Best Super NEWS Watches
Andy Warhols Patek Philippe 2526 Headlines Sothebys New York Watches Auction
It's pretty easy to start an argument between watch enthusiasts: Toss out a couple of reference numbers and have a strong opinion, loosely held, about why one is so much better than the other, and stand back as chaos ensues. Last week, I trekked to New York's Upper East Side to preview the upcoming Sothebys Fine Watches sale, part of its Luxury Edit of sales across watches, jewels, spirits, and other such temptations. You might be thinking, "but Tony, isn't every week a Luxury Edit at Sotheby's on the Upper East Side?" to which I'd reply yes, of course. But not every week has a Warhol up for sale C?especially one that has nothing to do with painting.? ...
Photo Report: Hodinkee Hosts A Meet-Up In MYC
This week, the entire Hodinkee Editorial team was in New York at the same time (we're coast-to-coast these days), so we threw ourselves C and some of our friends, and a bunch of our readers C a little party. It was a good old fashioned watch meet-up. The kind of thing we used to do all the time before COVID, and that we're excited to start doing all the time once again. In fact, there'll be another event next week. Details coming soon. For the party represented in these lovely photos, we posted up at the Lower East Side dive bar Ray's, packed the house, drank delicious Miller High Life, and threw down watches for a couple of hou...
One to Watch: German Watchmaker Felipe Pikullik
Felipe Pikullik seemed destined from a young age to be a watchmaker.? Felipe Pikullik working at a watchmaking bench in his workshop. As a child, he had an insatiable curiosity for understanding how mechanical objects worked. But the idea and romance of watchmaking C the very nature of making small mechanical things by hand and the knowledge that it was an art practiced by fewer people every year C were impossible to shake and became Pikullik's dream.? Little did he know how far watchmaking had evolved from his innocent ideal. "I started my watchmaking apprenticeship in...
It's Time For TAG Heuer To Bring Back The Original Formula One Watch
TAG Heuer, it's time to bring back the original Formula One.? I love your vintage chronographs as much as the next guy. Okay, maybe not enough to write 9,500 words on the vintage Heuer Carrera (*cough* Ben *cough*; though I did help edit it!). But the Heuer Carrera Reference Points ends in 1985, when TAG (short for Techniques d'Avant Garde) acquired the struggling watchmaker. Where that story stops is where the Formula One fun begins. As Ben wrote, after the TAG acquisition, "along came the Formula One, and all the great TAG Heuers I remember from my childhood." In 1986, TAG Heuer introduced the first Formula One. They had brigh...
Double-Signed Dials, Twin Regulators, And Multiple Moonphases
The recent release of MB&F's dual-regulator LM2 in a palladium version got me thinking: Why should a watch have two regulators anyway, when one is really all that's required to properly function? For that matter, why do some watches have two mainspring barrels or two tourbillons? Like human kidneys, only one is needed for things to work the way they are supposed to. The simple answer is that having two of something (including kidneys) makes things work better. Here's a look at how. Balancing Act: Two Regulators Most mechanical watches operate with a single energy source, a single gear train and a single regulator (not to be conf...
The H. Moser Perpetual Calendar Watch
H. Moser & Cie. has never had a problem grabbing people's attention (sometimes to a fault). But for all the brand's past shenanigans and button-pushing, there's little doubt it can put its money where its mouth is when it comes to great watchmaking. Case in point: Moser's newest Endeavor Perpetual Calendar. Releasing a watch in tantalum is enough to get enthusiasts pretty excited. The extremely hard, heavy, dark, lustrous, and ductile material?is gorgeous, in my opinion the best white metal material on the market. But most enthusiasts know it's also a nightmare to work with, gumming up machinery and driving case makers insane...
Coming Soon: The Gold MoonSwatch
If you love watches, and you use Instagram, there's a good chance you saw the latest teaser post from Swatch previewing you know it a new MoonSwatch set to be released on March 7. For the rest of you, here's the clip: View this post on Instagram A post shared by Swatch (@swatch) Unlike last year when the first MoonSwatch models were teased online, Swatch is literally telling us what to expect on the 7th, and they're calling it the Mission to Moonshine Gold. This should have the antennas on watch lovers up. Surely it can't be real goldcan it? The...
Introduction To The Seiko 5 Sports SRPJ81 SRPJ83, and SRPJ85
Up until about 2018, if a non-watch person asked you, an enlightened "watch person," what (mechanical) watch they should buy, there's a pretty good chance you'd direct them to a Seiko 5, more specifically?the SNK 800 series, a simple collection of 36mm watches from Seiko that, at the time, sold for $65, give or take. The SNK series was cheap and functional, with an aesthetic somewhere between a pilot and a field watch that had broad appeal.?Then, in 2019, Seiko introduced its new Seiko 5 Sports collection, discontinuing its previous line of Seiko 5 models.? The SRPJ81, SRPJ83, and SRPJ85 At long last, Seiko has revived this cl...
The New Omega x Swatch MoonSwatch Mission to Moonshine Gold
After a cryptic Instagram teaser followed by two days of anticipation, the new MoonSwatch has arrived and it's not at all what we thought. Swatch teased us with the name "Mission to Moonshine Gold" and so we speculated and predicted our little precious metal-loving hearts out. Turns out the real thing is less a new variation, and more a riff on the original. What we have is effectively a MoonSwatch Mission to the Moon with a golden twist by way of the chronograph seconds hand which, as you can see, is a different color than the other hands. This is due to a coating of Omega Moonshine gold made of recycled gold coming from the S...
Fresh off its complicated tantalum release late last month, H. Moser & Cie C Moser to their friends C are announcing two new Pioneer models in a new smaller 40mm x 12mm steel case. The watches C a one-minute tourbillon and a center seconds model C feature Arctic Blue fum dials that go from a dark blue at the edge to a lighter color in the center but shift color in the light due in part to a striking sunburst pattern. The H. Moser Pioneer Tourbillon in a new 40mm steel case. Those dials feature applique beveled indices that play with light and shadow and add an extra area of contrast against the dial, while small Super-Lum...
MoonSwatch Mission To Moonshine Gold Photos
This morning at 6:30 p.m JST (that's 4:30 a.m. eastern), doors swung open in the Kabuto One office building in Tokyo as Swatch kicked off the event it had been teasing for 48 hours prior. Lines formed around the block as we expected, and our colleagues at Hodinkee Japan were on hand to capture the latest chapter C entitled Moonshine Gold C in the ongoing story that is MoonSwatch. If you'll recall, this is the one with the golden hand that, according to Swatch, would only be available for one day. Today was that day. With cameras at the ready, our H.JP friends didn't just document the scene. They also snapped some hands-on photos...
Introducing the Angelus x Massena Lab Doctor's Chronograph
Angelus is launching a brand-new collection C La Fabrique C created specifically for tributes to vintage models and, with help from Massena Lab, is starting with a bang by announcing the Chronographe Mdical, a 99-piece limited edition uber-specialized monopusher chronograph. This isn't just a reissue, not just an oddball dial, and not even just one of William Massena's vintage-inspired creations C?it's all that and a lot more underneath the hood. Back in the 1960s, Angelus launched a "doctor's watch" with a unique dial meant to be a purpose-built tool. The 30-minute counter was removed, leaving on the running seconds at nine o'c...
You're Invited To The Hodinkee 'Watches in the Wild' Premiere
Devoted readers of Hodinkee (and let's be honest, is there any other kind?) will recall that last year we launched a video series called Watches In The Wild. It was awesome. We started with a three-part season that explored collecting culture in Thailand. Then we flew down to Ecuador for an Amazonian adventure with Oris. The overarching idea was pretty simple: to celebrate the ways that telling time binds us together across borders. Now we're thrilled to reveal that Watches in the Wild is returning for a third installment. This one's called The Road Through America, and it traces the rise and fall (an...
New Seiko Prospex GMT SPB381, SPB383, and SPB385
When your birthday happens to land in March, it can be challenging to disavow oneself from the notion that any one of the exciting new watch releases is somehow connected to your big day. At least, that's how I felt when I saw that Seiko has just uncovered a new GMT model range for their sporty Prospex collection that not only has Marine Master-derived good looks, but is also a proper dive-GMT. Do you smell birthday cake? Just me?? The Seiko Prospex SPB385, SPB383, and SPB381 (left to right). Above, you can see the three references that make up the line of the Prospex 1968 Diver's Modern Re-interpretation GMT and Seiko Watchma...
Longines Ultra Chron Dive Watch Video Review: A Week On The Wrist
Every time I talk to someone in the market for a diver they're always on the hunt for some variation of a Rolex Submariner, a Tudor diver, or an Omega Seamaster. I have nothing at all against these watches, I actually once owned the original Black Bay 58, but there are plenty of great options out there besides the usual suspects. Luckily for me, I was able to spend a week with one of those great options, the Longines Ultra-Chron Dive watch. For me, dive watches can do anything, go anywhere, and survive pretty much any outdoor activity. I'm not at all a diver, but I am a passable snowboarder (like C- or D+ grade passable) so I figured I'd give the Ultra-Chron a go...
Pre-Owned Picks Alternatives to the Rolex Daytona
During last call in the corner of a pub, seasoned watch dealers will talk in hushed tones about the old days of the Rolex Daytona. They sound like something between an old athlete relieving the glory years and a battle-tested soldier honoring the friends he lost along the way. They will chat about a time when dealers didn't really want the Daytona, it was something that took up room inside the case collecting dust. Some models were given away as a thank-you to loyal customers, and all could be bought at a steep discount. Those days are long gone, replaced by waiting lists that last several years or the aftermarket where watches sell at multiple times the retail p...
Vacheron Overseas With Retrograde Date 2023
If last year was the year of the 222 for Vacheron Constantin, this is the year of the retrograde. For the first time, Vacheron is introducing its signature retrograde date display into the Overseas line, taking an old-school complication and bumping up the sportiness. The in-house Calibre 2460 R31L/2 features a retrograde date (moving clockwise across the top half of the dial before jumping back to the first day of the month after 31 or whenever you set it) and a hyper-accurate moon phase accurate to 122 years before needing a one-day correction.? These displays are reflected in a blue lacquered dial ...
Happenings: Youre Invited To Hear Ben Clymer Speak At SXSW This Sunday In Austin, Texas
Exciting news for all of you Porsche and watch enthusiasts. Our own Ben Clymer will be hosting a chat about Porsche at South by Southwest (SXSW) this coming Sunday, March 12th. Ben will be joined by Roland Heiler, the Chief Design Officer of Porsche Lifestyle Group and their chat will delve into the history, design, and cultural significance of Porsche and how Porsche and Hodinkee approach brand collaborations within the modern context.? The event C "Studio F.A. Porsche x Hodinkee - New Collectibles: Design Collaborations In The Digital Age" C will be held at the Porsche House (400 Congress Avenue, Austin, 78701) at 3 PM on...
Panerai Radiomir Otto Giorni 2023
If you're not a fan of Panerai, you can probably go ahead and read something else, because Panerai is doing what Panerai does with the new Radiomir Otto Giorni. If you are a fan, then this release will be catnip.? Here we have a steel Radiomir case, eight-day hand-wound movement, with a few new tweaks to keep the vintage vibe strong C Panerai's gonna Panerai. The new Panerai Radiomir Otto Giorni (that's "eight days" in Italian) PAM 01347 and PAM 01348 are about what you'd expect from a modern Panerai Radiomir, with a few aesthetic flourishes. The 45mm case of each is made of Panerai's eSteel, which Panerai says is produced from recycl...
Buying a luxury watch online has never been easier C but with convenience comes risk. Whether you're buying your first time-piece or growing your collection, the experts at Hodinkee Insurance recommend these best practices when purchasing your next luxury watch online: Know Your Seller If you're not buying from the Hodinkee Shop, Crown and Caliber, or another authorized, online vendor, always be careful with private sellers on open forums, eBay, or other online marketplaces. ?Look out for sellers not being who they claim to be or sellers that misrepresent the product itself. Check reviews on their reputation for being ethical, fair...