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....

Chances are, upon viewing this Rodania, you’re in one of three mindsets. You’re either thinking, ‘Huh, so there’s a vintage Speedmaster twin?’ or ‘Isn’t that Massena’s latest clone?’ Or, if you’re a true die-hard Hairspring reader, you’ll probably be aware this is no 70s Speed lookalike or reissue. If you...

This is a rather exceptional 1601 Datejust, but don’t anyone tell it. It really thinks it’s an 1803 Day-Date. But it’s not just the bracelet, which is likely original to the watch. It’s the metal: this is white gold. Pair that rather unusual precious metal for a Datejust with this...

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...

Despite the hype cycles, Tiffany nonsense, and general feeling that the 5711 is a part of the finance uniform, the Nautilus is a very significant and enduring design. If contrast is nature’s way of pointing toward beauty, the Cubitus has shown us how successful Genta’s original ideations were. In any...

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...

While living in London through his early 20s, Sultan Qaboos made friends with a man named Tim Landon. And we should all be glad he did. Tim went on to become fabulously wealthy in age, and helped his friend Qaboos to develop Oman. He also introduced him to a friend,...

While the 812 Aquatimer is ultimately a dive watch, IWC’s first, it is more importantly the most elegant and refined dial design to ever be cased with two crowns and a Piquerez Super Compressor case. In 1967, IWC decided to take on the Submariner with this. In typically teutonic fashion,...

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...

This is a Pre-Daytona, but it’s way more interesting than it appears at first glance. This is the Pre-Daytona equivalent of a perfect Paul Newman: finding any 6238 with a black dial. For standard dials, the 6238 might hold the Rolex record for having the largest discrepancy between dial colors....

It doesn’t appear this way, but this ref. 591 predates WWII. By one year. While the rest of the world was on fire, Switzerland was busy making this. Nonetheless, it’s entirely timeless and rather special in more than one way. First, it’s pink on pink, the ultimate. Second, its pulsations...

The first time I handled a 2526, its owner said to me simultaneously, ‘it’s just a lovely, lovely watch and nothing superfluous.’ He was right. It is a gorgeous grand feu enamel dial with three hands and one of the most advanced, refined automatic calibres of the last century. Enamel...

This 2447 NST is every millimeter the chronograph that a 6239 Daytona is, a motorsport thoroughbred which is critically too little esteemed. The NST is about as collected as the Carrera gets, a truly rare bird in this condition. It’s in the article on thee Heuer website, On the Dash,...

If you ask anyone to close their eyes and picture a manual Daytona, this is probably what comes to mind. Despite PNs, early pump pushers, and even the JPS, this is the variant that defines an entire era of Daytona production. The Oyster pusher, white dial, acrylic bezel, Big Red...

Despite sharing a strong family resemblance, this Observatoire is not a Vingt-8. It’s what came before, in tiny numbers, powered by a quite modified and ridiculously-beautifully-finished Peseux 260 before Kari’s own calibre 28 was ready. There were fewer than 50 examples of the Observatoire made before the Vingt-8 took over...

The 2998-1 is a one of the last great values in watches. It is, arguably, every bit or more the chronograph a 6234 is. The straight lug case is also a beautiful, completely separate and thing to what came after. Perhaps most of all desirable of all, though, for the...

The 5970 is aging with same sort of dignity the 3970 is currently enjoying. In due time, this pair might come to represent as great a complication as Patek Philippe have ever created. You’ve heard it before and you’ll hear it again, this is the last of the Lemania ébauches;...

Lang & Heyne, not to be conflated with Lange, are quite unlike anything in the independent world. Taking inspiration and terrior from Dresden, Mirko Heyne and Marco Lang slowly built an audience for German watchmaking that is of equal quality to anything Glashútte but entirely distinct, though much of that...