Posts by Erik Gustafson
145.005 ‘Ultraman’ Omega Seamaster 321
The Seamaster 321 is one of Omega’s best kept secrets, worn by Roger W. Smith and with the same storied Lemania 2310 that went to the moon. But this, the 145.005 with its ‘Ultraman’ hand, is a secret even to most Omega enthusiasts. It’s steeped in mystery, a bit like the actual Ultraman itself before…
Read MoreBundeswehr-Issued ‘No Rad’ Blancpain Fifty Fathoms
I’ve pondered many times if beginner’s luck is universal. We’ve all seen it, but how, why? Think in the watchmaking context. Even if you try to consciously separate the fallacy collectors have to preference the earliest iterations of any watch, it still holds. There’s a magic about tabula rasa thinking, as long as you exclude…
Read MoreTropical 7928 Tudor Submariner
Five years ago, I attended a small dinner with a group of collectors. They chose an exceptional restaurant, I attired appropriately. There, I was lightly chided, by a man in red trousers I will add, for wearing a 16808 with a suit. Now, I’d never claim to be an authority in anything remotely sartorial. But…
Read More766 Breitling Duograph
The rattrapante is not just a classic high complication, it’s actual magic. I maintain that no one man really understands fully how they actually work, a bit like electricity. Even all the mental might of Jack Forster, who probably came closest to making the topic relatable in his Lange 1815 article, took four long paragraphs…
Read MoreCartier CPCP Basculante 2499C
If this whole post seems backwards, it’s because we’re looking at something French with two faces. Or perhaps I should say a watch without a rear, because today describing something as two-faced and French is just how you pronounce Emmanuel Macron in English. This is the CPCP Basculante, with a quite rare exhibition caseback. Of…
Read More‘Hong Kong 10th Anniversary’ FP Journe Centigraphe Souverain
FP Journe knows how to celebrate a boutique opening. Remember the Byblos? This is Centigraphe equivalent, 1 of 20 made to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Hong Kong boutique. The Centigraphe is FP Journe’s approach to the chronograph complication, and while he’s most well-known for for constant force tourbillons or resonance, the Centigraphe speaks…
Read More‘Soleil’ Blue Metallic Dial 105.003-65 Omega Speedmaster
This is what’s called a Soleil dial, and unless you’ve been collecting Speedmasters for a few years you probably won’t have ever come across one. Even if you have, chances of seeing one in the metal are slim. It’s a steely-blue metallic and is one of just a handful of small production dials from the…
Read More43050 Vacheron Constantin Mercator
Unique time displays, not just two hands in a circle, are really rather uncommon. Brave, even. Journe stunned us all at Only Watch with his hand complication. And you’ll know mechanical digital displays like the Zeitwerk or Vagabondage, jumping Tank Guichet too. Maybe even AP’s Starwheels. But have you seen the Favre-Leuba Harpoon? Urwerk’s UR-111C?…
Read More1530 Rolex Oyster Perpetual Date
Rolex’s ref. 1530 is pure ‘I Can’t Believe It’s Not Oysterquartz!®’ with a mechanical—and often tropical—edge. Because it was produced in relatively tiny numbers, just ~1500 examples, anyone who knows anything about watches is going to be expecting its seconds hand to be ticking when they see the case shape. Then they get close and,…
Read More‘Soirée’ 110.030 A. Lange & Söhne Lange 1
Lange are great at what they turn their ample determination toward. Like Porsche with the 911, their core offerings have marched on consistently with small evolutionary improvements. They don’t really let their hair down often. Particularly so in their earlier years, pre-2010s when limited editions and ‘honeygold’ cases were a bit less common. Which is…
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