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Results for The 2017-2022 Vintage Market Boom

41,263 articles · 6,559 videos found · page 1182 of 1595

TAG Heuer Unveils Unique, Hand-Finished Monaco “Steve McQueen” SJX Watches
TAG Heuer Unveils Unique Hand-Finished Monaco Oct 28, 2019

TAG Heuer Unveils Unique, Hand-Finished Monaco “Steve McQueen”

The upcoming Phillips New York auction includes an unusual watch: the Monaco Piece d’Art, a one-off vintage watch restored and hand-finished by TAG Heuer that’s being sold to benefit a charity in the city. Created to mark the 50th anniversary of the iconic square-case chronograph, the Monaco Piece d’Art started out as a ordinary example of the Monaco ref. 1133B – also known as the “Steve McQueen” after the actor wore one in the 1971 film Le Mans – one of several specimens in TAG Heuer’s own museum. Hand-decorated and upgraded The Monaco ref. 1133B was powered by the Calibre 11 Chronomatic, one of the first automatic chronograph movements ever launched; the Chronomatic made its debut in 1969, the same year as the Zenith Primero and Seiko cal. 6139. Though important in the history of watchmaking, the Chronomatic movement was functional and fuss-free. So TAG Heuer decided to change that. The movement inside the Monaco Piece d’Art was taken apart and then carefully decorated, part by part, by a four-person team of watchmakers over three months. The steel levers and springs of the chronograph mechanism were straight grained and bevelled, screws heads were flat polished, gears were given circular graining, and so on. Even the countersinks for the jewels and screws were polished. The refinished movement inside the Monaco Piece d’Art (left), with an original Calibre 11 Chronomatic But the reworking of the movement was not merely aesthetic. The jewel count was...

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Rolex Unicorns Part III – Ref. 6062 Triple Calendar “Stelline Gordon Bethune” SJX Watches
Rolex Unicorns Part III – Oct 21, 2019

Rolex Unicorns Part III – Ref. 6062 Triple Calendar “Stelline Gordon Bethune”

The third important vintage Rolex – in my opinion – at Phillips’ upcoming Geneva auction, after the ref. 4113 split-seconds chronograph and mint ref. 8171 “Padellone”, is the ref. 6062 “Stelline” triple calendar that once belonged to Gordon Bethune, the executive best known for turning around Continental Airlines during his decade-long tenure starting in 1994. The watch a sterling example of the ref. 6062 – and will sell for well over a million dollars – but it is also notable for what it says about the development of the vintage watch market. Now 78 and retired, though he pops up regularly on CNBC to comment on the airline industry, Mr Bethune accumulated his watch collection over two decades. He sold the bulk of it in 2012, but remains probably the only famous business executive known to have collected watches in a serious fashion (another is perhaps former Hollywood talent agent Michael Ovitz, though he more widely regarded as an important collector of contemporary art). Mr Bethune’s collection was inclined towards great, even some of the best, examples of important, uncommon and desirable watches, rather than extraordinarily or unique models. So he owned one of the best-preserved, all-original examples of the ref. 6062s “Stelline”, rather than say a well-worn ref. 6062 with a black, diamond-marker dial. It was a cold day in December… The Gordon Bethune Collection of Fifty Exceptional Vintage Wristwatches took place in December 2012 at Christi...

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INTRODUCING: Longines Heritage Classic with “Sector Dial” Time+Tide
Longines Heritage Classic Oct 13, 2019

INTRODUCING: Longines Heritage Classic with “Sector Dial”

Amidst the morass of vintage reissues that almost all brands seem to have tried their hand at recently, Longines has been successfully combing their archives for the best examples that translate to current tastes, and have done so with good success in recent years. Even in the context of their well-executed reissues of military, chronograph … ContinuedThe post INTRODUCING: Longines Heritage Classic with “Sector Dial” appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

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Casio G-Shock GMW B5000GD-1 Review WatchAdvice
Casio G-Shock GMW B5000GD-1 Review Oct 11, 2019

Casio G-Shock GMW B5000GD-1 Review

Casio’s G-Shock (gravitational shock) watches have earnt a reputation for being one of the most robust and durable watches available on the market today. The concept of the sturdy G-Shock goes back to 1981, where a Casio Engineer named Kikuo Ibe was in charge of designing the G-shock prototypes.  Kikuo Ibe wanted a watch that would have water-resistance of 10 bar (100 meters), triple 10 resistance (10-year battery life) and to be able to survive a 10 feet fall. Kikuo Ibe put together a team of 3 individuals to test 200 different prototypes, to be able to meet all three criteria as set out by the engineer. Unfortunately, the team after vigorous testing were not able to meet these requirements.  The idea for the final design of the G-shock watch came when Kikuo Ibe observed a rubber ball in motion. He discovered that in a rubber ball, its centre is unaffected when the ball is moving and doesn’t suffer any shocks when it’s bouncing. Kikuo Ibe implemented this idea and was finally able to achieve all three criteria in the first G-shock model released in 1983; The G-shock DW5000C.  There have been many different designs of G-shock watches over the years with nearly all of them sharing the core principles that originated from the very first model; toughness, durability and reliability. In 2018, Casio released a set of GMW-B5000 watches which came with a solid stainless steel face and bracelet or rubber strap to suit. The GMW-B5000 models have the iconic square face desi...

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Business News: Richemont Acquires Milanese Jeweller Buccellati SJX Watches
Panerai Sep 27, 2019

Business News: Richemont Acquires Milanese Jeweller Buccellati

Swiss luxury conglomerate Richemont has just added Buccellati to its stable of luxury brands, which include watchmakers like A. Lange & Söhne, IWC, Panerai. Richemont is buying the 100-year old Milanese jeweller from Gangtai Group Corporation Limited, a Chinese conglomerate that bought a majority stake in 2017 that reputedly valued the jeweller at €230m, or about US$271m at the time, according to Forbes. Gangtai had owned 85% of Buccellati, with the remainder held by the founding family, but like many of its peers the Chinese group has been forced to sell assets as the Chinese government put a stop to the debt-fuelled overseas expansion that was earlier fashionable. The terms of Richemont’s acquisition were not disclosed, although Chinese news website Jing Daily reports Buccellati was valued at US$313m, including debt, equivalent to about 15% of Richemont’s net cash position in the last fiscal year. According to Richemont, Buccellati family scion Andrea Buccellati as well as several other family members will remain with the jeweller after the takeover. Buccellati gives Richemont a more diverse presence in high-end jewellery, where its business is concentrated the Parisian jewellers Cartier and Van Cleef & Arpels, which together account for the bulk of group sales. In contrast to the French style of both Cartier and Van Cleef & Arpels, Buccellati’s Italian sensibility gives Richemont a stylistic counter to Bulgari, the Roman jeweller owned by French luxury ...

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Breitling Premier B01 Chronograph 42 Review WatchAdvice
Breitling Premier B01 Chronograph 42 Sep 19, 2019

Breitling Premier B01 Chronograph 42 Review

Late 2018 saw Breitling update their range with the release of new models. The arrival of Georges Kern as the CEO of Breitling gave the brand a revived outlook. He is focusing on meeting the expectations of the brand’s two primary consumers. The customers who prefer masculine and technology inspired watches and customers that prefer Breitling’s extended history and their vintage designs. The Breitling Premier collection released in 2018 as part of Georges Kern’s product portfolio falls into the revamped vintage category. The outcome is that the brand delivers timepieces that combine purpose, style, quality while keeping to a timeless design.  As quoted by Georges Kern, the Premier Collection is “the first modern Breitling collection dedicated to everyday elegance. With outstanding quality and performance, these watches bear our unmistakable brand DNA, but has been created with a focus on style that beautifully complements their purpose“.  The Breitling Premier B01 Chronograph 42 is certainly a watch that stands true to this statement. The Premier B01 Chronograph 42 is a modern take on the vintage piece released initially in the 1940’s; the Breitling Premier Chronograph reference 790. Back when the Breitling Premier Chronograph reference 790 was released, several countries worldwide were involved in World War II. During this period in history, people would look to the golden age of cinema and other forms of entertainment to escape from the realities of World ...

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Vacheron Constantin Les Collectionneurs in Singapore SJX Watches
Vacheron Constantin Les Collectionneurs Sep 16, 2019

Vacheron Constantin Les Collectionneurs in Singapore

Les Collectionneurs is a small, but special, line of watches offered by Vacheron Constantin. Made up of select vintage watches that have been restored to pristine condition at the factory, Les Collectionneurs is made up of about 75 watches. A selection is available year-round at three Vacheron Constantin boutiques – the two in Geneva and one in New York City – with the balance travelling and making stops at other boutiques around the world. From now till the end of October, a pick of Les Collectionneurs watches, including the exquisite ref. 4261 minute repeater, are in Singapore, over a year since the line-up last came by. As a whole, the 19-piece selection in Singapore presents a rich and interesting overview of Vacheron Constantin’s midcentury history. The brand’s mastery of case and lug styles is well illustrated, from the dramatic, wing-shaped “Batman” Chronometre Royal to the familiar “teardrop” lugs of the ref. 4178 chronograph. Factory refreshed While the models in Les Collectionneurs are diverse, and also acquired from a variety of sources, ranging from private collectors to auctions, they are all selected based on shared criteria: rarity, provenance, and of course, current trends. More importantly, the watches are fully and correctly restored, and delivered with an archive extract as well as a two-year warranty. For the client, that’s essentially the same assurance as when buying a brand new watch. Importantly, the factory approa...

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Hey! Ho! Laureato! Checking out Girard-Perregaux’s hot panda chronograph Time+Tide
Girard-Perregaux s hot panda chronograph Aug 21, 2019

Hey! Ho! Laureato! Checking out Girard-Perregaux’s hot panda chronograph

Before we start, I feel I should apologise for the above headline. Only, I’m not sure if I should apologise to the Ramones or Girard-Perregaux. Perhaps both. The Girard-Perregaux Laureato was reborn at SIHH 2017 - from humble mid-70s beginnings. Since then we’ve seen the sporty collection gradually expand to encompass all the usual complications … ContinuedThe post Hey! Ho! Laureato! Checking out Girard-Perregaux’s hot panda chronograph appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

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Interview: Patrick Pruniaux, CEO of Ulysse Nardin SJX Watches
Girard-Perregaux as well Mr Pruniaux has Aug 20, 2019

Interview: Patrick Pruniaux, CEO of Ulysse Nardin

Over the past five years, a new generation of bosses has taken over the watch world. Many share common traits that distinguish them from the preceding generation of chieftains: a charming informality and a nose for courting the next generation of consumers – millennial and otherwise. Patrick Pruniaux is a leading member of his class, who was tapped to run Ulysse Nardin in August 2017. A year later, he was elevated to run Kering’s watch division, which meant taking on leadership of Girard-Perregaux as well. Mr Pruniaux has done a remarkable job of revitalising Ulysse Nardin – not just with fresh marketing, but more crucially with new watches that make sense. He’s streamlined the range of offerings and introduced more accessible watches, with much of his efforts focused on arguably the most important Ulysse Nardin watch of the modern era – the Freak. His strategy for the Freak is notable for being all-encompassing, ranging from aggressively affordable pricing with the Freak X, while pushing hard at the boundaries of material science and engineering, culminating in the Freak NeXt. The Freak X Mr Pruniaux took a surprisingly roundabout way to arrive at one of the top jobs in watchmaking. He started in drinks and spirits at Diageo and then Moët-Hennessey. He then entered the watch business with TAG Heuer, where he rose to lead retail and sales. But the most instructive phase of his watchmaking career, ironically, was at Apple. The computer maker r...

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RECOMMENDED READING: Do watches hold their value during a downturn? Time+Tide
Jul 26, 2019

RECOMMENDED READING: Do watches hold their value during a downturn?

Much has been written about the growth of the pre-owned watch market in recent years, but just how long has this been happening, and will watches hold their value during a recession? With consecutive seasons of watch auctions breaking all-time records, luxury conglomerate Richemont spending an estimated €200m to acquire second-hand dealer Watchfinder & Co … ContinuedThe post RECOMMENDED READING: Do watches hold their value during a downturn? appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

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Because who doesn’t want a solid gold DOXA dive watch?  Time+Tide
Doxa dive watch?  One Jul 24, 2019

Because who doesn’t want a solid gold DOXA dive watch? 

One of the most random, and awesome watches to emerge from the briny depths of Baselworld was the (very) limited edition Doxa SUB 200 T. On the surface this is a pretty standard vintage reissue, with a big 43mm case in that classic cushion shape, with that classic orange dial, in a dual register layout … ContinuedThe post Because who doesn’t want a solid gold DOXA dive watch?  appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

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Sotheby’s Presents Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch Auction SJX Watches
Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch Auction Jul 6, 2019

Sotheby’s Presents Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch Auction

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...

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