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Best Super NEWS Watches
The Real Reasons Watch Reviews Don't Talk (Much) About Accuracy
If you're curious about what accuracy actually is, and what it depends on, you may want to read our earlier story, "Accuracy: What Is It, And Does Anyone Actually Care?" --JFWe've talked, now and again, about the subject of accuracy C what it is, what it means, how it's valued, and most recently, what it isn't as well. One question that always comes up when we raise the subject, however, is why you don't hear more about accuracy where you'd most expect to hear about it: in watch reviews. After all, car writers give you tons of performance information C why not watch writers? Why, therefore, don't watch reviews give you accuracy info in the same way that you get zero-to-sixty figures in a car...
Baselworld 2016: A Quick Look At The Slightly Overlooked Patek Philippe 5204R
The 5204R is a split seconds (rattrapante) chronograph with perpetual calendary; a combination of complications that puts it just one chiming complication away from being a bona fide grand complication watch (traditionally the term "grand complication" meant the combination of a rattrapante chronograph, a minute repeater, and a perpetual calendar). The 5204R is the red-gold version of the original, platinum 5204, which was introduced in 2012; that watch was, in turn, the successor to the reference 5004 perpetual calendar rattrapante, which was introduced in 1996 and which Patek made only in very small numbers every year (the last 50 were made in stainless steel, priced at CHF 270,000, and so...
The newest version of the Montblanc "Orbis Terrarum" flew a little under the radar when it was introduced C which happens when the timing coincides with a new Annual Calendar Chronograph with a list price of $10,450. But its still odd given the reception its predecessor received when this model first launched at SIHH 2015. Montblanc's new world timer, the 4810 Orbis Terrarum. The original Heritage Spirit Orbis Terrarum was exactly the kind of watch we want to see more of C a simple, yet elegant complication with an in-house module for under $7,000. So we were thrilled when Montblanc decided to show more of it, 12 months later...
A Week On The Wrist: The IWC Mark XVIII
The first time I ever read anything about the IWC Mark series, it was thanks to (of course) everyone's favorite non-watchmaker watch writer, the inimitable Walt Odets, who in his series, "Tweaking The Mark XII" called that particular Mark "every non-pilot's favorite pilot's watch." (I call Mr. Odets a non-watchmaker but of course, while he might not be a card-carrying full time professional, he obviously is a guy who knows his way around a movement, to put it mildly.) I wasn't so much interested in the Mark XII as I was interested in what you'd do to tweak a movement so as to wring the best possible precision out of it, at least at first, but like many, I gradually began to find the simplici...
You may have already read Ben Clymer's thoughts on the upcoming (May 14th) Phillips "Start-Stop-Reset" auction, which is populated with an almost improbably rich collection of 88 of some of the rarest, most interesting, and most desirable vintage stainless-steel chronographs out there (the offering's so spectacular it's a little unsettling). Phillips has another auction the day after, as well: "The Geneva Watch Auction: Three." The latter isn't themed but that doesn't mean it isn't also full of some really interesting and unusual timepieces, so we sat down here at HODINKEE to do a little window shopping and see which ones from each auction we'd pick if we had the kind of war chest we dream o...
Inside The Manufacture: With Jaeger-LeCoultre In Switzerland, Pt. 3: Handcrafts And History
We've been taking a pretty up-close look at certain aspects of Jaeger-LeCoultre's manufactory in parts one and two of our coverage, in which we looked at the creation of the Atmos clock, as well as two historically important tourbillons C the first wristwatch and pocket watch tourbillons JLC ever made. Before going any further, let's take a quick step back and take a slightly bigger picture look at both the factory and at JLC's history. Jaeger-LeCoultre is located in the village of Le Sentier, in the Valle de Joux, just northwest of Geneva. The Valle sits in a crevice in the Jura Mounta...
Photo Report: The Horological Society Of New York's 150th Anniversary Gala
On March 29, 2016, the Horological Society of New York commemorated its 150th anniversary with a gala celebration at the General Society Library in Midtown Manhattan. Highlights included the presentation of a proclamation by New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio naming the day Horological Society of New York Day, a proclamation from the German government honoring HSNY's German heritage, and the gifting of a beautiful ship's bell clock to HSNY by the American Watchmakers-Clockmakers Institute and Chelsea Clock. Charles Salomon, HSNY treasurer and fellow, presenting the Howard Fass Award to Hans Weber, HSNY trustee and fellow. As p...
Exceptional watches tend to belong to exceptional men, although that doesnt stop references produced in large quantities from entering horological folklore C Im looking at you, Mr. Paul Newman, and you too, Mr. Aldrin. What is certain is that historical pieces attract the horologically inclined before the famous. But last night confirmed the correlation between the pedigree of the watch and the pedigree of the man. ? Breguet invited some of its VIP clients to enjoy an intimate evening in the company of Randolph Churchill, the great grandson of the former Prime Minister, and the current caretaker of Reference 765, aka the "T...
Want An IWC Mark Without A Date Window? Here's It Is: The Mark XI
Much has been said, and subsequently written, about IWCs Mark collection this year. I guess that thats what happens when a manufacture decides to re-tell the story of an icon through a revamped collection. This years Mark XVIII was a very pleasant surprise from IWC, and a week on the wrist of our managing editor Jack Forster confirmed the strong first impression it made when it was launch. The guys and gals at the office are unanimous in their verdict, this is a pretty great timepiece. However, its not immune to criticism. The size, placement, and general need for a date window has divided opinion, but like Jack, I find it to...
In-Depth: The Ressence Type 3-3
Ressence is a company whose entire design vision is based fundamentally on a single idea. Ordinarily that's not a good thing for a company that wants to be in the game for the long term, but in the case of Ressence, at least so far, that single idea has proven to be a very fruitful one. Part of the reason for this is that it's a very good idea. Another reason is that in order to make the idea work, quite a lot of original research and development had to be done, and the results are watches that are not only aesthetically unlike anything else any other company makes, but also very mechanically ingenious as well. Yes, they're expensive, but there are reasons: the unique design, and just how mu...
This week, we'll look at a wide range of chronographs, from an exceptional Rolex Paul Newman Daytona to a (alas) very fake Breitling Top Time. You will also see a very seductive Heuer Autavia, a tough Movado Sub Sea, and an unusual Omega De Ville. And because there is a world outside of chronographs, you will discover a Grand Seiko dress watch with a sumptuous blued handset. This is your Bring A Loupe for April 15, 2016. An Early Heuer Autavia Reference 2446M With Second Execution Dial And Hands Early Autavias are among the most coveted Heuers and you can see an outstanding example from 1964 here, off...
Weekend Report: Dispatch From The Incredible Copperstate 1000 Vintage Car Rally (Photo Report)
Be warned, people C this article contains only moderate levels of watch content, while extraordinarily high levels of vintage automobile content. If you don't like it, don't keep reading. For everyone else, you are in for a treat, let me tell you.This past week, I got to participate in what was easily one of the most memorably journeys of my life. As a member of the 26th annual Copperstate 1000 rally C I, along with my father, piloted a 1962 Porsche 356 over 1,000 miles through the great state of Arizona, with 99 other vintage cars (pre-1973 sports and GTs, to be specific). The annual rally, which supports Phoenix's art museum and its truly unique Men's Arts Council, is a legendary jaunt, co...
A Week On The Wrist: The Glashtte Original PanoGraph
The Panograph is descended from a somewhat more complicated watch that appeared during a complicated time: the PanoRetroGraph. The PanoRetroGraph was originally introduced 16 years ago, in 2000, only a year after A. Lange & Sohne debuted its in-house flyback chronograph, the Datograph. Both watches were unprecedented in a lot of respects C really new chronograph movements are very rarely developed even today, and for two to come out within a year of each other, from a small town in Germany, from two manufacturers within shouting distance of each other, was something very few of us at the time had seen coming.? Glashtte Original Panograph in rose go...
Earlier this year, TAG Heuer announced that it would re-release the Autavia, one of its most iconic models, in 2017, and, even better, that fans would get to vote on which of the prospective design models would be the winner. TAG has just announced the winning model and it's the one you see here. The model that's been chosen to be reborn is the manual wind Autavia Mark 3 "Jochen Rindt." This reference, manufactured in the late 1960s, is sometimes referred to as the "Rindt" after F1 driver Jochen Rindt, who wore that watch (Rindt died tragically in 1970 in an accident while practicing for the Italian Grand Prix).More info abou...
The watch we're going to look at has no case, dial, or hands; but it's so beautiful on its own that casing it up would almost seem criminal. This is caliber 19 RMCCVEP. It's an ultra-flat, minute repeater chronograph movement produced at a time when the initial partnership between Edmond Jaeger and Jacques-David LeCoultre was just starting to bear fruit. The partnership, which began around 1903, focused initially pretty intensively on the making of ultra-flat calibers, and led in short order to such engineering wonders as the caliber 145, which debuted in 1907 and was only 1.38 mm thick. A number of other makers were pushing the limits as well; Vacheron, for instance, experimented with a poc...
Just a few days after Bens drive across the great state of Arizona behind the wheel of a 1962 Porsche 356, we once again find ourselves at the start of a classic car race. This time, were in France, with Zenith, for the opening leg of 25th edition of the Tour Auto Optic 2000, a competition that the Swiss manufacture has sponsored since 2015. Drivers from all over the world C but mostly Europe C have come together in the French capital to race each other. More than 2,000 kilometers on the roads and circuits stand between them and Cannes. Day 1: Public Day, Paris (Grand Palais) The cars are parked in...
Three World-Class Watches That Nobody Is Paying Attention To In The Phillips Geneva Watch Auction 3
This past weekend I had the opportunity to preview the Start-Stop-Reset Steel Chronographs sale from Phillips, and it was, as expected, downright silly. Like, can we, for a second, talk about the fact that they offer every standard production reference Patek chronograph IN STEEL in the sale, which includes the 130, 1463, the very rare 530 steel, and the very, very rare 1579 steel. The 130 and 1463 you could likely source with a few hundred thousand dollars and WhatsApp, or with a call to your favorite Italian citizen, but finding examples like Phillips did, now that's a special thing. And then the steel 530? You're looking at at most one hitting the market per year ('cept this year, of cours...
Watch Industry Veteran William Massena To Lecture At The Horological Society Of New York
Can watches be an effective investment, or is this merely a marketing myth perpetuated by the watchmaking industry? At the May meeting of the Horological Society of New York, William Massena will address this question and more. Massena's illustrated talk will look at notable auction results as case studies, consider how marketing affects the horology industry today, and what challenges this poses to the watchmakers of tomorrow. About William Massena William Massena (see his Talking Watches episode here) is the managing director of TimeZone.com, the worlds largest online watch discussion forum, to whi...
Watch Spotting: What Jeremy Irons And Ben Affleck Wore In Batman Vs. Superman
Batman vs. Superman takes as its point of departure the graphic novel by Frank Miller, The Dark Knight, which famously re-imagined Batman as an aging, still deadly, but mostly sociopathically enraged vigilante C specifically, the climactic concluding battle between Batman and Superman. I haven't seen the film, but I did manage to catch Man of Steel on a plane and it wasn't nearly as bad as I'd expected (though as with all things cinematic, your mileage may vary). Anyhow, as it turns out, in the film Bruce Wayne can be seen wearing a rather surprising choice: a Breguet La Tradition. The sp...
The Value Proposition: Long-Term Wear Report On The Seiko 'Turtle' SRP 775 Black And Gold
The so-called Seiko "Turtle" diver's watches C new, and larger, versions of the famous cushion-cased 6306/9 diver's watches, made from the mid-1970s to mid-1980s C were released earlier this year, and we got our hands on them in late February. I'm a pretty big longtime Seiko fan, and the watches looked terrific to me, and to a lot of other people, but as with every watch, liking the idea of a certain kind of watch is one thing, and being able to live with it for days, weeks, and months is another thing C sometimes another thing entirely. We all wish we could know before buying a watch how we'd feel about it weeks, or months, down the road, and any Seiko dive watch ought to have the potentia...