James' 2019 $20K fantasy watch collection
It is with a palpable sense of frustration that I must start my 2019 $20K fantasy watch collection with a pretty serious caveat — I had started writing this list before the now infamous Rolex price hike of 2020. As a result, I will be utilising the Big Crown’s 2019 prices so as to keep within the, albeit fictional, budgetary constraints. Of course there are watches from other makes in my fantasy list but, thankfully, the other watches haven’t had their RRPs jacked … yet. So, without further ado, here is my dream line-up of timepieces from the final year of the decade: Rolex GMT-Master II Ref.126710BLNR Yes, OK, quit your groaning, I know it’s a very predictable choice … and I just don’t care. Rolex’s 2019 re-introduction of the much-loved BLNR or “Batman” GMT-Master II, now on a jubilee bracelet and sporting the Calibre 3285 movement, may not have been the most inspired release, but I still utterly adore it. The profound heritage of Rolex’s GMT-Master and GMT-Master II is undeniable, and this latest iteration continues to prove why the model line-up is the best GMT-equipped timepiece on the market … in my opinion. In fact, the only thing I…
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A lot of things have been said about Dan Henry timepieces – both good and bad. But to understand the watchmaker, we first need to understand the man behind the brand. Dan Henry may well be one of the most prolific vintage watch collectors on the planet, and his personal hoard of timepieces stretches well past a thousand (it’s actually closer to 1600). Among the cornucopia of watches in Henry’s collection, you’ll find everything from humble vintage Seikos to some of the rarest and most desirable vintage Rolex watches in existence. Henry credits his gargantuan assemblage of timepieces to two things — being an avid collector of watches from a very early age, and his fascination with mechanically autonomous objects that could function without an external power source … like a watch with an automatic movement. For years, Henry bought and sold watches in his home town of São Paulo, Brazil, and when the internet became a thing in the late ’90s, he started selling timepieces via a weekly online mailing list. His profile grew rapidly in the horological hemisphere, thanks largely to his social media pages and his website, timeline.watch, which chronicles vintage watches. So, why does one of the…
The pilot’s watch has become a staple of the horological community, specifically within the tool watch market. But, as we’ve seen with divers, the recent surge in their mainstream appeal and marketing has de-emphasised their professional utility. In response, we revisit the fundamentals of a practical pilot’s watch by highlighting five things to look for when buying from this category. Legibility While it should go without saying, a good pilot’s watch should enable the wearer to see the exact time down to the second with merely a glance at their wrist. There’s no place here for watches without minute markers, second hands, or featuring bizarre colour combinations. Legibility is also improved when the crystal has anti-reflective coating. Not only does this reduce the sun glare when trying to see the dial, it prevents inadvertent and distracting reflections being shone into your eyes by a co-pilot with low situational awareness. Accuracy The pilot’s watch needs to be accurate. It’s the law. Civil Aviation Order 20.18 lists aircraft equipment that must be carried in flight and includes the requirement for ‘an accurate timepiece indicating the time in hours, minutes and seconds’ that ‘may be carried on the pilot or navigator’. Military aviation…