1 of 110 10th Anniversary Daniel Roth Papillon

Daniel-Roth-Papillon-10th-Anniversary

In collectible Daniel Roth, those years where the man himself oversaw operations stand clearly distinguished from post-2000 Bulgari-acquisition watches. Many enthusiasts have preference for the very early years, where modified Lemania calibres powered much of the manufacture’s offerings. However, one or two grail-level pieces were also produced throughout the latter stages of Mr. Roth’s tenure…

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SBGW253 Grand Seiko Elegance LE

It is difficult to imagine a modern dress watch more perfectly judged than this throwback. Students of Grand Seiko will recall the first-ever 2011 reissue of the Grand Seiko First (ref 3180), the ref SBGW033. Catchy name. In every iteration of this design since the 3180, GS have remained true to its central design philosophy…

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3466 Patek Philippe Steel Calatrava

3466-Patek-Philippe-Steel-Calatrava

There’s a lot of buzz around Cartier these days. Thin, elegant, significant, and discreet . . .these are the attritbutes collectors seem to hold dear today. We are witnessing an equal and opposite reaction to the ostentatious Stallone Luminors and endless Offshore LEs of the early 00s. The era of stealth wealth, Santos, and endless…

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VZASC Audemars Piguet Calatrava

VZASC-Audemars-Piguet-Calatrava

Valjoux’s VZ series of calibres has been found under the name of Patek Philippe, Vacheron Constantin, and what we see here: AP. What is not as easily understood is just why that series of movements deserved to prove so popular among the most esteemed manufactures of the 1940s and 50s. The sheer levels of quality…

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647A IWC Pellaton Automatic

647A-IWC-Pre-Ingenieur-Pellaton

I’m not sure the word bewitching has ever been more appropriate. Some watches are designed or marketed to be elegant, while others simply are. Fair to say this is the latter. IWC was on something of a roll in the early 60s with a series of restrained time-and-date-only steel watches featuring a new propriety winding…

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Nivram (Marvin) 1930s Tuxedo Calatrava

Nivram-Marvin-1930s-Tuxedo-Calatrava

I have never more lamented my Neanderthal wrist proportion more than just Monday. Let me explain. One of the great joys in this small project are the watches you all send in. Over the weekend, reader @brendano11 threw this in my inbox and my, was I disappointed. Disappointed only that I could not purchase it…

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1 of 140 SBGW275 Grand Seiko ‘Genbi Valley Iwai’

SBGW275-Grand-Seiko-Genbi-Valley-US-Limited-Teal

This is a watch which, I think it’s fair to say, we’d all been hoping for for some time. Grand Seiko’s SBGW line is mainly comprised of elegant three-handers. Their restraint and simplicity is the line’s strength. However, up until last year, the only dials available were whites, blues, and black. None of the outrageous…

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Value Proposition: Seiko Lord Marvel ‘Special Dial’

Seiko-Lord-Marvel-Special-Carved-Logo

Seiko’s back catalogue offers an almost bewildering array of models, variants, and even manufactures. Blurred family lines between Grand Seiko, Orient, Prospex, 5, now-defunct Lordmatic, and even Credor offer little clarification to the nascent watch collector. To be blunt, the work one has to put in to understand Seiko’s diverse set of offerings is worth…

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Citizen Chronometer in Steel

Citizen-Chronometer-31-Jewel

Bear with me; this one requires some exposition. Even if I constantly strive to feature the most interesting and niche selections across the entire market, I’d like to think every now and then I can still surprise. However, this morning, even I’m surprised. I’m surprised by how much mystery surrounds this Citizen Chronometer, how beautiful…

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