The Merci LMM-H01 Limited Edition is our latest collaboration, and our first with Merci, Paris' très chic Haut-Marais concept store. Inspired by early 20th-century military watches, the LMM-H01 Limited Edition for HODINKEE is a 37.5mm stainless steel watch you can wear every day. Its design is just like the guys behind Merci – Arthur Gerbi and Jules Mesny-Deschamps – cool and understated. 

The LMM-H01 has all the characteristics you want in a time-only watch – a well-proportioned case, drilled lugs, legible dial, and hand-wound ETA 2801-2 inside. The Merci LMM-H01 Limited Edition for HODINKEE is a numbered run of 1,500 watches total, priced at $500, and available now in the HODINKEE Shop and Merci online. Read on to learn more about Merci, the LMM-H01, and the background of our collaboration, or go ahead and secure your watch in the HODINKEE Shop. 

A Different Kind Of Retail Experience

There's a small, red car parked inside a courtyard on the Boulevard Beaumarchais in Paris' third arrondissement. A few feet beyond it lies the entry of Merci, the cult multihyphenate label – part-retailer, gallery space, studio, and restaurant – that has become an arbiter of culture, design, and fashion for the Parisian creative class since it was founded in 2009. If you ask Arthur Gerbi, president of Merci, about the car outside, his face lights up as he calls it "the most photographed Fiat 500 in the world."

Gerbi's enthusiasm is contagious. It's reflective of the tastes and sensibilities put forth by his independent, family-owned retail operation, which prides itself on a multifaceted approach that highlights life's imperfections through selling products that deviate from picture-perfect mainstream aesthetics. 

There aren't many stores that try to depict the real world in the way Merci does. The 15,000-square-foot space comprises three floors and multiple showrooms, where products are intimately displayed in the controlled chaos indicative of a real-life environment. Merci uses its space as a malleable canvas for experimentation, displaying a diverse array of goods and embodying what can only be described as the Merci lifestyle. "Merci is a store built around the art of living," Gerbi explains. "And what we study at Merci is everyday life. That is why our store looks like a home." 

The Merci lifestyle is most clearly articulated in "The Apartment," a two-bedroom pied-à-terre fully furnished with Merci goods that opened last year next door to the Boulevard Beaumarchais flagship. Merci invites friends and customers to stay in the space overnight and uncover the holistic Merci experience, from top to bottom. Despite its location in a city known for luxury retail districts, Merci has carved out a niche that is boutique in principle, yet inclusive and all-encompassing in practice, at the confluence of both culture and commerce.

Central to the Merci experience in recent years has been a category far more personal than the home goods, clothes, furniture, and sundries the company built its reputation on. It is watchmaking, something we know those reading HODINKEE will appreciate. 

A Different Kind Of Watch

Merci released its first watch in 2017. La Montre Merci (LMM), or the Merci Watch, was the result of Gerbi's lifelong enthusiasm for collecting. A tribute to early 20th-century military watches, such as those of the Dirty Dozen, the LMM-01 immediately caught our interest for its authentic, less-is-more approach to design. After all, it's not every day a company comes out with a hand-wound, 37.5mm watch with a stepped bezel and drilled lugs as its inaugural release. 

Merci approaches product development differently than most, but the goods the company sells and creates all carry the same strand of DNA. They're built with purpose in mind and feature clever designs, signs that Merci is not afraid to experiment. It should come as no surprise, then, that Gerbi and his team have always made a point to examine the relationship between people and their objects. 

"It's something we love at Merci: [the interaction] between people, the maker, and the user. We like vintage stuff, we like a chair that is used, that has a nice patina on it. We like it because we think that life is not about perfection. Everywhere in the world people are selling perfection; we think that the beauty in life lies also in imperfection."

The original LMM-01 was executed with the same thoughtful, deliberate approach to design that we, at HODINKEE, strive to showcase in our own work. So it was immediately clear to us that this was a passion project by someone who knew exactly what they were doing and wanted to create. We weren't the only ones who appreciated Merci's efforts; it wasn't long before the LMM-01 found a place on the wrist of the current resident of the Élysée Palace. 

I love every watch. I don't care what the brand is, or the price – I love a watch with a story behind it.

It was around that time that we started a conversation with Gerbi and Mesny-Deschamps, an architect and designer by trade, about how we could potentially work together. After multiple years of planning and collaboration that included meetings in both Paris and New York, we're thrilled to finally share the watch we designed in partnership. It's the Merci LMM-H01 Limited Edition for HODINKEE, a hand-wound, Swiss-made three-hander with a cool grey dial and loads of charm. 

The Merci LMM-H01 Limited Edition For HODINKEE

Merci followed the success of the inaugural LMM-01 by establishing its own watch label, Merci Instruments, which has been headlined since 2018 by the Projet Spécial collection, a group of watches powered by a special kind of quartz movement sourced from Seiko. These four watches channel the same spirit as the original LMM-01 and bring to life different designs, from different eras, with the same well-cultivated, playful voice the brand first established with the LMM-01. 

For our collaboration with Merci, however, we knew we wanted to champion the look and feel of the watch that originally caught our attention in 2017. That's why, for the LMM-H01, we crafted a new visual profile based on the first LMM-01, now highlighted by a grey dial with white and blue accents and three-dimensional applied numerals. There's not a date window in sight, nor any application of lume, and there are no excessive or loud elements meant to distract or call undue attention to the watch. The LMM-H01 is focused entirely on the details, intended to highlight the true intangibles of a quality, understated design. 

Merci watches have an old-school charm that reflects their era of inspiration, when watches were tools and a means to an end. But that doesn't mean aesthetics weren't a pivotal piece of the consideration for the LMM-H01. The typography used on the dial, for example, is Helvetica – clean and classic. The Arabic numerals on the dial, on the other hand, are Jonathan Hoefler's Decimal, a font specifically inspired by vintage watches, and which was profiled in the Netflix series Abstract: The Art of Design and featured prominently on a 2019 episode of HODINKEE Radio. 

There's a distinctive lack of branding on the dial of Merci's watches. On the LMM-H01, the watch's name is placed on the upper half of the dial, as if it's referencing some sort of long-forgotten mil-spec. We've also placed a subtle, simple detail below the dial's central axis that consists of an "H" in a circle, a nod toward historical watches issued to the British military, which required a circle with a "T" on the dial in a similar position to indicate the use of tritium. 

Beneath that stamp, the "Mécanique" signature signals the use of a mechanical movement inside, in this case, the manually wound ETA 2801-2, which offers a 42-hour power reserve. The only other text on the dial are the names and locations of our two companies (MERCI PARIS HODINKEE NEW YORK), which slope upward and are seamlessly fitted on the minute track between the five and seven o'clock hour markers. 

The use of applied Arabic numerals represents a first for a Merci timepiece. They stand tall against the rest of the dial, adding an attractive sense of depth and proportion to the LMM-H01. This effect is further enhanced by the double-domed mineral glass crystal, which is executed in the style of old-school dress watches and helps bring home the vintage design language. The stepped bezel – the single detail to be featured on every Merci watch to date – is the lone polished element on the LMM-H01, neatly framing the dial and highlighting its individual personality. 

On the original LMM-01, as well as on the LMM-H01, the use of a manually wound movement was intentional and essential (which is one of the reasons the production of 2017's inaugural LMM-01 stretched over a three-year period). A hand-winding movement reflects Merci's guiding sensibility of combining user engagement with purposeful design, but it's also particularly representative of Gerbi's perspective on the synchronous relationship between a collector and their watch. 

"We want you to wind the watch. We want you to spend time with the object; to contemplate the watch every day as you wind it. How the object needs you, and how you have to create a daily ritual with the watch. We want to make watches that are only connected to the present moment."

Modest and minimalist, the 37.5mm × 11mm case profile of the Merci LMM-H01 features downturned drilled lugs that ensure a versatile and inclusive wearing experience for all genders. Its simplicity and wearability also place it at the perfect in-between point of toolish charm and dressy appeal; basically, it will look just as great under a jacket cuff as it does with short sleeves and sweatpants. 

The black nylon NATO strap included with the LMM-H01 was selected to be the perfect neutral canvas to showcase the watch's monochromatic aesthetic. The LMM-H01 is not a statement piece, but it should reflect the personality of its owner, so we encourage everyone to experiment with a variety of strap choices. The soft grey hue of the dial will look great with whatever you end up selecting, and to make things even simpler, the LMM-H01's drilled lugs make swapping out straps a no-fuss, hassle-free process. 

A Refreshing Perspective

There is an easygoing, off-the-cuff spirit to Merci's business that is an extension of Gerbi's own personality, which is calm, collected, and authentic. Those traits are clearly evident in the firm's watchmaking approach. After all, it would have been easy for Merci to place its logo on some nondescript watch design in 2017 and call it a day. And it's even doubtful that Merci's core following in Paris, or its international clientele, would have remarked on whether the original LMM-01 had drilled lugs, or if there happened to be a date aperture that disrupted the symmetry of the design. But none of that is what happened. Merci made distinct, deliberate choices in creating something it believed in, all while making watches that are accessible in price, design, and personality. 

I'm always proud to say I'm making watches now. It's something I've wanted to do as long as I can remember.

Merci brings a lighthearted sincerity to its watchmaking, in an industry often perceived as top-down and buttoned-up. But make no mistake, the LMM series of watches stands up to any sort of scrutiny as a compelling and wholly serious product. There is, however, a lack of pretension that naturally comes through when you hold a Merci watch. On the wrist, we think the LMM-H01's lightness and wearability even serve as a clear point of emphasis for the levity of its design. We sincerely hope you enjoy the LMM-H01 Limited Edition as much as we did in designing and creating it in collaboration with Merci.

A limited edition of 1,500 watches, the Merci LMM-H01 is priced at $500. The watch comes with a three-year warranty when purchased from the HODINKEE Shop, plus free domestic shipping and reduced cost international shipping. The LMM-H01 is exclusively available starting today from Merci online and the HODINKEE Shop. 

Quick Take

Oak & Oscar, the Chicago-based maker of affordably priced mechanical watches, has something new up its sleeve. For the company's latest release, it's offering a mid-size, stealthy, matte-black ceramic-coated version of its classically styled automatic Olmsted field watch. Underneath the ceramic coating is a case made from 316L steel.

The movement powering the Olmsted Matte is one that we know well, the Swiss ETA 2892-A2, but Oak & Oscar says it has modified it in order to remove the date function. This means that not only is the dial clean and uninterrupted by a date window, but there isn't any phantom date-setting function or extra click of the crown and keyless works when you set the Olmsted Matte. 

While the movement is sourced externally, a lot of the work in creating the new watches takes place here in the States. The steel cases undergo the ceramic coating process at Oak & Oscar's coating partner here in the USA. That process involves protecting all of the sensitive parts of the case with dummy covers, beadblasting the case, coating the case with ceramic material, and then heating the material to high temperatures to cure and harden the ceramic, resulting in an even, matte surface that Oak & Oscar describes as having a satisfying tactile feel. Thereafter, the watches are hand-assembled, tested, and regulated in Chicago by Oak & Oscar's in-house watchmaker and director of watchmaking. 

Oak & Oscar's latest comes with two straps, one in Horween leather manufactured in the USA, and a nylon textile strap with custom orange stitching (not pictured). Each is outfitted with matching ceramic-coated hardware, so you get two seamless looks for your watch. You also get a strap changing tool and watch wallet to store your watch in and protect it while traveling. Each Olmsted Matte comes with a limited two-year warranty. Honestly, for $1,475 at launch, it feels like an exceptional value proposition.

Initial Thoughts

According to Oak & Oscar, the Olmsted Matte's ceramic-coated case "is more durable than regular stainless steel, but because the case itself is not entirely made of ceramic the coating may end up developing some patina through heavy wear." The company's founder, Chase Fancher, said he's been wearing the prototype for several months, and it's shown hardly any wear marks. 

The Olmsted Matte is a sharp-looking watch that's been built and supplied with plenty of added value. While the pristine case in these pictures looks great to me, I can definitely see how a scratch here or there might even add a bit of extra character to an otherwise clean design. In terms of size and wearability, it's in a sweet spot. The Olmsted Matte is 38mm in diameter, 10.8mm thick, and comes in at 44.9mm lug-to-lug. And while you get two straps – the nice-looking Horween leather one pictured here and a second olive drab nylon strap – the Olmsted Matte takes 20mm-width straps for those who want to put their own spin on the blacked-out case and dial design. It also has fully drilled through lugs, which makes changing straps even easier while lending the watch a vintage-leaning vibe.

The Basics

Brand: Oak & Oscar
Model: Olmsted Matte

Diameter: 38mm
Thickness: 10.8mm
Case Material: Ceramic-coated stainless steel, domed sapphire crystal with multiple layers of anti-reflective coating
Dial Color: Black sandwich dial with Super-LumiNova base.
Lume: Super-LumiNova
Water Resistance: 10 ATM (100 meters)
Strap/Bracelet: Horween leather strap with matching ceramic coated hardware; olive drab nylon strap with ceramic-coated hardware

The Movement

Caliber: Modified ETA 2892-A2
Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds
Power Reserve: 42
Winding: Automatic
Frequency: 28,800 vph
Jewels: 21

Pricing & Availability

Price: Available to purchase for a limited time at $1,475 ($1,550 MSRP)
Availability: Expected to ship winter 2020/2021
Limited Edition: Limited production. The first batch of watches will consist of 100 pieces.
Additional Details: A portion of all Oak & Oscar profits are donated to the Chicago dog rescue One Tail at a Time.

For more, click here.

Bremont has just announced a new limited edition collection to commemorate the late Stephen Hawking – best known to most of the world as the paralysis-defying physicist who, despite being rendered nearly helpless by ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig's Disease), managed to become one of the best-known scientists in the world and to author that unlikely best-seller, A Brief History Of Time. 

This slim volume was Hawking's attempt to give an account of the origin and fate of the universe, and to shed light on something that consumes light for a living: black holes. The watches have a number of shout-outs to Hawking, including disks of wood from his desk and an inscription on the caseback of the equation which describes the famous Hawking radiation – the formula is inscribed on his grave as well, and it relates the temperature of a black hole to its mass. 

The watch is being offered in a series of limited editions, in 41mm rose-gold, white-gold, and red-gold cases, and there is a ladies' model as well, in a smaller, 34mm diamond-set steel case with a meteorite dial. These watches have been produced in collaboration with the Hawking family, and a portion of the proceeds from sales will go to benefit the Stephen Hawking Foundation – the Foundation was established by Hawking, before his death, to support those living with ALS, and also to support research in cosmology and related physics problems. The larger watches have a big date display, with a retrograde seconds sector at 6:00.

You can clearly see the equation through the caseback: T=ℏc³/8πGMk. T is temperature, ℏ is the reduced Planck constant, G is Newton's constant for gravity, M is the mass of the black hole, and k is Boltzmann's constant. Without explaining the formula in detail (which is way above my pay grade, anyway), the gist of it is that the more massive a black hole is, the lower its temperature. There's a piece of meteorite inserted in the caseback as well, and the circular fragments of wood are from a desk at which Hawking worked most of his life, which his son, Tim Hawking, describes: 

"The wood sample in the timepiece originates from an oak, William & Mary slope-front bureau desk drawer thought to date back to the early 18th century. My father's paternal grandmother received it as a gift upon her retirement as Headmistress from a school she had founded for girls in Boroughbridge, Yorkshire. It was given to my father in 1975 upon his return to the U.K. after his year's visiting fellowship to Caltech, Pasadena, and would remain with him until his death in 2018." 

The pattern of constellations on the caseback depicts the night sky above Oxford on January 8, 1942 – Hawking's birthday.

All this is to say that the subject of the watch was one of the great scientists of our age (to say nothing of a pop culture icon; he played himself both on The Simpsons and Star Trek: The Next Generation) and that the commercial effort goes hand in hand with support of very worthwhile causes both medical and cosmological. 

Over the years, Bremont has done quite a few watches which incorporate material from various iconic objects, and often with an aviation angle. They've done the Wright Flyer, the Supermarine Spitfire, and the Howard Hughes Spruce Goose, among other things, and at this point, a person could be forgiven for wondering if a piece of the True Cross is next. 

If you're interested in the subject of the watches, however, there is a non-zero chance of finding these limited editions more interesting than the average watch enthusiast, and despite my general disinterest in this sort of thing, I found the Stephen Hawking watches oddly moving. 

Timepieces And Spacetime

A watch is a very Newtonian object – they were, for most of their history, made in the belief that time was a universal constant: the same everywhere, for everyone and everything. Einstein's insight was that time is relative – that it exists not as an isolated physical dimension, but as part of a larger entity called spacetime. 

Time, in this view, varies depending on the curvature of spacetime, which means it depends on gravity, which like time itself is something of a side-effect. What we think of as gravity is, like the rate at which time passes, a result of the distortion of spacetime by the amount of mass/energy occupying a given region of spacetime. To get an idea of what this means in practical terms, we might ask what it would feel like to fall into a black hole – or, why not, what would happen to one of the Bremont watches if you threw one in, which I can only imagine Hawking would approve of on the grounds of scientific research. 

A black hole is what you get if you compress enough mass into a small enough point to form a singularity – a region of spacetime where the curvature of spacetime is infinite. Black holes usually form when a massive star collapses, and around every black hole is the poetically named "event horizon." The event horizon is the point beyond which it is no longer possible for anything, even light, to escape being drawn into the singularity – in a very literal sense, all possible futures for anything that falls through the event horizon lead to the singularity.

Express Elevator To Forever

Now, the greater the curvature of spacetime, the slower a clock will seem to tick to an observer, and that goes for watches too. A watch falling towards the event horizon of a stellar-mass black hole will seem, to a distant observer, to tick more and more slowly. The light coming from the watch, which lets you observe it, gets more distorted as well – stretched out into longer and dimmer wavelengths, in a process known as redshifting (the audible analog is the way in which the sound of an ambulance siren seems to lower in pitch when it's moving away from you). You see the watch get redder, and dimmer, and dimmer still, and the time between ticks eventually stretches out to an eternity – and, in fact, you will never see the watch fall through the horizon; instead, just before it gets there, it winks out of existence.

The watch, on the other hand, doesn't notice anything in particular when it falls through the event horizon – and, unlike you, it can still see the universe around it, as light is still falling through the event horizon and towards the singularity along with it. Physically, it's a one-way trip. The difference in the gravitational pull between the top and bottom of the watch eventually causes it to be stretched out along its long axis, before it finally disintegrates in a process known as – this is official astrophysics lingo, boys and girls – spaghettification. (Interestingly enough, this happens about a tenth of a second, doomed watch time, before it actually hits the singularity, irrespective of the black hole's mass). Before it gets torn apart, however, it is treated to a hell of a show – as you can see in this simulation of what it's like to fall through the event horizon of a black hole, created by astrophysicist Andrew Hamilton of the University of Colorado.

But black holes don't have the last laugh. Hawking realized that black holes, as he put it, "ain't so black" – that, in fact, they radiate some energy away, although it takes some quantum-mechanical mumbo-jumbo to explain how. According to quantum theory, empty space is not actually empty – random excitations in various quantum fields, which are necessitated by Heisenberg's uncertainty principle, means that pairs of so-called virtual particles – a particle and its antiparticle – can sometimes pop into existence, before almost instantly annihilating each other. 

We don't generally notice this as the net energy production is zero. If it happens near enough to the event horizon (I have indulged in some huge oversimplifications so far, and this one's a whopper, bear in mind), one particle can escape to roam free as a Real Live Boy, while the other falls to its doom. The infalling particle carries negative energy, causing the black hole to lose some mass and, to an observer, the black hole appears to be radiating away energy – evaporating. For a very massive black hole, the temperature (which Hawking ascertained using the formula on the back of the Bremont watches) is lower than the background radiation in empty space, but if the universe persists for long enough, even the most massive black holes are doomed to disappear in the end.

In classical physics, many of the laws are time-symmetrical, which means theoretically, it ought to be possible to recover any information in an object's past from information encoded in its present state – run the clock backwards, and you ought to be able to get Humpty Dumpty back up on his wall, hale and hearty and whole. Could you reconstruct the watch from the Hawking radiation? Maybe, maybe not – it should not be possible to arbitrarily erase information, and towards the end of his life, even Hawking had conceded that information must be recoverable somehow from a black hole, but as far as I know, we're still waiting for ironclad consensus on that one.

A Farewell To Time

I think it's wonderful to have present, in a watch – which beseeches us to consider time as a regular, constant manifestation of a predictable clockwork universe – so many memorials to a man whose life's work was built around the unceasing exploration of the disappearance of time itself as an independent entity. 

Perhaps Hermann Minkowski, the mathematician whose formulation of spacetime was essential to the theory of General Relativity, put it best, when he said in a lecture in 1908, "Henceforth space by itself, and time by itself, are doomed to fade away into mere shadows, and only a kind of union of the two will preserve an independent reality." There is something very compelling, and genuinely moving, about a watch that simultaneously embodies the classical view of time, and at the same time, commemorates a man whose life's work was dedicated to its demise.

The Bremont Stephen Hawking Limited Edition Collection: Cases, stainless steel, 18k rose gold or 18k white gold in Bremont's Trip-Tick construction; 41mm x 14.20mm. Screw-down crown; 100 meters water resistant. Movement, BE-33-AE. 29 Jewels. 42-hour power reserve running at 28,800 vph (base not specified but likely ETA) showing hours, minutes, retrograde seconds, and big date. Caseback, sapphire crystal over a stainless steel decorative plate coated with black PVD and enamel, inlaid with a meteorite disc, surrounded by four wooden panels and an individual serial number laser engraved onto original Stephen Hawking manuscript paper. 388 pieces in steel, 88 in rose gold, 88 in pink gold. Prices, $9,995 in steel, $22,495 in pink gold, $23,495 in white gold.

Ladies' model: Bremont "Quantum," case, stainless steel Bremont Trip-Tick construction. Case diameter 34mm, strap fitting 16mm, case thickness 10.50mm. Bezel claw set with 60 white brilliant-cut 1.35mm VVS FG Diamonds. Total carat weight 0.7ct. Meteorite dial with 11 applied batons containing 33 claw-set 0.8mm VVS FG Diamonds. Hands in polished nickel. Movement, BE-92AV. 25 Jewels. 38-hour power reserve, 28,800 vph (base not specified). Black hole spiral inspired tungsten rotor with wooden inlay taken from Stephen Hawking's desk. 88 piece limited edition; price, $9,995.

For more, visit Bremont.com.

Hamilton's rich history of robust yet affordable sport watches precedes it. Whether it's tools specifically designed for aviators or for military personnel, the brand has over a century of experience, which is acutely evident in both past and present models. This know-how shines through in the brand's Khaki lines – the Khaki Navy, Khaki Aviation, and Khaki Field. Today, we're welcoming three watches to the HODINKEE Shop from the latter two. 

Whether you're an amateur or professional pilot, or you simply enjoy the look and feel of a proper sport watch, you're in luck with this group. We have two special models joining the HODINKEE Shop today: a GMT with slide-rule bezel on either a bracelet or leather strap and a blacked-out, PVD-coated field watch. The Khaki Aviation Converter Automatic GMT brings an exciting first for Hamilton in the form of the slide-rule bezel. Alternatively, the Khaki Field King Automatic provides a unique twist on the classic field watch with a contemporary colorway and use of materials. Head to the HODINKEE Shop to make one your own, or keep reading as we dig deeper into these offerings. 

The Hamilton Khaki Aviation Converter Automatic GMT

Both the bracelet and strap variants of the Khaki Aviation Converter Automatic GMT boast a modern 44mm stainless steel build with a satin-brushed finish. In contrast, other elements, like the pushers and bevel on the side of the lugs, are polished. The dial showcases a classic blue hue with a sunray-brushed finish and complementary blue bezel insert. In addition, it features bold syringe-shaped hands and applied hour markers, both of which have a healthy dose of Super-LumiNova for high legibility in low light conditions. For added visibility, Hamilton has treated the flat sapphire crystal with a double anti-reflective coating. 

Through the sapphire crystal exhibition caseback, you can see the caliber H-14 automatic movement, which offers an impressive 80-hour power reserve and a date function positioned at six o'clock, an added bonus for a pilot watch. The case is water resistant to 100 meters, and the crown is double knurled for ease of grip.

Still, the show points of the Khaki Aviation Converter Automatic GMT are, of course, the slide-rule bezel and GMT function. While the slide-rule bezel isn't a new technology, it's new to the Hamilton catalog. It's composed of two logarithmic scales, which can sound a bit daunting. However, even if you're not a pilot computing flight calculations, it can actually be a pretty useful tool. So, let's break it down. 

First, there are a couple of key pieces of information you need to understand about the slide-rule bezel. The first is that it doesn't account for decimal points. For instance, the number 75 and 750 would be read the same, and thus, you need to have some idea of the answer when performing a calculation with the slide rule. The second important thing to know is that when using a logarithmic scale, every time you double a number, the distance is the same. For instance, the distance between 10 and 20 is the same as the distance between 20 and 40.

Probably still sounds mind-boggling, huh? Let's put it to use: Say you want to calculate a 20% tip on your next takeout bill of $50.00. First, locate the number 10 on the outer logarithmic scale. Then, rotate the outer scale until the number 10 matches up with the number 50, the cost of your bill, on the inner scale. Finally, to leave a 20% tip, locate the number 20 on the outer scale and look at the corresponding number on the inner scale, which should read 10 or, in this case, $10.00. 

Not to be overshadowed by the allure of the slide rule, the GMT functionality of the Khaki Aviation Converter Automatic GMT is equally impressive and easy to use. Here, Hamilton has offset the 24-hour hand from the seconds hand with a distinctive red tip that sits close to the 24-hour scale on the periphery of the dial. In addition, the brand has taken another step toward clear readability by differentiating the GMT scale from the dial with a concentric pattern. 

All in all, the two variants of the Khaki Aviation Converter Automatic GMT are nearly identical, with the key difference being the band choice. The bracelet iteration provides a look and feel typically associated with sport watches. Its three-link construction and folding clasp offer a comfortable and secure fit on the wrist. Alternatively, the leather strap version gives the Khaki Aviation Converter Automatic GMT a slightly dressier appearance without taking away from the sport watch aesthetic. Hamilton's choice of a warm, textured brown leather with complementary stitching adds just enough visual interest without competing with the model's intricate dial design. In addition, the leather strap variant comes in at a slightly lower price point. 

The Hamilton Khaki Field King Automatic

As far as all-black watches go, the Hamilton Khaki Field King Automatic finds that sweet spot between modern and vintage elements. One of our favorite Hamilton models is the black-PVD Khaki Field Mechanical that launched last fall, so it's no surprise we appreciate this more complicated, self-winding iteration as well. Similar to its mechanical counterpart, the Khaki Field King Automatic is a true field watch at its core, with a focus on legibility and functionality. It features a stark black dial with white detailing for the day-date complication, hands, and dial markings. Here, you get the added bonus of reading the time in both standard and military time. Even with all these useful features, Hamilton has seamlessly nailed the dial arrangement so as not to compromise the usability or overall aesthetic of the watch. In addition, you have syringe-shaped hands filled with a healthy dose of Super-LumiNova, once more, providing optimal readability. 

This variation of the Hamilton Khaki Field King Automatic has a contemporary 40mm stainless steel build with a black PVD coating. This not only gives the watch a monochromatic and enigmatic vibe, but also enhances the durability, which perfectly lends itself to the robust, military watch roots. In addition, you get a modern sapphire crystal and a complementary black leather strap completing the look. 

From a more technical perspective, the Hamilton Khaki Field King Automatic offers an impressive 80-hour power reserve and 50 meters of water resistance. Beneath the surface, you'll find Hamilton's proprietary caliber H-40, a self-winding movement with an attractive finish visible through an exhibition caseback. Here, you'll notice perlage on both the bridges and balance cock as well as the H-branded rotor with a fluted finish. In addition, it runs in 25 jewels and offers hacking seconds. All in all, the H-40 is a thoughtful revision of its base ETA 2834-2 movement in terms of both functionality and reliability.  

Shop Hamilton's Latest Sport Watches In The HODINKEE Shop

When it comes to robust yet affordable sport watches, a Hamilton is a no brainer. The company's designs have been time-tested by professionals for over a century. If you've ever eyed vintage examples of the Breitling Navitimer but couldn't get past the price tag, look no further than the Khaki Aviation Converter Automatic GMT. As far as pilot watches go, you can't beat this model with its slide-rule bezel, GMT, and water resistance. Alternatively, if you prefer the effortless simplicity of a field watch but desire a modern take on the genre, the Khaki Field King Automatic is a great option. While both iterations of the Khaki Aviation Converter Automatic GMT come in just under $1,500, the Khaki Field King Automatic can be yours for less than $750. To explore these watches in detail, head over to the HODINKEE Shop.  

Nowadays, one can be forgiven for taking peripherally wound automatic calibers for granted. There are quite a few of them in production, after all. But until fairly recently, that wasn't the case. For quite some time, there weren't any in production – from 1985 to 2008, in fact. We can look to Carl F. Bucherer as the manufacturer that revived a genre that had gone dormant in the '80s. In the twelve years since the company's CFB 1000 was announced, what had been viewed as a difficult mechanism to industrialize has become a technology that's been successfully paired with a fairly wide range of complications. Below, we can see a nicely decorated example made by Breguet. It enables a full rear view of its tourbillon mechanism.

One of the other operators in this arena that springs readily to mind is Vacheron Constantin, part of the Swiss old guard if there ever was one. As with Breguet, Vacheron also uses its peripheral winding system to power a tourbillon that can be seen from both sides. And there have been quite a few others who have made use of peripherally wound movements. Just taking the letters A, B, C, and D, we have Audemars Piguet, Bulgari, Cartier, and DeWitt. In late 2017, Piaget used a peripheral rotor to set the record for the thinnest automatic watch with the 4.1mm-thin Altiplano Ultimate 910P, below.

At its launch, Carl F. Burcher's aforementioned cal. A1000 movement – which was announced in 2008, presented at Basel 2009, and made possible by the acquisition of Téchniques Horlogères Appliquées back in 2007 – was not only Carl F. Bucherer's first in-house peripheral automatic caliber, but its first in-house caliber of any kind. It was an interesting place to start, to say the least, and one that evinced an impressive level of ambition and watchmaking chops. Since then, CFB has leaned into the peripheral rotor; it's become a defining aspect of its collection of in-house movements. Most recently, CFB built upon this experience by making its own peripherally winding tourbillon which, you guessed it, is also its first in-house tourbillon.

Bulgari has also been a very prominent user of peripherally winding movements. It used one to beat Piaget's 2017 record for thinnest automatic watch. At 3.95mm thick, Bulgari's Octo Finissimo Tourbillon Automatic wasn't just the thinnest automatic watch when it launched in 2018, but also the thinnest automatic tourbillon and the thinnest tourbillon – full stop.

Bulgari also drew on a peripheral winding mechanism to break a 32-year-old Frederic Piguet / Manufacture Blancpain record for the thinnest mechanical chronograph in the world when it released the Octo Finissimo Chronograph GMT in 2019. As we'll soon see, the peripherally wound movement was created with thinness as its main objective, and Bulgari and other brands have certainly used it to that end. Nowadays, it's equally employed as a way to afford unobstructed views of automatic moments – there's no pesky full rotor to get in the way.

But if you follow the road back to the first peripherally winding movement, as with so much in horology, it leads to Geneva and the house of Patek Philippe, which made quite a few of them in the 1970s and '80s – thousands, in fact. And yet, they're not particularly well known today. I learned of their existence earlier this year in the course of fact-checking an article on Carl F. Bucherer. After filing a patent for a self-winding movement in 1965, Patek Philippe pursued its peripheral-winding movement project for a number of years. In 1969, it came out with the cal. 350. In 1979 came an improved version, the cal. I-350. The "I" stands for "improved." The I-350 was made in about 10,000 units, according to Watch Wiki, until it was finally retired in 1985, along with, it seems, Patek's peripheral-winding ambitions. The earliest patent for a peripherally winding movement is attributed to the Swiss watchmaker Paul Gosteli and dates from the mid-'50s. 

Why are calibers 350 and I-350 not as famous as some of the other automatic movements that Patek developed around the same time? One of the main traits of Patek Philippe's peripherally wound watches was their unusual placement of the crown on the back, earning them the nickname "backwinders." The positioning of the rotor precluded the crown, stem, and keyless works from being placed where they traditionally go. One will sometimes notice in photographs of Cal. 350s that they look a bit dirty, even for an old watch movement that may not have had a cleaning in a while. This is likely because the crown placement offered a pathway for moisture from the wrist to enter the case. One will also notice that, despite the fact that cal. I-350 bears the Geneva Seal, it is actually fairly plain-looking.

These movements were developed long before the days of the see-through caseback. And while the peripherally wound movement today seems, and is, tailor-made to be viewed through a disc of sapphire glass, cal. I-350 was designed with a different order of priorities. They were made, in the main, to be thin, if not exceptionally beautiful, and to offer a compelling alternative to quartz in the age of the Beta 21, the pioneering Swiss-made quartz movement. 

Consider, too, the state of the Swiss watch industry in the '70s and early '80s. "It was a period of upheaval for Swiss watchmaking and profits were under pressure," Eric Wind, the proprietor of Wind Vintage told me. "I see a lot of these backwinders in steel, which is cool, but obviously this was less expensive for Patek at the time." Wind went on to tell me that the watches are difficult to sell today.

John Reardon has a more positive view of the cal. 350 and I-350, saying that he feels the movements' poor reputation is probably unfair. Formerly of Christie's and Patek Philippe, Reardon's is a name that, like Wind's, longtime HODINKEE readers may remember from his HODINKEE byline. He now operates the site Collectability. "But the 350 is a beautiful movement; the 240 [a well-known Patek movement which saves on thickness in a different way, with a micro rotor], however, is simply far superior in terms of functionality," Reardon told me. "Cal. 350 was a canvas for design, an automatic alternative to quartz for watches that were very focused on dials, textures, and classic shapes. The functionality is quite literally on the back. The lack of a crown on the side enabled Patek Philippe to explore designs never before seen."

Citing the authoritative book Patek Philippe Genève Wristwatches by Martin Huber and Alan Banbery, Reardon says, "It's clear that this is the third in the evolution of automatic movements from Patek Philippe." Reardon continues: "We all talk about the 12'''600. And there are collectors obsessed with the 27-460. But the third, the sort of bronze medal, goes to the 350. And nobody talks about that. The cal. 350 is like the segue to the later cal. 310, which was the base design of numerous automatic movements today from Patek Philippe. So a cal. 350 deserves to be in a collection, as long as you can find a watchmaker who can fix it."

Caliber I-350 measures 28mm in diameter and a quite thin 3.5mm from top to bottom, while providing displays for the hours, the minutes, and direct central seconds. It used Patek Philippe's proprietary Gyromax balance and vibrated at 21,600 vph. The original cal. 350, on which I-350 is based, features bi-directional winding, which apparently presented some problems, as it had to be updated. Cal. I-350 was the improvement, with its transition to unidirectional winding. In talking to dealers and other experts, the main criticism that I heard again and again was of the backwind system, also seen in certain LeCoultre watches, and its tendency to let in moisture. Whereas all the LeCoultre backwinders were manually wound, Patek used it to accommodate the winding system.

Whatever view one takes of these early peripheral winding watches, one will likely agree that the 1970s weren't exactly a halcyon period for Swiss mechanical watchmaking. Perhaps this is why Cal. 350 and the later Cal. I-350 aren't remembered as warmly as some of the movements that preceded and followed them. Still, these peripherally winding calibers with rotors mounted on ball bearings were the first of their type, plenty of them were made and owned, and many have survived to this day, allowing them to be found readily in the vintage market. They represent an important first in the history of watchmaking, given the subsequent rise in popularity that the peripheral rotor has seen in the last decade as well as a key step in Patek Philippe's development of automatic movements. They also happen to be paired, by virtue of the '70s and '80s timeframe in which they were manufactured, with some really interesting cases, dials, and bracelets. And, of course, because of the back-mounted crown, they are all perfectly symmetrical and easy to wear for both righties and lefties. If ever a movement design was suited to the Ellipse or the Golden Circle, well, this was it.

If you like avant-garde watch designs from this period, then these are watches you will want to know about. One vintage expert I spoke to told me that he thinks these backwinders are probably undervalued, and looking at watches currently available online, I am inclined to agree.

Top image, credit Sotheby's.

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.

Deep Frozen Arctic Microbes Are Waking Up – Scientific American

Unlike your refrigerator, the world has more than one freezer, and up north, you have something called permafrost, which is, as they say, just what it says on the tin. Permafrost is a layer of soil which remains frozen from one season to the next, and for even longer – the oldest permafrost can be tens of thousands of years old. Like your freezer, permafrost can hold things in a kind of suspended animation. Not everything in the permafrost layer is good for thousands of years – freezer burn is a thing, after all – but things like bacterial spores and viruses can sometimes awaken, zombie-like, after millennia, and trouble the living (the thawing of permafrost led to an anthrax outbreak in Siberia in 2018). Scientific American talks about the long, cold quiet of permafrost which holds so many entities which appear to consigned to oblivion – and which makes us aware of the surprising dangers which may arise when warming permafrost releases what lies beneath.

– Jack Forster, Editor-in-Chief

To Survive The Pandemic, Savile Row Cuts A Bespoke Strategy – The New York Times

I'm not going to lie – I welled up with a sense of pride when I saw this headline sitting on the front page of The New York Times' website earlier this week. I got my start in journalism writing about Savile Row as a 20-year-old study abroad student in London, and the Row is about as special a place as any on planet Earth for me. To see these incredible craftspeople and their struggles, ingenuity, and dedication celebrated like this makes me very proud to call many of them friends, and it has me jonesing for a trip to London worse than I can say.

– Stephen Pulvirent, Manger of Editorial Products

Fargo: Cold-Blooded Scheming – American Cinematographer

Roger Deakins is probably one of a handful of cinematographers – ever – that is a household name. He has served as the cinematographer on almost every single Coen Brothers film to date. In recent years, he has branched out a bit, manning the camera on Skyfall and Blade Runner 2049. During his prime Coen Brothers years, he shot some of the most beloved films of all time from The Big Lebowski to No Country for Old Men. One such film was Fargo, one of the earlier of his collaborations with the famed directing duo. American Cinematographer republished an interview with Deakins from 1996 about his work on the cult-classic, with some fascinating behind-the-scenes anecdotes. This is definitely worth a read for any film lover. 

– Danny Milton, Editor

On Sleeping in the Largest Organism on Earth – Outside

A few weeks ago, I watched hundreds of Kokanee salmon, a landlocked species of the fish, turn bright red and swim up the brooks and tributaries of Fish Lake, Utah, to spawn and perish. It was there that I learned just how beautiful the passing of life could be. I also saw, for the first time, a different form of life – the largest organism on earth: The Pando Aspen Grove. So when Leath Tonino explored his urge to sleep among the Aspens this week in Outside, it clicked in a way that it probably wouldn't have before.

– Cole Pennington, Editor

Americans Got Tired Of Looking Bad On Zoom – The Atlantic

The Weekend Round-Up is a safe space, so I feel like I can share this with you: Yes, I care about how I look on Zoom. I don't spend Zoom calls looking at other people and silently judging their looks, mind you, and I suspect you don't either. And yet, I can't help but feel deeply insecure about my own image staring back at me. I am blessed (cursed?) to work with some deeply stylish and fashionable people, yet there I am in the top corner – second from the left – blurry, shadowy, and sad. Apparently this is not merely vanity, according to The Atlantic, but rather, a deeply common human experience. So common, in fact, that some intrepid remote workers took to an unlikely place to solve their Zoom Insecurity: the world of Instagram influencers. After all, as author Amanda Mull points out, "The pandemic has made influencers out of us all."

– Dakota Gardner, Web Editor

Lead image by Thomas Kelley

After a week in which Audemars Piguet announced its first-ever Royal Oak with a flying tourbillon, we figured it best to keep the scene as complicated as possible with a look at the oh-so-lovely 'Pour le Mérite' line from A. Lange & Söhne. Unified by their noteworthy use of a fusée-and-chain, all five of these Langes represent core (and complicated) strengths within this storied German brand's repertoire. 

Originally posted in December of 2017, we've got tourbillons, Tourbographs, marine chronometers, and even a perpetual calendar – so general complications are well covered. All told, it's a lovely collection of very special watches that have been created as the flagship offering for a very special brand. 

Click here to read: "Just Because: All Five A. Lange & Söhne 'Pour le Mérite' Watches In The Same Place, At The Same Time".

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!

Josh Bernstein is an explorer, educator, storyteller, anthropologist, and a whole lot more. And if his name sounds familiar, it's because you probably remember him either from his episode of Talking Watches, which aired earlier this year, or from his time as the host of travel and exploration TV shows, including The History Channel's Digging For The Truth and Discovery's Into The Unknown. 

Since he's on HODINKEE Radio and has done Talking Watches, it probably comes as no surprise that Josh is a real watch guy, and he has had relationships over the years with brands like Breitling, Panerai, and Rolex. You know, the classics of go-anywhere, do-anything tool watches. He isn't afraid to put his watches through their paces, either, though he also enjoys the craftsmanship and design that goes into creating a fine watch. If you're the kind of person who daydreams about cave diving while working your nine-to-five with a Sea-Dweller on your wrist, Josh is exactly who you want to be. 

We spend plenty of time chatting about things horological, but we also talk about his transition from a wilderness survival instructor to a TV host, how he develops a relationship with his audience through the camera, and how he's using these skills for his latest project, Explorer At Large, which brings adventure and science into the classroom in a new way. Josh is a natural storyteller and the easiest kind of person to talk to. Grey had to keep telling me to wrap it up, since I just wanted to keep asking Josh more questions, and the result is a super fun episode.

We hope you enjoy Episode 113 of HODINKEE Radio. Check out the show notes below, and let us know what you think in the comments.

Wrist Check

Rolex wasn't Josh's first foray into the world of nice watches, but after developing a friendship with Allen Brill (the late CEO of Rolex USA), he got really into the brand and eventually picked up his first Rolex, a Sea-Dweller, which he loves for its incredible build quality and lack of a Cyclops magnifier. Since then, he's had the bug and has added a few more Rolex watches to his collection, including this "Kermit" Submariner that was released for the Sub's 50th anniversary in 2003. It wasn't easy for him to track one down, but he found a great example and wears it frequently to this day. It's something special without being flashy, which is just the kind of watch Josh likes.

Show Notes

(2:45) Talking Watches With Josh Bernstein

(4:00) Digging for the Truth

(6:00) Boulder Outdoor Survival School

(49:30) Josh’s Collection

(51:30) Josh’s Double Red Sea-Dweller

(55:55) Explorer At Large

Top photo: Jon Moe

The Netflix series The Queen's Gambit is a very unusual kind of show about a very unusual kind of person – you wouldn't think chess, or a championship player, would make for gripping TV, but it's become an unlikely hit. The player is a woman named Elizabeth Harmon (played by Anya Taylor-Joy) who, orphaned at eight years old in a car accident that kills her mother, finds herself sequestered in a Kentucky orphanage right out of Dickens (well, maybe Dickens by way of Faulkner). There's more than a hint in the first episode of the chaos in Beth's life before the orphanage, and though it's presented with a deft touch, the sheer inexplicability of life's unpredictable violence casts a very long shadow into Beth's future as a merciless grandmaster of the game.

Chess is an ancient game, and anyone who plays it can to some degree understand the game's ability to pleasantly absorb the mind – or to dominate it. Many mathematicians, scientists, and philosophers have found there's a very particular kind of abstract beauty in the game, but chess has another, darker side. Albert Einstein once said, "Chess holds its master in its own bonds, shackling the mind and brain so that the inner freedom of the very strongest must suffer." For Beth, chess, it seems, is a refuge and a way to experience order when disorder seems ubiquitous, but Einstein's shackling afflicts her as well.

In game-theoretical terms, it is a game of "perfect knowledge" – nothing is hidden from either player. Chess is a very classical game in this regard – chance plays no part in it. Like the classical laws of physics themselves, it is completely deterministic, and the complex mathematical structure of the game (there are around 10⁴³ possible legal positions) means that even winning implies, in a depressing way, that you're not so much smart, as just less dumb than the opponent. And all this is done while, quite literally, the clock is ticking.

Other than the basic rules of the game, the most important element in chess is time. Every tournament game plays out under strict time controls, though this wasn't always the case – a major part of chess strategy, pre-clocks, was simply trying to wear out your opponent. Championship games in excess of eight hours weren't unusual; a match in 1843 between Howard Staunton and Pierre St. Amant took more than 14 hours.

The rather absurd lengths of time it could take to complete a tournament made it clear that implementing some sort of time control would both improve the experience for spectators, as well as make for sharper play. In 1852, an anonymous writer using the pseudonym A. Cantab ("Cantab" means a student or graduate of Cambridge) proposed, in The Chess Player's Chronicle, "Let each player have a three-hour sand glass at his elbow and a friend on either side to turn it. While the player is thinking, the sand must be allowed to run; while his opponent is thinking, his glass will be laid horizontally on the table and the running suspended." This was an improvement over no time control at all, but it was still not ideal as the rate at which sand flows can change depending on the weather. The system was also vulnerable to player error – putting the wrong end of the hourglass upright when taking one's turn, for instance; you can imagine a desperate player doing it on purpose and hoping to get away with it. 

Not all analog chess clocks are beautiful, but all beautiful chess clocks are analog.

The first actual clockwork chess clock seems to be something called a "tumbling" chess clock, in which two pendulum clocks sit on opposite ends of a beam with a pivot in the middle – like a seesaw. Pressing your side down as you start your turn would block the pendulum in the opponent's clock, stopping it, while at the same time starting your own clock. The device was invented in 1883 and used in a tournament later that year, and it was the first chess clock whose use resulted in a forfeit due to running over time.

The chess clock continued to evolve, and in 1900, it reached what we now recognize as the classic form of the chess clock and the type used in The Queen's Gambit: two dials, with a button for each player which, when pressed, stops their clock and starts their opponent's. Breitling is justly remembered among watch enthusiasts for Willy Breitling's 1934 patent for the first modern two-button chronograph; in the annals of chess timing, a maker named Veenhoff, in Groningen, Holland, produced the first modern two-button chess clock. In 1906, Scientific American described the invention: 

"A small clock designed especially for chess players has been designed by Herr Veenhoff of Groningen. This apparatus is composed of two similar small clocks, mounted side by side on a wooden platform. Behind the clocks a mechanism is installed, designed to be set in action and to stop according to the movements of the players. It consists of a long double lever, pivoting at the middle on a support fixed to the platform and is furnished with a button at each of its extremities. ... When pressure is applied on one of the buttons of the lever, the corresponding balance is disengaged, while the other continues locked until the other extremity of the lever is depressed."

Heuer's Chess Master was an example of a very high quality, classic post-World War II mechanical chess clock. The clocks were Heuer branded, but made by a company called Looping which went bankrupt in 1980, and Heuer was the sole importer of Looping clocks from 1968 to 1975 (early models had plastic buttons which had a tendency to fly off if the opposite button got smacked too hard; this was fixed by using metal buttons in later models). Certainly, they were far from the only maker of chess clocks – considering that they were necessary for any tournament play, chess clocks must have been made by the tens of thousands at least. 

Chess as metaphor: The clocks have appeared in the movies as well, sometimes as part of a broad hint that a chess expert is a criminal mastermind to whom people are merely pawns in a master plan. Spectre Chief Planning Officer Kronsteen debuts at the beginning of From Russia With Love, to the background sound of an ominously ticking BHB chess clock. Nowadays, however, analog mechanical chess clocks have largely given way to digital quartz chess clocks, which are much more versatile and useful. The basic time control for tournament play in modern chess, via the international regulating entity for the game (the Fédération Internationale des Échecs – headquartered in Lausanne, Switzerland; who's surprised?) is 40 moves in 90 minutes, with an additional 30 minutes for the rest of the game; however, a supplement of 30 seconds is added per move. That sort of thing is very tricky in a mechanical clock, but child's play for a multifunction quartz clock.

The star power of the show has made chess itself a star again – and according to the New York Times, sales of chess clocks have gone through the roof. The Times reports, "A spokeswoman for eBay, Kara Gibson, said the company had recorded a 215 percent increase in sales of chess sets and accessories since the debut of the show in October ... Vintage set sales have increased seven times, as have sales for equipment, including chess clocks and timers, which are up 45 times since last month."

What digital chess clocks don't have, of course, are the sounds of the original mechanical chess clocks. These sounds are part of the aural environment of The Queen's Gambit, and their debut marks Beth's graduating from promising beginner to prodigy, to terror of the tournament circuit. 

Time is death in chess (at least for the loser), but for Beth, it's also the sound of control. Although the line hits the symbolism a little hard, a remark she makes in a magazine interview is telling: "It's an entire world in sixty-four squares ... it's predictable ... and if I get hurt, I have only myself to blame." The music of the tournament is the music of chess pieces snapping into place on the board, of ticking clocks and the quiet click of timing buttons being pushed, with all the finality of a hammer nailing a coffin shut. 

Thanks to Jeff Stein of OnTheDash.com, and former Heuer watchmaker Hans Schrag, for additional info on the Heuer Chess Master. Headline image, Charlie Gray/Netflix/The Hollywood Archive.

The way people sell watches has changed a lot in 2020, even at the very high end. Phillips has proven to have a robust retail business in its Perpetual platform, helmed by the great James Marks, but they also continue to consign, organize, and market watches into flagship sales in the major markets of Geneva, Hong Kong, and New York. The results prove that the best watches will continue to bring exceptional prices, and Paul Boutros's "Racing Pulse" sale next month will be one any watch lover will be looking forward to, no matter if they plan to bid or not. 

The other two big players in auctions, Christie's and Sotheby's, have taken different tacks, and are now running regular (weekly, really) sales online in the auction platform, even sometimes running different sales from different offices at the same time. As I write this, for example, you have the option of bidding on watches in no fewer than five different Sotheby's watch auctions, with the option to view, but not bid on, a sixth. You're also notified of a seventh and eighth watch sale, but you can't view or bid just yet. 

I don't mention this as a bad idea at all - Sotheby's continues to sell watches well here, but as someone who loves watch auctions and all the drama that they involve, it's hard to keep up. Christie's lays somewhere between Phillips and Sotheby's in that, over the summer, they included several high end watches in a larger multi-category sale, will be hosting the annual December NY sale online only, but will have a live auction for their Important Watches sale in Hong Kong coming up on November 28th. With all this scattered signaling around some very good and some very average watches for sale, it's very easy to miss the fact that some exceptional watches might be offered. And that's why we're here today.

Patek Philippe 3448 In White Gold

Christie's has spent most of its ink talking about the "Ruby Collection" of Patek Philippes, which indeed does include a reference 3448 in yellow gold with ruby dial. I've never seen another and it's no doubt a very cool thing. It's important to note that the watch is from 1965, but the dial was made and installed by Patek in 1990. Clearly the work was done for a very important client and what's even cooler, the bezel has been factory modified to account for the raised ruby hour markers. Very cool, but not the 3448 I'm most excited about. Still, our colleagues in Japan did a nice photo report on the collection here. No, the lot that comes just four before is another 3448, but it's in white gold. And it looks absolutely stunning. 

The 3448 is one of the most wearable and, to me, beautiful vintage Patek Philippes ever made. It is large in diameter - complicated, but self-winding. It was Patek's first self-winding perpetual calendar and is a thoroughly modern vintage watch, in the best of ways. It is also one of the few complicated vintage watches made by Patek ever to be cased from the factory in white gold. 

They are watches that are adored by serious collectors the world over, and to find any 3448 in white gold is quite a feat. To find one in seemingly robust and original condition is something else entirely. These watches have sat around the $500,000 mark for many years now, but when a superlative example comes to market, anything is possible. In June 2019, Christie's sold what I thought was the very best example of a 3448 white I'd ever seen. They sold it for $1.155 million against an estimate of $300,000 to $500,000. Christie's, for this example, states it is one of about 50 known, one of just 25 of the first series style watch. And beyond that, they say that this is likely one of the best three known examples in the world. They go on to provide such detail about the first series dials, such as the fact that early dials feature engraved, enameled inscriptions and scales - where only the "Swiss" at the bottom is black painted - a neat little way to know if you're looking at an early or late 3448. The dial, on the rear, reads "1119045", which, if you look at the extract, is the watch's movement number. Christie's has done an excellent job giving viewers a look at all the key pieces of a 3448 that one would want to see, if they were considering paying a world record price for a watch. Which, by the way, is exactly what Christie's is suggesting this watch warrants with an estimate of $932,864 - $1,554,774. 

I will not speak to how this watch compares to the watch that sold in June 2019 because, while I did see that one in the metal, I've not had a chance to see this one in person. I will say it does look wonderful, and though the white gold bracelet was not born on the watch, it does fit it very well and adds to the charm of the watch. Of course, you can take it off the white gold Patek bracelet and wear it any way you want. The 3448 white has long been a personal grail of mine, and I missed the chance to own one, but that makes me no less a fan of seeing these beautiful, great quality watches coming to market. To find out more about this 3448 perpetual calendar available at Christie's Hong Kong on November 28, click here.

Patek Philippe 2526 In White Gold With Confirmed Enamel Dial

In the very same sale exists another holy grail of vintage Patek collecting – a 2526 in white gold. Look, I won't give you the whole song and dance about why I love the 2526 so much again – if you want it, here's 5,000 words on it from four and a half years ago. In summary, it features likely the highest quality self-winding movement ever created, one of the most beautiful case shapes, and, when lucky, a peerless enamel dial. Any 2526 is great; white metal is the dream. I'm lucky enough to have been able to purchase one many years ago and it remains one of the best watches to come through my hands. But understanding the nuance of white metal 2526s requires some scholarship unto itself. The majority of white metal 2526s, of which we know of less than 50, between both platinum and white gold, featured metal dials with diamond indices. I happen to love those too, as kind of a hyper opulent, peak of 1950s style type of thing. Remember this incredible Serpico Y Laino white gold watch with diamond markers that sold for $325,000 in 2017? What a thing. 

I'm not saying the enamel dials are better in any way than the metal dials – an argument could be made for the opposite: that metal dials make them far more daily-wearable. That's an argument I would buy. But I will say the enamel dial watches just feel more special to me. Because who else was doing an enamel dial on a time-only watch back then? Further to finding a 2526 in platinum or white gold, you should try to find one that features an extract confirming the enamel dial was actually born in that watch. Patek did, for a time, offer the opportunity to swap dials. Beyond that, some watches that were born with enamel dials may not benefit from extracts that explicitly say so, and is less than ideal (but not bad). Further still, because the 2526's dial has become so lauded, there exists an option of a new enamel dial made to replace those that have broken. We ran a story on this service in October of 2016.

The lot note from Christie's here gives you the details of what makes a white gold 2526 so special. "Around 2400 pieces were made in yellow gold, 360 in pink gold, 70 in white gold and 70 in platinum. According to research, although the same quantity were made of each in white gold and platinum, the white gold version is actually rarer than the platinum cased version today. Only around 20 white gold examples have been so far discovered whereas 24 platinum watches are now known publicly." They do not mention how many of those 20 discovered have enamel dials versus metallic, but one has to assume less than half, making this a very rare find, indeed, with the extract confirming it was born enamel and no visible cracks to the dial. 

Christie's has again done a nice job showing the various items of the watch that any 2526 collector would want to see, including the caliber, inside of the caseback, and more. What's interesting is that, at least from viewing online, neither the 2526 nor the 3448 have any service markings on the inside of their casebacks. That's a great thing for an originality freak. The estimate here is $310,955 to $414,606. This is a lot of money, clearly, but it's hard to put a price on something this rare. I can't remember the last time a white gold 2526 with confirmed enamel dial came on the market publicly – I'm not sure one has since I've been around. Over five years ago, we saw a nice platinum example sell at Phillips for $227,000, but it's hard to use something from half-a-decade ago as a comp. Since then, the diamond dial mentioned above sold for $325,000 in 2017, and the remarkable platinum, Tiffany signed watch brought in $642,000 over 30 months ago – those are the two high quality examples of white metal 2526s to sell within the last five years. 

No matter the outcome of the sale, after twelve years of doing this, I'm simply thrilled to see watches that are genuinely exciting still coming to market. You can read more about this Patek Philippe 2526 white gold right here.

Quick Take

Earlier this year, our own Cole Pennington went hands-on with the Rado Captain Cook Bronze, featuring ceramic for both the bezel and the dial. That watch came in variants sporting deep earth tones of green, blue, and grey – and, of course, bronze cases. Now, Rado is announcing a new addition to Captain Cook Bronze lineup – a watch so red that it evokes images of a certain other captain with a distaste for one flying child in green tights, and something that conveniently rhymes with "cook" for a hand.

The Captain Cook Bronze Burgundy is the first time Rado has endeavored to make a watch using red-colored ceramic, which is a particularly onerous undertaking. Unlike its earth-toned counterparts, this watch comes on a red and gold fabric NATO strap – adding to its sporty, retro dive watch charm. 

Initial Thoughts

Now, this year has seen a lot of brands make minor tweaks to existing models – everything from dial colors to bracelets to case material. This release from Rado is – in reality –  nothing more than a new color variation of an existing model but, for some reason, it comes across as more than that. For one thing, red is a bolder color than earthy green (or blue, or grey), and the decision to pair the watch with a red NATO strap, as opposed to an equally earthy brown leather strap, makes it seem fully realized.

As I noted earlier, creating red ceramic is not easy.  If you don't know the story behind the ceramic bezels on modern Rolex GMT Master II's, it is said that when Rolex transitioned to using ceramic, it discontinued the famed "Pepsi" (blue/red bezel) variant because of the technical complexity involved in making a bi-color bezel with red ceramic. Even when Rolex finally released its own modern ceramic Pespi GMT, it took a number of years to get the red color right. All of this is to say that crafting red ceramic is no small feat. With this new Captain Cook Bronze Burgundy, Rado has taken on a tough task and delivered. As it did with the other iterations in the Captain Cook Bronze collection, the brand has utilized the red ceramic for both the bezel and the dial.

Despite the use of ceramic – a modern material – Rado has maintained its typical retro-inspired look with the typeface on the bezel, the classic Captain Cook word mark, and the red colored date text.  Each of these components solidifies the very old school, vintage leaning, experience of this watch.

What really closes the loop on the melding of vintage and modern is the red colored ceramic dial. There is something in the look of the red ceramic that, more than the blue, green, or grey variants, seems to capture the essence of that 1960s vintage dive watch spirit.

The Rado Captain Cook Bronze Burgundy wears taller than its counterparts, mostly due to the NATO strap. The double pass nature of any standard NATO tends to do that. The strap also protrudes somewhat at the sides, so you don't get that same "tight to the wrist" feeling that Cole noted in his write-up. 

As with the other color variants,  the case is not just made of bronze, but an alloy known as CuAl which which includes an aluminum oxide coating to help seal the case, and prevent corrosion. Although the brand states that each watch will take on a unique patina, CuAl tends to skew more toward the pristine than the patinated. 

Of course, looking at any red bezel, one cannot help but think of the original Tudor Black Bay, with its own burgundy colored bezel – even though that watch has an aluminum bezel and a matte black dial. That Black Bay also features gilt accents, and gold-colored hands.  The Rado Captain Cook Bronze Burgundy plays in a similar space as that Black Bay. Sure the bezel has the typical ceramic sheen to it, but the darker, burgundy color appears quite muted. Paired with gold colored hands and accents on the dial, the design is really cohesive. There is consistency and contrast as you move from the bezel to the case to the strap.

The fabric NATO strap is thick and solid, with matching brushed golden bronze accents on the keepers and the buckle. There is a leather strip at the center of the strap containing the pin holes. When you remove the second pass portion of the strap, you find a circular printed RADO stamp in matching burgundy/bronze coloration. Removing the strap from the watch completely reveals the closed, and decorated titanium caseback. The spring bars feature a quick-release system called "Easy Clip" by the brand.  

The dial, as stated, is also made from red ceramic. The particular ceramic used for both the dial and the bezel is what Rado refers to as "high-tech ceramic." While the brand calls this a sunray finish, it is actually quite lacquer-like in texture. The symmetry of the dial is broken up slightly by the three o'clock date window. It is visually pleasing to see the red colored numerals used for the date. The choice to make it red likely explains why the date wheel has a white background. It would be truly avant-garde to go red-on-red – if not entirely unreadable.

The movement inside this watch, like the other variants in the line, is the Rado Caliber 763 (a modified version of the ETA C07) which boasts 80 hours of power reserve. On the wrist, this 42mm bronze diver wears larger than its size suggests, partly due to the the NATO strap, as noted. It also appears larger. Red pops, and in turn makes the watch seem larger than it is. 

Size perception notwithstanding, this is a decidedly fun watch in the metal. You may have read the most recent Editor's Picks about our favorite watch nicknames. This watch seems poised to join the fray because fun is what nicknames are all about.  I am throwing "Captain Hook" out into the ether – any takers? The Captain Cook Bronze Burgundy joins an existing lineup of bronze ceramic watches in the Rado collection, although this one definitely stands out from the bunch. 

The Basics

Brand: Rado
Model: Captain Cook Bronze Burgundy
Reference Number: 763.0504.3.131

Diameter: 42mm
Thickness: 12.5mm
Case Material: Bronze (CuAl)
Dial Color: Red
Indexes: Applied markers
Lume: Yes
Water Resistance: 300m
Strap/Bracelet: Red fabric NATO with a gold stripe

The Movement

Caliber: Rado Caliber 763
Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds, date
Diameter: 25.6mm
Power Reserve: 80 hours
Winding: Automatic
Frequency: 3Hz
Jewels: 25
Chronometer Certified: No

Pricing & Availability

Price: $2,600
Availability: December 7, 2020
Limited Edition: No

For more, click here.

Photos: Kasia Milton

To the average watch owner, few modern factors present a bigger challenge to a mechanical watch movement than the scourge of magnetism. Sure, water resistance is important, but you can generally see water coming and work to avoid it if you don't want to get wet. Conversely, magnetism is a silent, unseen threat to the daily wearability of your watch and I’d wager that many of you have dealt with one (or several) of your watches getting magnetized. 

Magnetized watches run poorly because major components cannot interact as they normally would within the structure of the movement. The result is a watch that may run quickly, erratically, or, if the magnetic force is strong enough, stop altogether. So what can you do? 

The first option is to go to a watchmaker and have them demagnetize your watch. While this is a fine choice (and even saves you from reading the rest of this article), access can be difficult in some areas, and let's face it, going to your watchmaker does not a How-To make. For those willing to roll up their sleeves and push a single (and exceedingly low effort) button, I recommend picking up a watch demagnetizing tool. 

I’ve had one for years. It’s a very simple contraption that can be sourced from most online retailers that stock watchmaking supplies. This one is from eBay and costs no more than $15. For what is little more than an electromagnet with a dead-man on/off switch, this simple gadget has one job to do: It allows you to easily demagnetize your watches. 

Should You Demagnetize?

Generally, you’ll know demagnetization is worth a shot if your watch has suddenly started running quickly or has recently become very erratic in terms of the length of the power reserve and the watch's accuracy over that period of time. That said, if you’re more curious or feel the need for confirmation, there are ways to test to see if your watch is magnetized. 

First, you can use a compass. I prefer a simple digital compass, like what you can find buried in the feature list of a Garmin Fenix or a Casio ProTrek. Turn on the compass and then slowly bring your watch closer to the compass display; if the heading changes considerably in response to your watch getting close to the compass, your watch is magnetized. 

While I have anti-magnetic watches that literally won't "move the needle" on the compass, I will break out the tool for any watch that isn't running well or any watch that causes a swing of more than 10+ degrees. I treat this a bit like keeping my kitchen knives sharp. It's quick maintenance and it certainly doesn't take long to do a quick de-mag pass on even a large collection. 

The other option is to use the compass feature that is quite possibly built into your phone. From one phone to another I have found this to be much less reliable in terms of results, but there is an iPhone app called Lepsi that is specifically designed to use the iPhone's compass hardware to detect magnetism. I'm sure something similar is possible on the Android platform assuming the phone in question has the correct compass hardware. That said, I have always preferred the simplicity of a compass, especially as more and more phones are employing powerful onboard magnets.

How To Use The Tool...

Once you have confirmed that you have a watch that requires demagnetization and taken delivery of the demagnetizer, the process is simple but specific. Speaking from past personal experience, please know that if you don’t follow some sort of technique, this process will not work and you will likely only increase the level of magnetism afflicting your watch. As an added note, this process should only be performed on watches that are not actively running. If your watch has a movement with hacking, pull the crown out to stop the movement first. If you don't have hacking, set the watch aside, and allow the power reserve to empty before using the demagnetizer. 

1. Start by holding your watch slightly above the smooth pad on the demagnetizer adjacent to the on/off switch. Some guides will advise that you can start with the watch resting fully on the demagnetizer, but I have found that holding the watch just above the actual plastic (usually by resting my fingertips on the device itself) ensures the best possible performance. Your results may vary, but the important part is coming up in the following steps. 
2. With one hand holding your watch, be ready to slowly but purposefully lift the watch straight up and away from the demagnetizer while using your other hand to press and hold the button. 
3. The light should come on when you press the button. You can now start to slowly raise the watch away from the device. The distance is not an exact science, but I like to go fairly high as a compass would suggest the area of effect is around 30cm (or about one foot). I usually go until the watch is at my eye line as you want to be well outside of the magnetic field created by the demagnetization tool. 
4. As the watch progresses towards the top of its travel, release the button. 
5. Bring the watch back down but do not put it back on the demagnetizer (it is a magnet, after all). You have just completed one demagnetization cycle (look at you, you're like a watch wizard!). 
6. After each cycle, retest your watch for magnetism until the effect is as minimal as possible.

And that’s all there is to it. While it’s promising that many modern brands have gone to great lengths to protect their movements from the effects of magnetism, we all likely still own a watch or two that will fall prey to the polarizing power of the silent and invisible magnetic forces all around us. Thankfully, the solution is cheap, easy to use, and a worthwhile addition to any watch enthusiast’s repertoire. 

Henry Ford II, also known as "Hank the Deuce," took his Ford Motor Company public on January 17, 1956, to the tune of $657.9 million and 10.2 million shares. At the time, it was the largest initial public offering in American history. 

That very same year at Baselworld (then called Schweizer Uhrenmasse), Rolex debuted the Day-Date, a watch that would find its way into the scion’s collection. And now his 18k gold ref. 1803 is up for auction at Christie's as part of the aptly named sale Important Jewels From The Estate of Mrs. Henry Ford.

The watch, befitting an American industrial tycoon, matched his conservative taste and aggressive management style. When Henry II became president of his namesake company on Sept. 21, 1945, just after his 28th birthday, it was a turnaround project. A couple of key initiatives helped. 

For one, as dramatized in the 2019 film Ford Vs. Ferrari, the Deuce made Ford a prominent force on the international racing circuit. (He set up the GT40 program to take down Ferrari, after a business deal to buy the Italian automaker went south.) Ferrari was the reigning champion of Le Mans from 1960-1965, but that ended in 1966, when a trio of Ford GT40 builds took the top three spots, steamrolling the prancing horse. 

A second key move? In 1965, Ford launched the Mustang, which went on to become the company's most successful car – famously driven by everyone from Steve McQueen to, uh, Vanilla Ice. If there were ever a watch fit to commemorate Ford's success in the late '60s, this solid gold Day-Date dating to 1970 would be it. 

This Rolex Day-Date is Lot 242 in Christie's online "Important Jewels From The Estate Of Mrs. Henry Ford II" sale. It carries an estimate of $3,000-5,000, and at time of publishing the bidding is at $5,000. The auction ends at 10:00 AM ET on December 2 and you can find the full listing here.

We believe every vintage watch has a story to tell. That's what HODINKEE was founded on, and since 2016, we've used our knowledge to bring you a curated selection of vintage watches in the HODINKEE Shop that you won't find elsewhere, all delivered with an emphasis on education, transparency, and storytelling. And now, we're kicking things up a notch.  

You'll still find us here every Wednesday morning, and we'll still be highlighting what we love and what you should know about every vintage watch that appears in the HODINKEE Shop. You'll also see every angle, of every watch, because we shoot all the vintage watches listed in the HODINKEE Shop ourselves – and we always will.  

What's new, however, is the amount of watches you'll discover each week. We've grown our team of specialists, and we're now able to deliver a larger – and broader – selection of vintage watches than ever before. You'll also learn about the highlight pieces in each week's assortment in articles like the below, directly from the team members who are most excited about them. The comments section is also now open for discussion, because we want to hear from you – don't hesitate to let us know what you think and what you'd like to see from us going forward.  

This Week's Vintage Watches

We're back this week with a diverse selection of vintage watches in the HODINKEE Shop. Whether you're looking for a couple complementary pieces for a perfect two-watch collection or a subtle twist on a classic dress watch or chronograph, we have it all. A couple pieces we're particularly excited about include an uncommon AP with a dual-signed dial and a Rolex Explorer II with a detail reminiscent of the amphibian's foot. You can head over to the HODINKEE Shop now to explore the entire assortment, or you can read on to discover our team's take on some of these standout watches.  

A 1940s Heuer "Pre Carrera" Chronograph Ref. 2447 And A 1940s Heuer Single-Button Chronograph Pocket Watch

By Saori Omura

This Heuer "Pre-Carrera" from the 1940s is one not to be missed. Interestingly, this model got its nickname because of its shared reference number "2447" and the design elements that were carried over to the Carrera introduced in 1963. The most compelling resemblance is the unmistakably strong shape of the lugs; angular and elongated. Plus, it is fitted with the same chronograph movement, the Valjoux 72. Unlike the Carrera from the 1960s, this ref. 2447 has more of a 1940s design. This "Pre-Carrera" design is more reminiscent of military chronographs with a screw-down caseback and luminous syringe-type hands.  

What's really amazing about this watch is the overall condition. The black dial is still clean and well-preserved with an honest patina, and the gold-tone gilt writing really pops against the black background. The oversized registers are almost touching each other and finished with concentric circles, which maximizes legibility. The lume on the large Arabic numerals is well-preserved with the perfect amount of patina in pale yellow, as it often has the tendency to turn into a very dark color. Just a stunning watch overall! You can make it yours by heading over to the HODINKEE Shop. 

There are so many beautiful pocket watches that still remain under-the-radar. When this gorgeous piece showed up at our office, I immediately had to stop everything I was working on to take a look and test it out for myself. From a design standpoint, this pocket watch has form and function perfectly aligned. The layout of the dial is clean and to the point with black painted Arabic numerals and minute track for maximum clarity. Also, the railroad track on the registers finished with the concentric circles are a subtle but thoughtful finish for a simple timing instrument. And, let's not forget the gorgeous blued steel leaf hands, which are also used in some of the favorite classic dress watches from the same era, like the Calatrava by Patek Philippe. Visit the HODINKEE Shop to explore this piece for yourself. 

A 1978 Rolex Explorer II Ref. 1655 ‘Frog's Foot’ And A 1952 Audemars Piguet 'Oversized’ Ref. 5072 Retailed By Gübelin

By Brandon Frazin

The Explorer II ref. 1655 took me a few years to warm up to, and now it has made its way to the list of watches I would like to own. The whole aesthetic is so unlike any other Rolex, and I think that's what initially turned me off, but now I lust over the design. One of the things I love most about the 1655 is how infrequently I see them. These 1655's have so many cool little details. First off, there's the neon-orange 24 hour hand. This was originally meant to help the person wearing it distinguish between day and night in environments where one can’t rely on the sun. Now, it might not be the most used function, but it looks damn cool. This one has remained vibrant and has a nice tangerine color, especially paired with the buttery lume. Second, the lume layout is pretty cool too - it almost reminds me of the checkered flag motif on some Speedmasters with the racing dials. The lume layout was done with visibility in mind – this baby would have lit up the cave in 1978.   

One other detail that is pretty neat would be the black center of all the hands, except the seconds. The center is black, so the hands look like they are almost floating on the dial. Lastly, arguably my favorite detail of this Mark II variation is the "Frog Foot" Coronet. Collectors have nicknamed this Coronet on the dial a "Frog Foot" because of the way the spikes of the crown look like a frog's foot. Interestingly enough, Rolex used this style crown on some versions of the Explorer 1016 too. All in all, the 1655 is a pretty cool watch that you don’t see too often, and the one we have here is in great condition with a very attractive lume color. Check out all the details right now in the HODINKEE Shop.  

We were fortunate enough to have a 5072 in the shop a few weeks back. Now, we have the great pleasure of offering another one today, and this one was originally retailed by Gübelin. This example is dual-signed Audemars Piguet on the top of the dial (like usual) and Gübelin on the bottom of the dial. This not only signifies it was originally sold at the Swiss retailer but also takes this watch to a whole new level of rarity. Plus, it adds nice balance to the dial. The 5072 is a pretty serious piece of equipment; from the 37mm case to the heavily modified Valjoux-based movement inside. AP finished these watches to the highest degree. AP usually saved these Valjoux 13-ligne base calibers for its more complicated watches but sometimes used this movement in time-only ones. AP had a few versions of these time-onlys over the years, and ones with central seconds like this are not seen too often. Snatch it up before it's gone by heading to the HODINKEE Shop. 

As I write about these two great watches, I have them in front of me and think about how these two would make for a pretty awesome two-watch collection. The 1655 covers you for sporty and casual settings, while the AP can dress things up a notch. However, due to the 37mm case size the AP, it could also be great in everyday settings, and the Explorer II could be worn for more formal occasions if you dare to go against the grain. One other thought that crosses my mind is that even though both of these watches are from famous makers, Rolex and Audemars Piguet, they are both quite esoteric and compliment each other with respect to being rare and somewhat mysterious. The thought of a two-watch collection with these gets me thinking. At the end of the day, I am not sure I could commit, but I would love to add both of these to my daily rotation.   

A 1969 Patek Philippe White Gold Square Ref. 3555 And A 1960s Wittnauer Professional Chronograph Ref. 242T

By Cait Bazemore

This week, I'm highlighting two models that are each unique in their own right. One is a simple, time-only watch from Patek Philippe, which sounds pretty standard. However, it has a strikingly uncommon square case – full disclosure, the moment I saw this watch come through the Shop, I was smitten. The second is a Wittnauer Professional Chronograph, a model I was unfamiliar with until it came across our desks. I can't resist a good chronograph, and this one has a particularly cool atheistic and not so common decimal scale on the edge of the dial.

When you think of square watches, your might not immediately think of the brand Patek Philippe. That's precisely why I think this piece we have in the Shop today is so special. The dial of this Patek has an incredibly unique finish that's almost mirror-like in its reflective quality. Yet, this aesthetic choice doesn't compromise the functionality. The combination of the black baton hands and hour markers provide the perfect level of contrast and create a clean, easy-to-read dial. To top it all off, our Reid strap in taupe really brings home the look. The leather keeps with the inherent dress watch quality of this time-only piece while the stitching gives it a more casual, everyday vibe. The contrast of these two elements perfectly mirrors the contrasting elements of the watch, as if the two were made for each other. See it for yourself in the HODINKEE Shop. 

This next watch sits on the other end of the spectrum. The Wittnauer Professional Chronograph hails from the era of the Space Race in the 1960s, and the design of this model certainly feels as if it was influenced by the cosmos. It features a soft, black dial with notably large cream-colored lume plots that create the illusion of celestial bodies floating in outer space. In addition, the engine turned chronograph subdials are each outlined by a glossy ring in a deeper black tone as if enveloped by the rings of a planet. I'm typically a big fan of a classic, three-register chronograph design, and I love Wittnauer's unique spin on this particular iteration. Still, the icing on the cake of this model may very well be what's under the hood. This chrono is powered by the legendary Valjoux 72 – the same caliber used in early Rolex Daytonas. All in all, this is a really special watch for the collector seeking a chronograph that will be an instant conversation piece. Head over to the HODINKEE Shop for a closer look. 

To view the entire current selection of vintage watches available in the HODINKEE Shop, click here. 

Questions? Send us a note, or let us know in the comments. Want to sell your watch through the HODINKEE Shop? Click here. 

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 Justin Brayman, Anirudh Kallakuri, Raoul D., Greg Johnson, and Stephen Owens. 

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.

Justin Brayman And His Tudor Black Bay Fifty-Eight 'Navy Blue'

Justin Brayman is from Spokane, Washington, and he shares with us today the story of his Tudor Black Bay Fifty-Eight "Navy Blue." He and his wife celebrated their 15th wedding anniversary this year and his wife told him he should buy a watch. He'd always been a fan of the Black Bay Fifty-Eight because its design and proportions are perfect for his wrist. However, it was this execution in particular that really caught his attention because of the hour markers, indices, and the fact that blue is his favorite color. The day after his anniversary, Justin got a call from an AD 300 miles away; without any hesitation, Justin called his father and together they made buying Justin's anniversary watch a memorable road trip.

@Auronblue

Anirudh Kallakuri And His West End Company Vintage Dress Watch

For Anirudh, a resident of Bangalore, India, the story of his grandfather's 1930s West End Company dress watch is one that has connected his whole family. Anirudh's grandfather was gifted the watch on his wedding day and after wearing it almost his entire life, he passed it on to Anirudh's mother. Finding no real use for the watch, she gave it to Anirudh's uncle, but later its whereabouts were unknown for some time; it was Anirudh who really took an interest in finding it. Years later, his brother revealed that he knew where it was and handed it over to him. As the current custodian of the watch, Anirudh has since had it restored back to its original condition. The watch is currently 82 years old and he looks forward to seeing it well past its 100th birthday.

Raoul D. And His Patek Philippe Ref. 5740/1G Nautilus Perpetual Calendar

There's a watch geek inside most of us who read HODINKEE and for London-native Raoul, 2020 has been a special year spent with his Patek Philippe Nautilus Perpetual Calendar. London went into lockdown in the early months of 2020 and Raoul seized the opportunity to spend a lot of time with this watch. His appreciation of it has grown immensely – he loves the balance of its simple, sporty presentation matched with the amazing complications it has at its core.

Greg Johnson And His Panerai Luminor Ref. P00164

For Greg, who is from the UK, the Panerai Luminor ref. P00164 is the watch that sparked his fascination with watches and horology. A gift from his wife for his 30th birthday, the Panerai was actually Greg's second watch; he had worn an Omega Seamaster for 10 years prior. With its mixture of brushed and polished finishes and the legible numerals on the dial, the watch matches his casual style. Over the years, his tastes have changed and his collection has grown, but the Panerai still gets a lot of wrist time. 

Stephen Owens And His Bulova Oceanographer

New Orleans native Stephen Owens has been a watch enthusiast all of his life, mainly due to his father's passion for the hobby. Stephen distinctly recalls moments in his childhood when his dad would tell him about the watch he bought after he graduated high school, but had gone missing – his Bulova Oceanographer. The day after his father passed, his mom found the watch locked away in a drawer, in poor condition. Stephen felt compelled to have it restored, and today it provides a special connection to his father.

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.

From pioneering the dive watch to mastering Grand Complications, this house has it all.

Oakley is one of those brands that, when you close your eyes, the entire brand identity sort of envelopes you. From large, frameless, colorful, wraparound-sunglasses to over-engineered backpacks, you know Oakley when you see it. Heck, even Scott Summers aka Cyclops, of X-Men fame (played by HODINKEE alum James Marsden), wore specially made Oakleys to shield his eyes from creating laser-induced mayhem. 

As a brand, it really had its heyday in the 1990s – Oakley was it. I still remember walking into a store and catching a glimpse of the famed over-the-head sunglasses (I may have even tried them on).  As Oakley pushed the limits of futuristic- industrial-modern-otherworldly design, it also expanded its place in the market to – you guessed it – watches.

Highsnobiety just released an article covering the bizarre history of the Oakley watch line – including its decline and recent social media revival . Over the course of a decade, the brand created timepieces that competed with both Breitling and Rolex (in price-point only, mind you) but represented a design-style that only Oakley could have created. Even Michael Jordan wore an Oakley watch.

The article highlights one of the craziest looking watches Oakley produced – The Time Bomb – in an attempt to showcase just what went wrong with the brand's foray into watch design. It also features some thoughts from our very own Joe Thompson. What I found interesting is the idea that many brands, from a host of different industries, made a watch in this era. It was just the thing that one did. However it was Oakley, above all others, that seemed to have created watches so perfectly in tune with its design language – even if that ultimately meant they were very left of center, to put it mildly.  

The article indicates that, with the rise of social media, some of these lost relics of Oakley watches past, have been rediscovered and finally (somewhat) appreciated. If you're interested in design, in the obscure, and the cyclical nature of what is "cool," this is definitely one to check out.

For more, check out the full article on Highsnobiety.

Soccer legend Diego Maradona, a monumental figure in Latin America and one of the world’s most famous athletes in any sport, died Wednesday at age 60 in his home country of Argentina.

He was an operatic character both on and off the field — a fantastically talented athlete whose crowning glory came in 1986, when he led his national team to a World Cup and was carried off the field holding the golden trophy. His flamboyance knew no end. He scored his most iconic goal, the “Hand of God,” not with his foot but with his fist. He puffed cigars, snorted cocaine, fired a rifle at reporters, and tattooed Che Guevara onto his shoulder. He wore earrings in both ears and watches on both wrists. 

His entirely unnecessary (but also kind of awesome) watch stunt became part of his mystique, and an annoyance to his haters. In 2006, Italian tax police — irritated that Maradona owed $38.5 million in unpaid income tax — confiscated a pair of his Rolex, stripping one off of each arm. But replacing them wasn’t a problem. In 2010, Maradona inked a deal as brand ambassador for Hublot, a fitting partnership with the brash brand that brought us the Big Bang and that, in recent years, has become a major presence in the corporate side of world soccer. 

In Maradona, Hublot found a kindred spirit. The partnership produced a handful of Maradona-themed editions, of which Maradona often wore with pride. For the 2010 World Cup, Hublot produced a monster 44.5-mm Maradona Big Bang Limited Edition black ceramic chronograph, with his signature on the dial and his profile engraved onto the caseback. Maradona wore a pair while pacing the sidelines as coach of the Argentina side, and all 250 examples sold out. 

In 2012, Hublot dropped a watch that was even wilder than the Maradona Big Bang editions: A 48mm wide Hublot King Power Diego Maradona Limited Edition. Following the format established by the preceding Big Bang, this King Power was available in matte black ceramic or 18k King Gold, with the former limited to 500 pieces and the latter just 200. 

From Rolex to Hublot, the watches embodied Maradona’s cult of personality and tabloid lifestyle. Did he wear his the way we wear ours? Well, not exactly. But what we love, and will miss, is that he approached watches the way he approached everything else, with an endless and infectious exuberance. 

Lead image credit: Allsport UK/Allsport. 

Hey Everyone,

Today is Thanksgiving here in the United States, where most of us are based. And when we held hands around our virtual table and took turns saying what we’re thankful for in this ridiculous year, the answer was unanimous: It’s all of you. 

It’s the readers who wake up every morning excited to visit this website. The fans who’ve stuck with us over the years as we’ve evolved. The commenters who keep us honest and bust our chops. The customers who, during tough times, chose to spend a few bucks ordering straps, watches, magazines, books, and more from us. From us! You inspire us and challenge us, and let’s be honest – you keep our lights on. 

You download our podcasts. You follow our Insta feed. You, like us, are looking very damn forward to meeting up again in person when this is all over. 

On a holiday meant to be spent with family, you took a few minutes to check HODINKEE and read this letter, because we’re a part of your lives and you’re a part of ours. And maybe also because you needed a break from Uncle Larry.

We’re thankful for you. 

All the best this holiday season, 

The HODINKEE Team

Quick Take

Last week, TAG Heuer introduced a Limited Edition Carrera made in celebration of Jack Heuer's 88th birthday – a release I figured would be the last LE of the season for TAG. Well, it turns out the brand isn't done yet (and who knows if there is still more to come). Yesterday, it announced a watch in collaboration with Bamford Watch Department, the well-known watch customization outfit based in London. 

The TAG Heuer Aquaracer Bamford Limited Edition is the second collaboration between the two companies released this year. The first was the BWD X Badgerworks TAG Heuer Carrera Calibre 5 with Tropical Coffee Dial. Now, this new Bamford LE doesn't have a coffee filled dial, but it does feature orange accents, a concentric patterned black dial, and a case made from grade 2 titanium.

Initial Thoughts

In 2017, Bamford became the authorized customizer of all TAG Heuer watches. Since then, it has customized a Monaco, an Autavia, a Carrera, and now this – an Aquaracer. Unlike the other Bamford customized TAG Heuer pieces, this is probably the most modern looking model to join the club. At 43mm, it is no small watch either.

Looking at this new watch, it actually comes across as quite conservative. Bamford is generally known for making bold statements in its pieces, subverting expectations, playing with color and contrast. This watch is certainly bold, but more in the way that any watch is bold – which is not a bad thing. There are the striking orange color flourishes in the dial markings, flange, and hands. Then there is the seconds hand, which is done in an almost traffic cone-like motif. As touched on earlier, the deep black dial features a concentrically engraved circular pattern.

The case, as mentioned, is fashioned from grade 2 titanium. Basically the entire outer part of the watch – bracelet included – is sandblasted, which is something I would definitely like to see in the metal. The sandblasting continues onto the titanium unidirectional bezel, which boasts an orange triangular pip. To cap things off, the Bamford word mark is printed above "Aquaracer" and in equal proportion to it.

Given the fact that it is a dive watch, the Aquaracer Bamford Limited Edition features 300m of water resistance. It is powered by the Calibre 5 Automatic (a movement based on the ETA 2824-2). In terms of the overall design, this watch could very well be a regular production Aquaracer – and a cool one at that – however, it is limited to 1,500 pieces. 

The Basics

Brand: TAG Heuer
Model: Aquaracer Bamford Limited Edition
Reference Number: WAY208F.BF0638

Diameter: 43mm
Case Material: Grade 2 Titanium
Dial Color: Black
Indexes: Rectangular markers
Lume: Yes
Water Resistance: 300m
Strap/Bracelet: Bracelet

The Movement

Caliber: Calibre 5 Automatic
Functions: Hours, minutes ,seconds, date
Diameter: 25.6mm
Power Reserve: 42 hours
Winding: Automatic
Frequency: 4Hz
Jewels: 25
Chronometer Certified: No

Pricing & Availability

Price: CHF 3,800
Availability: December 2020 (available for pre-order immediately)
Limited Edition: Yes, 1,500 pieces

For more, click here.