FRIDAY WIND DOWN: Undefeated Moser in a subway speakeasy and mastering chronographs with Zenith
Zach BlassWe’ve had an action-packed week, but there were two highlights in particular.
Ricardo swung by La Noxe in NYC for the unveiling of the Undefeated x Moser Streamliner collaboration, and the only thing as interesting as the watch was the space he got to see it. To anyone on the street, Ricardo was just heading down a set of stairs to the subway.
In reality though, he actually entered the station to knock on an inconspicuous door at the bottom of the first flight of steps – the entrance to a speakeasy hidden in the station. Perhaps the most New York City thing ever, but it was a fitting setting for Undefeated, a leading streetwear brand, and Moser, the cool kids of the independents.
Next up, Ricardo and I had a blast at the Zenith x Phillips Master of Chronographs Exhibition.
The exhibition is a critical touchpoint for Zenith fans, especially here in North America, as there are no dedicated boutiques in the region. This also presented a great opportunity for those unfamiliar with Zenith to get intimate with the brand, enjoying a closer look at their watches – both vintage and modern – and get a full picture of the importance of the El Primero and Zenith’s dedication to chronometry.
During the watchmaking clinic, I was able to get hands-on, and test my watchmaker skills, with a critical component of the El Primero chronograph movement: the clutch. The clutch – in this case a lateral clutch – is the mechanism that engages the wheel that manages the chronograph seconds hand to mesh with the fourth wheel, therefore starting the timing.
As you can see it is quite a small component, and I was tasked with disassembling and then re-assembling the clutch. Thankfully I did not scratch the bridge up too bad, and I consider it a resounding victory. I did not lose the screw either!
Hope you all have a wonderful weekend,
-Zach
Watch meme of the week: Waiting for infinity and beyond….
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In honour of Lightyear being released in cinemas today, I’m bringing back this @watch.memes classic. If only it were this simple, because at this point the secondary market is your only space to buy a 5711. Unfortunately, there are watches out there today that require a certain level of purchase history to prioritise your dream acquisition. But if we all had that kind of money, to pay for the prerequisites before we paid for what we actually requested, then we would also presumably have the money to simply pay the premium on the secondary. And sometimes even that is not enough. Tsk tsk…
Wrist shot of the week: Night Surfer, meet the Zenith x Phillips Calibre 135-0 Limited Edition
The recent collaboration between Zenith, Phillips, and Kari Voutilainen was an unexpected and welcome surprise. It was a rare chance for 10 lucky buyers to own an Observatory-winning movement in a modern wristwatch. Naturally I had to introduce my one of 100 Zenith Defy Classic Skeleton “Night Surfer” Time+Tide Edition to the calibre 135-0 powered newcomer, and holding them next to each other I realised that together they make a compelling two-watch collection.
Time+Tide Shop select of the week: Hamilton American Classic Boulton Mechanical
Art deco meets American classic style in the new Hamilton Boulton Mechanical. With its distinctive case shape, the Boulton has been a mainstay of the Hamilton collection since it first appeared in 1940. Reimagined for the twenty-first century and powered by the awesome H-50 handwinding movement, it proves that the Hamilton American Classic look never goes out of style.
Price: $1,350 AUD Buy it now at the Time+Tide Shop.
Our favourite Time+Tide coverage of the week:
Cheap and cheerful: A collection overview of Casio Edifice
Edifice is a sub brand of Casio that focuses on elevating the look of their parent brand, offering a range of watches that suit the everyday professional. Whether you’re after a simple and uncluttered watch, one with a motorsport connection or something just a little bit funky – Edifice does their best to cover all those bases, at an approachable price point. For a deeper dive into this collection, check out the video overview above.
INTRODUCING: Oris launches its largest cherry Aquis yet alongside a duo of subtly two-toned calibre 400 driven divers (live shots)
Oris excels in their catalogue through their range of sizes and colours – especially the Oris Aquis Date line. There is a model for everyone, with diameters from 36.5mm to 43.5mm. This week, the independent manufacture unveiled their largest Cherry Aquis Date yet – alongside a duo of subtly two-toned Oris Aquis Date Calibre 400s for those bi-metal curious. Read more here…
Time+Tide Weekend Watch Crossword: #10 “Independent Manufactures”
The Time+Tide Weekend Watch Crossword took a small hiatus, but recently we brought it back. Did you catch this past the Independent-themed crossword from last weekend. Test your mettle here, and get ready for #11 coming soon.