The World Needs More Diverse Watchmakers
Marginalized communities often face barriers to learning the craft. With two new scholarships, America’s first watchmaking guild is trying to increase representation.
This Rolex restoration video by an Aussie watchmaker hit 1m views in record time, and we can see why…
We all dread the nightmare scenario of water damage in a watch. Water and watches is like Superman and kryptonite, too much exposure will wreck the timepiece. As soon as components are exposed to moisture, the process of oxidation and rust will begin and, as the days pass, render some of them irredeemable. Rolex makes some of the most robust and desirable watches in the world, but the increasingly luxurious nature of these products make some owners fearful of testing the professional capabilities of their tool watch. In a video released by Nicholas Hacko, a.k.a Master Watchmaker on YouTube, the Aussie watchmaker films the entire process of the restoration of a water exposed and highly rusted 1996 Rolex GMT Master II two-tone. And it’s clear people are curious to know what such a restoration entails – over the past two months the video has received over 1.7 million views! As you can see, this classic 1996 Rolex GMT Master II watch incurred serious water damage. The parts have developed significant rust on the rotor and even more so on the components below. While restorations can be pricey when they’re as extensive as this, we can all be thankful that it…
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HODINKEE Radio: Twenty-Teens Watch Collection Fantasy Draft
Our editors pick their favorite watches of the last decade – and controversy ensues.
Spotted – President-Elect Joe Biden with a Rolex Datejust 41
The watches worn by Joe Biden while he served as the 47th Vice President of the United States, or during his campaign for the 2020 presidential election, have been widely discussed around the web – think about his Seamaster Professional 300m, his Speedmaster Moonwatch Professional or even a Seiko chronograph. However, something unknown recently appeared on Biden’s […]
VIDEO: Is the Rolex GMT Master II 126710BLNR “Bat Girl” worth the waiting list?
The Rolex GMT Master II range is incredibly sought after. Known for their jet-setting origins, they spruced up the wrists of golden age pilots who appreciated having that extra timezone information to hand. Today, the undeniable appeal for this functional luxury asset remains. Rolex have previously injected a good bit of colour into the 24 hour bi-directional bezels of the GMT line with blue and red (Pepsi), brown and yellow or brown and black (root beer), red and black (coke), and the highly debated all blue (blueberry). But the most modern of the colour duos is found in the blue and black bezels – now limited to the Rolex GMT Master II 126710BLNR “Bat Girl”. The original reference, on a satin and polished oyster bracelet, was dubbed the “Batman” due to its bezel echoing the aesthetics of the superhero detective’s wardrobe. When discontinued, the watch was not entirely removed from the Rolex catalogue. It was instead upgraded to the new caliber 3285, with a more efficient Chronergy escapement that delivers an extended 70 hours of power reserve, and paired with a more formal appearing jubilee bracelet. Collectors didn’t exactly stretch their imaginations when they dubbed the new Rolex GMT Master…
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Independent Watchmaking – In Conversation with A One-Of-A-Kind Watchmaker, Vianney Halter
Stepping into Vianney Halter’s workshop in Sainte-Croix is an unforgettable experience. Inside, a wonderful mix of old watchmaking machines are humming alongside aeroplane parts, monumental clocks, books, drawings, engines and raw materials. It is exactly the workshop you have dreamed about, and yet everything is a surprise. Xavier Markl, MONOCHROME – How did a Parisian […]
MICRO MONDAYS: A titanium watch for under $500? No, we haven’t been drinking. Meet the Boldr Venture Chaigo…
Titanium: the strong, ultralight metal of the future. Once exclusive to Formula 1 cars and racing bike parts, now you can get hold of it in watch form for less than than $500 in a limited edition with a full titanium bracelet. The Boldr Venture Chaigo might be the world’s best value titanium watch at $499 on a bracelet. That’s a bold statement but, in fact, it’s no Boldr (sorry!) than the conclusion of our story on the regular Venture model here on its tough NATO strap. Now Boldr is stepping up their game with an unexpected and refreshing collaboration with Kenji Chai, the graffiti artist who’s street-art royalty in Malaysia with some big international commissions under his belt (check him on Instagram as @mr_kenjichai). This Boldr Venture is part a very limited-edition run of only 160 pieces, and it comes with a hand-painted collector’s action figure of Chaigo, Kenji Chai’s artistic alter-ego in the shape of the cheeky blue dog with spray can in hand. This streetwear conscious collab is the sort of thing you might find on Hypebeast and brightens up the sometimes rather stuffy world of horology. FUN is needed in 2021 so this is a sure-fire…
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RECOMMENDED READING: How this 27-year-old beat a deadly virus, opiate addiction and depression to build a mechanical watch by hand
If you are a regular reader of Time+Tide you might be familiar with Australian watchmaker Reuben Schoots. Reuben and I are the same age at 27 years old, but whereas I have yet to finish my copy of Watchmaking by George Daniels, Reuben is on the precipice of finishing his very own watch – built using the Daniels method. It takes a mountain of perseverance and technical skill to build a watch, especially when its components are all built by hand. But it is that much more impressive that Reuben is able to do so in the wake of battling a life-threatening illness that he caught while travelling through South America. In this interview with ABC News Australia Reuben explains, “I went to the doctor and they found I had glandular fever, but the glandular fever was actually the result of my immune system being so suppressed as I had contracted three tropical viruses, as well as a parasite I had in my gut. I became really unwell, I lost 16 kilos, I couldn’t leave the bed, I had this huge mental depression as well.” Reuben’s condition rendered him bed-ridden at the time, and as a result he lost his…
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Sunday Rewind: Patek Philippe’s Iconic Ad Campaign
You never actually read a Sunday Rewind, you merely click the link to the original post.
Getting colour coordinated with the Audemars Piguet CODE 11.59 collection
Editor’s note: Without a doubt, one of the hottest trends of 2020 was the sheer volume of coloured watches that were released. From pretty pastels to the range of rainbows, these colours were a welcome bright spot in a grim year. A certain Le Brassus-based brand joined in on the fun introducing the CODE 11.59 by Audemars Piguet collection in a variety of smoked dial tones. If you missed these when they were first released, let’s take a closer look at what makes them exciting additions to the range. When the CODE 11.59 by Audemars Piguet was released in 2019, it marked the beginning of a new chapter in the history of the brand. Audemars Piguet CEO François-Henry Bennahmias stated the launch of the new collection was the biggest for the brand since 1972 when the iconic Royal Oak was first introduced. It was, in other words, a very big deal for AP. At launch, 13 different references were released across six different models included complications such as a minute repeater Supersonnerie, a perpetual calendar and a flying tourbillon. Despite being a new part of the AP family, the CODE 11.59 is clearly here to stay and continues to expand…
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