Let’s flash back to the year 1999, when in February of that year, watch retailer Tourneau and watch auction house Antiquorum held a special event in New York City called “Famous Faces, Watch Auction For Charity.” This event was easily one of the most interesting watch-related auctions ever held, and nothing like it will ever happen again.
Editor’s Note: It’s the time of year when we start thinking about gifts we might find under the Christmas tree in three (three?!) Sundays’ time, and while there’s definitely more than one watch on our wishlist, this slender, technical take on the Octo is right up there. Can you blame us, given how shapely, sheer and utterly luxurious it is? Anyway, we’re just crossing our fingers everyone’s noticed how nice we’ve been this year. Our love of the Octo is well documented – and real. You wouldn’t expect such an unconventional, octagonal case shape to be so stylistically flexible, but it is. And this year Bulgari showed off the Octo’s darker side with the Ultranero collection. Most blacked-out watches tend towards the tactical end of the spectrum, so the Octo Ultranero Finissimo Skeleton is a genius move, and a refreshing change of pace. Its broad pink gold bezel, architecturally skeletonised BVL 128SK movement and black DLC-treatments create a delicate balance of form and space, and show the Octo in an entirely new light.
The post EDITOR’S PICK: Stripped back sexiness – the Bulgari Octo Ultranero Skeleton appeared first on Time and Tide Watches.
We’ve come across, fondled, and photographed / filmed some absolutely amazing watches since launching this site – and many of them you surely remember. Think the $24 million Henry Graves Supercomplication, the Patek $2.6 Philippe Grandmaster Chime, and the now $11 million steel 1518. But those are all Pateks! And Patek isn’t the only game in town, and three years ago this very week, we published a detailed look at the Grand Complication from A. Lange & Söhne, one of the most impressive (and large, and expensive) wristwatches of the modern era.
Today we peel back the hypothetical door on our digital advent calendar (though we’re giving away some real stuff too FYI) to reveal the deep blue dial of the Montblanc 1858 Small Second. We’re big fans of the 1858 in general, as it hits just the right balance between everyday wearability and heritage style. The smart pricing doesn’t hurt, either. Who should you buy this for? If there’s someone in your life whose breast pocket is lined with Montblanc writing instruments, but who’s lacking in the wrist department, this is the perfect way to get them in the game. What’s the damage? A little north of $5K Montblanc 1858 Manual Small Second Australian pricing Montblanc 1858 Manual Small Second, with blue dial on leather, $5120
The post ADVENT CALENDAR 2016: December 4 – The Montblanc 1858 Manual Small Second appeared first on Time and Tide Watches.
Advent is the name given to the four week period leading up to Christmas and the countdown to the 25th is often tracked, in homes celebrating the holiday, with a special calendar called an Advent calendar. Usually the calendar is cardboard, with little doors numbered 1-24, and behind each door, depending on the calendar, can be almost anything: a small prize, a chocolate, an inspirational poem or prayer. NOMOS Glashütte has one online, and behind each door is a greeting from a NOMOS watchmaker, and a special holiday gift each one has chosen, and you can enter your contact details to win the gift.
The Cross Peerless Fonderie 47 Collector’s Edition rollerball pen follows a limited edition fountain pen. And it, too, transforms an object of disdain into an element of hope, incorporating a bit of blackened steel from a melted-down AK-47 into the design of its cap crown. To further the message, the side of the pen’s cap reveals the unique serial number of the gun that was taken out of circulation and used to embellish the special edition pen. Its price makes it an ideal holiday gift!
In the years before I became an artist and started wearing a cravat and monocle, I used to work in advertising. For a while I worked for a legendary ad man. He was famous for two things. One was a story he would tell that involved manually stimulating his hound dog, “because he looked sad.” The other was that he had a way of understanding exactly how people functioned. One day, on the way back from a meeting, he looked at me and said, “Phil, you’re a pathological contrarian.”
He was absolutely right.
Mr Jones Watches has been producing watches with a philosophy that they should do more than tell time, that they should also be examples of great creative design and art. Something new we want to share with you is our unique take on the cloisonné dial, the new Mr Jones Whoomm and Mr Jones Wildstyle watches.
Parmigiani Fleurier introduces the new Tonda Métrographe. An update of their previous self-winding chronograph, the Métrographe is now available in two dial color variations. The watch is quoted as being ‘urban’, ‘modern’ and a fitting accessory for the ‘emasculate’ consumer.…
After a series of well-received updates to both its Top Gun and Classic pilot collections announced at SIHH 2016, it could be argued that the Schaffhausen manufacture’s bread-and-butter is punctuating a return to its former glory, and not a moment too soon.