Archive

For some, the holiday season starts in October on Halloween. For others, it’s not until the Thanksgiving holiday in November. Still, certain people don’t feel the holidays fully kick in until Black Friday – the biggest shopping day of the year. It’s the perfect time to start checking off items on yo…

Precious metals like gold and occasionally platinum used to be the standard for timepieces. It wasn’t until relatively recently that stainless steel became the material of choice for the wristwatch. Stainless steel really began growing in popularity in the 1970s in conjunction with the advent of the…

When it comes to style, few do it better than the Italians. Whether we’re talking about clothing, wine, or in this case watches, Italy is in a class of their own. Panerai originally created their iconic line of tool watches for the Italian Navy, not with more formal settings in mind. So can this mil…

Being a watch guy involves not only collecting* watches (* - that’s a loaded word, but you get it) but also scouring the Internet on watch forums, Google image searches, and Instagram, drooling over the latest and greatest from the countless watch houses all over the world. Beyond watches themselves…

Origins of the Ring Lock System For more than four decades, the Sea-Dweller and Submariner served as Rolex’s collection of dive watches. While the Submariner continues to be a staple of the brand’s catalog, the reign of the Sea-Dweller ended in 2008. From it descended an all-new model with even more…

With certain watches, you don’t even bother to look at the price tag. They lure you in with an intoxicating dial color, a captivating complication, or a purely enchanting movement through the caseback. Sometimes, a watch just calls to you and resonates with you on an inexplicable level. It reminds y…

In 2005, the Big Bang helped transform the Hublot brand. The model spurred from the original vision of the brand’s founder. Later, the legendary Jean-Claude Biver brought the Big Bang to fruition. Ultimately, the model was crucial in establishing the Hublot brand, as we know it today. The Birth of t…

The quartz watch threatened the future of the mechanical watch industry during the Quartz Crisis of the 1970s and 80s. Ever since, there’s been a stigma around quartz timepieces. Many believe that because they’re less expensive, they’re lesser than. Others associate them with women’s watches, which…

When it comes to the world of small, rectangular watches, Cartier has reigned king for almost a century. The Cartier Tank made its debut in 1917, and since then, it’s become a silhouette we all know very well. What did Jackie Kennedy, Fred Astaire, and Andy Warhol all have in common? A love of the T…

You might have grown up watching him on TV. Perhaps you were lucky enough to dine at one of his restaurants. Maybe you enjoy cooking recipes from one of his books. No matter how you knew him, Anthony Bourdain was pervasive force in kitchens across America. His blunt, no-nonsense approach to food and…

By the 1950s, Breitling had firmly established themselves as the suppliers of the most superior pilot watches on the market. Their aviation legacy began the decade prior with the Chronomat. Then, in 1952, they continued to grow their presence in the field with the debut of the now-iconic Navitimer…

Rolex’s history with military forces spans nearly a century. In that time, they’ve designed timepieces for a wide array of military groups. One of their most famous partnerships has been with the British Ministry of Defense, for whom they created the MilSub. In the States, there’s the legendary Turn…

WatchTime New York is the largest luxury watch event in America, held annually in the heart of Manhattan. Here, collectors, enthusiasts, and members of the industry come together for a spectacular two-day event. It begins with a VIP cocktail reception. This gives attendees an exclusive sneak peek of…

When you think of watches linked to the military, you’ll most likely recall brands with a rich heritage. You’ll draw back to manufacturers who played a role in the World Wars and subsequently the rise of the wristwatch. On the other hand, you might not consider a young brand like Bremont, who first…

The Daytona has consistently been one of Rolex’s most successful watches since it first launched in 1963. Over the years, certain variations of the model have garnered special attention and become highly coveted. There are the Paul Newman Daytonas of the 1960s and 70s, made popular by the legendary…

When you think of great watchmakers today, you likely think of the Swiss. However, the British are among some of the most important watchmakers in history. In the 1700s, England was considered the king of watches. By 1800, it’s estimated that the British manufactured nearly half the world’s watches…

Skeleton Watches Reminiscent of the Halloween Season Skeleton watches are arguably some of the most visually interesting models on the market. To create these unique designs, watchmakers reveal the inner workings through the dial by stripping it to the essentials. You might be surprised to learn tha…

In 1945, Rolex celebrated the brand’s 40th anniversary. To commemorate the milestone, they wanted to launch a new watch design that was different from anything else they offered. The result was the original Datejust. It was the first automatic and water resistant wristwatch to display the date in a…

The rise of social media platforms like Instagram has inevitably led to the rise of photo techniques, like the selfie. In the watch community, we’ve developed our own “watch selfie” of sorts – the wrist shot. Maybe you like sharing pictures of your watch on such platforms or enjoy documenting your m…

When asked how to start a wardrobe, my response is always the same: begin with the classic style basics. The same thing applies to purchasing watches, regardless of if you’re a collector or a one-time buyer. Few watches in the world are more classic than the OMEGA Speedmaster Professional Moonwatch…

You could be forgiven in 2019 for not really having a solid idea of what a “dress watch” really is anymore. More than ever, we live life casually. Business casual dress codes (sometimes loosely implemented) have dominated our workplaces for years. Even traditionally formal affairs like weddings have…

Historical Uses of the Minute Repeater Of all the watch complications, the minute repeater is one of the most unique, complex, and labor intensive. Both Edward Barlow and Daniel Quare claim to have debuted the first repeating mechanism back in the late 1600s. However, it was Quare who obtained the p…