Archive for December 2020
Reasonable Grail: the Tudor Big Block 94200
There’s a strong demand from collectors for vintage Rolex chronographs (even vintage Rolex-ish chronographs). Exhibit A: all Daytonas. Exhibit B: all Monte Carlos. But the under-appreciated Exhibit C comes by way of the Tudor Big Block. It used to be the Big Block was considered a means to an end; a path toward Rolex. These…
Read MoreOne Seamaster to Rule them All
There are more accurate, more ornate, and more complicated Seamasters. But there isn’t a more significant Seamaster than this military 165.024 T-dial. This is a watch that is invisible to almost everyone. No one will mug you for it in East London. But if you know, you really know. This mil-spec Seamaster varies from the…
Read MoreSeiko SLA039 Anniversary Limited Edition
For a lot of people, a Seiko diver priced near 6K is going to be a tough pill to swallow—but you should consider taking the medicine. The SLA039 has a Rolex-level outlay because it packs Rolex-level engineering (but with fewer of the ostentatious associations). Stealth wealth is one of my favorite categories in wristwatches. Discretion…
Read MoreRoger Dubuis Hommage H37 in Guilloché
Amidst the Lamborghini collaborations and diamond-set double tourbillons, it’s easy to forget that Roger Dubuis also did understated elegance. He did it really, really well. Roger sadly left us in 2017, but is remembered as one of the more innovative and eccentric independent watchmakers. While today’s louder pieces are all good fun—the kind of thing…
Read MoreRare and Attractive: Zenith A384
Phillip’s Auctions (and Aurel Bacs) are notorious for overusing the phrase ‘rare & attractive’ in listing descriptions. However, if they wrote ad copy for this A384, I would make an allowance. To address the former, it is actually rare. Rössler’s book Zenith: Swiss Watch Manufacture Since 1865 estimates just 2600 examples were produced. And to address…
Read MoreGrail-Level Speedmaster: the BA145.022
In my theoretical holy trinity of Speedmasters, this BA would feature alongside the radial Alaska III. Third place is yet to be decided between the Silver Snoopy or original CK2915 broad arrow. Why does a 145.022 in gold carry such weight? It’s the story. To commemorate the moon landing, the US government hosted a dinner…
Read MoreWaffle-Dial Tudor Prince 7909
Unassuming, I think, is the adjective that best suits the Prince. Tudor’s ‘Oyster Perpetual’ began humbly in the 1950s but eventually went the distance, picked up by Arctic explorers before the explorer. Ever Rolex’s experimental sibling, even in the 1950s, Tudor utilized a range of dial and hand configurations inside the 34mm case. One of…
Read MoreRed-Depth Double-Reference 6536/8 Submariner
For a very small number of cases produced in the middle of 1955, Rolex doubled up on references. They wrote 6538, crossed off, and rewrote 6536 to re-designate a small crown. It is not clear if this was done intentionally as a transitional model or as a simple repurposing of existing cases. Either way, the…
Read MoreTropical AP 14802ST Royal Oak Jubilee
In 1995, well after the Royal Oak had become an icon, Audemars Piguet launched a reference 14802ST to commemorate its 20th anniversary. Limited to 1000 pieces, this ‘Jubilee’ model was available in platinum, gold, and the steel we see here (this was back when limited editions weren’t multiples of 1000). The steel models, when worn…
Read More1 of 38: Montblanc Minerva Heritage Small Second
I’ve been on a bit of a manual-wind three hand bend lately. You may have noticed. If the GS I posted a day ago didn’t appeal to you for lack of being loud and/or limited, I give you this Mont Blanc. I think brands should be applauded when they uphold the honest definition of a…
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