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Best Super NEWS Watches
Recommended Reading: Peking To Paris In A Porsche 912
Documenting a wild and exciting effort to run the Peking to Paris rally in a 1968 Porsche 912, this is the second post in a series from FourTillFour.com and a must-read for any fan of old-school adventuring and classic motoring. The Peking To Paris Motor Challenge is open to any vehicle produced before 1976, and participants take their classic car and attempt to cross 12 countries, often on surfaces that can only be loosely deemed "roads." ? Follow along as Nico Samaras and Mark Gudaitis strive to keep their little-912-that-could on track through the wilds of Mongolia, including driving some 1,000 kilometers on only a singl...
Just Because: Five Under-The-Radar Watchmakers To Follow On Instagram
There are a plethora of independent watchmakers that we don't often hear about. When I say independent, I really mean independent: just one person, often working on watches as a side job. They don't have advertising budgets, marketing teams, or large manufacturing centers. But what they do have is incredible perseverance, technical knowledge, and creativity. Below are five independent watchmakers that are largely under the radar, but who definitely deserve your attention. David CottrellDavid Cottrell's skill in both manufacturing and watchmaking is incredible. From his Instagram account, we can see that he has manufactured a key-...
Introducing: The Habring2 Perpetual-Doppel, A New Perpetual Calendar Rattrapante Chronograph
Habring2 is celebrating its 15th anniversary this year (the company was founded by Richard and Maria Habring in 2004) with the introduction of the most complex watch it's ever made. The Perpetual-Doppel is an evolution of the Doppel-Felix rattrapante chronograph, which was released in 2018, and which in turn has a lineage going back to the release, in 2012, of the Habring2 Doppel 2.0. That was the first rattrapante, or split-seconds, chronograph created by Richard Habring under the Habring2 name, but it was not the first he'd ever made. Habring had originally designed a very robust, relatively inexpensive, and very reliable rattrapante chronograph for IWC, built into a highly modified Valjou...
The honor of appearing on a Wheaties box has been a rite of passage for the biggest names in sports for a long time. The list of those who have graced the bright orange breakfast cereal box since Yankees slugger Lou Gehrig first appeared in 1934 includes icons like Jesse Owens, Carl Lewis, Walter Payton, Althea Gibson, Brett Favre, and Andre Agassi.?Today, another American sports legend can add the Wheaties box to her resume: Serena Williams. And if that wasn't enough, she's rocking a pretty cool watch too, an Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore. What most surprised me upon learning that Serena Williams was on the latest Wheaties box was that it was only her first...
HODINKEE Radio: Episode 48: The Most Interesting Watches Of 2019
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! It's hard to believe it, but were officially halfway through the year. As 2019 reaches its midpoint, we figured it was about time that we take a minute to look back at what the year in watches has looked like so far. All the major trade shows are behind us, all the major brands and groups have dropped their biggest releases, and there has been enough time for collectors and enthusiasts to have myriad reactions to the latest crop of watches.?We were able to get...
In-Depth: Some Personal Thoughts On The Omega Speedmaster Apollo 11 50th Anniversary Limited Edition
"I guess the question I'm asked the most often is: 'When you were sitting in that capsule listening to the count-down, how did you feel?' Well, the answer to that one is easy. I felt exactly how you would feel if you were getting ready to launch and knew you were sitting on top of two million parts C all built by the lowest bidder on a government contract."?C Astronaut John Glenn On the 20th of July, 1969, after millennia of looking at the Moon, human beings finally walked on it. The success of NASA's efforts to put a man on the Moon before the end of the 1960s was far from a foregone conclusion, and the Apollo program alone had had its share of close calls and o...
Hands-On: The Orion Calamity Diver
While much of the so-called microbrand market leans pretty hard on the whole "new vintage" trend (shtick?), that doesn't mean it's the only option for a dive watch enthusiast on the hunt for something a bit more insider (and uncommon) than your run-of-the-mill Seikos or Hamiltons. Enter Orion Watches and their Calamity Diver, which makes a strong argument for a more modern dive watch with broad appeal.? A relative newcomer, Orion has produced a handful of well-received watches that struck a balance between field and dressy designs, but the Calamity is their first go at making a dive watch. Offered only in steel with a trio of dia...
Hands-On: Tissot Heritage 1973 Chronograph
Siffert, Ickx, Stewart, Moss, and McQueen are all names that naturally come up when talking about the golden era of motorsports, but theyll come up just as much when discussing vintage watches. Some had watches made in their name long after their racing days were over; others made watches like the Autavia and Daytona into big names in the collecting world. Tissot is hoping to add a new name to the conversation with the release of the Heritage 1973 Chronograph C and that name is Loris Kessel.? Kessel isn't as well known as some of his contemporaries, and he didn't rack up any championship points in the six Grand Prix races he ent...
The summer is now moving by as fast as the market does, but the good finds haven't ceased coming out of the woodwork. We're back with a variety of vintage watches, suited for tastes of all sorts. Pink gold reigns supreme this week, with the inclusion of two such watches, one being a Triple Calendar from Ulysse Nardin, along with a Jaeger-LeCoultre Futurematic. For those that prefer a steel sports chronograph, fear not, as there's an Omega Speedmaster Ref. 105.003 and a Ref. 1133G Heuer Monaco C both of which are in ridiculously good condition. Last but not least, keep scrolling to find one of the most exciting, provenanceCheavy Omega Seamaster 300s I've stumbled across in a long while. Let u...
Hands-On: The Zenith Defy Classic Ceramic
What we have here is a trio of new(ish) ceramic Defy watches from Zenith. As you can see, they have undeniably modern looks, and yet the name, and certain elements of the watch's design C most obviously the case C are inheritors of a design language dating from the late '60s to early '70s, even though the case is made from a material that watchmakers only began utilizing some time later. About a week ago, I wrote up the revival of the watch from which this Zenith design language sprang, the company's A384, which debuted with the first wave of El Primero chronographs in 1969. The A384's angular tonneau shape shares more than a pas...
Sunday Rewind: A Week On The Wrist: The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Diver
It's hard to believe this post is nearly 8 years old. Tag along with our resident smiling adventurer, staff diver, ?and The Grey NATO co-host, Jason Heaton, as he does the hard work for you and rolls off a dive boat with an Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Diver on his wrist.? It's not every day that we get to see a $17,000 dive watch go any deeper than maybe the shallow end, let alone an actual dive, so follow along with Heaton as he questions if he has remembered to screw down the crown on this remarkable dive watch. The better part of a decade later, from the video (above) to the full post linked below, while the write...
Recommended Reading: The Apple Watch Will Outsell All Swiss Watches In 2019
There's been no small amount of handwringing over the longterm impacts the Apple Watch will have on the traditional Swiss watch industry since the device was first unveiled in September 2014 (you can read Ben's original report on that right here). But over the last five years we've seen anything but clear answers to questions like "Will the Apple Watch become indispensable for most consumers?" and "Do the Swiss have an answer for retaining marketshare and minds?" In a story published by The New York Times over the weekend though, we learned that analysts are currently projecting the Apple Watch to outsell the entire Swiss watch industry by volume in 2019. That's pretty big news indeed.Whethe...
Introducing: The Unique Patek Philippe Grandmaster Chime Ref. 6300A For Only Watch 2019
This morning, Only Watch unveiled most of the watches that will be sold to benefit research on Duchenne muscular dystrophy this November, and boy are there some cool pieces. At the top of the heap though is the Patek Philippe Grandmaster Chime ref. 6300A. This is Patek's most complicated wristwatch rendered in a stainless steel case with a salmon dial up front (and a black dial on the back). Plain and simple, that's just awesome. Even if the Grandmaster Chime isn't a watch you'd think about wearing C it has a multi-million-dollar price tag and is 47.7mm across C this is one you should be paying attention to.?In case you need a refresher, the Grandmaster Chime was first introduced in 2014 as ...
Introducing: The Breguet Type 20 Only Watch 2019
We've just learned what the newest batch of Only Watch lots look like, and there are indeed some really eye-catching unique pieces to get excited about. In scanning the images of all the lots, the watch that grabbed my attention most was the Breguet Type 20 Only Watch 2019. The modern Breguet Type XX range is of course a historically oriented pilot's watch line inspired by military watches made in accordance with specifications set forth by the French Ministry of Defense back in 1954. According to Breguet, the military models were referred to as the Type 20, while the civilian range, which were sold, and continue to be sold, to watch enthusiasts, were designated Type XX. ...
Introducing: The Tudor Black Bay Ceramic One For Only Watch 2019
With the Only Watch 2019 listings officially unveiled today, the first name I always look for on the list is Tudor. Despite the Only Watch ranks including heavy hitters like Patek Philippe, F.P. Journe, Herms, and Audemars Piguet, Tudor has earned a notable position in the lineup by creating unique pieces that manage to preserve much of their sporty everyday appeal. To wit, take a look at this year's stealthy one-of-one, the Tudor Black Bay Ceramic One. Matte black on matte black, this 41mm ceramic-cased Black Bay has a mix of brushed and bead-blasted finishes. The crown and caseback are steel with a matte black PVD treatment and the bezel is PVD coated titanium...
Editors' Picks: Five Sleeper Hits From Only Watch 2019
Just yesterday, Only Watch dropped its collection of unique watches, all of which will be sold for charity on November 9, 2019, in Geneva (in partnership with Christie's). There are some brands that are perennial favorites at the bi-annual auction C Tudor, Patek Philippe, and F.P. Journe all come to mind C but there are also outstanding, under-the-radar watches up for grabs from other makers. Here are five of my favorite watches that haven't yet grabbed the headlines they deserve. Akrivia C Chronomtre Contemporain Only Watch My love for the Chronomtre Contemporain from Akrivia is no secret. I've been pr...
Introducing: The F. P. Journe Astronomic Blue For Only Watch 2019
The 2019 edition of Only Watch has been announced, along with a slew of watches produced by makers who are supporting the auction. For the uninitiated, Only Watch is a biennial charity auction, held to support the Monegasque Association Against Muscular Dystrophy, and in particular research into better treatments and hopefully, a cure for the most severe form, which is Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Muscular dystrophy is a congenital disorder, in which muscle tissue gradually weakens over time due to an inability to form proteins necessary for healthy muscles. Only Watch was co-founded by Luc Pettavino, whose son Paul passed away from complications of Duchenne muscular dystrophy in 2016, at th...
Introducing: The Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Barakuda Unique Piece For Only Watch 2019
Only Watch is a charity auction where major manufacturers submit a one-off example to be auctioned off. Proceeds go to the Monegasque Association Against Muscular dystrophy. Blancpain has taken one of its most iconic models, the Fifty Fathoms, and created an execution that channels design elements from the Barakuda, a perennial collector favorite. The resulting watch appears minimalist; its a pared-down Fifty Fathoms packed with small details that serve as a nod to serious collectors and enthusiasts while also offering something completely new.? The Fifty Fathoms Barakuda for the 2019 Only Watch auction eschews the red accents that typically characterize the Bar...
On October 3, 1962, astronaut Walter M. "Wally" Schirra was blasted aloft into orbit atop an Atlas rocket (we use the word "blasted" advisedly; the Atlas family of rockets were not originally intended to be used for manned spaceflight, but were first developed as intercontinental ballistic missiles). The mission was a success, with six orbits completed, though public notice was not what it might have been under other circumstances. The Cuban Missile Crisis began shortly thereafter, on the 16th of October, and worries about imminent nuclear war drove pretty much everything else off the front page. But, it was nonetheless an historic occasion, with Schirra reaching a maximum orbital altitude o...
In-Depth: How NASA's Deep Space Atomic Clock Could Revolutionize Navigation Of The Final Frontier
On June 25th, at 2:30 AM, a giant rocket roared skyward from Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Launch Center. The Complex has a quite long history as the jumping off point for journeys into outer space, and is part of the larger Launch Complex 39, which was constructed especially for launching Saturn V rockets for the Apollo Program. Eventually, 13 Saturn V rockets were launched from the Complex, along with Skylab and Space Shuttle missions. Upon the conclusion of the Space Shuttle program, NASA decided to open Complex 39A to commercial use, and in 2013, selected SpaceX as its tenant, with a 20-year lease.? Complex 39A is now used for launches of both Falco...