If the value of Swiss watch exports has slightly increased in 2019, the industry has been facing numerous challenges over the past years. Although high-end Swiss watches remain attractive, the low/mid-end segments have been under pressure as the smartwatch expansion seems to have come at the expense of the lower-priced Swiss timepieces. Most watch brands […]
Seventeen-time Grand Slam Champion Novak Djokovic has once again teamed up with long-term sponsor Seiko to create this — the Seiko Astron Novak Djokovic 2020 Limited Edition. Based on the standard Astron SSH019J1, the limited-run watch has been designed to celebrate both the Serbian and Japanese flags. The new Djokovic Astron is a handsome-looking timepiece, thanks to a number of bespoke styling cues. The dial, for example, is finished in a gorgeous shade of blue that symbolises the blue in Serbia’s flag, and in Japanese culture is meant to represent the notion of being victorious. The other two major colour themes of the dial are white and red, which both feature prominently on the Serbian and Japanese flags. The striking white can be found on the UTC indicator ring and sub-dials, and the splashes of bright red can be seen on the tip of the seconds hand, as well as the one and nine numerals of the UTC ring, which represent the Serbian and Japanese time zones. The limited edition Astron also scores a unique ceramic bezel, finished in a matching shade of navy blue as the dial, which also shows off a thin red line in its centre. Measuring…
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Editor’s note: The Longines Master Collection is one of the current pillars of the brand, offering you everything you want in a classic dress watch, but in a modern package and at a sensible price. Andrew took a closer look at the full collection just as it was hitting its stride, and it is certainly worth watching if you are considering adding a contemporary dress watch to your collection. When it comes to Longines’ yearly new releases, we are like heatseeking missiles for the vintage fire the brand has at its disposal – few archives are as deep or as versatile as Longines, and it means they can pick and choose between adventurers’ watches, avant-garde designs, classic dress … the options are almost endless and they impress with regularity. But we rarely look at the everyday collections that, to put this bluntly, are the watches that the brand sell in staggering quantities. The Master Collection, for example. That is, until I noticed it for the first time at a launch in Sydney, last year. That discovery led to more discoveries. All of which are captured in this video, in which we look at the watch that won me over, and…
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Unlocking your inner genius with UFOs and rural noir.
I have been trying to buy an Omega Speedmaster for a couple of years now. I have to admit I’m finding it nearly impossible to purchase one. Yes, I know they are readily available. That isn’t the problem. In fact, one of the problems is that the Speedmaster universe is infinite and daunting. First, let’s gather some context to quantify that opening statement. Currently listed on the Omega website are nine different categories, three or four different case sizes and an exponential array of material and bracelet/strap choices. If you’re handy with a spring bar tool, the permutations could run into the millions, and that’s just the brand-new ones. Then you have to consider the second-hand market. There have been many Speedys over 60 years of production and they range from bargain basement deals to pricey and sought-after limited editions. You want Snoopy on your Speedy? That’ll cost you, but then again who can resist the Red Baron? If I was just another moon-landing fanatic, the choice would be easy. Speedmaster Professional Moonwatch in 42mm, right? Wrong, and let me explain why. Depending on just how fanatical I was about the history of lunar exploration and the Omega tie-in, I…
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W.O. Bentley, the founder of Bentley Motors, once claimed that if you want a faster car you should build a bigger engine. Sounds logical, especially during the early days of car building. This thirst for more power and higher speeds brought forth some of the largest engines ever to be used in cars, with anything […]
Poodle-haired rock god Brian May is world famous as the lead guitarist in Queen who shaped their sound with his nimble-fingered picking and razor-sharp melodies. What’s less well known is that he’s also a die-hard Seiko fan. For years, May has worn one of the brand’s iconic dive watches on his wrist. He’s regularly spotted wearing the Seiko 7548-7010, a diver he picked up while first on tour in Japan back in the 1970s. Now he’s gone one better. May has collaborated with Seiko to create a watch that echoes the design of his homemade guitar that he built with his dad back in 1963. “It took two years and was all done with hand tools using any materials we could lay our hands on,” May told The Guardian in a 2014 interview. “The neck was part of an old fireplace. We hand-carved the inlay on the fret out of old mother-of-pearl buttons and the tremolo arm was made from a bicycle saddlebag holder, topped off with the tip of one of my mum’s knitting needles! “It was a special time and we never really argued. Although Dad did turn the air blue after the chisel slipped and he gouged…
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While Patek Philippe are kept most popularly in the mind today through a handful of steel sports watches and the lyrics of chart-topping songs, the company has a history of remarkable innovation that is sometimes overlooked. In the middle of last century — 1950 to be precise — the Genevan firm released a solar-powered table clock, an invention that predated their first-ever automatic wristwatch movement by several years. It is surprising that Patek Philippe were actively investing in light-powered technology so long ago, as even today most watch companies choose not to work with solar power in favour of battery or mechanically powered timekeepers. Despite this, the Patek Philippe Solar Clock is an excellent example of how forward thinking the brand has been over the course of their history. This innovative approach to powering a clock was looked at closely by Walt Odets in a post he wrote on what was the effective birthplace of the watch internet way back in 2002. Walt wasn’t known for his surface interactions with technical topics, so this is a deep dive into one of the more interesting pages of the history of Patek Philippe. You can read his full analysis right here.
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2019 was the year that Rado solidified their intent to deliver watches that not only pleased a loyal fanbase but surprised and captured the imagination of watch enthusiasts new to the brand. Everything from classically proportioned dress watches, to handsome and rugged tool watches and even bold reissues were released by the Swiss marque, to a great deal of fanfare. We’ve picked out the four watches that surprised and delighted us most in 2019 … here they are: RADO GOLDEN HORSE AUTOMATIC With clear design inspiration from the middle of last century, this Rado speaks to a time when a well-made watch was a daily necessity. The blue sunburst dial gives off an eye-catching shimmer that remains easy to read, with red accents. The slightly scored bezel and beads-of-rice bracelet offer other visual points of interest that make this a genuinely compelling consideration for an everyday watch. Ref No: R33101203/01.763.6101.3.220 / Case size: 41.8mm / Case material: Steel / Movement: Automatic / Price: $2750 RADO TRADITION GOLDEN HORSE 1957 LIMITED EDITION The Rado Tradition Golden Horse 1957 Limited Edition, limited to 1,957 pieces, comes in an era-appropriate case size of 36.5mm and underlines the designers’ wishes to truly honour the…
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18th century mechanics with 21st century aesthetics.