This evening, in the Fryderyk Chopin Institute of Warsaw, a new brand created in honour of the famous Polish pianist makes its debut. The fledgling brand – Chopin Watches – will unveil a 56-piece limited edition watch designed by Antoine Tschumi and made by the reputable independent Swiss watch manufacture, Schwarz Etienne. Inspired by the […]
A smooth and full-bodied Burgundy, with plenty of depth and a nuanced flavor.
This week’s round-up of vintage watches from around the globe.
Back in 2017, Ulysse Nardin launched a new sub-collection, still inspired by the classic Marine Chronometer design, but with a more casual look and a more accessible price. This watch, the Marine Torpilleur, first came in a traditional style, with a white dial, Roman numerals and a power reserve indicator (faithful to 19th-century chronometers). In […]
Editor’s note: For whatever reason, I’m on a bit of a back-to-basics kick at the moment. I mean, high complications and high price tags are all well and good, but sometimes you crave the simpler things in life. And I guess for me, right now, the simpler things are watches. Only hang on — plot twist — turns out this watch here isn’t quite so simple: there’s an annual calendar in the mix, which has been realised in a refreshingly unfussy way. Read on for our review of the Longines Master Collection Annual Calendar. There are few things I love more than a watch that surprises me. It’s something that doesn’t happen near enough for my liking, but it happened with this Longines. It was in the Longines booth at Baselworld, the first day of the fair. Trays and trays of watches had just been laid out in front of us and we were working out what to photograph and focus on. The new Legend Divers, obviously; cool new V.H.P. variants, a really sexy blue and gold Record. Then, the brand representative thrust something from the Master Collection into my hand. Steel, 40mm case, day-date display. Sure, it was nice,…
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The Mark XI was the first watch that really got me ‘into’ watches, and it has endured over the decades as an icon of good, utilitarian design. Its influence has been very visible in IWC’s Pilot’s family over the years, but this watch, the IWC Pilot’s Watch Automatic Spitfire, might be the closest we’ve seen IWC come in a long time to hitting that mark in a regular production model (sorry about the pun, I couldn’t help it). There are three main reasons why this watch is so great: the dial, the case and the movement. All these elements add up to create a watch that’s greater than the sum of its parts. Let’s break it down. The dial IWC has done a great job with the dial here; it’s a really nice blend of clarity and heritage. All the classic hallmarks are there: crisp white Arabic numerals, surrounded by a minute track with larger hash markers at five-minute intervals. The signature triangle and double dot at 12, along with the cardinal hours, all in a faded, cream-coloured lume, which sits on the right side of the line between vintage-inspired and overbaked. The hands, in the characteristic Spitfire sword…
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Editor’s note: If we’re being completely honest, there’s one clear hero on this list. And it’s the old guy and his Rolex at the end. So if you’re time-poor, scroll on down to the bottom and have a look. Yes, even if you’ve seen it before. It gets better every time. Bless you, Antiques Roadshow. I have a not-so-secret love in my heart for Antiques Roadshow — specifically the UK version, but the US version is pretty good, too. If you’re not familiar with the concept, it’s a show where random members of the public show up and have their junk/priceless artefacts evaluated by a range of hilariously eccentric antiques experts. And while a great part of the joy for me is finding out that creepy dolls can be crazy expensive, really it’s all about that moment they reveal the price and the owner of said crazy dolls (or carpet once owned by someone famous) either hides their sadness at not being sudden, surprise millionaires, or — equally as good — when they’re suddenly in possession of something really valuable and they pretend they’re not planning to sell it as soon as the cameras turn off. And while everything about Antiques…
The post 5 of the greatest watch moments on Antiques Roadshow (and if you don’t tear up on the last one, there’s something wrong with you) appeared first on Time and Tide Watches.
Editor’s note: A good, interesting watch isn’t determined by the name on the dial or the number on the price tag. This piece from Cameron Wong (originally posted last year) proves the point. Five solid, wallet-friendly choices with personality — and usually — a real person behind them. What’s not to love about microbrand watches? What I love about the microbrand watch companies is that they’re run by guys and gals like you and me. The kind of people that appreciate watches, and find excitement in a unique dial or case design while getting a buzz out of a new complication or movement. That’s not to say that the bigger brands aren’t equally as passionate. In fact, some of the most enthusiastic folk I’ve met are in charge of the biggest names in the business. It’s just that seeing someone who’s just like me start up a watch company and design the type of watch that they’d love to wear is inspiring. And when they can offer that sort of passion and enthusiasm for less than $500, it’s all the sweeter. Dan Henry 1964 Gran Turismo Chronograph Dan Henry is one of the lucky and passionate individuals who turned his…
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The most heavy-hitting 25th anniversary LE we’ve seen from Lange yet.
As you may already know, Seiko is celebrating the 20th anniversary of its Spring Drive technology this year. To mark what is in fact quite a momentous occasion, Grand Seiko debuted two new hand-wound Spring Drive movements and a total of four different watches at Baselworld. We recently spent some hands-on time with three of […]