Privée Pleasures: Cartier Paris Collection
Originally created to give collectors a chance to own vintage-looking Cartier watches, the timepieces in Collection Privée Cartier Paris have become highly sought after in their own right.
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Glashütte Original's fifteenth limited Seventies Chronograph Panorama Date keeps things deliberately quiet. 100 pieces, German-speaking markets only, the in-house Calibre 37-02. Here's what actually changes for the XV.
A cleaner dress flyback and a tool-watch navigator replace the outgoing Panorama Date models. Both are worth your attention.
The new 70s Collection strips away the chronograph and doubles down on what made the original era great
Originally created to give collectors a chance to own vintage-looking Cartier watches, the timepieces in Collection Privée Cartier Paris have become highly sought after in their own right.
Revolution
The first watch made by the Glashütte-based firm of Moritz Grossmann that I saw in person was the Benu wristwatch, which the company debuted –in one of the most low-key launches I can remember –in 2010. The Benu was a watch very much to my personal tastes: discreet, very precisely made, with a sober beauty […]
Revolution
In the center of the small town of Glashütte, which has been a center of watchmaking since 1845, there is a museum –the “German Watch Museum Glashütte” –which contains treasures out of all proportion to the size of the city that is its home. The building was opened in 1881, in order to house a watchmaking […]
Time+Tide
The ‘60s were an important era for Seiko, as it saw the introduction of both the Grand Seiko and King Seiko lines. Originally launched to promote healthy inter-company competition with Grand Seiko, the King Seiko name made its debut in 1961, and in 1965, the iconic KSK model was released. The luxe-leaning Grand Seiko of … ContinuedThe post The slender new King Seiko collection channels the retro elegance of the 1965 original appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Hodinkee
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...
Time+Tide
The master of materials is at it again, not giving us a completely new tactile feel for our watches with the new Soft Touch rubber.
Monochrome
If you thought the legendary McLaren F1 was the company’s first road car, I can’t really blame you. While technically it is, as the F1 was the very first McLaren car that actually entered production, in reality, it’s predated by the M6 GT, a road-legal sports car envisioned by company founder Bruce McLaren. With inspiration […]
Worn & Wound
Louis-Ulysse Chopard founded his eponymous watch company in 1860, but it took over 100 years for the brand to truly come into its own. In 1996, and after three years of development, the company debuted its own in-house movement. The wait seemed to have been worth it. The L.U.C 96.01-L immediately drew acclaim for beautiful finishing, embracing the microrotor, and COSC certification. It, and the subsequent L.U.C. 1860 dress watch, marked a sea change from reliance on third parties to true independence, arriving at a resurgence in fine mechanical watchmaking. Thirty years later, the L.U.C. family has expanded into dozens of variants, complications, and movements. But at 2026’s Watches & Wonders, Chopard pays tribute to 30 years of in-house manufacturing with a continuation of that vaunted original. The L.U.C 1860 Chronometer uses the same dial and microrotor movement from 1996, albeit with their own upgrades and unique design tweaks. The intricate white-gold dial features guilloché finishing in the center, emanating in scalloped waves from the Chopard logo and nameplate. The concentric circles are separated by thin bands of white gold, and delicate spear-shaped markers point inward, toward the dauphine hands. At 6 o’clock, the small-seconds dial echoes the twin-circle pattern of the overall dial, and Chopard specifically mentions the lack of a date window “to preserve purity.” Where the first L.U.C. 1860 had a white dial with gold accents, this Chronometer wears...
Monochrome
One of Johannes Dürrstein’s objectives when he founded Glashütter Uhrenfabrik Union in 1893 was to produce high-quality watches at affordable prices to cater to a broader range of customers. His philosophy of keeping movements simple and cutting down on superlative frills made Dürrstein an early champion of “affordable luxury.” Following the company’s demise in the […]
Hodinkee
From December 3 to 5 at Phillips' New York headquarters, one of the most important names in modern watch collecting shows off an impressive part of his collection.
Monochrome
It’s often said that the first motor race was held when the second car was built, and although that’s probably a bit of an exaggeration, it’s true that racing is almost as old as the car itself. Ever since the Benz Patent Motorwagen of 1885, people have been captured by the thrill of going fast on […]
Worn & Wound
One of my favorite releases from Watches & Wonders (and one of the best watches Zenith has made in years, in my opinion) was the G.F.J., a study in blue and a celebration of the brand’s 160th anniversary. The G.F.J. is something of a no-expenses-spared dream watch, with a platinum case and optional bracelet that basically doubles the price (because why not?) as well as a finely finished movement and loads of history built into the watch’s story, with a focus on the brand’s historic pursuits in chronometry. When I had that watch on my wrist I wondered how the G.F.J. line might expand, and if this watch was an opening salvo in a more ambitious series of releases to come. I don’t know that we have any answers to those questions, necessarily, with the release of the Chronomaster Original Triple Calendar Lapis Lazuli today, but there’s certainly some connective tissue between Zenith’s newest novelty and the G.F.J. we saw a few months ago. Looking at the latest Zenith Triple Calendar, it’s impossible not to notice a certain aesthetic similarity to the G.F.J. Both make prominent use of lapis lazuli, one of the most common precious stones used in watchmaking. On the G.F.J., lapis is what makes up the majority of the dial space, with the stone in the main dial nicely complementing the blue mother of pearl in the subsidiary seconds. On this new Triple Calendar, the lapis is truly the star of the show, dominating the dial and only yielding for the three subregisters i...
Monochrome
German watchmaking company Stowa has been around for more than a century, and throughout that time, it became primarily known for two things: pilots’ watches and marine chronometers. These instruments were crucial in the early days of navigating the seas, as they were vital instruments in pinpointing where you were on your journey and where […]
Hodinkee
Retro design, super cool story – it's one of G-Shock's biggest (literally and figuratively) releases in recent memory.
Worn & Wound
In the Fall of 2023, I organized a RedBar event in Prague for Marco Lang, Stefan Kudoke, and Jochen Benzinger. During the event I met two young guys who looked in their early twenties, enjoying fresh Pilsner beer. When we raised our glasses to cheer, I noticed his wrist and had a hard time believing what I saw. The young man introduced himself as Thibault Claeys and said this is their first watch. The other young man introduced himself as Johannes Kallinich. While I looked at the watch, Thibault told me that both of them worked at A. Lange & Söhne until recently. Johannes was the head of the Lange 1 department and a certified Master Watchmaker with a deep understanding of technical construction. Thibault, on the other hand, graduated from watchmaking school in Antwerp, and joined the Lange 1815 department. His expertise lies in finishing techniques, and he plays MacGyver with all the machines and tooling. The next encounter with Thibault and Johannes was a planned visit to their atelier in the summer of 2024. Their small workshop is located right next to Nomos headquarters, and directly opposite from the SUG case workshop in Glashütte. The workshop is framed all around by large windows, an inspiration they took from Akrivia and Rexhep Rexhepi. Thibault walked me through “his side” of the workshop first where he built his own CNC milling machine. You see all the contraptions he built himself for making parts or for finishing of the parts. He says it actually all...
Monochrome
Stowa is, without a doubt, one of the most legitimate brands when it comes to Flieger watches. Founded by Walter Storz in 1927 and currently headquartered in Pforzheim, Germany, it is now part of the Tempus Arte group, which also owns Lang & Heyne. But importantly, Stowa was one of only five manufacturers allowed to […]
Hodinkee
In mass quantities and/or amazing quality, the largest antique show in the U.S. always delivers.
Monochrome
I’m very fortunate (and spoilt, in a way) to handle hundreds of watches every year working for MONOCHROME Watches. To the point that I almost have to admit it’s not that easy to be impressed anymore, but it does happen from time to time. Of course, it’s not that difficult to be amazed by very […]
Worn & Wound
eBay Finds is back! This bi-monthly installment will feature a selection of watches currently listed on eBay that have caught the eye of editor Christoph McNeil (@vintagediver). If you come across any hidden gems on the ‘Bay drop us a note at info@wornandwound.com for potential inclusion! Vintage Girard Perregaux Casquette Coming in with the heat to start this week, with this very cool and very rare vintage Girard Perregaux Casquette LED watch. This super-futuro watch debuted in 1976 and is so iconic that GP reissued it as a heritage edition in 2022. But this here is the O.G. GP LED (sorry, I had to do that…), and it even comes with the original box. What makes this model unique is the side view ‘drivers’ design where the LED window is inset, giving it an old school computer console look. The 32mm wide steel case is in good shape, unpolished and still showing the original brushed finish. It comes on the original bracelet, although the seller states it will only fit up to a 7” wrist. The watch works well with no missing LED segments, however one of the buttons is a little sticky per the seller. The watch comes with the original box, which is a little beat up. Still, this is a really nice example of an exceptional watch. View auction here Vintage Seiko 7006-8040 Here’s one that is a little simpler, a straight forward vintage Seiko 7006-8040 on the original bracelet. This is your classic 1970’s sporty/dress Seiko, with a silver dial, day/date window at 3 o...
Monochrome
In over 100 years of wristwatch making, almost everything has been done. And well done for most of it. Reinventing yourself in a crowded market isn’t easy, even for a young brand like Serica. For five years – its entire life – the brand has been focusing on producing (quite appealing) retro-styled instrument watches. Imagine […]
Hodinkee
Behind the scenes at one of the world's most unique and comprehensive archives of horology.
Quill & Pad
The reissue concept is relatively simple: classically correct on the outside and up to date on the inside, thereby quenching the owner’s thirst for nostalgia while sparing them maintenance issues. But Tamim Almousa isn't a fan of re-editions and he explains why here.
Monochrome
It’s common knowledge that the vast majority of watches use centrally mounted hands continuously rotating 360 degrees in a clockwise direction to tell time down to the hours and minutes, and most often the seconds. Often the seconds indication is moved to 6′ or 9′ and has its own separate sub-dial, but that pretty much […]
Revolution
Monochrome
So, we have another first watch from a new microbrand, but this one truly stands out with a unique, retro/contemporary approach that drew inspiration from the early space race. Cherkas was founded by Vasily Kuybar, born in the USSR and fascinated by aerospace, who designed the Cherkas Module One with a retro sci-fi aesthetic that’s […]
Hodinkee
It's not a revival of the old Toric, but it's certainly the best we've seen in years.
Worn & Wound
eBay Finds is back! This bi-monthly installment will feature a selection of watches currently listed on eBay that have caught the eye of editor Christoph McNeil (@vintagediver). If you come across any hidden gems on the ‘Bay drop us a note at info@wornandwound.com for potential inclusion! Seiko Bell-Matic Alarm Watch The Seiko Bell-Matics are well known amongst collectors, however this model is one you don’t see very often. The uniquely styled case is a big ol’ cushion shaped chunk of steel, measuring 39mm wide. This example looks unpolished and has the original brushed finish. The bezel has a nice blue acrylic insert that looks really cool. The dial is a super dark blue, and is in great shape, with bold steel hands and a red seconds hand. The crown is at 3 o’clock, and the alarm button is recessed at 2 o’clock. The watch comes on the original broad link bracelet, which is always a bonus. The movement is clean and the seller states the watch runs and works properly. View auction here Vintage Vantage Chronograph Here we have a gorgeous vintage Vantage chronograph, with a stunning reverse panda style dial. The steel case has a slim bezel and slim, straight lugs, giving it that “poor man’s Carrera” look. The black dial with dual silver subdials is really sweet, and in great shape with nicely aged lume. Really a simple, classic chronograph that has a timeless design. The watch is powered by the workhorse Valjoux 7730, which is clean and recently serviced ...
Hodinkee
Happy Birthday G-SHOCK!
Monochrome
1969 was a milestone year for Zenith watches with the brand’s launch of the world’s first high-frequency automatic chronograph movement. Although the El Primero stole the headlines, it was not the only model Zenith had up its sleeve. With slightly less fanfare, Zenith also launched its heavy-duty Defy family with its angular octagonal case, crazy […]
Hodinkee
Whether you're more of a "Rambazamba" or a "Sportbunt," this collection aims to have a little something for every personality.
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