Although I struggle to articulate why, the one vintage watch which tugged at my heartstrings most over 2020 was the original Memovox. You may have taken note, I have a fascination with mechanical alarms. But the Memovox is so much more. Although this two-finish silver dial may not be quite...

Today we have the one diver often discussed, but not often seen. The early GS diver is an engineering feat with a style all its own. If you ever get the opportunity to compare this GS to a sub or SM300, you’ll be left wondering exactly how the competitors can...

Navy on steel may be a bit cliché in the moment. However, Montblanc preceeded this trend. A there’s no doubt they nailed the aesthetic. Their design echoes early Minerva pilots from after WWI, with modern touches and proportion. For the 1858 collection, Montblanc also redesigned their logo to a less...

Finding any of the original Omega trilogy in decent condition is a tall order these days. Second only the 2915 in terms of difficult is this beauty, the 2913 Seamaster 300. While the Submariner is arguably more recognizable, this original Seamaster is no less important or attractive. Although the reference...

This is not the type of watch you come across every day. It’s not even the type of watch you come across every year. The 6234 is a marker of a very crucial period in Rolex history, really the genesis of what became the Daytona. This simple chronograph didn’t gain...

If Aston’s DB4 Zagato in british racing green could be crystallized in watch form, this would be it. Laurent Ferrier himself has quite the background in motorsport, having raced seven times at the Le Mans 24. How many competitive Le Mans legends do you know that are also trained in...

The madness at MB&F had to peak somewhere. From 2005 until 2011 we as horology fanatics were treated to an ever-increasing series of ambitiously outrageous designs. In my estimation, this is the near-apex. The LM1 featured a flying central balance, one-off vertical power reserve, and two completely independent time zones....

It is always refreshing to find a vintage chronograph that has not only survived, but aged gracefully. However, when a fine wine condition is paired with this triple stepped case and muti-scale dial, I just can’t say no to a feature. Cyma are a now (basically) defunct, under-the-radar vintage manufacture...

The Freak is UN’s quintessential modern offering. Despite sounding like a polo-shirt company from India, they are in fact one of the world’s oldest and most pre-eminant watch manufactures. UN have been innovating since the very start and in continuous production no less. At the outset of the new century,...

It’s hard to objectively quantify why we like old watches. I trip over my own words writing here all the time in attempts to justify this insane fixation. However, I would assert that if I showed this 5513 and a modern 124060 to the everyman on the street side-by-side, they...

Vintage Heuer has been coming into its own in the last few years. The Autavia, Carrera, and Monaco are the lifeblood of that revival. While the Rindt and Siffert are likely the most recognizable Autavia chronographs, this, the silver orange boy, is the rarer 73463. It may not have been...

This is a mecca in vintage Patek Philippe collecting. The 1463 was Patek’s first water resistant chronograph, succeeding the previous and iconic 130 chronograph. The improvements were characterized by a larger, modern case, rounded pushers, and a screw-down back. Some call this the Patek’s first ‘sports’ watch, though it is...

Once in awhile I am truly blown away by what I find in random places. I remember spotting a 6265 in Bozeman, Montana and a vintage Omega officer’s chronograph in Chile. Where? eBay. Every time I post a round of finds here I usually also post a eBay find in...

As any niche grows, its more obscure and dark corners begin to illuminate. Since the advent of our church, Hodinkee, Speedmasters have become a genre onto themselves. Collectors used to just refer to any 321 as pre-moon, casually. An original Mitsukoshi wasn’t pretending to be any special until the mid-2000s....

Not often discussed, Eberhard Split Seconds chronographs were among the very first to attempt the complication. There is, of course, controversy over whether Rolex or Eberhard reached rattrapante first, but consensus seems to be that Eberhard were first to market. Demand was driven by the heyday of the Bentley Boys...

If there’s one thing I’ve taken away from this COVID era in the watch world, it’s that the market comes in waves. I’d waited two years without seeing a single decent 765 AVI. Then, all of sudden, three hit Chrono24 within a month. I waited even longer for an IWC...

The range of Royal Oak variants on offer today is hard to keep up with. There’s the perpetual, offshore, diver, concept series, and various limited editions. However, before the upsized offshore chrono, there was this: the Kasparov. Making any adjustment to the iconic Royal Oak was always going to be...

Glycine were among the first to offer a GMT complication, right on the heels of Rolex and Omega. Their pilot offering quickly gained favor with military and civilian aviators alike. It featured a 24-hour dial and lockable bezel with hacking seconds. The design was tool watch to the core. Perhaps...