First Look – The new Grönefeld 1941 Principia – Simpler, Automatic, Still Superbly Finished

It took Tim and Bart Grönefeld, the charismatic “Horological Brothers”, almost three years to reveal a new watch. Certainly, they are not the most prolific watchmakers when it comes to novelties – meaning that when something new is coming to the market, we’re quite enthusiastic. While all of their previous creations feature a complication (a tourbillon, an oversized dead-beat second or a remontoire), their new watch is a simple automatic 3-hander. But we prefer to avoid the word “entry-level” here as, clearly, the new Grönefeld 1941 Principia is all about (very) fine watchmaking.

8 years ago

EDITOR’S PICK: The 6 most overused words in the watch industry

Editor’s note: I first wrote this story back in April 2017. And, in those more innocent days, I hoped I’d become a better person and not abuse those old favourites of the watch world. But you know what? Today I hang my head in shame. In the 18 months since this first published, I’ve written about innovation and icons a-plenty. I can be better. I will try to be better. This I pledge. A large part of my job is sifting through press releases. After a while they all start reading the same, thanks to the seemingly limited vocabulary of most marketing departments. And you know what the greatest irony is? While these communications have been designed to make the watch they’re talking about stand out and sound unique, the constant, jargonistic repetition of these rote phrases has precisely the opposite effect. Now, it’s only fair to point out that I’m far from guilt-free in this situation. I’m pretty sure I’ve abused all the below words at some point. But you know what they say – admitting you have a problem is the first step on the road to recovery. Icon A quick Google suggests that, outside of specific religious meanings,…

The post EDITOR’S PICK: The 6 most overused words in the watch industry appeared first on Time and Tide Watches.

8 years ago

NEWS: Breitling is the latest member of the Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie, and why it matters

If you’re not familiar with the Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie (AKA the FHH), it’s one of the industry’s peak bodies, founded in 2005 to promote fine watchmaking in Switzerland and across the world. It’s an organisation with 43 partner brands, the most recent being Breitling. This development should come as no massive surprise if you’ve been following the recent developments around Breitling, spearheaded by Georges Kern, who stepped away from Richemont to take Breitling’s top job. Mr Kern has worked his trademark magic on the blue-chip brand, seriously shaking up the Saint-Imier-based manufacture, including a streamlined product offering. And while membership of the FHH, and alignment with spreading the message of fine watchmaking seems like a nice symbolic gesture, there’s actually a very tangible reason why it matters. The FHH is the organising body of the SIHH, and many FHH members (in addition to Richemont Group brands that dominate the Salon) also exhibit at the Salon. Does this announcement mean that an announcement about Breitling showing at SIHH is just around the corner?

The post NEWS: Breitling is the latest member of the Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie, and why it matters appeared first on Time and Tide Watches.

8 years ago

INTRODUCING: The three amigos – Zenith’s Defy Zero G dons Mexican affair

Around these horological parts, we really love a good four-letter acronym – SIHH, GPHG, COSC … I think you get the idea. In fact, have a conversation with any random watch enthusiast, and chances are that at least one of these terms will come up. However, one that we don’t hear a lot about on this side of the world is SIAR. It stands for Salón Internacional Alta Relojería — the Latin American luxury watch show, which has been held in Mexico City for the past 12 years. Taking place right now, from October 16 to 18, every year sees a convergence of some of the biggest names in the industry, as well as more and more watches dedicated to the Mexican and Latin American markets. And this year is no different, with Zenith releasing a set of exclusive special-editions of their mind-boggling Defy Zero G. In all, there are three different takes of the Zero G, and each one is available in a choice of titanium, yellow gold, or rose gold. They all feature the same 44mm case with a matching bracelet and clasp, and all still house the manually wound El Primero 8812 S calibre, with its 50-hour…

The post INTRODUCING: The three amigos – Zenith’s Defy Zero G dons Mexican affair appeared first on Time and Tide Watches.

8 years ago

HANDS-ON: Put a smile on your dial – the Bell & Ross BR 01 Laughing Skull

If there’s one thing Bell & Ross love more than aviation, it’s skulls. They have been regularly releasing models adorned with the macabre motif since 2009. However, the two themes aren’t mutually exclusive, with their skull-emblazoned pieces referencing the military airborne units of WWII, who used the Jolly Roger as a not-so-subtle symbol of their ferocity in battle as well as to remind them of their own mortality. This year, Bell & Ross continue the tradition, introducing the very clever and, quite frankly, badass BR 01 Laughing Skull. There’s no doubt about it: if skull watches are your thing then chances are so is wrist presence. And here it’s delivered in spades. With a large 46mm square case decorated by a “Clous de Paris” pattern and inspiring thoughts of cutlasses and daggers with its matt microblasted finish. However, it’s the dial that immediately draws your eye. Resembling 2016’s BR 01 Burning Skull, the literal sword-shaped hands are filled with black Super-LumiNova and lowered slightly to now rest over the centre of the skull’s nasal cavity. There are also now glimpses of something new inside, as the skeletonised stage is set for something truly special. You see, by manually winding the crown, the…

The post HANDS-ON: Put a smile on your dial – the Bell & Ross BR 01 Laughing Skull appeared first on Time and Tide Watches.

8 years ago

Hands-on – Ferdinand Berthoud FB1 Malaspina Edition (Unique Piece)

With the Malaspina Edition, Ferdinand Berthoud further explores the theme of the “Age of Discovery” in relation to marine chronometers. Alessandro Malaspina was an Italian born navigator, who spent most of his life at the service of the Spanish Marine. In particular, he led the Malaspina Expedition (1789-1794) exploring and mapping the west coast of the Americas throughout the Pacific Ocean. To guide him in this scientific-political expedition, Malaspina navigated with two Berthoud marine chronometers, N°10 and N°13.

8 years ago