Sunday Rewind: The Seiko With An Everlasting Legacy
“It’s probably the single best value at any price point.” –Jack Forster
VIDEO: Why I bought a quartz Grand Seiko SBGN007 as my first “good watch”
Your first good watch is an important step in your watch collecting journey. It represents your first serious commitment to the hobby and probably the first time you spend an amount of money that most people would consider completely preposterous on a wristwatch. But because of that commitment, inevitably your first good watch will always be a memorable one in your collecting journey and represents the beginning of what is likely to be a headfirst dive into the weird and wonderful world of watch fanaticism. What was my first good watch? It was a choice that was off the beaten path, not because it wasn’t a great watch, but because it was quartz. That’s right, my first good watch was the Grand Seiko SBGN007. Why did I choose this instead of something that might have cost a similar amount, but was more traditional in the fact that it was a mechanical watch? Well, I knew at that point a decent proportion of the watches I’d bought were vintage Seikos, many of which were quartz, so I wasn’t starting from a position of only appreciating mechanical watches from Switzerland. The other reason was that for the cost of the Grand Seiko…
The post VIDEO: Why I bought a quartz Grand Seiko SBGN007 as my first “good watch” appeared first on Time and Tide Watches.
Introducing – The Cool New NOMOS Club Automatic Limited Editions
Fine watchmaking has been part of the history of Glashütte, a small village from Germany, for 175 years now. And while NOMOS is one of the youngest brands to operate in this charming town, they are fully part of the watchmaking tradition and, last year, they celebrated this by releasing several limited editions, such as […]
HANDS ON: Is the Rolex Explorer II enough of a value proposition to be the Crown’s ultimate tool watch?
You’ll notice I wrote “tool watch” in the headline and will undoubtedly be challenged on this on two counts, so I’ll address them before the temperature rises. Because the Rolex Professional range does indeed consist of archetypal tool watches, no matter their value and luxurious status. We all know the other two greats, but both the Submariner and Sea-Dweller’s impressive tool-stats are often forgotten due to the brand’s high-end standing. The fact that they also fit very well under a suit jacket doesn’t help, but they are still rugged tool watches at heart, believe me. The Explorer II on the other hand, is refreshingly simple and a tad more casual. With it’s brushed case and no nonsense steel bezel, it’s unashamed of its purpose, and that is one of Exploration. If you don’t know Rolex that well you might be a little surprised by its no-nonsense austere look, detailed instrument-like dial, and very un-premium white tool hand set. And, of course, my favourite detail, that massive orange arrow the size of a racket. What’s behind that gigantic GMT arrow? It’s there because the original Explorer II, released in 1971, was aimed specifically for speleologists or cave divers, so maybe it…
The post HANDS ON: Is the Rolex Explorer II enough of a value proposition to be the Crown’s ultimate tool watch? appeared first on Time and Tide Watches.
VIDEO: Is the Rolex GMT Master II 126711CHNR “Rootbeer” the best two-tone watch on the market today?
Two-tone watches were all the rage in the 90s, but today many collectors have shunned the configuration out of fear they will look like Jordan Belfort. But not all two-tone is created equal, and Rolex has came up with a more youthful interpretation. The Rolex GMT Master II 126711CHNR Rootbeer is a modern take on two-tone, blending Everose gold and 904L stainless steel to create something you would have never seen in two-tone’s hey-day. The black and brown ceramic bezel creates a really interesting tone, the brown ceramic akin to a cup of coffee with a touch of milk. The 40mm case is still of the maxi era, which benefits its design as the modern lug stance distances the watch from two-tone creations of yesteryear. While it incorporates precious metal into its build, the Rolex GMT Master II 126711CHNR Rootbeer is every bit as robust as its full steel brethren. It is Trip-Lock secured with 100 metres water resistance and an Everose screw-down crown. As its proprietary blend name suggests, the rose gold is created never to lose its luster and shine – even over the course of active wear. While not as scratch-resistant as rhodium flashed white gold, rose…
The post VIDEO: Is the Rolex GMT Master II 126711CHNR “Rootbeer” the best two-tone watch on the market today? appeared first on Time and Tide Watches.
VIDEO: The T+T interview with Hollywood legend Russell Crowe just hit 1M views, and these are our favourite watches in the video
A few years ago Hollywood superstar Russell Crowe caught the attention of the watch world. Why? He was selling most of his impressive watch collection in a sale titled, Russell Crowe: The Art of Divorce, through Sotheby’s Australia. While the circumstances of the sale were unfortunate, it was an interesting opportunity to hear straight from Crowe about the watches that he owned and the stories behind them. And not only were the watches exciting in their own right, but the stories that surrounded the watches were even better. When the auction was announced, Time+Tide immediately flew to Sydney to see the watches up close and in the metal. While we were there, we produced a video that looked at all of the watch lots, and then heard straight from Crowe about each of the pieces and what they meant to him in his life. That video was first published back in early 2018, and recently it became the first T+T video to hit 1m views on YouTube. So we wanted to take the opportunity to look back on that important event in the Australian watch-collecting landscape and remember a few key lots in the sale. Andrew has picked his five…
The post VIDEO: The T+T interview with Hollywood legend Russell Crowe just hit 1M views, and these are our favourite watches in the video appeared first on Time and Tide Watches.
Weekend Round-Up: Frozen Margs, Figure Skating, And Giant Pumpkins
We go 0-60 in this weekend’s round-up.
The One I Got Away From – The 1971 King Seiko 5626-7000
As a hobby, watch collecting is often full of little surprises. When it comes to the resale value of a watch, I can get a little obsessed. Part of the fun for me is chasing down the best bargain, trying to figure out what it’s worth, and wondering whether or not I’d be able to make my money back if I end up selling something down the line. While most people, correctly, say that watch collecting should never be about monetary investment, I can’t help but get a little spark of joy when I see the value of something I own creeping up over time. This story was originally going to be about “one that got away” — a watch I sold too soon — but a quick bit of research actually revealed that I got quite lucky in the case of a King Seiko 5626-7000. Now, to be clear, I have never bought a watch purely to sell it. As much as I get excited by the money aspect, I’ve only ever bought them because I’ve wanted to wear them, and selling them on only happens when I feel like that initial attachment has worn off. I don’t have…
The post The One I Got Away From – The 1971 King Seiko 5626-7000 appeared first on Time and Tide Watches.
The Petrolhead Corner – In Conversation with Bruno Belamich, Co-Founder of Bell & Ross, On Design, Cars and Bollinger Motors
Today we bring you a Petrolhead Corner episode with a difference. Usually we stumble upon some interesting titbit of news or history and see if this is worth expanding on, and sharing with our readers in our weekly episodic column. This time around we act upon news that a watch manufacturer is engulfing in a […]
Britain runs the risk of losing another of its crown jewels – King George’s Breguet pocket watch
Monarchists in Britain have endured a tough time of late. Just before coronavirus went literally viral, there was a right royal rumble as Prince Harry and Meghan quit the royal family. As if that wasn’t bad enough, 2021 now sees the royal family in danger of losing another of its crown jewels, the King George pocket watch. It may not be as princely as Harry, but it’s arguably of far more material value, at least in the eyes of watch lovers around the world. Indeed, the UK Government has announced that King George’s pocket watch – an exceptionally rare example of a Breguet Four Minute Tourbillon valued at more than £2 million – is at risk of leaving the country unless a UK buyer can be found to stump up for it and save the work for the nation. Designed by Abraham-Louis Breguet, the one-of-a-kind watch belonged to King George III in the early 19th century. “This watch is a tour-de-force of the art of horology,” said Pippa Shirley, a member of the Reviewing Committee on the Export of Works of Art and Objects of Cultural Interest in an interview with europastar.com. “At the very cutting edge of technology, the…
The post Britain runs the risk of losing another of its crown jewels – King George’s Breguet pocket watch appeared first on Time and Tide Watches.