Best Super NEWS Watches
Review: Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch Apollo 8 Dark Side Of The Moon
The closing words of Pink Floyd's seminal work The Dark Side Of The Moon say, "There is no dark side of the Moon really, matter of fact, it's all dark". Truth is, by the time those words were recorded for that 1973 album, mankind had seen the dark side of the Moon some five years earlier. The crew of Apollo 8, which launched December 21, 1968, were the first to lay eyes on the far side of the Moon, and in honor of the first time that humans circled the Moon, Omega created a special Speedmaster hybrid called the Moonwatch Apollo 8 Dark Side of The Moon.? Bright yellows, detailed blacks in matte and polish, and a familiar Speedy layout suggest this isn't ...
Photo Report: The HODINKEE 10th Anniversary Weekend
It feels hard to believe now, but less than two weeks ago, we were celebrating 10 years of HODINKEE in grand fashion with an event-filled weekend in downtown New York City. Over the course of the weekend, which saw more than 17,000 ticket requests, we met with readers and fans, shared our favorite moments from the last ten years, and celebrated at fun-filled parties on Friday and Saturday nights. We'd like to thank the thousands of readers who showed up to take part in H10 and the many more who tuned in to livestream the event on the site. We'd also like to express our gratitude to the collectors, executives, experts, and industry insiders who participated in our panel discussions, many trav...
Interview: A Conversation With Patek Philippe's Thierry Stern
Several weeks ago, I had the opportunity to sit down with Mr. Thierry Stern, who as I'm sure every HODINKEE reader knows, is and has been for years, the president of Patek Philippe. There is no watch brand in Switzerland quite like Patek C its combination of history, plus the fact that it has never produced anything other than the most highly positioned luxury watches, makes it a company which, though sometimes controversially, continues to command more general respect (and higher prices) than its competitors. It's also a company which is entirely privately held, and still family-run C while it's not exactly a unique position to occupy (Audemars Piguet is both family-owned, by the original f...
Year In Review: The Top 25 Most Popular HODINKEE Posts Of 2018
We have a handful of annual traditions here at HODINKEE, and one of them is capping off the year with a list of the 25 most popular stories from the last three-hundred-and-sixty-something days. To say we had a lot to sort through this year would be a massive understatement: we published over 950 stories in 2018, an all-time high for HODINKEE, covering everything from introducing new releases and analyzing auction results to in-depth reviews and collector profiles.When we say that these are the "most popular" we mean just that C these are the 25 stories that were read the most by you this year. Some are going to seem obvious, while others might surprise you. Either way, this should give you m...
The year is yet again coming to a close, and watch-wise its undoubtedly been a fruitful one. Weve seen a literal treasure trove of exciting vintage pieces come to market, and command equally exciting numbers, helping paint a broader picture of just exactly what was available back in the golden era of watchmaking, and what now remains. Whats in store for 2019 is anyones guess, but if the last few days of 2018 are any indication of whats ahead, were in for a good one.? Patek Philippe Ref. 3939H Minute Repeater Tourbillon In the automotive world, youll often hear the term sleeper used to describe a ...
HODINKEE Radio: Episode 25: Jean-Claude Biver And Joe Thompson (Live From HODINKEE 10)
Subscribe to the show: (Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, TuneIn). Already heard it once or twice? Please leave a short review here, and tell us which guests we should have on! Despite being two weeks removed from HODINKEE 10, there's still one discussion that I just cant stop thinking about: Joe Thompson's conversation with Jean-Claude Biver. When you have the most knowledgable and well-respected journalist writing about watches today sitting on stage across from a genuine industry legend, something good is bound to happen and the two gents did not disappoint. Their candid conversation lasted well over an hour (including answers to ...
Year In Review: The Top 10 HODINKEE Videos Of 2018
Season's greetings from the video department of HODINKEE HQ, where Grey Korhonen, Dave Aujero, and I do our best to provide you with enough motion picture content to satisfy all your watch-nerd desires. Last year around this time I promised great stuff forthcoming in 2018, and, with this list as my evidence, I think we delivered. Dave's wife also delivered (a baby), which is why he couldn't be there in San Antonio when we shot with one of his childhood heroes, David Robinson. He was there, though, when we drove our Chevy out to Palm Desert to visit Don McLean, putted with Greg Norman on a Greg Norman-designed course in Florida, toured Mario Andretti's garage in Pennsylvania, and when we rece...
HODINKEE Radio: Episode 26: Maximilian Bsser
Subscribe to the show: (Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, TuneIn). Already heard it once or twice? Please leave a short review here, and tell us which guests we should have on! I see a lot of watches in this line of work. Like, a lot. But there are none that make me smile quite like those from MB&F. I dont know what exactly it is about them, but I cant seem to look at a Horological Machine No. 7 or a Legacy Machine No. 1 without a grin. MB&F is short for Maximilian Bsser and Friends, and the brands founder, Mr. Maximilian Bsser himself, is somehow even more charming and interesting than the watches he and his many collabo...
Business News: Swiss Watch Exports To The U.S. Soared In November
The value of monthly Swiss watch exports to the United States soared past the 200 million Swiss franc mark in November, something it rarely does. Exports here totaled CHF 231.4 million, up 17.6% over the previous November, according to the Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry (FH), which releases the data. (The figure is virtually the same in U.S. dollars.) The data is based on foreign trade statistics prepared by the Federal Customs Administration. They reflect wholesale, not retail, sales.?The FH noted that, for the month, "the strongest increase was in the United States, the second most important market, again reinforcing the upswing that has continued since the beginning of the year." ...
The Grey NATO: Episode 71: Favorite Watches (And Other Stuff) Of 2018
Subscribe to the show: (Apple Podcasts, SoundCloud, Google Play). Already heard it once or twice? Please leave a short review here, and tell us what topics you'd like us to chat about.? The year in review C cars, diving, adventure, new jobs, and so many great watches! From joining up with HODINKEE, to Jason's dives all over the world, and James's endless supply of supercars, the guys dig into some of 2018's highlights. It has been quite the year. Jason doing as Jason does. It was a great year for watches, too, with highlights from the world of Talking Watches, Jason diving with all sorts of watches...
In a horological landscape which has long since been taken over largely by international luxury groups, a few watch brands remain independent operations, and some are even still in the hands of the original founding families. There is, it ought to be said, nothing intrinsically magical about this C after all, family-run businesses can operate just as irrationally as the families that run them, and independence can be as much a sign of unattractiveness or irrelevance, as one of integrity and high-minded devotion to creative autonomy. That said, right now C whether just as an accident of history, or for some other reason C some of the most highly regarded Swiss watch brands remain independent,...
In-Depth: The TAG Heuer Carrera Heuer 02 By Fragment Design Hiroshi Fujiwara
In November 2018, TAG Heuer launched a limited edition Carrera by Fragment Design and Hiroshi Fujiwara. This new Carrera was inspired by a timepiece offered by Heuer in the mid-1960s, the Carrera Reference 2447 NT. We asked Jeff Stein, the creator and operator of the vintage Heuer site OnTheDash, to offer his perspective on this newest Carrera. In addition, check Jeffs OnTheDash posting for detailed information about the Fragment Design Carrera, including pricing and availability.? Re-editions can be a touchy subject for todays watch brands. When the brands offer literal reproductions of their historic models, they may be chast...
Recommended Reading: The New York Museum Of Clocks And Watches That Could Have Been
James Arthur (1842-1930) of Brooklyn, New York, was a successful business man, horologist, and enthusiastic collector of clocks and watches. When Arthur was preparing to retire at age 81, he began thinking about what to do with his extensive collection. Arthur's son-in-law, Irving Husted Berg, convinced him that New York University (NYU) was the best place for his collection to live on. Berg, the NYU chaplain, described plans for a horological museum to be built on NYU's new University Heights campus. In 1926, Arthur and NYU agreed on terms of the donation: to have and to hold forever and to exhibit my collection of clocks and watchessubject to the following stipulations: First, that the c...
Year In Review: The Watch I Wore Most In 2018, By Members Of The HODINKEE Team
Well, this is it, people: the very last HODINKEE post of 2018. As we do every year, we've rounded up the watches that our team has worn the most over the last 12 months. It's been a big year here at HODINKEE HQ, and you can see here that we've added quite a few new people to the team. Enjoy this little annual tradition and thank you for all of your support this year. We promise that 2019 is going to be our biggest year yet and you're going to love it.?We want to know what your most-worn watch was in 2018 too. Let us know in the comments below or tag us on Instagram. We'll post some of our favorites on our Instagram stories.? Eneuri Acosta, COO C Rolex GMT-Master ...
Pop stars buying and gifting cool watches certainly isn't anything new. And I, for one, follow plenty of Instagram accounts that put out a ton of great watch images. Still, I couldn't help but pause to ogle the eight matching Extra-Thin 'Jumbo' Royal Oaks in gold on Bruno Mars's IG feed when I saw them on New Year's Day. Mars gave the eight Royal Oaks to members of his band, the Hooligans, captioning his post: "My boys continue to show the world what time it is, and a band that sings together blings together!" Indeed. The pictures in Mars's feed show what appear to be eight examples of the yellow...
Happenings: Patek Philippe Expert Kelly Yoch To Lecture At The Horological Society Of New York
Update: Due to unforeseen circumstances, Kelly Yochs lecture at HSNY has been postponed. Instead, HSNY will show George Daniels lecture on the co-axial escapement at the American Watchmakers-Clockmakers Institute from 1990. HSNY apologizes for the inconvenience. Individually, Patek Philippe and Tiffany & Co. are legendary luxury institutions whose names alone spark the imagination. This reputation and fame comes from almost 200 years of dedication to luxury and quality. What many people don't know is that the relationship between these two giants began almost as soon as they were founded. At the January 8, 2019, meeting of the Horological Society of New Yor...
New year, new watches. Well, old watches, technically speaking, but you get the idea. Were back with a little mix of everything, ranging from a vintage oversized IWC to an affordable offering from Hamilton, and an undervalued, GMT-equipped Breitling. Since it is a new year, and we intend to continue to bring the heat, weve also included an early Royal Oak, and a Reverso with military provenance. These are truly watches you dont see everyday, and by tomorrow they could very well be sold. Time to dive in! IWC Portofino Moonphase Ref. 5251 This is whats known as an objectively cool watch. Its esse...
Introducing: The Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Automatique Titanium
Among dive watches, few are as known a quantity as the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms. One of, if not the original, dive watches to hit the market back in 1953, the Fifty Fathoms's core design has seen nearly endless iterations into a line of watches that spans a variety of sizes, colors, and complications (there are more than 80 versions in the current range).?While titanium has been available on other models within the Fifty Fathoms family, including the Fifty Fathoms GMT and even the blue dial version of the watch featured here, this is the first time that the standard black dial Fifty Fathoms Automatique has been offered with a titanium case. ? Initial Thoughts ...
Introducing: The Oris ProDiver Dive Control Limited Edition (Live Pics & Pricing)
While Oriss best known dive watches come from its popular Divers Sixty-Five lineup, the upscale ProDiver family is where the Holstein-based brand flexes its technical muscles. Ostensibly aimed at professional divers, the ProDiver watches boast deep water capability, helium release valves and unique locking elapsed-time bezels. The Dive Control Limited Edition is the latest version from this bottom dwelling bunch, a chronograph with a burly DLC black titanium case and yellow dial accents. The new ProDiver Dive Control is limited to 500 pieces, with a distinctive yellow and black color scheme that is entirely sporty. Initia...
Review: The F.P. Journe Chronographe Monopoussoir Rattrapante
It's a bit of a watch world clich at this point, but I honestly can't believe that the 2019 SIHH is less than a week away. In fact, as I write this, I'm less than one week from my usual United Airlines flight from Newark to Geneva. On last year's transatlantic jaunt, one of the most outstanding watches I saw wasn't actually within the walls of the SIHH itself C rather, I discovered it over a cup of tea at Rue de la Synagogue 40, the headquarters of F.P. Journe. The watch in question is the Chronographe Monopoussoir Rattrapante, and to say that it breaks the mold of my usual archetype for an ideal wristwatch would be more than an understatement. But archetypes be damned, it was horological l...