HANDS-ON: The Farer Aqua Compressor Hecla
A parcel recently landed on my desk. It had made the journey all the way from the United Kingdom, and it contained two pieces from British microbrand Farer Universal. Launched earlier this year, these models made waves with their colourful dials and brightly accentuated designs. So when the opportunity arose to test drive a piece, just in time for Australian summer, I dived right in and put the Farer Universal Aqua Compressor Hecla through its paces. The first thing I noticed was — of course — the striking blue floating dial, with a wave-cut pattern, which changed gradients with the shadows. It was the perfect base for the raised polished numerals, which added some nice sophistication to the dial. In terms of legibility, we have the extra-large handset, with white Super LumiNova — a great colour choice given the rich blue dial. A final touch: a warm and bright yellow Farer logo arrow tip on the seconds hand. On the case, it’s shaped a little differently to your standard dive watches. The curves are a little more accentuated, giving it somewhat of an elongated shape. Aesthetically, it looks a little bit unusual when not being worn, and gives the perception…
The post HANDS-ON: The Farer Aqua Compressor Hecla appeared first on Time and Tide Watches.
The sky’s the limit in this final instalment of the best watches of 2017 – and the entry price to this exclusive club starts at a cool $20K. For this you can expect hot ceramic, classical tourbillons, cutting-edge design, ingenious engineering, and finishing to die for. Breguet Marine Équation Marchante 5887 Ah, the equation of time! It’s one of the most esoteric complications in the world of high horology, and Breguet’s innovative and deceptively simple display means that telling the difference between civil and solar time has never been this simple. $296,000 A. Lange & Söhne Tourbograph Perpetual ‘Pour le Mérite’ When it comes to mic-dropping virtuosity, no one can do it quite like the Germans. More functions than anyone rationally needs, incredible tourbillon and a fusée and chain? Yes, please. POA Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar (Ref 26579CE) What makes AP’s ever-popular perpetual calendar even hotter? Black ceramic, and lots of it. This is the first all-ceramic Royal Oak from Audemars Piguet, and we certainly hope it’s not the last. $123,000 Hublot Big Bang Meca-10 King Gold The Big Bang is a watch that isn’t afraid of making a statement, and when the Big Bang in question is the…
Things start getting serious in the $10-20k price point. In our fourth (and penultimate) ‘best watches of 2017’ video we showcase innovative materials, double dials, big crowns, thin winners and more. Panerai Submersible 1950 BMG-Tech 3 Days Automatic – 47mm Smart style and an even smarter case material ensures that Panerai’s BMG-Tech made our list, proving there’s always a place for a big, bad, 47mm diver. $13,850 Rolex Sky-Dweller No surprises here. The new Rolesor Sky-Dweller is up there with the hottest watches of 2017, offering a compelling combination of Rolex brand power, complication and a smartly streamlined dial design. From $18,250 Bulgari Octo Finissimo Automatic Slim is in! Bulgari’s latest evolution of their Finissimo family is the simplest yet, and offers an angular, edgy alternative to the typical delicate ultra-thin options. $19,250 on bracelet. Girard-Perregaux Laureato The return of the Laureato was one of the big stories from SIHH 2017, and Girard-Perregaux’s high-end sports option offers both form and function. And while there’s plenty of precious options, it’s hard to go past the full steel version. $16,080 Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Tribute Moon What’s better than one rectangular dress watch? Two! The JLC Reverso Tribute Moon in steel offers double the…
For the third instalment in our video series of the best watches of 2017, we’re talking about watches priced between $5000 and $10,000, including a versatile Omega, a couple of chronos and some more dressy options. Tudor Heritage Black Bay Chrono The Tudor Black Bay landscape got a little complicated this year with the addition of a chronograph to the family. And the extra detail isn’t just on the dial side — the movement, the result of a new partnership with Breitling, is quite interesting too. From $5690 Tag Heuer Autavia Heritage Heuer fans rejoice! The Autavia was re-released in 2017, and in exceptionally fine form. The inverse panda dial, the distressed camel strap and, excitingly, powered by the revamped CH80 movement … From $6600 Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Control Date Jaeger-LeCoultre had a banner year in 2017, thanks largely to their well-received Master Control trilogy. And while there are three options to choose from, we find it hard to go past the simplicity of the Master Control Date. $8300 Omega Seamaster Aqua Terra Master Chronometer Omega’s do-everything Aqua Terra was dear to our hearts this year, a classically styled three-hander that offers just the right mix of flash and function. From $7250…