Geneva Watch Days 2024: Hot weather and even hotter watches
Russell SheldrakeIt’s hot here in Geneva. The heat is the number one topic of conversation around the Beau Rivage as members of the watch press sweat their way between some of the most exciting brands in the industry. But perhaps the most heat was found on stage this afternoon as our own Andrew McUtchen co-hosted a panel discussion with Revolution’s Wei Koh on the young, upstart, pirate brands which have captivated the industry in the last year.
Joining Andrew and Wei on stage were Sylvain Berneron of Berneron, Matteo Violet Vianello of Anoma, Thomas Fleming and James Kong of Fleming, Shoaib Maghnam of Maghnam, Phil Toledano and Alfred Chan of Toledano and Chan, and William Rohr of Massena LAB – a group that Andrew aptly described as a band of pirates. The group discussed the struggles of starting your own brand from nothing, the difficulties that the pandemic presented, and how you can operate in an industry this big when you are a one-man-band.
It was clear all of the panellists are extremely detail-oriented and equally passionate about what they are doing. The watches that their brands have created are generating so much discussion now, as they offer a real point of difference to the big box brands, and their creativity and independence was clear during this in-depth discussion. I would highly recommend watching the full stream when it’s live.
Enjoy the weekend ahead!
Russell & The Time+Tide Team
Watch meme of the week: Tudor blues
View this post on Instagram
The release of the Tudor Black Bay Chrono Blue took us by surprise this week, but perhaps it shouldn’t have. We’ve seen this movie before…
Wristshot of the week: a high-flying IWC
The Time+Tide Melbourne Discovery Studio is a great place to spot some nice watches, but one particularly rare piece was in the studio this week: an IWC Pilot’s Watch Automatic Edition RAAF, which is available only to former and current members of the Royal Australian Air Force. Naturally, it was on the wrist of Nick, a RAAF pilot and long-time friend of T+T who was responsible for organising the creation of this exclusive model with IWC. Featuring a black ceramic case, dark blue dial and design cues that nod to the iconic Mark XI which was supplied to the RAAF in 1957 (such as a squared-off hour hand), the titanium caseback features the RAAF roundel – the “kangaroo in motion” – and each watch is personalised with the owner’s name, callsign or nickname. Very cool.
Time+Tide Shop pick of the week: NOW Magazine Issue 9
Planning to invest a hefty sum of money on a new watch? Let’s face it: we’re hardly going to be the ones to deter you. But we also understand that you’ll want to be fully informed of your options before you splash the cash. The problem is that it’s almost impossible to stay on top of the avalanche of new releases that continue to drop on a daily basis… But what if there was one highly informed resource that expertly curated all the best releases into one handy guide for your perusal? Well, as luck would have it, Issue 9 of NOW, the Time+Tide Watch Buying Guide is here! Showcasing 164 of this year’s best watch releases (so far) and a number of exclusive feature articles, this is our hottest issue yet.
Issue 9 of NOW Magazine can be ordered both physically and digitally through the Time+Tide Shop, either online or you can pick up a copy for yourself at our Melbourne Discovery Studio. A digital copy will set you back A$7.95, and a physical + digital bundle will set you back A$19.95. Find out more and order your copy here.
Our favourite Time+Tide coverage of the week
The Vacheron Constantin Overseas Tourbillon Titanium is deceptively simple, and a worthy cover star
The Vacheron Constantin Overseas Tourbillon in titanium is quite simple to understand. It’s VC’s sportiest model offering, meaning titanium makes perfect sense, and being a member of the Holy Trinity, so does the haute horlogerie tourbillon complication. So, if it’s such a no-brainer, what exactly prompted us to pick this watch as the cover star of our latest NOW Watch Buying Guide magazine? The answer is in the question, as the Overseas Tourbillon Titanium is much more than the sum of its parts, all of which are excellent in their own right. Borna breaks it down for you here.
7 of the best purple dial watches for when you want something a little funky
We are obsessed with dial colour trends in the watch industry. There’s nothing the horological press loves more than proudly proclaiming every year what the “on trend” colour will be. Is purple going to be the next blue or green? Probably not, but it’s still a great colour, with its connotations of royalty, luxury, and wealth. However, you don’t have to be royalty to be a great watch with a purple dial. Russell’s put together a list of some of the best purple dial watches on the market here, from the affordable to the prestigious.
Andrew Morgan teaches us the secret to voiceovers in the latest episode of Watches And…….
In our new episode of Watches And, we are very excited to be joined by the best voice in the watch industry, Andrew Morgan. The man who has been compared to David Attenborough for his work as the Talking Hands of Watchfinder graces us with his silky smooth tones to talk all things watches and storytelling. Listen above, and read more about the man behind the mic here.