Posts Tagged ‘Quartz’
Value 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…
Read MoreBulova 214 Accutron Spaceview ‘Jumbo TV’
Back when science was sexy, Bulova challenged all of Switzerland with a tuning fork and some satellite-tech based advertising. Decades of R&D were poured into this project to ensure its durability and accuracy. Despite this, the original Accutron debuted in 1960 didn’t enjoy a particularly long-lived success, folding in the late 70s. However, in that…
Read MoreUniversal Genève Unisonic 852100
The word quartz might be enough to make one skip to the next article. I understand that. If that’s you, move along. However, if you’re seeking a complete understanding of watchmaking, you cannot ignore the bear caged in the corner. Quartz was and is significant to the history of wristwatches. And, due to the general…
Read MoreAn Exceptional Omega Chrono-quartz ‘Montreal’
This is the opposite of a Fashion watch. The Omega Chrono-quartz, occasionally referred to as the Montreal or Albatros colloquially, was a truly innovative piece. Omega was contracted as the Official Timekeeper for the 1976 Montreal Olympics. Ahead of that duty, they created the first ever ani-digi (analog or mechanical and digital hybrid) watch. This…
Read MoreNew Old Stock 1999 Swatch ‘Jelly Stag’
A watch can bring with it a strong hit of nostalgia like few objects can. Swatch created the Jellyfish in 1983 and it was their largest success of the time. Notorious B.I.G., Keith Haring, and Damien Hirst were all fans of the design. Follow-up models, accessories, and whole decade of colorful semi-translucent Swatches flooded department…
Read MoreEarly 9F: Grand Seiko SBGV003 at No Reserve
If you’d like a 9F equipped Grand Seiko to try out the brand, you could do worse than this JDM-Only SBGV003. Almost as a rule, I prefer mechanical movements. But there are exceptions. Well, basically three exceptions: G-shock, Beta-21s & Oyster Quartz, and 9F Grand Seikos. But that’s just me. This model comes from the…
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