Watch Dandy

Editor’s note: My love (indeed the collective T+T love) for Grand Seiko is very real. There’s no denying the quality, care and craftsmanship that goes into these watches that (still) manage to be one of the better kept secrets of fine watches. There’s also no denying that the world of GS can be a little, um, esoteric. So if you need a little explainer, or even a refresher, this one’s for you. I’m sure everyone reading this has, at some point, felt that feeling of utter bewilderment of being in a conversation about watches. The level of technical jargon, slang and verbal shorthand can be confusing at best and exclusionary at worst — it can feel like a club with its very own secret language. And the hardest thing is that the language changes with every brand. Take Grand Seiko, for instance — you have to get your head around reference numbers, specific nomenclature and calibres, not to mention the vast and colourful world of fan-based nicknames. But don’t worry, today we’re here to help you crack the code. If you’ve ever been confused about what makes Grand Seiko so grand, why everyone keeps talking about Snowflakes and Spring Drives, or…

The post EDITOR’S PICK: 10 things you need to know about Japan’s grandest watch brand, Grand Seiko appeared first on Time and Tide Watches.

I’m flying off to Geneva tomorrow, for the watchstravaganza that is SIHH. And on my wrist, as I step onto the plane, will be Montblanc’s latest generation smartwatch, the Summit 2. Now, Swiss brands have been trying their luck at smartwatches for some time now, with the two biggest players in the space being Montblanc and TAG Heuer. And while the first generation of these Silicon Valley X Swiss connected devices demonstrated the steep learning curves and technical limitations of the genre, we’ve come a long way in a few short years. I tried the original Summit, and I’ve got to say, the Summit 2 is better in (nearly) every way. Smaller, faster, stronger, smarter. I’ll get to that *nearly* in a bit. Firstly, the case. It follows the same basic form as its predecessor, a chunky, 1858-esque design with an onion-shaped crown. Only here they’ve now flanked it with two programmable chrono-style pushers. The other major difference is that it’s smaller, significantly so — 42mm, down from a whopping 46mm. And while the screen is a little smaller, in this significantly refined package I do not mind one little bit. This watch is completely wearable. And while the form…

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