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Best Super NEWS Watches
In Conversation: John Mayer And Ben Clymer Discuss The New Rolex Daytona As Early Owners
Since the announcement of the new Rolex Daytona at this year's Baselworld, the watch world has been abuzz about just when it would arrive in stores and how long the average buyer might have to wait. All along, Rolex touted late summer as the expected release date C and then a funny thing happened C a lucky few got a phone call from their local AD's this week, saying the first batch of Daytonas had arrived. Two of our team members were included, Mr. John Mayer and Mr. Ben Clymer. After the two received the watches, they hopped on the phone to talk about it, and what they think it means to them, watch collectors at large, and what it means to Rolex. Read an abridged transcript below. ...
In-Depth: The Omega Speedmaster Moonphase Master Chronometer Chronograph
One of the most generally reliable rules of thumb of watch journalism is this one: everyone loves the Speedmaster. The rule, like a lot of generalizations, benefits from clarification C everyone (or almost everyone) seems to love the basic Speedmaster Professional, but there is room for argument over the huge number of variations on the Speedmaster that Omega has made over the years, and that's before even getting into the Mark series. This year at Baselworld, we got a pretty major update to the Speedmaster family in the form of the Speedmaster Moonphase Master Chronometer Chronograph, which is the first Master Chronometer Speedmaster C that is to say, the first to carry the METAS certificat...
Some weekends are definitely better spent than others. Courtesy of A. Lange & Sohne, we spent ours at Lake Como, in Italy, in order to follow the years most important European rendezvous of classic automobiles, the 2016 Concorso d'Eleganza (says a European, who has never been to Pebble Beach C the other unmissable show of the calendar year). Sitting in front of the Grand Hotel Villa dEste, their backs turned to the sun, collectors and participants gathered to watch some of the rarest and most prized automobiles drive by while sipping on Prosecco and Aprol Spritz C the local cocktail that the rest of Europe has adopted...
Hands-On: The Chopard L.U.C. Perpetual Twin: An Haute Horlogerie Perpetual Calendar In Steel
It's a little harder to sell a watch (or, for that matter, luxury consumer goods in general) than it was even 12 months ago, if the figures recently released by the Swiss watch industry are to be believed, and increasingly, people who love fine watchmaking seem to be inclined to look more carefully at whether or not there's actually something more behind what they're buying than novelty, or a strong brand name. Depending on who you are and what you're making, this can be a bad thing, or it can be an opportunity. For a company like Chopard, which makes some very beautiful haute horlogerie watches, but which has never quite had the recognition as a watchmaker that the Pateks, Vacherons, and AP...
Hands-On: A Patek Philippe Caliber 89, For Sale At Christie's New York
There are watches and there are complicated watches, and then there are ridiculously complicated watches that are so mechanically intricate, it's hard to imagine how they could possibly have been planned and assembled and made to work. Such watches are rare for all sorts of obvious reasons, and they are not in general exceptional aesthetically. The purpose of such a watch, indeed, is to take a certain aspect of watchmaking to its extreme, and in general, what you end up with is something that sacrifices, to some degree and in some cases almost entirely, most of the other horological utilities, including legibility and portability. What you get in return, though, is something that transcends ...
Introducing: The MB&F Legacy Machine No. 1 Silberstein
The Legacy Machines are the result of a thought experiment: what would the Horological Machines look like, Max Bsser asked himself, if they had been designed in the 19th century? The results are watches that take some of the cardinal features and virtues of 19th-century watchmaking C particularly Swiss watchmaking, in terms of finish and general movement layout C and re-imagine those elements as part of a design composition that's a 21st-century meditation on horological nostalgia. The newest version of the Legacy Machine is a new twist on that nostalgia, with a design by Alain Silberstein, and, interestingly enough, some of the features of the Legacy Machine No. 1 Silberstein arose out o...
This week, Bring A Loupe offers a wide selection of vintage pieces C all outstanding watches with their own merits. You will find a sensational dive watch from Longines, a dress watch from Vacheron Constantin, and a chronograph from Heuer C and it doesn't stop there. This is your Bring A Loupe for May 27, 2016. A Vacheron Constantin Chronomtre Royal Reference 6111 With Original Box "Chronomtre Royal" C the name was ambitious, but Vacheron Constantin's watches made under that name more than lived up to it. It all started with ultra precise pocket watches in the beginning of the 20th Century, but in t...
Introducing: The Drake's For HODINKEE 2016 Limited Edition Genta Pocket Square
Its been a little over a year since we released a new collaboration with Drakes of London C in November 2014, we launched a pocket square with Drake's that paid tribute to one of the most influential men in the watch world C Mr. Gerald Genta. We took two of his greatest works, the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak and Patek Philippe Nautilus, and used the shape of their trademark bezels to create the pattern. That limited edition was so popular that we decided to bring the design back in a new version. Drakes is the place for menswear and has been for almost 40 years. They make everything from custom shirts, ties, and other mens ...
Breaking News: Citizen To Acquire Frederique Constant
In the second piece of breaking news of this Thursday in May, we are hearing that Frederique Constant, the erstwhile independent producer of "accessible luxury" timepieces, has agreed to be sold to Japanese watchmaker Citizen! The Citizen group already owns La Joux-Perret and its associated brands (including Arnold & Son), so this is not the first time a Swiss conglomerate will go under Japanese control.? Frederique Constant Holding was founded in 1988 and includes the FC brand, Alpina, and DeMonaco. No terms were disclosed of this deal, and more can be read right here....
A Look At The Highlights Of The Phillips Hong Kong Watch Auction: Two
Though some collectors havent yet picked up their latest purchases from the Geneva sales, Phillips is back with a new C and this time much larger C selection of watches, in Hong Kong, for an auction curated specifically for the Southeast Asian market. And while some of the regions most important collectors were also in Geneva, and collectors from all over the world are expected to follow this weekends sale, this is the auction houses second sale at the Mandarin Oriental, in Central Hong Kong. Here are eight lots that should star during the sale, and yes, youve guessed it, these are all in the upper-echelon of the vintage market (a section Phillips dominates). ...
In every field there are things that everyone takes for granted C usually because of their ubiquity, or because they've been around forever, or both. In watchmaking, there are a lot of these, thanks to how long watchmaking has been around, and also thanks to its fundamentally incremental nature. Spring bars are a good example; certain aspects of movement decoration are another. Of the latter, there might be nothing more ubiquitous than Geneva stripes, or waves, or, to give them their proper name, C?tes de Genve. They can be seen, executed to varying degrees of fineness, in watches at just about every price point imaginable, but when were they first used, and why? ?Movement finishing exi...
Watch Spotting: Patrick Dempsey, Wearing A Monaco, In Monaco, During The Monaco Grand Prix
American actor Patrick Dempsey wore a TAG Heuer Monaco Calibre 12 Chronograph while attending the Monaco Grand Prix as a guest of TAG Heuer. I know, because I had the pleasure of watching the race with him this weekend and ended up, like so many others, taking a few snaps of him, though I seemed to be the only one interested in his choice of watch. Patrick Dempsey, showing us his TAG Heuer Monaco Calibre 12 Chronograph. Known for his work on screen, and his recurring role in Greys Anatomy, Dempsey is also a keen racing driver, and has participated in a number of prestigious events, finishing second at last year's 24 Hours o...
In 2006, a handful of the world's leading independent watchmakers joined forces to ensure that the traditional craft of horology would not be lost. Leading the way were Greubel Forsey and Philippe Dufour, two qualified teachers if there ever were any. The group chose a Paris-based watchmaker named Michel Boulanger to act as apprentice and learn the art of watchmaking in a traditional sense C the project would be called "Le Garde Temps C Naissance D'Une Montre," and would result in 11 timepieces to be sold to continue to fund the project. Today, in Hong Kong, the "school watch," or prototype, sold at Christie's C and it did so for over $1.46 million. ...
Introducing: The Limited Edition Autodromo Group B Evoluzione
Last November, the car-inspired watch brand Autodromo released the Group B C a cool stainless-steel watch inspired by 1980s rally racers, featuring a stainless-steel chassis and titanium case. Well, this was not enough for founder and creator Bradley Price C he has taken it one step further with the Group B Evoluzione, a limited series of 200 pieces (available in blue and yellow) featuring a larger case and an aluminum chassis. The original Group B was inspired by lightweight racing cars classified under the Group B classification by the FIA (Fdration Internationale de l'Automobile), which also regulates Formula 1. Group B ...
Photo Report: Behind The Scenes At The Monaco Grand Prix 2016 With TAG Heuer CEO Jean-Claude Biver
Jean-Claude Biver will spend the next few weeks in North America and China, where hell shake hundreds of hands and regale members of the press with stories of The Beatles, homemade cheese, and if theyre lucky, watches. A fascinating character of the watchmaking industry, the head of LVMH's watch division leaves an indelible mark wherever he goes C and he travels more than anyone in the field. This year, Ive met Mr. Biver three times: once in Dubai, once in Geneva, and once in London. Jean-Claude Biver in his summer home near Saint-Tropez. Which is why I was surprised to learn that he is, at his core, "a homebody, accordin...
Announcing: The HODINKEE Pop-Up Shop At Harrods In London
Calling all Londoners (and anyone living in Britain)! HODINKEE is excited to announce that we are hosting a pop-up shop at Harrods in London from June 9th to 12th. Rolex Day-Date reference 1806. The HODINKEE Pop-Up Shop will feature a fantastic selection of vintage watches for you to try on and purchase on the spot. Some highlights include a Rolex Submariner Reference 1680, a Breguet Type 20 with box and papers, and a yellow-gold Rolex Day-Date reference 1806 with grey dial and Morellis bracelet. Rolex Submariner reference 1680. On the accessories side, we'll...
Introducing: The A. Lange & Sohne Saxonia Thin In 37mm, The New Entry-Level Lange (Official Pricing)
The Saxonia Thin, a svelte, two-handed, manually wound dress watch from fan-favorite A. Lange & Sohne is nothing new. In fact, the model, which is Lange's thinnest timepiece in its history, was introduced back in 2011. This year at SIHH, Cara showed you a revamped 40 mm Saxonia Thin with the same in-house German-made caliber that is just 2.9 mm thick, and slight dial tweaks. At 40 mm, the watch costs $24,500 in both rose and white gold and it remains a favorite of our team. Today, however, Lange is back with a 37 mm Saxonia Thin, and boy is it priced to move. Say hello to one of the best watches in the world under $15,000. ...
This week, Bring A Loupe presents to you some truly iconic watches. We start with a Rolex Submariner, and then move on to the groundbreaking Zenith El Primero A386. You will also find a rare Breitling Cosmonaute in yellow gold and a dressy Patek Philippe Calatrava in stainless steel. Yes, this is this kind of selection you will find today C a lineup of real classics that are classics for a reason. This is your Bring A Loupe for June 3, 2016. A Rolex Submariner Reference 1680 With Tiffany-Signed Dial The reference 1680 was the first Submariner to offer the date, more than 15 years after the launch of t...
Introducing: The Laurent Ferrier Galet Square Vintage 1 Limited Edition For Swiss FineTiming
Laurent Ferrier might just be producing the most beautiful dials in the world right now C with true multi-tones and sectors like you'd find in the 1930s and '40s. The first time we saw one was on the Only Watch piece (now resting peacefully in a well-known California collection) and then at SIHH, we saw some vintage-inspired luminous sector dials that were true fan favorites. Today we have a new limited edition for Chicago retailer Swiss FineTiming and it's a looker. The dial is marked out by a black nickel gold chapter ring featuring curved markers with a nod towards the brands soon to be iconic drop-shaped hour markers. Th...
A Week On The Wrist: The Breitling Exospace B55 Connected
When it comes to pilots watches, companies generally take one of two distinct approaches: nostalgic pieces that conjure the style worn by an aviator in the 1940s, '50s and '60s, or a watch that might actually be useful to a pilot in the here and now. With the watch enthusiast crowd, many of whom are reading this article right now, its safe to assume that the former type of pilots watch holds more appeal, with a mechanical movement, broad hands on a legible dial, and maybe an oversized crown and a leather strap. This genre is enjoying a boom in popularity, with pilots watches competing with dive watches for wrist real estate. And we are spoiled for choice C consider IWCs rebooted Pilots...