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Best Super NEWS Watches
The IWC Pilot's Watch Spitfire Chronograph Edition with in-house Calibre 89365. A few weeks ago, we introduced you to?a unique piece from IWC made especially for The Tribeca Film Institute. This watch,?The Pilots Watch Spitfire Chronograph Edition "Tribeca Film Festival 2014," was auctioned Wednesday at Antiquorums Madison Avenue Showroom, achieving a final hammer price of $55,000 (more than double the high estimate of $25,000). In addition to this one-of-a-kind timepiece, the winning bidder?receives VIP access to the Tribeca Film Festival, luxury hotel accommodation, and an invitation to IWCs "For the love of Cinema private dinner. ...
The Custom German-Built Security Of Stockinger Bespoke Safes
Once you've started amassing a collection of valuable watches, the question of where to safely store them arises. There's always the basic home safe or a safe deposit box at your local bank, but more elaborate solutions do exist. One of the most superlative options is to go with a custom safe from Stockinger, which makes some of the most beautiful and impenetrable cabinets out there. That you can get exactly the combination of aesthetics and function that suit your needs is enticing, but we'll warn you that it does come at a price.?Stockinger was founded in 1978 and has been crafting its safes, or "personal vaults" as they like to call them, in Germany since the beginning. The focus with Sto...
I get a lot of joy out of writing about new releases, but only those that I think are really well done. Frankly, its not often I can say that a brand new watch is offering you ( / me / us) a whole lot, but today, with this new Jaeger-LeCoultre, I can it say it and mean it. Youre looking at the new JLC Geophysic 1958 family. This 38.5mm watch will be available in stainless steel, rose gold, and platinum (all in limited numbers), features a heaping dose of vintage inspiration, and offers a lot of technology we want in a cutting edge piece of modern horology. Allow me to go into great detail on this one, because I think its worth it. The History of the (Original)...
Introducing The Eberhard Contograf, A Fitting Tribute To The 1960s
Eberhard first introduced the Contograf in the mid 1960s as reference 31501, a 39mm diving-inspired two register chronograph. The watch housed a manually-wound Eberhard caliber 310.82, a movement also used by Doxa for the Sub 200 T-Graph. At Baselworld 2014, Eberhard revealed what they are calling a re-issue of the original Contograf. It sure looks the part, but modern details make the new Contograf more of a re-interpretation in our book. Here's a closer look at this new old chronograph. The new Eberhard Contograf is, at first glance, a near perfect remake of the original from more than 50 years ago. This is a good thing C t...
The Value Proposition: The Tag Heuer Carrera 39mm, Architectural Precision With Technical Pedigree
The Tag Heuer Carrera 39mm is designed with architectural precision. For a range of wrist sizes, 39mm cases strike the right balance between elegance and function. So, when we encounter a watch at this size with both technical and design pedigree, its tough to look away. And naturally, when that watch is priced under $3,000, like the 39mm TAG Heuer Carrera, it more than deserves coverage in The Value Proposition. Here we take a closer look at this great everyday option.Last year the Carrera celebrated its 50th anniversary, and Eric put together a fascinating and thorough look at the origin of the model here. While the first Carrera was a well designed three-regist...
Valbray is a small, independent watch brand started back in 2009 with the goal of incorporating camera mechanics into wristwatches. The Valbray signature is the Oculus, a system of blades that open and close like a camera lens' diaphragm to conceal and reveal complications underneath. The latest addition to the collection is the Oculus Minotaurus, named for the monster that lived in the Cretan Labyrinth of Greco-Roman mythology. Under the diaphragm sits a maze that you can solve with a tiny ball that lives between the dial and the crystal C the maze is a very unique feature and much harder to solve than you would think. The M...
Getting Exotic: Introducing Crocodile And Kangaroo Leather Straps To The HODINKEE Shop
Our shell cordovan straps, Italian leather straps, and nylon NATO straps are still as popular as ever, but we're always looking for something new to bring you in the HODINKEE Shop. Today we launch two new lines of straps: Italian-made crocodile dress straps in three colors and two sizes and kangaroo leather NATOs just in time for spring. We've also got a handful of other updates to the shop, and, as usual, quantities are limited, so you won't want to miss out. Made In Italy Crocodile Straps Our made in the USA unlined shell cordovan straps make for a nice, modern dress strap, but when you really want ...
Introducing: The Ressence Type 1 (Live Pictures, Specs, & Pricing)
Ressence is a brand weve been following closely since first getting our hands on prototypes over three years ago. Belgian designer Benoit Mintiens first caught our attention with the Type 1001, a watch that eschewed conventional wisdom and presented the time by way of rotating discs within a rotating dial.? He later stole the show with his incredible (but expensive) liquid filled Type 3 that impressed the jury of the Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Gevene enough to take home the award for Horological Revelation. The GPHG winning Type 3 -> The new Type 1 This year at Basel, he revisited the orig...
Omega released an update to last year's popular Dark Side of the Moon, this time in grey ceramic. We saw a number of new releases from Omega this year, from the polarizing Seamaster 300 reissue, to the crowd-pleasing?De Ville Trsor. But there was one new watch that caught us off guard: a grey version of the ceramic Speedmaster Co-Axial Professional, nicknamed "Lunar Dust." I did a Week on the Wrist review of the Dark Side of the Moon about a month ago, and while the original Dark Side of the Moon was resolutely modern in black, the new model has a more elegant look, thanks to a grey case and dial inspired by the soil on the surface of the moon.? ...
Introducing The 1815 200th Anniversary F.A. Lange Limited Edition In Platinum With Black Dial
For the longest time, Lange collectors had dreamed of a new simple 1815 with a black dial. Today, they got one in a limited edition 1815 created in celebration of the 200th birthday of German watchmaker and Lange founder F.A. Lange. Here are some details on the watch, and the man that inspired it. Ferdinand Adolph Lange is revered as the founder of Saxon watchmaking. Not only is he the patriarch of the Lange brand, but he was also responsible for much of the development of the town of Glashtte, where he was even mayor for many years. Lange can be credited with ma...
The Longines pilot's watches made for the Czechoslovakian Air Force in the 1930s and 40s are some of the funkier military watches from the World War II era. These watches were oversized, had an usual case shape, and large clear dials. Longines has reached back into the archive, releasing the new Heritage 1935, a tribute to these early aviation instruments. There are a few updates, but the Heritage 1935 is very faithful to both the aesthetics and spirit of the original. Here's a hands-on look at this modern take on a classic.Embracing its military heritage is nothing new for Longines. Last year we saw the Heritage Military 1938 Collection, which included a standard time-only watch, a GMT, and...
Bring a Loupe: Four Time-Only Vintage IWC's, All For Less Than $7,000
Today, we are bringing you a four vintage IWC watches. When people ask me what I would recommend for a great vintage watch under $2,500, I typically suggest IWC as one brand to consider. They offer fantastic, classic watches that will never go out of style with a lot of variety in designs. Yet vintage IWC watches really seem undervalued for what you get.One of my favorite purchases in 2013 was a vintage unpolished big steel IWC (nearly 37mm) from circa 1950 with flared lugs powered by the renowned calibre 89. Most importantly to me, the dial was original - so many vintage IWCs have had redone dials, perhaps more than nearly any other brand. It was a seven day eBay auction and the dial had so...
The Ulysse Nardin Dual Time Manufacture features a new in-house movement: Calibre UN-334. In the world of fine watchmaking, were frequently presented with dazzling complications from rotating GMT globes to harmonious sonneries. Yet above all else, it tends to be the most basic features of a watch that appeal to us the most for their utility. The Dual Time Manufacture from Ulysse Nardin presents one of these complications C dual time indication C in a watch with nautical design cues more endearing than pretentious. With an in-house movement, good build quality, and modern styling, Its the type of watch I wouldnt mind on my wrist at the helm of a Wally One. ...
Introducing: The Grand Seiko Limited Edition 9F, A $4,000 Quartz Watch Worth Every Penny
Little known fact: there are two truly integrated manufactures in watchmaking. One of them is Rolex, the other is Seiko.? Don't believe me? Consider this C Seiko grows its own quartz crystals.? No lie.? Seiko was the pioneer of quartz technology, introducing the very first quartz wristwatch back in 1969 (and seen below). And now they continue to push the boundaries of quartz technology forward with their incredible caliber 9F, arguably the finest quartz movement in the world.? As such, the watch I'm about to show you might just be the best looking, most interesting, and coolest quartz watch currently in production. This is the ne...
The Value Proposition: The Victorinox INOX, A Robust Sport Watch Built To Survive The Worst
The Victorinox INOX can withstand impacts, sandstorms, and extreme temperature changes. A sport watch under $600 that can withstand being run over by a tankCthis is an apt description for the INOX by Victorinox, an ultra-solid watch that has been tested to the limits by the 130-year old Swiss company. Yes, the INOX does use a quartz movement, but there are just not that many watches that can be dropped onto concrete, blasted with corrosive liquids, or survive a sandstorm. And it accomplishes all of this, with 200m water resistance, while still keeping a cool, streamlined look. For these reasons, and perhaps also the fact that it could survive a rowdy bachelor party...
MB&F has perennially surprised us with their creations, both for the wrist and for the table top. This year at Basel is no different, with the introduction of the Starfleet Machine, a deep-space inspired table clock engineered by LEpe 1839. Switzerland based LEpe 1839 is the countrys oldest high-end clock manufacture, and perfect partner for MB&Fs contemporary artistic sensibilities. The sci-fi influences are clear from the onset, and the execution of the in-house movement integration pays respect to that theme as well as classic clock-making technique. The Starfleet Machine is suspended within a steel c-shaped ...
In-Depth: Hands-On With The Tudor Heritage Ranger (Live Photos, Full Specs, Official Pricing)
The Tudor Heritage Ranger. ?It might have been the most expected unexpected hit of BaselWorld 2014. Tudor has made a name for itself bringing its mid-20th century sports watches into today, without simply mimicking them (for example, see Black Bay or Heritage Chrono?or Heritage Advisor), instead modernizing them without compromising the unpretentious, function over form practicality that Mr. Wilsdorf himself declared should be Tudor's driving mantra. We have no nonsense on these watches, no expensive ceramic bezels, no silly sapphire case backs. What we do have are well designed, really nice everyday tool watches that just make people happy. The new Heritage Ranger, shown for the first time ...
Introducing The Breitling Chronoliner, A Modern Aviator With Vintage Nuances
Breitling has?been rekindling vintage-inspired pieces for a while now. Last month, we showed you the in-house Transocean 1915 Mono-pusher Chrono, and before that a 38 mm Transocean Chrono. But, let's not forget that Breitling's legacy as a tool watch applies as much in the air as it does on the sea. Its latest release, the Breitling Chronoliner, is an aviation themed watch that evokes images of that?bygone era.When Breitling says that it drew inspiration from vintage pieces?in designing this aviator, it's only natural that we focus on our favorites. If we put on our?vintage?goggles, we don't have to look too hard to notice piston pushers and a?black bezel on a?panda dial C and that means a B...
It's not often that a watchmaker waits 31 years to develop a new timepiece, but today HODINKEE brings you a world exclusive of just such a model, the Rouchefoucauld World Complication.? Made famous by Dan Aykroyd's character, Louis Winthorpe III, in the film Trading Places, this boutique brand (pronounced Rosh Foo-co) is issuing its first new model since 1983.? And what a watch it is.But before we discuss this new beauty, why dont we let Mr. Aykroyd describe the original:"This is a Rouchefoucauld. The thinnest water-resistant watch in the world. Singularly unique, sculptured in design, hand-crafted in Switzerland, and water resistant to three atmospheres. This is *the* sports watch of the '...
Rado is best known for its high-tech ceramic watches that highlight different ways to use the material. Here we have a new skeleton from Rado that combines a modern take on the otherwise traditional technique of skeletonization with two variations on ceramic. The first is the high-gloss black that you're probably already familiar with, while the second is Rado's "plasma ceramic," which imitates the color and finish of metal without actually using any. As with most Rado watches, the case and bracelet are just as important with the Diamaster Skeleton as what's housed inside. The 41mm case has sturdy lugs that achieve a really n...