If you happen upon any chronograph with a fifteen minute subdial, chances are it was made for aviation. The quarter-hour interval is a frequently used period for both pre-flight checks and warm-up procedures. What I’m saying is fifteen minute subdial equals aviation tool watch. Here it’s so prominent Breitling even...

Anyone who knows Seiko knows the Tuna story. Professional Japanese divers in the 1960s repeated complained of their 62MAS and 6215-7000 divers failing at depth. Seiko, even then fanatic about customer satisfaction, was quick to draft a solution. Just what they came back with was quite industry-shattering, which was topical...

They say beauty is in the eye of the beholder and, I know, I’m a bit rough to look at. Perhaps that’s why I like the well-worn aesthetic of this 1967 145.012. I also find myself highly drawn to the reference, patination aside. This is what a watch guy thinks...

Some watches are undeniably beautiful. Others serve a specific purpose. Some watches are an artful celebration of mechanics. Others, however, are just fucking strange. The Patek Philippe back catalogue is nearly unrivaled in its nuance. Buried behind the 5711s, 1518s, 3417s, and 1563s are some more distinct references that time...

The Submariner may be the most iconic ocean-going watch to ever be produced. However, it is not the most elegant. Surely, that title falls to a predecessor: the early Seamaster range. The Seamaster may look ultra-Mad-Men in design today, but it was born of necessity. Omega produced this watch and...

For those deep in the rabbit hole of horologic inclinations, here is no denying the sex appeal of an original Big Eye. In production between 1963 and 1965, most estimate the quantity of genuine original dial examples somewhere under one hundred. A handful of known Big Eye serials are catalogued...

If the ‘Hodinkee effect’ was real with respect to their old vintage watch features, then the Skipper may be its greatest beneficiary. Hodinkee released one of their very early collaborations with TAG to reissue the ‘Skipperera’ 7754, an extremely rare variety of the Skipper. Since that point in time, any...

Yeah, alright, I’m a complete sucker for a simple Tiffany stamp. I like the distinctly American provenance and personal story it tells. Although the same could be said of any other retailer signature, I think the majority of collectors would categorize Tiffany as among the (or thee) most desirable. The...

I understand, tagging a 5548 as a value proposition is a bit absurd but hear me out. Any watch, regardless of price level, has the potential to become a value if listed below the market. That’s precisely what we have here. And the watch in question is an appreciating fan...

The Day-Date (colloquially President) is arguably Rolex’s most iconic model, full stop. It is classic, subdued, sophisticated, timeless, and coveted. Like much of vintage Rolex the variety of iterations and custom-order examples within this one model could serve as subject to multiple volumes of research. This elicits the query, where...

In the casual horologist zeitgeist, H. Moser & Cie are best known for their Swiss Alp, Swiss Cheese, and Swiss Icon master-level marketing trolls. However, amongst those paying closer attention, Moser are known more for their gorgeous fumé dials and beautifully-finished, technically-competent calibres . . .perhaps lesser so for their...

This is a hardcore dream chronograph and perhaps the truest expression of ‘if you know, you know’ collecting. This Minerva was released in 2002 under Beppe Menaldo and a master watchmaker Demetrio Cabbidu within the 1858 series, meant to pay homage to the marque’s immense history. Although largely overlooked today,...

In the same way that the 250 GTO represents a zenith of modern Italian car collecting, this particular 7032 represents the height in Tudor chronographs. This analogy is made more direct by the 7032’s design, known as the racing or exotic dial Tudor produced. The funky, playful orange accents paved...

It is auction season and every year I seek to offer you all the one or two lots which I covet most passionately. This year, the one that caught my adoration more than most is this: a steel 6062 double signed by a retailer of mysterious origin. Yes it’s good...

The further one delves into Universal Genève, the more infatuated they become—almost without exception. This has certainly been my experience; no brand outside of the big five comes close in depth or breadth. Among their most iconic models, one has to list the Eric Clapton Tri-Compax, the 881101/1 panda dial....

I find myself incessantly craving a straight-lug Speedy these days. Maybe it’s the history. Maybe it’s the timeless design. Perhaps I’m just a snob for early reference varieties. Whatever the case, I think I just found Nirvana. The 2915 was the very first Speedmaster reference and genesis for all tachymeter...

As a long-standing Journe supporter, the time for me to feature a Bleu had to approach eventually. Few watches are as recognizable or iconic in the modern world. However, a watch can only double in value so many times before the value proposition it offers no longer makes sense. A...

The surviving relics of Britain’s horology industry seem without exception handsome. The ‘mechanical general service watch’ was manufactured for the MoD by the Hamilton factory from 1973 to 1975. The watches were issued to the Army, Royal Navy, and Air Force (those under the 6BB code). This is not a...