Best Super NEWS Watches
Five Highlights From The New Patek Philippe Rare Handcrafts Collection
Yesterday, we told you about a Patek Philippe's Rare Handcrafts exhibition in Geneva, which is currently underway through June 26th. We showed you the stunning wristwatches launched in the core collection that incorporate a range of metiers, as well as some of the Rare Handcrafts wristwatches themselves. Today, we're taking a look at five particularly beautiful pocket watches and table clocks from the exhibit. There are many more of these new timekeepers than we were able to feature here. So if you can get to Geneva or are already there, definitely try to check it out. Due to Covid protocols, you will have to register. For more information, visit visit Patek Phil...
Introducing: The Breguet Type XXI 3815 Is A Lean, Clean Take On A Classic (Live Pics, Pricing)
The Breguet Type XX and Type XXI watches are the odd men out in the Breguet lineup. The company's mainstays are elegant watches in precious metals, often kept as thin as is practical, and of course the signature complication is the tourbillon C Abraham L. Breguet's most famous brainchild. The Type XX and XXI represent another, more modern branch of the family tree. Breguet is naturally most often thought of as a watch company, but one of Breguet's grandsons founded Breguet Aviation, as well (though the two companies had no connection other than the family name). Breguet, the watchmaker, originally produced Type XX watches under contract for the French government ...
In-Depth: The Jaquet Droz Loving Butterfly Automaton, A Legend Brought To Life
If you ever happen to visit Neuchatel, which sits on the north shore of the lake of the same name, in the canton of the same name, you will probably stay in one of the hotels which look across deep blue water to the opposite shore, and you'll probably walk up the slope behind the lake, to visit the famous castle. What you might miss, and shouldn't, if you are a watch enthusiast, is the Muse d'Art et de Histoire. The Museum has a surprisingly rich collection, including works by Monet and Pissaro. Unsurprisingly for a museum in the Swiss Jura, there are clocks and watches, as well. But what you should make time to see if you possibly can, are three automatons, which were made by the Jaquet Dr...
The Conversation: More Words From Dad
Earlier this week, some members of the HODINKEE community shared the watches that they associate with fatherhood. More folks hopped into the comments section of that piece to share their stories. We encourage you to read all of the comments here, but we decided to highlight some of them below. Thank you all for sharing your stories and Happy Fathers Day! @Mpower5266 I became a father Sept. 19, 2020, to boy/girl twins. To make a long story short, a few months before their birth my dad and I found my grandfather's Wakmann chronograph. Dual register, hand wind, gold with blue sub-dials (it's basically a Brei...
Sunday Rewind: Talking Watches With Greg Norman
With the U.S. Open in full swing, it's a great time to examine the connection between golf, golfers, and the wristwatches they wear. Greg Norman dominated TV screens in the '80s and '90s. He was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2001. And he's got an impressive watch collection to match his accomplishments on the greens. And it seems that watch enthusiasm is still high among golf's modern stars, as well, just take it from Adam Scott and Rory McIlroy. If you've spotted any interesting watches on golfers' wrists this weekend at the U.S. Open, drop us a comment. Click here to watch Talking Wat...
Hands-On: My Watch Of The Summer? It's A Contest Between Two Aquaracers.
It happens every year, around the end of May. The temperature is rising, I've booked the beach vacation, and I start to think about my ideal watch for the next few months. I have some criteria. It will be a dive watch, rugged and legible; it will be modern rather than vintage; a classic black dial is acceptable, but I'll give the edge to a watch that adds some color. Comfort is a top consideration, so rather than being made of heavy stainless steel, both the watch and its bracelet will be titanium. I prefer a moderate depth rating (say, 200 or 300 meters), so that the case will be thinner and lighter than on some professional models. With TAG Heuer recently offer...
Hands-On: The Oddball Charm Of The Priv Collection Cloche De Cartier
The Cloche de Cartier is, objectively, a strange bird. The name means "bell" and the watch gets its name from the fact that it looks like a bell resting on its side. Straightforward enough. However, the Roman numerals on the dial are rotated 90o from their usual position, with the XII adjacent to the crown. Of course, that's where you'd usually find the three, and if you've spent a lifetime reading the time off conventional analogue wristwatches, this can take some getting used to. One rationale for having the numbers in this position is that it lets you use the watch as a table clock C set it on its side and the numbers are orie...
Second Opinions: I Can't Tell You What Watch To Buy
Among those in my line of "work," one question reigns as the most troublesome:?"I have $XXXX, what watch should I buy?" I hate being asked this question. The problem isn't the question itself C it's a totally reasonable request of someone who writes consumer advice about watches. The problem lies with the answer because my answer is pretty much always some version of "I can't tell you what watch to buy." Which I know is totally unsatisfying.It's not that I don't want to be helpful. It's that I actually don't think I can be helpful. That's because picking a watch is C or should be C the result of an internal monologue informed by ...
Hands-On: Serica Goes Off The Deep End With The 5303 (A Brand New Dive Watch)
Serica watches has recently announced its sophomore release, the new 5303 diver. Following the 4512 (a version of which I reviewed here back in 2019), the 5303 takes a similar treatment but applies it to the idea of an elegant and everyday wearable dive watch. Facing a sink or swim proposition C creating a new and appealing watch is no small task C can a compelling blend of sizing, specs, and distinctive design put the 5303 on the map? Or, more importantly, on your wrist? Water-resistant to 300 meters with a large screw-down crown and a unidirectional twin-scale bezel with a luminous pip at 12, the 5303 is made of steel and uses ...
Jason Heaton Shares His Watch Collection
I met Jason Heaton many years ago, on a press trip (there were boats involved and we were all invited to attempt to use a sextant and chart to get a fix on our boat's position. My observations put us around five hundred miles east of Pensacola. The boat was in Lisbon). The airline had managed to lose his luggage, and what impressed me most was how phlegmatic he was about the whole thing. Since then, I don't think I've ever seen him come close to losing his considerable cool. Diver, watch expert, world traveler, and novelist, Jason's carved out a unique niche for himself both as a journalist and traveler (you might say Jason Heaton's greatest creation is Jason Heaton), and I, like countless o...
Introducing: Grand Seiko's Next Micro Artist Studio Masterpiece
An immaculately finished dial is Grand Seiko's calling card. But even within a lineup famous for bright, shiny interfaces, there are levels. I love my entry-level SBGM221, but when I gaze into its creamy dial and note its diamond-polished hour and minute hands and heat-blued GMT hand, I have no illusions that it's all GS can do. At the very top, representing the ne plus ultra of Japanese watchmaking craftsmanship, you'll find pieces like the one you see here, made at Grand Seiko's Micro Artist Studio. Ever since Grand Seiko became its own independent marque in 2017, it's been on an upmarket trajectory, with more lavishly finished...
To view the entire current selection of vintage watches available in the HODINKEE Shop, click here.Questions? Send us a note, or let us know in the comments. Want to sell your vintage watch through the HODINKEE Shop? Click here. Want to sell your pre-owned watch through Crown & Caliber? Click here. This Week's Vintage Watches The vintage watches landing in the HODINKEE Shop every Wednesday should offer variety C?that's something we strive to do each week. Since we ramped up our listings at the end of 2020, our vintage selection has aimed to serve as many collectors, vintage enthusiasts, and those just dipping their toes into vinta...
All Three Versions Of The New MB&F LM101 2021 Edition
When MB&F originally launched the LM101 in 2014, our own Ben Clymer praised this special expression of the Legacy Machine format for both its wearability and the (comparatively, mind you) affordable price point. With a then-novel 40mm sizing, it quickly became the MB&F that you could actually wear, you know, like a normal watch. Fast forward to May of this year C a year in which I havent exactly had much in the way of hands-on time with much from the world of avant-garde haute-horology C when I receive an email from the fine folks at MB&F asking if I might like to borrow not one, but all three of their 2021 Legacy Ma...
Watching Movies: Two Diametrically Opposed Watches Head For Open Water In 'Jaws'
"Don't go in the water." Those five words haunted every beach-going movie lover in America when Jaws (1975) hit theaters and ?birthed the modern blockbuster. Fans literally lined up around the block to watch a series of shark attacks besiege the East Coast beach town of Amity, while the mayor refuses to close the beach until a grisly fatal attack forces his hand. The police chief Martin Brody (played by Roy Scheider) assembles a crack-team of shark hunters C Quint, an old, surly, drunken sailor (played by Robert Shaw), and new-age-hippie oceanographer Matt Hooper (played by Richard Dreyfus). The three embark on a daring mission to rid the swanky vacation destinat...
Inside The Design: Graphic Designer David Carson Is Very Into Swatches
David Carson doesn't care much for rules. In fact, the famed graphic designer, known for his "anti-grid" aesthetic, made his name by ignoring them. His aesthetic ethos, seen in projects as varied as the design for Ray Gun magazine and branding for Bose speakers, has always centered on the question of "why not?" Why not run type vertically instead of horizontally on the page? Why not collage together scraps of paper youve torn from posters around the world? Why not use mildly illegible typography? And why not wear a Swatch on both wrists at the same time? Carson's irreverent approach to life and work has served him well; so well that hes the first graphic design...
The Tissot Powermatic 80 PRX Proves Every Decade Has Its Strong Points
The 1970s may not have been a great decade for producing timeless classics of either fashion or music, though it was admittedly a banner decade for proscribed psychedelics (thank you Sandoz Labs, another great Swiss company). But for watch enthusiasts, it's hard to think of a single period in wristwatch design that looms larger. The 1970s gave us the Quartz Crisis, which led to a series of revolutions not just in electronic watches, but in mechanical watchmaking as well. And it also gave us what has become one of the single most ubiquitous categories of wristwatches C the stainless steel, integrated bracelet sports watch. The Roy...
HODINKEE Radio: Jack Forster Just Published His 1,000th Story On HODINKEE
Subscribe to the show: (Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, TuneIn). Already heard it once or twice? Please leave a short review, and tell us which guests we should have on! One thousand stories. That's a lot of words about a lot of watches, and as of last week our editor-in-chief, Jack Forster, has hit that monumental milestone. Going back to when he joined the team, on June 1, 2015, Jack has written hundreds-of-thousands of words about thousands of watches, and he's done so from a few different continents in close to a dozen time zones. To celebrate, I sat down with Jack for a virtual toast and trip down memory lane, giving us a chanc...
Introducing: Whoa, The Tudor Black Bay Fifty-Eight Is Now Fully Bronze (Live Pics & Pricing)
Now here's a surprise. The much-loved 39mm Black Bay Fifty-Eight is now available in bronze, a watchmaking material long associated with marine endeavors C and one known for its tendency to patinate, often rapidly, and in unique ways depending on who's wearing it, where, and how. Tudor's been busy playing with materials this year; only about a month ago the brand dropped a ceramic 41mm Black Bay. We also saw silver and gold updates to the line back in April at Watches & Wonders Geneva. Now, in addition to two extant steel versions, you can choose your Black Bay Fifty-Eight from any of the Olympic medal metals. ...
Business News: Baselworld Announces Return, Sets 2022 Dates
It's been a minute since we heard any news from the MCH Group about the fate of Baselworld. The last announcement from the legendary Swiss trade show's parent company was an intention to move away from the "Baselworld" brand and introduce a new event format called "HourUniverse" as a replacement. Today that plan changed. The MCH Group announced its intention to revive Baselworld this morning, even going so far as to publicly announce prospective dates for the event: March 31, 2022, to April 4, 2022. Those dates are intentional. They line up precisely with the timing of Watches & Wonders 2022, set to take place at Geneva's Palexpo next spring. ...
Introducing: The Monochrome Montre de Souscription 1 Sells Out In Minutes
Earlier this morning, the fine folks at Monochrome announced their first-ever collaboration watch design and each and every piece in the series sold in a flash. Created in collaboration with the Austrian indie brand Habring2, this new classically themed monopusher chronograph is based on Habring2's Chrono-Felix model, and blends a steel 38.5mm case with a lovely two-tone salmon dial with blued steel chronograph accents. The Monochrome Montre de Souscription 1 was to be sold via pre-order and the entire production (which is done by Habring2 at their atelier in Austria) is limited to just 33 units with deliveries expected in Septem...