It’s a fair comment that there are too many collaborations around today. It seems like there is a new one coming out every week. However, when you look at the entire history of Time+Tide, stretching back to the start of 2014, and compare that to the number we have produced, you can see that we have been fairly conservative with our production. And that is for good reason, as we are very careful about who we work with and when. We don’t just jump at any and every opportunity that comes our way, but we have always been selective in our partners to ensure we are able to bring something different, exciting, and authentically Time+Tide to the table.
We know that not all of those who read our content have been doing so since day one, so we wanted to pull together this little retrospective of the collaborative efforts we’ve embarked on over the years, giving you an oversight of what we’ve done and how we’ve gone about them. Hopefully, you will see, as we do, the red line that runs through them all of the Time+Tide Twist that has been brought to life in each model, with storytelling always at their heart.
Bamford London x Time+Tide GMT1 and GMT2
This is the one that started it all. We joined up with our good friend George Bamford to create two travelling timepieces, both limited but in different ways. The GMT1 only had 50 pieces produced, while the GMT2 had a production run of just 12 months. This was very much a lockdown baby that was born on opposite sides of the world, with both Bamford and Time+Tide logos proudly shown on both dials. This watch would also act as the spark that would lead to 66% of the About Effing Time crew working together for the first time.
While both watches took the same form of Bamford’s squared case shape, the GMT1 has a straight brushed stainless steel case, while the GMT2 was DLC coated for that classic Bamford look. Both of them come with splashes of Bamford Aqua Blue of burn orange that we have been connected to for a long time, but they still keep the overall look and feel of the black Bamford watch alive. Inside is the trusted and widely used Sellita SW330-1 so you know what you were going to get in terms of reliability and serviceability. These two watches started it all for us and gave us the taste of what it’s like to put your own product out into the world.
Doxa x Time+Tide 600T ‘Pacific’
For our next outing we couldn’t help but produce something with strong ties to our Aussie roots. So when we were offered the chance to relaunch the 80s classic, the Doxa 600T, we had to jump at the opportunity. The 600T ‘pacific’ is not your normal Doxa as it branches out from the standard brand colour pallet, instead opting for a deep shade of blue that represents the oceans surrounding our native Australia. Not only did we want the colour to stand out, but as soon as you pick it up, you will notice it’s not your standard Doxa, that’s because it’s made out of titanium. Lighter, tougher, and perfect for a watch made to be used in the harshest environments.
This was the first time we created a product with a major brand, and of course, there are lessons to learn from this kind of experience, but we are very proud of this edgy model. Only 200 were ever made, and since their release in August 2021, they have been pretty hard to come by on the secondary market. A good sign, if there ever was one, that they are loved by their owners and stay in collections for good.
Nivada Grenchen x Time+Tide x seconde/seconde/ ChaosMaster
Next, we had to let our jester side come out to play when we brought industry rebel seconde/seconde/ to the party with Nivada Grenchen. This time, we weren’t happy with just making one edition, though, so we created three, all with an emoji designed by seconde/seconde/ acting as the small seconds hand. With each one having its own personality, they proved incredibly popular with everyone connecting with a different emoji.
seconde/seconde/ is known for subverting norms and playing with our expectations, and this trio is no different, with the text on the dial flipped upside down as well. You continue to notice these small details and design tweaks the more you look at these pieces. The only issue was, only 33 pieces of each emoji were ever made, making these very hard to come by in the wild.
These three watches were not the only time we worked with Nivada and seconde/seconde/ as we would later collaborate to make the final ChaosMaster called the Save Us Koala Edition that featured a tiny painted koala clinging to the chronograph seconds hand. This was made in a limited to production run to help raise funds to help the relief efforts for the koala after the devastating bushfires of 2020.
Baltic x Time+Tide Night Mode
We now come to the trio of studio editions that we created to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Time+Tide, and the first one being our joint effort with French brand Baltic and our take on their Hermetique field watch, the Night Mode. For this one, we blacked out everything while keeping the key characteristic of a field watch, its visibility, as a priority. The 37mm stainless steel case was given a black DLC coating, making it all but disappear. Add to this a matte black dial that allows the solid blocks of Super-LumiNova markers to really stand out. I can tell you from personal experience of having worn this watch for some time, when those numerals and hands glow, you really notice them.
This watch is in the goldilocks zone for sizing and when you have it on either the black or green rubber straps, you hardly notice you have it on. Field watches were designed to be pure function, and this one doesn’t lack any of that original sentiment, yet it manages to dial up the level of style by the removal of colour. To me, this is the ultimate field watch.
Furlan Marri x Time+Tide Outback Elegy
The second watch in this trilogy is the Australian-themed Furlan Marri Outback Elegy, which, as the name suggests, draws it inspiration from the colours and tones that you only find in the Australian outback. The dial is awash with browns, reds, and golds that all play together to give the look of the sun setting over the barren, arid landscape. The rich tones at play in this one really mark it out against the sea of blue, black, and white dials as it offers just enough of a difference to generate interest, but not loud enough to be brash.
The case still carries all the things we love about Furlan Marri, such as those sculptural cornes de vache lugs, which provide just enough elegance and charm that it feels familiar without any sense of this being a straight copy of an old model. This model has been incredibly popular as a Studio Edition in both our London and Melbourne Studios as a standout piece in our Furlan Marri offering. Pair it with a tobacco brown leather strap and I think you have a combo that is incredibly hard to beat.
Studio Underd0g x Time+Tide Pizza Party
This might be the most sought-after of all our anniversary editions and the watch we get asked about the most. Who would have thought putting pizzas on a watch would be so popular? But getting hold of one of these is not as easy as just ordering a Domino’s from your sofa. This pizza is hand-delivered only, so you need to be in one of our Studios in order to get one, unless you are lucky enough to be at an event that Andrew or Richard is also at. And it turns out the crossover between watch and pizza lovers is massive. Who knew?
With two toppings available, Pepper0ni and Hawaiian, there is some level of choice to this fun, rather irreverent watch. Ever since its launch, the watch has taken on a life of its own; it even had a unique piece, or Pizza Unique, edition made that was half-and-half and sold for a record-breaking US$17,000 to raise money for charity. Now tell me that isn’t unexpected for a watch based on your favourite fast food?
TAG Heuer Aquaracer Solargraph x Time+Tide Sundowner
This watch was a big step for us as a company; there is no hiding from that fact. Teaming up with TAG Heuer at a crucial moment in the expansion of Time+Tide was a moment many of us here will remember. Having our anchor logo on the same dial as the TAG Heuer shield meant a lot, and seeing them both in that rose gold tone looked even better. This wasn’t the first LVMH brand that we had partnered up with, as you will see next, but having this watch launch at the same time as we opened our London Discovery Studio was huge.
This TAG Heuer brought the brand’s brilliant solar technology to the fore, pairing it with a sandblasted titanium case (not the first titanium case we’ve done) for a super utilitarian, yet still luxurious, timepiece. Throw it on a green NATO strap, and there is nothing better to wear when off on holiday, and all you want around it is sun, sand, and sea. The small touches of rose gold throughout this piece really elevate it above your standard tool watch, and one we are incredibly proud of.
Zenith x Time+Tide Surfer Trilogy
Ok, you might have figured out by now but we quite like a trilogy, and this is the only exception to this list not being in true chronological order as these three watches didn’t come at once, like the Nivada Grenchens or our T+T10 editions, but we spread these three out of a number of years with the final chapter of this story only being told earlier this summer.
The first episode was the Zenith x Time+Tide Defy Classic Skeleton “Night Surfer”, and it brought even more titanium to the party with a fully integrated, sand-blasted titanium case and bracelet. Inside, we had the skeletonised dial in an iridescent blue vertical gradient that gives the watch a real electric pop of colour against the matte grey of the case. The in-house, automatic Elite 670SK movement was running this watch and could not have been more visible from the front or the back.
Next, came the Zenith x Time+Tide Defy Skyline Skeleton Night Surfer El Primero, which introduced the Zenith high-frequency movement to this budding collection. We continued over a lot of the aesthetics from our first outing together with that sand-blasted titanium case and bracelet, and the electric blue gradient dial that is completely skeletonised to show off that movement underneath. These two sit perfectly together and while they have a lot of similarities they are not identical.
Finally, we come to the most different of all these pieces, and that’s the Zenith x Time+Tide Defy Skyline Skeleton White Surfer Ceramic. To end our collaborative efforts with Zenith we wanted to make a real statement, whilst staying inside the Surfer family. So we took what we affectionately call the Night Surfer II in-house, and turned its colour palette on its head. Going for a white ceramic case and bracelet, with a much lighter blue to white gradient on the dial. This became the ultimate summer watch with those Santorini vibes radiating off it.
Dennison x Time+Tide DateNight
Since launching our Discovery Studio concept, very few brands have proven to be as popular as quickly as Dennison have. We took them in on a temporary basis and then all of a sudden, we couldn’t carry enough stock. So we knew we had to work with this freshly relaunched brand as they were clearly doing something right. Enter the DateNight, a design born collaboratively between Dennison’s legendary designer Emmanuel Gueit and our in-house design guru Pietro.
With this mother-of-pearl marquetry dial standout out from across the room, we knew that this would likely be the first watch we’ve made that would be fought over between a couple when getting ready for a date. The elegant cushion-shaped case sits perfectly on nearly any sized wrist and I’ve found it pairs perfectly when you’re looking to get dressed up for a special occasion.
What’s next?
That is a great quest, and we might have some news on that front very, very soon. So stay tuned for the next instalment of our Time+Tide collaborations.
