5 reasons you need to buy the new issue of NOW, the T+T Watch Buying Guide (including the story behind this Rolex)
Luke BenedictusHow many watches were released in 2021? That’s right – an absolute shit-ton (we counted). So where can you start to navigate this galaxy of wrist-bound options in just one place? Yep, you guessed it: Time+Tide’s NOW magazine Watch Buying Guide. But that’s not all. We’ve also assembled a wildly entertaining assortment of some of the best watch writing around. Here is a little sneak peak…
Confessions of a watch enthusiast
Last year, Jean-Paul Imhoff (@jp_melbs), a watch enthusiast and member of the Time+Tide Club started asking people to send him their anonymous watch confessions. “The response has been overwhelming,” he says. “Every time I run ‘watch confessions’ now, I get way more replies than I can publish.” Inspired by his example, Time+Tide did the same and the results were intriguing.
We heard from an unrepentant watch flipper (“Don’t hate the player, hate the game”) and a fake Rolex devotee (“Even the movement looks legit!”). There was the guy who regretted buying himself a $50k watch to celebrate his divorce (“If felt idotic”) and the husband who buys his wife watches purely to advance up the waiting list at his local AD (“Do I want her to know that? No, I do not”). Then there’s the full-blown addict who just can’t stop buying new pieces (“When I got five watches in one week, I did think ‘what am I doing’…”). T+T lifts the lid on the watch world’s dark confessions.
Eric Ku – The Super Dealer
Wild highs, occasional crushing lows and exposure to absurd levels of opulence. That’s the world that Eric Ku moves in. With a client-list that includes John Mayer and numerous members of the ultra rich and famous, he’s one of the top watch dealers in the world. Whether he’s selling the Rolex “Paul Newman” reference 6263 that would later appear in Crazy Rich Asians or getting bespoke Cartiers made at his personal request, he handles watches on a daily basis that would make any enthusiast spontaneously combust with excitement.
Eric’s own personal collection isn’t too shabby either. Pieces in his watch-box include a a complete set of the Cartier Crash, an Heuer Dark Lord in mint condition, a LeCoultre Deep Sea Alarm, a Philippe Dufour Simplicity… Frankly, the list goes on and on. In this in-depth profile, T+T explains how Eric became one of the watch world’s ultimate movers and shakers.
Tales of the Rolex Explorer
Heard the one about the Rolex Explorer that belonged to a rodeo champion and got trampled on by a 2000lb bull? Or the guy who made the ultimate Explorer barn-find at a thrift shop in the middle of the desert?
After being dreamed up for Sir Edmund Hillary’s attempt to conquer Everest, The Rolex Explorer has lived many lives since its release in 1953. Today, that rugged spirit continues to inform the watch’s character. Time+Tide shares some of the stories that it’s clocked up along the way.
The History of the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms
It’s one of the most influential diving watches of all time. Time+Tide straps on its scuba gear to delve into the history of the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms and tell the tale in comic-strip form.
The Watch Guide…
OK, so this is the really useful part. We’ve cast the horological net far and wide, and picked out the best 283 watch releases of the year that range from $100 to over a million. Whether you’re after a new diver, dress watch or GMT, we’ve got you covered. What time is it? Time to get a watch.
