FRIDAY WIND DOWN: At the Peak with Ulysse Nardin, RedBar watchporn
Zach BlassThis week I had an absolute blast in the world of watches, literally. While once upon a time I worked for Piaget as a watch specialist in their boutique located at Hudson Yards, I never managed to make my way up to The Edge to get an unbelievable view of New York City. Fortunately for me, I finally got to take in the breathtaking vista at the invitation of Ulysse Nardin. Dining at the Peak Restaurant & Bar, I, along with other members of the media, was able to get intimate with many of the brand’s Blast collection timepieces – the star of the show being the newly launched Blast Moonstruck.
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It was fitting I got my first chance to see the watch in the metal at an observation deck and restaurant located on the 101st floor of Hudson Yards. Throughout the afternoon and evening, we were able to get an unrivalled look at NYC as the sun set with the moon in full view as well.
The watch notably conveys the moon’s rotation, the apparent movement of the sun around the globe as we observe it from the Earth, and a tidal chart (along with the time, world time, and calendar date). The celestial complication also features an aventurine backdrop, creating the image of the starry sky and outer space. There is a lot to unpack with this new release, so stay tuned for a full introduction coming next week.
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Earlier today, Ricardo weighed in on the importance of watch meetups in his latest Collector’s Crossroads. Definitely give it a read, but I wholeheartedly agree with the key points he stresses in his write-up – and my latest RedBar meetup really reiterates much of what he points out. With many watches unfortunately missing from cases in brand boutiques or authorized dealers, your best chance to see them in the metal is by getting together with the collectors. Case in point: last night at RedBar I was grinning ear to ear. I got to handle a Rolex Daytona, Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Openworked Double Balance Wheel in black ceramic, DeBethune DB28 Kind of Blue, and an Omega Speedmaster “Silver Snoopy Award” – timepieces you will not readily find in retail cases.
The aforementioned references are definitely not for the faint of cash, but there were plenty of more price-approachable watches present on member wrists you don’t normally get to see as well. I saw my first Formex in the metal, a Charmander-themed Seiko Chrongraph Pokemon limited edition, but a standout for me was one gentleman’s vintage King Seiko watch with a customized sapphire caseback courtesy of The Lapinist. Its 44GS case-like geometry was in stunning condition, and it was really neat to see the vintage Seiko calibre in full view – with a full balance bridge I should add!
Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!
Zach
Watch meme of the week: My enemies are after me…
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If you haven’t had your head in the sand the last few weeks, you will have surely encountered the wild ride that is the story of The Tinder Swindler. I won’t go into too much detail, as (spoiler alert) a weekend yarn from Mr. Benedictus is soon to follow the Wind Down, but what I will say is that the story revolves around a gentleman who posed as a billionaire and scammed over $10m dollars from various women he met through the Tinder dating app. Speaking strictly towards the meme itself, while timely and hilarious in regards to the Netflix documentary sensation it also speaks to my current dilemma. A watch was literally announced this morning that I would normally jump right on, but in order to prevent becoming the man on the right I have to find a level of discipline I can struggle with at times. Right now I have my sights set on a particular watch, and have to resist temptation and remain focused on my current goal. As much as I would like to, I can’t chase down and own every watch in the world. Watches can be an expensive hobby, so we all have to be strategic about what we go after. What watches do I need to sell to make the next watch happen? How long can I eat only pasta to offset the cost? The struggle is real my friends.
Wrist shot of the week: The Rock rocking Panerai like a 36mm Datejust
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This past weekend at the Super Bowl, The Rock was spotted wearing a gold Panerai Submersible, which he wore like a 36mm Datejust would wear on my daintier wrist. Then again, his macho image is what the brand is heavily associated with – so his forearm really is the perfect canvas for Panerai timepieces. I just marvel at how he can make large watches look so darn small.
Time+Tide Shop select of the week: Framed Watch Prints
Looking to spruce up the home office? Why not do so in horological style, with our new framed watch prints. Each 12″ x 16″ (30cm x 40cm) print, executed on museum-quality giclée Epson matte paper depicts an x-ray like framework of an iconic watch reference – everything from a Royal Oak to a Monaco. The prints are framed with ayous wood 0.75″ (1.9 cm) thick, and the environmentally conscious will be glad to know the wood is sourced from renewable forests. Price: $180 AUD, click here to see the full range of options available in the Time+Tide Shop.
Our favourite Time+Tide coverage of the week:
INTRODUCING: The Longines Legend Diver Watch adds new gradient dials to its repertoire
Longines has decided to expand the Legend Diver menu with new vivid burgundy, sand beige, and ash grey gradient dial flavours entering the mix. You can check out the full introduction here.
VIDEO: The top 5 dress watches of the last 12 months
Due to the lingering ball-ache of Covid and its various lockdowns, it’s not like we’ve been attending many soirées, opera festivals or masquerade balls over the past two years. But the mark of a great dress watch is its ability to surpass the need for a dress watch. Here’s a highly subjective round-up of a handful of the best dress watches from the last 12 months that you can wear anywhere, and inject a bit of “fancy” into your life. Watch Andrew and Luke run through each of the top pieces in the video above.
5 sleeper hits from Tissot that you need to consider
Our latest contributor Borna previously worked for Tissot, selling their watches for two years before joining the T+T team – therefore he has a comprehensive grasp of their offerings. With models such as the PRX taking the watch market by storm, he decided to highlight some less appreciated options from Tissot he believes you should know more about. Head here to learn more about his five sleeper picks from Tissot.