VIDEO: From a piece of steel to a finished watch – how the Jaeger-LeCoultre Polaris is made
Holding a watch in your hands, and wearing it on your wrist is one thing. But seeing where that small, highly precise piece of machinery was designed, and how it comes to life is something completely different, as I found out when I visited Jaeger-LeCoultre’s manufacture in the Vallée de Joux earlier this year, and saw, firsthand, how the Polaris is made. Of course I had seen the watches before, when the new collection was presented at SIHH, but seeing them at the Salon, accompanied by glossy power points, held by white-gloved hands in orderly display trays, is completely different to seeing them in their birthplace. There are certain phrases that we’re prone to trotting out in the watch industry, expressions like ‘in-house’ and ‘hand-finished’, which become a lot more real when you visit that house, and shake the hands of the people who do the finishing. Seeing the very human care and time that goes into these watches — on every step of the way — is a really worthwhile reminder that these watches are about so much more than telling the time.
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It’s always fun seeing Bell & Ross at Baselworld. Aside from the quality, and strong, distinctive DNA of their core offerings, the design-oriented brand is exceptionally good at creating narratives and mythologies around their watches. Case in point is the new Racing Bird series, a colourful take on their vintage line, inspired by a concept plane that (honestly) we wished was much closer to reality. Their collaboration with Renault’s F1 team has the same high speed, high-tech inspiration, but here it’s very much reality. And then there are the latest versions of their 2017 hit, the large and very much in charge BR 03-92 Diver, now offered in two new variants: a blue dial and a (smoking hot) bronze case. And finally there are smart, sensible, and very legible updates to their core — we particularly liked the catchily titled Horolum and Nightlum. So while it’s still squares aplenty over at B&R, there’s plenty of tales to tell and new looks to fall for.
Yacht rock is one of the Time+Tide office’s favourite genres of smooth, easy listening music, so it should come as no surprise that we’re more than willing to get behind the Franck Muller Vanguard S6 Yachting, which see’s the brand’s typical large, curvex case in mirror-like gold holds — well, less watch than you’d expect thanks to the heavily skeletonised movement inside. the bridges share the same stylish, angular geometry that we’ve seen on other Vanguard models. Here the bridges are in blue, which provides some beautiful contrast with the gold. Things start getting nautical when it comes to the finer details, with the compass points on the outer chapter ring and a seconds ‘hand’ at six that resembles a ye olde wind rose. All told this is a cool, very Franck Muller watch, big bold and with a distinctively fun personality. 
Just because Jaquet Droz is a relative newcomer to Australia doesn’t mean they don’t have history. The brand dates back to the mid-18th century, and, besides watches and clocks, is famous for their incredible automata. And while the incredibly complex, high-end art/engineering pieces are still important for the brand, we thought we’d keep it real and focus on their slightly more down-to-earth offerings from Baselworld 2018, offerings that focused heavily on their signature Grande Seconde model, with its oversized seconds subdial. And like any good signature model, the Grande Seconde is versatile. It excels at traditional — as evidenced by the black enamel moonphase model, and the yellow gold and grand feu Tribute — but can pivot nicely to contemporary, with the addition of a ceramic case or skeletonised treatment. Excellent stuff from a niche brand, with a strong and sophisticated identity.
Oh what a difference a strap makes. Last year, when Longines chose to pair their mighty Legend Diver — a watch the Vice President calls the most successful heritage model ever — with a Milanese loop bracelet, they succeeded in creating a third wave of interest in the model that made its way to the door of Time+Tide in Melbourne. The first wave was at its launch in 2007, auspiciously without date. The second wave was the date version that inevitably followed, and the third was the 2017 release with Milanese bracelet. With its heavy, supple bracelet in polished steel making the polished case shine even brighter, we looked at the watch with completely fresh eyes. Now, like eager surfers, we await even more sets of surprising and surging waves from the winged hourglass brand, which has chosen this versatile all-rounder as the shape of many new things to come. 
There’s more to a watch than how it feels and looks on the wrist. Some watches carry a weight greater than what you can measure in grams — they also bear the weight of decades of heritage and sociocultural significance. The Monaco — a true icon of the industry — is one such watch. It’s even more true when that Monaco has a Gulf dial. Those stripes, on that dial, add up to a double hit of Steve McQueen iconography. The watch he wore in Le Mans, emblazoned with the colours of the car he drove, all in one convenient 39mm package. And while this piece of history gives you a good idea as to who this watch is pitched at, it doesn’t quite capture just how much fun it is on the wrist. The Monaco is fun in and of itself, but the popping strap and striped dial take it to the next level, as you can see. TAG Heuer Monaco Gulf 2018 Special Edition Australian pricing and availability TAG Heuer Monaco Gulf 2018 Special Edition, steel on calf, $7650
Twenty-five years is a milestone worth celebrating, so Omega have pulled out all the stops with their latest upgrade of the Seamaster Professional 300M, AKA the Seamaster Professional, AKA the SMP. The SMP is a fairly iconic watch, largely down to its prominent placement on the wrist of Bond (James Bond). Omega have made a host of small but sweeping cosmetic changes, from the bezel, to the dial (hello wave pattern), to the bracelet (thinner) and the case (slightly larger). However, the real change is on the inside: it’s now powered by the Master Chronometer Calibre 8800, which, in another SMP first, is visible through a clear caseback. It’s also available in a range of flavours. Steel, two-tone, bracelet, rubber — you choose. And the best thing, the price. Steel only on rubber comes in at $6375, on bracelet $6525. 
When it comes to GMTs, you’d be hard pressed to find one as user friendly and as easily operable as the Hublot Unico GMT. As part of our mini-series, exploring some unique Hublot takes on complications, we asked the Head of the High Complication department Emmanuel Missillier how it works? The answer involves some intricate wiring, replacing one chronograph module with a GMT plate and a day / night indicator that makes this one of the most legible and simple-to-read examples of the complication on the market.
When you name something ‘Unico’, it’s only fair that people ask what is unique about it. At least this was my logic when confronted with an uncased Hublot Unico movement at the manufacture, on a visit that took place after SIHH in January this year. The head of Hublot’s High Complication Department, Emmanuel Missillier, was happy to oblige in providing more detail about the movement, picking three of its defining characteristics. I went in with some basic knowledge. I knew that the Unico was Hublot’s first in-house movement, and also that it is a flyback chronograph (Emmanuel also demonstrates how a flyback chrono works if you’re not aware). Beyond that, I was interested to learn that the Unico’s strengths are in its power – both in terms of power reserve and also the way it preserves power with different component materials. That’s all I’ll give away in the introduction, watch the video for more.
While I know Bulgari released a full suite of new models at Baselworld 2018 — including a nice new Lucea and variants on the Octo Roma — really, it was all about their geometric critical hit, the Octo. And while we didn’t exactly see the Octo come in new shapes and sizes (it’s still very square), we did see it come in a genuinely interesting new mix of case finishes and complications. Take, for example, the new carbon minute repeater, giving the chiming champion a completely new feel. And then there’s their latest record-breaker, the Octo Tourbillon Automatic, a technical tour de force that looks good to boot. But, for me, the real star is the two new case variations on the Octo Finissimo Automatic, in rhodium-coated steel and pink gold. I’m especially taken by the pink gold, which has never looked so low-key. In the comments on one of our videos, someone asked the question (and I’m paraphrasing here): “How is it that a jewellery house is making such excellent watches?” My answer is that they’re making cohesive, distinctive, zeitgeist-y and genuinely good timepieces precisely because they’re a jewellery house. They’re not so bound by the covenants and conventions of the…