Two Broke Watch Snobs
Vaer Automatic Review - A Sweet Spot in a Crowded Field
It’s nice to see a case that was the product of a thought process as opposed to a generic lump that fell out of a parts bin.
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Two Broke Watch Snobs
It’s nice to see a case that was the product of a thought process as opposed to a generic lump that fell out of a parts bin.
SJX Watches
Last year’s Akrivia Chronomètre Contemporain made its young creator, Rexhep Rexhepi, a star, but the brand’s foundational watch is actually the “AK” series. Chunky and slightly sporty, the AK watches are a world away from the classical styling of the Chronomètre Contemporain, but boast the same level of movement finishing, along with a bonus of elaborately hand-hammered dials. The second model in the AK series was the AK-02 Tourbillon Heure Minute, or “Hour Minute” – a time-only watch with a tourbillon regulator. The AK-02 is probably the finest finished tourbillon wristwatch in its price segment, and in the price segments above it as well. The AK case It’s a fairly large watch, with the case measuring 43.0mm with and 12.9mm high. But the lugs are short so it feels fairly compact on the wrist. And because the AK-02 is typically found in a steel case, as is pictured here, or occasionally titanium, it is usually lightweight. Gold cases are available for a modest premium, though rarely requested. The case feels like it’s trying too hard, and consequently feels overly built, with thick lugs and a high case band. It’s too chunky for my taste, and doesn’t quite suit the refined movement inside. That being said, the AK-style case has it fans for several reason. The design is distinctive, more distinctive than the old school Chronomètre Contemporain case. And it is also finished to a high degree, with contrasting polished and brushed surfaces; the...
Revolution
Exploring Tanzania’s breathtaking wildlife and landscapes, there is really only one watch that fits the bill - the Ralph Lauren Safari.
Revolution
Revolution sits down with Horoloupe, one of the most digital-savvy connoisseurs, to discuss his watch collecting philosophy and take a look at his Big Three.
Deployant
Sinn 6012 Rose Gold Anniversary The new 6012 rose gold edition is a limited edition created to mark the 20th anniversary of the Frankfurt Financial District Watches in 1999. The rose gold limited edition is limited to 50 pieces and cased in 18K rose gold (not plated). The case and dial The Sinn 6012 isRead More
SJX Watches
To mark the 50th anniversary of the lunar landing – and the Omega Speedmaster’s moment of greatness – Sotheby’s has put together a Speedmaster-only auction that’ll take place in New York on July 19, 2019. A compact sale of just 50 lots, Omega Speedmaster: To the Moon and Back is dominated by vintage Speedmasters, including examples of every mainstream reference, meaning there is something for every budget – the most affordable watch in the sale is lot 31, a Speedmaster ref. 145.022 with a low estimate of just US$3000. Notably, all the watches in the sale have been “vetted by the manufacture”, and are accompanied by archive extracts. And the estimates are generally modest, reflecting the fact that the watches are mostly in good or strong condition, as opposed to being mint or “new old stock”. The top lot is an example of the first Speedmaster ever, the ref. 2915-1. Appearing quite worn but honest in the catalogue photos, it is lot 10 and has an estimate of US$150,000-200,000. And the watch is one of two ref. 2915-1 in the sale, with the other having a lower estimate in keeping with its condition. Lot 10 – Speedmaster ref. 2915-1. Photo – Sotheby’s Other “straight lug” Speedmasters in the sale include a few 2998s, as well as examples of the uncommon 105.002 and the more common 105.003 “Ed White”. With a lower estimate than the 2915-1 but but probably more interesting is the Speedmaster “Alaska III” prototype from 1978. One...
Deployant
A brief look at wristwatches in space exploration. Not an exhaustive or academic list. Other than the Omega Speedmaster, what watches were worn in space?
Revolution
This July’s ‘Exclusive Timepieces & Jewels’ sale at Monaco Legend Group’s purpose-built space in Monaco is the first under the new ownership of renowned dealer Davide Parmegiani.
Deployant
During the Time to Move event, Harry Winston unveiled the Premier Precious Micromosaic Automatic 36. Here is our picture report of the watch.
Revolution
REVOLUTION catches up with CEOs of the most singular independent watch brands to see what’s on their summer reading list.
Revolution
Jaquet Droz CEO, Christian Lattman walks Revolution through all of the watchmaker’s 2019 novelties, including the breathtaking Magic Lotus Automaton.
SJX Watches
In 2016, Cartier unveiled one of the most dramatic examples of an orbital regulator – the Astromysterieux – in which the entire movement was suspended in the oculus of the watch dial, mysteriously unencumbered by any visible support. The Astromysterieux sits in the same class of exotic regulators as the Ulysse Nardin Freak, Piaget Tourbillon Relatif, and Jean Dunand Tourbillon Orbital – and unsurprisingly, three of the four were conceived by the same watchmaker. Previously only available in palladium, the brand has now introduced a striking pink gold version with a black guilloche chapter ring. The dimensions of the watch remain unchanged – 43.5mm in diameter with a thickness of just 12mm, making it one of the thinnest, most elegant watches with such an unusual regulator. In the new pink gold version, the black guilloche chapter ring is paired with polished pink gold roman numerals and black Breguet-shaped hands, creating a remarkable contrast. But the true brilliance of the watch lies in the ingenious cal. 9462 MC, for which three patents were filed. The secret to the floating, mysterious movement is in the invisible gearing that is hidden behind the chapter ring. The movement is essentially baguette-shaped, with the minute hand fixed to the barrel bridge, and completes a full rotation on the dial in an hour. The central, carrousel tourbillon The basic idea of a tourbillon is to install the escapement in a mechanically driven platform in order to cr...
Deployant
Seiko introduces a new LX line of watches with the usual Sea, Land and Air concepts. We examine the Prospex SNR031J1 LX Black Edition Dive Watch in detail.
Hodinkee
A watch inspired by the most exciting decade of Formula 1.
SJX Watches
The George Daniels Space Traveller I, one of the most important watches of the 20th century, has just sold at Sotheby’s in London for £3.62m, or about US$4.56m, all fees included. That makes the Space Traveller I the most expensive watch sold in 2019 so far – though it will doubtlessly be eclipsed by the Patek Philippe Grandmaster Chime in steel for Only Watch – and the most expensive watch ever by an independent watchmaker. A big boost to Sotheby’s market share in watch auctions, the record-setting Daniels was the final lot in the first auction of Masterworks of Time, the sale of a collection of over 800 pocket watches owned by Erivan Haub, the late German supermarket tycoon. The last time the Space Traveller was sold was in 1988, where Haub paid 220,000 Swiss francs for it at Sotheby’s in Geneva. Prior to that, the watch was been sold by London antique watch dealer Bobinet in 1982 to a collector by the name of Jay Lennon. In almost forty years, the Space Traveller has had only three owners. The auction Having concluded just over an hour ago, the auction took place on a pleasant summer’s day in London, but it was slow going in the half-filled room. The average age of the attendees was notedly higher than that for a wristwatch auction, reflecting the niche nature of pocket watch collecting. But a crowd started to form as soon as it came to the Space Traveller, and the atmosphere perked up. Bidding started out as a tussle between an absentee bidder...
Deployant
The Citizen Promaster Skyhawk A-T Blue Angel is a pilot’s radio controlled watch in collaboration with the US Navy's Blue Angels. Precision meets precision.
Revolution
In a conversation with founder Luc Pettavino, REVOLUTION learns why the Swiss watchmaking community continues to be inspired to create unique pieces for the Only Watch auction.
Revolution
Revolution Magazines welcomes its new U.S.A. Editor-in-Chief - the rootin’, tootin’ Adam Craniotes
Hodinkee
Your weekly round-up of watches from around the 'net.
Deployant
In the fourth year running, Bell & Ross and the Renault F1 team had came together to produce another series of R.S.19 timepieces.
SJX Watches
In the Rolex sports watch hall of fame, the GMT-Master II is arguably the most practical. It is a relatively affordable, dual time zone watch; and there are, after all, more people who travel than those who dive or race or sail. At the same time, the GMT-Master has always been available in precious metal, in 18k Everose for instance, and also lavishly bejewelled like the popular sapphire and ruby “SARU”. The new meteorite dial GMT-Master II, on the other hand, is bling meets functionality without the gemstones, making it an unusual and compelling watch. And it’s also the first time Rolex has used meteorite in a watch other than the Daytona or Day-Date. In fact, the meteorite GMT-Master probably the most practical ultra-luxe travel watch out there. And it costs only about US$1600 over the standard white gold GMT-Master with a blue dial, making it a worthwhile upgrade. Maybe “Pan Am” Rolex has not revealed what inspired the meteorite GMT-Master, but the GMT-Master “Pan Am” or “Albino” is obvious. Reputedly made in small numbers for executives at Pan American Airways – the company credited for the creation of the GMT-Master – the GMT-Masters fitted with white dials are either the refs. 6542 or 1675. A handful are known and have sold for well into six figures, but the white dial examples are controversial and often accompanied by unending questions as to whether they are legit. A jewel of a watch In contrast, the modern day equivalent of...
Time+Tide
When you look at Jaeger-LeCoultre’s core offerings from their Reverso and Master Collection lines it’s easy to see why the brand has something of a reputation for straight, sober watchmaking. But don’t forget that Jaeger-LeCoultre is also capable of absolute top-shelf high-complication, high-jewellery pieces like this (frankly astonishing) Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Grande Tradition Tourbillon Zodiaque. So what … ContinuedThe post HANDS-ON: Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Master Grande Tradition Tourbillon Zodiaque appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Deployant
The Grönefeld brothers celebrate their decade of the brand with a new limited edition tourbillon - here is our hands on review of the Decennium Tourbillon.
Revolution
The unsurpassed About Time series was created when Andrew Grima, one of the greatest jewelry designers of all time, designed 55 watches for Omega.
SJX Watches
Launched two years ago with a steel case, the BR 03-92 Diver took the signature aviation inspired design of Bell & Ross (B&R;) into the sea. It was a proper dive watch that combined the iconic square case with a 300m depth rating and a rotating bezel. At Baselworld this year, B&R; unveiled two new iterations of the BR 03-92 Diver, with cases in bronze and matte black ceramic respectively. Though fundamentally identical, each is drastically different from the other in look and feel. The road to the deep But first a quick recap of B&R;’s past dive watches. Though the brand is today best known for its military aviation watches, B&R; got its start making watches (which were essentially rebadged Sinn timepieces) for professionals in various spheres, from bomb disposal engineers to deep sea divers. One of its earliest dive watches was the Hydromax (also known as the Hydro Challenger) of 1997. It was a compact, round watch with a quartz movement boasting a ludicrous depth rating of 11,100m, thanks to a case filled with transparent fluorinated oil that was incompressible. A decade later, the brand was producing its own watches and unveiled the BR 02, a tonneau-shaped dive watch with a 1000m depth rating, internal rotating bezel and helium escape valve. Then came the BR 03-92 in 2017, the most logical expression of a dive watch for a brand driven largely by military-inspired design. Crucially, bona fide square watch cases are inherently more difficult to seal against ...
Deployant
The Rolex Daytona Ref.116500LN is a super popular sports Rolex model, with an almost perpetual waiting list, is the subject of our large format Watchscapes.
Revolution
On World Tourbillon Day, REVOLUTION pays homage to Abraham-Louis Breguet and the tourbillon makers that followed after, by picking our favorites.
Deployant
MB&F; releases a new version of the HM7 Aquapod in Red Platinum. This new model is released with several new features. Full specifications and information.
Hodinkee
The watch industry fixture talks about the early days of online horology, why his collection is so diverse, and the one watch he tells everyone to buy.
SJX Watches
Every year Chanel debuts a handful of timekeeping objects that are sleekly monochromatic yet lavishly constructed of precious materials like gold and rock crystal. They are beautiful, expensive, and the sort of object that would look at home in a US$100m penthouse. And because there are enough such penthouses to go around, these objets d’art inevitably find owners every year. Last year’s collection of objects included the Monsieur de Chanel Chronosphere, a clock within a glass globe supported by blackened-bronze lions, which was a five-piece limited edition. But the collection also included the one of a kind Monsieur de Chanel Pocket Watch suspended in a jewelled stand, an object that is simultaneously discreet and extravagant. Photo – Chanel Although the pocket watch and its stand retail for almost US$800,000, it is discreet to a fault. All of the materials within are precious, but the entire object is almost monochromatic. The pocket watch can be removed and carried, but is more likely to function as the ultimate desk clock. Standing about 25cm, or 10in, high, the stand is polished 18k white gold and panelled in glossy obsidian, a black, volcanic rock. And while it does not look the part, the sculpted lion is also 18k gold, but coated entirely in smooth, black Hyceram, a composite of ceramic and polymer. The diamonds within the stand are substantial, but subtle – the lion’s paw rests on a 18k gold sphere covered in baguette diamonds. The big ca...
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