This humble calatrava is arguably thee quintessential Vacheron dress watch, which is to say the archetypal watch from the archetypal, storied 1755 marque. Mid-century modern designs don’t come minimal or romantic. While unadorned dress watches have recently been seen as less-desirable (as opposed to complication or sporting credentials), their restraint...

Despite being in the throes of February, there may be no better watch to remind one of summer waves than this lemon-drop Certina. Attention for Certina has been growing steadily the last few years. More pieces are starting to surface in the market as increased demand attracts a higher valuations....

The Speedmaster varies so widely between limited editions and specific references that it can near become an entirely foreign model. At the extreme of that spectrum, there is this: the Alaska Project. It more closely resembles a space coconut than any new Omega. I posted that tagline on Instagram a...

Very few watches have the privilege of contributing toward wider culture. One could fairly say the Submariner expanded the purview of tool watches as a category, transcending purpose for luxury. The G-Shock married indestructible construction to creative design, capturing rappers and armed forces simultaneously in admiration. Before either, though, Jacqueline...

In watches, as most luxuries, there is often an asymptotic relationship between the amount a watch commands and the extra value you receive. In tangible terms, it means this: a 20K watch will not give you twice the enjoyment of a 10K watch, often it will give you about 1.5x...

No, this is not the proverbial Swatch group reissue. Blancpain’s Fifty Fathoms is arguably the most influential dive watch of all time and inarguably the first ‘modern’ dive watch (by modern, I mean a uni-directional rotating bezel with substantial water resistance). While borne to meet the needs of the French...

IWC first marketed the 666 Ingenieur with the tagline ‘For the man who expects the impossible from his watch’. Perhaps that line has never been more true than with this example, minus the casual sexism. This very first Ingenieur is a classic with innovative engineering, elegant design, and understated 37mm...

Patek’s 3940 was released unto the world during troubled times as a bold step toward the modern era. When Philippe Stern chose to celebrate mechanical complication at the dawn of Patek’s future, he did so with the help of his close friend, Theodore Beyer. If you’re past a certain point...

The quantity of inconspicuous vintage Zenith references whose value remains unrecognized bewilders me. This is probably the result of a somewhat chaotic and ever-changing brand philosophy filtered through the El Primero name. The De Luca took Zenith’s incredible hi-beat calibre 400 base (or 3019 PHC in the very early ones)...

This is not an everyday occurrence, or even a yearly occurrence. Chances to pick up a Lange 1 are plentiful, even for rare variants like the early solid-back, Darth, or 1A. Chances to acquire a fully factory, fully platinum Wellendorff bracelet version with accompanying reference and documentation are vanishingly slim....

The study of Heuer’s complete history is a lifetime’s discipline. Just ask Jeff Stein. However, even a casual interest in Heuer has the ability to reveal surprising niches. The Carrera is something of friend to this site, whether in motorsport or minimalist attire. One lesser discussed Carrera family member is...

If any watchmaker knowns how to make a fashionably late entrance, it’s la grande maison, JLC. Diving watches with their extreme water resistance and externally rotating bezel were all the rage by the second half of the 1950s. In 1959, Lecoultre entered the fray with a differentiating design. Instead of...

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...

There are many superlatives in my feed. Such is the the way when you strive to feature the best things from all over the market and are equally excited by them. Let me add to that collection today, because this is the greatest Tudor chronograph reference of all time. The...

Genta-designed (likely, actually no one seems to know for certain) and Germanically-gorgeous, IWC’s Yacht Club II was something of an acquired taste. Released to defend Schaffhausen’s grounds at the outset of the quartz crisis, the model was available as an octagonal automatic or buzzing electric crystal. The quartz models sold...

Somehow oxymoron doesn’t quite cover it. The lauded German manufacture synonymous with the very height of haute horology is now making a sports watch sold on rubber. I just hope they’re not 20 years too late. The Odysseus is as impressive as it is divisive, arguably the most contentious release...

Some watches require very little explanation; their appeal is inherent. FPJ’s resonance is intriguing on the dial side and downright bewitching once flipped over. VC’s skeletonized perpetual calendars will not let your eye rest. Watching a Lange rattrapante split seconds with complete equanimity is mesmerizing. Others take a bit more...

In terms of historically significant flagships, the Aviator’s Compact Chronograph (Aero-Compax) sits right alongside the Polerouter as modern collector’s iconography. This mid-1960s second major iteration of the famed chronograph shifted focus from timing dual events to displaying a secondary 24 hour time through its very unique bezel. Though today appreciated...