The 25668 is the ultimate evolution of the 5548, produced from 1988 until 1993 to celebrate the resurgence of complicated mechanical watchmaking to Switzerland. 154 examples were made in 18k yellow gold. They're divided into two case types, an earlier extruded pusher and this later flat pusher. Arguably, this is the...

This is peak Philippe-Stern-era Patek Philippe. The 5004 is the watch that built so much reputation and rapport under the brand that Patek could afford to erode it for a generation or two. It is the modern classic, Ed Sheeran gets it (read Time lately?). To bring the brand onto...

This is a Zephyr, a watch which Rolex themselves once described in an ad as, ‘possibly the handsomest watch in the world.’ You can think of it as an Oyster Perpetual that got dressed up to go to the Opera. The Zephyr has a rather bizarre history that involves motorsport...

The phrase 'a workhorse', is a bit of a cliché these days. Well, this actually is one. Not because of how it was made, but because it truly worked for a living. It's a professional Submariner, not a 5513 sold in Miami to your local banker. It's a 5513 that...

What happens if you’re an independent watchmaker and you’ve sold your company to great success? What if you no longer have access to use your own name? Do you retire to the Maldives? Well, not in this instance. This says Jean Daniel Nicolas on the dial, but it is in...

The Day-Date exists in part because this was not a commercial success in period. However, today, Rolex collecting knows no greater heights. This is the 6062, one of just three forays Rolex made into complication. But this one is quite unusual. It’s called the Soleil dial, and it’s actually a...

Some watches just get instantly more attractive overnight, and you just can’t quite put your finger on exactly why. Anyway, this an Oysterquartz, a Day-Date, and in white gold: ref. 19019. It’s the punk younger sibling of something like a 18039 with a mechanical calibre. Whatever you make of the...

This is not what it appears at first glance. Sure, it’s a Nautilus. And yes, it’s the mid-sized 3800. But it’s the 3800G. G as in white gold. And there really aren’t many of these. While you’ll trip and find a yellow gold or steel, the other three metals are...

Special non-Paul Newman is a ton of fun these days. This is a 6265 in 18k yellow gold. It’s about as accessible as something akin to JPS can get. Despite nearly 2 decades of production, just a fraction of manual Daytonas were made precious, most estimate about 8%. Only ~2000...

Red Submariners are as varied and characterful as owners who wore them. We’re in the height of Watches & Wonders currently and while there are some marvelous things which debuted, the vast majority of them share one flaw. Cases are mirror finished, dials are flat Luminova, and bezels are ceramic...

White gold and wood is peak 80s Day-Date. Rolls Royce’s PR arm has run amok using the phrase ‘post-opulence’ to describe their current portfolio. The definition is loose, but something akin to quiet excellence. This is post-opulent Rolex collecting. It’s wood, not diamonds. White gold, not platinum. Everything about it...

It took this, the Snowflake Sub, to prove that Tudor could improve upon Rolex’s success in ways other than value. The larger tritium plots with harsh angles were designed to be maximally legible at a glance, nothing more, likely at the request of the Marine Nationale. Ever since, it has...

The Chronomètre Bleu represents FP Journe’s best ability under pressure. This context still is not talked about enough. It was conceived in the midst of the 2008 financial meltdown. Precious metal values were skyrocketing. Demand was all but nonexistent. No one was thinking about supporting independent watchmaking, in fact it...

If you turn up a 5513 to 11, you wind up here: 1665. Specifically, double red. Vintage Sea-Dwellers are nothing like what you might know post 1990s. It was a beast in 1967, but you could almost call it svelte compared to a modern Maxi case. And then there’s the...

Call it Mark 1 or ‘Floating’, but when the Cosmograph line detaches from the rest of the signature on a 16520, it’s the one to have. Unless it’s a Patrizzi. Or Tiffany. Or, actually, porcelain. In white dials, a section of Floating Cosmograph production had that prized porcelain dial construction....

I don’t believe one can state frequently enough how great stone dials look in white metal Day-Dates. This is 18039, white gold, but with a dial for the ages. We see lapis dials like candy in yellow gold cases, but in white gold or later platinum they’re hen’s teeth. How...

AP have made a large song and dance this week about their new perpetual calendar works, which, in their defense, are remarkable. But it all began here. This is the grandfather: ref. 25554. It is the exact same as the first-ever 5554 Royal Oak QP, only made after AP updated...

In the world of 90s Holy Trinity chronographs, I don’t think you can make an argument against VC having the sexiest case. The 5070 is lovely, but not this voluptuous. It’s thoughtful enough to not be retro, yet a bastion of traditional watchmaking technique. It might just be the most...