3 Tudors that got everyone talking in 2019
2019 was an exciting year for Tudor, as the iconic Swiss watchmaker released several models that collectively surprised and even inspired the greater horological community. And while some of the novelties unveiled last year were contentious at the time, I think people’s attitudes have softened towards them and, more importantly, it’s just great to see a stalwart of the industry like Tudor push the boundaries of design and innovation. Here are the three Tudors that got everyone talking in 2019: TUDOR BLACK BAY P01 One of the most interesting and exciting timepieces released during 2019 was the Tudor P01. While not technically a remake, the P01 was originally designed in the 1960s and proposed to the US Navy as a potential partner for their military missions. As history records, the novel design, which uses a spring-loaded end-link to clamp the rotating bezel in place, was rejected, and the plans to produce it shelved. Thankfully this quaint curio has finally made it out of the archives for all to enjoy. Ref No: 70150 / Case size: 42mm / Case material: Steel / Movement: MT5612 / Price: $5450 TUDOR BLACK BAY CHRONO S&G The Black Bay Chrono gets the two-tone treatment with…
The post 3 Tudors that got everyone talking in 2019 appeared first on Time and Tide Watches.
eBay, the largest online auction website in the world and, rather notably, the first site in the world to support peer-to-peer transactions, is of course a complete leviathan. In 2019 alone, there was nigh on 200 million active users across the globe and more than 1.2 billion listings. So, as you can probably imagine, to make the top 20 most expensive items sold on the platform in 2019 … they’ve got to be pretty special. The usual suspects were all present and accounted for – Lamborghinis, Porsches … a lunch with American billionaire Warren Buffet(?) – but, perhaps rather surprisingly, there were three watches that made the top 20 as well. Mind you, though, they were rather special timepieces: Rolex Pearlmaster 39 ref. 86285 Just sneaking into the list, in 20th spot, was this overtly opulent Rolex Pearlmaster ref. 86285 in solid 18k Everose gold with diamond bezel and full diamond pavé dial. First released in 1992, the Pearlmaster is perhaps one of the lesser-known models from the legacy Swiss watchmaker, but since its inception it’s been sought after and worn almost exclusively by the glitterati, Hollywood elite, jet set … you get the picture. This particular Pearlmaster sold for…
Editor’s note: When you’re looking to buy your next watch, you want to know you’re getting great value for the money you’re spending. This Tissot Seastar 1000 could still be one of the best value watches on the market after its release at Baselworld 2018, and there’s no sign of that changing. Let’s take a closer look at this beautiful example of “bang for buck”. This is such a great watch. Honestly. I can’t think of many (if any) Swiss-made watches that offer such a punchy package for this sort of price. Not only do you get the impressive Powermatic 80 movement (more than three days of power reserve rocks) in a good-looking, well-made 300m diver, you get nice little features like the gradient dial and ceramic bezel. So much win. On top of that, it fits great on the wrist: 43mm is big, but not obnoxiously so, especially when paired with the height. Even the dial text and date placement is done right. My only possible quibble is the strap. Not the rubber strap itself, which I quite like — Tissot ‘T’ motif and all — no, it’s the slightly odd 21mm width. Given that I’m the kind of guy who…
Horological disruptors Hublot were on a veritable roll last year, releasing a great many new and innovative timepieces that once again show why they are making waves in the watch world. Here are a few special wristwatches that caught our eye. HUBLOT BIG BANG UNICO TEAK ITALIA INDEPENDENT TITANIUM Limited to just 100 pieces, the Hublot Big Bang Unico Teak Italia Independent Titanium 45mm is every teak-freak’s fever dream. With a bezel made of a mixture of teak and carbon fibre (peak ‘art of fusion’ right here, folks), this is the perfect watch for all yacht owners looking to recall the deck of their Sunseeker with a flick of the wrist. Ref No: 411.NQ.5129.NR.ITI19 / Case size: 45mm / Case material: Titanium / Movement: HUB1242 / Price: $31,100 HUBLOT CLASSIC FUSION FERRARI GT 3D CARBON 45MM And now for something completely different. Although Hublot is well known for pushing boundaries when it comes to case design and material science, it would be fair to say that the brand hasn’t really deviated from its classic case silhouette too much over the years. This year is different though. The Classic Fusion Ferrari GT 3D Carbon offers a more rounded bezel and case…