Watch Dandy

Editor’s note: The Rolex Milgauss is a distinctly underrated timepiece. In fact, it may be one of the most forgotten-about models in Rolex’s current Professional line-up. And many of us thought leading up to Baselworld this year that it may well be discontinued, due to Rolex parading the Milgauss all over their social platforms and featuring the watch heavily at events like this year’s Australian Open. I’m really glad the rumours weren’t true, though, and that the Milgauss lives on, because in a sea of Submariners and Sea-Dwellers, the Milgauss provides a refreshingly original aesthetic that’s unlike anything else that Rolex currently makes. We went hands-on with the “Z-Blue” Milgauss a little while ago, and these were our initial impressions.  Even though many look to Rolex as a steadfast, unchanging bastion of the watch world, there are some definite outliers in the field. Bejewelled GMT-Masters, leopard Daytonas (which have now given way to unobtainium rainbow Daytonas). These models are so uncommon and special that they do not really skew the public’s view of Rolex as a manufacturer of all-business timepieces. The Rolex Milgauss aims to offer a moment of madness to everyday watch wearers. For years it has been known as the scientist’s watch…

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I have always found it strange that the majority of watch brands, who rely so heavily on their long history to market their watches, also make it very difficult for collectors to access any information on vintage pieces from that same brand. Admittedly, there are several brands that are able to provide interested owners with archival extracts for their vintage watches, but it is a minority of manufacturers who support enthusiasm for any watches that were not released last Baselworld. One of the brands in this more broad-minded minority is Vacheron Constantin, whose Les Collectionneurs watches have recently arrived at their Melbourne boutique. The premise of the collection is that the brand will acquire rare and interesting examples of vintage Vacheron Constantin, either at auction or from private collections, before restoring them at their own manufacture to the best possible condition. From there, these watches are then offered for sale with a certificate of guarantee and a 2-year warranty period, as well as coming with the history of the watch from the Vacheron Constantin archives, outlining when and where the watch was originally sold, period correct details of the case and movement, and the historical context that outline the importance…

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Editor’s note: Whether we like to admit it or not, professional watch modifiers are here to stay. And we can almost understand why — if you want to be an individualist in a sea of ostensible regularity, imparting your own touch on an otherwise middle of the road item can be enjoyable. But what about when watchmakers collaborate with the vicarious modifiers? What then? Some would argue that it’s the best of both worlds, ergo, a modified and therefore unique piece, which retains important things like a factory warranty backing and better resale values. This TAG Heuer Monaco Bamford is a prime example of modifier meeting manufacturer, and these were our initial impressions of the oddity.  In many ways, you could say that few people have had as significant an impact on the watch industry from a design standpoint in recent years than George Bamford. Beloved by many, despised by a good few at least, Bamford is single-handedly the reason why watch customisation is now so prevalent in offerings directly from watch manufacturers. After many years on his own, his recent collaborations with LVMH, selling brand-authorised custom offerings from the TAG Heuer, Zenith, and Bulgari catalogues, further legitimised his efforts,…

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