You are not a Navy Sealab/Comex diver. You are not an astronaut. You are not a factory Porsche driver. At least, based on relative viewership and statistics. Despite these many shortcomings, you and I may still enjoy a small link to these outrageous professions. In 1977, the reference 1665 Sea-Dweller...

Tropical dials have a tendency to polarize watch collectors like few other topics. Godiva 1665 DRSDs, caramel 321 Speedmasters, and latte-brown Cosmographs all have one thing in common: encompassing adoration or outright hatred. I have yet to encounter any middle ground ambivalence in the zeitgeist. Think Patek’s green 5711 caused...

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. Not widely discussed, Doxa’s first-generation of dive offerings are affectionately known as ‘No-T’s. The...

I have said for some time that I aim to feature rare, interesting, or undervalued watches here. This beautiful 216570 definitively falls into the latter category. I don’t tend to feature a huge amount of modern Rolex here, they tend to sell themselves. I also shy away from all the...

Everyone loves an unfussy, two-register, 1960s Carrera analog. Everyone. We find them from Leonidas, Zodiac, Clebar, and even Sears (yes, that Sears). Lip, the quirky and often flamboyant French manufacture, used to make some more reserved designs. Among them: this somewhat classic two-register reverse panda. The simple design was available...

Who knew a love letter to pocket watch architecture could still stir up so many emotions? Breguet introduced the 7027 in 2005 to little fanfare. Over a decade later, this reference is still a niche enthusiast’s choice. Breguet designed an open dial aesthetic that was defiantly avant-garde. Yet, when specified...

‘The want’ is very strong with vintage Zenith. I want an original covergirl, G381, A277, Moonphase Calibre 3019 PHF Prototype, I could go on. . . In that list most definitely lies the Mk1 A386. This is, to put it on the nose, the first of the first automatic chronographs....

I cannot tell you the number of times I’ve nearly purchased an Oyster Prince. The range offers value, diversity, slim proportions, water resistance, and, in this case, gilty-waffle-goodness. Tudor’s ‘Oyster Perpetual’ equivalent began humbly in the 1950s but eventually went the distance, picked up by Arctic explorers before the explorer....

Allow me to begin by saying I am not an expert in all things, or indeed most things. I am particularly aware of my shortcomings particularly where Enicar is concerned. I have a deep craving for Enicar scholarship and this Big Eye is provoking it. Sure, I know the EPSA...

Vacheron Constantin, in my estimation, is the most underrated of the big three. In constant manufacture since 1755, the brand has the kind of history Rolex would kill for. Moreover, they use that history well . . .like, really well. The Les Historiques range was introduced in the early 1990s...

Watchmakers like FP Journe, Philippe Dufour, and Roger Smith each carry individual philosophies that take time to understand. However, while infinitely esteemed and laudable watchmakers, Dufour and Smith are not in the collector zeitgeist in the same way that Journe is today. The former are names whispered only in the...

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...