This year’s SIHH showed many new trends, but the one that stuck out to me the most was the emphasis on interesting ladies’ watches (unless I have just tempered my expectations, which is likely). Regardless, there was one thing in particular that I noticed over and over, and that was special dial or case treatments. One great example is the A. Lange & Söhne Saxonia Thin Blue Copper. This watch was totally out of left field, but made quite an impact upon first sight.

The Saxonia Thin Blue Copper is the same Saxonia Thin watch that we all know and love except for two things: the case size and the dial material. The Saxonia Thin first hit the market back in 2016 and measured 40mm. Later, a 37mm version was added to the collection, and Stephen reviewed that model here. The latter sent shockwaves through the industry as the new entry-level Lange, retailing for “only” $14,900, which in comparison to the previous $24,500 price tag on the 40mm version was a welcome price adjustment (despite still being over $10k, but hey this is Lange after all). The watch is powered by the in-house caliber L093.1 that has the same hand-finished touches that make Lange, well, Lange. That is still present here, but the case size is brand new, coming in at 39mm in diameter and 6.2mm thick. It's an interesting middle ground between the other two offerings (and one that we might see more of in the future?).

So what is so special about the Blue Copper dial? Blue Copper, or Goldstone as it's more commonly known, is glass that looks similar to Aventurine (a material used in another favorite of mine from SIHH, the Van Cleef & Arpels Lady Arpels Planetarium), a form of quartz that comes in a variety of colors including yellow, green, orange, brown, grey, and, most notably, blue. 

Blue Copper/Goldstone dates back the the 17th century and it is claimed that the technique for making it was invented in Venice by the Miotti family, though it could have been discovered earlier. Now I am no scientist (we can't all be Jack), but the process goes a little something like this: You start with a mixture of silica and copper oxide that is heated up and melted together. You then slowly start to cool the mixture to get the right crystallization (you want the copper to crystallize before the glass hardens). If you go too fast, you won't get the right results. Additionally, you need a low oxygen content because oxygen reacts enthusiastically with copper. The process is quite labor intensive and wears heavily on the tools, so it's neither quick nor inexpensive. The results though speak for themselves.

On the wrist, this watch is as comfortable as you would imagine. The 39mm white gold case wears easily and fits most wrist sizes. While this watch is not marketed to women exclusively, I imagine it would appeal to this demographic the most, which is why I find it curious that Lange debuted the 39mm version of the Saxonia Thin with a dial such as this. I can't help but feel that this would be better suited for the 37mm version or, even better, a 35mm version. Regardless, wearing this watch feels like an elevated version of the original, and for a girl who likes just a little bit of sparkle this watch is a hit.

Special dial and case treatments (a la Frosted Gold) nothing new in the watch world. The 1970s and 1980s saw a rise in bark finishes, opal dials, and braided bezels from the likes of Rolex, Piaget, and more. This trend obviously didn't stick around (they come and go), but it's clearly having a moment right now. While I realize that these special treatments are for everyone, I personally dig 'em. You don't always want your run-of-the-mill silvered dial, and watches like this provide that little something extra that we all need from time to time.

The Saxonia Thin Blue Copper retails for $22,000, which is considerably more than the standard 37mm Saxonia Thin, but still less than the 40mm version. For more, visit A. Lange & Söhne online. 

If you visit Google.com today, you'll be greeted by a nice surprise: British clockmaker John Harrison will be staring back at you. In case you're not familiar with the Google Doodle, basically Google replaces the logo on its homepage each day with a bit of art that both references the logo and nods to something historic or relevant for the day. Today's Doodle is a fun little sketch of Harrison hard at work solving the longitude problem, and it marks what would be the legendary clockmaker's 325th birthday.

While most of you are probably at least a little familiar with John Harrison, here's a brief refresher. The British clockmaker was born on April 3, 1693, in Yorkshire, England, and went on to become one of the world's preeminent horologists, tackling one of the greatest problems of his day: accurate navigation at sea. In order to properly calculate longitude, sailors needed accurate timekeepers, but rollicking ships aren't the friendliest places for mechanical clocks. The British government issued a general challenge to anyone who thought they could solve the problem and create an accurate marine timekeeper, with a prize of £20,000  for the first to get there. After a few different tries and almost a decade of work, Harrison eventually succeeded (though the government initially declined to award him the entire prize, since his clocks and watches couldn't be mass produced at the time). 

The Doodle of Harrison is playful and enjoyable at first glance, but a second look provides an added layer of enjoyment for the nerds among us. Jumping off the workbench, over the under-construction clock (which sort of resembles the H2 chronometer, though not exactly), is a grasshopper. This is a reference to the grasshopper escapement that Harrison invented in 1722. Whoever drew this clearly knows their stuff.

One of the side benefits of something like this is that it gets people in the mainstream talking about horology. A ton of publications, from The Verge to the International Business Times to others have picked up the story and are educating their readers about Harrison and his massive impact. When friends start texting me articles about John Harrison before 8:00 AM, I know it's a good day.

To learn more about Harrison, be sure to check out The Road Through Britain Episode 5: The Royal Observatory Of Greenwich, where we look at a handful of his historic chronometers. And if you really want to go deep, Dava Sobel's award-winning book Longitude: The True Story Of A Lone Genius Who Solved The Greatest Scientific Problem Of His Time is an incredible read and easily one of the best books ever written about timekeeping.

The connection between motorsports and watchmaking is both obvious and elusive. Cars, racing, and time are joined at the hip, of course, but cars and watches couldn't be more diametrically opposed as machines. On the one hand you have the huge and powerful; on the other, you have the small, the relatively delicate, and the virtually silent. And yet, somehow they keep finding themselves in each other's company.

A great place to observe cars doing what cars are meant to do, from early fire-breathing monsters from before World War 1, to recent F1 cars, to modern hypercars like the Bugatti Chiron, is at Goodwood Estate. Every year, Goodwood, and its master, the Duke of Richmond, host two of the motorsports calendar's most purely fun events: the Festival of Speed, and the Goodwood Revival. While many, if not most, classic car events involve white gloves and low speed, at Goodwood, and particularly at the Festival of Speed you can see and hear dozens of fantastic cars from over a hundred years of automotive history, screaming like a horde of banshees as they go all out in front of hundreds of thousands of car nuts. In this world, where you can experience cars made during the time period when mechanical horology was developing to its pre-quartz zenith, cars and watches seem even more natural a pair than usual.

Racing At Goodwood

Goodwood Circuit didn't start out as a race track. During World War II, the grounds of the estate were home to RAF Westhampnett, which was a recovery airfield for RAF Tangmere, located nearby. Both were critical lines of defense in the Battle of Britain, and during the war years impromptu car races often occurred on the Westhampnett perimeter track, along which aircraft were parked (the average life expectancy of a Spitfire pilot during the Battle of Britain was just four weeks, so amateur car racing must have seemed to present a trivial risk).  

The shape of the perimeter track was designed for a specific purpose. Its irregular form and curves were intended to keep too many aircraft from being lined up in rows; the idea was to make life more difficult for attacking bombers and strafing fighters. The modern Circuit follows the shape of the original perimeter track almost exactly, with only minor alterations such as the addition of the chicane behind the aerodrome buildings, at the bottom of the lower image. As you can see there are a couple of runways inside the Circuit – the track encircles Goodwood/Chichester Airport, which is locally known as the Goodwood Aerodrome. The Aerodrome houses a flying school, as well as an exhibition of vintage aircraft.

Two wartime RAF pilots in particular, Squadron Leaders Tony Gaze and James Richard "Dickie" Stoop, enjoyed off-duty high-speed perimeter track driving; both would go on to have post-war careers in motorsports. In 1946, Gaze asked the 9th Duke of Richmond, Frederick Gordon-Lennox (known informally as Freddie March) "When are we going to have a sports car race on Westhampnett?"

The Duke was not just a motorsports enthusiast (although he certainly was that). He was an automotive and aeronautical engineer who worked at Bentley, and drove professionally for Austin at one point. He embraced the idea enthusiastically, and Goodwood Circuit held its first race in 1948. The Circuit rapidly became an important venue, especially for the Glover Trophy, which was a non-championship race for Formula One. Racing at Goodwood was an enormous success from the very beginning; the 1948 opening drew 85 drivers and about 15,000 spectators, and over the years a veritable who's who of champion drivers visited Goodwood, including two time F1 champion Graham Hill, Grand Prix legend Jim Clark, and Stirling Moss. Moss suffered a career-ending accident at Goodwood in 1962, and in 1966, the Duke decided to close the track to professional competition, citing safety concerns. 

In 1998, the 9th Duke's grandson, Charles Gordon-Lennox, then Lord March and now the 11th Duke of Richmond, opened the track for the first Goodwood Revival. (Festival of Speed, which doesn't take place on the Circuit, began in 1993). He did so by completing a circuit of the track in the same Bristol 400 that his grandfather had driven when opening Goodwood for professional racing in 1948. Today some 800,000 visitors come to Goodwood every year. The Members' Meetings originally took place between 1949 and 1966, and recommenced in 2014.

The IWC Racing Team

It's been 20 years since Goodwood Circuit reopened, and in that time, Revival and Festival of Speed have become essential events in the annual motorsports and auto enthusiast calendars. A less well known event at Goodwood is the Salvadori Cup, which takes place at the annual Member's Meeting of the GRRC (Goodwood Road Racing Club). The Salvadori Cup (the race is named for F1 driver and frequent Goodwood competitor Roy Salvadori)  is part of a larger schedule of demonstrations and competitions taking place during the Member's Meeting weekend and is one of the most interesting to watch, as it is open only to production sports-racing cars, and World Championship cars that raced between 1955 and 1960. 

The relatively narrow time window from which the cars are drawn, is important, says the Duke, in ensuring that the race is genuinely competitive. "What we want to do," he says, "is make sure the cars are competitive with one another ... we're trying to chop out cars that might be too quick; we're trying to keep that band quite narrow. We're trying to put together great cars and great drivers, but most important, we're trying to make it an entertaining race ... they're not just driving around; most people who come here want to see real racing."

IWC is participating in the Salvadori Cup for the first time, and with both a remarkable driver, and a remarkable car. The driver is David Coulthard, who drove for the Williams, McLaren, and Red Bull F1 teams from 1994 through 2008, finishing 2nd for the Driver's Championship to Schumacher in 2001 and winning 8 races, as well as winning the annual Race of Champions in 2014, and again in 2018. 

The car is none other than the Mercedes-Benz 300 SL "Gullwing," which represented the state of the art in high performance production sports cars of its time. Its distinctive gullwing doors were necessitated by the aluminum tube spaceframe construction of its chassis, and it was also the first production sports car to have direct fuel injection. At the time it debuted it was the fastest sports car in the world, topping out at around 160 mph, and today, the low production numbers and performance history of the car have made it very collectible and extremely expensive. Prices start at around one million of your favorite dollars, and rarer models can be much more expensive, with the record for a 300 SL set for an aluminum body model (the standard body was steel but at a considerable premium you could order an aluminum body while the car was in production) which auctioned for $4.62 million in 2012.

Coulthard was the pilot for IWC during the team's debut but IWC has announced an impressive slate of additional drivers, including Lewis Hamilton, Valtteri Bottas, Jochen Mass, Maro Engel, and Carmen Jordá.

The Ingenieur Chronograph Sport Edition "76th Members' Meeting at Goodwood."

IWC has been a timing partner of the Members' Meeting since 2017, and this is actually the second Members' Meeting chronograph; the first was made for the 74th Members' Meeting and was a gold-cased Ingenieur chronpgraph, using the caliber 69370. (A redesigned Ingenieur collection debuted at the 2017 Members' Meeting as well). This year's 76th Members' Meeting model (priced at $8600 and in a 44.3mm x 16.3mm titanium case) represents the first use of the 69xxx series of in-house chronograph movements in the Sport version of the Ingenieur chronograph, which has the soft iron antimagnetic inner case found in the original Ingenieur models. (The basic Sport model in titanium uses the 89361 caliber, with its distinctive single chronograph register with co-axial minute and hour hands). 

The case for the 76th Members' Meeting Ingenieur is titanium, and it's a large, 44.3mm x 16.3mm watch, with a very automotive-feeling dial; the blue on the hands for the minute and hour recorders is something of an iconic color for the Members' Meeting. Like the original Sport, it's fitted with  a soft-iron inner case for protection against magnetic fields, attested to by the lightning-bolt shaped running seconds hand. It's a limited edition with quite low production numbers – 176 will be produced.

On The Track With Team IWC And David Coulthard

The Gullwing was in its time an extraordinary car and over the weekend, it shared the Circuit with a number of other remarkable automobiles, including all the high performance machines running in the Salvadori Cup, as well as many others. Driving a seven-figure car on the track competitively, particularly one that lacks so many of the forms of mechanical and electronic assistance that both civilian and professional drivers take for granted in modern cars, presents some interesting challenges and for IWC's David Coulthard it was an especially interesting introduction to driving the Gullwing in competition, as the weather was much colder than usual for the time of year – it snowed, sometimes heavily, for both practice and race day. 

To say that this led to sub-optimal track conditions is to say nothing at all and several cars ended up off the track on practice day, including the Gullwing as a result of Coulthard having to maneuver to avoid collision with another car.

"The Gullwing I'm driving is quite an adventure to drive, compared to a modern car," he said, after taking the 300 SL out in the snow. Asked what it's like to drive it competitively, he replied, "Well, first of all, when I go out, it's just a car. I have to learn where the grip is, just like any car ... I have to be a little more respectful in certain areas of performance, like braking, because I'm not familiar with drum brakes, and what I've discovered is that this car has a tendency to lock the front axle. There's no downforce; it's a heavy car with narrow tires and a locking front axle is a very bad thing for a racing car."

"There's no ability to adjust the brake balance in the cockpit, so the mechanics'll change it for when I drive tomorrow. When I'm moving around other cars, I can see the opportunity coming, when they make a mistake but obviously I'm being a bit more cautious because it's practice ...  it has more power than a lot of other cars out there, so it's faster in a straight line, but slower in the corners. It's a heavier car, you have the braking issue, you have the weight of the car. I could see, if it were dry, this could be a really fun cat-and-mouse type race, where I can have the speed advantage, but those guys will be faster in the braking zone."

Asked about Goodwood Circuit from a driver's perspective, Coulthard said, "It's a very challenging track. You make a mistake ... all the runoffs run towards the barrier. Goodwood is known to be a tricky circuit, if you go onto the grass. The great Stirling Moss, on the back of the track, had his big crash there (at St. Mary's Corner) and it's a very high speed corner. And you know the Gullwing, in these conditions ... I have to go off the power and brake very gently, because like I found out in the first couple of laps, the front axle just locks."

This isn't the first time in the Gullwing; he's driven one before, including in Mille Miglia, and of the car he says, "From a road car point of view, it's always been my favorite car."

Race day turned out to have weather nearly as problematic as during practice the day before but the driving was still very competitive, with the IWC Gullwing somewhere in the middle of the starting lineup. The Salvadori Cup winner turned out to be long-time Goodwood participant and famed historic car racer, Martin Stretton, driving a 1958 Lister Jaguar. Stretton, in a post-race interview, allowed that the unexpected snow made life difficult. "You had to work all the way, including down the straights ... I was lucky in making an early break, got off to a good start, but it was couple of times you knew there was nothing left in the tank and you didn't want to get wheels on the grass. I'll have a picture for next year's Christmas card somewhere."

The connection between cars and watches seems, intuitively, a natural one, but unpacking why is more difficult. Pre-race, David Coulthard talked about where he sees the connection.

"I think it's to do with functionality," he said. "I like a mechanical watch in order to understand the design and engineering behind it. To find something timeless, well, that's exactly what we're celebrating here at Goodwood. You know you're looking for something which somehow, for some amazing reason, maybe not known at the time of its launch, has become a classic. And I'm more for finding that experience, and being part of that, than looking for the latest and greatest. I think what a great watch, and the cars we have here have in common, is that they both express a sort of timeless functional integrity." 

Find out more about the goings on at Goodwood here, and for more on the 76th Goodwood Member's Meeting Ingenieur Chronograph Sport, visit IWC.com.

Well, it's the first week of April, and while it certainly doesn't feel like spring here in New York, we have a set of vintage watches to brighten up your rainy week. This week we have a great variety of both tool and dress watches that will suit your fancy. Here are the highlights this week. 

1950s Universal Genève Reference 20207

While vintage Universal Genève chronographs are all the rage, once in a while it's nice to see something a little simpler from this manufacturer. This week we have a delightful three-hander in a 35mm stainless steel case, from the 1950s. The watch features yellow gold applied indexes and is powered by the caliber 138SS, which features a bumper movement. We think this watch is fitting for almost any occasion, and it really exemplifies the simple elegance of the era. You can read more about this watch here. 

1970s Cartier Cabriolet Reversible

You can't go wrong with Cartier watches. Here we have an unusual example: the Cabriolet Reversible, which is not something you see very often. This yellow gold dress watch is interesting because, similarly to the Reverso, the case can be flipped over, concealing the dial when you want to protect it. This watch is powered by the manual-winding Cartier 2442 movement, and it's a really elegant alternative to the Tank that would be fitting for any dressy occasion. You can read more about this watch here. 

1983 Rolex Air-King-Date Reference 5700

Who doesn't love a good Rolex Air-King? We certainly do. Here we have a reference 5700 Air-King-Date in stainless steel, with silvered dial and date. It's powered by the automatic caliber 1520 and has that good old Oyster bracelet that we all know and love. This one dates to 1983, so if you're celebrating your 35th birthday this year, this one is for you. You can read more about this watch here. 

The Full-Set

In addition to the above, we have the following watches for sale: a 1960s Benrus Ultra-Deep "666 FT.," a 1960s Gruen Airflight with 24-hour indication, a 1960s Longines Conquest, a 1960s Omega Constellation reference 14902, and a 1960s Omega Seamaster chronograph reference 105.055. You can shop the full collection here. 

Monta is a young American brand based in St. Louis, Missouri, that produces a focused but growing line of steel sport watches. This includes the Triumph field watch, the Oceanking diver, and the Skyquest (which is a GMT iteration of the Oceanking). The Oceanking was the brand's original watch, and the first generation sold out quickly, leading to the development of the second-gen version seen here. Carrying a number of updates prompted by feedback from customers, the 2018 Oceanking is well-made, and has a conservative design that seeks to cater to the dive watch enthusiast. 

With a steel case that is 40.7mm wide and 11.9mm thick, Monta has been able to make the second-gen Oceanking some 2mm thinner than the original model. The new model also uses a flat crystal to minimize reflections and boasts a lumed ceramic bezel insert. Both of these updates are directly informed by feedback from enthusiasts and customers and the result of the evolution is impressive. The first generation was really a treat in the metal, and this collection of changes and tweaks makes an already good design even better on the wrist, and in use. 

While the first generation Oceanking used an Eterna Caliber 39 movement, this new update uses the Sellita SW300 in chronometer spec, with 38 hours of power reserve, and a date display at six. Water resistant to 304 meters, the new Oceanking now has crown guards and a downsized crown. Matching the newly-lumed bezel insert, the hands and markers use Super-LumiNova BGW9 lume. 

The updated proportions are excellent on wrist, and the Oceanking can be ordered with either a full steel bracelet or a pair of rubber straps. Monta is operated by the same people behind Everest Bands, so the rubber straps are soft, comfy, and very high-quality. Likewise, the bracelet is also quite impressive, with beveled edges on each link, and a milled, dive-style folding clasp with internal tool-less micro adjustment.

The general look of the new generation sticks with the format of the original but adds some red text for the Oceanking branding along with a number of other small tweaks. The result follows the formula of a standard dive watch and offers strong legibility, balance, and an upmarket feel, thanks to the applied markers, and finer finishing on elements like the frame around the edge of the date display, and the bevelling along the inside of the lug edge. 

Apart from a bracelet or rubber strap, all Oceankings come with one of the best NATO straps on the market, and there are several colorways available. Dial options include lacquer black, gilt/matte, Monta dark blue, and sunburst blue; Monta is offering coordinated matching bezels in black, blue, or steel. Currently in pre-order, only the black/black and black/gilt seen here were in productions spec, but all of the versions can be previewed on the brand's website.  

On the wrist, not unlike the original Oceanking, this updated model feels really good. The thinner case is excellent and on the perfectly matched rubber strap it sits quite comfortably. The bezel, a product of several patents, is smooth in action with a strong 60-click functionality. The additional colorways look very promising, and while I'm not personally a fan of gilt accents, the execution on the matte black dial does look great. 

Pricing will vary, depending on when you read this, as Monta is currently offering pre-order pricing (likely into the summer) that runs from $1,530 on rubber to $1,730 on the bracelet. Post pre-order pricing will be $1,700 and $1,925, respectively. With great proportions, a solid and reliable movement, and a number of enthusiast-focused updates, the new Monta Oceanking offers a strong value in a handsome and thoughtfully designed dive watch. 

For more information, visit Monta online. 

On Friday morning, March 23, the second day of Baselworld, the CEO of a Swiss watch company stopped me in the show's main hall to deliver shocking news. He had it on good authority that there would be one more Baselworld next year, and then the show would close. His source was a taxi driver. "Taxi drivers are better than journalists," he said. "They always have the news first." 

The "one-and-done" rumor had legs. Four days later, on a Basel tram, I overheard a Canadian jewelry salesman say to a friend, "I heard that the taxi drivers say the show will end in 2020."

So it went at Baselworld 2018. In an unusual twist, one of the biggest stories at the show was the show itself, and its allegedly uncertain future.

In the past two years, 850 exhibitors have dropped out of Baselworld.

Five years ago, at the height of the China watch boom, Baselworld was riding high. It was one of the two stars, with Art Basel, of the MCH Swiss Exhibition (Basel) Ltd., the exhibition company that runs 40 shows at the city's convention complex, and elsewhere around Switzerland.

Booming Baselworld was expanding for the future. In 2013, it had just completed a 430-million-Swiss-franc reconstruction of Hall 1, the main watch building. Management made it longer and higher, adding a third story to the building, enabling watch companies to build glittering new triple-decker booths on the ground floor and double-decker booths on the second floor. Of the show's 1,460 exhibitors, 1,000 built new booths, matching the fair's CHF 430 million expenditure. The twin Rolex and Tudor booths alone cost CHF 30 million. Attendance at the 2013 show reached 122,000 and would soar to nearly 150,000 in 2014.

Now, though, Baselworld is fighting for its life. In the past two years, approximately 850 exhibitors have left the show, according to data issued by the fair, a drop of 57%. The biggest drop came this year: 650 of last year's 1,300 exhibitors did not return. Among them were 90 Swiss watch exhibitors, whose numbers shrank to 130 this year from 220 last year, according to Darwel S.A., the official public relations firm of the Swiss watch exhibitors – a drop of 41%.

Attendance has fallen by about 30% from its 2014 high to just over 100,000. (The fair did not release an official attendance figure for 2018. It said it was about the same as 2017, which drew 106,000 visitors, down 4% from the previous year.)

All of this has slaughtered Baselworld's reputation as a cash cow for the MCH Group. For 2017, the parent company reported a 12% jump in operating income to CHF 493.3 million, but a net loss of CHF 110.3 million. In February, the MCH Group announced that it had taken a special write-down of CHF 102.3 million "on account of the downscaling of Baselworld 2018." The write-down was required by the decrease in the value of the trade fair buildings caused by the severely shrinking show. Indeed, when visitors arrived at the show this year, they were shocked to see section 1.2, the entire third story of the hall, blocked off. So was the upper floor of Hall 2, which traditionally the prime location of jewelry firms and smaller watch companies.

What Caused the Avalanche?

So, what happened? Swiss watch executives cite a slew of factors behind what Chopard co-CEO Karl-Friedrich Scheufele referred to as "an avalanche" of exhibitors abandoning the show this year. 

First is the Swiss watch slump of 2015-16 – the result of a slowdown of watch sales in Asia – which clobbered watch company sales and profits, and forced companies to cut costs.

The Movado Group spent $10 million at Baselworld in 2017. This year it went to Davos with its distributors for four days for $2 million.

Second is the Swiss franc shock of January 2015, when the Swiss National Bank eliminated the franc's peg to the euro, and sent the franc soaring. That made the notoriously expensive Baselworld unaffordable for many brands and buyers. Costs for accommodation and food routinely soar in Basel during the show. One CEO of a brand in Baselworld's Les Ateliers section for small independent watch firms told me he asked the person who builds his booth to stay for the first day of the fair. The man declined because the room rate in his hotel tripled the night before the show opened.  

Many brands decided that Baselworld was not worth the cost. The Movado Group, for example, decided to pull out after last year's show. Chairman Efraim Grinberg announced the decision last November, telling financial analysts that the move would save the company $10 million. That included all Baselworld-related costs (booth, travel, accommodation, staffing, food, hospitality, etc.) for the eight-day show. Instead, this year Movado met with its distributors in Davos, Switzerland, for four days prior to the show, at a total cost of $2 million.

The painfully high costs have also driven down attendance. "One reason American retailers are not coming to Basel is that they can't afford it," said one veteran U.S. watch industry CEO. He noted that 15 years ago, U.S. retailers brought their families to Baselworld. "Now it's one person. Or none."

Trade Show Troubles

In addition, the trade show industry in general is suffering. Baselworld, like other trade shows, is being disrupted by technology. "Digital has changed the game," says the CEO of a Swiss brand. Many brands no longer rely on the fair for sales. Orders and re-orders are done electronically. Big brands operate their own subsidiaries – and retail stores – in top markets; selling is done there. "Baselworld is no longer a selling show," said Sascha Moeri, CEO of Carl F. Bucherer. "Twenty years ago, 70% to 80% of the year's turnover was done here," he says. Not anymore. Nevertheless, Moeri remains a strong supporter of the show. Others, however, whose sales volume at the show has fallen, have dropped out. "The business has changed," one executive said. "You don't do business here anymore. You are investing in your brand image." For many brands, Baselworld has become far too pricey for that. 

If Rolex, Patek or the Swatch Group leaves the show, it's over. 

Another factor contributing to Baselworld's blues is SIHH, its rival watch show for haute horlogèrie brands, which is held in Geneva in January, and is accepting new brands. Last year, Ulysse Nardin and Girard-Perregaux defected from Baselworld to SIHH; this year Hermès did the same. Rumors are that others will make the trek to Geneva. The draw is not cost: SIHH is significantly more expensive than Baselworld, executives say. The appeal is the show's smaller size, elegant ambiance and upscale, by-invitation-only retailer clientele. 

Rumors Rampant

Another troubling factor is Baselworld's management. Watch executives expressed astonishment and frustration that the show's management managed to lose half the exhibitors in one year. One Swiss executive said that the long-time managing director, Silvie Ritter, and her team were, in effect, asleep at the wheel. (Like many executives I spoke to for this story, he spoke on the condition that he remain anonymous.) They should have seen the crisis coming, he said. "It's like a car headed toward a wall but the driver is looking at things in the car, not what's ahead," he said.

To be fair, after the loss of 200 exhibitors at the 2017 show, management took some remedial measures. They shortened this year's fair from eight days to six. Under pressure from exhibitors, they also reduced prices for booths. But it wasn't enough to forestall the avalanche.

They also provoked a firestorm of rumors about the future of the fair with a disastrous performance at the annual Baselworld press conference the day before the official opening. René Kamm, the head of the MCH, a fixture at the show, was curiously absent. Ritter seemed blasé about the severe drop in the number of exhibitors. It was part of the fair's new emphasis on quality over quantity, she said. The usual question and answer session with the press was dispensed with. So was the usual announcement of the dates of the next fair. 

The lack of transparency about what was going on with the fair led to an explosion of rumors and speculation about the fair's future. One was that Baselworld didn't announce the dates because it was negotiating with SIHH to hold the fairs at the same time. Another was that Breitling, under new president Georges Kern, would be the next brand to pull out. Another was the taxi driver rumor (final show in 2019). The Hayek family was rumored to be unhappy with the show and might not renew the Swatch Group's contract when it ended after the 2019 show. The rumors kept coming amid a frenzy of behind-the-scenes criticism about the rapidly shrinking show and its embattled management. If I had a Swiss franc for every time I heard the word "arrogant" used about Kamm and Ritter, it would have paid for my flight to Switzerland. "Many Watch Companies Criticize Baselworld" blared a headline in the Neue Zürcher Zeitung (NZZ), Switzerland's equivalent of The New York Times, halfway through the show.

Nobody wants to be remembered as the brand that killed Baselworld.

Then came word that show management, in an effort to keep the big brands on board, would allow the exhibitors on the ground floor of Hall 1 to leave their three-story booths in the building until the next Baselworld (for a favorable fee), sparing them the expense of dismantling them and putting them in storage for a year, as they normally do.  

That wasn't a rumor. On March 22, the NZZ reported the news on its website, calling it "a hitherto unthinkable offer to the big exhibitors," showing that fair management was taking extreme measures to keep the big brands in the fair. To do it, the fair had to move other fairs to the upper two floors of Hall 1, or postpone them.

Focus on the Big Five

With rumors swirling about the future of the fair, the consensus among Swiss watch executives was that the fate of the fair came down to what is known as the Big Five exhibitors. They are Rolex, Patek Philippe, the Swatch Group, Chopard, and the LVMH group (Bulgari, TAG Heuer, Hublot and Zenith), who hold the prime real estate at the main entrance of the show. Of them, Rolex, Patek and the Swatch Group were the most important. "If any one of those three anchor brands leaves the show, it's over," one veteran said. Some of the Big Five began to weigh in during the show. 

Chopard's Scheufele told me that he was a strong backer of the show. "I am very happy with Baselworld," he said, and predicted that "The Big Five will still support the fair. It will not go out of business."

Jean-Claude Biver, head of the LVMH watch division, publicly called for Baselworld and SIHH to work together to hold their fairs at the same time, so that the watch trade does not have to make two trips to Switzerland in three months. Privately, he told me that that he expected the Big Five to continue to support the struggling show. Baselworld is a Swiss institution, he said. "Nobody wants to be remembered as the brand that killed Baselworld." 

It's a crisis for the fair, not a crisis for the industry.

Rolex told its sales force, who told their clients, that it strongly supported the show.

Asked about the situation with the show, Marc A. Hayek, a member of the Swatch Group executive management board, and head of Breguet and Blancpain, told me that "the world changed" and that the fair had to respond to those changes. "There are elements we should rethink for the fair," he said. He said that there would be discussions with fair management about how to improve the show. He stressed that the show's troubles did not reflect "a sickness of the [watch] industry. It's a crisis for the fair, not a crisis for the industry."

New Developments

On Wednesday, March 28, the day after the fair closed, Baselworld issued a press release with the headline "Baselworld 2018: A Successful Edition." It put to rest some of the rumors. It announced the dates of the 2019 show (March 21-26) and declared that "All leading brands will exhibit at Baselworld 2019." The Big Five would be back. So would Breitling and Chanel, brands rumored to be bolting. Kamm said that the 650 brand format for the show was "optimal." The release said that show management would work with exhibitors on "new developments and new formats" for the show.

Notably, the release included full-throated endorsements of the show by Rolex CEO Jean-Frédéric Dufour, Biver, and Scheufele. Patek Philippe CEO Thierry Stern said he was "satisfied with the positive feedback that our new products received from our partners and the press." He said nothing about the show.

Even more notably, the Swatch Group said nothing at all. 

So there will be one more Baselworld. Just as the taxi drivers predicted. The question is whether there will be another one after that. No word on that yet. We'll have to wait and see what next year brings. 

Last Thursday evening we were joined by 75 collectors at the Vacheron Constantin boutique in New York City, as we celebrated the latest evolution of the Vacheron Constantin Overseas collection. Hosted by Leslie Kobrin, President of Vacheron Constantin Americas, and our own editor-in-chief, Jack Forster, we discussed the historic influence of the Overseas collection and the adaptability of the design across the last 40 years. 

In addition to the showing off the 2018 SIHH novelties, Vacheron Constantin also brought in several special historical pieces, including the precursor to the original Overseas wristwatch, the Reference 222 from the 1970s as well as the Overseas I from 1996, and the Overseas II from the late 2000s to show the evolution of the collection from 1977 to the present day. 

Thank you to everyone who joined us and we hope to see you all at another HODINKEE event soon!

Photos: Greyson Korhonen

One of the best known and best loved vintage Speedmaster models is the reference 2998, which set the basic vocabulary for Omega Speedmaster design, right down to the present day. The original ref. 2998, in addition to having been foundational for modern Speedmaster design codes, was also worn by astronaut Wally Schirra in 1962, during the Mercury Sigma 7 mission, and it's been the basis for a number of modern Speedmaster models, and limited editions. Back in 2012 we had the introduction of the very popular First Omega In Space (or just the FOIS to Speedmaster initiates) about which HODINKEE founder Ben Clymer wrote, at the time, "Let's get one thing straight ... the new Omega First Omega In Space Speedmaster is awesome."

Since then, we've seen other models as well – in 2017 we got a FOIS in Sedna gold, and in 2016 we got a 2998 limited edition in a very winning design, with a blue ceramic bezel (the original FOIS has a metal bezel, for the sake of fidelity to the original) and blue subdials against a silver colored dial, that HODINKEE Managing Editor Stephen Pulvirent found very convincing.

The newest version of the CK 2998 is straight from the same playbook as its predecessors (if it ain't broke, don't fix it). 

It's a handsome as hell wristwatch. The dial is bead-blasted silver, and we've got lume-filled alpha hands, with a contrasting red chronograph seconds hand, and smaller white-on-black alpha hands in the sub-registers for the chronograph minutes and hours, and the running seconds. Overall it's got the same instant appeal as previous 2998/FOIS models – same great size (39.7mm across and 14.37mm thick) and inside, the same caliber 1861 movement that has been providing reliable service in Speedmasters for many, many years (and which is still being used in space, as part of the standard issue for EVA suits, on the ISS).

As with the previous CK 2998 editions, this is not so much a straight copy-paste of a specific vintage model, as it is designed to capture the clarity, simplicity, and sense of form-follows-function aesthetics found in vintage Speedmasters. Other than the color variations, the biggest change in this particular model is the inclusion of a pulsometric bezel, which can be used to aid a physician (or really, anyone who needs or wants to) in checking heart rate. 

Pulsometric bezels are fun to play with (and unlike tachymeter bezels, don't require you to be in a moving vehicle covering a measured mile or kilometer). You palpate the pulse, start the chronograph, and stop it when you've counted thirty "pulsations" (pulse beats). If it takes 30 seconds, you have a reasonable 60 beats-per-minute rate; if it only takes eight seconds, you probably have a fast trip to the emergency room coming up in your (possibly very short) future. According to the Omega Speedmaster bible, Moonwatch Only, you could order pulsometric bezels as a factory option from Omega starting in 1960; these were graduated for 15 rather than 30 pulsations. 

Like all the earlier CK 2998/FOIS Speedmasters, this is a watch that immediately feels right at home on the wrist, and if you're in the market for a Speedmaster and want something a little bit off the beaten track, which still ticks a lot of the boxes of a classic Moonwatch, this is worth considering. It's a limited edition of 2998 pieces worldwide; US price is $5850, and they'll launch on Omega.com and as well, they'll be available in Omega boutiques, sometime towards the end of the month, we're told. Get one for the radial-pulse palpating Speedmaster fan in your life.

Check out more from Baselworld 2018 at Omega.com.

Gold Rolex sports watches are different things to different people, to put it mildly. For some of us they are as a red cape to a bull (bulls are by the way actually color-blind to red, but I say, never let the facts get in the way of a good cliché). On this viewpoint, the whole idea that a watch originally intended to serve a specific and practical purpose – telling the time in different time zones, tracking dive or decompression time for divers, or what have you – should trick itself out in gaudy precious metals and sashay down the boulevard looking for attention, is anathema. However for some of the rest of us, it's good clean fun and why not dress up the practical with the luxurious a bit? For those cheery, devil-may-care sports, we have this year's new Rolex GMT Master II, in go-to-hell Everose.

To put things a bit in perspective, it's undoubtedly completely true that the GMT Master – both the original reference 6542 and all subsequent models – are purpose-built tool watches intended to be legible instantly, and to track and transmit useful information reliably. However, it's also true that the GMT Master has from the outset been available in gold if you wanted it to be – yellow gold versions of the 6542 "Pussy Galore" are very rare but they do exist (one was offered at Sotheby's in 2013; it hammered for $125,000 on a high estimate of $120,000). Possibly the distinction between "tool watch" and "luxury watch" was perhaps not quite so hard and fast in 1954 (though in 1955 a steel GMT Master was $240, and a Tourneau ad from the same period advertises a gold GMT Master "with alligator band" at $600, so there was certainly still a relative premium).

Interestingly enough, the Submariner wasn't made in gold until quite some time after its introduction – the first Submariner offered in gold was the reference 1680, which came out in 1969. It's possible that a gold GMT Master made a bit more sense initially, with its jet-setter image but in any case, both models have been around in gold for many decades, so from a historical precedent perspective, gold Rolex "tool watches" are perfectly respectable and just as authentic as steel models.

This is, however, the first year that the GMT Master II has been offered in Everose, which is Rolex's proprietary formulation of rose gold. Rose gold is a mixture of yellow gold and copper (and occasionally some silver, depending on the alloy). Under some circumstances rose gold is susceptible to fading – chlorinated pool water is an often-cited culprit – and Everose, which Rolex introduced in 2005, includes a small amount of platinum. The Rolex patent from 2005 for "Discoloration-Resistant Timepiece Or Jewelry Part" gives a platinum content of 1.5% to 3%, and cites the tendency of gold alloys to discolor in the presence of "slightly aggressive aqueous media," such as "tap water, sea water, swimming pool water, salt water, or even soapy water." (I find the dry pedantry of patent documents hysterically funny sometimes; there is something hilarious about "slightly aggressive aqueous media." Possibly I have been writing about watches too long.) 

Essentially, the addition of platinum tends to discourage copper from dissolving out of the surface layer of alloy, in the presence of mild corrosives (including chlorinated pool and hot tub water, and seawater) as well as discouraging the formation of surface corrosion products that can cause discoloration (sulphides, oxides, and other compounds). 

The design of the new Everose GMT Master II is also reminiscent of the so-called "root beer" GMT Masters, which were first produced in the reference 16753, and which have a very distinctive brown and cream colored dial. These are also known to Rolex fans as the "Clint Eastwood" GMT Master, thanks to his fondness for the model (which he wore in a number of films in which he portrayed a variety of characters). 

The Everose GMT Master II is not a direct copy-paste of the 16753 but it's got a very similar vibe (perhaps even more in two-tone Rolesor) and in rose gold, it's an extremely eye-catching watch. I actually find this version a bit less overtly declarative of admirable personal net worth than yellow gold Rolex sports watches – rose gold in general gives (to my eye anyway) slightly sharper visual definition of case geometry, which seems to offset the general richness of all that gold the way a squeeze of lemon cuts the richness of a butter sauce.

In fact, and again, despite all that gold, this comes across as a much more technical watch in the metal than I'd have thought possible for a massive, precious metal Rolex. Now it's true, as Rolex says in its own presentation of the watch, that "its combination of ... functionality and rugged good looks has attracted a wider travelling public" than the original professional pilots at Pan Am for whom the GMT Master was originally designed. It's also true that the latest versions of the GMT Master are, irrespective of case metal, as qualitatively impeccable and technically solid as anything else from Rolex. It's worth noting that this model updates the movement from the Rolex caliber 3186 (48 hour power reserve, COSC, ±2 sec/day) to the caliber 3285, with Rolex's high efficiency Chronergy escapement (also COSC certified and controlled to ±2 sec/day, but with a 70 hour power reserve).

This, I suspect, is a version of the GMT Master II that "the wider travelling public" is going to enjoy quite a bit, and that it won't start to loose its ruddy allure in the pool, the ocean, or in the hot tub is icing on the cake. The great thing about Rolex's more luxurious watches and the thing that saves them from being mere exercises in conspicuous consumption is really how well they're made – lord knows, the Rainbow Daytona (also in Everose) is a polarizing watch but in person you notice the sheer high quality of its construction at least as much as its gem-set opulence (which given the amount of opulence on display in that watch is saying something). If you're interested in full specs and pricing, hop over to our Introducing story on ref. 126715 CHNR right here, and also, of course, you can get better acquainted with this red-headed siren at Rolex.com.

I'd have to do a heck of a lot more rigorous data analysis than I'm inclined to (as well as have actual data and probably, being a statistician wouldn't hurt) to assert this rigorously, but I feel as if colored dials have been going much more mainstream in the last few years. Even manufacturers with a general reputation for solid (and even stolid) good quality are offering a cornucopia of colors. The fact that you can get a Grand Seiko in a color described as "Peacock" or that Rolex carries a dial color for the Oyster Perpetual that it calls "Red Grape" (and these aren't brands known for whimsy, to put it mildly) tells you something about how far we've come from the generally monochrome palette of classic dial design. 

Glashütte Original is, likewise, a brand that's built much of its reputation on the promise of good, solid Teutonic values and very grounded German watchmaking, but they also have an almost Pop-art vibe going in their Sixties collection, and this green-dialed version we saw at Baselworld is something that would have gotten a second glance back in the day, even from the Andy Warhols of the world.

Because, this watch really does pop. The general dimensions and overall design is something with which GO fans are very familiar. The Sixties watches owe their design to timepieces made by Glashütte Original's predecessor: GUB (VEB Glashütter Uhrenbetriebe) which was the state-owned watchmaking company in Glashütte formed by the collectivization of Glashütte's watchmakers into a single firm after World War II, by the GDR. Specifically, the watches that inspired the Sixties collection are the GUB Spezimatic watches, which were first released in 1964. 

There are more conservative versions of the Sixties watches, but Glashütte Original, which has its own dedicated dial manufacturing center in Pforzheim (about which you can read more right here) has also produced some extremely vivid dial variations over the years for the collection, and this new reference is one of them.

The effect is pretty mind-bending. It really does seem like something from the era that brought us the Summer of Love. You can almost imagine a couple of R. Crumb's comic book characters sitting around in a, you know, smoky room, staring at the watch and saying, "Man ... have you ever really looked at a watch dial?" Watchmaking by and large is not an especially exuberant design idiom and the contrast of this spectacularly iridescent dial with a classic, round case and the otherwise refined dial furniture and hands, makes for a very refreshing contrast. As with anything transgressive, like wearing red velvet jeans with a dinner jacket to a black tie event, it takes a certain amount of confidence to pull off, but the watch sure makes it look like it would be fun to try.

If, however, you want some gravitas with your whimsy, GO has you covered there as well. The movement in the Sixties watches is one with a very long and extremely interesting history; it's the GO caliber 39-52. Back in 2002, ThePuristS.com's Marcus Hanke left us with a very instructive analysis of the history of the caliber 39's development; his article is still well worth a read for those interested in the genesis of the mechanical watch renaissance, and in getting a sense of the role GO played in it. The basic architecture of the caliber 39 goes pretty far back – all the way to the last GUB "Spezichron" caliber, the 11-26, which came out in 1978.

At $7500, it's also very competitive with watches in the same price range; no, it's not an easy or obvious choice but on the criteria of visual impact, as well as the historic interest and quality of the movement, I think it's a fanciful timepiece that merits being taken seriously. There's a Panorama Date version of this watch available as well, at $9300. In a 39mm x 9.40mm case, it doesn't just scratch the vintage itch visually; it does so kinesthetically as well, and the five minutes I had it on my wrist were five of the most fun minutes I had at Baselworld 2018. More on this blast from the past at Glashuette-Original.com.

In many ways, Sinn is a chronograph brand. While they are undoubtedly known for Teutonic pilot's watches and burly divers like the U1, when Sinn debuted a limited edition model for their 55th anniversary in 2016, it was a lovely split-seconds chronograph called the 910 Anniversary. At Baselworld last month, Sinn announced the next model in the 910 series, the SRS flyback chronograph. 

Like the Anniversary model before it, the new 910 SRS has a 41.5mm steel case that is 15.5mm thick. With sapphire crystals front and back, the 910 SRS has a contrasty off-white dial with black hands and markers replete with red accents and chronograph hands. Unlike the 910 Anniversary, which used a two register chronograph layout with no date, the 910 SRS retains more of the 7750's character with a three register layout and a date display at three. 

Offering a 12-hour measure with central chronograph seconds and running seconds at nine, the 910 SRS's main calling card is its flyback functionality. Just as with the 910 Anniversary's split chronograph, Sinn starts with the common but proven ETA 7750 and then modifies the movement with some help from La Joux-Perret, adding a column wheel and flyback functionality. Flyback chronographs offer the ability to be stopped, zeroed, and re-engaged with the single press of a button. Sinn even derives the "SRS" naming from the flyback functionality – Stop, Return, Start (or "Stopp-Retour-Start, in German). The action is smooth and very mechanical and lacks the heavy initial action common to a stock 7750. 

The execution of the flyback modification to the movement is a great example of the pragmatic spirit that makes Sinn one of the most legit manufacturers of tool watches left in the game. They are a small company with an intense international following among people who want a modern take on the original tool watch perspective. While the 910 series could almost be considered fancy next to a 556, it strikes a balance and appeal that feels special but purposeful. Being decidedly German, Sinn likes to take the opportunity to conform to several standards, and like many of their watches, the 910 SRS is anti-magnetic to DIN 8309, shock resistant to ISO 1413, and water resistant to DIN 8310 (100 meters). Furthermore, the crown and pushers use Sinn's proprietary D3-System, which uses a very fine opening in the case to protect the interface without the use of a traditional tube element. The result is more reliable water resistance and increased protection against bumps and knocks. Also, for those wondering, the crown is in its fully screwed-down position in these photos and does not screw flush to the case side. 

Given my well-documented love of my polar 16570, it's fair to say I'm a fan of black accents on a light-tone dial (can one wear a 5270G-001 on a NATO?). The 910 SRS's dial is a creamy white, with applied black markers, matching Sinn branding, and red accents for the chronograph scale and the most external part of the tachymeter scale surrounding the dial. The date wheel is nicely color matched and I really like the rather subtle polished chamfers surrounding the chronograph counters and the lower contrast of the less-crucial running seconds scale. The case is also nicely detailed, with a simple but attractive mix of polished and brushed elements. 

Unlike the 910 Anniversary, which was limited to 300 units and sold for $5,940, the 910 SRS is not specifically limited in production and carries a price tag of $3,960 on a leather strap or $4,260 on a steel bracelet. Not too thick and offering a distinct appeal that manages to be classic without relying on any vintage tropes, especially on the leather strap, the 910 SRS is great on wrist. Offering this characteristically reserved German brand the chance to flex a little, the SRS is a very cool addition to Sinn's growing 910 lineup. 

For more information visit Sinn online.

Watch brands love celebrating anniversaries. A quick walk around the halls of SIHH or Baselworld will yield countless chances to mark "historic moments" and "groundbreaking innovations." For my money though, a minor product marking its 35th year in production or a brand touting its all-important 115-year anniversary falls a little flat though. Now, the 150th birthday of a company – that's an anniversary that deserves a proper celebration.

To mark that milestone, IWC has launched a massive "Jubilee Collection" that includes dozens of watches from the brands simplest and most accessible to some with crazy new complications. All are limited editions of varying quantities and the idea here is that fans of the brand can buy a milestone piece regardless of budget. It's actually a very respectful way of thanking those who have made the brand successful, not to mention a savvy commercial move.

Of all the pieces in the collection though, one immediately stood out to me above the rest: the Portugieser Hand-Wound Eight-Days Edition "150 Years." This is a modern interpretation of IWC's most classic model and it is both faithful to the original and interesting on its own merits. I knew I needed to get my hands on one as quickly as possible, and after a week with the watch I can say that the latest Portugieser might just be the very best of IWC, past and present.

A Special Request

A good origin story is tough to beat, and the Portugieser has a heck of a to tell. Sometime in the late 1930s, two Lisbon-based watch wholesalers named Rodrigues and Antonio Teixera contacted IWC, saying that they had a unique request for a watch designed to sell in their home market. They wanted an oversized wristwatch that performed to marine chronometer standards. This meant the watch would need to use a high-grade pocketwatch movement, so it wasn't a simple matter of designing a new dial or of more careful regulation. IWC got to work. 

At the time, this new creation didn't have a name. People at the manufacture just referred to the project as the "Portuguese" watch, and the name has stuck ever since. Funnily enough though, according to IWC's own sales records, the very first Portuguese didn't go to the Teixeras – it went to Odessa, Ukraine, in February 1939. It would be three more years before the watches would make their way to their namesake country. By that time, IWC had applied the reference number 325 to the watches, and this is the number to look for today if you want an original Portuguese.

There are a few different generations of Portuguese, with IWC evolving the caliber inside as technology developed through the mid-20th century. Aesthetically though, the watch remained largely unchanged, with its 42mm steel case, open dial with Arabic numerals, and leaf-shaped hands persisting until the watch was discontinued in the late 1970s/early 1980s during the Quartz Crisis.

You'll notice that up until now I've been calling the watch the Portuguese, not the Portugieser. That's because when IWC launched a full collection inspired by the reference 325 in 1993, that was the name. Through the '90s and '00s, IWC expanded the collection, using the basic aesthetic codes to develop an automatic with a seven-day power reserve, a simple two-register chronograph, and all manner of complications including tourbillons, minute repeaters, and perpetual calendars. The name was only switched over to Portugieser when the watch celebrated its 75th anniversary in 2015.

The Portugieser Hand-Wound Eight-Days Edition '150 Years'

The Portugieser collection has always been about pure function and simple design. The Portugieser Hand-Wound Eight-Days Edition '150 Years' (which I'm going to refer to as the "Hand-Wound" from here on out) takes this a step further though, paring things back to basics and focusing on getting the details just right. It's a watch that really benefits from a closer look, since you could easily miss the things that make it most worthwhile at first glance.

The Case

The first think you notice when you see this watch in the metal is that it's big. When you pick it up, that impression only intensifies as you turn the 43.2mm x 12.3mm case over in your hands. However, while I'm usually the first person to give watch makers a hard time about oversized dimensions, I think IWC made the right call here. Before you grab the pitchforks, allow me to explain.

The Portugieser has always been a watch with an oversized case. Just look back at the history outlined above – the original watch was a pocketwatch movement put into a case with lugs and a strap for the wrist. The watches weren't large for stylistic reasons (small watches were en vogue then anyway), but rather out of pure necessity. The caliber 74, which powered the ref. 325 generation Portugieser watches, is 37.8mm (17 ligne) across. That's the movement I'm talking about, not the cased watch.

So, as far as I'm concerned, the Portugieser is always going to be slightly oversized. That's just part of the watch and something you have to be ok with if you're going to buy in to the collection. A 36mm diameter might sound alluring in theory, but I think it practice it would end up leaving me flat. If I had my way, this watch would always measure in at the original 42mm. But, I digress.

Despite the size, the Hand-Wound's case is extremely elegantly proportioned. It resembles neither a hockey puck nor a dinner plate, and the lugs smoothly transition from the caseband. The brushed finishes are extremely clean and the polishing on top of the lugs and slim bezel bring some brightness to the mix.

The Dial

One of the things unifying the Jubilee Collection watches is the treatment of the dials and hands. In the case of the Hand-Wound, this means a bright white lacquer dial and blued steel hands. The lacquer is meant to simulate enamel, which was an IWC hallmark in the 19th century, and I have to say it does an outstanding job. The multi-coat lacquer is bright and glossy, with that almost-wet look. Multiple people, including a few around HODINKEE HQ, asked me if it was enamel when the first saw the watch on my wrist. Considering how expensive an enamel dial of this diameter would be, I think the lacquer is a great choice that presents a really visually rich look.

One of the best things about the white lacquer is how great a ground it is for the glossy black printing. The signature Portugieser-style Arabic numerals are deeply colored, with the outer railroad-style chapter ring anchoring them nicely as well. The running seconds sub-dial at six o'clock has a gentle countersink that you really notice when the watch catches the light. This is one of those things that made me smile time and time again while wearing the watch. It's a little detail, but one that adds a lot to the bigger picture.

The blued steel hands are the perfect choice for this watch too. Previous versions of the Hand-Wound have featured metallic hands matching the case metal, and they've always looked a little flashy and cheap to me. The blue is intense and brings another dimension to the dial. Without these hands, I don't think this watch works as a whole, but with them it really sings.

There is a date window at three o'clock, which might get some of the purists upset, but it doesn't both me one bit. Is the watch probably better without the date? Sure, I'd prefer it that way. But the size of the window and scale of the numerals is spot on, and when checking the time your eye doesn't get unnecessarily drawn to the date.

The Movement

IWC's naming convention is a bit of a spoiler here, but the watch is powered by the caliber 59215, which is an in-house, manually wound movement with eight days of power reserve. Nothing surprising there.

As with the original Portugieser watches, this watch is properly scaled to the movement inside. The caliber 59215 is, again, a 37.8mm (17 ligne) movement, so it fills the caseback of the Hand-Wound, showing no spacer or dead zone when viewed through the massive sapphire window on the rear of the watch. As far as the architecture goes, the movement isn't really related to the original pocketwatch calibers used in the first Portugieser, but the identical dimensions are a happy accident anyway.

The caliber 59215 is one of IWC's modern generation in-house movements, meaning it has a lot of technology incorporated that's mean to make your watch perform better over time. These movements aren't about fancy hand-finishing though they're certainly decorated nicely with deep stripes on the plates and bridges and polishing and bevels on the wheels. Instead, the emphasis is on the full bridge structure (which aides stability) the hacking seconds, and the stopping mechanism that prevents the watch from running once the torque in the single barrel drops below a level appropriate for accurate timekeeping. The Hand-Wound either runs accurately or not at all.

Looking at the movement, you'll notice two additional things: a power reserve indicator on the right, counting down the eight days, and a 150th anniversary medallion set into one fo the bridges. The latter is purely for decoration and is just for the Jubilee watches.

On The Wrist

The Hand-Wound comes on a black alligator strap made by Santoni that is paired with a stainless steel pin buckle. While the strap is definitely one of the nicer OEM straps I've seen in a while, I still decided to swap it out basically as soon as the watch showed up at the office. I know that the black alligator is meant to elevate the watch a bit, and it's another unifying trait of the Jubilee watches, but I found it a bit sterile for the already clean Portugieser. I grabbed a nubuck strap in a dusty bluish-grey color and put the IWC buckle on it. Bravo to IWC for not putting a needless deployant on this too. I'm over those.

With the proper strap in place, I was all set to strap the Hand-Wound on for the week. This probably comes as no surprise at this point, but my first thought when fastening the strap was "Damn, this is a big watch." Luckily though, that ended up being far from the watch's most lasting impression.

On the wrist, the Portugieser looks stunning. The white dial has tons of negative space, an effect made more pronounced by the thin bezel and sapphire box crystal, and there's something about it that just draws the eye in. I found myself wrist-gazing quite a bit with this one, especially over the first two or three days. 

Legibility is outstanding, with the hands standing out against the dial and the combination of numerals and chapter ring allowing for precise reading. Though there is no lume on the dial, I found I could still read the watch in all but the darkest settings, since in most cases the white lacquer dial could be angled to reflect enough available light to give me a good sense of the time anyway. 

I do want to address the size issue head-on though. This is a big watch. For me, it's a size that on paper is unwearable. I find 41mm to be pushing it, personally, so 43.2mm is typically out of the question. I tried to go into this review with an open mind though, and it paid off: I like everything else about this watch so much that I'm willing to deal with the size. The shape of the lugs and proportions of the case make it extremely comfortable and in practice I didn't really notice the size too much during the course of the day. It's only when I looked down that I remembered what I was dealing with. I don't think I could realistically wear this watch every day – it's still big on me – but I would definitely rock it, dimensions be damned. 

The Competition

I really struggled with this one. The Portugieser is such an iconic watch that it's tough to figure out what you can fairly compare it to. However, coming in at $9,900 in stainless steel, the Hand-Wound sits in an extremely competitive price segment. After much deliberation, I decided on a pretty eclectic set of criteria for the watches you see here, but I think what this shows is that the Portugieser is still, after all these years, pretty unique. If this is the watch you're looking for, you probably aren't doing too much comparison shopping. That said, here are a handful of other models worth considering if you're in the market.

Omega Constellation Globemaster

If the size of the Portugieser is still a no-go for you, the Globemaster is one of the better time-and-date watches around today. It has a killer movement inside, with both the co-axial escapement and METAS Master Chronometer certification, and the styling is classic Omega. There are a few dial/strap options and the 39mm case is so comfortable it's a little crazy. Personally, I think the stainless steel case with the dark blue pie pan dial is a combo that's tough to beat, but maybe that's just me. This is a more of a high-tech watch than the Portugieser under the hood, but it still has a very vintage sensibility on the outside. 

$6,900, omegawatches.com

Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Ultra-Thin 41

Jaeger-LeCoultre probably  isn't the first brand that comes to mind when you think about big watches, but the manufacture does make an up-sized version of its classic ultra-thin dress watch to appeal to that other audience. Sure, it's 41mm and not 43.2mm, but because of how thin it is, I don't think you'd want to go any larger (even if you're a big-watch guy). With just two hands and a clean-as-can-be dial, this is a no-nonsense watch with an extremely fair price tag. It's not an overt throw-back of any kind, but the Master collection could be from literally any era and I don't think I'd question it. Think of this as the choice for the modern minimalist.

$7,850; jaeger-lecoultre.com

Glashütte Original Senator Excellence

This is an outstanding watch that is forgotten about all too often. A while back, Nick wrote a great story about the precision timekeeping at work in the Senator Excellence (it performs well beyond COSC chronometer standards), and you should definitely take a look if you're looking for a great sub-$10,000 watch. Glashütte Original's styling choices are pretty traditional here, with the Roman numerals and curvy hands, but everything still has that signature clean finish. From a distance, this watch might not look like anything special, but once you understand what you're looking at it's a hard watch not to like.

$9,700; glashuette-original.com

Closing Thoughts

Spending a week with the Portugieser Hand-Wound Eight-Days Edition "150 Years" turned me into a believer. Despite loving the design and being a big fan of the vintage models, I went into this pretty skeptical about the size of the watch and whether or not it would work for me. However, the execution of the watch's details won me over and the thoughtful handling of the proportions made the watch much more comfortable than I had expected. When it was time for the Portugieser to go back to IWC, I must admit I was a little sad to see it go.

Ultimately, this watch is a fitting homage to both IWC's century-and-a-half of watchmaking and the truly iconic watch that spawned the foundational collection over 75 years ago. It's not all nostalgia and rose-tinted glasses, instead blending the best of IWCs past, a modern sensibility, and the manufacture's current technology to create a watch that might even inspire its own tribute in a few decades. 

The Portugieser Hand-Wound Eight-Days Edition "150 Years" is limited to 1,000 pieces in stainless steel ($9,900) and 250 pieces in red gold ($18,800). To learn more or to contact a boutique, visit IWC online.

We’re very excited to announce the introduction of three new NOMOS watches in the Autobahn collection, first seen a few weeks ago at Baselworld, to the HODINKEE Shop. As you can likely already tell, the Autobahn Neomatik 41 Date is an auto-inspired timepiece that takes its name from Germany’s federal highway system, known the world over for its conspicuous lack of speed limit. In addition to debuting a great new movement, it’s also one of the more outside-the-box designs to come from the German watchmaker. It’s easily one of the sportiest NOMOS introductions to date.

NOMOS is a really interesting brand in watchmaking for a whole bunch of reasons, but it’s known mostly for its commitment to great affordable pricing; for its development of in-house movements, which it produces in Germany at its manufactory; and for its strong ties to the world of contemporary design. The last of these has led NOMOS to partner with leading German industrial designers such as Mark Braun and now, for the the Autobahn, Werner Aisslinger’s Studio Aisslinger. Aisslinger, who specializes in furniture, has worked on projects for the likes of Vitra and Cappellini and freelanced for noted designer Jasper Morrison.

The new collection comes in three different dial variations, each with a beautiful dish-like, curved surface that gradually tapers upward toward the inner edges of the case; this is in addition to a recessed small seconds. These characteristics are there not just to give the dial a strong sense of visual depth – which they certainly do – but as Aisslinger told us, to recall the banked turns of certain racing circuits. The dial of the Autobahn also comes with a very large and pronounced lumed track on its upper portion. This draws your attention in right away and recalls the analog displays of race cars. At night, the effect is amplified quite a bit to recall the luminous displays of a dashboard in the evening hours. You’ll also notice that the date window opens not just onto today’s date, but also yesterday’s and tomorrow’s. This is a particularly strong reference to the digital displays found on certain vintage motorcars. The date is positioned right along the edge of the dial and can be set forward or backward.

The Autobahn Neomatic 41 Date is sized to be the sport watch it is, with a robust 41mm case and wrist-hugging lugs. Its 10.5mm height allows the watch to sit comfortably on the wrist and slide under a shirtsleeve. It’s definitely the kind of watch that encourages being dressed both up and down, especially the midnight blue and silver-plated executions. The “sports grey” dial with a bright blue lume track is clearly the sportiest watch of the lot, but even that seems like it could pair with the right kind of shirt and jacket to be dressed up.

On the back, you can view the in-house DUW 6101 automatic caliber, created specifically with this new collection in mind. 

The new Autobahn Neomatik 41 Date is available in all three versions today in the HODINKEE Shop. Each is priced at $4,800.

One of the small pleasures of Baselworld is to make a detour from Hall 1, where all the big, well-known brands reside, and to venture into the relative chaos of Hall 2. The labyrinthine hallways and smaller, open booths feel more colorful, crowded, and noisy, more Moroccan souk than Hall 1’s IKEA vibe. I managed to visit a handful of brands in Hall 2 this year of which watch enthusiasts may have a vague knowledge, but seldom get to see in person or read about. One of those brands is Anonimo. This brand with Italian roots introduced a new, more refined dress watch this year, but it is best known for its military-inspired watches – particularly bronze cushion-shaped divers. I wanted to see how Anonimo has evolved since its early days and, on my sojourn over to Hall 2, got to handle the Nautilo Automatic in one of its various guises. 

If Anonimo watches remind you of a certain well-known dive watch with Italian roots, it’s no coincidence. One of the company’s founding members was Dino Zei, a former Italian naval officer who was Panerai’s CEO from 1972 until 1997, when the Vendôme Group (now Richemont) bought the company. Zei brought his design sensibilities to Anonimo, where the company became a bit of a cult favorite among dive watch enthusiasts. Anonimo's watches carried forward the well known cushion case with thick lugs that Panerai had  originally sourced from Rolex in the 1930s, but started using bronze as a material, along with rather brutish proportions and aesthetics. Anonimo came under new ownership in 2009 and wandered in the wilderness for a few years, but lately has tightened up its collection. The Nautilo is a well-built, handsome alternative to all the “vintage-inspired” round divers that grow like bull kelp over in Hall 1.

The Nautilo Automatic manages to feel both vintage and modern at the same time. While Panerai is using a similar case, its watches distinctly seem to hearken back to a sepia-toned past, whereas Anonimo comes off a bit more sleek and fresh. This might be due to the incorporation of a clever crown guard that slices down along the right flank, to protect the rather slim crown at four o'clock. The case sides also sport a unique vertical texturing that is purely for visual interest.

The minimalist white dial of the Nautilo that I handled eschews numerals for dual hashes at 12, 4 and 8 and dots. The contrasting white-on-black date wheel and splash of red on the sweep hand also add to an overall contemporary design language, as does the matte grey engraved ceramic dive bezel. The engraved, frosted steel caseback is thankfully not see-through, as the sleek vibe of the rest of the watch would have been diminished by the appearance of what is a rather unremarkable movement – the Swiss Sellita SW200-1.

The Nautilo is a big watch, there’s no denying it. But we’ve come to expect Italian-influeneced divers to have considerable “wrist presence” and the stubby lugs and square case dimensions mean it wears OK on a variety of wrist sizes. And, to be honest, I’m not sure I’d want this watch any smaller. It comes on a lovely, padded and stitched grey leather strap with a beefy pin buckle which, for those who bemoan leather on a diving watch, could easily be swapped for rubber or nylon should you decide to leave the desk for the depths (Anonimo provides both as options).

At $2,330, this watch is right at the cusp of what gets price-conscious readers' hackles up. Yes, the Sellita movement isn’t particularly special or spendy. But there is more to this watch than what drives the hands around. We often forget that a watch’s price also pays for design and materials, labor, QC, marketing, and yes, booths at Baselworld, even in Hall 2. Am I trying to justify the price of the Nautilo? No, I’m not. $2,300 is crowded territory, with a lot of worthy watches duking it out for your dough, from Oris to Seiko. But if the Nautilo Automatic’s aesthetics appeal to you, it is a well-built, quality watch from a recognized name, and a look you won’t see on many people’s wrists. 

More information can be found at Anonimo’s website.

To be totally candid, I've never cared for Bamford blacked-out watches. We all choose our things about which to be irrationally doctrinaire in this world. Some people are intolerant of date windows (on principle), some people are intolerant of anything over 38mm in diameter (on principle,) some people are intolerant of non-in-house movements, and on and on. I've always been intolerant of so-called "modded watches," and I'm not sure why. Maybe it's the closet museum conservator in me, but I hate the idea of taking a finished watch as the starting point for significant cosmetic modifications. I would never tell anyone what to do with their own watch, but that doesn't stop me from privately deploring it when it happens. However this time we have, you might say, a horse of a different color.

In October of last year we heard some interesting news, which was that Bamford had become the authorized customization partner of TAG Heuer. This came just shortly after Zenith announced that Bamford was its official customization partner as well, in June. 

The relationship, somehow, seems to make the whole thing more plausible (like I said, this is irrational; the general feel of the designs isn't markedly different in the collaboration models) and at Baselworld, we had a chance to look at one of the first collaboration models from TAG Heuer and Bamford, which is the TAG Heuer Bamford Monaco.

Much to my own surprise, up close and personal, I liked the watch immediately. From a design standpoint it really came together for me – now, this kind of approach to watch design is always going to be polarizing and I'm sure this take on a Monaco will rub some of us the wrong way, but for lack of a better word, I thought it looked cool. I think the size might have something to do with it; this is a 39mm wristwatch and it seems to wear its carbon case very naturally. In terms of dial layout, position of the pushers and crown, and so on, it's a classic Monaco, solidly rooted in the original caliber 11 model from 1969. 

I think part of the reason this take on the Monaco seems to work so well is that the original design is not particularly conservative either – the Monaco has always been a slightly aggressive-feeling, very design-forward watch (and it has always been comfortable with eye-catching colors; the Gulf Monaco is a perfect example). Seeing it in a carbon case, and with the vivid "aquablue" and black dial, and matching date display, doesn't feel like something grafted on; instead it feels like a natural extension of the original design.

It's extremely comfortable to wear and again, it was a very pleasant surprise to see how instantly at home on the wrist it seemed – it really does feel like a watch you could wear on a daily basis, especially if your personal style tends towards the slightly colorful and the occasionally unusual. It's a got a wrist-friendly size, and real graphic punch, and the carbon case brings more visual interest to the table, as well as radiating a contemporary-cool feel that's a great match to the overall Monaco design. In his original Introducing story on the watch, James Stacey wrote, "I like that it does nothing to threaten the existence or legitimacy of the more classic Monaco while still managing to take the Monaco in a new direction that maintains its connection with motorsports," and I'm inclined to agree with that assessment.

If you want to get a general sense of the Bamford customization experience, you can check it out at bamfordwatchdepartment.com. I don't know that I'll ever be a fan of the notion of modded watches in general (you know, on principle) but in person and on the wrist this Monaco Bamford was a very pleasant surprise. 

Price at launch will be $8,100 and you can expect it to be delivered around the end of August; it will be available for pre-order at tagheuer.com.

Yesterday in Augusta, Georgia, Patrick Reed won the 2018 Masters, holding off a late charge from both Ricky Fowler and Jordan Spieth. Heading into the final day of play, he was the favorite to don the iconic green jacket, and some gutsy play earned him one of golf's highest honors. Reed doesn't wear a watch while he's actually playing (unlike some other big-name, Masters-winning golfers such as Bubba Watson), but he did put something on his wrist between sinking that final putt and the trophy ceremony. And his choice? The Hublot Big Bang Ferrari White Ceramic Carbon, a bold multi-material chronograph from 2015.

If you forgot about the Big Bang Ferrari White Ceramic Carbon, you'd be forgiven – it's not even on the Hublot website anymore. However, it's everything you'd expect it to be from the name. The watch has a 45mm case made of white zirconium oxide ceramic and a contrasting carbon fiber bezel (the giveaway for identifying this watch on Reed's wrist). Inside is the in-house Unico 1241 movement, which is a column-wheel chronograph with date, and you can see the mechanics at work through the openworked dial. The Big Bang Ferrari White Ceramic Carbon was a limited edition of 500 pieces.

I have to say though, the most surprising thing about this is that Reed wasn't sporting the new Big Bang Unico Golf that Hublot released earlier this year. The watch is engineered with the explicit purpose of keeping score during a golf game. You can learn more about that new piece here. 

There are few things instilled in us as early as our sense of time – both in terms of what "o'clock" it is and where we are in the yearly calendar. Having adapted to a particular way of doing things, we resist change strenuously; hence the near-universal failure of attempts at calendar reform (even when it's badly needed, and eminently commonsensical). However, in the Middle Ages in Europe, before there were clocks, and before the Gregorian calendar superseded the Julian, the time as well as the day, and moreover, the average person's sense of what time was at its most basic, were fundamentally different from today.

Just how different, is the subject of the exhibition: "Now And Forever: The Art Of Medieval Time," at the Morgan Library And Museum, in New York. The exhibition looks at the basic cycle of the Julian year in medieval Christianity, which was defined by two main sequences of dates: the temporale, or moveable feasts, which were largely determined by the date of Easter; and the sanctorale, or Saint's days. The time of day was defined by liturgical cycles as well – prayers marked the hours of the day, which began with matins, in the middle of the night, and ended at dusk with compline. The Bible was universally considered to represent historical fact, and the genealogies of royal European families routinely showed lineage of direct descent from Adam and Eve – often, interestingly enough, by way of prominent citizens of Troy, whom after the Trojan war were widely considered to have become the founders of major European cities.

Two of the most fascinating objects in the exhibition reflect both the cycles of time that governed medieval life, as well as the medieval Christian perspective on history and eternity. The first of these is a remarkable astrolabe – the Astrolabe Of San Zeno, which was installed at the Benedictine monastery of the same name in Verona, Italy, in 1455. It's four feet in diameter, and each disk is covered with decorated vellum. The disks were rotated daily, by hand, and essentially it functioned as a rudimentary programmable calendar, able to display the Julian date, as well as feast days, the positions of the constellations of the zodiac, the amount of daylight for each day (which was essential for determining when prayers should take place) and even the phases of the moon. 

The second of these objects is a scroll some 60 feet long, which is known as La Chronique Anonyme Universelle. 

The scroll depicts nothing less than the entire history of the world, as it was thought of in Christian Europe during the Middle Ages. It begins with Creation, and goes all the way down to the reign of King Louis XI of France, who ascended to the throne in 1461. It traces no less than five lines of descent from Adam and Eve: that of the Popes, the Holy Roman Emperors, and the kings of France, England, and  the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem (the latter was a state established by the Crusaders, in the Eastern Mediterranean, which lasted from 1099 to 1291).

I can't recommend the exhibition highly enough. It's incredibly impactful and offers a fascinating look at what in many respects is a now alien perspective on time, but one which also continues to influence, in all sorts of unexpected ways, how we reckon the year, and tell time and perceive it today. 

The exhibition is on at the Morgan Library in New York City until April 29; for more info, visit themorgan.org (and take in the Hujar photo show and the Tennessee Williams exhibit while you're there too).

I'm not entirely sure why there wasn't more of a hullabaloo about this movement – maybe it's because it wasn't shown during editorial meetings, but rather, placed outside Citizen's booth, where it was easy to miss if you happened to be just walking by, or rushing from one appointment to the next. However, it's easily one of the most remarkable developments of the show and certainly, one of the top technical watchmaking stories of the year: Citizen has developed a light-powered, Eco-Drive movement accurate to just ±1 second per year.

The movement is cased in a pocket watch, but Citizen says that this not-for-sale prototype is a harbinger of things to come and that we can expect to see the technology in regular production watches in 2019. The pocket watch is pretty compelling though – the case is synthetic sapphire, and the DLC-treated movement is visible through the transparent back. Honestly, I'd give my eyeteeth to own it as is, although I suppose a solar-powered pocket watch might not be the hottest idea. However, it might actually be ok in this instance – Citizen says the watch can run for up to six months in total darkness, so having it live in your pocket some of the time might not be as problematic as it sounds. 

There are several key design points. The first, and one of the most important, is the frequency – a typical quartz watch runs at 32,768 Hz, but caliber 0100 – the name refers to Citizen's 100th anniversary, which is this year – runs at a much higher frequency: 8.4 Mhz, or more precisely, 8,388,608 Hz (vibrations per second). That's considerably faster than the Omega Marine Chronometer from the 1970s, which had a special lens-shaped crystal, and vibrated at 2.4 Mhz (one of these is in the personal collection of Roger Smith, which he shared with us in Talking Watches). Citizen's own Crystron Mega, from 1975, was rated to ±3 seconds per year, at 4.19 Mhz. 

Bulova's Precisionist quartz movement runs at 262 KHz, or 262,144 Hz (interestingly, Bulova is owned by Citizen, and the company obviously sees a future, smart watches be damned, in autonomously accurate high frequency quartz watches). From what I've read you can get off-the-shelf quartz oscillators with frequencies in outlandishly high ranges – 300 Mhz, anyone? – but I suspect such high frequencies would badly tax current battery technology.

The second is the cut of the crystal; rather than the usual tuning fork configuration, Citzen is using at AT-cut crystal, which is cut from the larger crystal to a different orientation than conventional tuning fork crystals. The orientation of the cut produces a better resistance to temperature variations (the main cause of inaccuracy in quartz oscillators) and as the vibrations are smaller in amplitude than in a tuning fork crystal, there's less variation in rate due to physical shocks and changes in position as well. There seems to be some sort of software adjustment for temperature rate as well, although the press release is a little less specific on this point.

In any case, when this tech becomes commercially available, all and any of us whose hearts thrill to the notion of autonomous – not GPS connected, not radio controlled – high-precision timekeeping technology ought to be happy as a clam (which is an expression I've never understood, as every clam I've ever seen has looked morose at best, but you get the idea). I've never in my life stood in line for any new tech product but by gum, I think I'd stand in line for this one. 

Visit Citizenwatch.com for a wider look at their work, and scratch your head, as I did, to find out that this achievement isn't more prominent on their website; if I were them, I'd have laser etched the press release in incandescent letters 10 kilometers across on the surface of the Moon. See you in a year.

The caliber 0100 is 33.3mm x 2.92mm; the prototype, in a sapphire case, is not, alas, for sale.

Mario Andretti is that rare breed of driver whose talents have taken him to the top of virtually every category in elite racing. Among his 111 career victories, several have come at the sport's most coveted races, including the Daytona 500 and the Indy 500. Andretti is also one of the few American drivers to achieve success in Formula One, winning the 1978 Drivers' Championship with Lotus. His 12 victories in Formula One make him the winningest American that the series has ever seen. Andretti is also the only person to have been named United States Driver of the year in three different decades. And as if that wasn't enough, the Associated Press and RACER selected him as driver of the century. Others may have proved more dominant in a single discipline, but Mario Andretti was a force to be reckoned with on every track, proving to be, perhaps, the most well-rounded race car driver of all time. 

Over the course of this storied career, which took him to all corners of the world for races on circuits including Spa, Monaco, Daytona, and Indianapolis,  Andretti quietly amassed one of the most interesting collections of sports watches that we've ever encountered – and he certainly has the stories to go with them. 

Pocket Watch From His Father

Sure, this collection includes some truly great vintage Heuer and Rolex watches, in addition to a timepiece earned by winning the Formula One Drivers' Championship, but one can tell that this pocket watch, left to Mario by his late father, is every bit as important to him.

Fischer – Mario's First Wristwatch

How many of us wish we still had our very first watch? Mario Andretti is one of the lucky few who can say that he does. Not only that, the 78-year-old managed to keep this Fischer wristwatch, a gift from his uncle, even when faced with a stopover in an Italian refugee camp before making it to America. 

Heuer Autavia Reference 3646, Received For Posting The Fastest Qualifying Lap Time At The 1966 Indianapolis 500

The above Autavia Ref. 3646 with "Motor Age" on the dial has seen quite a bit of wear in its day. Andretti received this watch for posting the fastest lap in the qualifying round of the 1966 Indy 500. He recalls that, at the time, this was a really impressive sports watch that got a lot of attention.

Heuer Autavia Reference 3646, Received For Posting The Fastest Qualifying Lap Time At The 1967 Indianapolis 500

Wait. Another one? Yes, Andretti posted the fastest qualifying lap at the 1977 Indy 500 too, receiving another Motor Age Autavia as a result. This one also shows a lot of wear but still retains its beautiful Gay Frères bracelet, as you can see. Andretti was surprised to learn that collectors have taken to calling this Autavia reference with the Mark 3 dial "the Andretti," because Mario was often photographed wearing it.

Heuer Carrera Reference 1158 In Gold

Andretti noticed his friend and fellow Ferrari driver Clay Regazzoni wearing this automatic, solid gold Carrera, and asked if he could help him in acquiring one, too. Jack Heuer, a friend of Regazzoni's, obliged and gifted Andretti his own. These watches have become very sought after by Heuer collectors over the years, mainly because of their association with several 1970s Ferrari drivers. Two gold Carreras of this reference sold at the Phillips Heuer Parade in November for $22,500 and $35,000.

Orfina Porsche Design

This blacked-out Porsche Design Orfina chronograph is actually the second such watch Andretti has owned. The first, he tells us, was nicked right off of his wrist when he dozed off on the beach in Rio de Janeiro. 

Tissot Lotus For Winning The 1978 Formula 1 Championship

To today's watch collectors, this solid gold Tissot quartz analog/digital piece holds a fraction of the horological interest that several of the other watches in this article do. But it was indeed high-technology for its time. It was also a watch given to Andretti for winning one of the highest honors in professional racing, the 1978 Formula One Driver's Championship for Team Lotus. Andretti has watch number two of 100. Number one went to Lotus founder Colin Chapman.

Rolex Daytona Reference 6239

Andretti's early Rolex Daytona, a ref. 6239, is in immaculate shape. He can't remember exactly how he came to own this stainless steel beauty, but he says he didn't buy it for himself – someone gave it to him.

TAG Heuer Commemorating The 75th Anniversary Of The Indianapolis 500

This TAG Heuer from 1991 is exceedingly rare because the only way to get one brand new, it seems, was to qualify and make a start in the 75th running of the Indy 500, which Andretti of course did.

Hamilton Gifted By The Town Of Nazareth

One of the things that really struck me about Mario Andretti is what a role his adopted home town of Nazareth, Pennsylvania, has played in his life. Though fame and fortune have taken Andretti all over the world, Nazareth is the place to which he always humbly returned after achieving his sport's greatest honors. This Hamilton Electric model with great fancy lugs and mid-1960s styling was gifted to Andretti by the citizens of Nazareth in 1965, the first of the four years that Andretti won the IndyCar championship.

TAG Heuer Autavia Jo Siffert Re-Edition

This reissue of the Siffert Autavia dating from the early 2000s is one of several watches from Heuer/TAG Heuer that Andretti owns and wears. When I told him that this watch was a heritage reissue of a similar piece worn by his contemporary Jo Siffert, the Swiss Formula One driver, Andretti was surprised. He remembers Siffert well, and seems to have enjoyed wearing this watch over the years, but hadn't connected the two.

TAG Heuer Carrera Received For His Induction Into Motor Sport Hall Of Fame

One of the few modern watches in Andretti's collection is this TAG Heuer Carrera, which Andretti received upon his induction into the Motor Sport Hall of Fame. The four-time IndyCar champion, three-time Sebring 12 Hours winner, 1967 Daytona 500 winner, 1969 Indianapolis 500 winner, and 1978 Formula 1 World Champion was inducted in Motor Sports's inaugural class, in 2010.

The 2018 Winter Olympic Games might already feel like something in the distant past, but it was only a little over six weeks ago that the closing ceremony was held in PyeongChang, South Korea. Amidst the myriad great story lines, from a recently converted snowboarder beating the field in downhill skiing to a long-awaited gold medal for the U.S. women's hockey team, one sport caught everyone by surprise: curling. I'll admit it – I was totally obsessed. When the U.S. men's team took gold, I may or may not have done some neighbor-disrupting screaming at my television. 

To commemorate this monumental win, the five-man squad wanted to do something special for their coach, Phill Drobnick, and media-favorite Matt Hamilton reached out to Oak & Oscar to see if the Chicago-based watchmaker could do something for them. Founder Chase Fancher was happy to oblige, taking things further than a simple caseback engraving. The result is this special, one-of-a-kind Jackson chronograph.

The basics of the watch haven't changed at all. It's the Jackson through and through. This means the watch has a 40mm stainless steel case that is 14.5mm thick and a manually wound flyback chronograph movement (Eterna Caliber 3916M) with a column wheel and a stacked totalizer register at three o'clock. This special watch uses the grey dial as a base, though the Jackson is also available with a blue dial. If you need a further refresher on the Jackson, check out our initial story about it here.

So what was Fancher able to do to make this watch special? First off, he put a curling stone right on the dial, just above the "Oak & Oscar" signature at 12 o'clock. It's extremely subtle and unless you look very closely you wouldn't assume it was anything other than the brand's logo. Also, below that signature, sit the words "Gold 2018," just in case there was any doubt as to what this watch is commemorating. If you turn the watch over you'll see a caseback engraving that reads "2/24/2018" – the date of that fateful gold medal match against Sweden.

Finishing things off, Oak & Oscar has worked with its leathergoods suppliers (also U.S.-based) to create a special red, white, and blue Horween leather strap as well as a custom-stamped watch wallet that reiterated the "Gold 2018" motif.

While Hamilton and his teammates could easily have walked into any watch boutique, picked something out of a glass case, and had it engraved for their coach (and I'm sure one Olympics-sponsoring brand would have been happy to oblige here), it's cool to see them go a different route. To have a young, American watch brand create something unique to mark this occasion feels like a perfect fit.

For more on the Jackson chronograph, visit Oak & Oscar online.