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Best Super NEWS Watches
Talking Watches: With David Williams
The Space Shuttle era was characterized by the emergence of ?the first reusable spacecraft along with humanity building the largest structure ever outside our atmosphere, the International Space Station. It was an era of incredible achievement. Collectively, the shuttles Enterprise, Columbia, Challenger, Discovery, Endeavor, and Atlantis orbited the earth 21,152 times and covered 542,398,878 miles. Astronauts from 16 different nations have flown on shuttle missions. Dr. David Williams is one of them.? Canadian Space Agency Astronaut David Williams performing construction work on the International Space Station during a 6-hour, 17-minute spacewalk on Aug...
Introducing: The Grand Seiko U.S.-Market 'Seasons' Collection
In true Japanese fashion, Grand Seiko has managed to take the abstract idea of seasonality and conceptualize it in a way that's expressed as horological artistry. Four new models have been released for the U.S. market only, two mechanical pieces and two Spring Drive pieces, with each watch in the collection drawing inspiration from one of the four seasons. The design of this new collection takes after the 62GS, Grand Seiko's first automatic timepiece, which was released in 1967. The hallmark of the 62GS is a bezel-less case design, where the crystal is affixed directly to the case. It's a proper engineering feat to pull something like that off in 1967 to a high degree, and technology has onl...
Auctions: Sotheby's Announces Apollo 11 50th Anniversary Sale (Rare Speedmasters!)
NASA's Apollo program likely represents the most ambitious, audacious, and downright impressive adventure of all time, and for those of us in the watch enthusiast community, you can't read "Apollo" without thinking of the Omega Speedmaster. Becoming the NASA flight-certified watch for the Apollo program has made an icon of what started out in 1957 as Omega's motorsports chronograph, and there's no other watch that carries the nickname "The Moonwatch." With Apollo 11 celebrating its 50th anniversary and vintage Speedmasters becoming more and more valuable to collectors, Sotheby's has announced an upcoming Speedmaster-themed sale on July 19th in New York City.? ...
A Week On The Wrist: The Citizen Eco-Drive Caliber 0100, The Most Accurate Watch Ever Made
There are so many different reasons to wear a watch C especially nowadays, when a watch, functionally, has long since become an accessory rather than a necessity (an early prophet of this era was Andy Warhol, who wore a Cartier Tank which he, famously, never bothered to wind). Whether this means we are living in an era, horologically speaking, of freedom or decadence probably depends on who you ask, and it's a point about which watch enthusiasts love to argue. The arguments tend to boil down to two positions, to wit: "Why should I care about accuracy? That's for needlessly obsessive, narrow-minded nerds. I have my phone for that," and the counterargument, "Why shouldn't I care about accuracy...
The sun is out on a Friday morning, which means the time has come yet again for another considered selection of the most compelling watches on the Interwebs. Historical significance can be found throughout this week's roundup, with picks like the original adult's Mickey Mouse watch, in addition to an early Speedmaster, and a gilt dial Tudor Submariner with U.S. Navy provenance. I also thought I'd throw you a few curveballs this week, with the inclusion of a belt buckle watch from Tavannes and a set of multiple sports timing pieces from Longines. Let's let the preamble peter out, and dig into this horological feast.? Tavannes La Captive Belt Buckle Watch ...
The Grey NATO: Episode 83: Collection Inspection Vol. 7
Subscribe to the show: (Apple Podcasts, SoundCloud, Google Play). Already heard it once or twice? Please leave a short review here, and tell us what topics you'd like us to chat about.? Jason is back from Wales with stories to tell! From RAF bars to the hangouts for alpinists and special forces alike, Jason went from the coast to the peaks in hunt of castles, grey skies, and meat pies.? This weeks main topic is a new installment of Collection Inspection (Vol 7!). James has picked his Doxa SUB300T 50th Searambler and Jason his vintage Tudor Submariner. Its a dive watch heavy inspection but both of these cl...
"The journey of 1000 miles starts with a single step," was not penned by Confucius. Instead, it appeared in a verse of the Tao Te Ching attributed to Lao Tzu, but the idea that it's harder to start something than it is to gain momentum once it's started certainly can be applied to our ?passion for collecting watches, no matter who said it. And for a lot of us that first step was an accessible watch, myself included. And if you're browsing HODINKEE, I hope you're enjoying the journey.? After a few Saturday mornings in the winter spent power-washing the grime and road salt off 18-wheel trucks as a high school student, I had managed to save up enough to buy a watch....
Sunday Rewind: The Value Proposition: The Seiko SKX007
It's summer, and with the heat comes dreams of beaches, pools, cool rivers, and maybe even that dive certification you keep pushing off until next year. In the spirit of the best season in which to rock a dive watch, here is a look back (almost five years!) at a piece Jack wrote about what is arguably the go-to entry level mechanical dive watch in existence C?the Seiko SKX007. Known for its longstanding position as many an enthusiast's first real dive watch, the SKX007 was launched in 1996 and produced until quite recently (there are rumors that Seiko has discontinued the SKX007). ?The watch I've owned the longest is an SKX007 an...
Introducing: The TAG Heuer Monaco 1979-1989 Limited Edition
The TAG Heuer Monaco is back in a limited edition paying homage to its early roots from the period of 1979-1989. It was 1971 when Steve McQueen famously wore the Monaco in the movie?Le Mans, and this watch captures the vibes from a decade after Mr. McQueen had propelled the watch squarely into horological stardom. The '80s were a wild time for the racing world, and the Monaco captures the spirit with a sunray red dial and two rhodium-plated registers. Of course, the crown and pusher placement is consistent with Monacos (and Caliber 11 watches) throughout the decades, with the crown on the left and pushers on the right. TAG brandi...
Hands-On: The Zenith El Primero A384 Revival
Zenith's 1969 chronograph, the El Primero, is today more or less synonymous with Zenith the brand. The story of how this movement was nearly forever lost is one for the ages. It's interesting to ponder what kind of brand Zenith might have been, or if it would even exist as a brand today, if the tooling required to make the El Primero hadn't been saved by the late Charles Vermot.?Fifty years on from its launch, Zenith is giving its most significant caliber a proper anniversary celebration, with boxed sets, limited editions, and styling that faithfully recalls the first wave of "pre-cancellation" El Primeros: the watches that predate the decision to stop manufacturing the El Primero in the mid...
Auctions: Phillips Announces 'Double Signed' Thematic Auction For November 2019
Phillips announced this morning that it will hold a thematic sale to coincide with its November Geneva Watch Auction: Ten. This time around, the theme will be double-signed dials, which feature the name of a retailer in addition to that of the watch manufacturer. In the worlds of Patek Philippe and Rolex in particular, double-signed dials can make a world of difference to a watch's collectibility and value. A Tiffany stamp, the Gbelin name, the Serpico y Laino signature, or the Cartier imprimatur can turn something already special into a truly rare and sought-after watch. The thematic auction and the watch world are certainly not strangers, and examples of tight...
The Very First Gold Omega Speedmaster Ever Made (And The Newest One Too)
In case you somehow haven't heard (and really, you'd kind of have to be living under a literal rock at this point not to have), this year marks the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing. And, as you'd expect, Omega is pulling out all the stops to celebrate. The connection to NASA through the Speedmaster, which is still the only watch ever qualified by NASA for space flight, is one of the strongest ties between horology and popular culture, and that's not at all lost on the Biel-based watchmaker. The two big celebratory roll-outs so far this year are the Speedmaster Apollo 11 50th Anniversary Limited Edition and the similarly named but actually very different Speedmaster Apollo 11 An...
Hands-On: The Vacheron Constantin Overseas Dual Time Prototype Worn On Everest
Created as a special project within their ambassador relationship with photographer and alpinist Cory Richards, Vacheron Constantin has officially shown their incredibly cool Overseas Dual Time Prototype, which was worn by Richards on a recent, and daring, bid to climb a new route on Everest. While the format is largely similar to the standard steel Overseas Dual Time, this unique prototype uses a titanium case with tantalum reinforcement under the bezel and a textured blue/grey dial with a slightly larger marker design.? Richards, a successful and celebrated photographer for outlets like National Geographic, is a recent addition...
Omega has just announced that earlier this year, adventurer Victor Vescovo set a new world record for the deepest dive, taking his submersible Limiting Factor 10,928 meters below the ocean's surface into the Mariana Trench. And, importantly, strapped to the outside of the Limiting Factor was a new experimental Omega dive watch, the Seamaster Planet Ocean Ultra Deep Professional. In fact, there were actually three Ultra Deep Professionals on the dive C one on each of the main vessel's robotic arms and an additional one of a detachable lander vehicle. This is now the deepest diving watch of all time, taking the record previously held by the bathyscaphe Trieste, its pilots Captain Don Walsh and...
HODINKEE Radio: Episode 47: William Massena
Subscribe to the show: (Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, TuneIn). Already heard it once or twice? Please leave a short review here, and tell us which guests we should have on! When I first seriously got into the watch world about seven years ago, there were a few names that I kept hearing over and over again. They were the living legends, the guys you had to know if you were going to get anywhere or actually learn anything. Luckily, I got to know a lot of them pretty early on, and today weve got a great show for you that includes two of them.?First up is our guest, Mr. William Massena, who you might remember from his episode of Talk...
This week, there really is something for everyone, with picks like a Patrizzi dial Daytona, an Eberhard Extra Fort, and a slim Audemars Piguet fitted with a seldom seen dial. At what could be described as the more affordable end of the spectrum, we've also got a rectangular Tissot, and an Angelus Chronodato for those that require a full display of the date at all times. Keep reading until the end, and you'll find a little surprise bonus, that you too, might want. Before the weekend is officially here, let's get down to it.? Eberhard Extra Fort Ref. 31003 If you weren't already aware, here's a little watc...
A Week On The Wrist: The Grand Seiko SBGK005
It's easy in my line of work to get jaded. I spend all day, every day, looking at watches, trying to find the most interesting and compelling examples to share with all of you right here. It's a great gig, don't get me wrong, but it can lead to a bit of fatigue. Differentiating one perfectly round yellow gold dress watch from the next can start to seem futile, and there are only so many 40mm to 42mm black-dialed, ceramic-bezeled chronographs that one guy can handle. So, as you can probably imagine, when I see something that stands out, that looks genuinely new, I get very, very excited. On a spec sheet, the Grand Seiko SBGK005 mi...
Sunday Rewind: Looking Back At The Insanely Cool Patek Philippe Ref. 1518 In Stainless Steel
Do you want to know why the Patek Philippe 1518 in steel is one of the most collectible and desirable watches in existence? Jump into this exhaustive report Ben published back in 2016 to learn the full story behind this exceedingly rare perpetual calendar chronograph from Patek. All of this was put together on the eve of the watch coming up for auction at Phillips in Geneva, where it would go on to fetch over $11,000,000. At the time, this made it the most expensive wristwatch in the world (though a certain special Daytona would take the crown less than a year later). From the history of the model to a breakdown of the examples k...
In-Depth: The Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean Ultra Deep Professional
"I strapped my mountaineering ice axe to the submersible, meaning its gone to the highest and deepest points on the planet." C Victor Vescovo Vescovo is either The Most Interesting Man in the World C a certified jet pilot who worked in naval intelligence (including a tour of duty on the 7th Fleet's command ship, USS Blue Ridge) ?and has summited the highest peaks on all seven continents C or else hes a Bond villain, conjuring world domination behind that benign smile and "gentleman explorer" persona. I havent figured out which, but whatever the case, Omega's glad he decided to buy a Planet Ocean.? Victor Vescovo, describi...
Introducing: The MB&F HM7 Aquapod Platinum Red
Today we have something new from MB&F to announce C a platinum version of the HM7 Aquapod with a sapphire bezel in striking red.?This new precious metal Aquapod is the fourth model in MB&F's dive-watch-inspired series of central tourbillons. It joins previous versions made in titanium with blue accents (33 pieces), red gold with black accents (66 pieces) and titanium with bright green accents (50 pieces). There will be 25 examples of the HM7 Aquapod Platinum Red, each of which will come supplied with three straps: the red rubber version you see here, a white rubber strap, and a black rubber strap. This is the first platinum version of the HM7 Aquapod, and...