Archive for January 2021
Space Coconut: Omega Speedmaster Alaska Project
The Speedmaster varies so widely between special editions that it can near become a new model. At the extreme of that spectrum, there is this: the Alaska Project. It more closely resembles a space coconut than any new Omega. I posted that tagline on Instagram a few years back and it was my most popular…
Read MoreHighly Tropical Longines Legend Diver 7150
Every collector has heard at least one journalist muse over the fine line between wear and abuse. Straddling that gap today we have a reference that has become, at least in my eyes, a bit of an icon. Or perhaps I should say ‘Legend’. The 7150 was Longines’ initial generation of skin diver, featuring a 42mm…
Read MoreJaeger Lecoultre ‘Tank’ 6129.21
At a glance, this is a Cartier. But upon close study, this JLC ‘Tank’ presents a very charming alternative to the French monolith. If you like the aesthetic of Cartier but want a Swiss watchmaker’s expertise, this may be your best option. The 6129 features a slightly more rounded 18K YG case with a snap…
Read MoreA Singer Reimagined Track1 Hong Kong
I for one loathe all automaker to watchmaker analogies. As a keen enthusiast of each sphere, they are never right. Rolex is not like Porsche. Patek is not like Buggati and certainly not Rolls-Royce. Everything is too loosely connected to be useful, it’s always a vast over simplification. That said, I don’t think Singer Reimagined…
Read MoreTropical Clebar Valjoux 7733 Diver
Clebar is not a terribly well-known brand. They will not be at GPHG next year. But they—like Leonidas—had a partnership with Heuer that would see the creation of some lovely 70s chronographs. There were simple two-register affairs like this panda, pilots with large tachy scales, and a few slightly more developed divers. Today we have…
Read MoreThe Simple Lange: Saxonia Thin
A simple Lange is an oxymoron, to be sure. But what better contradiction is there than this Saxonia thin? Lower independent manufacturers can often hide behind complication, as reverse engineering them is actually easier than developing a high standard of finishing. When you pair back all the the jumping hours, triple splits, and moonphases, a…
Read MoreTransitional Rolex 16800 Sub Mk1
Rolex changed the 1680 sub over to the 16800 in 1980. As usual, the changes were subtle. The bezel became racheted and uni-directinal, the crystal went sapphire, a slimmer case was introduced with a 100m deeper rating, and quick-set date function was added to a higher-beat movement. Okay, maybe the changes weren’t so subtle. Here’s…
Read MoreThe Forgotten Grand Seiko LE: SBGR305
Grand Seiko and Omega are never ones to shy away from good limited edition. If it’s Tuesday, there’s a new Speedmaster LE. If the seasons are changing, count on Grand Seiko to turn that mood into a dial texture. One of the downsides to fairly frequent LE releases is that they begin to blur together.…
Read MoreAn Elusive ‘3 Red Dot’ Patek Philippe 3712
You likely know Gerald Genta’s design and the Nautilus story—sketched over dinner on a napkin whilst staring at a yacht. The iconic porthole case was born later that year and, despite pricing above the Royal Oak, to immediate success. Then Hublot bought some tracing paper. What happened to the Nautilus 3700 after its initial success,…
Read More1 of 768: Jaeger Lecoultre Polaris Limited 190.8.96
If I’ve featured JLC a little heavily in the last month, I apologize. In my defense, I’m not sure you can feature JLC too heavily. There have been a few very appetizing references surfacing lately. I remember a period of four months where there wasn’t a single Polaris LE 190.8.96 on Chrono24. I checked back…
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