Saab-Signed IWC Mark XII

Saab: one of many names, or brands, that you just don’t expect to tangent anywhere near watchmaking. TAG partnering with Porsche makes sense, directionally and historically. Omega and Bond; it’s not what Fleming wrote but no one will argue there isn’t synergy there. But Saab? The people who made aspirational cars for designers, architects, turtleneck…

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IWC Pilot’s Chronograph 150 Years LE

IWC-Pilot's-Chronograph-150-Years-IW377725

For all intents and purposes, IWC owns the modern pilot’s chronograph. Their original fliegerchronograph design changed little in the last in the last few decades. Ever the Germanic-Swiss manufacture, they took their time and got it right the first time. That painstaking attention has served them well in recent decades. IWC recently celebrated their 150th…

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A Near-Perfect Zenith A. Cairelli CP-2

Zenith-A-Cairelli-CP-2-Civilian

For those who adore the utilitarian military aesthetic of the classic pilot’s chronograph, this your watch. Moreover, theres a flash of that classic 1960s Italian style that knows no bounds. I can’t quite say why, but this watch puts me in mind of all the classic icons: the Vespa, Alfa’s original Disco Volante, and Lake…

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The Forgotten Pilot: Glycine Airman 1

Glycine-Airman-1

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 that is what appeals so…

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IWC Pilot Mark XVII ‘Le Petit Prince’

IWC-Pilot-Mark-XVII-Le-Petit-Prince

The modern standard for the pilot has been set by the IWC mark series. From the original X & XIs on the wrist of RAF pilots to the clean design of the XV, the model has seen a slow evolution always fit to purpose. This is a tool watch. But this tool watch is a…

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Breguet Type XX Flyback Civile

Breguet-Type-XX-20

Breguet has a long a storied history which is much more involved than I will attempt to explain. In short, they are one of the most established manufactures in watchmaking. A large section of that history is intertwined with French military watches. The ‘Type’ Breguets were a not really a model, but a designation given…

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Lip-Signed Breitling 765 Co-Pilot

Breitling-765-AVI-Lip

For a stretch of four months two years ago, I searched every single night for a 765 Co-Pilot. In time, I found just one. In the somewhat mad market conditions we have now, there are three currently on offer. I wrote about the first great example I came across recently a few weeks back. If…

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Well-Preserved Universal Genève Aéro-Compax Oversize

Universal-Geneve-Aero-Compax-Oversize

I am constantly amazed at how variably different pieces may patina. A bakelite GMT from the 60s can look well and truly fucked, while simultaneously this Compax from the 40s looks under a decade young (if it weren’t for the proportion & design). That is testament to how well constructed this Universal is. The same…

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IWC Ceramic Fliegerchronograph

IWC-3705-Ceramic-Fliegerchronograph

I’ve already written at length about the 3705 when we sold one in 2018. Even then, the 3705 was a highly coveted and rare reference. Today, it’s the same only more. I can’t add anything to the previous article’s story, except that this IWC only looks better every time I see it. Both the 3705…

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Blancpain Air Command Flyback LE

Blancpain-Air-Command-Flyback

Unfortunate timing can break an otherwise impenetrable product. This year, that wrecking ball was called COVID. Last May, right when the uncertainty was at a height, Blancpain thought just the thing we all needed was a new chronograph. Maybe not their most strategic play. However, I think it’s worth drawing a little more attention pieces…

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