The Grand Seiko SBGR311 is an explosion of chocolate tessellation
Editor’s note: Grand Seiko are known for excellence in most areas of watchmaking, but case finishing and dial execution are up there at the top. The sheer range of dials they have produced over the years boggles the mind, and they aren’t slowing down anytime soon, releasing a host of eye-catching new models in 2019. Included in this recent run of delightful dial design, we got the Grand Seiko SBGR311, with a richly tessellated coco dial that radially spirals away from its centre. It’s a sight to see, so if you haven’t laid eyes on it before, let’s take another look. At the heart of many Grand Seiko watches beats the mighty 9S calibre, which is celebrating its 20th birthday, and the location of the party is Baselworld 2018. There’s a swathe of new offerings on the table, including this deliciously dialled number, the Grand Seiko SBGR311. Vital statistics Excuse me if I rush through the key stats, because, really, I want to talk about that dial. The SBGR311 is 42mm across, steel, with that characteristic mix of exceptional polish and brushed finishes that define Grand Seiko’s Zaratsu-polished cases. From behind there’s the 9S68 (obvs), visible behind a sapphire caseback…
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Welcome back to Great ‘Grams, where I pick my favourite Instagram posts of the last week and, my word, were there some great stories that hit the feed. One of the coolest I saw was from Jason Heaton, a watch writer and scuba diver, who was selling a very special DOXA to raise funds for an even more exciting project he is working on. The watch in question was a titanium DOXA that was made specifically for Fabien Cousteau’s Mission 31 expedition, where he and his team would spend 31 days in an underwater habitat to conduct marine research. Jason was lucky enough to visit the habitat on the first day, and pick up one of the 331 watches that DOXA made for the record-breaking mission. He is parting with it to raise money for a new expedition in search of the lost ships of Hernán Cortés, the Spanish conquistador. It’s an insanely cool watch, with an important provenance, and it’s also helping further underwater discovery. Enjoy! @jasonheaton UPDATE: SOLD! Thanks for all the interest and offers! Doxa Mission 31 Professional. From one historic expedition to funding another. Back in 2014, I had the privilege of diving on Day One…
I’m rather fortunate in my role here at Time+Tide — I get to wear a lot of different watches. In fact, in 2019 alone I tried on and wore more than 200 different timepieces. Getting to experience this many different watches is a privilege, and while each and every one had both positives and negatives, they all need to be praised just for existing because, after all, technically speaking, wristwatches aren’t exactly essential in 2020. That being said, however, if there was one overriding takeaway from all the timepieces I wore last year, it was this — I hate thick watches. Ugh … OK, maybe hate is too strong a word … perhaps strongly dislike is more appropriate. I also need to qualify a few things first. If a timepiece is thick for a specific reason, like to provide better water resistance, for example, then it gets a pass. In fact, any tool watch that’s on the portly side is OK in my book, as long as the extra girth serves a purpose. And I’m not going to criticise anything that’s more than 10mm thick in some sort of Meryl Streep, Devil Wears Prada-esque venomous spat against all but the slimmest…
Finally, we have the last additions to the “Watch & Act!” Auction. Lot 22: TAG Heuer – Unique Piece, Autavia Caliber 5 ‘Watch & Act!’ Edition First released in 2019, this collection represented the first time the name Autavia had been given to a time-only watch, which is originally a portmanteau of automobile and aviation and used for chronograph tool watches. This TAG Heuer Autavia Caliber 5 is offered in a warmly toned bronze case that complements the graduated moss green dial and strap, and is framed by the ceramic bezel. This model was chosen by TAG Heuer to “symbolise the colours of Australia”. The watch is a Unique Piece and features a caseback engraving of the “Watch & Act!” logo, as well as the text “UNIQUE PIECE AUSTRALIA”. On the dial, note the crossed axe insignia associated with firefighters all around the world — this will be a constant dial-side reminder of the ‘firies’, as Aussies call them, who your watch purchase will benefit. The watch has a bidirectional rotating bezel in brown ceramic and is water resistant to 100m. The sapphire crystal is anti-reflective and the dial is khaki fumé and rhodium plated. The indexes and hands are filled…
Over the next two posts, we’ll be showing the final additions to the “Watch & Act!” Auction. Lot 19: Baltic Watches – Aquascaphe Prototype Based out of France, Baltic Watches have carved themselves a niche in producing watches inspired by the second half of the 20th century, with a range of genuinely attractive references that have proven themselves to be hugely popular with watch enthusiasts around the world. After the roaring success of the Bicompax chronograph release, they immediately began work on their vision of a diving watch, which resulted in this Baltic Watches Aquascaphe Prototype. While several elements of the design were changed for the final production model, this prototype expresses the no-nonsense restraint of a vintage tool watch that was built with a specific purpose and intent. The 3, 6, 9 style of dial was let go in favour of arrow markers at the cardinal points of the dial in the eventual production piece, but the prototype design reminds of the legendary tool watches of the ’50s and ’60s that are so collectible today. It is through the enormous generosity of the team at Baltic Watches that we are able to offer this Aquascaphe Prototype for sale, and…
Montblanc’s Heritage Collection draws inspiration heavily from the watchmaker Minerva and the timepieces they produced in the ’40s and ’50s. And there’s a very good reason why – Montblanc owns the once great Minerva. As a result, we get great-looking watches like this – the Montblanc Heritage Automatic. Replete with its period correct and vogue salmon dial, this elegant three-hander offers a great amount of vintage flair and modern technicality. Housed inside the subtly rounded 40mm stainless steel case, which is just 11.65mm thick, you’ll find Montblanc’s Calibre MB 24.26. This trusty self-winding movement offers 38 hours of power reserve, 26 jewels and an operating frequency of 28,800 (4Hz) vibrations per hour. Complementing the anthracite characteristics of the dial, the Heritage Automatic is paired with a grey Sfumato alligator strap, which has been created by Richemont themselves, in their Pelletteria located in Florence, Italy. What we like about it Montblanc has really been nailing its heritage watches of late, and this heritage automatic is another great addition to the collection. The salmon dial is one to adore, with styling cues that have been borrowed from Minerva timepieces from the ’40s and ’50s. Features Manufacturer: Montblanc Model Name: Heritage Automatic Year:…
This eye-catching special edition, launched at the Dubai Watch Week 2019, features a satin-finished steel case and lush starburst dial inspired by the green in the UAE flag – a colour chosen to inspire hope, growth and prosperity – and four Hindi Arabic numerals painted in Super-LumiNova. This is the first Bell & Ross model to ever feature Hindi Arabic numerals. This watch has been generously donated by Seddiqi Holdings. What we like about it It’s pretty well established in the watch world at the moment that green dials are just better. Case in point is this limited edition Bell & Ross, which has been graciously donated by the Seddiqi family. It’s a stunning watch, featuring Eastern Arabic numerals and, much like a few other lots in this auction, is one that is sure to be hugely popular. Features Manufacturer: Bell & Ross Model Name: BR 03-92 Green Arabic Limited Edition Year: 2019 Reference: BR0392 Material: Steel Dimensions: 42mm diameter Calibre:Mechanical automatic Bracelet/Strap: Brown leather strap View the lot right here.