The 5070 timeline makes no sense. You see, chronograph production through the later part of the last century was anything but continuous at Patek Philippe. It went 1463 from the early 1940s until late 60s. Then, well, nothing. Nothing at all for four decades, no only-chronograph was made. The 5070...

I wonder what Jean-Jacques and Rupert Emmerson would think of what the Crash has become. They did things so differently that now, six decades later, we still uphold the Crash as a symbol of creativity, freedom, and elegance. The Crash was born into the swinging-60s. Now, it’s just the Bond...

Complicated and Nautilus haven’t really been dating long. In fact, we didn’t see a complicated calendar Nautilus until 2010, a good 26 years after AP made the 5554: this 5726. It wasn’t even a QP. It was, true to Patek Philippe form, an annual calendar. And in-line? It really makes...

Finds. Meet Krayon’s Anywhere, a watch which unironically came out of nowhere as the successor to the Everywhere model in 2021. If that’s all a bit confusingly abstract, consider the Anywhere the world’s second most refined sunrise and sunset complication, with particular attention to finishing. But it's far from second-best,...

The Vingt-8 is Voutilainen distilled, focused independent watchmaking with nothing to distract. Kari started his brand Voutilainen with the Observatoire in 2007. The Observatoire famously used NOS Peseux 260, an observatory calibre that was never actually cased for wristwatches. When it came time to rethink the offering in 2011, the...

It took until 2019 for Lange to give in and make a salmon dial. The logic tracks, as it’s a bit uncomfortably close to Swiss aesthetic. But these days, Lange are comfortable in their own skin. And that’s allowed some traditionally Swiss aesthetics to enter the chat. However, Lange are...

Splitting seconds is even more fun when it the watch appears to be a humble chronograph. FP Journe introduced the Chronographe Monopoussoir Rattrapante in 2018, building off an experimental Split Seconds project for Only Watch which hammered at 1.15M CHF. FP Journe refined that calibre and included it in the...

I know, a 5711 isn’t our usual fare. But we bring this example up in Finds because there’s a very interesting historic footnote to the ‘Piano’ dial, as the 5711/1A-011 is known, that is never talked about. Now, there’s no scenario in which this would be a first round pick...

Before the Datograph Honey-Lumen or Handwerkskunt, there was this. It doesn’t fall neatly into any normal Lange category despite debuting in the 1815 collection. And it was out of chronology, Lange did the advanced homework first. They conquered the Double Split (splitting minutes and seconds) in 2004, Pour Le Mérite...

If there is such a thing as a modern classic of watchmaking, the Datograph is it. We all know, we all adore, the first L951.1 Datograph ref. 403.035. But they’re not all quite the same. This is a first generation dial, which although very minutely differs from the Datographs which...

(A special note for this Find, the actual example being sold at K2 Luxury is pictured last, other photography is of a separate example sold a few years ago by our friends at A Collected Man, who captured that tricky Saatchi dial’s tone beautifully.) To most, the word Saatchi is...

The fifth major Laurent Ferrier calibre wasn’t what anyone expected in 2018: an Annual Calendar. Until then, it felt like everyone had been waiting and hoping, imaging what could be with calendar complication and one of the great independent old guard. But what the world saw in the Montre École...

There is a place at FP Journe for those who prefer warmth to the cold depth of the tantalum blue Chronomètre Bleu: Havana dials. Journe’s Havana guilloché dials are a celebration of handcraft, in the same way that CB is a story of resilience and perseverance. It took FP Journe’s...

Almost as soon as the Royal Oak was born, it became complicated. For the Nautilus, and indeed Overseas, this couldn’t be further from the case. It took until 1998 for the Nautilus to sport its first complication, a humble power reserve under 12 alone in the ref. 3710. That’s all....

This is the spiritual successor to what might be the most universally adored Patek reference: 3974. That is an unenviable act to follow. The 3974 was made by Philippe Stern with a case by JPH, it’s the best names from the best era. That said, 5374 is surprisingly not off-piste....

If Ferdinand Berthoud doesn’t ring a bell, here’s what you need to know in an instant download. Think high independent watchmaking underwritten by Chopard, well above LUC. Think marine chronometry roots, re-interpreted for the wristwatch, as the name takes from one of the most accomplished and inventive, insatiable watchmakers of...

In the same way that the Oysterquartz is Rolex on the back foot under a forcing function to become inventive, the Chronomètre Bleu represents FP Journe’s best ability under pressure. This context still is not talked about enough. It was conceived in the midst of the 2008 financial meltdown. Precious...

It was a question, less than a decade ago, if the highest ability of A. Lange & Söhne could ever seriously challenge the apex complicated models of the Swiss. The comparison is useless, the two manufactures approach watchmaking with such distinct philosophies. But, if there were any remaining doubt, surely...