LIST: 9 things you could buy instead of an H. Moser & Cie Pioneer in steel for the same money
Full disclosure. Earlier this year I bought an H. Moser & Cie Pioneer in steel with a blue dial. So the brand’s recent anti-campaign called ‘The Pioneer Chronicles’, which is, in actuality, as much about calling B.S on Swiss watch marketing departments as it is about the watch itself, was well and truly after the fact. What were my reasons then, if not inspired by a campaign that has basically sent the message that #realtalk is to be the ongoing lingua franca from the Schaffhausen-based brand? I will save that confessional for another story. Today, I want to share with you some options of other things you could buy for around 20 grand Aussie (or about 13k USD) that weren’t to hand when I was in the decision-making zone. Wonderfully, they were sourced by Moser. The list was published as part of the ‘Pioneer Chronicles’ and it exemplifies the way the brand are going about it – a patented, potent mix of unvarnished straight talk, cheekiness and in this case, practicality. I mean, a Pioneer in steel, or three weeks at the Bellagio in Vegas? The answers don’t always write themselves. Before we begin, I’ll pass the mic to Moser: “At H.…
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Last weekend we saw Geneva play host to a handful of watch auctions, with the likes of Christie’s, Phillips, and Sotheby’s descending on the city and dropping some hammers. As the dust settled, it yet again became clear that vintage Rolex reigns supreme, with the Daytona Ultimatum sale at Phillips selling all 32 of its lots, and bringing in over 22,000,000 CHF. The big one in the mix – the one-of-a-kind white gold Daytona, dubbed the “Unicorn” – gave buyers some kind of a horn, selling for 5,937,500 CHF, making it the second most expensive Rolex ever sold at auction. While the conversation around casa de Time+Tide this week has been mostly centred around the ever-increasing demand for vintage Daytonas (and all vintage Rolex for that matter), and whether their astronomical prices are even sustainable, what also started to emerge as a trending topic was the apparent flow-on effect these high prices are having on other brands like Omega, who smashed their Geneva auction estimates right out of the park, and even broke a few records of their own. First up there was a diamond-studded, Tiffany-stamped Omega that once belonged to a Mr Elvis Presley. Sure, it had the celebrity factor. But…
I backed up Baselworld, with a solid stint in London, where — let me tell you — I did some serious watch spotting. So much spotting in fact, we had to split it out. Here we go! Kicking things off, in true British fashion, a London boutique-only edition Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso. This is one of only 26, and belongs to my good friend Silas, from @A_Collected_Man. Silas had been on the lookout for one of these for a long time before finally snagging one. I could be wrong, but I believe this to be one of JLC’s most limited watches ever made. There’s really only one way to describe this watch: Stunning. As I settled into London, I caught up with Pat (@Mr.Cosmograph), who has a love for Rolex sports models (don’t we all), and a knack for beating those waitlists. His piece of choice for our coffee was his prized Daytona, which, with a ceramic bezel, looks as sharp as ever. Pat was pretty impressed by the Tudor Black Bay GMT and has already put his name down for one, preferring it to the Rolex ‘Pepsi’ GMT-Master II in steel, also released this year at Baselworld. Next up — @APKStyle and his Audemars Piguet…
Not to get too metaphysical with you on a Saturday morning, but does three watches count as a list? Honestly, I’m not sure, and the truth is I couldn’t find too many more ‘true’ champagne dials that were released in 2018. Silver, and other variations thereof, sure. And there’s even one or two I can think of that aren’t *technically* public yet, but proper, cork-popping champagne? Not so many. Why is that so? Perhaps it’s because champagne is an acquired and, dare I say, sophisticated taste. Anyway, here’s the three different flavours of Champagne. Tudor Black Bay S&G Champagne A dial variant of last year’s two-tone number, this version swaps out pedestrian black for fantastic champagne! Though if we’re really honest, it looks, well, gold. Ah, well. Montblanc 1858 Automatic Montblanc’s dials have rocketed to the next level in 2018, with this smoky, gradated champagne number being a case in point. And while it’s offered on the chronograph versions too, this simple 1858 Automatic is our personal pick. Grand Seiko Spring Drive SBGA373 It should surprise precisely no one that Grand Seiko is on this list. Those who know, know their champagne dials are amongst their finest (and most understated)…
