One of the earliest dive watches ever created (back in 1953), the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms has since become an iconic sports watch. Revived by the brand some years ago, the Fifty Fathoms is a modern, robust but also luxurious aquatic model with all the attributes of a professional instrument – water-resistance, rotating bezel, superior contrast […]
When life gave Finnish-born watchmaker of more than 10 years, Susan Galvin lemons, she made a refreshing glass of lemonade, donned a watchmakers coat, and began work on a company that is now ready to share the fruits of her labours. Galvin was made redundant due to a restructure back in March, and to make matters even more challenging, it happened while she was on maternity leave. For many this would have been a debilitating blow, but Galvin opted out of lockdown on the couch watching Netflix, and instead founded her own watch company, designed her first timepiece and raised more than $100,000 in the process. Called the Alku, the inaugural offering from the Galvin Watch Company looks like it could be a compelling entry-level watch, so let’s take a closer look. The case Galvin has clearly employed the full gamut of her expertise working for some of the biggest watchmakers in the game, because the case of the Alku presents as an understated and timeless design. Crafted from stainless steel, the rounded case measures in at a demure 38.65mm across, 12.45mm thick and 44.59mm lug to lug. The case is handsomely polished on all surfaces, and features some nice…
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For more than 40 years Germany was divided (1949-1990). On one side was the GDR (German Democratic Republic), part of the Eastern Block, under Russian influence; on the other was the FRG (Federal Republic of Germany), part of the Western Block, under Western Europe and American influence. Following the momentous Fall of the Berlin Wall […]
A dark brooding presence on the wrist is causing infatuation today, with a vast power reserve and the unexpected lightness of high-tech ceramic. The new Hublot Spirit of Big Bang Meca-10 Black Magic is a futuristic tonneau-shaped timepiece that surprises and assures you in equal measure, with its lightweight tank-like solidity and industrial fascination. A winning case for ceramics This is Hublot’s debut of their cutting-edge Meca-10 movement in the sharp contemporary shape of the Spirit of Big Bang series, with this being the darkest, almost menacing, version, Black Magic. The tonneau shape is not svelte at 45mm, with a 14.5mm thickness, but with the always surprising lightness of ceramic, coupled with the embrace of Hublot’s wide, soft rubber strap, it sits more comfortably on the wrist than should be allowed, for such a futuristic weapon of a watch. They say black is slimming, but that is relative, as this is an imposing presence on the wrist. Imposing, but with visible intelligence, too, care of the micro-engineering of the Meca-10 movement. The smooth surface of the ceramic and the intricate details of the watch means that, like me, you will find yourself taking it off the wrist for no other…
The post HANDS-ON: The Hublot Meca-10 movement makes a move into the Spirit of Big Bang Meca-10 Black Magic appeared first on Time and Tide Watches.
Field testing a crystal-based depth gauge.
In a year of great horological heights, Glashütte Original is once again pushing for the summit with the Alfred Helwig Tourbillon 1920 limited edition. This comes after a succession of eye-catching 2020 releases, featuring some of the best dials in the business, and fascinating top tier versions of their vintage perfect diver SeaQ, which made me desire a diamond set bezel for the first time. With the Alfred Helwig Tourbillon, Glashütte Original seem to have toned it down to the quiet elegance of traditional German haute horlogerie, but this time the movement is the star. Turn the watch around with a loupe in hand, a good single malt, and prepare to be quietly impressed by understated German elegance competing with the best of Glashütte. The 25 pieces in this limited edition series marks the 1ooth year anniversary of the invention of the Flying Tourbillon by Glashütte master watchmaker Alfred Helwig in 1920. The large rear opening of the rear sapphire caseback reveals the serene elegance of the diagonally striped ¾ plate covering the movement, but this time instead of making us want more visible detail, it forms the stage on which the star performer needs no visual distraction – the…
The post INTRODUCING: The Glashütte Original Alfred Helwig Tourbillon 1920 might be the most stunning tourbillon of the year appeared first on Time and Tide Watches.
Yes, we know, we can sometimes be a bit snobbish at MONOCHROME. We can’t help it, we love beautiful horology. We love high-end movements, complications and handmade decoration. This doesn’t mean we can afford them, though… So, sometimes we need a reality check and think about what most watch enthusiasts can afford, in real life. […]
The conversation kicked off with a comment by watch collector and dealer Eric Ku in the most recent Watch & Chill episode (skip to the timecode in the description). “I was obsessively watching this show Ballers… with the Rock. In this last season, [he] was wearing the purple Frosted Gold Royal Oak chrono. I distinctly remember him wearing it in multiple episodes. It was kind of interesting…” Michael Friedman, Head of Complications of Audemars Piguet, continued: “I haven’t had the pleasure of meeting him yet, but… he’s a known Audemars Piguet lover and friend of the company. Someone I’d love to meet. A great guy, always really great energy. And those big wtches look small on him.” View this post on Instagram Quiz time: Which celebrity wore this repeatedly in a popular TV Series? Answer in a site post dropping today… Tell us Live and spectacular on our wrist in January 2019 at what was the end of an era ⚓️ A post shared by Time+Tide (@timetidewatches) on Sep 26, 2020 at 4:50pm PDT However, you’d hardly call the 41mm Royal Oak Frosted Gold Selfwinding Chronograph with purple dial (ref #26331BC.GG.1224BC.01) a ‘big watch’. And certainly, on the Rock, it looks…
The post Why big men look “stunning” in small watches, starring the Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson, the ‘King’ Lebron James and Audemars Piguet appeared first on Time and Tide Watches.
With Aussie summer approaching, it means beach and barbecue season has arrived – and the Bremont U-2 Blue is the perfect watch for either occasion. Whether timing a dive, or delicious food on the grill, the Bremont U-2 Blue is ready to take on summer fun in style. The case The watched is housed in a 43mm hardened stainless steel case, featuring the brand’s proprietary Trip-Tick® construction that provides added shock resistance. The Bremont U-2 Blue, being an evolution of the Martin-Baker lineup, is also built to withstand the MB ejection program. The watch also features Bremont’s patented inner bi-directional Roto-Click® bezel, which is operated by the crown at 4. The exhibition caseback is made of stainless steel, secured by six stainless steel screws with polished heads. The case is ready to dive into summer with a depth rating of 10 ATM, or 100 metres water resistance. For added ease of mind, the Bremont U-2 blue is rated to an ISO 3159 standard. The dial The rich blue metal dial features a galvanised sun-ray burst finish that is a total feast for the eyes. The hands and markers/numerals are all coated in Super-LumiNova®. The watch features hours, minutes, and running…
The post INTRODUCING: The Bremont U-2 Blue is the fresh summer watch Australians (and the world) need right now appeared first on Time and Tide Watches.
Game on! Seiko have teamed up with the Street Fighter franchise to release a collection that is going to light up fans, but is also worth a look from a sheer aesthetics point of view – as you’ll see in this video collection review, there’s some crazy experimentation and colourways going on here. As we reported here, the Seiko 5 Sports x STREET FIGHTER V Editions were recently released, and they are six seriously interesting watches, each based on a key character from the game. Today, we’re excited to follow up with them live on the wrist. Ryu, Ken, Chun-Li, Guile, Zangief and Blanka have their own watch that has been designed to perfectly fit each of their character’s looks and costumes, as well as their special move printed on the caseback. All six of the different references use the same Seiko 5 Sports canvas, measuring 42.5mm in diameter, offering 100m of water resistance and powered by the automatic 4R36 movement. But that is where the similarities end, with each piece featuring unique case, dial, bezel and strap configurations to most accurately reflect the character they are based on. Seiko Street Fighter collection price and availability: All pieces from the Seiko Street…
The post We have all 6 of the Seiko 5 Sports x STREET FIGHTER V Editions live on the wrist, and they’re a box of coloured watch candy appeared first on Time and Tide Watches.