If you’re still of the belief that Tudor is a stepping stone, or for those who simply can’t yet afford a Rolex, you’re living in 1973. This is a Tudor that will cost you two Batgirl GMTs, or four at retail. No, Tudor today fulfill the role that Rolex did...

The Tortue Monopoussoir is easily one of the most desirable collected Cartiers of the CPCP years, with some of the greatest modern names contributing to its THA-ébauche calibre before it was cool to do your own thing. A young FP Journe, Denis Flageollet (now De Bethune), and Vianney Halter all...

The Speedmaster has no shortage of nuance. Its ardent supporters will not let you forget. But arguably, the clearest delineation in the pre-moon time, when this was just a chronograph aimed at racing, was its lugs. Straight lugs became lyre lugs directly after this, the 105.003 better known as the...

Any vintage Patek Philippe in steel is something special. Where most manufactures create their most special offerings in precious metal, precious metals are the standard at Patek Philippe. When a reference is produced in steel, it’s always an occasion. But this steel Calatrava might not be as vintage as you...

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again, Japan always gets the best stuff. But it was even true two decades ago. The Reverso has been around since 1931. It’s seen many editions come and go, probably most notably in the rose gold ‘saga’, where many complications were crammed...

It took a very particular person to buy a stone dial Datejust in 1972. You’re adding very significant premium to the base model, sort of the Cayman GT4 of the vintage Rolex range. You could’ve purchased a Day-Date for the premium, but you chose discretion on purpose. They’re rare for...

Prepare for some weapons-grade Patek Philippe nerdery. If you’re familiar with the 3940 on an intimate level, this will immediately feel a bit strange. There are Breguet numerals. The hands and dial are luminous. The certificate of origin shows a production date of 2014, which surely can’t be right for...

Amongst the many great accolades Rolex hold, one of the most bizarre has to be convincing their clientele back in the four and five digit era that wood was a luxury material. Wood; you know, the stuff you burn to keep warm, that’s always decomposing slowly, that’s only valuable in...

It is not an exaggeration to say that much of the fantastic complicated watchmaking at places like Patek, VC, Journe, RW Smith, or even Lange today owes their existence in large part to this watch and its progeny. This was the watch which, in the highest throes of the quartz...

There is one green dial Nautilus that excites me. And it wasn’t made in 2021. It wasn’t even made on purpose. Some of the most painstaking scholarship of the last decade was made by a collector who goes by ‘Mstanga’, who revealed that the first ever ref. 3700 Nautilus was...

Stone dials are just for Day-Dates and Daytonas, right? Not exactly. The excess of the 90s led to the creation of two fantastically collectible ref. 16618 Submariners that ditched the tool watch Submariner remit in favor of the depth that comes from hardstone: one in onyx and one in this...

If you collect vintage long enough, you’ll hear an aphorism oft repeated, ‘All roads lead to Patek Philippe.’ Now, I would argue this is a bit reductive, personal tastes can lead elsewhere and there are exceptional collectors who specialize in other disciplines with equal scholarship. But if you’re the sort...

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...