The Tradition is one of the most fascinating collections from Breguet. A surprising mix of heritage, technicality and high-end finishing, these watches are a superb tribute to the watchmaking genius behind the brand’s name, Abraham-Louis Breguet. While other collections are inspired by some of his most complicated pieces, the Tradition looks at another of Breguet’s […]
If, like me, you love the svelte lines and sharp details of the vintage Heuer Carrera, the new TAG Heuer Carrera Collection blue dial chronograph (available for purchase here) is a reliable, sleek modern rendition. This is faithful to the lineage, in a contemporary 42mm. The deep blue dial blends formality with the clear motorsports lineage of the range, and is yet another strong contender from La Chaux-de-Fonds. There is no doubt that you are wearing a Carrera, yet this shows just how much a new rich colour brings to the resilient DNA. A sleek, suit-ready take on one of the most important chronographs of the last 50 years is no mean feat. The recognisable case is well proportioned, rendered in a vintage-inspired aesthetic, with a dynamic between dial, bezel and case body. The dial emanates a sporty vibe, and should you catch the right angle, you’ll have it winking at you with a delicious hint of purple. The delicate blue sunray scene is complete with sharp polished indices, register pointers and those classic baton hands. Under the caseback sits the Heuer 02 caliber, with its proven track record and weekend-safe 80-hour power reserve, yet another reason why this take…
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Despite being an important pillar of the brand today, the Longines Record Collection is sometimes overlooked by the collector community. In its most refined form, the Record Collection represents the clean classicism that is so beautifully embodied by the brand, and offers a breadth of watches tailored for everyday wear. This year Longines have continued to develop what the Record Collection can be, with the Longines Record Australian Limited Edition adding a luxurious twist to what is on offer. Offering the simple, yet elegantly designed profile of the 38.5mm steel case, the bezel is set with 52 internally flawless VVS diamonds weighing a combined 0.624 carats. A further 13 diamonds are set as hour markers into the single piece of white mother-of-pearl dial. Simple, luxurious and tastefully considered. Powering the new Longines Record Australian Limited Edition is the Longines caliber L888.4, a COSC certified chronometer that offers an impressive 62 hours of power reserve. It is visible through the sapphire caseback that also records the limited edition number that your watch is in the series. Another exciting feature of this quietly gem-set Longines is the strap options that the watch arrives with. After receiving it, you will find the three different…
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Editor’s note: We’ve had quite the flurry of Bulgari lately, mostly in celebration of the brand’s 2020 collection. And, increasingly, the pinion of the collection is emerging as this model right here. Make no mistake, it doesn’t rightly deserve to be. It’s a simple dial variation away from the black lacquer dial variation that the satin polished steel Octo Finissimo debuted with in January this year. But that’s the logical take. The emotional response, for the broader team, and not just me it seems – is very much centred around this lavish combination of rich blue dial, and the highly faceted and finished steel of its case and bracelet. Well, we all knew it was coming. There was no way that Bulgari was going to release the Octo Finissimo in satin polished steel, and not create a model with a blue dial. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – the Bulgari Octo Finissimo blue dial in satin polished steel is the best attempt by any watchmaker in recent memory of creating a genuine Patek Philippe Nautilus or Audemars Piguet Royal Oak competitor. Bulgari had to make this watch. And now that it’s here, the burning question on…
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The Bulgari Octo Finissimo has seen the update it was waiting for this year, with the announcement in January that it was going to be produced in steel. The months since that announcement have felt both very slow and very fast at the same time, and some may have missed that the Bulgari Octo Finissimo satin-polished steel is now available in both black and blue dial colours, giving fans of the brand the option of dialling up the dress or sport factor. Recently, Time+Tide was fortunate enough to spend some time with the blue dial reference at Geneva Watch Days, where we took the time to soak up what may well be the best new sports watch of 2020, with the heavily faceted case engineered to be water resistant to 100m. The blue dial is certainly the most viable option as a daily wear within the Octo Finissimo range, with the black dial perhaps a more suitable evening companion. Bulgari Octo Finissimo satin-polished steel with blue dial price and availability: The Bulgari Octo Finissimo satin-polished steel with blue dial is $17,800AU and is available from both Bulgari boutiques and authorised dealers across the country. Made in partnership with Bulgari. However,…
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Editor’s note: Fergus Nash, the writer of this piece, is one of Time+Tide’s newest members of the writing team. Increasingly, I am finding that his point of view – rich with analogy, kaleidoscopic associations and energy – is connecting me with the watches he writes about in new ways. Not just new ways, enriching ways. Consider this piece. One of many OF Tourbillon Chronograph reviews. But I’ll wager it will be the most memorable you will read, if not just for the visual treasure map of imagery that it creates, and leaves glittering in your mind. Every now and again you’ll see an object where the stars have aligned, and everything just looks in its right place. This seems to happen disproportionately often with Bulgari’s Octo Finissimo line, a range of watches that sets out to melt the hearts of design lovers as well as smash the record books of technical achievement. With its perfect proportions, balance of symmetry, colour and weight, the Bulgari Octo Finissimo Tourbillon Chronograph Automatic is just the latest triumph in a long, long line. The dial Though there’s no shortage of skeleton dials in the world of ultra-luxury chronographs, there’s something about the Octo Finissimo that…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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Grand Seiko is a brand apart. As one of the few luxury watch brands from Japan – and the only one with that level of production – there is a lot more behind a Grand Seiko watch than its origins. Indeed, after becoming available worldwide in 2010 and as a stand-alone brand in 2017 (with […]