INTRODUCING: The new Breguet Classique 5177 will have you singing the blues
If there was the platonic ideal of a dress watch, I’m willing to bet that it would look a lot like Breguet’s Classique: simple, elegant, restrained. But for all that, it’s a watch full of subtle nuance and fine details — details that separate it from the rest of the pack. The white gold case, fluted around the middle, is perfectly circular, something accentuated by that rounded, polished bezel, and the abrupt angularity of the welded, rounded lugs. Inside this 38mm case lies the Cal. 777Q, an automatic equipped — as are all Breguet’s pieces — with silicon technology where it counts. Power reserve is decent at 55 hours, and the beat rate is 4Hz. Really, though, the action here is on the dial. There’s no engine-turned guilloché, but instead you get Grand Feu of the deepest, darkest blue. There’s quite a knack to these dials, not just because the firing at over 800 degrees Celsius is inherently risky, but also because the particular shade of blue has been chosen to match the hue of Breguet’s traditional heat-blued hands. Hands that, for the sake of legibility, aren’t in evidence here. We still get that Breguet shape, but here they’re in rhodium-plated…
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Editor’s note: There’s a knock on the Time+Tide HQ front door. It pushes open and a face pokes around. Is this Time and Tide, the watch website? (There’s no signage, so it takes logo recognition to find us.) Felix, Emma, Sarah or I jump up, walk over and say, yes it is, how are you, etc. Conversation turns quickly to watches — when they discovered us, what’s next for their wrist. And then, in all seriousness, seven times out of 10, it lands on the fact that you can’t buy a recent Rolex. Why? We usually steer the conversation in a positive direction. You CAN buy a recent Rolex and we show them pics of the DJ41, which is among our favourites of the last few years — along with the stunning grey-dialled OP39 (also widely available), a watch that one day will be mine, oh yes, it will be mine. Sure, it’s not as racy as a GMT Master-II, or as shiny as a ceramic bezelled Sub. It’s not as stealthy as a 2017 Sea-Dweller, but it has all the Rolex hallmarks in spades — to the extent that when it was released in 2017, Felix actually named it as his best Rolex in show.…
It’s been an excellent crop of new releases for Grand Seiko, and hiding amidst a healthy assortment of models came this gem — the yellow gold SBGY002. Using a new hand-winding 9R31 Spring Drive movement with a power reserve of 72 hours, the new piece mates a variation of the brand’s iconic Snowflake dial with a more traditional and slender dress watch casing. Coming in north of $25K, it’s obviously a different beast to the classic Snowflake model; however, the new piece is yet another example of how Grand Seiko just isn’t pulling any punches when it comes to delivering impeccable design, finishing, and attention to detail when compared to any of their Swiss competition. This piece is one of four new models in the same vein; it is flanked by a pair of platinum-cased models at the upper register, and a more restrained steel model at the other end of the spectrum. All four models were launched as part of Grand Seiko’s celebration of the 20th anniversary of Spring Drive. While our topic at hand (as well as the steel model) are manufactured in the Shinshu Watch Studio, where all other Spring Drive watches are made, the platinum models are…
Editor’s note: The rise and rise of not just the quality, but the cachet of German watchmaking in recent years has all but put to rest the notion that fine watchmaking is the preserve of the Swiss alone. It’s no longer an argument that has any heat — or any credibility. Therefore, a list of great German watchmakers in 2019 (first published in 2018, the superfans will tell you) borders on a no-brainer. But that said, there may be one or two discoveries in there. Felix runs us through some of his favourites, one or two of which he wears on a very regular basis. Though, sadly, not ‘The Felix’ — seriously, how good would that be. Not so long ago, Cam — fortified with a strong cup of tea and some crumpets — ran us through eight of the finest watches from British brands. Well, today I’ve had my cold cuts and pumpernickel for breakfast and selected eight of Germany’s most serious timepieces to start your day off right. Now, while Germany might not be the watchmaking powerhouse that their neutral neighbour Switzerland is, they’re no slouches either. The industry is based around two towns: Glashütte, in the east, is the best known, as it’s the oldest…
A century? Wait, isn’t the Zenith El Primero celebrating its 50th birthday this year? Yes, correct. However, in a surprise move, the brand is offering a 50-year warranty on these A386 Revival 50th Anniversary models in 18ct gold (white, yellow and red, all at the same price). Hence the 100 years — 50 years of goodness just gone, and 50 to come with these sensitively reissued 38mm tri-colour overlapping register chronographs with stunningly finished El Primero 400 movements. There’s really a lot to love about this collection, and most of it is good and simple. Zenith did the right thing by the original with this revival of the first ever El Primero in 1969. The case size is unchanged at 38mm, the power reserve is 50 hours, and the straps are alligator with gold pin buckles. As per this video, there is the option of a box set, or watches can be bought individually. Australian pricing for the Zenith El Primero A386 Revival 50th Anniversary pricing The Zenith El Primero A386 Revival 50th Anniversary watches in 18ct white, yellow and red gold, $27,500