If you have the slightest interest in watches, you’re certainly aware of the collectability and (insanely high) market value of the Patek Philippe Nautilus. Nothing new here. Produced from 1976 to 1990, the first generation Nautilus – the reference 3700 – is a relatively rare model, as even the steel versions were only made in […]
Five video stories from HODINKEE readers.
This week is all about the deeper vintage details.
Bulgari has enjoyed a real hot streak over the past few years, throwing their hat into the ring of haute ultra-thin watchmaking. The Octo Finissimo has delivered the most refreshing entry into the integrated-bracelet watch category with its distinct, architectural design unlike anything else in the market. To some, Bulgari designs still remain a matter of love or hate with no in between. But this polarising effect is primarily the result of the brand’s success in creating genuinely original designs. The brand’s creativity and willingness to risk departing from the usual horological templates are qualities that are ultimately much needed and welcomed in the watch world. Here are my three favourite Bulgari releases of 2020. The Bulgari Aluminium Watch While a revived design, the Bulgari Aluminium is still a very original watch that other manufacturers have never dared to imitate. As an offering, it presents great value to collectors looking for an entry-level luxury watch. It strikes a balance between robust sportiness and elegant design, its case and strap form distinctly expressing the Bulgari flavor. The lightweight aluminium results in an incredibly pleasant daily wear experience while the rubber bracelet interlaced with aluminium links conforms well to the wrist and…
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Toe-tappin’ jazz and a Rolex in dire need of some TLC.
De Bethune launches the DB Kind of Two Tourbillon, a double-sided or pivoting watch with two distinct faces and two distinct moods. A beautiful fusion of past and present, one side of the watch reveals a contemporary design with a tourbillon; the other reveals a more traditional face. Let’s take a closer look at yet […]
As a pinprick of light at the end of the tunnel that was 2020, a watch was released that sent murmurs of excitement through Seiko fans around the world. It was the King Seiko KSK SJE083, a reissue of one of the most important references for the brand, the King Seiko ref. 44-9990. This isn’t just any other reissue. This is a watch that celebrates a critical decade in the history of the Japanese watchmaker that deserves greater recognition – the 1960s. A brief history of King Seiko Let’s start with a little bit of history. Thanks to being so geographically isolated from Europe and the rest of the watchmaking world, Seiko had to do things a little differently than their continental colleagues. In Europe, the watch industry was generally very horizontally structured, with hundreds of watchmaking businesses only producing very specific parts. This ecosystem of watchmakers had its benefits. Every watchmaker could focus solely on a single part of the watch, and pour their energy into the craft of perfecting it, giving rise to the likes of the legendary bracelet-making firm Gay Frères and the celebrated casemaker Jean-Pierre Hagmann. Isolated in Japan, this was not an option for Seiko,…
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Richemont Group, the luxury powerhouse behind Cartier, IWC, Jaeger-LeCoultre, and more, like most conglomerates operating in the luxury industry, has been dramatically impacted by the current sanitary situation and the COVID-19 pandemic with sales down 16% over the first 9 months of its current financial year (April-December 2020). Still, the group has released this morning […]
Breguet is recognised on a global scale for its commitment to creating refined feminine wristwatches, particularly those from the Reine de Naples collection, which is now considered the brand’s best-selling line for women. Its timepieces are inspired by a bracelet watch from yesteryear, crafted from hair and gold thread. It was one of the world’s […]
When we think of watchmakers, we immediately think of European and Japanese artisans. But to ensure our watches remain in tip-top shape, watchmakers around the world and of varying backgrounds all work hard to ensure the immortality of our timepieces. Earlier this month AFP via Prestige shone a spotlight on 52 year-old Youssef Abdelkarim, a third-generation watchmaker in Baghdad. Thousands of watches fill his workshop, and Abdelkarim diligently spends his days at his desk working his way through the queue of watches that need his care and attention to fix. According to AFP, “Abdelkarim began fixing watches at the age of 11, after the death of his paternal grandfather, who opened the store in the 1940s. His grandfather had already passed the trade onto his own son, who began to teach Youssef.” During his days in his shop, Youssef Abdelkarim can be seen repairing anything from a cheap Sigma watch to a coveted Patek Philippe. He even claims to have possibly repaired a watch that belonged to former dictator Saddam Hussein. He explained to AFP, “It was a rare watch brought to me by the presidential palace, with Saddam’s signature on the back.” It apparently cost 400 Iraqi dinars to…
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