Archive for January 2018
An Automotive Gem: Heuer 2446 Autavia
The snap-back generation of 2446, sometimes confusingly called ‘Heuer’s Submariner’, is a base for much of the brand’s current appeal. The moniker exists not for the use of Valjoux’s 72, but the iconic status today. Heuer’s earliest screw-back Autavias are more collectible, but these snap/compressor variations are no less interesting. These were the models often…
Read MoreTruly Beastly: Zenith El Primero Sub Sea
A true wild child of the 1970s, Zenith’s El Primero diver was a one-off design. There wasn’t anything like it before and I suspect there won’t be anything like it again. In an attempt to capture some of the burgeoning market, the brand took the 3019 high-beat movement and cased it in this wild beast.…
Read MoreOmega 321 Seamaster 2451-7
321 Seamasters must be amongst of the most under-rated Omega models of all time. Maybe that’s grandiose, but I ask you: what other reference offers the mechanical elegance, timeless design, and present-day value that it can? It’s one of the subtler choices you can make in vintage Omega. Here, a very restrained 35mm case contains…
Read MoreA Beautiful Early Helmut-Sinn 103 B SA
This must be one of the best purposeful designs from all of Sinn’s history. The 103 has been around in one variation or another for decades. However, these earlier Valjoux pieces are very attractive for their design and investment potential. The clean aesthetic, aged dial, early Sinn logo design, and display back all sum to…
Read More1 of 15: FP Journe Octa Calendrier in Black Mother of Pearl
Lying deliciously at the intersection of engineering, design, eccentricity, and investment lies this work from Francois-Paul Journe. When a collection begins to get serious, annual or perpetual calendars often make the list. With extreme rarity, engineering provenance, and a five day power-reserve, this particular Octa Calendrier serves its clientele very precisely. One of Journe’s accomplishments in…
Read MoreAn Oversized Universal Genéve 22430 Compax
Massive watch proportion usually correlates to Audi ownership and a title beginning with “manager of”. Just consider MVMT, TW Steel, and the U-boat startup thing; you get the gist. However, there is another way: massive proportion with proportional elegance. It’s a rare thing, but it does exist. I can only imagine a few offhand (the oversized…
Read MoreA Very-Early Diver: Rolex 6205 Submariner
Only produced for one year closely after the first-ever 6204 Submariner, the 6205 was first to feature iconic Mercedes hands and text “Submariner” on the dial. Every Rolex Submariner since has inherited and built on this DNA. The appeal of the 6205 is clear; this is probably the cleanest Rolex design ever to feature “Submariner”…
Read More1 of 66: MB&F HM5 CarbonMacrolon
Somewhere between madness and genius in Switzerland lies a small studio, Maximilian Büsser & Friends (MB&F). The don’t make watches as much as artful mechanical entertainment. When they decided to make a driver’s wristwatch a few years back (the HM5), it was unlike anything we’d seen. I called it ‘fit for Starlord’. That’s as may be.…
Read MoreGenesis: A 1931 Lecoultre Reverso
This is no tribute reference. The Reverso seen here has survived nearly a century and not lost any of its charm, despite showing some age. Jaeger-Lecoultre re-issued the 1931 Reverso a few years ago. It has become an iconic to the brand. There are many watches you can wear formally, but not many with the…
Read MoreBreitling 806 Twin Planes Navitimer
The Navitimer is easily the most recognizable Breitling in the manufacture’s illustrious history. It has been a favorite of pilots and posers since 1952. If anything, the brand was a victim of their own earned success. In truth, the Navitimer is a very credible and well-designed piece. The Breitling 806’s dial was the first to…
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