Posts Tagged ‘Dress’
1 of 50 Early Franck Muller Steel Chronograph
This classic chronograph was among the first pieces released by Franck Muller after stepping out in 1991 to create his own house. Mr. Muller grew up in Switzerland and went to become a watchmaker at just fifteen. After working at an auction house, he became one of the world’s preeminent watch restorers. He oversaw Patek…
Read MoreLaurent Ferrier Classic ‘Série Atelier’ Opaline Origin Green
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 watchmaking by Patek Philippe? The…
Read MoreThe Fully Mechanical Digital: FP Journe’s Vagabondage III
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 3705. Then, following last month’s…
Read MoreAn Ultra Thin Vacheron Constantin 39005
Dress pieces don’t come much more delicate than this humble but beautiful VC. The oldest running Swiss watch manufacture was just clawing back its territory in the early 90s after the quartz crisis. It did so with the 222/Overseas, a few classic chronographs, and a swathe of extremely elegant dress watches. This 39005 is from…
Read MoreGrand Seiko Skyflake SBGA407
Grand Seiko is all the rage right now. The horological enthusiast’s darling brand is enjoying a new found and well-deserved appreciation from the community at large. The SBGA211 snowflake is certainly almost entirely responsible for that reputation. Simply, there is not a more gorgeous dial with a more innovative movement for less money. Never one…
Read MoreFP Journe Vagabondage II
One of the many benefits in studying watches over a long time horizon is that you get to see heavily-debated pieces come full circle. One can see a piece initially sell over retail and fall below retail five years later in the secondary market. From there, controversial watches tend to move in one of two…
Read MoreClass & Taste: IWC Ingenieur 666AD in RG
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 dress. Designed to take on…
Read MoreBeautifully Preserved CERN-Dial Rolex 1019 Milgauss
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 subs because, in one sense…
Read MoreAn FP Journe TN Tourbillon in Double Rose Gold
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 outright. The headline for this…
Read More1 of 500: Jaeger Lecoultre Reverso Septantième
Amongst today’s quick pace of limited editions and Instagram hype, it’s easy to forget that JLC has been making grail-worthy watches since before hype was a word. This grail-to-me, the Septantieme, has largely faded into the background of watch collecting attention. Or perhaps, having pre-dated Instagram, it was never there in the first place. Either…
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