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Best Super NEWS Watches
Hands-On: The Parmigiani Fleurier Tonda Chronor Anniversaire
The 20th anniversary of Parmigiani Fleurier rolled around just last year (the company was founded in 1996). Anniversaries for watch companies can be a very mixed bag (for a while there in the mid-2000s it seemed like some companies were hell-bent on celebrating every year as the one year anniversary of the previous year) and while sometimes you get really interesting stuff, you can also get watches clearly designed with no real enthusiasm, with merely cosmetic variations. However, for its 20th anniversary, Parmigiani Fleurier pulled out all the stops and introduced something genuinely attention-worthy: a brand new, in-house rattrapante (split-seconds) chronograph movement, in a brand new wat...
This week, we start with two outstanding tool watches, each with their own merits. While the Patek reference 3417 represented the manufacture's classy take on antimagnetic watches, the Omega Seamaster Memomatic offered unique functionality as the only alarm wristwatch where you could set the alarm to the minute. We have also included a splendid Longines with military provenance, and a Zenith El Primero with an interesting dial. This is your Bring A Loupe for April 7, 2017. Omega Memomatic Reference 166.072 The Memomatic is a distinctive alarm watch in that it allows you to precisely set the alarm to...
Cartier, it goes without saying, makes incredible watches and jewelry, and moreover has been a design leader in both for many decades. The craftsmanship and iconic status of objects such as the Cartier Tank watch and the Juste en Clou bracelet are a direct result of the maisons rich history of making no-holds-barred luxury designs and objets d'art since its founding. And now a selection from the archives will be on view at the Copper Hewitt museum in New York City. 1925 Cartier Tutti Frutti bracelet. Look in any Cartier book and you will be dazzled by the ornate clocks, watches, tiaras, boxes, pens, necklaces, and more that C...
Introducing: The Moritz Grossmann Tefnut Twist
One of the nicest things about doing trade shows like Baselworld is that occasionally you come across a fresh idea, which in watchmaking is a lot harder than you might think. After all mechanical horology is nothing if not an exercise in technical incrementalism. Thomas Mudge made the first watch with a lever escapement in the mid-18th century, and if you were to show him a modern automatic wristwatch, he might have a couple of questions about metallurgy, and he'd probably get pretty excited about the lubricants, but there's nothing he wouldn't fundamentally recognize.? The Tefnut Twist "Classic" in white gold. Which is why I ...
Hands-On: The Casio G-Shock Master Of G Gravitymaster GPW1000RG-1A
The G-Shock has led an interesting life. G-Shock started out in 1983 as engineer Kikuo Ibe's obsessive reaction to the breakage of a cherished mechanical watch, with his initial goal being the creation of a quartz LCD watch with such shock-resistant armor that it could tolerate a 10 meter drop (he famously tested prototypes by surreptitiously throwing them out an upper floor men's bathroom window into the parking lot behind his lab).? There may be no more form-follows-function watch in the world than the original G-Shock DW-5000, but the inadvertent, slightly brutalist, face-only-a-mother-could-love charm of it and subsequent G-S...
A Week On The Wrist: The Greubel Forsey GMT
Until the Grand Sonnerie came out, one of the most complicated watches Greubel Forsey had in its portfolio was the GMT C a notably pithy name which is in stark contrast to the size, general visual impact, and complexity of the watch itself. It's very seldom that you get a chance to actually see a Greubel Forsey watch in the metal, although over the years I've been lucky enough to see more than my fair share. In 2006, one year after the Double Tourbillon 30 launched, I got to sit next to Stephen Forsey at a dinner in New York and talk for a couple of hours about the tourbillon in general, the theoretical background of the tourbillon, and the technical considerations that gave Forsey and his ...
Happenings: The HSNY Is Taking Its Classes To Boston And Washington, D.C.
For the last two weekends in April, the Horological Society of New York will continue its 2017 Traveling Education tour by visiting two often requested cities. Horological Education classes will be offered in Washington, D.C., over the April 22 and 23 weekend at the Crystal City Marriott; the next weekend, April 29 and 30, HSNY will head to Boston, where it will hold classes at the Marriott Long Wharf. At HSNY's award-winning classes, students discover what makes a watch tick. In the hands-on course C taught by HSNY's staff of professional watchmakers C students work on a mechanical watch movement, studying the gear train, winding and setting mechanisms, and esca...
Sometimes a watch photo is meant to give a clear sense of what a watch looks and feels like in the metal (like most of what you see here on HODINKEE), but other times it can be a work of art all on its own. Photographer Atom Moore, who you might know as the art director at Analog/Shift, creates totally original compositions from detailed macro photographs of both modern and vintage watches. Starting April 30, a collection of his work will go on display at the National Watch and Clock Museum as the exhibition?Watch Portraits. Atom has developed his own unique style of macro watch photography that breaks watches down to their compo...
Most watch brands today have a schtick C and I don't mean that in a bad way. Whether it's creating budget-friendly pieces inspired by the past, having a staunch dedication to a single complications, or focusing on particular materials, identity is a big part of the modern watch marketplace. But few brands have something as distinct as what sets HYT apart C it's circular fluid-driven display. The H0 is the latest watch to make use of this interesting mechanism and its got a bold new look too. The foundational inspiration for the H0 was "a pebble, worn smooth by water from a mountain stream," which is, if I may say so, sounds a lit...
Happenings: Vintage TAG Heuer Chronographs On View In Paris
From now until the end of April, TAG Heuer is showcasing a small collection of historically important watches, most of them chronographs from the 1960s and '70s, in one of its Paris boutiques. If you find yourself in the French capital, you should definitely head to 12 Boulevard des Capucines and pay the boutique a visit. At 12 Boulevard des Capucines, you'll find the TAG Heuer Paris flagship boutique. The small trove of watches has been lent to the shop by the TAG Heuer Museum and a handful of private collectors. These particular watches provide a link between the companys past and TAG Heuers current collection, marked by t...
If you are into sports, even just a little bit, you were probably watching The Masters yesterday. And, like many, you were probably doing so with a smile on your face as you watched Sergio Garcia win. Not only has he been in the game since 1999, but he also came back after a rough 13th hole and won the playoff after sinking his putt against Justin Rose. And on his wrist as he donned the famous green jacket? His trusty Omega, of course. Sergio Garcia sinking the winning putt. (Photo: Courtesy Omega) Garcia, who has been an Omega ambassador since 2003, received an Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean "Deep Black" the Wednesday prior to ...
Introducing: The Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Classic Large Duo Small Second With Three New Dials
Jaeger-LeCoultre has introduced three new dial options for the Reverso Classic Large Duo Small Second as part of its Atelier Reverso program. This officially makes this trio the manufacture's first customizable men's watches. Atelier Reverso was introduced in 2016 to celebrate?JLC's 85th anniversary; initially only for women, it was launched with the Reverso Duo and Duetto models and allowed clients to customize their own watches, swapping out special dials and straps. Now, the Reverso Classic Large Duo Small Second joins the program, with Electric Blue, Military Marble, and Tiger's Eye dials. The Electric Blue dial for the Rev...
Hands-On: The Baltic Watches Bicompax 001
Baltic Watches has been getting quite a lot of attention from the watch community lately, and that's even before its Kickstarter campaign officially launched today. Indeed, there is a lot to love at first sight: the nod to vintage watches with the return of the step case and a very reasonable price (well below $500) for a chronograph are just two things that come to mind. While it sounds great on paper, there is no better test than some proper hands-on time with the watches. And this is exactly what we got when the young French brand came to New York recently. Let's take a closer look at the much-talked-about Baltic Watches. The two-register configurati...
Talking Watches: With Ahmed Rahman
Welcome back to Talking Watches. Today we're shaking things up a bit, as this is the first episode filmed on British shores. It's also my first go-around as host. But the series remains, as it has always been, focused on exceptional collectors and their watches. Today's guest is exactly that, and his watches certainly do not disappoint. If ever you wanted to know what the most interesting chronographs of the modern era are, and many people do, Ahmeds collection might provide some answers. Ahmeds no snob when it comes to chronographs though, and his come in different shapes and sizes. Theyre manufactured by various watch compan...
Introducing: Three Panerai Luminor 1950 PCYC Chronographs
Panerai is celebrating its lasting relationship with the sport of classic yacht racing by releasing three automatic flyback chronographs equipped with a set of functions directly connected to the nautical world. The so-called PCYC (Panerai Classic Yachts Challenge) chronos offer three slightly different takes on the form though, so lets take a quick look at what makes each new model special. The Panerai Luminor 1950 PCYC Regatta 3 Days Chrono Flyback Automatic Titanio (PAM 652) The Panerai Luminor 1950 PCYC Regatta 3 Days Chrono Flyback Automatic Titanio PAM 652. First up is the PAM 652. While it also...
Auctions: Christie's Geneva To Sell The Haile Selassie Patek Philippe 2497 With Black Dial, Again
Way back when, in November 2015, Ben wrote a little story about the highlights of the Christie's Geneva sale. You might recall that there was one watch in particular that caught our eye: the Patek Philippe reference 2497 with black gilt dial. It was the first time that a black gilt dial 2497 had hit the market C for an estimate of CHF 500,000 to 1 million C and the auction world was abuzz. On top of being totally fresh to market, the watch had a rich provenance (literally) as it formerly belonged to Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie, who, according to Christie's, later gifted it to a friend (as one does). This friend was the consignor C and that is where things got sticky. ...
This week we're focusing on some memorable watches from the 1970s, starting with the iconic stainless steel Royal Oak from Audemars Piguet C a watch which, with an original price tag higher than that of contemporary gold dress watches, truly created the sport-luxury category. We've also found a Beta 21, the very first Swiss quartz caliber, here housed in a Piaget reference 14101 with a striking tiger's eye dial. The Zenith A3637 shows how it earned its "Big Lemon" nickname, while the Favre-Leuba Deep-Blue proves again that bright colors can really work in a diving watch. This is your Bring A Loupe for April 14, 2017. Favre-Leuba Deep-Blue, With Orange Dial ...
Found: A Gold Lemania Chronograph Formerly Owned By Winston Churchill
Winston Churchill loved his watches. We know that because weve seen some of his favorite pieces up close, including his beloved Breguet pocket watch which he nicknamed the Turnip. We've also seen correspondence between Churchill and none other than Rolex founder Hans Wilsdorf, regarding wrist sizes and engravings. Mr. Winston Churchill would later receive Rolex's 100,000th chronometer, a gold Datejust with his coat of arms on the back, as a gift from Wilsdorf himself. Sir Winston Churchill received this gold Lemania from the Canton de Vaud during the Summer of 1946. This week, we found out about another watch formerly in his ...
Found: A Cabinet Full Of New-Old-Stock Enamel Dials At The Minerva Manufacture
A lot of watchmaking history these days comes to us in the form of marketing from big brands that are trying to part us from our money through references to heritage and provenance. There's still a lot of real history out there, though. A ton of it, actually. And when you find it, sitting in front of you in a large wooden cabinet on the top floor of a building across from some scenic cow pastures in the Swiss Jura, it's nothing short of awesome. I paid a visit to the Montblanc-owned Minerva manufacture in Villeret, Switzerland, last week and found some pretty amazing stuff. A massive wood cabinet at Minerva containing tens of thousands of vintage compon...
In-Depth: Your Patek Philippe Caliber 89 Now Needs A Service C A Look At Horology's Easter Problem
When Patek Philippe released the first Caliber 89 (in 1989) to celebrate its 150th anniversary, it was one of the most complicated watches ever made. One of the most unusual complications in the Caliber 89 is one that hasn't been duplicated since (that I'm aware of, anyway) C an indication for the date of Easter. The reason why is not simply because Patek has a patent for the date-of-Easter mechanism, either. It does, however, have to do with the fact that a true date-of-Easter complication is probably the single most difficult complication in horology C so much so, that despite the Caliber 89, it may, for all intents and purposes, be impossible. Patek ...