No products in the cart.
Best Super NEWS Watches
One of the most interesting parts of our job is witnessing horological history change. Of course, we're not talking anything earth shattering here like learning you were right about the Big Bang theory, but in our own, watch-nerdy little way, we've gotten to observe things change. Like, with last year's Palmer Grand Complication, we learned that Patek was making grand comps a full decade before what was originally believed. Or back in 2011, this minute repeater showed us a brand new caliber AND new reference previously unknown. The thing is, we're (not "we" as in HODINKEE, but we as in "us people") discovering great watches all the time, and the folks at Sotheby's New York gave us a call las...
Introducing The Girard-Perregaux Neo-Tourbillon, A New Take On The Three Bridges
Just a few short weeks ago, Girard-Perregaux unveiled a reinterpretation of its traditional Three Bridges tourbillon concept at Baselworld, signaling a shift in design and material usage for the brand moving forward. The watch is called the Neo-Tourbillon and its architectural execution breathes new life into the now 150-year-old Three Bridges. Combining subdued finishing with a minimal dial design, the Neo-Tourbillon places all the emphasis on depth and dimension, a fitting direction for a watch no doubt inspired by the success of the Constant Escapement. Voluminous architecture is the theme of the Neo-Tourbillon. The massiv...
The Value Proposition: The Omega Seamaster 30, A Time-Only Classic From The 1960s
An example of an early Seamaster 30 from the Omega vintage archives. Maybe new watches arent your thing. And thats perfectly alright C the appeal of vintage watches just cant be ignored. Owning and wearing a piece of history on your wrist is undeniably poetic. But if the deep world of horology has taught us anything, its that theres always something to be discovered, and those discoveries can be made at all price points. For the first vintage edition of The Value Proposition, well take a look at the Omega Seamaster 30, a quiet mid-century classic that hits the all right notes.While the Omega Seamaster range was created in 1948, the first Omega Seamaster 30 wa...
With its namesake the inventor of the tourbillon, Breguet has a lot to live up to when it comes to innovating the complication. The Classique Tourbillion Extra-Plat Automatique 5377 does not disappoint. Not only is the watch extremely thin (the thinnest automatic tourbillon in the world), but the off-center tourbillon also uses a titanium cage surrounding an anti-magnetic escapement. The styling still refers to the classic guilloch dials that Breguet is known for, but with a slightly more pared down overall aesthetic, giving the watch a more contemporary feel. This is a tourbillon that combines the best of traditional executions with thoroughly modern watchmaking technology, and here we go ...
Bring a Loupe: Three Killer Zenith Watches (Plus A Vintage Zenith Clock)
Today we are bringing you three killer vintage Zenith watches plus quite an interesting Zenith clock. The first two watches are among the most expensive Zeniths you will ever see, but they're certainly two of the rarest and coolest. The third is one of my favorite Zeniths and among the most desirable: a CP-2 Cairelli chronograph made for the Italian Air Force. The clock is something I wouldn't mind putting in my home office and a great complement to any of the watches. Zenith El Primero Moonphase Calibre 3019 PHF Prototype If there is one grail watch that any Zenith collector should want, it is the Ze...
This isn't a new watch C it's an existing watch in a new metal, but it's absolutely worth knowing about. The 5940 was unveiled back in 2012 in just yellow gold (see here) offering Patek clients the option of an additional case shape with Patek's most traditional complication, the perpetual calendar. This year we see this beautiful Art Deco perpetual in sleek white gold. The cushion style case is 37mm x 44.6mm, but that 44.6mm is really misleading, as anyone who has worn this case shape can attest to. This watch is a great size, and arguably much more wearable than the previous 5040, which was the OTHER non-round perpetual cal...
Heavy Metal: A Look At The Most Significant New Dive Watches Of 2014
IWC Aquatimer Deep Three (photo by Gishani) The dawn of a New Year means revelry, resolutions, diets and a clean slate. For watch lovers, it also means looking forward to the crop of new timepieces unveiled at Januarys Salon International Haute Horlogerie and Aprils Baselworld. And everyone has his own taste: some like the high complications, others wait for Rolexs new releases, and still others like to see what new mechanical marvel MB&F will reveal. My personal poison is dive watches and 2014 hasnt disappointed. This year was a particularly rewarding year for any lover of dive watches. New materials, new colors, new names, and new versions of old classics...
World leaders wearing expensive watches is nothing new, nor is the backlash against them. Indonesian Military Commander General Moeldoko has been under media scrutiny lately since he has been spotted wearing a number of high-end watches, including a limited edition Richard Mille. Earlier today, when confronted by a reporter about the RM on his wrist, he exclaimed that all his watches are fakes and then threw his watch on the floor in front of the cameras. More on this story after the jump. Moeldoko has been at the center of media attention in southeast Asia lately for reasons unrelated to his watch collecting habits, but reporters quickly jumped on the opportunity when he was seen wearing m...
While most vintage enthusiasts know about the larger auction houses like Antiquorum, Bonhams, Christie's, and Sotheby's, sometimes really interesting watches can surface for sale elsewhere. Here we have historic pocket chronometers from the now defunct T.S. & J.D. Negus that were purchased by the US Navy for use in the 1884 Greely Relief Expedition to save some of the earliest polar explorers. There were six watches in total and three of them will be hitting the block at R.O. Schmitt in Manchester, New Hampshire on April 26th and 27th.The story of these watches starts before they were purchased by the US Navy, back in 1881. It was the First International Polar Year, which meant there was...
This year at BaselWorld, Blancpain followed up last year's Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe (HODINKEE "A Week On The Wrist" review here) with a chronograph in a similar form. That's cool and all, but to me the most interesting aspect of this watch is not the available fully ceramic case, or the NATO with ridiculously hardcore hardware, or the general sleekness of the end product. Nay C the most interesting part of this new Bathyscaphe is actually what's inside. This is the first Blancpain to feature the brand new caliber F385, which is a ground-up new concept for them and a fairly impressive new development that doesn't seem to have gotten a lot of attention. That's about to change. ...
Introducing The Urwerk UR-105M "Iron Knight" And "Dark Knight"
Today Urwerk unveiled the UR-105M, inspired by a medieval suit of armor. It comes in two variations, the Iron Knight and the Dark Knight, the former with a brushed steel armor bezel and the latter with a black AITiN-treated steel armor bezel. Both UR-105Ms start with the new UR 5.01 movement, which combines the familiar satellite display that Urwerk is known for with a few extra indicators that give real-time feedback to the wearer. As with any Urwerk watch, this one's going to take some explaining. When dreaming up the UR-105M, Urwerk founders Martin Frei and Felix Baumgartner were thinking of knights in jousting matches and...
Hands-On: With The Chopard L.U.C 1963 Chronometer, A Modern Take On Tradition
Chopard's L.U.C collection is diverse, drawn together by the serious, in-house movements at the core of otherwise different watches. There are automotive-inspired watches, clean, modern designs, and then watches like what we have here that exude classic style. The L.U.C 1963 pairs a beautiful enamel dial with a movement inspired by traditional pocket chronometer movements updated to suit this wristwatch's 43mm rose-gold case. It's a contemporary take on a classic style and one worth a closer look. While you might immediately associate Chopard with jewelry (and some of the best out there, no less), the brand is a true manufact...
Weekend Report: Photo Report: Inside Bruce Meyer's Private Garage With Tudor
There are cars, and then there are cars. Thanks to an invitation from our friends at Tudor Watch Company, we got the rare chance to see the private collection of a true connoisseur. Bruce Meyer has been collecting cars since 1964. He's the type of car lover that doesn't just look for nice examples of some absolute classics, but rather one who looks to own important cars C cars that placed at LeMans, that belonged to Hollywood legends, that mean something. Meyer's collection resides in several places all over California, including his Los Angeles home, as well as within the Peterson Automotive Museum, which he helped form. But...
Sir David Salomons (1851-1925) was a man of many and diverse interests C his home, north of Tunbridge Wells (of which he was mayor at one point) is now preserved as a museum, but during his lifetime, it was a hotbed of scientific and engineering research. Salomons was fascinated by electricity, and the house was one of the first to be equipped with electric lighting. He had his own generator on the premises, and his workshops were equipped with thousands of machine tools; he was also the holder of patents relating to electric lighting, as well as various instruments and other electrical devices. Unsurprisingly, he was also interested in automobiles and aeronautics. ...
Just Because: All The Brightly Colored Watches Of 2020
Why are there so many watches with rainbows? And what's on the other side? In a trend that is seemingly 2020 specific, a slew of watch brands have released collections centered around singular models C in a variety of colorful options. I am talking brands from almost every segment of the horological landscape. This trend appeared seemingly out of nowhere, and it was not until we wrote two different articles (on two different colorful watch collections) in the span of a week that I really took notice of it. I was looking at the HODINKEE Instagram when I thought that maybe the same post had been published twice. Each image displayed a colorful, dare I say rainbow-like, array of watches. But of...
The Grey NATO: Episode 125: How We Fall
Subscribe to the show: (Apple Podcasts, SoundCloud, Google Play and Spotify). Already heard it once or twice? Please leave a short review here, and tell us what topics you'd like us to chat about (or email [email protected]). thegreynato The Grey NATO - 125 - How We Fall For episode 125, the guys are talking about one of the top four seasons: FALL! With a meandering chat about the best bits of fall, how to make the most of the shorter days, gear for the cooler temps, and even some grill envy, this is an episode that will have you oiling your best boots, considering a vest upgrade, and wondering (like James) where to get a tiny fu...
Hands-On: The Patek Philippe Aquanaut Ref. 5168G
The Aquanaut is a relatively young collection for Patek Philippe. The first generation, Ref. 5060, debuted in 1997 as a little brother to the Nautilus. From that point on, the series progressed to the second generation, 5065 (1998), and then to the current generation, 5167 (2007). The one we have here for review is the Ref. 5168 (2017 onwards), which is dubbed Jumbo, a larger version of the current generation Aquanaut.?This watch was introduced at Baselworld 2019 with a 42.2mm case in 18K white gold, khaki green dial, and rubber strap. Considering that the original 5060 is 35mm, the 5065 is 38mm (aka "Large"), and the current 5167 is 40mm, there is no doubt this "Jumbo" is a watch with some ...
Introducing: The Tudor Royal Collection
Despite the fact that in-person watch trade shows have been very few and far between in 2020 C LVMH's Dubai watch exhibition came early in the year, and the Geneva Watch Days and Watches & Wonders Shanghai took place much more recently C the output of new watches from major brands has continued unabated.?Tudor, of course, had one very high profile release in the Black Bay Fifty-Eight "Navy Blue," and then a much quieter one in the form of a new collection that revives an older name Tudor used in the '50s: Royal. It released its affordable new Royal line, which is headlined by a great-looking model with day and date, back in July. ?Back then, it was available only in select Asian markets....
Introducing: The Richard Mille RM 27-04 Tourbillon Rafael Nadal
In 2010, Richard Mille announced its partnership with tennis phenom Rafael "Rafa" Nadal, along with a groundbreaking new watch, the RM 027. Light enough to elicit laughter when placed in your hands, the RM 027 is a marvel of engineering that is both tough enough to endure the incredible forces of life on Nadal's wrist and light enough to float in water (yes, actually). Now, to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Richard Mille's relationship with Nadal, the RM 027 sees its fifth generation with the new and wondrously expensive RM 27-04. Initial Thoughts Yes, following in the very shallow (barely visible, rea...
Five pieces make up this week's selection, as per usual, but the bunch is anything but usual with a host of significant picks. For the true condition sticklers, there's a new old stock Glycine Airman Special, along with a similarly unworn and complete Rolex Sea-Dweller made for the Italian State Police. For those that wish to venture off into more obscure waters, we've got a heavily jeweled Blancpain Cyclotron, a jump hour Audemars Piguet, and an Arabic Rolex display (just because). Glycine Airman Special Starting off the round-up is a watch that wouldn't normally have me so excited. Don't get me wrong, G...