What you’re about to see might just be a simple change of material, but it is nevertheless great news – not only because the watch looks superb, not only because the price is significantly lower but also because it is a great strategic choice. When it was introduced back in 2015, the Vacheron Constantin Historiques […]
I think we’ve got a hit on our hands here.
The executive director of the Willard House and Clock Museum will discuss clock making in 18th century America.
Ulysse Nardin is not renowned for its low-key, conventional watches. A precursor in the use of silicium (silicon) and fond of extravagant, highly technical – often futuristic – displays, Ulysse Nardin sticks to its guns and revisits its spectacular Executive Free Wheel with new dials made from aventurine, osmium, Carbonium gold and straw marquetry – yes, you heard correctly, straw marquetry!
The Louis Moinet Memoris was introduced in 2016 to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Ateliers and the 200th anniversary of the Compteur de Tierces, the innovative stopwatch created by Louis Moinet. Today, the brand brings new, lightweight versions of its original chronograph with full display of the mechanics. Meet the new Louis Moinet Memoris […]
Generally speaking, watch collectors fear three things: brick walls, unforeseen service costs, and the vagaries of international shipping. I’m not sure about points one and two, but Kelvin has certainly come up against the whims of global logistics conglomerates. But, before you get too stressed out, it’s OK – he won! Or got very lucky, depending on how you look at it. Not to steal Kelvin’s thunder, but this Blancpain L-Evolution, from the late-oughts, was the first watch he fell in love with, and one he eventually bought, years later. Now, at this point it was well-discontinued, so he purchased from a reputable UK-based seller. At this point I’ll hand over to Kelvin, because it’s where issues of freight, alleged tax evasion and other such stressful issues come into play. Somebody at the logistics company had stolen my watch and sold it to the second-hand market — but it had the same serial number …and eventually I got my watch back. Because everyone loves a happy ending … well done, Kelvin!
The post “Somebody at the logistics company had stolen my watch” – or how Kelvin was reunited with his Blancpain appeared first on Time and Tide Watches.
One of the malaises sweeping the Swiss watch industry is, in my oh-so-humble opinion, that of homogeneity. From a distance, the world from the wrist down looks remarkably similar: round, black-dialled steel sports cases in a style that sits somewhere on a spectrum between vaguely retro to full-blown reissue. I’m well aware that this isn’t a new phenomenon, but today a properly original watch design is an exception, rather than the rule. Louis Vuitton’s Tambour case is original. I mean, sure, it’s round and sporty, but it is also possessed of a really interesting case, with an inwardly curving profile that looks like it was actually designed by a person, rather than a committee. And it’s not just the case — the whole kit and caboodle is dramatically different from what you’d expect from a Swiss watch, which is unsurprising because the visual identity and IP of Louis Vuitton is so strong, and so pervasive. There are versions of the Tambour in the house’s famous motifs, but this option is a little more — for lack of a better word — stealthy. For all that the palette is monotone, this is not a shy watch. There’s that aforementioned sweeping profile,…
The post HANDS-ON: Louis Vuitton Tambour All Black Chronograph 46 appeared first on Time and Tide Watches.
It’s fair to say at this point of 2019 that the CODE 11.59 collection from Audemars Piguet has been the most widely panned watch release of the year, if not recent years. It was in some ways a perfect storm of critical disapproval, poor PR and a pack mentality that got pretty nasty. But pictures on Instagram tell only a tiny fraction of the story, and they’re certainly not a great way to judge a watch. Which is why, when we saw this collector review over on Deployant, we were intrigued. Christian Kretschmar picked up a black-dialled time-only piece after falling in love with it in real life. I’m lucky to have a few very beautiful watches in my collection, of which some were made by Audemars Piguet. I find it hard to compete with the complexity and variety of finishes on the APs, so I mostly pick one of those to wear. Since the CODE is part of my collection, I always look for reasons to wear it. Being a rose gold dress watch, it might seem to be over the top for some occasions, but I find it quite versatile, even in a more casual setting. Regardless of…
The post RECOMMENDED READING: This guy has zero regrets buying the Audemars Piguet CODE 11.59 appeared first on Time and Tide Watches.
Editor’s note: Sandra wrote this lovely piece at the start of the year, and it speaks to one of the biggest movements (if you’ll pardon the pun) in the watch industry over the last few decades – the rise of the in-house movement. I won’t steal Sandra’s thunder, but suffice to say it’s worth a read. If you’re considering buying a new watch, one of the least important questions you should ask is: “Does it have an in-house movement?” To be blunt: the mere existence of an in-house movement does not necessarily equate to a better watch. So why do we see the in-house claim being made by so many watch brands? Why do they use it like a badge of honour, a mark of prestige and exclusivity, a (strongly implied) guarantee of superior quality – and a reason for charging a higher price? Let’s start with what the term actually means. Like many words that have been hijacked by the luxury marketing community and rendered meaningless through misuse and overuse, “in-house” has been reduced to little more than jargon – and has bamboozled watch buyers in the process. In its true sense, an in-house movement’s components must all (screws,…
The post In-house movements – what are they and do they even matter? appeared first on Time and Tide Watches.
For the first time, Spring Drive powers Presage watches.