Why I Bought a Rolex Oyster Perpetual 39 with White Dial It the Day Before it was Discontinued – Reprise

After years of consideration, Bhanu Chopra took the plunge and bought both a Rolex Oyster Perpetual 39 mm and a Submariner Reference 114060. And less than 24 hours after finally taking ownership of them, Rolex discontinued both watches! Here he shares the story of how it all went down. Spoiler alert: he couldn’t be happier!

Warning, Iceberg Dead Ahead! F.P. Journe Tourbillon Souverain Joaillerie Reviewed by Tim Mosso

In Tim Mosso’s opinion, the F.P. Journe The Tourbillon Souverain Joaillerie is a halo model for a brand that sells almost nothing but halo models. It’s as special as the discontinued Journe Sonnerie Souveraine or current Astronomic Souveraine.

Rolex Twinlock winding crown

Here’s Why the Crown is the Unsung Hero of Watchmaking (and Why Rolex Wears the Crown) – Reprise

The crown is one of the most important yet under appreciated parts of a watch. The humble crown has played an extensive role in helping Rolex – and the rest of the watch industry – get to where it is today. Here’s why.

One buys, another sells: F.P. Journe Tourbillon Souverain purchased by the author from a friend

Behind the Lens: The F.P. Journe Tourbillon Souverain – Reprise

One of the great advantages of belonging to the relatively close-knit community of watch collectors is having the opportunity to see and photograph a lot of great watches. Here GaryG takes on the formidable F.P. Journe Tourbillon Souverain with his mighty camera and collecting knowledge.

Raúl Pagès Wins the Inaugural Louis Vuitton Prize for Independent Creatives with his RP1 Régulateur à Détente: Here’s Why

Congratulations to Raúl Pagès for winning the 2024 Louis Vuitton Prize for Independent Creatives with his RP1 Régulateur à Détente. The prize comes with a substantial grant of 150,000 euros and a 12-month mentorship with La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton. Here’s why he won.

Appleton Estate 21-Year-Old: One of the World’s Great Rums

While the Appleton Estate distillery in Jamacia has a reputation of the highest order for quality rums, for Ken Gargett, the sweet spot has long been their 21-Year-Old.

Form follows function: Omega Seamaster “Ploprof” 600m

A Contemporary Watch Collector Goes Vintage with Omega, Patek Philippe and Jaeger-LeCoultre – Reprise

To my longtime friends in the watch hobby, and perhaps to regular readers here as well, the mention of my name may conjure up a number of connotations: patron of the independents, fan of A. Lange & Söhne, admirer of Patek Philippe grand complications, and longtime customer of Jaeger-LeCoultre, among other characterizations more or less favorable. But vintage?

Gumball Rally/Around-the-World-in-80-Days/24 Hours of Le Mans: Here’s a Proposal for a Real-Life International Chronometry Competition that Both Brands and Collectors might Enjoy

Ian Skellern’s suggestion for an International Chronometry Competition is a group of well-heeled collectors – brands/independents are also welcome to participate, but I suspect they will wait to see how it goes – set off from, say, Geneva, but could be New York, Dubai, or Singapore, wearing one or two watches, on a two-week world tour. Here he explains how it might work.

A pre-owned Omega Speedmaster on the wrist (photo courtesy Bob’s Watches)

Decoding Omega References: 14 Magic Digits and Codification Tables Revealed – Reprise

Many watch enthusiasts dream of owning at least one timepiece by Omega. And maybe even a second or a third. The Swiss brand definitely ranks among the most popular watch firms. To give you an idea of the overwhelming variety in the current Omega watch world, Sabine Zwettler has put together a guideline for reference numbers.

International Chronometry Competition 2019

Wristwatch Precision: Why the Fundamental Purpose of Watches is Playing Second Fiddle and How to Fix This

Mechanical watches have become about so much more than precision. They are status symbols, works of art and passion, a testimony of human ingenuity, and much more. Precision, as long as it reaches a certain standard, plays second fiddle. Martin Green thinks that brands should devote more emphasis to precision and he has an idea to encourage that.