EDITOR’S PICK: What’s cooler than being cool? The Grand Seiko SBGA211 Snowflake
Editor’s note: With temperatures dropping, winter has officially arrived Down Under. And although the mornings are now crisp and our evenings chilly, unfortunately for us, as we dust off our cable knits and scarves, our streets are unlikely to ever be covered in a sprinkling of the white stuff. Still, we dream dreams of snow and ice. And with this week being all about Grand Seiko for us here in the Time+Tide office, we thought there’s no better watch to remind us of winter wonderlands than the Grand Seiko SBGA211 Snowflake. Grand Seiko’s famous ‘Snowflake’ has been with us for quite some time now (it was first released, as the SBGA011, in 2010), and it’s quickly earned a reputation as an exemplary everyday watch that manages to combine functionality and beauty in equal measure. Smartly, Seiko knew enough to leave one of the cores of the Grand Seiko collection well alone … until this year. The ‘new’ Snowflake is the SBGA211, and, thankfully, it’s virtually identical to the original — except for the dial. At the start of this year it was announced that Grand Seiko would be fully independent from Seiko — a move well overdue. The most obvious symbol of this change was that the…
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Grand Seiko’s limited editions are, in their own way, hype machines. They generate huge buzz and are, in the pretty fanatical world of GS enthusiasts, hotter than the proverbial hot cakes. The SBGR311, unveiled in Basel earlier this year, is no exception. Ostensibly, it’s a celebration of the mighty 9S calibre, but it’s also a pretty compelling celebration of how awesome a brown dial can be. I mean, look at this thing — it’s rich, it’s textural, it’s got a super detailed mosaic pattern on it and it’s got gold highlights. If you had told me pre-Basel that I’d fall madly in love with a brown watch, I would have been too polite to laugh in your face, but there would have been a definite snicker. But now, after seeing this guy in all his warm, chocolatey rich glory, I am down for brown. Grand Seiko SBGR311 Australian pricing and availability Grand Seiko SBGR311, limited to 1300 pieces, $7500
Editor’s note: Most of the time there’s a formula to the watches someone likes. Something along the lines of 39 – 42mm case plus steel plus chronograph divided by price equals something I want. But, then again, there are watches that come from left field and knock you out of the park. Rado’s unashamedly large and funky HyperChrome 1616 is one such watch. It’s just so cool. When we think Rado, we tend not to think chunky, ’70s-inspired dive watch. We’re much more likely to lean towards chic ceramic minimalism, or perhaps this year’s surprise hit, the Captain Cook. Which is why the HyperChrome 1616 is such a standout, though the impressive 46mm case helps too. Of course, Rado are a brand with a hi-tech rep to protect, so don’t expect them to use anything as simple as steel for the case material. Instead, they’ve crafted two takes on the theme – one in black ceramic, the other in hardened titanium. The ceramic version is the more modern of the two, lightweight and ultra-hard, thanks to the case, painstakingly crafted from a mix of black ceramic feedstock and polymer binder that’s then injection moulded and sintered at about 1450 degrees celsius. It is then finally…
Expert (self-taught) watch polisher Bob Kolican is definitely an account worth following. If not for his vintage knowledge, then to witness his refinishing skills. Also a huge vintage watch collector, Bob resides in Germany with his young family. Hey Bob, what’s your daily watch (if you have one) and why? I have no particular daily watch, I mostly wear the most recently polished piece I have, until the next is refinished. I own a lot of Rolex models, like white/pink/yellow gold Day-Dates, gold and steel Datejusts, Explorer Is and IIs (also a pre-Explorer), Submariners with and without date, hand-wound Daytonas, a pre-Daytona, Sea-Dweller, and some others. The list goes on … Aside from that, there’s also some Heuer, Enicar, Mido and Omega in the box. So, do you only collect vintage watches? I have a few Rolex ‘sporties’ with sapphire, in my collection, like the Submariner or ‘Zenith’ Daytona. I love the simplicity and the purpose of use of the old vintage Rolex watches. You look at the dial and there is nothing that could stress you. Nowadays there are functions and displays on some watches you will never need in life, and they could be very restless. The weirdest watch I have…
Here in Australia the financial year ends tomorrow, which means that some of us — if we’re lucky/fiscally savvy — can expect a windfall of funds, care of the Australian Taxation Office. Now, if we were really responsible we’d be using that cash to pay down debt and knock off some of those big expenses, but that’s no fun. So earlier this week I set a challenge for the team. Assume you’re getting a return (and because I don’t know too much about my co-workers’ finances, I put an arbitrary cap of $3-4k), pick one watch you could and would buy right now, without the need for waiting for it to be released, wait on a wait list, or hem and haw about it. We’re talking money in and out of bank account in less than 24 hours. Responsible? Maybe not. Fun? Yes. Andy’s pick — the Nomos Club neomatik I’ve always had a real soft spot for Nomos, their quirky yet serious quality, and definitely the way they do things their own way. For an impulse buy, I reckon you can’t go wrong with this colourful new member of their Aqua family. Super fun dial, 200m rating and their awesome neomatik…