VIDEO: Apples to Apples episode 2, Panerai vs Cartier – the big guns
In the first episode of Apples to Apples, I brought the proverbial boys to the yard by surprising Felix with a milkshake in the form of two very similar looking worldtimer watches by Frederique Constant and Baume & Mercier. To be completely honest, I thought Felix out-argued me. I thought he won. The results of the social media poll, where we opened the floor to you, told a very different story. And so, the scene is set for the series to play out. We flip. We make our cases. We hand over to you to be the final judge. In episode two, it’s a battle of wristborn titans; the mighty Panerai Luminor Submersible vs the Cartier Santos 100.
The post VIDEO: Apples to Apples episode 2, Panerai vs Cartier – the big guns appeared first on Time and Tide Watches.
There’s a case for letting the dust settle before you start writing lists after a watch fair. You know, the fullness of time, emotions recollected in tranquility, all that. Or, you could just ride the wave of enthusiasm/delirium while it’s still surging and put it out there, on the spot, from the ‘backstage area’ of one of the booths. Which is precisely what we did on the final day of SIHH 2017 after some frantic notebook scribbling and hurried discussion. We ended up not agreeing enough to do a team list just yet (after all, we’re different people). So we stuck to five each. We’re quite sure that when we get home and start poring over all the photos and videos with fresh eyes that things will change. But until then, these are some piping hot croissants, fresh from the SIHH oven. And boy, are the watches (and our photographer Marcus’ shots of them) toasty. Enjoy with a cup of coffee.
For years IWC has staked its claim as being one of the biggest, baddest and most masculine of the major Swiss brands. Recently though, we’ve sensed a change in the wind. In 2014 they released the delicate Portofino, and last year their more petite pilot had women firmly in its sights. That’s set to continue for 2017, with the latest evolution of the historic Da Vinci collection very much conceived with the female wrist in mind. The core of the collection is a range of eight 36mm references, three with moonphase complications. These models with their smaller size, optional diamonds and numerous colourful straps are intended purely for female customers. Things get a little more ambiguous with the two 40mm versions – including this one, the Da Vinci Automatic. I’d comfortably wear it, but I could also easily imagine my partner purloining for the day/week/rest of my natural life. It’s quite simple, with handsome rose gold hands and applied Arabic numerals. So far so good. But hold the watch in your hands and the party trick becomes apparent. The lugs aren’t just unusual and distinctive, they’re articulated. This means the Da Vinci is supremely comfortable on the wrist, whether it be large or small.…
You never know who you’re going to bump into in the halls of a watch fair like SIHH. Apart from when you get a tipoff in your schedule that a celebrity will be at a booth at a certain time, and you get there early with your cameraman to make sure you make something happen. Unfortunately in this case the chat was off camera, but the quotes were real. Here are five things you almost certainly (apart from you crazy Ryan and Deadpool fans) didn’t know about Ryan Reynolds on the subject of watches. 5 things you probably didn’t know about Ryan Reynolds and his watches He had a smart watch, but he accidentally smashed it on a wall. Smart watches, says Reynolds, are for “counting calories” and that’s it. He was handed down his grandfather’s watch, which was issued to him as a solder in a World War 2. He says it has a mystical air. He has his daughter’s initials engraved on his watch. His daughter’s name is James Reynolds. He has a criteria for all watches that he buys. They must tick the following boxes: timeless, elegant, functional and flexible. What on earth is SIHH? (The Salon International de la…
SIHH is as common an abbreviation to us as YMCA. It doesn’t have dance moves, it’s not the Nutbush City Limits, but it does involve the team covering some serious mileage early in the year, every year. The question is, what happens at SIHH? What is it actually like? We made a video, to complete our two-part series revealing the truth about watch fairs (part one is here).
One of the standout watches of last year was the Drive de Cartier. The collection impressed with its assured case shape – a pleasing blend of robustness and classicism that, for many, epitomised what Cartier is all about. Well, the Extra Flat takes things a few steps further, removing any and all extraneous elements from the Drive and making it even more sublime. What do we mean? For starters the watch is, well, flat. At 6.6mm thick it’s some 40 per cent more slender than the regular automatic Drive – a feat achieved largely thanks to the manually wound caliber 430MC (based on the Piaget 430P). Cartier has also made the case a touch smaller (39mm), removed the small seconds and foregone their usual guilloche on the dial. The resulting watch is far more dressy, and absolutely stunning. Offered in pink and white gold, our pick is the more reserved white gold option, which is paired perfectly with a subtle grey alligator strap. Cartier Drive de Cartier Extra Flat in white gold Australian pricing and availability Cartier Drive de Cartier Extra Flat, white gold, limited to 200 pieces, with an indicative price of $24,000 Note: the crown is set with…
Walking into Montblanc’s revamped SIHH booth, it didn’t take long to work out what the overarching theme of 2017 would be. If the deconstructed racing chronograph suspended from the ceiling wasn’t enough of a clue, the booth staff in stark white racing firesuits certainly gave the game away. Montblanc’s off to the races, and in pole position is an aggressively updated Timewalker. The Timewalker is one of Montblanc’s most successful ranges and, over the years, the distinctive Arabic numerals, modern hand design and sculptural, cut-away lugs have become emblematic for the brand. Recently though, the pioneering model has been somewhat overshadowed by new and exciting heritage models. Not any more. The reimagined Timewalker collection is the brainchild of Davide Cerrato, Managing Director of Montblanc’s watch division (and former Creative Director at Tudor), and is released as a fully formed, mature sports collection comprising everything from simple three-handed options to more complicated offerings like this chronograph. And while the key details like the stylised hands, numerals and cut-out lugs are still there, the overall aesthetic is much more restrained, and with the subtlest touch of vintage (like the tip of the seconds hand and clever rubber racing-style strap). But it’s the…
This video series was born out of frustration. We were so sick of being asked to compare “apples to apples” (A2A) when it came to watch recommendations that we went and created a whole new segment – and a new concept for us – to get on the front foot to meet the demand. Like two very proud grocers, we bring you ‘Apples to Apples’. It’s along the lines of Top Gear for watches, but with significantly less talent and on-air experience. We’re doing it because we get it. When you’re looking at buying a watch, it’s natural to ask what else you could get that’s similar – whether it’s comparing your choice to similar types of watches, for example, what other blue worldtimers are out there? (Hello, Episode One!) What other masculine tool watches are there that you’re not thinking of? Or perhaps it’s just simply a question of price. What else can I get for eight grand? So, our criteria for future contenders in A2A battles is that they be comparable materially in terms of form / function OR that they be equivalent in price. So, how does it work? Who gets to fight for what? This is how A2A goes…
It was a complete leap of faith. @thetiafox, Melbourne-based citizen of the world and curator of all things immaculate looks like she was born to work with a watch like the Cartier Hypnose. So, with a little help from Cartier Australia, we arranged for the two to meet. The plan was simple: get them together for a week, then get out of the way. The results were, well, romantic. The Tia Fox, or Melanie Liu to use her real name, not only took the watches to some of Melbourne’s most magnificent and romantic spaces – all with a classic, architectural bent to reference the design of the Hypnose, so thoughtful this one – she also built the photo shoot around a little love story; a narrative about a couple that meet when the female lead (Mel) drops a printed neck scarf in the docklands. To say any more would be to give the story away. To find out more, check in at The Tia Fox on Instagram where a couple of the images have already been posted, with another going up later today. So we’ll hold fire until Friday, when Mel will publish all photos from the shoot, and share her…