LIST: Zach Blass’ 5 favourite articles of 2020

Zach Blass

The year is coming to a close (thank heavens) and there is a brighter horizon to look forward to in the coming months. However, there is value in reflecting on this past year, with the Time+Tide team coming in strong with amazing content throughout the doom and gloom – some of which you may have even missed! I took a deep dive into our archives and found the written content that struck a note with me this year, and have assembled my five favourite articles of 2020 for your viewing pleasure.

INTRODUCING: The MB&F Legacy Machine Perpetual EVO is a new haute horlogerie player in the sports watch market – Thor Svaboe

My favourite Norseman is always commended internally by the entire Time+Tide cast for his incredibly detailed descriptions of watches. Like the rest of us on the team, he lives and breathes watches – with his passion for all things horological shining through in each passing sentence. Thor, however, is a breath of fresh air in the sphere of watch media. Very few authors compose content like Thor. He is a pièce unique when it comes to putting the pen to paper, or fingers to the keyboard, as you can rest assured that his take on timepieces is always distinct from the herd.

He captures all of the specifications necessary by any publication to include, but delves deeper with bespoke insights and incredibly sexy facts and descriptions that paint a watch in a new light and perspective. One such example is his introduction of the MB&F Legacy Machine Perpetual EVO. Though an introduction to the watch, with his words he will make you feel like you have the watch hands-on in the metal.

What is ‘Revenge Spending’ and will it save the Swiss watch industry? – Nick Kenyon

Time+Tide stands out among other watch publications in the way we approach and present watch stories. There is definitely a lot to talk about when it comes to the actual timepieces themselves, but we also feel the cultural rhetoric of #watchfam deserves a focus of its own. Collecting is no longer just a hobby, it’s a culture filled with niches and multiple nuts to crack. We are watch geeks at heart, but we understand that in an ever-growing pool of digital watch media it is not only our job to present you the latest watch news with chronometer-like accuracy, but also to keep things fun, fresh and distinct, with content you are highly unlikely to find anywhere else.

Nick Kenyon exploring ‘Revenge Spending’ is one such example. It is a complete commentary on watches and the industry, but intertwines an aspect of life we can all relate to in some capacity – especially collectors who scavenge watch forums for strategies to convince their partners their acquisitions are justified. As Nick notes, however, sometimes there can’t be reconciliation. Only revenge. And the numbers surprisingly prove this fact.

5 times you should never take a photo of your watch – Luke Benedictus

Luke Benedictius, aka the Weekend Warrior, is a maestro at tying horology and popular culture together. A true storyteller, Luke has consistently delivered unique and interesting stories to our readers, and the numbers don’t lie – they are stories you love to read. When the end of the week hits, and you may have already had your fill of watch reviews, Luke steps in to inject new flavour into your Watchville feed.

It is no secret the modern watch industry is driven by photography and social media. While we believe people are entitled to share their watches in whichever manner they see fit — after all, it was your hard-earned money that acquired the watch for your wrist — Luke raised 5 moments where maybe you should hit pause on the urge to snap a wrist shot. By no means a petty assault on watch gram feeds, Luke raises genuine concerns of when it may not be the moment to flex your wrist.

IN-DEPTH: The history of the Hublot MECA-10 Movement – Fergus Nash

Like Thor, Fergus weaves an incredible tapestry of details, insights and perspective with each assignment on his plate. He leverages the reader’s imagination by carefully guiding them on the subject with vivid portrayals of the timepieces he provides commentary on. He is always one to dig deep into a topic and shine a light on all aspects of watches and the culture surrounding them. With each description he covers everything you need to know, whether you’re a newbie or seasoned veteran of horology.

We are very aware of the sentiment and commentary that regularly appear within Instagram comments and Facebook group posts, and Hublot comes up a lot. Being a bold brand, there is inevitable polarisation that occurs with a split between die-hard fans and critical consumers. Many have expressed disapproval of the brand’s horological might, knocking the creations that leverage movements made by Sellita. But I believe people have quite a narrow view of the brand at times, and Fergus’ exploration of the MECA-10 movement really highlights the dubious conclusions some have reached about the brand. As you go through the movement and its creation in-depth, you begin to see that Hublot not only has horological craft in its externals but internals as well.

This is the Rolex you can’t believe has just been discontinued (and these comments reveal how upset you are) – Andrew McUtchen

As a newcomer to the Time+Tide team, I can say first-hand what a pleasure it has been to work with our fearless leader – Andrew McUtchen. Andrew has a great radar for content that will resonate with you, the readers, and is ever cognisant of what our audience looks for in our reporting. Rather than play the monarch, he is actually far more the humble public servant.

Andrew really listens to the feedback we receive across all channels, leveraging the data loop to satiate your curiosities and engage with your sentiments. Once upon a time he reflected on a watch that got away – a Rolex OP 39 Rhodium – upon its discontinuation, and was moved by the overwhelming feedback that the model was not necessarily the greatest loss within the catalogue. This led to him putting together an article on the watch you all felt should not have been discontinued: the Rolex OP 39 in white. From top to bottom, the entire team always appreciates your feedback and engagement and we truly hope our content reflects that (please let this article be a testament to that effort).