C.R. Spillmann - The Making of the Rolex Oyster & Beyond
The case maker C.R. Spillmann is the masterful artisan that brought us the very first Oyster cases in 1926 and was ultimately swallowed up by Rolex in the 1980s. However,...
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What You Need to Know Before You Buy at Watch Auctions - A Beginner's Guide
There are literally hundreds of auction houses that sell pre-owned and vintage watches. Worldwide! The good thing is that in our modern era you can simply register for all these...
The Deceptive Oyster - Meet The Rolex "Empire"
Let's recap the last time I felt like a naive idiot with a laptop rather than a watch "expert". It's been auction season in Geneva these last couple of days...
Reference Guide to Patek Philippe Chronographs (1936-71)
Patek Philippe is no stranger to the chronograph complication but rather focused on modulating, refining, designing, and finishing some of the most exquisite chronograph watches of the last Century. Of...
About Those Curves - The Quest for Comfortable Watches
Haptics matter as much as aesthetics to me. Sooo have you ever worn a Polyplan? Or a Cintree, a Curvex? The ergonomics are an increasingly important factor in our watch...
Why Gold and Steel Rolex Oyster Cases Are Shaped Differently
Did you ever notice that little extra chamfer between the lugs of vintage Datejust and Day-Date models? Did you also notice that you won't find this on steel versions of...
The Mystery Chronographs Part II - LeCoultre, Jaeger & Universal Geneve
Jaeger-LeCoultre - the watchmaker's watchmakers signature - graces the dial of a chronograph ebauche, what an accolade! That's what makes these pieces for me so exciting. And as Universal Geneve...
Materialistic World - Why Tantalum is The Perfect Royal Oak Material
Very few things arouse me like a tantale and rose golden Royal Oak. Thus, sporting an AP 56175TR is an absolute dream come true. The Royal Oak was launched as...
Rare Patek Philippe Watches - The "Turtle" Collection
Let me introduce you to your next collection centerpiece - The Patek Philippe "Turtle" set. A collection of seven different types of outgoing mid-Century pieces of lug and case art....
Unveiling Mechanical Excellence - The History of the Hinged Case-Back
Watches aren't only accurate tools but beautiful accessories that should celebrate their complexity. But this complexity is mostly hidden behind the case-back. Reflecting bridges and surfaces have fascinated humans ever...
Valjoux-nited States of LeCoultre: The Mystery & History of the LeCoultre Chronograph - Part I
LeCoultre U.S. chronographs are cool, simple as that. But we simply don't know enough about them to truly appreciate their style, desirability and rarity. We can't even make out reference...
The Reymond Brothers and Their Chronographs - A Guide to the Valjoux 23/72
Charles and John Reymond founded their company - Valjoux - in 1901 and were responsible for some of the important and amazing chronograph movements of the last Century. In particular...
The Rotational Bezel - It's Not Just Dive Watches
A modern dive watch is defined through its dive bezel. It's the aesthetic feature that makes it stand out the most. However, dive or count-up bezels and not even the...
The Rise of the Sports Watch - How Utility Became the New Normal
What's a sports watch? I guess not many of us are buying a particular watch for sports, yet this (relatively loosely defined) horological genre is one of The modern archetypes....
Improving Automatic Patek Philippe - The History of Caliber 27-460
When we hear "early Patek Philippe Automatic" we immediately think of the original Cal. 12-600. Well, at least I do. But of course developments didn't stop with the first execution...
A Collector's Guide to IWC Cal. 89 - Exceptional Lugs & Cases
What comes to mind when we speak about IWC's Cal. 89 dress watches? Exceptional lugs & their integration into the case construction. Overall, I counted at least 18 distinct case...
