Posts by Erik Gustafson
MB&F LM Perpetual Calendar
I know this looks like another insane Legacy Machine creation from Max & co, and it is. But it is also one of the most significant updates made to the perpetual calendar complication of the last century. This is ground-up, first principles thinking as applied to keeping track of days in months and leap years.…
Read MoreTropical Dial A384 Zenith El Primero
Zenith in 1969 was firing on more than all creative cylinders. They went up to 11, 12, and then 36,000. The cases went for pure revolution over evolution. Gay Frères invented a new, very summery, and very 70s bracelet. Wether the calibre 3019 PHC was the first automatic chronograph or not, it was certainly the…
Read More‘150 Years of Harrods’ 3923R Patek Philippe Calatrava
As a plebeian born in the US, my first contact with Harrods was in 2008 when I heard Jeremy Clarkson talk about Lamborghinis posing outside Harrods. But if you’re English, it means a whole lot more than that. And if you’re Patek Philippe, it’s one of your most important retailers. Harrods celebrated their 150th in…
Read MoreBurlwood Dial, Bark Finish 18078 Rolex Day-Date
Not only is this a burlwood Day-Date, quite an uncommon thing already, but it rather fittingly is sporting a what is known as (and I’m not making this up) a bark finish case. You see how the bezel and centre links are almost textured like tree bark? It’s a finish that was made at Rolex…
Read MoreSkeleton 3355 Breguet Classique Tourbillon, Platinum
Breguet around Daniel Roth was something else. This is a 3355, which might sound a lot like 3350 if you know your Breguet. Roth worked closely with Lemania for three years to develop this one-second tourbillon, which debuted in 1989. In fact, after Roth branched out on his own, this movement served as the ébauche…
Read MoreSerpico Y Laino Dial 6605 Rolex Datejust ‘Ovettone’, Pink Gold
Before Paul Newmans got everyone hot and bothered and way before anyone cared about the Nautilus, early Ovettone Datejust were what collectors thought should be all the rage. When there was no social media and you weren’t yet qualified to operate a motor vehicle, this was original hype watch at auction. And, honestly, I think…
Read MoreTropical Dial 25730ST Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Dual Time
The Extract of Archive on this 25730ST states that this is a blue dial. Think of the quantity of life this Dual Time has experienced on wrist to be so caramel. The 25730 and 26120 Royal Oak Dual Times have been fascinating me lately, partly for how shortly they were produced and largely for just…
Read More2390 Cartier Tank Basculante Mechanique
Nothing in Cartier is even close to a value now, surely? No. The 2390 is a screaming value buy even today. It’s mechanical. Or, wait, because it’s Cartier it’s Mechanique. It’s almost a tool watch, here in steel. If you’re a Polo player, the Reverso isn’t the value play today. That’s the Basculante. Its Frederic…
Read MoreMalachite Dial 1601 Rolex Datejust
There is no dial like a stone Datejust dial. The charm here is that this was effectively the base model Rolex at the time, elevated above the RRP of most Day-Dates because someone wanted a stone dial. That’s why we don’t see as many stone dials in 1601 as 1803, the premium was such that…
Read MoreGilt Dial 1675 Rolex GMT-Master
The 1675 GMT-Master is what you would call a classic of the genre. It’s casual, refined, and still very capable. But finding a great gilt example seems to be getting harder by the day, but not as hard as this watch is getting me. The 1675 was introduced in the very heart of the gilt…
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