Recommended Reading: How Switzerland Lost A Currency Battle, But Won The War
The Journal seeks to understand one of the world’s strangest, but most successful, economies.
Hands-on – Breguet Marine 5517 – A Trilogy of 3-Handers With a More Contemporary Design Ethos
Breguet’s Marine family of maritime-inspired luxury sports watches welcomes three new members to the nautical club. Less conservative and grandiose than Breguet’s usual fare, the three models of the Marine 5517 – in 18k white gold, 18k rose gold and titanium cases – come with a splash of contemporary styling. A traditional three-hand watch with date functions, the 5571 trilogy plays with juxtaposing shapes, textures and materials to appeal to a broader public.
Found: Romain Gauthier’s First Watch, The Prestige HM
Going back to the beginning, it’s clear something great was already in motion.
Value Proposition – Hanhart Pioneer One, a No-Frills Vintage Pilot Watch
Founded in 1882, Hanhart can look back on a long watchmaking tradition. The brand is known for crafting robust and functional watches, and, in particular by vintage fans for its pilot watches/chronographs from the 1930s to 1950s. The Pioneer collection was launched in 2011 with this long-lasting tradition in mind. The historical inspiration for this line comes more specifically from a model from the 50s, the 417 ES Flyback (Cal. 42). The Black Forest manufacturer now launches the Pioneer One, a stylish yet affordable time-only pilot watch with vintage charm.
HANDS-ON: With the winning Omega Olympic Official Timekeeper collection
Though technically introduced ahead of Baselworld 2018, the fair provided the first opportunity to take a first-hand look at the latest Omega watch collection for the 2018 Olympics, and to be perfectly frank, I was more than impressed. More oft than not, Omega’s releases tied to the Olympic Games can be quite hit-and-miss. Case in point, the Mark II Speedmaster launched for Rio in 2016 was a home run, whereas the white dial Seamaster for the Vancouver 2010 Games (with a cherry-red bezel) was a bit lacklustre. This year, a collection of five dressy vintage-inspired Seamaster watches (one in each of the ring colours) have been unveiled, taking design cues from an Omega stopwatch created for the 1976 Montreal Games, which in press imagery looked like a real winner. Here’s what you need to know. Vital statistics Right out of the gates, there’s a lot to love about these new Seamaster models. Powered by the Co-Axial Master Chronometer certified Calibre 8800, you’re getting top-spec Omega. A 55-hour power reserve, silicon balance spring, and magnetic resistance up to 15,000 Gauss. Shy of the small Olympic rings at six o’clock (below the date), these pieces certainly don’t scream “Olympic edition” but rather…
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HANDS-ON: Raymond Weil bares all with the Freelancer Calibre RW1212 Skeleton
When Raymond Weil designed the Calibre RW1212, their first ever in-house design (produced by Sellita), I suspect part of the mandate was to show it off, hence the open escapement prominently on display — literally showing off a movement they’re rightfully proud of. Well, Raymond Weil doubled down at Basel 2018, exposing not just the escapement but the whole dial, thanks to a new series of skeletonised Freelancers. As you’d expect, there’s a range of new offerings on the table, but the one that impressed us was this modern sporty number, with what remains of the dial done in crisp white, with contrasting blue hands and hour markers, with their appealing, slightly bulbous shape. It’s also worth noting that both hands and hours are lumed — a nice, useful addition. But really, the dial is dominated by the, well, lack of dial. The open-worked dial really gives you a look behind the scenes, showing off not only the escapement but the power barrel at 12 (which could, in a pinch, be used as a very, very rough power reserve indicator), and the power train on the nine o’clock side. The crown gearing is partially obscured by the Raymond Weil branding, the…
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Introducing – Staudt Praeludium Chronograph – Dutch Elegance
2 years ago, a young Dutchman named Yvo Staud jumped into a watchmaking adventure – even though he had a completely different career before that. The first watch he designed and created was named the Praeludium Hand-Wound, an elegant, “Portuguese-like” time-only timepiece, which name refers to classical music (you’ll understand why later). After this inaugural piece and its automatic variant, its now time for Staud to look at another type of function, yet true to the original design of the brand, with the new Staudt Praeludium Chronograph.
Spotted! By AG: Dispatch 9, April 2018 – the Baselworld edition
Wow, what a whirlwind past month. The Time + Tide team again found themselves in the centre of the madness that is Baselworld. This year the fair might’ve been smaller, but we were there in full force, all nine of us. In between what felt like never-ending appointments, I managed to do some spotting. Here’s what I saw. As I entered the fair, one of the first familiar faces and friends I saw was the mysterious @WatchesOfInstagram. The man behind the well-known watch Instagram account likes to keep a low profile. However, over the course of the fair, we caught up several times and discussed our favourites. It’s always hard to pick a favourite watch, especially during the fair, but for Mr WOI it was the new Nomos Glashütte Autobahn that stole his heart this year. I bumped into Robert Velasquez, otherwise known as @SpanishRob, midway through the fair, and he was wearing none other than his famous Patek Philippe Nautilus with a ‘Tiffany Dial’. Nicknamed the ‘Loved Patek’ (or #TheLovedPatek if you’re on Instagram), Rob is famous for enjoying his Nautilus, and not being scared to wear it. Having last seen his Nautilus back in New York three or so years…
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Weekend Round-Up: Some Special Spirits, Looking Into Space, And A Day In A New York Diner
The week’s can’t-miss stories from around the web.
Buying Guide – 5 Mechanical Marvels from Baselworld 2018
On the contrary of most of the other buying guides we’ve published, the present one is more of a “wish list” or a “dream list” rather than a proper guide – or consider it a guide for those who already have everything they need and more. Nothing here is rational, it’s all about passion, ingenuity, creativity and impressive mechanics. From the thinnest automatic watch ever created to a signing automaton or an atomic sympathique clock, here the 5 most impressive mechanical creations we’ve seen at Baselworld 2018.