Best Super NEWS Watches
The New Omega Planet Ocean In Titanium, Ceramic & Liquid Metal: Meet The PO of the Future
A Planet Ocean in Titanium, Ceramic, and LiquidMetalThe Seamaster Planet Ocean has enjoyed some success for quite a while now.? This year we saw the introduction of the biggest update to the line with the watch you see to the right.? The case of this new PO is titanium, the bezel is ceramic, and the hour markers LiquidMetal - this is the Planet Ocean of the future.? It weighs in at 45.5mm in diameter, and uses Omega's co-axial caliber 8500 with silicon balance spring.? The watch is also available in a chronograph using the just introduced caliber 9300/9301 pictured below.? Now on top of the normal niceties associated with this Omega caliber, they have even added some aesthetic touches rarely...
Hands-On: With Carl F. Bucherer And The Patravi EvoTec Calendar
Not long ago, at Baselworld 2009, Carl F. Bucherer introduced their first manufacture caliber, the CFB A1000. The movement garnered attention due to it's peripherally mounted and bidirectional winding oscillating weight. This allows the viewing pleasure offered by hand wind movements to be coupled with the convenience of having an automatic movement. The new caliber was also unique in that it was developed as a platform upon which functional modules could be added. This "Evolution Technology" saw the annual addition of new complications, the DayDate, the PowerReserve, the BigDate and most recently, the Calendar.?Each of the prior installments has been offered exclusively in cushion-shaped ca...
The Harry Winston Opus Eleven: An Early Contender For The Best Of Basel 2011 (Live Video)
The Harry Winston Opus Eleven - $230,000If you know modern haute horology, you know the Harry Winston Opus series of watches.? The line has helped launched several of today's most famous names including Felix Baumgartner from Urwerk, Vianney Halter, Stephen Forsey, and of course, the man who launched the concept in the first place, Maximilian Bsser for MB&F.But without Max the line is doing just fine, and today we got our first peek at the Opus Eleven, what just might be the coolest thing Basel World 2011 has to offer.? We can promise you, you've never seen anything like it.Working with Denis Giguet of MCT Watches (you know, the guy behind the Sequential One), Opus Eleven displays only ...
Basel News: Introducing The Bell & Ross Red Radar (Live Pics + Video)
Remember the Bell & Ross Compass?? It looked like this.??Just today, we had the chance to see the entire Bell & Ross collection for 2011 and there are some really great looking pieces.? One thing that hasn't changed from B&R is their ability to create an extraordinarily interesting piece from a very basic movement, in most cases the ETA 2892.Just like the Compass and previous Radar, the new Basel 2011 introduction, dubbed the "Red Radar," uses a disc system mounted to a traditional ETA movement to create a completely unique look.? This particular model resmebles a red radar screen (cue the "Hunt of Red October" bleeping sound) via red tinted crystal and clever fading on the time ...
VIDEO: Louis Vuitton Steps Up Their Game, Builds A Tambour Minute Repeater
When speaking of Louis Vuitton, it's only natural to think of fabulous fashion in the form of high heels, sunglasses and bespoke luggage. It's quite another to think of Haute Horology, much less upper echelon complications such as minute repeaters.? Times are changing though, as the luxury brand begins to embrace the world of high end watchmaking.?Louis Vuitton is presenting their 2011 models, as you might expect, in style. Far removed from the hustle bustle of Hall1, LV prefers the comforts of a large boat docked alongside the Rhine river, which runs through the town of Basel. It is here, below deck, that they are presenting their new Tambour Minute Repeater, a surprise to all those who too...
Spoils of War: A Laco Beobachtungsuhr From World War II
In the skies over Europe during World War II, German Luftwaffe reconnaissance flights set out to find strategic targets for bombing runs. Plotting the precise locations was the job of the Beobachter, or observer, who used a map, landmarks and a timepiece to identify and plot the targets. Over the thick sleeve of his leather flight jacket would be strapped a massive wristwatch, precise and easy to read at a glance. This watch was not surprisingly called a Beobachtungsuhr, or observers watch and there were only a handful of companies in Germany authorized by the Aviation Ministry to manufacture them: IWC, Wempe, Stowa, A. Lange & Sohne and Laco.Of these authorized marques, Laco (LAcher ...
An RO Toubillon With Racing Dial & Rubber Bezel - A Piece UniqueOne of the defining traits of the Royal Oak (not Offshore) is its metal bezel.? AP lets the Offshore run wild with different materials and coatings, but the modern-day Royal Oak is a pretty staid piece (in a good way).? And that is why this watch, available at Parisian dealer Chronopassion is so special.This "piece unique" Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Hand-Wound Tourbillon not only features a rubberized bezel, but also a two-tone "racing" dial.? You simply won't see these traits on any other Royal Oak, see?Inside this unique tourbillon is the same caliber 2889 you'll find in a traditional RO tourbillon.? Size is 44mm and Chrono...
A Longines Doctor's Chronograph: A Serious Chrono with a Serious Movement
Ask a new watch collector to name the top brands of vintage chronographs, and Longines is not usually among the list.However, to many seasoned vintage watch collectors, vintage Longines chronographs made between the 1930s and 1960s are among the most desired. This is the case for one primary reason: the movements.From the 1930s to the 1960s, Longines produced in-house chronograph movements, whereas many other companies relied on purchasing chronograph movements from companies like Valjoux, Venus, and Lemania. The two most well-known and well-respected Longines chronograph movements are the 13ZN (the first flyback chronograph movement ever made) and the 30CH.Matthew Bain currently has a few g...
Besides being the winner of November's Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Genve for best men's watch, he's also a 37-year veteran of Patek Philippe.? And, although he'd never admit it himself, he was one of Patek's senior most watchmakers and worked on some of the brand's most spectacularly complicated pieces.? Actually, to be more specific, Ferrier was head of product development at Patek Philippe before leaving the world's most prestigious manufacture in 2008.? This is where the story begins for Laurent Ferrier, the brand.Ferrier, along with La Fabrique du Temps, a company founded by two of the three former owners of BNB (now owned by Hublot), decided to build a traditional tourbillon caliber, bu...
Friday Afternoon Find: A 1960's Jaeger-LeCoultre Diving Chronograph Worldtime
Check this beauty out - A Jaeger-LeCoultre Diving Chronograph with Worldtime bezel (Ref. E 2643) in stainless steel.? This watch was released by JLC about ten years after the original Deep Sea Alarm, and went by three different names: the "Chrongraphe tanche" (Waterproof chronograph) in France, the "Vogue Chronograph" in the rest of Europe, and the "Shark Deep Sea" in the US.? This particular reference was made with three different bezels, too: a traditional diver's bezel, a GMT bezel that looks a lot like a Rolex Pepsi-job, and this purely decorative but cool looking "World Time" bezel.This JLC diving chrono features the iconic Valjoux 72 movement, is 41mm in size (not too big, not too sma...
The Seagull 1963 Air Force Watch: An Affordable Tribute To A First For China
This is a heritage watch of a different nature.? Re-makes are hot, clearly, But, while most tribute pieces that you see have a history revolving around American or European firsts or feats, this watch pays tribute to a Chinese accomplishment.? The Seagull 1963 Air Force Watch is a tribute to the very first watch that was manufactured in China, for the Chinese Air Force.The Tianjin Watch Factory became famous throughout China for producing the first Chinese watch in 1961. The factory was assigned to manufacture the first Chinese aviation watch (chronograph) for the Air Force of the People's Liberation Army. The code of the assignment was "304". The factory pre-manufactured three batches ...
A Favorite from SIHH: Hands-On With The Jaeger-LeCoultre Tribute To Deep Sea Alarm
In all honesty, we knew we'd love this watch even before we arrived in Geneva.? Unlike the Audemars Piguet Millenary 4101, which was a surprise favorite, the Tribute to the Deep Sea hits all the right buttons for us in a very obvious way.? We'll get into those buttons below.First, we first showed you press images of the two watches, with full specs, back in January.? These two limited editions, one for the US market (seen at right) and one for the European market (seen below) share the same heritage and movement, but with totally different dial designs.? They both pay homage to the watches that were sold by JLC in 1959 in their respective home regions.?But, what strikes us about these re-rel...
The Dunhill Black Diamond Classic: If You're Going To Do Diamonds On A Mens Watch, Do It Like This
Diamonds on mens watches are, to us, totally superfluous.? But, we recognize that not every man has the same taste as us (although, wouldn't it be nice if they did?).? You don't need precious stones on a watch to make a statement, especially when you can be wearing a $200,000 watch, a $400,000 watch, a $1,000,000 watch, or even a $5,000,000 watch without the use of a single diamond.? But, some people like diamonds on their watches, and for those people, we present the new Dunhill Black Diamond Classic wristwatch.? This new wristwatch features a dial covered in crushed black diamonds. Set for release at the end of 2011, the Dunhill Black Diamond Classic even uses a nice Jaeger-LeCoultre autom...
The Freemans Sporting Club Corvus Bradley Watch: A Modern Take On The Fifty Fathoms
The FSC Corvus Bradley Watch Is An Authentic Recreation of a ClassicLast week, we gave you a brief history of the legendary Blancpain 50 Fathoms dive watch, and even showed you some of the earliest examples on this here earth.? Vintage 50 Fathoms are available, but if you can find an early example that's remotely affordable, chances are you won't want to take the half-century old watch diving any time soon.Enter The Corvus Bradley Watch.? Corvus has made a name for itself by recreating some of this country's most famous military pieces, but this isn't really an homage in the traditional sense of the word.? In fact, Corvus makes a point of acquiring the original military specs, and produces e...
Pre-Basel: The Hamilton Pan-Europ, Then & Now
The New Hamilton Pan-Europ, MSRP $1825 and an LE of 1971 PiecesWe're suckers for a great heritage piece, and we can tell you, Hamilton has a killer with their new Pan-Europ.? But first, a little about the original.The first Pan-Europ was introduced by Hamilton in 1971 and featured a movement that was co-developed on a Buren base along with Heuer and Breitling, a movement you have seen in Heuer's Monaco and Autavia (known as the Caliber 11) and in Breitling's "Chrono-Matic" pieces.? Hamilton used these movements in their Fontainebleu pieces, in addition to the Pan-Europs.? These watches, with the date aperture at 6 o'clock and the left-side winding crown, have a cult following all their own.N...
Join The Club: An Early Genta-Designed IWC Yacht Club
2010 was, for IWC, the Year of the Portuguese, when the company updated its vaunted seafaring line. The newest Portuguese to make a splash is the Portuguese Yacht Club Chronograph (remember I gave you live reports from Lisbon about this very launch?). The Yacht Club name is actually one that used to stand on its own for IWC and one that was hugely successful. Introduced in the early '70s, the Yacht Club was part of a series of watches sold under the "SL" family name and designed by none other than Gerald Genta. Genta, of course, is one of the most legendary watch designers, whose distinctive style was found in many 1970s Swiss watches and in many ways was emblematic of that era. Like Pininfa...
Imagine a major men's magazine giving a lowly guy like me the chance to write a column on a monthly basis...on vintage watches no less. Well that is exactly what you will find in British Esquire beginning with this very month's issue. On stands now is my first column for Esquire UK, a column I wrote on five wonderful if not slightly esoteric vintage dress watches. In next month's issue you'll see some quick tips for buying vintage, after that, well, you'll just have to wait and see. So, go out and buy the March issue of British Esquire to read my article. To subscribe to British Esquire, which yes, is available to those of you outside the UK, see details here....
A HODINKEE Vintage Valentine's Day Gift Guide: Men's Watches For Women
A "Tiffany's" retailed Submariner, A Perfect Gift For Your Lady This Valentine's DayValentine's day is a day for the expression of love and devotion - often in the form of gifts. Now we thought wed be all community minded and make a few suggestions in case you were struggling to find the perfect gift for that special lady in your life. Now we arent going to suggest roses, chocolates, or champagne, but something that is personal, precious and perhaps surprising - were going to step way out on a limb and suggest that a watch would make a great Valentine's gift. However we are going a bit left of center and steering away from those watches marketed specifically to women, not that there aren...
A modeling agency magnate named Paolo Zampolli loves watches.? He has a lot of them, apparently.? But, four of them were stolen from his Gramercy Park apartment a little while back.? Two Patek Philippes, one Rolex Yacht Master 2, and one Bamford & Sons Rolex were the watches taken by the thieves, and in an effort to retrieve them, Zampolli has done what any reasonable person would do; he's plastered his Rolls-Royce Phantom with "Wanted" posters, offering a $50,000 reward for information that leads to their retrieval. What makes the story so interesting is that it has may have actually worked.? One of the Pateks, the one t...
A Kobold Soarway Diver Straight From Tony Soprano Himself
Think you could say no to the head of the New Jersey family?? I'll bet you a Kobold watch you couldn't.? Following in the footsteps of this beautiful JLC Polaris and of course Bobs Rolex Sub Ref 5510, eBay brings to us a true collectors item for the brilliant HBO series The Sopranos.? When the filming inevitably came to a wrap for The Sopranos, James Gandolfini, in grand form, presented the HBO production staff involved with one of these babies, a Kobold Soarway Diver watch.? One of those staff members (or maybe Gandolfini's own cousin?) apparently kept his watch new in box, and has decided to put it on the open market.? Personalized at the factory, these timepieces were inscribed on the c...