It is simply not possible for any mere mortal to out-cool Eric Clapton; eternally influential guitar genius, CBE, friend of all the rock greats, and, perhaps most relevant to today, a dedicated watch enthusiast. Clapton has not just been a watch collector since fame and fortune, no. Clapton has been...

There are many watches whose technical merit is beyond reproach, but whose design may fall subjectively. Equally, there are watches whose design and technical merits both fall a bit flat (how is the 11.59 doing these days anyway?). However, it is the rare watch whose design and technical merits are,...

Last week, I gave a discourse on my appreciation for IWC’s water-resistant offerings in featuring an early Yacht Club. In that text, I linked to some of the less recognized dive offerings from their back catalogue. Now, in my immense power as technocrat here, I can tell what readers click...

Few watches will ever experience the fame that the Daytona has gathered in its recent decades. Perhaps the Few watches will ever experience the fame that the Daytona has gathered in its recent decades. Perhaps the Nautilus and Royal Oak have seen similar ascensions, but that’s all I can think...

Seiko’s back catalogue offers an almost bewildering array of models, variants, and even manufactures. Blurred family lines between Grand Seiko, Orient, Prospex, 5, now-defunct Lordmatic, and even Credor offer little clarification to the nascent watch collector. To be blunt, the work one has to put in to understand Seiko’s diverse...

The 1680 was not Rolex’s first Sub with a red line of text (that was probably the 6536/8), but it was the most widely-distributed watch to do so. It was definitively Rolex’s first Sub to introduce a date complication to the Sub line, which was distinct amongst its competitors. Ever...

If you can’t tell by this point, I like 1675s quite a lot. I could nod toward the charm, immense history, or the fact that I regret letting one go a few years back in equal measure as cause. The thing is though, I don’t have to justify it. Everyone...

Unimatic were once famously described as ‘an Italian kid educated at the Bauhaus.’ Build the Bauhaus next to Silverstone or Monza and you’d wind up with something akin to this: the uncompromisingly restrained, motorsport-adjacent, Valjoux 72 Carrera. Now I will admit, the three-sub 2447 is perhaps not quite as minimal...

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...

There is a particular friction I feel when I see 3700 Nautilus regularly trading hands above 200K. You see, I am a firm believer that one should purchase only what speaks to their soul. Rational watch purchasing is no way to live. Furthermore, I understand the appeal of the Nautilus...

The humble three-register chronograph: executed by many, yet perfected by few. I am not claiming that the 222101 is a perfect watch, within Universal that’s probably something we call Nina. Outside of Universal, we call it Daytona or Speedmaster. However, I am saying that outside of this triumvirate, it is...

There are many trends that need to die in vintage watches. Socially-driven hypebeasting, frankenwatching, thoughtless dial refinishing, and default factory service case polishing to name a few. However, my day-to-day life touches on one unfortunate trend more frequently than most: what I call hyper-niche collecting. Let me explain; there are...

If, as Lord Harold Samuel popularized, the three things that matter in property are location, location, and location, then I’m here to state that the three things that matter in vintage are condition, condition, and condition. This is taking authenticity, originality, and provenance for granted. Auction results, private sales, and...

Bear with me; this one requires some exposition. Even if I constantly strive to feature the most interesting and niche selections across the entire market, I’d like to think every now and then I can still surprise. However, this morning, even I’m surprised. I’m surprised by how much mystery surrounds...

It would be the height of understatement to say Zenith are known for their chronographs. In fact, with the exception of one literally out-of-this-world competitor, their reputation is almost synonymous with hi-beats and elapsed intervals. Undoubtedly, the El Primero range comprises the manufacture’s primary notoriety. Hey, if you can’t actually...

Quite recently, a 5513/7 milsub sold at auction for 350K USD. I understand that. Two Russian oil magnates drunk on free Krug champagne with one man in Oakleys laundering money for Sinaloa and sky’s the limit for valuations. However, what I will never understand is just why Omega’s broad-handed 300...

For all intents and purposes, Universal’s Tri-Compax was the business as watches went post WWII. Introduced at Baselworld 1944, the triple-complication (it’s often mistakenly assumed that “tri-compax” refers to the triple chronograph sub dial configuration) aviator’s offering was every bit as stylish as it was complicated. Derived from a pilot’s...

It’s difficult to tangibly describe to non-watch-obsessives just why the Deep Sea is as cool as it is. The model, released next to the Fifty-Fathoms and original Submariner, met divers’ needs through a completely fresh design. Rather than a rotating bezel to externally time intervals, the Deep Sea had an...