Hands-On: Citizen Super Titanium Automatic Small Seconds
This hands-on is a classic case of “save the best for last.” One week ago, we published my hands-on review of the Citizen Super Titanium Eco-Drive Day-Date and Chronograph series. The third set of models we had in for review was the Citizen Super Titanium Automatic Small Seconds. After trying the three different model series, I can confirm that Citizen has three potential hits on its hands. But this mechanical Small Seconds version is the best in my opinion. I’ve spent some time with all four variants, and I think this is the series that could appeal to “regular” people looking for one great daily affordable watch and watch fans alike. Let me explain why.When th...
Panerai GTG 2009
Paneristi (= dedicated Panarai fans) are famous for their GetToGethers. The best known GTG is P-Day, this year to be held in Florence, Italy. Home of the Officine.Last weekend, WatchRon (one of the Dutch Paneristis) organized a GTG for all Belgian and Dutch Paneristi. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to join them, but the stunning pictures they posted on PaneristiPix and the wristwatchphotoblog by Martin make up a lot.A good GTG comes with a good meal, and according to some of the attendees in the Dutch Panerai Forum, the meal was excellent.Part of the Panerai fun is about straps (and changing them). Dirk Grandry, one of the most famous strap sellers, was also there, presenting a large col...
Armin Strom Gumball 3000 Watches For 2015
Cars & watches go very well together, we don’t have to explain this to you. A number of major car manufacturers seem to have a collaboration going on with watch brands. Formula 1, Le Mans, Daytona etc are?being sponsored by watch brands for a long time as well. So why shouldn’t the famous Gumball 3000 rally be teaming up with a watch manufacturer? One of the coolest independent brands that masters the art of skeletonizing movements and dials, Armin Strom, teams up with Gumball 3000 in 2015. We couldn’t think of a better match ourselves.The Gumball 3000 was founded by Maximillion Cooper and has lots of fans all around the world. Drivers in the most extreme sports cars wi...
Hands-On With The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Gold Collection
One of my all-time favorite watches is the Royal Oak. It is actually one of the models that got me into mechanical watches in the mid-1990s. Love at first sight, you could say, and as you know that is something to cherish. However, these watches come at a certain price and with those perpetual annual price increases these watches seem to be only available for the lucky few. The low production number and high demand for them – by the lucky few – enables Audemars Piguet to stay exclusive and only available for those who are able – and willing – to spend so much money on?their watches.This shouldn’t come as a shock, as Audemars Piguet was always high-end and the st...
Watches With Nicknames A Fantastic Exhibition in Geneva
On May 12th, 2017, I had the opportunity to travel to Geneva for the weekend to attend the Spring auctions and some of the previews. However, on the Friday evening, I was able to enjoy a real treat: an exhibition hosted at the Kempinski Hotel by the Davidoff Brothers, Roy and Sacha, featuring 70 timepieces assembled under the theme of Watches With Nicknames.Lake GenevaPulling Together the Watches With Nicknames ExhibitionMore than six months ago when we held our #SpeedyTuesday get together in conjunction with Omega in Bienne, I spoke with Roy and Sacha about their follow up event to the Speedmaster exhibition they held in 2015. Watches With Nicknames was the idea, but as Sacha soon found out...
Watches Of The King Elvis Presley's Notable Timepieces
After the impressive auction result of the Elvis Presley Omega Tiffany, we decided to give you an overview of some of his other watches as well. We discuss two of his Omega watches (one is the 1.8mio Swiss Francs Omega Tiffany), his King Midas and the well-known Hamilton Ventura. Without further ado, let’s have a look.Elvis Presley’s WatchesElvis Presley was one of, if not the, most influential musician of the last century. Throughout his career, that spanned over 30 years, it was estimated that he sold over 1 billion records. He also sold out 837 consecutive shows in Las Vegas, starred in 31 feature films and musicals and had 18 number one songs on Billboard's Hot 100 Pop Chart...
Hot Take: Blancpain Air Command Chronograph
The Blancpain Air Command debuts and reignites interest in a mythical military chronograph meant for the US Air Force.Well now, it seems that everyone wishes to join in the fun by offering some truly delectable vintage-inspired models.? With the new Blancpain Air Command, the brand steps up in a big way and gives us something that's hard not to like.? The Air Command looks old and that's because it's fashioned very closely after an enigmatic chronograph that was apparently built for the US Air Force in the late 1950's.? Per the lore, and now Blancpain's literature, less than a dozen prototypes were built and sent to US distributor Allen V. Tornek (yes, that Tornek of Tornek-Rayville fame tha...
Bvlgari Octo Finissimo Automatic In Polished Ceramic
Purists take cover. The Bvlgari Octo Finissimo Automatic in polished ceramic cares not for your feelings. It is here to be heard, so there’s no point ignoring what it has to say.External ceramic components used to raise eyebrows. These days, any brand?not exploring the possibilities of this fascinating material could be accused of sticking its head in the sand. Sure, it is highly unlikely that ceramic, however versatile and beautiful it is, will ever take the place of steel (or even titanium) as the “ideal” watch case material, but it certainly has a lot going for it in both the aesthetic and technical fields.A storm is comingThe Bvlgari Octo Finissimo Automatic is one of t...
AVI-8 Flyboy Lafayette 52Mondayz, Week #21-2020
Whenever I hear the word “Flyboy” I think of Topgun. That’s never a bad thing. Who doesn’t like being reminded of Pete Mitchell’s exploits above the clouds? And so I began my week with the AVI-8 Flyboy Lafayette in atypically “high” spirits…If you asked me, I would profess to prefer to always receive what I ask for. Generally, there is a reason why I ask for things. But sometimes those reasons don’t hold up under scrutiny. Take the AVI-8 Flyboy Lafayette, for example. While communicating with the brand, I requested to test drive the black dialed version. Why? Because I like black dials. I particularly liked the combination of bone, red, a...
Meet The Seiko Prospex Urban Safari Watches
Seiko is on a roll with its Street Series. For the Seiko Prospex “Tuna” and “Arnie” models, the Japanese brand is adding Urban Safari editions to the lineup.It is pretty cool to see that the “Tuna” is doing so well. When I tried the 6159-7010 and the SDBX011 back in 2015, it felt like I was wearing something extraordinary. You still don’t see them on every wrist, of course, but with the number of variations that Seiko has, it is definitely more common now. The other version is based on the “Arnie” H558 or its more recent references SNJ025 and SNJ028.Urban Safari TunaThe Seiko 6159-7010 “Tuna” was introduced in 1975 and this pr...
New Watch Release: Ulysse Nardin Freak X Razzle Dazzle (2021)
There’s a line from a song in the musical Chicago that goes, “give them the old razzle-dazzle.” It seems that Ulysse Nardin‘s design team may have taken that to heart when working on the latest iteration of the Freak X. One look at this new watch from Ulysse Nardin and my eyes are drawn in by the mesmerizing geometric dial pattern. Now, if I can just tear myself away from it for a momentPhoto credit: Smithsonian Magazine (smithsonianmag.com)Origins in maritime camouflageWhile the jarring and sharp contrasting black and white lines make me think of something from a Batman villain’s wardrobe, the original inspiration for this stems from a specific type of camoufla...
Three Overrated Modern Watches (2021) And Patek Included...
Sometimes it’s just fun to be grouchy! Who doesn’t love a good whine session every so often? Well, that’s me, and today, I’m going to talk about three popular modern watches that I simply don’t “get.” However, I will bring solutions…We now live in an age where there are luxury products that seemingly everyone has to have. No, these aren’t your run-of-the-mill “newest” iPhones or the latest Air Jordan sneakers. Instead, these are some mega pricey objects and many are watches. Here’s the thing, though, as a watch lover, I just don’t get some of these watches. Every watch I’ll show you today is undeniably nice, ...
French Watch Dating Profiles Pequignet, March LA.B, And Serica
Wines, food, and many other finest things the world knows are French. But watches? True, France was once a prominent watchmaking country a few hundred years ago. Names like Breguet, Le Roy, and Le?pine ring a bell for watch-history enthusiasts. However, like with so many other countries, watchmaking at some point migrated from France to Switzerland, which had perfected mass production. Now, however, watchmaking is making a return to France (some may say it never left). Pequignet is a true manufacture d’horlogerie, creating its “Royal” calibers at its facility in Morteau. March LA.B is bringing unique French design (and calibers) to the table. And Serica? Well, what’s ...
H. Moser Endeavour Concept Minute Repeater Tourbillon Aqua Blue
You might have seen the H. Moser & Cie. Endeavour Concept Minute Repeater Tourbillon before. Maybe not in the metal, since it's a very exclusive and elusive watch. But maybe you've seen the 43mm titanium Haute Horlogerie creation with its Electric Blue Concept dial and hammers and gongs on the dial side somewhere online. Some say lightweight titanium is the ultimate material for a minute repeater because it resonates so well. But still, Moser decided to create a smaller 40mm version in heavy 5N red gold as well. The brand from Neuhausen am Rheinfall has also placed inside of it a new Grand Feu enamel dial in Aqua Blue on a base with a hammered texture.Who said that the minute repeater is...
Breguet Tradition Quantime Retrograde 7597 In Regal Blue
Manufacture Breguet's Tradition collection is the gift that keeps on giving. It has graced us with its modern aesthetics and high complications since 2005. The family of open-worked wristwatches has expanded to glowing acclaim with the Quantime Retrograde 7597, donning a new retrograde date function. In less than two years, the 7597 model has welcomed a new color variation in regal blue contrasting with its emblematic movement in anthracite.As architecturally imposing as it is visually enticing, the 7597 carries the torch to embody Abraham-Louis Breguet's design codes from over two centuries ago. The timepiece is a mechanical reinterpretation of the souscription (“subscription” ...
Yema Superman Full Lume Perfect To Spend The Night With
There are some people who refuse to buy a watch simply because they find its lume performance unsatisfactory. I am not one of those people. I mean, I do enjoy good lume on a watch, especially when I put my kids to bed or walk from the garden to the kitchen. But lume is certainly not an essential part of a watch for me, nor is it a specific reason to get a watch, for that matter. Well, that’s how I felt until I wore the all-new Yema Superman Full Lume for a few days. With this one on the wrist, I couldn’t wait for the sun to go down so I could enjoy that fully Super-LumiNova-lit dial. I’ve finally experienced first hand how exciting lume can be!When I think about the lume in...
#TBT Montilier Telefoot The King Of Unknown Watches
Wait, phones and football still matter today. Well, it’s almost scary how symbolic and practical the Montilier Telefoot watch is today, almost 80 years after it was first introduced in 1946. My mind is genuinely blown!It was about a year ago when I first heard about the Montilier Telefoot. I was in touch with Sebastien Chaulmontet regarding another fascinating chronograph when he dropped a line at the end of an email, saying, “If I might suggest a new target for you: the Montilier Telefoot.”?You know what happened next…Research and huntThe name was pretty suggestive and intriguing. I read everything that I could find about it. That very same night, I scored an origina...
Building A Watch Brand Episode 8: Dial Typography
Welcome to the wondrous world of dial typography! Much of the design language of the wristwatches we know and love today was set in the 1930sC1970s. That includes typography. And if you look closely at watches from that era, you soon discover some really quirky features. These features give away how these dials were actually designed and manufactured. Unfortunately, most of these quirks have been lost due to technical advancements, and some of the unique charm of these watches was lost in the process. So I decided to pursue the revival of such typography for VPC. I found a like-minded designer in Samuel Baker, who has performed some true wizardry for me, as you will soon find out.I have allu...
The Heirloom Quality Of Properly Made Watches
We’ve all heard it: You never actually own a Patek Philippe. You merely look after it for the next generation. This advertising slogan became almost as iconic as the watches themselves. That’s understandable, too, considering how it tugs at the heartstrings and strongly implies superior quality. But what charges a watch with heirloom quality? And why are watches so well suited to it?Let's have a closer look at watches as heirlooms. We must start with the core question: what makes us want to pass objects on to our descendants? I don't have the answer, but I have some ideas. Warning: I am about to overthink things severely and get slightly sentimental. If you are here for the water...
Fratelli Stories: A Special Tudor Submariner
In the latest installment in our Fratelli Stories series, we talk to Graeme. He’s a Scottish collector with a passion for vintage tool watches, and his Tudor Submariner has a special place in his collection.Vintage watches are a wonderful opportunity for collectors and enthusiasts alike. The sheer number of options available to us at all sorts of price points boggles the mind. Some of us get into vintage watches after focusing on modern releases as we gradually find the appeal of vintage grows as our tastes change. For Fratello reader Graeme, vintage watches have long taken center stage with his interest in horology. This passion for vintage is evident in his collection.It all starts w...