There is no more scarce standard production Day-Date than the jasper, or here Bloodstone, dial in white gold or platinum. Readers of Hairspring will know, in white precious metal, there are fewer than 10. Probably 9. Bloodstone is a jasper, just one with red veins, iron spots that gemologists—or ‘stoners’...

For the last few years, I’ve not known what to make of the fact that the 222 is in production again, but I think I’ve just come to terms with it. Prior, when asked if I was a Royal Oak or Nautilus person, I’d answer, ‘I’m a 222 person’. And...

The ref. 2606 Omega Cosmic is a discreetly excellenct, lightly complicated, and often overlooked mid-century masterpiece. At the time, it was the height of the Omega catalogue. It’s one of the more overlooked Omega references, as complete (or casually called triple) calendars are relatively to the latter perpetual calendars. But,...

Rolex didn’t have the formula perfectly defined in 1955. They had some brilliant ideas around creating tool watches for professionals to use, but weren’t yet certain how to go about it. We observe wild experimentation around these years with what it meant to be an Explorer, Submariner, Milgauss, Oyster Chronograph...

Asymmetry exposes flaws. I have a vivid memory from my early years in design school of a professor stating, ‘If you’re going to make it asymmetric, the proportions have to absolutely perfect. Anything less and it will seem accidental.’ History would indicate that Universal Genève got the proportions, and indeed...

Walking around any major city with a truly exceptional watch on wrist is a bit like walking down the street holding a Van Gogh above your head. Without wishing to be ostentatious, in many respects you are doing someone a very slight favor by adding a degree of culture to...

A 1019 Milgauss with non-lumionus dial is more than rare, it signifies something really rather special historically. It is said that science advances in irregular leaps and bounds rather than consistent steps. Perhaps not by coincidence, the same could be said about Rolex. This particular Milgauss, in my opinion, is...

Imagine looking at a coin and thinking, ‘I could fit a watch in that’. In the early part of the last century, Joseph Vergely did that. In fact, many did; the coin watch is something of a forgotten trend. Today, trends look like a new dance on TikTok, gluing yourself...

What is it about most modern Speedmasters that feels quite soulless? Is it the imitation of the vintage world which we so often praise? Or is it the Henry Ford circa 2090 production line that is capable of merely printing perfect watches ad infinitum? Or rather, is there not enough...

I’m fairly certain that in the late 70s, IWC and Porsche design did their collaborating in a bar or somewhere ample drink is served. How else do you get to the Ocean 2000, anodized black, and all the fantastic cool-guy aviation chronographs? Herodotus, a Greek historian, reported once that for...

Hardstone dials are all the rage these days. Day-Dates are synonymous with onyx, lapis, and jasper. But in the earliest days of the Day-Date, there weren’t stones. There were Stellas. And before there were Stellas, there were gilt pie-pans. An early Day-Date in white precious metal is just about the...

When you start to describe a 1463, you’re not talking about a watch. You’re talking about a cornerstone in the pantheon of great chronographs. One cannot discuss the greats of whisky without mentioning Islay and, similarly, one can’t talk about the greats of chronographs and not mention the 1463. If...

De Bethune make wildly technical alien spaceships, right? Well, not always. At least it didn’t start that way. The early years of De Bethune were different, pre tenuous Starry Varius puns. This simple restrained chronograph, yes still made by De Bethune, is a magnificently uncommon thing. These were the early...

What is a sports watch? One you can wear playing badminton? Or chess? A watch that can be swum with? No, the definition is up for debate. So here’s the broadest possible definition, a gold 2964. Even though it was actually worn by Gordon Gekko, there is no more Wolf...

It’s no secret that we’re big fans of the ‘Skinny’ Ingy here. It is the mark of all excellent watches that they have so few faults, the only thing left that anyone can criticize is the price. Well, you can’t even hold that against the 3506, not really. It’s the...

I always laugh a bit, quietly to myself, when first point of interest someone mentions about their watch is rarity. Rarity is great, market-marking even, but not interesting. FP Journe created Black Label, which I always thought was a Johnnie Walker for masochists, to reward their clients with something less...

The Space-Dweller universally elicits one reaction in person, ‘Hey, lovely 1016 Expl . . .WTAF?!’ It is equal parts mythical creature and fuel for debate at the nerdiest, arguably highest levels of vintage Rolex collecting. A larger handful of examples are known, probably fewer than 25, but that’s not definite....

There is nothing like the appeal of an honest, down-to-Earth, bare bones tool watch. I view the 1665 Sea-Dweller as a Red Sub turned up to 11. It’s a little more technical, a little more appealing to some for its lack of cyclops, and just a little more nuanced. The...