Cartier’s Privé Collection has been lighting on fire the hearts of enthusiast in recent years, revisiting the heights of their past with a modern lens. The collection reintroduced the manufacture’s remarkable history to a level of watchmaking not seen since CPCP. Crowdpleasers like the Tank Cintrée, Tonneau, and Asymétrique came...

It is a little-discussed fact that rose gold is substantially less common than yellow or white gold in vintage Day-Date production. But, where Rolex are concerned, not all vintage rose golds are quite consistent. The alloy was constantly evolving throughout the very lengthy run of the 1803. Early Day-Dates, such...

This unassuming Nivada is one of the most intruiging and—truly—rare watches we’ve ever featured here. The grey dial, contrasting subs, playful orange accents, and date at 12 are all so distinctly lovely. And yet, you’ve almost certainly never come across one before. Chances are, you may not even be aware...

You are not a Navy Sealab/Comex diver. You are not an astronaut. You are not a factory Porsche driver. At least, based on relative viewership and statistics. Despite these many shortcomings, you and I may still enjoy a small link to these outrageous professions. In 1977, the reference 1665 Sea-Dweller...

This is a rare and eccentric showing of playfulness from Mr Journe, not likely to be repeated. Like much of Journe’s work, there is a story behind the visually striking watchmaking on display. This partially openworked dial is not executed in a remotely traditional way. In addition, it is one...

We love a Royal Oak around here. However, not all are created equal. In the pantheon of neo-vintage Royal Oaks, a few dials are clear standups. Right up near the very top are the rare electric-blue Yves Klein dials. Klein was a French artist who became known for frequent use...

The 13ZN is one of collectors’ favorite calibers from Longines or anyone full stop. The 13ZN movement, circa 1936, was truly innovative and beautiful. It featured a fully ‘in house’ (before it was cool) architecture, one of the first ever flyback chronographs in a wristwatch (argued, intentionally left vague), 17...

Rolex changed the 1680 sub over to the 16800 in 1980. As usual, the changes were subtle. The bezel became racheted and uni-directinal, the crystal went sapphire, a slimmer case was introduced with a 100m deeper rating, and quick-set date function was added to a higher-beat movement. Okay, maybe the...

Rolex’s storied professional line conjures images of Pan-Am, Comex, Hillary, the Daytona 500, and, if you like 5s on your dial, the British RAF (Air-King). Yet there is one professional’s tool which often received little or no mention. Many Rolexes today a marketed under the heading ‘rare’. The 6541 Milgauss,...

This is not a dream, what you see is accurate. Somehow, a collector has decided to let go of a Yacht Club II Jumbo in steel, with the full integrated bracelet, and Beyer-signed no less. The confluence of perfection here is on display only for those who appreciate just how...

Grail watch gets thrown around a lot. And yet, here we are. This is not the commercially retailed 2008 Alaska Project, which I like to call the space coconut. No, this is that watch’s inspiration. ‘Alaska’ Projects were the codename given internally at Omega for wristwatches intended to be supplied...

A few nights ago, I had an epiphany of omission. There has not yet been a single Black Bay in all the multitude of watches on this platform. For a watch which has contributed so much toward modern wrist culture, that seems an unforgivable sin. The vast majority of Black...

For what is ‘just’ a Speedmaster with an orange hand, a great deal of lore surrounds the original Ultraman. For many years, there was contention in forums about just what was or was not kosher. Did production cover multiple years? Was the hand produced in collaboration with the Japanese TV...

There has been an interesting shift in the last year or two around these parts. It used to be, whenever I featured any quartz caliber, opinion would clearly polarize about 50/50 in favor or stark opposition of battery-based timing. In recent months, not a single quartz watch has received anything...

I am continually perplexed that lovers of dive watches know the Fifty but have not yet made familiar with the civilian version. Yes, there was a civilian model. The Navies of France, Germany, and the United States all used the Fifty Fathoms and in so doing made it a relatively...

When someone says piece unique Rolex, one imagines the Paul Newman, Bao Dai, 6265/9 Unicorn, Clapton’s Oyster Albino Daytona, or, if you’re really odd, perhaps the Lapis 16516 Zenith Daytona. But Honda? They make very well-built if a bit pedestrian mid-sized sedans, lawnmowers, and Asimo (the robot who falls down...

Unconvential case design is sexy, end of story. I have a vendetta against the endlessly derivative cases and lugs we see in over half of modern watch releases. Watches and Wonders every year presents a series of vintage throwbacks and minor tweaks. Consistent recall of past work is admitting a...

In a speech given to a group of investors and businessmen in 1920, Dietrich Gruen stated, ‘It has always been our aim, ever since I started the Guild idea, to foster those ideals of the ancient guilds, of quality and craftsmanship; to make useful things in a beautiful way, under...