Posts Tagged ‘Chronograph’
‘Piccolino’ 3055 Rolex Chronograph, Pink Gold
This is one of the great, ‘what might have been, had Rolex pursued a different path’ watches. It’s the 3055, better known as the Piccolino, and it has more in common with the Patek Philippe 130 than a 6265 Daytona. Piccolino means little ‘little one’, but it packs an outsized punch. It is an answer…
Read More‘Monoblocco’ 3525 Rolex Chronograph
If you love your Daytona, you should know its grandfather. This is the ref. 3525, not the first Rolex chronograph, but likely the first Oyster-cased Rolex chronograph. It goes by ‘Monoblocco’, ‘Barilotto’, and ‘Prisoner of War’ all as nicknames. The first two are easy to explain, the third I’ll get to in a second. Barilotto…
Read More2447NST Heuer Carrera Second Execution
There is no objective reason early Carreras should not be held in exactly the same esteem as manual pump pusher Daytonas. But that’s particularly the case for this, the 2447NST. NST here denotes a black dial with tachymetre, which really completes the minimal Carrera aesthetic by tying in Heuer’s motorsport history more literally. It’s properly…
Read More‘Small Daytona’ Dial 6240 Rolex Cosmograph
The 6240 is, arguably, the most important Cosmograph reference not to be hyped. It would not be a stretch to say that all screw-down Daytonas exist because of this reference’s lineage. Production numbers of the 6240 were exceedingly small at fewer than 2000 examples, as is the frequency of conversation surrounding it today. Two years after…
Read More1579 ‘Spider Lug’ Patek Philippe Chronograph
Lug design counts for at least half of the way a watch wears, its importance cannot be overstated. Assuming a case is reasonably proportioned, which is a tall order for some brands, the lug makes or breaks it. In car design, brands carefully construct a wheel & tire package with a balanced harmony of width,…
Read MoreDubai Edition 79360N Tudor Black Bay Chronograph for Seddiqi
If you’re still of the belief that Tudor is a stepping stone, or for those who simply can’t yet afford a Rolex, you’re living in 1973. This is a Tudor that will cost you two Batgirl GMTs, or four at retail. No, Tudor today fulfill the role that Rolex did decades ago: dependable watches made…
Read MoreDB12 De Bethune Chronograph
De Bethune make wildly technical alien spaceships, right? Well, not always. At least it didn’t start that way. The early years of De Bethune were different, pre tenuous Starry Varius puns. This simple restrained chronograph, yes still made by De Bethune, is a magnificently uncommon thing. These were the early years of the manufacture, when…
Read MoreTürler Dial 4178 Vacheron Constantin Chronograph in Pink Gold
In 1950, you had few options if you wanted a chronograph that leaned more toward dressing than driving. You could wander down to Patek Philippe and grab a 1463. In retrospect, good move. Audemars Piguet would sell you a Valjoux 13 VZAH ref. 5522, which is quite an amazing thing, but they only sold one…
Read More‘Everest’ Vacheron Constantin Overseas Chronograph
I can count on two hands the number of times a watch released post 2018 from a non-independent stopped me dead in my tracks. Four of those fingers are taken up by Lange. And three of them are Vacheron’s. Two of Vacheron’s are what happens when a watch brand listens to its customers and isn’t…
Read MoreE335 Lecoultre Valjoux 72 Chronograph
Valjoux 72 is a broad church. Everyone thinks manual Daytona first. But the legendary chronograph calibre is behind much of great vintage Heuer, Universal, Breitling, and Enicar. Lesser known, its widespread adoption even intersects with the history of the esteemed ‘Grande Maison’ Jaeger-Lecoultre. And where V72 meets JLC, it is a bizarre, varied, but undeniably…
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