In 2010, Richard Mille announced its partnership with tennis phenom Rafael "Rafa" Nadal, along with a groundbreaking new watch, the RM 027. Light enough to elicit laughter when placed in your hands, the RM 027 is a marvel of engineering that is both tough enough to endure the incredible forces of life on Nadal's wrist and light enough to float in water (yes, actually). Now, to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Richard Mille's relationship with Nadal, the RM 027 sees its fifth generation with the new and wondrously expensive RM 27-04.
Initial Thoughts
Yes, following in the very shallow (barely visible, really) footsteps of the 027, we had 2013's 27-01, 2015's 27-02, 2017's wild 27-03, and the stunning new RM 27-04. The spec list reads like a supercar compared to more common commuter fare options. Total weight? Thirty grams (with the strap!) and only 3.4 grams for the cable-suspended, manually-wound tourbillon movement. The case is made of something called "TitaCarb" and, like past examples, it's been designed to be worn by Nadal while he's playing tennis.
Measuring 38.4mm across, 47.25mm tip to toe, and 11.4mm thick, the 27-04 is a skeletonized tonneau-shaped watch with a case made of the aforementioned TitaCarb, which is 38.5% carbon fiber to offer excellent tensile strength (3,700 km/cm², for those wondering) while being as light as possible. Sapphire crystals front and back offer a view of an incredibly cool – and tennis-inspired – movement design that is suspended in a lattice created by an 0.27mm diameter steel cable that holds the movement in place via two (red) turnbuckles.
The weave of the steel cable is inspired by that of a tennis racket, and while it would be easy to simply try to make your tennis watch look like a racket, RM has gone the extra mile here and made a watch that actually relies on a similar structure to support the movement and help it manage the shocks and G forces generated by a professional tennis player. In testing, the 27-04's caliber RM27-04 was able to resist accelerative forces in excess of 12,000 Gs – which is a first for Richard Mille. Maintained by a pair of PVD-treated 5N gold tensioners, the super-tight weave of the cable forms a unique and exciting dial.
Suspended in that tiny 855 square millimeter net is the caliber RM27-04 movement, a tourbillon-equipped, manually-wound movement that has been fully skeletonized and can be seen from either side of the darkly matte featherweight case. As mentioned above, all of these elements come together in a package that is only 30 grams in weight. For reference, I recently weighed a steel 38.5mm three-hander from a popular microbrand at 134 grams with its bracelet sized. Want more? In 2017, Richard Mille announced the RM 50-03 McLaren F1, the lightest split-second chronograph in the world at the time. It weighs 40 grams. Finally, the original RM 027 weighed just 20 grams (19 for the RM 27-01), so while the 27-04 is a bit heavier, none of the previous Rafa RMs could match 12,000 Gs. You can only bend physics so far, at least until the 27-05.
I've said it before, but despite the absolute fact that I will never own a Richard Mille, I just love the brand for what they do. And, if you're like me (pragmatic in practice, but a romantic obsessive by nature), you might just see their watches like supercars: I love that they exist and that they are special. Likewise, I don't follow tennis, but I think these are massively cool exercises in both cutting edge mechanical watchmaking and legitimately interesting ambassador marketing.
With a headline-ready price of $1,050,000 and a total production run of just 50 units, while the RM 27-04 can certainly make your wallet feel a lot more than 30 grams lighter, that's only a problem for a very small group of well-heeled and very privileged watch nerds. As for the rest of us, we'll need to be happy enough with the hopes of someday seeing one pass by in traffic (or while watching Nadal hunt down more wins on the tennis court).
The Basics
Brand: Richard Mille Model: RM 27-04 Tourbillon Rafael Nadal Reference Number: RM 27-04
Diameter: 38.4mm Thickness: 11.4mm Lug to Lug: 47.25mm Weight: 30 grams (with strap) Case Material: TitaCarb Water Resistance: 50 meters Strap/Bracelet: Blue textile
Despite the fact that in-person watch trade shows have been very few and far between in 2020 – LVMH's Dubai watch exhibition came early in the year, and the Geneva Watch Days and Watches & Wonders Shanghai took place much more recently – the output of new watches from major brands has continued unabated.
Tudor, of course, had one very high profile release in the Black Bay Fifty-Eight "Navy Blue," and then a much quieter one in the form of a new collection that revives an older name Tudor used in the '50s: Royal. It released its affordable new Royal line, which is headlined by a great-looking model with day and date, back in July. Back then, it was available only in select Asian markets. Now it's launching globally.
So what is the Tudor Royal? Basically, it's Tudor's new steel (or steel and gold) sport-luxury watch with integrated five-link bracelet. It's rolling out in four different sizes: the aforementioned 41mm Day-Date, as well as 38mm, 34mm, and 28mm time-and-date versions. In all cases, the Royal line uses self-winding movements from ETA. In the case of the day and date version, it's the 2834. In the 38mm and 34mm, it's the 2824. And in the case of the 28mm, it's the 2671.
But wait, you might be saying to yourself. Hasn't Tudor been on an upward march over the last several years that has seen the company roll out a number of its own movements? That's absolutely true. But chill. We haven't yet talked about price. The 41mm day and date, the most expensive Royal, starts at CHF 2,200 in steel and tops out at CHF 3,200, for which you get a yellow-gold bezel, yellow-gold crown, and polished yellow-gold intermediate bracelet links. Across the board, we're dealing with one case and bracelet design (in two-tone or steel) and a total of nine different dial variations. The day and date version is the most interesting offering of the new Royal line.
The elements of the Royal design that stick out most are its crenelated bezel (with alternating fluted and polished finish) and its integrated bracelet. Both are original designs, and they seem to gesture toward Rolex's famous fluted bezel and the integrated bracelets seen on Rolex Oysterquartz models. This lends a distinct '70s vibe to the watch that makes sense given its steel base material and the use of an integrated bracelet. The case and bracelet look like real quality; the latter has a folding clasp with safety catch.
The lugs on the 100-meter water resistant case are fully drilled through, which I think connects the look of the Royal back to vintage watches. In pictures, the most appealing watch of the bunch is the blue-dialed, all-stainless-steel take on the "Day-Date" model. But the two-tone day and date looks great too. The dial's applied Roman numerals call to mind a design styling associated with Rolex.
The 41mm sizing for a Tudor Royal with day and date will be familiar, as it's the larger of the Day-Date models currently available for the Crown. If you go a size down, to 38mm, you'll find a similar-looking and feeling watch, sans display for the day. I'm already wondering how this collection might evolve with time. A 38mm option with day and date is something I, and I imagine quite a few others, would absolutely love to see. Below is the 38mm black-dialed date version of the Tudor Royal with Roman numerals next to the same size, only with champagne dial and diamond hour markers.
And here you can see the 28mm and 34mm versions, both in two-tone, the former with a mother-of-pearl dial.
The wide range of available dials in the collection give it quite a varied character. There are black, silver, champagne, or blue options with a sunray finish, with or without diamonds. The 34 and 28mm Royals are available with gem-set mother-of-pearl dials. In all cases, the Royal has a sapphire crystal over the dial and closed back, as you'd expect.
The fact that all of the new Royal models come with supplied movements keeps costs down, and that, frankly, makes these watches an extremely attractive value proposition. Still, all of them have a power reserve of just 38 hours. This will mean that taking the watch off Friday evening after work and coming back to it Monday morning will require a reset. This is something that might bother some customers, considering that many of us have grown accustomed to the excellent 70-hour power reserve in some of Tudor's in-house movements. But again, cost is a factor not to be overlooked here, and the 41mm steel version is probably my favorite new watch under $3,000. The case and bracelet look fantastic. And while I haven't tried any of these on, I wouldn't expect anything less than pure Tudor quality and comfort.
While there is a '70s sport-luxury vibe to the Royal collection, it stops well short of being what most of us mean when we say sport watch. It's a pretty dressy timepiece, in fact. And to that point, I think it's the most appealing new Tudor I've seen in a while that isn't a dive watch or GMT.
The Tudor Royal Collection. 41mm, 38mm, 34mm, and 28mm 316L stainless steel cases with polished and satin finish. Crenelated bezels with alternating polished and fluted sections in either stainless steel or yellow gold. Screw-down crown. 100-meters water resistance. Black, silver, champagne-color or blue dials with sunray finish, with or without diamonds. Gem-set white mother-of-pearl dials available on 34mm and 28mm variations only. Applied Roman numerals. Automatic movements. ETA 2834 (41mm), 2824 (38mm and 34mm), or 2671 (28mm). Frequency: 28,800 vph (4 Hz), 25 jewels. Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds, date at three o'clock, day at 12 o'clock for 41mm version only. Sapphire crystal. Integrated bracelet in 316L stainless steel or 316L stainless steel and yellow gold with satin-brushed external and central links and polished intermediate links. Folding clasp with safety catch.
Prices: 41mm: steel, CHF 2,200; steel and gold, CHF 3,200; 38mm: steel, CHF 2,150; steel and gold with diamond-set dial, CHF 3,750; 34mm: steel, CHF 2,100; steel and gold with diamond-set dial, CHF 3,700; 28mm: steel with diamond-set dial, CHF 2,650; steel and gold with diamond-set white mother-of-pearl dial, CHF 3,750.
When you purchase a watch from the HODINKEE Shop, you're buying into the HODINKEE Guarantee. It's our promise to make buying a new, modern watch online as painless and worry-free as possible. As part of the HODINKEE Guarantee, we offer an extra year warranty – in addition to the brand's stated coverage – on all new watches from the companies we represent as an Authorized Retailer. We want to make sure your watch is taken care of, just in case you encounter any defects or issues down the road.
For too long, the standard warranty that Swiss watchmakers have adhered to is a brief two years, but recently, we've witnessed more and more brands increase the length of their warranty coverage. The latest company to announce a warranty expansion is BVLGARI, which recently extended its guarantee on all timepieces purchased through its network of Authorized Retailers – including the HODINKEE Shop.
Effective on all BVLGARI watches purchased after September 1, 2020, BVLGARI's new warranty policy covers every single BVLGARI timepiece, but there is one important distinction in how coverage is applied. BVLGARI's former two-year warranty has been increased to a total of three years across the brand's entire diverse watch portfolio, but it has also focused on bringing more added value, through an even longer warranty, to its premier timepieces that feature in-house movements. Those watches – including every single model in the groundbreaking, ultra-thin Octo Finissimo family – now come stock with a five-year warranty, a significant three-year increase compared to before.
And don't forget that, when you purchase a BVLGARI watch from the HODINKEE Shop, you'll receive an extra year of coverage on top of the brand's new policy. That means if you buy one of the brand-new BVLGARI Aluminium sport watches today, it will be under warranty until September 2024, or if you've had your eye on one of the two new Octo Finissimo watches in Satin-Polished Steel, your warranty will be available all the way up to 2026.
Every new BVLGARI watch is delivered with its three-year warranty (four when purchased from the HODINKEE Shop) already activated, but if you purchase an Octo Finissimo and want to claim its additional two year-warranty, you do have to take the extra step of registering your watch online with BVLGARI. Luckily, that process has been streamlined, and all it takes is scanning the QR code on the warranty card delivered with your order and following the stated directions on your smartphone.
After that short process, your BVLGARI Octo Finissimo will be all set to be worn worry-free for the next six years.
You can discover the HODINKEE Shop's entire selection of BVLGARI timepieces right here.
Questions about your watch's warranty? We've got answers – send us a note. Interested in even more coverage? Check out HODINKEE Insurance.
Five pieces make up this week's selection, as per usual, but the bunch is anything but usual with a host of significant picks. For the true condition sticklers, there's a new old stock Glycine Airman Special, along with a similarly unworn and complete Rolex Sea-Dweller made for the Italian State Police. For those that wish to venture off into more obscure waters, we've got a heavily jeweled Blancpain Cyclotron, a jump hour Audemars Piguet, and an Arabic Rolex display (just because).
Glycine Airman Special
Starting off the round-up is a watch that wouldn't normally have me so excited. Don't get me wrong, Glycine made some noteworthy watches back in the day, but not the sort with the potential to leave me in awe. As previously alluded to, this piece's allure is rooted largely in the outstanding condition it's being offered in, which I'd argue ought to be referenced by those carelessly throwing around the term "new old stock." For all these reasons, and more that we'll soon get into, this one sure seems like it's going to move quickly.
You're looking at a Glycine Airman Special, which is, as the name would suggest, a special version of the model. However, given the characterizing 17-jewel movement of the Special, it could be seen by some as a lesser variant in comparison to the standard Airman's 23-jewel calibers. This watch came to be following the introduction of new tariffs which impacted Glycine's ability to participate in the American market. In response, the watchmaker lowered the movement's jewel count, allowing the new Airman Special to pass under a tariff bracket. Personally, I wouldn't look at this model as lesser than those made for other markets, and would instead see it as a bonus, especially if you're an American.
Now to address the elephant in the room: It's a hilariously clean watch, with all the original fixings. From caseback stickers, to boxes, to papers, to hangtags, it's got it all and has likely never been worn. This is no stretch towards the ideal of new old stock. This is the real deal. With that said, I still might potentially have one sole condition-related gripe. I'm not sure if it's pitting or just plain old gunk, but there's something black showing on the edges of the caseback in the seller's photos. If the latter, it's no sweat, but pitting is a different animal, though not the end of the world. At the end of the day, it's still a hilariously clean watch, and one which you seldom see available for purchase.
You'll find this piece up for grabs on eBay, where its Texan owner is after $2,695. There's also the option to make an offer, so have at it.
2008 Rolex Sea-Dweller Ref. 16600
If your insatiable appetite for new old stock watches is still craving more, well then you're in luck. Unlike the aforementioned Glycine, this next piece is a bit more distinguished within important collecting circles and regarded by many to be a pinnacle of Submariner and Sea-Dweller collecting. As someone who loves the reference to begin with, I might be a tad biased, but this is truly one of the most compelling pieces within the range of neo-vintage Rolexes.
If not for the logo applied near the nine o'clock position, this would be a nice albeit uninteresting Sea-Dweller, but it is there after all. It's that of the Italian Polizia di Stato Sommozzatori divers, which celebrated the 50th anniversary of their organization in 2008. In honor of the occasion, Rolex applied the octopus logo to the dials of its most capable dive watch at the time and engraved the casebacks accordingly. These "Polipetto" Sea-Dwellers were produced in a series of just 78 examples, none of which were made available to the public for purchase.
Should you be thinking "big whoop, it's a Rolex with a logo on the dial," you're not entirely wrong, but it's objectively significant given the infrequency with which the watchmaking icon collaborated on limited production timepieces. The way I see it, Rolex's involvement in the development of this watch speaks to its continued dedication to supplying demanding professionals with tool watches of the highest grade, even after it already shifted to a more luxury-focused approach. The cherry on top is its rarity in comparison to similar watches produced for COMEX, which is far greater.
Luxury Bazaar is offering this uniquely configured Sea-Dweller on its site for $124,995. Follow the link for further details.
Blancpain Cyclotron
While I'd like to play all-knowing expert and present every last watch as an old favorite, that's just not the case. By virtue of my interests and availability of examples to handle in person, there are still a few watchmakers whose obscurities I've yet to dive into, and Blancpain is one of them. Don't worry, I'm not talking about the Fifty Fathoms lineup, but instead, the models not resurrected upon the brand's second coming. There's no denying the designs are less individually defined than their seafaring siblings, but that's not to say they're unworthy of further consideration.
This is a Blancpain Cyclotron, which I'd bet dates back to the early 1960s. At the time of the model's release in 1959, it was the only wristwatch in the world to be powered by a 53-jewel movement, setting it apart from the available crop of timepieces in the period. With a new line of watches (aside from the already renowned dive range) powered by a high-grade caliber like the R-300, Rayville SA was proving that despite being in different hands, the Blancpain name was in capable hands. The Cyclotron is also representative of an attempt by the brand to assert itself within the sphere of something closer to haute horology, which is an exciting notion to consider given the prices at which these watches now trade.
Here's where we deviate from the minty freshness, as this example of the highly jeweled Blancpain is no safe queen. Evidenced by the wear on its stainless steel case and the weathering seen on the dial's surface, it's clearly been worn quite a bit over the years, but it's most definitely an honest watch. It would appear as if no attempt at restoring or polishing the example has ever been made, and it's simply existed to serve to its purpose in decades past. If you've been after something more unconventional but still classically styled, this might be one to bookmark.
Sunrise, Florida's Hill Auction Gallery will be finding a new home for this piece on September 30, when it goes up for sale with an estimate of $100 – $1,000. Get in on the action early by clicking here.
Audemars Piguet Jump Hour
In case you had yet to clue in, this column serves as a vehicle for me to share the best of the best that I come across each week with you. Though, from time to time, exceptions have to be made as the best of the best isn't always the most interesting. With this in mind, I'd like to point you in the direction of a late-1920s, early-1930s Audemars Piguet that's surely one of the more important watches to be sold this week. It's not without its issues, but it's also a watch you can't not geek out on.
As we've discussed before, it's extremely difficult to track down attractive examples of early Audemars Piguet watches, let alone those featuring complications like a jump hour. Because of this, I couldn't not include this one, even with all its flaws. These include a number of replaced and refinished components, along with a missing seconds hand. This yields a radically different price than a five-star, barn-find-esque scenario would, but it's still a massively important complication in Audemars Piguet's history, so much so that they've honored its legacy through the production of the minute repeating Ref. 25723, that can be seen as a reissue of sorts.
Another facet of this piece that affords it a little extra intrigue in my books is that it's been sourced from a watchmaker's workshop, along with the rest of the contents' sales. I'm not sure about you, but I always seem to spot something unexpected and of note on visits to watchmakers, so this has me wondering what else is hiding in the shops of my usual guys. Anecdotes aside, this is an early and important watch regardless of the current shape it might be in, and if you're not altogether concerned with 100% originality, it could yield an interesting project watch. Knowing the discerning few for whom these were originally made, and the low production numbers that translated to, it'll likely be a while until the next one surfaces.
Antiquorum is auctioning off this piece in a sale taking place on October 1 in Geneva. It's been given an estimate of CHF 4,000 – 4,800, which sounds about right given the shape it's in. Check it and the rest of the catalog out here.
Rolex Arabic Display
In that we've already covered a diverse few bases this week, I thought we'd end on a different note, with something that neither ticks nor sweeps. It also doesn't serve any useful purpose other than looking outstandingly good, but logic isn't to be consulted with most matters of the horological variety. It's simply cool, and while I try my best to avoid that somewhat superficial descriptor, it just feels right for this one. If you've got deep pockets and a bit of shelf space to spare, you'll want to keep reading.
This is a retail display Rolex would've produced back in the day for authorized dealers located in Arabic speaking countries. According to the seller, this specific one was purchased from a watchmaker in Dubai and is believed to date back to the 1960s. Though there aren't any markings that would suggest a definite year of production, I'd have to agree with this date range based upon the materials and construction of other Rolex displays during this period.
If you really dissected what makes this sign so cool, you'd probably arrive at the conclusion that you're a bit of a Rolex fanboy, but also that it's indicative of the brand's international renown at such an early stage. It's marketing materials like these that helped cement the brand's status as a top dog of sorts, and to own a piece of this history is nothing if not exciting.
This display is being sold by Jonathan Krovitz, who's asking $5,400. Information and contact details can be found on his Instagram page, @johnswatches.
The pilot's watch is one of those pieces of gear which has always conjured up sentimental and historical imagery of a bygone era. The era of flyboys, fighter pilots, and bomber jackets; the smell of leather, the rattle of gears, the look of the instrument panels, and the roar of piston engines. Things don't look and feel that way anymore, which is why it is quite nice when a modern pilot-style watch can stir up those sentiments. Such is the case with the Longines Spirit Automatic, a simple, legible, and well-sized watch with a few little nuances that are best appreciated in the metal.
This watch was announced earlier this year, and in typical fashion, I was not sure about it from the press photos. It looked straightforward enough – large Arabic numerals, black dial, steel case, leather strap – but I would be lying if I said it did anything for me at the time, on the basis of just photos. When I finally had it in the hand, I saw a watch that I think represents tremendous value for the price, which is always a welcome combination.
The first thing that I noticed when I saw this piece was the dial and the multi-faceted aspects which make up the design. At first blush, this is a standard black dial. In some lights, it has a gloss effect. In reality, the dial is really quite matte, and in direct sunlight, the matte dial effect is accentuated, appearing almost grey from some angles. The flat effect of the matte dial is a big draw for this watch, at least to me. It adds to the vintage-leaning design and is honestly just more enjoyable to look at than a standard black dial would be.
This watch also features large, bold, applied white Arabic numerals, in a typeface that brings to mind the dial design of the Dirty Dozen watches, in some ways, but in other ways, is also sufficiently modern. Getting into the typographical weeds a bit, the flat four jumps out to me as the most vintage looking number of the bunch. There is also a subtle serif on the seven and five which are quite reminiscent of an older style of watch design. Moving outward, the minute track also sports a slew of interesting, vintage-inspired numerals. Again, you have the appearance of a flat four, but also a very cool open six. The minute track is one of those aspects of the watch that could easily be missed at first blush, but to my mind, it ties the whole dial design together.
Staying on the topic of typefaces, the date window on this watch features a font choice which is consistent with the other design elements of the watch. Sometimes, this is where a watch loses its focus, where the choice of numerals inside the date window breaks from the overall consistency of the design. Here, it bolsters the overall vintage effect of the watch. Moreover, the text on the matching black background allows the dial to – at least in some way – maintain a level of symmetry. It is, of course, not symmetrical since the number three is missing, but I forgive this because I honestly think a watch like this works better with a date complication. If I had one gripe about the date window, it would be that the numerals appear to have something of a faux-patina look to them, whereas white would have been more consistent.
Generally speaking, in the modern context, pilot's watches have been on the larger side – i.e. 42mm and up. In recent years, and for many brands, that approach has softened a bit. In fact, I think specifically of the IWC Mark XVIII, or even the newer Spitfire Automatic, which are both in the 39-40mm range. As I was handling this watch, I felt that it shared a lot of similarities with those watches. They seem cut from the same cloth, sporting a size that is entirely of today and not rooted in any particular vintage example (though there are other obvious vintage features). The Longines Spirit gives off a bit more of a modern vibe than those other watches as well, and I think that has to do with the applied numerals. Whereas the matte dial is a decidedly vintage aesthetic, the applied numerals are almost the opposite.
The dial is split up into effectively two parts, separated by a metallic ring. Inside that ring is where we find the Arabic numerals, Longines logo, the handset, and date window. We also have – just above six o'clock – a set of five applied stars and the word chronometer, but more on that later. Overlaid on the metallic ring are white, diamond-shaped markers which are aligned with the Arabics. They are small, but they provide added contrast against the matte black dial surface and are filled with lume – a small but nice additional detail.
Moving to the second portion of the dial, on the other side of the metallic ring, we find the aforementioned minute track with minutes marked off in five-minute intervals, with long hash marks delineating the remaining minutes. There is a series of tiny hash marks between each minute hash mark as well. All of these dial features are housed inside of the 40mm case, which is mostly brushed, with a stepped polished bezel. The case has that retro tool watch look and nice curvature, which fits with the dial design quite well.
The hour and minute hands are long, narrow arrows with a sandblasted finish. The seconds hand is actually one of the most captivating aspects of this watch's design. The outer end of the seconds hand is painted a bright red, which has an almost lacquered appearance to it. This hand reaches the outermost section of the minute track, but it is the diamond toward the end of the seconds hand that I want to mention. This diamond is the same size as the applied diamond-shaped markers referenced earlier. As the hand sweeps across the dial, the seconds hand diamond appears in the same position overtop the metallic ring as the applied markers. This is a small detail, but evidence of a watch with a design which can reveal unsuspected thoughtfulness over time.
For a watch that is 40mm in diameter, the signed crown is quite large. It is shaped in a pseudo-onion style, which in some angles is more obvious than others. I will admit, I did not notice the size of the crown relative to the size of the watch at first. But as I wore the piece a bit more, that aspect came to become more and more obvious, to the point where I almost could not un-see it. The way it tapers down, there are times when looking at it, that I was not sure if I had screwed the crown down all the way. I would not necessarily call this a deal-breaker, but just something worth noting. While it adds to the vintage ideal that this watch seems to be going for, to my mind, a more conventional crown design at a smaller size would not have taken away from the overall look of this piece.
I really like that Longines utilized a closed caseback with this watch because it works with its overall tool watch air. The caseback design features a globe engraving with the brand's logo, as well as the wordmark below. There is also a set of six screws present around the caseback plate which appear to keep it securely affixed to the watch. One of the biggest value features of the watch is behind the caseback – beating away inside the Longines Spirit is the Longines caliber L888.4, an ETA-based design (ETA A31.L11, in turn based on the 2892-A2) featuring 64 hours of power reserve and a silicon balance spring. But what makes things more interesting is the fact that the movement has been COSC certified. For a watch priced just above $2,000, that is a pretty solid deal.
The luminescence on this watch is quite good, and of course, that is aided by the thick, applied white numerals (filled with Super-LumiNova). Generally, with pilot, or pilot-adjacent watches, the lume is either nothing to write home about, or only certain markers are given the lume treatment. Here, every numeral, every marker, and every hand are treated with lume, so you can get equal enjoyment out of the dial in both bright or lowlight environments.
I really enjoyed the 40mm sizing of this watch on the wrist. The lugs are quite long, so it does drape the entire surface area of the wrist, but not in any sort of meaningful way that would render the watch unwearable. The watch manages to give off the gravitas of a larger pilot's watch while maintaining an eminently classic case size. Case thickness was not an issue either, and I think this watch could be worn in a whole host of situations. Aside from the leather strap option I was able to handle, this watch also comes on a steel bracelet.
The sapphire crystal features what the brand says are "several layers of anti-reflective coating on both sides." My experience with AR coating is that, while it cuts down on reflections, it also creates an almost purple sheen on the watch when it interacts with the light. That is certainly the case here. Aside from the crown and date window, this was the only other area of the design that somewhat got in the way of my overall enjoyment of the watch. Maybe a few layers less than several would do the trick.
The Longines Spirit 40mm is a smartly executed vintage-inspired watch that is not an homage to any older model in particular. As such, it isn't tied to any existing design. The end result is a watch that is able to give off a ton of modern flair while not taking away from the flight jacket aesthetic or old school charm. Even though the early days of flight are behind us – the romantic, wistful, and sense stirring aspects of that time but a memory – pieces like this are able to serve as vessels of a time gone by, and that's precisely what watches should do.
The Longines Spirit 40mm Ref. L3.810.4.53.0 is a 100-meter water resistant watch. The Spirit is 40mm in diameter, featuring a screw-down crown and closed caseback. Leather strap with signed buckle. Automatic caliber L888.4 movement with a frequency of 25,200 vibrations per hour, and a power reserve of 64 hours. Matte black dial with applied markers and Super-LumiNova on hands and markers. Price: $2,150 For more, visit Longines.com.
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.
We all know (or we should) that in every cell in our bodies (with some exceptions; erythrocytes, I’m looking at you) is a structure called the nucleus, and in that nucleus are genes made up of deoxyribonucleic acid – DNA. In highly simplistic terms, DNA is an instruction manual: it tells cells how to build proteins, which are, to drag out the tiredest cliché in the life sciences, the building blocks of life. What most of us don't know, is that quite a lot of our DNA is legacy material left over from, shocking as this may sound, viral infections. Viruses work by getting into cells and changing the DNA instruction manual so that it tells the cell how to make more viruses. This little shell game has been going on for hundreds of millions of years, and between humans and our ancestors on the tree of life, quite a lot of virus DNA has gotten passed down and is with us – inside you and I – today. Interestingly enough, this is not a bad thing at all, and it turns out that the ability to form long-term memories relies heavily on relic viral DNA. The Arc gene, as it is called, actually helps neurons to communicate by passing RNA (the messenger form of RNA) from one neuron in the brain to another, in tiny packages that are essentially ready-made viruses. Nature has the story – a reminder of the interconnectedness, and surprising consequences, of the various webs of life on Earth.
If you search the name "Bob Ross" on Etsy, it yields roughly 4,000 results of brightly colored landscaped canvases and memorabilia. From stickers to clothing to remakes of his paintings, there is a veritable trove of materials dedicated to the man and his body of work. But where did all of Bob Ross' paintings actually end up? A small team from The New York Times cracked the case in this 10-minute video that documents the charming and ebullient world of Bob Ross, Inc.
Years and years ago, I drove a Volkswagen GTI Mark 5. It had a grey exterior and the cloth "tartan"-style seats – the red, white, and grey crosshatch pattern. It was a car that I grew attached to, a car that was with me for a long time. The better part of my developing life occurred while driving that car: High school, college, love, heartbreak, the whole nine. I recall the glow of the blue lights in the interior (a feature VW has since abandoned) and the absolute power of the turbo engine. I think about that car a lot, and, to be honest, wish I still had it. When I saw this piece from Forbes highlighting the history of the GTI – the OG "Hot-Hatch" – I was immediately interested. The article details the car "mark" by "mark," model by model, illustrating the technical and design difference between the cars. If, like me, you are into the sort of left-of-center charm that the GTI brings, you'll certainly enjoy the read and the photos.
One of the best things about the internet is how often I can go from learning something exists to being utterly and deeply flabbergasted by the amount of work and effort that went into its creation. One example that struck me recently was this investigation by The Verge into how the epochal TV series Seinfeld was translated into German, in its entirety, for broadcast overseas. As an English speaker, it's very easy to take for granted just how much content is produced in my native language. Not only that, but the challenges present in translating something so specific to an era (1980s-90s New York City) are so wildly complex that it's a wonder anyone even thought to try at all. But, try Sabine Sebastian did, and the result is a baffling and fascinating look at what unites us, what separates us, and what makes things funny in the first place.
As you get older, you realize the rumors that swirled around elementary school classrooms that stemmed from local lore were totally blown out of proportion, or simply untrue. But the rumors about horrific incidents that happened at Mountain Creek Waterpark, formerly Action Park, where we took elementary school field trips, weren't even blown out of proportion – they were a downplayed version of the truth. The truth was even worse. Watch this documentary to find out why.
When diving, one's depth is crucial in understanding the physiological effect of any dive. To prevent decompression sickness (or the need to make decompression stops), there is an agreed-upon understanding of how long a diver can spend at a given depth, with less time available as the diver pushes deeper underwater. Today, divers wear complex dive computers that manage their exposure, but in a sport with such narrow margins for considerable risk, if "one is none and two is one," then it always makes sense to have a backup.
While the non-watch nerd option would be a simple mechanical depth gauge, in this six-year-old post, Jason Heaton field tests a depth gauge that is built into the natural backup for a dive computer – a dive watch! Fitted with a clever and simple depth gauge, if you wanted to see the Oris Aquis Depth Gauge in its natural habitat, look no further as Jason provides a bit of theory alongside some actual bottom time with this fun and innovative dive watch.
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!
Back in July, we did our very first call-in show, with Jack, James, and me taking turns answering the diverse array of questions that you all left as voicemails. We had a ton of fun and knew immediately that we needed to do another round. Well, the time has come. This time, I was able to sit down with Danny and Jon for our second go-around. We got a ton of great questions and barely scratched the surface of what came in. We cover a wide array of topics, from more micro discussions about particular watches, collecting strategies, and our favorite city-specific pieces to more macro explorations of things like the ethics of watch collecting and the longterm impact of this very strange year on the watch industry.
Is this the perfect watch for a trip to Kyoto?
We also want to keep the calls coming beyond today's episode. The phone line remains open at +1 401-307-DINK (3465), so give us a ring and leave us a voicemail with that burning question you've always wanted to ask. The sooner we get a great batch of questions, the sooner we'll do the next call-in show. Also, as a reminder, please keep the voicemail messages under 60 seconds, and be sure to give us your first name and/or your HODINKEE Community username so we can give you a shout-out. I can't wait to dig into our next mailbag.
We hope you enjoy Episode 106 of HODINKEE Radio. Check out the show notes below, and let us know what you think in the comments.
Over the summer, the watchmaking duo of Martin Frei and Felix Baumgartner presented what was to be the final edition of Urwerk's UR-210 watch, a classic of contemporary independent watch design that had become, since it launched in 2012, the reference I most associated with their company. Recently, they've announced the followup to the UR-210 in the form of the new UR-220, codenamed the "Falcon Project." Besides being quite a cool looking watch, the UR-220 introduces some new features, includes the return of others, and offers a glimpse into the next chapter of the UR-200 series.
On the materials front, the UR-220 case comes in the form of 81 ultra-thin layers of high-resistance 150g CTP carbon that has been compressed into a hard resin. If you look closely at the sloping top of the case, the fact that it's made of many layers is apparent. (CTP stands for Carbon Thin Ply; we've seen the material also used in the Bulgari Octo Finissimo Minute Repeater). The UR-220 strap is made of rubber, a first for Urwerk. But it's not just any rubber strap. For its first rubber strap, Urwerk has used what it refers to as the Vulcarboné process, which Urwerk says give it a touch like velvet.
Most obviously, the UR-220 uses the familiar system of planetary, or wandering, hours. However, unlike in the UR-210 models, the movement here is manually wound, not automatic.
It's this signature, three-armed display that most of us tend to associate with Urwerk. The hours are displayed on three blocks that are connected to the three arms. The display portion comprises a 120-degree arc along which the arms pass, picking up the retrograde minutes, which snap back on the hour, as they go. The display can seem a bit elaborate at first, but it's actually very intuitive. And thanks to the high level of contrast between the green numbers and minute track and the black architecture of the carousel, it's quite legible too.
Each rotating arm has a block with four of its sides bearing numbers that correspond to the hours. The only other dial-side display is the power-reserve indicator, or indicators, I should say. There are two them, tucked in the upper left and upper right corners of the display, respectively. Each of them tracks consecutive 24-hour periods, so that when the first is filled or emptied, the second takes over, for a total power reserve of 48 hours. Splitting the power reserve between two displays was no simple feat: It required some 83 additional parts.
On the back of the UR-220, we see the return of the oil change indicator, a display that was long seen in Urwerk's UR-110 models. In its UR-220 guise, the indicator sees some enhancements. When the owner takes possession of a new UR-220, he or she will notice a pin on the back of the watch. Pulling the pin causes the oil change indicator to start counting the months of the watch's active running time. After 39 months, the UR-220 should be sent in for service, after which Urwerk's watchmakers reset the indicator to zero and reinstall the pin, allowing the process to be repeated.
Initial Thoughts
Looking at the UR-220, one can see a strong resemblance to the recently retired UR-210. The CTP carbon case – the first of its kind for Urwerk – the use of a manual-wind movement, and titanium caseback make the UR-220 a lightweight watch, and a relatively sleek one by Urwerk standards. The new case material also gives the UR-220 a wonderfully textured look. I think it's a great look, but I was so surprised that Urwerk hadn't made a carbon case before that I double-checked this with the company's U.S. office. The rubber strap, which has a great textured/layered look that works perfectly with the case, is another surprising first.
But for me, the oil change indicator with removable pin is maybe the coolest element of the new UR-220. It's thoughtful creations like this, which can be found throughout Urwerk's watches, that I think are most attractive to our "teenage brain," that part of us that will happily construct a Rube Goldberg machine to be amused or enchanted.
The Basics
Brand: Urwerk Model: UR-220 "Falcon Project"
Diameter: 43.8mm x 53.6mm Thickness: 14.8mm Case Material: Carbon Thin Ply (CTP) in 81 layers; black DLC-sanded caseback Dial Color: Black with bright green accents Lume: Super-LumiNova Water Resistance: 30 meters Strap/Bracelet: Vulcarboné rubber strap
The Movement
Caliber: UR-7.20 Functions: Hours, minutes, power-reserve indicator, "oil change" indicator Power Reserve: 48 hours, displayed via two 24-hour indicators Winding: Manual wind Frequency: 28,800 vph Jewels: 59
There is no single watch brand which has become more a token of exclusivity than Richard Mille. Over the 20 or so years that the brand has been in existence, it has achieved many technical milestones – its tourbillon watches are worn, to take just one recent example, by a modestly successful tennis pro named Rafael Nadal, under circumstances which would not only be hazardous, but actually destructive, to pretty much any other tourbillon I can think of (they are, as a rule, quite delicate contraptions, but it has been the peculiar genius of Richard Mille to overturn expectations, with the tourbillon as with many other things). However, these technical accomplishments can sometimes be hard to see behind the powerful spell cast by the undeniably enormous cost of the watches. A great deal of the narrative around Richard Mille watches has to do with the fact that they are affordable to a vanishingly small percentage of watch lovers – a percentage, in fact, to whom the very term "affordable" is essentially irrelevant. A major function of the watches is, in fact, to signal membership in a socioeconomically highly specific demographic (to deploy a euphemism for "super-rich") and Richard Mille has been canny enough, over the years, to retain key aspects of his Formula 1 and aerospace-inspired designs, which have made them, and which continue to make them, instantly recognizable (and, it must be said, occasionally slavishly and unimaginatively imitated).
Creation of his watches has, in fact, followed a model similar to that of the Formula 1 cars that have influenced both Richard Mille's design and materials choices – the idea is to make mechanisms with little to no regard for costs-per-unit, which are highly limited in number. (Despite the deliberate anti-classicism of the designs, this is very much a traditional luxury model: It takes as long as it takes, and it costs whatever it costs.) As with F1, you don't necessarily have to make every component "in-house" either – just as, historically, F1 teams have sourced power plants from specialist suppliers, so Richard Mille has sourced movements from partners with the manufacturing capacities to meet the required performance and aesthetic standards. Generally, RM's suppliers have been Manufacture Vaucher and Audemars Piguet Renaud & Papi, and this strategy has been enormously successful for RM – the movements, after all, are generally the centerpiece of its watches, and are an essential aspect of their aesthetics.
As a rule, RM has avoided falling into what can be the trap of thinking that making everything in-house is an essential element of success, but at the same time, there is indisputable prestige associated with having an in-house movement in a brand's portfolio. This year, RM has produced its first in-house caliber, the CRMC-1. This is a flyback chronograph with a new type of double tilting-pinion clutch system, and it is debuting in the RM 72-01 "Lifestyle" Chronograph.
The RM 72-01 is being billed by RM as a unisex watch (although, I have noticed that actual watch enthusiasts, irrespective of gender, tend to wear whatever the hell they like; an obsession with gender-specific product categories in fine watchmaking seems more and more a dinosaur every day), and it will at launch be available in four different case materials: titanium, 18k red gold, or black and white ceramic. The starting prices are, surprisingly, if not affordable, at least less gasp-inducing than is generally the case for RM: $188,000.
In a lot of respects, this is classic Richard Mille in terms of design; there is his signature tonneau-shaped case, with its prominent bezel screws with their five-spline design, which ensures a visual symmetry not possible with slotted screws. The design also distributes torque evenly (more or less) over the entire diameter of the screw, rather than onto the narrow edges of a conventional screwdriver slot. (They, in fact, seem rather bolt-like in this respect, although the basic difference between a bolt and a screw is that the former is used, along with a nut, to connect two unthreaded components, while screws engage with threads in the components themselves). The case is 38.40 x 47.34 x 11.68 mm; the latter figure for thickness at first does not seem to jibe with the visual impression you get from the watch in photographs, but I think the sense of greater thickness may be more in part from the aesthetics of the case, with the prominent overhang of the bezel and caseback, and the very substantial crown and chronograph pushers, than from actual thickness. Certainly, RM does not seem to be indulging in any sort of shenanigans like not including the thickness of the crystal, which lies flush with the curved upper surface of the case.
The elaborate case construction is one of the most distinctive aspects of Richard Mille watches, and although the degree to which the case is successfully integrated with the movement has varied over the years in RM designs, nonetheless, it remains a core element of the appeal of the designs. The integration of case and movement is both aesthetic and mechanical; as each movement is essentially custom-constructed for the case, there's no need for the spacers and movement rings so common in (much) less expensive watchmaking, and although the RM 72-01 doesn't have quite the engineering of, say, the new RM 27-04, with its elaborate cable suspension system, it still has its movement mounted on the elastomeric shock blocks, which are the interface between case and movement in so many RM watches (and, of course, it's about a fifth the cost of the RM 27-04 as well). For a watch that projects such a technical persona, water resistance seems a bit low at 30 meters, but for general use, that figure is more than adequate (and par for the course for many luxury chronographs as well).
In short, case construction, as well as the overall aesthetic, are very much Richard Mille at his, and its, most iconic. Let's now look at the CRMC-1 movement.
Caliber CRMC-1
Richard Mille's movements, especially in watches with a specifically technical orientation (I exclude here, for example, the Bonbon watches, on which I would think there would be universal agreement), are usually a combination of very technical watchmaking, with sometimes very traditional movement finishing techniques; often there is a combination of precious and technical metals as well. Caliber CRMC-1 continues in this long-established vein. The movement is self-winding, and dimensions are 29.10mm x 31.25mm and 6.05 mm, and the power reserve is 50 hours; winding is via a skeletonized platinum rotor. This is, of course, not the first flyback chronograph from Richard Mille – the RM 011, for example, which was introduced in 2007, is a flyback chronograph with annual calendar, with the caliber RMAC1, which is from Vaucher with a Dubois-Depraz module – but CRMC-1 is, according to RM, produced entirely in the RM workshops in Les Breuleux. Traditional aspects of the movement's finish include hand-polished flanks, bevels, and countersinks; however, the movement plates and bridges are grade 5 titanium.
The movement technically is a combination of existing and, indeed, classic mechanical solutions with some new ones. Chronograph switching is via a column-wheel mechanism; as with most flyback chronographs, pressing the lower pusher when the chronograph is running will reset the chronograph, but not stop it, and the chronograph resumes running instantly when the lower pusher is released. Stopping the chronograph with the upper pusher and then pressing the lower, will reset the chronograph to zero, in a non-running state. The most unusual feature of the movement, however, is the clutch system. The three most common chronograph clutch mechanisms are the lateral clutch (as seen in the Vacheron Historiques Cornes de Vaches, for instance), the vertical clutch (as seen in the Rolex Daytona), and the tilting pinion system, which is most commonly found in the ETA/Valjoux 7750 and its myriad variants.
Each has its particular characteristics and advantages; the lateral clutch system has history and, certainly, old-school mechanical beauty on its side; the vertical clutch reduces the amount of load added to the going train when the chronograph is activated, and also reduces or even eliminates the slight jump of the chronograph seconds hand that can occur when using a lateral clutch; the tilting pinion system is compact, simple, and reliable. Whichever system is used, there is generally only a single clutch system, but the RM caliber CRMC-1 uses what is, as far as I know, a unique double tilting pinion system.
Caliber CRMC-1, showing the two oscillating pinions driving the chronograph seconds and minute counters.
In a traditional lateral clutch system, power for the chronograph comes from the fourth wheel of the movement; this wheel typically rotates once per minute, and so, from a gearing perspective, using it to drive the chronograph seconds hand is straightforward. The disadvantage in using it to drive the chronograph train is that the fourth wheel is the train wheel furthest from the mainspring barrel (the next wheel is the escape wheel), and therefore, it's the train wheel with the lowest amount of available spare energy. This means that switching on the chronograph will necessarily cause a drop in balance wheel amplitude, which may adversely affect rate stability; although, in a well-made and adjusted lateral clutch chronograph, this drop in amplitude is generally minimized to such a degree that the problem is more abstract than practical. Still, watchmakers have been experimenting with alternate clutch mechanisms for many decades – which is how we ended up with both the lateral clutch and the tilting pinion systems – and Richard Mille's new movement uses two separate driving systems, in the form of two separate tilting pinions, for the chronograph seconds and minutes, which in the new caliber draw energy from different parts of the movement.
The CRMC-1 uses the double tilting pinion system to divide the load. The chronograph seconds hand is still driven by the going train's fourth wheel; however, the chronograph minute hand is driven by a wheel in the motion works. The motion works drive the hour and minute hands of the watch and are geared to the mainspring barrel and are therefore out of the power flow to the fourth wheel, escape wheel, lever, and balance. Of course, a second clutch system adds another frictional load, however, as the motion works are driven directly by the rotation of the mainspring barrel, the amount of actual power loss is probably negligible.
Simply because the prices asked are so stratospheric, it's difficult to talk about and evaluate Richard Mille watches without engaging somewhat with the question, "Is it worth it?" although, in this context, I am always reminded of the old saw that if you want a Lamborghini and you can really afford one, the question is not "Is it worth it?" but rather, "What color?" So it is with Richard Mille. At a starting price of $188,000 for the titanium model, its target audience is clearly one for whom ordinary price and value reckonings are unimportant, and what you do get with RM (and this has been true for many years) is indisputably a unique combination of technical watchmaking, case technology, and movement suspension technology (there is no denying that RM has class-leading antishock technology at its disposal; few brand owners would be comfortable demonstrating the shock resistance of one of its tourbillon watches by throwing it on the floor, as Richard Mille has done, to say nothing of strapping one to the wrist of one of the most powerful tennis players ever to come down the pike) in combination with an undeniably unique design and a very powerful throw-weight of socioeconomic prestige. (The eagle-eyed James Stacey pointed out to me, by the way, that the numerals on the dial are 3, 8, and 11 and that in the Bible, Genesis Chapter 3, verses 8-11 are God asking Adam and Eve if they ate the Apple ... one wonders if RM is making a subtle, self-aware comment about the brand's appeal to the well-heeled sybarites amongst us!)
I've been following the brand ever since its very beginnings, and something funny has happened over the last couple of decades – Richard Mille's design language has started to increasingly seem to have defined its own form of post-modern classicism. It is an inevitable feature of successful revolutions, I suppose, that they tend to become institutions, but this new movement seems to show that the company enjoys the game for its own sake as much as ever, and adds an interesting and thoughtful new dimension to watchmaking at Richard Mille.
The Richard Mille RM 72-01 Lifestyle Flyback Chronograph: case, available in black or white ceramic, titanium, or 5N red gold with matching crown and pushers; dimensions, 38.40mm x 47.34mm x 11.68mm, 30-meter water resistance. Three-part case construction secured by five-spline RM screws; sapphire crystals front and back. Movement, RM caliber CRMC-1, flyback chronograph with seconds, minutes, and 24-hour totalizers, with column-wheel control system and double tilting pinion clutch system. Function indicator to show the position of the crown, and semi-instantaneous date. Frequency, 28,800 vph, running in 39 jewels with cupro-beryllium freesprung adjustable mass balance and fast-rotating mainspring barrel; power reserve 50 hours. Automatic winding system with platinum rotor running in ceramic bearings. Starting price, $188,000; for more, visit RichardMille.com.
The tourbillon nowadays can sometimes seem very divorced from its original purpose, which was to improve accuracy. For most of its history, it was a troublesome mechanism to make. Because of the amount of extra energy it saps from the going train, making tourbillons was something which, after their invention by Breguet at the dawn of the 19th century, few bothered with unless they were obsessed with creating a technical tour de force of some sort, or in exploring the degree to which the tourbillon really could show definite improvements in performance that were actually due to the tourbillon itself, and which were not to some degree – perhaps mostly – due to the great care that had to be taken in making one.
That said, pocket tourbillons often turned in superlative numbers at the observatory time trials, although it was even less clear that they delivered on their theoretical promise in wristwatches. Prior to the post-quartz crisis mechanical renaissance, tourbillon wristwatches were made in vanishingly small numbers, largely as chronometric test-beds (from the likes of Omega and Patek Philippe), but since ticking and tocking began to really pick up again in Switzerland, the tourbillon has increasingly started to seem like a brilliant film actor who for some reason keeps turning in performances in high-budget, mega-salary, but artistically vapid crowd-pleasing blockbusters, rather than staying true to their art. Of course, being a starving artist gets old fast, and there is nothing wrong with tourbillons made to dazzle the eye and delight the mind with their ingenuity, but every once in a while, one yearns for a palate cleanser. Which is where the new flying tourbillon wristwatch from Glashütte Original comes in.
The new Glashütte Original Alfred Helwig Tourbillon 1920 is the tourbillon as most of us manifestly do not remember it, at least not from personal experience of a new tourbillon wristwatch in this our age of the Tourbillon As Three-Ring Circus. It is perhaps most notable for what it does not have – no multi-axis shenanigans; no chains nor yet any fusées; no opening in the dial to allow you to appreciate its gyrations without undergoing the inconvenience of taking your watch off your wrist; it is not skeletonized; it is not a mystery tourbillon, oscillating away with no apparent driving mechanism; it is not dragging along with it a cornucopia of other complications. The Alfred Helwig Tourbillon 1920, in fact, is such a pure example of the tourbillon wristwatch as to almost constitute a rebuke to the last three decades of tourbillon design, including some of the tourbillons produced by Glashütte Original itself. If you did not know for sure that it had been released in the midst of the mind-bendingly chaotic global exercise in Theater Of The Absurd that is 2020, you could in fact easily be convinced that it was produced sometime in the mid-20th century (except for the fact that nobody was making tourbillons in Glashütte in the 1950s – at least, I don't think anyone was, although I could be wrong – who knows what secret project some frustrated watchmaker might have been tinkering with at home to cleanse his own palate of the taste of collectivized watchmaking) and intended not as a luxury divertimento, but as a serious-as-a-stroke experiment in cutting-edge precision horology.
The watch overall is a classicist's classic. The only hint it is anything other than a very nicely made 40mm x 11.60mm rose-gold wristwatch with small seconds is the legend "tourbillon" on the dial, which is made of silver-plated gold, with a sunken small seconds sub-dial, stick hands, and applied gold markers. As with the observatory pocket and wristwatch tourbillons of yore, the real point of the watch is what's under the hood.
Now, there may arise the natural question in the minds of some readers, especially those not conversant with some of the finer points of tourbillon construction and history, of who Alfred Helwig was and what is so special about the year 1920 – which, after all, was a pretty big year, giving us everything from the great Spanish Flu pandemic to the Treaty Of Versailles to ... well, the list is long. It was also the year in which, after the abdication of King Frederick Augustus III of Saxony two years before, Saxony became the Free State Of Saxony under a new German constitution – and, of course, in Saxony are both the cosmopolitan city of Dresden and, nearby, the little village of Glashütte which was, in defiance of its diminutive size, one of the great centers of watchmaking in Germany. Glashütte was the home of the German Watchmaking School, Glashütte, and one of its brightest lights was Alfred Helwig, professor and technical director, who taught there from 1913 to 1954 and who would train some 800 apprentice watchmakers.
Helwig's primary interests, unsurprisingly, were precision horology in general and the fine adjustment of watches for precision in particular, but today, he is best remembered as the inventor, in 1920, of the flying tourbillon (fliegende tourbillon). There had been, prior to his invention, at least one known watch, by Robert Benson North, which fits the technical definition of a flying tourbillon but it was Helwig who created, independently as far as I have been able to tell, the version of the flying tourbillon which defines the mechanism today.
The flying tourbillon carriage of the hand-wound caliber 54-01 in the Alfred Helwig Tourbillon 1920.
The movement for the Alfred Helwig Tourbillon 1920 is the hand-wound caliber 54-01, which is 32mm x 6mm, with a pillar-and-plate construction. It runs at 21,600 vph (a rate common to many modern tourbillons) in 20 jewels, plus two diamond end-stones for the balance. Often, Glashütte Original's tourbillons have been self-winding, and it's quite wonderful to see someone producing a high-grade, hand-wound tourbillon movement – call it old-fashioned or reactionary of me, but I have always felt that the tourbillon is most enjoyable taken solo, without so much as an automatic winding system. It simply feels more pure and true to the spirit of the mechanism (to me anyway).
A tourbillon is, as we've already mentioned, generally a most fragile mechanism. The tourbillon consists of a rotating cage or platform, within which is the regulating mechanism of the watch – that is, the escape wheel, lever, balance spring, and balance (this is assuming the tourbillon has a lever escapement; a tourbillon can be made with other escapements as well, including the chronometer detent escapement). Breguet's invention was originally intended to address the issue of varying rates in the vertical positions in a pocket watch; by setting the regulating components rotating in the vertical plane of the watch (when worn upright in a pocket), a single average rate for the vertical positions would be produced. The cage, for maximum stability, is generally supported by the movement plate on one side, and an upper bridge on the other. Helwig's invention did away with the upper bridge, and the result was not only a tourbillon that could in theory be flatter than the traditional construction, but also afforded an unobstructed view of the cage itself.
Whether or not this specifically was at least in part Helwig's motivation for creating the flying tourbillon, I don't know; I suspect the answer may be buried in the pages of the epic and comprehensive Das Tourbillon, by Reinhard Meis. I'm not sure how many flying tourbillon watches Helwig completed – the last time I consulted Das Tourbillon, I found only one, made by Helwig and Conrad Richter in 1920; however, I probably missed something, as a flying tourbillon made by Helwig and his colleague Woldemar Fleck, in 1931, came up for auction at Sotheby's in 2012. (It appears to be the same watch that appeared in 2004 at Barneby's – either that or Fleck and Helwig cranked out two of them in the same year, which seems unlikely, to put it mildly). They appear, in any case, to have been extremely rare in the period 1920 to 1960 at least, although the flying tourbillon has become a staple of modern fine watchmaking, where it is often used to achieve a flatter movement than would be possible with the traditional construction.
A question which sometimes arises is whether or not a tourbillon can be considered a complication proper. Generally, the term "complication" does not refer to regulating mechanisms such as the tourbillon or remontoire, but rather, to mechanisms which enable the watch to display additional information, such as the perpetual calendar or the Equation of Time. I used to be extremely doctrinaire about this (I'm talking 20-plus years ago when the term "modem burner" was being thrown around for forum posts that had actual, you know, pictures in them), but I have become perhaps less rigid and more philosophical over the years – so much so, in fact, that I felt no qualms about picking a tourbillon, time-only watch as my favorite complicated watch of the year, for which I was roundly and, I have to admit, justly scolded by a couple of readers.
This particular limited edition from Glashütte Original is, in almost every respect, a watch I think Helwig would have been delighted to see in direct lineage from his invention of 1920. It is one of the most dignified watches I have seen in a long, long time – you look at it, and all the committee-designed, marketing-department-driven design and technical decision-making of the last couple of decades seems to fall away, and you return to perhaps a more innocent but also purer time, when minute repeater gongs were still quenched in horse urine and the leisurely pursuit of real excellence was a bit more the stock-in-trade of so-called luxury watches than it sometimes seems to be today.
Okay, it is expensive (so what else is new) at $121,800 of your favorite dollars, but for that, you get a watch so immensely self-assured, you almost don't notice the Unpleasant Matter Of The Bill (almost). It does not signal wealth; rather, it signals that signaling about wealth is really something beneath its dignity, and it ought to be beneath yours too. It breathes the essence of a genteel, refined, and unostentatious lifestyle, redolent of battered vintage Bentleys looking in need of a paint job they will never get; large, rambling country estates going slightly to seed; complaining to your domestic partner of several decades in a reedy, irritated voice that the rabbits have gotten in amongst the cucumbers again; of sitting in sullen silence by the fire on Christmas morning while the relatives revel until you get everyone's attention, at about one or so, by shouting that the damned dog isn't going to walk itself. Laugh if you will, a man can dream. The only downer to me about the whole business is that this lovely, lovely watch, which finds pandering to transient tastes of any kind unworthy and irrelevant, is a limited edition. Something like this, I feel, ought to be made on a regular basis – if nothing else, to keep hands and eyes and minds sharp, and to remind the company, as much as its customers, where its philosophical, technical, and artistic centers of gravity really lie. Still, I had far rather have it as a limited edition than not have it at all.
The Glashütte Original Alfred Helwig 1920 Tourbillon 1920 Limited Edition: case, rose gold, 40mm x 11.60mm, 30 meters water resistant; dial, gold friction-plated with silver with applied hour markers; stick hands in rose gold; small seconds on the tourbillon carriage. Movement, caliber 54-01, pillar-and-plate construction hand-wound flying tourbillon, running at 21,600 vph in 20 jewels (plus two diamond endstones) with 100-hour power reserve. Helwig-type tourbillon cage; free-sprung adjustable mass balance with overcoil. Limited edition of 25 pieces world-wide; price, $121,800. For more, fly on over to Glashuette-Original.com.
Breguet, it will surprise probably no one to be reminded at this point in the global evolution of wristwatch connoisseurship, was born in Switzerland, but spent most of his working life (except for a brief interregnum when he returned to Switzerland to avoid the Reign of Terror) in France, and specifically in Paris, where his workshops were located at no. 39, Quai d'Horloge. You couldn't ask for a more central location; the building is on the Île de la Cité, which is not only at the heart of Paris, but also a natural island in the middle of the Seine, which has been occupied since at least the time of Julius Caesar, and on which there has been a palace since the Merovingian Dynasty. The Quai d'Horloge gets its name from an actual horloge, or clock – the Conciergerie Clock, which is on the corner of a building where the Quai d'Horloge forms an intersection with the Boulevard du Palais. The clock was installed in its earliest form in 1371 (it was the first and is the oldest public clock in Paris) and gets its name from the adjacent Conciergerie building, which has served several purposes, including functioning at one point as a prison. Originally, however, it was part of the Palais de la Cité complex – home to the kings of France from the sixth to the 14th century.
If you are receptive to the sentimental clarion call of history and romance, it is quite an experience to go to Paris and walk from the Conciergerie clock, along the Quai d'Horloge, to Number 39 and stand on the same street where Abraham-Louis Breguet once stood, looking at the company's former home (of course, Breguet is now headquartered in Switzerland, in the Vallée de Joux, but it is very moving to go back to where it all began). There are probably places in Paris too numerous to count where you can have similar experiences – there is hardly a cobblestone in the city that hasn't a hundred tales to tell and more – but the Quai d'Horloge for both Breguet fans in particular, and students of the history of horology in general, remains a unique and very special place.
It is also the inspiration for Breguet's latest version of its Classique Double Tourbillon, which was first introduced as a complication in 2006 and which has been a mainstay of Breguet's tourbillon offerings ever since.
The Breguet Double tourbillon is an unusual orbital tourbillon, in which the two tourbillon cages are mounted on the movement plate. The entire plate rotates in the watch case once every 12 hours, and the upper tourbillon bridge is blued along half its length, functioning as the hour hand. This is the first open dial version of the watch that I can recall seeing – there are two mainspring barrels located on the movement plate as well, which in other versions of the watch are hidden, but which in this one are covered with an elaborately finished Breguet "B." Each tourbillon has its own going train, and the two movement gear trains are laid out symmetrically. The output from the two tourbillons is averaged by a differential to produce a single average rate, which determines the speed of rotation of the movement and thus, the degree of movement of the hour and minute hands.
This is, make no mistake, a massive and imposing statement piece intended to spark conversations and elicit admiration while at the same time retaining some of the cosmopolitan grace and elegance that characterized so much of Breguet's work at its best. Breguet himself is certainly justly famed for the great care and restraint that he showed in both his dial designs and movement layouts – his aesthetic inclinations did not stop at the case but pervade every part of his watches – but he was not averse to celebrating complexity for its own sake either. His most celebrated watch, which is no. 160, the Grand Complication made for Marie Antoinette (but never delivered), is as frank a showpiece as horology has ever seen.
Hand-polishing the bevels of the "B," which acts as the upper bridge for the mainspring barrels.
I haven't had a chance to see or handle one of these in person (and given how low production is apt to be, I am not likely to), but the case is in platinum, and dimensions are 46mm x 16.80mm including the very highly domed box crystal. I am sure it will make its presence known on the wrist with all the joyful assertiveness of an Academy Awards winner on Oscar night, showing up at the Vanity Fair after party.
There is quite a tremendous amount of craft on display on the dial side of this watch and kinetic entertainment aplenty to spare but, when you turn it over, you get quite an unexpected treat. Normally, the back of watches of this sort is a rather dour place, at least in comparison to the miraculously microcosmic experience on offer on the dial side, with a large expanse of movement plate feeling perhaps a bit like a letdown after the upper side's pyrotechnics. In the Double Tourbillon Quai d'Horloge, however, there is a very charming, not to say impressive, surprise waiting for you.
The back (which is solid gold) is engraved with a scene straight out of the dawn of the 19th century – it is, in fact, the building at 39 Quai d'Horloge, but as it would have appeared in Breguet's time. The engraving is extremely detailed, down to the texture of the very bricks and the faint haze hanging, in a climatologically correct fashion, in the sky. According to Breguet, the gold color of the wheels visible through the various cut-outs is meant to give the effect of candlelight at dusk, and well, why not; I can see that. There is even a seated figure looking out of one of the lower windows, which you can find if you are patient and look carefully for a moment or two. You'll recall that the entire movement rotates but the back plate does not, which means that the visible wheels are ones that do not rotate along with the rest of the movement. Upon consideration, you will realize this means they can only be part of the keyless works for winding and setting, and indeed, this is the case. While I feel that perhaps there is a missed opportunity here to have a little automaton figure of Breguet visible in one of the windows as well (possibly penning a polite but clearly annoyed letter to one of his royal patrons about the amount in which their account is in arrears), the engraving is just as beautiful, and probably more dignified, without it.
At $631,000 (not a limited edition, but as you will not be surprised to read, very limited production), this is obviously for the avid horological enthusiast with a taste for drama and the financial means to create as much drama as they wish, but it is not, I think, your typical showpiece. Certainly, it's an impressive watch, and one intended to make an impression on a lot of levels, but it's not the sort of universal token of affluence you have in, say, a Richard Mille, or of insider access (and affluence) that you have in a Tiffany-dial Patek 5711. It is instead, I think, for someone (leaving aside issues of cost) who is not only a genuine Breguet enthusiast, but also someone very much in love with what the name represents, which is a history of beauty and innovation in watchmaking matched by few other brands, and a singular and remarkable heritage. If you've got north of half a million to spend on a wristwatch, there are any number of boutiques out there willing to dig in the office fridge for the good champagne when you walk in the door; you have, to put it mildly, options. A buyer of one of these, it seems to me, is probably much more interested in pleasing their own tastes (albeit they also clearly want to show those tastes off) than in getting lots of slack-jawed likes on Instagram.
The Breguet Classique Double Tourbillon 5345 Quai d'Horloge: case, platinum with coin-edge case middle and box crystal; 46mm x 16.8mm. Water resistance not provided by Breguet, but if you want to take a dip in the blood-warm waters of the Med with yours on, who am I to call foul (although you may damage the strap, which is decorated with a pattern of actual slate, applied by pressing the adhesive treated strap onto a sheet of the mineral). Movement, Breguet caliber 588N, double tourbillon with 12-hour orbital period, beating at 2.5 Hz and running in 81 jewels; differential for averaging the rate; Breguet overcoil balance springs; double mainspring barrels with Breguet "B" upper bridges. Adjusted to six positions. Price, $631,000; for more info, visit Breguet.com.
The history of watchmaking changed for good on October 25, 1960. That was the date the storied New York watchmaker Bulova introduced a new kind of wristwatch at the Baselworld fair in Switzerland, one powered by high-tech electronics that emitted an audible hum to the tune of F-sharp and offered unprecedented levels of accuracy. It was called ACCUTRON, and it was an immediate sensation.
Sixty years after its debut, ACCUTRON returns, and it now stands alone as its own brand. The next generation of ACCUTRON once again introduces a new type of watchmaking technology for the wrist, this time courtesy of a first-of-its-kind, proprietary electrostatic drive system. First teased last year at Baselworld, and officially announced earlier this year, we're thrilled to introduce the ACCUTRON brand into the HODINKEE Shop today, in the form of a limited-edition box set.
Available now with delivery slated for October 2020, this deluxe edition is limited to 300 pieces and comes with an exclusive new take on the famous ACCUTRON Spaceview. The watch is delivered inside special packaging that includes a new hardcopy book from Assouline called ACCUTRON: From The Space Age To The Digital Age, which is written – and, as part of the box sets sold in the HODINKEE Shop, signed – by HODINKEE Editor-in-Chief Jack Forster. You can purchase yours right here, or read on to learn more about the history of ACCUTRON and how the new-for-2020 ACCUTRON has transformed the former watchmaking revelation for the 21st century.
A Brief History Of ACCUTRON
The ACCUTRON name – which stands for "accuracy through electronics" – is one of the most recognized in all of watch history. Although the original ACCUTRON timepieces were only produced for a short 17 years, the watches became a cultural touchstone for many, synonymous with 1960s design and technology. It influenced the inside-out appearance of the Centre Pompidou in Paris; it appeared in an episode of the award-winning 2010s television series Mad Men, as a representative of a certain epoch in advertising; and it has served as an object of fascination for watch collectors for 60 years.
Some of the most famous men of the 1960s and '70s era wore ACCUTRON watches – Elvis Presley, Joe DiMaggio, George Foreman, among many more. ACCUTRON technology made it to the Moon, and the wristwatches were a favorite of the U.S. Army's most recent five-star General. The ACCUTRON Astronaut model was even the wristwatch chosen by the CIA for use by the pilots of the A-12 spy plane in the 1960s, still the fastest plane ever made. One of the first wristwatches approved for use on the U.S. railroads was indeed an ACCUTRON (pocket watches were considered the only timepieces accurate enough to be "railroad-grade" at that point in time). ACCUTRON even made it all the way to the White House. President Lyndon B. Johnson made ACCUTRON wristwatches the official state gift for visiting dignitaries in 1964, and soon after, ACCUTRON clocks were officially installed on Air Force One.
ACCUTRON technology was found in a wide range of Bulova timepieces throughout the 1960s and '70s, including inside this 1974 dive watch that recently sold in the HODINKEE Shop.
What was it that made ACCUTRON timepieces so significant during their lifetime that the curiosity surrounding them has lasted until today? First, there was the groundbreaking electromagnetic movement inside, which utilized a tuning fork-shaped oscillator that hummed at a remarkable 360Hz and made the ACCUTRON one of the most accurate timepieces on the planet – with a stated deviation of less than one minute per month – and ensured an unprecedented smooth sweep of the central seconds hand.
There was also the remarkable appearance of the ACCUTRON Spaceview, which opened up the watch's dial for a full view of the electromagnetic mechanism inside, equipped with a memorable green baseplate, dual copper wire drive coils, and, of course, the essential tuning fork transistor. For a world of watch wearers used to conventional, balance wheel-equipped mechanics and overly sober dressy designs, the ACCUTRON was a deliberate shock to the system that changed how people lived with and wore their timepieces. Very few watches can say they impacted people's relationship with timekeeping in as much of a substantial manner as the original ACCUTRON.
There had been clocks and watches that utilized electronic components before ACCUTRON (notably, the Hamilton Electric in the 1950s). There had even been timepieces that experimented with the potential of a tuning fork-based oscillator (a patent was granted to a descendant of Abraham-Louis Breguet in 1866, believe it or not). But the difference between those and ACCUTRON was simple. Not only did ACCUTRON work extremely well with a high level of quality control, but it could also be mass-produced to reach consumer demand. It's said that it took Bulova nearly a decade of research and development before the ACCUTRON was ready to be brought to market, largely thanks to the work of two engineers, one Swiss and one American, named Max Hetzel and William O. Bennett.
Their approach was focused on the miniaturization of the tuning fork, and the components surrounding it, to where it could be applicable inside of a wristwatch. Hetzel and Bennett eventually succeeded by developing an innovative system that attached a pawl and a jewel to the end of one of the tuning fork arms, which would then push the teeth of an index wheel forward, powering the watch as a whole. This was all the result of micro-engineering on a nearly incomprehensible scale; in fact, a number of ACCUTRON components were invisible to the naked eye.
The Bulova ACCUTRON was released commercially in 1960, and it was a nearly instantaneous success – but it wasn't until after the initial announcement that the famous Spaceview variant would be officially released. Officially being the operative word here, as the Spaceview was originally intended as a display sample for retailers to illustrate how the ACCUTRON technology worked for potential buyers. Those customers promptly took to the exposed display, and Bulova acquiesced to the public demand, placing the Spaceview into immediate production. Today, the Spaceview is the best-known and most desired example of ACCUTRON technology, which is why, when Bulova was acquired by Japan's Citizen Watch Co. in 2008, the Spaceview formed the foundation of the organization's future plans for the ACCUTRON name.
The ACCUTRON Spaceview 2020 Limited Edition
The original ACCUTRON has become a collectors' item not only for watch lovers, but also for anyone that is susceptible to 1960s nostalgia. However, there are a few key factors that have kept those interested in vintage ACCUTRON watches from acquiring them – most significantly, the upkeep required to maintain the former electromagnetic technology. Spare parts – not to mention the knowledge needed to repair a vintage ACCUTRON movement – are hard to come by. There simply aren't enough watchmakers with the ability to restore these early ACCUTRON examples, which makes owning one a generally time-consuming and expensive proposition. The ACCUTRON Spaceview 2020 allows a new generation of watch enthusiasts the chance to experience and appreciate ACCUTRON's unique approach to watchmaking, however, there are a number of details that differentiate today's ACCUTRON with the one of the past.
For one thing, the ACCUTRON Spaceview 2020 features a brand-new type of movement that was developed over a decade, that incorporates elements of quartz and automatic timekeeping through a new electrostatic drive system. Just like the original ACCUTRON, today's watch does away with the mainspring and gear train of a mechanical timepiece, and it doesn't feature a battery cell like a quartz watch either. Instead, it utilizes a set of twin induction turbines in the lower half of the dial that form an electrostatic drive system that acts as a generator.
Much like a self-winding mechanical watch, the turbines rotate as a result of movement from the watch's wearer. However, they differ from your conventional automatic watch in that the turbines are connected to a pair of integrated electrode conductors fixed to the movement that generate energy through static electricity that is stored in an accumulator. The accumulator then disperses the stored energy to two separate motors: an electrostatic one that controls the central seconds hand (which sweeps in a seamless fashion, just like the original ACCUTRON), and a stepper motor similar to a conventional quartz movement that engages the hour and minute hands. Although you cannot wind the new-generation model by hand, ACCUTRON does guarantee precision up to +/- five seconds per month – a figure significantly more accurate than any mechanical watch, and more accurate than most conventional quartz-powered timepieces.
The ACCUTRON Spaceview 2020 also features a unique power-saving mode. After five minutes of rest, the red seconds hand will stop at 12 o'clock, while the hour and minute hands continue to indicate the passing time. After 10 days of zero motion, the hands stop completely, and the watch enters an energy conservation period that can be interrupted by simply putting the watch back on your wrist; your gradual motion will restart the electrostatic drive system. This is a watch meant to be worn and appreciated, just like the original ACCUTRON watches of the 1960s.
The new ACCUTRON Spaceview 2020 Limited Edition has an appearance that clearly mirrors the design panache of its 1960s predecessor – with a chapter ring and baseplate in an identical shade of green, familiar copper wiring that is connected to the stepper motor, and a bold visual language. Just like it did in the 1960s, the ACCUTRON Spaceview 2020 feels very much like an avant-garde approach to industrial design – everything that is necessary is here, nothing inessential is present (including the dial), but its appearance feels experimental and unlike any other new watch available today. The case profile has changed over time, though, as the new ACCUTRON has a fully polished round profile in 316L stainless steel with straight lugs and prominent dimensions of 43.5mm in diameter and a thickness of 15.41mm. The domed crystal is made of sapphire, while the caseback is closed and decorated with the ACCUTRON tuning fork logo in relief.
Only 300 pieces of the ACCUTRON Spaceview 2020 Limited Edition will be produced, and we've secured a small allocation for HODINKEE Shop customers. Each of the 300 pieces is individually numbered and comes on a leather strap with green stitching that matches the green accents on the dial. The ACCUTRON Spaceview 2020 Limited Edition is delivered as part of a commemorative box set, with a wooden carrying case and a copy of ACCUTRON: From The Space Age To The Digital Age, a brand-new coffee table book from Assouline written by HODINKEE Editor-in-Chief Jack Forster, with a foreword by the industrial designer Carl Gustav Magnusson.
Jack has been kind enough to sign the copies of all books included in the limited-edition sets available through the HODINKEE Shop. The ACCUTRON Spaceview 2020 Limited Edition Deluxe Box Set is available now for $4,000, with delivery next month, October 2020. It comes with a five-year warranty from ACCUTRON, plus an additional year from the HODINKEE Shop, for a total of six years of coverage.
Additional unsigned copies of ACCUTRON: From The Space Age To The Digital Age can also be purchased today for $75 right here, with immediate delivery.
Discover The New ACCUTRON Spaceview In The HODINKEE Shop
It's a fair assumption that most watch enthusiasts have, at one time in their collecting journey, marveled at the history and technology behind ACCUTRON. The original models were a revelation for the watch-wearing public in 1960, thanks to their blend of new-age technology and space-age aesthetics. And, in 2020, 60 years after it first debuted, ACCUTRON has made a triumphant return, with a new approach that carries its signature, innovative attributes into the 21st century.
You can learn more about the new ACCUTRON Spaceview 2020 and purchase yours right here.
It might not be as familiar amongst Japanese, but GMT watches are popular in Europe and the U.S., where people regularly travel across multiple time zones. I began traveling internationally often after I got into the watch industry, and I've been lusting for a few particular GMT watches for their useful functions ever since. Of those pieces, the Slim d'Hermès GMT really spoke to me (it's been a HODINKEE favorite as well, and we even made a collaboration model in 2018).
Once you start looking for a GMT watch, you will realize the choices are not nearly as endless as you might think. Some of the major players are the Rolex GMT-Master II, a few models from Grand Seiko, the Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean, and the TAG Heuer Aquaracer GMT. The vast majority of GMT watches use a designated hand and 24-hour markers on the bezel or dial to indicate the second time zone, and although that provides a good legibility, the rebel inside of me isn't entirely happy with its straight-forward/literal design.
And here comes Hermès, not interested in the ordinary execution of a GMT display that other brands would do. If you just glance at the photo below, you might not be able to understand how the watch is indicating the second time zone. You might be thinking, "I see the sub-dial at 10 o'clock possibly doing that, but how am I supposed to read it?" I won't go into details as the Slim d'Hermès GMT itself debuted in 2018, and its basic design and structure remain unchanged, but the basic idea is that the small hour hand always points at the correct hour, although the layout of the sub-dial indices are unconventional. You, as the owner alone, have the privilege of knowing how to read the watch, and the maison is showing off its creativity with this special design. The legibility and usability come first for a typical watch-specific manufacturer more often than not (which not a bad thing), and this is very Hermès in the best possible way.
The watch doesn't carry the word "slim" in its name for nothing. It is extremely thin despite the complications inside, and the curvature of the case profile is simply breathtaking. The alligator strap, which is obviously produced by the brand, extends from the slender lugs. And this matte-finished leather strap in the color named "Bleu Abyss" creates a beautiful contrast with the highly polished 18K rose-gold case.
Now, these details are just a prelude in the eyes of Hermès. "A beautiful object must not betray its primary function" being its philosophy, the fusion between function and design is the heart of this watch.
From the functionality point of view, the highlight of this watch is the GMT feature. Hats off to the brand's technical capabilities for putting a GMT complication into this slim design. The combination of the in-house movement Cal. H1950, which is produced by Vaucher (25% owned by the maison), and the 1.4mm-thick GMT module developed by Agenhor, which specializes in high-end movement manufacturing, isn't something you see every day in the world of horology.
However, the real strength of Hermès is that it fused the function with the brand's design language and denied the typical "GMT watch face" as we discussed earlier. When you look up the phrase "functional beauty" in a (Japanese) dictionary, the description would read something like, "the beauty that derives naturally through pursuing the essential form and structure without unnecessary decollations in architecture, industrial products, etc." It is as if the definition was made of this watch. The entire watch, especially the dial design that is completely different from typical watches out there, is indeed highly legible in real life, and there is a sense of order in the design for the functions the watch carries.
The sub-dial for the second time-zone display is larger, and the black Arabic indices are placed against a white background. The font for the subdial was designed by Philippe Apeloig and is shared across all numerals on the dial, but the numbers are placed as if they were dropped in randomly. While the GMT function is the main attraction here, and it does stand out, the calendar sub-dial features a unique grain-finish, and the center part of the main dial is finished with a circular pattern. Although the dial is in a single tone of navy save for one sub-dial, it successfully creates a tasteful contrast. There is a balance across the entire dial instead of the GMT display just dominating it, and I think that is a part of the functional beauty that Hermès sees.
What is the necessity of Hermès producing its own wristwatches? The company has been manufacturing watches for a long time, going all the way back to the 1920s. It was producing pocket watches back then, and in 1978, the company founded La Montre Hermès SA in Biel, Switzerland, which was dedicated for watchmaking. There are other maison brands producing watches, but Hermès has an impressive resume that might even beat some of the watch-specific brands out there. I hypothesize that, in the company's long history, it realized that an ideal creation could only happen when you create it yourself. And in the watch world, where the movement often dictates the design of the dial, maybe that realization led Hermès to produce its own movement to achieve the functional beauty that it idealizes. Hermès isn't known for being open about this type of backstories, but I'm not giving up on finding out more in the near future.
If you haven't noticed, I am very much attracted to this watch. Sadly, sometimes someone you fall in love with might just be out of your league. Although fully justified with its solid gold case, the price tag of well over ¥200,000 is a bit too much of a GMT for me as I've been utility-driven when it comes to my personal watches; I think my journey of a GMT watch search must go on a little longer. At least traveling abroad isn't the thing nowadays, so I have time.
The Hermès Slim d'Hermès GMT Rose Gold: 39.5mm case diameter, 9.48mm thick; 18K rose gold case with display case back. Movement: Cal. H1950, 3Hz (21,600 vph), automatic with 42-hour power reserve. Functions: hours, minutes, date display, GMT. 3 ATM water resistance. Bleu Abyss alligator strap. Price: $19,675.
Cast your mind, if you can, back to the last century, to an era when quartz watches were in their ascendancy and during which they represented the last word in portable timekeeping technology. Quartz watches had evolved with lightning-like rapidity from the early days when they had, more or less, aped mechanical watches. They developed a design vocabulary which was all their own and which celebrated the apparently limitless potential of the new technology. Calculator watches and multifunction LED and LCD watches put complications on the wrist which would have been unthinkable just a few decades before. Not only did such watches offer accuracy and functionality, the technology itself was cool and something to be celebrated. Still, the basic visual display of time had its intuitive appeal, and a whole class of watches appeared with hybrid LCDs that mimicked, to a greater or lesser degree, the analog display of time. James Bond wore one such watch in the 1983 film Octopussy (a name so dumb I remember, despite being a James Bond fan, ashamed of myself for going to see it; I still cringe when I type it), and Casio had its Twin Graph. Not to be outdone, Timex had its LCA (Liquid Crystal Analog) watch, with its distinctive, pre-Indiglo amber side-light. Today, Timex has officially announced (although images have been circulating for several weeks now) that its own Q branch has reissued the LCA, as – well, as the Q Timex Reissue Digital LCA.
A liquid crystal display consists of a kind of sandwich – there's a transparent front, with the liquid crystal panel underneath, and a reflective surface behind (liquid crystal displays don't produce any light, so you need a light-colored background or, if it's dark out, some kind of additional illumination). The liquid crystals change their orientation when current's applied, which alters their transparency. The advantage of an LCD over a true analog quartz watch or an LED (light-emitting diode) watch is that it uses a lot less power than an LED and can display a lot more information simultaneously than an analog quartz watch, and for that reason, it's the display technology of choice for multifunction quartz watches, and has been for many years.
Despite being a sub-$200 watch, the Digital LCA is of pleasantly good quality. The stainless steel case sports alternating brushed and polished surfaces that would do credit to a luxury steel sports watch, and the printing on the dial, as well as on the "chrono-timer-alarm" lettering, is crisp and well-executed even under close examination. The watch has dual-time functionality. It can, in fact, function as a chronograph, countdown timer, and alarm watch (the alarm in the sample furnished by Timex has a pleasantly loud chirp, enough to wake you up as long as you're not a terribly heavy sleeper or in an environment with a lot of ambient background noise), and I got a feeling overall of quite nice execution. The analog display has hour, minute, and seconds hands, and the seconds hand jumps forward at one-second intervals, updating in synchrony with the digital seconds below it. There is a date display, as well. It's a fairly small and rather thin watch – you get the feeling that, in the 1980s, there was still a lingering sense left over from, first, mechanical watchmaking, and then from the ultra-thin quartz watch wars of the late 1970s, that thin meant quality (although, by the time the original LCA came out, the G-Shock was waiting in the wings to turn that notion on its head).
The case is just 32.5mm square and 9mm thick, with a lug width of 20mm and 30M water resistance; there is a gold-tone model as well. If you have any experience with multifunction LCD watches, you will find setting and operating this one fairly intuitive; I was able to set it, and go through the various functions, without needing to consult the manual (helped along by the clearly labeled pushers).
The bracelet, as well, very much has a vintage feel. It's quite thin, with brushed links and black-tone interlinks (which look and feel as if they're coated with some sort of elastomer; it's a bit hard to tell) which serve to carry the black-and-silver color scheme of the watch head through the rest of the watch as well. There is also, for better or worse, a very vintage-style adjustable clasp – it is a bit fiddly to adjust. The part of the clasp which receives the folding element can be moved up and down the bracelet, but you have to be careful – you release it by inserting the blade of a small screwdriver into the locking element, prying it up, sliding it to the desired position on the bracelet, and then pressing the locking element back down again. You have to be rather careful doing this, however – the moveable part of the clasp, and the folding element inside it, are made of pretty thin metal, and it takes a bit of pressure to lock the whole thing into place again after you have moved it, so you want to make sure that it's positioned correctly, as it is designed to lock on one of the smaller interlinks. If you try and force it to lock on one of the main links, you will bend and possibly break it if you apply too much force. This sort of bracelet would probably elicit howls of rage if it came out today as a new design – bracelet design has come a long way since the 1970s and 1980s, and it feels by modern standards, undeniably a bit flimsy. However, it definitely feels period correct, and I think in this case the overall slightly fussy nature of the bracelet is, insofar as it matches the watch, a feature, not a bug.
Also a feature, not a bug, is the hilariously inadequate side-light. Now, you gotta be fair about this; the side-light in the original was hilariously inadequate as well, first of all, and secondly, it does allow you to read the time in the dark, with a little effort. The problem then and now is that, thanks to its position, it brilliantly illuminates the date and the function indicator and leaves the rest of the display – well, not in total darkness, but certainly much less brightly lit. You feel it would be better positioned on the other side of the case. It's a bit as if you were watching a play in a darkened theater and, for some reason, the only light on stage was a follow-spot on a pot of begonias on a side table while, in the relative darkness around it, a marriage is noisily unraveling or a murder being plotted. However, it does the job – albeit, it seems more designed for the person who is seized by a nocturnal panic at having forgotten the date, rather than for someone wondering what time it is – and, as with the bracelet, its idiosyncrasies are part of the charm.
The appeal of watches like this is, indeed, all about the faithfulness with which the idiosyncratic details of the original are reproduced, and for anyone who thought LCDs were the bee's knees in the 1980s (even the name is cool. Say it aloud: "liquid crystal display." What even is a liquid crystal? How can a crystal be liquid? What dark magic is this?), this watch is a veritable Proustian madeleine. It reproduces, with great exactness, the tactile and visual experience of the original which, if you are susceptible to its charms at all, gives it the ability to produce a wave of nostalgia that, in its power and authenticity, is out of all proportion to the cost of the watch. Comes in a very nice box, as well, by the way. I enjoyed this one quite a bit, and if you remember shrinking into your seat with irritation at the name of the movie Octopussy, while at the same time thinking Bond's watch was pretty darned neat, you might enjoy it a lot too.
The Q Timex Digital LCA Reissue: just what it says on the tin. Case, stainless steel or gold-tone stainless steel, 32.7mm x 9mm, 20mm lug width; 30M water resistance. Multifunction quartz LCD with LED side-light; dual-time, date, 60-minute countdown timer, and alarm. Price, just $149 smackeroos; find out more at timex.com.
It's Wednesday morning, which means another batch of vintage watches has just arrived in the HODINKEE Shop. This week, we have a diverse selection of timepieces, with a few common threads tying them together. There are a number of sport watches with beautiful patina, a pair of dress watches that represent two-thirds of watchmaking's "Holy Trinity," and a few chronographs with some classic – and other not-so-common – designs. Enjoy!
1950s Audemars Piguet 'Oversized' Ref. 5072 With Small Signature
This Audemars Piguet ref. 5072 is downright stunning! From the 37mm 18k gold case to the heavily modified Valjoux-based movement inside, this watch is the real deal. Audemars Piguet typically saved the Valjoux 13-ligne base caliber for its more complicated watches, but occasionally made some classical time-only examples with it. Audemars Piguet built a few different time-only variations over the years with this base movement. There were some with small seconds at six o'clock, others with a special button for hacking seconds at nine o'clock, and more still with a central seconds hand, just like the watch we have here today. These central seconds examples of the ref. 5072 are rarely available on the market, and they make an excellent addition to any well-considered collection.
1969 Omega Seamaster 'Soccer Timer' Ref. 145.020
Omega is known for its chronographs, and beyond the many well-known Speedmaster Professional variations, there are some others from different collections with specialized functionality that have largely flown under-the-radar. The Seamaster "Soccer Timer" chronograph is one such watch, and the example we have today is in beautiful, minty condition. First released in the 1960s, the Seamaster "Soccer Timer" features the manually wound caliber 861, the same movement found in many vintage Speedmaster Professional models. Omega made a few different variations of the Soccer Timer, and the model we have here features a white dial with red and black accents. The watch earned its nickname for its sporty functionality, which allows its wearer to measure the elapsed time in a soccer match; take note of the 45-minute marker at the bottom of the chronograph minutes counter, which splits the 90-minute time of a regulation match in half. The Omega Seamaster "Soccer Timer" is a bold, attractive, and sporty watch – something you definitely won't see every day.
1975 Patek Philippe 'Grand Ellipse' Ref. 3589 With Sigma Dial
Patek Philippe introduced the first Ellipse timepiece in 1968, and has created some iteration of it ever since. When the original Ellipse was released, it was something completely unexpected for the Swiss brand, especially when compared to the more traditional watch case shapes for which the brand is known. The example we have today is the "Grand Ellipse" that came out in 1970. It features the familiar Ellipse-style case, with a thicker border, giving this reference a look entirely its own. This is a classic example, with the iconic blue dial that many Patek Philippe Ellipse models feature. The blue dial is actually made of gold, and Patek Philippe uses a special chemical process to turn it the beautiful shade of blue you see above.
The Full Set
In addition to the three highlights above, we have a classic Rolex Oyster Perpetual Date with a blue "Mosaic" dial from 1971, an attractive Gallet MultiChron 45 from the 1960s, a handsome Tudor Submariner Ref. 7928 from 1965 with killer patina, a funky Titoni Race King Chronograph from the 1970s in nearly new-old-stock condition, a great looking Rolex Oyster Perpetual ref. 5029 in two-tone, and an uncommon Donax diver from the 1960s with a Super-Compressor case.
To take a closer look at all the latest vintage-watch additions in the HODINKEE Shop, click here.
Let your mind take you back to the 1970s and the design elements that we today most associate with that period. Cushion cases, of course. Fumé dials, yes. And large, boxy applied markers were also of the time, and these elements have a way of evoking the period quite vividly.
About two years ago, I covered a cool, then-new version of the Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe with a distinctively retro '70s-style dial. Certain elements of the design called to mind an earlier version of the Bathyscaphe from the 1970s. But while the '70s Bathyscaphe sported a cushion-style case and an inner bezel, the watch from two years ago featured a more conventional round Bathyscaphe design with a dial that took inspiration from the Bathyscaphe of the '70s.
Today, we're introducing a watch that can be viewed as a followup to the Bathyscaphe Day Date '70s from two years ago. It's a limited edition of 500 pieces with a sandy-beige-colored dial and a matching sail canvas strap. And while it's no doubt a sharp-looking diver, there's a bit more to it than that.
The Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe Day Date Desert Edition has been created as a tribute of sorts to a 1962 dive in Death Valley's Devils Hole by the underwater photographer Ernest H. Brooks II. In diving the remote, geothermal, water-filled cavern, which stretches down more than 120 meters, Brooks photographed the endangered Devils Hole pupfish. Brooks, a pioneer in underwater photography, is also a contributor to the Edition Fifty Fathoms project.
Initial Thoughts
The original Bathyscaphe followed fairly quickly on the heels of the original Fifty Fathoms when, in 1956, then-Blancpain CEO Jean-Jacques Fiechter identified a need for smaller and more wearable dive watch. The original Fifty Fathoms had, after all, been developed with input from elite combat divers. When you look at the pared-down dimensions and design of the Bathyscaphe, it's easier to imagine enthusiasts and recreational divers wearing one. The Bathyscaphe has also proven itself particularly well-suited, as a design, to incorporating different colored dials and bezels. It's every bit a serious dive watch, but I get the sense that there is a bit more opportunity to experiment with Bathyscaphe tropes than those of the Fifty Fathoms. That's not to say that there have not been some boundary-pushing Fifty Fathoms – I'm thinking of the X Fathoms, for example – but the Bathyscaphe seems like a more natural proving ground for stylistic experimentation.
The sandy beige sunbrushed dial, which appears to have an element of smokiness thrown in, causing it to look darker around its periphery, is a great example of a retro-vintage dial matched with the sandy-beige strap and brown ceramic bezel. It differs from the Bathyscaphe Day Date '70s in that it is lighter all around, from the dial to the bezel and even the choice of strap. The hands are of the same boxy, syringe style, and the applied, luminous markers are the same too. One may wonder why the minutes on the bezel are repeated on the outer portion of the dial. This is the result of the '70s-era inner bezel construction that inspired this watch. Essentially, the five-minute markers around this version's dial would have been part of the rotating inner bezel on the older version.
I liked the look of the original version of this watch quite a bit, and I think that this desert-themed newcomer is arguably even more attractive. My only real cavil here comes down to the size. Faced with the choice between Blancpain's 38mm Bathyscaphes and the 43mm options, I feel the strong pull of the former.
The new Intra-Matic Automatic 38mm "Champagne" is the latest watch to result from the HODINKEE Shop's close relationship with Hamilton. For over two years, we've worked with the American-born, Swiss-based watchmaker to bring you a curated selection of the brand's classic models (such as the Khaki Field Mechanical), compelling new variants of those much-loved designs, and even a watch – or two – inspired by the blockbuster films in which Hamilton has recently appeared. However, nothing has made us more excited than today's release.
We worked closely with Hamilton to refine the design of one of its essential watches, the versatile and dressy Intra-Matic Automatic 38mm. We've long been a fan of this model for how it rests comfortably in between the worlds of vintage and modern watchmaking, with pared-down proportions and a less-is-more approach to design. Our creative collaboration fine-tunes this classic, resulting in a beautifully crafted dress watch that stands out with its subtle champagne dial with sunken hour markers, a slim 38mm × 10mm steel case, and an attractive price tag of $845. We think it's one of the best dress watch options anywhere for under $1,000 – and the HODINKEE Shop is the first place where you can purchase it.
The Hamilton Intra-Matic Automatic 38mm 'Champagne'
Hamilton has excelled, in recent years, at interpreting the essential elements of its classic watches in an attractive and approachable manner that appeals directly to enthusiast sensibilities. It's clear that Hamilton has not forgotten about its vintage catalog; rather, it's an intrinsic part of the company's identity that remains at the ready for contemporary adaptation. The new Hamilton Intra-Matic Automatic 38mm does exactly that, reviving one of the company's mid-century dress watches with a new, ebullient design in the customary affordable and wearable package.
The Hamilton Intra-Matic Automatic, like today's example, references the wristwatches produced during the company's final years in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. In 1965, Hamilton purchased Buren, a Swiss manufacturer which had developed and patented a unique automatic movement with a micro-rotor that permitted exceptional thinness. In its current form, the Intra-Matic rejoined the Hamilton catalog in 2012 as part of the company's American Classics series. It has largely remained the same, with slight aesthetic enhancements over the past eight years. Today, it receives its most significant update yet.
The new Hamilton Intra-Matic Automatic features a radiant dial with a rich champagne sheen and incised markers that punctuate the dial every hour, providing dimension and character. The engraving is slightly thicker at the four poles, giving the dial a natural balance and an attractive immediacy. The color of the dial is the clear highlight here; there was much debate among the HODINKEE Shop team about how best to describe it. You won't find the reddish tones seen on the "salmon"-colored dials that are so popular today. It's also not quite tan, nor beige, nor honey; instead, it has the glint of gold, with a slight, warm sparkle that catches the light – similar to the effervescent, pale glow of a crisp glass of bubbly. That's how we settled on "champagne" for the name, and like the beverage that inspired it, the new Hamilton Intra-Matic is both light in tone and weight, but immediately impactful in all other ways – to put it simply, this is a small, slim watch with a big and bright personality.
The rest of the dial features printed branding in black, notably including Hamilton's stylized vintage logo underneath 12 o'clock. The tapered, baton-style hour and minute hands indicate the time cleanly with their pointed, triangular tips. The minute hand even curves downward to match both the sloping of the dial at its periphery and the domed shape of the sapphire crystal. In classic dress-watch form, there is no hurried rush of a seconds hand, but less conventionally, there is a date window. Here, it takes the form of a subtly beveled aperture at six o'clock, with no effect on dial symmetry, and is surrounded by a neat black frame. It's a functional nod toward its intended daily use in today's smart-casual business environment; you might not always need to be on time to the exact second, but you had better know what date it is.
The 38mm stainless steel case comprises clean lines with angular lugs that slope downward to meet a supple brown leather strap. The strap is straightforward, with a grained texture, zero visible stitching, and a slight taper to the steel pin buckle. Its simplicity, however, belies its overall quality; this is one of the softest and most comfortable straps we've found on any watch under $1,000. The light, warm color of the dial and convenient 20mm lug width also means this watch will look great with any number of strap options. Try shell cordovan or crocodile leather if you want to kick the look up a notch over the upcoming holiday season. It would even go well with a leather NATO, just in case you want to relax your watch's appearance during warm-weather months.
The case measures 10mm in height, but wears even slimmer due to the domed sapphire crystal.
Every part of the case, from the rounded caseband to the barely-there bezel, is fully polished, giving it a refined character. The crown is signed with the Hamilton "H" logo and is easy to grip with its coin-edge finish. Overall, the Hamilton Intra-Matic Automatic wears a touch larger than its 38mm diameter indicates, thanks to the minimal bezel, the large dial expanse and long handset, and the trapezoidal lugs. Interestingly, at the same time, the watch wears even slimmer than its stated 10mm. The domed sapphire crystal adds an extra millimeter or two to the total measurement, resulting in a remarkably low-profile wrist presence that will seamlessly slide underneath any shirt sleeve or jacket cuff. It's an excellent mid-size case design fit for modern wrists, regardless of gender or age.
Visible through the exhibition caseback is the reliable and robust ETA 2892A2, a workhorse automatic caliber that has been used by Hamilton and a number of other prestigious Swiss watchmaking firms, at all price points, over the past two decades. It features an attractive Hamilton-branded oscillating weight that helps the watch efficiently attain up to 42 hours of running autonomy. The Intra-Matic Automatic can be hand-wound and features quick-set functionality for the date.
Although the Hamilton Intra-Matic has the form of a quintessential dress watch, we think it can be dressed up and down with ease to match any sort of outfit. It's the definition of a daily driver, with a versatile style that looks just as nice with a sweater and jeans as with a blazer. It can quickly translate from formal to casual wear, thanks to its simple, warm design that won't attract undue attention. However, we'll warn you now: Once the new Intra-Matic Automatic 38mm hits your wrist, it's a hard watch to take off.
Discover Your New Favorite Dress Watch In The HODINKEE Shop
Every day, we're faced with many choices, but choosing a quality dress watch this fall and winter shouldn't be one of them. Whether you're a dyed-in-the-wool fan of sport watches, have never owned a dress watch before, or are looking for a less precious – but just as nice-looking – alternative to the dress watches you already own, the new Hamilton Intra-Matic Automatic 38mm "Champagne" fits the bill. And if you're already the owner of a Hamilton Khaki Field Mechanical, we think the new Intra-Matic Automatic makes the perfect complement to its toolish charm; in fact, they might be the only pair of watches you ever need.
A new contender for the ultimate affordable "two-watch collection"?
You can learn more and purchase the new Hamilton Intra-Matic Automatic 38mm "Champagne" for $845 right here.
HourUniverse will be held on April 8-12, 2021 in Basel, Switzerland, at the site of the now-defunct Baselworld show, which had been held in Basel since 1931 (with earlier iterations of the show dating back to 1917). The new show is owned by the MCH Group, which owned and organized Baselworld. The dates were selected "in line with Geneva's watchmaking events," MCH said, referring to Watches & Wonders Geneva (formerly called SIHH) and an affiliated show involving Rolex, Patek Philippe, and several other top Swiss luxury brands.
The new show seeks "to build a global, varied and interconnected universe; to provide today's tools at the service of the entire watchmaking, jewelry and gems community, in the broadest sense of the term," according to the organizers.
HourUniverse isn't only a trade show, but also features a digital platform component that encourages inter-industry interaction throughout the year. The digital ecosystem will allow brands and organizations to share information, content, and conferences with live streaming functionality on the platform. The platform is designed to grow and improve with feedback from users. Part of the HourUniverse mission is facilitating "the transformation of a trade fair into a digital, global space, active throughout the year."
The five-day show is designed to "encourage informal exchanges and networking" in person. There will be thematic breakfasts, happy hour celebrations, after-show parties, and an opening and closing party. It takes place in Hall 1, the same location as the foregone Baselworld. According to the organizers, the run of show will include "open spaces, pop-up stores, pavilions, multiple experience zones, initiation workshops, themed exhibitions, collectors' corners and sales area, a forum with a program of conferences and debates streamed live available to brands and exhibitors, start-ups and suppliers of new technologies, to reflect on the major challenges and demands of the industry."
A more democratic pricing model will be implemented to offer more value and incentivize new players to participate. The pricing scheme has been "drastically adjusted to allow them a particularly competitive return on investment, 'investments à la carte,' adapted to their business, size, scope, expectations and needs. Similarly, the accommodation offered for exhibitors and visitors alike will be at guaranteed ultra-competitive prices without precedent."
The inclusive nature of the new show is also communicated in the show's tagline, "It's We Time."
The dates for the physical show have now been set, and more details about the digital platform and the show itself will be made available in February of 2021. In the meantime, visit HourUniverse to learn more.
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 Chris Williamson, Yiming Lu, Raymond Bock, Kelvin Duckett, and Shevy Smith.
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.
Chris Williamson And His Seiko Presage Cocktail Time
Chis, who is from Toronto, is passionate about both watches and cocktails – so when he found out about the Seiko Cocktail Time, he had to have it. He finds making cocktails calming and therapeutic, and that a glance at his watch can take him back to that moment. Cocktails, and the watch by extension, also remind him of his grandfather – and his penchant for martinis in particular.
A recent college graduate living in Atlanta, GA, Yiming wore a Mikey Mouse watch as a child and became more interested in watches as he gold older. He got this Tudor Black Bay Fifty-Eight for himself for his 21st birthday. He likes its robustness and versatility – and he hopes to have it on his wrist when he travels more of the world and explores the unknown.
Raymond is a biomedical science student in Johannesburg, South Africa. This Rotary Deluxe was a gift from his grandfather and has been well worn through the years. What makes it so special to Raymond is the hand engraving on the back of his grandfather's name and the date 2/11/1959 – the day his grandfather both received his first paycheck and bought this watch.
Kelvin Duckett And His 'Souvenir Of Islamic Republic Revolution 1979' Watch
Kelvin is a Brit currently living in Los Angeles. When he was 24, he was the news editor for Peter Jennings on World News Tonight. In 1980, he was sent to Tehran to cover the Iranian hostage crisis. Before being thrown out of the country after about 10 days, he bought this watch – and still has it as a memento of his time in Iran.
Shevy is a music producer and composer based in Los Angeles. She wanted a jewelry piece she could wear daily – and particularly one that had a story – and settled on a vintage Rolex Datejust she found in Minnesota. She says it's been with her during many important creative moments. She appreciates how it's become a part of her life, and how it's representative of her creative process.
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.
