Posts by Erik Gustafson
‘Type 7’ Dial 3700 Patek Philippe Nautilus
The greatest green dial Nautilus that’s ever been made didn’t start life that way. It wasn’t made in 2021. It wasn’t even made on purpose. Some of the most painstakingly excellent scholarship of the last decade was made by a collector and anonymous superhero who goes by ‘Mstanga’ on forums. Mr. Stanga studied all 3700 dial…
Read MoreFP Journe Vagabondage II, Platinum
No one remembers who comes in second. That was the fundamental problem facing FP Journe’s first attempts at the digital time display, the Vagabondage series, in the wake of the Zeitwerk. However, by third go, FP Journe’s manic obsession had yielded his own first, running digital seconds. Despite that massive and somewhat insane accomplishment, it…
Read More43031 Vacheron Constantin Perpetual Calendar, Platinum
The 43031 is a QP made for posterity to enjoy. Shortly after the 5548, Vacheron brought back their take on the ultra-thin 920 QP, distinctly quirky and slightly more expressive than the AP. To be certain, it was not appreciated properly in period. Between AP’s 5548 and Patek’s 3940, the 43031 sold far, far fewer…
Read More‘Port Royal’ 95.0100.418 Zenith El Primero Calendar Chronograph, Titanium
This might be the most substantive 1980s integrated bracelet watch to not be famous whatsoever. It is a triple calendar with moonphase, just to start. It is a chronograph, based on the high-beat calibre 3019 (you know, the calibre that saved Zenith and, arguably, the first automatic chronograph?). It is, most importantly, a wildly lovely…
Read MoreFP Journe Repetition Souverain
It’s been so long that almost everyone has forgotten, but in 2008 this Repetition Souverain was a world first. Or perhaps, as it predates almost all watch media, it’s been forgotten. In any regard, this was at one point the world’s thinnest minute repeater. FP Journe likes sketching new things into existence. In 2008, he…
Read More‘Art Deco’ Piece Unique Voutilainen Vingt-8
I don’t know what to say here except that this is a pretty wild thing. This is the ‘Art Deco’, a piece unique Voutilainen based on the 28SC SB, the first Vingt-8 to feature centre seconds. But this Art Deco has a lug we haven’t seen before or after, which looks like it belongs permanently…
Read MoreTurquoise Stella Dial 18038 Rolex Day-Date
Thankfully, this 18038 dial has nothing to do with Tiffany, it’s just a great color. While we all love a colorful OP, vintage Rolex did it first and did it better. Stella dials have been collected since they were introduced in the early 1970s, however only very hotly in the last decade, coinciding with the…
Read More3970EG Patek Philippe Perpetual Calendar Chronograph
With all the headlines this week, it seems to me worth taking a moment to contemplate the glory days of the Patek Philippe we all fell in love with. Last time I wrote about a 3970, I began, ‘If an alien was beamed down to Earth, or Mark Zuckerberg asked you (which amounts to the…
Read MoreFourth Series 2499 Patek Philippe Perpetual Calendar Chronograph
If you had to choose just one Patek Philippe of recent history to represent what we love about the brand, or perhaps what the brand used to be, it would have to be either a 5004, 3970, 3940, or, indeed, 2499. These are the height of the brand’s ability in serialized complication, ingenious solutions, finishing,…
Read More‘Italian Albino’ 3593.20 Omega Speedmaster
We cannot approve of casual use of the phrase ‘the white dial Speedmaster’ here at Hairspring. The recent lacquer dial, for all the attention, was not the first. Nor was the Canopus. In fact, it goes way back to a watch called the Stafford, more on that later. But, prior to the Canopus, Alaska series,…
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