HANDS-ON: The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Double Balance Wheel Openworked
One of the finest openworked watches on the market right now (and one that, paradoxically, didn’t make our list of skeletonised watches) is the Royal Oak Double Balance Wheel Openworked from Audemars Piguet. Visually, this pink gold case with predominantly steel movement architecture is everything you’d expect — that classic RO case and bracelet looking boss, with a deep, complex openworked dial. And while legibility is the main concern here (there’s not a heap of contrast between the movement and those gold hands, compared to earlier versions with a grey movement finish), it quickly becomes apparent that the titular double balance, nestled at eight o’clock is the star of the show. What, I hear you ask, precisely is a double balance? Well, the role of a balance is to regulate the accuracy of the watch. This watch offers not one, but two balance wheels — which is good, as more mass equals more accuracy. What’s more, the balance wheels are set against each other to hopefully offset any variance in its twin. The case measures in at 37mm across, making it a solid, and solidly opulent, choice for more slender wrists. But regardless of whether it’s worn by a king…
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By now, you’ve seen the news everywhere. Phillips auctions touting their upcoming sale with headlines like “Phillips to Sell Steve McQueen’s Rolex Submariner”, and lines that read as “a historically important and previously unknown Rolex Submariner owned and worn by Steve McQueen.” (copied directly from the Phillips Auctions website at time of writing). As soon as this hit the news, I had to read and re-read what was being presented, as I – and numerous collectors and industry professionals – couldn’t help but question some of the details of what some would interpret as an intricately woven tale of a long-lost watch brought back from the dead. While there are a handful of hard facts about this watch that’s coming up for sale, there are quite a few missing puzzle pieces that stand between the watch and its educated buying public. Before we get into the nitty-gritty about this watch, there is some air that needs to be cleared. Through my investigation I spoke with numerous collectors, auction specialists, as well as a few people who have actually seen the watch in person prior to its restoration. The most interesting bit, and not surprising given how big and rightfully well-respected…
Editor’s note: Work. It’s one of life’s unavoidable necessities. And for us watch folk, a place that if we’re not careful, our choice of wrist-wear and love of watches can lead to a spot of trouble. Especially now, when the year’s brand-new releases are hitting the storefronts and there is research and shortlisting to be done. While HR are no use, we have your back here at T+T. And although we can’t help you towards an early retirement, or even write you a sick note, we can help you hide your obsession in the office with these 9 helpful hints from Mr Andy Green. Odds are that if you’ve found your way to our website and landed on an article titled ‘How to hide your watch obsession’ then you’re pretty passionate about your watches. After all, they say the first step to recovery is admitting you have a problem. But I’m not here to solve anyone’s problems — I’m here to help you hide them. To the uninitiated, spending what seems like abhorrent amounts of money on watches might seem ridiculous. To make matters worse, it can send the wrong idea. After all, fine mechanical watches are expensive, so lots of expensive…
Editor’s note: Add a splash of maritime to the wrist with fine naval details dispersed from its bow to its stern. Recently we covered the latest super-yacht-friendly release from the master of complications, the Franck Muller Vanguard S6 Yachting. So what better time to revisit the seagoing origins of the Yachting collection? And take a look back to where it all began, with this blue-dialled version that’s equally as nautical and just as vanguard. The last time we had Franck Muller in the office it was a bold Vanguard clad in sinister black and red – a watch that was at once sporty and menacing. Today we’re looking at another take on their trademark curved shape, and while the case and dial layout are similar to the Vanguard, the overall look and feel couldn’t be more different. The name gives the game away a little, but the Yachting watch offers a fresh nautical feel on the wrist. The marine allusions start with the dial, a shimmering navy blue that pairs well with the bright white Arabic hour markers. On top of that, the centre of the dial displays a compass rose, a navigational motif that is picked up in the outer section of the dial (complete…