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Best Super NEWS Watches
Hands-On: The Bamford London GMT
The Bamford London GMT was created as a solution to a simple problem. George Bamford was on a plane headed somewhere far from his London HQ every week. As someone with a mature appreciation for all things mechanical, Mr. Bamford needed a wristwatch that could keep track of his home time zone while he took care of business elsewhere. He had already built a successful business modifying and customizing watches from TAG Heuer and Zenith, so why not use one of the GMT models from one of those manufacturers?? Because he knew he could create one on his own terms. He had learned a great deal about watches from a lifetime of tinkering an...
Hands-On: The Ferdinand Berthoud Chronomtre FB 1R.6-1
Ferdinand Berthoud (a subsidiary brand of the Chopard Group) launched its first watch in 2015; that watch is the FB 1, which has an octagonal case, a pillar and plate movement with a fusee-and-chain constant force mechanism and tourbillon, and a power reserve mechanism based on a cone-and-feeler mechanism. The watch has a surprisingly slim, elegant wrist presence considering the complexity of the movement, and it was followed by variations on the original design featuring structural and aesthetic innovations; there are currently eight variations on the FB 1 in its catalogue, and this year the firm introduced its first moonphase Ferdinand Berthoud timepiece (which consists of two watches in t...
Business News: Hong Kong Turmoil Dampened First-Half Swiss Watch Sales
A collapse in Swiss watch exports to Hong Kong in June put a dent in Swiss watch industry efforts to generate sales momentum in what is shaping up as a slow-growth year.?Hong Kong is Switzerland's top watch market. The political turmoil that started in March and peaked in June over the government's proposed extradition bill closed stores and reduced tourism there. ? The impact on Swiss watch wholesale sales was dramatic. Swiss watch exports to Hong Kong dropped 27% in value versus June 2018, according to the Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry (FH).The Swiss industry's two largest watch groups C the Swatch Group and Richemont ...
Hands-On: The Schon Horology Dot Prismatic And Dot Cardinal
"Watches should make people tingle," says Ian Schon, the man behind Schon Horology, a one-man operation out of Philly that's making a big splash in the American-made watchmaking movement. I agree with him, it's an emotional purchase after all. Most of his customers have come from the art world, not necessarily the horological community, and it's easy to see why. Ask him about his watches and the first thing you'll hear about, is his mission to persuade the public to view American watchmaking as a craft instead of a commodity.? The forefathers of American horology, manufacturers like Elgin, Waltha...
Introducing: The A. Lange & Sohne Grand Lange 1 '25th Anniversary'
Today we have the seventh model in a series of 25th anniversary limited editions created by A. Lange & Sohne to commemorate the launch of the original Lange 1 back in 1994. That Lange 1, presented by Gnter Blmlein and Walter Lange at a press conference in Germany, went on to become a pretty instant icon and the most widely recognizable design of the relaunched A. Lange & Sohne.? As if proof of its success was needed, one can point to the several different executions, movements, and versions that the Lange 1 has spawned. Today we look at the Grand Lange 1, which at 41mm in diameter provides a bit more wrist presence than...
Editors' Picks: The Watches We're Wearing Most This Summer
If there were any lingering doubts that summer has arrived, this past week should have put them to rest. Across the United States there's been a serious heat wave, and here at HODINKEE HQ in New York City it's been downright sweltering. So we thought now would be a pretty good time to check in with our team of editors to see what watches are getting the most warm-weather wear this year. We typically do a round-up at the end of each year (check out the 2018 and 2017 editions, if you need a refresher) but a mid-year edition seems appropriate too. You're definitely going to notice a theme here, but that's for good reason. These watches are sporty, easy to wear, and there's not a leather strap i...
Introducing: The Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean Tokyo 2020 Limited Edition
The Tokyo 2020 Olympics are now just a year away, and in keeping with recent tradition, Omega, the official sponsor and timer of the Olympic Games, is presenting limited edition watches to commemorate the event. Here we have one of them, a Seamaster Planet Ocean with a color palate inspired by the flag of the host country. As you can see, the white ceramic bezel features a red "20," calling out the year of the next Olympiad, and the seconds are read via a lollipop hand that's been colored in in red. This little red circle, which sweeps each minute across its white dial canvas, is of course an homage to the simple yet iconic design of the Japanese flag. ? ...
It's Friday, which means we're back with another edition of the column, complete with a stand-out cast of exciting characters. In the mood for a heavy hitting, statement piece? We've got you covered, with the inclusion of the original "SARU" GMT-Master, which we're pretty sure is listed in the dictionary under the definition of "wow." On a similarly impressive though decidedly different note, there's the most incredible perpetual calendar pocket watch from Patek Philippe, with a retailer signature you ought to appreciate. If you're after something more accessible, though equally compelling, we've got a pulsations dial-fitted Top Time from Breitling, along with a watchmaking school project wa...
Sunday Rewind: JLC's Delightful Compass 35mm Camera
While few things manage to offer charm similar to that of a vintage watch, a good old camera gets awfully close by embodying the same sort of mix of design, craftsmanship, functionality, and collectability we are used to with watches. In this thorough piece by Jack, he manages to capture the story and design of a gorgeous little camera made by Jaeger-LeCoultre in the 1930s.? Called the Compass Camera, this lovely and compact 35mm rangefinder camera is made of machined aluminum and even offers an exposure meter. Click the link to this two-year-old post for some awesome photographs and characteristically excellent writing by Jack, ...
In-Depth: A 500-Year History Of How To Set The Watch
Watches, it hardly needs to be said, need to be set to be of any use; and to be of any use, they must be set to a time standard that is trustworthy. This is something we scarcely think about today C someone is taking care of it; the Internet is taking care of it or atomic clocks are taking care of it or the US Naval Observatory is taking care of it.?For most of the history of watchmaking, however, those resources weren't available. and so other time standards had to be used if you wanted to set your watch precisely. One of my earliest watch-related memories is of dialing a telephone number to get the time C I did not, at age six or seven, yet own a watch but there was something fascinating a...
In-Depth: Why Patek Philippe's Thierry Stern Is Stubborn About Steel
In February of this year, Kevin O'Leary finally got the watch he's been waiting for. The watch is the blue-faced Patek Philippe steel Nautilus Ref. 5711/1A. The wait was eight years.Why so long? It's not as if O'Leary were putting loonies away (he's Canadian) for the day when he could afford the watch's $29,800 price tag. O'Leary is loaded. He's a highly successful entrepreneur, best known as a star of the ABC show Shark Tank. With a fortune estimated at $400 million, he can afford any watch that Patek Philippe, or any other watch company, makes.? Kevin O'Leary (Photo: Courtesy CNBC) But the Patek Philippe watch O'Leary wanted...
Watch Spotting: A Cartier Panthre In The Original 'Top Gun'
I am a little ashamed to admit this, but I'm not a big fan of Top Gun. Yes, I know, it's an American '80s classic that pretty much everyone is obsessed with. But I'm just not that into it. What I am into, though, is the Cartier Panthre and reading the Daily Mail online during my lunch break (it's my guilty pleasure C don't @ me). Just today I was scanning the tabloid and came across a picture of Kelly McGillis in Top Gun and, lo and behold, there she was wearing a yellow gold Cartier Panthre in the 1986 film.?I mean, just look for yourself: Pink sweater + polo + Panthre = Chic AF. (Photo: Courtesy iconicgreats.co.uk) I must...
The Grey NATO: Episode 86: Quartz Concerns
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.? Were back with a standard J&J episode as the boys chat about what's left of the summer, a handful of new watches, and a lot more. From limited editions to lost ships in Mexico, Jason and James have lots to chat about since the last episode. With the world of quartz watches taking up the bulk of the episode, it's a look at quartz's often second-tier position in the hearts of many enthusiasts along with a rundown of some of our favorite quartz models...
Happenings: Patek Philippe To Host The 'Watch Art Grand Exhibition Singapore 2019'
Patek Philippe has just officially announced that it will be hosting the Watch Art Grand Exhibition Singapore 2019 from September 28 to October 13, 2019. This is the fifth Grand Exhibition the Geneva watchmaker has put on, with the previous four being hosted in Dubai (2012), Munich (2013), London (2015), and New York City (2017). For anyone interested in watches, these bi-annual events are serious business C they include tons of interactive exhibits, more than a few watches make rare appearances outside the Patek Philippe Museum, and there's usually a smattering of crowd-pleasing limited editions (like this guy). And, from the initial press release, it's looking like Singapore is going to be...
This year is obviously a very big one for the Speedmaster?C Omega's celebrated with a steel anniversary limited edition, one in platinum with the caliber 321, and even one with the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Today, we're going hands on with something a little different: a trio of Speedmaster Moonphases with cases, dials, and folding clasps made in an alloy of platinum and gold (Pt950Au20). There's one with red accents, another with blue, and a third in green, and each comes with gemstone applied markers for the hours as well as a bezel (polished ceramic for the blue and green versions, red alumina for the red version) with a tachymeter scale in platinum Liquidmetal. Let's check 'em out. ...
Hands-On: Two New Breguet Reine de Naples Watches
For those of you who don't know, the Reine de Naples is Breguet's cornerstone ladies' watch. First created back in 1812 for Caroline Murat, ne Bonaparte, the Queen of Naples, this is popularly known as one of the first known wristwatches (and not the World War 1 trench watch specimens you are familiar with). Breguet has continued to expand on this collection and this year is no different. Two versions of the ovoid-form ladies watch have been created C the 8918 and the 8967.? The Reine de Naples 8918 The 8918 released earlier this year is the same Reine de Naples that you are familiar with but with the ad...
Introducing: The Junghans Max Bill Chronoscope 100 Jahre Bauhaus
Max Bill for most watch enthusiasts, is a name that is pretty much synonymous with Junghans, and with good reason C some of the company's most iconic designs were from his mind and hand. ?Bill studied at the Dessau branch of the Bauhaus art school before World War II, and became one of the foremost exponents of its design philosophy; he worked under some of the school's most famous teachers, including Wassily Kandinsky and Paul Klee.? Artist and designer Max Bill, in 1970 (photo, Marcel Vogt) Born in Winterthur, Switzerland, in 1908, Bill left the Dessau Bauhaus school in 1929 and moved to Zurich, where he began a long and ver...
Introducing: The A. Lange & Sohne Lange 1 Daymatic '25th Anniversary'
With 2019 marking the 25th year since A. Lange & Sohne presented its first post-relaunch watch collection in 1994, we've seen Lange present, on a more or less monthly basis, new limited editions paying tribute to what is arguably its best-known collection, the Lange 1. Today we're seeing the next watch in this limited series, a 25-piece tribute to the Lange 1 Daymatic.? First released in 2010, the Lange 1 Daymatic is characterized by a mirror-image reversal of the traditional asymmetric Lange 1 dial layout and as its name states, the use of an automatic movement in conjunction with a retrograde date display. The decision to have a day-of-the-week display take...
Hands-On: The Rado Captain Cook Automatic
Pictured here is a 2019 Rado Captain Cook Automatic, but before we get into what differentiates this model from the much-loved 2017 release, its important to understand where the Captain Cook? came from. Rado isnt typically associated with dive watches, much less vintage dive watches. But the new Captain Cook Automatic is certainly a strong contender in the modern dive watch segment. In the 60s, it wasnt uncommon for watch companies to try to be everything to everyone. Take a look at the lineup from many mid-range Swiss watch companies during that era and you'll find that many companies had at least attempted a dive watch, be it a serious hunk of a steel-case...
Introducing: The GENUS GNS1.2, With An Exotic New Time Display
The Genus GNS1.2 is the first production timepiece from Genus, which was co-founded in Geneva by watchmaker Se?bastien Billie?res, and entrepreneur Catherine Henry. Billires is the son of a watchmaker who spent 35 years at Rolex, and he began his own career at Roger Dubuis in 1999. His career since then has included a stint at URWERK, as well as working on the Opus V project with URWERK's Felix Baumgartner, for Harry Winston. He is today still in charge of after-sales service operations for Winston. His company, Geneva Made Time Industrial, which he founded in 2011 with partner Nicolas Commergnat, is a fairly large-scale complications specialist which currently has about 20 full-time staff....