Posts Tagged ‘Quartz’
6005BA Audemars Piguet Rectangular ‘Royal Oak’
This is a Royal Oak in the same way that Yoko Ono is a member of The Beatles . . .which is to say this isn’t a Royal Oak. Despite the bracelet and design language similarities, AP never called the 6005 Jumbo a Royal Oak, it went simply by the ‘Quartz Line’. But between friends,…
Read More3312 IWC Yacht Club II Jumbo Quartz
A few years ago, I read Mark Manson’s The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck. Somewhat contrarily, I didn’t find it terribly enlightening. But I do think it had one of the greatest titles of the last decade. Because everyone’s flirted with idea of embracing the carefree, that ‘stop caring, start living’ mantra you’d…
Read More3311 IWC Quartz Yacht Club II
A circle within a stop-sign within an elongated hexagon, the Yacht Club II is an acquired taste. I’ve previously described it as Genta-designed (likely, actually no one seems to know for certain) and Germanically-gorgeous, but this one in particular will ruffle some feathers. This is the quartz Yacht Club II. I know, I know, hear…
Read More165.9.30 Jaeger-Lecoultre Odysseus in Tantalum Rose Gold
Tantalum is not often seen in watchmaking. It’s difficult to work with, extremely so, but highly corrosion and scratch resistant with a gunmetal-blue tone that is just gorgeous. FP Journe launched the Chronomètre Bleu in 2009 and made elaborate fanfare about how innovative it was to be executed in tantalum. However, like many things, JLC…
Read More819901 Cartier Santos Galbée Moonphase
This is perhaps one of the most difficult watches to attempt to categorize, ever. It’s integrated, but it isn’t really sporting. It’s full yellow gold, but not really a dress watch. It has a moonphase, but it isn’t a mechanical movement. Now I am, somewhat infamously, a lover of mechanical watchmaking. But I always appreciate…
Read MoreF.P. Journe Élégante 48 Titalyt
Eclectic, eccentric, and something of an enigma, FP Journe’s Élégante was originally conceived during a trip to the Middle East in 2003, where he was asked by many clients’ wives why he had not yet offered a women’s watch of any kind. Eight years of hard work went into an in-house quartz (or as Journe…
Read MoreValue Prop: SBGN005 Grand Seiko 9F Quartz GMT
There has been an interesting shift in the last year or two around these parts. It used to be, whenever I featured any quartz caliber, opinion would clearly polarize about 50/50 in favor or stark opposition of battery-based timing. In recent months, not a single quartz watch has received anything but resounding endorsement. In all…
Read MoreValue Proposition: 145.8.31 Jaeger Lecoultre Master Control
Blancpain once ran an ad campaign stating ‘Blancpain has never made a quartz watch and never will.’ That’s convenient, as the house had gone bankrupt well ahead of the quartz crisis and Biver only restarted production once mechanical watchmaking was trending back to strength. Jaeger Lecoultre, on the other hand, had some confused years. However,…
Read MoreValue Proposition: SBGX341 Grand Seiko Anti-Magnetic Quartz
To many of you, I know, this will be sacrilege; a site literally called The Hairspring featuring something with as many mechanical components as a Playstation 5. This is the Ferrari SUV; a distinctly upmarket brand engaging with something many would consider well beneath them aspirationally. For the militant-anti-quartz among us; hear me out. An…
Read MorePatek Philippe 3587 Beta 21
Some watches are undeniably beautiful. Others serve a specific purpose. Some watches are an artful celebration of mechanics. Others, however, are just fucking strange. The Patek Philippe back catalogue is nearly unrivaled in its nuance. Buried behind the 5711s, 1518s, 3417s, and 1563s are some more distinct references that time has passed by. Among them…
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