Aside from the strata of piece unique one-offs for royalty, this is unquestionably one of the rarest Rolex dials to ever be produced—in single digits. Moreover, it’s a Stella. Stella Day-Dates are increasingly sought after for many reasons; this is the original colorful OP with added complication, one of Rolex’s...

You don’t name a dive watch ‘Superman’ if you’re not at least a bit confident. It’s like naming your child Zeus or giving yourself the job title Chief of Excellence (which I’ve actually seen at a startup), a move so bold it must be motivated by either unbridled confidence or...

Apollo 15 was the fourth moon mission and first to focus on long duration lunar surface stays with a heavy focus on scientific operations. In total, the crew spent 18 hours and 37 minutes on the surface and twelve days from start to end. Perhaps most notably, however, it was...

I don’t even think it’s contentious for me to admit that I fundamentally distrust people who don’t love the 1016. An Alpinist for the affluent, the 1016’s humble can-do practicality and tritium dial prove irresistible in the long-term for the vast majority of watch collectors. Many Rolex devotees have a...

CPCP was an incredible undertaking and era of Cartier but, for me, two stand above the rest. Cartier’s Tank and Tortue Monopoussoirs represented the best of then-contemporary independent watchmaking, unrepresented. Let me explain. Think of the Monopoussoirs as a hipster’s 90s independent, with some of the greatest modern names contributing...

Although Doxa’s Sub 300 is not nearly as lauded by the market as Blancpain’s Fifty Fathoms or Rolex’s early Subs, it was a serious tool widely circulated in commercial and recreational diving in the late 1960s and just as crucial to the category. Doxa’s first-generation of dive offerings are affectionately...

For many years, FP Journe’s Centigraphe remained one of the finest ever chronograph movements to be largely unrecognized, speaking volumes to François-Paul’s maniacal approach to complication but minimally popular. The concept was borne between conversation between FP and Jean Todt (then executive at Scuderia Ferrari and later president of the...

Comex is a sacred grail to those who worship at the altar of flat fours and frog feet. When one ventures deep into the details of meters first, underline dials, and exclamation points, all roads lead to milsubs or this: Comex. The 1960s gave birth to a partnership between Rolex...

The recent reissue of Zenith’s very 70s Defy Diver has brought some interesting variants out of the woodwork. Recently, collector Greg Selch discussed on the big H that he owns over 40 distinct Defy Diver examples. Then a friend, @livingstonatnight, added to that ledger with multiple more unique Defy Divers...

Often, that which was once violently unpopular has way of eventually coming back to grace with equal fervor: consider Eames chairs, the 993 911, high-waisted shorts, and even Ja Rule (okay, perhaps not that last one just yet). The Royal Oak chronograph’s versatile and anabolic sibling has long taken back...

I must admit outright, I am not much of a diamond dial person, factory or otherwise. But I do strive to educationally Where to begin a diamond Day-Date as uncommon as this? Masterfully crafted and ostracized or adored in equal measure depending on one’s stance; I must admit outright not...

I am not a pedant, but I must admit that the recent Bond Seamaster rubbed me the wrong way. To many watch collectors, myself included, the MoD broad arrow symbol is a bit sacred. Seeing a commercialized movie prop given that marking by Omega themselves seemed to me uncomfortably close...

Despite what you may have seen in recent months, Audemars Piguet do not just produce the Royal Oak. Their history is peppered with ambitious complications, even through the mid-century when few cared. Moreover, AP were first to bring back the art form of complicated watchmaking after the quartz crisis with...

As @kingflum pointed out to me recently, value is a relative metric. In many regards, it can only be considered subjective. Many collectors love the 7159 (steel bezel) and 7149 (bakelite bezel) Monte Carlos for their fixed bezel designs, doubling down on classic chronograph style. The 7169 has always lagged...

This svelte Tank Louis predates the CPCP era in which Cartier were a vertical manufacture . . .and it may just be all the better for it. One of the many joys of Cartier enthusiasm is the extreme depth in their back catalogue. The late 80s and early 90s saw...

Classique Breguet is increasingly a category its own today. Few collections from any manufacture are capable of rivaling the Classique’s height of restrained design sense, traditional finishing, impressive watchmaking, or value. Most will be aware by now that this accomplished range was spearheaded by a young Daniel Roth. Directly after...

Adetail can make all the difference. The 2000s black series CLK AMG has just ever-so slightly anabolic wheel arches and multi-spoke alloys which allow the educated observer to mark it apart from some dime-a-dozen Germanic grocery getter. Similarly, a Japanese whisky with an age statement hidden on the corner of...

The names Grand Seiko and Hi-Beat harmonize together better than Lennon and McCartney. But not all are created equal. This SBGH037 hails from a (currently) largely-unsung stretch of the Japanese manufacture’s history, what I like to call the double-signed era. This nascent stage I define as after the birth of...