Australian Watch Authority
The 5 most baller watches from our NOW buying guide including Vacheron Constantin, Audemars Piguet, Hublot and Louis Vuitton
According to the Urban Dictionary, the definition of a baller is: “A person that makes shit happen. Without additional context, ‘baller’ typically is assumed to imply demonstrated ability in generating prodigious amounts of cash money, and/or a proficiency with creating frequent and mind-blowing sexual opportunities (note the non-gender specific reference, implying that ballers can be men or women, gay or straight — it is a matter of perspective).” If this be you, finding your wrist-match in our NOW magazine is a joyful experience, as even the smallest picture of any of these sparkly wrist-jewels will induce a Cheshire Cat grin. I’ll even start by cheekily suggesting a “womens” watch as an introduction as gender specifications are dying out, and frankly I want this particular AP for myself. Here are five killers from Vacheron Constantin, Audemars Piguet, Hublot and Louis Vuitton Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Concept Frosted Gold Flying Tourbillon Truth be told, if the glittering delight of the frosted gold and the nine-word designation of this tour de force from Audemars Piguet didn’t captivate you, we’ll book you an appointment with a psychiatrist. With its stippled gold surface and multi-tiered sunburst blue dial, this women’s Royal Oak Concept was nothing…
Nick Jonas shows he’s a serious watch guy with this Omega Speedmaster in Canopus Gold on Saturday Night Live
As a watch enthusiast and journalist, I get excited when I see celebrities sporting coveted timepieces on their wrists. More often than not we see the greatest hits from the usual suspects, but on the most recent episode of Saturday Night Live, Nick Jonas made #watchfam really proud. Nick has a clear appreciation for watchmaking. His Instagram feed is full of a variety of watches from a wide spectrum of manufacturers. Sure he has the more clear-cut celebrity choices in his collection, which we will explore below, but the watch Nick opted to wear during his monologue is a true flex that conveys he is not only a fan of watches as an accessory, but also for their horological merit. While he is certainly not the first famous figure to sport an Omega Speedmaster, he may very well be the first spotted wearing one of the new 3861 powered Speedys in Canopus gold – Omega’s proprietary blend of white gold. While a beautiful watch, it is definitely not a reference you would immediately guess would find its way onto the wrist of a celebrity. To choose this Speedmaster over another Rolex or Richard Mille, you would need an appreciation for…
VIDEO: The Rolex Explorer II Ref. 216570 is the unsung hero in the Professional series
Each of the models in the Rolex Professional series is a tool watch made for a man on a mission. While the Submariner and Sea-Dweller are diving watches, the Rolex Explorer II was originally built in 1971 for speleologists or cave explorers who required a sturdy, functional and highly legible watch while working in almost total darkness. Fortunately, it’s proven to be sufficiently versatile for other pursuits. The Rolex Explorer II Ref. 216570 is the model’s most recent incarnation and, if you know Rolex by their divers, you’ll be surprised by its no-nonsense toughness, instrument-like dial, and crisp black and white hand set. My favourite detail? That would have to be the big orange GMT arrow. The 42mm case is true to its size and, while the black dial version might slim it down a tad, the polar white dial here is intensely legible and perfectly balanced. There’s something alluring about the perfect whiteness of the dial surface which, with its chunky indices framed in black, works so well with the black Mercedes hands. It might all have been a bit too perfect and monochrome had it not been for the zingy EXPLORER II wording and GMT hand that are…
Opinion
A barn find to give you hope – the story of a very special NOS vintage Gruen Ocean Chief
Editor’s note: This week, Eric Ku, vintage watch dealer and friend of Time+Tide, posted about five years having passed since the remarkable watch barn find story involving a LeCoultre Deep Sea Alarm. A man by the name of Zach Norris came across an interesting-looking watch at a local Goodwill store, featuring a price tag of $5.99. He bought it in a heartbeat, suspecting it was worth more than the tag suggested, and was delighted to discover its true value. He was flooded with offers for the watch, one of which came from Eric Ku. He agreed to sell the watch to Eric for a cool $35,000. That’s right, nearly 6000 times the price he paid for it. We put a call-out to see if anyone else had their own story of successful thrift shop hunting, and Frank (@SpeedyFett on Instagram) reached out, telling the tale of his vintage Gruen Ocean Chief. Enjoy! I have a barn find story from a couple years ago that is pretty special. I took my family on vacation to Philadelphia for my kids to experience the old historic area. Little did I know that in addition to the Liberty Bell, just around the corner was…
