Archive for February 2021
1 of 500: Jaeger Lecoultre Reverso Septantième
Amongst today’s quick pace of limited editions and Instagram hype, it’s easy to forget that JLC has been making grail-worthy watches since before hype was a word. This grail-to-me, the Septantieme, has largely faded into the background of watch collecting attention. Or perhaps, having pre-dated Instagram, it was never there in the first place. Either…
Read MoreThe Collector’s Cosmograph: 6265 Daytona in Yellow Gold
It’s not hard to make the case for a gold Datyona. Some might call it predictable, even. Amongst vintage collectors, the Daytona has become such a theme that today it is its own genre. If you’re the kind of person willing to splash a hundred grand on a YG 6265, chances are this isn’t your…
Read MoreCartier Tank Americaine CPCP
Cartier’s re-entry to mechanical watchmaking was a strong one. Famed initially for the 1920 mechanical Tank, Cartier was a quick adopter of quartz. By the mid 1980s, 75% of their range was entirely electric (due to some acquisitions/mergers that created quartz vertical integration). In fairness, the technology was suited to the application. The Tank is…
Read MoreUniversal Genève Eric Clapton Tri-Compax
The Tri-Compax is model which has spanned decades in numerous configurations. There are varying combinations of cases, dial, hands, colors, and movements to suit any taste. Few, however, are more desirable than this: the Eric Clapton (reference 881101/01). In 1966 Hendrix and Clapton met for the first time. At that fortuitous London speakeasy where the…
Read MoreLapis Lazuli Jaeger Lecoultre Memovox
You will be aware, no doubt, of the legendary Memovox. Perhaps second only to the Reverso, the Memovox (shorthand for ‘the voice of memory’) is one of JLC’s most famed pieces. While the E855 reference is still fairly common, this particular E855 is not. The lion’s share of these references are overwhelmingly black and silvered…
Read MoreTwo-Tone Moon Swoon: Apollo 15 35th Speedmaster
I often find that the designs which are most controversial upon initial release age the most gracefully, slowly gaining greater and greater commendation. The Ducati 916, Sagrada Famillia, and Tom Ford suits all spring quickly to mind. Of course, not all controversial designs age so well. The recent BMW M3/M4 nostril, I think, will surely…
Read MoreA Yves Klein Royal Oak Perpetual 25820ST
Ultra-rare Royal Oaks don’t come much prettier than the electric-blue Yves Klein perpetual. Klein was a French artist who became known for frequent use of an electric blue hue which he later patented under code IKB 191. This Royal Oak perpetual and its electric blue dial seem to have been made in his likeness (though…
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