EDITOR’S PICK: 5 Halloween-worthy watches
In a few days, the portal between this world and the one that comes after will be at its thinnest, so it’s probably a good time to start thinking about what wristwear is best to impress the spectres, ghouls and ghosts. And while vintage Rolex and Patek are your typical, safe bets, we’d suggest something with more … skulls. Why skulls? They symbolise death and danger, and are undeniably cool. When you put a skull on a watch it takes it to another place — a dark place. The ticking hands and the grinning skull serving as a reminder that everyone’s time is limited. Tempus fugit and all that. 💀👻🎃 Fiona Krüger – The Celebration Skull Skulls don’t have to be morbid – Scottish independent watchmaker Fiona Krüger’s Celebration Skull takes colourful inspiration from the Mexican Día de los Muertos celebrations. RRP 25,800 CHF. Romain Jerome – Día de los Muertos Fiona Krüger isn’t alone in being inspired by the vibrant Mexican festival. Romain Jerome’s version adds a hand-enamelled dial to their DNA case. Breaking Bad flashbacks guaranteed. POA. Richard Mille RM 52-01 The RM 52-01’s grinning golden skull is encased in Richard Mille’s trademark tonneau case. It was this distinctive black and gold combo of the…
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It’s patently obvious, but it still bears repeating: watches are three-dimensional objects. It’s worth saying because if you’re anything like me, you spend far more time looking at watches on screens than in real life. That’s fine, it’s an unavoidable by-product of our modern world. And while some watches look exceptional in pictures, others (I would argue, all) need to be held to truly be appreciated. A photo, no matter how good, cannot catch the whirr of a movement, the satisfaction of unscrewing a crown, or the cheeky play of light as it bounces from dial to hand to crystal. And while video is also a two-dimensional medium, it does a much better job of capturing the feel and nuance of a watch than a static photo. Not the same as having it on your wrist, but the next best thing. Don’t believe me? Check out our review (and Jason’s excellent pictures) of the Freelancer Calibre RW1212 here, and now watch our video review. Same watch. Completely different feel. Raymond Weil Freelancer Calibre RW1212 Australian pricing Raymond Weil Freelancer Calibre RW1212, two-tone on bracelet, $3150, on leather $2850
Typically in the Friday Wind Down we have ‘What happened?’, ‘What really mattered?’ and ‘The week in numbers’ subsections. Today I can answer all that in one word and one (long) number. Newman. $17,752,500. And no, I’m not talking about the above Newman. Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ll know by now that Aurel Bacs auctioned off Paul Newman’s Paul Newman this morning, in New York, for a record-breaking $17,752,500 USD (including buyer’s premium and taxes). It’s a watch that’s captured the hearts and minds of watch fans and novices alike — and also served as a near-perfect case study of the watch industry hype machine in action. We’re also pretty sure that getting a ‘regular’ vintage Daytona just became that much more expensive. But it’s not all about a ridiculously expensive Rolex. At the saner end of the spectrum, Adam Savage (of MythBusters fame) posted a lengthy video with Vsauce’s Michael Stevens on a subject close to our heart … watches. And while the content is aimed at people who are pretty new to the whole watch thing, it’s always interesting to see how watch-nerd-civilians engage with our interest/hobby/obsession. And Adam, my only criticism of your engaging video…
Grand Seiko’s famous ‘Snowflake’ has been with us for quite some time now (it was first released, as the SBGA011, in 2010), and it’s quickly earned a reputation as an exemplary everyday watch that manages to combine functionality and beauty in equal measure. Smartly, Seiko knew enough to leave one of the cores of the Grand Seiko collection well alone … until this year. The ‘new’ Snowflake is the SBGA211, and, thankfully, it’s virtually identical to the original — except for the dial. At the start of this year it was announced that Grand Seiko would be fully independent from Seiko — a move well overdue. The most obvious symbol of this change was that the characteristic (and idiosyncratic) Seiko/Grand Seiko double branding disappeared from Grand Seiko dials, resulting in cleaner, less confusing dials. In the case of the Snowflake, this simpler design is a big improvement, giving a more balanced look that allows the wonderful texture of the Snowflake to shine. While this impossibly rich and subtle dial texture is what initially (and continually) wows people about the Snowflake, I actually don’t think it’s at the heart of the model’s success. I’ve worn watches with incredible dials before, and…