In FP Journe, two things are hyper-in-demand at the moment. One is anything made from the brass era. The second is 38mm. This Réserve de Marche (RdM) has both. The Réserve de Marche occupies a special area in the early history of François‑Paul Journe’s manufacture. Introduced in 2001, it was...

Launched in the year 2000, the Lange 1 Tourbillon was the first complication within the Lange 1 family. The Lange 1 Tourbillon began with 250 examples of this ref. 704.032 in pink gold, followed by 150 examples of ref. 704.025 in platinum. Very much a product of Gunter Blümlein and...

Simon Brette’s Chronomètre Artisans Rose is a contemporary independent watch rooted in traditional craft. Raised in Auvergne and trained in Neuchâtel, Brette worked at Chronode under Jean-François Mojon before roles at MCT and MB&F. In 2020, as independents surged at auction, he observed many smaller artisans nearing bankruptcy and created...

Vacheron Constantin’s Mercator is a time-only quite unlike any other. Released in 1994, it sought to honor the 400th anniversary of Gerardus Mercator who created map projection—the basis of all modern cartography. He was also, notably, a calligrapher and engraver: both of which inspired the overall basis for this ref....

In the world of 90s Holy Trinity chronographs, I don’t think you can make an argument against VC having the sexiest case. The 5070 is lovely, but not this voluptuous. It’s thoughtful enough to not be retro, yet a bastion of traditional watchmaking technique. It might just be the most...

If you happen to be seeking a perpetual calendar split seconds chronograph, options are limited. Most know the big three references, largely from Switzerland under Patek Philippe (5004, 5204, 5951). On the fringe, attempts have been made from Blancpain, Franck, IWC, and even Paul Picot in 2001 (there’s a deep...

The 6241 is a fundamentally interesting Daytona reference, in production for just three years from 1966 until 1969. Introduced concurrently to the 6240 with its relatively ground-breaking screw down pushers and acrylic bezel, this was effectively a 6239 updated to include an acrylic bezel for customers who preferred the classic...

The start of the Little Lange 1 has not been as widely studied as the classic 38.5mm case, but it is quite fascinating. This is the first generation model, a ref. 111.021, the yellow and gold champagne dialed start of Little Lange 1. Introduced in 1998, it aimed to bring...

In the world of Zenith Daytona, nearly all collectors concur that the most desirable out there have one thing: a floating Cosmograph line. The first of anything in vintage Rolex tends to be a bit different, not just because it was the first but because Rolex were still figuring things...

There is little in all of vintage chronographs which has as much history and value in one overlooked place as the BA 145.022-69. Better known as the first gold Speedmaster, it intersects with actual space history much more significantly than just about anything else post moon landing. The pale gold...

Launched at Baselworld in 2011 as part of Patek’s ‘Advanced Research’ series, the 5550P was produced as a limited edition of just 300 pieces in platinum. A testbed for advanced silicon manufacturing made in tiny numbers, the 5550P is an eclectic hybrid of Patek QP aesthetic nods. It is unusual...

Still today, there is nothing quite like the original 222. This is the original, vintage ref. 44018 222 ‘Jumbo’ in steel. Vacheron Constantin’s answer to the Royal Oak and Nautilus arrived in 1977 with the 222, created to celebrate the brand’s 222nd anniversary. The third and final member of the...

The 1675 is all things to all (traveling) men. There are a bewildering number of variants and this is one you won’t see often. Limited to a serial range of approximately 4.1-5.4M, this is the radial dial. During this tiny bit of production, the (marginally smaller) tritium plots moved closer...

The 3970's earliest two series are beginning to be considered true vintage, which is having profound effects. But this isn’t a 3970. It’s a 3971, a reference created before the standardization of selling both a solid and sapphire caseback with each 3970. The 3971 was a screwdown, sapphire-backed, equivalent of...

The 90s was a time of complicated watchmaking returning to power, no longer for purpose but as expressions of watchmaking skill and emotion. The Breguet 3947 is an oft-overlooked split seconds from this period (most dating 1998-2002), with a total production likely far lower than 100 examples (over both refs)....

This is the 5950R-001, a small run of 15 pieces which are all extremely sought after. Its calibre is a direct descendant of the CHR 27-525 PS in ref. 5959, introduced in 2010 as a direct successor. In the 5959, this was actually the very first fully in-house Patek Philippe...

Audemars Piguet remained independently owned through the tumultuous 1990s and 2000s (still are), led by Georges-Henri Meylan and later Philippe Merk, where many of their peers were gobbled up by corporate jockeying. The former spearheaded this highly contemporary Royal Oak QP Skeleton, a continuation of the first 25636. This daring...

A white gold Queen Midas with a coral dial is a rare and fantastic enough sight in its own right. But this example has an Oman khanjar at 6. In all my time in watches, I’ve only ever seen two of these. One popped up randomly in yellow gold at...