VIDEO: Our pick of the best Grand Seiko watches of 2019, fresh from Baselworld
There’s a unifying theme to Grand Seiko’s 2019 collection – and no, it’s not the exquisite dials or case work, though those are all very much in evidence. No, this year it’s all about the mighty Spring Drive, a movement (which we’ve explained here) that is unique to Grand Seiko, and appropriately enough, 20 years old. There’s a new take on the most complicated Spring Drive of all, the 9R96, with a GMT and Chronograph. This year we see it like never before — in a watch that’s a suitably plus-sized tribute to Japan’s most famous monster, Godzilla. The SBGC231G is a truly gargantuan titanium watch that is about as statement watch as they come. No, the real evolution of the Spring Drive family is a new movement, the 9S63, a manually wound offering that sees small seconds and power reserve neatly balanced across the dial, which — thanks to that superb dial execution — results in a watch that’s a joy to look at. And thanks to the slimmer case profile (11.6mm), the watch is a joy on the wrist, too — the domed sapphire and rounded bezel certainly help in this regard. Grand Seiko’s offering has been increasingly…
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Prospex is Seiko-speak for “Professional Specification”, a family of professionally oriented tool-watches that was born in 1968 and built to last. And, Seiko being Seiko, that build quality is legendary. As such, these watches have attracted a cult following, in both the actual and desk-diving fraternities. Now, at their press conference at Baselworld 2019, Seiko just upped the stakes once more, with the Prospex LX. A series of (for now) six watches that are gloriously over-specced, premium Prospex watches. There are three watches in plain steel, and three blacked-out variants. Prospex LX — built around the timeless pillars of sea, land and sky — is a series that has the Swiss mainstream sports watches firmly in their sights. And they’re priced to match. Australian RRPs for the line are in the range of $7000-9000, which I suspect might have more than a few fans (and professional peers) doing a quick double take. For a Seiko-labelled watch, these are definitely premium prices, but does the quality match up? Well, from my handling of these pre-production prototypes, I’ve got to say yes. The cases have many of the hallmarks you’d associate with Grand Seiko, and the movements, well, they’re Spring Drive. But design-wise, these watches…
Have you ever wondered how Time+Tide came to be? Who are the people behind it? Apart from Andrew and Felix that is. And, hey, what exactly happened for us to grow from a watch Instagram account in Melbourne, Australia, with 18 followers in 2014 to be here at Baselworld for the I don’t know how many-eth time, getting hugged in hallways by the frightening force of nature that is Jean-Claude Biver… This year, JCB even remembered my name. It’s a wonderful world. This video tells the story of how we came to be part of this community, and it has a few twists. Subscribe now to join the rapidly growing Time+Tide tribe and get 10% off in the shop during Baselworld 2019. 
Tudor’s Baselworld 2019 collection is always a hotly anticipated affair, and this year the Shield offered some stylish new takes on existing models, and a distinctive diver no one saw coming. Tudor Black Bay P01 One of the more interesting, unexpected and downright surprising releases of Baselworld 2019 has to be the Tudor Black Bay P01. To paraphrase that guy from Star Trek: it’s a Black Bay, Jim — but not as we know it. Based on a prototype watch developed in the late 1960s with the US Navy in mind, this Black Bay is pure tool watch. The party trick here is that the bi-directional bezel (which is graduated for hours — something I’ve been wanting on a Black Bay since forever) is locked in place via the ingenious mobile end link at 12. And for all its blocky shape, this 42mm works really well on the wrist. 3750 CHF Tudor Black Bay Bronze The Black Bay Bronze is dead! Long live the Black Bay Bronze! Well, by that I mean the original brown-dialled bronze Black Bay has been removed from the catalogue, replaced by this handsome fellow. All details are unchanged, except for the dial, which is now a shaded…
Perhaps Panerai’s most collectible modern-day watch, the original Bronzo, is credited with kick-starting today’s bronze watch craze. While it may not have been the first, when it was released in 2011 it immediately captured the patina-friendly hearts of collectors. Quickly selling out all 1000 pieces and spawning three more models, with each one as limited as the next. For 2019, however, the only thing that’s limited are the days of the limited edition Bronzo, with Panerai’s latest bronze addition being made available to absolutely everyone. That’s right, people, the Panerai Submersible Bronzo PAM00968 is not a limited edition (though it is still limited production). The good news doesn’t stop there either, as the PAM00968 also features one more thing we’ve never seen before on a Bronzo – a ceramic bezel. Micro-sandblasted and coloured an earthy brown to match both the dial and the warmth of the bronze case, the ceramic’s incredible hardness and resistance to scratches should provide a wonderful lasting contrast to the patina-forming properties of this Bronzo’s 47mm bronze case. Which, of course, also features the iconic Panerai crown protector, naturally made in bronze, first patented by the Italian Swiss-made brand in 1955. Water resistant to 300 metres,…
