Watch Dandy

Editor’s note: Jaquet Droz is a brand with an increasing presence on our fair shores. And while they’re best known for their watches that exhibit a decent amount of both pomp and circumstance, there’s a lot to be said for their simpler offerings, which are still distinctive as all get-out. Don’t believe us? Check out the Astrale Grande Heure Minute …  Jaquet Droz is a brand that has built its reputation on incredible automata and extravagant finishing. Fluttering birds, delicate miniature painting, and exquisite handcrafts are all par for the course for the brand. Which is why this watch, the Astrale Grande Heure Minute, was such a surprise. It’s no less beautiful, but much more spartan in its style. In fact, besides two hands, some tiny hour markers and some words, there’s hardly anything on this dial at all. This Astrale has been pared back to its most essential elements, and I’ve got to say the strength of the design holds up on its own. For me, it’s a completely different look for Jaquet Droz, and a good one for Australia. If Jaquet Droz is a brand you’ve never considered before, I’d suggest checking out the latest Astrale. It might…

The post Full metal Jaquet Droz – the Astrale Grande Heure Minute  appeared first on Time and Tide Watches.

Editor’s note: There’s something in the air at Grand Seiko. The brand is busting out new designs left, right and centre. It’s an exciting time to be a fan of Japan’s premier watchmaker. Case in point, the Grand Seiko Spring Drive SBGY003 …   Grand Seiko has just announced its latest releases at Basel 2019 and, boy, does the Spring Drive — that unique trifecta of electronic, kinetic and magnetic energy — feature strongly. But not just the Spring Drives you know and love, with that arching power reserve at eight. No, in honour of the movement’s 20th anniversary, there are new manually wound versions, including this super-slender, refined and dressy option. Shown here in steel, it’s known as SBGY003 This is a Grand Seiko like you’ve never seen before. First, the case is so well-sized — 38.5mm across by 10.2mm thick is elegant, restrained proportion. With a simple case, with swooping lugs, a grippy crown (important for manual winding) and a black alligator strap, it’s a refined piece. It’s interesting to note that this is one of the few GS models where the lugs aren’t drilled.  Of course, the dial is impressive, too: a radial starburst-like guillochage, reminiscent of the…

The post Slender and springy – the Grand Seiko Spring Drive SBGY003 appeared first on Time and Tide Watches.

Over the years I’ve seen a lot of new chronographs. Some are impressive, and many are ordinary. But few are as hands-down gorgeous as the Vacheron Constantin Cornes de Vache that I first saw at Watches and Wonders in 2015.  With its classical proportions and comely, cow-horn-shaped lugs it was a love-at-first sight affair. However, the platinum case construction and associated six-figure sticker price put it out of the realm of mere mortals. There was a brief glimmer of hope in 2017, when Hodinkee dropped one of their (IMO) hottest limited editions — a steel Cornes de Vache with a slate grey dial. That hope lasted all of five minutes, which is the approximate time it took for all 36 watches to sell.  All that has now changed, with Vacheron Constantin announcing a regular production steel model to the line-up — the 38.5mm case is the same, as is the Calibre 1142 movement. This movement, as you’d expect from the brand, looks outstanding, and carries the Geneva Seal. Dial-side, the watch is no slouch either, with a complex construction, a pleasingly retro blend of applied markers, printed scales and sunken bi-compax registers.  Add to the mix the beautiful, patina-d calfskin strap…

The post INTRODUCING: The Vacheron Constantin Historiques Cornes de Vache 1955 in steel  appeared first on Time and Tide Watches.

The other day, Phillips announced Phillips PERPETUAL, an always-on showroom of curated horological goodness. Because while blockbuster sales of celebrity pieces have a place, the opportunity for mass volume sales and Phillips, along with the other major auction players is jumping at it. For an in-depth look at the ever-changing business of selling very fine secondary market watches, this piece over at Le Monde Edmond is well worth a read. Twenty years ago, no one was able to buy or sell a fine collector’s watch if it was not via a public platform such as a tradeshow, a dealer or most importantly via an international auction house. The same applied to scholarship: It was only accessible on a personal, one-to-one basis, meaning, the person sharing it with you had to be in front of you. Today with Instagram and other social media, things are radically different. On the whole – all players have benefited – including auction houses. Bacs describes it as a wonderful new democratic platform that has been ‘an amazing trampoline for collectors, dealers and auction houses’. Read the full article here.

The post RECOMMENDED READING: This is what the auction business looks like in the Instagram age appeared first on Time and Tide Watches.