Results for Master Chronometer (METAS)

Auction: Space-Flown Watches From a Rolex GMT-Master to Omega Speedmasters

Ahead of the international watch auction season that kicks off in a few weeks, Boston-based RR Auction has opened an online auction that will interest those hunting especially rare, space-flown watches. Simply titled Space, the auction is focused primarily on space memorabilia, and includes three space-flown wristwatches that warrant a closer look, including a French astronaut’s Speedmaster that spent almost six hours in space. Known for its sales focused on historical memorabilia, particularly those relating to space exploration, RR Auction has notched up several notable watch sales in the past, including a Bulova chronograph worn on the Moon that sold for almost US$1.6 million in 2015. We round up highlights from the upcoming sale, which closes October 24, 2024. The catalogue and bidding are available online. Lot 6286 – Rolex GMT-Master II flown on Apollo 14 by Edgar Mitchell  First up is the Rolex GMT-Master II ref. 1675 worn by astronaut Edgar Mitchell on the Apollo 14 mission that landed on the Moon in February 1971. Enhancing its appeal, the watch has tangible provenance: actually be seen in archival footage recording prior to take-off and in onboard footage taken during the mission. While the GMT-Master II was not uncommon among astronauts of that period – it was conceived as a watch for pilots after all – few actually made it to space. This example is only the second lunar Rolex to be sold publicly, after Ron Evans’s GMT-Master II worn on Apollo 17, whic...

Bring a Loupe: A Philippe Dufour Duality, A Zenith Caliber 135 Chronometer, And An Odd 1920s Cartier

All that and more in this week's edition of Hodinkee's What's Selling Where column.

Bring a Loupe: A Cotton Bowl Tudor Date + Day, A Tropical Rolex GMT-Master, And A Government-Seized Patek Philippe Nautilus

All that, and more in this week's round-up of vintage (and sometimes modern!) watches from around the web.

Introducing - Hajime Asaoka Revives Extinct Japanese Brand Takano and Presents the Chateau Nouvelle Chronometer

We’ve said it on multiple occasions but the world of watches isn’t limited to Switzerland, or to an extent, to Europe. There are fascinating watchmakers all over the globe, and Japan is one of the most prolific countries when it comes to independent watchmaking. One of them is Hajime Asaoka, not only the man behind […]

Why Rolex’s Sailing Connection Is About More Than the Yacht-Master

Introducing: Serica Expands Its Field Watch Offering With The New 6190 M.S.L Chronometer

New dials and colors form an elegant tribute to the golden era of sport watches.

Pre-Owned Picks: A Two-Tone Rolex GMT-Master II, An Omega Seamaster Worldtimer, And A Patek Philippe Calatrava

Plus an IWC Perpetual Calendar, and a Grand Seiko GMT.

A Closer Look: Bernhard Lederer Central Impulse Chronometer 39mm

Pre-Owned Picks: A Rolex GMT-Master Ref. 16700, A Reverse Panda Tudor Black Bay Chrono, And A Grand Seiko Elegance

Plus a Vacheron Cornes de Vache, and a Lange Saxonia Automatik.

First Look - The New Brellum Duobox Triple Calendar Moophase LE Chronometer

Established in 2016 by Sébastien Muller, a fourth-generation watchmaker, Brellum is an independent brand that employs a direct distribution model and offers exclusivity with only a few hundred pieces crafted each year, all COSC-certified chronometers. The Duobox, the brand’s inaugural collection, captured the hearts of enthusiasts with its timeless looks and competitive pricing, with several […]

Breaking News: Move Over COSC - Omega Launches A Brand New Chronometer Certification With The Creation Of The Laboratoire de Précision

It's a bold move made all the more impactful mere days ahead of Watches & Wonders.

First Look - The Squale Master Titanium 120 ATM, Celebrating the 65th Anniversary of a Diving Icon

Like many other brands born during the golden era of watchmaking, and in particular the early days of the professional dive watch, Squale might not sound familiar to a mainstream audience but has to be considered an emblematic maker of dive watches for seasoned enthusiasts. 65 years ago, in 1959, Squale launched its first watch; […]

Just Because - A Set Of Unique Raúl Pagès Régulateur à Détente RP1s With Dials By Master Enameller Anita Porchet

When two masters of their respective crafts meet, it’s very likely greatness will ensue. However, while masters may strengthen each other, it’s difficult to find common ground when crafts might seem at odds. Despite this, a positive and uniquely intriguing outcome is still a possibility. Such is the case with the collaboration of Raúl Pagès, […]

Pre-Owned Picks: A Tudor METAS Black Bay Burgundy, A Serti Dial Rolex Submariner, And A Hesalite Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch 3861

Plus a Patek Philippe Perpetual Calendar ref. 5140 in platinum, and a rose-gold Cartier Tortue.

Burgess Clock B is the World’s Most Precise Pendulum Clock and is Made to a 250-Year-Old Design by John Harrison, Longitude Prize Winner and Inventor of the Marine Chronometer

Two-hundred fifty years ago, Longitude Prize-winning clockmaker John Harrison made clocks losing just one second per month. But that wasn't enough for him: in his later life, Harrison claimed that he could make a wall clock with a then-unheard-of-precision of just one second over 100 days! And 250 years later, it turns out he was right.

Pre-Owned Picks: A Rolex 'Lefty' GMT-Master II, An IWC Mark XVIII, And A '90s Breitling Montbrillant

Plus a two-tone Cartier Santos, and a Vacheron Constantin Overseas on a rubber strap.

A Master Gunsmith Makes a Watch by Hand

Based in Pennsylvania, Dewey Vicknair is a respected gunsmith who specialises in restoring rifles and shotguns, and has been doing so for decades, gaining an esteemed reputation in the process. Now in his mid-fifties, he is also a self-taught watchmaker who has been performing watch servicing on the side. Recently Mr Vicknair made the leap from fixing watches to making one. Mr Vicknair explained the genesis of his first watch: “When I saw your stories about Atelier de Chronometrie and what they do with vintage Omega movements, I was inspired.” His inaugural creation is a hand-wound wristwatch of his own making, literally. Although the movement started out as a 1950s Omega cal. 266, Mr Vicknair reworked majority of it and made many parts from scratch, including the going train bridge, as he did for the case, dial, and even the gasket for the crown tube. Because he made most of the parts himself, Mr Vicknair had to fabricate the equipment required to make the parts, including a cutter for the gasket and a screw holder for black polishing. He even did the silver plating of the movement parts himself. It is an unexpected accomplishment for a first-time watchmaker. Initial thoughts Ordinarily I would be sceptical of an unknown watchmaker seeking publicity for a new project with a five-figure price tag. But a few things changed my mind. One was seeing Mr Vicknair’s unusually thorough documentation of his production process, which is almost entirely manual – even the mach...

Pre-Owned Picks: A Rolex GMT-Master II Ref. 16710, A Yellow-Gold Zenith G381, And A Vintage Certina Chronolympic

Plus a Patek Philippe Annual Calendar (Regulator), and a limited Grand Seiko U.S.-exclusive.

Buying, Selling, & Collecting: Finding Hidden Gems From Nomos With The Help Of Two Of Lange's Master Watchmakers

We asked two highly qualified watchmakers to share their favorites Nomos creations.

Jaeger-LeCoultre Enhances the Master Ultra Thin Power Reserve with Subtle Updates

Many in the watch community are predicting that 2024 will be year where we see a wider adoption of avant-garde and modern design as the pendulum continues to swing away from vintage inspired classicism. This is a good thing, and worth celebrating. But there will always be a market for elegant, classic designs. The kind that have been nailed down and perfect for decades, and define the “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” mentality. There isn’t a brand out there that is more in tune with this style of watchmaking than Jaeger-LeCoultre. Similar to Rolex, they iterate slowly, and don’t adhere to the (false) notion that buzzy new releases are required as part of an industry cycle. They just kind of do their thing, and it almost always results in a beautiful object. Their latest, the Master Ultra Thin Power Reserve, is familiar in many ways but has several small changes that make it even more refined.  Jaeger-LeCoultre’s ultra thin watches are a niche of a niche unto themselves. For years, even before the current Thinness Wars really took shape, JLC has been adept at getting the best possible performance from impossibly thin movements, and taking advantage of their diminutive dimensions by housing them in exceedingly well designed watches that take full advantage of their size. For the new Master Ultra Thin Power Reserve, JLC’s Caliber 938 has been reworked slightly to increase the total power reserve to a healthy 70 hours without drastically changing the movement...

Pre-Owned Picks: A Neo-Vintage Rolex GMT-Master II 'Coke,' A Heritage TAG Heuer 'Glassbox' Telemeter, And A Stunning Yellow Gold Patek Gondolo

Plus the "Lake Suwa" from Grand Seiko, and a Saxonia from A. Lange & Söhne that you don't want to miss.

Bernhard Lederer introduces the Central Impulse Chronometer InVerto

Glashütte Original: Making waves with the new Senator Chronometer

Pre-Owned Picks: A Rolex GMT Master Ref. 16700, An Omega ‘Tintin’ Speedmaster, And An All Black Must de Cartier

Plus an A. Lange & Söhne full of hidden complications and a tribute to the early JLC Reverso.

In Conversation with Hervé Schlüchter; The Former Student, The Future Master

Wei is joined by Hervé Schlüchter for the first time ever, to unravel the L’Essential, the first watch of his namesake brand. Hervé Schlüchter was born in the Swiss Jura and is a former student of the watchmaking school in Porrentruy. In 2000, Hervé Schlüchter joined the independent brand Bovet and stayed for 16 years […]

New: G-SHOCK new limited edition Frogman Master of G

The third piece in the Frogman limited edition releases from Casio G-SHOCK, the new DW-8230NT in chilli red reminiscent of the 2000 model.

Serica Bolsters the 5303 COSC Antimagnetic Diving Chronometer from Within

Although Serica has only been around since 2019, it feels like the young watch brand has been around for ages. In my opinion, a lot of that has to do with the maturity in which they conduct themselves, both in brand presence and progression. With any Serica novelty, you can bet that their approach to any watch design is performed with metronomic consistency – typically with minimal branding, steady visual cues, and a general inspiration by way of vintage military timepieces. It seems that any change that’s going to be made within each reference will be incremental, but that doesn’t mean the impact can be monumental. Such is the case with the new and improved Serica 5303 COSC Antimagnetic Diver Chronometer. To understand the latest update to the Serica 5303, we must look within. Serica has opted to keep the movement within the Soprod family, but instead of using the previous Newton P092 automatic, the Serica 5303 COSC now draws its power from the Caliber M100. The Soprod Caliber M100 is buoyed by a glucydur balance, incabloc shock system, a 42 hour power reserve, and most importantly, a 3.2mm movement thickness. With approximately 1.4mm of extra room to play using the transitional movement inside of the 5303 COSC case, Serica has built in several antimagnetic pieces including a soft iron movement holder, soft iron dial and a soft iron inner caseback. As a result, the magnetic resistance for the Serica 5303 COSC diver has skyrocketed from the traditional Swiss standard...

A Unique Platinum Yacht-Master at Monaco Legend Group

A Picture of Good Stealth: Luminox Unveils the Master Carbon SEAL Automatic

When it comes to military watches, my mind draws a bold red line between two distinct types. First, there’s the batch that originates from the vintage kin. You know, the Dirty Dozen field watch, the stoic flieger, and of course the quintessential stainless steel diver. Then there’s the modern and robust digital watch equipped with the innovative case material and a slew of multi-functions that you’d need more than two hands to count. But the happy medium between the two has always been within Luminox, a brand that has fostered and maintained a partnership with the U.S. Navy SEALs for three decades and counting. The latest addition to the Navy SEAL Luminox collection blends together a new case material and their patented Luminox Light Technology, while still keeping the spirit of analog time – it’s called the Master Carbon SEAL Automatic inspired by the Frogmen’s grind, grit, and durability. The Master Carbon SEAL Automatic utilizes a lightweight and rugged case made out of CARBONOX+. This forward-looking material boasts ultra-strong and weatherproof properties that in weight, equates to three times lighter than titanium. The unique feature that comes along with the “+” in the CARBONOX+ name is its stealthy gray tint which also displays the fingerprint-esque carbon fiber pattern that is individual to each watch. Except with the Master Carbon SEAL Automatic, the carbon fiber execution is much more subtle, displaying less of the white swirls we’ve seen in ot...

The Spec Sheet: The JLC Master Ultra Thin Grande Is The Definition Of Clean Design

It's yet another under-the-radar stunner from Jaeger-LeCoultre.