HANDS ON: How to update an icon – Cartier’s Santos de Cartier 

It’s a tricky task upgrading a storied and legendary watch such as the Santos — you must innovate while appearing to be unchanging. It’s a job that Cartier have pulled off with aplomb at SIHH 2018. The new Santos is the star in their masculine line-up, a sensitive update that brings the design very much up to date. But first, a quick origin story. The Santos claims the enviable title of the first modern wristwatch, made by Louis Cartier in 1904 for Brazilian aviator, bon vivant and (apparently) all-round cool guy Alberto Santos-Dumont. The watch quickly caught on and has had pride of place in Cartier’s line-up ever since. So what’s new in 2018? Well, let’s start with the insides. The 1847 MC movement (first appearing in the Clé) has been newly added to the line, adding some anti-magnetic clout into the mix. The case, in medium or large versions, is – by and large – unchanged. There has been some refinement to the shape of the bezel, but all the core elements are (thankfully) untouched. The real story, believe it or not, is the straps. The Santos debuts the brand new QuickSwitch system, a solution to the humble (and…

The post HANDS ON: How to update an icon – Cartier’s Santos de Cartier  appeared first on Time and Tide Watches.

8 years ago

IWC Portugieser Hand-Wound Eight Days Edition 150 Years (SIHH 2018)

IWC is celebrating a major milestone this year and has been previewing pieces from the epic “150 Years” collection that are now presented in full at SIHH 2018. So far, we’ve seen some exceptionally complicated pieces, like the Portugieser Perpetual Calendar Tourbillon Edition 150 Years and the Portugieser Constant Force Tourbillon Edition 150 years, which highlight the company’s technical prowess. Today, however, we’re looking at something a little more modest, the Portugieser Hand-Wound Eight Days Edition “150 Years” (Ref. 5102).

8 years ago

SIHH 2018 – Chabi Nouri of Piaget, On The New Collection

Records are made to be broken. But the record, or actually the two records, that Piaget just set will most likely not be broken anytime soon. First, there was the Altiplano Ultimate Automatic 910P, which is now the thinnest automatic winding watch in the world, and then there’s the 2mm thick Altiplano Ultimate Concept. Piaget’s charming CEO Chabi Nouri talks with us about these two stunners and the highlights of Piaget’s ladies collection.

8 years ago

IWC Pilot’s Watch Chronograph Edition “150 Years” (SIHH 2018)

IWC celebrates its 150th anniversary with a generous line-up of 27 limited editions of the brand’s icons – including this popular Pilot’s Watch Chronograph, also known as the  “FliegerChronograph“. The “150 Years” watch displays elapsed times against a glossy, white lacquered dial that pays tribute to the enamel dials of IWC’s historic pocket watches.

8 years ago

SIHH 2018 – Christoph Grainger-Herr of IWC, On The New Collection

We always knew that IWC was going to be one of the stand-outs of SIHH 2018, ever since the brand began previewing the limited-edition timepieces from its 150th Anniversary collection last month. Suffice to say, we have not been disappointed. In total, an impressive 28 new limited-edition references were introduced, along with two new calibres. …

8 years ago

The new Schwarz Etienne Roswell 08 with a Complex Date Mechanism

Schwarz Etienne presents a revisited version of its Roswell watch transformed by a spectacular and unprecedented staging of the date mechanism. Here’s a hands-on review of the new Schwarz Etienne Roswell 08. If you are a regular reader of MONOCHROME, you should already be familiar with Schwarz Etienne. The brand, founded by Paul Arthur Schwarz …

8 years ago

Ulysse Nardin Diver Deep Dive (SIHH 2018)

Bold, bold and… Bold! Yes, this new Ulysse Nardin Diver Deep Dive is far from discreet and is a proper tool made to resist to high pressure. What you see is the new hero piece of the Ulysse Nardin Diver Collection. Indeed, for the SIHH 2018, Ulysse Nardin is not only playing on the innovation or fine craftsmanship sides but they also look at some inspirations that made the brand popular a few years ago. Overview of a strong, powerful dive watch.

8 years ago