The Baselworld watch and jewelry show that opens March 21 in Basel, Switzerland, will be one of the most watched – if not the most attended – shows in years.

This is the first show after the calamity that was Baselworld 2018. That show, in which the number of exhibitors dropped by 50%, plunged the event and its parent company, the MCH Group, 100 million Swiss francs into the red and triggered one of worst crises in its 101-year history. 

Within months, its long-time managing director stepped down; its largest exhibitor, the Swatch Group, abruptly withdrew from the 2019 show; and the CEO of the MCH Group, the exhibition company that owns Baselworld, resigned under fire. 

Last summer, MCH installed a new management team to revive the incredibly shrinking show. They tapped Michel Loris-Melikoff, an executive with MCH's Beaulieu Lausanne exposition company, to be Baselworld's new managing director. To run the MCH Group, they brought in Hans-Kristian Hoejsgaard, an experienced manager (he held the CEO position at Timex Group,  Oettinger Davidoff, and Georg Jensen) on an interim basis. 

To save the show, the two realized that they had to radically change it. "All our focus has been really to reinvent and reconfigure and rethink Baselworld," Hoejsgaard told HODINKEE in a phone interview in late February. The goal is to create an entirely new format for the show, something "much more digital, much more event driven," Hoejsgaard said. 

Loris-Melikoff and Hoejsgaard worked on two fronts. They needed to make immediate improvements to the 2019 show in the wake of the firestorm of criticism about the 2018 show and the previous management. And they needed to develop a new long-term concept for the show. 

A dozen years ago, Baselworld had 2,100 exhibitors. This year it will be just over 500.

They realized that there was not enough time to develop, implement, and get exhibitor buy-in on a new show concept for 2019. "Both of us were pretty new," said Hoejsgaard, who did not come aboard until September 2018. "We said there's a limit to what we can do in 2019."

As a result, Baselworld 2019 is a transitional show. There are some significant changes. But the major redo will come in 2020. "We plan to use this year's show as an opportunity to present our vision for Baselworld 2020 and subsequent years to exhibitors and all interested parties," Loris-Melikoff said in a statement on March 5. 

500+ Exhibitors

Reviving Baselworld will be a heavy lift. One measure of the difficulty is that the erosion of exhibitors that plagued last year's fair has continued. True, important anchor firms like Rolex, Patek Philippe, and the LVMH Group (TAG Heuer, Hublot, Zenith, Bulgari) are still there. But, in addition to the Swatch Group, numerous other brands exited after the 2018 show (for example, long-time exhibitors Raymond Weil and Maurice Lacroix).

This year's show has slightly more than 500 exhibitors, down from last year's shockingly low 650. The figure is "lower than we had hoped," Loris-Melikoff said in a statement on March 5. Baselworld had 1,500 exhibitors just three years ago, and more than 2,100 in 2007.

As part of the 2019 improvements, the show has rearranged the exhibition areas, resulting in a more compact event. It will take place in two halls, Hall 1, the historic watch building, and Hall 3 behind it. The popular Les Ateliers section for small, independent watch brands, has been moved to the main floor of the watch hall (1.0) for the first time. 

The third floor of Hall 1 (1.2), which was closed last year, is a new, redesigned jewelry hall. It features a "Show Plaza," with a stage and runway where jewelry fashion shows will be held daily. The Show Plaza is a clear message to jewelry companies that jewelry will be a key category going forward. Jewelry firms have abandoned the show in droves, complaining that they were treated like second-class citizens compared to the watch brands. 

The large space in the center of Hall 1 where the Swatch Group brands used to be is now a Central Plaza, a meeting place with seating areas and new restaurants and bars. 

Show management has also addressed the problem of the high costs of hotels and restaurants in Basel. Baselworld has entered into a partnership agreement with the majority of hotels in the city to put an end to the price gouging that was widespread during the show. 

The agreement has four criteria: agreed maximum prices per night; maintain 2018 rates for the 2019 show; no minimum length of stay; and no compulsory additional food and beverage consumption to reserve rooms. Hotels that agreed to all four criteria are "official partners" with Baselworld. Those that agreed to three of the four are "preferred partners." 

Similarly, Baselworld has partnered with around 40 restaurants, which agreed to maintain normal menu prices during the show instead of raising them during the show period.

Those changes are necessary first steps for improving Baselworld. Details of the far bigger, far more necessary steps for future Baselworlds will be presented at this year's show, Hoejsgaard said. "We think we have a super exciting project," he said.

'Baselworld 2023'

That project is called "Baselworld 2023." "It is a strategic plan of how to reinvent the show and do a lot of new things over the years to come," Hoejsgaard said. "A significant part of that will happen in 2020. It is very much about digitalization, providing new types of services, new types of events."

"The process of transforming Baselworld into an experience platform is in full swing," Loris-Melikoff said in his statement.  

"Everybody that we talk to feels that there is definitely a place for a live event," Hoejsgaard said. "But it obviously has to be in tune with the times."

That means that Baselworld "will evolve from b-to-b [business to business] to b-to-c [business-to-consumer]," Hoejsgaard said. The traditional role of a trade show – introducing new products to wholesalers – has become obsolete in the digital era. "In today's world, nobody is actually waiting for a physical fair to put products forward," Hoejsgaard said. "Digital has completely fragmented that whole idea of launching new products. You can target your customers and your target groups much more specifically by social media. A lot of brands are going more and more in their own retail direction, and therefore are more interested in consumers. We are responding to that.

"We are having some great discussions and exciting ideas about how we are going to bring that [consumer] element in. We will bring it in in different ways. There is a whole system of consumers who are interested. We need to provide them with a service and an offering that is exciting. So, the b-to-c component is going to be a very important part of the development." 

Baselworld will take additional steps to deal with Switzerland's high costs. "I think there is a common understanding that the business model has to change," Hoejsgaard said. "We will introduce a new pricing model for the exhibitors and take into account that, obviously, not all areas of the hall are of the same value. Smaller exhibitors also have an important role to play. And I am very happy now that in our dialogue with the bigger brands, everybody agrees that we need the whole ecosystem, not just the best and biggest and most famous." 

The expense of traveling to Switzerland was one reason that Baselworld and SIHH, its rival luxury-watch show held in Geneva in January, agreed to coordinate their show dates beginning in 2020. SIHH will be held from April 26-29; Baselworld will run from April 30 to May 5. Now visitors will make one trip to Switzerland for the shows, not two.

The Elephant Not In The Room

Baselworld hopes that the new back-to-back show dates, plus the other improvements it plans, will persuade brands that have left the show to consider returning. That includes the elephant not in the room at this year's fair: the Swatch Group. 

One of the first things Hoejsgaard did as MCH Group interim CEO was meet with Swatch Group CEO Nick Hayek about his decision to withdraw from the fair. "I went to see Mr. Hayek on my third day in the job and tried to understand and learn, of course, what the issues were. And the issues were, as has been widely written about, the arrogance and the costs and everything in the past." It was a very good discussion, Hoejsgaard said, and he understands and respects Hayek's decision. 

"For the moment, he has pulled out." 

In fact, the Swatch Group is holding its own watch and jewelry fair for six of its high-end brands in Zurich during Baselworld. Called, ironically, "Time To Move," the show is reserved for retailers and includes Breguet, Blancpain, Glashütte Original, Harry Winston, Jaquet-Droz, and Omega.

Loris-Melikoff and Hoejsgaard want to meet with Hayek after Baselworld to present the new concept. "I would hope that all the new things that we are putting forward from 2020 onwards will excite him. We will keep the communication lines open. And maybe at some point in the future, the Swatch Group will reconsider," Hoejsgaard said.

Hoejsgaard's spell as an MCH crisis manager will end later this year. MCH announced last month that Bernd Stadlwieser, a former CEO of the Thomas Sabo Group and most recently CEO of Switzerland's Mondaine Watch Co., will take over as permanent CEO. The official start date is not set, but he is expected to be on board in June.

Standing in a palm tree-lined parking lot, I am baking in the sun. My first time in Miami, I can feel the onset of sunburn and I've only been out of my cab for five minutes. I've come to Miami for Watches & Wonders and arrived a bit early to hunt down a specific Miami Beach address at the request of one Ben Clymer. Unfortunately, I'm lost. 

Tasked with the enviable afternoon assignment of offering a follow up to this classic HODINKEE post, I'm trying to find Matthew Bain's studio. For many of you, Matthew Bain won't need an introduction. He is a prolific vintage watch dealer based in Miami, and you may remember him from his presence on the "How Vintage Watches Are Really Bought And Sold" panel at HODINKEE 10 last year, and no doubt some of you have bought a watch or two from him. Regardless, if you want to see some amazing vintage watches in Miami, Matthew Bain's studio is the spot. Provided I can find it.

After walking in circles for longer than I'd like to admit while trading a few texts with Ben, I amble into the air-conditioned lobby of a nondescript office building. Sweaty and frustrated with myself for being late, I hope for the best as I get off the elevator and buzz the door for what I believe is Matt's studio. As the door clicks open, the sheer volume of watch stuff within view would suggest I'm in the right place. It's everywhere. Surrounded by ephemera most horological, I find Matt, his colleague Morgan, and Ben, pouring over a table stacked with trays upon trays of watches. I'm fresh off a plane from NYC and the beach can wait. I'm home. 

Whatever your taste, Matt's got a bit (or a lot) to offer. From precious Pateks and steel Rolexes (both old and otherwise), to APs, VCs, Cartiers, and Omegas, it felt as though I had entered some sort of a vintage watch fugue state. It's not every day that, in the span of a few hours, I get to try on everything from an early solid gold Royal Oak to a 114270 on a jubilee, a COMEX Sub, and full set original Nautilus (with the cork box, scroll down!). 

I shot until my flash quit and then I kept going, so take a scroll through the following photoset and be sure to comment to let us know what caught your eye. Finally, a big thanks to Matt and his team for having me into the studio and for being a good sport when I needed a wrist model. 

For more information visit Matthew Bain's website by clicking here. 

Opening tomorrow in London is Well Suited, a so-called "selling exhibition" of top-tier independent watches paired with tailoring and menswear. The former come courtesy of the Phillips Watch Department, in particular Mr. James Marks, and the latter come from Thom Sweeney, a London tailoring firm founded by Luke Sweeney and Thom Whiddett, who, according to Phillips, are both watch collectors themselves. This isn't the first time Phillips has done something like this, having formerly teamed up with our friends over at The Rake and Mr. Porter for last fall's Styled watch auction.

The exhibition itself features around two dozen watches from brands like Rolex, Patek Philippe, Richard Mille, F.P. Journe, Grand Seiko, Vianney Halter, and more, with the highlight of the bunch being a 37mm rose gold Simplicity by Philippe Dufour. (For more on Dufour and why that watch is so special, be sure to check out our interview with him from The Road To Basel.) The Thom Sweeney team has made up a selection of bespoke tailoring specifically to accompany the watches and there will also be tailors working on site in a makeshift cutting room during the show.

If you're in London and have a chance to pop by, I don't think you'll regret it. The selection of watches on its own is worth checking out, but the additional style angle should make it even more fun. Well Suited opens tomorrow morning (March 15) and is on through March 21 at Phillips' London headquarters at 30 Berkeley Square. The hours are 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM Monday to Saturday and 12:00 PM to 6:00 PM on Sunday. If you visit, let us know what you think in the comments below!

Visit Phillips online to learn more.

Like it or not, the hunt never stops. Shortly after last week’s installment of Bring A Loupe went live, I was back at it. Luckily, in that first burst of treasure hunting, I found several of this week’s picks which I’m sure you’ll get a kick out of, and then some. At the sporty end of the spectrum, we’ve got a couple of divers, including the seldom-seen Triton Spirotechnique. Following it is an accessibly priced Omega Seamaster with a bit of more going on in the cool department in comparison to most other examples of the reference. Should interesting provenance be up your alley, there’s a world class Tudor Submariner along with a Universal Genève Polarouter De Luxe worth checking out. Onwards and upwards we go!

Triton Spirotechnique Ref. 143.100

We’re kicking things off this week with a favorite of mine, a watch that I like to think is the one of the most comfortable sports watches of all time. It also just so happens to be one of the most unique looking watches of the 1960s, with a design that’s every bit as functional as it is striking. The watch I speak of is the Triton Spirotechnique, which emerged on the scene in 1963 after having been developed by a former French Air Force colonel by the name of Jean René Parmentier. As its name would suggest, these watches were originally sold through Jacques Cousteau’s dive outfitter La Spirotechnique, which was later renamed Aqua Lung after that name achieved some level of acclaim in North American markets. Fun fact, these were more expensive than dive watches from Rolex, Tudor, and Omega at the time of their release. 

At first glance, the watch is immediately set apart from the pack with its 12 o’clock crown placement. This design was implemented so as to avoid damage below the surface that could’ve potentially allowed water inside the watch. This placement also makes the watch noticeably more comfortable than more conventional dive watches. Upon closer inspection, the real stand-out of the Spirotechnique’s design are the articulating lugs up top that also double as a crown guard. Nifty, huh? Like the crown placement, they too increase comfort levels by allowing the watch to really hug your wrist, as opposed to just sitting atop it like a piece of architectural jewelry.  

During the production of the Spirotechnique, examples even made their way onto the wrists of individuals enlisted in the Marine Nationale, alongside the more commonly known issued Tudors. On such examples, you’ll often find that the original crown has been replaced with one from a Rolex, as the Marine Nationale is believed to have modified the watches after recognizing the superiority of Rolex’s crown design. 

Today’s example is a stunning one, which would have left the factory later on in the reference’s production. It’s being offered in unpolished condition, with an untouched dial, handset, and perfect bakelite bezel. When Spirotechniques pop up for sale, which is by no means often, the bezel has usually been replaced or is in a state that I’d describe as "less than ideal," which is why this one caught my attention. The original roulette date wheel is an added touch I’ve always appreciated as well. 

Roy and Sacha Davidoff are offering this example of the obscure French dive watch for CHF 7,950. Find more details on their site.

Omega Seamaster Ref. 135.007 With 'Speedmaster Dial'

At the more accessible end of the spectrum, we’ve got our next feature for the week, proving that it doesn’t take boatloads of unmarked non-sequential bills to acquire a tasteful vintage watch of note. While they are solid watches for the money, 34mm Omega Seamasters of the 1960s typically inspire little in the way of excitement, though I’m not sure this applies to the piece we’re about to take a look at. You’ve probably already figured out what makes this one special, but should you be wondering where I’m going with all this, allow me to clue you in.  

Towards the center of the dial you’ll notice a set of crosshairs, and while these are an interesting trait you don’t see everyday, they’re not exactly the main event in this case. Pun absolutely intended. If the indices and minute markings seem familiar, that’s because they were inspired by another offering Omega had at the time: The Speedmaster. 

This piece brought my eBay speed-scrolling to a Road Runner-esque abrupt halt after I saw that it was in fact a degree more exciting than the other already compelling Speedy-style Seamasters I had encountered in the past. What makes this particular example special is the fact that its dial has a sunburst grey finish to it, much like what’s seen on the early, rare, and extremely desirable “blue dial” Speedmasters of the 1960s. At this price point, I really can’t think of a more interesting watch. 

An eBay seller based out of Boston, Massachusetts, has this watch listed for $999, though you have the option to make an offer as well. I have a feeling this one will move fast. See the full listing here.

Universal Genève Polarouter De Luxe SAS

With everyone and their brother having written up the Universal Genève Polarouter / Polerouter (no, that first spelling isn't a mistake) at some point in the frenzy that is the world of watch media, you’re probably already familiar with its roots. If not, here's a brief refresher: Essentially, the watch’s origins lie in Scandinavian air travel, after SAS (Scandinavian Airlines Systems) began flying direct routes from New York and Los Angeles to Europe over the North Pole. Wishing to outfit their pilots appropriately, the airline contracted Universal Genève to produce a watch (designed by a 23-year-old Gerald Genta) in commemoration of the new trans-Atlantic routes, and as a result of their work in the field of antimagnetic watchmaking. Carlsberg also produced a commemorative “Polar Beer” for the inaugural flight, so there’s that too.

In 1954, pilots and certain crew members who flew these first flights were justly awarded with ref. 20217-6 Polarouters with the airline’s logo on its dial. Heads of state responsible for the formation of SAS were believed to have been presented with the more upscale Polarouter De Luxe ref. 10234-1. While I personally prefer the former, there’s no denying the head-turning nature of the latter. It also seemed to fit the bill for the occasion, seeing as the same reference had been presented to other heads of state and royal figures, including King Faisal of Saudi Arabia, who received an example engraved with his likeness. 

This isn’t the first SAS Polarouter I’ve come across, but it’s undoubtedly the most complete one I’ve seen, as included with the watch is its original SAS branded presentation case and a beautifully crafted matching bracelet. It does look like someone applied paint to the tips of the hands and the 12 o’clock marker at some point to increase legibility, though I imagine this could be washed off easily. I could see this making a great addition to any collector of Universal Genève, or vestiges of the early days of air travel. Polarouter / Polerouter enthusiasts might also enjoy this website, which documents the history, variants, and marketing of the model in extreme detail. 

The Stockholm auction house Dalarnas Auktionsbyrå will offer this piece in a sale on March 17. There’s no estimate to be found, so I’d advise getting in touch with the auction house should you require further details. More information on the sale can be found here. 

1956 Rolex Datejust Turn-O-Graph Ref. 6609

The Turn-O-Graph is one of the more curious offerings of the Rolex back catalog, in that it took many different forms over its lifetime (very different forms, at that). Things kicked off with the ref. 6202 in 1953, which is seen by most as the watch that laid the framework for the Submariner that started it all, 1954’s ref. 6204. This first Turn-O-Graph’s waterproof properties were obviously important, but the rotating bezel was the main attraction. Funnily enough, it was marketed as a convenient tool which could be used to keep track of long-distance calls, cakes in the oven, the doneness of boiled eggs, and record-breaking instances of spirited motoring alike.

After the success of the Submariner, the Turn-O-Graph name was transferred over to the Datejust line. Datejust Turn-O-Graphs originally came in the form of the ref. 6309, which was followed by the slightly later ref. 6609. The watch in question is a ref. 6609 dating to 1956, and as the photos would indicate, it’s a top notch Oyster. I’m admittedly not the biggest fan of more modern Turn-O-Graphs, but when it comes to early executions with black honeycomb dials, I’m not one to complain. 

This watch has been polished (unfortunately), but things didn’t get too out of hand and the case lines still remain visible. Condition wise, that’s probably the one and only gripe I have, seeing as the rest of the watch is nothing short of outstanding. The years have been kind to the dial, which remains more or less spotless, with all of its evenly aged luminous plots intact. Tracing the dial are a set of luminous dauphine hands, which I believe to be original. Lastly, I’d like to point out that the white gold bezel on this watch really shines. There’s magic in that bezel, I tell ya. 

Veilinghuis de Ruiter will offer this watch on March 21 with an estimate of €7,500 to €15,000. Bids can already be already be placed online, if you’re feeling antsy. 

1962 Tudor Submariner Ref. 7928 'Eagle Beak'

A couple weeks back we took a look at a gilt dial Submariner that I recommended you avoid. As someone who loves a good gilt dial sports watch as much as the next guy, I thought I’d include one this week that is worthy of your hard earned dollars. This Submariner’s dial features a rose in place of a coronet, and also shows signs of aging that are both honest and clean. This a particularly nice ref. 7928 and if it’s not already on your radar, let’s change that. 

If the bells and whistles of vintage Rolex/Tudor collecting are your thing, this one has a few tricks up its sleeve. This includes the so-called “Eagle Beak” crown guards, and the “exclamation point” marker found at the six o’clock position. If that wasn’t enough, it’s also got a bezel insert that’s faded to a pleasing tone of grey, which some collectors refer to as a “ghost” insert. The affectionate nicknames associated with vintage Rolex truly never fail to amaze, much like the condition in which this Submariner is being offered.

What’s more, is this is effectively a single owner watch, coming directly from a descendent of the original owner. In an age when there’s more monkey business going on with vintage watches than ever, a single owner watch is almost always worth the premium it commands. That sole owner is also said to have been presented with the watch after retiring from his position as a “Navy Chief” in the U.S. Navy. Whether the owner was a CPO or a higher ranking CNO is unclear, though I’m sure the seller would be willing to share more details. 

The Elmira, New York, based nephew of the original owner is offering this watch for sale on eBay. At the time of publishing, the bidding stands at $17,000. Click here to get in on the action. 

Buyer Beware: Heuer Autavia 'Ref. 3646'

To wrap things up this week, we’ve got a watch to which I’d hate to see someone fall prey. Nothing about this Heuer adds up, including the price, which is far more than this chop shop job is really worth. Whoever put this together was presumably trying for a ref. 3646 vibe, but clearly didn’t know their stuff all that well and made some questionable decisions in the process. 

Its dial is a dead giveaway, with improperly indented sub-dials, along with a line of text near the six o’clock position that reads “17 JEWELS INCABLOC,” much like what you’d see on cheaper chronographs of the same vintage. Also worth pointing out are its indices, which in no way remotely resemble anything I’ve seen on a 3646 dial to date. The indices found on authentic dials are stick markers with edges angled towards the dial’s center. 

Next up, we’ve got the bezel, and yes – you guessed it – it’s fake too! I'm not sure where it came from, but it surely wasn’t the Heuer factory. With all this said, the real nail in the coffin on this piece can be found inside the case. On a ref. 3646 Autavia, unscrewing the caseback should reveal a Valjoux 92 movement, but on this curious specimen we’ve got a Valjoux 7733 that the seller has even proudly made note of in the listing’s title. The long and short of it is that this piece isn’t worth anything close to $6,900, so don’t buy it. 

On the surface, Assouline’s Ultimate Collection is composed of art books with beautiful oversized, glossy images destined to be coffee table centerpieces. On closer examination, though, there’s much more to these volumes; covering a wide array of topics, each book is compiled and penned by authorities in the given field of study. The materials themselves are equally as impressive as the content; each Ultimate Collection book is bound by hand using traditional techniques on art-quality paper, and comes nested in a linen clamshell case too. Lucky for you, we have a few of our favorite volumes available right now in the HODINKEE Shop, including one of the latest additions to the Ultimate Collection lineup: Rolex: The Impossible Collection.

Rolex: The Impossible Collection

Rolex can trace its roots back to 1905, when Hans Wilsdorf founded ”Wilsdorf and Davis” in London. In 1919, the company relocated to Geneva and became Rolex. Since then, the Rolex name has become synonymous with precision, with the manufacturer achieving such horological milestones as producing the first waterproof watch, the first watch with a date that changed automatically, and the first watch waterproof to 100 meters. Rolex models introduced in the mid-1900s like the Datejust, Submariner, Daytona and GMT-Master remain iconic and sought-after pieces today. A case in point: the Daytona that belonged to Paul Newman was auctioned for $17.8 million by Phillips in New York in October 2017.

The latest addition to the Ultimate Collection series, Rolex: The Impossible Collection provides a close look at some of the most important Rolex watches (including some never seen in print before), highlights from the brand’s history, as well as profiles of famous watches and the people who wore them, all in a 200-page beautiful, handcrafted volume. This book is a must for any Rolex collector, but we strongly recommend it for any watch enthusiast. Learn more and purchase your copy here.

The Impossible Collection of Cars

There are two ways you could see the most beautiful cars in the world: visit Ralph Lauren's garage or read this masterful book. The famous automotive journalist Dan Neil – who, among other things, is the only automotive columnist ever to win a Pulitzer Prize for Criticism – has rounded up the 100 most breathtaking cars of the 20th century; it'll make you wish you could climb into a time machine for a trip to the past to bring back your own Silver Ghost from 1911 or a DB4GT from 1961.

Though this book is of course aimed at automotive enthusiasts, we think this spectacular volume has much broader appeal, especially to anyone interested in the evolution of industrial design, as well as anyone who just wants to see one of the most magnificently and lavishly produced books we've ever come across. See more about this volume and purchase your copy here.

The Impossible Collection of Watches

Penned by noted author and Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Geneve juror Nicholas Foulkes, The Impossible Collection Of Watches combines the charming bon vivant’s trademark wit and wisdom with the oversized, glossy images for which Assouline is known.

This collection of the 100 most important watches of the 20th century provides a wonderful guide to both the best known families of watches – i.e. the Cartier Tank – and some individual mega-watches, like Eric Clapton’s personal Patek Philippe perpetual calendar chronograph, which sold for over $3 million. Foulkes’s analysis of each timepiece individually, and what the wristwatch – and time itself – means to all of us is worth a read on its own. Even serious collectors will surely be exposed to a few rare watches not commonly known to the public, and this is a most enjoyable read from a top-tier author, produced by an expert publisher. Click here to learn more and to purchase.

More In The H Shop

For more on these and other books, head to the Library in the HODINKEE Shop.

Watchmaking has always been both an art and a science. At Panerai today, there is a great deal of traditional watchmaking, but there's also an ongoing effort to ensure that the most basic virtues of watchmaking – accuracy, dependability, and reliability – are respected as well. That side of modern watchmaking is increasingly a matter of using the best in modern technology to ensure that the many aspects of watch functionality which clients expect to be flawless, each and every time, actual meet those expectations. The problem is a complicated one and not just because even the simplest watches are complex machines in which each part must interact seamlessly with all the others. It's also challenging thanks to the fact that every client is an individual with their own habits and patterns of use, and moreover, each watch has to be able to function across a very wide range of external conditions, including temperature and humidity (all the more urgent a consideration for a company making precision mechanisms for a global audience).

Behind every modern watch without exception are machines – timing devices, computer controlled milling machines, and so on. But it's inherent to watchmaking that the machines alone don't suffice. The amount of actual hands-on time varies from one watch to another, but at Panerai hand-assembly is still the order of the day, and the machines have their masters, who are responsible for ensuring that for every testing process, outcomes match expectations. Every test has to be verified and validated before the watch proceeds to the next step of the testing processes all Panerai timepieces undergo before they leave the factory, and every step of the way, there are watchful eyes and expert hands.

Watch assembly for smaller series timepieces, including complicated watches and some limited editions, takes place exclusively on a watchmaker's bench, while for larger series timepieces, individual watches in progress travel along a conveyer belt the moves each watch from one watchmaker's bench to the next. This assembly-line system allows for better quality control in larger series production. Mundane-seeming but crucial operations like press-fitting jewels (which must be done to micron tolerances) and oiling (which requires extremely precise application of very specific oils at specific places; even a simple watch uses a number of different oils and greases) are performed under microscopic scrutiny.

Testing procedures are many and often complex, although there are also a number of visual and manual checks performed along the way as well. Alignment of watch hands is a matter of visual inspection for each watch, but there are also tests for dial materials (for example) that involve exposing watches and watch components to various temperatures and humidities in climate-controlled chambers, placing movements and completed watches in high strength magnetic fields, drop-testing to assess shock resistance, and more. 

For a company that began its history producing what were arguably the first series produced watches intended for use by military divers, water resistance is obviously a priority and at Panerai, all watches are tested for water resistance to their stated depth rating. This involves immersing the watch heads to be tested in a high pressure tank that's sealed with a latch that wouldn't look out of place as the hatch of a submarine, and then placing a drop of cold water on each watch crystal once they're out of the test chamber. If any moisture has managed to find its way in past the gaskets, it'll condense on the underside of the crystal.

Individual watch heads are also tested for accuracy under conditions that approximate real-world use. In a room-long chamber, a robot arm places movements in a rotating holder that can move along various axes. Every movement in every Panerai watch is tested not just for instantaneous rate in static positions, but across its entire power reserve (which can be up to eight days).

The original Luminor and Radiomir watches are now a part of watchmaking history, but their influence extends into the present and future in a number of ways. Together, over the last 20 years, they've had an enormous impact on watch design, but thanks to Panerai's exploration of unusual and high-tech case materials, as well as its ongoing evolution in terms of manufacturing and testing, the spirit of those watches is very much alive. Panerai today sees itself as an engineering company, but also as a custodian of a heritage of watchmaking that began with putting functionality first and foremost, and which became – through both good fortune and good planning – an essential presence in modern watchmaking.

For more, visit Panerai online right here.

Each week our editors gather their favorite finds from around the internet and recommend them to you right here. These are not articles about watches, but rather outstanding examples of journalism and storytelling covering topics from fashion and art to technology and travel. So go ahead, pour yourself a cup of coffee, put your feet up, and settle in.

The Story Of Nikka – SCMP

Full disclosure – this story was probably an ad I clicked on one of my news apps on my phone, but when I see Japanese and Scotch, I tap immediately. The story tells of a man from a sake brewing family, Masataka Taketsuru, who, after studying brewing technology in Osaka, set out to Scotland to discover the secrets of making the finest whiskey. If you're like me and start to tingle when you hear every detail about the history and how exquisitely crafted products are brought into the world, go ahead and give this story a whirl. While you're at it, drop me a note in the comments to let me know what you're sipping on these days. 

–David Aujero, Associate Digital Producer

Why Do So Many Egyptian Statues Have Broken Noses? – Artsy

Until I saw this headline, I didn't realize this was a question I should have been asking all along. But once it was in my brain, I couldn't believe it hadn't appeared there sooner. I won't spoil the answer, but this story from Artsy dives deep into the role that public art played in ancient Egypt, the mystic power we sometimes ascribe to inanimate things, and how the idea of "history" itself is ever evolving.

– Stephen Pulvirent, Managing Editor

100 Years of Bauhaus: What Famous Logos Would Look Like In Bauhaus Style – 99designs

Famous for its minimalist designs, use of primary colors, and the marriage of form and function, Bauhaus design is very much alive today. In celebration of the 100th anniversary of Bauhaus, the team at 99designs overhauled the logos of some of the most prolific brands of the last century. Balancing color, lines, and symmetry, these reimagined logos provide a specific twist on several iconic logos. Cheers to the next 100 years of keeping it simple, colorful, and punchy. 

– Sarah Reid, Advertising Manager

Shopper In A Strange Land: Hunting For Ancient Ceramics In Taiwan – Travel + Leisure

There are points on the collecting curve when we come so close to our white whale (aka the grail), when we’re finally within striking distance and everything lines up to carry out the acquisition attack on that watch we’ve long since lusted over. And then something weird happens: We just don’t care anymore. It’s a strange phenomenon, but I think you likely know exactly what I’m talking about. If I procured the rarest watch on your short list and offered it to you at a very reasonable price, would you buy it? Sometimes it really is more about the chase, and while this old story from Travel + Leisure is about Chinese bowls, it captures the notion of a complex self-realization that you, as a watch collector, may have experienced before. 

– Cole Pennington, Editor

Have I got a Sunday for you. Throw your plans out the window and jump into our eight-part videos series following our approach to Baselworld 2013. From Vacheron Constantin to Philippe Dufour, Jaeger-LeCoultre to MB&F, this series digs into independents, major brands, collectors, and even watch designers. 

Experience Max Büsser introducing the MusicMachine, learn about watch design from Eric Giroud, and dig deep into the simplicity of Ochs Und Junior watches. Eventually, we make it to Basel and its a great primer for what the show looked like some six years ago. A new Baselworld starts later this week, so dig in and get ready with this fascinating look back at the watch world circa 2013.

You can find all eight episodes right here. Enjoy!

Subscribe to the show: (Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, TuneIn). Already heard it once or twice? Please leave a short review here, and tell us which guests we should have on!

It’s not too often that we can get the whole HODINKEE editorial team in one place at one time. But, special circumstances call for a special response: With Baselworld less than a week away we were able to wrangle almost everyone into the studio to talk about what lies ahead at the year's biggest watch fair. It’s hard to believe it’s that time of year again (we say that every year), but in just a matter of days we’ll get to see the latest releases from literally hundreds of watch brands, including the likes of Rolex, Tudor, Patek Philippe, Grand Seiko, Breitling, and more. 

That said, this year’s show is going to be a bit different. For one, Swatch Group is out, which means no Omega, Breguet, or Blancpain. And overall, the show is down to 500 exhibitions from over 1,500 just a few years ago. Most of us here at HODINKEE usually go into Baselworld with a pretty good idea of what to expect. This year, all I know is that it’s going to be a different game altogether.

We’ll go over all of this in greater detail, along with our highlights from last year’s Baselworld, the watches we’d all love to see this year, our favorite places to grab dinner and drinks after a day at the fair, and more. Plus we welcome a new HODINKEE editor to the show. It's a good one.

One last note: We are going to be doing daily podcast dispatches from Baselworld 2019, beginning on Wednesday, March 20, and running through Saturday, March 23. Each evening you'll get a different group of editors chatting about what they saw that day, what the mood at the fair is like, and which watches they can't wait to see on their own wrists. If you have questions you want answered, let us know in the comments below and we'll do our best.

Enjoy Episode 35 of HODINKEE Radio and be sure to follow along with all our Baselworld 2019 coverage coming this week and beyond.

Show Notes

6:45
Joe Thompson on Baselworld 2019
 

8:47
Baselworld floor plan
 

10:30
Cara on the Rolex Rainbow Daytona
 

10:52
Jack on the Rolex GMT-Master II In Everose Gold
 

11:10
Jack on the Pepsi-bezel GMT-Master in steel
 

10:25
The Patek Philippe Ref. 5740 Nautilus Perpetual Calendar
 

12:20
The Patek Philippe Aquanaut Chronograph Reference 5968A
 

12:30
The Patek Philippe 5270P With Salmon Dial
 

12:46
The Tudor Black Bay Fifty-Eight
 

12:40
The Tudor Black Bay GMT
 

13:10
Jack on the Urwerk AMC
 

14:07
Jon on the Breguet Marine Reference 5517
 

14:22
The Omega Speedmaster Apollo 11 Anniversary Limited Edition
 

14:50
The Seiko 1968 Automatic Diver’s Re-Creation Limited Edition Ref SLA025
 

18:30
The Longines Military Watch
 

18:50
The Bulgari Octo Finissimo Ultra-Thin Automatique
 

20:35
The NOMOS Glashütte Autobahn
 

21:13
Citizen's 'The Citizen' Chronomaster AB9000-61E
 

29:02
The Patek Philippe 5522A
 

32:22
The Zenith '50 Years Of El Primero' Anniversary Set
 

35:00
The MB&F Legacy Machine FlyingT
 

38:47
A Look Inside Baselworld 2017
 

40:40
The Certina DS PH200M
 

42:30
Pharmacy Museum of Basel
 

44:00
Theophrastus Bombastus von Hohenheim
 

50:30
HODINKEE Radio with Philippe Dufour
 

56:09
Searching for Skylab
 

1:00:33
Behind The Bastards
 

1:01:06
Live Rust 

Quick Take

You may know them best for their bags, their shoes, and their chic tweed jackets, but Chanel has consistently been upping the ante in the watch industry over the past few years. This year is no different. For 2019, Chanel is re-launching their popular J12 model on its 20th anniversary. Yes, it's the one you are thinking of, the white or black ceramic ladies' dive watch that graces the wrists of everyone from Victoria Beckham to socialites at the Dallas country club. But despite what you may think, this year's release isn't your average tennis bracelet. No, no, this J12 features a brand spanking new movement from Kenissi, a Geneva-based manufacturer that Chanel bought 20% of back in January of this year. Additionally, Kenissi has plans to open up a 150 square meter facility with Tudor. Kenissi will be supplying movements and parts to Chanel (and presumably Tudor), as well as other companies. Did we also mention that Chanel owns a 20% stake in F.P. Journe and has worked with Romain Gauthier on movement components?

I digress. Back to the watch at hand. The new J12 looks and feels almost exactly the same as the previous model, with some very slight upgrades. It comes in white or black polished ceramic with matching lacquered dials (lacquering is a speciality of the maison), with Arabic numerals. The case size is a meaty 38mm and the watch has a removable ceramic link bracelet with flexible triple-folding clasp. The J12 is Chanel's version of a sports watch and therefore has the capabilities of such with water resistance up to 200 meters and a 70-hour power reserve. The numeral typography has been re-designed ever so slightly and the dial opening widened. But what is most exciting about this watch is the new Swiss-made automatic caliber 12.1 visible through the caseback. This movement is clearly well-finished and far more interesting that the previous movement used (the ETA 2892). Not to mention the movement is now COSC-certified. 

Initial Thoughts

I think Chanel hit this one out of the park. I am consistently impressed with their releases over the past few years, as an enthusiast and consumer. Is this watch a 5711? No, but it doesn't need to be – that's not who Chanel is. They know their clients and they know their buyers, and they are looking for a high performance, well-made, fashion watch and that's exactly what the J12 is. Chanel was smart in keeping the design aesthetic relatively similar to the original collection. After all, why reinvent the wheel? Instead, Chanel flexed in the mechanical department by upgrading the movement to a COSC-certified automatic movement with nicer finishing and almost twice the power reserve (up from 40 hours with the ETA 2892). Similar to their foray into men's watches with the Monsieur four years ago and the commercially successful Boy.Friend, Chanel has managed to keep pushing the boundaries in the horological world. 

The price for the J12 is $5,700, which is slightly less than a Rolex Submariner (the litmus test of dive watch pricing, in my opinion) which seems about fair when you think about who Chanel is and caters to with the quality of the timepiece.

The Basics

Brand: Chanel
Model: J12

Diameter: 38mm
Case Material: Black or white ceramic
Dial Color: Black or white lacquered dial
Indexes: Arabic numerals
Lume: Super-LumiNova
Water Resistance: 200 meters
Strap/Bracelet: Ceramic bracelet with triple-folding clasp

The Movement

Caliber: Kenissi/Chanel caliber 12.1
Functions: Hours, minutes, hacking seconds, date
Power Reserve: 70 hours
Winding: Automatic
Frequency:  4 Hz (28,800 vph)
Jewels: 28
COSC Chronometer Certified

Pricing & Availability

Price: $5,700
Limited Edition: No

For more click here.

It's that time of year again: Baselworld time. The HODINKEE team has already started traveling over to Switzerland to get ready for what is certainly the biggest week of the year for watch nerds. We will have a dozen people on the ground for Baselworld 2019, and, despite some changes to the show, it is looking like it's going to be a pretty incredible few days. You'll be getting the usual wall-to-wall coverage all week, plus a few new things that we're excited to show you. Baselworld officially opens to the press at 12:00 PM CET on Wednesday, so while you'll get a few early looks before then, that's when the wave of new watches starts breaking.

We've got tons of ways for you to learn about all the new watches, see tons of live photos, and get a sense of what it's like to actually be on the ground in Switzerland for the fair too. The first thing you should do is download the HODINKEE iOS app (if you haven't already), so that you can get notifications when all the big news drops and scroll through the latest releases on the go. We're going to be posting tons of stories, and if you're worried about missing any you should check out our dedicated Baselworld 2019 page to make sure you get the full scoop. You should also hit us up on social media, including Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, where we'll be posting frequently all week.

You'll also want to make sure you're following all of our editors and producers on Instagram to get the full 360-degree look at the show. Here's a run-down of whose accounts to check out:

- Ben
- Cara
- Cole
- Dave
- Greyson
- Jack
- James
- Stephen 

If you want to get some additional behind-the-scenes #content, be sure to follow along with HODINKEE Live here. We officially kicked this off earlier today, with Jack and Joe in Davos for a little pre-Baselworld trip, and things will only get more interesting as the rest of our team boards their trans-Atlantic flights tonight.

Finally, we're going to be publishing daily episodes of HODINKEE Radio, with a different collection of editors picking their favorite watches and talking about chance encounters each day. Let us know in the comments below if there are particular questions you want us to answer or things you want us to look out for. We'll do our best to answer a few in each episode. You'll be able to catch them all right here.

Phew. Okay. Let's do this thing! 

Quick Take

This is a Patek Philippe unlike any other. When the ref. 5235 (or 5235G, to be more precise) debuted in 2012 it was the first time that Patek had ever made a regulator-style wristwatch, with the hours, minutes, and seconds broken out into three separate dials. But, being Patek, they weren't satisfied with that and had to add an annual calendar and a trio of high-tech movement components in the Pulsomax escapement, Spiromax balance spring, and Gyromax balance. At the time it was released, it was the only serially-produced watch from the brand with these parts from their Advanced Research division, and as such there were serious production delays after the watch was first launched. For a while it was literally impossible to get.

Fast forward to today and we're getting a watch that, while still packing the same technology under the hood, presents a totally different take on the 5235. The ref. 5235R has a rose gold case and a beautiful two-tone dial that contrasts matte black sub-dials and a matte black outer track with a graphite-colored, vertically brushed central section. If the original 5235G was cool and crisp, the 5235R is warm and inviting – you can see the original in Talking Watches with Kevin Rose if you're interested. Priced at $51,830, it sits right in the same ballpark as its predecessor, which does appear to have been discontinued in the wake of this new release.

Initial Thoughts

There are few references from Patek Philippe that are more divisive than the 5235. Some purists deride it as too modern and outside the wheelhouse of what the traditional fine watchmaker should be doing; others praise it for its ingenuity, technological advances, and bold styling, arguing that this is how old-school brands can stay relevant and exciting. Personally, I'm in the second camp, and on the few occasions that I've been lucky enough to put a 5235G on my wrist I've always felt a twinge of pain taking it off. From the first images we see here, it looks like the detailing on the dial is going to really make this one sing – in particular I love the rings of rose gold around the black sub-dials and the rich look to the grain on the graphite central dial. As I get ready to board a plane to Switzerland, I already know one of the first watches I'm going to see out when Baselworld opens its doors later this week.

The Basics

Brand: Patek Philippe
Model: Annual Calendar, Regulator-Style Display
Reference Number: 5235R

Diameter: 40.5mm
Thickness: 10mm
Case Material: Rose gold
Dial Color: Graphite and ebony black with a vertical satin finish
Indexes: Arabic numerals
Lume: None
Water Resistance: 30 meters
Strap/Bracelet: Matte black alligator leather strap with rose gold prong buckle

The Movement

Caliber: 31-260 REG QA
Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds (using a regulator-style display), annual calendar with disc displays for the month, day, and date
Diameter: 33mm
Thickness: 5.08mm
Power Reserve: 48 hours
Winding: Automatic with a 22k gold micro-rotor
Frequency: 23,040 vph
Jewels: 31
Total Components: 313
Patek Phillipe Seal
Additional Details: Uses a Pulsomax escapement, a Spiromax balance spring, and a Gyromax balance

Pricing & Availability

Price: $51,830
Availability: Not yet announced
Limited Edition: No

For more click here.

Quick Take

Panerai entered the Bronze game back in 2011, and they’ve been carefully working with the alloy and releasing a Bronze model or two a year. This year we’re getting a whopping 47mm Submersible diver, perhaps the most in-your-face bronze model yet from Panerai’s Laboratorio di Idee. It’s made of a honkin’ 161 grams of bronze, and you’ll find a sandblasted ceramic bezel insert on a bronze bezel. This watch is all bronze everything.  

The typical seconds register that’s come to signify the Italian brand sits at nine o'clock, and the dial is a deep hue of brown, designed to complement the bronze case. And beyond the bronze, it’s designed with intention: It’s water-resistant to 300 meters and a features thick application of lume for visibility. It’s a statement piece, sure, but it can walk the walk. It also utilizes Panerai’s P. 9010 caliber with a power reserve of 72 hours. It wouldn't be a proper Submersible without the crown protection device, so of course it’s present and made from...you guessed it...bronze. Crucially, this isn't a limited edition, unlike previous bronze Panerai models – think of this as the bronzo for everyone.

Initial Thoughts

Bronze watches are inherently interesting for the patina they develop, and what sticks out about this particular release is the massive amount of surface area you’re getting on the chunky 47mm case. More surface area = more neat patina. As with most of Panerai’s watches, the ultimate simplicity lends well to legibility, and when you strap this watch on the wrist you get the supreme confidence that it’s probably water-resistant to even more than 300m. It’s also heavy enough to quickly sink to that depth, too. It’s a watch that I think will age beautifully, and it’s also the kind of watch that will garner attention from those outside the horological community, too. This will be especially true in a few years when each produces a different expression of patina. 

Given Panerai’s maritime-fueled history, the submersible in bronze makes perfect sense. Traditionally the bronze models have all done exceptionally well on the commercial side as well as being adopted as favorites among the Paneristi. The PAM 671 Luminor Submersible 1950 3 Days Bronzo has experienced a healthy appreciation on the secondhand market, and this watch shares many of the same features, but with a dial color that’s slightly more rustic. If you were on the fence about the Luminor, then this might be the one. It’s the bronze iteration everyone’s been asking for. 

The Basics

Brand: Panerai
Model: Panerai Submersible Bronzo
Reference Number:  PAM00968

Diameter: 47mm
Case Material: Bronze
Dial Color: Brown
Indexes: Applied
Lume: Yes, on hands, hour markers, and bezel
Water Resistance: 300 meters
Strap/Bracelet: Brown leather strap with beige stitching, trapezoidal brushed titanium buckle 

The Movement

Caliber: P. 9010
Functions: Hours, minutes, small seconds, date
Diameter: 31mm
Thickness: 6mm
Power Reserve: 72 hours
Winding: Automatic
Frequency: 4 Hz (28,800 vph)
Jewels: 31

Pricing & Availability

Price: $16,500
Availability: In store and online from today. 

For more click here.

It isn't every day that the founding father of independent watchmaking's most complicated creation goes up on the auction block. Today we learned that this will happen in May, when Phillip's Geneva Watch  Auction: Nine, taking place May 11 and 12 at Geneva's Hotel La Reserve, will be headlined by the George Daniels Grand Complication. This entirely handmade gold masterpiece with a beautiful engine-turned dial last sold publicly at Sotheby's in 2012, where it brought in GBP 914,850.

As one would expect, the Daniels Grand Complication is a proper masterpiece, and it's been a little while since it last came up for public sale, so let's unpack its key features. This is the only Daniels watch to feature an instantaneous perpetual calendar with retrograde date and minute repeater. These complications are joined by a display for the moon phase, a differential screw mechanism for the power reserve, a bimetallic centigrade thermometer, and a Daniels keyless pendant and bow. It also has an annual calendar with kidney cam and equation of time indication. And since this is a Daniels, the escapement fitted into the watch's one-minute tourbillon mechanism is of the co-axial type.

George Daniels continues to loom large over the modern horological field he helped to shape, despite the fact that he made just north of 20 watches in his life. His co-axial escapement, invented in 1975 and subsequently sold to the Swatch Group in 1999, is considered one of the most important advancements in modern watchmaking. The co-axial escapement has seen widespread use and homologation in Swatch's Omega brand as well as in the watches of his erstwhile apprentice, Roger Smith. The week Daniels passed away, the self-taught Englishman was even the subject of the obituary in the Economist – a distinction more routinely bestowed on captains of industry and central bankers.

The Grand Complication was fully handmade by Daniels, and he never sold it during his lifetime. Time will tell the price it achieves in this spring's Geneva sale. We'll be watching closely and reporting on the sale.

For now, head over to Phillips to read an excellent explanation of the Grand Complication by Daniels's former apprentice and protégé, Roger Smith.

The success of Longines is inextricably tied to the proliferation of aviation during what’s referred to as “the golden age of flight” during the interwar period. The famed aviator Charles Lindbergh was on Longines’ payroll, along with U.S. Navy officer P. V. H. Weems. The U.S. Army Air Corps and Royal Air Force issued Longines wristwatches to aerial navigators as well as soldiers. When it comes to providing the armed forces with trustworthy equipment, Longines has earned a well-deserved sterling reputation. With volumes of history to draw from, Longines has brought us something that captures the spirit of the wristwatches worn by these airmen and soldiers with the brand new Longines Heritage Military. It’s a modern watch that looks like it’s straight from the 1940s. While it’s based on a mid-century model produced for the Royal Air Force, it’s been updated to a modern case size, and of course it surpasses all the standards one would expect of a modern watch from a manufacturer like Longines. 

With the Heritage Military, Longines has created perhaps the most appealing vintage aesthetic in the market. Each dial features a unique coat of pitting and light spotting that vintage collectors lust after, but without any of the jarring imperfections that typically occur during the 70-plus years of wear on a WWII watch. If an English airman locked his brand new watch in a safe at the conclusion of the war, this is what it might look like in 2019. You’re not just getting legitimate history with Longines, you’re getting a truly beautiful exercise in what a properly executed aged aesthetic looks like. 

Blued hands, a railroad chapter ring, and a font straight from the '40s make this a very attractive watch. At 38.5mm, it wears comfortably, with a case that feels slim on the wrist. The pilot’s crown rounds out the authenticity of the updated design. Though this sort of design can sometimes be associated with dress watches today, it has demonstrated utmost legibility and pure function on thousands of missions carried out by the Allied forces. In other words, the watch is still tough as nails. It’s water resistant to 30m and features a sapphire crystal. You’re not going to get that sort of heavy-duty performance out of a watch made in the '40s, but with the Longines Heritage Military, you certainly still get the performance and the look. 

The Longines Heritage Military’s spirit was born straight from the Greatest Generation, but it’s got the chops to stand up to the current generation’s demands. You get the best of both worlds, a gorgeous vintage aesthetic and modern performance. You can learn more and purchase yours here.

Quick Take

Remember when Heuer made Autavias for the Kenyan and Argentine Air Force? Even the most dedicated Heuer fans would only be able to name a small number of instances when the Autavia was actually used as a pilot's watch. For most, the watch made its mark on the F1 grid. Now TAG Heuer is experimenting with a side of the Autavia that's mostly forgotten; after all, the Autavia was conceptualized as a motorsports and aviation watch, right? Auto + Aviation = Autavia. Some might say it was about time the Autavia embraced its identity as a pilot's watch, but die-hard Heuer fans might also tell you there's a reason why it never originally caught on with the aviation crowd. Either way, here we are with the TAG Heuer Autavia Isograph.

Jack Heuer’s masterful marketing skills are epitomized not only by the fact that he sponsored Formula 1 driver Jo Siffert and put the Heuer patch in front of important eyes, but also by Siffert slinging Autavia models to his buddies on the grid for a time. This put watches on wrists that today one would have to pay large sums of money to occupy. The legacy of the Heuer Autavia is so inextricably tied to motorsports that we often forget about the 50% of the watch that contributes the suffix -avia at the end of the name. 

TAG Heuer is delivering an entire collection of new Autavias to remind us that it’s just as capable as a pilot’s watch as it is a motorsports chronograph. To do this, they’ve taken the watch in a three-hand direction and traded the traditional indices for Arabic numerals on the dial. A bi-directional 60-minute bezel, broad sword-shaped hands, and an oversized crown round out the cockpit-inspired aesthetic and functionality. As with all of the Caliber 5 watches, there’s a date window neatly tucked away at the six o'clock position too. These new models also have the distinction of “Isograph” nomenclature which refers to the carbon composite hairspring utilized in TAG Heuer’s own Caliber 5 movement (and introduced in January in this watch). 

In addition to a few variations in stainless steel, TAG's also gone ahead and given us two models in bronze, one with a smoked green dial and one with a brown dial, both rounded off with ceramic bezels. With the inclusion of the bronze pieces, there are seven total executions of the Autavia Isograph.

Initial Thoughts

While a cushion-cased Autavia re-edition was high on everyone’s wish list, you have to respect TAG Heuer for doing something totally different with the Isograph collection. We’ve seen multiple releases that play on the motorsports heritage, but the watch was legitimately designed with aviation also in mind from the very beginning.  Perhaps this modern Autavia is balancing out all the race-fueled attention it’s garnered – TAG Heuer is going back in time and capitalizing on a missed opportunity. Both the Kenyan and the Argentine Air Forces sported Autavias back in the day. But would they have preferred this modern aviation-focused iteration to those original chronos? I'm not sure. But by stripping the Autavia of the chronograph functionality and keeping the nomenclature, I feel like this watch could end up frustrating some of the hyper-niche Heuer crowd. 

That said, these watches have all the right stuff on paper: 42mm case, sapphire crystal, a 60-minute bi-directional ceramic bezel, and beautiful color schemes – not to mention the carbon hairspring-equipped Caliber 5 movement inside. The hallmarks of a true pilots watch are all present and the tech-forward movement should keep the geeks happy too.  

To me, the bronze models are the most interesting inclusion in the collection, as that material is typically associated with maritime culture. Timing suggests that a close comparison might be made to IWC’s recent bronze Spitfire watches, though fundamentally the mythology of these pieces is quite different. Truthfully, the closest bronze comes in aviation applications is in the plaques and statues that honor famous aviators, but the sort of steam-punk aesthetic does fit in with the romance of flight during the golden age of aviation. Patinated bronze also probably pairs well with a worn leather bomber jacket. I don’t see the direct historical case for bronze in a pilots watch, but it doesn’t really matter–it’s just a case material and it does in fact look pretty neat, especially with the smoked dial. It could also just be TAG capitalizing on the current trend for bronze watches – who knows?

While the Autavia certainly has earned its place in motorsports history,  maybe this Isograph collection will allow it to soar with the current crop of aviation watches that's historically been absent of the Heuer name. After all, in 2016 the community chose the design for the 2017 Autavia Cup release, and that design is probably closer in design to a period pilot's watch than anything Siffert wore. 

The Basics

Brand: TAG Heuer
Model: Autavia Isograph
Reference Number: WBE5112.FC8266, WBE5110.FC8266, WBE5111.FC8267, WBE5112.EB0173, WBE5110.EB0173, WBE5191.FC827, WBE5190.FC8268

Diameter: 42mm
Case Material: Stainless steel, Bronze
Dial Color: Blue, black, grey, brown, green
Indexes: Arabic Numerals
Lume: Hands, Arabic numerals
Water Resistance: 100 meters
Strap/Bracelet: Light or dark brown calfskin strap or stainless  steel bracelet pin buckle in stainless steel; Stainless steel bracelet

The Movement

Caliber: Automatic Caliber 5
Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds, date
Diameter: 26mm
Power Reserve: 38 hours
Winding: Self-winding
Frequency: 4 Hz (28,800 vph)
Jewels: 25 jewels
Chronometer Certified
Additional Details: Carbon composite hairspring

Pricing & Availability

Price: $3,500 - $4,300
Availability: TBD
Limited Edition: No

For more click here.

Quick Take

Joining the Tourbillon Double Peripheral in Carl F. Bucherer's new Heritage collection is this pair of annual calendar chronographs that take their inspiration from classic mid-century models from CFB's archive and beyond. Starting with a 41mm case, the Heritage BiCompax Annual combines a chronograph with a 30-minute totalizer and an annual calendar with a big date display and a subtle month display tucked in at 4:30. There's no day of the week or leap year display, which helps keep the dial clean and classic. The month display is a bit small, but it's not something most people will be referencing on a daily basis so I don't think that will be too big of a problem in practice. 

There are two variations of the Heritage BiCompax Annual, one in stainless steel with a silver and black panda dial and one in two-tone steel and rose gold with a champagne and rose dial. The former is paired with a black rubber strap that's vaguely reminiscent of a Tropic, while the latter comes on a cognac leather strap. Both make use of stylized Arabic numerals, simple tachymeter scales, and syringe-style hands, all of which definitely nod to watches from the 1950s and '60s. That styling carries through to the case itself, which has elongated pushers that definitely made me think of old-school snap-back chronos. Each variation is limited to 888 pieces, a reference to CFB's founding date of 1888.

Initial Thoughts

The annual calendar is a complication that doesn't get nearly enough love. Sure, I know die-hard collectors who think it's perpetual calendar or bust, but for my money I think an annual calendar paired with a chronograph is an absolute ton of bang-for-buck at under $10,000 (or just a hair over for the two-tone model). Zenith used to offer this with the Captain Winsor models, while Patek Philippe offers the same pair of complications with a price tag an order of magnitude higher. Carl F. Bucherer has done a particularly nice job with these models, balancing the heritage elements with modern proportions so that the watches don't feel like full-on throwbacks. Between the two executions, I'm hard-pressed to pick a favorite. The steel model's stark panda dial is really striking and graphic, which is usually my bag, but there's a warmth and charm to the two-tone model that I also find really appealing. This feels like it's going to be one of those "wait, let me try the other one on again" situations. 

There are a few things I'm looking forward to about seeing these in the metal soon. My initial impression is that I really wish these were 38mm or 39mm, but I'm interested to see if that evaporates or not once I get one of these on the wrist. I'm also looking forward to seeing what the caliber CFB 1972 looks like, since Carl F. Bucherer hasn't provided any images of the movement. Stay tuned...

The Basics

Brand: Carl F. Bucherer
Model: Heritage BiCompax Annual
Reference Number: 00.10803.08.12.01 stainless steel), 00.10803.07.42.01 (two-tone)
 

Diameter: 41mm
Thickness: 14.05mm
Case Material: Stainless steel or two-tone stainless steel and rose gold
Dial Color: Silver (steel), rose and champagne (two-tone)
Indexes: Arabic numerals
Lume: Yes, on hands
Water Resistance: 30 meters
Strap/Bracelet: Black rubber strap (steel) or cognac brown calfskin strap (two-tone), both with stainless steel folding pin buckle 

The Movement

Caliber: CFB 1972
Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds, chronograph with 30-minute totalizer, annual calendar with big date and month displays
Diameter: 30mm
Thickness: 7.3mm
Power Reserve: 42 hours
Winding: Automatic
Jewels: 47mm

Pricing & Availability

Price: $7,200 (steel); $10,200 (two-tone)
Availability: Later In 2019
Limited Edition: 888 pieces of each version

For more click here.

Quick Take

Rolex's big release this year is, quite literally, a big release. We're getting an update to the classic Sea-Dweller, this time in a two-tone Oystersteel and 18k yellow gold configuration. Technically, the watch is very much the same ref. 126600 Sea-Dweller that Rolex released back in 2017 (and that Ben reviewed right here). It's 43mm across, has a polished ceramic bezel, still utilizes the classic helium escape valve on the left side of the case, and is powered by the souped-up caliber 3235 movement. It's a tough-as-nails Rolex sports watch, just with a new golden hue added to the mix.

Rolex refers to this combination of metals as "yellow Rolesor," which is just their way of saying that the watch combines components made of their proprietary Oystersteel alloy and components made of 18k yellow gold. It's essentially a nicer way of saying "two-tone." The Sea-Dweller's case and outer bracelet links are made of steel, while the bezel ring, crown, and center bracelet links are solid gold. Additionally the hands and lume surrounds on the dial are yellow gold the bezel markings are gold-filled, and the "Sea-Dweller" signature has a cool gilt tone too. The lume is Chromalight that glows blue. 

Initial Thoughts

The funny thing about this watch is that while I'm sure it has countless tool watch die-hards wringing their hands, gnashing their teeth, and seething with purpose-oriented anger, this is a watch that by all accounts should have existed long ago. Must I remind you that very early on, Rolex celebrated its underwater time keeping achievements by creating two-tone dive watches as trophies of sorts. If you go back and watch our Talking Watches with René Beyer, you'll hear his story about his father receiving the two-tone Deep Sea Special you see below directly from Rolex after a similar watch reached the bottom of the Mariana Trench strapped to the outside of the bathyscaphe Trieste. And that was in 1960, when the Submariner was still a relatively newfangled contraption.

As far as this watch itself goes, it's not one for the faint of heart or wrist. Rolex doesn't provide a specific weight for it, but at 43mm x 15mm, the watch is hefty in steel. Add those gold bracelet links and you've got a watch with some pretty serious wrist presence. I'm jazzed to try this one on less because I'm convinced that I'll end up feeling like I need one and more because I think it's going to be one heck of a fun experience. There's something that feels a bit transgressive and devil-may-care about wearing a gold sports watch, and a two-tone Rolex is a special thing any day of the week. We'll have live pics of this one soon enough, so I'll hold off on passing any more judgement until then.

The Basics

Brand: Rolex
Model: Sea-Dweller
Reference Number: 126603

Diameter: 43mm
Thickness: 15mm
Case Material: Stainless steel with yellow gold bezel and crown
Dial Color: Black
Indexes: Luminous dots with yellow gold surrounds
Lume: Chromalight on hour markers and hands
Water Resistance: 1,220 meters
Strap/Bracelet: Oyster bracelet in stainless steel and yellow gold, with Oysterlock safety clasp, Glidelock extension system, and Fliplock extension link

The Movement

Caliber: 3235
Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds, date
Diameter: 28.5mm
Power Reserve: 70 hours
Winding: Automatic
Frequency: 4 Hz (28,800 vph)
Jewels: 31
COSC Chronometer Certified
Additional Details: Regulated to +2/-2 seconds per day, utilizes Chronergy escapement

Pricing & Availability

Price: CHF 15,300
Availability: Later In 2019

For more click here.

Quick Take

If you're staring at this saying "Wait, doesn't this watch already exist?" you're only partially right. Despite the headline above, it is probably better to think of this watch as last year's ref. 126710 BLRO GMT-Master II with a new black and blue bezel than to think of it as an update to the ref. 116710 BLNR GMT-Master II from 2013. Technically speaking, this watch is the same as last year's new GMT, save the color of the Cerachrome bezel. It's got the new caliber 3285 movement, which uses the Chronergy escapement and is regulated to an incredible +2/-2 seconds per day, and it comes on the new Jubilee bracelet with the Oysterlock clasp. If you were having a hard time deciding between the "Batman" and the "Pepsi" this guy splits the difference. It's worth noting that the old Batman and the GMT-Master II with an all black bezel have both been discontinued. If you want a steel GMT it now has to be either the BLNR or the BLRO on a Jubilee.

Initial Thoughts

I mean, there's not much to argue with here, right? Rolex took a fan-favorite model and made it better from top to bottom. There might be some people who will miss the ability to purchase a steel GMT on an Oyster bracelet, but the technical updates to this model make for more than a fair trade off. Plus, personally speaking I love the feel of the new Jubilee on the GMT and highly recommend you get yourself to an authorized dealer to try one on ASAP if you're skeptical. This is a great case of Rolex doing what they do best, which is making small, incremental changes that make their watches better in tangible ways, rather than focusing on plonking down flashy new models and references every few months.

The Basics

Brand: Rolex
Model: GMT-Master II
Reference Number: 126710

Diameter: 40mm
Case Material: Oystersteel
Dial Color: Black
Indexes: Applied white gold
Lume: Chromalight on hands and hour markers
Water Resistance: 100 meters
Strap/Bracelet: Oystersteel Jubilee bracelet with Oysterlock clasp

The Movement

Caliber: 3285
Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds, GMT, date
Diameter: 28.5mm
Power Reserve: 70 hours
Winding: Automatic
Frequency: 4 Hz (28,800 vph)
Jewels: 31
COSC Chronometer Certified
Additional Details: Rolex filed 10 patents related to this caliber; utilizes the Chronergy escapement; regulated to +2/-2 seconds per day

Pricing & Availability

Price: CHF 8,800
Availability: TBD

For more click here.

Quick Take

Drawing inspiration from a prototype military diver they developed in the 1960s, Tudor has just announced a wild new spin on the Black Bay, called the P01. With a 12-hour bezel and a new case shape defined by a four o'clock crown and a chunky bezel locking mechanism that uses a claw-like system fitted between the lugs, it's a Black Bay, but not at all what we've come to expect from the form. 

Initial Thoughts

The new Black Bay P01 is 42mm wide in steel and comes only as shown on a proprietary strap that integrates with the unique lugs and bezel lock. Water resistant to 200m and featuring a very handy 12-hour bezel, the case shape and the bezel locking system are likely the most notable element of this new and unusual Black Bay. The asymmetrical case shape is a considerable departure from the Black Bay form but thankfully they've elected to stick to 42mm. The Seiko-esque crown at four looks good and should help to manage some of the added bulk on wrist. 

The bezel is bidirectional but is held firmly in place by a mechanically-locking set of claws, one in each lug. While I won't get a chance to try this system for myself until tomorrow, it looks like it will be fun to try out. The system, which looks to add a lot of bulk and lug to lug length to the watch, is based on a prototype locking bezel design created and tested by Tudor in the '60s (shown below via Tudor's instagram). 

Between the slightly larger case, the distinct crown placement, and that bezel lock, it's really hard to predict how the P01 will feel and wear on wrist – but I'm excited to see it in the metal. While certainly not as mass market as your standard Black Bay, the P01 looks interesting and I really like the black dial and the steel 12-hour bezel. This is definitely one that needs a hands-on, so stay tuned for me. 

The Basics

Brand: Tudor
Model: Black Bay P01
Reference Number: M70150-0001

Diameter: 42mm
Case Material: Steel
Dial Color: Black
Indexes: Applied
Water Resistance: 200m
Strap/Bracelet: Hybrid rubber and leather strap

The Movement

Caliber: Tudor Manufacture MT5612
Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds, date
Power Reserve: 70 hours
Winding: Automatic
Frequency: 4 Hz (28, 800 vph)
COSC Chronometer Certified

Pricing & Availability

Price: $3,950
Availability: July 2019
Limited Edition: No

For more click here.