There are more accurate, more ornate, and more complicated Seamasters. But there isn’t a more significant Seamaster than this military 165.024 T-dial. This is a watch that is invisible to almost everyone. No one will mug you for it in East London. But if you know, you really know. This...

Amidst the Lamborghini collaborations and diamond-set double tourbillons, it’s easy to forget that Roger Dubuis also did understated elegance. He did it really, really well. Roger sadly left us in 2017, but is remembered as one of the more innovative and eccentric independent watchmakers. While today’s louder pieces are all...

Phillip’s Auctions (and Aurel Bacs) are notorious for overusing the phrase ‘rare & attractive’ in listing descriptions. However, if they wrote ad copy for this A384, I would make an allowance. To address the former, it is actually rare. Rössler’s book Zenith: Swiss Watch Manufacture Since 1865 estimates just 2600...

In my theoretical holy trinity of Speedmasters, this BA would feature alongside the radial Alaska III. Third place is yet to be decided between the Silver Snoopy or original CK2915 broad arrow. Why does a 145.022 in gold carry such weight? It’s the story. To commemorate the moon landing, the...

Unassuming, I think, is the adjective that best suits the Prince. Tudor’s ‘Oyster Perpetual’ began humbly in the 1950s but eventually went the distance, picked up by Arctic explorers before the explorer. Ever Rolex’s experimental sibling, even in the 1950s, Tudor utilized a range of dial and hand configurations inside...

For a very small number of cases produced in the middle of 1955, Rolex doubled up on references. They wrote 6538, crossed off, and rewrote 6536 to re-designate a small crown. It is not clear if this was done intentionally as a transitional model or as a simple repurposing of...

In 1995, well after the Royal Oak had become an icon, Audemars Piguet launched a reference 14802ST to commemorate its 20th anniversary. Limited to 1000 pieces, this ‘Jubilee’ model was available in platinum, gold, and the steel we see here (this was back when limited editions weren’t multiples of 1000)....

I’ve been on a bit of a manual-wind three hand bend lately. You may have noticed. If the GS I posted a day ago didn’t appeal to you for lack of being loud and/or limited, I give you this Mont Blanc. I think brands should be applauded when they uphold...

High-end, in horology, is a relatively useless demarcation. To one, high-end could mean an Omega Seamaster 300. To another, high-end could be a CasiOak. So let’s say this: people who have gone to school to become watchmakers for Patek Philippe, who have a complete understanding of excellence, would consider this...

Three-hand dress pieces don’t come much more classic than this quiet gem from Grand Seiko. Most of us saw the2017 SBGW231 37mm manual-wind dress model in the world’s media. However, as is often the way with Grand Seiko, if you looked a little deeper you would also see a Japan-only...

It’s no secret that steel sports Rolex are in their own class these days. Hell, people are even willing to sell a kidney for a Lange 1 in steel. As steel Rolex auction results routinely break new highs, it seems worth considering their precious metal-based siblings as an alternative. In...

Alright, fine. Watches aren’t investments, etc. But if they were, and they often can be, this IWC would meet the grade. A+ Condition, full originality, and historical significance are all present. The 666AD was IWC’s take on the antimagnetic watch, preceding both the Milgauss and Railmaster (some have said the...

We all have to occasionally lament the one that got away. No, I don’t mean significant others from years gone by. I mean vintage Breitlings. Three years ago I sold a 765 AVI and have regretted it every day since. I’ve easily forgotten Subs, Speedmasters, and even a Saxonia. But...

There is nothing I can say about the 1016 Rolex Explorer which has not been said already. It’s one of the most understated yet important references of the Swiss Manufacture’s history. It sports a plethora of famous owners, every day wearability, dress potential, and (most importantly) humility. The 1016 might...

Outside of the standard Rolex, Tudor, and Zenith, Lemania’s single pusher chronograph has to be considered amongst the most elegant military designs. Lemania created chronographs for Sweden, South Africa, and the UK. Powered by the simple Lemania cal 2220, the chronograph has register functions encoded entirely to the single pusher....

Modern Panerai gets a hard time from many enthusiasts. Some have called them ‘the new Hublot.’ Others have coined the motto ‘rebranding the Luminor since 1990.’ A fraction of that criticism is deserved, while the larger ratio is not. However, even the most cynical collector cannot deny the depth of...

The early Aquatimer 812 AD is a thing of austere beauty, very unlike the shouty models of today. They may easily be mistaken for other (lesser) super compressors, but make no mistake: this is one serious bit of kit. For their first ever diver, IWC utilized the famous cal 8541...

At first glance, this Air King may be very easily mistaken for its 1016 counterpart. However, the dial markings are not quite Explorer. Equally, the well-aged indices are raised. Its 36mm case was used for both models, though some 5504s produced with 1016 Explorer-styled dials blur this line. The 1530...