Best Super NEWS Watches
Watch Spotting: James Matthews Wearing The Bremont Jaguar MKII As He Marries Pippa Middleton
By now you've probably heard that Pippa Middleton, sister of Kate Middleton, Duchess of Cambridge, married hedge funder James Matthews this past weekend on May 20. And what was he wearing on his wrist for the nuptials? A Bremont Jaguar MKII.?In case you don't know, Matthews is the CEO of Eden Rock Capital Management Group and became engaged to Pippa in 2016. But enough about the gossip, how about the watch.? The Bremont Jaguar MKII was first introduced in February 2015 and was created in partnership with British automaker Jaguar. The collection was made to celebrate the iconic E-Type (designed by Malcolm Sayer in the early 1960s), which also happened to be the ge...
Introducing: The Vanitas Clock, By Fiona Krger And L'Epe 1839
Watchmaking, from a design standpoint, has a fairly narrow range of possible aesthetic choices, by and large. There are designs that stand out from the pack, but generally it doesn't take very much to do that C if you have a case that isn't round you're already 90% there. Fiona Krger's work stands out not only from most other watches, but even (and maybe especially) from most other watches that use a skull motif as the basis for their design language. Generally the sense you get from such watches is that they have all the emotional depth of a teaspoon (to borrow a phrase from J.K. Rowling) but Krger's watches have always seemed very much more than one-note designs, thanks partly to her won...
Introducing: The Farer GMT Automatic Collection
Back in Feburary, Cara introduced you to the Endurance, an automatic three-hand-and-date watch from new British brand Farer. That watch has quirky, colorful styling and a workhorse movement packed into a very wearable package, all for a reasonable price. And, unlike many of the more budget-friendly watches out there, it has its own distinct look and feel. Today Farer is upping the ante, adding a collection of similarly appealing GMTs to the mix. The Farer GMT Automatic collection consists of three watches, all of which start with the same bones. Just like the earlier automatics, these watches have 39.5mm stainless steel cases and come in at just 10mm thick. The f...
Hands-On: The Czapek Place Vendome Tourbillon Suspendu 'Ici Et Ailleurs'
Over the last decade or so, there's been an explosion of new, independent watch brands. These range from the hyper conservative to the wildly experimental, but here at HODINKEE we're big fans of creative people trying new things and pushing horology forward into the 21st century. Czapek & Cie. is one such firm and they've only recently unveiled their second family of watches: the Place Vend?me collection, starting with the dramatic Tourbillon Suspendu "Ici et Ailleurs." I had the pleasure of going hands-on with the watch recently in New York, and I was very impressed by what I saw. TheCzapek Place Vendome Tourbillon Suspendu in platinum. ...
Hands-On: The Omega Speedmaster 'First Omega In Space' In Sedna Gold
If you're a regular reader, you already know how much I like Omega's 2012 re-edition of the historically important ref. 2998, a model that Walter Schirra wore in 1962 during his Sigma 7 flight. I bought one of my own just a couple of days after publishing the story because I couldnt find it in me to give it back to Omega. It quickly established itself in my collection as the go-to watch and took home the annual "Most Worn" title in 2016. At almost the halfway point in 2017, it looks like it will retain that title and the more time it spends on my wrist, the more I appreciate it. I enjoy it not just as a pure re-edition of the ref. 2998, but as a Speedmaster with all of the lines best attri...
Rewind: Two Very Different Watches Owned By Two Of The Most Famous Generals Of All Time
Here in the United States it's Memorial Day, when we remember those who have died in the line of military service. Today we thought we'd take a look back at two watches we've found over the years from storied military personalities, both generals in the United States Army during World War II. Despite serving alongside one another, the two gentlemen's watches could not be more different, each reflecting a different facet of early 20th-century watchmaking. General Douglas MacArthur's Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso One of the Reverso's early selling points was its ability to be customized with something on the...
Introducing: The Richard Mille RM 27-03 For Rafael Nadal
Richard Mille and Rafael Nadal are at it again, and just in time for summer. The brand has just released the limited edition RM 27-03, with a new caliber that features a new tourbillon. The tennis star and the lightweight luxury watch brand have been partners since 2010, when the first Richard Mille x Rafael Nadal watch was released. The duo have made a name for themselves by making shock-resistant and light watches that Nadal actually wears while playing (and usually winning) tennis. So what is different about this watch? Well, case-wise it's pretty much the same as previous models, albeit in very different hues. It's made of ultra-lightweight Quartz TPT (a comb...
This week, our highlight is undoubtedly a yellow gold Rolex Daytona ref. 6263, with a truly stunning black dial. We have also selected a pair of dive watches, a 1960s Longines with a tropical dial and a 1970s Zenith with a funky orange dial. And, for diversity's sake, you will also find a Zenith chronometer featuring the award-winning caliber 135. Longines Diver Ref. 7150-1, With Tropical Dial Here it is easy to spot the Super Compressor case, with its characteristic cross-hatched crowns. Manufactured by Piquerez, it relied on the increased water pressure to further seal the case as a diver went deeper an...
Introducing: The A. Lange & Sohne 1815 Chronograph With Black Dial (Live Pics & Pricing)
White metal, black dial. This is what so many look for when considering a high-end chronograph. The Datograph Up/Down, a staple of high-end chronographery (is that a word? no, but it should be) hit on that, and the platinum case plus black dial coupled with arguably the sexiest damn movement in all of watchmaking made it a quick classic. But the Datograph isn't perfect for all; nay, some prefer its slightly thinner, slightly more slender little brother, the 1815 chronograph. I am, in fact, one of those people, and an original 1815 chronograph in white gold remains part of my core collection to this day. I am, not shockingly, wearing it as I write this story. ...
Welcome to episode six of Friday Live. This week, editor Cara Barrett and managing editor Stephen Pulvirent dig into the rich history of watches in James Bond movies, ranking the top five timepieces to make on-screen appearances. After that we'll look at a pair of watches that found their way to HODINKEE HQ this week and both hosts will show you what they're wearing on their wrists as summer approaches. As always, we'll be taking live questions from all of you too, so please leave your questions in the comments section below. Enjoy!...
Hands-On: The Oris Big Crown 1917
When asked about what the biggest trends are from this year's Baselworld fair, I've basically been giving the same answer to everyone: all vintage everything. Basically any brand with heritage to draw from (and even some without) created old-school watches in smaller sizes and with period details to draw in the real fans. Oris went way back though, looking to its very first pilot's watch to inspire the Big Crown 1917. This is definitely the most overtly old-school watch Oris has created in a long time. Arthur first introduced you to this watch during Baselworld itself. To quickly recap the basics, this 40mm stainless steel pil...
Hands-On: Oris Regulateur 'Der Meistertaucher'
Most dive watches follow a pretty simple formula. This almost always means normal hour and minute hands, either central or subsidiary seconds, and sometimes a date window. This watch mostly fits that mold, but with one major change: it's a regulator, meaning the hour and minute hands aren't on the same axis. Instead, the large minute hand is still centrally-located, with the hours being displayed in a sub-dial at three o'clock. TheRegulateur "Der Meistertaucher" is not Oris's first regulator dive watch. If you think about it, this kind of display is actually perfect for a dive watch. While it was originally used for scientific...
Photo Report: The Tudor Baselworld Novelties At Swiss Fine Timing In Chicago
Last Wednesday night we had the pleasure of welcoming over 100 guests to Swiss Fine Timing in Chicago in partnership with Tudor to check out the 2017 novelties, which are just now hitting U.S. shores after debuting at Baselworld in March. Russell Kelly, Head of Tudor Watch USA, and our own founder, Benjamin Clymer, co-hosted along with Swiss Fine Timing's owner and manager, Gene Stern and Daniel Jordan.? The latest releases from Baselworld were on-hand for guests to see in the metal and try on their own wrists. That included the much-talked-about Black Bay Chronograph, the Black Bay 41 (the BB36's new bigger brother), and both the Black Bay Steel and Black Bay St...
Hands-On: The S.U.F Vetehinen Diver From Stepan Sarpaneva
You've probably never heard of S.U.F watches before. If you have, you're probably either a) someone well-connected in the watch industry, especially in independent watchmaking circles or b) Finnish. The brand was founded by Stepan Sarpaneva in 2003 at the very same time he launched his eponymous Sarpaneva brand. The latter has become well-known for the distinctive moonphase and funky style, amongst other things, but S.U.F remains nearly unknown on the international stage. Let's fix that right now. This watch is named for a Finnish submarine from World War II. Sarpaneva's goal with S.U.F was to create a distinctly Finnish watch...
Found: Two Super-Rare, Identical Breguet Watches From The Chaumet Era
When I want to see something new, I visit Antoine de Macedo in Paris. I think Antoine knows this too, because hes become very good at finding models that Ive never come across before. Im beginning to wonder if he isnt doing it to remind me of his much greater experience. Finding watches that nobody ever knew existed is kind of his thing. That very strange square Gbelin that sold at auction last month for more than triple what Phillips estimated? He found it. A Breguet triple calendar chronograph from 1952, sold by Christie's last year. Ive got to show you this Breguet, he says right after I walk into this store. Hes ...
Historical Perspectives: CWC: The Watch That Replaced The MilSub
Among collectors of vintage military watches, there are a handful of grails worth chasing: one of the rare Dirty Dozen WWW watches, a Royal Air ForceCissued IWC Mark XI, or a Heuer Bundeswehr flyback chronograph, amongst a few others. Of course, at the top of the heap sits the legendary MilSub, the Rolex Submariner that was issued to British Royal Navy divers in the 1960s and '70s. These sought-after watches regularly sell for six-figure sums, with a minefield of intimidating nuances and variations through which to wade. A Rolex MilSub But theres another dive watch out there, supplied by a humble British brand C Cabot Watch C...
Recommended Reading: Radiolab Explores The Nature Of Time
Forget any connection to watches or timekeeping C if you're not already a regular listener to Radiolab, you need to become one ASAP. The radio show and podcast comes from producers Jad Abumrad and Robert Krulwich, and is a deep dive into science, human curiosity, culture, and the like. This month is the show's 15th birthday, and to celebrate the creators replayed one of the earliest episodes, one fully devoted to exploring how we measure and experience time. Over the course of the show, physicists discuss the elasticity of time and how our experiences of time can be greatly varied, the role time plays in music is experimented with, offering new takes on familiar ...
Business News: David Beckham Announced As Tudor's Newest Global Brand Ambassador
David Beckham, arguably the world's most famous soccer player, has just been announced as the newest global brand ambassador for Tudor watches. He will be a big part of the current "Born To Dare" campaign, which was first announced back in March during Baselworld. We don't normally talk a lot about brand ambassadors and sponsorships here on the 'dink, but it's hard to overstate the impact that someone this high-profile and with this dedicated a fan base can have on a watch brand.? The Tudor Black Bay Steel and Gold, the same as Mr. Beckham is wearing above. It's a big year for Tudor. The manufacture has released a slew o...
Introducing: The MB&F HM6 Alien Nation (Live Pics + Pricing)
Any day where we get a new Horological Machine from MB&F is a good day. While today we're not getting a totally new HM, we are getting a new take on one of the brand's more outlandish creations, the HM6. The aptly-named Alien Nation is a limited edition of just four unique pieces (each is slightly different C more on that in a bit) that takes the already space-themed watch and opens it up while adding some minute, hand-crafted extra terrestrials to the mix. The original HM6 from 2014. The original HM6 debuted back in November 2014, and it sure turned a lot of heads when it did. The watch featured a curvy titanium case with...
Review Of the Girard-Perregaux Laureato Titanium Chronograph
Girard-Perregaux has introduced its latest Laureato, the Laureato Chronograph Ti49. For fans of the Laureato, it'll be a familiar form, just a little bit lighter since the case and bracelet are now made of Grade 5 titanium.? The Laureato Chrono Ti49 measures 42mm and 12mm thick (50mm lug-to-lug), and the case and bracelet are made of Grade 5 titanium C?an alloy that's also made of aluminum and vanadium that makes it harder than Grade 2 (the "49" refers to the fact that this year is the Lauteato's 49th anniversary). The case dimensions are well balanced, and while the lug-to-lug measurement is relatively long, you can see in these...