FRIDAY WIND DOWN: Grand Seiko remix their Green Birch with Mickey Mouse for Disney 100th celebrations
Zach BlassGrand Seiko love to celebrate anniversaries, unveiling countless special editions to commemorate milestones of the manufacture. Today, however, Grand Seiko helps Disney celebrate their 100th anniversary with a remixed version of their SLGH011 “Green Birch”.
Looking at the front of this 100-piece limited edition SLGH025, everything is exactly the same. But flip it over and you will find a commemorative etching of Mickey Mouse and the “Disney 100” emblem. Not the most inventive limited edition, and some will object to Mickey obstructing the view of the 9SA5 beneath. Then again, how cool is it to see Mickey Mouse have a case-back cameo on a Grand Seiko?
Price: 1,430,000 yen (tax included) and we believe it to be a JDM exclusive.
Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!
Zach
Watch meme of the week: Torch the dial
It may not be the first horological accessory you think to buy, but having a UV torch can come in handy. Not only does it help create tasty lume shots for the ‘gram, but also it is useful when looking at, or more aptly testing, vintage dials to see if they have been re-lumed. Also, best to use a UV torch rather than your iPhone flashlight – or you’ll run the risk of magnetising your watch.
Wrist shot of the week: I have never zoomed in faster…
Upon the launch of the brand, I have been closely following new independent upstart Fleming. I am very excited for founder Thomas Fleming, and buddy of mine @waitlisted who is also involved with the brand. Up until recently, the only teases of their first series watch have been shots of the side profile of the case. But during the French Open, it was revealed Norwegian tennis player, and 2023 French Open finalist, Casper Rudd has joined Fleming as an ambassador and stakeholder in the brand. Glimpses of the first series watch were visible during French Open coverage, as he was wearing the watch off-court. But, on his wrist in the announcement post, you can get the clearest look of the dial yet and, even in a pixelated zoom-in, I am already liking what I am seeing.
The official statement reads:
“Many of you noticed that Casper Ruud had something new on his wrist during his run at Roland Garros — a Fleming prototype — and after an incredible couple of weeks which saw him make the finals for the second straight year, we think it’s time to announce what we have in store.
About six months ago, we began a long-term partnership with Casper, who has taken a stake in the brand. We couldn’t envision a better partner; in addition to being one of the world’s top tennis players, Casper is incredibly passionate and knowledgeable about watches. With his experience on the court to guide us, we’re thrilled to have the unique opportunity to collaborate with him to develop and test watches that satisfy the exacting criteria of both a world-class athlete and an experienced watch enthusiast.
We have a lot in the works over the coming years, and with Casper, we will focus on developing watches that are incredibly lightweight and shock-resistant so that they can stand up to anything — even Grand Slam tennis matches — without compromising wearing comfort, mechanical complication, fine finishing, or any of the other flourishes you’d expect in a high-end watch.
In collaboration with Jean-François Mojón, Emmanuel Gueit, and many others, we’ve been working on our first (and second…) lightweight watch together since last year. While it is not quite ready yet, we’re just about ready to unveil Fleming’s very first watch: the Series 1 Launch Edition. Casper has been wearing the first prototype of the rose gold variant, and we’ll continue to release more information about it and the rest of the Series 1 Launch Edition lineup in the coming days and weeks
Thank you to everyone for the incredible interest and support over the last few weeks, and we’re excited to have you on board as our journey continues over the coming years and beyond — this is just the very beginning! If you’d like to follow along, you can find us on instagram as ©fleming, sign up for our mailing list via our website — fleming.watch — or reach out to us directly by emailing [email protected].”
Time+Tide Shop select of the week:
Zodiac Super Sea Wolf Compression
This 40mm Super Sea Wolf Compression features a stainless-steel case, silver sunray dial, STP 1-11 Swiss automatic movement with a 44 hour power reserve, Super-LumiNova and a five-link stainless-steel bracelet. It’s water resistant to 200 metres.
Order now in the Time+Tide Shop. Price: A$2699
Our favourite Time+Tide coverage of the week:
IWC is stealthy in ceramic for the Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41 Top Gun
Though certainly not as colourful as its predecessor, the new Jet Black (pun intended, I assume) ceramic Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41 Top Gun shows off IWC’s mastery of the material for the first time in this particular case size, though the material has been a staple of the collection for over a decade. Go hands-on with IWC Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41 Top Gun right here.
Man files lawsuit against jeweller for not selling him promised $109K Patek after building up $220K purchase history
In the era of “unobtanium” watches, watch buyers have become increasingly frustrated with enigmatic waitlists and having to play their AD’s games to win favour. Last week, however, Patek Philippe collector Ali Rezaei took a stand and has filed a lawsuit against Bay Area jeweller Shreve & Co. Rezaei alleges he was promised an allocation of a US$109K Patek Phillipe 5980/1R-001 in exchange for “built-up purchase history”. After accumulating US$220K in purchase history, Rezaei never received the “promised” allocation – prompting his filed lawsuit. Dig into the full story here.
Jaeger-LeCoultre presents a black sunburst rendition of the Master Control Chronograph Calendar
The Master Control collection was launched in 1992 as a look back at Jaeger-LeCoultre’s mid-century creations, but executed in a thoroughly modern way and with a rigorous QC process. It contains iconic features like the alarmed Memovox, but also this decidedly classic combination of complications – a chronograph and complete calendar with a moonphase. The Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Control Chronograph Calendar now features a sunburst black dial that contrasts against its red and gold colour scheme, with all the fine touches you can expect from the watchmaker’s watchmaker. Get fully introduced to the new Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Control Chronograph Calendar here.