Hodinkee
Four + One: Attorney H. Jane Chon On The Mostly Vintage Watches She Loves
'No more safe queens.'
2,772 articles · 2,241 videos found · page 32 of 168
Hodinkee
'No more safe queens.'
Hodinkee
A new world-record auction price for the Crash is just the latest chapter in the history of this surreal Cartier.
SJX Watches
“Classic with a Twist” is the year’s theme for Vacheron Constantin. The “twist” is obvious in several of the brand’s new releases, including the 1921 Collection Excellence Platine and Égérie for ladies, which were launched at the virtual watch fair Watches & Wonders. Interestingly, the launch also provided a glimpse of a few equally quirky watches from Vacheron Constantin’s vast archive. Now those historical gems have been transformed from virtual to tangible with an exhibition in Singapore that delves into the form watches that Vacheron Constantin produced in the early- to mid-20th century. Intriguing, unorthodox, and pretty, the dozen or so watches are on show from now until August 26 2021. Here’s a roundup of highlights from the Singapore exhibition. Show and service The Singapore event is one of several Classic with a Twist exhibitions taking place around the world over the year. Another is happening simultaneously in Vacheron Constantin’s recently-opened boutique in New York City, where it’ll run until November 2021. But unique to the Singapore event is a complimentary servicing for any American 1921, the distinctive wristwatch that’s celebrating its centenary this year – Vacheron Constantin even created a near-exact replica created with vintage parts for the occasion. The overhaul offer is open to any American 1921 wristwatch owned locally, including examples with expired warranties. The ref. 11677 from 1921 that serves as the inspira...
Hodinkee
Everything old is new again, again.
Hodinkee
In a week where new watches are the talk of the town, consider this a part of the "& More."
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Hodinkee
New isn't always better.
Quill & Pad
To the extent that new enthusiasts represent the future of the watch market, is it possible that their enthusiasm for the past will prove highly damaging, or even lethal, to the industry’s future? GaryG shares his thoughts on the subject here.
SJX Watches
Founded in 2013 by the Paulin sisters, descendants of Scottish sculptor George Henry Paulin who is most famous for his war memorials across the United Kingdom, Paulin was conceived as a locally-designed watch brand focused on minimalist and monochromatic watches. And now the Glasgow-based brand introduces the Neo, a watch with 1970s flavour that the brand’s first to feature a colourful dial, either in blue, yellow, and white. More notably, the Neo is the result of a collaboration with fellow Scottish watchmaker Anordain, best known for its accessibly-priced enamel dials. Initial thoughts Put simply, the Neo is a solid offering with playful colours and in-house typography in an amiable, 38 mm package. It was realised in an unusual three-way collaboration between Paulin, local jeweller Helen Swan, and anOrdain (which was founded by the husband of one of the Paulin sisters). Paulin and Anordain have both been successful in creating original, affordable watches, but their respective offerings differ in style and price. Paulin has kept to simple, coloured dials for its watches, while Anordain made a name for itself with vitreous enamel dials. The Anordain Model 2 with a purple enamel dial As a result, the collaboration between the two is interesting, since it bridges two brands that are similar yet different. The Neo injects the fun and colour of anOrdain into the more affordable Paulin timepiece. The dial of the Neo is anodised aluminium, and not enamel, but entirely suitab...
Quill & Pad
It was the wonderful 1975 Pol Roger that first ignited Ken Gargett's love of great champagne. Here he looks at (and tastes) the 2012 releases and they do not disappoint: the great vintages of this century have been 2002, 2008, and perhaps now 2012!
Hodinkee
Roger Cooper spent 15 years sailing around the world on dinghies – wearing a £31,000 Speedmaster, no less.
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SJX Watches
There is no real point in collecting anything unless for the sake of beauty. The moment I see a watch for the first time is always the most crucial. The pieces that ended up entering the collection always touched me viscerally when I first saw them. Over time, almost unconsciously, as the collection took shape, the watches not only have a uniformity of standard and taste, but also reflect an intuition distinctly my own. Taste is the developed perception of aesthetics unique to every collector, while standard pertains to quality and rarity. In the big picture, “beauty” – in both tangible and abstract terms – has come to encompass all three: aesthetics, quality, and rarity. The watches I crave and seek, be it the best examples of the most important references of the most important manufactures, or unique “time-only” examples of incredible quality and design, must be eternal in their beauty. In this article we delve into a few complicated watches close to my heart. Passing time cannot affect an object that is truly beautiful. Just look at two of the most important Patek Philippe landmark complicated references: ref. 1518, the first perpetual calendar chronograph wristwatch in the world, and ref. 3448, the first self-winding, perpetual calendar wristwatch. Their designs are perfectly balanced, timeless, as fresh today as when they were first introduced – in the early 1940s and the early 1960s, respectively. For years, the daunting challenge had been in ...
Two Broke Watch Snobs
Mike helps Kaz with his coffee game, Kaz admits he's a relic of the past (you know, like a Furby) and comes to the realization that, in fact, doing crack is easier than trying to make a good cup of coffee.
Monochrome
For decades, the stainless steel Rolex Daytona has been one of the most desirable watches from the Crown’s catalogue. The brand’s chronograph, born in 1963, has been available in hundreds of versions, but when it comes to steel versions, the choice has always been limited to two options: silvery-white with black contrasting counters or rings, […]
Hodinkee
Two different sets of three watches, available only on request, foreshadow the brand's eventual revival in 2026.
Hodinkee
A little bit of this, a little bit of that makes a great go-anywhere, do-anything dive watch.
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Hodinkee
All that and more in this week's edition of Hodinkee's What's Selling Where column.
Hodinkee
An introduction to 1970s Cartier, when the Paris house moved its watchmaking to Switzerland, starting with an in-depth look at the Tank Louis.
Hodinkee
All that and more in this week's edition of Hodinkee's What's Selling Where column.
Worn & Wound
The official role of Heritage Director seems to be growing in prominence across watch brands. It makes sense – a reverence for history has always been at the heart of the art of watchmaking. With that in mind, it is likely there have long been resident historians at established maisons or perhaps even those holding the title Heritage Director working behind the scenes. But more and more, we are seeing these individuals at the forefront, and there seems to be a direct correlation with what is happening in the industry at large within the vintage and pre-owned spaces. For more than five years now, we have seen the vintage and pre-owned market grow in new ways with both a greater emphasis and prevalence of reputable dealers and marketplaces and a greater interest and demand from collectors. In turn, more and more brands seem to be getting invested in the acquisition, preservation, and in some cases redistribution of their own vintage pieces. While the role of Heritage Director was perhaps once limited to elements like museum curation and historically contextualizing modern collections, the position seems to be expanding into new realms. Heritage Director Matthieu Sauret Jaeger-LeCoultre is the perfect case study. Matthieu Sauret stepped from the role of Director of Product to the maison’s Heritage Director 2013 after starting his career at Yves Saint Laurent, another historic brand whose legacy spans more than six decades. “In 2019, Catherine Rénier, our CEO called...
Hodinkee
This is not your average jump hour; it's a watch with a lot of history and more hidden under the hood.
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Worn & Wound
I have what you might call a love/hate relationship with Audemars Piguet. They are, without a doubt, makers of some of the finest watches in the world. Objectively speaking, there’s a level of craft involved with the production of AP watches that is hard to match at the scale at which they operate. Every Royal Oak I’ve ever handled feels like a perfectly made thing without any compromises. I honestly can’t say the same about equivalent watches from other brands in the so-called Holy Trinity. And yet, there’s so much baggage with Audemars Piguet in our current watch culture. I wrote about it here, specifically as it relates to the Royal Oak and how it has become a signifier of wealth and status that has overshadowed watchmaking and watch culture. I find this flex culture to be a huge turn off, and the way AP seems to lean into it, by producing more and more varieties of Royal Oak, some with mini sculptures of Marvel characters on the dial, to be a signal that they’re a willing participant in the watering down of their brand. But then Audemars Piguet will go ahead and release something beautiful that is not a Royal Oak and I’m reminded that derisively referring to them as The Royal Oak Company (something I’ve done frequently over these last few years) is ultimately unfair. Earlier this week, as part of a larger drop that included several exotic Royal Oaks, a pocket watch, and more, AP launched what might be one of the riskier watches they’ve introduced in...
Worn & Wound
Longines is a storied and well-respected Swiss watch manufacture that formed in 1832 and has continued uninterrupted to this day. From the first wrist chronometer in 1911, to groundbreaking flyback chronographs in the 1930s, to the world’s first hi-beat wrist chronometer in 1959, Longines holds their own in the watchmaking world. My favorite period for watches is the 1950s through the 1970s and Longines was one of the top accessible brands during that time. In 1954 Longines began a marketing strategy of product families, launching the Conquest line of watches. In 1957 they introduced the Flagship line, adding to what would become a large group of watch families, many of which are still made today. Other lines that came later include the Admiral, the Ultra-Chron and the Grand Prize. The Grand Prize line was named in honor of the multitude of watchmaking awards and honors that Longines had accumulated over the decades. It was a relatively short-lived family, produced from about 1958 to 1964 according to my research. I have found that the majority of Longines watches produced during these decades were all fairly equal in quality and craftsmanship, with most of the differences in the families being design related. The Conquests were rugged and sporty, on par with the early non-diver Omega Seamaster watches. The Flagship series were dress watches, while the Admiral line was a mixture of both. The Grand Prize family were pretty much all thin, elegant everyday type dressier w...
Monochrome
With 3 of its 4 main collections based on the original Royal Oak design, it’s fair to say that Audemars Piguet is a bit conservative in some aspects. But, from time to time, and not without great boldness, the brand releases something unexpected and not octagonally designed. As the best example of what AP can […]
Monochrome
They seem to come in thick and fast, high-end Japanese indie watchmakers. In just a couple of short years, we’ve seen a whole range of them emerge from the Land of the Rising Sun. Through clever conception, unbridled devotion to craft and tradition and a unique perspective on watchmaking, they seem to capture the hearts […]
Worn & Wound
While there are many watches inspired by military, naval, or overlanding missions, there are surprisingly few in tribute to firefighting, despite the profession’s propensity for gear and danger. Sure, Sinn makes timepieces in their EZM line for German firefighters to wear into burning buildings, but they’re more utilitarian than conceptual; tool watches rather than tributes. Enter William Wood, a British watchmaker founded by Jonny Garret and named after his late grandfather, who was a decorated firefighter. All of the brand’s pieces are made from upcycled firefighting materials, with portions of the proceeds from each collection benefitting firefighting charities globally. With their newest-and perhaps most eccentric-timepiece, the Vintage Triumph, William Wood continues that legacy. The Vintage Triumph capitalizes on the brawn of the profession it’s inspired by, with a beefy 41mm case diameter. The case itself is gold-plated with both brushed and polished finishes and promises 100 meters of water resistance, should the wearer ever trade fire for its natural opponent. The diamond-cut dial wears a celebratory shade of aged champagne, which is paired with polished gold numerals and a gold bezel with black markers, creating a rather exclamatory visual profile, furthered by the date window at the 6 o’clock position, and the subdials (inspired by fire engine pump gauges) at 3 and 9. Underneath it all is a Sellita SW510 Chronograph movement, which promises a 48-ho...
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