EXCLUSIVE: We have the third H. Moser & Cie video for the Pioneer collection and it’s one for the dads
I don’t know about you, but I’ve enjoyed H. Moser & Cie being around lately. They’ve put a smile on my dial, while creating some of the best examples of watch dials ever created. It’s like about five years of guffaws and loud sniggers, accrued through full-time work in the watch game, and previously hidden behind a hand, were allowed to escape. I could finally, finally, laugh out loud at an industry that never — literally never — laughs at itself. Moser’s new mission in satire is in aid of finding the perfect launch concept for their Pioneer Collection, called ‘The Pioneer Chronicles’. The first of the ‘Pioneer Chronicles’ videos was aimed at what is admittedly a brilliant and effective campaign. You know the one. “You never actually own…” As a dad, I like that after years of dreading my daughters coming of age for a whole raft of reasons, I now feel less pressure to give them my watches — which is one major stress alleviated. There, I said it. The second video addressed brand ambassadors, and the risks therein. It’s a ‘funny because it’s true’ video. Moser jokes don’t always stick, but they’re always aimed in the right direction, and if it’s not a belly-laugh, it’s a snigger.…
The post EXCLUSIVE: We have the third H. Moser & Cie video for the Pioneer collection and it’s one for the dads appeared first on Time and Tide Watches.
Last week, Panerai lifted the bar for local watch events with a boutique launch that started at its Collins Street CBD location, transferred to the palatial family home of Australia’s most famous chef, Shannon Bennett and concluded with a personal chauffeur home for each guest. The evening’s entertainment, in addition to the display of Panerai’s 2018 novelties, as well as modern classics like the Luminor Submersible 1950 3 Days Automatic Oro Rosso (PAM 684) above, was provided by pianist David Helfgott, the subject of Oscar-winning movie Shine. He played a classical set with such abandon that he struggled to stay seated, and after each piece Helfgott would jump up and rush over to guests’ tables to shake their hands. It was the most spectacular, personal and passionate watch brand activation in memory. Even the speeches were exceptional, with local brand manager Ruggero Pirrotta opting – at the insistence of Panerai Asia Pacific Managing Director, Julio Sato, pictured with Shannon Bennett above – to leave his notes in his pocket and speak from the heart. He talked about his excitement and pride in the new boutique at 360 Collins Street, the first ever Panerai boutique in Australia. He singled out Panerai collector and…
Full disclosure. Earlier this year I bought an H. Moser & Cie Pioneer in steel with a blue dial. So the brand’s recent anti-campaign called ‘The Pioneer Chronicles’, which is, in actuality, as much about calling B.S on Swiss watch marketing departments as it is about the watch itself, was well and truly after the fact. What were my reasons then, if not inspired by a campaign that has basically sent the message that #realtalk is to be the ongoing lingua franca from the Schaffhausen-based brand? I will save that confessional for another story. Today, I want to share with you some options of other things you could buy for around 20 grand Aussie (or about 13k USD) that weren’t to hand when I was in the decision-making zone. Wonderfully, they were sourced by Moser. The list was published as part of the ‘Pioneer Chronicles’ and it exemplifies the way the brand are going about it – a patented, potent mix of unvarnished straight talk, cheekiness and in this case, practicality. I mean, a Pioneer in steel, or three weeks at the Bellagio in Vegas? The answers don’t always write themselves. Before we begin, I’ll pass the mic to Moser: “At H.…
Last weekend we saw Geneva play host to a handful of watch auctions, with the likes of Christie’s, Phillips, and Sotheby’s descending on the city and dropping some hammers. As the dust settled, it yet again became clear that vintage Rolex reigns supreme, with the Daytona Ultimatum sale at Phillips selling all 32 of its lots, and bringing in over 22,000,000 CHF. The big one in the mix – the one-of-a-kind white gold Daytona, dubbed the “Unicorn” – gave buyers some kind of a horn, selling for 5,937,500 CHF, making it the second most expensive Rolex ever sold at auction. While the conversation around casa de Time+Tide this week has been mostly centred around the ever-increasing demand for vintage Daytonas (and all vintage Rolex for that matter), and whether their astronomical prices are even sustainable, what also started to emerge as a trending topic was the apparent flow-on effect these high prices are having on other brands like Omega, who smashed their Geneva auction estimates right out of the park, and even broke a few records of their own. First up there was a diamond-studded, Tiffany-stamped Omega that once belonged to a Mr Elvis Presley. Sure, it had the celebrity factor. But…
I backed up Baselworld, with a solid stint in London, where — let me tell you — I did some serious watch spotting. So much spotting in fact, we had to split it out. Here we go! Kicking things off, in true British fashion, a London boutique-only edition Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso. This is one of only 26, and belongs to my good friend Silas, from @A_Collected_Man. Silas had been on the lookout for one of these for a long time before finally snagging one. I could be wrong, but I believe this to be one of JLC’s most limited watches ever made. There’s really only one way to describe this watch: Stunning. As I settled into London, I caught up with Pat (@Mr.Cosmograph), who has a love for Rolex sports models (don’t we all), and a knack for beating those waitlists. His piece of choice for our coffee was his prized Daytona, which, with a ceramic bezel, looks as sharp as ever. Pat was pretty impressed by the Tudor Black Bay GMT and has already put his name down for one, preferring it to the Rolex ‘Pepsi’ GMT-Master II in steel, also released this year at Baselworld. Next up — @APKStyle and his Audemars Piguet…
