FRIDAY WIND DOWN: New watches and a new Time+Tide team member
Zach BlassWell, 2022 is certainly not wasting any time when it comes to new announcements. Already Grand Seiko, Zenith and TAG Heuer have launched fresh timepieces this week, and there is only more to come with LVMH Watch Week rapidly approaching.
Grand Seiko dropped the mic, launching a second White Birch inspired watch: the Grand Seiko SLGA009 5 Day Spring Drive. Initially, there was a bit of confusion as to why they would re-release the same watch with a different movement. But, as the community looked closer, it became clear it was anything but a carbon copy with many subtle changes and refinements included. And who are we kidding – enthusiasts worldwide were glad to see the White Birch get the Spring Drive treatment.
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Zenith concluded their “Lupin the Third” trilogy, in partnership with the beloved anime, with a third A384 Revival chronograph watch that blends the aesthetic elements of the prior two releases with a half black and half white dial. This playful rendition of the heritage-inspired chronograph already had a wide fanbase for its well-appreciated format, but its latest twist makes it one of the most intriguing variants of the reference we have seen yet.
TAG Heuer meanwhile teamed up with brand ambassador and tennis champion Naomi Osaka to introduce the TAG Heuer Aquaracer Professional 300 Naomi Osaka Limited Edition. Has TAG aced it with its smashing light green lacquered wave dial? Render your verdict after you check out Fergus’ introduction of the fierce and limited 36mm diver.
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Last, but certainly not least, we welcomed Jeremy Caparas, a.k.a @timepeacelove, to the Time+Tide team to take on the role of Social Media Manager, further expanding our presence in NYC. Jeremy is already well-loved within #watchfam and we are super stoked to have him on board, and by the look of our comment section, many of you are as well. If you don’t have the pleasure of knowing Jeremy, you can get to know him a bit more here.
Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!
Zach
Watch meme of the week: “Hype Economy” with @brodinkee
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“Hype Economy” has been the raging discussion of the watch community for some time now, but, while humorous, what this @brodinkee meme conveys is the fact that all collectors have an evolving journey in terms of taste and how they perceive releases. Hype can be generated by a brand’s design, for sure, but the truth is the majority of the hype in watch collecting is generated by us. If you want to point a finger at the problem, then remember to point it at yourself as well. We vote with our cheque books after all.
Wrist shot of the week: Battle of the icy blue Kira-zuri with @theminutemon
We recently covered Grand Seiko’s first two releases, the Japanese manufacture bringing the heat with two icy blue beauts to kick off 2022. After receiving the press release, we have been eager to see both the new SBGH295 and SBGA471 in the metal. We were equally eager to compare the new SBGH295 and its Kira-zuri dial to the SBGA387 Limited Edition Kira-zuri dial – the long sold out SBGA387 now trading $5,000 USD or so above its retail value. Thanks to Derek Mon of Carat & Co, an authorised dealer of Grand Seiko watches among many others, we now have a wonderful side by side comparison. Derek captioned his Instagram post: “Now that I’ve seen both side by side, I actually like the new Kirazuri texture better since it’s slightly more textured, less reflective and paired with satin-finished indices which help reflect white light better.” I think anyone who owns either would be thrilled as each are stunning pieces on the wrist.
Recommended Viewing: Winters & Bui YouTube Channel Launching January 19th
#Watchfam supports #watchfam, so while we always encourage you to subscribe to our YouTube channel (if you have not already), we also recommend you subscribe to the soon-to-launch Winters & Bui channel. As the channel name suggests, it is the brainchild of Lydia Winters and Vu Bui – both of whom you may already be familiar with outside of the world of watches due to their roles of Chief Storyteller and Chief Media Officer respectively at Mojang Studios. Both Lydia and Vu have documented their love for watches incredibly well, thanks to their love and mastery of photography on their own Instagram profiles. From January 19, they have decided to bring their passion to video as well. Lydia and Vu teased their channel, which you can subscribe to here, with three upcoming episodes. If they are any indication, you can expect well-shot content revolving around watch photography and watch collecting. Personally, I am very excited to see what this wonderful duo has in store for the channel.
Our favourite Time+Tide coverage of the week:
A dealer is offering to trade a black dial ceramic Rolex Daytona for a “Tiffany blue” Rolex OP – what would you do?
During the holiday break, the Time+Tide team caught a very interesting post in the r/Rolex thread on Reddit, where a user claimed he was offered a very intriguing trade opportunity from a dealer. The offer was a straight trade, watch for watch, with no cash involved. On the table was the chance to swap his Rolex Oyster Perpetual 41 ref. 124300 in Turquoise (a.k.a the OP Tiffany), which he interestingly has outfitted on a Jubilee instead of an Oyster bracelet. In return, he would receive a black dial ceramic Rolex Daytona ref. 116500LN-0002. What would you do in his shoes? Ricardo and Zach decided to play a little horological game of deal or no deal and explain why they would (or wouldn’t) make the swap. Enter the discussion here.
VIDEO: The top 10 watches of 2021 between $10k-$20k
Between $10,000 and $20,000 USD lie some people’s grail watches, culture-changing icons, or if you’re lucky, just more nice watches for your collection. With a lot to choose from, we’ve assembled some of the best releases in the $10k-$20k price bracket of 2021. Head here to read the full list, or click on the video above to watch Andrew run-through our selections.
THE ICONS: Turning back time with the evolution of the Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso
“The Icons” is a series where we take a horological deep dive into the most legendary watches of all time. Each column, we delve into the story behind a watch, its evolution over the years, famous (and infamous) wearers, the classic references, and the contemporary versions you should be checking out. Recently, D.C. tackled the Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso – click here to read the full story.