RECOMMENDED READING: Have you ever seen a digital Monaco before? Meet the TAG Heuer Monaco Sixty Nine
One of the things I really like about this whole watch thing is that I can still be surprised. And when I spotted this post from the truly excellent Calibre 11, one of the leading resources for all things TAG Heuer and Heuer. Now, I’m not claiming that I’m all over the Monaco — after all, the model turns 50 this year, and there’s been quite a bit of variation. But I did not expect to see a digital Monaco. Except then I did. This watch, with the very Swiss name of the Monaco Sixty Nine (in reference to the 1969 debut of the original Monaco), isn’t just a digital watch – it’s reversible. One side boasts a conventional manual wind, the other a digital module. It’s an ingenious concept, and well executed. Well played TAG Heuer. Read the full, excellent and extensive story on Calibre 11.
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Editor’s note: In the watch world we like to talk about trends. But the trends we’re talking about are pretty macro — after all, we’re talking a five-year production cycle, not five weeks. Fast fashion, watches are not. Having said that, one of the more prevalent trends is colour. Big, bold watches that stand out on the wrist. Hublot’s Big Bang Red Magic is one of the brightest stars (literally and figuratively) of recent times … “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.” I’m fairly sure Arthur C. Clarke didn’t have Hublot — or even watches — in mind when he made the now famous futurist statement. But it’s certainly something that rings true for Hublot’s latest ceramic marvel. Because while most watch fans are familiar with the use of ceramic in horology these days, there’s still an aura of power and mystique around this oh-so-red watch. We’ve seen polished ceramic before, and we’ve seen red ceramic before (though none-so-vivid as this), and we’ve certainly seen Big Bangs before. But the combination of all three is a little overwhelming and, for me at least, awe-inspiring. Hublot, for all they seem to delight in their role of watch brand provocateur,…
In 2014, with the launch of its first Octo Finissimo (hand-wound) models, Bulgari rewrote the rules of skinny. Until then, an ultra-thin watch was defined by discreet styling, a round case, precious metal – in short, the ultimate dress watch. Then along came Octo Finissimo, with its shape-shifting trick of looking both supermodel-skinny and swaggeringly muscular. Shamelessly modern! A sports-deluxe ultra-thin watch! Made of titanium! Jump to the 2017 version – the world’s thinnest automatic watch (until Piaget snatched the record back a year later). This time the entire thing was done in sandblasted titanium – case, dial, bracelet and clasp – the chromatic unity bringing even greater strength to the design. Then, last year, rhodium-plated and sandblasted steel, and sandblasted pink gold – the former with an almost icy-white tone, the latter smashing any prejudice we may have felt towards all-gold watches. Flashy? No sir. And this year, ceramic. Sandblasted. Deep, matt black. The Stealth Bomber Octo Finissimo. Black shrinks any object visually and the deep matt black of the Octo Finissimo’s sandblasted surface shrinks it even more. Except that it doesn’t. That shape-shifting trick again. The strong angles of its stepped bezel and lugs radiate confidence and swagger.…
Editor’s note: Full disclosure, this is 100 per cent hypothetical — no watch collections were harmed in the making of this list. Having said that, it’s a very fun hypothetical. Let me be clear from the outset, this is a ridiculous challenge. It’s clearly hypothetical and I’m pretty sure none of us has any plans to sell our collections and follow through with this. But having said that, it’s a perennial watch party favourite, and can be pretty fun. It’s also a useful challenge for distilling just what it is you like about watches – it’s like mindfulness for watch nerds. Dan’s pick – A. Lange & Söhne Zeitwerk Striking Time My one watch is also my Grail watch. The A. Lange & Söhne Zeitwerk Striking Time. It’s robust enough for everyday wear yet horologically significant to make a statement. I would choose the white gold with black dial version as my preference. I may be forced to have this as my ‘only watch’ regardless – as I’d have to sell or trade everything I own (along with a kidney) to get it! Justin’s pick – Heuer Autavia 11630 GMT Limiting myself to a single watch for life would be a…
Sid Mashburn is a veteran menswear designer with an eponymous label. He also has quite nice taste in watches. Mr Mashburn, his clothes and his watches are all on show in this video from US-based retailer Crown & Caliber. I’ve found that there’s usually a degree of overlap in the Venn diagram of clothes guys and watch guys, and this video certainly supports that thesis. Clearly, Sid comes from the sartorial side of the fence and looks at watches primarily through that lens, which is always interesting. What I loved most, though, was just how well worn his mid ’80s Rolex Explorer is. That watch has seen a life, and looks so much the better for it. Something the safe queens in watchland would do well to remember. Watch the whole video (and read the accompanying article) here.