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Best Super NEWS Watches
Hands-On: With The CT Scuderia Dashboard Collection
Enrico Margaritelli is a third generation watchmaker. He's also a life-long motorcycle lover, rider, and racer. He grew up in Italy around the greatest watches in the world C the early Daytonas and Patek Philippe chronographs are not stranger to him. He cut his teeth with is own brands in the early 90s, and was chief designer for a little company called Fossil during its formative years. Margaritelli, in fact, even designed the first round of watches for Shinola. But through this long, impressive career in designing time, it was the period of his life when he was a boy that he most identified with, and sought to bring back to life via his own start-up, CT Scuderia. ...
Introducing The MB&F MusicMachine 2 Limited Edition In Gunmetal, Exclusively For HODINKEE
You know, there are a lot of people doing good things out there these days, but a few doing great things. So when we can, we strive to do our best to support the few who are truly doing things differently than the rest, often times with a goal in mind that is much larger, and more selfless than the rest. Max Bsser and his friends (MB&F) is one that, from the minute I began to cover timepieces with any regularity, I knew was something special. His machines are fanciful, daring, occasionally bordering on the absurd, but always exceptionally well made, and the product of unrelenting passion for, not the easiest way to do things, but for the way things should be done C something that we at ...
Swatch Switches Gears, Plans Smart Watch, Says Wall Street Journal
For the longest time, Swiss executives had pretended that the looming Smartwatch category would have little effect on their business. But today, the Wall Street Journal reports that Swatch will add fitness capabilities to some of its touch line of watches. The products will be first shown in 2015. You can read the WSJ's full analysis of this apparent change in course for Swatch right here....
The Weiss Watch Company has an ambitious goal: to design, manufacture, and assemble a mechanical watch not just within U.S. borders, but within the tighter parameters of Los Angeles County. Can an area known more for media moguls and perpetually flawless weather support a mechanical wristwatch supply chain? The answer is yes (with the exception of movement production C for now). The Weiss Standard Issue Field Watch is the first offering from this young start-up, and while it isnt a full-on grand slam, there are a number of characteristics that make this a compelling option for anyone looking for a solid, casual-wear watch under $1,000. ...
VIDEO: Inside The New Seiko Boutique In New York City
Seiko fans are among the most passionate, the most dedicated, and the most, well, fanatical. Grand Seiko fans, those who understand the value of Seiko's upmarket, hand-assembled line, are all that, times 10. So when we caught wind that Seiko would be opening its very first boutique in North America, right here in New York, we had to go have a look. The brand new store is located at 510 Madison Avenue, just next to (but in no way affiliated with) Tourneau. When you walk in, you are greeted by several different displays, each showing an entirely different collection. To the immediate left, you have Astron (check out our hands-on lo...
Introducing The Longines Twenty-Four Hours Single Push-Piece Chronograph
As of late, Longines has augmented its Heritage line with multiple vintage-inspired pieces. Earlier this year, it unveiled the 35mm Conquest that paid homage to the 60th anniversary of its timeless design. Then, a few months later, Longines released the Heritage diver, which was a tribute to dive watches that it produced in the '60s. Now, Longines takes flight with yet another vintage-inspired piece that is titled the Twenty-Four Hours Single Push-Piece Chronograph.According to Longines, The Twenty-Four is a re-imagining of one of Longines' pilot watches from the 1950s (and is on display at the Longines museum in St. Imier). As the name suggests, this is a 24-hour watch, and one whose design...
Bring a Loupe: Five Special Vintage Vacheron Constantin Watches
We are of the opinion that Vacheron Constantin watches are some of the best values in today's vintage and pre-owned market. There's a lot to love: a storied heritage, unique designs, and rarity. In fact, here's something you might not know: from the 1940s through the 1960s (and possibly through the early 1970s), Vacheron had a policy of producing at most 24 examples of one reference configuration with a particular dial. If the dial or case metal was changed, they would produce no more than another 24. That is why when you start looking at vintage Vacheron watches, you rarely see more than a few of any particular reference with a particular dial. Below are five vintage Vacheron watches curren...
Frederique Constant has grabbed HODINKEE headlines in recent years by offering in-house movements at an affordable price point. We showcased the brand's?Classics Manufacture earlier in March and its Worldtimer complication last year. Without a doubt, Frederique Constant has demonstrated skill at catering to watch enthusiasts who desire both quality and accessible pricing. Now the brand is making waves again C only this time in the water. While this new chronograph doesn't feature an in-house movement, it has a lot to offer.A few weeks back, Frederique Constant released its new Runabout range at the 42nd Annual Lake Tahoe Concours dElegance, a prestigious wooden boat show that the watchmak...
The Watch Art of Sunflowerman: The 100 Watches Project Now In Book Form
This past year, I came across Sunflowerman on Instagram during the midst of his 100 Watches Project. For 100 days, Matthew Miller (a.k.a. Sunflowerman) would illustrate one watch submitted to him through social media and then show it to the world. The results were compelling and it was exciting to see what watch he would depict each day. Now, Miller has a book coming out showing the product of his work. Miller's project depicts watches (in this case the MB&F HM4) on a page of a Sherlock Holmes novel using ink and watercolor, before sealing it with a UV resistant spray. Prior to this project, Miller was new to the world of...
Hands-On: With The New Limited Edition Grand Seiko Hi-Beat GMT With Green Dial
Grand Seiko is truly a hidden gem of high horology. Praised by the most astute collectors in the world for its unwavering dedication to craftsmanship and precision, this new GMT is one of GS's most attractive packages to date, featuring a brand-new, completely in-house, high-beat GMT movement, gorgeous green dial, and fantastically finished multi-tiered case. Oh, and thanks to Seiko's brand-new boutique in NYC, they're easier to find than ever before. This 40mm watch features the same style case made famous in the 44GS seen here. The quality of this case can't be stressed enough, with razor-sharp beveling, even brushing, and mirr...
In-Depth: Diving Into The Past With The New Omega Seamaster 300 Master Co-Axial
Photo credit: Christopher Winters for HODINKEE Vintage-inspired designs are popular right now as weve seen with brands like Jaeger-LeCoultre, Longines and Tudor C and Omega has done an especially good job capitalizing on its archive of great designs. Undoubtedly one of the most anticipated releases of 2014 was Omegas introduction of the Seamaster 300 Master Co-axial, which not only rides the wave of nostalgia, but also the unwavering popularity of dive watches. The watch gets a lot of things right, and even the most cynical watch enthusiasts have been won over by its pitch-perfect blend of retro styling and dimensions and modern Omega technologies. We recently go...
Photo Report: Inside Blancpain's New Boutique On Fifth Avenue In NYC
September is almost here, and that means we're about to enter the middle of a great time for watch lovers in New York City. This fall we will see the launch of some kick-ass mono-brand boutiques here in the city, including A. Lange & Sohne, Jaeger-LeCoultre, and Blancpain. Just last week, we were invited into the new Blancpain store on Fifth Avenue for an early look (though doors are open to the public now C the official launch will be in November). Here you will see a quick photo report of the new 1700 sq. ft. boutique located at 645 Fifth Avenue. This store is large. I mean really large, especially for a watch store on ...
While the two big releases for Patek Philippe at Basel World this year both happened to be in stainless steel (the new Nautilus Chrono Travel Time 5990 / Annual Calendar Chrono 5960A), it's worth noting that one of its more understated and elegant, but important, timepieces received two updates. The reference 5140 is Patek's round, traditional perpetual calendar, and this year we saw two brand new dials.It is the follow up to the iconic 3940, which is considered to be one of the most important pieces of Patek's modern history C many consider it, along with the 3970, the first serially produced truly complicated timepiece. Its 20-year reign came to an end in 2006 when Patek showed the 5140, w...
Introducing The Autodromo Stradale, A New 40 MM Flagship Automatic For This Motoring Inspired Brand
Its been nearly two years since Autodromo introduced its first automatic watch, the Monoposto, and the 500 examples produced have long since sold out. This weekend, in conjunction with the events at Montereys classic car week, the brand reveals its second automatic watch, the Stradale. Better yet, it will be a permanent part of the collection. The newest addition features impeccable design, inspired by dashboard instruments youd find in Italian sports cars of the late 1950s. As with all Autodromo watches, the beauty is in the details, and there is plenty to discover with the Stradale. If there was any criticism of the Mono...
Crown & Caliber's New Smartphone App Lets You Appraise Your Watch On The Fly
Crown & Caliber's new app allows you to submit watches to their appraisal team wherever you are. Have you ever wanted to arrange a valuation of your vintage Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso while waiting on line at the grocery store? No? Well, despite that, the team over at Crown & Caliber has recently introduced a mobile version of their online appraisal service. The new smartphone app lets you submit photos of your watch along with any other pertinent information to Crown & Caliber via a slick mobile interface. Within five business days, a member of the team will contact you with a free quote based on your submission.The iOS-based app is entirely based on Crown &...
There are grails, and there are grails. The reference 2499 from Patek Philippe, part of the incredible lineage of perpetual calendar chronographs (explained by us in detail here) is, well, kinda the end game. It's larger than the early 1518 and later 3970, and more classically designed than the 5970, and above all else, it's still vintage, with a production that began in the 1950s. Today, we caught wind of a 2499 for sale, but it's a special one. Not only is it in mint condition, but it also happens to be one of only a very few examples from the second series made in rose gold. You likely don't know what that means, but to us, we think it might just be the most expensive wristwatch ever list...
Did you know that the HODINKEE Shop carries over forty different variations of straps, that we ship to literally the entire world? True story. We carry nylon NATOs, Kangaroo NATOs, Single Piece Shell Cordovan Pull-Throughs, Unlined Two Piece Shell Cordovan, Lined Two Piece Shell Cordovan, Italian Suede, Italian Leather, Distressed Italian leather, even Crocodile Straps....all in a wide range of colors. Today, we're here to remind you of that.We launched the HODINKEE shop over 2.5 years ago with just our Italian leather collection, and we've been adding new straps options ever since to offer just about any material or style you can imagine. And while we know how frustrating it is when the str...
Hands-On: With The Hublot 692 Bang (Live Pics, Official Pricing)
The good thing about the watch industry is that there is indeed a watch for everyone. Everyone. To suggest that all watch enthusiasts fall into the category of vintage watch lovers or fans of subtle and elegant dress watches excludes a not-so-insignificant portion of the population whose tastes err toward the bold, brash, and modern. To the latter, the Hublot King Power 692 Bang will resonate strongly. This new limited edition release is inspired by the yellow-and-black color scheme of the iconic New York taxicab. Its an ode to New York City, in all its unabashed industry and luxury, home of the brands Madison Avenue American flagship boutique. ...
ON THE BLOCK: Steve McQueen's 1967 Ferrari 275 GTB/4
This isn't a car blog. We leave that to our friends at Petrolicious, but every now and then, we come across something that hits close to home in the world of vintage automobiles. Today is one of those days. Here we present you a great video produced by RM Auctions on Mr. Steve McQueen's personal 1967 Ferrari 275 GTB/4, coming up for sale this weekend. The car was delivered new to McQueen in 1967 after his own Ferrari had been rear-ended just one month after he took delivery. He wanted the 275 quickly, so he bought a car right off the lot and had it painted to a color of his liking. This is the car McQueen was driving during t...
I am a true lover of chronographs. In fact, if I were to look at my personal collection of watches, I'd bet more than half featured this complication. The chronograph is everywhere, and yet it is quietly one of the most delicate, most time intensive, and most daunting horological flourishes to design, develop, and implement. Consider the fact that there were less than a dozen truly different chronograph calibers made in the 20th century C the majority shared base movements with each other (the Valjoux family, Lemania calibers, etc). Even today, everyone makes a chronograph, few make them in an interesting way (the exceptions being Patek, Lange, Journe, GP and the other usual suspects). And t...