Hands-on – The Comeback of the Nivada Grenchen Chronomaster Aviator Sea Diver

About a week ago, we introduced you to a rather cool watch, the Nivada Grenchen Depthmaster, which marked the return of a highly original and important model in dive watch history. What’s even more noticeable is the fact that the name Nivada Grenchen, a niche but cult brand specialized in instrumental pieces, is coming back. […]

5 years ago

Dive watch fundamentals – Why Rolex still wears the crown of the deep

Rolex dive watch historyThere’s a strong argument that the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms was the first real diver’s watch of its kind… and that’s because it was. It’s also true that the Rolex Submariner, which was also released in 1953, but after the Fathoms, did borrow some stylistic cues from the Blancpain. However, if any one watchmaker can claim to be the true king of waterproof watches, it’s the one owned by the Hans Wilsdorf Foundation. To understand the genesis of the Rolex dive watch history, we must wind the clock all the way back to 1926, when Rolex first patented and launched the prodigious “Oyster Case”. This was the first truly waterproof watch, thanks to its screw-down caseback and, more importantly, screw-down crown. Rolex held the patent for this new feat of engineering and it meant that even almost 30 years later, watches like the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms couldn’t use a screw-down crown and  were compromised as a result. Hans Wilsdorf, co-founder of Rolex and marketing genius, further demonstrated the Oyster Case’s waterproofed credentials a year after its unveiling, when he gave one of his Oyster watches to Mercedes Gleitze, a British swimmer who attempted to swim across the English Channel. Gleitze did…

The post Dive watch fundamentals – Why Rolex still wears the crown of the deep appeared first on Time and Tide Watches.

5 years ago

Introducing – The New MB&F HM9 Sapphire Vision (Live Pics & Price)

MB&F’s retro-futuristic HM9 sails into 2021 with a sapphire crystal case revealing every component of its anatomy. Like the HM3 FrogX tenth-anniversary editions in sapphire crystal presented at the end of 2020, four limited editions of the HM9 with sapphire crystal cases join the HM9 fleet. First launched in 2018, the HM9 Flow takes its […]

5 years ago

SPOTTED: 5 Instagram shots that show the Hublot Classic Fusion 40 Years Anniversary collection is even better in the wild

Hublot Classic Fusion 40 Years Anniversary collectionWe’ve all been there. It’s inevitable as a watch collector. You see a new watch that’s been released and immediately fall in love with it. You can’t get it out of your head, until you finally give in, and track one down in the metal. But once you have it in your hands, you realise how much better the rendered images from the brand made the watch look and it doesn’t live up to your expectations on your wrist. With the Hublot Classic Fusion 40 Years Anniversary collection, however, the opposite is true. It looks just as good on the wrist. Maybe even better. Here’s proof – in a collections of shots I’ve spotted on Instagram over the last few months, that show just why the Hublot design DNA is standing the test of time. @equationdutemps If you aren’t following @equationdutemps yet, do yourself a favour and check out his ‘gram. In this shot of the Hublot Classic Fusion 40 Years Anniversary reference in titanium he manages to capture not only the mirror polished bevels and satin polishing of the rest of the case, but also the inky depths of that jet black dial. Don’t stare at it for too…

The post SPOTTED: 5 Instagram shots that show the Hublot Classic Fusion 40 Years Anniversary collection is even better in the wild appeared first on Time and Tide Watches.

5 years ago

INTRODUCING: Yes, it’s yet another bronze watch. But here’s why the Oris Carl Brashear Cal. 401 Limited Edition matters…

Oris Carl Brashear Cal. 401Oris is well known in the watch world for making high quality timepieces that offer serious value. While less expensive than many of their competitors, Oris still uses top-notch materials like ceramic bezels and also now incorporates in-house calibers. By making the latest technology more accessible to buyers, the brand has cultivated a devout following. One material Oris has seriously mastered is bronze, having gone so far as to even produce a bronze chronograph with a bronze bracelet – totally unheard of in watchmaking. Today, Oris returns with a new bronze watch – their latest collaboration with the Carl Brashear Foundation: the Oris Carl Brashear Cal. 401 Limited Edition that features a new dial, movement and strap. A production of 2000 watches, the Oris Carl Brashear Cal. 401 Limited Edition case is 40mm in diameter and completely made from bronze (aside from its solid stainless-steel engraved caseback). The bronze bezel has a frosted texture and finish, and while most timing bezels only convey every minute up to the 15h, here we have a full timing scale etched in relief. Protecting the dial is a domed (on both sides) sapphire crystal with an anti-reflective coating on its underside. The watch utilises…

The post INTRODUCING: Yes, it’s yet another bronze watch. But here’s why the Oris Carl Brashear Cal. 401 Limited Edition matters… appeared first on Time and Tide Watches.

5 years ago