IN-DEPTH: The TAG Heuer Carrera Collection, powered by a movement from the present, with an all-time classic design from the past
As a watch journalist in 2020, based in Europe under the draconian rule of the pandemic, it’s easy to lose perspective and here is a particular example. Despite my missionary preachings and personal taste, 38-39 millimetres is not the Goldilocks size for everyone. So, with this self-realisation in mind, the TAG Heuer Carrera Collection is pitch-perfect for most buyers at 42mm. And there is not a shadow of a doubt that these four strong contenders from La Chaux-de-Fonds are likely to hit a sweet spot as modern takes on a stone-cold classic. The four references here are based on the same classic Carrera case, yet show just how much colours, accents and strap choices can transform your wrist-worn favourite. The Carrera DNA is as resilient and adaptable as ever in 2020, in these four sleeker, more suit-ready takes on the larger more muscular Carrera Sport Chronograph collection. The case We have seen the iconic shape before, echoing the heyday of the sports chronograph around 50 years ago, sharpened yet familiar. The recognisable Carrera case remains perfectly proportioned, which is surely its calling card. Aesthetics. Balance. And balance is more prominent in the TAG Heuer Carrera Collection than the Chronograph Sport,…
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Editor’s note: There’s always been a healthy competitiveness between Time+Tide and Watchonista. This was evident when we recently did an Instagram live session that quickly degenerated into a State Of The Collection showdown between Andrew, Josh, and his wife Viviana. Now, they’ve gone and upped the ante by sponsoring a NASCAR team. So, if there are any obscure sports out there that have prominent branding opportunities, we’d like to hear from you. The Nordland Wife-Carrying Association? The Shropshire Bog-Snorkelling League? No sport will be excluded from our consideration. Please note: Payment in T-shirts, magazines and watch straps. Game on, Watchonista … Both the founding Watchonista team in Switzerland, as well as the budding team based in NYC, have a fondness for racing and motorsports. When the opportunity presented itself to get involved with NASCAR, Watchonista saw a green light to mix profession and passion – driving awareness to the brand and opportunities that racing partnerships can potentially bring to the world of watches. Having formerly partnered with sports and endurance cars with Rebellion Racing, Lamborghini Super Trofeo, and Tour Auto, this is not Watchonista’s first foray into the world of racing. In fact, they have also provided coverage on the motorsports…
It feels like a lifetime ago that I was heading home from the DOXA Australia Launch Event to pack my bags for Dubai Watch Week 2019. Since then, the global pandemic put a stop to any in-person watch events (with the exception of the LVMH Watch Week and more recently at a socially distanced Geneva Watch Days), which included the demise of the longest-running watch event in the world – Baselworld. But the youth of Dubai Watch Week gives it an advantage against the traditional trade show. Flexibility. And this year the organisers of Dubai Watch Week are demonstrating their dynamism with the Horology Forum 2020 to be held virtually. The Horology Forum 2020 began last night in earnest, with a panel debating the nature of the grey market. RedBar founder Adam Craniotes said in the session, which can be viewed at the link below, that “the grey market is a creation of the brands, and they need to address it, instead of kicking the can down the road.” The final session is to be held on November 9. Last year’s speakers included Jean-Claude Biver, Mohammed Abdulmagied Seddiqi, Aldis Hodge, Fabrizio Buonamassa Stigliani and even @shameonwrist, and this year the line-up…
Never, in my life, have I had more comments on my watch. From friends. From strangers. No one can help but notice my full metal gold-tone G-Shock (the Casio G-Shock Full Metal GMW-B5000GD-9). But if you’ve met me, or follow me on Instagram, you’ll likely know that I tend to lean towards simple, cleanly designed watches with two or three hands. I love watches that manufacturers like Cartier produce for this very reason, as well as anything else that strives for balance and proportion above all else. So why did I add one of the loudest and most gaudy timepieces released in recent memory to my collection? Mainly because I also love watches that don’t take themselves too seriously. Of course many of the most desirable watches on earth are expensive, and must be treated with appropriate respect – especially in the important world of vintage watch collecting. But I’m undeniably attracted to watches that can poke some fun, or offer reference to something they are diametrically opposed to. This might be the brilliant H. Moser Swiss Alp Concept Black, a minute repeater tourbillon without hands that costs $350,000, which reminds of a certain mass-produced tech product. Or it might…
Editor’s note: If you missed the first part of this series, make sure you check out eleven of our favourite chronographs of 2020 under $10K right here. In this part we are looking at the other side of the coin – the best chronographs of 2020 that ring the till at $10K and over. Here we go. Audemars Piguet [Re]master01 Selfwinding Chronograph This was one of the 2020 high points for AP, engaging Andrew in our big feature here, and myself as soon as we saw the press photos. It sparked much discussion on the mighty internet; to me it is a delectable vision of the colourful past made future proof. If you are an ascetic minimalist, look away now, as the aesthetic mixes colour and materiality unlike any other reference in their catalogue, with the high-tech heart of the renowned movement from the CODE 11.59. The shape is delightfully round, with an unfeasibly smooth transition from pink gold bezel to case side, with oblong pushers and vintage-styled crown as proportionate as they are delightful. The functionality is as strong as the gold dial is vibrant, with blued hands and teardrop lugs completing a pure vintage composition of delightful contrasts…
One of the key pillars of a well-made watch is legibility. Consumers are always critical of how a dial is laid out and how strong and visible the luminescent material becomes once it’s in a darker setting. The Bulgari x The Rake x Revolution “White Light” Octo Finissimo Chronograph GMT brightens up 2020 with its fully lumed dial. This watch is seriously lit. The case The Octo Finissimo Chronograph GMT is the world’s slimmest self-winding watch with a chronograph and GMT function, with a 42mm extra-thin titanium case that is only 6.90mm thick. The case maintains the baroque faceted profile, but differs from the production version through the inclusion of a tachymeter scale etched into the bezel of the watch – which only increases the level of utility and functionality on an already complex watch. The titanium push-down crown is set with a ceramic element, and the watch has a depth rating of 30 metres. The dial The dial shares the same layout as the production model, but is taken to new heights with its “White Light” makeover. Like an F.P. Journe Élégante, the dial is entirely made of a luminescent material that creates a positive display, in favour of…