Hodinkee
Pre-Owned Picks: An Onyx Dial Rolex Day-Date (With Diamonds), A Full Gold 36mm Royal Oak, And A White Gold Cartier Tank Americaine On Bracelet
Plus a precious Jacquet Droz and a high-beat two-tone Zenith Chronomaster El Primero.
2,612 articles · 220 videos found · page 11 of 95
Hodinkee
Plus a precious Jacquet Droz and a high-beat two-tone Zenith Chronomaster El Primero.
Worn & Wound
Over the last few years, Grand Seiko has introduced a nearly nonstop stream of variants in their popular “SBGW” line of 37mm, manually wound dress watches. We’ve covered these watches at length, because we’re honestly pretty big fans. There’s a lot to like: they are based on the original Grand Seiko design language dating back to the founding of the brand, they are relatively affordable when compared to other watches in the Grand Seiko catalog, and they possess an elegant simplicity that is easy to dress up or down with a simple strap change. And of course, as time passes, there’s seemingly no end to the colors and textures that might pop up. But one thing has eluded collectors, at least many in the United States, and that’s a bracelet option. The Japanese market has long had the ability to pair this case with an elegant stainless steel bracelet, but the American collector has to jump through some hoops. That changed last week in an update to the collection could serve to reset the “SBGW” experience. The new SBGW305 sees the dress watch fashioned with a simple silver dial, and a case mounted to a five-row steel bracelet that appears to be virtually identical to the bracelet that was paired with the JDM model SBGW235. For a better look, you can check out our recent video on our team’s mutual love for Grand Seiko, where you’ll see Worn & Wound cofounder Zach Weiss guiding us through his own personal collection of Grand Seikos, which includes the SBGW2...
Worn & Wound
Christopher Ward seems to have gotten some divine intervention with the latest release of theirs, the Twelve Halo. Based on the sporty series that boasts a dodecagonal (that’s 12-sided for those of you who failed geometry, like me) case, the Halo has a luxurious update with a ring of gold around the dial. The gold itself is the perfect accent against the otherwise plain appearance of the watch, showing that simple is sometimes the best. Contrasting against the brushed steel case, the 18-karat gold is a bit of mixed-metal done right. While the choice of either a silver or black dial only adds to the simplicity of the overall offering, meaning nothing is detracting from the Halo’s minimalism. Whether one is picking the silver or black dial, you’re treated to small, intentional design features which tie the whole thing together. Gone is a distracting day-date, indices, or numbers and what you’re left with is a lumed handset and a rose gold logo. While I shudder at the term, one can’t deny that this restraint is quiet luxury in its truest form. Coming in at just 36mm, the Twelve Halo is suitable for both men and women. The exhibition back lets one see the Sellita SW 200-1 automatic movement in action. Both models are available on an integrated steel bracelet with a price tag of $2,555. The Twelve Halo is available now via the Christopher Ward website, with delivery expected in December. Christopher Ward Images from this post: The post Christopher Ward Introduces the ...
Revolution
Worn & Wound
There are all kinds of watches that are tied to motorsports. Horology and racing are inextricably linked, and while the Venn Diagram of people who are into watches and into various aspects of car culture and auto racing isn’t exactly a circle, it’s honestly probably not far off. But when it comes to watches that are inspired by motorsport in one way or another, we find varying levels of refinement and authenticity in the products that make it to boutique shelves. It’s easy enough to slap a logo of a car manufacturer on a dial or make a caseback calling attention to a particular race, but it’s more challenging to draw a real connection between these two worlds, even as they’re so closely linked. One of the things that make the watches made by Laurent Ferrier so interesting is that the connection feels real, a natural result of the history of the team that founded the brand. Before he was a world renowned watchmaker, Laurent Ferrier and his partner Francois Servanin were (very accomplished) amateur racers, and the new version of the Sport Auto celebrates that history. For watch fans who might not be familiar with Laurent Ferrier’s personal history prior to the founding of his eponymous brand, he did indeed make something of a name for himself in the automotive world at the 24 Hours of Le Mans race in 1979. Ferrier and his teammates (including Servanin and Francois Trisconi) placed third in that race out of 60, a surprising result for a group of non-professional...
Video
Worn & Wound
The Oceanus might be the last thing you think about when you hear the brand name, Casio. Their elevated range of watches aren’t built with the familiar tough resin case accompanied by a soft urethane band and a digital display. Instead, Casio has elected to encase the Oceanus with titanium paired with distinguishable features that stray away from the utilitarian feel while still integrating their technological know-how in a more analog fashion. In short, this concept is what Casio refers to as, “Elegance, Technology”. The four latest additions include a limited reference and three regular production models that harness the dynamic cerulean hues of the ocean packaged in a coated titanium case and equipped with a suite of familiar features. Like the Manta S500 Series, the Oceanus OCWS6000SW2A takes the bezel and uses it as a canvas to uniquely represent the various features of the ocean. This limited production model in particular displays the movement of the ocean with a spiral-cut sapphire bezel representing the crest and trough of a traveling wave. The blue gradient of the bezel also gives the impression of the continuous motion of the ocean. Although masked by color, the sapphire bezel still allows light to penetrate through, powering the solar panel fixed beneath. As mentioned above, the case is constructed out of titanium and coated with a carbide treatment giving a powdery, sandblasted effect across the non-polished areas. Another distinguishable feature of the ...
Worn & Wound
Five years ago, if someone were to ask me for advice on an affordable, reliable, all-purpose watch with some enthusiast/collector credibility, I’d definitely have Seiko on the tip of my tongue, and probably Timex and G-Shock as well. A brand that I might not have been as quick to mention would be Citizen, which is perhaps a bit ironic for me personally, because a Citizen is literally the first watch I can remember picking out for myself, years and years before this would become a hobby, let alone a profession. But something is happening at Citizen that is truly compelling. They’ve always had an expansive catalog, but recently they’ve been able to zero in on the stuff that really makes them special. Affordable, tactical divers are one avenue where they’ve had some success, and I’d argue they currently have a slight edge on Seiko in that department, overall. And with the recent release of the NJ015 “Tsuyosa” collection (the word means “strength” in Japanese) Citizen is making a play at the competitive “sporty, everyday casual” segment of the market with a colorful integrated bracelet option. Coming in at less than $500, these seem destined to appear on “recommended” lists. What we have here are straightforward, time and date automatic watches in stainless steel cases with integrated bracelets. The design is vaguely vintage inspired, but this type of watch is so common right now, it feels completely contemporary. The obvious point of comparison is Ti...
Worn & Wound
Since Ollech & Wajs reconstituted itself in 2019, they’ve released a string of well regarded sports watches that pay tribute to some of the brand’s key designs from the 1960s and 1970s. This period, obviously, is fertile ground for watch design inspiration, with plenty of unusual, colorful attempts to build something different, along with your normal array of no fuss, black dialed divers. Ollech & Wajs has really focused on the hits, and on a somewhat insane commitment to build quality (my favorite example: the C-1000, one of the most under the radar 1,000 meter divers you’ll find anywhere). For this latest release, however, they’re looking toward an old design that is heavy with 70s funk, and then…un-funking it? At a glance, the new OW 8001 is the product of at least a few strange decisions. Let’s step back a moment and take a look at the watch that inspired the OW 8001, the OW 8000. This year marks the 50th anniversary of Ollech & Wajs’ early foray into the integrated bracelet market in the form of a sporty, “TV dial” chronograph with a smoked brown dial. The case of the 8000 appears to be overbuilt and chunky in a way that Ollech & Wajs has always favored, but there’s a certain elegance to the case shape and the way the case connects to the bracelet (notice the facet angled downward at the top and bottom of the case). Ollech & Wajs were far from the only brand to make a TV dial style watch, and they certainly weren’t the only brand to experiment ...
Hodinkee
We predicted it. It's real. And it's hot.
Hodinkee
It's a blast-from-the-past design – and 37mm never looked so good.
Video
Hodinkee
They say a G-Shock can survive anything. Our watch-related movie of the week puts that to the test.
Hodinkee
And not any old strap will fit it.
Hodinkee
Kelly Zimmerman pledges fealty to The Crown - and a certain German automaker.
A very deep dive on how Rolex keeps watches on wrists.
Hodinkee
Does it get any more HODINKEE Vintage than the El Primero, Submariner, and Carrera? And we're just getting started.
Video
Revolution
Sleek clean lines are the order of the day for sports watches. Here’s a look at some of the most iconic models of the genre since the 1970s as well as their present-day reinterpretations.
SJX Watches
Distinctive with its wide, flat bezel, the ref. 5070 was Patek Philippe’s last chronograph powered by the CH27-70 movement derived from the Lemania 2310. At 42 mm in diameter, the ref. 5070 was the largest high-end chronograph on the market at its launch in 1998. Amongst the four versions of the ref. 5070 – in rose, yellow, or white gold as well as platinum – the platinum version is the rarest. Around 250 were made according to Sotheby’s, with the standard guise for the platinum case being being a metallic, muted-blue dial. Produced at the “special request of an important client” in 2012, the ref. 5070/1P-010 has a black dial, while preserving the standard dial design with its large, applied Arabic numerals in white gold. While the standard model is has the model reference 5070P, this example has the suffix “/1P”, indicating the monochromatic dial is matched by a platinum “brick” bracelet, an uncommon option only available via special order. Importantly, both the black dial and bracelet are mentioned on the certificate, which indicates the watch was sold at the Patek Philippe Salon in Geneva. The combination of a platinum case, black dial, and matching bracelet – familiar and simple but endlessly striking – has been seen before on other chronograph models, including a ref. 5004P that sold at Christie’s in 2019. But this is the first ref. 5070P in this livery to be offered publicly. Estimated at HK$4-8 million, or US$500,000-1 million, the uniq...
Deployant
Today, we bring some light and sparkles with a series of full gold watches that we reckon are great options for any watch collection.
SJX Watches
A master of often extravagant, occasionally whimsical, jewelled timepieces, Cartier has just debuted the Mitten Watch. Despite the plain name, the Mitten Watch is a dramatic blend of the jeweller’s longstanding oval watch case – the Baignoire Allongée – and a half glove of woven rose gold, finished with a sprinkling of over 1,500 diamonds. The Mitten Watch is the first unique wristwatch in Clash [Un]limited, a riff on the Clash line up of edgy jewellery. A step upwards in both exclusivity and creativity, Clash [Un]limited is a collection of watches and jewellery made up entirely of limited editions or unique creations. The Baignoire Allongée camouflaged within the rose gold mesh Initial thoughts Watches as jewellery are unsurprisingly a specialty of Cartier’s. Past examples include watches shaped like an overflowing bathtub, inspired by animals, and of course the famous Crash. But still the Mitten Watch still manages to stand out – it is quite a special creation. Being a metallic half glove certainly makes the watch interesting in both form and function, but the execution really brings the idea to life. The Baignoire Allongée – French for “elongated bathtub” – is perhaps the ideal choice for the design, with its stretched but slim profile that’s prominent enough to be visible, yet sleek enough not to be obtrusive, against the mesh glove. And then there are the diamonds that cascade outwards from the watch, giving the mitten a dynami...
Quill & Pad
Our friends at The Watches TV visited Laurent Jolliet, the last “chain maker” in business in Switzerland according to Marc André Deschoux. As Jolliet crafts his bracelets and chains fully by hand, Deschoux and crew were able to find out in detail how Milanese bracelets are made, an art form no longer formally taught, and they share the secrets with us here.
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#everythingonajubilee
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Exploring two similar timepieces at two very different price points. Choose your own adventure. Featuring the Seiko SGF206 and the Rolex Day-Date Ref. 1803.
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Battle tested and office ready.
Hodinkee
A striking limited edition in support of an endangered gentle giant.
Quill & Pad
Bracelets are one of the most underappreciated watch components. They are often taken for granted, yet designing and crafting a good one comes with considerable challenges. Martin Green thinks that the new Breguet Marine bracelets are a winner, but especially in gold there's a price to pay.
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