Watch Dandy

VIDEO: The 4 Rolex watches that burned down the house on day 1 of Baselworld 2017

If Rolex as a brand has mastered any single art – apart from watchmaking in practically all of its forms – it is to both meet and exceed expectations at every single Baselworld watch fair. Granted, this can be a baby step, like last year, when they singlehandedly turned Baselworld into Bezelworld. Or it can be a complete break from tradition, like the bizarre, possibly brilliant Air-King from the same year. Today we have learned once again that the Big Crown delights in the devilishly unpredictable. While the leadup saw speculation reach a fever pitch on the topic of Sea-Dweller anniversaries and ceramic bezelled GMTs, the unveiling we experienced today revealed surprise after surprise, including a Sky-Dweller that suddenly became a lot more attainable…

The post VIDEO: The 4 Rolex watches that burned down the house on day 1 of Baselworld 2017 appeared first on Time and Tide Watches.

Hands-On – Patek Philippe Aquanaut Jumbo 5168G (Blue Dial, White Gold, 42mm)

This year, the Geneva-Based manufacture Patek Philippe is celebrating the 20th anniversary of one of its modern icons, the Aquanaut. As part of a new collection, the brand adds some color and a bit of boldness to a model that have always been playing on the discreet side, with a 42mm and blue dial Patek Philippe Aquanaut Jumbo 5168G.

First Take: Cara And Arthur Discuss The New Rolex Releases At Baselworld 2017 (VIDEO)

Welcome to Baselworld 2017! If you have been following along, you’ve seen a slew of new watches, including a selection of pieces from Rolex. Earlier today, Cara and Arthur sat down to take a closer look at some of the new releases, including the new Sea-Dweller, the Cellini Moon-Phase and, yes, three new Daytonas. Watch the video above for a closer look.

Baselworld 2017 – Bulgari Octo Finissimo Automatic & The World’s Thinnest Automatic Movement

Bulgari makes headlines again, this time with “the world’s thinnest automatic movement“. After presenting the thinnest Tourbillon watch and movement (Baselworld 2014) and thinnest minute repeater (Baselworld 2016), we hoped Bulgari would set its sights on breaking yet another record. We were not disappointed…! Presenting the Octo Finissimo Automatic powered by a staggering thin 2.23 mm self-winding movement. Let’s take a closer look at the new world record holder.

Baselworld 2017 – The Bell & Ross BR-RS17 Trilogy (with Renault Sport F1)

Recently, Bell & Ross announced the renewal of their partnership with Renault Sport F1 – that CEO Carlos Rosillo explained to us in details – by introducing a new watch, the BR03-94 RS17 Chronograph. In order to capitalize on this new race-car line of watches, something that was, at first, not the territories we imagined for the brand (more used to military and aviation pieces), Baselworld 2017 will see the launch of a entire collection, the Bell & Ross BR-RS17 Trilogy – 3 watches entirely dedicated to the Renault Sport F1 theme.

Introducing: The Oris Chronoris Date

The Chronoris Date is a modern version of the vintage watch, of the same name, released by Oris 47 years ago. The Chronoris was first introduced in 1970 and was a stop-seconds chronograph, not to mention the first chronograph for the Swiss maker. The name, as you might have guessed, is a combination of the words chronograph and Oris, and the last Chronoris was released in 2005, so it has been a little while.

Introducing: The Oris Big Crown 1917, A Tribute To A Watch From The Archives

The Big Crown 1917 was made not because Oris felt like what its catalog was missing was an old-school pilot’s watch, but rather because it was discovered that it’s precisely this type of wristwatch that the company made all the way back in 1917, before it even had a collection per se.

Introducing: The Greubel Forsey Balancier

Greubel Forsey is best known for its spectacular tourbillon wristwatches. They are also, however, well known for the almost unbelievably high degree of hand-finishing lavished on each one of their watches (and, as a consequence, their very small annual production). The new Balancier is a non-tourbillon wristwatch that acts as a showcase for the art of the hand-finished watch at Greubel Forsey, and which also follows some of the firm’s most recognizable design cues.

Introducing: The Bulgari Octo Finissimo Automatique, A New World Record For Ultra-Thin Watches (Exclusive Live Pics, Full Specs, Pricing)

Bulgari has just announced its newest ultra-thin watch, the Bulgari Octo Finissimo Automatique. The Octo Finissimo Automatique’s caliber BVL 138 Finissimo is a micro-rotor, self-winding movement only 2.23mm thick, at 36.60mm in diameter. The Octo Finissimo Automatique is the third world record for ultra-thin watchmaking to be seized by Bulgari, following on the Bulgari Octo Finissimo Tourbillon from 2014, which has a movement only 1.95mm thick, and the Octo Finissimo Minute Repeater from last year, whose caliber BVL 362 is 3.12 mm thick.

Baselworld 2017 – Frederique Constant Flyback Chronograph Manufacture (Their First In-House Chrono Explained With Exclusive Video)

Believe us or not, but this watch is a massive development for Frederique Constant. Indeed, creating a chronograph movement is far from being a simple move. It is even one of the most feared development for a watchmaker, as the chronograph can be seen as one of the most complex types of complication, even if it’s a widely used one. Today, as Baselworld 2017 opens its doors, we take a close look at the new Frederique Constant Flyback Chronograph Manufacture, the first in-house chronograph of the brand, explained in video by Pim Koeslag (Head of Watchmaking) and with live photos.