HANDS-ON: The DOXA SUB 200 C-GRAPH – the most colourful chronographs we’ve seen in years
It is fair to argue that the two most popular watch categories that find their way onto the wrists of buyers around the world are dive watches and chronographs. Both have their merits and are classic staples of the watch industry, but what if there was a way to have both? The DOXA SUB 200 C-GRAPH not only presents a diver’s chronograph watch, but also brings forth the beloved spectrum of colour that DOXA has become known for. The case The DOXA SUB 200 C-GRAPH case is made of 316L stainless steel, has a diameter of 45mm and is 17.4mm thick (in part due to its boxed sapphire crystal). The rather short lugs of the watch make it wear much more compact than its 45mm diameter suggests. It features a stainless steel unidirectional rotating bezel with a sapphire insert, providing a tremendous amount of scratch resistance in an attractive smooth and glossy form that really flatters the watch. The chronograph pushers, which traditionally have been a point of vulnerability in dive watches, are protected with gaskets and are quite short – which makes it harder for any accidental activation under the water. The case has a lug width of 20mm, making…
The post HANDS-ON: The DOXA SUB 200 C-GRAPH – the most colourful chronographs we’ve seen in years appeared first on Time and Tide Watches.
It seems to happen about once a year. I must sheepishly admit that I was wrong about a watch. In 2019, I offered a full retraction to Girard-Perregaux regarding the Laureato, a watch that I not only came to love but purchase. In 2020, it’s apology time once again. And this time, it’s to the Bulgari Bulgari collection after the recent launch of the Bulgari Bulgari Aluminium pieces. I won’t steal all of the video’s thunder though, please watch it to hear in full. Jumping from the personal to the bigger picture, Bulgari is in the business of turning heads in 2020 with the announcement of their record-breaking Octo Finissimo Tourbillon Chronograph Skeleton Automatic, the new Octo Finissimo in satin polished steel, and then their remarkable High-End Watch novelties. But there’s another collection that is causing worldwide whiplash – the Bulgari Aluminium collection. In a true revitalisation of the Bulgari Bulgari collection that saw success in the ’90s, the Bulgari Aluminium collection offers a new entry point to the world of Swiss-Italian watchmaking, and does so in a way that is oh-so-Bulgari. It forces a re-examination of what a luxury sports watch is and, just like the first Bulgari Octo…
If you’re someone who spends more time looking at screens than you would like to, but don’t want to miss an important call, the Bausele Vintage 2.0 Hybrid SmartWatch is an interesting proposition. At first impression, or from across the room, you would think you were looking at a mechanical mid-century wristwatch. After all, the analogue hands don’t give much away about what lies beneath the dial. Under the dial is a Bluetooth-linked smartwatch, which offers almost everything you might want, including phone notifications, activity tracking, sleep monitoring and alarm, as well as multiple time zones with the press of a button. This blend of past and present is the most recent offering from Bausele, a Swiss-made but Australian-designed brand founded by Christophe Hoppe in 2011. The brand has released a number of mechanical watches over the years, but this is their first step into the smartwatch game, and it’s one they have done thoughtfully. This consideration has kept the mechanical watch lover front of mind, creating a watch that offers the convenience of a typical smartwatch, but with the balanced design of a traditional timepiece. In that way, it’s the best of both worlds, fusing form and function with a…
In this instalment of our discussion with the King of the Close-Up, Mr @horomariobro (you can find the first part right here), we take a deep dive into a brand that has a well-established reputation for getting the details right – Grand Seiko. Specifically, we take an extremely close look at his own Grand Seiko SBGY003, a watch that was released in 2019 to mark the 20th anniversary of the launch of the Spring Drive movement. Here’s what he had to say. Andrew McUtchen: Your video of the Grand Seiko SBGY003 is pretty remarkable..! @Horomariobro: Yes, here I try to show a couple of things. One is how smooth the Spring Drive moves the second hand. It’s really smooth. And then the other one, I’m just trying to show how well polished the index marker is. It’s the mirror polish, the famous Zaratsu polish, and then using the mirror polish to show the underside of the moving second hand. View this post on Instagram We recently spoke to @horomariobro about why he loves @grandseikoofficial so much, and what sets them apart from similar watches. The answer? You're going to need to look very, very closely. Head to the site for the full…
Despite being one of the most well-known and regarded watchmakers in Switzerland, Hublot is a relatively young brand when compared to its 18th and 19th century peers. Hublot was founded in 1980, a mere four decades ago. In celebration of this milestone, the brand is marking its 40th birthday with the all-new Hublot Classic Fusion 40 Years Anniversary collection, which pays appropriate tribute to the first watch to ever have Hublot on a dial. The Hublot Classic Fusion 40 Years Anniversary collection comprises three limited edition references, with 100 available in yellow gold, 200 in titanium and another 200 in black ceramic. Compared to the micro-mechanical marvels that Hublot are well known for producing in 2020, this collection is reserved, expressing a distillation of the core Hublot aesthetic that was established by founder Carlo Crocco. The crucial aspects of this aesthetic include the precious metal watch on a rubber strap (a world first in 1980), as well as the exposed case and bezel screws that are still present in many Hublot designs today. Hublot Classic Fusion 40 Years Anniversary collection price and availability: The Hublot Classic Fusion 40 Years Anniversary in yellow gold is AUD$35,100 and limited to 100 pieces.…
Most of us probably haven’t tried to draw anything since high school, and those high school drawings are unlikely to be works of art. Even to the encouraging eyes of our parents. But don’t worry, because it’s never too late to learn a new skill, especially when you’ve got the best teachers, and you’re learning about a subject you’re passionate about – a subject like watches. Earlier this year, Andrew McUtchen had the pleasure of speaking with Fabrizio Buonamassa Stigliani, the head watch designer at Bulgari and the man behind the Bulgari Octo Finissimo, and Fabrizio was generous enough to offer a quick lesson on how to sketch our own Bulgari Octo Finissimo drawing. That’s right, a five-minute lesson on how to draw one of the hottest up-and-coming sports watches of the last few decades, from the man who brought it to life. Like I said, when you’ve got the best teachers it’s easy to learn a new skill, and it’s safe to say that Fabrizio Buonamassa Stigliani is the best person for the job when it comes to sketching the Octo Finissimo. The Bulgari Octo Finissimo case shape in its current form was first released in 2014, housing a…