When watch lovers throw around the phrase ‘exit watch’, which is a fanciful concept in itself, they usually mean ‘the next watch I can reasonably see myself attaining.’ If a sole watch is going to pull you off the hedonistic treadmill entirely, it has to be an order of magnitude...

If you love watches, you’d spot this case from across the room. You’d say ‘Nice Oysterquartz’, and in 19/20 passes, you’d be entirely correct. But this is the one time you’d be off. This is a 1530, it’s mechanical, and it’s what came first. The 1530 confounds expectation, made in...

The Santos Dumont was designed for aviation yet, in my head, it belongs permanently on the French Riviera, casually cruising the cliffs between Monaco and Cannes in an Aston. Some watches exude a certain presence that you can’t get away from. For example, a 5513 is no-nonsense, here to get...

I believe wholeheartedly we’re all in the outset of something pivotal happening right now with the 3940. Since ceasing production in 2007, there were always those who appreciated its proportions and font. But quickly thereafter, collectors also began to appreciate its role in pulling PP toward the modern era and...

To any sane outsider, perhaps someone who just bought their first 40mm 5226G Calatrava, vintage Rolex lovers seem a bit deranged. Like Tolkein’s Ringwraiths, we scour Middle-Earth in search of the one, obsessing over its most insignificant minutia. We have our own tongue, whispering things to each other like rail...

Every discipline has its greats. Rock has the Stones. Italian has risotto. Le Mans has the 917. Absolute pricks have Kim Jong Un, second only to Jake Paul. But ski racing? Skiing has Jean-Claude Killy. The French alpine skier took home a trifecta of golds in the 1968 Winter Olympics,...

This is something of a final boss for those who worship at the altar of Moonwatch. It’s known as the ‘Red Racing’ or sometimes ‘Black Racing’, as both colors are distinct to this dial. There are two iterations, with and without a professional line, and fewer than 10 examples of...

In the time the very first 36mm Royal Oak, the 4332, was released, bimetal was the most desirable. The Royal Oak was introduced to elevate steel beyond its initial tool watch remit. But almost as soon as the ink from Genta’s pen had dried, it was introduced in precious metal....

So, you’ve decided you want a vintage Tank. You’re probably a bit French, or at least aspire toward that. Your evenings are all fine tailoring followed by some light chainsmoking with five glasses of vin. You’re ready to show the world that your refined elegance has evolved beyond a Calatrava...

Speaking plainly, this is the only ‘John Mayer’ Daytona I really care about. Okay, his is a Desert Eagle but go with me here. This Oman 6265 and the Desert Eagle 6263 (& 6265) are the only two recent sport Rolexes to share a very distinct privilege. Unlike nearly all...

You don’t change the recipe to Gordon Ramsay’s beef bourguignon. It’s perfect, he’s already painstakingly worked out every measured gram and second through repeated trial and error. That’s also why the 16/1860 has aged so gracefully, Chopard didn’t squander a perfect inheritance for the sake of just doing something new....

Are you sitting down? I’m about to say three words that don’t get put next to each other often: 222 cream dial. The 1977 222 was made with more dial iterations than people realize today. Most know the slate, which can look a bit navy in certain light, and gold....

Imagine trying to invent an entirely new movement with digital jumping seconds for fun. That’s the madness, manic compulsive obsession, that is FP Journe on full display. If you’ve ever been there, it’s actually kind of a lovely feeling. The Vagabondage series has always felt like the result of a...

It’s not often discussed in these terms, but in the very early days of watchmaking, before even pocket watches were commonplace, the Swiss looked toward the English as the more established regional watchmaking industry. It was only after John Calvin banned things like dancing and the wearing of jewelry that...

The late ’50s were a time when the world had absolute faith that science would solve its problems and deliver a future worth being excited about. But if you were an actual scientist, working hard to lead the space race or keep the cold war on ice, you were in...

Easy, breezy, and a total dime, Zenith’s ‘Cover Girl’ is named aptly. This ref. A3818 is about as niche as Zenith collecting gets, with the possible exception of the A3817. Yet somehow, even still today, Zenith collecting as a whole is still low-key. If you’re not the sort of person...

Arguably, this is how you go about being inspired by the classics properly. It’s not uncommon for new enthusiasts to learn of Roger Dubuis, see the Lamborghini-inspired Excalibur which looks like Megatron after contracting a virus, and write off the brand entirely. But modern RD is a far cry from...

Here begins the controversy. Meet the ‘Blueberry’, an enigmatic 1675 GMT-Master that comes with a fully blue bezel and more unsolicited opinions from armchair experts than OJ Simpson (he definitely did it). The Rolex community across Instagram, VRF, Watch Pro, and anywhere else you’d care to look are divided right...