The 222 is not VC’s only reference forgotten to the evolution time, now only known to enthusiasts. The phrase ‘post-quartz perpetual’ brings to mind almost exclusively AP’s 5548, debuted in 1978. However, just a hair behind (in terms of investment in time it takes to develop an in-house, ultra-thin perpetual...

This is not an Oysterquartz. Many of you will be unfamiliar with the 1530; this is easily forgiven. The reference is not on John Mayers wrist, Hodinkee haven’t done a reference points covering it, and its story is one which requires a deep understanding of Rolex. If you’ve always lusted...

In 1965, Ed White became the first American astronaut to walk in space. Needless to say, he is a hero. But he was so much more: an aeronautical engineer, USAF Officer, fighter pilot, crewmember of Gemini IV and Apollo I. He puts my entire life, and likely yours, to shame....

While the Camaro is not a particularly rare chronograph, some executions are harder to come by than others. The exotic dial 73443 with a date at six is one of the more scarce and attractive. The Camaro was Jack Heuer’s attempt to capture the heart of the American muscle car...

I’m not going saturation diving this weekend, you likely are not either. And yet, I slightly like knowing that I could if I wanted to. This, I know, is absurd—a bit like wearing a snorkel all year just because you might go the Bahamas in March. But if going for...

No one needed convincing that the depth of Universal Genève’s archives rival the Mariana Trench. And yet, like hearing a 911 guy repeatedly drone on to you about how a rear engined platform actually gives you more weight over the rear axle, I’m going to reiterate the point anyway. This...

When I say integrated sports watch, you almost certainly imagine a RO, Nautilus, or Overseas. You almost certainly do not imagine a Laureato, Octo Finissimo (despite it holding all the records today), or this: an imaginative 1980s diver with a full integrated titanium bracelet issued to Bundeswehr combat dive units...

This unassuming, humble Oyster is in fact one of the rarest Rolex references ever produced. One could be mistaken for thinking that Heuer had the monopoly on vintage Abercrombie & Fitch (this was way back when the marque were an elite luxury outdoor outfitter and not an excuse for narcissists...

Where exquisite design meets considered watchmaking, great things happen. This is perhaps no more evident than Cartier’s 1998 Paris Collection Privee (CPCP) era. The collection aimed to resurrect greats from their past like the Cintrée, Santos, Tortue, and Tank à Vis with masterful mechanical movements. It is often forgotten that...

It’s not often that Vacheron throw caution to the wind and adopt a unique time display. It’s a bit like peering into your grandfather’s record collection and seeing David Guetta or something . . .you sort of forget that they’re capable of developing new tastes. In 1994, Vacheron went raving...

If you thought the Day-Date couldn’t get more glamorous, you were wrong. Sure, Rolex’s Day-Date has played host to many an exotic dial. But even among the coveted stella, missoni, rubellite, wood burl, and aventurine dials, many consider the depth of lapis lazuli blue the most desirable. Moreover, this Lapis...

For neo-vintage collectors, this somewhat polarizing fliegerchronograph has few equivalents. It’s an IWC that hits all the pleasure receptors where modern watches often can’t: swathes of tritium, 36mm case, restrained dial with extreme legibility, and an early reference with acrylic crystal. Sure, it’s not all perfect; 4:30-date haters will, no...

When you think military-issued pieces, you probably think Milsub for the Royal Navy, MN Tudors, Type XX chronographs, or the Dirty Dozen. You likely do not imagine Heuers for the Kenyan Air Force. And yet, they exist. Functionally-funky vintage cool does not come much stronger than the KAF-issued 73663. The...

It’s often said that modern Rolex do not produce limited run dial signatures. This is mostly true, those efforts get diverted through Tudor more often than not these days. However, the era where Rolex would allow a foreign entity to sign 6 ended later than you may think. To commemorate...

Of all complications, the perpetual calendar might just be the watchmaker’s darling. By that, I mean the essence of what a certain brand or effort represents is often very well captured by their perpetual calendar offering. The complication requires immense skill not just mechanically, but in how to arrange such...

This unassuming Tudor combines the very best of two iconic chronographs: the practicality of a Big Block sprinkled with the the magic that was the flamboyant Monte Carlo dial. This is an automatic 7750, but with a dial very reminiscent of the 7100 series Monte Carlos. Alongside the standard production...

I have, many times, cited mid-century Omega Constellations as a fantastic entry point to vintage and outsized value proposition today. This Constellation falls into a different category: something of an apex reference. What started as a humble bridge between sport and dress models in 1952 had, by the mid 60s,...

What happens when you take one of the most famous watch designs of all time and alter it? 9 times out of 10, it’s a monstrosity. The Tank Obus is that 1 time out of 10 where the magic is not lost, only altered. Created in 1923, the Obus has...