Archive for November 2022
Mk4 ‘Triple Six’ 16660 Rolex Sea-Dweller
There’s something inherently worthwhile about going absurdly above and beyond a required goal. Maniacal focus to the extent of vastly overachieving has a kind of merit all its own. It’s why Roger Federer didn’t just win Wimbledon once, it’s why the door of a Mercedes S-Class from the 80s shuts with a reassuring ‘thump’ even…
Read More14790ST ‘Yves Klein’ Audemars Piguet Royal Oak
We love a Royal Oak around here. However, not all are created equal. In the pantheon of neo-vintage Royal Oaks, a few dials are clear standouts. Right up near the top are the rare, electric-blue Yves Klein dials. Klein was a French artist who became known for frequent use of a vibrant blue hue which…
Read More885107 ‘Exotic Nina’ Universal Genève Compax
There aren’t many chronographs which can be described honestly as on par with a Paul Newman. This one can be, and it’s an order of magnitude less dear as well. It’s not just that it’s a Valjoux 72, hundreds of references were powered by one. It’s a Singer-made dial. It’s exotic. It was produced in…
Read More270.2.73 Jaeger-Lecoultre Reverso Minute Repeater
JLC knowns how to throw a party. And they went really, really hard for the Reverso’s 60th, throughout the whole decade of the nineties in a manner that would seem way too lavish in 2022. But it was the early 90s. Bon Jovi, Sting, Rod Stewart, and Nirvana were charting. OJ was being chased down…
Read More165.024 Omega Seamaster 300
The 165.024 was never a rare watch, but it is today. Examples that haven’t been messed about with are far less common than you may think. It’s a bit like the 964 911 if you’ll follow the over-used automotive analog. Everyone thought they were common as chips, 40-50K USD cars. Then I blinked and they’re…
Read More‘Vieux Panier’ Guilloché 43031 Vacheron Constantin Perpetual
The 222 is not VC’s only reference forgotten to the evolution time, now only known to enthusiasts. The phrase ‘post-quartz perpetual’ brings to mind almost exclusively AP’s 5548, debuted in 1978. However, just a hair behind (in terms of investment in time it takes to develop an in-house, ultra-thin perpetual calendar), were VC with this…
Read More425.050 A. Lange & Söhne 1815 Rattrapante Honeygold
The way I explain what a rattrapante is to non-watch people is simple. I say, ‘It’s like a mechanical stopwatch, but magic . . .just watch.’ Then, as the watch enthusiast, you have the pleasure of watching their mind explode in slow motion as one chronograph hand freezes an event in time, the other totally…
Read MoreSaddam Hussein Iraqi Eagle 3601 Patek Philippe Calatrava
The name written in Arabic on this dial is Saddam Hussein. Many of the world’s great leaders have worn a Patek Philippe: John F Kennedy, Queen Elizabeth II, Princess Diana, and even the Dalai Lama amongst many others. However, some less-than-ideal heads of state also acquired a taste for the Calatrava cross. Curious, I wonder…
Read MoreTropical ‘Root Beer’ 1675 Two-Tone Rolex GMT-Master
You know that feeling when you go on holiday, come back, and just feel great? Perhaps you’ve been walking around more exploring, or at the beach out in the sun. You’ve lost a bit of weight and are sporting a light tan. You’re still you, just 10% more attractive. This ‘Root Beer’ 1675 is doing…
Read MoreChanel Monsieur de Chanel Jump Hour
The phrase ‘fashion watch’ is often used in certain spheres as an insult. This is retribution. Where high fashion is concerned, there’s been a relatively recent trend of sincerity; they’re taking watchmaking seriously. In fact, many of the very high end fashion brand’s first attempts at considered offerings are more interesting than their traditional Swiss…
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