Why so serious? Why watches should always be strict, complex, austere and made to be elegant? Why, for once, couldn’t it be simply fun? That’s what RJ-Romain Jerome has done for quite some years, with its Comic-themed watches. After Pac-Man, Space Invaders, Donkey Kong, Pokemons and Batman, RJ-Romain Jerome now welcomes Hello Kitty to its Generational Icons collection.
Bremont have relied on old-fashioned techniques to build their business. Firstly, they made a pretty great product. Anyone who’s held a Bremont in their hands will attest to that. They put their watch in a movie. They make watches for the military. And when it came to spreading the word in America, co-founders of Bremont, Nick and Giles English, literally hit the road on an ‘English Tour’ of the country. Starting on the 12th September this year, Nick drove a 1970 E-Type Series 2 Jaguar, restored by their late father, while Giles was at the wheel of a 1973 Porsche 911T, over 5300km from New York to San Antonio. The ‘English Tour’ took in some of Bremont’s Authorised Dealers, watch clubs and iconic landmarks. And who was the better driver out of the two brothers? “I am not sure either one of us is any good,” says Giles, “so I would say equally bad, but very enthusiastic.” Look out bollards, look out road-hogging SUVs, look out crazy American wildlife (I’m looking at you, huge bear), here come the Bremont brothers with their two cars that have a combined age of 90 years. I emailed Giles midway through the tour and asked how it was going, and in the…
The post EVENT: Never mind the bollards, this is the Bremont ‘English Tour’ of America appeared first on Time and Tide Watches.
The year was 1997, the Spice Girls were busy spicing up life, and Leo was king of the world. It was a great time to be alive, and not just if you were a 13-year-old-girl. Because if you were a fan of stainless steel sports watches, it was also the year Patek Philippe introduced the Aquanaut. Taking its design cues from the casually elegant Nautilus, it was initially released as a slightly more accessible alternative, and aimed at an active and younger generation of watch lovers. But it quickly stepped out of big brother’s shadow, and has since become an important (if sometimes polarising) pillar of the brand’s sports watches. To celebrate its 20th birthday, Patek have this year released the Aquanaut ref. 5168G. For the first time, the Aquanaut is available in an 18k white gold case, and has been given Jumbo status with its 120m water resistant case upsized from 40mm to 42.2mm. The dimensions may have changed, but the three-part design retains the same lines and curves, and the distinctive rounded octagonal bezel keeps its mix of polished edges and vertical satin-brushed finishing on top. Measuring only 8.25mm thick, it’s also still decidedly slim. Its slender profile…
The post INTRODUCING: Coming of age – the Patek Philippe 20th Anniversary Aquanaut Ref. 5168G appeared first on Time and Tide Watches.
Another mystery of the deep, courtesy eBay.
In a piece of news that dropped on our computers a couple of weeks ago, Vacheron Constantin announced several new “Historiques” watches. As a reminder, this collection comprises the deliberately “vintage-inspired” models of the brand, including the American 1921 or the Chronograph Cornes de Vaches. With the Vacheron Constantin Historiques Triple Calendrier 1942, saying that we’ve been impressed is quite of a euphemism. Beautifully designed, balanced, with heritage and pedigree, and all of that in an “accessible” (relatively speaking) steel case. It is now time to experience this Triple Calendrier 1942 in the metal.
Fourteen new watches present an ultra-thin movement in an updated size.
What happens when you try on one of the most legendary watches of all time.
When Oris launched its own, in-house developed and produced movement, back in 2014 (at that time the Calibre 110, without date), this sounded like an impressive step for the brand, more used to accessible sports-watches and out-sourced automatic movements. Indeed, with no-less than 10 days of power-reserve and some technically advanced features, it was quite an achievement. This hand-wound in-house Calibre is now fully integrated into the collections and has seen several evolutions (calibre 111, 112 and 113). Today, the Oris Artelier Calibre 111 changes style, by receiving a striking blue dial.
Around this time of the year I’m prone to a bit of the old ‘best watch’ game – running through my favourite releases in a particular brand or category. And typically it’s a pretty clear-cut decision for me. Not so with Tudor’s 2017 collection. I’ve found myself going back and forth over two watches pretty much since I first saw them: the Black Bay Steel and the Black Bay S&G. In a way though my indecision makes perfect sense, as these two models are perhaps the two most extreme expressions of the Black Bay line. The Steel is the epitome of Black Bay as rugged tool watch, a space that the brand is very comfortable in. But the S&G is something else entirely. Luxurious, dressy and – depending on who’s wearing it – a little showy. And while it’s not a side of the Black Bay we’re used to seeing, it’s a look that suits the versatile diver exceptionally well. I suspect this isn’t the last time we’ll be seeing precious metals in the Black Bay family …
The post VIDEO: All that glitters – the Tudor Heritage Black Bay S&G appeared first on Time and Tide Watches.
Hublot’s sapphire journey began with their ultra high-end MP-05 LaFerrari, a horological engine in the truest sense of the word, with 50 days of power reserve thanks to 11 coupled barrels. It made perfect sense for Hublot to show this beast of a movement off to its fullest capacity with a full sapphire case. But it seems LaFerrari only whet Hublot’s appetite for transparency, making a splash last year with the Big Bang Unico Sapphire, a limited edition of 500 pieces that eclipsed any previous sapphire production runs. It’s easy to see why Hublot is drawn to sapphire as a case material. Aside from the fact that its extreme hardness means it’s virtually scratch-proof, the glossy, transparent material is a perfect fit for Hublot’s art of fusion design approach – the see-through case turns expectations of what goes where on a watch on its head. Inside is outside, fragile is strong. Very Hublot. And from that initial sapphire Big Bang, we’ve seen the collection expand rapidly, with all black versions, stone set models (a particular favourite), a sapphire Spirit of Big Bang and this, the Big Bang Unico Blue Sapphire. This watch marks the first time blue synthetic sapphire has been…
The post HANDS-ON: Blue Monday – the Hublot Big Bang Unico Blue Sapphire appeared first on Time and Tide Watches.