Watch Dandy

Today’s a big day for podcast fans everywhere. Hit podcast Serial and public radio stalwart This American Life have teamed up to create S-Town, a brand new show about a man named John living in a small Alabama town. Sure, the murder mystery is the main hook, but John is also an antique clock restorer and the opening sequence of Chapter 1 is a description of how to fix an old clock. Judging by the show’s graphics, there’s going to be a lot more where that comes from too.

Rado isn’t a brand typically associated with dive watches, much less vintage-inspired ones. But amidst all the retro subaquatic goodness from the usual suspects that was on full display at Baselworld came this little sleeper, from a company known for its super slim ceramic dress watches no less. And, for me, it stole the show. This is the Rado HyperChrome Captain Cook.

Another year, another Reverso. In many ways, Jaeger-LeCoultre has fallen victim to the popularity of its swiveling watch, having to come out with new iterations every year to satisfy the hungry collectors. While the big JLC story this year was the watchmaker’s round watches with sector dials, there were still some nice updates in the Reverso range as well, including this absolute stunner.

Phillips announced its upcoming Geneva sale with big news: the presence of the elusive “Bao Dai” Rolex reference 6062 in its catalog. “Grail watch” is often thrown around, but in the case of this triple calendar Rolex the term feels completely fitting. Not only is a black dial with diamonds the rarest configuration for a 6062, but the imperial provenance of this piece further enhances its desirability. Since its sale to Bao Dai in 1954, it has only appeared at auction once, back in 2002, and it became the most expensive Rolex ever sold. It is on track to set a new record, with a low estimate above $1.5 million and a final bid expected near double that amount!

Ok, so Baselworld might still be going on (it lasts until the end of the week), but team HODINKEE is on its way back to New York and London with hard drives full of photos and heads full of ideas for stories to bring you soon. Here’s a look back at the four First Take videos we brought you live from Switzerland, offering inside looks at the collections of Rolex, Omega, Grand Seiko, and a handful of the best independent watchmakers around today.

Hot on the heels of all the Baselworld releases is something a bit different that comes from an unexpected brand – Larsson & Jennings. You may be familiar with Larsson & Jennings, a British company, for its Swiss-made quartz watches, but the brand has some big news – it’s dropping the very first mechanical wristwatches in all three of its collections, the Lugano, Norse, and Saxon, all at once.