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Best Super NEWS Watches
Weekend Reading: An Atomic Watch For When You Need To Get To Mars
We told you a few weeks ago that legendary astronaut (and noted Speedmaster wearer) Buzz Aldrin is now designing a watch for Omega specifically built for a mission to Mars. But Aldrin isn't the only one thinking about cosmic timekeeping. Dr. John Patterson is quietly making atomic wristwatches in Hawaii (of all places) and spoke with online magazine Inverse about how his Cesium 133 watch works, why he's making atomic watches at all, and why his tickers might just be the right choice for a trip to the red planet.The last time we checked in with Bathys was way back in 2014, when the Cesium 133 was first introduced. Back then the watch looked very different, but the principle was the same: use ...
The Road Through Britain: Episode 1: Roger W. Smith
In July of this year, HODINKEE embarked on a 12-day journey around Great Britain to explore all things British horology C from the current state of watchmaking to the depths of timekeeping history. European Editor Arthur Touchot and Senior Digital Producer/videographer Will Holloway, along with drone specialist Mauro Bellanova, logged over 1,400 miles, heading north from London to the Isle of Man and back, with a handful of stops along the way. This was all made possible in part through the support of Bentley Motors, which generously lent us a Flying Spur W12 for the journey. This is the first episode in a five-part series. Enjoy. If it wasnt for the beautiful c...
Straight from Arthur Ashe stadium in New York, Mr. Stanislas Wawrinka has taken the 2016 U.S. Open title, and he's done so wearing an Audemars Piguet. Yes, he actually played the entirety of the tournament while wearing a 42mm Royal Oak Offshore Chronograph in steel. This is not insignificant C the 42mm Offshore is not a feather-weight tourbillon designed specifically for tennis like Nadal's RM. Nope, this is a regular old Offshore chronograph. Richard Mille was the first watch company to be seen on the wrist of active players in tennis with the RM-27, but Wawrinka has been wearing his AP since at least 2013 and wore a simila...
Hands-On: An Exclusive First Look At The 2017 Heuer Autavia
Our man Louis Westphalen is on the ground at this year's Heuer Collectors Summit (more on that soon) and happened to stumble upon something pretty cool: the prototype of the upcoming 2017 Heuer Autavia, the watch that (TAG) Heuer fans voted into life in the Autavia Cup earlier this year. This is your first hands-on look at what could very well be one of the hottest watches of next year. The 2017 Autavia definitely has that vintage look, down to the details on the dial. Let's be honest: The Swiss watch industry isn't the most democratic of institutions. But in a surprise turn, TAG Heuer decided this spring to let collectors and...
In-Depth: The House That Plant Built C 101 Years Of Cartier Mansion History
"As venerable as the jewelry company is, its arrival at the corner signified a bitter defeat for the mansion owners who first built up the section, some of whom were Cartier clients. When the building went up in 1905 it seemed like a fortress against the advent of shops and stores, but instead it became an Alamo."– Christopher Gray, The New York Times, 2001 It's possible to walk by the Cartier Mansion, on the corner of 52nd Street and Fifth Avenue in New York City, without much of an idea of what it represents. A lot of people undoubtedly do. It's an impressive building C six stories of marble and granite, completed in 1905, in the neo-Renaissance style. The ma...
Photo Report: Inside The Cartier Mansion In New York City, Which Re-Opens To The Public Today
I've long held that there is no retail experience more special than that found at Cartier's home in New York City. The former Plant mansion was acquired in 1917 via a trade between Louis Cartier and Mr. Morton Plant, a Manhattan businessman, for a string of natural pearls for his wife C the deal is the stuff of legends. Later this week, my colleague Jack Forster will take us deep into the history of the Cartier Mansion, but today, the day Cartier's storied home in New York City re-opens to the public, I wanted to take you inside this truly magical store. The Cartier mansion re-opens today after 30 months of restoration work C it remains at 653 Fifth Ave...
In-Depth: The Chanel Monsieur de Chanel, And The Evolution Of The Gendered Watch
The world of luxury offers endless examples of the problems companies can run into when they do something unexpected. Whether something is disruptive and captivatingly revolutionary or just off-putting and off-brand is something very hard to predict (and anyone who could do it reliably would make a killing). Of course, what exactly it is that constitutes a company's identity is something about which you will get many different answers, depending on who you ask, but, in broad strokes, often a famous company's basic language can seem a bit set in stone. When we first heard Chanel was doing a watch specifically intended for men, we didn't quite know what to expect, but we were very impressed ...
It's not exactly breaking news that 2016 is a tough year so far for the Swiss watch industry. Consumer brands are hurting for sure but luxury brands are having an even harder go of things. Today, Compagnie Financire Richemont SA (better known simply as Richemont), hosted its annual general meeting and announced sales numbers for the first five months of its fiscal year (May-August). Overall, results are what you'd expect, with sales down due to a number of factors. But looking closely at the reports, there are a few details worthy of comment.Just in case you're not familiar, Richemont is a multi-national conglomerate based in Geneva that owns watch brands like A. Lange & Sohne, Cartier,...
The Road Through Britain: Episode 2: Robert Loomes
For some years now, one of the most popular graduation gifts for students living in Stamford, England, has been a mechanical watch. I'm serious. But not the kind made by Rolex, or Omega, or any other Swiss manufacture for that matter. No, teenagers have been taking their parents to the towns local watchmaker, Robert Loomes, instead. The Robin (for men) and the Robina (for women) have been high on their most-wanted list since the Englishman started putting watches in shop windows back in 2011. Robert Loomes & Co. is housed in a 16th-century building in the East Midlands town of Stamford, England. Before putting his name on...
Photo Report: Inside The 2016 Heuer Collectors Summit (With Tons Of Photos And Some Exclusive Info)
This week, TAG Heuer hosted the 2016 Heuer Collectors Summit. Descending on La Chaux-de-Fond were 30 extremely passionate collectors wearing some of the finest vintage Heuer watches one can dream of. Those watches were obviously the stars of this event, though TAG Heuer prepared some surprises for us, including revealing the prototype of the new Autavia and the automatic caliber Heuer-03. The brand also announced its interest in the world of vintage Heuer and offered its support to the collector community in a number of ways. Jack Heuer talking about chronographs in front of a very focused audience. This get-together offered m...
Introducing: The Longines Heritage Military Watch, Another Great Throwback Design
Longines has just released a new addition to its Heritage collection, the new Heritage Military Watch. This aptly-named watch is a throwback to the brands, you guessed it, military history and displays the rugged and simple aesthetics that Longines is known for. Clearly the manufacture has gotten back in touch with its roots this year, as most of the new standout watches, including the Railroad and the?Longines Heritage 1969, are inspired by previous models. I can't say I'm complaining though C this is something Longines has all but perfected.? An original Longines military watch from 1918. The Heritage Military was inspired ...
This week, Bring A Loupe comes with a geographic bias: It only features watches that are being sold in Europe. We start with a 1930s Rolex with a luminous sector dial, and then move to a transitional Omega Speedmaster from 1968. Today you'll also discover a full-set, double-signed Memovox and a funky Heuer Autavia "Orange Boy." This is your Bring A Loupe for September 16, 2016. 1930s Rolex Reference 2563, With Black Sector Dial In this exact configuration, the Rolex reference 2563 made it into?100 Superlative Rolex Watches. The placement was well deserved. The dial is obviously its most striking featu...
Hands-On: The Tissot Heritage 1936, A Big Watch That Presents Loads Of Value
Tissot knows how to do a good vintage-inspired watch for those on a budget. Over the last few years, we've seen successes like the Visodate Milanais?and the Heritage Navigator, both of which did a nice job balancing throwback traits and new details. Now Tissot's going back to the early part of the 20th century with the Heritage 1936, which has a distinct inter-war look with lots of little nods to antique pieces. There's one big difference though between this watch and its predecessors, but is that going to make the watch or sink it?I won't bury the important stuff here. The Heritage 1936 is a stainless steel watch with wire lugs and a hunter-style caseback. That steel case though is 45mm acr...
Hands-On: The Jaquet Droz Pocket Watch Paillone, And The Art Of The Real Deal
One of the inevitable realities of modern luxury is that what was once necessarily done by hand can now, as a general rule, be either duplicated or convincingly imitated by machine, to some degree or another. In watchmaking you can do things the old fashioned way, which usually means the more difficult and less efficient way, or you can use as much mechanization as you can get away with, given the price range at which you reside. It's the same in almost anything else worth taking an interest in, as far as history and craft are concerned C lace was made by hand for much of its history but by the late 19th century you could duplicate just about any kind of hand-made lace on a machine.?The de...
Weekend Reading: Wired Thinks Smartwatches Might Finally Be Getting Good
Yesterday the Apple Watch Series 2 went on sale, marking the first major (or at least major-ish) update to the marquee smartwatch. Love it or hate it, the smartwatch isn't going away anytime soon and its one gadget in our lives that's still rapidly changing as it tries to find a foothold in our lives. Sure, here at HODINKEE HQ it's going to be a little tough to convince us to put down our vintage Submariners and hand-crafted perpetual calendars in favor of something with batteries, but that doesn't mean smartwatches aren't worth paying attention to C especially right now. According to the folks over at Wired, they're just starting to get good. Springing off...
One year ago today, Vacheron Constantin revealed the reference 57260 C which is still the most complicated watch (wrist or pocket) ever made. We were the first to break the news, and the only team invited to go hands-on with this piece of horological history, so today, on the anniversary of this amazing achievement from Vacheron, we invite you to take a look back at this 57-complication, 2,826-component, 242-jewel, 31-hand mega watch. The price paid for the 57260 remains a secret to this day. The ref. 57260 was too big and too complicated to cover in one story. So we wrote a few. You can read Jack's introductory break down of ...
Introducing: The Alpina Alpiner 4 Automatic GMT (And Its Less-Complicated Cousin)
There are shockingly few choices for modern GMT watches, especially when you think about just how many options you have when it comes to chronograph. In our modern age of easier-than-ever travel, there's no more practical complication. Alpina has just released a new GMT that is both a simple GMT at one level and a more complicated adventure watch at another. Let's take a look at the Alpiner 4 Automatic GMT.Alpina boldly claims to be "the inventor of the modern sports watch" on the history of it's Alpina 4 line, first released back in 1938. The four qualities these watches brought together were anti-magnetism, shock resistance, water resistance, and stainless steel cases. Whether or not this ...
When one of the rarest and most significant watches of the 21st century lands finds its way into an auction catalog, you can expect nothing short of a frenzied, no-limits battle to acquire it. And thats exactly what happened yesterday, at Bonhams in London, when a George Daniels Co-Axial Anniversary wristwatch hit the block, fetching an astounding 224,500 (approximately $293,000 at time of sale).? The George Daniels Co-Axial Anniversary Edition HODINKEE saw back in 2012. The Co-Axial Anniversary is an 18-carat gold wristwatch with both date and power reserve indicators, powered by a manually-wound movement. Only 35 of the li...
Well, for the 14th month in a row, Swiss watch exports are down. No surprises there. Today the Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry (FH) released its latest report, detailing numbers for the month of August, and looking beyond the top-line decline things get a little more interesting. Here are a few thoughts on what's happening over in Helvetia.Overall, shipments of watches out of Switzerland are down 8.8% to a total of 1.8 billion CHF (approximately $1.8 billion at time of publishing). This is unevenly distributed though across different types of watches and watches at different price tiers. While all categories were down in July, in August watches in the 200-500 CHF range and the 500-3,0...
Getting a watch to be very thin is an interesting project, because you're doing your absolute damnedest, and utilizing a great deal of watchmaking skill, to do something to a watch that should never be done to a watch: You're seeing how much you can compromise it structurally before it becomes fatal. The whole thing is a lot like a carnival knife thrower hurling daggers at his beautiful assistant C it's a heart-stoppingly terrible idea on one level, but the fact that it is foolhardy is kind of the whole point of the exercise (and it's what makes it entertaining). Jaeger-LeCoultre's Master Ultra Thin Squelette takes the already perverse fascination of ultra-flat watchmaking one step further...