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Best Super NEWS Watches
One of two platinum Patek Philippe 2499's in existence, from the collection of Eric Clapton 2012 continues be just an insane year for the auction world.? There was the incredible collection of Pete Fullerton and Henry Graves Jr. that sold at Sotheby's this summer, and now we are seeing a lot of watches from Christie's that pushes things even further.? Included in this mega-sale are three cover lots from Patek Philippe, all in platinum, as seen below in real life. Any guesses on what this photo is worth? From left to right, you are looking at one of three reference 1579 chronographs ever made in plati...
Introducing The Chopard L.U.C. Quattro Table Clock
We're suckers for big beautiful movements here at HODINKEE HQ, and this is one good looking movement. Sure you can't wear it around, but Chopard's L.U.C. Quattro Table Clock would certainly make you want to sit down at that desk more often.Intended as an extension of their L.U.C. collection of watches, the L.U.C. Quattro Table Clock brings the same look and feel to a desk, table, or any other flat surface on which you might want a clock for that matter. The clock's manually wound movement has an eight day power reserve, and prominently features an indicator for this on the dial at 12 o'clock. The dial itself is brass with an ivory-colored varnish, and it also has an oversized sub-seconds ind...
Weekend Report: The Baja 1000 Experience In Baja Mexico With Graham
Standing along what can scarcely be described as a road, in the center of the Baja desert, surrounded by giant cacti, and about 80 miles from the nearest signs of civilization, I think to myself "Would HODINKEE post a memorial for me in the event of my expiration?"Luckily, I'm not alone. With me is Gustavo (Tavo) Vildosola Jr., an off-road racing driver and winner of the 2010 SCORE Baja 1000. The event?is holding its first press pre-run of the entire 1000 mile race, running the length of Mexico's Baja peninsula. Switzerland based (but London labeled) watch company?Graham is the official timekeeper, and is responsible for my presence in the desert.?Hours into the day, near Ensenada, the races...
Pre-SIHH 2015: Introducing The Rotonde de Cartier Annual Calendar Now In 40MM
If youve been keeping up with us, you know that Cartier has been doing wonderful things and has us excited for SIHH 2015. Its recent column wheel chronograph featured both mechanical ingenuity as well as that little added benefit of in-house manufacture C two things that Cartier has been leading in recently. Even its recent reissue of the Cartier Crash was a significant artistic and technical milestone in reimagining such an iconic piece. For these reasons, its release of the Rotonde de Cartier Annual Calendar in 40 mm comes as no surprise. This latest offering brings two enjoyable innovations. The first is a hammer shaped hand to indicate the day on a sunken day-dial, and the second is qui...
Bring a Loupe: A Black Monaco, A Sheikh Mohammed GMT-Master, And Black Dial Memovox
Round three of our What's Selling Where weekly vintage sales round-up is upon us, bringing you the most interesting old watches we've come across in the past few days. All of them are for sale on the web (though again, these are not endorsements of any kind) and all of them seem like pretty great, rare, or otherwise interesting objects of desire. This week we've got some super duper pieces for you including the true Heuer "Dark Lord," a vintage GMT-Master UAE presentation watch, and a gorgeous old JLC Memovox with BLACK dial. 1970s Heuer Black PVD Monaco The black PVD Monaco (aka "Dark Lord") is one ...
VIDEO: Behind The Scenes At Linde Werdelin
We were early supporters of Linde Werdelin, and we think they offer something that is truly unique - in the literal sense.? LW makes high-end mechanical timepieces (we've reviewed them here and here) and yet they also develop incredibly complex digital sporting tools, to be used diving, rock climbing, or skiing.? And they work absolutely seamlessly together. ?Check out the video above to show what we mean....
Interview: A Short Chat With Fausto Salvi, CEO of Perrelet
Fausto Salvi, CEO of Perrelet We had a nice chat earlier this week with Perrelet's global CEO, Fausto Salvi, at New York's Mandarin Oriental Hotel. Mr. Salvi is a congenial man who has a clear vision for Perrelet, and he was kind enough to tell us about Perrelet's history, its future, and what sets it apart in the world of luxury sport watches. Can you please tell us what it was like for you coming to Perrelet in 2009 and what excites you about the brand.I think that what is very important with Perrelet is the potential and the uniqueness of the brand, partially because of the double rotor. It is unique and it is distinctive. For me, you can see a lot of potential ...
A Closer Look: Crafting the Ralph Lauren RL67 Safari's Gunmetal Case
The Ralph Lauren RL67 Safari is a black watch, but not because of PVD or DLC. Instead, the steel itself goes through a process usually reserved for gunmetal, turning it a soft, beautiful black color. Here we've got a photo essay giving you some insight into the process.We've gone hands-on with the Ralph Lauren RL67 Safari Watch before, and we have to say, the thing looks GOOD. Inside the gunmetal case (which comes in both 39mm and 45mm configurations) is a great Jaeger-LeCoultre self-winding movement, and good attention to detail has been paid across the board.?But today the case is our focus, and here are step-by-step photos detailing its creation. Roll over the images for descriptions of e...
It's always interesting to see what the world's best watchmakers choose to wear on the reg. When I was at IWC a few weeks back, I had the chance to chat with a Mr. Kurt Klaus, the man who designed the amazing crown-operated perpetual calendar system found in this beautiful Portuguese, among others. A living legend in the industry, Mr. Klaus and IWC first put this innovative perpetual calendar system into the Da Vinci case in the mid 1980s, and in celebration, released a series of fifty limited edition Da Vinci perpetual calendar chronographs in platinum just five years back in 2007. When I encountered Mr. Klaus within the halls of IWC Schaffhausen last month, I had to ask to see what he ha...
We all know that the Omega Speedmaster Professional was the watch chosen above all others to become the official chronograph of NASA.? But today, our friends at FratelloWatches share with us a personal story about a Speedie Pro that ended up on the wrist of a seasoned ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut.? The thing is, the watch was undoubtedly issued by NASA, so how did he get it?.? Click through for the full story about how this authentic space watch ended up in the hands of team Fratello for this exclusive photoshoot....
Inside The Incredible Collection Of Vintage Audemars Piguet At Marcus Of London
There are collections, and then there are collections. Mr. Marcus Margulies' collection of vintage Audemars Piguets is most certainly the latter. Tracing his personal relationship with the brand to 1962, Marcus (of the eponymous London retailer) has amassed a collection of the very best in APs history. And we were lucky enough to go hands-on with some selections.Walk past the amazing haute horlogerie housed at Marcus on London's New Bond Street, and up a flight of old stairs, and you'll find a portion of Mr. Margulies' collection of vintage Audemars Piguets. The airy room, modern in design and full of natural light, seems a surprising place for these pieces, which were on temporary display d...
We all knew it was coming, but we just didn't know in what capacity the technology would manifest itself at first. As of this morning, the first of 2015, Montblanc presents the first foray into digital wearables from a traditional luxury brand with its Timewalker Urban Speed e-Strap. Click through for the details. The e-Strap is a Bluetooth accessory that allows the wearer to track physical activity, send and receive (some) message and phone notifications, while also offering "find-me" functionality and music control for attached devices. It is both Android and iOS compatible.The device comes attached to a durable leather NAT...
A Night with Zenith in Paris: Celebrating the Pilot Collection and Felix Baumgartner
A few weeks ago, Zenith threw quite the shindig in Paris to celebrate their Pilot collection, and more specifically their Pilot Type 20. CEO Jean-Frdric Dufour and daredevil skydiver Felix Baumgartner were on hand as well, and Mr. Dufour presented Mr. Baumgartner with the watch he'll be wearing on his 22-mile-high jump tomorrow morning.There was quite the spectacle as we filed into the Muse des Arts et Mtiers on a cool night in Paris. The cavernous space was filled with Zenith-branded weather balloons and vintage-style aircraft, and the music and lights were nothing if not intense. ? ...
Hands-On: With The Obris Morgan Branco: Odd Name, Great Value
The "really cheap" end (say less than $250) of the automatic watch market is a crowded place. It's a sector where a few dollars make all the difference, and competition is fierce. Its also a section of the market with a lot of same-old stuff out there, and I don't often see something that piques my curiosity. A notable exception to these rules is the Branco from Hong Kong outfit Obris Morgan. On paper, the Branco looks like amazing value for money: you get a titanium case, AR sapphire, 200m of water resistance, and not one, but three decent quality straps, all packaged in a Pelican-style case (which makes a pleasant, functional change from the cardboard boxes more usually found at this pric...
Sale Of Bond's Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean At Christie's Sends 157,250 to ORBIS International
James Bond continues to celebrate 50 years in action yesterday?by auctioning off memorabilia from the celebrated films courtesy Christie's in London. Highlights include the Aston Martin DBS used in Quantum of Solace, a wool Tom Ford suit worn by Craig in the latest film, Skyfall, and even those swim trunks from Casino Royale found their way to the block. Proceeds from the sales go to several charities, including UNICEF. One of the biggest surprises of the sale was the Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean worn by Craig in Skyfall, which sold for 157,250 ($253,801), all of which will be going to ORBIS International.The Seamaster PO worn by Craig in Skyfall differs from the one available to you at bou...
And we're back with the second HODINKEE weekly round-up of some of the best vintage watches we've found on the internet (see last week's kick-off edition here).? Today we've got some killer stuff for you, including the very first Grand Seiko with "hi-beat" movement, a Royal Oak to end all Royal Oaks (the grail amongst grails, "A-Series" RO from 1972), and even a JLC Reverso from the 1940s! It's amazing what you can find on 'net, no? 1969 Grand Seiko 6145-8000 Hi-Beat Automatic A little foreshadowing of the looming mega-high-end Seiko coverage you're about to see over the coming weeks (thanks to Ben's ...
The James Bond Submariner Turns 50 Today
Connery Rocks a Rolex in Dr. No On October 5th, 1962, Ian Flemings fictionalspy, James Bond, made his big screen debut in Dr. No, played by SeanConnery. Not only did the movie launch historys most enduring film franchise, but it also made famous a certain wristwatch. Before Dr. No, the RolexSubmariner was a sturdy but humble dive watch, favored by divers for itsruggedness and water resistance. But after it appeared on the wrist of the suave Agent007, it quickly became a symbol of confident masculinity and adventure. Neverbefore, or since, has a wristwatch been so connected with a character. While Fleming outfitted his literary Bond with a Rolex, henever specified...
XETUM Goes Tactical: The New Tyndall PVD
This morning, San Francisco-based XETUM announced the newest addition to their Tyndall line: The XETUM Tyndall PVD. We've given you the low-down on the Tyndall before, and are still big fans of the brand. Here we've got the same great Tyndall, just with a new stealth look.The Tyndall PVD has a matte black PVD finish?(duh)?on the signature 40mm XETUM lugless steel case - which, in case you forgot, is made exclusively for them. The rotor is also black, which you can see through the display back. Then there's the matte black dial, which has the same modern instrument layout as the other watches in the Tyndall collection.Attention to detail is important to XETUM, and they have finished the PVD o...
Introducing Breguet's Tourbillon Clock at Carnegie Hall: A Handful of Firsts
Last night, Breguet unveiled their new clock in the Stern Auditorium lobby at New York's Carnegie Hall on the opening night of the famed venue's 2012-2013 season. The clock is a tourbillon, styled after the original Breguet tourbillon from 1801, and is Breguet's first clock designed for a US building.In a short, intimate ceremony before the opening night concert, Breguet's US Brand President, Michael Nelson, Carnegie Hall's Board Chairman, Sanford I. Weill, and Carnegie Hall's Artistic Director, Clive Gillinson, unveiled the clock punctually as the clock struck five. As the blue sheet fell, there were "ooos," "aaahs," and of course a barrage of camera flashes. The gentlemen all emphasized th...
The Year In Review: The Top 20 Most Popular HODINKEE Posts of 2014
It has become something of a tradition here on HODINKEE, that every year, on the final day of the year, we show you the most popular articles that we published over the last 365 days. There are no favorites here, no editor's picks, just a simple look at the most popular stories by one metric: page views. The winner for 2014 should come as no surprise, but some of the stories?leading up to number one might raise an eyebrow. It just reminds us of one simple fact C the internet is a strange place. Without further ado, here are the twenty most popular posts of 2014. 20. Ten Out Of Production Watches That Offer A Ton Of Bang For The Buck ...