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Best Super NEWS Watches
Twenty Years Ago Tomorrow, A. Lange & Sohne Was Re-Born; Here Are Some Photographs From That Day
Tomorrow, October 24th, 2014, marks the 20th anniversary of the day that A. Lange & Sohne reentered the consciousness of mechanical watch collectors, after almost a half-century of darkness. As this video showed us some weeks back, this is an emotional time for not only Lange employees and lovers, but also for many Germans. The last time we paid a visit to Lange's Glashutte headquarters, they dug through their archives to find us some original photographs and documents from those very first days. Here they are for you to examine, some 20 years later. If they could only have guessed where this would all lead. This above is...
Interview: Five Things I Learned From A Conversation With Georges Kern, CEO Of IWC Schaffhausen
This past week, I traveled to New York to preview some of IWCs coming attractions and to sit down with some of the brands brain trust, including CEO Georges Kern, for an honest discussion. Kern has been in his current position for 12 years, which is a long tenure for a Richemont brand CEO. In that time, weve seen big changes. The Schaffhausen brand has morphed from an obscure builder of austere tool watches to a global luxury brand with a burgeoning portfolio of watches and a parade of celebrity friends of the brand. While there are many who make a sport of questioning Kerns decisions, you cant argue with the companys success under his guidance. And after all, thats why he was hired...
Ok, this one isn't going to set the world on fire, but it's a cool little trick that we haven't seen before. This is the limited edition Homage to Nicolas Rieussec chronograph from Montblanc. It's a nice, self-winding, fully in-house chronograph that is set-up totally different from the most traditional chronographs. But, while Rieussec family isn't new to Montblanc or us, this limited edition is, and it's got a nifty little trick up its sleeve. The egg-shell dial in this 43mm in-house chronograph is really beautiful, and takes on different appearances depending on lighting conditions. At the traditional 3 o'clock you have a ...
Ten Watch Auction Industry Insiders To Follow On Instagram
The world of vintage watch auctions is always an exciting one, filled with behind the scenes (and occasionally public) drama that we seldom see with modern pieces. The major houses are in a constant battle with one another to consign and sell the greatest pieces ever made, whether it be Christie's taking in the Eric Clapton 2499, Sotheby's selling the Graves Supercomplication, Antiquorum setting records with rare Langes, or Bonhams selling Houdini's pocketwatch, you can be sure that there are some fascinating stories about how these watches ended up where they did. Combine this fierce competition with social media, and you have a wonderful way to get the scoop on great watches before they hi...
Introducing: The Patek Philippe Grandmaster Chime Ref. 5175R, Their Most Complicated Wristwatch Yet
Patek Philippe celebrated its 175th one week ago in Geneva. We inundated you with new releases like the world-timer with moonphase, the chiming jump hour, and the chronograph that's kinda not really a chronograph (but in a great way), but all that was foreplay to the big daddy. We held off on publishing details of the $2.5 million, mega complicated Grand Master Chime because, well, this is a watch that deserves some thought. There was no other way for Patek Philippe to culminate its 175th Anniversary offerings than by unveiling its most complicated wristwatch to date. Actually before I go on, let's clear one thing up that's been ...
Today, we are bringing you five incredibly killer watches just begging to be worn. These are watches that many may see as grails, at different price points: a Rolex COMEX Sea-Dweller, a Universal Geneve "Nina Rindt" chronograph, a Breitling chronograph for the Royal Canadian Air Force, a Breguet Type XX, and an Audemars Piguet Royal Oak A-Series. Rolex COMEX Sea-Dweller reference 1665 When it comes to Rolex diving watches, it is axiomatic that the "MilSubs" issued to the British Ministry of Defense and the COMEX-issued watches are some of the most desired. A big part of their allure is that these were watches built and meant ...
Introducing The RGM Pennsylvania Series 801 "Baseball In Enamel"
Today, we bring you a first look at the RGM Pennsylvania Series 801 Baseball in Enamel C an impressive Grand Feu timepiece with a manufacture caliber. Yes, you heard right C lets play ball.Having recently interviewed Mr. Murphy on this release, we can say that its downright exquisite and unlike anything that weve seen come from the States in recent memory C or ever. Roland G. Murphy, founder of RGM, started his apprenticeship at the age of 20 at Danecker Clock Company in Fallston, Maryland. After Daneckers bankruptcy soon after, Murphy and his father bought Danecker's leftover parts to continue clock assembly at home. After a couple more years of trade work at repair/restoration shops ...
In-Depth: Inside The Christie's Patek Philippe 175th Anniversary Auction
On November 9th of this year, Christie's will play host to the most impressive sale of Patek Philippes ever assembled. The 100 lot evening auction was hand-selected by Christie's to tell the full story of Patek Philippe with nothing but the finest examples in the world. No doubt, collectors everywhere will be watching the Patek 175 sale closely, and now that the catalog has been released online and is being shipped out to those who have ordered one, we thought we would dig into the lots and give our thoughts on our favorite watches, from perpetual calendar chronographs to ladies watches, as well as show you some live pics. We could easily write about all 100 lots, but we will leave it to you...
Say hello to the brand new, limited edition chronograph in celebration of 175 years of Patek Philippe. This new "Multi-Scale Chronograph," as they are calling it, is really a unique offering. Dubbed the reference 5975, this 40 mm chrono looks similar to the traditional 5170, but it's not. Let's get into what makes the 5975 so interesting.? So what you'll see on the dial of the new 5975 are three different scales. This includes a pulsometer scale calibrated to 15 pulsations, allowing physicans to calculate a patient's pulse in far less than one minute. Outside that, you'll see a telemeter scale, which is used to calculate dist...
In-Depth: Hands-On With The Henry Graves Jr. Patek Philippe Supercomplication
Today is a very big day for us Patek Philippe lovers C it is the day that this great Genevan company will unveil its celebratory timepieces for its 175th birthday. I am in Geneva to cover this at length when the curtain lifts later tonight, but before we get to that, I thought today was as good a day as any to show you a little something special. Since starting HODINKEE over six years ago, I've gotten to see some incredibly important, and rare, timepieces. Pieces like split-seconds chronographs from Rolex, an Hermes-signed Paul Newman Daytona, a unique chronometer grade Patek owned by a disgraced Texas attorney (and NOT by the guy from Fight Club, ever), and even a platinum 2499 owned by Eri...
Bring a Loupe: Highlights Of The Christie's Dubai Sale
Coming up on October 22, Christie's is hosting an "Important Watches" auction in Dubai. The watches are primarily modern, some have a lot of diamonds, and some have rather interesting political provenance. With 157 total lots this isn't an incredibly extensive auction, but a few watches caught my eye, including an F.P. Journe, Patek Philippe, Rolex, Franck Muller, IWC, and two watches from Harry Winston. F.P. Journe?Chronomtre Bleu "BYBLOS" In case you don't know, we are big fans of the F.P. Journe Chronomtre Bleu (just check out the inaugural Three on Three). Earlier this year Journe intr...
Think about this for a moment: before the 1880's, there were hundreds of time zones within the United States, with towns all across the country adhering to their own standard of "local time." This confusing system was a relic of an America before efficient transportation networks, when there wasn't much need for a centrally regulated, uniform system. The advancement of the railroad system in the late 1800's necessitated a change to a more standard system, and this short excerpt from the upcoming PBS series "How We Got to Now" demonstrates just how confusing things were before then C and how essential timekeeping is to keep modern society up and running....
Coming to you live from the south of France, where I was just shown a brand new limited edition Blancpain chronograph that has a lot going for it. Its official name is the Ocean Commitment Bathyscaphe Flyback Chronograph, but what it is to us collectors is a limited edition take on the new Bathyscaphe chrono shown at Basel this year with an awesome new high-beat, in-house chronograph. There is a lot to like here, and on top of this new watch, Blancpain also announced a massive, 475-page chronicle of the entire history of the Fifty Fathoms, the very first modern dive watch. First, the watch. This limited run of 250 watches fe...
Introducing The Nomos Orion 1989, Celebrating The 25th Anniversary Of The Fall Of The Berlin Wall
The (Alpha) wound NOMOS Orion became a classic the very first day it hit the market. Weve covered it in-depth in A Week On The Wrist before, and were covering it again during what seems to be a season of makeovers for a couple of NOMOS families (recall the recent True Blue dial of the NOMOS Weltzeit just last month). Here, with the unveiling of the Orion 1989, NOMOS is celebrating the 25th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. The Orion 1989 with a 33 mm case. This stainless version of the Orion comes in two sizes C 33 mm by 8.54 mm and 38 mm by 8.86 mm. The dial is a galvanized November gray that has a very fine ...
Introducing the Vacheron Constantin Maitre Cabinotier Astronomica
We recently brought you Vacheron Constantins Day-Date and Power Reserve from the manufactures Excellence Platine collection. We concluded that while the piece was a moderate complication, it was an expression of Vacherons artisanal passion and a statement of understated perfection.?At Watches & Wonders, we came across the other end of that spectrum C and we are very excited to bring you the Vacheron Constantin Maitre Cabinotier Astronomica. This is a one-of-a-kind timepiece that combines 15 of the most demanding complications in one movement. Its even difficult to pick a starting point, because the Astronomica is packed with so many features.The Astronomica is a minute repeater C tha...
Our 2014 Contest Winner Recounts His Trip To Schaffhausen With HODINKEE And IWC
HODINKEE Reader Vasu Kulkarni won a trip to IWC's Schaffhausen Headquarters and Manufacture after entering a contest in August. Hundreds of readers entered our contest to win a trip to Schaffhausen with HODINKEE and IWC, but we could only pick one. From the limited pool of entrants who got all eight questions correct, we randomly selected a winner: Vasu Kulkarni of New York City, a HODINKEE reader and watch collector. During his stay in Switzerland, Vasu was treated to a tour of IWC's Schaffhausen headquarters, including a visit to the manufacture and a beginner's watchmaking course (which he aced). Below, Vasu shares a recap of his trip, along with a bevy of image...
Photo Report: Celebrating Manfredi Jewels With The Help Of Tesla
Last night we teamed up with our friends at Manfredi Jewels to throw a little soiree celebrating nothing but good watches and good food. Over 75 of our readers and friends joined us in Greenwich to view over 30 of the finest brands in the world. And of course, we documented the whole thing. So, ladies and gentlemen, prepare yourselves for nothing short of pure wrist pornography. The event took place within Manfredi Jewels in Greenwich, and as many of our readers reside in New York City, we wanted to offer a fun and thoughtful way of getting to and from the venue (no Metro-North for us). So, we teamed up with the great folks a...
Interview: Five Things I Learned From A Conversation With Montblanc CEO Jerome Lambert
Jerome Lambert has a long history of leading great watch companies. And when I say great, I mean some of the best in the world. Lambert helmed Jaeger-LeCoultre (before recent interviewee Daniel Riedo), and A. Lange & Sohne, before being tasked with leading one of the most important and largest luxury brands in the world, Montblanc. Though at the wheel for less than 18 months, his taste for the historic and his penchant for elegant design can already be seen in Montblanc's latest offerings. I recently had the chance to sit down with him in New York to talk about Montblanc's role as a watchmaker, and here are five things I learned.1. The Villeret (Minerva) Facility Produces Just 30 Complet...
YOU'RE INVITED: Join Us For A Special Celebration Of Manfredi Jewels Tomorrow Night In Greenwich, CT
We love throwing a good party. Even more, we love throwing a good party in honor of good people who love good watches, and that's exactly what we're doing. Tomorrow night, we're going to heading on up north from NYC to throw down at Manfredi Jewels in Greenwich, CT. This is that amazing store we profiled last week that sells everything from Hamilton to Laurent Ferrier, to Omega, to Vacheron, to Breguet, to Urwerk, to F.P. Journe, to Richard Mille, to AP, Longines, Chopard, Kari Voutilainen, and more.Details are above, and all are welcome, but we ask that you please RSVP to [email protected].See you there!...
Introducing The MeisterSinger Circularis, Now With A Proprietary Movement Powering A Single Hand
MeisterSinger has announced plans to introduce a new family of models that will make use of a jointly developed, proprietary movement. The first watch of that family is called the Circularis, and while it retains the signature level of restraint weve come to appreciate in MeisterSinger, it does so with a unique movement that goes beyond a few signed bridges. The Circularis will be a core watch within MeisterSingers new family, and seeks to balance the established tone of the brand with new innovations. From the dial side, the Circularis does little to differentiate itself from MeisterSingers existing line of single-handed ...