Technical Perspective: How Accurate Should Your Mechanical Watch Actually Be?
Unsurprisingly enough, the answer is “it depends.”
Jacob & Co. Opera Godfather Edition – Mechanically (and musically) Intriguing
Music exists in time. Uniting two traditional Swiss crafts, the Jacob & Co. Opera is a highly complicated timepiece and a wearable music box at the same time… Moreover, it is a spectacular show on the wrist that is pretty hard to depict. The ballet of its triple-axis tourbillon and its musical mechanism in action is surprising and captivating. Technically, the combination of these two rare complications is impressive. There is indeed a lot happening and if a picture is worth a 1,000 words, a video is worth a million… It is even a must to present a timepiece that defies traditional labels by playing the Godfather theme and by featuring a miniature Don Vito Corleone in its center!
Introducing: The TAG Heuer Carrera Heuer 02
The brand’s flagship watch now comes with the in-house Heuer 02 movement.
Pre-Baselworld 2018 – Blancpain Villeret Quantième Complet GMT
The combination of a complete calendar (or Quantième Complet in French) with a moonphase indication and a GMT function is a classic at Blancpain. Indeed, this interesting and practical combination of complications established itself as a mainstay with its original debut in 2002. Even more, the complete calendar is a signature display of the brand since its re-inception in the 1980s. For Baselworld 2018, the Le Brassus-based manufacture reinterprets this classic in a modern way, with a redesigned dial, an improved movement and more practicality. Here is the Blancpain Villeret Quantième Complet GMT.
VIDEO: Our favourite watches of SIHH 2018 – part 1, under $10,000
In the midst of the hectic schedules and bustling halls of SIHH, Andrew and myself, along with freelancers Sandra Lane and Justin Mastine-Frost, found a spare hour to sit down in front of the steady lens of Marcus’ camera to discuss our favourite watch of SIHH — while they were fresh. But rather than just cherry-pick the (many) exceptional watches on offer, we opted to make things a bit trickier by breaking the watches down by price. So, in part one of our four-part mini-series we talk about the (roughly) sub-$10,000 price point. So, here are (what we think) are the best watches of SIHH 2018 – under $10,000. Stay tuned for the other instalments. Sandra’s pick – the Hermès Carré H “It’s lovely, the shape of it as it goes onto the wrist is almost like a bathtub.” Felix’s pick – the Montblanc 1858 Chronograph (in bronze) “It’s a really good, strong, general-appeal chronograph.” Andrew’s pick – the Cartier Santos de Cartier “Cartier are acknowledging a lot of broader trends in the way they’ve packaged this up.” Justin’s pick – the Zenith CP-2 Flyback Bronze “It looks stunning. Bronze is everywhere now – I’ve got a soft spot for it…
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INTRODUCING: The Franck Muller Crazy Hours 15th Anniversary collection
I don’t know about you, but the only thing on my mind when I’m at a resort on vacation is how many trips to the breakfast buffet is considered too much (more than five apparently, if the appalled looks of fellow diners was anything to go by). However, for watchmaker and eponymous brand founder Franck Muller, holidays can be a time of more radical thinking, as it was a holiday in Mauritius that inspired the instantly recognisable (and undeniably fun) Crazy Hours complication. First released in 2003, the Crazy Hours collection introduced a dial layout where the traditional display of 12 hour numerals was jumbled up. So, the number 8 is now at 12 o’clock, 5 is at 9 o’clock, 3 at 11 o’clock, and so on. Meaning that instead of progressing clockwise in numerical order, the hour hand must jump to the next hour which is placed nearly directly opposite (at an approximately 120° arc). The craziness was brought to life by the addition of a jumping hour module on top of a 42-hour power reserve automatic movement. With this year marking the collection’s 15th anniversary, the manufacturer known as the “Master of Complications” is celebrating with the release…
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SPOTTED! BY AG: Dispatch 17, February 2018
Welcome to February or, as we like to call it, ‘that spacer between SIHH and Baselworld’. The T+T team is taking a quick breather to digest exactly what happened at SIHH, as we brace ourselves for a hectic upcoming trip to Basel. I kicked off this month with a trip to my tailor, Carl Navè, for a bit of a wardrobe refresh (Baselworld is just weeks away, after all). Carl was sporting some new wristwear — a recently acquired Oris Aquis, which was a 40th birthday present. He thought long and hard about the watch that would best suit his personality and, more importantly, his lifestyle. Carl was drawn in by the gorgeous gradient blue dial and the utilitarian design. It’s not exactly a design that jumps to mind when you think ‘tailor’, but Carl wasn’t looking for a refined dress watch but something a little more rugged and casual — which is much more his personal style. Carl consulted the entire T+T team, and we expected him to jump at the Oris Divers Sixty-Five; however, already owning a vintage Tissot Seastar, he was definitely after a modern piece. The Oris Aquis Date ticked all those boxes — and the rest is history.…
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Weekend Round-Up: Two Special Colors, Making Screen Prints, And The Secret Strength Of Cockroaches
The week’s can’t-miss stories from around the web.
Tudor Baselworld 2018 – Predictions for the Watches that Tudor could Launch in 2018
Tudor has gained an incredible level of popularity over the past few years, becoming one of the coolest players in the watch game. This is the reason why we, at MONOCHROME, have placed this brand under our radar for quite some years already and, like we did with Rolex a few days ago, it’s time for us to be creative and to try and guess what Tudor might launch in the very near future. So, here are the possible Tudor Baselworld 2018 novelties – in other words, the Tudor watches we’d love to see at Baselworld 2018.
EDITOR’S PICK: Eye of the tiger – Tudor’s Black Bay S&G
Editor’s note: Way back at Basel 2017 we instinctively christened the Black Bay S&G ‘Le Tigre’ when we first saw it. And, passing jokes aside, this watch has stalked our idle thoughts, much as its carnivorous namesake stalks its prey through the dense brush. Our cameraman Marcus has already succumbed, picking one up late last year. Who will be next? Read on to discover the secret behind the power of … Le Tigre. The story in a second: Two-tone is back, baby! Steel and gold watches have been around for years. Hitting peak popularity around 30 years ago, they were the epitome of ’80s style, but, then again, so were pastel polos with double popped collars. However, while the mix of these two metals has been used by countless manufacturers, I’ve just never been a two-tone guy. It’s not that I have anything against the combination (double popped collars are a different story), it’s just that they were never for me. This year, something happened that I think no one saw coming. Tudor released a two-toned Black Bay, and, I have to say, I think they’ve changed my mind. The case Apart from the obvious, not much has changed with the…
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