Interview – Piers Berry, on Starting Microbrand Pinion and Doing the Little Things Right

Piers Berry’s passion for watches came later in life but he’s been making up for lost time ever since. Founding British microbrand Pinion in 2013, Berry has used his considerable expertise in digital design to create a relatively simple product range that values clarity over complexity and gives meticulous attention to detail to every aspect […]

7 years ago

Thin end of the wedge – the Bulgari Octo Finissimo Chronograph GMT Automatic

The first watch I saw at Baselworld 2019 was the Bulgari Octo Finissimo Chronograph GMT Automatic. I saw it at a preview dinner before the fair proper, and honestly, it kind of ruined me for other watches at the fair.  The Bulgari Octo Finissimo Chronograph GMT Automatic is just so impressive. Not only is it the world’s thinnest automatic chronograph (ever, no fancy caveats needed), measuring 6.9mm for the full watch, and 3.3mm for the BVL 318 movement alone. But (and more importantly for me) it looks and feels good on the wrist and is exceptionally user-friendly.  For me there are two big points in favour of this watch. One, the form is flawless, unmarred by obvious, ugly pushers. One of the genius moves of the Octo’s angular design is that it allows for the near seamless integration of geometric pushers that extends the existing look, rather than adding some clunky lumps to one side. The other real user-friendly feature is the addition of a GMT feature. Bulgari deserve massive props for this, simply because they didn’t need to do it. But they did (because they can), and it’s great. The second time is displayed in the little subdial at…

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7 years ago

EVENT: An evening with Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Master Ultra Thin 2019 releases

Wednesday night saw Time+Tide invite Jaeger-LeCoultre into our office, along with some of our most die-hard fans (you have to be a little die-hard to make it out on such a cold evening), for an evening of watch-related entertainment.  There is no doubt that the guests of honour were a brace of brand new Master Ultra Thin watches, with stunning enamel guilloché dials in white gold cases. These were the watches first on show at SIHH 2019, and it was great to see them closer to home. And while our readers were keen to debate the merits of tourbillon versus perpetual on a one-to-one basis, there were some other dazzling stars on offer. There was the astonishing (and astonishingly complex) Master Grande Tradition Tourbillon Zodiaque, and — I have to say, these are perhaps my favourite JLC releases of the year — the gorgeous new Dazzling Rendez-Vous, which sees some serious weight of diamonds, set using the very complementary griff setting. The resulting watch is a stunner.  But the Jaeger-LeCoultre presence wasn’t just limited to the display cases, there were plenty of Reversos and Master collection pieces in the room – including a Tribute to Reverso 1931, with a very…

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7 years ago

Omega now rules the deep seas with the Seamaster Planet Ocean Ultra Deep Professional

Big news overnight from the house of Omega – they can now claim the lofty (well, the opposite actually) title of deepest diving watch ever. Just how deep are we talking here? How about 10,928 metres? That’s the depth Victor Vescovo took his submersible, Limiting Factor into the Mariana Trench. And on that sub, was the Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean Ultra Deep Professional.  The next question you might well be asking is — what was the previous record holder? Well, that honour was held by Captain Don Walsh and Jacques Piccard, who took their Trieste down to 10,916 metres, with a custom Rolex on board. It’s a testament to the extreme marine environment that the Trieste record was set in 1960, and it’s taken 59 years to better it, and even then by only 12 metres. But Vescovo isn’t content with just the Mariana Trench, his Five Deeps aims to see him make manned dives to the ocean’s five deepest points.  Now, how about the watch? The Seamaster is, of course, one of the big names in professional dive watches, and one with a rich legacy. But there’s never been a Seamaster this big. This prototype watch (there were three on the…

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7 years ago

The rugged charm of the Montblanc 1858 Automatic

Editor’s note: Most of the attention on Montblanc’s 1858 collection is dedicated to their fancy Geosphere model and the chronograph, which is understandable. But just quietly, there’s a lot to like about the Montblanc 1858 Automatic – a sporty, simple auto with lovely dials, and well-thought-through details. Read on to find out more …  In 2016, Montblanc announced a new line, the 1858, a vintage-inspired sports collection. This year, under the keen direction of Montblanc’s Head of Watches Davide Cerrato, the entire 1858 line has received a stylish and oh-so-smart update. There are more complex versions, but the entry-level piece is this, the Montblanc 1858 Automatic. Montblanc 1858 Automatic steel and bronze with black dial (ident 117832 – 117833) There’s a lot to like about these watches, but before we go into details, let’s talk about what the difference is between these and the original 1858 watches. The most significant change is the size, down from 44 to 40mm, which is much more friendly for many more people. Then there’s the movement, the automatic MB 24.15, which is, again, more of a crowd-pleaser. Beyond the basics, the case is more refined than before, with nice chamfered details and a bronze bezel…

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7 years ago