Women’s History Month: 4 Fascinating Horological Stories About Women In Watchmaking

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“The watch industry today would be nothing without women,” Elizabeth Doerr notes as the majority of watchmaker benches in watch factories are “manned” by women. Women were also responsible for the very first wristwatches; the world’s first doctorate in horology went to a woman (Dr. Rebecca Struthers); and the now-safe lume glowing on your watch came about thanks to the dangerous (and deadly) work of both Marie Curie and the Radium Girls.

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Five Modern Retro-Styled Watches From Jaeger-LeCoultre, Panerai, Breitling, Blancpain, And Seiko

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The “good ol’ days” aren’t over yet – at least in the world of mechanical watches, where the appreciation of traditions and the creation of lasting values are as essential as the balance wheel and the escapement. Here, Sabine Zwettler takes a look at five of her favorite modern retro-styled watches from Blancpain, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Panerai, Breitling, and Seiko.

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Vostok Europe Mrija chronograph with NE88 movement

Seiko SII NE88 Automatic Chronograph Movement: Look Out, Valjoux 7750! – Reprise

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Swatch Group has limited availability of the Valjoux 7750 chronograph, which powers a significant percentage of the chronographs available today, for outside parties. A few years ago, Seiko’s SII NE88 automatic chronograph entered the fray, and here Joshua Munchow takes a closer look.

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50 Shades Of Pink: Salmon Dials Go From Strength To Strength

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Salmon-colored dials are still niche market and Martin Green doesn’t expect them to go mainstream anytime soon. Nonetheless, pink has become something of a buzz topic, and here he shares a few of his favorite watches with pink, pinkish, or salmon-colored dials.

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Hall 3 was added to the Basel fair in 1964 (photo courtesy MCH Messe Basel)

Baselworld Retrospective: Chronicling 102 Years From 1917 To 2019

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More than a century of history of Baselworld, the world’s biggest and most comprehensive watch fair, is virtually impossible to sum up in just a few lines. However, that is what Elizabeth Doerr does here as she looks back over 102 years of Baselworld history and reflects on what happens next. Hopefully that is, “Pack your bags for Houruniverse 2021.”

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Radium Watch Dials And Radium Girls: Who Would Have Thought ‘Eating’ Radioactive Material Was Deadly?

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One of the last of the so-called Radium Girls passed away at the age of 107 in late 2014. These were women working in factories tasked with painting the numerals and other markings on watch dials with a luminous paint comprising glue, water, and radium powder. Little did they know the consequences this job would have.

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Behind The Lens: Rolex GMT-Master II Meteorite, Where Global Travel Meets Outer Space

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GaryG recently had the opportunity to borrow a Rolex GMT-Master II BLRO Meteorite from a long-time friend to photograph and wear. This watch’s main event is the dial, a thin slice of metallic meteorite whose crystalline structure reflects the slow cooling process that took place as the meteor hurtled through space. Here he tries a variety of photographic techniques to learn which works best on the dial’s unique structures. Which are your favorites?

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Jaeger-LeCoultre Geophysic Universal Time in pink gold on the wrist

Stunning Geophysic Collection From Jaeger-LeCoultre: True Second And Universal Time Discontinued, For Many That’s Made Them More Appealing

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The Geophysic True Second and Geophysic Universal Time were not just great value watches, they were great watches. Launched in 2015, this rebooted collection has now been discontinued, which for many has made the watches even more enticing.

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The Hermès Cape Cod Tonneau Double Tour

Happy Wife, Happy Life: What Women Want (In A Watch) – Reprise

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Chris Malburg set out to buy his wife a watch. After many happy years of marriage to a lovely woman it was time. He knows enough about her and her tastes to take the leap. Or does he? If you’re a female reader you probably already know this ends badly. If you’re a guy, keep reading. Showing up is 80 percent, and you just showed up.

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John McGonigle Oileán H-B1 Triple Calendar Chronograph: I Don’t Know Of A More Beautiful Complicated Movement Available For The Money

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John McGonigle has 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.

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