Best Super NEWS Watches
The Cartier Tank has just celebrated its 100th birthday. Over the last century, the Tank has become one of the most recognized watches in the world, with its rectangular silhouette and Roman numeral dial now synonymous with elegance and sophistication. One of the most exciting things about the Tank is how countless individuals have incorporated it into their personal styles, adding their own touch to the Tank's history. In today's episode, we meet Matt Hranek, a photographer and writer who is the luxury editor at Cond Nast Traveler and the author of the recently published A Man and His Watch. Matt is a consummately stylish guy w...
Introducing: The Greubel Forsey Nano Foudroyante EWT, A Nanomechanical Lightning Seconds Timepiece
In January of 2017, Greubel Forsey announced that it had been experimenting with nanomechanical wristwatch technology C that is, the use of micro-scale components, in order to make new display systems possible and also to dramatically increase the performance of mechanical watches. (True nano-scale structures are atomic scale, so the term "nano" is perhaps a bit of poetic license; however as you'll see, the components in the Nano Foudroyante EWT are much smaller than those ordinarily seen in watchmaking.) The original announcement teased a watch that would have a regulating system so compact, and so efficient, that it could theoretically have a 180 day power reserve, which would obviously be...
Inside Grand Seiko: The Spring Drive Comes To Life
In this, the final installment of our three-part series in partnership with Grand Seiko, we take a look at the many hands that work together to make a finished Grand Seiko Spring Drive wristwatch. Grand Seiko is famous for showing enormous attention to detail in every part of the watch, from the hands, to the dial, to the assembly of the movement, to the hand-polishing of the cases of each watch, and here you'll get a look at both the processes and the people behind them. In progress: the dial for the Spring Drive "Snowflake." One of the most truly remarkable aspects of Grand Seiko manufacturing is the degree to which many of ...
Breaking News: Phillips Announces 'Daytona Ultimatum' Thematic Sale For Spring 2018
Phillips has just announced that this spring it will host a thematic sale called "Daytona Ultimatum," focused exclusively on the well-known Rolex chronograph. The auction will take place in Geneva on May 12, 2018, and will offer "an extremely limited selection of the finest, rarest, and best-preserved Rolex Daytona wristwatches known to exist." This of course comes in wake of Phillips selling Paul Newman's Rolex Daytona in October, when it became the most expensive wristwatch ever sold. While Phillips has not done a Daytona-themed sale before, Aurel Bacs hosted one when he was running the Christie's watch department back in November 2013. "Rolex Daytona 'Lesson O...
Introducing: The Glashtte Original Senator Tourbillon Edition Alfred Helwig
What we have here today is a limited edition flying tourbillon that nods to the history of the complication itself. The namesake for this watch is Alfred Helwig, the onetime head of the watchmaking school in Glashtte who invented the flying tourbillon in 1920. Glashtte Original has modified an existing model to create this more than fitting tribute.? This is a limited edition take on a watch first released in 2013, the simply named Senator Tourbillon. The watch starts with a white gold case that measures 42mm across and 13.7mm thick. It's got a sturdy, typically German profile, with a slight architectural quality to it. In addition to showing the hours and minu...
Introducing: The Piaget Altiplano Ultimate 910P, The World's Thinnest Automatic Wristwatch
The pre-SIHH releases continue with the latest from Piaget C the Altiplano Ultimate Automatic 910P, which is now the world's thinnest automatic watch to date, at 4.30mm overall. This trumps the Bulgari Octo Finissimo Ultra-Thin Automatique, which measures 5.15mm. Piaget is no stranger to manufacturing super-thin wristwatches. The caliber 9P, ?in 1957, was at the time the thinnest movement ever made, at just 2mm thick, and the automatic caliber 12P, introduced in 1960, was only 2.3mm thick. The Piaget Altiplano Ultimate is now the thinnest automatic watch, measuring 4.30mm thick. The Altiplano Ultimate Automatic is available in...
Editors' Picks: The Ten Best Dive Watches Of 2017
The rumors of the dive watchs demise are greatly exaggerated. Whether or not you take a dive watch deep, theres no denying the genre is as popular as ever. And 2017 was a particularly good year for underwater watches. Lets take a last plunge of the year and revisit some of the best. I apologize in advance for the preponderance of aquatic puns. Panerai 42mm Luminor Submersible 1950 3 Days Automatic Acciaio Kicking off the year with a splash (I told you) at SIHH was Panerai, who put a new, smaller twist on its familiar Luminor Submersible diver. The 42mm Luminor Submersible 1950 3 Days Automatic Acciaio,...
Hands-On: The Ulysse Nardin Marine Torpilleur Military
It's no secret that seafaring heritage is a huge inspiration for Ulysse Nardin. This watch is a perfect manifestation of that way of thinking, both inside and out. There's plenty of old-school military styling on the dial and a movement that carries not one, but two certificates testifying to its accuracy. This is Ulysse Nardin doing what it does best from top to bottom. Despite being 44mm across, the Marine Torpilleur Military is rather comfortable. The Marine Torpilleur Military is no small watch. It has a 44mm stainless steel case with a slim knurled bezel that gives the expansive dial the appearance of being even larger th...
Introducing: The Breguet Classique Tourbillon Extra-Plat Automatique 5367
We havent even boarded our flights to Geneva for SIHH yet, and were already seeing previews of whats to come later in 2018 at Baselworld. One such watch that caught my eye when it hit my inbox this morning was a new, enamel-dialed version of Breguets Classique Tourbillon Extra-Plat.? The Classique Tourbillon Extra-Plat, you will remember, has been a consistent part of the Breguet collection since it was announced in 2013. That initial version came with a handmade guilloch dial.? Back then, the Classique Tourbillon Extra-Plats?incredibly svelte 7mm case thickness made it the thinnest automatic tourbillon in production. ...
Hands-On: The IWC Portugieser Chronograph Rattrapante Edition Boutique Canada
To celebrate the successful opening of boutiques in both Toronto and Vancouver, IWC has launched a Canadian-specific limited edition?chronograph dubbed the Portugieser Chronograph Rattrapante Edition Boutique Canada. I swung by the new Vancouver boutique for a quick hands-on with what turned out to be an interesting and rather exclusive Canuck spin on a classic IWC design.? At 40.9mm wide in stainless steel, the Portugieser Boutique Canada has a lovely silver-white dial, polished Arabic markers, and a pair of black subdials to complete that panda look. With red accents and a maple leaf adorning its steel case back, this Portugieser is handsome and detailed with a...
Year In Review: The Watch I Wore The Most In 2017, By Members Of The HODINKEE Team
This is one of our favorite HODINKEE traditions, going all the way back to 2013 when we first had the idea to round up the HODINKEE team members before they departed for New Year's Eve festivities and ask them a very simple question: "What watch did you wear most this year?" This year, we've got quite a few new faces around HODINKEE HQ, so there are going to be a number of watches you've never seen before, along with a few time-tested favorites. Enjoy and let us know down in the comments what your most-worn watch was in 2017.? Jack Forster, Editor-In-Chief C Grand Seiko GMT Limited Edition ...
Year In Review: The Nine Best Back-To-Basics Watches Of 2017
If you've been following along here on HODINKEE through 2017, you've probably heard me laud watch brands for the number of great, affordable watches they've introduced this year. Obviously the term "affordable" is relative, but it's nice to see brands big and small put effort into creating quality products under $10,000 (in many cases well under $10,000) that can appeal to both new watch buyers and seasoned collectors alike. With 2018 fast approaching, I thought I'd look back at a few of my favorites, focusing specifically on simple time-only and time-and-date watches at fair prices that I think would be solid choices for nearly anyone. Grand Seiko SBGW253 ...
Photo Report: Celebrating A Pair Of GPHG Wins With Bulgari In New York City
Last Thursday we were joined by more than 50 guests at Bulgari's new marble-clad boutique on Fifth Avenue in New York City to toast the brand's two (yes, count 'em, two) Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Genve winners. Both the Octo Finissimo Tourbillon Skeleton and the Octo Finissimo Automatic took home trophies back in November, for the Tourbillon and Escapement Watch Prize and the Men's Watch Prize, respectively. So yeah, there was a lot to celebrate. In addition to there being plenty of watches on hand C including a few limited editions only available at the New York flagship C?there were watch-themed cocktails being mixed to order on bar carts positioned throughou...
Year In Review: The Top 10 HODINKEE Videos Of 2017
This was a big year in the HODINKEE Video Department, for a variety of reasons. In 2017 we sat down with golf legend Jack Nicklaus and food television luminary Alton Brown. We introduced Friday Live, giving you a chance to interact in real time with our editors. We learned about L.A. time and pimp time, via collector Morgan King. We gave you our first thoughts on new releases at Baselworld; traversed Arizona to give you a look at the Copperstate 1000 Vintage Car Rally; took you inside the Patek Philippe Grand Exhibition and the sale of the Paul Newman Daytona; and went deep on everything from the Rolex Sea-Dweller to the Apple Watch Series 3. But enough with th...
Four Revolutions: Part 4: A Concise History Of The Smartwatch
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, A Concise History Of The Fashion Watch Revolution, and parts one and two of A Concise History Of The Mechanical Watch Revolution. This is the final installment. In November 1997, I wrote a column called Calling Dick Tracy: Your Watch is Nearly Ready. (It appeared in American Time, a watch trade magazine.) With the quartz-watch revolution nearly 30 years old, I noted that a new generation of sophisticate...
One of the wonderful things about London (one of the many, I should say) for an horological enthusiast is the presence of several museums with really extraordinary watch and clock collections and after having missed them while traveling, for various reasons, for many years, I was able to catch up on what I've been missing for the last few decades. One of the best places to visit is undoubtedly the British Museum but another must-see is the Science Museum, which is located a stone's throw from both the Victoria and Albert Museum and the Natural History Museum in Kensington. The Science Museum's highlight for a watch enthusiast, is the Clockmaker's Museum, which is the collection of the Worshi...
Baume & Mercier announced last year that it would be the first of the Richemont Group brands to offer a watch with a silicon balance spring, in a new watch: the Clifton Manual 1830, with which we were able to go Hands On in August of 2017. The Clifton Manual 1830 was fitted with the new Twinspir balance spring, which is formed of two layers of silicon with their crystal structure oriented in different directions. The two silicon layers are separated by a third layer of silicon dioxide, which provides temperature compensation C something necessary for all silicon balance springs, as their elasticity varies with temperature. The Clifton Manual 1830, w...
Business News: November's Swiss Watch Exports Show That China Is Once Again Red Hot
Swiss watch exports to mainland China jumped 40% in November, leading a Swiss watch recovery that is picking up steam. The total value of Swiss exports jumped 6.3% to CHF1.98 billion ($2.01 billion) in November, according to data released today by the Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry (FH). October exports were up 9.3%. Swiss watch exports have risen in value for seven consecutive months. (The export data reflects sales from Swiss watch firms to their dealers, not retail sales.)? Chinas surge was the largest jump in 30 months, the FH said. It is the latest sign of a new luxury goods boom in China since the Chinese governments easing of its crackdown on gi...
In-Depth: Joe Thompson's Complete Guide To The Modern Era Of Watchmaking
Over the course of the last few months, our Editor-At-Large, Joe Thompson, has?written an extremely in-depth history of the watch industry as it has changed and evolved over the last 50 years or so. The series was broken out into four parts (ok, technically five, since one of the sections was actually two separate stories itself), looking at the invention of quartz watches, the explosion of fashion watch brands, the reinvigoration of mechanical watchmaking, and the early days of the smartwatch. Frankly, there is nobody on planet Earth with a better first-hand understanding of the people, products, and strange little events that have shaped watchmaking during this time than Joe.? ...
Talking Watches: With Aziz Ansari
It's hard to pinpoint just what it is about Aziz Ansari that makes him so funny, so charming, so relatable. The South Carolina-born comedian cut his teeth as a stand-up during his years as an undergraduate at NYU, when he was a regular at the Upright Citizens Brigade C and, just out of school, he had already sold a show or two to the likes of MTV. Aziz went on to become the first cast member of Parks and Recreation, which turned him and his character Tom Haverford into household names.From there, he would continue his prolific stand-up career, write a truly superb look at dating in the modern age called Modern Romance, sell out Madison Square Garden a few times, and ultimately land his own N...