Watches Blog Wrist Watch Reviews

The Patek Philippe Ref. 5070P is NOT my grail watch. And that's because the watch, although the object of my desire, is not the object of my extended, difficult quest. I don't actively chase the hand-wound, old-school chronograph, so both technically and literally, it's not my grail watch. Why go on a wild goose chase for something I can't afford? But in an imaginary watch world, my grail watch is a platinum Patek Philippe that would look great with a pair of jeans (and a pink sweater).Actively pursuing the platinum Patek Philippe Ref. 5070P, with its radiant blue dial and old school looks and movement, is nothing more than a foolish and hopeless search for or pursuit of something unattainab [...]

Gruss Gott, watch Sammler, its time for This Week in Watches for July 13, 2019.Ah yes, and were back this week with a look at all the news thats occurred over the last half fortnight.? Do you want to know something?? No?? Too bad because this is my space.? Ive become a bit of a rabid fan of cricket and have kept abreast of all things during this years World Cup that will come to an end tomorrow.? Will England or New Zealand claim victory tomorrow?? Lets see, but I will be watching from a barstool in an Irish pub somewhere strangely, British pubs just dont seem to make it outside out of Britain with quite the regularity of those houses or booze from the enterprising Irish.? But did you know [...]

The Rolex GMT-Master (II) finally stepped out of the shadow of its diving brother, the Submariner. With the introduction of the ceramic Pepsi and Batman (on Jubilee) recently, the hype is real. Long waiting lists and market prices far over retail result in disappointed customers, but that doesnt seem to slow down the demand. On the contrary.I can imagine why the Rolex GMT-Master II is so much in demand. It is a great daily companion, with the added value of an extra timezone. I had my share of GMT-Master watches, including a few vintage 1675s and a GMT-Master II 16710. When I was ready to purchase a GMT-Master II Ceramic or Batman in 2017, I was confronted with the above-mentioned demand for [...]

Phillips auctioned off the Omega Speedmaster Professional ref. 145.012-67SP that belonged to American author Ralph Ellison. He wore it from 1968 till his death in 1994. Now it has sold for a whopping $667,800 including buyer's premium.The new owner of Ralph Ellisons Speedmaster 145.012-067SP is the Omega Museum in Biel. The museum will display it beside an impressive line-up of special Speedmaster from noteworthy owners.Its first owner, author Ralph Ellison, wrote the Invisible Man novel of 1952. It received the prestigious National Book Award in 1953. In 1998, the Modern Library ranked Invisible Man 19 on its list of 100 best English-language novels of the 20th century.Image of Ralph Ellis [...]

Another Rolex this week, but this time a vintage and extremely rare model, the Rolex Commando ref.6429. We actually didnt hear about it before until our friends from Hodinkee blogged about it in 2009. A fellow watch enthusiast and collector from Singapore reminded me about it last week and that hed seen one for sale on eBay (which got pulled off rather quickly again).Although Christies who auctioned a few claims them to be produced in 1967, but Hodinkee is pretty certain it was produced in 1972 and only in 1972. The last one Christies sold for $25.000,- USD in December 2010 (click here). They must have indeed been very limited in production, since every model weve encountered has very clos [...]

The story begins with Michel Parmigiani graduating in 1974 and starting a traditional watchmaking workshop shortly after. Dedicated to his greatest passion, restoration and creating unique pieces for collectors on a side line. In 1980 he was introduced to the Sandoz family and trusted with the restoration of their impressive collection of pocket watches and automatons. Over the years plans rose for a new authentic brand and in 1996 Parmigiani Fleurier (Pf) is born. As they mention on their website, built on a powerful conviction: restoring the value of Swiss watchmaking art as heritage, by making it part of an ongoing tradition of manufacturing expertise'. This is expertise realised with the [...]

Here we have the second of three Summer Splash Wild Card rounds for your voting pleasure. Its been a blast combing through your selections. You will notice that I lifted every single suggestion I could find (apologies if I missed any given my track record throughout this contest, it is highly likely Ive screwed up somewhere). You may be surprised to see your name or selection on this list, but you shouldnt be We read and consider every comment left on our articles and were doing our best to get back to all of you in due course. Thanks for your continued engagement. Now I turn things over to you to select your top two in this roundThe top two will go through to the Wild Card Decider, which w [...]

Ayrton Senna is the legendary (and three times World Champion) F1 driver who passed away 25 years ago (already). Today we show you a watch he gave to his mentor,?Angelo Parrilla, who discovered Senna when he was 18 years old in 1978.Last Sunday was packed with sports for me. Meaning I watched the 1000th F1 race in the morning (local time), that took place in China and in the afternoon I watched Tiger Woods winning the Masters title. Then, my eye caught the Phillips auction on May 11-12 in Geneva, where they will offer a watch linked to Ayrton Senna, the Brazilian F1 driver that won three World Championships (1988, 1990 and 1991). I remember that Ayrton Senna died in an accident during the 19 [...]

I don't know about you, but when it comes to games of chance, or contests, or giveaways, I'm a bit of a skeptic. Going in without a single ounce of hope that you'll win is probably the safest bet. Getting your hopes up is a sure way to get disappointed. However, lets go back to earlier this year when Jeremy (@Chronolytical) decided to organize a photo-contest giveaway using Instagram as a platform, with the prize being a beautiful Cartier Tank Solo. Having already given away the punchline in the title of this article, instead, I will tell you more about this specific contest, my experience taking part, winning despite not being all that hopeful, and Jeremy's future plans to keep the ball rol [...]

Who amongst our readers has proclaimed that their luxury wristwatch purchase was an investment? Okay, that was just a wall of noise. Let me refine the question. What about justifying the cost because you can pass the watch on to the next generation when the time is right? Alright, I hear you this is a crowd I can work with.Even for affluent people, putting down big bucks for a flashy timepiece inspires a slight level of guilt. That money could have bought a family holiday, a new lawnmower, or even a new business venture. Regardless of the options, we choose to swipe our cards on fancy high-tech tickers we strap to our wrists. To compensate, we employ all sorts of reasons to convince ourselve [...]

Jean TodtJean Todt is no stranger to travel. He is the President of the FIA, Fe?de?ration Internationale de l'Automobile, an organisation which oversees motorsport and promotes road safety. His work takes him around the globe.Travel is nothing new for Mr Todt. He would grace television screens most weekends during the Formula One season, sat at the pitwall. His immense intelligence was successfully employed in the higher echelons of motorsport, masterminding strategy. He was instrumental in helping Scuderia Ferrari secure 14 Formula One World titles and 106 Grand Prix victories.Jean Todt during his Ferrari-period, already wearing Richard Mille timepiecesWhilst travel is often perceived as gl [...]

Hey folks, welcome back to Wrist Game or Crying Shame where today weve got a humdinger of a specimen with the Hamilton Khaki Aviation Aluminum. But firstLast week, I classed it up around here with a Jaeger-LeCoultre Perpetual Calendar and you folks responded in a big way. This stunner brought home a massive 89% Wrist Game win. If you were getting warmed up for more complications, then todays Hamilton Khaki Aviation Aluminum just might come off as a cold shower. Im sorry about that, but I really like this watch.Its hard to believe that the Hamilton Khaki Aviation Aluminum debuted all the way back in 2014 at Baselworld. But is it so hard to believe? I ask that simply because Im not so sure any [...]

Its Speedy Tuesday This weeks topic is about a very rare Speedmaster that you will will come across only seldom, the Omega Speedmaster Split-Seconds 3540.50 or Rattrapante. Introduced in 1999, this Speedmaster had an odd looking case and a carbon fibre dial and was the first Speedmaster with a rattrapante complication. Only few of these watches have been made during a short time span. There was even an Italian market-only model, with a blue dial. The regular version has a run of 5000 pieces according to some sources.Omega Speedmaster Automatic Rattrapante ChronometerThe version pictured above (photo credits Antiquorum) is the reference 3840.50, with a leather perforated racing strap. This Om [...]

Real dedication by a mono-brand collector. A beautiful 24.5 pounds weighing set of 5 five books on the Illinois Watch Co. was written by one man, Frederic Fred J. Friedberg.Last week, I stumbled across this article in the LA Times. They did a great article on Freds work and made me realize I know nothing about Illinois watches. This American brand was creating beautiful art-deco style timepieces but was put out of business about 90 years ago.Fred Friedberg and only a part of his collection. Photo by Allen J. Schaben / LA TimesIllinois Watch CoFriedberg became a watch collector in the late 1980s, which was a pretty unusual hobby back then. He was an attorney in his 40s, and by accident, he bu [...]

When I started to explore vintage Omega watches I was instantly hooked by their chronographs. To me, a chronograph is one of the coolest and most usable features a watch could have. This was the reason or perhaps the fact that my first Omega with a complication was a caliber 1040 chronograph. Still to this day I hold those watches near and dear to my heart. So, as I dwelled into the wonderful world of vintage Omegas I came across a model line that, to me, was the epitome of vintage Omega dress watches, and there were many. It was the Omega Cosmic line. Now, I'm not talking about the late 60's early 70's cushion-case (Seamaster) Cosmics and Cosmic 2000s. Though I had a few of those too. I'm [...]

Earlier this year, Oris dropped the third generation of the Carl Brashear Limited Edition. As with the previous two Carl Brashear watches, the popular Divers Sixty-Five is the base of this creation. Yet, for the first time, within the bronze Sixty-Five case is a new proprietary Calibre 401 movement. But how does this new watch compare with the regular SW200-powered Sixty-Five?It's now a regular occurrence that each new Carl Brashear dive watch in the collection adds another string to Oris' bow. For the inaugural Carl Brashear, Oris gave us the first-ever bronze case Divers Sixty-Five. This watch was one hot tamale back in 2016. I distinctively remember the grudge match that ensued with fanat [...]

Welcome to the jungle that is Wrist Game or Crying Shame, the weekly internet voting game that allows you to choose whether a watch is cool enough to grace your supple wrist This week, we take a look at the Panerai Luminor Base Logo.? But firstLast week, I showed you the Rolex Precision 6694. To jog your memory, this is a sweet 34mm Oyster with a manual wind movement. At just over 3,500, it walked away with a respectable 68% Wrist Game win. Id call that a solid weeks work despite the normal whinging about featuring a Rolex. Well, this week we are back with yet another finger flexer in the Panerai Luminor Base Logo. Lets see if adding 10mm of diameter is a good thing for you or not!Panerai Lu [...]

Last weeks Pre-Owned Picks included some pretty expensive watches, so lets tone it down a notch and have a look at whats out there to buy under 1,000.Every week we pick a few pre-owned watches from Chrono24, the largest market place for wristwatches in the world watches that we love ourselves, or think they will be interesting to you. So to be clear, we picked the watches, Chrono24 only sent us the images without their watermark and in a proper resolution.With this weeks budget, we cant include a Rolex or Patek Philippe of course, but theres more than enough other interesting stuff out there, that can bring just as much fun as one of the heavy hitters. Lets have a look at the 5 watches I sel [...]

Last Friday?we visited the Watch 2016 event, held by Dutch retailer Schaap -/- Citroen at the Okura hotel in Amsterdam. This event, from Friday 20th of May (VIP evening) till Sunday 22nd of May, is being organized for a couple of years now, showing the SIHH and BaselWorld novelties to those who dont have access to these Swiss exhibitions.Brands like A. Lange S?hne, Baume et Mercier, Breitling, Cartier, Hublot, IWC, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Omega, Panerai, Patek Philippe, Piaget, Roger Dubuis, Rolex and Zenith for example, show their novelties to the visitors of Watch 2016.The VIP evening of the Watch 2016 event was meant for some member of the press and for Schaap -/- Citroens important clients. D [...]

Earlier this year, Grand Seiko introduced a number of limited edition series for their 60th anniversary. However, very silently, they also snuck in the SBGH277 and SBGH279 references.I will let the video do the talking (in fact, I did), but you can find some additional pictures of the Grand Seiko SBGH277 and SBGH279 below. These two watches are part of the Heritage collection from Grand Seiko.SBGH279 Brushed Grey DialSBGH277 Sunburst Silvery White DialZaratsu Polished 44GS StyleThe 40mm Zaratsu polished case has the famous Grand Seiko 44GS style. The original 44GS case is a design of 1967, and a bit different from the cases used today. Thats why we speak of 44GS style, and not just 44GS.Deta [...]