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Fratello
Hunting for vintage watches is a wonderful pursuit, but it can be full of pitfalls. A mechanical object that is decades old can have all sorts of problems that may be hard to diagnose from an online listing. That is why many of the vintage watches I like to peruse in my spare time are […] Visit Value In Vintage With The Bulova Wrist Alarm Watch to read the full article.
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 Chronograph Starting this week off strong with an unusual vintage Girard Perregaux chronograph complete with boxes and papers. The large square steel case has some honest wear, but is unpolished and exhibits the original brushed finish. The elapsed time bezel has a few marks but is otherwise in good shape. The blue dial with three white subdials is a beauty and in great condition. The hour and minute hands are bright red and the chrono seconds hand is white, giving the watch a bold and colorful look. The watch is powered by the workhorse Valjoux 7736 manual wind movement, the same movement found in vintage Heuer chronographs among other brands. To top it all off, the watch comes complete with the original inner and outer boxes, and the guarantee and instruction booklets. View auction here Vintage Zodiac Seawolf Automatic Here’s a beauty that you do not find often in this condition. This vintage Zodiac Sea Wolf is a real stunner. This no-date model with the metal bezel is one of the fist generations of Sea Wolf and honestly are usually found in very worn condition. This example is super clean, with an unpolished steel case and the bezel has almost zero ...
Hodinkee
Plus a Breitling for the car enthusiast, and what happens when Bauhaus does a GMT.
SJX Watches
Patek Philippe’s mastery of complications is evident at all levels. The brand’s ability to elevate even simple complications is on full display in the Calatrava 24-Hour Alarm 5322G, a smaller and more focused take on the alarm watch than the discontinued spider-like Alarm Travel Time 5520P from 2019. This puts the most refined alarm movement on the market in the popular hobnail-flanked Calatrava case, capped with punchy green and blue fumé dials. Initial thoughts Launched in 2019, Patek Philippe’s Alarm Travel Time ref. 5520 was a polarising design from the start, with the appearance of four crowns - three of which were actually screw-locked pushers - when combined with the four lugs giving the watch an octopoid appearance. Looks aside, it was Patek Philippe’s first wristwatch with an alarm, and introduced a refined new calibre. This year Patek Philippe builds on that foundation without the travel time functionality and streamlined looks, eliminating the appearance of an awkward double crown setting system. There is no actual change to the base movement’s functionality - save the deletion of the travel time module. Perhaps a decade ago this bright green dial, or even the blue, would feel out of place in a high-grade watch, but today it fits right into the brand’s extremely colourful and contemporary catalogue. Even so, the dial design is sure to be polarising, especially the conflict between the 12 o’clock marker and alarm indicator, which the latter s...
SJX Watches
Patek Philippe’s mastery of complications is evident at all levels. The brand’s ability to elevate even simple complications is on full display in the Calatrava 24-Hour Alarm 5322G, a smaller and more focused take on the alarm watch than the discontinued spider-like Alarm Travel Time 5520P from 2019. This puts the most refined alarm movement on the market in the popular hobnail-flanked Calatrava case, capped with punchy green and blue fumé dials. Initial thoughts Launched in 2019, Patek Philippe’s Alarm Travel Time ref. 5520 was a polarising design from the start, with the appearance of four crowns - three of which were actually screw-locked pushers - when combined with the four lugs giving the watch an octopoid appearance. Looks aside, it was Patek Philippe’s first wristwatch with an alarm, and introduced a refined new calibre. This year Patek Philippe builds on that foundation without the travel time functionality and streamlined looks, eliminating the appearance of an awkward double crown setting system. There is no actual change to the base movement’s functionality - save the deletion of the travel time module. Perhaps a decade ago this bright green dial, or even the blue, would feel out of place in a high-grade watch, but today it fits right into the brand’s extremely colourful and contemporary catalogue. Even so, the dial design is sure to be polarising, especially the conflict between the 12 o’clock marker and alarm indicator, which the latter s...
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SJX Watches
Today in Paris a panel of five judges – including Carole Forestier-Kasapi and Kari Voutilainen – presented Alexandre Hazemann and Victor Monnin with the Louis Vuitton Watch Prize for Independent Creatives. The very same young watchmakers who won the F.P. Journe Young Talent Competition in 2023, the pair clinched the prize for their jump-hour “School Watch”. Launched in 2023 by Jean Arnault, who has spearheaded Louis Vuitton’s fine watchmaking ambitions, the initiative supports promising independent watchmakers while burnishing the maison’s credibility in the watch world. Last year the trophy – and its matching Louis Vuitton trunk – went to Raul Pages for his RP1 Régulateur à Détente. This edition’s victors met at Lycée Edgar Faure, a technical high school in Morteau, France, which is well known for its strong and respected watch and jewellery bent. Their aptly named School Watch developed from the pair’s school watch project. They have since set up shop in Saint-Aubin-Sauges, Switzerland, though both will now have the option of a one-year apprenticeship at Louis Vuitton’s La Fabrique du Temps manufacture in Geneva, in addition to financial support. In December, a Committee culled the 20 semifinalists, which we covered here, down to just five in December and appointed a five-person panel to select the winner. Other finalists included Norifumi Seki, who debuted the ambitious Fading Hours alarm watch, and Bernhard Lederer. Carole Forestier-Kasapi pr...
Worn & Wound
One of the most useful watch complications in horological history is also one of its most forgotten. The ring of a mechanical alarm may seem like a lost artifact, like a rotary phone dial or a manual transmission, all once the necessities of 20th century civilization. And yet, functionality of a settable and mechanical-winding alarm into the tiny confines of a wristwatch is an impressive mechanical feat, one underrated among dive bezels, world timers, pulsations scales, and tachymeters. The alarm watch was meant for the everyman, whether they’re travelers, titans of industry, or merely early risers. Just like there is appreciation for a watch’s ability to do more than just tell time, there is the aural sensation for a watch to produce something more for the senses than just sight. Eterna was the first to patent an alarm caliber as early as 1908, eventually introducing an alarm wristwatch in 1914 at the Swiss National Exhibition in Berne. It was an impressive achievement, but it wouldn’t last: there was the problem that the alarm could only sound for less than 10 seconds, barely enough to rouse a moderate sleeper, as well as the fact that when the alarm was set, accuracy suffered. However, the Eterna did achieve something significant: it spurred Vulcain, in nearby La Chaux-de-Fonds, to begin developing its own alarm mechanism in 1942. The resulting Vulcain Cricket, debuting in 1947, fixed its predecessor’s shortcomings: namely, separate barrels for the alarm s...
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 Seiko Bell-Matic 4006-6010 Starting this week off with a solid vintage Seiko Bell-Matic alarm watch. The steel case is nice, unpolished with sharp edges. The silver dial has a cool linen texture that gives it a great vintage look. Applied, raised steel markers with dauphine hands and the classic Seiko day/date window at three complete the look. Overall this is a clean example of a Bell-Matic. The only bummer is that it doesn’t come on the original bracelet. However, slap a nice leather or croc strap on this and you’ll have a gem! No movement picture but the seller states the watch runs well. View auction here Vintage Omega Seamaster DeVille Looking for a nice treat for yourself for the holidays? Check out this sweet vintage Omega Seamaster DeVille. The DeVille is Omega’s dress watch version of their iconic Seamaster line, and this example would be from the 1960s. The slim yellow gold filled case is superb and unpolished. You can still see the subtle chamfers on the delicate lugs. The classic Omega silver dial is super clean, with slim stick markers and stick hands. There is an applied gold Omega symbol and name at twelve. The Omega signed crown is correct and original. T...
Worn & Wound
It’s no secret that the visuals of a watch are often why collectors pull the trigger on adding yet another piece to their collection. It could be a specific color, the inclusion of a certain desirable bezel insert, the symmetry of a double register chronograph, or many other aesthetic reasons. This isn’t to say that the movement and build quality are not also a part of this decision-making process, but one of the chief reasons many of us love to collect is for the joy we feel putting one on wrist, potentially matching it with an outfit, and gawking at it throughout our busy days. What I wish to do here is move away from this mindset and instead appreciate how mechanical ingenuity can produce the same amount of excitement and allure. This Lanco Alarm watch may seem relatively lackluster at first glance. A simplistic silver case and dial with very few flashy or notable design choices, it could be easily mistaken for dozens of watches and brands who sold timepieces in the 1960s and 70s. Its most interesting characteristic is perhaps what’s most unremarkable on any other vintage dress piece: the use of a single crown. By the 1960s, brands like Vulcain, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Poljot, Girard-Perregaux, Citizen, Bulova, and Helbros had released their own alarm watches, many of which utilized movements made by outside movement manufactures like A. Schild and Venus. The common denominator between these models and movements was the two crown layout: one typically adjusted and wou...
Quill & Pad
Ball Watch have stepped up their game with an innovative mechanical alarm watch with second time zone and a manufacture automatic movement plus their trademark super bright tritium tubes that light up the night. This is no chirping cricket!
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Time+Tide
Ever wondered what's the difference between a complete and an annual calendar or how an alarm watch works? Check out our complications guide.The post A guide to 7 of the most common watch complications appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Teddy Baldassarre
If we're ranking watch styles by everyday practicality, it's hard to beat the alarm watch. Most of us are regularly needing reminders of appointments, events, and other commitments, and to have the source of such audible alerts right on your wrist, rather than buried in a pocket or a handbag, would seem to be the height of practicality even in today's high-tech world. Around the middle of the 20th Century, many watchmakers agreed and began to embrace the style, but alarm watches never achieved anywhere near the widespread popularity of other complications like chronographs and GMTs. Nevertheless, the alarm watch has played a significant role in horological history, and a handful of important brands have not only been instrumental in its creation and development but continue to rely on it as a major pillar of their collections today. Here is the story of how the mechanical alarm watch came to be, how it became a signature style of certain watchmakers, and how it continues to evolve today despite its niche status in the industry. Johannes Dürrstein, regarded as the inventor of the alarm watch Watches with alarm functions go back farther into horological history than most probably realize. Johannes Dürrsstein, a watchmaker in Glashütte, Germany, invented the first mass-produced, alarm-equipped pocket watch caliber in 1900. Dürrstein’s invention used an extra-long mainspring that could fuel both the timekeeping and the independent alarm hand, which was activated by a...
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 ...
Monochrome
A venerable brand that was slightly dormant for about a decade, Vulcain is sort of a hidden gem that has long been recognized as the specialist of the alarm watch – a niche concept but one that has to be kept alive. However, for the past couple of years, Vulcain has been revived and now […]
Worn & Wound
We’re back with a fresh episode of A Week In Watches, covering news from Norqain, Oris, Vulcain, and of course, Linde Werdelin. Additionally, it wouldn’t be a new week without a new collaboration to discuss, and this time it comes courtesy of our friends at Massena LAB and Revolution Magazine in the form of a new, mostly original take on the Uni-Racer Chronograph. Elsewhere, Oris returns to the baseball field to honor the great Milwaukee (okay, and Atlanta) Brave, Hank Aaron with a new colorway of their Big Crown Pointer Date. Another unique configuration of an existing watch released this week is a new Octo Moonphase from Linde Werdelin, who still have a knack for killer case architecture and open dial work. A favorite release this weeks comes from Vulcain, who is once again bringing back the Nautical Cricket, a diving alarm watch with a gnarly inner bezel which includes a full decompression table. This is a historic watch that’s more than just a novelty, it’s got some serious pedigree under its belt that dates back to the early ’60s. Plus, it offers two caseback options, a move we rarely see at this price point. Keep an eye out for more on that one coming soon. Until then, enjoy this week’s episode below. A quick note on a programming change with A Week In Watches: this series will be moving to a bi-monthly format, allowing us more time to bring you a broader selection of curated news, at an even better production quality. A lot of work goes into creating the...
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Worn & Wound
Most dive watches we come across qualify as such thanks to a chunky bezel, gobs of lume on the dial, and halfway decent depth rating. Vulcain, never keen to adhere to the well beaten path, took a different approach with their diver, the Nautical Cricket, and it shows at first blush. The impressive depth rating is there, sure, but the rest of the formula kind of goes out the window. It’s an approach I’d love to see more of in modern divers, and am thrilled to see Vulcain return to the concept 60 years after the original, and 10 years after the first attempt at resuscitation. It’s entirely confusing at a glance, and even if you know what you’re looking at, it still might require an explanation. The new Nautical Cricket is the latest chapter in Vulcain’s modern resurgence. The Nautical Cricket is, as you may have guessed from the name, an alarm watch, which can be set via the thin 4th hand with bright red tip. While unique, that’s not the most unusual element to this watch. That would be the inner portion of the dial, which is littered with rings and number sets and a long thin aperture which reveal further sets of numbers when turned. These tables are used in conjunction with the alarm timer, and if used correctly, will give you the length of your decompression stops at 3, 6, and 9 meters on your ascent. How this works exactly is a bit trickier to decipher, but makes the watch all the more interesting as a dive tool. Things begin with the planned length of your...
Worn & Wound
The latest iteration of Vulcain’s beloved alarm watch, aptly named the Cricket, is a collaborative limited edition piece with Revolution & The Rake. Tapping into Revolution’s enthusiasm for finely crafted timepieces and The Rake’s sartorial know-how, the Cricket gets a handsome new sector dial that harkens back to the design made popular in the 1930’s. Still keeping the foundational elements of the Cricket, the limited edition ‘Style Moderne’ is a representation of an era where design evolved from Art Deco’s flash and flare, to practical and functional, without sacrificing its appealing facade. To dive a little deeper into architectural history and terminology, Style Moderne or also known as Art Moderne emphasized movement and sleekness. It was a departure from the embellished zig zags and chevrons found in the previous decade, and a transition to more streamlined designs while maintaining some of its geometric and bold color elements. The Cricket ‘Style Moderne’ embodies that evolution with its sectioned two-tone Bellini and anthracite dial. Each layer of the dial has its own geometrical feature; the inner dial is split into four quadrants, the following Bellini layer is split into eight separate sections by several anthracite channels that flow into the outer portion of the dial. We’ve seen multiple hour marker displays within the Cricket collection, ranging from Arabic numerals, pointed markers, and a combination of both. This particular edition come...
Revolution
Wei sits down with Guillaume Laidet of Vulcain to discuss the new Vulcain Cricket ‘Style Moderne’ limited edition for Revolution & The Rake. The Vulcain Cricket dates back to 1947 when it was introduced as the world’s first mechanical alarm watch, powered by the now-legendary caliber 120. The alarm worked with a hammer that struck […]
Worn & Wound
Since Vulcain received a new lease on life with entrepreneur and brand enthusiast Guillaume Laidet at the helm, the storied brand has not missed. By tapping into Vulcain’s deep archives and playing the hits, so to speak, many of us have thoroughly enjoyed getting reacquainted with the brand. Debuting with their most iconic watch, the Cricket, was the logical first step in relaunching Vulcain. It’s a watch that has all the name-cache with it being the first mechanical alarm watch and its historical ties to several United States presidents. Following the Cricket, Laidet and company hit us with an unexpected dive watch with the Skindiver Nautique. Once again, by essentially producing a recreation of a past reference, Vulcain released a diver with all the vintage charm you could ask for (a type of watch that every brand needs in their arsenal), packed into a tidy 38mm case. So how does Vulcain move forward from the aforementioned models? Well, with a presidential watch and a diver already in the quiver, naturally a chronograph is the next move. Continuing with what has been clearly working for the brand thus far, Vulcain recently announced the Chronographe 1970’s, a handsome chronograph and another spot-on revival from their back catalog. There is a certain magnetism and allure to the Chronographe 1970’s which I’ll try to identify as we go on. First, the dial. I applauded the typeface choice on the Skindiver Nautique during a recent On-Wrist Reaction, and I’ll do t...
Quill & Pad
The Jaeger-LeCoultre Rendez-Vous is a watch with delightful complications: an alarm watch with a day-night indicator. And the Rendez-Vous Sonatina Peaceful Nature offers a busy world some tranquil zen.
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Hodinkee
I'm a man who is soft-spoken. But I've fallen for an alarm watch with a famously loud voice.
SJX Watches
Modelled on a 1960s diver’s alarm wristwatch, the Polaris was revived in 2018 as a full-fledged collection of watches ranging from time-only to chronograph. Now Jaeger-LeCoultre adds two more to the line up: the Polaris Mariner Memovox and Polaris Mariner Date. Looking very similar to each other, both share the same a gradient-blue dial but are distinguished in function; the Memovox is an alarm while the Date is a three-hand base model. Polaris Mariner Date (left), and Polaris Mariner Memovox Initial thoughts Probably because it manages to be sporty and slightly retro at the same time, the gradient (or fumè or smoked) blue dial is being used once again for a Polaris dive watch, not long after the similar-looking limited edition for the American market. And it’s worth noting that the three-tone blue dial takes inspiration from the Memovox “Snowdrop” of the 1970s. In short, the look isn’t novel, but it is a good one. And a few tweaks have been worked in to help it stand out, most obvious with the use of orange accents. The new Memovox on brand ambassador Benedict Cumberbatch The Polaris Mariner Memovox Although both watches have been updated in design and upgraded in functionality – water resistance is now 300 m instead of 200 m – they are beset by a sharp increase in price. For instance, the new Mariner Memovox alarm watch costs about 40% more than the equivalent limited edition of 2018. And the Mariner Date costs a bit over US$11,000, while the standar...
Time+Tide
If you’re a horological junkie, there are better ways to rouse yourself from Dreamland than your iPhone. For the totally hardcore watch aficionado, you could always hunt down a classic Swiss travel clock, such as a Jaeger-LeCoultre Memovox travel alarm, but if you’re looking for something minus the mechanical ticking that might keep you awake … ContinuedThe post The best part of waking up: 5 awesome alarm clocks for watch collectors appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Fratello
You’ve seen the Patek Philippe Alarm Travel Time before but never in a two-tone look. Since Watches and Wonders 2024, there’s the reference 5520RG, a very complicated and exclusive travel watch in rose and white gold. The colorway might sound very 1990s, but the sunburst dial is very en vogue. Do we start with the […] Visit Monday Morning With The Patek Philippe Alarm Travel Time Ref. 5520RG - A Two-Tone Grand Complication to read the full article.
Time+Tide
One of the few worldly possessions of Mahatma Gandhi was his beloved Zenith alarm pocket watch that the social visionary used to make sure he didn’t miss prayer times. Being reminded of this merely underscored the intrinsic value of my newly arrived, perfectly smooth and deeply unfashionable piece of stress relief. What happened was this: … ContinuedThe post Why I bought a Zenith pocket watch that’s 106 years old appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
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These Watch Brands Are Killing It Right Now - Others that are Slowly Dying
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