When the 5711 was discontinued a few weeks back, asking prices rocketed north of 100K. That is an astonishing sum for the humble Nautilus. When the market goes mad, you have to maintain logic. And in that vein, you have to consider this Anniversary 3940G. For a paltry additional 50K...

The 3647 Heuer Carrera is a piece which needs nothing additionally said about it. The legacy of Jack Heuer’s leadership and his Formula 1 affiliations speak for themselves. The simple, legible design and accuracy of its Valjoux made a perfect pairing for a golden era of F1. The immediate success...

IWC first marketed the 666AD with the tagline “For the man who expects the impossible from his watch”. Even 50 years on, the line holds up. The first Ingenieur is a classic with real engineering, beautiful design, and understated proportions. The watch is every bit an exceptional pick in vintage...

At the start of the 70s, Omega set their sights on the growing GMT-Master market. They aimed to create the perfect pilot’s watch for professional use. The result was a highly-practical chronograph with a GMT, AM/PM indicator, and inner rotating bezel. The 1970s and advent of jet travel introduced pilots...

Watchmaker Jenny created a monocoque cases designed for Valjoux movements in the early 60s. The patent design was named ‘Monobloc Triple-Safe’. The brand licensed their tech to Jacques Monnat, Dugena, Ollech & Wajs, Haste, Jacquet Droz, Fortis, Aquadive and Philip Watch. The design even served as a base for early...

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...

This is the opposite of a Fashion watch. The Omega Chrono-quartz, occasionally referred to as the Montreal or Albatros colloquially, was a truly innovative piece. Omega was contracted as the Official Timekeeper for the 1976 Montreal Olympics. Ahead of that duty, they created the first ever ani-digi (analog or mechanical...

The Zenith El Primero, in almost any guise, is an attractive proposition. There’s something intangibly alluring about owning an automatic chronograph that was made by the inventor of the complication. The El Primero is to automatic chronographs what Mercedes Benz are to the automobile: first. Over its 50 year history,...

For those who lament the days when 5517s could be found south of 100K, listen up. Today we have one of the few ‘Rolex’ references (arguably) with issued military origins. The Marine Nationale (Division of French Navy) used a wide range of references, but a majority came from Rolex &...

It is said that science advances in irregular leaps and bounds rather than consistent steps. Perhaps not by coincidence, the same could be said about Rolex. This particular Milgauss, in my opinion, is one of the most attractive Rolexes ever produced. I hold it on equal footing with issued military...

The phrase grail watch gets thrown around a lot these days. I’ve heard the term applied to Tudor Big Blocks, Doxa No Ts, Seiko Spacewalks, and the last Speedmaster article I wrote. It seems to me, however, that when a piece is truly a grail no one need say it...

This unassuming Speedmaster seems an unlikely candidate for the title holy grail. Nonetheless, Speedmaster collecting legend Chuck Maddox settled on the title after tirelessly seeking one out with “the same fervor as King Arthur sought the Grail”. In the era during which Maddox wrote his articles for print, much less...

Today we have one truly rare bird. The Polerouter is regarded by many as the perfect dress-daily for collectors. It is mildly complicated with a micro-rotor architecture, understated with a Gerald Genta design, and svelt in its slim case proportion. It’s not even ruinously expensive. But the greatest joy of...

Porsche and military are words not often combined. Granted, the VW people’s car does have a tenuous connection to certain German politics but let’s gloss over that very quickly. In the 1980s, Orfina was contracted to provide a watch for the Bundeswehr. They turned to the newly established Porsche Design...

Not everything here has to be a heavy hitter. I’d like to think this site spans the breadth of what watches can offer, regardless of price. It is enough to simply present value. The humble Oris 65 is as ubiquitous as it is lovely. But this 65, at 1200 some...

It’s not hard to make the case for a gold Datyona. Some might call it predictable, even. Amongst vintage collectors, the Daytona has become such a theme that today it is its own genre. If you’re the kind of person willing to splash a hundred grand on a YG 6265,...

Cartier’s re-entry to mechanical watchmaking was a strong one. Famed initially for the 1920 mechanical Tank, Cartier was a quick adopter of quartz. By the mid 1980s, 75% of their range was entirely electric (due to some acquisitions/mergers that created quartz vertical integration). In fairness, the technology was suited to...

The Tri-Compax is model which has spanned decades in numerous configurations. There are varying combinations of cases, dial, hands, colors, and movements to suit any taste. Few, however, are more desirable than this: the Eric Clapton (reference 881101/01). In 1966 Hendrix and Clapton met for the first time. At that...