Watch Dandy

Editors note: Fancy a date? If you’re single and ready to mingle, this question, when asked by the right person, would likely be met with rapturous approval, but ask someone who’s into watches and the answer is a lot less sure. Few elements of watch design are as contentious as the seemingly innocuous date window. Where some see a useful calendar tool, others see a symbol of all that is wrong with the world. Last year I went into bat for the humble date, and we thought it was about time to revisit it … We’ve got a surprisingly complex relationship with date windows in the Time+Tide office. And not just because we’ve been known to forget to set them on occasion. No, every time we review a vintage reissue, it can be assured that we’ll have a host of comments on various social media platforms that read something like this: “Love the design, but they RUINED it with that ugly date window.” I understand this reaction and, to be fair, there are plenty of sloppily designed date windows out there. But ruining a watch? I’m not so sure. A few years ago we were interviewing Walter von Känel, CEO of Longines,…

The post EDITOR’S PICK: Date night – in defence of the date window appeared first on Time and Tide Watches.

Editors note: Fancy a date? If you’re single and ready to mingle, this question, when asked by the right person, would likely be met with rapturous approval, but ask someone who’s into watches and the answer is a lot less sure. Few elements of watch design are as contentious as the seemingly innocuous date window. Where some see a useful calendar tool, others see a symbol of all that is wrong with the world. Last year I went into bat for the humble date, and we thought it was about time to revisit it … We’ve got a surprisingly complex relationship with date windows in the Time+Tide office. And not just because we’ve been known to forget to set them on occasion. No, every time we review a vintage reissue, it can be assured that we’ll have a host of comments on various social media platforms that read something like this: “Love the design, but they RUINED it with that ugly date window.” I understand this reaction and, to be fair, there are plenty of sloppily designed date windows out there. But ruining a watch? I’m not so sure. A few years ago we were interviewing Walter von Känel, CEO of Longines,…

The post EDITOR’S PICK: Date night – in defence of the date window appeared first on Time and Tide Watches.

So deeply has Chanel’s J12 become embedded in the canon of 21st-century design, it’s easy to forget that it was introduced only 18 years ago. From the original model – a chic, sporty and androgynous piece in black ceramic that Chanel’s then artistic director, Jacques Helleu, had designed to wear himself – it has evolved over the years to embrace new colours, more elaborate decoration and various complications, without allowing anything to dilute the design. Every so often, Chanel has released a ‘talking piece’ version with a special dial – something that speaks not only of the Maison’s craftsmanship but also its sense of humour. Last year it was that cool cartoon of Mademoiselle Chanel in a tweed suit, using her arms to show the time. This year Chanel has played with the number 12, enlarging and deconstructing the numerals, using them to create an abstract pattern in ceramic marquetry for two sets of 12 unique pieces. Chanel has complemented those one-offs with two editions of the J12 Untitled – in black and in white, each limited to 1200 pieces. Using the same motif of deconstructed numerals, these editions have been simplified only in terms of the materials used –…

The post HANDS-ON: The Chanel J12 Untitled appeared first on Time and Tide Watches.