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Best Super NEWS Watches
Introducing The Speake-Marin Magister Tourbillon With A Stunning New Micro-Rotor Movement
Speake-Marin is a brand for very particular watch connoisseurs. Weve covered its novel concepts like the Triad with the Eros movement and the topping tool mystery rotor. Weve also covered more traditional designs like the Spirit Pioneer, which undertakes themes on military design. Speake-Marins latest release is its take on the tourbillon and is aptly named the Magister Tourbillon.This might sound like a strange likeness, but the Magister Tourbillon (and really any Speake-Marin model) has a very Joules Verne-like feel to it (Im well aware that Peter Speake-Marin is English). What I mean is that its one of those watches for extraordinary gentlemen C such as Max Bsser whose wrist we...
In terms of vintage Calatravas, it doesn't get cooler, rarer, or more valuable than a Patek Philippe reference 570 in stainless steel, with a two-tone dial and?oversized Breguet numerals. It's the type of watch that belongs in the collection of the most important watch buyers in the world, people like John Goldberger?(who yes, owns one, and it can be seen in our episode of Talking Watches). Today, we are here to tell you that one of these amazing pieces, one of just a handful in the world, was stolen from a FedEx package. The details are below and we are calling on the watch collecting community at large to bring this one back to its rightful owner. Joh...
Bring a Loupe: Six Post-Thanksgiving Picks From From Under $1,000 To Over $1,000,000
In this post-Thanksgiving edition of What's Selling Where, we bring you four varied watches worth checking out from Patek Philippe, Laurent Ferrier, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Vacheron Constantin, Croton, and CWC, priced from three figures all the way up to seven figures. Patek Philippe Split Seconds Chronograph reference 1436 I know what I will be asking Santa for this year: this Patek reference 1436 split seconds chronograph in steel. The last one that came up publicly for sale was back in 2009 at Antiquorum, in the early days of HODINKEE. One of reportedly only four made in steel (with one later re-cased in...
The HODINKEE Shop Is Stocked With Dozens Of Different Straps, All Made By Hand
Today is one of the biggest shopping days of the year, and we're here to say "hey, we've got you covered." But before we get started, we'd like to remind you that today, so many people spend their money on silly things that have little human value, while every single strap in the HODINKEE shop is made completely by hand. The shop is nice and full of a few dozen different styles and sizes of straps and accessories available right now.Some of the most beautiful are our full grain crocodile straps in black (seen above on the Polerouter) and in honey brown on the Compax chronograph. In stock are also our black Kangaroo NATO strap...
Hands-On With The IWC Sidrale Scafusia
It's thanksgiving here in the U.S., and to celebrate, we thought we'd show you something that we're thankful for C the absolute baddest watch in the IWC lineup. These photos are from a chance encounter with the epic IWC Sidrale Scafusia some weeks back.Back in 2012, IWC opened their flagship New York City boutique along Madison Ave. Be sure to check it out if youre ever in the area C it is a beautiful space. The upper level of the space is special for a few reasons, the biggest of which are the on-location watchmaker and the massive Sidrale Scafusia display housing a sample watch, ready for customization from its buyer. We swung by recently to check it out, and we got some hands-on time w...
Introducing: The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Concept Acoustic Research
Before we begin, I will say that in the title above, we say that this is a new minute repeater for "all." I don't mean that this incredible new concept watch from AP will be affordable for all C it certainly will not be, but the very nature of the chiming of this watch is different from others. Traditionally, the appreciation of a minute repeater is reserved for solely its owner, or perhaps a partner always by his or her side. With the The AP Concept Acoustic Research, that changes. Here, the watch has been engineered over eight years to produce a tone, pitch, and volume that is meant to be shared.By applying the principles of stringed instrument making, Audemars Piguet has made a breakthrou...
Talking Watches: With Kevin Rose
Believe it or not, before I became interested in watches, I was interested in other things. My obsession as a teenager and into my twenties was indeed, unsurprisingly, the Internet. It seems almost silly to say that now, but when I was 14 years old and my friends were playing football on a Saturday afternoon, I was (at times) writing code, building my own website. There was a time when "the Internet" and its use was anything but a given. Clearly I wasn't alone in my fascination with the Web, and there were many that I looked up to when it came to Web-based entrepreneurship. One such person was Kevin Rose. Kevin Rose co-founded Digg in his early twenties, and went...
Bring a Loupe: Five Picks From Christie's Hong Kong Sale
On Wednesday, Christies is having a sale in Hong Kong. As you probably know, the Hong Kong sales are generally filled with modern and flashy watches, so there usually isnt much to appeal to a vintage watch enthusiast like me. However, this upcoming sale actually has an interesting mix of vintage and newer pieces, and thankfully the newer pieces arent all loaded with gemstones. I've selected five of my favorite pieces from the sale from five different brands, but the whole catalog is worth checking out as there are some other incredible pieces, particularly if you love Patek (a 5095! and 5074!). Rolex Jean-Claude Killy Dato-Compax Reference 6036 ...
Roger Dubuis' La Mongasque is avaialble in a number of case and dial configurations. The model reviewed here features a pink gold case and silver-tone dial. Though I try to?analyze watches from a purely objective standpoint, La Mongasque from Roger Dubuis made me consider the peculiar way that my perception of a watch can be partially influenced by the character of the person?wearing that watch. On the wrong individual, this watch in particular could be a disaster C a predictable paean to conspicuous consumption. But on the right person, perhaps someone driven by unique personal tastes that run against the status quo, La Mongasque would warrant a closer, but sti...
Shinola Begins Dial Production In The U.S., Another Step Toward Vertical Integration
Shinola's dialmaking operations will launch in two phases. The first phase consists of dialprinting.?Image courtesy Shinola. The ultimate goal of Shinola's watchmaking division is to design, manufacture, and assemble most components of watches (including movements, eventually)?from start to finish entirely within the United States. While their current models are only assembled in the U.S. (with?cases?and movement components?produced abroad), the company now takes another step toward vertical integration by bringing dial?making to domestic soil. Dials for Shinola's Runwell watch will be produced in Detroit. Image courtesy Shino...
Last week's sale of the Henry Graves Jr. Supercomplication made by Patek Philippe for $24,000,000 has become international news. This mega pocket watch has been in countless newspapers and magazines around the world over the past 10 days since the gavel fell at Sotheby's in Geneva. But, this is HODINKEE C and we always try to go the extra mile so that those who may not be able to hop on a jet for an evening sale in Geneva can still experience the thrill of seeing the world's most expensive watch go under the hammer. So what'd we do? We sent our crack video team to Geneva to capture the mood of the evening, and Sotheby's Internati...
A Week On The Wrist: The Patek Philippe 5270G Perpetual Calendar Chronograph
Patek Philippes 2011 release of the reference 5270 Perpetual Calendar Chronograph was a big deal.The complication has been in Patek Philippes catalog since 1941, and as our exhaustive look at the family points out, it is also one of the brands most important watches. Vintage or modern, Pateks perpetual calendar chronographs are among the most coveted and collectible of all wristwatches. The fact that no other watch has appeared on as many watch auction catalog covers is a testament to their collectibility and widespread appeal. The 5270s introduction was remarkable as it was the first Patek perpetual calendar chronograph to use a 100% in-house designed and manufactured movement. For suc...
Blacked-out watches have a strong following. They look and feel like utility pieces, and their high-end offerings are geared to combat the elements and to withstand demanding environments. The new Panerai Luminor 1950 3 Days Chrono Flyback Automatic Ceramica fits this niche rather nicely, and adds something watch-nerds seem to adore: a central minute hand. When it comes to watches, black on black is hardly ever a formal get up. But thats a good thing when it comes to Panerai, because Panerai has its roots deep in naval history. It strictly started out as a tool watch for Italian sailors (literally for frogmen riding torpedoe...
A Week On The Wrist: The TAG Heuer Carrera 1887 41mm Chronograph
Few watches have as storied a history as the Carrera, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year alongside the Rolex Daytona. While the Carrera has definitely gone through many revisions over the years, the same DNA is still there from the beginning. We decided to take the current Carrera, housing TAG Heuer's Calibre 1887 movement, for a spin, and here we give you a look at the birth of Carrera, the intricacies of the Calibre 1887 movement, and what is was like to wear this modern Carrera for a week.? The Birth Of The Carrera The Carrera 1887 The Heuer Carrera was first launched in 1963, thoug...
Bring a Loupe: Highlights From The Watches Of Knightsbridge November 22nd Sale
Watches of Knightsbridge once again has a fantastic selection of watches coming up in its November 22nd sale. This catalog was one where there were so many lots that I liked that I found it hard to cut down to just 10. I easily could have covered just 10 military watches alone that I really liked here, but have tried to show a cross section of interesting pieces, including from Jaeger-LeCoultre for Dunhill, Lemania, Longines, Rolex, Tudor, and Universal Geneve. Dunhill Memovox by Jaeger-LeCoultre Until relatively recently, people weren't sure if these Dunhill Memovoxes were even real C they were almos...
Hands-On: With The Cartier Tank LC Sapphire Skeleton, A New Take On A True Classic
There are different ways to create a transparent watch. There's the brash, $2 million, milled sapphire way to do things, and then there's this. Unveiled earlier this year at SIHH, the Cartier Tank LC Sapphire Skeleton takes one of the most iconic silhouettes in all of watchmaking and completely carves out the interior, showing off a skeletonized in-house movement between two sapphire plates. The results are astounding and from the moment we first saw this watch, we knew it deserved a closer look. Even people who know absolutely nothing about watches know the Cartier Tank. It's been worn by countless celebrities and high-profi...
Guy Makes Home-Made Laser Watch That Actually Works, May Or May Not Sell Them
As far as fictional functions of timepieces go, there are two that live above all else. There is the Dick Tracy Radio Watch (also known as the most indestructible meme in tech journalism), and then there are the several things that any number of James Bond watches could do. We've already seen the Submariner with buzz saw bezel (like, the actual one), and while this discovery wasn't used in any bond film directly, it's much cooler than that. This is a real wristwatch, with a real laser beam attached, and it's powerful enough to cause minor destruction. A man name Patrik Prieb prides himself on building "laser gadgets."?He's bu...
Editorial: An Open Letter From Roger W. Smith On The Current State Of British Watchmaking
One act that we unequivocally support at HODINKEE is the sharing of?honest, substantive, and well-considered opinion. This is even more relevant within the sometimes insular industry of watchmaking because, ideally, opinion leads to introspection, which can lead to change. To that end, we have the privilege of sharing with you a letter from Roger W. Smith C an independent master watchmaker who studied under one of the all-time horological greats, George Daniels. In this letter, Smith shares his opinion on the current state of British watchmaking, which he considers to be lacking an ethos of authenticity. His points, from a purist's perspective, are thought-provoking to say the least. Read th...
Historical Perspectives: Ten Out Of Production Watches That Offer A Ton Of Bang For The Buck
Last year I put together a list of 10 vintage watches that I genuinely believe(d) should cost more than they do, for a variety of reasons. You can read it here. Today, I will take a look at another sector of watches with the same pervading thought: these watches deserve to be more expensive than they are. But today, I'll be looking at modern, but out of production, watches. What I mean is that these pieces were designed in the modern era, with the help of CAD, and modern production technologies, and in many cases they offer a tremendous amount of watchmaking firepower. But, for some reason, they just don't cost that much (relatively speaking). Here are 10 modern, but out of production watche...
Bring a Loupe: 10 Picks From The Heritage Auctions November 20th New York Sale
November is just a month filled with watch auctions primarily outside of the United States, but Heritage Auctions has a sale coming up TODAY in New York. Here are 10 interesting timepieces in the catalog, including a Vacheron, Lange, Porsche Design, Patek Philippe, Tissot, Ulysse Nardin, Dudley, Zenith, and Gubelin, plus an Edox to avoid. Vacheron Constantin Jubilee reference 6099 The vast majority of vintage Vacherons you will see are yellow gold, rose gold is less common, and then white metals (steel, white gold, and platinum) are generally extremely uncommon. As a fan of white metals, this Vacheron...