LIST: Nick Kenyon’s 6 favourite articles of 2020
I love this time of year. Not only because the weather is nicer and the Christmas break is on the horizon, but because it offers a chance to reflect on the year that has been, and think about the work that Time+Tide has done in 2020. In short, it’s been an extremely challenging year. Of course, hospitality, entertainment and travel have been some of the industries hardest hit by the Coronavirus pandemic, but the watch industry has suffered too. Rolling lockdowns have forced factories to close and storefronts to shut. Events to launch watches have been cancelled (such as Watches & Wonders and Baselworld) and events that showcase the cultural importance of fine watches (such as No Time To Die) have also not happened. But despite all this, the watch industry has rallied together and persevered. Patek Philippe allowed some of its retailers to sell online for the first time ever, Geneva Watch Days was held, as the only Swiss watch show of the year and WatchFest Australia went ahead online to bring the Australian community closer together. There have been a lot of lows throughout 2020, but also a lot to be grateful for and a lot to be…
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It isn’t easy for just anyone to become a watch manufacturer. It takes determination, know-how and a passion for watchmaking to claim that dwindling slice of the sales pie not consumed by the larger conglomerates. But fortunately there are those taking big strides, while putting their own spin on modern horology. Eugen Wegner is a brand recently revived by Jonas Bley – the great-great grandson of Eugen himself – who is looking to drive the watchmaker forward. Jonas has brought three new watches to the table: the Hevelius (39mm time-only), Phoenix (time and date), and our primary focus today, the Eugen Wegner One chronograph. The Eugen Wegner One is the most complicated of the trio, a heritage-inspired chronograph that evokes classic design in today’s marketplace. The backstory In 1897, the brand established its first workshop in Gdańsk, Poland. Eugen Wegner, an award-winning young watchmaker from Germany, quickly gained a reputation for creating high-quality timepieces. With the help of his wife, his creations became highly sought-after throughout the region and demand for his work grew. A few decades later, Eugen Wegner’s first-born son entered the business in 1920 after spending some time in South America with fellow competitor Hans-Ulrich of…
Editor’s note: A few months back, we announced that former Editor of GQ Australia, Mike Christensen, was to be our first European Editor. In this series, ‘11 Days of Londoners’, Mike will be sharing the stories of a few notable local collectors, starting on Day 1 with King Nerd, and with a stellar lineup still to come. Lastly, you might ask, why 11 days? That, friends, will become clearer over time … Bill Prince served as the Deputy Editor of the British Edition of GQ for 23 years and aside from his interest in all things horological, Bill is also a former music journo and has interviewed everyone from Mick Jagger to David Bowie and Elton John. He is also a member of the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève Academy – further proof of his standing in the watch business. I buy watches … Because they represent the intersection between engineering, aesthetics and design. Rather like a fine wine, a great watch reflects the successful combination of a number of discrete disciplines, in service to the creation of a genuinely beautiful yet functional object. There’s a reason why the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak “Jumbo” is currently the most coveted male accessory on…
We recently covered up-and-coming British manufacturer Zero West, and their Spitfire S4-P9427 aviation watch. But pilot’s watches are not the only horological ace up their sleeve, they also encapsulate great moments in British history on land and sea. Across all three lines, one common theme they share are distinctive cases and aesthetics that can only be construed as Zero West. Founders Andrew Brabyn (designer) and Graham Collins (ex-black ops military engineer) truly work to make creations that stand out from the norm and rework heritage inspirations in fresh forms. Today, let’s dig in to one of their British automotive-inspired timepieces, the Zero West TT-58. The backstory The Zero West TT-58 was inspired by the sixth and final round of the Royal Automobile Club Tourist Trophy held in West Sussex. Renowned as the world’s oldest continuous motor race, the event drew competitors from all over the globe. The drivers behind the Aston Martin cars, Stirling Moss and Tony Brooks, were dominant from the start and soon established a sizeable lead over their fellow racers. According to Zero West, “The race was frantic and saw some accidents and mechanical failures. Multiple pit stops ensued but the David Brown Aston Martins finished 1-2-3,…