While the focus has recently been on the sporty/elegant Polaris collection, we shouldn’t forget that the “Grande Maison” is also one of the best representatives of Haute Horlogerie. Jaeger-LeCoultre knows its watchmaking and its métiers d’art and the brand’s latest creation is a superb testimony of this expertise. Meet the new Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Grande Tradition […]
Seiko‘s footprint on classic watchmaking is growing quickly. When the brand launched the Presage collection in 2016, the focus was both on watchmaking, relatively accessible prices and Japanese artistry (with enamel of lacquered dials). Since then, the collection has drastically expanded with multiple editions and complications. Today marks a strong evolution, with the introduction of the Seiko’s proprietary Spring Drive technology in the Presage line. Meet the new Seiko Presage Prestige Line Enamel Dial Spring Drive SNR037 & SNR039.
Every year, the watchmaking industry celebrates creativity and ingenuity with the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG) or the so-called “Oscars of the Watchmaking Industry” – see the report for the 2018 edition here. The most advanced, the most innovative and the most creative timepieces will be awarded prizes at the GPHG 2019. Before the ceremony takes place (November 7, 2019), we’re bringing you, hot off the press, the complete list of finalists selected by the Jury. Only six watches remain in each of the 14 categories and here they are.
If you’ve ever looked to buy a watch on the internet, you will have invariably come across grey market watch websites offering a surprisingly good deal on the watch you are interested in. This leads to several questions about the broader mechanics of watch retail, and the watch grey market: Why would I buy from an Authorised Dealer if this is so much cheaper? How do these sites get the watches they are selling? Why do watch brands allow themselves to be undercut on price? All of these are fair questions; the answers of which are often challenging to find. The majority of luxury watch buyers generally consider themselves financially savvy folks, yet the majority of the bragging online is about the strength of their AD relationships, not about the bargain they picked up on www.somerandomwebsite.com. Why is it these money-focused deal makers choose to spend more at an AD, than cash in on double-digit savings from a grey market site? John Keil, a man with expertise in the watch retail business, explains that the source of these bargain watches is a surprising one, that speaks to the core of how challenging this problem is to overcome. Quite often the…
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Editor’s note: Steel sports is all well and good, but there’s something very appealing about the iconic Datejust in this steel and gold livery, with a warm brown dial and diamond hour markers. Especially with that bezel and band. Primo … There are two main contenders for the title of ‘most recognisable watch in the world’, both of them made by Rolex. Naturally, the Submariner has a good shot at the title but, for me, the clear winner is the Datejust. First introduced in 1945, it includes one of the most useful and ubiquitous complications – a date window. Like many features we take for granted on a watch today, this date represented a Rolex first, in that rather than slowly transitioning over a few hours, the Datejust’s date jumped instantly at the stroke of midnight. Even though the model has been around for more than 60 years now, the fundamentals haven’t changed much. Three hands, Oyster case, automatic movement and, of course, the date (with Cyclops). We saw its first leap to the 40mm+ club in 2009, with the bulked-up, 41mm Datejust II. But it wasn’t just the diameter of this watch that had increased, it was broader all over: bezel, indices and lugs all…
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The recent anniversary of the moon landing saw my Instagram feed explode with Speedmaster wrist shots, and an overwhelming number of watch brands releasing special edition watches to commemorate the event. But when the new Zodiac Astrographic Limited Edition somehow beat the algorithm and made its way onto the top of my explore feed, I was immediately intrigued. While most moon-landing-anniversary watches tend to be retrospective, celebrating the glory days of space exploration, the Astrographic Limited Edition distinguishes itself for also being future-looking. The seconds hand, designed to resemble an orbiting Mars, represents an ideological shift to the next frontier of space exploration. This is not your typical ‘moon watch’. In this observer’s humble opinion, none of the other moon watches is particularly … well … space-y. Forgive me for the potential heresy I am about to commit, but as iconic as the Speedmaster may be in the context of space exploration, it doesn’t quite take me back to my childhood days of doodling spaceships and aliens on freshly painted walls. In this respect, the Astrographic Limited Edition does a fantastic job of capturing the excitement and promise around space exploration of that era. Everything from its sleek UFO-inspired case…
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Representing your country at the Olympic Games is the dream of just about every kid who grows up doing a sport, especially Australian kids and swimming. The likes of Ian Thorpe, Grant Hackett and Michael Klim did wonders to boost the popularity of the sport in the Land Down Under, producing a fresh crop of talented young swimmers, including Travis Mahoney. Travis represented Australia at the Rio Olympics where he competed in the 400m Individual Medley, and commemorated his achievement with the acquisition of an Omega Speedmaster Mark II ‘Rio 2016’. When did you first see/hear about it? I actually first heard about this watch from fellow Dolphins team member, dead-set legend and avid watch enthusiast Matt Abood. We had been hanging out at our last pre-competition camp in Brisbane before our journey to the Olympics began. Matt showed me a picture of the design and I immediately fell in love with the smooth brushed steel, unique classic design and obvious connection to the Olympics. Matt told me he was going to get his when he returned from Brazil. I was extremely jealous of Matt but I couldn’t wait for him to get it so I could see it with…
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A unique, complicated Rolex with a diamond dial and a strange history? Yes, please.
We all know that a watch is probably a man’s most important accessory (along with his wedding ring). It reflects his personality, his way of life, it must comply with the situation and his wardrobe. There are, of course, no rules but you’ll admit that a dive watch won’t be the best option for a […]
We all know that a watch is probably a man’s most important accessory (with its wedding ring). It reflects his personality, his way of life, it must comply with the situation and his wardrobe. There are, of course, no rules but admit that a dive watch won’t be the best option for a night at […]