FRIDAY WIND DOWN: New Nautilus and more from Patek, plus taste the AP Royal Oak rainbow
Zach BlassThis week certainly made watch lovers perk up, with a slew of new releases from two giants of the horological world.
Patek Philippe made waves by unveiling a successor to the 5711 perhaps sooner than we thought. The new 5811/1G is not a vast overhaul of the 5711, the most notable changes including a case 1mm larger in diameter (41mm), a new blue-gradient dial, a case and bracelet (with new micro-adjustment) in white gold for the first time since 2004, and a return to the monobloc case from the three-part case found on the 5711. We have more thoughts on the watch that will hit the site soon.
The 5811/1G was not the only drop from Patek. Joining the catalogue alongside it are three more Nautilus references: the Nautilus with an analog date, moonphase and a power reserve indicator ref. 5712/1R-001, the Nautilus Joaillerie ref. 7118/1300R-001, and the Nautilus Travel Time Chronograph ref. 5990/1A-011. In addition, there are four chronograph models outside the Nautilus collection. These include the Split-Seconds Monopusher Chronograph with perpetual calendar ref. 5373P-001 that’s sure to excite lefties and the Aquanaut Luce “Rainbow” Chronograph ref. 7968/300R-001 which, while billed as “ladies”, has a rainbow aesthetic, mother-of-pearl dial and 39.9mm diameter that may yet appeal to more masculine sensibilities as well. Other releases are the Split-Seconds Chronograph with perpetual calendar ref. 5204G-001 that may be late to the green party but will certainly be welcomed by collectors. Finally, there’s the Self-winding World Time Flyback Chronograph ref. 5935A-001 that is a slamming steel salmon watch likely to be highly sought after.
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Patek was not the only holy trinity manufacture to bring a rainbow watch to our attention this week. In fact, as part of the 50th anniversary celebrations for the Royal Oak, Audemars Piguet unveiled not one, but two sets of 10 white-gold Royal Oak watches, one set in a 37mm size and the other in a 41mm size, each entirely paved with a different baguette-cut gemstone so as to form a rainbow when all the pieces are put side by side. The different watches adorn some 800 baguette-cut coloured stones of the exact same hue, all meticulously selected and custom-cut to offer intense and pure colours. If bling is not your thing, this may not excite you. But there are definitely collectors out there that will look to score one or more of these 20 watches.
Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!
-Zach
Watch meme of the week: Gotta catch em’ all
No drawn out explanation here. The Pokemon nerd in me just thought this was both cheeky and clever, and, if anything, shows just how collectable the set could be to a certain demographic of collectors.
Wrist shot of the week: A nicely executed MoonSwatch match-up
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While it can look like a rather toy-like collector’s item, when worn right the MoonSwatch can be a killer accessory to a well-curated wardrobe. Just take a look at the example above, the khaki notes of all wearables involved working together in symphony for a well-assembled. smart-casual look. I guess it helps to be a watch photographer as well to snap such a great pocket shot.
Time+Tide Shop select of the week: DOXA Army
The DOXA Army follows through on the design aesthetic of the original, adding a subtle touch of modernity and performance in tune with today. The 42.5mm case machined from a block of 316L stainless steel, is topped with a sapphire crystal. The case, and therefore the movement it protects, is resistant to a pressure of 30 ATM, equivalent to a depth of 300 metres.
One variant of this reissue model also features a unidirectional rotating bezel in bronze – marking the first time ever that DOXA has used this metal in its collections – with a hunter green ceramic insert or in stainless steel with a black ceramic insert (as pictured above) . All diving-related indications are enhanced with a Super-LumiNova coating to ensure optimal readability underwater.
The watch comes with the choice of a stainless-steel “beads of rice” bracelet with folding clasp and exclusive “DOXA fish” symbol or an FKM rubber strap in black or hunter green. Included in the box with each Doxa Army is an additional NATO camouflage strap. The special case features the original camouflage pattern of the field uniform worn at the time by the Swiss Army.
You can purchase the watch here in the Time+Tide Shop. Price: $2,995 AUD
Our favourite Time+Tide coverage of the week:
My top 5 picks from the latest Ineichen auction
The focus of Ineichen’s October auction is on complicated watches in every sense of the word. Some of the most impressive manufacturers to grace the world of haute horology are featured such as MB&F, Girard-Perregaux, Daniel Roth and more. These are Fergus’ five top picks from the auction catalogue, read the full list here.
HANDS-ON: The Chopard Alpine Eagle Chrono is more eye-catching than ever on an integrated rubber strap
The Chopard Alpine Eagle Chrono steps up the sporty appeal over the time-only variants, offering more function packed in a hunky case with a dial-matching integrated rubber strap. Read Borna’s full hands-on review here.
Get your kicks with Hublot’s Big Bang e FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 connected watch
Hublot this week launched the new Big Bang e FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 connected watch just in time for kick off on the world’s biggest stage. Footy fanatics can wear the very same smartwatch as the World Cup officials, but that bit of fan service is just the beginning. Get the full story on the new watch here.