The Speedmaster Chronicles #4 – Aurel Bacs, Auctioneer at Phillips Watches
The former-NASA engineer who certified the Speedmaster, the journalist turned watch-designer who initiated “Speedy Tuesday”, a seasoned Speedy collector… What could have been the next step when it comes to the Omega Speedmaster? At a certain point, when you look at such an iconic watch, you have to talk auctions and markets. So no shortcuts, we asked renowned auctioneer Aurel Bacs from Phillips Watches to join us and talk about the Speedmaster. And the best surprise was that not only he talked about his professional view on this piece of history, but this movie ended up to be much more personal than expected. Please meet Aurel and his personal Omega Speedmaster.
In 2017 the Black Bay is a force to be reckoned with, a retro reissue that has fuelled Tudor’s ascendancy to the powerhouse it is today. And while these days we’re used to having a range of colours and case finishing to play with, it’s hard to overstate just how hot this watch was when it was first released in 2012, and how it got even hotter the following year, when the blue version dropped. The Black Bay isn’t just a (very excellent) dive watch, it’s a tribal marker of community. So we thought it was the perfect opportunity to get as many Bays as we could lay our hands on in the one place, and run through the evolution of this modern-day classic. 
At Time+Tide we typically focus on the new – the latest reviews and news. But there’s always a place for the stone-cold classics, which is why, when we had a bunch of Black Bays in the office (more on that later in the week), we thought we’d take the opportunity to have a look at the Black Bays that started it all: the red, blue and black versions. And while these versions (which we borrowed from friends – thanks guys!) are the older, ETA models, they’re still pretty indicative of what this retro diver is all about. So while you’re likely familiar with these colourful, core Black Bays, it doesn’t hurt to look at them in crisp HD. And even though the oldest model is now five years old, and the competition for heritage divers has hotted up, we still think it’s pretty hard to beat the original Tudor Heritage Black Bay. Tudor Heritage Black Bay Australian pricing Tudor Heritage Black Bay on leather, $4030, on bracelet, $4410
Some people say that a leopard can’t change its spots, and you know what? Some people are wrong, as the Bell & Ross BR 03-92 Diver clearly proves. The French watch brand earned their stripes with an impressive array of aviation watches, centred on the square, cockpit-inspired BR 03 case. Well, it turns out that this large, striking design works just as well at depth as it does at altitude. The BR 03-92 Diver is a remarkably smart underwater repurposing of the brand’s famous form. But really, not too much had to be changed. A bezel was added, as was a screw-down crown. The trademark Arabic numerals were replaced with simpler (and heavily lumed) hour markers. It’s clever design – something B&R excels at – and I think this new diver will have an important role in the collection going forward. I can’t wait to see what versions will be coming down the pipeline in a few months’ time. Bell & Ross BR 03-92 Diver Australian pricing Bell & Ross BR 03-92 Diver, $5400. For more information, see here.
Given how synonymous Omega’s Speedmaster is with space in general and the moon in particular, it’s quite easy to forget that the watch was originally designed with motorsports in mind. This year, Omega set out to remind us that the Speedmaster does not always equal Moonwatch, with the Speedmaster Racing Master Chronometer, a big, 44.5mm dual register automatic that honours the spirit of the Speedy, but also spices things up with numerous automotive touches. Starting with the perforated racing strap, with flashes of orange peeking out from between the lining. Then there’s the high-vis orange highlights on the dial, and finally, the roulette-style alternating minute track, which improves legibility (and coolness) by at least 20 per cent. With the Speedmaster Racing, Omega has taken an already winning engine and, once again, fine-tuned it for optimal performance. Omega Speedmaster Racing Master Chronometer Australian pricing Omega Speedmaster Racing Master Chronometer, steel on leather, $11,300
If you were looking for a go-anywhere-do-anything type watch (and honestly, aren’t we all?), then a stylistically versatile steel GMT on a bracelet would tick a lot of the boxes. And as far as versatile steel GMTs go, there aren’t too many options that offer quite as much as Grand Seiko’s SBGJ203. It’s got the looks: a distinctive, angular and exceptionally well-finished 40mm case, paired with a rich dial that sets an exceptionally high bar for the competition. There’s fine detail at play, but it’s not a watch to peacock its virtues, or to sacrifice comfort and function in favour of style. And then there’s movement. Grand Seiko’s 9S86, released in 2014, is a connoisseur’s choice, a well-finished automatic that beats at an accurate 5Hz rate, with an antimagnetic balance spring and 55 hours of power reserve. Not to mention the user-friendly GMT itself, which shows two time zones from central hands, and allows for quick, hour increment adjustments of the local time, a more logical implementation than the GMT hand adjustment, which is more common. The SBGJ203 is the sort of watch that has me going out of my way to find flaws. You might find the finishing –…