IWC is a brand with a rich history, and it is in the fortunate position that each of its collections has an almost equal share in building this history. The Da Vinci Perpetual Calendar, developed by IWC’s master watchmaker Kurt Klaus, was a horological revolution. And from it came this elegant Portofino variation of the 1990s.
Oh, those Geneva auctions! While GaryG’s intention is usually to browse the rare pieces on offer, gain an education from his auction-house friends and escape unscathed, it seems that more often than not there is a piece that puts him into bidding mode. And sometimes that piece is entirely unanticipated as was the case of the Vacheron & Constantin Reference 4560 triple calendar that he stumbled across at a Sotheby’s preview. Here is why he bought it.
Alexandre Ghotbi takes a rather in-depth look at the more than 100-year history behind the high-precision Vacheron Constantin Chronomètre Royal . . . which came up because of a conversation about “the Batman.” Find out what that means right here.
Many of you are likely to be asking yourselves, “Who is Gerd-Rüdiger Lang?” Understandable. If we told you he founded Chronoswiss in 1983, you might then say, “Ah, yes.” But did you know that Lang, who sold Chronoswiss in 2012, owns a collection of chronographs that might well be the most complete themed collection of this type in the world? Elizabeth Doerr takes us through just a few of the treasures in Lang’s collection.
Thomas Brechtel shares his visit with us to see the Meissen collection featuring the art of fine porcelain clocks in Germany, just a few kilometers from Dresden.
Watch collector Quentin R. Bufogle was determined to add a piece to his collection harking back to those dust-strewn days of early Las Vegas, a time when the occasional tumbleweed still ambled along what would one day become the famous Las Vegas Strip. And he found it in a 1946 Bulova Aviator B. Here’s how and why.
“May I have your full attention? This is one of the most important watches ever.” As Sotheby’s auctioneer Benoît Colson opened lot 72 on May 10, 2022, the room seemed to hold its collective breath for a moment. He continued, “The personal Royal Oak of Gérald Genta – you could not dream of a better provenance for a Royal Oak, an Audemars Piguet, or even any wristwatch.” And here’s how the world record price for a vintage AP Royal Oak went down from an eyewitness.
Phillips in Association with Bacs & Russo will hold the Geneva Watch Auction XV in Switzerland on May 7 and 8, 2022. What’s particularly interesting about Phillips’ traditional late spring auction this year is that it is preceded by an “appetizer” on May 6, the Royal Oak 50th auction with a catalogue so rich it could arguably serve as the main course. Brendan Cunningham went to the New York City preview and shares a few of his highlights with us here.
Ikepod launched in 1994 so co-founder and designer Marc Newson could create his own playground, which is exactly what he did. And there is no better example of his joyful design than the Ikepod Megapode launched in 1999. But to trade a Rolex for it?
Dandies and Piaget have always enjoyed a natural alliance. There are several reasons for this: precious metals and manufacture movements that are as small and thin as possible – allowing nearly unprecedented freedom for the brand’s designers. Martin Green takes a look at some dandy Piaget models from now and then!