The M.A.D. Gallery – a multi-location gallery created by MB&F founder Max Büsser – is known for supporting highly unusual projects, which is precisely what you might call the Nixie Machine. The not-so-little desk clock looks like it belongs in a science-fiction movie set far in the future, but actually it revisits technology invented in the 1950s. It’s a little bonkers, really, and that’s exactly why I love it.

Nixie clock and tube collector Alberto Schileo originally came up with the idea for this creation when he discovered hundreds of untouched Z568M Nixie tubes in an old Soviet warehouse. These had been manufactured in East Germany during the 1960s but appeared to be in new-old-stock condition. Schileo contacted Frank Buchwald, a German designer obsessed by weird and fantastical lighting objects, to create a very bold base for the tubes. The first Nixie Machine would debut in 2015 and it certainly got a lot of attention.

This week, the M.A.D. Gallery announced that it has teamed up with Frank Buchwald once more to create a second Nixie Machine that is even larger than the original. Working with steel and brass, Buchwald has created a 1.2 meter-long exoskeleton to hold up six tubes, and there is a collection of cables that snake out from the base up to the tubes themselves, adding a little biomorphic design to the mix.

And there’s something else new too. While the Nixie tubes behave just like the vintage ones discovered by Schileo, this time they’re entirely new, created from scratch by Czech engineer Dalibor Farny. Vintage stocks of Nixie tubes are waning and hard to predict, so creating new tubes is a safeguard for the longevity of the device.

At the heart of the Nixie Machine II is a wi-fi enabled controller that keeps the clock connected to the internet, allowing it to display the correct time without you having to set it manually. There are lots of other settings you can control from your phone or computer, including scroll effects, day/night modes, dimming, time zones, and more. If the clock goes offline, there's still a knob on the rear for manual setting so you don't have to worry.

The Nixie Machine II will be a very limited series. Just like the previous clock, only 12 pieces will be made. They’ll be available at all three M.A.D Gallery locations around the world (Geneva, Taipei, and Dubai) with a price of 29,700 CHF (approximately $30,000 at time of publishing).

For more information, visit the M.A.D. Gallery online.

In the third installment of Friday Live, we look back at what made news in the watch world this week, including the announcement of the 2017 Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Genève jury. We'll take a look at an interesting timepiece that's been in the office for a few days, as well as what's on our wrists. This week we'll also be joined by HODINKEE design director Adam Kopec, who will walk us through the latest round of changes to the website. And to close it out, we'll be taking questions from the audience.

Making extremely thin watches has been a challenge tackled by makers of quartz watches for many years, and in fact, the thinnest watches ever made have all been quartz. The Concord Delirium, for instance, was released in 1979 and the first version was 1.98mm thick (that's overall, not just the movement) which represents meeting challenges in not just movement design, but in case-making and battery technology as well. The very thinnest Delirium was less than one millimeter thick – only 0.98mm – but as with the thinnest mechanical watches, it was really more an exercise in technical extremism than it was a practical watch.

Solar powered watches have been around since the early 1970s; the very first was the Synchronar 2100, which had an upper surface entirely covered with solar cells (you read the time off an LED display set into the edge of the watch). Like many very early quartz watches, it had what was, relatively speaking, luxury pricing – $500 for a steel model, and $1,750 for a 14k gold model in the early 1970s. As solar cells became more and more efficient, it became possible to place them under translucent dials and to make conventional looking analog watches without visible solar cells. Citizen produced its first solar powered watch – the Crystron – very early, in 1976, but it was the development of ring-shaped solar cells that could be placed under a translucent dial, that made Eco-Drive possible. The first Eco-Drive watches launched in 1995, and Citizen has been refining the technology ever since.

The Eco-Drive One watches, which Citizen launched last year, were and are the thinnest light-powered watches in the world, at only 2.98mm overall. (The two thinnest mechanical watches in the world are the Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Ultra Thin Squelette, at 3.60mm, and the Piaget 900P, at 3.65mm; I suspect tolerance variations make those two watches essentially identical in thickness.) 

The fact that Eco-Drive One watches can be as thin as they are has a lot to do with the fact that the solar cell is ring-shaped, and can be placed in the same plane as the gear train for the hands. Every part of the watch was designed specifically for thinness, and each part had to be less than 1mm thick. The motor coil was redesigned for the Eco-Drive One, to reduce its thickness to less than 1mm, and it is set directly into the mainplate. The dial is synthetic sapphire (as is the crystal) and just 0.15mm thick. The rechargeable backup cell was specially developed in partnership with Hitachi Maxell, specifically for the Eco-Drive one; the 3.7 volt cell is only 0.87mm thick. And, because of the very tight tolerances, these are actually hand-assembled watches.

Below is a rather terrific video from National Geographic Japan, which documents the development process as well as the challenges in prototyping and assembly that were involved in making the Eco-Drive One a reality (in Japanese, with subtitles). Watching the assembly process in the video really gives you a better idea just how challenging it really is to cope with the clearances in ultra-thin watchmaking.

In ultra-thin watchmaking, whether quartz or mechanical, the case is as critical as the movement to shaving off fractions of a millimeter. The basic idea is to minimize thickness without losing too much rigidity (the Achilles' heel of the very thinnest quartz and mechanical watches, and one of the biggest limiting factors, was the tendency of cases and movements to flex when strapped on). The bezels of these two new watches are a sintered ceramic-metal composite (Cermet) and the stainless steel case body is treated with Duratect, which is Citizen's term for its proprietary DLC (diamond-like carbon) coating.

The white-dialed version also has a Duratect-treated case, but in this instance, the metal is surface-hardened directly (that is, there's no DLC coating ). The white dialed model is a bit more of a classic dress watch, but technically speaking these two pieces are identical.

As is ubiquitously the case with ultra-thin watches, servicing the Eco-Drive One is not a casual affair. It can sometimes seem as if a requirement to use factory authorized service centers is a way for watch brands to pad margin (at least partly) but with the Eco-Drive One, I think trying to use non-authorized repair centers would be an especially terrible idea. In any case, even the lithium cell is proprietary, so there's really nothing a non-authorized service could accomplish anyway. Certainly, one is warned against attempting any optimistic DIY incursions into the case, on the back of the watch itself. The entire case is held together by four screws which go through the bezel and fix it to the one-piece case middle/back. 

By the way, if you're wondering how often an Eco-Drive watch needs to be opened, the answer is "practically never" (with a caveat that gaskets don't last forever, so if you're talking about a dive watch, additional prudence may be indicated). Citizen's own documentation on Eco-Drive says that the primary source for powering the watch is direct conversion of light to electricity, but there is also a rechargeable lithium ion battery as a backup source (by the way, although it's often said that Eco-Drive watches use a capacitor, according to Citizen this is incorrect; it's a lithium ion cell). My own experience with Eco-Drive is that these can be very long lived; my oldest Eco-Drive watch is a first generation Eco-Drive Navihawk which I've had for at least fifteen years and it has never had to be opened or serviced. 

On the wrist, it basically disappears, at least in terms of perceived mass – with a case only 2.98mm x 39mm, it's virtually imperceptible and while you don't get a purely classical wrist experience, you get something very close, with the addition of having some very advanced technology, and some real fine watchmaking to boot.

Cost for both these models may induce a bit of sticker shock at first – expected price is $3,500, and they'll be available this fall. However, this seems high only if you are thinking of the average price for a quartz watch, if you watched the video you'll have seen that this is a hand-assembled product with a lot of very cutting edge mechanical tech going into it, and very demanding manufacturing tolerances. Pricing is roughly on par with other high end, technically advanced quartz watches as well. I find these sort of eerily beautiful – they're an almost spiritualized kind of watchmaking, where you feel like you're wearing the idea of a watch as much as a watch itself. 

The Citizen Eco-Drive One models for 2017: cases, Duratect-coated stainless steel with Cermet bezels and sapphire crystal, with antireflective coating. Water resistant (but obviously these aren't watches to shower, much less dive with). Movement, light-powered Eco-Drive caliber 8826; rated accuracy ± 15 seconds/month. Power reserve in darkness, 12 months. View the entire Eco-Drive One collection at citizenwatch-global.com.

Not for the first time, an independent watch company has decided to reinvigorate its most successful line by creating a simpler, more affordable version of the watch that launched it. Just as MB&F did with the LM101 and Greubel Forsey did with the Signature 1, HYT has created the H0.

Several years after the introduction of the H1, and following several other hydro-mechanical wristwatches, each one more experimental than the next, HYT has decided to revisit the company’s initial concept and tone things down a bit. The H0 ("H-zero") is a much more conservative product than some of the brand’s most recent projects, like the rectangular H3 or the very bold HYT Skull. And in some ways, it looks like HYT playing it safe. But the company is actually taking a bit of a gamble with this watch, and that’s why I wanted to take a closer look here.

Like it or not, the company’s most popular watches are its most extreme ones, and it isn’t even close they say. According to HYT, they can’t make enough Skull watches. The company’s unique take on one of watchmaking’s oldest and most emblematic motifs has led to seven separate references (yes, seven), which is as many as all the H3 and the H4 models put together.

HYT was under no pressure to make something that felt new, but they did, for several reasons. First, because all brands want new customers, even when things are going well, and maybe especially when things are going well. A fresh design at an entry-level price point is a sure way of attracting new interest. Second, because when you’ve decided to go to one extreme, the only way to go is the other extreme.

The biggest challenge HYT has faced since launching in 2012 is getting people to understand how their watches work, or, in other words, how their movements push fluids through a transparent capillary (never mind why you’d want a watch that displays the time using fluids in the first place). The company managed this using an open-worked dial to its advantage, in order to show the expansion and compression of the bellows that drive the fluid around the dial.

Now that customers and potential customers have seen the inner workings exposed and are familiar with the concept, HYT feels it can pull the dial over some of the watch parts. The bellows are still visible, but only partially – you can see them fully on the movement side. The face of the watch is much cleaner, and the first beneficiary is the time-display. The H0 is the first watch that focuses on the watch’s functions themselves, not how it functions.

In fact, there is strictly nothing new inside this watch. It’s the same movement that was used in the H1, the first watch in the series, and which we saw again in the H4. It’s a movement originally developed by Jean-Francois Mojon/Chronode for HYT, and it’s unique in that it uses a pair of bellows to pump two liquids through a small tube during a 12-hour period. The colored liquid fills the visible section of the tube until it hits six o’clock on the right side of the dial, at which point the clear liquid pushes back all the way until six o’clock on the left side.

The movement is hand-wound and has a 65-hour power reserve, which it displays on the dial side between two and three o’clock. The minutes can be read approximatively using the fluid display, or more precisely via the sub-dial at 12 o’clock, while the seconds are also displayed on a smaller sub-dial at nine o’clock. It's interesting to note the relatively traditional finishing on the movement itself, considering how non-traditional the watch is overall. It's a nice touch and nod to history.

It doesn’t really matter that the H0 uses a movement that already exists in HYT’s collection, because it is housed in a watch that is unlike anything the company has made before. What makes the H0 different is what it does not have. Instead of modifying the base design by adding components, HYT has decided to remove two elements that every other HYT watch has (as does the great majority of watches) and those are the bezel and the lugs.

When the watch was unveiled, Stephen quickly identified the crystal as its coolest feature, and I agree. It’s also the most transformative feature of the watch. Not only does it change the overall look of the watch and how it is read – the crystal dome wraps around the liquid, making it possible to view the time from a side angle – it also lightens up the watch, literally, by allowing more light to hit the dial.

The watch isn’t perfect though. Those who know HYT and buy into the hydro-mechanical concept don’t seem fazed by the size of these watches. However, a 48mm case is always going to be too big for many, myself included. It’s wearable, but only just. Because it has no lugs, it’s actually smaller than many of the other watches in HYT’s collection, but it’s a shame the H0 couldn’t come in at a more generally wearable size.

In fact, it ends up looking a little like a diving watch, which I know it isn’t – it is water-resistant to 30 meters and comes with a screw-down titanium crown, but it lacks a bezel, the single most important component for an underwater timekeeper – but the size of the watch, the bell-shaped crystal, and the absence of lugs are all features that remind me of the depth gauges and compasses made by Panerai in the 1950s. It's even more striking on the black and green version, though you can still get a hint of it on the silver and blue edition I have here.

HYT is creating three separate editions of the H0, each one priced at $39,000. The plan was to make 15 pieces of each, but Cloé Biessy, the team's Communications Manager, has since confirmed that due to the popularity of the watches during Baselworld, HYT has decided against making them a limited production. The silver, orange, and black editions all share the same basic titanium case, but the black edition will be DLC-coated. Of the three, it’s perhaps the most representative of the brand since it uses the brand’s familiar neon colour for the fluid, hands and power reserve. Personally, I prefer the silver edition. It’s the bravest of the series, and if HYT wanted to freshen things up, this is the watch that comes closest to that objective.

For more information, visit HYT Watches online.

On May 15, 2017, Christie's will sell a Patek Philippe Calatrava in Geneva that could be one of the most important watches to sell in the modern collectible watch era – and it's not for the reasons you might think. The watch is a rare one, no doubt, and indeed an expensive one. The reference 530 Calatrava is one of the least common references made by Patek Philippe, and when they come up for sale it's generally big news. But that isn't why you're reading this story. No, this Calatrava coming to Christie's is such a fascinating lot because its result may finally open up a debate long held in the back offices of Milanese pushers, of Swiss auction houses, and penthouse apartments of Asian mega-collectors. When will "restored" watches become OK to own? Or are original watches the only ones worth anything and shall those that have been refreshed remain effectively outcast? This watch at Christie's may help answer that question – but first let's take a look at what the reference 530 Calatrava is.

What Is The Reference 530 Calatrava?

Some 15 years ago, scholars barely were aware that the 530 Calatrava existed – so little was known about them, and though they are approximately 1.5mm larger in diameter than the more common reference 570, most just assumed they were 570s. In November 2004, Christie's sold a silver dialed reference 530 (case 507,797) for a shade over $30,000, and it became among the first oversized Calatravas to be officially recognized as a special reference. The auction footnote read "This watch bears a reference number, 530, which is usually reserved for the renowned oversized chronograph wristwatch. However, research resulted in the discovery of the fact that reference 530 was used not just for the chronograph but also for a plain model without any complication. This information is confirmed in a letter by Patek Philippe dated 3 December 2003."

This sale was a meaningful one as that lot validated that the 530 was indeed made not only as a chronograph but as a time-only Calatrava. Since that day, we've seen a small handful of other 530s come to market: whether it's the two-tone steel Breguet that sold for $677,000 at Phillips in its November 2015, the yellow gold black Breguet from the Christie's 175 sale that brought $400,000, or the $1.45 million steel black Breguet from one year ago, these watches are special. ("Breguet" here refers to the use of Breguet-style numerals).

The 530 is not only 1.5mm larger than the 35mm reference 570, but its bezel is also concave instead of convex, adding to its perceived size. The reference was made just in the late 30s and early 40s, where the 570 still in production well into the 1960s. So again, a great 530 Calatrava, in particular one in steel, is something you'd likely be seeing on HODINKEE anyway by virtue of its pure awesomeness. But again, that's not why we're writing about them today.

Wait, Where Have I Seen That Case Number Before?

So about that 530 coming up for sale at Christie's next week. Have a look at the case number, and then take a peek at the case number of that silver dialed 530 from 2004. Yup, they're the same. It sold for $30,000 in 2004 with a silver dial and now Christie's has placed an estimate of $300,000 to $500,000 on with a black dial. It is clear that this watch is being sold with a dial that it was not born with. That's bad, right?

It is, generally speaking, but before we vilify Christie's, know this. First, they make mention that this watch was sold publicly with a silver dial and that a black dial was added within the past 10 years. Second, the watch was born with a black dial! That means this new black dial is actually more correct than the silver dial with which we became first acquainted. The archive extract for this watch reads "Type of dial: Black, raised hour markers in steel."

This is where things get interesting for this watch, for Christie's, for the consignor, and for any potential buyer. It is abundantly clear here that this watch wasn't born with this dial. But that doesn't make the dial incorrect for it.

Will A Strong Result Mean It's OK To Modify A Watch If It's Done Well?

So, let's consider the watch here and what it might mean to the industry. Now it seems as if only original watches are worth buying and paying full price for. If a watch has been cleaned, or retouched, or modified in any way, it is an immediate turn off to most buyers. The immense values placed on condition and originality are relatively recent phenomenon, and several of the most important vintage watches in the world feature dials that have been cleaned or corrected in some way, and that was, well, kind of OK. But because we currently live in a world where it seems that a handful of dealers and auction houses are able to produce "untouched" watches with some regularity, and the world's wealthy continually pay record-setting prices for them, what happens to the rest of the watches?

Ask any purveyor of fine watches and they'll say that while the great watches are fetching record prices, the mid-tier watches – those with, perhaps, a cleaned dial or an obviously polished case – are becoming not only difficult to source like all vintage watches, but practically impossible to sell. What becomes of these watches which are in many cases completely honest, but just more heavily worn, or which suffer/benefit from the after effects of a dreaded factory service? Does their value continue to drop while the mint watches climb higher into the stratosphere? Or, is it time for the market to accept that restoration of watches might not always be a bad thing? And let's be honest, a good percentage of the watches sold to great collectors as mint and untouched, are anything but, having benefitting from a hand-swap here, or a new bezel there – or even a quick pro-polish to make those bevels nice and wide, or a touch up of a signature so you can see that accent perfectly. 

A great consumer journalism professor of mine (Kim Kleman, then editor-in-chief of Consumer Reports) often told us that the best way to illustrate a problem in any given industry is to simply compare it to another, more well-known industry. It's why you'll often hear me say things like "Imagine buying a brand new Ferrari, taking it in for service, and it not coming back for over one year" to illustrate our industry's issue with service.

So let's talk vintage automobiles for a moment – a market that for decades has not only been OK with restoration projects, but has rewarded them as a methodology that preserves the overall feeling of the product. In vintage automobiles, a "sympathetic restoration" that keeps originality and quality in mind, and one that is fully documented in a way that is easy to understand for future owners, is not only not a bad thing, but often actually adds value to the vehicle. Of course, "barn find" cars can also bring premiums when offered for sale, but by and large, vintage automobiles are sold in condition that has to be described, in some way, as restored. And that is quite alright, because how else would a half century old machine retain its form and function without it? Common sense, no?

This is something that I feel many of us lack – basic acceptance that yes, of course, after five decades of use by a commercial pilot, a small piece of tritium may in fact come loose on the dial of his Daytona. Or that after purchasing it at PX in Vietnam, and then wearing his Submariner for decades daily, your father might decide to polish that watch and maybe get the bezel insert changed. Are either of these watches wholly undesirable at this point? If we continue on the trend that we're currently on, they might be. And that means they might become unsellable, even if they are one-owner watches. But what if someone were to offer one of these watches for sale, and instead of leaving them as is, provide a detailed folder of information on the watch and how it was found? And then, if the client wanted, there were also a fully documented restoration of the watch, in the same way that many of the world's great Ferraris now come with large history files? 

Is There A Difference Between Cleaned, Restored, and Retouched?

Nothing in watches is black and white, and I'm not for a second suggesting that modified watches should be acceptable to the market. But there is a difference between the cleaning of a dial and retouching a dial – though the terms are often used interchangeably. The cleaning of a dial is common practice by say, Patek Philippe, and you might lose some definition in text and accents. That is a very different thing than retouching a dial, which is when someone attempts to repaint part of the dial. That, as of today, is a pretty big no-no. But will that always be the case? And if a watch is so good, and the work is done so well, would you really pass up the opportunity to own it because a dial has been retouched, especially if it doesn't impact the signature?

Take a look at this reference 530 chronograph in steel from the Christie's Patek 175 sale. The watch is, by many measures, what a holy grail is made of. It's steel, oversized, a chronograph, a Patek, and features a sector dial! But there is damage to the dial, as you can clearly see. Because of that, it sold for around $600,000 in 2014. When a similar watch with with a similar dial came up for sale two years later, it sold for double – or $1.2 million. Now what if someone were to come to you today and offer you the Patek 175 Steel 530 but with a dial that looked as good as the 2016 watch? 

If An Original Dial Sells For $1.2 Million And A Damaged Dial Sells For $600,000 – Is A Restored Dial Worth $800,000?

I'm not talking about a different dial in the same watch, I'm talking about the very same watch with the very same dial, just restored. And suppose that with it came full documentation, and macro photographs and analysis that detailed the work done to the dial. And what if the restorers had taken the time to ensure that the dial retained its original finish and patina, and it was basically indecipherable from an original dial and the only reason you knew it wasn't in fact original is because the watch sold publicly. Would you buy it at $800,000? Would you not buy that 300SL Gullwing because it was repainted?

And this brings us back to the matter at hand. Christie's is offering up a an incredible watch – one of the most desirable time only watches in the vintage world, really. And we know its history – it's an important one, as one of the earliest documented 530 Calatravas, and one that brought this version of the reference to the public eye. We know that it sold in 2004 with a silver dial and now, over 15 years later, it is fitted with a black dial. We also know that this watch was originally born with a black dial. So what will this watch bring next week at auction? It's anybody's guess. And if we look at the estimate of $300,000 to $500,000 there are two schools of thought. One is that we know this watch was born with a different dial than it currently lives with, and so the estimate feels steep. Then again, this is an amazingly rare reference and rarer still with a black dial – and we know this watch should have a black dial in it. The last time one sold, it sold for $1.45 million. In that light, the estimate almost feels conservative. Imagine this consignor had acquired this watch and placed the black dial in it without it having been bought it at public auction, and then listed it here – what do you think the estimate would be then? 

Did You Know?

This very watch sold publicly a second time – this time at Antiquorum in May of 2009 for 20,000 CHF more than its 2004 price.

Lot 165 at the May Christie's sale is a watch that I'll be watching closely. Not only because I love these oversized Calatravas in steel, but also because I think it genuinely might be one of the first instances when an auction house has been transparent about a watch's less than linear path to auction, and it should still do very well. What "very well" means is up for debate, but let's be clear about this – this watch is more correct now than it has been in years with a black 530 dial back in place.  Still, I think there is a chance this watch might fail to reach its low estimate, because so many collectors of this caliber just live in fear of swapped dials. Then again, this is a steel 530 with black dial confirmed by the extracts! It could be an $800,000 watch easily! Or not. Who really knows? 

And that's the point of this entire article, really. The future of watch collecting is up to us, collectively, to decide in which direction to take it. Do we accept that someone bought a watch and years later put in a different dial – as extraordinarily rare as this one is, and even went as far as to mention it in the description of the watch at auction? Is transparency and honesty the new "original and unpolished"? I kind of hope it is, because I'm just not sure how long this market can be sustained with collectors being so critical of honest but less than perfect watches. 

Read more on this rare Patek Philippe reference 530 in steel with black dial here.

The Casio G-Shock is the most heavily armored watch in the world, and for most of its career, irrespective of its incarnations, the armor it has worn has looked distinctively modern, whether in the original palette of blacks and dark greys, or in the neon-bright colors of more fashion-forward G-Shocks. No matter the color scheme, however, the G-Shock has remained the G-Shock – capable of surviving impacts that would destroy virtually any other watch you can think of, and often with additional protection added depending on the model (the Mudmaster series, for instance, has gasketing specially designed to resist the intrusion of, well, mud).  

In the last few years, Casio's MR-G series of high-end G-Shocks has come to be populated with timepieces that reflect more traditional Japanese crafts, and elements of Japanese culture – probably the best known example of this approach are the "Hammer Tone" MR-G watches, which are decorated using the tsuiki hammering technique, as applied by master craftsman Bihou Asano. At Baselworld 2017, Casio debuted the latest entry, the MRG-G1000B-1A4 Akazonae, which incorporates red accents meant to reflect the shade of red used in traditional Japanese samurai armor – in particular, the armor worn by senior samurai of the Takeda clan, during the Sengoku ("Warring States" period, c. 1467 - c. 1603). 

The Sengoku period ended with the victory of Tokugawa Ieyasu, and his ascension to the rank of shogun, (supreme ruler of Japan) which marked the beginning of a long period of peace, and the establishment of the Tokugawa shogunate. (The term "Warring States" period was taken by historians from that used to describe a much earlier period of similar civil wars in China, between competing warlords. The victory of Tokugawa Ieyasu was famously the subject of James Clavell's bestseller, Shogun.)

Rich in disasters, dreadful in its battles, rent by its seditions, and even cruel in its times of peace," the Warring States period (1467-1568) was the most destructive in Japan's long history of civil strife.

Aka-zonae means "red -colored armor" and although there had been red armor prior to the Sengoku period, Akazonae specifically refers to the crimson armor worn by General Sanada Yukimura. A renowned tactitian, he was hailed with such epithets as "A hero who may appear once in a hundred years" and "the crimson demon of war," and he was especially well-known for winning battles through superb generalship against numerically superior opposing forces; during his lifetime he was called the "number one warrior in Japan" (which at the time was really saying something).

In Japanese Samurai Armor Book 16 - Akazonae Red Armor, authors Takeda Ii and Sanada Habuto note, "The Takeda clan is well known as the originator of Akazonae. There were others, however, such as the Akazonae of the Hojo and the Sanada clans, but the Takeda clan was most revered for bravery and fighting prowess. Nevertheless, the Takeda clan was routed in Tensho 10 (1582). The Takeda Akazonae were afterward allied to Naomasa Ii, the first aide of Ieyasu Tokugawa. Naomasa Ii fought together with many brave survivors of the Takeda, and together clinched many a battlefield victory. So well known were the Akazonae of the Ii clan that they became synonymous with red armor in Japan, and today, the Ii clan is most closely associated with Akazonae - Red Armor."

Now, if you're going to be named for the leaders of shock troops commanded by "the crimson demon of war," you'd better measure up in the toughness department, which the MRG-G1000B-1A4 certainly does. The case and bracelet are titanium, which has been given Casio's "Deep Layer Hardening" treatment (making it about 5 times harder than ordinary titanium) and for scratch resistance, both case and bracelet are coated with DLC (Diamond-Like Carbon). In a departure from normal Casio practice, many operations are accessed via a screw-down crown (a feature characteristic of this Casio module). Water resistance is 200 meters; and a number of construction features are in place which enhance shock resistance, such as a carbon fiber low-mass seconds hand (less apt to be displaced by strong shocks) and a one-piece structure for the hour markers – they're all part of one, crown-like unit, most of which is hidden by the dial; this means indexes aren't going to drop off (ever). The crystal is sapphire, with antireflective coating.

This is a Tough Solar G-Shock, and timekeeping accuracy is ensured via a GPS receiver, with six-channel radio backup. The subdial on the right will show you, in addition to the day of the week, your approximate latitude when a GPS lock is achieved. Other features include automatic correction of the position of the hands in case of accidental (impact induced) displacement, a chronograph and countdown timer, alarm function, calendar correct to 2099, and date display. The time can be displayed in 40 time zones.

It will probably surprise no regular HODINKEE reader to read that this is a massive watch – well, you don't get into G-Shocks because you want something that will disappear smoothly under a French cuff. The case is 54.7mm × 49.8mm × 16.9mm and the watch weighs 153 grams, which is a bit over our standard reference for watch weight, the Seiko SKX-007 (as measured in our in-office watch weigh-off.) It doesn't wear as heavy as it sounds, however – maybe the sheer size has something to do with it; you expect it to weigh quite a bit more than it actually does.

The MRG-G1000B-1A4 Akazonae is $3,000 (yes, aggressive for a G-Shock but obviously this is, technically and from a materials standpoint, not your usual G-Shock) and it's available now.

The MRG-G1000B-1A4 Akazonae: GPS Tough Solar with radio time correction backup, full multifunction feature set including the display of the time in 40 time zones, and automatic correction of the time six times a day. More info from Casio is in the Baselworld 2017 Akazonae site.

Patek Philippe's "Art Of Watches Grand Exhibition" will be coming to New York in mid-July, as we announced way back in October. This exhibition will include an absolutely huge range of major watches and clocks, covering not only Patek Philippe's history, but the history of watch and clockmaking in general, going back over four centuries. Patek has just announced that, especially for the U.S. opening of the exhibition, a room dedicated to important watches commissioned by, or owned by, major figures in American history, will be included in the exhibition. The exhibition will be in New York from July 13 through 23 at Cipriani 42nd Street, and will be open to the general public, free of charge.  

In addition to the dedicated U.S. exhibition space, the exhibition will include rooms dedicated to the company's current collection, as well as a Museum Room, a Grand Complications Room, and a Rare Handcrafts Gallery. Watches shown will include not only those made by Patek Philippe, but also historically important timepieces dating back to the late Renaissance, from the Patek Philippe Museum. Here are four of the important Patek watches that will be shown in the U.S. Historic Room.

The James Ward Packard Astronomical Pocket Watch

"The Packard" was commissioned by James Ward Packard in 1927, and is one of the most complicated Patek Philippe watches ever made; it includes a minute repeater, perpetual calendar, running equation of time (equation of time marchant), and sunrise and sunset times. As well, the back has a highly detailed star chart, showing the stars visible at any time of year rising and setting in the sky above Warren, Ohio – Packard's birthplace.

A 1928 Complicated Pocket Watch Owned By Henry Graves

As everyone interested in watches finds out sooner or later, there was a bit of an arms race between James Ward Packard and Henry Graves, with each attempting to outdo the other in both the cost and complexity of the timepieces they ordered from Patek. For Graves, the ultimate weapon was the ground-breaking, record-setting watch now known as the Graves "Supercomplication," which hammered for about $24 million at auction in 2014. However Henry Graves owned many other watches as well, and six pieces from his collection, from the Patek Philippe Museum, will be in the US Historic room – including this one, with grande et petite sonnerie, minute repeater, and perpetual calendar with moonphase.

Joe DiMaggio's Personal Patek Philippe Ref. 130J

This particular Patek 130J was given to DiMaggio by the owners of the New York Yankees, and was made in 1948. Currently in a private collection, it has been loaned to Patek Philippe for the exhibition (and you can't help but idly wonder what this reference, with this provenance, would fetch at auction).

A Desk Clock Showing The Time In Three Time Zones, Owned By JFK

This clock was presented by Will Brandt, Mayor of West Berlin, to John F. Kennedy Jr. in 1963 (the day after his famous "Ich bin ein Berliner" speech). It was commissioned for the occasion from a German retailer named Heinz Wipperfield and shows the time in Moscow, Berlin, and Washington D.C. for obvious symbolic reasons. Patek was an early innovator in quartz timekeeping and in its time such a clock would have been both a precision instrument, and a luxury. The book, Patek Philippe Museum Vol. II, says, "This portable clock, fitted with a completely autonomous quartz movement, was developed by Patek Philippe's Electronic Division...Used in conjunction with the 'red telephone' and the telefax linking the White House to the Kremlin, this clock was kept on President Kennedy's desk in the White House." The Electronic Division was created right after World War II, in 1948, and by 1958 had produced its first prototype quartz clocks.

This is obviously just a small sample of all the watches which will be in the U.S. Historic Room, much less the exhibition as a whole, which will include watches going back to 1530, over a two-story space constructed just for the show. For more details on The Art Of Watches Grand Exhibition, check out our coverage of all the details, and the announcement at Patek.com.

The joy of buying (and selling) vintage pieces lies in the uniqueness of each piece. Delving into what makes a watch interesting and what makes it stand apart from a seemingly identical example is what we live for here at HODINKEE. This week’s watches, in all their diversity, refinement, and splendor, encompass that joyful feeling you get when you hold your new old watch in your hand. A spectacular diving watch from Longines, an immaculate Heuer chronograph in olive green, and a Universal Genève with an amazing wooden dial are just a few highlights from this week’s selection. 

1960s Longines Diver Ref. 7150-1

Starting in the 1940s and continuing on throughout most of the mid-twentieth century, Longines truly conquered both the air and the sky, with its incredible pilot’s watches and then watches like the ref. 7150-1 meant for diving. The most innovative detail of this watch is its ability to increase water resistance based on the external pressure, and it was even awarded mention in John Goldberger's book Longines Watches. Aesthetically, elements of this watch can be seen on Longines watches to this day. Check it out here. 

1980s Heuer Automatic Chronograph Ref. 510.502

There are watches in great condition, and then there are those in exceptional condition; this Heuer ref. 510.502 is in the latter camp. Though a civilian watch, the look of this chronograph is purely military-inspired, from its olive green PVD coating and matching dial to the legible white lettering and orange accents on the handset. Add a matching bracelet in similarly incredible condition and you have quite the timepiece from right before Heuer became TAG Heuer. Check it out here. 

1960s Universal Genève Slim Dress Watch With Wood Dial

We all know Universal Genève for their amazing chronographs and complications, but their simple time-only watches evoked the same clean lines and beautiful design codes. This example with a wood dial, however, is anything but simple. Different, and perhaps more subtle than a hard stone or a lacquered dial, this is a rather interesting dial application preserved in exemplary condition. Fitted in a slim stainless steel case, this is a gorgeous watch that demands not to be overlooked. Take a look here. 

The Full Set

And we have more to offer you, including a 1940s Lemania Monopusher issued to the British Royal Navy, a 1950s Minerva Chronograph ref. 20732, a 1970 Rolex Oyster Date ref. 1500, a 1950s Eterna dress watch with applied rose gold numerals, and a 1978 Rolex Datejust ref. 16014. Check out the full collection over at the HODINKEE Shop. 

Last December, I wrote about my impressions of the Modello Uno, a minimalist dive watch from the Italian micro-brand Unimatic. The watch was something of a cult hero to dive watch fans due to its sleek styling, excellent build, affordable price — and its small production run. In fact, not long after my article published, the Uno was sold out, something that didn’t go unnoticed in the comments section of that article. Well, this time around, we’re giving you a little more notice with an exclusive first look at the 2017 Unimatics line-up,  the new Modello Uno and the Modello Due.

For this year’s limited production run, Unimatic chose to make more variations of its watches, and more of them. They also wisely chose to not change too much of their winning design formula — stark, military-styled dials, angular cases, and the wide matte bezel design on the diver. But this year, some new dial colors, bezel variations, and DLC black cases debut. Let’s break down the new watches.

First up, appropriately, the Uno. The U1-D and U1-DN (N standing for nero, Italian for “black”) are most similar to last year’s Modello Uno, but they do away with the yellow-tinted markers and hands and faux-gilt lettering and minute track in favor of crisp white. But the two biggest differences are the addition of a date window at six o'clock and demarcations on the uni-directional dive bezel, with a slim font and minute hashes all around. The U1-D and U1-DN are identical except for the case and bezel of the latter, which are DLC black, as well as the hardware on the provided straps—nylon NATO-style and rubber. Pricing for these are €485 for the U1-D (approximately $525 at time of publishing) and €585 for the black version (approximately $635). There will be 600 pieces and 300 pieces for these models, respectively.

Next up, the U1-DW and U1-DWN, which again sport the same case as the old Uno, and its sterile unmarked bezel with only a zero marker pip, but swap the black dial for white, with the markers surrounded by bold black rings. The white dial versions do not have a date window and following the naming convention—you guessed it—the U1-DWN has a DLC black case. These watches come with nylon and leather straps. Pricing is €525 (approximately $570) and €625 (approximately $680), and these are limited to 200 and 150 pieces, respectively.

The last new iterations of the Modello Uno are the U1-DZ and U1-DZN, which are striking due to their unique color choice—olive drab with white markers on the dial and bezel. The DZN has the DLC treatment for a black case and bezel, which presents an interesting contrast with the olive dial and bezel insert color. The bezel of this watch swaps elapsed time markings for a 12-hour scale for a cheap and easy way to track a second time zone. Additional minute markings and a zero pip allow it to still be useful for timing a dive or anything else that lasts up to an hour. One other, slightly awkward, addition is the wording, “Army Navigator Diver,” on the dial, between the depth rating and the “Made in Italy.” These watches come packaged with nylon and rubber straps and are priced at €485 and €585 (approximately $525 and $635), respectively, and are limited to 400 and 200 pieces.

Technically speaking, all the Modello Unos remain 40mm across the 316L steel case, with sapphire crystals, C1 SuperLuminova lume, and self-winding Seiko NH35A movements under the hood. Water resistance is a perfectly adequate 300 meters. The caseback is still solid and screw-down, with a nice engraving of a clever measurement conversion tool.

Moving on to the Modello Due, Unimatic’s take on a field watch, not as much has changed. Still present is the 40mm steel case with drilled lugs, high domed sapphire crystal, and the oversized screw-in crown. The screw-in caseback is engraved with an array of military hand signals befitting a field watch. For 2017, there are only two limited options for the Due, both with black dials. The U2-B is similar to last year’s but the dial markings have been made bolder with larger Arabic numerals and hashes and a triangle at 12 while the U2-BN is the same but subs a DLC black case for the brushed steel of the U2-B. Both watches come with a rubber and a two-piece textile strap and boast the same 300-meter water resistance as the Uno divers. The Modello Due also uses the Seiko NH35A movement without a date window. The U2B is limited to 400 pieces at a price of €385 (approximately $420) while the DLC version is €485 (approxiately $525) for its 250 pieces.

Perhaps recognizing the appeal of limited edition watches, Unimatic this year is also offering the full collection as a set to those who want the buy them all. Packaged in a watertight Pelican-style padded case, the whole kit costs €4,200 (approximately $4,565). And, finally, if you want a particular number in the limited runs of any of the watches, you can request it directly on Unimatic’s website – first come, first served, of course. 

As a quick recap, here's a look at the whole collection and how many pieces of each will be made:

So there you have it, all the new offerings from Unimatic. They launch today on the Unimatic website, where you can get all the info (and buy). This time around, if they all sell out, don’t say we didn’t give you enough notice.

Editor's Note: The Unimatic website currently seems to be down due to high traffic volume. It should be restored shortly – try the links above later for better results.

The best watchmaking schools have sent their best students to Dresden to compete in A. Lange & Söhne’s annual young talent competition. Eight watchmakers have been selected by Lange from over 30 watchmaking schools across the world for the final part of a multi-phase competition. The finalists will now have six months to design and build a regulator, using an ETA base movement. The assignment was chosen by Anthony de Hass, Lange’s Director of Product Development, who is encouraging out-of-the box thinking.

The participants are not bound to the historic predecessors but explicitly invited to freely interpret the assignment.

Earlier this month, the students were invited to take part in a series of small courses in Dresden. They spent four days there and were shown around the Lange manufacture, taking part in several workshops and learning about some of the company’s polishing, engraving, and finishing techniques under the supervision of actual Lange watchmakers. They were in good hands, for sure, and returned home with a better understanding of what they’ll need to show if they want to win this year’s prize.

And the big prize for the winner? The F.A. Lange Scholarship & Watchmaking Excellence Award, which comes with €10,000 for the winner to continue his or her education in watchmaking. An expert jury will convene in November to look over the final entries, and the winner will be announced in December.

For more information, visit A. Lange & Söhne online.

Just when I thought I had seen and heard it all, this came across my desk. Kerbedanz has just released the Maximus, a limited edition of 99 pieces that features the largest tourbillon ever put into a wristwatch. This definitely required a closer look.

The Maximus is made of titanium and measures 49mm in diameter (and you thought Breitling made big watches) and features rose gold and platinum accents. The tourbillon is placed in the center of the dial and is visible through the large sapphire crystal, with the effect amplified by the bezel-less construction. The indexes are rose gold and claw-like, seeming to grip the edges of the dial. Likewise, there aren't traditional hands, but rather curved indicators that are mounted on geared discs. It's all very unusual.

But back to the flying tourbillon.

The tourbillon cage measures 27mm in diameter and is the centerpiece (literally and figuratively) of the caliber KRB-08. It makes one full rotation every six minutes, so it's a much slower tourbillon than what we usually see, in addition to being much larger. If you think about basic physics, this makes perfect sense. All design work for the movement was done in-house by Kerbandz and they even made a special balance wheel and hairspring for this caliber to deal with the unique challenges it presents. The movement is made of 415 componentsk with the tourbillon cage itself being comprised of 73 components and all made out of titanium (weighing just 1.35 grams in total). 

Now, Kerbedanz claims that this is the largest tourbillon ever placed in a wristwatch, and that it's more than twice the size of the previous record holder. That's a bold claim, so I did a little digging on just what that previous record-holder was. That honor goes to Franck Muller's Giga Tourbillon, in which the tourbillon cage measured 20mm. So, yes, the Maximus does have the largest tourbillon in a wristwatch (and by a serious margin) but that 2x number doesn't seem quite right.

While it may seem totally unnecessary to make ever-larger tourbillons (and it definitely is), it's still a pretty cool horological feat. It's important that watchmakers continue to push boundaries and keep things interesting for collectors and scholars. Mechanical timekeeping may no longer be a necessity, but that certainly doesn't mean it's time for innovation to stop.

For more information on the Maximus Tourbillon, visit Kerbedanz online.

Christie's has just announced that, as part of its June 21 Rare Watches and American Icons auction in New York City, it will be selling a Cartier Tank watch owned and worn by Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. The pairing of an iconic watch – that is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year, no less – with one of the most captivating personalities of the 20th century, is impossible to resist. 

The watch was a gift given to Jackie by her brother-in-law, Prince Stanislaw Radziwill (who went by "Stas") in 1963. It was given to commemorate a 50-mile hike undertaken by Stas and some of their other friends and relatives in Palm Beach in February of that year. Jackie participated in parts of the hike, though not the whole thing. While some historic watches and gifted watches have a connection to someone significant but were never really worn, Jackie wore the watch regularly for years and it can be seen on her wrist in many well-known photographs.

The watch itself is a small yellow gold Tank with a diminutive movement inside that you manually wind by turning the sapphire cabochon-set crown. The case appears to have taken on a nice soft finish from wear, and the hallmarks and serial number are clearly visible. The dial has definitely aged – showing that the watch is honest and was well-worn – with a little vignetting along the edges of the parchment-colored ground and some light spotting to the inky numerals and minute track. 

From the "Cartier France" signature on the dial and the "Made In France" engraving on the back, we also know that this watch must have been purchased at Cartier in Paris, which makes sense given the family's ties to the French capital. It's worth remembering that at the time, the only three places in the world you could purchase Cartier products were at the boutiques in New York, London, and Paris. There were no third-party retailers of Cartier, so obtaining something from the vaunted design house was not so easy. But back to the watch at hand.

Flip Jackie's Tank over and there's a heck of an engraving on the back. Inscribed (very crudely, but charmingly, I might add) is "Stas to Jackie / 23 Feb. 63 / 2:05 AM to 9:35 PM." This marks the date, start time, and end time of that 50-mile hike that the relatives took together. A beautiful watch like this certainly seems reward enough for nearly 20 hours of hiking.

The watch comes with an unusual companion too. Along with the Tank the winner will receive a painting made by Jackie in 1963 for – you guessed it – her brother-in-law Stas. Below the painting of Stas and his friend Chuck Spalding on a hike, is a hand-written message nearly identical to the engraving, which reads "February 23, 1963 2:05 am to 9:35 pm / Jackie to Stas with love and admiration." Until now, the existence of this painting was not publicly known.

As if you needed more reasons to be interested, a portion of the proceeds from the sale of this watch and painting will be donated to the National Endowment for the Arts. This is per the wishes of the consignor, who is choosing to remain anonymous (for obvious reasons). The watch carries an estimate of $60,000 to $120,000 – but with something like this, you never really know where the bidding will end.

The Rare Watches and American Icons sale will take place at Christie's New York City saleroom on June 21, with sessions at 10:00 AM and 2:00 PM. The catalog is not online yet, but keep your eyes on the Christie's Watch Department website for more details soon.

It's still a little chilly here in New York, but I can only dream of long summer days and swimming – and clearly I'm not the only one. Bulgari has just released a series of dive watches, the Diagono Scuba, in three fun colors that will get you ready for those steamy days ahead. While these aren't the most technically exciting watches, I think they are a fun addition to the Bulgari collection and they might add a little color to your life. 

The new Diagono Scuba features a 41mm stainless steel case with a pretty standard tonneau shape. On top of that is a unidirectional rotating bezel with a sort of scalloped pattern at the edges and dive markings at the poles. The watch comes in three colors, white, orange, and yellow which might not be for everyone, but hey, they could be a nice accessory for the old summer uniform of faded blue jeans and a white t-shirt (or is that just my summer uniform?). In case the new new colors are too much for you, there are also dark blue and black versions that have been available for some time already.

To match the brighter dials are vulcanized rubber straps that allow for easy wearing and, yes, swimming. The indexes and hands all have a healthy dose of SuperLuminova too, so if you happen to find yourself in the shade (or in a grotto), you will still be able to read the time with ease. Inside is the automatic caliber BVL 191, which is Bulgari's in-house time and date movement with a 42-hour power reserve, ceramic ball bearings for the winding rotor, and 26 jewels.

The Diagono Scuba is priced at $6,500, regardless of color. For more about these watches, visit Bulgari online. 

Fun fact: Today is Salvador Dalí's birthday, and he would have been 113, were he still with us. Another fun fact: Dalí made a series of strange watches during his career and one of them is up for auction in Sotheby's May 17 Impressionist and Modern sale in New York. This little brooch/watch, aptly called The Eye of Time, is unlike anything you've ever seen before. At least I hope so.

The Eye of Time is part of a suite of jewelry designed by Dalí between 1941 and 1970. The collection was made up of 39 pieces that included the eye-form brooch featuring a small watch that we have here. Since I already know the first question you're going to ask, it's a tiny Movado movement inside, though we don't know much more about the technical side of this watch than that. 

There are only four known examples of this work, and two have come up for auction at Sotheby's over the past three years. The first appeared in 2014 and was estimated at $250,000-$350,000, though it eventually sold for a whopping $1,055,000. I actually was working at Sotheby's at the time and I remember this being a truly shocking price, but hey, a Dalí is a Dalí, even if it's a strange little watch. The second, which was attributed as "After Salvator Dali," sold in 2016, but it was in far worse condition and had no dial signature. It was estimated at $20,000-$30,000, selling for $32,500. 

This brings us to the lot we have here, which is estimated at $300,000-$400,000. This version of The Eye of Time is a beautiful example that measures 7cm across with a signature along the bottom of the enamel iris. The case is made of platinum and set with (a ton of) diamonds and rubies. The Eye of Time was originally designed by Dalí for his wife Gala, and became the crown jewel in his jewelry collection. While the design was all Dalí, the piece itself was made by Argentinian jeweler Carlos Alemany. 

The story behind this example is that a Philadelphia banker, Cummins Catherwood, and his wife Ellengowen, commissioned 22 pieces of jewelry from Dalí in 1949. When the collection was later acquired in 1958 by the Owen Cheatham Foundation, Mrs. Catherwood missed The Eye of Time so much that she convinced Dalí to make another for her to keep. That second version is the one you see here. 

This little gem of a watch is one of the many cool mid-century timepieces that can be found from time to time. One of the coolest things about watches is that they can be found in many different forms with many different functions. 

This edition of The Eye of Time is lot 314 in the May 17 Impressionist and Modern Art Day Sale at Sotheby's New York, with an estimate of $300,000-$400,000. For more, visit Sotheby's online.

This week will mostly be about complications, starting with the perpetual calendar, which is represented here by a yellow gold Patek Philippe reference 3448. You will also find some chronographs with very unusual features, including a LeCoultre with a rotating slide rule bezel and an Orvis Solunagraph with a tide indicator. And we found one badly redialed Rolex on Ebay that showcases what to look for when looking at doubtful dials.

LeCoultre Reference E2647, With Calculator Rotating Scales

This LeCoultre is not the first chronograph to offer a calculating function – the Breitling Chronomat, the Juvenia Arithmo, and the Mimo Loga already displayed circular slide rules in the 1940s. The design of the LeCoultre reference E2647, with its cushion case, is visibly from a couple of decades later. It seems that originally this watch came on a Champion bracelet, which is here replaced by a white Tropic strap.

The grey dial appears to be in great condition, with very clean sub-registers. The degree of patina on the lume plots matches that on the handset, and the red second hand is absolutely correct for this reference. The 38.5mm case is described as unpolished, and the original brushing is still present. The crown is unsigned, but that's not a red flag here as all other examples of this chronograph have this characteristic. Lastly, the manual-wound caliber Valjoux 72 is said to be working well.

This smart (in more ways than one) LeCoultre E2647 is offered for $5,500 on Chronocentric. 

Patek Philippe Reference 3448, With Perpetual Calendar Complication

Patek Philippe is famous for introducing the first series-produced perpetual calendar wristwatch, back in 1941, with the reference 1526 and reference 1518, the latter also offering a chronograph complication. Fast forward 20 years to 1962, and Patek launched the reference 3448, their very first self-winding perpetual calendar. It relied on the automatic caliber 27-460, to which a perpetual calendar mechanism was fitted, becoming the caliber 27-460Q. It was eventually replaced by the reference 3450 in 1981, which added a leap year indication.

The current watch is cased in yellow gold, as are the vast majority of the 586 3448s made. Its 37mm diameter makes it wear large on the wrist, and represent a radical design change from the previous, smaller perpetual calendar watches from Patek. The case shows signs of some light previous polishing, but the hallmarks are still visible, even if a bit faint (the clarity of the hallmarks is always a good thing to check when examining precious metal cases). The dial belongs to the third series produced from 1971 to 1978 and showed perlé minute divisions, and a relatively large date ring. This time period is consistent with the Sigma symbols found at the bottom of the dial, while the extract from Patek's archives provided with the watch, would allow us to narrow down the manufacturing date even more.

The Keystone has priced this beautiful Patek Philippe reference 3448 at $175,000.

TAG Heuer Diver Professional Reference 180.123, The 'Nightdiver'

I have already shared my infatuation with the (TAG) Heuer Diver Professional, and especially for the luminous dial version. So you shouldn't be surprised to see the reference 180.123 shown here, although it has a much bigger diameter, at 41.5mm. Its crown placement at 4 o'clock is like that of the 1,000m water-resistant divers from Heuer, originally in quartz. With its automatic caliber 2.89 (a rebadged ETA movement) this reference 180.123 was launched later – in the late 1980s – and therefore only comes with the TAG Heuer signature.

The watch here comes with its original Jubilee bracelet, and the clasp offers a diver's extension. The dial still shows some luminosity, and displays a bit of aging, but nothing too severe. The automatic caliber is said to be working well, while the rotating bezel does not have any deep scratches.

The luminous TAG Heuer diver reference 180.123 is offered for 1,100 euro (or around $1,195) on Chronocentric, and the collector also considers lower offers.

Orvis Solunagraph Reference 2446SF, A Tidal Chronograph Manufactured By Heuer

Heuer had a longstanding association with tidal indications, as it started offering such a complication on some of its own chronographs in the 1950s, those being called the Mareograph ("marée" being the French word for tide). It also private labelled those watches for Abercrombie & Fitch; those models were called the "Seafarer." In the early 1970s, Heuer also manufactured these chronographs for Orvis, a retailer of fishing equipment. The original documentation shows a retail price of $195, and clearly underlines the ability of the watch to tell the best times for fishing and hunting based on the tide cycles.

The current example belongs to the first execution, as can be seen from the hour and minute bezel, and the coloration of the sub-registers. It is described as "perfect and flawless," and indeed the condition looks exemplary. The reference and serial numbers are described as perfectly legible, and the watch comes with the correct Heuer-signed crown, and an original Heuer-signed buckle. The one unknown here is the the reserve price asked by the seller; bidding on Ebay as of this writing has not reached the minimum reserve.

Bidding on this Orvis Solunagraph was at $17,800 on Ebay at time of publishing, still below its reserve price. 

For comparison, here's another Orvis Solunagraph listed by Matthew Bain. It belongs to the second execution, as evidenced by the different shades of blue in the sub-registers and the distinctive bezel. Besides those cosmetic changes, the case remains the same 40mm Autavia case found in the first execution, and it still relies on the Valjoux 72 chronograph movement.

Bidder Beware: A Redialed Rolex Perpetual Reference 1018

Identifying this redialed Rolex was definitely easy since the font is clearly wonky. Yet, they are other points that can allow us to spot a redone dial, even when it is from the hands of a more qualified "artist" than the one responsible for this one. 

First, the T-Swiss Made-T at the bottom of the dial has no place in a Rolex from the 1960s since this was used by Rolex only from from the 1980s (and again using a different font). 

The indexes are another great telltale, since they should have lume plots; the originals were probably shaved off when the dial was repainted. Indeed, in most instances the presence of lume on the hands should equate to some lume application on the indexes, and this general rule extends much beyond the world of vintage Rolex. Of course, exceptions exist, but they are rare. The lume on the hands is also too fresh, so those were either relumed or replaced.

Lastly, and this is a bit less scientific, but the overall finish of the dial looks too new; the black color is very shiny, and the minute track is too white for a 50-year-old watch. It is more an impression than anything else, but associated with the other facts, there is really no doubt that the original dial of this reference 1018 is long gone. Yet, this badly redialed Rolex 1018 was sold on Ebay on the very same day that it was listed for $1,500.

It’s February 26, 1970, and the H.M.S Hubberston is anchored somewhere in the Pacific Ocean, a few miles away the Japanese island of Okinawa. On board, J.B. Fisher is getting ready for a dive during which he hopes to locate an aircraft wreck some 60 feet beneath the water’s surface. A typical mission for a Royal Navy diver. The last thing Fisher does before jumping into the water? He adjusts the bezel of his trusty watch, setting the countdown for his dive.

The Omega Seamaster 300

Omega introduced the Seamaster 300 in 1957, four years after the introduction of the first professional diving wristwatch – the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms – and the Rolex Submariner. The Seamaster 300 wasn’t Omega’s first Seamaster, but it was the first true professional dive watch, receiving an official water resistance rating of 200 meters, the maximum depth to which the company could test its watches back then.

Together with the Speedmaster and the Railmaster, the Seamaster 300 was part of a new trilogy of professional-grade wristwatches that used the same case and handset, the Seamaster 300 being aimed at professional divers. For practical reasons, Omega decided to manufacture all three pieces using the same base components, including the same cases and hands, but each piece would evolve to more specifically address the needs of the end user.

The first generation Seamaster 300, the ref. CK 2913-1, measured 39mm, and had straight lugs, a thin 60-minute bezel divided in 10-minute intervals, and broad arrow hands. The second generation, introduced seven years after the first, was 42mm, had chunkier twisted lugs, and also featured a wider bezel with hashes for every minute. Omega introduced two versions, the no-date ref. 165.024 and the ref. 166.024 with a date at three o’clock. The British armed forces gave the former model the nod.

J.B. Fisher’s Seamaster 300

The British Ministry of Defence took delivery of military Seaamster 300s between 1967 and 1971. Both the British Royal Navy and the Army received watches, the only distinction between the two batches being the markings used to identify the military branch for which they were meant. The first were engraved with number “0552," while the second were engraved with “W10."

Being military watches, they differ from the original Seamaster 300 ref. ST 165.024 in a few notable ways. Besides the military issue markings at the back, they also feature fixed bars between the lugs, an encircled “T” on the dial to indicate the use of tritium, mil-spec hands, and a screw-down crown.

What Exactly Is Mil-Spec?

A “mil-spec” is a watch made according to military specifications outlined by a national government. Many watch companies delivered military issued watches over the course of the 20th century. The majority were based on civilian models, and were generally more robust, retaining only the most useful features. The most well-known military diving wristwatches are the Omega Seamaster 300, and the Rolex Military Submariner, also known as the MilSub, which adopted some of the characteristics of the Seamaster 300 and eventually replaced it as the Royal Navy’s chosen diver. Panerai also made military diving watches, but these were only available to the public much later.

Fisher’s Seamaster was delivered to the British Royal Navy in 1968, and for a few years it served him well. Fisher kept meticulous records of his missions in his personal log, which provides a fascinating account of the life of Royal Navy diver. While the watch is not mentioned (why would it be?), we know he had to have been wearing it, both because it was part of his official diving gear and because it was a vital part of his diving gear. What isn’t clear is how Fisher managed to hold onto the watch. The most probable explanation is that he reported it lost, perhaps after the Ministry of Defense’s decision in 1971 to replace the Seamaster 300 with the MilSub. Or maybe even before? There is an entry for the "search of a lost watch" on December 15, 1969.

Fisher's Seamaster 300 was discovered by a private collector following what was described to me as a "fierce hunt"and it was sold only once to second private collector. The watch now comes to Phillips via the latest owner and this is the first time it is being offered publicly via auction. For this reason it should attract loads of interest, and it will be very interesting to see what collectors believe is a fair price for a truly field-tested mil-spec dive watch.

Collectibility

Collectors are drawn to military watches for sentimental reasons, for sure. These watches served their respective countries and are witnesses to important chapters of history. But what makes these watches truly valuable is the scarcity of models still in good original condition. Whether they were worn by the infantry, by pilots, or by divers, very few made it through relatively unscathed. The majority either carry replacement parts, were damaged beyond repair, were kept by militaries and possibly destroyed, or were simply lost.

Lot 103 in this weekend's Phillips sale in Geneva is one of the finest examples of a military Seamaster 300 in original condition, of which there are already very few. And while we can only imagine where most of these watches have been, we have a very good idea of where this one went, when it was used, how deeply it traveled under water, and for how long. The rarity, condition, and provenance of this watch, together with the vivid images that Fisher captured in his log, elevate the status of this little survivor into grail territory.

Final Thoughts

Fisher’s Seamaster 300 is a great example of a watch that may not seem very special until you take a closer look at what’s really in front of you and notice the fixed lugs, the tritium dial, and the military markings at the back, small features that don’t appear in equivalent civilian models and make this an exceptionally rare piece.

In fact, a good Seamaster 300 Mil-Spec is a much rarer find than a good Rolex MilSub, and based on availability alone, you would think collectors would be ready to pay just as much for the Royal Navy's initial choice as they are for the more famous MilSub. Whether or not they should is a matter of opinion, of course, and the mythical status of the MilSub is indisputable at this point, but this particular Seamaster 300 might in fact have the cheek of beating its long-time competitor several times over this weekend, when it goes up against quite a few (non-military) Submariners.

Add the original owner’s personal dive log and you’ve got yourself one of the most interesting diving watches of the 1960s, and certainly one of the most well-preserved Seamasters on the market. Because of this, Phillips has placed an estimate of $59,500 and $119,000 on the watch, and we'll update this story once a the hammer has fallen and a final price has been reached.

The Phillips Geneva Watch Auction: Five will take place on May 13-14 in Geneva. The stainless steel Omega Seamaster 300 “Mil-Spec” is lot number 103. You can read more about this lot and see the rest of the watches in the auction by visiting Phillips Watches online.

In this, our fourth installment of Friday Live, we welcome Editor-in-Chief Jack Forster and Vintage Watch Specialist Louis Westphalen to the set. They'll go over the latest news from Switzerland – including ETA production capacity and the latest figures from the Richemont Group; highlight a few watches from the upcoming Phillips, Christies, Sotheby's, and Antiquorum auctions; pick their favorite new dive watches for summer 2017; and share what's on their wrists today. Along with live Q&A from the audience (please leave your questions in the comments section below or in the YouTube live stream), they'll also answer some questions from the "mailbag" – particularly thought-provoking questions our editors have selected from recent comments left on the site. Happy Friday!

There is some serious auction action going down over the weekend, and we can certainly expect some record-breaking results coming out of Geneva. Yet, that won't be the only place where bidding will be going on, with Kaplans offering just over 150 watches at the same time from its base in Stockholm, Sweden. 

Interestingly, this auction house allows online pre-bidding, so I've done some digging and found three chronographs which have already blown past their estimates, even before the live auction officially starts. Alongside usual suspects from Omega and Heuer comes a rare Universal Genève, with a whooping 46mm case. Let's dig in.

Universal Genève Compax Reference 22531

Let's start with the biggest lot of the three – and I'm talking literal size here. This black dial Universal Genève is a massive 46mm in diameter! It gets even more impressive when you consider that it was produced in the 1940s, when 35mm would have been considered fairly large for a chronograph. The rare exceptions like this Compax were more often than not meant to be worn over a jacket, by racers and military men, which explains the black dial and fixed bars on this example.

The caseback does not bear any engravings (besides the serial and reference numbers), so it's safe to assume that this was indeed a civilian watch, although I would love to meet the man who was buying such a watch in the 1940s. The sharp lugs and deep engravings show that this watch was likely never polished in its life. The handset shows some aging and the painted numerals have faded slightly, but this has to be expected in a watch of this age.

Live bidding before the auction has already sent this watch to more than 10x the initial estimates, nearing 340,000 SEK (approximately $38,270) at the time of publishing.

Omega Speedmaster Reference 2998-1

There's no need to explain too much about this early Omega Speedmaster (Ben already did all the work for me in Reference Points, where the 2998 gets more than a mention), which is considered "even the archetype for what we know [the Speedmaster for] today." Like all early Speedmasters, it does not have lyre lugs, and the case diameter is 38mm instead of the latter 42mm. A multitude of versions exist for the Speedmaster 2998 (eight to be precise), but the present 2998-1 might be the most coveted, and not only because it was the earliest. 

The watch here exhibits all the defining traits of the 2998-1, just as you should expect. It introduces the alpha-shaped hands for the hours and minutes, instead of the previous broad arrow hands of the reference 2915. The small hands in the sub-registers are also alpha hands, which would later be replaced by straight hands in the reference 2998-4 (note that the lollipop of the chronograph seconds hand is extremely rare, and entirely correct here). The black bezel is original as it reads "Base 1000", while it would change to "Tachymètre 500" in the reference 2998-3. The most distinctive feature that separates the 2998-1 from any other 2998 is the oval "O" in the Omega script, not present here as is possible with later 2998-1 (this example is from 1960, while the reference was launched in 1959). While all those can sound like minute details, they are really the key points that make or break the value of a 2998-1. Bonus point, the watch comes with an Extract from Omega Archives, which documents an initial delivery in Sweden, the very same country it is now offered 57 years later.

Pre-sale bidding for this Omega Speedmaster 2998-1 is already at  370,000 SEK (approximately $41,660), showing that it has definitely caught the attention of the collectors.

Heuer Carrera Reference 1153BN

While the manually-wound Autavia usually gets most of the Heuer attention at auction, it seems later automatic examples like this reference 1153BN are catching up, since several examples can be found in various catalogs this season. And there is indeed a lot to love about its 1970s looks, especially the contrast between the radiant blue dial and the orange indexes and chronograph hand. At 38.5mm, it wears extremely well, with short lugs and the winding crown on the left side.

This peculiar crown placement is a characteristic of the novel automatic chronograph caliber originally released in 1969 after a collaboration between Heuer, Breitling, Buren, and Dubois-Depraz. Combining automatic winding with a chronograph complication was a horological challenge that many brands tackled, only to finally achieve success in 1969 (remember, the Zenith El Primero was also released the same year). The movement in this Heuer reference 1153BN is a caliber 12, a small evolution over the original caliber 11. Its configuration of dial and hands is often qualified as the third execution, but it is truly the blue metallic shine of the dial that makes this watch look so stunning.

The estimate for this Heuer Carrera 1153 BN was set at 18,000 SEK (approximately $2,000) but pre-auction bidding is already at 31,500 SEK (approximately $3,550)

Be sure to check out the full catalog for Saturday's sale, which commences in Stockholm at 1:00 PM local time (7:00 AM ET), with online bidding available throughout the auction.

Quartz can be pretty polarizing. Not many mechanical watch purists can get behind battery-powered movements, but love it or hate it, quartz is a major part of watchmaking history and the Beta 21 is definitely worth discussing. Longtime readers might remember a little thing Jack and I put together called "Quartz Week," a series of stories dedicated to all things quartz. Quartz Week was not exactly well-received (who knew!), but it was certainly educational. One story I wrote was a list of the most collectible Beta 21 watches, and one of those watches was the Rolex reference 5100. I was fortunate enough to see one in the metal recently at Christie's, as they have a white gold version coming up for auction in Geneva on Monday.

First things first – the Beta 21 movement is awesome. While it is kind of a pain to actually maintain, it is a truly historical part of watchmaking that's also just flat out fun. In case you don't know what the Beta 21 is (no judgement), here is a brief history. The Beta 21 (1969) was the second iteration of the Beta 1 (1960), a quartz movement developed by the Centre Electronique Horologer (CEH), which was a group of 20 Swiss watch brands that were determined to make a reliable quartz movement that could in theory replace a manual or automatic movement. The main goal was for the caliber to be as accurate as possible, but alas, the results were not as great as the CEH had hoped. The Beta 21 was implemented in a range of wristwatches from the Patek Philippe reference 3587 to the IWC Da Vinci to a few strange Piaget models. But, for me, the Beta 21 is all about the Rolex reference 5100.

The ref. 5100 was first released in 1970, one year after the Beta 21 was completed. It's unclear exactly how many examples were made between 1970 and 1972, when the model was discontinued. As with many things related to vintage Rolex, it's hard to know figures for certain since Rolex will neither confirm nor deny in most cases.

The watches are individually numbered and there are pieces known to exist with numbers over 1,000, but there are a few schools of thought as to how many total pieces exist and what the yellow gold/white gold split is like. One theory is that there were just over 700 examples made in yellow gold and just over 300 examples made in white gold. Another is that there are closer to 900 in yellow and 100 in white. Finally, some suggest that there are actually two batches of these watches, with 900 in yellow and 100 in which in each batch, with 2,000 existing in total. No matter how you cut it, it's safe to say that a white gold ref. 5100 is a rare sight.

The white gold ref. 5100 you see here is number 794 and is in new-old-stock condition. This is unusual for any watch, let alone a Beta 21 Rolex. It features a heavy white gold case with a fluted bezel and a tenacious bracelet with faceted links. Rolex always seems to make the best bracelets, and this unusual one is no exception. This watch is estimated to sell for CHF 100,000 to 150,000 (approximately the same in dollars), which is much higher than what we've seen these watches fetch in previous years. I chalk it up to the NOS condition, rarity, the fact that it is a historical piece, and that it is accompanied by a 1986 service invoice and green hang-tag. 

Reference 5100 vs. Oysterquartz

You might be familiar with Rolex's other quartz watch, the Oysterquartz, which is not to be confused with the refe. 5100. The ref. 5100 was produced from 1970-1972 while Rolex was still part of the Centre Electronique Horologer (CEH). Rolex left the CEH in 1972, and went on to produce its own in-house quartz movements and the Oysterquartz watches. (Photo: Courtesy www.oysterquartz.net)

The market for these watches has also increased drastically over the past three to four years. The last two white gold versions were estimated for CHF 15,000 to 25,000 in 2013 and CHF 30,000 to 50,000 in 2014, resulting in final prices of CHF 32,500 and CHF 125,000 respectively. As you can see, there is a huge discrepancy between the two, and the only conclusion I can draw from these results is that because the example at Sotheby's from 2014 was a full-set, two bidders must have wanted it desperately. 

To put things in perspective a little, there is a yellow gold ref. 5100 also for sale at Christie's on Monday and its estimate is just CHF 15,000-25,000. I would imagine the estimate on the white gold example was based on the result from 2014 and perceived interest today, but I will be very interested to see the final results on these two watches.

The reference 5100 has to be up there as one of my favorite Rolex references. There is something so refreshing about the case and bracelet design, and while it isn't the most attractive Rolex per se, I think its ugliness is part of its appeal. I also think that owning a watch that was Rolex's first quartz watch and the brand's first watch with a sapphire crystal makes it super cool. But, hey, maybe that's just me. 

You can read more about the Christie's Geneva auction here. 

The Rolex reference 6062 "Bao Dai" just sold for $5,060,427, making it the most expensive Rolex ever sold at auction. The watch sold as lot 93 of today's Phillips Geneva Watch Auction: Five, setting the new world record (as everyone expected).

This unique ref. 6062 is special for a number of reasons. It is the only known example of the ref. 6062 with a black dial and diamond indexes, and it belonged to the last emperor of Vietnam, who was quite the character. Many expected it to break the previous Rolex record (held by a split-seconds chronograph ref. 4113 sold by Phillips just 12 months ago), but the Bao Dai smashed past the CHF 2.5 million mark right from the start, and the only unknown left was how far collectors would go for this watch.

The result means the Bao Dai reclaims a record which it set in 2002, when it was sold for $235,000. In other words, the value of this watch is 21 times what it was 15 years ago. Pretty insane.

Be sure to read Louis's in-depth report on this watch here, and stay tuned for more reports live from the Geneva auctions all weekend and into Monday.