Hodinkee
Dispatch: Behind The Closed Doors Of A Major Grey Market Show
IWJG's Miami show is the grand bazaar of the wholesale watch world.
4,299 articles · 46 videos found · page 130 of 145
Hodinkee
IWJG's Miami show is the grand bazaar of the wholesale watch world.
Two Broke Watch Snobs
Let me set the stage for you: somewhere in Switzerland, a Longines executive is sitting in a leather chair, sipping espresso, and staring out over the Alps. “What if,” they muse, “we take a perfectly good dive watch, strip it of its most basic functionality, make it out of fancy plastic, and charge five grand for it?” Cue applause from the boardroom, a slow clap from a guy in a turtleneck, and voilà-the Longines Ultra-Chron Carbon is born.
Monochrome
Mercedes-Benz and racing go hand-in-hand. After all, it’s one of the most successful manufacturers in both pre-war Grand Prix, post-war Formula 1 and Endurance Racing, birthing many legendary cars. From the very early days of motor racing, the brand has been active in all sorts of categories. It won the 1914 French Grand Prix with […]
Monochrome
Rolex has never been known as a watchmaker of grand complications. The core of its portfolio consists of purposeful and precise sports watches with a dose of luxury if desired. 904L stainless steel or “Oystersteel” dominates this lineup, but 18k gold in part or in full are popular choices and often a “flex” for business […]
SJX Watches
Hublot’s latest release is a limited edition created in collaboration with Novak Djokovic, the tennis champion who has 24 Grand Slam titles. The Big Bang Unico Novak Djokovic is encased in a carbon composite that recycles the player’s tennis racquets and Lacoste polo t-shirts. And its movement has been reworked to utilise aluminium bridges and plates, ensuring the entire watch weighs less than a tennis ball. Initial thoughts Often criticised for its pricey, Sellita-equipped entry-level models and numerous limited editions, Hublot is sometimes controversial. The brand’s higher-end watches, however, are usually more interesting (and occasionally very complex) and sometimes better value. Priced at US$52,700, the Big Bang Unico Novak Djokovic is expensive enough that it’s not a value proposition. It is, however, interesting for the case material. Moreover it holds a special appeal for fans of Novak Djokovic. And intrinsically, it is technically competent as it’s equipped with a modified Unico movement that is mostly aluminium and ultra light. Tennis racquets Sized like the standard Big Bang Unico, this measures 42 mm by 14.5 mm. The case material, however, is unique. The case and bezel are in a composite derived from 25 Head tennis racquets, 17 dark blue and 15 light blue Lacoste polo t-shirts used by Djokovic throughout the 2023 season. These ground-up racquets and shirts are mixed with an epoxy resin reinforced with quartz powder and glass, resulting in a distinc...
SJX Watches
To mark the Chinese New Year that begins on January 29, 2025, Blancpain has unveiled the Villeret Traditional Chinese Calendar “Year of the Snake”. For the first time, the brand combines a platinum case with a green grand feu enamel dial on its wristwatch that has the unusual complication of a Chinese lunisolar calendar. As with previous editions, the Villeret Chinese Calendar displays the symbol of the Chinese Zodiac in a small aperture located at noon, in addition to featuring a snake motif engraved on its frosted white gold rotor. Initial thoughts The ability of a perpetual calendar to accurately track months, dates, and days for decades, mechanically and without any manual adjustments, remains impressive even as the complication has become common. Watches with a traditional Chinese calendar, however, remain rare and arguably more impressive. Only a handful of brands have incorporated the traditional Chinese calendar into a wristwatch, with Blancpain being one of the earliest to do so, way back in 2012 ( and more recently H. Moser & Cie. has done the same). Admittedly, the latest edition of the Villeret Traditional Chinese Calendar introduces little new beyond the platinum case paired with a green enamel dial. Both the design and movement remain the same. While not intrinsically novel, the new version of the Traditional Chinese Calendar remains an interesting complication, with the new livery being appealing in itself. Year of the serpent The snake zodiac edition is...
Worn & Wound
Editor’s note: In this week’s 3 Watch Collection for $5,000, reader Sunny Tsui takes us through a hypothetical collection that is remarkably well balanced. It features a watch from a major luxury brand, an affordable indie on the rise, and, like so many of these three watch collections, a Seiko that you might not be expecting. You can make your submission to the Three Watch Collection – Reader Edition by filling out the form right here. It’s always interesting to think about a three watch collection with a given budget at a certain point in time. The recommendations will evolve over time with our knowledge in watches, new models coming up, and the market conditions. I have been considering style, complications, and brand variety when constructing this collection. To push the boundary maximising the value, I am selecting all three watches from the pre-owned market. Christopher Ward C63 Sealander GMT – $900 (Pre-owned) The first one is a versatile watch from a British brand – Christopher Ward. I have been following the brand for a while but really took notice, like many others, when they launched the C1 Bel Canto. From my experience the brand really does a good job in manufacturing high quality watches with reasonable mark-ups. With a 39mm diameter, 12mm case height, and a 46mm lug-to-lug distance plus a clean white dial, the C63 Sealander GMT is a versatile watch fitting any occasion and outfit. You can easily pair it with business casual attire in the workp...
Worn & Wound
In this video, we take a look at some of the best field watches on the market priced under $1,000. We look at 21 different watches in both a modern and traditional format from brands like Timex, Seiko, Citizen, and Formex, just to name a few. While the definition of field watch can be a little bit murky, we tried to pick a bit of a variety of watches to fit any personal preference while staying true to the core values of legibility, durability, and a sense of simplicity. Deep rooted in military tradition, the field watch tends to fit a certain bill though I am sure a few on this list will surprise you. We will be creating more content like this in the future, so be sure to follow along on our Windup Watch Shop YouTube channel for more! The post 21 Of The Best Field Watches For Under $1,000 appeared first on Worn & Wound.
Monochrome
Young collaborative project/brand SpaceOne continues its exploration of watchmaking through a parallel galaxy… Last year, the bold and modern SpaceOne Jumping Hour emerged from the visionary mind of Théo Auffret, a Parisian independent watchmaker crafting intricate timepieces like the Tourbillon Grand Sport and Guillaume Laidet, the man spearheading the revival of Nivada, Excelsior Park and Vulcain. […]
Monochrome
While many will be familiar with anOrdain, the young brand specialised in accessible yet highly appealing vitreous (grand feu) enamel dials in all possible colours of the spectrum, there’s another brand coming from Glasgow, Scotland that should be under your radar; Paulin Watches. And the two are closely related, being owned by the same individuals […]
Monochrome
Japanese watchmaker Orient is one of those rare brands that produce in-house models at very affordable prices, rivalling and often beating Japanese juggernauts Seiko and Citizen with value propositions. The best-selling Bambino series is clearly very popular, particularly the recent 38mm collection. The latest two pieces don’t break the mould, but do introduce fresh dial […]
Hodinkee
Made up of Head racquets and Lacoste polos used by Djokovic during his 2023 season, this watch is a little piece of Grand Slam history.
Monochrome
In the world of tennis, Novak Djokovic stands as a true icon, a powerful player with a winning mindset, boasting an unmatched 24 Grand Slam singles titles and a reputation as one of the greatest athletes in history. A Hublot ambassador since 2021, Djokovic has been seen sporting a variety of the brand’s timepieces, including […]
WatchAdvice
Ahead of the Las Vegas F1 Grand Prix, TAG Heuer has dropped a new Monaco Chronograph with a hot pink skeletonised dial, and we’ve had the pleasure of test-driving this piece for a week prior to the launch. What We Love: The hot pink dial – trust me, it grows on you! The lightness combined with the rubber strap makes it super easy to wear The faceted sapphire crystal is unique and adds depth to the watch What We Don’t: The square shape is not my preferred case shape Lack of a screw-down crown on a 100m WR sports watch The watch is on the thicker side and takes a little to get used to Overall Rating: 8.75 / 10 Value for Money: 8.5/10 Wearability: 8.5/10 Design: 9/10 Build Quality: 9/10 TAG Heuer and Formula 1 seem to be inextricably linked, not surprising given the Swiss brand’s history with motorsport all the way back to the 1960s. This link is further solidified with their watches – one carrying the famed sport’s namesake in the TAG Heuer Formula 1, the other with the Monaco, one of the most iconic F1 races, gaining fame thanks to Steve McQueen wearing the piece in his 1971 film, Le Mans. Yes, it wasn’t F1, but a screen legend wearing a sports watch prominently on the wrist in a film about another iconic motorsport event helped to put the Monaco front and centre. While the materials and designs these days a lot more modern, the classic Monaco DNA is still there and instantly recognisable. So it comes as no surprise that TAG Heuer would drop their latest M...
Worn & Wound
Our friends at Time+Tide have launched their latest collaborative limited edition, a new version of one of our favorite TAG Heuer references, the Aquaracer Solargraph. The Solargraph builds on decades of Aquaracer heritage by incorporating state of the art solar technology that makes it something akin to the ultimate grand and go sports watch. The new LE from Time+Tide trades on the media outlet’s Australian roots to great effect – the end result is a watch straddles the line between the high end and a pure tool, offering something just a little big extra for Time+Tide readers. The TAG Heuer Aquaracer Solargraph x Time+Tide “Sundowner,” as it’s known, features a number of design cues inspired by the Australian outback. The reputation of the outback is as a wilderness environment that’s both beautiful and treacherous, so a sandblasted titanium case makes a ton of thematic sense and offers a level of robustness that you’d want if you found yourself in one of Australia’s most remote regions. The barren, desert-like aesthetic is also evoked by the khaki strap and the rose gold dial accents, which provide the Sundowner with a sense of utility and refinement. I’ve never been to the outback, personally, but the watch has a warmth to it that is both uncommon in quartz powered sports watches and feels very much tied to the landscape it’s inspired by. The Solargraph is ostensibly a dive watch, and features a unidirectional rotating bezel in a tone matching that...
Hodinkee
Live from Geneva! It's the Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Genève.
Monochrome
The 2024 edition of the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève has just unveiled the grand winner of this year’s awards ceremony! Often regarded as the Oscars of Watchmaking, the GPHG stands for a celebration of all things surrounding mechanical watchmaking. A specially selected jury, which included our founder and editor-in-chief Frank Geelen, has narrowed down […]
Monochrome
This is it, the 2024 Oscars of the Watchmaking industry, the so-called Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève or GPHG 2024, is about to begin and the best watches introduced during the year are about to be awarded. From ladies’ watches to chronographs and exceptional mechanical proposals, the entire spectrum of watch production is covered. For […]
Fratello
Hello, and welcome to this week’s episode of Fratello Talks. Today, we’re bringing back the fan-favorite topic of affordable watches. Nacho, Lex, and Daan picked one favorite under €1,000 from each of their collections. Our first time highlighting affordable favorites, we ended up with three divers - two from Seiko and one from Citizen. Today’s selection […] Visit Fratello Talks: Our Favorite Affordable Watches Vol. 2 to read the full article.
Worn & Wound
TAG Heuer is introducing a third generation of the Carrera Chronograph Tourbillon in collaboration with the Senna brand, a commemorative company dedicated to the late Ayrton Senna’s legendary career as three time Grand Prix world champion. Senna’s racing legacy is intertwined with the watch world and has always conjured images of the TAG Heuer 6000 Senna Limited Edition in the minds of collectors. This was the very first watch that Ayrton produced together with TAG Heuer, and he was still with us at the beginning of its conception to have a say in its design. In 2018 TAG Heuer released the first Carrera chronograph tourbillon editions, followed by another iteration in 2019. While many of us are quite fond of the original designs that feature a very distinct era specific aesthetic, such as small case sizes with heavily rounded edges, these new models are extremely modern in contrast. Launching today is the reference CBU5081.FT6274 – a serious chronograph watch with a grade 2 titanium case, ceramic tachymeter bezel that can measure up to 400 kmh, and a display of TAG Heuer watchmaking prowess in the form of a tourbillon at 6 o’clock. It doesn’t get much more contemporary sporty than a watch like this, using cutting edge materials and high horology watchmaking techniques such as its fully skeletonized dial and the tourbillon itself. The yellow, blue, and green accents each have their spot around the dial of the watch, aiding in reading the elapsed time of the ch...
Monochrome
TAG Heuer and Senna Brand team up to celebrate Brazilian racing driver Ayrton Senna with a limited edition chronograph and tourbillon. As the watch brand most closely associated with motorsports, TAG Heuer’s partnership with Senna began in 1988 and continued until his tragic death in 1994 at the San Marino Grand Prix. On the 30th […]
Monochrome
ZRC (Zuccolo Rochet & Cie) isn’t a household name in the dive community like Rolex, Doxa, Blancpain or Omega (or even Seiko, if we cross a few time zones), but it certainly has a place in history. Responding to the French Navy’s request for deep dive watches in 1958, the brand developed the S1 diver […]
Monochrome
Breguet‘s Classique collection distils the essence of Abraham-Louis Breguet’s watchmaking spirit. With its pure, refined lines, the Classique is home to a wide variety of models sharing many of Breguet’s ‘unmistakable signs’. Breguet expands the collection with a pair of extremely elegant platinum models with inky black Grand Feu enamel dials. The candidates for this […]
Time+Tide
It's the watch the F1 champ wore on the podium when celebrating his win at the 2024 British Grand Prix earlier this year.The post Going, going, gone! Lewis Hamilton’s IWC team watch raises CHF 220,000 for charity at auction appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Monochrome
You may not be familiar with Paulin Watches, but you’ve likely heard of anOrdain – Paulin’s sister brand. Both are based in Glasgow, Scotland where design and assembly occur, while Paulin’s dials are produced in Germany. anOrdain is known for its accessibly priced Grand Feu enamel dials, but Paulin specializes in whimsical models with colour […]
SJX Watches
Patek Philippe has finally debuted the long-awaited Cubitus, a collection of “elegant sporty” watches. The Cubitus is an oversized square watch with an unexpectedly elegant profile – and some echoes of the Nautilus. While that might seem like an odd recipe, the Cubitus is a successful new creation. The collection is led by the flagship Cubitus ref. 5822P Instantaneous Grand Date (pictured above) in platinum powered by an all-new calibre. The Cubitus ref. 5822P in profile The bestseller, however, will be the entry-level model, the Cubitus ref. 5821/1A, a time-and-date in steel with an olive-green dial. The Cubitus ref. 5821/1AR is also a three-hander with date, but in two-tone steel and 18k rose gold with a blue dial. The Cubitus ref. 5821/1A Initial thoughts The most discussed new launch of the year, the Cubitus is many things – “elegant sporty”, a relative of the Nautilus, and controversial – but it also surprises on the upside. I like the Cubitus, especially the base model in steel. The large square bezel complements the “ears” on either side of the case, and the bracelet integrates unexpectedly well into the design. The Cubitus has obviously inherited genes from the Nautilus – Thierry Stern himself acknowledges that – but the result is more natural than the angular bezel suggests. And Cubitus doesn’t merely transplant cosmetics, but also employs the unique one-piece case construction of the Nautilus. Importantly, the Cubitus has good ergonomics....
Quill & Pad
One of the wines Ken Gargett brought to a recent wine tasting with friends was a sherry, the Equipo Navazos La Bota de Manzanilla Pasada No 80, Bota Punta. Some among you will have no doubt that such a wine demands Grand Cru status, while others will be horrified at the thought. And so it was at the dinner. But let's just talk about sherry for a moment, shall we?
SJX Watches
Sporting a moon phase and retro design, the Flagship Heritage Moonphase was originally available only in sedate colours of cream and silver. Now the line grows to include dials in Havana beige, anthracite and green. Unlike the recent Conquest Heritage, the Moonphase is not a vintage reproduction, rather it’s a blend of vintage and modern, with the bonus of a solid 18k gold medallion on the back portraying a caravel on a blue sea of grand feu enamel. Initial thoughts The new trio are essentially cosmetic expansions of the line, so they do not seem novel on paper, but they are a smartly conceived products. The traditional styling is preserved, but with dials in striking colours that are now much more lively. The earlier versions were arguably too plain, with the subdued colours seeming a bit flat. The Flagship Heritage Moonphase is one of Longines’ more expensive models at US$3,050, but nonetheless is decent value considering the top-of-the-line ETA movement and solid-gold, hand-enamelled emblem on the back. Calendar complications Like most models in Longines’ vintage-based Heritage Classic collection, the Flagship Heritage Moonphase is compact by modern standards, but larger than the actual vintage originals. The stainless steel case is 38.5 mm in diameter and 12.4 mm in thickness. Simple in style, the case has a domed, polished bezel and short, angular lugs with polished chamfers along their edges. Slightly domed to mimic a vintage watch, the dial is finished with a ...
Worn & Wound
There seems to be a clear correlation between watch enthusiasts and cinephiles. From Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Seiko H558-5009 (mentioned in one of my previous articles) to Marlon Brando’s bezel-less Rolex GMT Master 1675, watches and their film counterparts have been the focus of discussion in the watch collector space for years. While an Arnie will cost you around $500 and 1675s over $10k, pieces of film history can be obtained by hobbyists of all tax brackets. However, even the several hundred-dollar price for a girthy Seiko diver may still be out of the price range for many collectors who find the allure of Hollywood memorabilia sitting in their watch case to be intriguing. Enter the Timex Camper. In the opening sequence of Ethan and Joel Coen’s 2007 masterpiece film No Country for Old Men, protagonist Llewelyn Moss (played by Josh Brolin) tracks game animals across the West Texas plains. He bends down on one knee, takes his watch out, and holds it to the sun––attempting to use the shadows of the handset on the dial to track his direction. The audience fortunately gets a few frames of the watch on screen. What’s shown is a Timex Camper, dark green, with a matching fabric strap. It’s rather small in the shot, but us collectors will take whatever wristwatch screen time we can get. The Camper’s aesthetics obviously differentiate it from the aforementioned Arnie and 1675, but its most important trait for us is its price. For well under $100––commonly li...
Worn & Wound
eBay Finds is back! This bi-monthly installment will feature a selection of watches currently listed on eBay that have caught the eye of editor Christoph McNeil (@vintagediver). If you come across any hidden gems on the ‘Bay drop us a note at info@wornandwound.com for potential inclusion! Seiko SilverWave Diver Here is a fantastic and scarce vintage Seiko SilverWave diver. The SilverWave model is one of Seiko’s earlier sport divers, and is arguably the coolest design. The 36mm steel case has a deeply grooved crown at 4 o’clock, and a snap on case back. There were a few different variations, but this model was rated to a depth of 30 meters. The silver dial has simple stick markers, but the coolest feature is the internal rotating dive bezel. By turning the crown in the ‘in’ position, the internal bezel rotates. This is something Seiko has done on many models, but I think the SilverWave may have been the first. Seller states the watch runs, and it’s in overall great condition for this watch which is usually found pretty beat up. View auction here Benrus Sea Lord Next, a nice vintage Benrus Sea Lord (great name btw), complete with box and papers. The gold plated case is excellent and looks unpolished, and the crown is original and signed with the Benrus “B” logo. The silver dial is simple and clean with a radial brushed finish, with applied gold stick markers and big stick hands. The vintage stretch gold band is most likely a replacement, but it’s definite...
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