Many premium watch brands look for that certain “extra element” to get ahead of the competition, and one hot item is straps. If it is true that shoes make the man, then the strap must make the watch.
For less than $3,000 you can get a pretty cool watch with an interesting story to tell. But which one: Japanese, German, or Swiss? Jan Lidmaňský highlights three possibilities from Seiko, Union Glashütte, and Oris.
The HYT H2O sits like an agreeably secure sapphire tuna tin, even on smaller wrists. It looks huge, but it merely wears big. Tim Mosso takes a closer look.
The Ming 20.01 Series 2 AgenGraphe Mosaic chronograph was only made in a series of eight prototypes for early backers of the brand. Happily for collectors including Chuck, a modified Series 2 version of the 20.01 did subsequently go into production, and thanks to his kindness GaryG is able to present it to you here.
Swedish blue mussels are not the typical material used to make a dial, but that’s what gives the Arcanaut Arc II Havender its unique color. And there’s more that makes this watch special.
In 2021, John McGonigle launched the H-B1, the first watch under his solo brand Oileán. It’s a beautifully hand-finished triple-calendar column wheel chronograph powered by a highly modified new-old stock Valjoux 88 movement. While not cheap, Ian Skellern thinks it’s the best value-for-money, exquisitely hand-finished, complicated watch he has ever seen.
The 23 vintage LIP watches in this article are not for sale: they were made for friends and are based on wristwatches from the late 40s and early 50s from the LIP brand. Thomas Brechtel shares this story of passion.
This Breguet souscription pocket watch number 1836 was created just after the French Revolution in 1796 and was sold in 1807 for £600. A testament to the quality of the movement’s design and the skill of its watchmaker, after more than 200 years it still runs impeccably today, which makes it the perfect role model for Breguet’s modern Tradition line.
November 2018 marked a personal horological high point for GaryG as he took delivery of an “unobtainable” watch, the Patek Philippe Reference 3940P-027. Gary shares his reasons for buying this rare timepiece with us here.
When the De Bethune DB28 Tourbillon Deadbeat Seconds launched in 2012 it represented the upper echelon of the catalog and could be considered something approaching a brand flagship. And in Tim Mosso’s opinion, it certainly has the presence of a flagship.