FRIDAY WIND DOWN: Swatch sues Malaysian government for seizing their Pride-themed watches from stores
Time+TideThis week was a bit calmer in regard to new novelties, but a big headline within the watch world was the news that Swatch are suing the Malaysian government after it seized 172 pride-themed watches from stores.
Swatch is seeking damages and the return of the watches that are worth US$14,000. The Malaysian authorities said the watches from the rainbow-coloured Pride selection were confiscated in May by the Home Affairs Ministry’s law enforcement unit because they featured “LGBT elements”.
Swatch describes the watches as “loud, proud, uplifting and bursting with meaning”. Swatch went on to say that the watches were “not in any way capable of causing any disruption to public order or morality or any violations of the law”.
Swatch’s move is a departure from the usual Swiss neutrality, and stands out in an industry that often prefers to stay silent on matters of social justice – and we are here for it.
Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!
The Time+Tide Team
Watch meme of the week: Horological handling
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We really should put together a guide on this topic. Within the community, you are inevitably going to encounter a lot of watches “in the metal”. What you do with your own watch is your own prerogative, but when handling other people’s watches there are certain things you should and should not do in order to be respectful. We will circle back on this one again soon.
Wrist shot of the week: A whole other level of Elegante
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The F.P. Journe Elegante is known as the impossible to source entry watch in the independent brand’s catalogue. Only 1,000 mechanical watches are made by FPJ per year, and approximately 400 Elegante watches per year. Usually you see the 40 or 48 models cased in titanium, and the intelligent quartz watch is considered a great proposition for daily wear. But this rare platinum model set with 315 brilliant-cut white diamonds and 72 black diamonds takes things to a whole other level.
Time+Tide Shop select of the week:
Nivada Grenchen x seconde/seconde/ x Time+Tide Chronomaster Aviator Sea Diver – ChaosMaster ‘Save Us’ Koala Edition
The main release of the ChaosMaster Editions asked, how do you respond to a world turned upside down? Are you spun out? Are you fine? Are you fantastic? This final ChaosMaster model, called the Nivada Grenchen x seconde/seconde/ x Time+Tide Chronomaster Aviator Sea Diver – ChaosMaster ‘Save Us’ Koala Edition makes the concept even more literal, by planting a Koala on the seconds / chronograph hand, and having them cling on for dear life when it is activated. In highlighted letters in the text on the dial, you can read ‘SAVE US’.
This is not a limited edition, but a limited production model.
This references Australia’s diminished koala population, which was so badly affected by the bushfires that destroyed much of their habitat in January 2020. We have a connection to this event as we held a ‘Watch & Act’ Auction and raised $250,000 for various bushfire recovery related services – now we’re revisiting the mission, and continuing to support our wildlife by donating 10% of all ‘Save Us’ Koala Edition sales to the Australian Koala Foundation.
The base for this creative collision is the function-packed Nivada Grenchen Chronomaster Aviator Sea Diver. Originally released in 1963 with a form nearly identical to what we see from its re-release, though while the original sported a variety of movements, including Valjoux, Landeron and Venus, the modern interpretation is powered by the excellent, hand-wound Sellita SW500.
Order now in the Time+Tide Shop. Price: A$3,295
Our favourite Time+Tide coverage of the week:
HANDS-ON: Why the new Bulgari Octo Roma Automatic won me over with its quiet luxury appeal
This year the Bulgari Octo Roma received a long overdue makeover that brings it more in line with its more flashy sibling Finissimo. Not only do the changes add welcome continuity across the collection, but also a little extra elegance to the collection’s more affordable but no less delightful offering. Get Kylie’s full thoughts on the new Bulgari Octo Roma Automatic collection in either the video above, or her full written hands-on here.
From CR7 to C24: Cristiano Ronaldo invests in Chrono24 watch marketplace platform
We have previously documented how football superstar Cristiano Ronaldo is a fully fledged watch collector, but now he takes on the role of investor as well. Watch marketplace platform Chrono24 recently revealed the MAJOR news that Cristiano Ronaldo has invested in C24. So, you could say Ronaldo has transformed from CR7 to C24. The full story regarding Ronaldo investing in Chrono24 can be found here.
TRADING FACES: Why I just gave up five Kurono watches for this one Piaget
Trading Faces is a column in which Zach breaks down genuine watch trades he has made within his collection. For this fourth instalment of the column, Zach digs into his biggest watch trade yet: his entire Kurono collection (five watches) for a Piaget Altiplano 900P.