In an effort to reign in the past while continuing to offer pieces that catch the eye of modern watch buyers, Longines has built up a legitimate offering through their Heritage Collection. Whether you’re looking for a diver or a Weems, there are quite a few choices that seem to be placed above the usual options you have when looking at the brand.
Few would contest that Bulgari’s Octo is a great watch – a distinctive design jam-packed with legacy. What could possibly make it better? Well, how about a mean, stealthy and downright cool black ADLC coating? Yeah, that’ll do the trick. If you’ve been on the fence about Bulgari, the Octo Ultra Nero will convert you.…
It’s no secret that here at HODINKEE HQ we’re big, big fans of the Patek Philippe 5970. It’s probably the closest thing we’ve got to a middle ground between the perpetual calendar chronographs of yesteryear and thoroughly modern watches. It’s a little bigger than the 2499 and the 3970, but it still uses a Lemania base movement and has a very traditional dial. So when our friends at Christie’s New York called and said they had four on-hand, one in each metal, I threw my camera in my bag and raced for the elevator. Here are the results.
Some meals are memorable for the food, some for the company, and some for a watch at the table. And then there are those meals that hit the ball right out of the park by getting top marks in all three. Make up any story you like to explain how a very contemporary De Bethune DB28 and a very traditional Philippe Dufour Simplicity came to be sharing a bowl of molten cheese in the Swiss Jura mountains.
This fall, New York City’s Grolier Club will be hosting an exhibition, On Time: The Quest for Precision, that will feature a collection of rare horological books, with some dating to as far back as the 15th century. These fantastically illustrated books offer a glimpse into the historical development of timepieces, from sundials to marine chronometers. The exhibition is drawn from the collections of the Linda Hall Library of Science, Engineering & Technology in Kansas City, Missouri, and will be on view September 14 through November 19, at the club’s Manhattan headquarters.
DeWitt is a very niche Swiss brand that likes to remind you that owner Jerome DeWitt is a descendent of Napoleon Bonaparte. While that is kind of cool for him, the brand mostly gets our attention with technical horology and unexpected designs. The avant-garde Academia collection with its rare complications is the brand’s signature, and the new DeWitt Academia Skeleton is the latest addition.
Cars and watches, a great combination, and this combi comes with a very legitimate historical background. For the second year Tudor was sponsor of the Historic Grand Prix in Zandvoort and we got the chance to enjoy a great day with them in the Paddock Club, and of course strolling through the paddock to see so many awe-inspiring cars. From pre World War II cars, to recent Formula 1 race cars, from heavily tuned Mini Coopers, to dozens of vintage BMW 2002Ti’s and CSL’s, a marvellous Ferrari 250GT, many AC Cobras, and even a Shelby Daytona! And they all raced like the devil was chasing them. Old or not, these cars raced like crazy. We got to enjoy the best of two very interesting worlds: cars and watches!
Mid-autumn festival – also known as mooncake festival – is celebrated annually on the 15th day of the eighth Chinese lunar month when the moon is at its fullest and brightest. Historically, the festival is associated with moon-worshipping and the completion of harvest. Today, it is mainly a time for family reunions, thanksgiving,…
This week, Bring A Loupe is going for the Midas touch, offering mostly yellow gold watches. We’ll start with a very slick Rolex Precision “UFO” and a solid gold Rolex GMT-Master ref. 1675 with a so-called “nipple dial.” Following those is a more modern gold Cartier Tank Asymétrique and a (you guessed it) gold-plated Gallet chronograph with a colorful dial. Finishing things off is an Abercrombie & Fitch Seafarer on Ebay that could use some TLC. This is your Bring A Loupe for September 9, 2016.
Last week, we were invited to join IWC on this beautiful location at ‘Kasteel de Hooge Vuursche’ to have a look at the new IWC Ingenieur Chronograph collection. Although we already saw them earlier this year in Zürich during the Passione Caracciola (report can be found here), we wanted to have a closer look. Goodbye […]