CODE41 welcomes a second edition to the ANOMALY EVOLUTION family. In a move that comes two years after the first edition, this time there's an additional colour for a dash of dynamism. A testament to resilience, the ANOMALY EVOLUTION was designed in the middle of a watchmaking crisis and a global pandemic. A supply chain issue brought on at the height of the pandemic in 2021 saw newfound difficulty in procuring the ETA and Miyota movements that were utilised in both the Anomaly-01 and 02, effectively making them no longer available.
Enter the ANOMALY EVOLUTION Edition 2 which features the technical design of its predecessor the 01 while including the Swiss movement and date of the 02 version. Heavily involved in the watchmaking process, the community voted on the new orange colour of the ANOMALY EVOLUTION. This one-of-a-kind participatory approach is a staple for the Swiss watchmaking manufacturer.
The movement ANOMALY EVOLUTION Edition 2 is a Sellita SW200-1 Special, with a precision of -7/+7 seconds per day. This is an enhancement from its predecessors the Anomaly-02 which had a precision of -/+12 and the Anomaly-01’s precision of -20/+ 40 seconds per day. When it comes to aesthetics, the timepiece incorporates enhanced ergonomics and a reduced thickness of 11.2mm. ANOMALY EVOLUTION also comes with enhanced readability and amplified watertightness to 100 metres. An Incabloc shock absorber is also included for added durability to support the balance wheel. The introduction of an exhibition caseback allows the movement to be admired.
Bridging the gap between tradition and innovation, CODE41 raised the bar of watchmaking. With total transparency with the community, it proves why the brand continues to be one of the biggest watch disruptors on the market.
The 300 Edition 2 pieces will be available for pre-order until 19 July 2023 on code41.com.
This was originally published on LUXUO.
Escale Spin Time, gold case,
Louis Vuitton, AED188,000
Tambour Spin Time Air, Louis Vuitton, AED215,000
Tambour Curve GMT Flying Tourbillon, titanium case, Louis Vuitton, AED290,000
Escale Spin Time, Stainless steel case,
Louis Vuitton, AED131,000
Photography by Efraim Evidor
Styling by Cate Warde
Originally published on Esquire Middle East
When he was 13, TikTok creator Nolan Daniel White visited the newly opened A Lange & Söhne boutique in Miami, where a saint-patient salesman named Aleksandr forgot about his commission for a couple of hours, while he draped White's skinny wrist in five- and six-figure watches. Wandering out, now one of the few middle-schoolers who could tell a GMT from a tourbillon, he swore that when he was no longer making paper-round money, he'd get one on his arm again. It took him seven years.
Granted, his white gold Saxonia was a loaner, part of a #sponcon hook-up with Hodinkee, as the watch-blog-turned-retailer tried to tap his Gen Z audience. But just feeling the alligator leather on his wrist, seeing the dial slide from white to dark grey as it caught the light, felt good. So as well as the contracted Instagram post, he fired off a TikTok.
More than 55,000 people follow White on IG. A handful double-tapped the Saxonia. But on TikTok, his paean to Glasshüten horology racked up 100,000 views, thousands of hearts, hundreds of comments. It wasn't an outlier. White posts watch stuff sporadically—mostly his menswear-centred channel is influencer standbys like buying guides and shopping trips in his Montreal hometown—but if it ticks, TikTok loves it. His most-viewed video ever, posted this January, is a 60-second bio of Phillipe Dufour, the one-man manufacture behind the most complex wristwatches ever assembled.
"I'm always considering, how can I make something quite niche appeal to a wide audience who might not know that an automatic movement even exists?" he says. "I kind of see myself as a bit of an entry point." And compared to Instagram, which has gone from cool-kids enclave to the de facto town square for every dealer, collector and brand, TikTok is the wild west. Its algorithm, a modern-day philosopher's stone that can transform base content into gold, remains inscrutable, discussed in hushed terms by would-be influencers as if it's listening (which, according to rumours about ByteDance's relationship with the Chinese government, it might be).
"Instagram used to be how a younger demographic—late-20s to early-30s—would get into watches," says Zoe Abelson, founder of vintage dealership Graal. "But at first it was a very niche collecting hobby and a lot of dealers didn't use it to their advantage. And it became one of my biggest sources of new clients." She thinks TikTok's in that early stage. Or, perhaps, an even more manic stage that Instagram, a much simpler concept, never went through. "The audience is even younger, and they're getting just a sliver of access to what the watch world is really about. It's honestly not the best representation of watches and I don't know if enough people that could really represent the watch world—in my mind, properly—will ever get to TikTok."
Even the people who are there haven't figured out what users—ergo, the algo—want. Right now, it seems to be a mix of 47th Street watch traders, celeb-spotting, and nerdery. Plus, of course, endless call-outs, because every platform's algorithm rewards beef. It's a lot of fun—a weird, anarchic kind of fun. Want to see a 22-year-old flipping Rolexes in a train station car park? Here's Vookum. Prefer an angry Irishman calling out celebrity fakes? That'd be Nico Leonard. Or maybe you just want to know what watches random New Yorkers are wearing and how they got them. If so, Mike Nouveau has your back.
Disparate as they seem, one thing does link them. "Storytelling," says Nouveau, a vintage watch dealer and buyer at Craft + Tailored. TikTok is about narrative, whether a tense negotiation or quickfire biography. And it's hungry. "You have to post every single day, and a story every single day, that's the tricky part. Then it starts trending downward and you think, OK, now I have to think up something different that's still within the realm of watches."
Which is perhaps why some of WatchTok's biggest stars aren't really Watch Guys at all. Brad Podray, aka Scumbag Dad, started mixing in watches with his parody character as a way to confuse people. "I like feeding my audience crazy comedy and then giving them content whiplash with a watch post or a dental concepts lesson," he says (in his non-TikTok life, he's an orthodontist). But his posts reflect his taste—strange time-tellers, like the magnetic ball bearings on the Eone Bradley, or the almost completely illegible Time Adds Up by Project Watches. "I find that the more confusing watches work best on TikTok. If a watch is difficult to read or people argue whether it’s worth the price, it gets more engagement."
They're affordable, too, which appeals to a neophyte audience. Though TikTok's youth is generally overstated—yes, most of the people creating content are Gen Zs, but there are as many millennials watching these days—the hardcore collector crew is still on Instagram. "The majority of my followers are people that have never been into watches and watch collecting," says Ben Cook, aka @ben_watches, whose best-performers tend to be budget buys, Rolex alternatives and pricking the more ridiculous bits of watch culture. They're versed in TikTok, but not haute horlogerie, so something authentic always beats the perfect wrist roll. "On TikTok, it feels like people are more dedicated to 'keeping it real'," Cook says. "I like to state exactly what I think and not worry about what others think. It allows for more debate."
That might be why the big boys are struggling to transition. DailyWatch, followed by more than 2.5m on IG, barely scrapes four figure views on TikTok. Fratello, founder of the #speedytuesday hashtag, has fewer than 15,000 followers. Hodinkee, despite dabbling in TikTok since 2021, has mustered only 286 likes. And yet the #hodinkee hashtag has more than 16m views, as others piggyback on the defining voice of the Instagram era.
But if the major players haven't reached TikTok yet, the Watches 2.0 world they created has. Brynn Wallner, founder of female-focused watch magazine Dimepiece, has heard the siren call but so far resisted. Terms she coined, however—describing the Cartier Panthère as the 'It Girl Watch', or the industry's pink-it-and-shrink-it tendencies as "teeny-tinies"—are proliferating regardless. "I do wonder if Instagram is going to end up like people of my generation see Facebook," she says—old, irrelevant, infuriating.
There is, she admits, a twinge of jealousy. "I spent two years getting up to nearly 40,000 followers. On TikTok, you could do it in two months." But—in what she stresses isn't her shouting-at-clouds moment—she's put off by TikTok's algorithmic catnip. "It's very consumer-forward, the push for virality is the biggest thing." The finer details of George Daniels' co-axial escapement won't grab someone coming in cold, which is why 'For You' is dominated by content pegged on celebrities and big brands.
Not that much of it is created by any of those big brands. Rolex owns its channel but hasn't posted, ditto Audemars Piguet, and Patek Philipe has people squatting its handle. The kind of first-proper-watch brands that do well with young audiences, like Tissot and Hamilton, have barely dipped a toe into the platform.
"But no brands are good on TikTok," says Nouveau. The advertiser land grab is starting, slowly—revenues trebled from $3.88bn to $11.6bn last year, still a fraction of Meta's $113 billion—but it's still a tricky place to make branded content work, with as much risk as reward. Duolingo and Ryanair have cracked it by seemingly not caring about cracking it. "You need to be super-ironic, very knowing," says Nouveau. Words that are anathema in Geneva.
One brand that does seem to get it is Tag Heuer, which has embraced the platform's nuances as it has racked up over 1.7 million followers and 7.3 million likes. "Over time we’ve seen a sanitisation of social platforms," says creative communications director Pascal Tea. "But the most successful TikTok content we’ve seen is whenever we can have an open dialogue with our audience and create content that excites them. It’s conversational, creative, inspirational and entertaining."
Wherever TikTok goes, it's unlikely to be an Instagram-killer. That's still where deals are done, Nouveau says, in part because TikTok's messaging and archiving features are so janky. But the new app opens new doors. On IG, potential clients have to find you. On TikTok, you're thrust at them. "I wasn't even going to put my face in the videos, but within my first week, I had someone offer me 50 watches that he and his father had collected," says Nouveau. "As a vintage watch dealer, the hard part is finding watches. They're very easy to sell, if you have high-quality stuff. So within the first week I thought, OK, TikTok is kind of interesting. I have access to an audience that's been completely ignored."
Originally published on Esquire UK
Watches are a man's timeless accessory. Safe to say that a watch never goes out of style; but it never won't be functional, either. Once an indispensable part of a man's daily wear, watches have since evolved into different iterations—including the smartwatches that are highly popular today.
While there is nothing wrong with sporting a smartwatch if you are into it, nothing quite beats the style and versatility of an old-fashioned timepiece. For one, it's much more resilient under different weather conditions, and you won't have to worry about charging it on the regular. Plus—it's got more character.
That said, a classic watch is an excellent conversation starter, with it being one of the first things that people will notice about you. After all, when someone approaches you to ask for the time, it's an opportunity to effortlessly flex the handsomeness of the hunk of metal sitting on your wrist.
Whether you're a newbie collector or simply scouring for a reliable everyday timepiece, here is a reliable guide for you to purchase the right wristwatch for any occasion and season.
How your watch ticks and moves is essential to any aficionado. What makes watches arguably special is not what's on the surface but what's underneath—the combination of gears, motors, and springs that take painstaking craftsmanship.
These mechanisms lend itself to different kinds of movements for various watches and purposes. Before delving into the aesthetics, start here to decide what suits you best.
If you're new to the craft of horology, chances are high that your current everyday reliable wristwatch now is likely a quartz watch—known not only for its incredible accuracy, but also for being very affordable. The reason why it reads time the most accurately out of all movements is it uses electricity from a small battery. Quartz movements also tend to be the most affordable out of the bunch, something to consider if you are on a budget.
Quartz movements are also incredibly resilient—they can withstand more wear and tear than mechanical or automatic watches. This is why most sport and field watches, popular with men on the go, use a quartz movement. That said, the ticking sound it makes from its electrical pulses isn't quite the smoothest, and you may be losing out on the character and personality of other movements.
Automatic movements are usually seen as a step above quartz movements. Compared to quartz, a watch with automatic movement derives its energy from the wearer, instead of a battery. An automatic movement is also known as a self-winding watch.
An automatic watch movement features a rotor that oscillates freely within the watch. Every time the wearer moves his wrist, the rotor spins. That energy from the intrinsic spinning motion then winds the mainspring in the watch automatically.
Automatic watches don't run on battery, a plus if you don't like the upkeep. However, it is pretty sensitive to environmental factors and may need a watch winder if you're not wearing it regularly.
Mechanical movement watches are highly sought after by watch enthusiasts. This is largely because of their traditional pedigree, as well as the work, craftsmanship, and engineering. Aficionados love collecting mechanical watches for their history and heritage of craftsmanship. Hence, mechanical watches tend to be the priciest among the bunch.
A mechanical watch works by being powered by a mainspring, or a coiled wire of metal that is wound by hand. After the mainspring is wound, it slowly and evenly unwinds, with the second hand moving in a smooth motion around the watch's face.
Just like an automatic movement watch, mechanical watches are pretty sensitive to the environment—something to think about if you're willing to maintain your timepiece. It will also need regular tune-ups to maintain its accuracy.
That said, not all mechanical movements are created equally. It all boils down to a watch's quality and craftsmanship, so choose wisely.
One oft-overlooked detail is one's hand and wrist size in picking a watch. One factor to consider when choosing a watch is its proportion to your wrist and hand. An oversized watch on your wrist may look clownish.
Still confused? Here's a general rule of thumb: measure your wrist's circumference. If it is between 6 to 7 inches, opt for a watch that has a case diameter of 38 to 42 mm wide. Meanwhile, larger wrists (such as those larger than 7 inches) can go for a width between 44 to 46 mm.
Still, the best way to figure out if a watch is well-proportioned to your wrist is to try it on. Look in the mirror. See whether it doesn't overwhelm your wrist or look too tiny in comparison. If you're still in doubt, you are free to ask for a second opinion.
The dive watch is ubiquitous—from casual outfits to even risk-pushers who dress in an all-black suit. You can thank James Bond for that, who made the faux pas of wearing dive watches in formal wear suddenly cool. Based on the name alone, the dive watch was designed for divers as well as individuals who spend much time in the water.
When to Wear It: Dive watches are best worn in most casual settings—from sports and casual, to even business casual attires. If you're brave, you can push the envelope for even dressier events. That said, only 007 can pull it off with a tux.
A field watch is a timepiece with tool-like knobs and gears that exude total utility. Descended from the old military timepieces soldiers use to coordinate combat, field watches continue to carry that rugged appeal from its military roots—functional and stylish at the same time.
Another similar style is the Pilot Watch, which also traces its roots back to aviation. Like its military brother, the Pilot Watch is known for being hardy and functional, but has a larger face. Still, some enthusiasts insist that the two are different enough to entertain both in their collection.
When to Wear It: Field watches are quite versatile. Its utilitarian nature means it can be worn on all kinds of adventures. It also adds a rugged yet classic touch to casual wear or even business casual outfits. That includes pretty much everything from jeans and a t-shirt, to a sports coat and khakis.
The dress watch says it all in the name: it's a dressier watch for men looking to wear a timepiece for more formal events. It's much less busy than a field watch or even a dive watch, which adds to its formality. The darker the band, the more formal it is.
Watches are a man's timeless accessory. Safe to say that a watch never goes out of style; but it never won't be functional, either. Once an indispensable part of a man's daily wear, watches have since evolved into different iterations—including the smartwatches that are highly popular today.
While there is nothing wrong with sporting a smartwatch if you are into it, nothing quite beats the style and versatility of an old-fashioned timepiece. For one, it's much more resilient under different weather conditions, and you won't have to worry about charging it on the regular. Plus—it's got more character.
That said, a classic watch is an excellent conversation starter, with it being one of the first things that people will notice about you. After all, when someone approaches you to ask for the time, it's an opportunity to effortlessly flex the handsomeness of the hunk of metal sitting on your wrist.
Whether you're a newbie collector or simply scouring for a reliable everyday timepiece, here is a reliable guide for you to purchase the right wristwatch for any occasion and season.
How your watch ticks and moves is essential to any aficionado. What makes watches arguably special is not what's on the surface but what's underneath—the combination of gears, motors, and springs that take painstaking craftsmanship.
These mechanisms lend itself to different kinds of movements for various watches and purposes. Before delving into the aesthetics, start here to decide what suits you best.
If you're new to the craft of horology, chances are high that your current everyday reliable wristwatch now is likely a quartz watch—known not only for its incredible accuracy, but also for being very affordable. The reason why it reads time the most accurately out of all movements is it uses electricity from a small battery. Quartz movements also tend to be the most affordable out of the bunch, something to consider if you are on a budget.
Quartz movements are also incredibly resilient—they can withstand more wear and tear than mechanical or automatic watches. This is why most sport and field watches, popular with men on the go, use a quartz movement. That said, the ticking sound it makes from its electrical pulses isn't quite the smoothest, and you may be losing out on the character and personality of other movements.
Automatic movements are usually seen as a step above quartz movements. Compared to quartz, a watch with automatic movement derives its energy from the wearer, instead of a battery. An automatic movement is also known as a self-winding watch.
An automatic watch movement features a rotor that oscillates freely within the watch. Every time the wearer moves his wrist, the rotor spins. That energy from the intrinsic spinning motion then winds the mainspring in the watch automatically.
Automatic watches don't run on battery, a plus if you don't like the upkeep. However, it is pretty sensitive to environmental factors and may need a watch winder if you're not wearing it regularly.
Mechanical movement watches are highly sought after by watch enthusiasts. This is largely because of their traditional pedigree, as well as the work, craftsmanship, and engineering. Aficionados love collecting mechanical watches for their history and heritage of craftsmanship. Hence, mechanical watches tend to be the priciest among the bunch.
A mechanical watch works by being powered by a mainspring, or a coiled wire of metal that is wound by hand. After the mainspring is wound, it slowly and evenly unwinds, with the second hand moving in a smooth motion around the watch's face.
Just like an automatic movement watch, mechanical watches are pretty sensitive to the environment—something to think about if you're willing to maintain your timepiece. It will also need regular tune-ups to maintain its accuracy.
That said, not all mechanical movements are created equally. It all boils down to a watch's quality and craftsmanship, so choose wisely.
One oft-overlooked detail is one's hand and wrist size in picking a watch. One factor to consider when choosing a watch is its proportion to your wrist and hand. An oversized watch on your wrist may look clownish.
Still confused? Here's a general rule of thumb: measure your wrist's circumference. If it is between 6 to 7 inches, opt for a watch that has a case diameter of 38 to 42 mm wide. Meanwhile, larger wrists (such as those larger than 7 inches) can go for a width between 44 to 46 mm.
Still, the best way to figure out if a watch is well-proportioned to your wrist is to try it on. Look in the mirror. See whether it doesn't overwhelm your wrist or look too tiny in comparison. If you're still in doubt, you are free to ask for a second opinion.
The dive watch is ubiquitous—from casual outfits to even risk-pushers who dress in an all-black suit. You can thank James Bond for that, who made the faux pas of wearing dive watches in formal wear suddenly cool. Based on the name alone, the dive watch was designed for divers as well as individuals who spend much time in the water.
When to Wear It: Dive watches are best worn in most casual settings—from sports and casual, to even business casual attires. If you're brave, you can push the envelope for even dressier events. That said, only 007 can pull it off with a tux.
A field watch is a timepiece with tool-like knobs and gears that exude total utility. Descended from the old military timepieces soldiers use to coordinate combat, field watches continue to carry that rugged appeal from its military roots—functional and stylish at the same time.
Another similar style is the Pilot Watch, which also traces its roots back to aviation. Like its military brother, the Pilot Watch is known for being hardy and functional, but has a larger face. Still, some enthusiasts insist that the two are different enough to entertain both in their collection.
When to Wear It: Field watches are quite versatile. Its utilitarian nature means it can be worn on all kinds of adventures. It also adds a rugged yet classic touch to casual wear or even business casual outfits. That includes pretty much everything from jeans and a t-shirt, to a sports coat and khakis.
The dress watch says it all in the name: it's a dressier watch for men looking to wear a timepiece for more formal events. It's much less busy than a field watch or even a dive watch, which adds to its formality. The darker the band, the more formal it is.
When to Wear It: Sport the dress watch at formal events—from cocktail formal events to black tie. You can even wear it with a sport coat and slacks, but perhaps not with a T-shirt and jeans.
Several watch collectors tout limited-edition pieces of certain brands as a crowning jewel in their collections. While that's well and good, it's not the only right way to collect. Don't feel pressured to shell out tons of money for what most consider a coveted piece if it does not feel right for you.
To put it simply, base it on your needs. Read up and research various brands, find which one speaks to you the best, and then make your investment in a watch that provides the most bang for your buck in terms of quality and fits your own lifestyle and tastes. Once the time feels right for you, then you can upgrade and aim for a pricier watch that appeals to your own personal style. Don't purchase from a brand (especially an expensive one) just because others say so. Every watch collection is personal.
