Is the Bamford London GMT a knock-out?
When a name renowned for its personalisation of higher-end pieces announces an off-the-shelf offering, it tends to raise eyebrows. However, the Bamford brand has defied expectations not once, but twice, now with the Bamford London GMT. Housing the self-winding Sellita SW330-1 25, it has already been widely pointed out that the Bamford GMT case and dial configuration is strongly reminiscent of the Zenith Sub Sea from the 1960s. But fixating on the fact that Bamford made a GMT watch that looks like something that already exists is ignoring the fact that’s kind of what Bamford is known for … They take an existing design and modify it to suit the desires of their customer. Where the Bamford DNA shines through is their highly effective use of contrast: penetrating combinations of ice blue, bright oranges and other unconventional colours against a matt black or brushed steel backdrop. In this respect, the new London GMT is consistent with Bamford’s design language. There is a lot to like about this GMT. The case itself is a wonderful blend of curved surfaces and sharp angles, which far from being incongruent, actually adds some visual interest to an otherwise bulky silhouette. The dial text is…
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Editor’s note: In the world of luxury steel sports watches, the Girard-Perregaux Laureato family is underrated. More than two centuries since they started making watches, the Laureato is made by a brand that has some of the richest history in horology. In that time, Girard-Perregaux have added significantly to the art of mechanical watchmaking, with their three golden bridges tourbillon movement and their design of the first high-frequency watch which beats ten times per second. The Laureato family is also dripping in a ’70s charm that stems from the mix of curves and angles, and the blending of polished and brushed surfaces for an eye-catching finish on a watch. In terms of scarcity, Girard-Perregaux also produce significantly fewer watches than the other big players in the steel sports watch game. They manufacture approximately 10,000 watches per year, next to 40,000 from Audemars Piguet and 50,000 from Patek Philippe. All things considered, the Laureato represents a sleeper, which at the moment is vastly underappreciated by much of the watch buying community. A little while ago, we put together a list of luxury sports watches and it went – to use a technical term – bananas. There’s something about the combination of…
The Patek Philippe Calatrava is probably the most recognisable time-only collection of watches in Swiss watchmaking. Simple, three-handed watches made in precious metal that represent what Patek Philippe is about in its most distilled form – restrained classicism made to exacting standards. In this article by The Hour Glass, the history of the Calatrava is investigated, focusing on the most important models made in the nearly 90 years since the first reference was produced. Even though the core elements of the Calatrava have stayed the same, the number of variations over the years has seen the establishment of collectors-inspired scholarship to document the sheer number of different examples. If you’re looking for some Sunday reading that digs a little deeper, we’ve got you covered.
I was equal parts excited and curious when a package from Sotheby’s Australia landed on Felix’s desk last month. Upon opening, it revealed a catalogue for their upcoming Important Jewels auction, and while the jewellery portion of the catalogue was full of fabulous gems and precious metals, I was obviously much more interested in the wristwatches on offer. While reading the catalogue I noticed that despite watch lots being comparatively few in number, there were several great pieces, including representation from Rolex, Patek Philippe, Cartier, and Heuer. One of the rarer pieces heading for the block was a Heuer Autavia “Jo Siffert” Chronograph ref. 1163, so named because it was worn by the racing champion in the late ’60s. Astutely, this was selected as his pick of the lots by the owner of the catalogue I was reading; however, I fell in love with a yellow gold Cartier Tank Américaine. I got in contact with the man responsible for the auction, Hamish Sharma (who has the best job title in the world — the Head of Jewels at Sotheby’s Australia), and he was kind enough to meet with me and show me the watches that had been consigned. I went to the…
Earlier this year, Andrew spent some (very) quality time in New Zealand with Louis Vuitton and some of their most serious watchmaking. If you haven’t seen the video, it’s definitely worth a look (as is this one), but we reckon this watch, the Louis Vuitton Tambour Moon Flying Tourbillon ‘Poinçon de Genève’ is worth a second look, as our photographer Jason Reekie has worked wonders with his macro lens. If you’re in the mood for a seriously high-end statement piece, this should be of interest to you. The 42.5mm case is in Louis Vuitton’s classic ‘tambour’ shape — inspired by a hand drum, with an inwardly curving case. But the case is playing second fiddle here to the elaborate, open-worked movement. And what a movement. It’s Geneva Seal certified, so you know it’s quality (and made within the Canton of Geneva to boot). The design is also charming — the functional elements are arranged vertically in a series of overlapping circles, with the tourbillon at six garnering the most attention. And even though it’s solid gold and very serious, you can’t help but be captured by the light and airy atmosphere of this lovely Louis Vuitton. 
Editor’s note: Jerry Seinfeld has dropped another series of the excellent Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee, so we thought we’d repost Dan’s wrap from last year of some of the most interesting watches worn on the series. Stay tuned for the update … Jerry Seinfeld can do no wrong, and after having been streamed more than 100 million times, Seinfeld’s pet project, Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee, recently premiered its new season on Netflix after nine seasons as a web series on the digital network Crackle. Staying true to the title’s premise, this simple yet compelling series sees Jerry introduce a new celebrity comedian in each episode, picking them up in a unique vintage car and heading out for coffee. The pair then riff, unscripted, on all manner of topics to varying comedic degree. It’s safe to say that where there are celebrities there are luxury watches. We take a look at some of the best from this season and those that preceded it. Season 10, Episode 1: Jerry Seinfeld wears a G-Shock ‘Rangeman’ In this episode, Jerry picks up The Hangover star and Between Two Ferns host Zach Galifianakis in a ridiculous VW Thing. Based on the German World War II equivalent of the Jeep,…
There are many potential pitfalls you could encounter when buying a luxury watch. Especially if it’s your first time. The desire to make a seasoned choice right off the bat is understandable, but it’s important you don’t put too much pressure on yourself to get it exactly right first time. In fact, making mistakes is part of the fun, and definitely part of the learning process. It certainly doesn’t feel like a barrel of laughs when you make a purchase that turns out to be a total waste of money, but you’ll never make that mistake again. If you find yourself really nervous about buying, owning and, crucially, wearing a luxury watch for the first time, one of the avenues you could explore to make the experience a little less stressful is the vintage route. Buying pre-owned (or pre-loved as we are wont to say these days) has a few advantages. Firstly, in almost all instances, it is cheaper. That should be a load off your mind when the relatively expensive item on your wrist threatens to catch itself on every door, bannister, and brick wall as you get used to it being there over the first few days. Secondly,…