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Results for Watch Dial Text Conventions

25,367 articles · 149 videos found · page 23 of 851

Recommended Reading: "Bubble Backs" By Masahiro Endo Is An Education On The Original Rolex Collectors' Watch Hodinkee
Rolex Collectors Watch If you've Sep 10, 2026

Recommended Reading: "Bubble Backs" By Masahiro Endo Is An Education On The Original Rolex Collectors' Watch

If you've never collected Rolex Bubblebacks before, you should probably forget nearly everything you know about vintage watches. At least, that's what it feels like you should do when you start wading into the space. Things like reference numbers are much less valuable to remember than movements, case designs, printing details, and a general ability to just remember everything you've seen to get a sense of feel for what is right and what isn't. And trust me, a lot isn't. You could spend decades looking at these watches, but "Bubble Back" by Masahiro Endo, the owner of vintage retailer Private Eyes in Tokyo, is a great reference to jump-start your understanding of an iconic (and currently underappreciated) model. I mentioned this in last week's review of John Nagayama's "96," but the only watch I'd be more afraid to deep-dive into than the Patek ref. 96 is the Rolex "Bubbleback." It's not even an official model, but a nickname for Rolex watches made from 1933 to the mid-1950s with a domed, "bubble-like" caseback. So when you open Endo-san's book, you'll probably immediately be struck by the fact that none of the examples (except the later ref. 6062 and ref. 8171) have reference numbers. According to collectors, that's not the most useful thing for understanding the Bubbleback. Basically, every other detail matters more. We've previously published a story about the bubbleback with a lot of thoughts and tips for understanding these models, courtesy of Ken Jacobs and Justin Gr...

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In-Depth: The Patek Philippe Split-Seconds Pocket Watch Hodinkee
Patek Philippe Split-Seconds Pocket Watch Just Jul 27, 2026

In-Depth: The Patek Philippe Split-Seconds Pocket Watch

Just last week, we published a Reference Points video on the Patek Philippe split-seconds wristwatch. The complication itself—a.k.a. the rattrapante—is incredibly important in the brand's history, forming the backbone for some of its greatest and most coveted watches of all time. However, you can't talk about the history of the split without understanding Patek's pocket watches. It's a story that eventually led to one of the brand's most meaningful relationships with a supplier that helped it grow into a powerhouse, a relationship that would last over a century. Instead of going deep in the weeds on pocket watches in our main Reference Points, we're spinning it off into this secondary article—an addendum of sorts—for those who want a bit more background. The story won't be exhaustive; Patek continued to make split-second pocket watches long after they began making the same complication in wristwatch form, and some such watches deserve (and have had) their own standalone stories. There are also many different versions because Patek, at the time, didn't make things in batches the way they would starting in the 1930s. You could probably write 20,000 words on these pocket watches, but rather than go that deep, here's an overview of Patek's split-seconds pocket watches, with a focus on Victorin Piguet's movements. Understanding Patek's History of Split-Seconds Pocket Watches (1878 to 1970s) and the Importance of Victorin Piguet If you read the first part of our story, y...

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First Look - The Seiko Prospex Diver’s Watch PADI 60th Anniversary HBB002 Limited Monochrome
Seiko Prospex Diver’s Watch PADI Jun 4, 2026

First Look - The Seiko Prospex Diver’s Watch PADI 60th Anniversary HBB002 Limited

Over the past decade, Seiko and the Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI) have given us a steady stream of collaborative dive watches. We have recently seen the Prospex PADI SPB501 and Prospex PADI SRPL51 with their amazing emerald green wave-like dials. Earlier years also brought special editions based on platforms such as the Samurai […]

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A Petite, Powerful Movement Inside Blancpain’s Marilyn Monroe Watch SJX Watches
Blancpain s Marilyn Monroe Watch Jun 3, 2026

A Petite, Powerful Movement Inside Blancpain’s Marilyn Monroe Watch

A hundred years after Marilyn Monroe’s birth, Blancpain is marking the occasion with the Ladybird Tribute Marilyn, seven watches modelled on a vintage Blancpain wristwatch once owned by Monroe herself. Rectangular in form and set with diamonds, the Ladybird Tribute is typical of 1940s style, but the movement inside is surprising. The cal. 510 inside is a tiny movement by modern standards, but is nonetheless high-spec. The calibre manages a respectable 50-hour power reserve and sophisticated, skeletonised construction, underlining the high quality mechanics typical of Blancpain. Initial thoughts We don’t normally feature such watches but the cal. 510 is worth a pointing out, even if it’s not a brand-new movement. Blancpain’s technical know-how was on full display with last year’s outsized Grande Double Sonnerie, but the cal. 510 proves the brand can still do a lot in a very small space. Most tiny ladies’ watches contain pedestrian movements, so the cal. 510 stands out. To start with, it’s a form movement conceived to fit the case. And while small, the movement incorporates a variety of notable features, including a free-sprung balance, longish power reserve, and appealing finishing. Notably, it is much more sophisticated than newer form movements from competing brands (with more expensive watches). The watch itself is retro, which is unsurprising given it’s a remake of Monroe’s original. While it might seem a little old fashioned, this will do well as a co...

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