s mastery of guillochage, enamelling and engraving. It’s unlike any guilloché-enamel dial I’ve seen before. (The technique of applying coloured, translucent enamel over guilloché engraving is called flinqué – or, in Japan, Shippo.) Usually, when these two crafts are combined, the engraving is delicate and reveals itself fully only when the light hits the dial at certain angles. But here, the sunray pattern is highly pronounced, with the ‘rays’ cut extra-deep and wide, so they appear almost faceted and make the dial dance and sparkle in the light as you move your wrist. The vivid colour of the enamel adds even more impact. Oddly, Jaeger-LeCoultre describes it as “a deep, intense midnight blue”, which is well off…

The post HANDS-ON: The Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Ultra Thin Moon Enamel appeared first on Time and Tide Watches.

6 years ago

Hands-on – Laurent Ferrier Bridge One – In the Mood for Retro

In a radical departure from the smooth, pebble-shaped cases we associate with Laurent Ferrier, the Bridge One embraces a new geometry marked by flowing rectangular lines with rounded edges and a strong Art Deco vibe. The movement, shaped to match the case, is also new and fitted with a traditional Swiss lever escapement as opposed to the natural escapement featured on most of LF watches. Unveiled during the SIHH 2019, we were able to spend some time with the novel Bridge One.

6 years ago

Hands-on – Greubel Forsey Balancier Contemporain – Still GF All the Way, Just More Reasonable

In the last years we have seen two very different faces of Greubel Forsey: on the one hand, we get extraordinarily complex watches with big cases and uneven shapes that look like a boxer after an unsuccessful fight night. Its famous GMT is a prime example of that. On the other hand, it also produces watches with round cases and simpler dials. Still the same insane obsession with the best finishes possible, but less information and a more traditional arrangement. It started with the Tourbillon 24 Secondes Vision, with live pictures here, that secured the manufacture the 2016 Aiguille d’Or, the highest prize at the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genéve (GPHG). That same year we saw the Signature 1, with an even simpler structure. And that’s the case of the new Greubel Forsey Balancier Contemporain.

6 years ago

Hands-on – Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Selfwinding Chronograph 38mm – Small is Big News

Although the launch of Code 11.59 and the consequent deluge of reactions pretty much eclipsed other novelties of the brand during the SIHH 2019, Audemars Piguet had some treats up its sleeve, including this 38mm Royal Oak Chronograph. Still the same watch as the existing 41mm Royal Oak Chronograph but 3mm smaller, still powered by the same automatic chronograph movement, the new 38mm Royal Oak Chronograph is out to conquer men and women’s wrists alike. Four versions, two in rose gold and two in stainless steel, were presented at the SIHH 2019 – and judging by the positive reactions so far, this size might well become a regular member of the Royal Oak Chronograph family.

6 years ago