Chronographs chronographs chronographs. Anyone who knows me knows that I have an undying loyalty to chronographs; anything that comes with a couple of pushers and some extra sub-dials is very much my jam. And with the beautiful range that we carry here at Time+Tide, I can’t help but pick out some of our very best chronographs, and some more simple options.
Regardless, it's still better than Ash’s list.
Baltic Tri Compax Reverse Panda
This might be a bit obvious given my love of chronographs. But how could I not pick this first? 39.5mm case, Sellita manual wind calibre SW510, Paul Newman-esque dials; what more can I ask for? While I believe Panda dials are a dime a dozen and have oversaturated the market, reverse panda dials show real taste. (This is also one of Ash’s only watches that I respect in his collection, you got me there mate.)
Nivada Grenchen Broad Arrow Manual Chronomaster
There is a reason, of course, that Time+Tide and Seconde/Seconde decided to use this watch as a base for their two collaborations. The Chronomaster ASD is one of Nivada Grenchen’s flagship models, with its popularity peaking in the 70s before its Quartz Crisis-afflicted demise. Revived in 2020, Nivada has revitalised its watches straight from the archive, staying true to proportions and designs while updating case materials and movements to the 21st century. At its core, it's a two-register layout chronograph with a diving bezel, an internal tachymeter scale (god knows what we would use this for in modern day) and a regatta timer on its 30-minute totaliser. And don’t forget the 200m water resistance too! Swim? Dive? Race? It’s got it all (that I want at least).
Furlan Marri Sector Dials
There’s just something about Furlan Marri that hits the right spot for me. These Sector dials are chock full of subtle touches; ranging from the famous Cornes de Vache or cow horn lugs that are reminiscent of higher horology brands, engraving between the lugs, and the subtle bent seconds hand that follows the curvature of the glass. This is topped off with a LaJoux-Perret G100 movement that has a beautifully decorated rotor, the synergistic combination of these seemingly small factors results in what truly is a work of art. Special shoutout goes to the Nero Sabbia Mecha Quartz which has a deep lacquer black dial but unfortunately did not make the list.
Zodiac Super Sea Wolf 53 Compression
I personally believe that Zodiac has the most underrated watches in our store; which is highly undeserved. The brand launched its Sea Wolf Diver in 1953, the same year as Blancpain’s Fifty Fathoms and a year before the now prototypical Rolex Submariner. Originally famous because they had stuck to the traditional case sizes of 36mm and painted their watches with funky colours, Zodiac have done a fantastic job taking that original design and updating it with the Super Sea Wolfs. I chose this colour specifically because the shade of the bezel insert harks back to the ghosted aluminium bezels of yesteryear.
Now equipped with glossy 5 link construction bracelets (since we can’t use the J word anymore), a butterfly clasp that stretches to accommodate wrist swelling and Swiss made in-house movements; these watches would be a great companion not only for the weekday, but also for the weekend.
Studio Underd0g 01Series Hawaiian Pizza
Hats off to Richard Benc at Studio Underd0g for being able to put fruits on a dial, and somehow still causes stampedes when this watch is availble. The brand sought to create unserious serious watches, and I’ll tell ya what mate. They have done it, the cheeky buggers. This piece is especially sentimental to me because it was the first watch that I sold at Time+Tide. It’s what went on to show me that there is so much more to a watch than the sum of its parts; it's about the friends you make, the experiences you create together and the good memories you reminisce about; the watch simply serves as a physical reminder of them.
When Formula 1 came down to Melbourne, we had customers coming in the door just for these. They came in, they asked for it, looked at it for about two seconds and then paid for it immediately. It really made me question whether we were selling watches or hot cakes (or pizza for that matter).
