Watch Dandy

There is a plethora of watches out there with an equally large amount of claims. First watch with a date complication. First watch with a GMT complication. First waterproof watch. However, of all the watches on sale today, the coolest claim surely has to be: “The first watch worn on the moon.” I’m sure that you will already know a fair chunk of Omega’s history with NASA and the fabled Speedmaster. But what you may not know is that the Speedmaster was actually one of four watches vying for NASA’s business. As former NASA engineer Jim Ragan describes in this great video made by Omega, the Speedmaster had to jump through a great many hoops in order to qualify for NASA’s storied space program.

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Last time I covered a Sotheby’s Australia auction, it was my first time attending a watch auction, and while there were a number of highlights, the sale was heavily weighted towards jewellery. In December, however, Hamish Sharma, the Head of Jewels at Sotheby’s Australia, and his hardworking team have produced a sale that not only has more watches but includes a number of very rare pieces that may have never hit the public market in Australia before. A standout among the highlights is the sale of a yellow gold Omega Speedmaster Apollo XI from 1969 ref. 145.022-69, which is an exceptional watch in its own right, but made even more special by the fact it is being sold on the 50th anniversary of man landing on the moon. I spoke to Hamish Sharma about how the sale was coming together, and he was delighted with its “phenomenal” offerings. “We put the catalogue online last week, and have been inundated with condition reports ever since,” he said. “Everyone is excited, and we have received a lot of support from sellers who are offering some very nice pieces.” While discussing the gold Omega Flightmaster and Speedmaster, he was able to say that…

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NOTE: We understand that you’ve found a new watch to add to your collection (congratulations!). But rationalising this fact – coupled with the fact that it’ll cost a bucket-load of cash – may not always sit well with the less horologically minded. That’s where we come in … Use The Enabler’s advanced levels of sophistry to validate your latest acquisition. “How have men’s attitudes changed towards their watches in the last 50 years?” This was a question I asked Walter von Känel, the veteran Longines CEO, a few years back. As a hallowed fixture at the brand since 1969, his experience in the industry gave him a rare insight into the watch world’s steady evolution. “It’s simple,” Mr von Känel said. “A watch used to be about telling the time. Now it’s all about status.” Now I’ll come clean here: this wasn’t welcome news to The Enabler. Not when I’m working around the clock, racking my brains to help you justify your latest watch purchase. I wasn’t happy because non-believers already believe that splurging on a watch is decadent and vain. Frankly, they don’t need fresh ammo. That’s why I’m sharing von Känel’s answer with you in the strictest of…

The post The Enabler: How To Justify Buying Another Watch #3 … “It’s A Symbol Of Moral Resistance Against The Spiritual Decay Of Modern Life” appeared first on Time and Tide Watches.

Editor’s note: You know what’s really refreshing to see? A watchmaker take a timepiece that was first released 40+ years ago, grab it by its … lugs (?) and bring it into the 21st century. That’s exactly what Girard-Perregaux did when they unveiled the Laureato in black ceramic. Here is a timepiece that, for the most part, retains almost all the styling cues of the original Laureato, but thanks to material innovation, is reborn in this resolutely contemporary design. And, to Girard-Perregaux’s credit, they nailed the execution. It isn’t always easy to master the process of modernising something antiquated, but it’s been well judged, and could be one of GP’s hottest-looking watches right now.  Since its surprise reveal a little over a year ago, the Laureato has become an increasingly significant player in the luxury sports category, thanks to its crowd-pleasing good looks and impressive mechanics. SIHH 2018 showed us that the Laureato is an increasingly important part of GP’s lineup too, as handsome new chronograph variants dominated their latest batch of novelties. But I was particularly taken by this black ceramic-on-rubber offering. Announced late last year, to me this Laureato really lives up to its sporty pedigree, thanks to its hard-wearing…

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