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Best Super NEWS Watches
TechnoMarine Shows Us What A Nightclub Under The Hudson River Would Look Like In New Ad, Kind Of
Here's an interesting new online ad for TechnoMarine.? Imagine a nightclub under the Hudson river - that is basically what you'll see here.? What does it say about the brand? Not much, but just a cool idea, and hey, we're talking about em, aren't we?(via Business Insider)...
While the watch world anxiously waits to see just how much money the incredible yellow gold tonneau shaped minute repeater with the Graves family crest on the caseback will bring at auction on Thursday, several of the world's most astute collectors have their eye on another piece of the Graves legacy - a rectangular watch made of solid platinum for which you can't even get an extract from Patek Philippe, and one that cost so much to produce that Patek's US arm, the Henri Stern Watch Agency, actually took a loss on it.? So what is this imposing oddity of a watch?? Arguably the watch of the auction, in our eyes, at least.Graves, while best known for his highly complicated pocketwatches, starte...
Your Vintage Audemars Piguet Buying Guide: Some Watches To Consider From AP That Are Not Royal Oaks
Great vintage watches from Audemars Piguet do not come up for sale often.? They are rarer than vintage Vacherons or Pateks, especially in modern sizes and aesthetics.? There are a few vintage AP's that do well at auction - obviously the early Royal Oaks (we'll get to chose later today) - but also the traditional chronographs like this that pulled down $386,000 and this triple-date moonphase chrono that made almost $90,000.? Next month, there is a great chance to buy some really special watches from Audemars Piguet that date to the brand's formative years, and are unlike the watches offered from them today.?Below, we take a look at five vintage AP's coming up for sale in May from Antiquorum a...
Sneak Peek: Inside The New IWC Boutique On Madison Avenue in New York City (Photo Report)
There are boutiques that you can't wait to leave (ie., most of them) - the types of boutiques that are cramped and cluttered with nothing but rows of watches and uninspired? "brand extension" accessories - you know, like cufflinks, tie bars, and pens.? The new IWC boutique in NYC is anything but this.In fact, IWC's first Manhattan-based store is enormous - over 3,000 square feet, with massive vaulted ceilings and the most inviting entrance way you could ask for.? In fact, when you walk in the door, it looks like you've entered someone's home (someone's really nice, nautical-theme home) - this is the home of the Portuguese collection.? Amidst the watches lining the walls, you will also see ne...
When we were hanging out a Christie's a few weeks back looking at that history changing "Resonance" pocketwatch from Breguet, we noticed something else that caught our eye. There were two vintage Patek world-time watches, both with Cloisonn centers depicting North America, but one was a pocket watch, and the other was a wristwatch.So we dug further. The wristwatch, which shows 24 timezones and uses a two-crown movement, is a rare reference 2523 from 1955. This watch is absolutely gorgeous, so gorgeous in fact, it turns out that it also happens to be the watch with the highest estimate in the entire sale - a sale of giants. It is expected to bring in CHF 1,600,000 - CHF 2,600,000. Damn....
Weekend Report: Inside The Workshop Of Casa Fagliano, And A Look At How Things Used To Be (VIDEO)
Earlier today, we showed you the new Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Limited Edition that will use a hand-made strap from world reknowned polo boot makers Casa Fagliano. In this special edition of HODINKEE Field Notes, we'll take you inside the workshop of these true artisans to show you just how this family of Argentine men (with Sicilian roots!) have come to be known the world over by not only championship riders, but celebrities, presidents, and more than a few kings. This is a study in how things used to be done, and after viewing the Faglianos at work, we can say how things should be done. Casa Fagliano makes all their boots by hand, without the aid of any modern ameni...
Last year, Jaeger-LeCoultre celebrated the roots of the Reverso with a limited edition model of the Tribute To 1931 called the "US Limited Edition".? This watch closely resembled the standard production TT 1931 Reverso but took on a slightly more historic tone, with a warmer shade to the hands and hour markers, and slightly different script on the dial.? But, what made the limited edition of 100 US Edition Reverso stand out (see our detailed ruminations on it here here) and made it one of the hottest selling watches of 2011 for JLC was the strap on which it came.?You see, the strap that came on the US Edition of the TT 1931 Reverso was hand-made by Casa Fagliano - and Casa Fagliano is the le...
Hands-On: With The Piaget Altiplano Skeleton in White Gold: Live Pics + Official Pricing
Ask most guys under the age of 50 if they'd wear a skeleton watch, and they'd say "No f'n way."? The reason for that is, up until recently, most were relegated to regal, almost faux opulent designs that were just a little too ornate, a little too "blingy" in the most upper eastside-y / Purdy sort of way.?Then came the Openworked Royal Oak (ref 15305) from AP and the Altiplano Skeleton from Piaget, which we showed you first here.? These two watches are the best examples of the new type of skeletonized watches - the types of openworking that is less dandy / ornate and more manly / industrial.? At SIHH and while visiting Piaget with our contest winner, we got a chance to go hands-on with this a...
Imagine a cushion shaped mono-pusher chronograph wristwatch from a storied brand like Vacheron Constantin, that dates to 1930.? A watch such as this is surely a valuable one and the type of thing an auction house like Sotheby's, Christie's, Antiquorum, or Bonhams would love to have.? In fact, the Vacheron you see above, the reference 2990 mono-pusher from 1930 is in fact a watch that was sold by Christie's in May of last year (2011) for over $56,000.? In other instances, examples for the 2990 mono-pusher from VC has broken $100,000.?But, if you happen to be cruisin the 'Bay (that's "browsing watches on eBay" for those who don't speak watchnerd), and enter "vintage Vacheron," you will come ac...
Ochs And Junior Cut Deal With Ulysse Nardin To Use New UN-118 Movement: ETA Who?
Ochs & Junior is a totally different type of watch company.? They work with the idea that even the most complicated watches can be, nay, should be, simple.? We've shown you their Selene Tinta Moonphase, literally the most accurate moonphase wristwatch on earth (for a retail price of 8000 CHF and based on an ETA movement), and their entire line-up of pieces offer a cool, casual take on complicated watches.? They are, after all, designed by the man behind the MIH watch, arguably the coolest, most casual complicated watch around (it's a mono-pusher chronograph with annual calendar for 5000 CHF) - Mr. Ludwig Oechslin. But, wi...
VIDEO: How To Shorten A NATO Strap
NATO straps are pretty much the choice de rigueur for summer watch wearing. But, a lot of people (especially those with thinner wrists) get annoyed by the whole "fold over" thing that one must do with the tail end of the strap. Just this morning, we came across this handy (if not a bit out of focus) video showing you an easy way to shorten the end of a NATO strap, and still keep that rounded edge.Watch above.(via AnchorDivision)...
Girard-Perregaux is, as we mentioned on Monday, making a major push into the 21st century.? They've got a new website, a new owner's club launching very soon, and a new blog for gentlemen (other types of men, need not apply).? Today we caught word that GP will be launching yet another initiative, this time showing us the other side of several of the manufacture's youngest and most talented watchmakers - including activities such as horseback riding, skiing, playing the guitar, and playing chess. The journal will follow eight tof these young men and women not only at work, but also when they are with friends and at home.? The journal will be available in print and online at www.TheNewFaceOfTr...
Yesterday we showed you what could be one the most important collections of modern watches (20th century - now) in those of Henry Graves Jr and his grandson Pete Fullerton, which will be available via Sotheby's this June.? Today we are showing you what could be one of the greatest finds in pre-modern watches.? If you think now is a good time to be building a world-class collection, you'd be right, because what Christie's Geneva has in its May sale is from another world.Abraham-Louis Breguet is certainly the godfather of modern watchmaking.? The lists of firsts to his name is staggering, and it was he who is credited for constructing the very first wristwatch for Caroline Murat, queen of Napl...
The greatest watch collector of the 20th century, if not of all time, was Henry Graves Jr..? His rivalry with James Packard is, according to some experts, what saved Patek Philippe from bankruptcy - thereby making possible many of the developments we take for granted within the watch industry as a whole.It was Graves' supercomplication watch that sold for $11,002,500 in a December 1999 Sotheby's auction - still the highest amount paid for any watch - and it is the Graves gang that remains the first family of watch collecting.? The Henry Graves collection, built mostly before the second world war, was passed on to Mr. Graves daughter, who in turn passed it on to her son, Mr. Reginald "Pete" F...
Remember when we showed you what was probably the very first Lytro photograph?? Well London creative agency Berg has taken existing cinematic techniques and produced a similar result to a Lytro photograph, but with a much more detailed and exact interface.? And, they happened to demonstrate it using a 1960s Rolex Oyster Precision.? Watch the video above to see what we mean.More details here....
Found: An Oversized, Ultra-Thin Minute Repeating Vacheron Constantin From The 1960s, In White Gold
The vintage minute repeater - who made them? Patek Philippe? Sure, but not many.? Vacheron Constantin? Yup, but even less.? In fact, Vacheron only made 36 watches in the early to mid 20th century that were minute repeaters, and all of them (as far as we know) bore the reference 4261.? And, out of those 36 minute repeaters, only ten used a 13mm diameter movement, inside an oversized case.? All 36 minute repeaters were in fact ultra-slim, with a movement of just 3.1mm thick and were typically made from yellow or pink gold, sometimes platinum.And then we have the watch we saw yesterday at Christie's, which will be coming up in their May Geneva sale.? This is indeed a vintage Vacheron repeater, ...
Girard-Perregaux Announces New Website, Lifestyle Journal, And Owners' Portal
Girard-Perregaux has been making watches for 221 years, but this year marks a big period of transition for the makers of both the beautiful and the bold.? GP was bought by luxury conglomerate PPR last summer, and just recently, GP North America was handed over to Mike Margolis (a fan favorite and regular Timezone contributor) who will be leading the brand's relaunch into the US.Along with a refocused image in North America, GP has an entirely new website, blog (Mechanics of Style - A Digital Journal For The Modern Gentleman) with a few familiar faces contributing, and has announced it will offer a special owners portal called Your GP World that will allows GP owners exclusive inside access t...
John Mayer On Watches: And Now, A Message From John Mayer
Editor's Note: You're going to be seeing some changes around HODINKEE in the coming months. As our humble site continues to grow, our goal is to build a wider range of content from a variety of knowledgeable and passionate contributors. There are many different types of "watch guys" out there, and today you'll meet a particularly interesting one - one that knows the devil is in the details, and has an appreciation for the entire market, from top to bottom. So without further ado, here are a few words from a guy named John, who happens to play a mean guitar. 5513/5517 Military Sub. I try to wear without worry. This watch has been through war, it can h...
Introducing The Pebble E-Paper Watch: Build Your Perfect (Digital) Watch With The Download Of An App
As much as we love mechanical watches here at HODINKEE, there are quite a few of us, me especially, that love gadgets. The newest gadget I've been admiring (and now supporting) is the Pebble E-Paper Watch.This nifty little guy works with your iOS or Android device and does a slew of things.? Apart from being a watch with customizable faces, you can use it for email and text notifications, workouts (with the GPS features of an iOS or Android device), controlling your tunes, or even as a rangefinder for golfing.?I'm most excited about the fact it has an e-ink display, which means the battery will last a long, long time.If you're ready to pick this up, head on over to Kickstarter and support it...
VIDEO: The Incredible Millenium-Measuring, 340,000 Swiss Franc, Urwerk Zeit Device, Explained
Urwerk makes some absolutely awesome stuff, ranging from the game-changing 103, to the Patek inspired CC1 Cobra, to the modern 110 Torpedo.? But, the culmination of all the work done by Urwerk over the last fifteen years went into not a wristwatch, but something of a pocketwatch, or an "uber complication," as some call it.? The Zeit Device 1001, which we showed you first here, is an enormously complex device that marks the passage of time in seconds, minutes, hours, day/night, date, month, years, 100 years (centuries), all of the way to a monumental 1,000 years (millenia!!).It's almost as big as an iPhone and much heavier. It costs more than a Bentley Continental Super Sport, is limited to...