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Best Super NEWS Watches
The Bremont Codebreaker Moments ago, Bremont unveiled its latest special creation, the Codebreaker. This flyback chronograph GMT watch takes its styling cues from 1940s officer watches and incorporates components salvaged from Bletchley Park, the center of WWII code breaking in Britain. Here we have an in-depth look at the aptly-named Codebreaker, including details on the historical connections, technical specs, pricing, and even some early live photos. Breaking Codes At Bletchley Park To create the Codebreaker, Bremont has worked closely with the Bletchley Park Trust to gather original materials fro...
Taking A Closer Look At The Loupe System, A Serious Loupe Created By And For Watch Lovers
The Loupe System HODINKEE obtained a review sample of the Loupe System C anall-new, high-end loupe created by a long-time watch collector.The worlds first loupe designed from the ground up specifically for watchenthusiasts, the Loupe System promises to be the best hand-held loupe you haveever looked through. Does it live up to its promise? Ill answer that for sure,but first, some background on why watch collectors should have a good handheldloupe and the characteristics that make a loupe good for collectors. The Importance of a Loupe Perhaps the most important tool for a watch collector is agood loupe. Wheth...
Hands-On: With The Incredible Richard Mille RM27-01 Rafa Nadal
This isn't a new watch, it was shown last year. And on top of that, all 50 pieces of Richard Mille's RM27-01 Rafa Nadal have long been sold. But, we had the chance to see the incredible light-weight, mega-casual watch yesterday and each time we come across one, it leaves us blown away. The RM27-01 is potentially the coolest casual watch on the planet. It is light as a feather (like, you have no idea), and was specifically developed for Rafa Nadal to wear while he plays in professional matches. The entire movement is suspended by four braided steel cables, just .35mm thick. Each cable is fixed to a tensioner that is pulled tight b...
A Week On The Wrist: The IWC Portuguese Chronograph Classic
IWC has a wide variety of watches in its stable, from time only hand-winds to tourbillons and minute repeaters. The most defining of these however, beyond the Pilot's line, has been the Portuguese Chronograph, who's vertical sub dials and elegant case have become synonymous with the line they represent. This watch's successor, so to speak, which was revealed earlier this year, has been highly anticipated by fans of the brand for the upgrade from a Valjoux-based movement to an in-house IWC chronograph caliber (cal 89361). What's more, the watch has undergone several aesthetic revisions that significantly separate it from the original. So, what's the new Portuguese Chronograph Classic like on ...
On The Block: The James Bond Breitling Top Time Geiger Counter From Thunderball
A while back,??we introduced you to the Breitling Top Time Geiger counter worn by Sean Connery in?Thunderball?after it was found for?25 at a car boot sale," which is sort of an English flea market where people park their cars and sell unwanted items out of their trunks. And now it's on the block again in?Christies pop culture auction on Wednesday, June 26th. Here we've got all the details on the watch as well as some thoughts on tomorrow's sale.?That's right, Chistie's is offering this watch in a pop culture auction, not a watch auction. It will be sold alongside an assortment of celebrity items including some other James Bond items will be up for sale, too, including a Honda CRF250R moto...
2013 is Jaeger-LeCoultre's 180th anniversary, and to celebrate they have presented a "Jubilee" collection.? The most impressive of this trio of watches is the Gyrotourbillon Three, which we showed you in great detail in episode three of the Road To Basel.? The second watch in this Jubilee set is the cylindrical tourbillon with perpetual calendar.? It's definitely an amazing piece, too.? But to me, the most interesting watch in Jaeger-LeCoultre's 180th anniversary Jubilee set is one of the most simple, clean watches JLC has made in a long time.? In fact, it might set the new standard for complete elegance.? Actually, the Master Ultra-Thin Jubilee does literally set a new standard for somethin...
Nik Wallenda Crosses The Grand Canyon On Tightrope, Wearing JeanRichard Watch
About ten minutes ago, tightrope walker Nik Wallenda successfully navigated a solo walk across an Arizona gorge near the Grand Canyon. ?He did so?completely?without safety harness or support system. ?On his wrist was a JeanRichard Terrascope.Wallenda's family is known the world-over for these types of stunts, and he completed a similar walk over Niagara Falls just last year. ?The quarter-mile walk took 22 minutes, and Wallenda was over 1500 feet in the air, roughly the same height as the empire state building. ??We'll be back in the coming days to show you a closer look at Wallenda's own watch. ?In the mean time, you can learn more about it here....
As if the superlative multi-tourbillon watches that Robert Greubel and Stephen Forsey typically produce weren't enough, the pair have teamed up with artist Willard Wigan to create Art Piece 1. The watch houses both a Greubel Forsey 30 degree double-tourbillon and a Wigan microsculpture that you can admire through a magnifier in the crown at 9 o'clock. Sometimes we talk about timepieces being works of art, but the Art Piece 1 pushes this to a whole new level. Click through for a full explanation and tons of hands-on photos. Robert Greubel, Stephen Forsey, And Willard Wigan British artist Willard Wigan might not be a household n...
The Road To Basel Episode 6: Inside Max Bernardini's World Of Luxury Vintage
You don't meet people like Max Bernardini often. ?When I first encountered the purveyor of bespoke vintage luxury items in January of this year, I assumed he was American. ?He's not, despite his practically flawless English, complete with New York accent. ?He was educated at an American school in Eastern Europe and speaks a handful of languages. ?Inside his lair of luxury in downtown Milan, Bernardini sells watches. And great ones. And ostensibly, that's why we were there. ?But we got more than we bargained for, and in episode six of The Road To Basel, you'll find out just what makes Bernardini Luxury Vintage so special, and we'll guarantee this shop will be at the top of your "must visit" l...
On The Block: James Dean's "Lucky" Elgin Pocket Watch For Sale At Antiquorum Hong Kong
James Deans Long before "made in the USA" and "heritage" were buzzwords, James Dean was already sporting a vintage American pocket watch as an undiscovered actor. This 1889 "Standard USA" signed Elgin pocket watch was purchased by Dean in New York just before his career took off and he?considered?the watch his good luck charm. On June 22nd the watch hits the block in Antiquorum's Hong Kong sale, and here we've got all the details for you. A Closer Look At The Watch Dean's solid gold pocket watch is signed "Standard USA" and was made circa 1889 in bassine et filets style with an engine-turned back. T...
Introducing The Montblanc Heritage Chronomtrie Quantime Annual Calendar Vasco da Gama
With the introduction of the Heritage Chronomtrie Quantime Annuel Vasco da Gama, Montblanc makes a fine push into the small, but growing, segment of the industry for relatively affordable complicated timepieces. (They also score big points for having an epic product name C the collection is inspired by Vasco de Gama, the first European to reach India by sea.)This 40 mm wristwatch C available in both steel and gold, pictured here C is modern without being cold, with a dial that balances three sub-dials for the annual calendar and a separate moonphase with elegant ease.At a list price of EUR 11,100 in 18k red gold, you would be hard-pressed to find a greater value proposition for a similarly...
NATO Straps Back In Stock At The HODINKEE Shop (With New Colors Too)
Two weeks ago we launched NATO straps on the HODINKEE Shop, and they proved so popular that in less than 48 hours it was already time for a re-stock. Well, today we have all colors back in stock and we thought we'd give you a few new options as well. You asked for them, we found them, and then you ordered them...and fast! After selling out in a matter of days, we have restocked all the colors of our NATO straps - and we've added three new options for you as well. Red, grey, and a bright blue and white stripe have all been added to the mix. Otherwise, these straps are the same durable nylo...
Hands-On: With The Marvin Malton 160 Ref. M116 (Live Pics & Pricing)
Marvin Maldon 160 M116 The hallmark of independent brand Marvin is executing simple designs well. The Malton collection is the core of its offerings, and sitting between the most basic three-hand Malton models and the more complex regulator watches is the Malton 160 M116. The dial is clean and easy to read, the design balances modern and classic elements, and the power reserve indicator adds visual interest without making things cluttered.Marvin is one of those brands with a history going back to the mid-nineteenth century (1850 to be exact) that has changed hands many times over the years. Current owner and CEO Ccile Maye seems to take the marque's history seriou...
Vacheron is in the running for top announcement of the show with its incredible Harmony ultra thin, self-winding mono-pusher rattrapante chronograph, but the Harmony line doesn't begin and end in the mid six-figure range. No C there is an entire line of Harmony watches, and perhaps the most appealing to pure horology fiends will be this: the new Harmony Mono-Pusher Chronograph featuring the caliber 3300, the product of seven year's of development. Taking inspiration from a historical Vacheron Doctor's chronograph from 1928, this piece is certainly vintage inspired with its cushion shaped case, mono-pusher activation, and puls...
Win A Trip To Baume & Mercier's Geneva Design Studio, With Watches And Paul Stuart Wardrobe To Match
This year New York clothier Paul Stuart is marking its 75th anniversary, and to celebrate is offering a different sweepstakes each month. For June they've teamed up with Baume & Mercier to offer a trip to Baume & Mercier's Geneva design studio, a pair of Baume & Mercier watches, and a Paul Stuart wardrobe for your Swiss adventure. Click through for all the details and how to register to win. While we do our best here at HODINKEE to give you inside looks at the world's top manufactures, nothing beats experiencing it for yourself. Paul Stuart and Baume & Mercier are offering a trip for two to Geneva which includes a tour of the brand's design studio. The winner of the June swee...
Breaking News: PPR In Talks To Buy Controlling Stake In Richard Mille
According to an?anonymous?industry source, luxury group PPR is currently in talks to purchase a controlling stake in Richard Mille. Up to this point Richard Mille has remained an?independent?brand, and one with extremely strong media presence and sales at that. The story is still developing, but click through for up-to-date details on this noteworthy news for the watch industry.PPR currently has both Girard-Perregaux and JeanRichard in its stable of watch brands (along with?jewelry?and watch brand Boucheron), but Richard Mille would bring something completely different to the table. Mille launched his eponymous brand in 2001 and in 2012 saw total sales of 112 million Swiss Francs. Annual gro...
Romain Jerome Moon Orbiter Romain Jerome is best known for their so-called "DNA" watches, which incorporate historically significant materials into their cases and dials. Particles from the Statue of Liberty and materials from the sunken Titanic have both been used before, but with the Moon Orbiter, Romain Jerome offers up an architectural flying tourbillon incorporating remnants of the Apollo 11 shuttle into the structure and moon dust into the dial.? Sapphire Windows And Steel Case Architecture Before we get into the Apollo 11 DNA, let's look at the basics of the Moon Orbiter. The watch is pretty m...
Hands-On: With The Antoine Martin Slow Runner (Live Pics, Video, & Pricing)
Antoine Martin Slow Runner Before Basel World we introduced you to the Antoine Martin Slower Runner, a new watch from watchmaker and designer Martin Braun that ticks away at only 1 Hz. While the official photos and video both looked stunning, we knew this would be one of those watches that really shines in the metal. So at Basel World we sat down with the Slow Runner and found it to be even more impressive than we had expected.? The Massive 24mm Balance Wheel In The Slow Runner Normally we'd start by telling you about the dial side of the Slow Runner, but it's the reverse side that tells this watch's...
The Chopard Engine One H The L.U.C Engine One H is one of Chopard's latest haute horology creations, and we first introduced you to it here. Inspired by auto racing, the Engine One H is a pretty serious timekeeper with an in-house Chopard tourbillon movement that is chronometer certified to boot. Here we go hands-on with this modern race car engine for the wrist. The Engine One H's Tourbillon The heart of the Engine One H is the Caliber 04-02-L. This Chopard in-house movement is chronometer certified and features a one-minute tourbillon, which you can see keeping track of the running seconds on the r...
The Road To Basel Episode 5: A Conversation With Watch Designer Eric Giroud
At Baselworld 2013, you could find ten different Eric Giroud designs, in the booths of eight different brands. He is a watch industry super-designer. In episode five of our original video series The Road To Basel, we pay a visit to the man behind so many of today's most interesting and thoughtful wristwatches in his downtown Geneva studio. ?We talk to Giroud about his extensive roster of projects (he's designed for Badollet, Bertolucci, C3H5N3O9, Harry Winston, Heritage Watch Co., MB&F, MCT, Peter Speake-Marin, Rebellion, Romain Jerome, Swarovski, Tissot, and Universal Geneve C and several other bluechip brands that belong to large luxury conglomerates and therefor may not be mentioned p...