Seiko Seahorse 6601-8830 A Rare, But Familiar Dial
We go hands on with the Seiko Seahorse 6601-8830, a rare piece from 1964 that foreshadows a far more famous Seiko.I’ve mentioned this several times, but I’ll say it again; it’s really easy to find oneself in a rabbit hole when browsing through vintage Seiko models.? The search generally starts with a specific target, but those auction sites just pull you in by offering up suggestions at the bottom of a given listing.? Or, even more captivating, just type a few words into Google images and literally thousands of pictures show up, thereby taking one’s once innocuous wish list and turning it into something the length of a piece of governmental legislation.? Such is life ...
Aeromeister Amsterdam: Craftman X14
Aeromeister watches are more than an accessory or a device that measures time: It's who you are! Designed for those who value the small things in life. Intended for men who respect and appreciate craftsmanship. It's the details that matter.Ultra-LimitedOur watches are designed and crafted with a passion for the smallest details in the highest standard. By working with the best materials and partners we created a bold brand that fits the wrist of those who dare to choose.The (ultra) limited availability of the Craftman X14 makes the watch extremely exclusive.For more Information visit www.aeromeister.comMiyota Skeleton 82D7 21 Jewels Mechanical movementWe opted for the Miyota 82D7 Skeleton 21...
Wrist Game Or Crying Shame: Omega Speedmaster X-33
Welcome back to Wrist Game or Crying Shame, the weekly all systems go or all systems NO serial. This time around, we go digital with the Omega Speedmaster X-33. But first…Last week, I brought the metal with a first generation Panerai Luminor Submersible. And while our comments section showed stark divide, the big clunker took home a more than respectable 55% Wrist Game win. With today’s Omega Speedmaster X-33, we’ll also look at a first generation model. This happens to be a timely one as well as we’ll soon see.The Astronaut’s choiceThis past Saturday night, my wife and I joined a friend at a restaurant - that’s allowed here in Germany - and we streamed th...
Revolution The Rake Covid-19 Solidarity Auction
Our friends over at Revolution and The Rake will be holding a charity auction in the week of June 15th. The proceeds of the auction will go to the countries affected the most.Covid19 has taken over our lives, at least for most of us. It has affected a lot of us. Whether that’s by illness or loss, or decline in income, this virus has taken a lot away from us. I did not see my parents for the last four months - but I consider myself lucky that I at least still have them in good health - and our business is definitely affected by the lockdown. For a lot of people, things are a lot worse though. And for those people, Revolution and The Rake are trying to raise funds to offer some help.Jean...
Endeavour Cylindrical Tourbillon And LM101 By MB&F And H.Moser & Cie
There are many similarities between MB&F and H. Moser & Cie, the most notable one being the fact that both companies are prominent Haute Horlogerie brands. Obviously, they both come from Switzerland and have a charismatic leader helming their ships. Furthermore, through H. Moser & Cie's sister company, Precision Engineering AG, they have been working together for over 10 years. Lastly, 2020 marks the 15th birthday/rebirthday of both brands.MB&F was established 15 years ago by industry veteran and visionary Max Busser. In the same year, the brand H. Moser & Cie is relaunched after a long sleep caused by the quartz crisis at the end of the 1970s. This double anniversary, as...
Undone, a custom-watch label or King of Collaborations?
Undone likes to present itself as one of the world’s major custom-watch labels. According to the brand, the team tries to help you find a personalized watch that truly expresses your individuality and taste.That’s all well and good. However, I don’t consider myself a better designer than people who made it their profession. As a result, I’m not such a fan of custom-made watches by non-professionals. What I do like, however, is that Undone used its ability to customize watches for the production of some excellent collaborations. Therefore, for me, Undone became the King of Collaborations!Undone - King of CollabsEstablished in just 2014, Undone almost immediately starte...
Rare Sinn Decimal Chronograph Worn On A Very?Special Day (2021)
Everything about this early 1970s Sinn Decimal is so special to me. Not only is it the rarity of the watch itself worth three existing pieces, but also the pretty unusual way I obtained it. I also had the Sinn Decimal on my wrist when my son was born.Let's start with the last point. I believe that every watch collector thinks about what watch they will wear on the day when their kid comes into this world. I didn't have to and it's not that the choice was made. When my daughter was born, I actually didnt have the time to think about what watch to wear. She was born prematurely on a day when I happened to pick up another quite elusive watch, the Mido Rainbow Diver ref. 5907. I couldn't have wi...
Breguet Adds New Dials To Titanium Marine Line (2021)
Whenever Breguet adds new watches to its Marine collection, I’m all ears. Within the collection, the Marine 5517, 5527, and 5547 are the three timepieces that form the collection’s backbone. In 2020, Breguet introduced these three models with white gold and rose gold bracelets. Up until that point, the titanium models were the only models available on a bracelet. For 2021 Breguet focuses on introducing new dial variations to its Marine line-up. Here we have three titanium models that will be available with a sunburst blue dial - a clever addition that will broaden the appeal of the Marine collection.I am the first to admit that I’m biased when it comes to the Breguet Marine...
The Two-Tone Pasha De Cartier 41mm Watch (2021)
The Pasha de Cartier is a bit of a mystery. Is the original Pasha the water-resistant watch Cartier made for the Pasha of Marrakesh who commissioned it in 1931? Or is it the Pasha former Cartier CEO Alain Dominique Perrin commissioned Gerald Genta to design in 1985? Since the first watch is nowhere to be found (and it was a one-off), I would say that the original Pasha is the watch that debuted in the mid-eighties. And we can now go clubbing back to the ’80s with the two-tone Pasha de Cartier 41mm watch, the latest incarnation of a creation that ruled the night(clubs) three decades ago.The late ’80s and early ’90s were times when carefree optimism, bold exuberance, and lavi...
New: Frederique Constant Vintage Rally Healey Chronograph
Frederique Constant has a longstanding partnership with the currently dormant Austin-Healey brand. Now, the watch brand introduces two new chronographs celebrating the 70th anniversary of the legendary British car manufacturer.?Or actually, I should probably say one chronograph in two versions. The two new releases are technically identical except for two specific differences on their dials. One version comes with a celebratory 70 at twelve o’clock. The other comes with a regular applied 12, as well as a 70th Anniversary line above six. Frederique Constant limits the former to just 10 pieces, while the latter is limited to 700 units.?All about the dialThese chronographs are all about t...
Introducing: Echo/Neutra Cristallo Professional Diver
I’ve been quite a fan of Echo/Neutra ever since the brand launched on Kickstarter in 2019. It seems a lot longer ago than just three years, given the strides the brand has made since then. The product lineup expanded at a healthy pace, and now we have the option of the original Averau (time and date), the extremely handsome Cortina (time only) and Cortina Chronograph (my favorite), the Averau Moonphase, and the brand-new Cristallo diver, which debuts today at 2:00 PM CET.The world is full of dive watches. Do we need one more? Yes! We?always need more dive watches. What we don’t need, however, is more of the same. The Echo/Neutra Cristallo does a good job of presenting a pretty st...
Starting A Watch Collection With $5,000: Thomas's Top Picks
It is easy to get a little blase when you handle high-end watches on a daily basis. At a certain point, you find yourself considering any watch under $5,000 to be relatively affordable. This is, of course, absolute lunacy. To prove that point, I take on the challenge of curating a watch collection of at least three watches. The budget? A mere $5,000 for the three of them. This is my ideal starter watch collection.Since this exercise is performed without a specific thematic collector in mind, I am opting for an occasion-based approach. I will try and make sure that there will be a proper watch in there for pretty much any occasion. After all, if you are spending 5,000 of your hard-earned euro...
Hands-On With The MING 37.05 Moonphase
The MING 37.05 Moonphase may not be shipping yet to those who were lucky enough to score one, but we’re here with a hands-on review of this unique watch. Unique? Well, it’s the first MING to feature a date function, and that’s a real difference-maker. Does the 37.05 extend MING’s clean aesthetics streak? Let’s find out!Time certainly flies! I checked our archives and realized that the MING 37.05 Moonphase debuted all the way back in November 2021. The 500 pieces were offered on two separate occasions late in the month and promptly sold out. Buyers of this CHF 4,950 watch were taking a chance, though. In addition to a new case shape that defines the next generati...
Hands-On: The Nodus Unity
For the past few weeks, I've been thinking that we should find a better way to talk about micro- and independent brands. Somehow, using either word - or the wrong one - doesn't always do the brand justice. A microbrand can make small quantities of outstanding watches that don't cost too much. And an independent brand can make large batches of outstanding watches that don't cost too much either. What's the catch? Can these words be interchangeable? Do they accurately describe what the brands do? For example, we could see Nodus as a microbrand, however, it innovates like a well-established, independent one. To illustrate my conundrum, I come to you again to talk about the brand's latest and gr...
Watch Elegance For Dummies
Picture this. I was sipping a glass of champagne with a Dutch author on fashion, design, and history while on the second floor of Cartier's new boutique in the poshest shopping street in Amsterdam, P.C. Hooftstraat, looking at the shop window of a French fashion house that shall remain unnamed. The mannequins in the window were dressed in brightly colored jackets, shirts, and trousers that looked like close relatives of the training pants I wore to football practice in the early 1980s. And the people waiting in line to get in looked like they were on their way to football practice. I couldn't make out the watches these people were wearing, but if they matched the attire, classic or understat...
Get Ready For The Very First TimeFest In Bordeaux
In just less than two weeks, on June 15th and 16th, almost 50 independent brands will assemble to exhibit their watches at TimeFest in Bordeaux, France. This is the first time this event is happening, and if I lived a little closer, I’d be very curious to check it out. There’s a nice mix of younger brands, including Serica, Baltic, and Furlan Marri, and more mature ones, such as Oris, Sinn, and Citizen. And best of all, the event is free! Just make sure you pre-register on the TimeFest website.Every summer, my wife and I drive down to Spain with our kids in the backseat. Depending on the traffic, the first stopover from Amsterdam is usually just south of Paris. That’s a qui...
New: MB&F LM Sequential Flyback Platinum
The chronograph that won the GPHG Aiguille d'Or two years ago is now available in platinum. Well, not exactly. The 33 pieces of the LM Sequential Flyback Platinum have an extra function compared to the prize-winning watch - a flyback function. On top of that, the chronograph comes in a different case. The sporty EVO case makes way for the more classic Legacy Machine case. And this time, rather than zirconium, it’s made of prestigious platinum.The LM Sequential EVO is the brainchild of the Northern Irish watchmaker Stephen McDonnell. The watch has two chronograph displays and one time display. Its wearer can start, stop, and reset both chronographs independently using the pushers on eit...
New: TAG Heuer Aquaracer Professional 300 Date And GMT
TAG Heuer released the last generation of Aquaracer Professional 300 divers in 2021. That’s not long ago, but the brand must be listening to the market. Updated versions are here today with new dials, smaller cases, and significant mechanical changes. The outgoing models were already compelling, which makes these new versions even more intriguing.TAG Heuer’s releases from the prior decade disappointed many watch enthusiasts, so I was skeptical when the brand announced the new Aquaracer Professional 300 in 2021. Thankfully, the watch ushered in a new era, and most TAG Heuer releases since that time have been quite good. Today’s news relates to the largest case size in the li...
The IWC Ocean Bund?Issued To Elite German Frogmen
Military-issued watches are fascinating to learn about. In this article, I’ll share my chat with IWC’s historian about one such watch, the Porsche-designed Ocean Bund.The IWC Ocean Bund (short for Bundeswehr or German Federal Armed Forces) is one of those fascinating watches in history. It was a cutting-edge design at the time and an absolute beast of a watch meant to take a beating. It was issued to members of West Germany’s Kampfschwimmer?(“Combat Swimmers”). These frogmen were among some of the country’s most elite and well-trained military units. Thanks to this wonderful post by Bulang & Sons, we can see some wonderful images of this rare watch.Ima...
Introducing: G-Shock GMW-B5000D-2 And GM-B2100AD-2A
Full-metal versions of G-Shock’s Square and CasiOak models are among the most popular watches in the lineup. The first all-steel G-Shock “Square” was presented at the Baselworld fair in 2018, and an all-steel “CasiOak” had to wait until 2022 to see the light. These premium models are much appreciated and in great demand. After some other colorful variations, Casio is now adding blue to the standard all-steel models by introducing the GMW-B5000D-2 and GM-B2100AD-2A.Full-metal G-Shock Square models exist in many variations and colors. Full-metal CasiOaks, however, are not as common. So, specifically for the latter, the newly introduced blue version is a welcome ad...