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Best Super NEWS Watches
Recommended Reading: Functioning Mechanical Gears Found In Insects
For generations, the general consensus was that mechanical gears were in fact a human invention. Scientists at Cambridge University reported recently that they have discovered the first example of mechanical gearing in nature. Found in common garden insects abundant in Europe, they saw "hind-leg joints with curved cog-like strips of opposing 'teeth' that intermesh, rotating like mechanical gears to synchronise the animal's legs when it launches into a jump." The nypmph Issus is the first biological organism to demonstrate functional mechanical gears Interestingly, as the insects age, this physical composition goes away. It is ...
While visiting the Chopard manufacturing facilities in Fleurier, we had an opportunity to also visit a pretty incredible collection of timepieces. These are watches and clocks from the Chopard museum collection, or L.U.C.EUM, as Chopard calls it. The L.U.C.EUM is housed on the top floor of Chopard Manufacture, where L.U.C. movement manufacturing takes place, just across from Fleurier Ebauches S.A., where Chopard makes all of its non-L.U.C. movements. The L.U.C.EUM was inaugurated in 2006 to celebrate the anniversary of the first L.U.C. movement C the now-classic caliber 1.96, which made a huge splash when it first debuted, rapidly becoming an enthusiast's darling C and we didn't know what to...
Historical Perspectives: Meet The Very First Smartwatch: Behold The HP-01, from Hewlett-Packard
Throwback To The Past: it is 1977, quartz watches are still less than 10 years old; it's the year Star Wars hit theaters for the first time... and you are actually looking at, not a piece of science fiction, but what is nothing less than the most technically advanced wristwatch ever produced. Whether you love or hate what electronics have meant in watchmaking, there's no doubt that the development of electrical and electronic timepieces, from very early electrical pendulum clocks of the early 19th century to the first quartz clocks of the 1920s, to experimental electromechanical watches in the 1950s and '60s, changed horology forever. Today the word "smart watch" is one we all know, but this...
On The Block: Three MB&F Horological Machines At Sotheby's Hong Kong
Auction season is upon us and starting off the year with a bang is the upcoming Sothebys Hong Kong sale on October 6th. This year the auction features a variety of watches from modern to vintage (including this awesome Patek Philippe reference 2523 that we released here). But one noticeable change is happening in the selection of modern timepieces at auction C a name we here at HODINKEE are happy to see is MB&F. As one of the foremost pioneers of innovation in timepieces, MB&F is a refreshing addition to the auction world, and have been performing very well in the past couple of years. Here are the three major pieces coming up at Sotheby's in Hong Kong. ...
Photo Report: The Seiko Credor Minute Repeater, Live At The Madison Avenue New York Boutique
Sure, Seiko makes a lot of watches, and as we reported not long ago you can get an absolutely astonishingly well made watch from them C mechanical, with one of the toughest and most reliable movements on the planet C for under a hundred dollars. When watch enthusiasts talk about Seiko, its often in terms of great bang for the buck, and indeed, Seiko deserves the reputation it has for offering excellence at just about every price point at which it makes watches. Whether its a humble Seiko 5 or a top of the line Grand Seiko, the company has a knack for a certain kind of old-school, almost mom-and-pop earnestness about giving their clients more than you would expect for the price. Sometimes a...
Introducing: The Baume & Mercier Five Minute Repeater Pocket Watch And Promesse Jade Timepiece
This is a very special year for Baume & Mercier C the firm is celebrating its 185th anniversary. (The company reckons its history from 1830, when brothers Louis-Victor and Clestin Baume opened a watch dealership under the name, "Frres Baume," in Switzerland. The name Mercier is that of Paul Mercier, who with William Baume incorportated the company uner the name Baume & Mericer in Geneva, in 1918.) In order to mark the occasion, Baume & Mercier has chosen to introduce, at Watches & Wonders in Hong Kong, two new timepieces. One, an homage to Asian and Chinese culture, is the new Jade Promesse watch; the other is a very interesting new five minute repeater pocket watch C the C...
A Week On The Wrist: The Hanhart Pioneer TachyTele
Hanhart is a company with an extraordinarily long history, and one which has seen it through a tremendous number of ups and downs. My first encounter with the company was in the pages of a watch magazine back in 1997, when the company debuted a very faithful reproduction of a watch it had first made in 1939 C a pilot's chronograph, with two registers, and a distinctive, asymmetric disposition of the chronograph pushers; the re-set button was a vivid red.? The watch had tons of vintage charm; the original used an in-house movement Hanhart had developed for it, called simply the caliber 40, and the collectability of the origina...
It's almost October, and that means the Geneva auctions are just around the corner. Today we are happy to show you some of the highlights of Phillips' second Geneva auction, and boy are there some killers. First, you may remember that in Phillips' first sale this may, several records were set, including the most expensive steel watch and the most expensive Daytona. You can read about all that here to set the stage for the details of the highlights to come this November. We have a dream watch in a split-seconds steel chronograph from Patek, we have a Submariner actually worn in a James Bond movie, a first series Patek 2499, and some incredible Vacherons and Cartiers. Let's have a look. ...
Introducing: The William L. 1985 Kickstarter Project
There are certain watches that are C well, lets call them gateway watches. For me, because life is nothing if not a validation of clich, it was my dads Benrus, which I first remember seeing glowing in the dark, in the middle of a nasty case of flu, during the Lyndon Johnson administration. It had a simple, clean, rather sober dial that also managed to be somehow slightly ornate, and the fact that it glowed in the dark was just icing on the cake. It wasnt, fundamentally, the fact that it was mechanically sophisticated C I was a few decades away from grasping even the basic mechanical principles behind watches C nor was it appealing because it was luxurious, or expensive, or rare (Benrus w...
Did you look up at the sky last night? If not, you just missed a totally amazing lunar eclipse. It was not just any eclipse C it was a complete lunar eclipse with a super moon, or perigee-syzygy of the Earth-Moon-Sun system, as the astronomers like to call it. Of course a syzygy C alignment of the sun, the earth, and the moon C happens every new and full moon, but to have an eclipse when the full moon is at its closest to the Earth is something that will not happen again until October 8, 2033. For the occasion of what is also referred to as a blood moon, HODINKEE sent journalist Mr. Anders Modig to moon-phase, moon-face maestro Stepan Sarpaneva, the independent watchmaker based in Helsinki, ...
Today we will be showing you two new watches. They are new in the sense that they are completely never before seen references, with not only entirely new calibers but entirely new calibers built an entirely new way. But these watches won't shock you C Jaeger-LeCoultre is too clever for that. No, these two watches are a continuation of a theme first set forth by the watchmaker's watchmaker in spring of 2014. It was then that we saw the rebirth of the Geophysic, a classical watch with a specially tuned movement that would provide amazing accuracy and durability without sacrificing elegance. Today, we take this idea two steps further. ...
Technical Perspective: The Emmanuel Bouchet Complication One, More Than Meets The Eye
With Emmanuel Bouchets Complication One nominated for the upcoming Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Genve Mechanical Exception award, I thought it would be appropriate to take a close technical look at this interesting timepiece. In the process, I was able to talk to Emmanuel Bouchet himself, and ask him some questions that revealed a bit more about what makes this remarkable watch tick. The most visible aspect of the Complication One are the two escape wheels with inverted teeth mounted co-axially on the dial. They jump at 15 second intervals, via a massive pallet fork mounted in-between the...
Photo Report: A Collectors' Dinner With Arnold & Son
A couple of weeks ago HODINKEE and Arnold & Son hosted a private dinner for our New York-based watch enthusiasts. The dinner was held at Saxon + Parole with an appearance from owner and head chef Brad Farmerie, who you may remember from the Talking Watches we did with him last month. Throughout the dinner Dr. Sbastien Chaulmontet, the head of Movement Development for Arnold & Son, gave a presentation about the exciting watches that Arnold & Son has to offer including the incredible Constant Force Tourbillon. The Constant Force Tourbillo...
Introducing: The A. Lange & Sohne Saxonia With Grey Dial
A. Lange & Sohne has added two new models to the ever-popular Saxonia line. At this year's Watches & Wonders in Hong Kong, the German brand has revealed that it will carry the Saxonia with a dark grey dial in white gold and pink gold. The traditional 37 mm, manual-winding Saxonia has been part of the Lange family of watches for 20 years, and is considered their most classic watch. The watch currently is made in white and pink gold with a silvered dial. It is no surprise that Lange has introduced the darker grey dial, as they have previously featured this on other models, such as the Lange 1 and Datograph. ...
German Watchmaker Marco Lang Of Lang & Heyne To Lecture At The Horological Society Of New York
The Horological Society of New York welcomes Marco Lang of Lang & Heyne for a special event on Tuesday, November 17, 2015. Mr. Lang will lecture on the Saxony Way of Independent Watchmaking, and you are invited. Marco Lang, Lang & Heyne As a fifth-generation watchmaker, Lang learned early on to value the art of watchmaking by observing his father. He fulfilled his dream of owning a watch manufacture with the foundation of Lang & Heyne, based in Dresden, Germany. Lang & Heyne - Albert Lang & Heyne's work is based on two pillars; one is using modern ma...
Introducing: The A. Lange & Sohne 1815 Anniversary Of F.A. Lange In Honey Gold
In February of this year, Lange revealed a limited edition 1815 in honor of the brand's founder. It was made of solid platinum with a black dial, and was made in only 200 pieces. That seems to have been a big hit, so another limited edition in honor of F.A. Lange has been revealed, now with a silver dial C but in Lange's proprietary honey gold. This limited edition piece will be very much the same as the platinum F.A. Lange 1815 C a 40 mm case and the beautiful manually wound caliber L051.1 with a power reserve of 55 hours. Each of the 200 watches will be engraved with a serial number xxx/200. This special edition will retail...
Introducing: RGMs New Enamel And Engine-Turned Caliber 801 Watches
Following their first enamel dial watches, RGM has introduced two new watches with skeleton enamel dials. These skeleton dials allow the wearer to appreciate the fine engine-turning work directly visible on the dial-side of the movement. The Grand Feu enamel technique that RGM uses requires the repeated baking of each layer of powdered glass at extremely high temperatures to ensure a perfect finish. The numbers are baked into the dial, creating the distinctive appearance of a real glass enamel dial. According to RGM: "The enamel skeleton dial reveals the hand cut Guilloche? mainplate. Guilloche?, ...
Announcing The Speakers List For The 2015 HODINKEE Collectors Summit
Two weeks ago, we announced a new project called the HODINKEE Collectors Summit. This completely private, off-the-record event is something totally different for the watch world. The watch brands that typically underwrite the events you all attend will not be present. Nor will the folks that work for the brands. This day is about true collectors talking with one another, and learning from the absolute best independent minds in watches. The topics that will be covered are varied, but with a focus on knowledge sharing to ensure that this information lives on with a new set of enthusiasts. The response to this special project has been overwhelming (you can still request tickets here), and today...
Bring a Loupe: A Pair Of Universal Geneve Chronographs And A Trio Of Dressy Patek Philippe
This week's Bring A Loupe will feature some seriously dreamy watches. So expect a couple of stunning Universal Geneve chronographs and another three equally appealing Patek Calatravas. We will also explain what is wrong with the dial of an otherwise very funky Rolex. This is your Bring A Loupe for October 2, 2015. A Chronograph With Calendar And Moonphase Complications From Universal Geneve This Tri-Compax really underlines what makes Universal Geneve chronographs so great: their neat aesthetic. The case has interesting lugs, the bezel looks good, but frankly the dial steals the show. In theory, there...
For a brand that has only been around for a little over 16 years, F.P. Journe has developed a sizable following among serious watch collectors. As such, every subtle variation, nuance, and change is noted with great interest. Todays announcement celebrates one such change C and in a very dramatic way.When the brand started selling watches back in 1999, F.P. Journe watches were only available in 38 mm cases. A few years later the 40 mm size was introduced and the majority of watches to follow were available in both case sizes. The 38 mm was the traditional choice of purists, but things change. From now on, watches in the Journe collection will only be available in 40 or 42 mm cases (with the...