The Steel Bulgari Octo Finissimo has started to hit boutiques, game on
Editor’s note: Andrew didn’t know it at the time, but LVMH Watch Week in Dubai was the only major watch event in the first half of 2020. What he also didn’t know, but had a strong feeling about, was what the best luxury steel sports watch of the year would be. He picked it early, put his money on the Bulgari Octo Finissimo 100m Stainless Steel as the best performer, and six months later is only feeling more confident about the bet, especially now that it’s offered in both black and blue dialled variants. And do we have news for you. Word is out that after delays due to the pandemic, stock of the steel stunner is starting to hit Bulgari boutiques. Praise be! While in Dubai in January, Andrew spent some time with Fabrizio Buonamassa Stigliani, the mind behind the watch, and discussed the design process of a case with more than 70 different facets and why it is now a real sports watch. The dynamic duo – who open this video with a Gregorian chant of some kind? – also explore other new Bulgari models to be released this year. As for the ‘Satinato’, contact your local Bulgari boutique…
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If you’re a regular reader of Time+Tide, it should come as no surprise that the Longines Heritage Collection has gone from strength to strength over the last few years. An early sign of the success that was to come was the Longines Heritage Diver 1967 in 2015 (a watch that was kindly donated to the Time+Tide Watch & Act! auction for the Australian bushfire crisis), and again with the Longines Heritage 1945 in 2017. But while you might expect that Longines had used all its dry powder over the last half-decade, they have released one of the best Heritage Collections yet in 2020. Here, we take a look at five of our favourites. Included in the winning references is a selection that shows the diversity of the Longines Heritage Collection, which covers dress watches, chronographs, military-style watches and aviation watches. Each piece is inspired by the rich archives of the brand, and demonstrates the important legacy that Longines has built over almost two centuries. For more, visit Longines here. Made in partnership with Longines. However, the opinions expressed in this article are our own in accordance with our Editorial Policy.
From A. Lange & Söhne, we’ve learned never to predict what might be next. In this clip from our Watch Fair & Chill coverage of Watches & Wonders 2020, you’ll see exactly what we mean. When a wristwatch can cost as much as a house or a McLaren supercar, there are a certain amount of bells and whistles you want to see. With the German masters’ Zeitwerk Minute Repeater in white gold, there may not be bells, but you can see the aggressively sculpted hammers striking the snaking gongs in an ingeniously simple way. Instead of ringing the hours, quarters, and minutes like a ‘regular’ minute repeater, A. Lange & Söhne replicate the numerically digital time display with a low gong for hours, followed by double strikes for every 10 minutes, and then single high gongs for the minutes. Although the Zeitwerk collection has existed for some time now, this limited edition of 30 pieces is a celebration and affirmation of how revolution can still be found in luxury watchmaking. The second surprise of Lange’s 2020 releases was an adjustment to the controversial Odysseus — their answer to the blue-dialled steel sports watches that have been running away with the…
96. That’s how old I’ll be when the warranty on one of these watches runs out. This year is all about the Luminor in the 2020 Panerai collection, with a number of exciting new references that have been released so far. We focus on two highlights within the collection, the Panerai Luminor Marina PAM01117 and the Panerai Luminor Marina Fibratech PAM01663, both 44mm watches in the classic Luminor case shape and offering some impressive new features. First, the PAM01117, and straight out of the gate we have a 70-year warranty period to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the original Luminor. That’s right, if you buy it today, you’ll have a warranty till 2090. It’s an impressive show of confidence from Panerai in their product, and one you might wish was standard across the industry. Regardless, the PAM01117 is sure to be the life of the party in any nightclub (the next time we are allowed in a nightclub), thanks to the almost supernova radiance of the Super-LumiNova (now you know where it gets its name) that is liberally applied to the dial, hands, case and strap. Turning to the interesting innovation found in the PAM01663, and we have a watch…
If you’ve ever dropped into the Time+Tide HQ in Melbourne to pick up a copy of NOW Magazine or try on a DOXA, chances are that you were greeted by the effervescently charming Khando. She has been a member of the team since the second half of last year, and previously worked in the fashion industry with a number of international brands. As a result, most mornings begin with Khando arriving at the office wearing a piece from the latest Acne or Balenciaga collection. But, disturbingly, without a nice wristwatch. To solve this troubling issue, and being the smart negotiator and savvy salesperson that she is, Khando managed – in a matter of days not weeks as part of the T+T team – to acquire a watch on indefinite loan. Think of it as a peppercorn in legal parlance, where an agreement has been arrived at with very little specified on the actual terms of the deal. The watch in question is none other than the Seiko SRPC91K “Save The Ocean” Turtle. An admitted lateral step from the runways of Paris and Milan that Khando is more used to, but an important part of her daily routine nonetheless. So until a…
Sure to be one of the highlights of 2020, the new James Bond film, No Time to Die, is coming. And just as we have with every new Bond film for the last 25 years, we get a brand new Bond watch. This year, we say hello to the Omega Seamaster Diver 300M 007 Edition, an interesting watch for a number of reasons beyond the fact that Daniel Craig is sporting it in his last outing as the world’s most famous spy. The Omega Seamaster Diver 300M 007 Edition is based on the regular production Seamaster Diver 300M, however it has been tweaked to be more suitable for the wrist of an intelligence officer. The 42mm case is a darker metal than the typically used steel and is actually titanium, the same lightweight material that the Milanese bracelet and folding clasp are made from. The bezel is the same matte black as the dial, and is made from similarly lightweight aluminium. As for the rest of the dial, we are treated to a terracotta-tone lume for the hour plots, hands and 60-minute bezel markings. This tanned lume adds a significant amount to the overall impression of the watch, fitting in very…
Editor’s note: It doesn’t happen very often, but sometimes you can have your cake and eat it too. The Bulgari Octo Finissimo Chronograph GMT Automatic is one such occasion, where packed into an ultra-thin, ultra-modern watch, you get the two most practical complications a wristwatch can offer. A GMT and a chronograph. That’s right, in this angular meeting of form and function you get two complications that are rarely seen together, but are integrated here remarkably well. Let me say this plainly from the outset. The Bulgari Octo Finissimo Chronograph GMT Automatic is just so impressive. Not only is it the world’s thinnest automatic chronograph (ever, no fancy caveats needed), measuring 6.9mm for the full watch, and 3.3mm for the BVL 318 movement alone. But (and more importantly for me) it looks and feels good on the wrist and is exceptionally user-friendly. For me there are two big points in favour of this watch. One: the form is flawless, unmarred by obvious, ugly pushers. One of the genius moves of the Octo’s angular design is that it allows for the near seamless integration of geometric pushers that extends the existing look, rather than adding some clunky lumps to one side.…