The very first Roger Smith (RWS) Series 3 is heading to auction. Introduced in 2015, the Series 3 was the start of the date complication with the established aesethic of the collection. It nods to the commissioned rectangular-cased Series 1 which also featured a retrograde date, but that Lange Arkade-like...

To most, the word Saatchi brings to mind an art gallery in London. To watch obsessives, Saatchi is a crowning adjective applied to Patek Philipps through the late neo-vintage era. On the 5070, the Saatchi very much marks the traditional king of chronographs returning to their throne. In 2015, Patek...

The most modern machine at Haldimann is an optical microscope from the ’60s, certainly not a CNC. Haldimann’s workshop and entire operation is his home, a villa overlooking the river Aare in Thun that has a deliberately meditative vibe. His eponymous independent manufacture makes 20-30 watches per year, entirely in...

First generation Datographs have been on a tear, and perhaps none is more under represented in the zeitgeist than the 403.032. This is not the Dufourgraph, that one has a black dial. This is the argente silver, pink gold early Datograph that has no counterpart in the contemporary catalogue (there...

The ref. 2396 represents a very special time in Cartier and watchmaking, before the rise of independents yet after some of the masters were born. The recent Prive Monopoussoir is equally beautiful, but the daring, somewhat whimsical Roman 12 seen form the CPCP years has not been revisited since this...

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...

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 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...

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...

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...

It is not every day a twin set of matching serial Vagabondage II & III come to market together. It’s not even every year, or couple of years. These are both first-owner pieces. Before you ask, the missing other model, matching serial Vagabondage exists but was sold to another collector—waiting...

To most, the word Saatchi brings to mind an art gallery in London or a man named Charles. To watch obsessives, Saatchi is a crowning adjective applied to Patek Philipps through the neo-vintage era. On the 5070, the Saatchi very much marks the traditional king of chronographs returning to their...

Despite sharing a strong family resemblance, this Observatoire is not a Vingt-8. It’s what came before, in tiny numbers, powered by a thoroughly reworked and beautifully-finished Peseux 260 before Kari’s own calibre 28 was ready. There's a huge degree of variance in early Kari and it's really beginning to pick...

Sincere Singapore have had many incredibly beautiful and unique small runs made for their clients, from guilloché Lange to LF and, yes, FP Journe. While this looks like a black label, it’s actually one of just 10 made with black mother of pearl. Yes, this is actually mother of pearl...

Debuting in 2002, the Octa Calendrier marked a milestone in modern watchmaking as the first annual calendar with a retrograde date. It was also the first F.P. Journe to win at the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève, taking home the Special Jury Prize that same year. The Calendrier was the...

Imagine walking into the office of Günter Blümlein in 1997 and proposing a massive alteration to the Lange 1 that would fundamentally alter the harmony of its dial: adding a tourbillon. Nonetheless, someone actually had the brass to suggest improving upon the Lange 1. The wildest part is that it...