Picture yourself in a big city and feeling an equally big need for a new watch. You've had some success, and you walk into an upscale retailer with the hopes of finding something rare and distinctive – a watch that conveys both style and an appreciation for high-end watchmaking. A gold Patek? Not exciting enough. An Omega Constellation? Too baroque, perhaps. 

Walking around the showroom and peering into the glittering cases, you pass much of the old guard until you see something different. While the shape of a Royal Oak is about as distinctive as they come, this one is special. The waffle tapisserie dial is gone, and in its place, you find a smooth silver-tone dial with four tiny sub-dials. It's a perpetual calendar! 

Pouring over the details as a salesperson unlocks the cabinet, you notice the blued hands on the subdials and note that, in true Royal Oak fashion, this QP is made of steel and comes on a matching bracelet. "It's the latest from Audemars Piguet," says the salesperson as their gloved hands pass you the watch, adding, "and it's quite rare. Especially in steel."

You reach for your phone, hoping to take a wrist shot for the 'gram, but your back pocket is empty. Checking your coat pocket you find only a pack of Camel Lights and a half-spent book of matches from the Westgate Las Vegas. The room starts to spin. Frantically, you check your breast pocket, discovering only a pen and a checkbook. Where is your phone? Why do you have checks?

Did I forget to mention that it's 1985? Ronald Reagan is in for a second term, and Back to the Future is quickly becoming the hit film of the year. 

As for the watch on your wrist, the salesperson is not wrong. It is the latest from AP, and it is rare. Incredibly so, actually. It's a reference 25554 Royal Oak Quantieme Perpetual, and not only is it the earliest synthesis of the Royal Oak with Audemars Piguet's lineage of creating beautiful and incredibly rare perpetual calendar wristwatches, but it's also one of the only series-produced steel perpetual calendars on the market at the time.

To understand just how strange, and wonderful, and special these early Royal Oak QPs really are, we have to go back even further. So throw on your best orange puffer vest, hop in your DMC-12, and set the clock to 1948. You see, while deeply rooted in the strange and challenging time of the 1980s, the story of Audemars Piguet's earliest Royal Oak Perpetual Calendars starts decades earlier as the brand ushered in the post-war era with a defined focus on calendar complications. 

The Early QPs

While I will attempt not to belabor this specific element within the greater history at hand, the earliest moments of Audemars Piguet's perpetual calendars are quite special and are characterized by two defining factors: exceedingly limited production and the presence of a leap-year indication on the dial (or the lack thereof, more specifically). For clarity, much of the following information has been sourced from AP's own book Audemars Piguet 20th Century Complicated Wristwatches and via kind support from Audemars Piguet's in-house heritage team and a handful of knowledgeable collectors. Please see the acknowledgments at the end, to all, I am eternally grateful. 

In 1948, Audemars Piguet created its first-ever perpetual calendar wristwatch, the hallowed reference 5516. That initial creation was not only a massive win for the brand's ever-expanding watchmaking acumen, but a part of the production run also represented the first-ever perpetual calendar wristwatch with a leap-year indication on the dial. As you can imagine, these watches were entirely hand made and took an incredible amount of effort and time to produce. As such, despite a truly minuscule production of 12 units in total, the 5516 evolved over four versions, and all were created over a span of nine years. 

The first three 5516s were produced without a leap-year indication and actually looked quite a bit different from each other. The earliest on the record (below, right) informs many design elements found on the early Royal Oak QPs; with a four-register layout, moon-phase at six, the month indication at twelve, and a sub-dial at three for the date. Pay particular notice to the lack of a leap-year indication, as this is the genesis of the layout we will see nearly 40 years later for the Royal Oak. 

The next version of the 5516 (above, left) offers an entirely different layout, with the moon-phase at twelve and the date aligned to the periphery with a centrally mounted date hand. This second take of the brand's perpetual calendar wristwatch also lacked a leap-year display and made use of a more ornate case and lug design. Two such examples are known to have been produced, with the first delivered to Gubelin in 1950 and the second sold to Patek Philippe in New York sometime during 1962.

Production and sales dates for such rare and time-consuming watches can vary greatly, with some not leaving for retail until years after they began production. Looking to 1955, Audemars Piguet evolved the 5516 slightly to offer the first-ever leap-year display on a wristwatch. According to AP's exhaustive records, nine such models were made in two distinct series, with all examples remaining within the purview of the 5516 reference. 

The first of the leap-year-equipped 5516s, of which just three yellow-gold examples are known, used a combined display in the sub-dial at six o'clock to show both the 48 months of the leap year cycle along with a distinct blued hand that indicated the active year in the four-year progression (shown above, over black background). 

We also see the moon-phase at twelve, and the continued use of a peripheral date display. Sales of these three models would begin in 1959. While certainly a complicated way of showing the leap year, this was the first time it had been done by any brand in series production, and you don't have to look all that closely to see these later 5516s as something of an aesthetic and philosophical foundation upon which AP has built much of its modern success. 

For the last of the four 5516 iterations, we know of six recorded consecutive serial examples with production starting in 1957 and sales taking place from 1963-1969. For these examples (shown above), the moon-phase is back at six, and the leap-year indication is in something of a transitionary phase. At least a single example offered a more refined combination month/leap-year sub-dial, but before long, the combined sub-dial for the 48 month and leap-year displays were separated into a 12-month sub-dial at three, and a leap-year dial at twelve. This would be a considerable evolution and certainly one that saw the 5516 step further away from its pocketwatch roots, on the path to becoming a more capable and legible wristwatch design. 

A More Complicated Royal Oak

By now I am sure that many of you know the origin story of the Royal Oak. Designed by Gérald Genta as Audemars Piguet's first luxury sports watch, it was also initially only offered in steel. Introduced to the world at Baselworld in 1972, the Royal Oak reference 5402ST was a huge gamble for the small Swiss firm – a luxury steel sports watch with a complicated bracelet, a very thin case, and the general refinement of a luxury dress watch. 

Surprisingly, especially given the modern context and extreme popularity of the Royal Oak today, it was no overnight hit. Upon release, the 5402ST was seen as large (it measures 39mm wide) and very expensive for a steel sports watch. For those asking, "Just how expensive is 'very expensive'?" Well, in an interview from 2009, Genta himself remarked, "The priceless sports watch is a new concept that we invented together with Audemars Piguet. When the Royal Oak was released, it was sold for 3,750 Swiss Francs, retail price. At the time, the most expensive steel watch cost 850 Swiss Francs! That was something utterly inconceivable." 

Thankfully, Audemars Piguet knew it was on to something good and continued to support its oddball Royal Oak, which would slowly gain popularity over the next few years. As Genta highlighted in the above quote, the Royal Oak would soon define an entire subset of high-end steel sports watches. Other brands, including Patek Philippe and Vacheron Constantin, took note and developed their own competition, with Patek Philippe even going so far as to hire Genta to design their Nautilus.

This was a very special season in Swiss watchmaking and was undoubtedly one that helped to insulate companies like Audemars Piguet from the full impact of the looming quartz crisis. In an industry that doesn't usually see rapid change working out in their favor, the Royal Oak started as a slow burn, but the effects of this new design and concept are still being felt today. Modern examples, both from Audemars Piguet and Patek Philippe, remain some of the most desirable, hard-to-buy, and readily copied watches on sale today. 

With the growing success of the Royal Oak design, Audemars Piguet would eventually elaborate on its once steel-only model with precious metals, additional dial versions, and, later on, additional complications – including perpetual calendars. 

Before we get to the 1980s and the specific star of our show, there is one more development to add into our history, which is the 1978 introduction of the 2120/2800 perpetual calendar movement. Now that you have a quick refresher on the history of the Royal Oak, it's important to understand that the original model was powered by the caliber 2120. 

Based on the Jaeger-LeCoultre 920 (which were provided as ebauches in kit-form and required modification and extensive hand-finishing), the very thin 2120 not only helped the 5402 Royal Oak maintain its svelte 7mm case profile, but it was also used in rival models from both Vacheron Constantin and Patek Philippe. For the purposes of this story, and in keeping with the format thus far, the 2120 is just the genesis for where we are headed.

By 1978, very few brands were making series-produced perpetual calendar wristwatches. When you look at the entire production of QPs from Audemars Piguet from 1948 to 1977, you’re only talking about 12 watches (I think you know the ones) and the newly launched 5548 (which the brand would go on to produce for some 14 years). With Audemars Piguet eyeing a return to perpetual calendar glory, it took the very successful JLC-based 2120 and designed a fitting perpetual calendar module (which was then manufactured by Dubois Dépraz). 

While many companies would have pivoted towards the increasing (and threatening) popularity of quartz technology, then Managing Director of Audemars Piguet George Golay had a different idea. Just as when he helped to introduce the Royal Oak in 1972, Golay was looking to make a big bet. Enter the 2120/2800, the world's thinnest automatic perpetual calendar movement. 

While only 3.95mm thick, the svelte 38-jewel 2120/2800 would usher in an era of rapid expansion and production for the historically small firm. One more thing – the original 2120/2800 shared an odd connection to the brand's earliest perpetual calendars: the absence of a leap-year display. It is here that we find our true scope, the birth and early years of the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar and, more specifically, those most seminal references that lacked a leap-year indication. 

What Goes Around Comes Back Around (Aka The 5554)

As I mentioned above, for early Audemars Piguet perpetual calendar watches (be they the earliest 5516s or the early Royal Oak QPs), the flavor here is a considerable rarity and the characteristic lack of a leap-year indication. 

The 2120/2800 first saw duty in the 5548 (shown above), which hit the market in 1978 and quickly became a hugely successful model for the Audemars Piguet. Based on the success of the 5548-25548, the Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar was officially announced in 1984 as the reference 5554 (and later, 25554) and – you guessed it – the reference was quite limited in production and lacked a leap-year display. For clarity moving forward, it's important to note that between 1984 and 1985, Audemars Piguet moved to a five-digit reference number format, with all four-digit models getting a "2" prefix. Thus the 25548 and the 25554. 

Like the 5402, the 5554-25554 is 39mm wide, 7.5mm thick, and, aside from the dial, looks like any other Royal Oak. In speaking with some contacts at Audemars Piguet, I learned of the considerable technical challenge of maintaining the water resistance of such a thin case, while also integrating the additional case-side correctors required for the much more complicated perpetual calendar movement. As we'll discover in the coming reference highlights, this was a challenge that required continual development and led to small differences from one reference to another, even for some that were produced in parallel. 

Back to the original 5554-25554 at hand, at twelve, we find the month indicator; at three, the date; at six, the combined running seconds and moon-phase; at nine, the day indication. The Royal Oak's distinctive octagonal silhouette is maintained by a single crown on the right case flank, and the 5554-25554 came on a metal-matched integrated bracelet (also a defining design element for the Royal Oak). This general format would hold for nine official years of production and nearly 1,600 produced examples before the move to the leap-year-equipped 2120/2802 would shake up the model range in 1993 (though, as appears to be common for AP, there was an overlap in production between both specifications). 

Before we dig in, keep in mind that all of the following references use exactly the same movement and, as you'll see, many were produced and sold in a very overlapping fashion. Even by 1983, AP was still a small company, and these were incredibly complex watches to manufacture. Additionally, rarity varies, but even the most common references are rare by the measure of almost any limited edition made today, and it's worth noting that of the total ten references, six of them amount to only 11 pieces and four of those are unique pieces. 

Additionally, these models pre-date the considerable increase in the popularity of the Royal Oak over the past five to ten years. Add to that the fact that AP reportedly limited global distribution of the 25554 and its brethren, and you get a range in terms of reported annual availability. Thus, if you take auction listings as gospel (I would recommend that you do not), you will see 2120/2800 model Royal Oak listings that are attributed to production dates well into the mid-to-late '90s.

While the available data is not perfect, we do know that Audemars Piguet launched the updated (and leap-year-equipped) 2120/2802 in 1993 but that the replacement was gradual. That said, given the leap-year indication, it's generally not too hard to tell the earlier 2120/2800 models from the later generations. As a final note before getting to the specific references, as you'll see in the later auction listings, these early Royal Oak QPs all fall within C and D-series case numbers. While just about anything is possible, this record is supported by the collectors I spoke with, by past auctions, and by Audemars Piguet directly.  

Having covered the 5554-25554 above, let's see how the other nine references stack up. 

25624 (1 piece)
Also launched in 1984, this is a one-of-one yellow-gold example with a matching gold dial and a bezel with diamonds in its beveled edge. 

25636 (264 pieces)
This is an insanely cool skeleton dial reference (with display caseback) that started production in 1983 but didn't hit the public realm until closer to 1986. Growing on the format of the 25554 and the 25654, the 25636 was offered in several versions, including two-tone. All told, AP counted 126 in yellow gold, 52 in steel, 49 in two-tone, 34 in platinum, and just three in pink gold. 

25652 (1 piece)
Not unlike the 25624, the 25652 was essentially a unique yellow-gold 25636 with a diamond-rimmed bezel.

5654-25654 (800 pieces)
The four-digit reference should clue you in that this is also a very early example from the run. Produced in parallel with the 5554-25554, the 5645-25654 is the most common reference within the pre-leap-year 2120/2800 Royal Oak Perpetual Calendars. Between 1982 and 1993, AP would create some 800 examples of the 25654, including 422 in yellow gold, 272 in steel, 72 in two-tone, 33 in platinum, and one in white gold. Understandably, these are the most commonly found references and can easily be mistaken for a 5554-25554, as the difference is quite subtle: It's the case thickness. 

Remember how I mentioned that water resistance in a thin, sporty, and very complicated watch is a huge technical task? Well, if you have such a watch today, you can thank these early Royal Oaks for the water-resistance you likely take for granted.

Producing the original 5554-25554 with 20 meters of water resistance proved to be a considerable task (one that almost no other company was even attempting at the time), and when embarking on the increased production of the 25654, Audemars Piguet increased the case thickness by 0.75mm (from 7.5 to 8.25mm). In the Rolex world, or perhaps for a watch produced in greater numbers, this change would have warranted some sort of nickname, but here, you just get a slightly thicker and more robust version of an already very thin watch. 

Like the 5554-25554, the 25654 was offered in several dial variants, and I received anecdotal information that would suggest, given the considerable asking price, Audemars Piguet likely was open to requests. As such, there are an impressive range of possible iterations, from the smooth silver (which AP calls "Opaline Grey") to gold, black (very rare), salmon, and even blue tapisserie, mother-of-pearl, pink and red with diamond markers, and more. 

25659 (4 pieces)
This reference was made with three pieces in yellow gold and one in platinum, and all four examples featured a skeleton dial and a full treatment of pavé diamonds for the case, bezel, and even the bracelet. 

25686 (233 pieces)
The fourth-most-produced iteration is another core model that expanded options from the 25554 and 25654 with production starting in 1987 and sales beginning in 1989. With 233 pieces spanning 85 in steel, 70 in yellow gold, 43 in two-tone, 26 in platinum, and nine in pink gold, the 25686 is essentially a new run of 25654s but with a display caseback and an even wider range of dial offerings (in a manner similar to that of the 25654 mentioned above). 

25687 (3 pieces)
With just one example created in yellow gold and a pair in platinum, these gem-set versions had metal-matched dials and diamonds set in the face of the bezel (vs. previous diamond-set versions that had diamonds in the bezel edge). 

25688 (1 piece)
The first of two final flashy platinum examples, the 25688 was characterized by an ice-blue dial and a full pavé treatment of baguette diamonds. Hen's teeth, unicorns – and stuff like this. 

25694 (1 piece)
Another unique piece in platinum, the 25694 was made in 1988 and sold in 1990. Rocking a skeletonized dial with rich blue accents, the 25964 was finished with a gem-set bezel of alternating diamonds and sapphires.

Mark 1 and Mark 2 Dials

For the small community of collectors that obsess over these early RO QPs, there are two main variants of the dial, Mark 1 and Mark 2. The difference is easy to spot, with the earlier Mark 1 dials using a smaller font for "Audemars Piguet" on the dial and later Mark 2 dials using a conventionally capitalized and larger font for the nameplate. You can find an example of both below:

According to my research, although not verified by any official record beyond that of collectors and auction listings, Mark 1 dials are generally confined to the early C-Series models but can be found in early D-Series as well. One other note for those wanting the most granular of details: Early Royal Oak QPs used a fold-over clasp with a small safety while later examples (D-Series) were fitted with a push-button clasp release.  

Why Should You Care?

Aside from being Royal Oak Perpetual Calendars (aka insanely cool), why is this early and sometimes forgotten range of watches worth such exploration? Well, in short, defiance. With a design brief and movement set firmly in the early '80s, AP was yet again taking a considerable risk during a challenging time for the entire concept of a high-end mechanical watch.

Sure, the Royal Oak had eventually started to pay off, but quartz was undermining the entire Swiss watch industry, and if a simple digital watch could be seen as interesting, avant-garde, and even stylish, what does a small brand like AP do? Basically, go big or go home.

Looking at the success of the aforementioned – and very traditional – 5548-25548, the company took a gamble and squeezed that movement into the Royal Oak – and then doubled down by producing its new QP in steel. Today, steel watches from the likes of Audemars Piguet (or indeed, any of the brand's peers) are hugely popular and often impossible to buy at retail. 

Back in 1981, Patek Philippe had discontinued the long-standing and never-in-steel 3448, offering instead the 3450 which was also never made in steel but did (say it with me now) feature a leap-year indicator. 

You could say that Audemars Piguet got lucky when the original 5402 Royal Oak didn't sink the brand in 1972, but I'd argue it must have been downright clairvoyant to look beyond the quartz crisis, staff up, and make not only a great old school perpetual calendar (again, that's the 5548-25548), but then take its movement and put it into an even more risky (and challenging) platform like the Royal Oak. 

Then, in producing some 458 examples in steel, while also being one of the only brands to make such a watch for the better part of the decade, you can see the risk. These watches, especially those in steel, are highly collectible today, and they absolutely foreshadowed the current market popularity of steel sports watches from high-end brands, to say little of just how beloved the Royal Oak has become all on its own. 

Actually, let's go there (we’ve already come this far). Today, the modern expression of the early 2120/2800 Royal Oak QP is the reference 26574. Originally launched in 2012, the 26574 Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar is 41mm wide, 9.5mm thick, and has 20 meters of water resistance. Along with its new size, the 26574 has an updated movement, the 5134. 

Still based on the 2120 I've mentioned previously, the 5134 holds the same four sub-dial layout but adds another element from the earliest years of AP's perpetual calendar development: a peripheral date display with a centrally mounted date hand. Not unlike the will they/won't they of the leap-year indication, this is an interesting connection back to the second, third, and fourth phases of the reference 5516.

Underrespected Or Over-hyped?

While similar in many respects, the scene surrounding the 25554 and its siblings is vastly different from that surrounding the modern 26574. In the '80s and '90s, the heat surrounding the Royal Oak was in its earliest stages, and the watch scene as a whole was not characterized by waitlists, flipping middlemen, and massive secondary market premiums.

Today, the Royal Oak enjoys demand that vastly outpaces its production, and almost regardless of spec or complication, these are not watches you can just waltz into a boutique and buy. 

Back in 1993, a gold 25645BA carried an impressive list price of 261,000 French francs. Convert that to USD at the time, and interested parties were looking at a price tag of around $45,000 – in 1993. Want that with inflation? How's $80,700 sound? For some context, the list price of a 16610 Rolex Submariner Date in 1996 was $3,350 or about $5,500 in today's dollars. To complete the picture, the current list price for a modern 26574 is $63,000 for steel, $95,700 for gold, and $166,800 for platinum.  

For another point of pricing data, look at the clipping from a 1998 issue of Europa Star (right) that proclaims the Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar to be "...Still The Most Expensive Steel Watch In The World" while quoting a list price of 23,600 Swiss francs. Adjusted for currency in March of 1998 and then for inflation to 2020, and we get a rather appealing $25,194. While the quoted figure feels a big bit lower than I would expect given the delta between steel and gold examples at retail, the headline does highlight just how AP had positioned the Royal Oak QP back in the day – and how it was seen by those covering the industry in the late '90s. 

Finally, I took some time to dig through auction results with the hopes of getting an idea of how pricing has changed over time for these often overlooked Royal Oaks. While the following is not a complete picture, I think it does help to illustrate the way that Royal Oak Perpetual Calendars have been valued over the past decade and highlights the pricing difference between steel and yellow-gold examples. I mostly attempted to stick to the more common 25654 references and have adjusted currency for USD on the date of the sale (these numbers are not adjusted for inflation to 2020). 

June 1999 - 25686 (platinum, ice-blue dial): ~$31,300 at Christies
September 2000 - 25654 (yellow gold): ~ $12,777 at Christies
October 2001 - 25654 (yellow gold): ~ $12,250 at Christies
November 2005 - 25636 (steel, skeleton): ~ $24,960 at Christies
May 2006 - 25654 (steel, blue tap dial): ~ $21,900 at Christies
November 2007 - 25653 (steel): ~ $24,300 at Sotheby's
June 2010 - 25636 (steel/platinum, skeleton): $32,500 at Christies
November 2011 - 25654 (yellow gold): ~ $35,400 Christies
December 2011 - 25636 (steel, skeleton): $31,250 at Christies
June 2012 - 25654 (steel/platinum): $20,000 at Christies
December 2013 - 25654 (yellow gold): $20,000 at Sotheby's
May 2015 - 25654 (steel, steel dial): ~ $25,400 at Christies
June 2015 - 25654 (yellow gold): $18,750 at Sotheby's
May 2016 - 25654 (yellow gold): ~ $25,500 at Christies
May 2016 - 25654 (steel, blue dial): ~ $35,300 at Christies
October 2016 - 25654 (steel, blue dial): $42,500 at Christies
March 2017 - 25636 (steel, skeleton): $72,500 at Christies
December 2017 - 25654 (platinum and pink gold): $37,500 at Sotheby's
November 2017 - 25654 (yellow gold, gold dial): ~ $40,000 at Sotheby's
November 2018 - 25654 (steel): $37,500 at Christies
April 2019 - 25654 (steel and yellow gold, white dial): $18,750 at Sotheby's
May 2019 - 25554 (yellow gold, white dial): ~ $32,100 at Sotheby's
June 2019 - 25654 (yellow gold): $43,750 at Christies
June 2019 - 25636 (yellow gold, skeleton): $93,750 at Sotheby's
July 2020 -25654 (steel, blue dial): ~ $110,300 at Christies

While not pure or even easily contextualized data, I think we can see that, in the past couple of years, the values have spiked (not uncommon) and that, comparatively, those who wanted a precious metal Royal Oak QP ten (or more) years ago could have expected to get something of a deal (when compared to today's values, with more than a couple trading for well under $20,000). 

In Closing

Despite its longstanding history in watchmaking, the Royal Oak has come to define Audemars Piguet's modern context. What started as a daring up-market take on a sports watch would eventually evolve to include the Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar, a synthesis of old school AP calendar watchmaking and the brand's then avant-garde octagonal sports watch. 

While not often remembered, and for some time arguably undervalued, with the steady climb in popularity for the Royal Oak, more and more attention has been applied to the brand's earlier experiments with the form. With a functional connection that goes back to Audemars Piguet's earliest QPs, the Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar helped AP to zig whenever others zagged. These watches helped AP survive the quartz crisis and helped to translate the Royal Oak into a true presence in haute horlogerie. While only part of the brand's path to its modern-day success, the 5554 and its 2120/2800-powered siblings undoubtedly raised Audemars Piguet's profile throughout the '80s and '90s and laid the groundwork for the Royal Oak's recent and unparalleled rise in both enthusiast and pop culture mindshares. 

Acknowledgments:
For your help, patience, and general availability over the past couple of months, I would like to thank Michael Friedman, Raphaël Balestra, Sébastian Vivas, and the entire team at Audemars Piguet, Paul Lerner at Optimist Consulting, Robert and the team at A Collected Man, Teddy of Watches2.8, Jeroen Vink, and Geoff Isringhausen Jr. I could not have put this all together without your help and I greatly appreciate each and every text, email, image, and tidbit of advice.  

Quick Take

Earlier this year, we covered Ressence and Sotheby's #WatchesAgainstCovid19 design competition. The winning design was produced and auctioned off by Sotheby's with the proceeds going to COVID-19 research. Well, Ressence is back with another unique piece and another good cause. Yesterday, the brand announced the Ressence Type 3MC for the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation, in partnership with – and sold exclusively through – Art in Time. Shortly after the sale went live, the watch sold.  Only one of these watches will be made, and part of the proceeds of the sale will support the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation's environmental efforts in promoting sustainable development.

Initial Thoughts

What more can be said about the Type 3 that has not already been said? I highly suggest taking a look at both James Stacey's Hands-On with the Type 3W (white dial) and Jack Forster's In-Depth with the Type 3-3 (black dial) for a comprehensive look at this model. The original Type 3 was one of those watches that found a way to simultaneously subvert the idea of watchmaking, from a technical perspective, and fundamentally change how time is told, with its creative dial display. 

Now, this is effectively the same Ressence Type 3 design that everyone knows, but with a new unique color, and an equally unique red strap. The dial is almost entirely red, but also features orange and grey accents on the subdials. The hands and outer track markings are a stark white.

Speaking on this sale, Benoît Mintiens, CEO and founder of Ressence said, "We’re delighted to be helping the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation through this Art in Time initiative. The Principality [Monaco] borders the Mediterranean, home to a rich variety of wildlife – and, sadly, one of the most polluted seas on Earth. We believe that helping to preserve this ecosystem is a worthy cause. A unique, blood-red, liquid-filled watch will be a powerful statement of support for marine life by the person who wears it."

Given that this a Type 3, it sports the same oil-filled technology that allows for enhanced legibility and a distinctive viewing experience. You might notice in the photos that the dial appearance – as it pertains to the configuration of the subdials – changes position depending on the photo. This is because the winding mechanism is located on the back of the watch. You engage the caseback, which winds the mechanism, and the dial physically moves in response to that engagement. 

The Ressence Type 3MC  bears a special "1/1" inscription on the caseback indicating that it is a unique piece.

The Basics

Brand: Ressence
Model: Type 3MC

Diameter: 44mm
Thickness: 15mm
Case Material: Grade 5 titanium
Dial Color: Red
Indexes: Arabic and rectangular markers
Lume: Yes
Water Resistance: 30m
Strap/Bracelet: Red strap

The Movement

Caliber: Patented ROCS 3.5 (Ressence Orbital Convex System) module driven by the minute axle of a customized 2824/2 base caliber
Functions: Hours, minutes, day, date, 180-second runner, and oil temperature
Power Reserve: 36 hours
Winding: Self-winding
Frequency: 4Hz
Jewels: 47
Chronometer Certified: No

Pricing & Availability

Price: €39,900 ($47,263 at time of publishing)
Availability: Through Art in Time only
Limited Edition: Yes, 1/1 – already sold.

For more, visit Ressence and Art in Time.

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 Improbable Journey of Dorothy Parker's Ashes – The New Yorker

Literary gadfly, Algonquin round table habitué, lover of carefully composed ethanol-based intoxicants, and a fixture at The New Yorker for many years, Dorothy Parker had been hired away from Vanity Fair by the legendary Harold Ross and continued to earn her reputation for barbed wit for the rest of her life, both there and in Hollywood, where she achieved success as a screenwriter. (Parker herself used to denigrate her own reputation as a wit, calling herself a mere "wisecracker.") It's perhaps less known that she was also an early and ardent supporter of the civil rights movement (she was blackballed by HUAC) and, finding herself towards the end of her life with a reasonable estate and strong commitment to the cause, she left everything – to his considerable surprise – to Martin Luther King. She had insisted on cremation, but after King's assassination, her ashes went unclaimed for several years, before beginning a journey as involved and improbable as her life had been. The New Yorker (who else) has the story.

– Jack Forster, Editor-in-Chief

Fall Foliage Prediction Map – SmokyMountains.com

Sure, one can argue that an unremitting love of fall foliage is a prerequisite for joining the cult of the PSL (Pumpkin Spice Latte, for the unacquainted). But no one can deny that there is something special about the parade of color that accompanies the changing of the seasons. Thankfully, Smoky Mountain Tourism has done the heavy lifting and built an interactive map that provides Instagrammers everywhere with an estimate of when they can expect peak foliage across the United States from now through the end of November. Grab a sweater and a camera and head out for a socially-distant (of course) stroll through your nearest forest.

– Sarah Reid, Advertising Manager

Periwinkle, The Color Of Poison, Modernism, And Dusk – The Paris Review

I'll be honest, I don't know a thing about color theory or terminology. I'm the type of person that looks the other way when Pantone comes up in conversation. Nevertheless, I still found Katy Kelleher's recent essay on the color purple in The Paris Review to be just as captivating as it is beautifully written. Kelleher ties together an elaborate narrative that paints purple – with an eye on periwinkle, specifically – as one of the most complex of all colors. From Tyrian purple, born as a dye that required the secretion of thousands of snails to produce a single ounce, to how violet was essential to the European Impressionist movement (and even more so to their critics), the history and development of purple over time turns out to be far more interesting than I would have ever imagined. Through all the historical details, Kelleher's passion for, and personal perspective on, periwinkle comes out clearly, and it's hard not to share her appreciation by the end of the article.

– Logan Baker, Editor, HODINKEE Shop

Remembering Alfred Hitchcock: How 'Psycho' Changed Hollywood – Variety

One my favorite things about Alfred Hitchcock was his uncanny ability to engage an audience. A piece of promotional material for his classic film Psycho read, "The manager of the theatre has been instructed, at the risk of his life, not to admit to the theatre any persons after the picture starts." I mean, talk about building intrigue. It is almost exactly the 60th anniversary of that iconic film (released September 8, 1960), and to celebrate, Variety put together a nice piece on the director and the impact Psycho had on Hollywood. One part I found especially interesting was that the article notes that Paramount Pictures expected audience resistance to the no-late-seating rule and were surprised when audiences complied. Hitchcock had that sort of effect. Sometimes, the backstory is as interesting as the film itself, and that is certainly the case here. 

– Danny Milton, Editor

Son Sells 28 Years Of Birthday Whisky To Buy First Home – BBC News

My observations from the various HODINKEE reader meetups have convinced me that if you love collecting watches, the likelihood of you appreciating a nice single-malt whisky is very high. Both subjects take dedication and passion to produce, and both can go up in value over time. Such is the case for a man from Taunton, England, who was gifted a bottle of Macallan Whisky every year on his birthday. After 28 years, Matthew Robson amassed an impressive collection of bottles serialized by year dating back to 1974. Robson had the sheer determination not to open any of them, and now, he's reaping the rewards of his patience. The collection has been put up for sale for $53,000 (or £40,000), which he plans to use to help pay for a house. There is hope for my stamp collection yet.

– Andy Yang, Vice President, Commercial

Lead image by Balazs Busznyak

Not all tourbillons are created equal. To get the inside story on just what it takes to make a tourbillon with a stop-seconds mechanism, look no further than this arresting post from Jack as he delves into the technical warrants of a tourbillon and why a halting mechanism seems entirely crucial to the tourbillon's original intent. 

Originally published more than four years ago, while the tourbillon is sometimes applied as little more than ornamentation on the road to making a watch feel more special, the history of the tourbillon (and its technical merits) is not to be overlooked. It's a wonder that it took the watch world so long to develop ways of stopping the tourbillon for increased accuracy when synchronizing the watch with a given reference. For both the why and the how of such a small but useful evolution of the tourbillon, hit the link below. 

Click here to read: "Technical Perspective: Stopping The Whirlwind: Four Tourbillons With Stop Seconds, And Why That Matters".

Quick Take

The recently introduced F-43 Bicompax marked a new direction for Fortis under the leadership of Jupp Philipp, who took over the company in 2018. Now, the Flieger F-41, F-39, and F-39-J models are being added to the Fortis Flieger family. F stands for flieger, and the -41 and -39 designations correspond with case size. The -J suffix in the F-39-J denotes a special edition that's limited to 50 pieces and sold only in Japan. I'm not sure it's entirely intentional, but there's an obvious parallel between the nomenclature of the new flieger watches and the USAF's Tri-Service aircraft designation system. Other forces follow different naming conventions; have a look at Britain's here. 

So this means we have two entirely new case sizes in the growing family of Fortis Fliegers. Now, we have a 43mm (Bicompax), 41mm (Automatic), and what will surely be a crowd-pleasing 39mm (Automatic) example. 

This new trio of time-only watches visually follows the design language introduced with the F-43 Bicompax. The Synchroline and Brixtrack technologies are still present as well. Familiar flieger design cues, like the triangle flanked by dots at 12 o'clock and a bold seconds track, are also present in these three new models. The standard F-43 Automatic and F-39 Automatic employ the Berlac Fluor Orange motif of the B-43 Bicompax, but the F-39-J models departs from this motif; instead, it uses a dark blue sunray-finished dial with sword-shaped black framed hour and minute hands in white. The second hand is both white and red – the colors of Japan's national flag, colloquially known as Hinomaru, and that of the Japanese Ground and Maritime Self-Defense Force.  

Initial Thoughts

Our community is size-obsessed, and rightfully so. Clothing that fits poorly can be uncomfortable, and the same is true with a watch. It's important to buy the right size for you. Earlier this year, I likened finding the right-sized watch to grabbing the right size wrench for undoing a bolt. If watches are tools, then we need the right tool for the job. 

Fortis knows this. 

And in the same way a flight plan is supposed to be filed prior to take off to help mitigate any risk, Fortis has introduced an entire range of case sizes in quick succession to preemptively satisfy the enthusiast demand for a range of sizes. If you're not into the Flieger series for visual reasons, that's one thing, but it's harder to say the watch is too big or small with such a selection available. 

Fortis has historically supplied the Russian Space Program in the same way Omega has supplied NASA with timepieces. The Official Cosmonauts Chronograph, which was introduced in 1994 and flew on numerous missions, was 38mm. Spiritually, the F-39 shares a great deal, dimension-wise, with that watch. The upsized B-42 replaced the Official Cosmonauts Chronograph in 2003. The new ownership of Fortis, and the company's willingness to try out new sizing and design ideas, bodes well for the Fortis-ROSCOSMOS relationship to become even more meaningful and interesting. 

It's also important to note that while chronographs are typically associated with pilot's watches, the original B-Uhr, short for Beobachtungs-uhren watch, was a time-only design. The B-Uhr design is where "flieger watches" come from, but of course, it's come to define any pilot's watch associated with Germany. Or, in modern times, a multi-sized, Swiss-made pilot's watch that references mid-century German design is also a "flieger." And a very exciting one at that. 

If you fancy the design of the B-43, then you'll most likely enjoy the design of these new releases, and now, you'll be able to find the model that fits you the best size-wise. What this release also does, however, is drive home the idea that Fortis means business in terms of re-igniting the brand and engaging watch enthusiasts on one of the fronts that means so much to us: case size. Additionally, I find the Japan-only edition particularly interesting. Other companies in the same function-forward category as Fortis also produce a number of Japan-only editions, and that goes for Omega as well, with the Speedmaster. The F-39-J sets a precedent that I'm excited to see the trajectory of. 

We started with the F-43 this past August and went to the F-41 and F-39 today. Does that mean the B-series is up for expansion next? The newest B-42 Official Cosmonauts Chronograph was launched this past May. From the positive reaction to the B-43 and the timely introduction of these F-41 and F-39 watches, it looks like Fortis is lining up for take-off with enthusiasts. 

The Basics

Brand: Fortis
Model: F-41, F-39, F-39-J
Reference Number: F.422.0008(F-41 on bracelet) F.422.0009 (F-41 on aviator strap) F.422.0005 (F-39 on bracelet) F.422.0006 (F-39 on aviator strap) F.422.0007 (Japan-only F-39 limited edition) 

Diameter: 39mm (F-39 and F-30-J), 41mm (F-41)
Case Material: Stainless Steel
Dial Color: Black
Indexes: Proprietary "Brixtrack"
Lume: Yes
Water Resistance: 200m
Strap/Bracelet: All three models are available with the statement block bracelet and fine adjustment slide clasp in stainless steel as well as with the black Aviator Strap, hand made from sustainable resources in Germany.

The Movement

Caliber: Fortis UW-30 (used in all three models introduced)
Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds, date
Power Reserve: 38 hours
Winding: Automatic
Jewels: 26 jewels
 

Pricing & Availability

Price: 2,300 CHF (F-41 and F-39 on bracelet) 1,850 CHF (F-41 and F-39 on aviator strap). Japan pricing only available in Japan.
Availability: Authorized dealers
Limited Edition: Japan-only edition limited to 50 examples. 

For more, click here.

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

If you’re a longtime listener or reader, you probably already know that, outside of watches, one of my greatest passions is art. I love looking at art, reading about art, and making art. So you can imagine my surprise when I stumbled upon a reference to HODINKEE Radio while perusing an article on Artnet a few weeks ago. It turns out that curator, critic, and founder of Art World Conference Dexter Wimberly is a longtime member of the HODINKEE community and a loyal listener. I knew immediately that we had to get him on the pod. 

It turns out, this was a great idea. Dexter and I see eye to eye on a ton of things, and I love the way he thinks about watches (and objects of all kinds) as tiny storytellers. We spend a ton of time talking about that, the way that Dexter ended up a watch guy in the first place, and how he's been indulging his love of watches during the last few months, but we also talk about his transition from the advertising world to the art world, why he's chosen to spend his career focused on helping emerging artists, and what value art can bring to our lives right now. After just an hour of talking, I can safely say I'm a big Dexter Wimberly fan. I think you all will be too. 

Before that, though, we've got a ton of new watch news to analyze. The watch drops just aren't stopping, and it's clear that 2020 is anything but a slow year for the watch industry. Cole and Danny join me to talk through a number of new releases they covered over the last few weeks, including some heavy-hitters from Lange and AP, a new take on a familiar IWC, and a fun limited edition from Oris. 

We hope you enjoy Episode 104 of HODINKEE Radio. Check out the show notes below, and let us know what you think in the comments.

Wrist Check

This is the very first Tudor Black Bay Fifty-Eight "Navy Blue" to make an appearance on HODINKEE Radio. Dexter decided to pick this watch up as a celebration of surviving the early rough period of quarantine this year (much of which he spent in Japan with his wife's family after a four-week trip turned into a three-month residency). It's been his most constant wrist-companion ever since, though he might be passing it to one of his four kids next year when his oldest son graduates high school. As far as pandemic watches go, this is pretty perfect.

Show Notes

(4:00) Danny's BLNR

(5:10) Cole BB58 and SBGK007

(5:45) Stephen's Mark XVIII

(6:40) The Amazing Secret That Big NATO Doesn't Want You To Know

(7:45) The A. Lange & Söhne Tourbograph Perpetual And 1815 Thin Honeygold Limited Editions

(8:00) The A. Lange & Söhne 1815 Rattrapante Honeygold

(11:05) The A. Lange & Söhne Saxonia Thin 37mm

(12:45) The New Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Chronograph Limited Edition In 18k White Gold

(14:35) The 50th Anniversary Rolex Cosmograph Daytona In Platinum

(18:00) The IWC Portugieser Chronograph With Stainless Steel Bracelet

(23:40) The Oris Roberto Clemente Limited Edition

(29:00) The H. Moser & Cie. Streamliner Centre Seconds

(30:45) The Moser Streamliner Flyback Chronograph Automatic

(35:50) Anna Zorina Gallery

(38:30) The Art World at Home

(43:15) The Accutron Legacy Collection

(43:30) The Accutron Show

(44:05) Rolex GMT-Master II Ref. 116718

(46:45) HODINKEE Radio Episode 103: New Rolex Week & Other Fresh Releases

(1:02:06) The A. Lange & Söhne Odysseus

(1:17:00) Dexter Launches Artist's Residency In Japan

Chanel's J12 watch debuted in 2000. This year marks the 20th anniversary of the collection, and the J12 Paradoxe was released for this season. We were able to get our hands on one and spend some time with the watch. Let's start by covering the basics.

As you can see, the J12 Paradoxe features a bicolor look, combining white and black. The remarkable thing here is that, although the clean-cut borderline may suggest the two-tone color scheme is just a paint job, the watch is actually constructed with two colored ceramic case components.

The production process of the case is truly unique. Two single-colored complete cases are cut, then combined to make the final case. You'd think they could get away with making two different pre-shaped case components in white and black to assemble, but ceramic shrinks with heat (and the material hardens as it shrinks), so that's a no-go. I believe this was the reason why the "make two cases, then cut and combine" method was chosen, but you'd have to cut them without losing the material on the cutting plane by using an extremely thin blade in order to create the final case with fixed dimensions. And we are talking about super hard ceramic here, so I think you can easily imagine how difficult it can be to execute the cutting procedure without damaging the material.

As you can see in the picture above, the watch is made of two pieces of ceramic case components, and a sapphire crystal display caseback is secured to them with screws. Due to this special construction, I can safely assume it was a little too hard to achieve the same level of water resistance as the regular J12s. As a result, this watch is water-resistant to 50m where other J12 models are rated for 200m.

On the other hand, the J12 Paradoxe shares the same Cal. 12.1 movement with the rest of J12 models. There has been coverage of this attractive movement already, but let's dig into it a little just in case you are not familiar with the caliber.

The Cal. 12.1 automatic movement debuted in conjunction with the J12 refresh back in 2019, and it is produced by Kenissi. Kenissi is a movement manufacturer founded by Rolex's sister company Tudor and other investors, including Chanel. Kenissi movements are now taking the watch industry by storm. In addition to Chanel and Tudor, other brands, like Breitling and Norqain, are now using the Kenissi movements, and their specs rival the top-tier calibers out there. The standard three-hand automatic movement is Kenissi's bread-and-butter offering. It features a 70-hour power reserve and a high-precision yet robust design with a free-sprung balance and full-balance bridge. Chanel's Cal. 12.1 shares the feature-set.

The asymmetric style of the J12 Paradoxe features black only on the right side of the case. That is, of course, quite visible from the front, but the side view of the watch is even more interesting. When you see the case from the three o'clock side and nine o'clock side, you are basically looking at conventional black and white J12 models, respectively. A paradox is a statement contrary to common belief, something that seems hard to comprehend or absurd, but is actually well-founded and not contradictory. This watch is a black J12 and also a white J12 at the same time — a paradox indeed. 

Now, one thing that really surprised me was how natural this bi-color setup looked. Since the watch is made of two ceramic cases that are cut and combined, I thought I'd see the joint rather clearly. But in reality, as far as I could see from the dial side, the watch totally looked as if it was a seamless single-piece unit constructed with a two-tone color scheme, and there was a reason for that. In fact, the cut-and-combined construction is only for the case, and the bezel and dial are each made as a single piece, and the bi-color design is achieved by applying white color on black for the bezel and black on white for the dial.

Other than this unconventional styling, the fundamentals of the watch aren't much different from the regular J12.

I must confess, I didn't have a lot of personal interest in Chanel, considering them a feminine brand. Now I can say I was dead wrong. I am, in fact, currently wearing a black J12, which is actually my wife's watch that I've been borrowing for a couple of months.  

The first thing that impressed me was the trifold buckle, which is patented by Chanel. This one is really well thought out. When you look at robust sporty watches, you often find the buckles too hard and tight to operate. That is not the case here with the J12. The simple folding buckle is spring-loaded, and you can just pinch and pull the bracelet link to operate the buckle, while the spring itself is somewhat on the stiff side. This makes handling a breeze even for female wearers with long nails. This kind of attention to detail reminds you that Chanel is a serious jeweler.

Although there is a certain heft to it, being a ceramic watch, the case measures a relatively compact 38mm across and 12.6mm thick, and the curved plate of the buckle and bracelet links follow your wrist, ensuring a very ergonomic fit. My wrists aren't particularly skinny, but the watch offers a strong presence on the wrist, and I think the J12 works surprisingly well on men's and women's wrists alike.

Manually winding an automatic watch isn't the best thing to do, but the winding action here is positive and tactile. Some of my automatic watches feel like rubbing against metal or unpleasantly heavy when I manually wind them, but thankfully, that's not the case with this watch at all. The watch also features a 70-hour power reserve, and the COSC-certified chronometer spec ensures excellent accuracy.

There is no doubt the standard J12 is an attractive watch, but there is one problem: whether you should choose black or white. That was the issue my wife faced when she was in the market for one (the J12s were not readily available at stores back then, and she was told the black one could be ordered quickly, which she went for).

The J12 came out in black in 2000 as Chanel's icon piece, and the white variant followed in 2003. After that, choosing between the two colors became the prime issue for many prospective buyers. Twenty years after the birth of the collection, the J12 Paradoxe, which captures the charms of both variants, could finally be the best answer to this problem.

The Basics

Brand: Chanel
 Model: J12 Paradoxe
 Reference Number: H6515

Diameter: 38mm
 Thickness: 12.6mm
 Case Material: Highly scratch-resistant black and white ceramics, stainless steel
 Dial Color: White and black
 Indexes: Arabic numeral, applied ceramic
 Lume: Yes, hour, minute, second hands, square-dot indices on the chapter ring
 Water Resistance: 50 meters
 Strap/Bracelet: Highly scratch-resistant white ceramic and stainless steel bracelet, trifold buckle

The Movement

Caliber: Cal. 12.1
 Functions: Hour, minute, second, date (with quick set), and hacking seconds
 Power Reserve: 70 hours
 Winding: Automatic
 Frequency: 28,800 vph
 Jewels: 28
 Chronometer: Yes, COSC certified

Pricing & Availability

Price: $8,050
 Availability: Now
 Limited Edition: No, regular production

For details, visit Chanel.

This article first appeared on HODINKEE.jp, which you can visit clicking here.

There is a certain "sweet spot" in watch pricing. It sits somewhere at, or below, the $3,000 mark. In that range, there are a host of watches to choose from that offer tremendous value either from a movement, build quality, aesthetic, or functionality perspective. Sometimes, it can be all of the above. Now, there have been a lot of new releases this year – in fact, they continue to pour in as we type. Luckily, many of these watches have fallen within that always-welcome price range. Given that, we thought it would be as good a time as ever to pick some of our favorite new watches, released this year, and priced at $3,000 and under.

Jack Forster: NOMOS Tetra Symphony collection

Despite the fact that the prices for so-called luxury watches (whatever that means) have only continued to climb for the last couple of decades (in some cases, to a really astonishing degree), it is still possible to find watches – and very well made, technically interesting, and visually attractive ones to boot – for prices that seem only more reasonable with every passing year. One stalwart in this family has always been NOMOS, whose unassumingly beautiful watchmaking offers something for just about everyone at prices just about no one can object to, and some of my favorite watches from them – for all that square watches have always struggled a bit more than round ones to find an audience – are the Tetra watches.

This year, NOMOS came out with a group of four Tetra watches dedicated to everyone's favorite tormented composer, Ludwig Van Beethoven. The relationship to the composer's work is, like the watches themselves, very understated – no engraving of his instantly recognizable profile, no musical notation – just dials in four colors that harmonize (ha) very well with the classical, yet romantic (somebody stop me) beauty of the Tetra design. As ever, the Tetra remains one of the best arguments out there for breaking away from the tyranny of the round.

$2,080; NOMOS-Glashuette.com

Jon Bues: Longines Heritage Classic Chrono

Back when I was just getting into watches, one of the things that surprised me was how certain brands had evolved over time to occupy market segments different from the ones they did decades earlier. One of the most interesting examples of this was Longines. I first encountered this company around 2004, in its modern guise, as a maker of what I considered good, solid, affordable watches with designs targeting a broad audience. When I eventually encountered the vintage Longines 13ZN and experienced a movement whose architecture placed it among the great chronographs of all time, it kind of blew my mind. It was a watch that could be the jewel of practically any collection, I thought.

While Longines no longer makes a chronograph quite like the 13ZN, it does have very respectable automatic chronographs in its arsenal. Perhaps more than any other brand, Longines has managed to execute truly fantastic heritage-inspired models that feel worthy of the company's history. And as I've come to learn over the years, the catalog of historical designs that the brand from St. Imier is drawing from is virtually inexhaustible. One of my favorite such watches of the last several years is the Longines Heritage Classic Chronograph – Tuxedo model. Based on a classic design from 1943, it taps into an aesthetic that I associate with a golden age of chronographs while providing something that didn't exist in the 1940s: an automatic chronograph. It's also a great value, just sliding in at our $3,000 spending cap.

$3,000; Longines

Danny Milton: Breitling Endurance Pro

Given the number of homage pieces released over the last few years, it is refreshing to see a release that is almost entirely modern – although Cole put it pretty well in his write-up when he observed that this is also something of a throwback to mid-90s Breitling design. Now, this is not a watch I ever expected to like. In fact, when I first saw the pictures, I almost rolled my eyes. It just looked a bit too playful. But as I looked a little harder, I began to really get into this watch, as well as what it represents. It is the year of colorful watches, after all. There is definitely a market out there for lightweight, performance (read: sports) driven watches – think Richard Mille or the Omega Ultra Light, worn both on golfers and tennis players alike. However, both of those watches carry price tags that are – to put it mildly – cost-prohibitive for the casual buyer. At $3,000, the Breitling Endurance Pro is far more accessible. 

That price point is basically the median when it comes to modern Swiss-made tool watches, with brands like Tudor, Oris, and IWC offering pieces on either end of that spectrum. Overall, I think Breitling is offering something really interesting here. The case is made from a material called Breitlight, which is said to be 3.3x lighter than titanium. The Endurance Pro does feature a quartz movement, but mind you, this is SuperQuartz, a thermo-compensated, highly shock-resistant movement, and it is chronometer-certified. With added features such as the ability to track 1/100 of a second via the upper right subdial, and the rugged, capable-looking aesthetic, this watch presents as almost the prototypical modern tool and/or sports watch. Do I personally have a use for the compass bezel? No, but such minutiae won't get in the way with my intellectual fascination with this piece.

$3,000; Breitling.com

Cole Pennington: Sinn U50

There are dive watches that look great with a crisply laundered suit, and then there are dive watches that work great with a 3.5mm wetsuit 65 feet below the surface. As for the Sinn, I think it falls into the latter category. Trends aside, I think Germany tends to put out fantastic function-driven products. In the automotive and photography world – think Porsche and Leica – folks have certainly taken notice, maybe even to the point of becoming a little too trendy. But when it comes to watches, German companies like Sinn are still very much a "cult brand" with a limited but incredibly loyal following. I think the U50, with its sweet-spot sizing and bold aesthetic, can get folks' attention in a way that Sinn might not have before. 

Starting at $2,180 on a rubber strap; Sinn.de

James Stacey: Seiko Prospex SPB143

Given the amount that I've already written about this watch, I briefly considered picking something else until I realized I haven't taken my SPB143 off in weeks. I often even sleep with it on. If you want the whole story, be sure to check out my A Week On The Wrist, but in short, this is a mid-range Seiko diver that is 40.5mm wide, 13.7mm thick, and 46.5mm lug to lug. It has drilled lugs, a sapphire crystal, a steel bezel insert, and an upgraded 6R35 movement. In short, it's my ideal Seiko dive watch.

Yes, it costs more than some of the brand's other go-to classics, but I think it's worth every penny. It wears beautifully, works on just about any strap, and simply looks great on wrist. It has easily become my summer watch and things are looking good for the fall, too.

$1,200; SeikoWatches.com

With summer now fading into the blur of September, it is about time to kick off another round of watchmaking's most illustrious annual prize, the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG). For those that don't commonly follow the awards, the process starts when the finalists are announced (today) – 84 of them – and will culminate with a full award ceremony in Geneva on November 12. 

With six finalists for each of the 14 categories, there is a little something for everyone, and the judges are tasked with selecting the finalist that best matches the spirit of each category. If you want to get an inside perspective on being a judge, don't skip Episode 19 of HODINKEE Radio in which Stephen chats with Jack about what it is like to be a GPHG judge. 

Alongside a fresh set of finalists, 2020 also marks the start of a new overall format for the GPHG. Under the new format, the jury has expanded from 20 to 30 industry professionals to a new group of some 350 Academy members, including our own Cara Barrett, Ben Clymer, Jack Forster, and Stephen Pulvirent. The goal is to create a system that is closer to that of the annual Academy Awards (aka The Oscars) in which a large and diverse body of folks from within the watch industry will inform a more diverse collection of finalists, which for the first time can be nominated by the Academy (rather than directly submitted by brand). Once nominations from the larger Academy are complete, a smaller jury will weigh in on the final selections. 

Just as in past years, this year's finalists offer a wide outlook on the watch industry with selections from huge brands like Hermès, IWC, and Breitling sitting alongside fellow finalists from Doxa, Seiko, and Ming (deservedly so). You can see the full list of finalists here, and it's certainly worth a thorough scan as this year's selections offer an impressive variety and should make for an exciting list of GPGH winners come this November.

For more information, visit GPHG online. 

The definition of a dress watch has evolved quite a bit in recent years. Historically, a men's dress watch was meant to be slim and refined, typically cased in a precious metal, and only worn on special occasions. However, as office-wear and menswear have gradually become more casual, defining just what is and isn't a dress watch has become more complicated. It turns out that the "rules" of dress watches, much like those in fashion, are constantly being revised and rewritten.

There are many dyed-in-the-wool collectors who believe dress watches should feature the time only, with many choosing to forego the seconds hand entirely. On the other hand, there are plenty of enthusiasts who welcome the presence of a date aperture or a moon-phase display on their dressier watches, and might even be open to the idea of a dress chronograph. Although the conventional rules determining what a dress watch can and cannot be might lean toward the conservative, there's a reason they've remained front-of-mind for watch enthusiasts for so long. It boils down to traditional social decorum, as classical etiquette states that one should not be concerned about time to the exact second, or the date, when attending a formal event. (For more on this debate, click here.) 

For many contemporary watch lovers, however, a dress watch today is no longer reserved for black-tie dinners, evening galas, and other tuxedo-clad affairs. If that description sounds like you, then we think you'll enjoy the group of six OMEGA dress watches that we've gathered below. Each watch is smart, stylish, and versatile, perfectly suited for wherever the fall months take you – and beyond. You'll find five steel models from the OMEGA Constellation and De Ville families, plus a two-tone Speedmaster that makes a statement with a touch of green and gold.

OMEGA De Ville Prestige

We've previously described the De Ville Prestige line as home to some of OMEGA's most underrated contemporary timepieces. This sub-collection of smart-casual dress watches offers a huge amount of diversity in dial designs, all combined with highly wearable case profiles for both men and women. The styling is simple, as you'd expect out of a dress watch, echoing the appearance of mid-century OMEGA De Ville watches from when the line was a part of the greater Seamaster range. 

Not only do these watches look great on the wrist, but they also all share an excellent Swiss movement that is of particular significance for OMEGA. It's the caliber 2500, which is based on ETA's self-winding standby, the 2892. The caliber 2500 was the first-ever series-produced movement to feature George Daniels' Co-Axial escapement, after the patent was acquired by OMEGA in 1999. This movement was physical proof that the Co-Axial escapement could be commercially and industrially produced, and it has since served as the basis for nearly all of OMEGA's technical advancements over the past 20 years. 

OMEGA was able to increase the power reserve of the caliber 2500 to 48 hours of running autonomy, from just 42 hours in the ETA 2892. In the De Ville Prestige line, OMEGA also has the caliber 2500 certified as a chronometer by COSC. While the caliber 2500 was once found consistently across all of OMEGA's various collections, the De Ville Prestige is now one of the few families where the movement is still available. We don't know what the future holds for the caliber 2500, but this rock-solid workhorse movement should be noteworthy to anyone interested in how modern watchmaking has evolved in recent history – you simply cannot tell the story of OMEGA today without considering the caliber 2500.

Aesthetically, the De Ville Prestige watches are some of the most understated you'll find at OMEGA; neither the movement, the dial, nor the case design are flashy. We're adding four De Ville Prestige variants to the HODINKEE Shop today, and they all share an identical steel case that measures in at slight dimensions of 39.5mm by 10.5mm, a perfect fit underneath most shirt cuffs. The polished steel case has a fully rounded profile with a smooth caseband and a stepped bezel. Each De Ville Prestige has lugs that are short and curved downward, and casebacks that are closed and flat, ensuring perfect proportions and a tight wrist presence.

The four watches, however, differ in dial executions, with options in sunburst silver or black, opaline white, and brushed grey. All include a small date window at three o'clock and a range of applied hour markers, a mix between Roman numerals and either batons or cabochons. Dauphine hands indicate the time neatly and precisely, and catch the light to ensure excellent visibility despite the presence of zero Super-LumiNova on the dial, hour markers, or hands.

For OMEGA, the De Ville Prestige is both a conventional dress-watch offering as well as an entry-point into the company's vast catalog of timepieces. These are watches with timeless designs that won't go out of style, making them an excellent daily-wear option for today, tomorrow, and the future. 

If you're looking for an accessibly priced dress watch from one of the best-known Swiss brands, it's hard to go wrong with an OMEGA De Ville Prestige. Pricing for the OMEGA De Ville Prestige collection starts at $3,750, and you can see them for yourself right here.

OMEGA Constellation Globemaster Annual Calendar

The Globemaster made a big splash in 2015 when it debuted as OMEGA's first-ever METAS-certified watch (for more on the Globemaster, click here), a chronometer certification that has since encompassed a majority of OMEGA's new releases. A year after it was released, in 2016, OMEGA grew the Globemaster line with a more complicated offering, by debuting a variant equipped with an annual calendar complication.

While the reveal of a new annual calendar was an initial surprise, it ended up being a perfect fit for the Globemaster's mid-century aesthetic, which starts with the historic pie-pan dial (a design found on countless mid-century OMEGA dress watches). Named after its shared resemblance with an inverted pie pan, this dial features 12 individual facets that slope down between each hour marker from the watch's central area. The 12 facets carry over directly into the execution of the Globemaster Annual Calendar, as each facet has been labeled in a radial script font with one month of the year: 12 facets, 12 months, one watch.

Although watches with calendar complications have a lengthy history in Swiss watchmaking, the annual calendar is a more recent invention, first appearing in the 1990s. Unlike a perpetual calendar, an annual calendar requires a single date adjustment once per year, at the end of February. On the Globemaster Annual Calendar, the date indication is located at six o'clock in a stepped aperture, while a fourth, central pointer hand indicates the passing months. 

The Globemaster Annual Calendar's semi-autonomous nature comes courtesy of the OMEGA caliber 8922, which incorporates a program wheel with 12 teeth, each of a varying length that judge the number of days in each individual month. Caliber 8922 offers a 55-hour power reserve and is, of course, a METAS-certified Master Chronometer. The date and month indication can both be quick-set. Simply turn the crown in the second position clockwise to adjust the date, and counterclockwise for the month. 

The movement is visible through a sapphire crystal exhibition caseback and features an impressive amount of decoration, with a special medallion set in the center of the crystal. This medallion displays an observatory in relief, surrounded by a fine-grained sky marked with eight stars that represent the eight requirements of the METAS certification, as well as the eight chronometric records OMEGA set in the 20th century.

The OMEGA Globemaster Annual Calendar retains the quasi-cushion case shape found on the 2016 Globemaster, but OMEGA has upsized the design from 39mm to 41mm to accommodate the new calendar complication. Otherwise, the Globemaster shares a lot in common with its predecessor, including a tungsten carbide fluted bezel, another aesthetic reference to vintage designs in the Constellation family. Tungsten carbide is an extremely hard-wearing metal, considered to be twice as strong as steel, which means there is no need to worry about scratching or damaging the sharp, fluted bezel design on a daily basis. 

A single example of the Globemaster Annual Calendar with an opaline white dial is landing in the HODINKEE Shop today. Its four hands and 12 applied, faceted hour markers have all been heat-treated to reach a bright blue hue – which contrasts nicely with the white dial – before being filled with Super-LumiNova. The OMEGA Globemaster Annual Calendar is priced at $8,600, a significant value compared to most other annual calendar watches on the market. It's paired with a light brown leather strap with a twin-trigger deployant clasp and is available right here.

OMEGA Speedmaster Moonphase Grey Dial With Green Bezel In Two Tone

There's no debate that the Speedmaster has an unrivaled legacy as a tool watch, executing its job of tracking elapsed time with precision and reliability, from the racetrack to the Moon. But in 2016, OMEGA updated the Speedmaster with a new generation that incorporated a number of contemporary elements that made the iconic chronograph significantly more precious. Those attributes included a METAS-certified movement, a hyper-detailed moon-phase display, and the use of premium materials like ceramic. The result was a new type of Moonwatch, one that was more accurate and eye-catching than ever before. 

Of the models that debuted in the Speedmaster Moonphase line four years ago, there's a single watch that stands out in particular for its unique combination of colors and materials. In this watch, a sunburst grey dial is complemented by a dark-green bezel made of Ceragold, a proprietary OMEGA alloy that combines ceramic and yellow gold. You can see in the above image how yellow gold frames the dark green bezel and fills the numerals on its tachymeter scale. The crown and pushers are also made of yellow gold, as are the hands and hour markers on the dial. The use of green, grey, and gold makes this Speedmaster unlike any we've seen before, which is why we knew we had to share it with you today. 

Other than the colors and materials at use, this Speedmaster Moonphase is similar to the better-known, and equally attractive, blue-dial variant. That includes the dial orientation, with its photorealistic moon-phase at six o'clock (complete with a reproduction of Buzz Aldrin's footprint near the Sea of Tranquillity where the Apollo 11 Eagle lander touched down) that only needs to be adjusted once every 10 years, a stacked hour and minute register at three o'clock, and a combined date and running seconds display at nine o'clock. 

Inside the Speedmaster Moonphase is the caliber 9904, which was the first Speedmaster movement to receive the METAS certification, signaling the start of a new movement series at OMEGA, indicated by the 99xx designation. The caliber 9904 features automatic winding with a 60-hour power reserve that runs through a pair of barrels mounted in series. It also contains such premium attributes as a column wheel, a vertical clutch, a silicon balance spring, and a free-sprung balance wheel. This Speedmaster Moonphase is paired with a grey alligator leather strap, is priced at $14,300, and is available right here. 

Pick Out A New Dress Watch In The HODINKEE Shop

What makes a dress watch exciting today is a personal decision, based on your aesthetic preferences and how you interact with your watches on a daily basis. Unlike other popular timepiece categories, like field watches or dive watches that offer specialized functionality, a dress watch has to be both democratic and versatile. You might own a dive watch and never go diving; you might own a pilots' watch and never go flying; but if you own a quality dress watch, more likely than not you'll find plenty of opportunities to wear it for its intended purpose. 

There's a clear-cut elegance that comes with the traditional form factor of a time-only two-hander in gold – and we don't expect those to go away anytime soon – but we think there's plenty of room for dress watches to adapt and grow with the times, as well. Whether that comes in the shape of a bold, green-and-gold Speedmaster, or the clean case profile of the De Ville Prestige collection, that's entirely up to you. 

You can discover a new dress watch for fall, from OMEGA or one of the other 26 watch brands available in the HODINKEE Shop, right here.

Cartier's watchmaking legacy is tied, probably more than any other watchmaker, to shaped cases. Besides the rectangular Tank in its many incarnations, there is the Panthère, which was relaunched just a few years ago, and the Santos, which was refreshed in 2018. As a watch lover, these are shapes that I know well. But it is not lost on me that they are also known to a large number of the general public who only happen to be vaguely "watch aware." Cartier has created many more designs than these over the years, of course. The question of how to nurture something that already exists in the popular memory while continually evolving it for new generations is far from an easy one. And while it certainly applies to a good number of brands in watchmaking, it strikes me as particularly relevant for a brand like Cartier.

If there’s been a main theme in Cartier watchmaking over the last four years or so, it's been a renewed emphasis on reviving popular hits from the Cartier archive, often with distinctively shaped cases. This year has been about Pasha, a line first presented in the heady '80s and based on a watch that was, according to Cartier, presented to the Pasha of Marrakech in 1943. Originally intended for the wrists of men but famously adopted by many women, the Pasha is, on the face of it, a round dress watch. Certainly, in describing it thus, you would not be incorrect. But it's also a design watch with a profile that seems to reject simple categorization. With its large crown protector and central lugs, it's easily recognizable at a glance, and I'd say from this perspective, it's part of Cartier's long line of shaped watches.

The watch world is quite a bit different now than it was in the '80s. And a watch launched in 2020 will undoubtedly have to present something new in terms of its proposition to collectors. With the new Pasha, one sees a more precise crown that has been fitted with a blue spinnel or sapphire, a new clasp that has been designed for engraving and personalization, and quite a few other features that watch collectors would consider upgrades, such as in-house mechanical movements that can be viewed through sapphire cases. 

Earlier this month, as Pasha was launching here in the United States, I connected with Cartier's Arnaud Carrez, the company's international head of marketing and communications, to talk about the line that is Cartier's major watchmaking push for 2020. 

Carrez told me that the brand had a lot of requests from markets such as Europe, North America, and Japan, where there was already strong awareness of the Pasha design. Clients asked Cartier to offer a new version of the Pasha. The notion that the Pasha launch is, at least to some degree, the result of customer feedback isn't lost on me. One often gets the sense that large luxury brands, particularly those the size of a company like Cartier, operate entirely according to a plan developed at the top and disseminated downward. 

But then, consider recent service offerings such as Cartier Care, an online service platform that offers an extended eight-year warranty as well as other benefits, and you see that a long term focus on end clients really does appear to be front of mind at Cartier. 

With the relaunch of Pasha, Cartier is offering a complimentary service to Pasha owners following a diagnosis by one of its master watchmakers where they can determine what it might need, regardless of the Pasha model and year of purchase. That is a pretty amazing offering, in my opinion, particularly when you consider what the cost of having a watch serviced can be these days; moreover, one of the better-known Pasha executions was a perpetual calendar. Greg Norman brought his example of the Pasha perpetual to the set of Talking Watches.

I think this is smart: Once people learn of the offer, it could very well cause a number of Pasha watches to come out of drawers and safety deposit boxes and onto wrists. Cartier is also offering a complimentary personalization service to all Pasha owners, regardless of the year of purchase. An engraving can be had either on the caseback or on a special place protected by the crown cover. I could see a parent servicing and engraving a Pasha purchased in the '80s and gifting it to one of their kids, and at no cost. One can look back to the Panthère relaunch of 2017 and the offer of complimentary polishing and battery service as a starting point for this new service offering. When you look at the overall market, Cartier is a leader when it comes to its service offering, and Carrez says that they will go much further in the coming years.

At its launch, the new Pasha is being offered in two sizes, 41mm and 35mm, and the new generation of Pasha watches benefits from the caliber 1847 MC, a sturdy and more-than-serviceable in-house automatic caliber that we've seen used extensively already, for example in Santos. 

I found it particularly interesting that Pasha is launching in so many different variations – in a recent press release, I counted 13 – and all of them are mechanical. Besides those equipped with the cal. 1847 MC, these include two tourbillons and a skeletonized option. Still, Carrez says quartz is very important for Cartier, and pointed to the company's upgraded quartz movement battery as well as to the recent success of the Santos Dumont. Cartier is the third biggest Swiss watchmaker, with estimated sales of CHF 1.84 billion in 2019, according to Morgan Stanley Research. It makes sense for them to have both quartz and mechanical bases well covered.

The new Pasha also has the QuickSwitch strap and bracelet system and SmartLink for many of its bracelets. These systems have each worked great when I've used them on other Cartier watches. They allow you to size bracelets at home or while traveling without having to fiddle with tools or visit someone who has them. This has been implemented very successfully with Santos, and now with Pasha, and Carrez says that we can expect to see it rolled out to other collections as well. "We want to give back value to our clients," he said. "And we want to continuously improve and upgrade our creations with technical features."

One of my major takeaways from our conversation was that while Cartier is always working on evolving its lines with improvements that benefit customers, there is a sense that the products themselves are timeless, and the brand treats them as such. This philosophy is applied consistently – as much to Pasha watches of the past as to those that are being sold today. I honestly can't think of another watchmaker that, when relaunching a line, has told the line's existing customers that they want to help them get their old watches up and running – for free – in the process. In my opinion, what Cartier is doing is the kind of thing that breeds brand loyalty.

For more information, visit Cartier.

Despite all the chaos of 2020, there's one thing I knew all along we'd be able to count on: September would bring us a new Apple Watch. It's like clockwork, if you'll pardon the pun. Today, via a completely virtual keynote event, Apple has released not one, but two new Apple Watch models: The premium Apple Watch Series 6 and the more affordable Apple Watch SE.

This is the first time in six years of Apple Watch releases that we're getting two truly new models at once (the Series 0/Series 1 situation from when the Series 2 was released doesn't count). It shows that Apple is dedicated to building out the Apple Watch line-up for different customers and to making sure that new customers who want something at a lower price point can still take advantage of many of the latest features, which is always a problem when you simply use an older model as the budget option.

Apple CEO Tim Cook kicked off Apple's keynote presentation by saying that "Apple Watch revolutionized what a watch could do," before almost immediately throwing to Apple COO Jeff Williams to introduce the new Watch models. There wasn't the usual litany of announcements, retail updates, etc. that we tend to get at the top of a keynote like this. It was right into Apple Watch from the top, and it was made clear that this is a huge priority for Apple right now.

Before getting into the new hardware though, both Cook and Williams made a point of emphasizing the different apps and services that they utilize on their Apple Watches. They positioned the Apple Watch as a personal portal to a whole host of things that range from daily necessities to fitness tools to diversions. This led into a recap of the new features coming to watchOS 7, which rolls out tomorrow, September 16, including things like sleep tracking and a hand-washing app. You can learn more about that here. This would turn out to be some serious foreshadowing, as Apple launched other services that interact with Apple Watch, including Fitness+ and the new Apple One program, but those are stories for another time.

For now, let's talk hardware. Up first is the new Apple Watch Series 6, the latest iteration on Apple's flagship smartwatch. For the most part, the form factor and basic look have stayed the same, with the edge-to-edge screens, case shape, and Digital Crown all remaining basically the same. What is new, however, is a host of new color and material options. There's an updated version of the gold-finished stainless steel case, a new graphite grey steel case, a blue aluminum case, and a red aluminum case for Product(Red). The other colorways remain unchanged, so whether you want a Space Black titanium case for your Apple Watch Edition or the gold-toned aluminum, you're covered. The new gold-colored steel case looks a bit lighter and more low-key than the previous version, and I'm excited to see what it looks like in person

The real big hardware news, though, is the introduction of a new sensor array on the back of the Series 6. For the first time, this includes a set of red and infrared lights and complementary sensors that can measure your blood oxygen level. All you have to do is activate an app, wait 15 seconds, and you get an instant readout. The Series 6 also takes background readings periodically, so your Watch can let you know if something is amiss (similar to what it has already done with heart rate and rhythm).

Where things start to get interesting is when we get into watch faces and watch bands. A centerpiece of the keynote was a presentation narrated by Apple's VP of Human Interface Design, Alan Dye, walking us through all the new watch face options. If you haven't heard my interview with him on HODINKEE Radio from last year's Series 5 release, I highly recommend you check that out. My main takeaway: The new watch faces are what you get when someone who really understands and appreciates watches is at the helm. There's a souped-up Chronograph Pro face with things like a tachymeter, there's a GMT face that resembles a certain classic sport watch, there's a Count Up face that uses a virtual timing bezel, and then there are a bunch of new fun faces including a Memoji face, a Typograph face, and a face designed by artist Geoff McFetridge. When Dye says their guiding principle for designing these faces was "a deep respect for the history for timekeeping," I believe him.

And then we've got straps. So. Many. Straps. The big news on that front is a pair of straps called the Solo Loop and Braided Solo Loop, both of which feature totally seamless designs, so there are no clasps or buckles to worry about. You pick your size (there are a bunch on offer) and simply stretch the band over your wrist. It doesn't get more minimal than this. The Solo Loop is made of liquid silicone, and the Braided Solo Loop is made of 100% recycled yarn with silicone threads woven into it for stability and stretch. As someone who is very fussy about how my straps and bracelets fit, I am super excited to try these out. There's also a new Leather Link bracelet that pushes in the same seamless direction. Finally, both Nike+ and Hermès Watches have new strap options in a variety of colors and styles.

For the nerds, the Series 6 is powered by a new chipset that Apple calls the S6. This has a dual-core processor based on the A13 Bionic chip that powers the iPhone 11 Pro, and it should run 20% faster than the chip in the Series 5. The always-on display also has increased brightness capabilities for when it's in ambient mode, with the intent of making it easier to read your watch outdoors at a glance.

Prices for the Series 6 are right in line with what prices were for the Series 5, so you're looking at a $399 starting price for the aluminum models with GPS, and you can spec out an Apple Watch Series 6 Edition up to nearly $1,000 if you want all the extra bells and whistles in addition to cellular capabilities. There are also Hermès and Nike+ models available at a premium, both featuring new strap and watch face options too.

Now, if you want a slightly less expensive Apple Watch, you're in luck. Apple also introduced the Apple Watch SE, the more budget-friendly alternative to the Series 6. This watch has the larger displays of the new models as well as many of the same sensors inside (although it doesn't have the blood oxygen level sensors). It has an aluminum case, available in silver, Space Grey, and gold, and there are also a few Nike+ models in the mix. All the watch bands available for the other models work on the SE, as do most of the new watch faces. It uses an S5 chip, making it twice as fast as the Series 3, which is the least expensive version still on sale. Williams called the SE "the perfect watch for new customers," and it starts at $259 for GPS models with 24-month financing available through Apple. 

The only thing that I find a bit confusing about this new two-release set-up is the fact that Apple is keeping the old Series 3 in the line-up too. With prices starting at $199, yes, the Series 3 is about $60 less than the new SE. But if the SE is meant to be the "affordable" and entry-level Watch, why keep a model in the collection that's even less expensive? I'm all for making these products as accessible as possible to as many people as possible, but this three-tier approach does have me scratching my head a bit.

Overall, it seems like this year is more of a "tock" year in the usual "tick-tock" cycle, just as we expected, with a year of massive hardware redesign followed by a more incremental year of refinement and aesthetic updates. There are a number of significant changes, sure, but unless blood oxygen levels are a make-or-break feature for you, the Series 6 is essentially a souped-up Series 5 with a ton of new watch faces, case materials, and strap options.

The new Apple Watch models, both Series 6 and SE, are available for pre-order today directly from Apple and will start delivering this Friday, September 18. They should also be available in Apple Stores across the globe on Friday. Stay tuned – we'll have tons more in-depth coverage of the new Apple Watch models for you very soon. (If you need a refresher, check out the review of last year's Series 5 in the meantime.)

For more, visit Apple online.

Editor's note: Watch companies sometimes announce new products to the HODINKEE editorial team and the HODINKEE Shop at the same time. Please note that the editorial team and the Shop team produce their content independently of each other.

TAG Heuer introduced a new range of Carrera Chronographs today. Vintage Heuer collector Jeff Stein, creator of OnTheDash, has been wearing one of the new Carreras for a few days. Here he offers some background on the Carrera and his impressions of the new watch.

When it comes to building the largest warships, there are no prototypes. It takes over 10 years and $15 billion to build today's aircraft carrier, so when the United States Navy is developing a new class of these ships, they can't just 3D print a series of prototypes. Instead, efforts will focus on the first ship produced as part of the new class, called the "lead ship" or the "first-in-class." The class will be named after this lead ship, so, for example, the "Gerald Ford" class of aircraft carriers recently replaced the "Nimitz" class, which had been in service since 1975. The lead ship will incorporate significant technical and design changes from the previous class and will serve as the basis for the subsequent ships in the class. 

Wristwatches are a good bit less time consuming to design and build than aircraft carriers, and the brands create numerous prototypes as they develop new models. Still, the first watch to be launched in the new "class" will be important.

Much like the aircraft carrier, the "lead watch" will incorporate new technologies and design elements and establish the look and feel of the range for years to come. It may be easy to restyle the dials, hands, and decorative elements from one version to the next; however, once the case and movement are established, it will be very difficult to change the "bones" of this particular battleship.

Today, TAG Heuer has introduced its new Carrera Chronograph, the "lead ship" of a new range of chronographs that is likely to be with us for many years. While brands like TAG Heuer introduce new versions and executions with some frequency, the introduction of a new model is a special event. TAG Heuer introduced the Calibre 1887 Carrera chronograph in 2010, and the Heuer 01 Carrera chronograph in 2015, and has now added two new models to its catalog in 2020 – the Carrera Sport Chronograph in July 2020 and the Carrera Chronograph today. (In this article, we will refer to this newest watch as the "Carrera Chronograph" or the "2020 Carrera Chronograph".)

TAG Heuer has introduced four versions of its new Carrera Chronograph. Dial colors are opaline black (Ref CBN 2010), blue sunray (CBN 2011), and anthracite sunray (CBN 2012), as well as a version with a silver opaline dial and rose-gold accents (CBN 2013). The newest Carrera uses a 42mm stainless steel case and is powered by TAG Heuer's Heuer 02 in-house movement.  

Origins Of The Carrera

Whether by design or by coincidence, TAG Heuer's approach in the new 2020 Carrera Chronograph follows approaches that Heuer used with its Carreras in the 1960s, so we'll explore that history to understand the origins of the new Carrera and also to see how the model might develop over the next several years.  

The introduction of the Carrera chronograph in 1963 was a defining moment for Heuer Leonidas, S.A. and its young president, Jack Heuer. Heuer began offering distinct collections of chronographs in the mid-1930s, but these collections were known only by their reference numbers. The predecessor of the Carrera was the Reference 2447 chronograph, with numerous models being produced from the early 1940s through the late 1950s. Some versions became rather "busy," for example, with a tachymeter scale to indicate speed over a measured distance or a pulsations scale to check the patient's heart rate. What was missing all these years, however, was a model name. Heuer addressed this with the introduction of its "Autavia" collection in 1962, and the "Carrera" models would follow in 1963. 

The first Carreras were defined by their minimalist approach. On most models, the scales were removed from the dial, and the inner tension ring / bezel would serve two purposes – providing the spacing between the dial and the crystal and also providing the surface for the hash-marks showing the seconds and fifths of seconds. From these launch models in 1963, Heuer would develop over 125 versions of the Carrera, with it finally being retired in the mid-1980s.  

The Carrera wouldn't be gone for long, however, as TAG Heuer introduced the first re-issue of the Carrera in 1996. These first TAG Heuer Carreras generally followed the style of the 1960s models, but beginning around 2004, the Carrera developed a distinctive look of its own. The large cases featured a fixed tachymeter bezel, often seen as the symbol of motorsports, with dials and hands showing a variety of colors. The Grand Carreras made their debut in 2007, using rotating discs to evoke the look of motorsports technology.  

The Calibre 1887 Carrera

There was excitement among enthusiasts in 2010, with word that TAG Heuer would be introducing an entirely new range of Carreras. The new Carrera would be the "launch model" for TAG Heuer's new in-house movement, the Calibre 1887. Vintage enthusiasts were encouraged by the fact that the newest Carrera would draw heavily from the very first Carreras from 1963, incorporating both the traditional geometry of the Carrera case and the clean style of the Carrera dial.  

Through a dealer in England, I received one of the first Calibre 1887 Carreras to arrive in the United States and was awestruck when I took the watch out of the box. The dial was bright white, with thin markers and hands, as on the very first Heuer Carreras from 1963. This is about as "clean" as a dial can be – a small "TAG Heuer" logo at three o'clock and the "Cal 1887" at nine o'clock, with the date window almost hidden in the hour recorder, at six o'clock. In 1963, we saw the Valjoux 72 powering a chronograph that showed the beauty of minimalism; in 2010, we saw the Calibre 1887 powering a chronograph that followed this same approach. There was a consistency between these two Carreras, one from 1963 and one from 2010, as if the same hand had drawn both models.

Enthusiasts would forgive the fact that the Calibre 1887 Carrera had its registers in the six o'clock, nine o'clock, and 12 o'clock positions, rather than the traditional three o'clock, six o'clock, and nine o'clock (sometimes called "tri-compax"). The watch was a huge step in the right direction after the Carreras of the previous decade, reflecting the style of the first Carreras, even if the configuration of the movement prevented TAG Heuer from earning all the points. 

A Grab And Go Chronograph

Over the next decade, this white Calibre 1887 Carrera chronograph has been one of the mainstays of my watch rotation. Along with the re-issue of the Autavia from 2017, the Calibre 1887 Carrera is the watch that gets the call when I am in the mood for the look of one of my beloved Heuer chronographs, but don't want to wear a precious vintage model. Wind it up, set the time, and it goes; start, stop, and reset the chronograph, and it operates perfectly. No concerns about reliability, no worries about theft, and no real damage done from the unexpected encounter with the door jamb. This Carrera is a favorite "grab and go" chronograph, sitting alongside the 2017 Autavia in the watch box.

With the first rumors of the 2020 Carrera Chronograph model, however, I wondered whether it might be time to add a third "grab and go" watch to the rotation. I was certain of one thing – on a "cost per outing" basis, the Calibre 1887 Carrera had earned its keep, with 10 years of perfect service in the rotation.  

Arrival 2020

There was awe when I took the Calibre 1887 Carrera out of the box in 2010, and almost 10 years later, the new Carrera Chronograph produced the same excitement. 

First things first – with the change from the Calibre 1887 movement to the Heuer 02 movement, the registers are in the correct locations, at least for the vintage enthusiasts – chronograph hours and minutes at nine o'clock and three o'clock, and running seconds at six o'clock. With plenty of open space available at the top, dead-center of the dial, the new watch features a prominent print of the word "Carrera," with the same heavy ink and fine detail as we see on the vintage models.  

The Carreras have always been defined by their clean dials, and the newest Carrera is true to this approach. The applied metal TAG Heuer shield at the top of the dial pairs nicely with the printed "Carrera," and the "Heuer 02" and "80 Hours" printed at the bottom of the dial create an additional focal point. On the Carrera Sport Chronograph, some reviewers questioned this additional printing, but to my eye, it gives the dial a good top-to-bottom balance. The 80-hour power reserve is an important feature of the watch, and calling this out on the dial hardly seems excessive when other brands are printing summaries of their watches' specifications on the dials.  

TAG Heuer calls the paint "opaline black," and those who prefer plain English would say that the paint lies closer to a matte finish, but with a soft gloss or luster. The markers and hands of the new Carrera show considerably more presence than those on the 2010 model. The markers are "double wide," and the hands are longer and wider, with the additional mass of the hands allowing for wider lume and a black stripe continuing from the end of the lume toward the center pinion. The dial is printed in silver, a touch that, in the 1960s, had been reserved for a limited number of special Carreras.  

The case of the new Carrera is all business, providing a nice frame for the strong dial and hands, but not drawing much attention to its own features. The dial and hands are the stars of the show, and there is no large external bezel to vie for our attention. The surfaces of the case are polished, with the exception of a brushed finish on the sides. The pushers are capped, and the crown is oversized, closer to the size and shape of the crown used on the Formula 1 models than the smaller ones used on previous Carreras. 

TAG Heuer has introduced a new bracelet for the new Carrera Chronograph, with distinctive H-shaped links. The combination of brushed and polished links follows the pattern of the case.

We Have Seen This Before

Looking at the 2010 Calibre 1887 Carrera and the 2020 Carrera Chronograph side-by-side, we see that TAG Heuer has taken a page from the vintage Heuer playbook. The first Carreras in 1963 used the simple, thin markers on the dial and, following one of the brand's unwritten rules, the hands matched the style and weight of the markers.  

But by 1968, Heuer moved to the second execution of the Carrera, with the larger, more dramatic markers and hands. Yes, by 1968, the 1960s had become the 1960s, and the watches could reflect the vibe of the decade.  

The 2020 Carrera Chronograph follows this same approach, as if to announce that 10 years after the Calibre 1887 Carrera evoked the minimalism of the first Carrera, it's time for an update. The restyling that we saw in 1968 provides the cues for 2020, featuring the stronger markers on the dial and more prominent hands showing the time.  

On The Wrist Impressions

Of course, as much as we might discuss the geometry of the markers and the number of hash marks on the inner bezel, the first thing many enthusiasts will ask is, "How big is the watch?" With most new watches, we can expect 40% of the enthusiasts to insist that the watch is too large, 40% to be certain that the watch is too small and 10% to say that the watch is just right. Another 10% will usually be undecided. So let's get right into the tale of the tape.  

The new Carrera Chronograph measures 42mm across the dial (or 41.7mm, if you want to see the micrometers). While the across-the-dial measurement is the standard metric for describing the size of a watch, the new Carrera proves that other dimensions may be more important in dictating the fit and feel of a watch. The case is thinner than recent Carrera chronographs, and the shorter, lower lugs make it "wear" much smaller.  

The 2020 Carrera Chronograph has a thickness of 14.4mm, making it a good bit sleeker than the 2010 Carrera (15.5mm) and the 2017 Autavia (15.7mm). The lug-to-lug measurement of the new Carrera comes is 48.2mm, a notch below both the Calibre 1887 Carrera (49.5mm) and the 2017 Autavia (50.5mm).  

There were moments when the new Carrera felt smaller and lighter than the 2010 model, and a quick trip to the scale confirmed the "lighter" point. The new Carrera weighs in at 150 grams on its bracelet (with some links removed to fit my skinny wrist), eight grams below the weight of the Calibre 1887 Carrera and a whopping 15 grams less than the 2017 Autavia.  

For those who face the occasional challenge of fitting the big watch under the small cuff, the new bracelet introduced for the Carrera offers an advantage. The thickness of the links has been reduced from the 3.5mm of the 2010 Carrera to 2.8mm, and the geometry of the links provides a softer feel than on the predecessor.  

In Operation

I have owned four chronographs powered by the Heuer 02 movement, and performance has been exceptionally good on all of them, with an accuracy of within four seconds per day. The new Carrera Chronograph performed within this limit, gaining two to three seconds per day over a five-day trial. There is a good feel to setting the watch, so that when the seconds hand is stopped to set the watch (for example, at the 30-second mark), you can actually get the minute hand synched properly (positioned halfway between two minute markers). Chronograph operation was flawless, with the start / stop / reset having a quick, but solid feel.  

Historically, the Carreras have offered excellent legibility, and the newest model gets good marks in this category. The prominent hands are easily spotted, whether in bright sunlight, low light, or no light at all. Consistent with the elegant style of the watch, the white lume glows softly, clearly displaying the time of day, without getting into the competition to see who can create the brightest glowing lume.  

Completing The Fleet

Both in its style and its size, the new Carrera Chronograph completes TAG Heuer's line-up of Carrera chronographs. With a vintage style and 39mm case, the "glassbox" Carreras are the direct descendants of the vintage Carreras. TAG Heuer has offered two of these as limited editions in 2020, the 160th anniversary Silver and Montreal models.  

In July 2020, we saw the Carrera Sport Chronograph, measuring 44mm across the dial, with the prominent tachymeter bezel. We can expect to see colorful variations of the Carrera Sport Chronograph, as the colorful Carreras with the tachymeter bezels have been popular for the last 15 years. Now TAG Heuer has established the middle of this range, the new Carrera Chronograph measuring 42mm across the dial and incorporating the classic look of the vintage predecessors.  

Looking ahead, we can expect the Carrera Chronograph to provide TAG Heuer with a flexible platform that will do well with a variety of styles and looks. Soon after the introduction of the second-execution Carreras in 1968, Heuer offered the first Carreras with contrasting registers – the "Panda" and "reverse Panda" models. Indeed, having moved from the soft, thin lines of the first Carreras to the stronger look of the second execution, contrasting registers were the logical extension of the line-up. So too, with the classic Carrera chronograph having advanced from 2010 to 2020, we can expect TAG Heuer to offer some more daring variations, which will do well with the strong style of the 2020 Carrera Chronograph. Vintage enthusiasts will confirm that this approach worked well in 1968 and can be optimistic that it will also work well in 2020 and beyond.  

The TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph; case, stainless steel, 42 mm x 14.4 mm, and 48.2 mm lug-to-lug. Sapphire crystal with antireflective treatment. 100 meters (10 bar) water resistance. Oversized crown, with capped pushers. Dials on four versions are black with opaline finish (CBN2010) and silver with opaline finish and rose-gold accents (CBN2013); blue with sunray finish (CBN2011) and anthracite with sunray finish (CBN2012); chronograph recorders (at three o'clock and nine o'clock) have "azurage" finish; rhodium-plated indexes and hands filled with Super-LumiNova; rhodium-plated TAG Heuer applied logo; date display at six o'clock. Black and blue models on stainless steel H-shaped bracelet, steel folding clasp with double safety push-buttons; charcoal and silver models on brown alligator leather strap. Price, CBN2010, CBN2011, CBN2012: $5,350; CBN2013: $5,550.

For additional information about the TAG Heuer Carrera Chronographs, visit TAG Heuer. For additional photographs of the new Carrera Chronographs from Jeff Stein, visit OnTheDash. Special thanks Bazamu.com for use of the 1968 Carrera Ref 2447N, shown in this article.  

The Wednesday vintage drop in the HODINKEE Shop is here, and this week, we've really got the goods. There's a diverse group of eight watches up for grabs with a few common threads that tie them all together. You can choose from a pair of 1960s dress watches with integrated bracelets, one in 18k yellow gold and another in stainless steel, or maybe opt for a new-to-you chronograph, including a Heuer yacht timer, a classic Speedmaster, a Wittnauer with a beautiful burgundy bezel, and a gold-plated Breitling. Rounding us out today is a time-only Breguet from the late 1980s, prior to the company's acquisition by the Swatch Group. Enjoy!

1968 Patek Philippe Ref. 3445/6 In 18k Yellow Gold With Integrated Bracelet

Patek Philippe debuted the ref. 3445 in 1961, and it remained in production until approximately 1985. This was the Swiss firm's first wristwatch to feature an in-house automatic movement with a date complication, the caliber 27-460. Patek Philippe offered this reference in yellow, pink, and white gold as well as platinum; there were also a number of dial variations. The ref. 3445 seen here dates to 1968 and features a lavish all-gold execution. Everything is made from solid 18k yellow gold, from the dial and hands to the case and integrated mesh bracelet – we mean everything. 

1972 Heuer Skipper Ref. 1564 With Original Strap And Buckle

This Heuer Skipper is quite special for a few reasons. First, it was sourced directly from the family of the original owner after being found in a drawer. It's also in beautiful, all original condition, with a dial that has retained its vibrant colors and a case that still has its sharp edges. Finally, it comes with its original strap and buckle.

Heuer produced the Skipper for a few years, and a number of different variations are known. This particular example is a ref. 1564 from 1972, which was the first Skipper to feature an automatic movement. Interestingly, the Heuer Skipper ref. 1564 shares an identical case to the Heuer Autavia ref. 1165 and has a metallic blue MH bezel. The Heuer Skipper is a watch we hold close to our hearts in the HODINKEE Shop, and this is truly one of the best examples we've ever come across.

1969 Omega Speedmaster Professional Ref. 145.022-68 'Transitional'

The Omega Speedmaster has remained in production since it was first released in 1957. Eleven years later, in 1968, the Speedmaster Professional ref. 145.022-68 was introduced in a short production run that lasted approximately a single year. Its brief history has given it the status of a "transitional" reference, which means it incorporates characteristics of the previous reference (ref. 145.012), as well as attributes that are better associated with later Speedmaster releases. This Speedmaster was the first to feature the manually wound caliber 861, which replaced the famous caliber 321, but it also retained the applied logo, the stepped dial, and the "pre-Moon" caseback found on the older ref. 145.012.

The Full Set

In addition to the three highlights above, we're also updating the HODINKEE Shop today with a beautiful Breguet from 1989 with its original box and receipt, a fun IWC dress watch from the 1960s, an attractive two-tone Rolex Datejust ref. 16013 with an unusual "ghost" dial color, and a gold-plated Breitling chronograph from the 1970s. Head over to the HODINKEE Shop to view all eight new watches! 

Welcome to another installment of "My Watch Story," a video series starring HODINKEE readers and their most prized watches. The submissions continue to stream in, and we couldn't be happier to share them with the watch community. Today, we have five new stories submitted by Rob Pellow, Luke Hendrickson, Robin Krebs, Martijn Roes, and Dennis Nguyen.

Feeling inspired, or just discovering this project? Please scroll down to the bottom of the page to learn how to submit your own video. But first, we hope you enjoy this installment of My Watch Story.

Rob Pellow And His TAG Heuer Targa Florio

For Rob, who is currently living in Delray Beach, FL, this TAG Heuer Targa Florio was the watch that got him hooked – and also his first mechanical watch. It was given to him by his father on his 21st birthday; previously, his mother had given it to his father. His goal is to continue that tradition and pass it on to his own son when he turns 21.

Luke Hendrickson And His Rolex Datejust 1601

Luke, a recent law school graduate (congratulations!) living in San Francisco, got into watches through playing with his father's Raymond Weil as a small child – and he's been wearing a watch ever since. He'd coveted a simple Datejust for a while, and this vintage model from the 1970s was a gift from his parents a few years ago. He says it's the most important watch he owns, and he wears it with everything.

@LukeH

Robin Krebs And His Sinn 104

Robin got into watches in his childhood via his father. Being from Frankfurt, Germany, he says his only choice for his first mechanical watch was a Sinn, which he saved for and gifted himself when he earned his bachelor's degree. He loves the 104's versatility and simple tool-watch aesthetic – and he's proud to have a watch from his hometown.

@Robinho

Martijn Roes And His Omega Seamaster Calendar

While Martijn, who is from Leiden, the Netherlands, most often wears a Rolex Submariner, he says the watch that means the most to him is this Omega Seamaster Calendar. It belonged to his grandfather, who he spent a lot of time with as a child. A few decades later, his mother found it, non-working, in a box of his grandfather's belongings – and eventually, Martijn found a watchmaker in his hometown who could restore it.

@martijnroes

Dennis Nguyen And His Vintage Longines

Dennis, who lives in Boston, got this vintage Longines on eBay for his father to celebrate their first home purchase in the U.S. It was also a way to introduce his father to his watch hobby – and his father wears the watch on special occasions. Today, Dennis' father is fighting cancer, and Dennis has a message for him: He wants him to hang in there, and he looks forward to his father wearing this watch on all of his future birthdays. Indeed, hang in there, Mr. Nguyen.

Ready To Submit Your Own Watch Story? Here's How It Works

1. Pick one watch that is very special to you, and get your camera phone ready.

2. Record a video telling us your most interesting or meaningful story about your watch. Let's say 2-3 minutes is the sweet spot – if you go longer, that's okay. (And please remember to introduce yourself: your name and where you are from.)

3. Get creative, keep it clean, and have fun! 

4. Take some photos on the wrist and a few shots of the watch so that we can proudly display them on our site. Horizontal, please.

5. To share your video and photos, you can either A) upload here; or B) upload to your preferred large file transfer service and send a link to mywatchstory@hodinkee.com.

Visit the full article at HODINKEE.com

Quick Take

For 2020, Chronoswiss is introducing a brand new watch with a sharp focus on skeletonizing, aptly named the SkelTec, as well as updating a pre-existing line, the Opus Chronograph. The SkelTec features a proprietary movement, the brand new caliber C.304, that puts Chronoswiss' mastery of the skeletonizing process on full display. It's modern and tech-forward while the updated Opus Chronograph, originally introduced in 1995, represents a traditional take on skeletonizing. 

In a press release, Maik Panziera, head of design at Chronoswiss, sums up the ethos of the SkelTec by pointing out the technical advancements of the new caliber, "I would say that the name SkelTec is kind of self-explanatory. Its 166-part movement with a power reserve of 48 hours, manufactured exclusively for our brand, combines Opus' mechanical spirit with space-age technologies. SkelTec takes artisanal, traditional skeletonising to warp speed."

Chronoswiss has featured skeletonization as part of its core design competencies since the '80s. The SkelTec represents many decades of research and development in this specific style. And the removal of superfluous material doesn't stop at the movement and dial – even the lugs on the SkelTec are hollowed out. The case isn't fashioned in a traditional process, either. "Since you cannot do injection moulding with stainless steel to our quality standards, we adapted the conceptual single-part design into a five-part case pushing the limits for what is physically possible for a five-axis CNC machine," said Panziera.

Chronoswiss is introducing four models in total, and only 50 examples of each will be made. In the SkelTec line, there are two examples that each offer a distinctive visual take on the ultra-modern skeleton aesthetic. The case is made from five pieces, and that's allowed Chronoswiss to play with materials. One model uses DLC-coated (Diamond-like Carbon) stainless steel for the majority of the case, and it's accented with 18k red gold. The other model is fully fashioned from stainless steel, but some parts are coated with DLC to create a futuristic effect. 

But the SkelTec still retains the design elements consistent among all Chronoswiss models that create a fascinating tension between the horological future and the distant past. The onion crown is still present, along with the signature Chronoswiss case shape and coin-edge bezel.  

The elements of the movement are situated to create visual interest, with the mainspring at 12 o'clock and the escapement placed at six o'clock, creating a balanced aesthetic that invites the eye to hunt around and absorb not only the details that stick out, but also the impressive amount of negative space. Any superfluous material has been removed, leaving a movement that's beautifully exposed. 

Initial Thoughts

The Chronoswiss of today quietly continues to iterate on the areas of watchmaking that they have been focusing on since the inception of the brand in 1983. It's important to remember the impact that Chronoswiss has had on the industry; in the early days of the "modern" era of watch enthusiasm, Chronoswiss was a giant in the industry. Gerd-Rüdiger Lang displayed an unwavering commitment to mechanical watchmaking, even when many other players were heavily investing in quartz technology. 

The SkelTec, and its wild skeletonized aesthetic, demonstrates that the brand is just as steadfast in its commitment to pushing the boundaries of movement manufacturing and innovation as it was in the early days.

The Basics

Brand: Chronoswiss
Model: SkelTec, Opus Chronograph
Reference Number: SkelTec: CH-3714-BK (Stainless steel, partly DLC coated) CH-3715R-BK (Stainless steel, DLC coated, parts in 18 kt. red gold) Opus Chronograph: CH-7543.1S-BLOR (Stainless steel, blue and orange dial, skeletonized) CH-7543.1S-SI (Stainless steel, silver dial, skeletonized)

Diameter: SkelTec models are 45mm, Opus Chronograph models are 41mm
Thickness: SkelTec models are 15mm thick, Opus Chronograph models are 14.80mm thick
Case Material: SkelTec: Stainless steel, 18 kt. red gold, Opus Chronograph: Stainless steel
Dial Color: SkelTec models feature a black skeletonized dial, Opus Chronograph models feature a silver dial and then another in blue and orange.
Indexes: Absent
Lume: None
Water Resistance: SkelTec models are water resistant to 50m. Opus Chronograph models are water resistant to 100m.
Strap/Bracelet: SkelTec models feature a calfskin and textile strap, Opus Chronograph models feature a Louisiana alligator leather strap.

The Movement

Caliber: SkelTec: Chronoswiss caliber C.304, Opus Chronograph: Chronoswiss Caliber C.741S
Functions: Skeltec: Hours and minutes, seconds, analog date, sweep chronograph seconds, 30-minute counter, 12-hour counter  Opus Chronograph: Hours and minutes, seconds, analog date, sweep chronograph seconds, 30-minute counter, 12-hour counter
Diameter: SkelTec: 39mm, Opus Chronograph: 30mm
Power Reserve: SkelTec: 48 hours, Opus Chronograph: 46 hours.
Winding: SkelTec: Hand-wound, Opus Chronograph: Automatic.
Frequency: Both movements: 28,800 vph
Jewels: SkelTec: 21 jewels, Opus Chronograph: 25 jewels
 

Pricing & Availability

Price:  CH-3714-BK (Stainless steel/DLC) $17,700, CH-3715R-BK (Red gold/stainless steel/DLC) $20,900, CH-7543.1S-BLOR (Stainless steel, blue and orange dial, skeletonized) $11,800, CH-7543.1S-SiSI (Stainless steel, silver dial, skeletonized) $11,400.
Availability: Authorized dealers
Limited Edition: Yes, 50 examples of each watch 

For more, click here.

With the flurry of Rolex releases a couple of weeks ago, it's hard not to feel a bit overwhelmed by the number of new watches that were dropped seemingly out of nowhere. In fact, just a few months back, word on the street was there would be no Rolex releases this year. Instead, we got a brand new Submariner (in a variety of metals and dial colors) with an updated movement, a Sky-Dweller on Oysterflex, and a legion of colorful Oyster Perpetual models in both 36mm and 41mm. But what if I told you that wasn't everything? Amidst all of the chaos, Rolex discreetly updated the Oyster Perpetual 34, and virtually nobody is talking about it. I'll be the first to admit, I came upon it by accident. My curiosity led me down a deep rabbit hole on Rolex's website in the wake of all the new releases, and I did not expect what I ended up finding.

Much of the big news revolved around updates to movements across all of the watches released. When Rolex updates its movements, it's news, and people hear about it. Except when they don't. Buried deep on the Rolex website is a page showcasing the brand new-for-2020 Oyster Perpetual 34. It is actually extremely difficult to find even if you are trying to look for it, and you can forget about stumbling upon it by accident. But there's more – you see, it is not just a new model, but also a new movement.

This is the new, in-house caliber 2232 (although it's not totally brand new; more on that in a minute). No, it does not feature the Chronergy escapement, but instead is fitted with a Syloxi (Rolex for silicon) balance spring. This is not the first time a silicon balance spring has been featured in a Rolex watch, but it is its first appearance inside a conventional stainless steel sports model, which is both noteworthy and possibly indicative of things to come. For a bit of context, Rolex divides its watches into two categories – no, not sport and dress, but rather, professional and classic. The former encompasses what we would associate with the Submariner, Explorer, GMT-Master II, and so on. The latter is where you will find models like the Oyster Perpetual and Datejust. Nonetheless, the OP is still very much in the sports watch vein, albeit in a more versatile manner. 

Rolex unveiled the first movement utilizing a Syloxi silicon hairspring in 2014 with the caliber 2236. This movement was released  inside a diamond-encrusted Pearlmaster – also a 34mm watch. At the time, Rolex called it "the movement for the next generation of women's models." It would go on to be featured in a host of such watches from 28-31mm. Later, we would see this movement introduced in the 37mm Everose Yachtmaster, the first watch that didn't quite fit that mold. This new OP 34 continues in that direction. Now, we just called the 2232 a new movement and, technically, that's true. But if you look at the 2236 and 2232 side by side, you could definitely think they're the same movement.

That's because they basically are the same movement – the 2232 is a no-date version of the 2236, just as the calibers which preceded them – the 2231 and 2235 – were also no-date, and date versions of the same movement (and like the new calibers, are 20mm in diameter). 

According to Rolex, the 2236 boasts a total of five patents so, of course, the same is true for the 2232. The 2232, like the 2236, is a 20mm-diameter, 31-jewel movement that offers 55 hours of power reserve, as opposed to the 70 hours of power reserve offered in movements featuring the Parachrom Bleu hairspring. In addition to the OP 34, the new caliber 2232 is also in fresh iterations of the OP 28, and 31 – both equally difficult to locate on Rolex's website. Both the 2236 and the 2232 offer a 55-hour power reserve, over the 48-hour power reserves of the 2231 and 2235 (both the 2231/5 and 2236/2 beat at 28,800 vph), so you're getting a significant bump in power reserve over the older calibers.

By way of background, Rolex rolled out the Parachrom Bleu hairspring in 2000 inside of the Daytona. More recently, it added the Chonergy escapement to many of its pieces and – almost at the same time – redefined the Superlative Chronometer certification process (holding every piece to a standard of +2/-2 seconds per day). At one point, it seemed that every watch in the lineup was destined to be upgraded to Parachrom/Chronergy. That is what makes the rollout of the new 2232 movement – with Syloxi balance spring – all the more fascinating. Rolex definitely seems to be committed to continuing to produce two distinct paramagnetic balance spring technologies.

Interestingly, the 2232 and the 2236 do not contain the Chronergy escapement and yet are still able to attain an equal level of accuracy of +2/-2 seconds per day. The question then remains, which is better? Well, there may very well be no answer to that question. A far more interesting thing to ponder is why Rolex is producing movements with different hairspring compositions side-by-side. 

In many ways, Rolex took incremental steps introducing Syloxi, from the Pearlmaster to the Yachtmaster, and now the stainless steel Oyster Perpetual. By discreetly rolling out this new 2232 movement in the OP 34 this year, it appears that Rolex liked what it saw with those prior releases. The movement it replaces is the caliber 3130, which was previously in the Submariner, Explorer, and the discontinued OP 36 range. Rolex fitted this year's OP 36 with the new 3230 movement, featuring both a Parachrom Bleu hairspring and Chonergy escapement, while releasing the new OP 34 with the 2232 featuring the Syloxi hairspring. The decision to effectively split the Oyster Perpetual line between movement types is certainly an interesting one. 

The new OP 34 received some cosmetic updates in addition to its internal ones. Unlike the rainbow assortment of Oyster Perpetual releases in 36mm and 41mm, the OP 34 is only available in four colors. In all, there is a silver dial with gold accents, a sunray black (called bright black), sunray blue (called bright blue), and a sunray pink (just called pink) dial. The Oyster Perpetual line, overall, is known for the brushed bracelet as opposed to the polished center links, applied Rolex coronet, domed bezel, and stick hands. All of that is carried over into this new release.

It was a shock to many when the OP 39 was discontinued, if for no other reason than the fact that the single baton hour markers were retired in favor of double baton markers at three, six, and nine o'clock. As you lament the loss of the single baton markers on the OP 39, let me direct your attention back to the brand new OP 34. Those markers haven't gone anywhere. If you were a fan of the 34mm sizing of the OP 34, it's still the same, and with a familiar dial configuration. Quite frankly, I think keeping the single baton markers is due to sheer practicality. On a dial this small, the double batons would look a little out of place. 

A couple of years back, Stephen Pulvirent wrote about the white and black dial variants of the OP line, in both 39mm and 34mm. In that article, he made a very astute observation. To quote him, he said that the Oyster Perpetual in the 34mm sizing wears "very similarly to a vintage 36mm Rolex like a Datejust or an Explorer. If those are watches that you like, but you want something modern and bulletproof, check out the OP 34 and it might surprise you." I remember seeing a 34mm white-dial Oyster Perpetual while visiting a watch store some years ago. When I put it on, I completely understood where he was coming from. It was a surprisingly comfortable size – almost a stealth Goldilocks of a watch. 

So what else is new here? Of course, there are minor tweaks – it wouldn't be a new Rolex release without them. The outgoing model had painted squares on the outer edge of the dial which tracked with the baton hour markers. Those squares have been carried over into the new larger – colorful – OPs, but with the OP 34, they have been replaced by small Roman numerals. This was something I had to look closely to see at first, but when I did, I thought, "Huh, that is very cool." It's a very Rolex change, but it really works here. The filled squares can feel a bit heavy at times, and with this smaller size, the lightness of the Roman numerals brings added balance to the dial. Also note the inclusion of the Rolex coronet between Swiss and Made, signaling the inclusion of the new movement. Other than that, you have essentially the same watch as before, but with a surprise under the hood. 

So there you have it, a kind-of-secret Rolex release. So what does it all mean? Well, it's too early to tell, and I know better than to try and guess what the team over at Rolex is thinking, let alone what it has planned. It does, however, seem quite significant that they have fitted a "classic" stainless steel model with the Syloxi silicon balance spring. Could it be possible that we will see more watches in the steel sports lineup with silicon? Only time will tell. The OP 39 is dead, long live the OP 34.

The Rolex Oyster Perpetual 34mm (reference 124200) is a Superlative Chronometer water resistant to 100m. The watch comes fitted on a fully brushed steel Oyster bracelet with Easylink 5mm extension link. The case and bracelet are made from Rolex's Oystersteel. The watch is accurate to -2/+2 sec/day, after casing. Inside the watch is the in-house caliber 2232 running at 28,800 vph, in 31 jewels, featuring the Rolex proprietary Syloxi silicon hairspring. The watch features hours, minutes, and seconds functionality, and 55 hours of power reserve. The Oyster Perpetual 34 offers a screw-down crown, a domed bezel, and a sapphire crystal. The watch is available now from Rolex authorized dealers and is priced at $5,300. For more information, visit Rolex.com.

Quick Take

At the end of last year, Ralph Lauren launched a collection of watches featuring the signature Polo Bear on the center of the dial. Those watches were a more conservative – if not vintage leaning – time-only offering with a distinctive two o'clock crown. Today, the brand is releasing a diver-inspired collection, only this time, the well known Polo logo – icon of the brand's Polo line of clothing (and originator of the "Polo" shirt) – takes center stage. Whereas last year's release featured the Polo Bear in different outfits, now the jockey and horse are displayed in different colored attire. This new collection of watches is offered in quite a few different dial colors, case materials, and straps – including a bracelet.

Initial Thoughts

The Ralph Lauren Polo line was conceived in 1972, and to say that Polo has now become a household name, or part of the cultural zeitgeist, would be an understatement. We now refer to a certain type of shirt as a "Polo", the same way we call a tissue, "Kleenex" or a soda, "Coke." These watches showcase the power of that line, with a large paint-like rendering of the Polo logo situated prominently on the dial. These are no date, 100m water resistant dive-style watches, featuring white Arabic numerals, a red seconds hand, and the word Polo where a conventional diving lume pip would be. In all, there are four models, or variants offered: a lacquered green dial, a lacquered navy dial, and two lacquered black dials – one in stainless steel, and the other in a matte black PVD coating. 

Across the four dial and case options are a variety of straps to choose from. There is a leather strap with ecru stitching, a cotton madras strap, and a leather NATO-style strap in three colorways, printed with Ralph Lauren's "Sport" logo – a prominent fixture on 90's Ralph Lauren apparel. Aside from the straps, there is also a bracelet offering both in classic stainless steel and black sandblasted stainless steel. The watch is powered by the RL200 movement – made by Sellita – featuring vertical Côtes de Genève and perlage, and viewable through an exhibition caseback. The Ralph Lauren Polo Collection, sized at 42mm and featuring a signed crown with the Polo horse motif, is available now.

It is worth noting that Ralph Lauren, the man, is a well-known watch guy. (You can find out why in Ben Clymer's exclusive 2015 interview with him here.) It is part of Panerai lore that Lauren gave the fledgling brand a huge boost shortly after its relaunch by wearing an Angelus-powered Panerai Radiomir on the runway at the end of one of his fashion shows. It was Lauren's love of watches that led to the Polo Ralph Lauren / Richemont Group joint venture creating the Ralph Lauren Watch & Jewelry Co. in Switzerland in 2007 and to the Ralph Lauren brand's foray into luxury mechanical watches. Lately, however, the Ralph Lauren brand has shifted its focus to fashion watches.

The Basics

Brand: Ralph Lauren
Model: Polo Watch Collection
Reference Number: 472836826003 (green dial), 472836829001 (blue dial), 472836827001 (black dial), 472836830001 (black dial PVD case)

Diameter: 42mm
Thickness: 12.35mm
Case Material: Stainless Steel
Dial Color: Green, Blue, and Black
Indexes: Arabic
Lume: Yes
Water Resistance: 100m
Strap/Bracelet: Leather Strap, Leather NATO-style strap, cotton madras strap, stainless steel bracelet, and sandblasted stainless steel bracelet.

The Movement

Caliber: RL200
Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds
Power Reserve: 38 hours
Winding: Automatic
Frequency: 4Hz
Jewels: 26
Chronometer Certified: No

Pricing & Availability

Price: Range from $1,650 to $2,150 depending on configuration.
Availability: Immediately
Limited Edition: No

For more, click here.

Quick Take

A long, long time ago, back when the world was "normal" and you could hop on a plane and go to any country you pleased, you might have worn a watch that helped you keep track of time back home. Now that you are stuck at home (some of us more than others), you yearn for the time when you can strap on your GMT and roam time zones with abandon. As an eternal optimist, I know that this time will come again soon (i.e. three years), and when that time comes, you will want something a little bit extra for that first glorious trip. Cue, the new Patek Philippe Ref. 7234G-001 Calatrava Pilot Travel Time.

Now, I know what you're thinking, "Cara, this watch is not new 🙄." That's because you have seen this reference before when it launched at the Patek Philippe Grand Exhibition in Singapore; however, that model was in steel with a light blue dial and a Codura synthetic strap. Plus, it was a limited edition. There is also a version in rose gold with a brown dial that launched in 2018 at Baselworld. This time, the ref. 7234 is in white gold with a navy dial, navy strap, and an additional tan calfskin strap. The Ref. 7234 is the smaller version of the Ref. 5524. It measures 37.5mm in diameter instead of 42mm but has all the same bells and whistles, including time, date, second time zone, and day/night indication, all powered by the same automatic caliber 324 SC FUS. One notable change is the marketing: This time, they are selling it as both a ladies' and a men's watch. The retail for the Ref. 7234G-001 is $48,985.

Initial Thoughts

When the Ref. 5524G watch was first launched in 2015, it quickly became one of the most sought after modern Pateks on the market, even if it was controversial at first. It was sporty, it was white gold, and it was unusual for such a conservative manufacturer. Luckily, Patek caught the drift and expanded the collection in multiple metals (platinum and rose gold) and two additional references (5522A and 7234A and R).

The 7234G is a welcome addition, in my opinion, and a smart move from Patek. I remember the 7234A being so well-received at the Grand-Expo in Singapore with the number one complaint being: Why is this for "ladies?" Well, ask and they shall deliver. The 37.5mm white gold with navy dial is the perfect unisex version of the Pilot's watch. I would wear it. I'm sure Jack would wear it. I'm sure my mom would wear it. I'm pretty sure anyone would – and could – wear this watch. And while I could go on about the technical greatness of the movement, the power reserve, the numerals, etc. etc., the crux of the story here is the fact that Patek is focusing on expanding its offerings to all of its clientele and not pigeon-holing their product to a specific person. Regardless, the Ref. 7234G will be an instant classic and, since it is not limited, surely one for people to want to collect over years to come. 

The Basics

Brand: Patek Philippe
Model: Calatrava Pilot Travel Time
Reference Number: 7234G-001

Diameter: 37.5mm
Thickness: 10.78mm
Case Material: White gold
Dial Color: Navy
Indexes: Applied Arabic numerals
Lume: Super-LumiNova
Water Resistance: Up to 30m
Strap/Bracelet: Navy blue calfskin plus an additional "vintage brown" calfskin strap

The Movement

Caliber: 324 SC FUS
Functions: Time, date, second time zone, day/night indicator
Diameter: 31mm
Thickness: 4.9mm
Power Reserve: 35-45 hours
Winding: Automatic
Frequency: 28,000 semi-oscillations per hour
Jewels: 29
Additional Details: With Patek Philippe seal

Pricing & Availability

Price: $48,295
Availability: TBC
Limited Edition: No!

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