Even after more than 50 years of loyal services, the El Primero remains one of the most fascinating movements to be manufactured. With its column-wheel architecture, its high-frequency, and multiple small but necessary upgrades, it has managed to stand the test of time. In 2019, for its 50th-anniversary, Zenith commemorated this legendary calibre with multiple […]
A return to the past, or something much more meaningful?
Celebrating ten years of life, today Ressence presents the fourth and final piece in its Collection X. Challenging the traditional concept of displaying time with hands, Ressence has created a new visual language for telling the time. Renowned for its distinctive ‘beyond hands’ display, Ressence watches tell the time with revolving sub-dials powered by the […]
Is Seiko’s NH35 movement ubiquitous due to its brilliance or sheer availability? This hand-wound, hacking movement is today widely used on the microbrand scene and is basically the unbranded version of Seiko’s 4R35 movement that’s universally admired for its toughness and accuracy. Similarly reliable and robust, the NH35 is a strong mechanical heart fitted to Seiko’s mid-price Prospex and Presage families, including the Turtles, Samurais and round-cased Cocktail time references. It’s also bafflingly affordable. While in ETA or Sellita movements we talk about the ease and accessibility of service costs, a box-fresh NH movement can be bought for half the price of a service. Yes, I’m feeling guilty even writing this from an environmental standpoint, but the ability to avoid changing toxic lithium batteries over time, makes up for swapping out a movement should a big fault arise. These strengths mean the NH35 was utilised by a diverse mix of top microbrands in 2020, from vintage-inspired pilots and diver’s tool watches to whitewashed minimalist designs. Unimatic x Mihara Yasuhiro U1 Italian flair, sharp design … maybe it’s time to recognise Unimatic as the Bulgari of microbrands? They’ve managed to make two designs, the strong tool watch designs of the U1…
The post Celebrating Seiko’s NH35 movement – the unsung hero used by top microbrands in everything from indestructible divers to vintage stunners appeared first on Time and Tide Watches.
Warning: Dangerous curves ahead.
Jimmy Carr is one of my favourite comedians. His quick wit consistently incites belly laughs while his risqué punchlines are some of the best in the business. What’s less known about the British comedian is his incredible taste for watches, which he puts on full display throughout the comedy show Your Face or Mine that he co-hosts with fellow comedian Katherine Ryan (also hysterical). As you watch him masterfully roast guests who come on the show, you will also notice some astounding timepieces that make cameos throughout. Patek Philippe Nautilus ref. 5712/1A and 5712/R More often than not, you will spot Carr wearing his go-to Patek Philippe Nautilus 5712 in stainless steel. The 5712 is a more complicated 5711, including a power-reserve indicator and moonphase into the real estate of the blue dial. While some may prefer the plainer dial of the standard time and date only Nautilus, the 5712 has its benefits as well. Aside from the added complication, which may or may not be up your alley, I think we can all agree its usage of the Caliber 240 PS IRM C LU is a welcome upgrade. The 324 SC in the 5711 uses a winding rotor that obstructs…
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The world of dive watches is immense… so much so that we sometimes forget that during the 1960s there were hundreds of brands and watches available. Some, of course, acquired cult status; some fell into oblivion. Others, however, are still known and collected by a niche group of enthusiasts. We’ve seen this recently with Aquastar, […]
Magnets are useful for many things. They’ve helped decorate the outside of countless fridges, inspired the name of a seminal New York rap group (the Ultramagnetic MCs), and given Wile E Coyote various half-baked ideas in his doomed attempt to catch Road Runner. But magnets are less benign when it comes to your mechanical watch. Proximity to even small magnets can sabotage the balance spring and make your watch run fast, slow or even stop altogether. That’s why a new story on psu.com is potentially daunting. It highlights a thread on Reddit that clams the PlayStation 5 DualSense controller can magnetise your mechanical watch. “According to (Reddit) user Saguchi, the DualSense is able to emit strong magnetic fields ‘not only at the speaker level (which is to be expected) but also at the grips themselves’,” psu.com report. Saguchi purports the issues are likely down to the controller’s Inertial Measurement Unit (no, me neither), and that the ones tested out by the user are on par with “fully-fledged laptop speakers and can, I think, lead to magnetism”. Other posters on the thread concur that “the DualSense is more magnetic than the DualShock 4”. PSU has so far been unable to verify…
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Hamilton has recently been very active in the field of vintage-inspired and historical models, with multiple very attractive new models, such as the Aviation Converter collection, the Digital PSR, or the Khaki Pilot Pioneer. Yet, we shouldn’t forget another watch, launched in 2017 as a limited edition and inspired by one of Hamilton’s most handsome […]
A conversation with Hiroshi Fujiwara of Fragment Design.