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Best Super NEWS Watches
Hands-up if you think "James Bond" when you hear the phrase "spy watch." Okay, you can all put your hands down now; your co-workers are looking at you funny.Its easy, when youre into watches, to believe the hype and think that a) James Bond is real and b) that the products of (most notably) Rolex and Omega are the actual tools of real spies. Sorry to shatter your dreams guys, but thats not the case (as far as we know, anyway).Now if you happened to pick up this Rolex 6238 when it came up for for sale, don't worry C weve found a real spy watch for you. Only this watch doesnt tell time. This "Protana" is actually a miniature, battery operated reel-to-reel recording device manufactured by ...
The Best of Zenith @ Basel World 2011: The Stuff You Won't See Anywhere Else
Zenith Watches offered one of the most interesting "consumer oriented" collections of Basel World this year. What we mean by this is a collection of pieces that are both interesting and relatively affordable with a high value proposition. While you have likely seen Zenith's Stratos version of the El Primero around the web, we actually thought some pieces that received less attention from both other journalists and the brand itself were more exciting.? Here are our three favorite pieces from Zenith's Basel collection:1. The El Primero Vintage 38mm: You may think you recognize this model, but you don't. It's not the vintage 1969 model, the case is different. And it's not the awesome El Primero...
Hands-On: With The d.m.h. Jump Hour (VIDEO)
Last fall, we took you into backyard shed of Fred Dingemans, the independent spirit behind the specatularly bespoke (and affordable) d.m.h. watches.? Today, we're showing you what a d.m.h. watch looks like first hand.Since we last spoke with Fred, he has transitioned to making watches full-time. He now has the capacity to build 24 watches per year, rather than the 12 as we last reported. This is good news to anyone looking to place an order, as your wait time is now significantly reduced. You will still get the same great interaction with Fred as he makes your watch, treating you regularly with pictures of each stage of the build and asking for input on details. The whole process is engaging...
The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak A-Series
Every now and then, we come across photographs that simply don't need any explanation. You know, the type of thing like a Patek Philippe 5970 under water, for example. Today's "Just Because" is studio shot of a favorite watch of ours, the early Audemars Piguet Royal Oak. Enjoy!...
Making The Newson Hourglass For Ikepod: A Video By Philip Andelman For NOWNESS
The Ikepod Hourglass by Marc Newson was already the subject of one of Ben's more gushing posts of the last few years, and it's not even a watch.?These limited edition, hand-crafted pieces of horological art must be seen to to be appreciated, and that is why Philip Andelman's short film for NOWNESS is so worth your time.Andelman, a director who has worked with the likes of Jay-Z, Maxwell, John Mayer, Beyonce, and Rihanna, spent a weekend at the GlasKeller factory in Basel documenting how each one of these modern takes on the ancient hourglass are created.Watch below in wonderment.? The video, like the hourglass itself, is really lovely.?(NOWNESS via HypeBeast)...
JLC To Auction Deep Sea Alarm Prototype For Charity: Buy A Unique Watch, Do Some Good
A Watch Similar To The Prototype No 1 To Be Sold For CharityThe Tribute To Deep Sea Alarm was one of our, and seemingly everbody's, favorite introductions from the SIHH 2011.? With only 959 of the European version and 359 of the American version being produced, and buzz on the forums and blogs being as high as it is, these watches will likely sell out very quickly.Here is a chance to not only buy a Tribute to Deep Sea Alarm, but actually buy the very first working prototype of the watch, No 1 itself.? The watch will be sold via auction on JLC's own site, with all proceeds going to the Malpelo Flora and Fauna Sanctuary located 500 kilometres of the Colombian coast, in the Pacific Ocean.? "Co...
Explaining The Freccione With A Frog Foot Dial: We Totally Geek Out On The Rolex Explorer II
To say that there is a lot of excitement over the new orange hand Explorer II that Rolex announced at BaselWorld, and that we showed you out from behind the glass, would be an understatement. One question that people in the watch collector community are pondering is whether this new release will spur interest in the original Explorer II, reference 1655 (sometimes called Il Freccione or The Arrow in Italian), which was made from 1971 to 1984 and was meant for use by speleologists.I thought I would show you a Freccione with a dial that happens to feature my second favorite coronet (the Rolex crown logo) ever found on a Rolex dial: the so-called frog foot coronet. (These are not to be con...
Hands-On: With The Glashtte Original Seventies Panorama Date (Live Pictures)
Conjuring Images of Genta...The Senator Sixties has done really well for Glashutte Original.? And, it should. The entire collection, with its understated 1960s Don Draper feel plus super nice in-house movements all under $10,000 is a pretty mean offering.? And, this year at Basel they released the Senator Sixties Square Flying Tourbillon to put a little "hauteness" in the line.With the 1960s on lock, GO designers turned their attention to the next decade, a decade marked by Dick Nixon, the nuclear non-proliferation treaty, and of course, the smiley face.? The 1970s, to the world of horology though, was one of transition. We saw the first mass marketed implementation of automatic chronographs...
The Original Panerai Radiomir: 1940s Italian Navy Cool (VIDEO)
When one of these comes up for sale, people pay attention.? This is the king of all Panerai - the early Radiomir made for the Italian NAVY by Rolex. ? The reference 3646 Panerai was built on special commission from the Italian NAVY with the express purpose of not only being immensely accurate but also being able to withstand severe elements.? Of course, who better to make a waterproof case than those fine folks who had made Miss Gleitze's watch when she swam the English channel?The 3646 was made with a Rolex case and movement, but after 1950, Panerai began to use other suppliers as well, including Angelus.? They also made a special reference 6152 with exhibition back that featured a Rolex mo...
The Gagarin Tourbillon by Bernhard Lederer: A Haute Horology Tribute To Space, 50 Years To The Day
Yuri Gagarin made history in 50 years ago today when he became the first human to journey into outer space, completing a full orbit of the earth in his Vostok spacecraft. This momentous 1961 event is honored with the creation of the Gagarin Tourbillon, a limited edition horological sculpture built by independent watchmaker, Bernhard Lederer.?The Gagarin Tourbillon recalls several details of the mission that put Yuri into orbit 50 years ago. The 60-second flying tourbillon, for instance, is lifted from its usual location within the movement, finding itself hung over the outer edge of the dial. Holding it there is a sweeping bridge, reminiscent of the statue erected at Gagarin's landing site n...
The Patek Philippe Reference 1463 in Steel: A First In Water Resistance, A Last In The Vintage Era
The reference 1463 from Patek Philippe was the brand's first water resistant chronograph.? Only 750 of these watches were made, living from 1940 through the 1960s, with very few being made in the noblest of all metals (in our eyes, anyways,) stainless steel.? In fact, the 1463 was the very last chronograph Patek Philippe made for almost forty years - until the launch of the ref 5070 in 1998.? Hard to believe, but true.? The 1463 was also the successor to one of the Patek chronos that is widely praised as one of the few (semi) affordable models - the reference 130.This particular example, up for sale via Sotheby's this week, is exceptional.? It's a Patek, it's vintage, it's a chronograph, and...
An URWERK 202 Up At Auction: A Modern Classic Hits The Block For The First Time (VIDEO)
This is the first UR-202 to come to auction in NYCNicknamed the Hammerhead by designer and co-founder Martin Frei, this is the kind of watch that defines contemporary horology.Lot 120 at Sothebys Important Watches and Clocks Auction on April 13th, this rare, limited edition UR-202 is encased in 18k white gold and titanium, and features moon-phase and day/night indication, as well as Calibre UR 7.02, one of the coolest looking hour and minute displays you will ever come across in a watch: the revolving satellite complication.This revolving hour display incorporates three rotating satellites that show the hour when each rotates to the bottom of the case, and when that hour block passes, the...
When Breitling announced their Transocean chronograph, the vintage lovers of the world rejoiced.? The Transocean is a relatively understated, traditional looking watch that is far less "bling" than many of the brand's most recent products.At Basel this year, Breitling gave us insight into an even more conservative piece, a time and date version of the Transocean. It is absolutely beautiful.While the chronograph Transocean benefits for Breitling's own in-house caliber 01, these do not use proprietary movements.? But, you know what? We don't care.? These watches are really great looking, and we love that "cross hair" dial.? The new Transoceans time and dates are available in steel and rose gol...
Introducing The Timex Originals Dive Watch: A Vintage Diver Without The Vintage Price
Remember when we took you into the vault at Timex to show you their new Originals collection? Well at Basel, we got a sneak peek at the latest addition to the popular vintage-inspired collection - a dive watch.It looks every bit the part of a vintage diver, and is even sized appropriately for the time-period at 38mm.? It comes in a few different colors and on a few different straps, but the best part about this great looking new watch from Timex is the price - $85.You can't get much these days for $85, but you can get a nice looking knock-around watch that resembles some of the classics.? Judging from the huge response to J.Crew's Timex watch and then the other Originals pieces, this is goin...
The Gronefeld One Hertz Explained By Bart Gronefeld: A Deadly Beautiful Dead-Beat (VIDEO)
The Seconds Dial Takes Center Stage. The movement inside the Gronefeld One Hertz is something to behold. ?Ask anyone who spent some time in Geneva in January or Basel this past March, and they'll surely tell you that people are talking about this watch in a very serious way.At this year's Basel World we had the pleasure of sitting with Tim and Bart Gronefeld to get a proper introduction to their One Hertz (that we first introduced to you here) and have a closer look at 2011's Dune model.The brothers launched the One Hertz 1912 last year, limiting production to only 12 models in steel. But, despite the introduction, the watches have just now started shipping, and the watch world has been abuz...
HODINKEE Events: A Night of Horological Trivia & Micro-Brews With Sotheby's In NYC
Click to view invitationHODINKEE Events is proud to invite you, our dear readers, to a special night of horological trivia and micro-brews hosted by the fine folks at Sotheby's.?Department head and HODINKEE contributor John Reardon will lead a discussion of some of America's most important figures, and their watches they couldn't live without.? It will be an interactive evening, only made more lively by the addition of some complimentary local micro-brews.The event takes place this coming Monday at Sotheby's in NYC.? What: A Night of Horological Trivia & Micro-BrewsWhen: Monday, April 11th, from 6:30-8:30Where: Sotheby's NYC / 72nd & YorkWho: YOU! ...
Introducing The Seiko Credor Minute Repeater: A Horological Masterpiece, At $400,000 (VIDEO)
When John went to Japan last fall to visit Seiko, he left thoroughly impressed with not only the range of products that Japan's great mechanical watchmaking company was producing, but also the quality of Swiss-style timepieces.?We showed you one of Seiko's high-end Ananta Spring Drive watches in their moonphase, and you know now that Grand Seiko watches are sold on this continent for the first time in history. ?We've asked if the US consumer is ready for the $10,000 Seiko, but how about the $400,000 Seiko?Credor is Seiko's ultra high-end line, the line that was introduced in 2006 with the showing of a grand sonnerie. ?Credor's goal is to showcase what the micro-artists at Seiko's most elite ...
Found: Not One, But Two Early Roger W. Smith Watches For Sale Online
You very rarely see Roger W. Smith watches come up for sale online. If fact, weve only ever seen it happen once before. The watch in question? The very first Series 2 the Englishman ever made. Now, a second early Series 2 has appeared online, and once again its been secured by the folks from The Watch Xchange, a relatively young online platform with a focus on high and independent watchmaking (and with some good connections it seems). Oh, and theyre also selling one of the first Daniels Anniversary watches too. Both watches are fresh to market and come from separate consigners. The Roger W. Smith Series 2, Number Seven The Rog...
The watch has a funny ability to act not just as a timekeeper, but as a repository of memories. Two Pixar filmmakers have just released, for a limited time, a short film on Vimeo that looks at the watch as a talisman capable of bringing the past to life C for better or worse. The film takes a long look at an old sheriff, with a long-buried secret in his past C and the power of a pocket watch to remind him that we can't change the past, but we don't have to be possessed by it. Just six minutes long, but animators?Lou Hamou-Lhadj and Andrew Coats get inside you fast. Via our friends at?The Verge....
Introducing: The Habring2 Erwin, A Jumping Seconds Watch With The In-House Caliber A11S
Habring2 is the brainchild of husband and wife Richard Habring and Maria Habring. Based in Austria, they have since 2004 concentrated on making sturdily-built, no-nonsense watches of high technical quality and solid chronometric credentials, often taking outsourced base movements and introducing unusual complications like the foudroyante (lightning seconds) and deadbeat/jumping seconds. The Erwin, however, is the duo's first jumping seconds watch based on their own in-house Caliber A11. The latest Felix watch next to its new sibling, the Erwin. Richard Habring is a veteran watchmaker whose career began in 1985 at the watchmaki...