Best Super NEWS Watches
Gift Guide: Managing Editor Stephen Pulvirent's Holiday 2017 Picks
The winter holidays are fast approaching, and that means it's gift buying time. We thought it would be fun this year to have our editors put together their picks for the best gifts of the season. Each has selected a handful of products spanning categories and price points, as well as something from the HODINKEE Shop. We'll be bringing you a new guide each day this week, so keep checking in for more ideas. I'm an over-thinker. Whether it's deciding what to listen to on my morning commute, which restaurant to go to for dinner, or what to buy someone for the holidays, I tend to go through lots of unnecessary nonsense trying to come up with something outside the box ...
Friday Live: Episode 23: With Julien Tornare, CEO Of Zenith
Hey, folks! After a few weeks away, its time for another episode of Friday Live. And we've got a great one for you. Our special guest will be none other than Julien Tornare, the CEO of Zenith. And well let you in on a little secret: Hes planning on bringing a very special, very innovative, and very award-winning surprise along with him. We bet you can already guess what that might be. We will be broadcasting at 12:00 PM ET this week, not at the usual 1:00 PM. If you tune in at 1:00, you'll have to watch the show as a re-run. The Defy Lab (the aforementioned special watch), as you probably alr...
Gift Guide: Editor Cara Barrett's Holiday 2017 Picks
The winter holidays are fast approaching, and that means it's gift buying time. We thought it would be fun this year to have our editors put together their picks for the best gifts of the season. Each has selected a handful of products spanning categories and price points, as well as something from the HODINKEE Shop. We'll be bringing you a new guide each day this week, so keep checking in for more ideas. As basic as it may sound, I love the holidays. The cheer, the food, the parties, the family time, and the gifts are all things of which I will never tire. But let's get real: Overspending on the ones you love can be overwhelming and stressful. So I have created ...
Senior Editor Jon Bues's Holiday 2017 Picks
The winter holidays are fast approaching, and that means it's gift buying time. We thought it would be fun this year to have our editors put together their picks for the best gifts of the season. Each has selected a handful of products spanning categories and price points, as well as something from the HODINKEE Shop. We'll be bringing you a new guide each day this week, so keep checking in for more ideas. It will come as little surprise to those who know me that most of my holiday wishes involve gadgets and gear for the kitchen, or things that I can eat or drink. (If you don't know me, just have a look at my Instagram.) I own or have used all of the items on this...
Introducing: The IWC Tribute To Pallweber Edition '150 Years' (Live Pics & Pricing)
One of the most famous early IWC pocket watches from the company's late 19th century production, is the digital display pocket watch known as the Pallweber. The Pallweber pocket watches are named after the Austrian watchmaker Josef Pallweber, who patented his invention in 1883, and licensed it to IWC. (He licensed the design subsequently to other Swiss producers but the IWC Pallwebers are probably the most widely known). IWC produced Pallweber pocket watches for only a short period of time, starting in 1885. They were very popular at first but after only a few years the market seems to have tired of the novelty, and after 1887 production ceased. Because the period of production was so short,...
Introducing: The Spike Lee-Designed 'Cool Hand Brooklyn' By Les Artisans De Genve
What you're about to see might surprise you: This is a a modified Rolex Daytona designed by filmmaker Spike Lee. I know, right? This is definitely not what I expected to land in my inbox earlier this week, but it certainly caught my attention when it did. While this isn't the type of thing we tend to write about here on HODINKEE, Spike Lee is a serious creative force and we thought it was worthwhile to take a closer look at this one. If you're unfamiliar with Les Artisans de Genve, the idea behind the company is pretty simple. Essentially they create aftermarket modified Rolex watches that fall into two basic categories. First, ...
Photo Report: A Night With Oris In New York City
Last week was a busy one, but on Wednesday night we got a welcome reprieve when we gathered with about 75 passionate collectors to celebrate Oris's latest creations. Everyone met up at Spring Natural in New York City to enjoy a few drinks and try on Oris watches. There were of course the Oris classics like the Divers Sixty-Five and Big Crown pilot's watches, but also this year's novelties including the Big Crown 1917 and the Chronoris Date. Co-CEO Rolf Studer and other members of the Oris team were on hand to explain the pieces and share their passion for the brand too. Enjoy the photo report below and we hope to see you at another HODINKEE event soon! ...
Introducing: The Montblanc Star Legacy Chronograph Rieussec (Live Pics & Pricing)
There are few complications that are really "owned" by a single brand. The Rieussec-style chronograph, however, has become a signature of Montblanc and today we get a new Rieussec to launch a totally new family of watches, the Star Legacy collection. This watch plays with our conceptions of classic versus modern watchmaking, combining lots of functionality with some old-school styling, all packed into a sizeable contemporary package. Let's take a closer look. The monopusher chronograph function can time up to 30 minutes. If you're not familiar with Montblanc's Rieussec chronographs, here are the basics: In 1821, a French watch...
Introducing: The Montblanc TimeWalker Manufacture Chronograph (Live Pics & Pricing)
The big news from Montblanc in 2017 was the complete revamp of the TimeWalker collection as a series of racing-inspired sports watches. The centerpiece of the collection is the TimeWalker Chronograph Automatic, which is exactly what it sounds like: an automatic three-register chronograph with a date function. To achieve its sub-$4,000 price, it utilizes the workhorse Montblanc caliber MB 25.07, which is basically a Sellita SW500. Today though we're getting an evolution of the Chronograph Automatic: the ?Manufacture Chronograph, which uses an in-house chronograph movement to bring even more to the party. Looking at the TimeWalker ...
Found: A Wall Clock Once Owned By Enzo Ferrari
Well this is something you dont see every day. Its a clock that once belonged to none other than Scuderia Ferrari and Ferrari Automobiles founder Enzo Ferrari. As you can see in the below photo, it hung behind Il Commentadores desk, keeping the time during his meetings with a who's who of famous drivers.? According to ?Morry Barmak of Canadas Collector Studio, which is selling the item, this clock first entered the market when it was put up for a charity auction in Modena. Before Enzo Ferrari moved it to his office in the newly built Modena factory, he kept the clock in his home office. The Collector Studio site says the cloc...
Dispatches: Inside The World's Only Watch Design University
Opening doors reveal the soft humming of machines, which mixes with conversations of carefree twenty-somethings milling about the leafy courtyard of HEAD C Genve. The 19th-century stone complex C a mix of exhibition spaces, workshops, libraries and classrooms located around the corner from the main station C is a typical artistic university: not too many students, but brimming with creativity. Still, it is also very atypical in that one of its chairs is truly unique: Alongside all the degrees youd expect like visual arts, design, fashion and visual communication, HEAD C Genve has bachelors and masters level programs dedicated to watchmaking design.? This fea...
Introducing: The Jaeger-LeCoultre Geophysic True Second Limited Edition
When Jaeger-LeCoultre first introduced the modern Geophysic collection, we brought you in-depth coverage with video, tons of live pics, and all the insider details. It was a big moment for the Le Sentier manufacture, reviving an important watch from its past as the basis of a whole line. The?main flagship watch was (and is) the True Second, a time-and-date model that features a deadbeat seconds complication. Today Jaeger-LeCoultre is introducing a limited edition version of this watch with a new, more colorful look. Technically, the new True Second Limited Edition is identical to the previous versions. It has a 39.6mm stainless steel case that has luminous dots s...
Hands-On: The Jacob & Co. Astronomia Solar
The Jacob & Co. Astronomia Solar is the latest version of the Astronomia Tourbillon, which was one of the most talked-about watches of Baselworld when it debuted there in 2014. The Wall Street Journal's Michael Clerizo called it one of his three favorites of the show, and the fact that a company that had been primarily known for high jewelry timepieces had created something so mechanically complex, as well as visually spectacular, got a lot of heads turning and tongues wagging. Of course, this was not the first high mechanical complication from Jacob & Co. but it was certainly the most stunning from a design standpoint, and there was something about it that really captured the watch ...
Gift Guide: The Video Department's Holiday 2017 Picks
The winter holidays are fast approaching, and that means it's gift buying time. We thought it would be fun this year to have our editors put together their picks for the best gifts of the season. Each has selected a handful of products spanning categories and price points, as well as something from the HODINKEE Shop. We'll be bringing you a new guide each day this week, so keep checking in for more ideas. Quality video, and quality photos, starts with the proper equipment. With that in mind, we thought we'd share some of the gear we actually use here at HODINKEE.?Admittedly, many of the recommendations below are pricey C and thus aimed at those who will profit fr...
Introducing: The Panerai PAM 721 Radiomir 3-Days Acciaio
When I first saw images of this new logo-free Radiomir with its so-called Anonimo dial, I knew that it was something pretty darn cool that needed to be shared. This is a big watch at 47mm, but it's that big for a reason. This watch is essentially a reissue of the Panerai Reference 3646 from the late 1930s. That watch, which was made solely for military issue, was 47mm as well. While Panerai has been making a concerted effort of late to attract new clientele with its thin and dressy Luminor Due line, this new Radiomir is aimed squarely at Panerai enthusiasts. As you can see in the picture above, ?theres no logo on the dial, a minimalist detail that makes for a ...
Four Revolutions: Part 3: A Concise History Of The Mechanical Watch Revolution (1976-1989)
Editors note: This is the latest in a series of articles on four revolutions over the past 40 years that have created the modern watch world. Previous articles include Joe Thompsons Introduction to the series, A Concise History Of The Quartz Watch Revolution, and A Concise History Of The Fashion Watch Revolution. This installment will be in two parts, with the second coming next week. In 1976, with the watch world agog over LEDs, LCDs and quartz analogs, George Daniels, the worlds greatest living watchmaker, was fed up. I was furious with electricians, he told Norma Buchanan, my colleague on American Time magazine, in 1999. Electricians was Danielss dis...
Introducing: The Oris Aquis Clipperton Limited Edition (Live Pics & Pricing)
By most accounts, Clipperton Island is the most remote coral atoll in the world. Located in the Pacific Ocean, west of South America, the nearest landmass is over 900 kilometers away. To many, it is an unimportant ring of guano-covered rock in the middle of nowhere. But to scientists, its a bellwether of human impact on ocean levels and aquatic life, and a case study for the effects of pollution and overfishing. Over its history, Clipperton has been the temporary home to various small human populations, a French military outpost, a Cousteau expedition, and a lot of birds and colorful crabs. And its a catchment for a lot of plastic garbage. The new limi...
Hands-On: The Urban Jrgensen 'The Alfred'
Last November, Urban Jrgensen took the very interesting step of announcing a new, time-only watch fitted with its in-house caliber P4, which would be available in steel only, and which also would be sold only online, at a (relatively) budget-friendly price as well: 14,300 (about $16,500). The Alfred (named for Jacques Alfred Jrgensen, who was of the second generation of the family to live and work in Le Locle) seemed an extremely interesting value proposition based on the information we had at launch C even more so now that we've had a chance to experience one in the metal. The Urban Jrgensen The Alfred is the firm's first e-commerce only watch. ...
The basic problems in mechanical watchmaking are pretty much the same today as they have been for hundreds of years: temperature, changes in position, and deterioration of lubricants, along with the effects of magnetism, are the big enemies of accuracy and precision. How those problems are addressed has changed very much, however, and beginning with the development of nickel-iron alloys like Invar at the beginning of the 20th century, which were virtually unaffected by temperature variations (at least, in the temperature range a watch is likely to encounter) increasingly the solutions to these problems have been found in materials science rather than in mechanical ingenuity. This means, of c...
Hands-On: The Mido 'Inspired By Architecture' Limited Edition, Inspired By The Guggenheim Museum
Mido has been drawing inspiration for some of its designs from architecture C both ancient and modern C for many years and this year, Mido went on a world tour of 60 architectural sites in 12 cities, in search of the building that would act as the basis for a new, architecture-influenced design. The last stop of the tour was in New York, last October, when the company announced that the chosen building would be a classic of modern architecture: the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum.? Interior and skylight of the Guggenheim Museum; Wikipedia The Guggenheim seems an apt choice; the building lends itself to a horological interpretatio...