Here’s the battle of accessible British military-inspired watches! The two watches we’re about to compare are indeed very similar in spirit and execution. Undoubtedly, there are drastic differences between them, but there are strong resemblances too. Both watches are accessible, hand-wound, inspired by past military-issued models for the British Armed Forces (the MoD and the […]
The former Kansas City Chiefs lineman put in the time to build a truly eclectic collection.
People forget that St. Patrick was a huge vintage watch guy.
Our weekly Micro Mondays feature has become a big success since its inception last year. The featured pieces often appeal because of their more accessible approach to watchmaking with a delightful blend of superb value and quirky designs that just wouldn’t happen in a listed company with a large design department. Purely on the basis of online traffic, these are the 10 most popular microbrands on Time+Tide from last year – a mix of new offerings and others that are fast evolving from fledgling independents into larger scale productions. 10. Kurono Japanese watchmaking artisan Hajime Asaoka makes stunning bespoke watches. The only problem: the starting price is around $40,000. Kurono is the more accessible side of Asaoka-san’s art deco splendour. The production is managed by Precision Watch Tokyo Co. Ltd, while the dial and caseback – signed Bunkyō Tokyo – refers to the special ward in Tokyo where Hajime’s design studio is located. As a microbrand Kurono is well-established with two new models launched this year, including a new version of their art deco classic bicompax chronograph. Unfortunately, and as usual, it instantly sold out based on a well-organised tier system for orders. And yes, they are already rising in…
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How low can you go?
You’ll have heard this about vintage watches before: tread carefully when you have these pieces serviced and who you allow to work on them. With Rolex, in particular, you’ll be aware of the dangers of having the factory service their vintage watches and the horror stories of these coveted watches losing the elements that make them so valuable in the process. Rolex’s own service centres are not like Patek Philippe or Audemars Piguet. They do not have a heritage department to painstakingly restore and re-fabricate vintage parts in order to keep everything period correct. Instead, their objective is to make their watches as robust and high-performing as possible. So while many consumers appreciate faded bezels and patinated dials that have lost their lume, Rolex does not. They will, in fact, replace these components with modern alternatives and, in terms of polishing, will likely refinish even if you demand they leave the case and bracelet untouched. But a less acknowledged and even harsher reality to servicing vintage Rolex has been raised by watchmaker Jordan P. Ficklin via a post here on ProfessionalWatches.com: there are only a finite number of period correct parts left and, as the supply dwindles, they will only…
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Unveiled in 2020, the DB28XP distils the essence of De Bethune into an extra-flat version of the emblematic DB28. Three models were originally presented, including one with a tourbillon regulator. For 2021, a new model joins the collection, echoing some of the themes that have become the brand’s hallmarks. Here’s the new De Bethune DB28XP […]
Sparkles might pose a problem to gentlemen when it comes to watches. Luckily, in watchmaking, there are sparkles, and then there are sparkles. Unlike the flashy radiant light emitted by a gargantuan diamond on a Jacob & Co. watch, for example, the sparkling dial of the Saxonia Thin emits a gentle, refined shimmer produced by […]
The heritage trend has definitely saturated the marketplace with virtually every manufacturer looking to their past to create interest in their products. Some do this better than others. With the current ubiquity of the faux-patinated aesthetic, designs have to be pushed even further to stand out. Re-interpretations of heritage designs typically signal that the design is largely unchanged besides minor elements being modernised to ensure they are faithful tributes. Longines, however, has taken a more interesting route of late – leveraging heritage frameworks but issuing them with new skins that cater to modern trends. We saw the Longines BigEye Avigation freshen up a past design with a shaded petrol blue dial. Now a similar shade of smoked blue lacquer has been introduced to the Longines Legend Divers collection, alongside a smoked coffee brown lacquer dial for those hankering for a warmer aesthetic. The dimensions remain the same as the original 2007 black dial model that helped usher in the vintage-inspired trend with its stainless-steel case 42mm in diameter (just like the original 7402 diver it was inspired by), 12.7mm thick, and 52.4mm lug to lug. The 300 metre water-resistant watch has a screw-down caseback, as well as two screw-down crowns…
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RGM Watch Co. is the brand that brought legitimate watchmaking back to America, creating ground-up, in-house movements such as the tonneau-shaped Caliber 20, 801 Calibre and Pennsylvania Tourbillon. Other brands such as J.N. Shapiro and Weiss Watch Company have since produced American calibres, but CEO Roland Murphy started the revival in 1992, creating the company […]