Watch search: Sotheby's Important Watches

Windows On Time: Cartier And Louis Vuitton Spearhead A New Era Of Guichet And Jump Hour Watches

Hodinkee

Louis Vuitton Nov 7, 2025

Windows On Time: Cartier And Louis Vuitton Spearhead A New Era Of Guichet And Jump Hour Watches

A century-old dialogue between discretion, design, and the absence of hands has been one of this year's rising trends.

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Teddy Baldassarre

Nov 7, 2025

The Best EDC Watches

What, exactly, is an EDC watch? That was the question I asked myself when I was charged with this mission. If you’re unfamiliar, EDC is an initialism for "Every Day Carry." It’s become something of its own industry, with makers of everything from keychains, pocket knives, tools, pens, wallets, and even items like smartphone cases getting in on the action. And yeah, there are those that take EDC to the next level, ticking off an internal checklist that reads more like a well-stocked survival kit. But I’m going to venture to say that the majority of us don’t require a folding camp axe, waterproof matches, a 1,000-lumen flashlight, and a water filtration kit while navigating midtown Manhattan. There’s no defining characteristic of EDC, other than being an item that you have on your person most days, so a watch definitely qualifies. I like to keep my "carry" on the minimalist side, consisting of my keys on a small carabiner, a well-worn leather wallet, a beat-up iPhone 11 in a Pelican case, and a small pocket knife (most often a Benchmade Mini Griptilian, The James Brand’s Redstone, or a Gerber LST I’ve owned forever that virtually disappears into the pocket). And, of course, a watch. I never leave the house without one, and today, I’m calling out, in ascending price order, several that fit my own personal criteria for an EDC timepiece. I don’t wear a suit on a daily basis, so a dress watch of any stripe is basically a non-starter. To me, a daily driver i...

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J.P. Morgan Jr.’s Watches Emerge, Including First-Ever Cartier Mystery Clock

SJX Watches

Cartier Mystery Clock Philips’ upcoming Nov 4, 2025

J.P. Morgan Jr.’s Watches Emerge, Including First-Ever Cartier Mystery Clock

Philips’ upcoming sale in Geneva from November 8-9 includes two timepieces owned by John Pierpont Morgan Jr., widely known as Jack Morgan. Heir to a financial empire, Morgan was the first chairman of what is now JPMorganChase, and more pertinently, inherited the sensibilities of his father, J. Pierpont Morgan Sr., in collecting and gifting. Morgan Sr. was a collector on a grand scale, and across categories. The catalogues of his collections spanned volumes – two books for Chinese porcelain, four for miniatures, and a single volume for his watches and clocks, albeit a 350-page tome that weighed almost 6 kg in its original edition. The penchant for collecting was passed on to Jack Morgan, who evidently had sharp tastes in watches and clocks. The two timepieces going on the block at Phillips illustrate that. One is the first-ever Cartier mystery clock, a Model A sold to Morgan in 1913. And the other is one example of the “Morgan caliper”, a series of minute repeating, split-second chronograph, tourbillon pocket watches made for J.P. Morgan & Co., which were gifted by Morgan Sr. and Jack Morgan to the firm’s partners and important associates. Titans of finance In 1913, Louisiana senator Arsène Pujo formed the Pujo Committee to investigate the growing concentration of financial power in the United States. The committee found that an inner circle of partners at J.P. Morgan & Co. and its two largest proxies held 341 directorship positions across the boards of 34 majo...

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Teddy Baldassarre

Nov 3, 2025

30 Of The Best Titanium Watches

Titanium is by no means a new material in the watch industry. In fact, it’s been used on a commercial level in case construction for more than 50 years. Titanium in its raw form as a structural metal is 40% lighter than stainless steel while still just as hard. Among its appeal for watchmaking purposes are the facts that it is also highly resistant to corrosion by the elements as well as being hypoallergenic. There are different grades of titanium as well, which offer different characteristics based on how it’s alloyed with other metals. Titanium ranges in color from dark gunmetal grey to a steely silver which gives it versatility in different applications. Perhaps the most enticing aspect of titanium, particularly from the consumer side, is that despite its high-quality characteristics, there isn’t a massive discrepancy between its price versus that of stainless steel. With that in mind, we've compiled a list of 30 outstanding titanium watches in a range of price categories. Citizen Promaster Super Titanium Armor Case Size: 41 mm, Integrated 23.5 mm Bracelet, Thickness: 10.5 mm, Lug-to-Lug: 43.7 mm, Water Resistance: 100 m, Movement: Eco Drive J810, Crystal: Sapphire, Price: $625 In 1970, Citizen launched the very first titanium wrist watch called the X-8 Cosmotron Chronometer. Today, Citizen uses what it calls Super Titanium, a titanium alloy coated with a proprietary hardening agent that increases the hardness of the metal to five times that of stainless steel. ...

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Teddy Baldassarre

Rolex Nov 1, 2025

The Best Rolex Blue Dial Watches

When you think of Rolex, the first colors your mind usually conjures up are green and gold, long the emblematic colors of the Swiss power brand and its world-famous “crown” logo. (Rolex founder Hans Wilsdorf is said to have settled on these colors because they symbolized wealth and success.) Blue, on the other hand, is not a color that most watch aficionados readily associate with Rolex, though many will associate it with other watch brands, like Breguet, Breitling, and Rolex’s own little brother, Tudor. However, when Rolex does decide to do blue - whether it’s for dials, bezels, or some combination of both - it does so in a way that really speaks to the brand’s avid fan base. Over the years, some blue-dialed Rolex watches, in fact, are not only popular but have become recognized as classics. Here are seven Rolexes with blue dials - some discontinued and collectible, others still available in the current collection - that have demanded enthusiast attention. (Price estimates for the discontinued models on the list are courtesy of WatchCharts.) Rolex Oyster Perpetual Datejust 41, Ref. 126334 ($11,100) Rolex released the Datejust in 1945, and the model is today regarded as one of the world’s most classically elegant dress watches. The Datejust brought two now-familiar elements to the world of watch design, one of which can be found throughout the watch industry, the other being still closely associated with Rolex. The first was the addition of a date disp...

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Exaequo Adds New References to their Lineup of Dali Inspired Melting Watches

Worn & Wound

Cartier Crash Oct 28, 2025

Exaequo Adds New References to their Lineup of Dali Inspired Melting Watches

It’s hard to overstate the impact that Salvador Dalí-and, by extension, the Surrealist movement-had on popular culture. What might now feel like a strange detour in an art history textbook was, in reality, a radical reimagining of what art could be. Dalí’s obsession with the unconscious, symbolism, and dream logic reframed art as a psychological response to culture, rather than just a mirror of it. In doing so, Surrealism paved the way for the Avant-Garde, Pop Art, and the way we think about art today. It’s no surprise, then, that Dalí’s legacy continues to ripple through design and (not to be dramatic here) time itself. Brands have long used his vision as a jumping-off point for their own explorations of time and perception, most notably, of course, through reinterpretations of some of Dali’s most famous works, like his 1931 The Persistence of Memory. The Cartier Crash, with its iconic “melting clock” case, is probably the most famous representation of this style; but it is not the only one. In fact, Exaequo has been producing its own version of a melting watch since 1990, with its latest references, the Polyhedron series, debuting at Time to Watches in Geneva earlier this year. While there will undoubtedly be comparisons between Cartier’s and Exaequo’s two versions of a wobbly little timepiece, there is a marked difference between the two brands’ approach to the same reference source (not least of all the price). For the Polyhedron, Exaequo...

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Hands-On: Cartier Santos de Cartier in Titanium (And Steel) - The Watches You Want From Cartier, Whether You Know It Or Not

Hodinkee

Cartier Oct 27, 2025

Hands-On: Cartier Santos de Cartier in Titanium (And Steel) - The Watches You Want From Cartier, Whether You Know It Or Not

After years of not getting Cartier's "sports watch," it's finally making sense to me.

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Worn & Wound

Oct 26, 2025

A History and Guide to Field Watches

Enthusiasts are constantly searching for the perfect GADA watch; that is, a “go-anywhere, do-anything” watch. One ready for everything from a beach holiday to the office to weekend DIY projects and everything in between. Enter the field watch. Designed for the rigors of war, it now serves as the perfect go-anywhere companion. Constantly evolving throughout the 19th century, the entrenched warfare of the Crimean War and First World War forcibly altered the tactics of Europe’s armies. The ability to sync artillery and multiple infantry units across a front was of the utmost importance. As the (perhaps apocryphal) story goes, the pocket watch traditionally worn proved inconvenient for those at the front. A new class of watches, titled “Campaign,” “Wristlet,” and “Service” watches by various manufacturers, arrived to meet the needs of Europe’s armies. Enthusiasts are constantly searching for the perfect GADA watch; that is, a “go-anywhere, do-anything” watch. One ready for everything from a beach holiday to the office to weekend DIY projects and everything in between. Enter the field watch. Designed for the rigors of war, it now serves as the perfect go-anywhere companion. Constantly evolving throughout the 19th century, the entrenched warfare of the Crimean War and First World War forcibly altered the tactics of Europe’s armies. The ability to sync artillery and multiple infantry units across a front was of the utmost importance. As the (perhaps apoc...

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