Archive for February 2021
The Sports Lange: Odysseus
Somehow oxymoron doesn’t quite cover it. The lauded German manufacture synonymous with the very height of haute horology is now making a sports watch sold on rubber. I just hope they’re not 20 years too late. The Odysseus is as impressive as it is divisive, arguably the most contentious release of the last decade. I…
Read MoreAn Exceptional Omega Chrono-quartz ‘Montreal’
This is the opposite of a Fashion watch. The Omega Chrono-quartz, occasionally referred to as the Montreal or Albatros colloquially, was a truly innovative piece. Omega was contracted as the Official Timekeeper for the 1976 Montreal Olympics. Ahead of that duty, they created the first ever ani-digi (analog or mechanical and digital hybrid) watch. This…
Read MoreCappuccino-Dial Zenith El Primero A385
The Zenith El Primero, in almost any guise, is an attractive proposition. There’s something intangibly alluring about owning an automatic chronograph that was made by the inventor of the complication. The El Primero is to automatic chronographs what Mercedes Benz are to the automobile: first. Over its 50 year history, there have been highs and…
Read MoreTudor 9401/0 Marine Nationale 80 Submariner
For those who lament the days when 5517s could be found south of 100K, listen up. Today we have one of the few ‘Rolex’ references (arguably) with issued military origins. The Marine Nationale (Division of French Navy) used a wide range of references, but a majority came from Rolex & its more experimental sister. Tudor Submariner…
Read MoreBeautifully Preserved CERN-Dial Rolex 1019 Milgauss
It is said that science advances in irregular leaps and bounds rather than consistent steps. Perhaps not by coincidence, the same could be said about Rolex. This particular Milgauss, in my opinion, is one of the most attractive Rolexes ever produced. I hold it on equal footing with issued military subs because, in one sense…
Read MoreAn FP Journe TN Tourbillon in Double Rose Gold
The phrase grail watch gets thrown around a lot these days. I’ve heard the term applied to Tudor Big Blocks, Doxa No Ts, Seiko Spacewalks, and the last Speedmaster article I wrote. It seems to me, however, that when a piece is truly a grail no one need say it outright. The headline for this…
Read More‘Holy Grail’ Omega Speedmaster 376.0822
This unassuming Speedmaster seems an unlikely candidate for the title holy grail. Nonetheless, Speedmaster collecting legend Chuck Maddox settled on the title after tirelessly seeking one out with “the same fervor as King Arthur sought the Grail”. In the era during which Maddox wrote his articles for print, much less was known about this 376.0822.…
Read More1st Gen Universal Genève Polerouter Compressor Sub
Today we have one truly rare bird. The Polerouter is regarded by many as the perfect dress-daily for collectors. It is mildly complicated with a micro-rotor architecture, understated with a Gerald Genta design, and svelt in its slim case proportion. It’s not even ruinously expensive. But the greatest joy of collecting the Polerouter lies in…
Read MorePorsche Design 3H Military Chronograph in Factory Green PVD
Porsche and military are words not often combined. Granted, the VW people’s car does have a tenuous connection to certain German politics but let’s gloss over that very quickly. In the 1980s, Orfina was contracted to provide a watch for the Bundeswehr. They turned to the newly established Porsche Design to style a chronograph dial.…
Read MoreUnder Market: A Humble Oris Divers 65
Not everything here has to be a heavy hitter. I’d like to think this site spans the breadth of what watches can offer, regardless of price. It is enough to simply present value. The humble Oris 65 is as ubiquitous as it is lovely. But this 65, at 1200 some USD, is a good few…
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