I don’t even think it’s contentious for me to admit that I fundamentally distrust people who don’t love the 1016. An Alpinist for the affluent, the 1016’s humble can-do practicality and tritium dial prove irresistible in the long-term for the vast majority of watch collectors. Many Rolex devotees have a...

Every so often I find myself lamenting the fact that watches cannot speak. On rare occasion, the story a watch would be able to tell is enough to merit what the snobs call horological ‘significance’. Franck Müller, in the 1980s, was innovating. Truly. Having created multiple complicated calibres on his...

Small engravings and stampings can mean a lot to collectors. Daytonas engraved ‘drive carefully, me’ are something entirely separate to a ‘standard’ 6239 (if there is such a thing). A Lemania chronograph engraved with the name of a particular PM, well that’s something just a bit special. Some engravings are...

The 222 is not VC’s only underappreciated reference. The phrase ‘post-quartz perpetual’ brings to mind almost exclusively AP’s 5548, debuted in 1978. However, just a hair behind (in terms of the investment of time it takes to develop a perpetual calendar), were VC with this in 1983. Patek only introduced...

As nods to a vintage past go, this one is damn cool. The original 1970s Divingstar (the name given to yellow-dialed Doxa Subs) ‘Poseidon’ is a very, very rare thing. Poseidon were a Swedish dive gear company who created a run of 300Ts with Doxa and signed their dials for...

Thanks to the 2014 reissue, the Longines Legend Diver is one of the most iconic divers from all the EPSA Super Compressor era. The lesser discussed and earlier 6921 may be more historically significant, but it lacks the outright style and perfection in design that this tool acheieved. The latter...

The Calatrava has endured in many forms and may be considered the quintessential dress watch. However, this 3504 with its tropical grey-honey dial, wedged indices, and dauphine hands, feels somewhat more industrial that your average three-hander from the Sterns. The dial’s vintage warmth is accented by the white gold case...

This extremely niche Oysterdate was commissioned prior to the formation of the joint UAE Armed Forces for the 1970s Abu Dhabi Defence Force. In 1976, the force was joined with the UAE’s Federal Armed Forces, Dubai Defence Forces, and the Ras Al Khaimah Mobile Force to create the joint UAE...

Speedmaster collectors are notoriously as focussed, educated, and enthusiastic as any discipline of watch collector may come. Their scholarship is legendary and nearly unrivaled. Despite that, there are still some ultra-rare references that remain not fully researched. Rather, they are not fully understood. Over time, these darker corners of Speedy...

As under-the-radar vintage picks go, most anything that says Rolex on the dial is out of contention. Today, I present to you what may be the sole exception to that rule which is also attractive. The 6512 Veriflat was an oyster-cased Calatrava equivalent that only ever sold in rose and...

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. The aviation theme...

The peace brought about in the interim between WWI and WWII yielded many fruitful inventions. The ballpoint pen, nylon, chocolate chips, and helicopters were all first debuted in the early 30s. For watch addicts, however, one invention stands above the rest: Lecoultre’s original Reverso. First created (this contentious but go...

Much like Heuer had Leonidas, Enicar (in their early Mk1 Sherpa Graph days) had Desotos. There aren’t many of these kicking around, but Desotos were Enicar’s generic-label Valjoux 72. The case is straight 40mm EPSA Sherpa Graph from the Enicar factory and the many of the Valjouxs were even signed...

Cool Hunting, a notable online design media publication, released a collaboration last year with Nomos. You will be familiar with Nomos for their ultra-modern, design focussed, and value-based Glashütte style. However, you may not be familiar with Nomos’s limited editions. They don’t tend to do many. Omega, the Germans are...

I am not an expert in Grand Seiko yet even I am aware of and understand the extreme appeal of a VFA. However, a quick peruse of recent auction results will tell you that even the most shagged VFA is now a 50 grand proposition. Luckily for us peasants, the...

This 1967 GMT features everything one could ask for in vintage Rolex aside from complete originality (for the more fastidious among us). Its gilt dial, tritium plots, and faded Pepsi bezel are enough to bring even millennials into the golden era of Pan-Am and Fidel Castro. The 1675 is possibly...

Once in a blue moon, one has to stare straight into the eye of discretion and say fuck it. For those outings, there is no piece which combines anachronism, flamboyance, or horological merit quite so effortlessly. It will even tell you when that blue moon is about to come. The...

One of the purest Submariner references from the early days, the 5508 is an unfussy, unpretentious, un-adulterated-by-marketing tool. The 5508 was a diver with a job to accomplish, no more and no less. The original owner of this sub would’ve likely found our fascination with gilt, no crown guard, exclamation...