Introducing: The Omega Speedmaster Professional Moonwatch Caliber 321 Platinum
Fifty years after it went to the Moon, the engine inside the Apollo Moonwatches is once again powering a Speedmaster.
Ultimate transparency — Hublot's sapphire evolution, in 13 watches
Editor’s note: While Hublot didn’t create the first sapphire-cased watch (that honour goes to Alain Silberstein of all people), the big, bold brand has done an impressive amount of work in a relatively short time to make the ultra-hard, ultra-cool case material mainstream. Don’t believe us? Here’s Sandra’s 2017 timeline of how it went down … First things first, what is sapphire crystal? Essentially, it’s the same stuff used to make a watch ‘glass’ and display casebacks, formed by crystallising aluminium oxide at very high temperatures to create an extremely hard material. Roughly speaking, it mimics what Earth has taken 400 million or so years to do, to form natural sapphire gemstones. For sapphire-cased watches, the middle, bezel and back are milled from solid blocks of the material. Because it’s almost as hard and scratch-resistant as diamond (9 on the Mohs scale, as opposed to 10 for diamond), the task of milling it into the complex shapes required is much more easily said than done. Indeed, sapphire crystal can be cut only by diamond. Harnessing the knowledge it gained from developing a milling technique for Magic Gold (another hugely challenging material), Hublot works with a Swiss specialist as part of…
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No downsides to the A. Lange & Söhne 1815 Up/Down
Editor’s note: The other day I caught up with someone who’d recently picked up an A. Lange & Söhne 1815 Up/Down, and holding it in my hand — by golly gosh, those German guys at ALS know their way around a watch. This piece might not be their most complicated or most hyped, but it’s pretty perfect … Even though there’s no doubt that the darlings of A. Lange & Söhne’s lineup are the more contemporarily styled pieces like the Lange One and the Zeitwerk, there’s still a place for deeply traditional design in the catalogue of Glashütte’s favourite son – and that’s the 1815 collection. Named for the year of founder Ferdinand A. Lange’s birth, the 1815 family of watches takes as its inspiration early marine chronometers. First developed in the 18th century, these ship-bound timepieces were extremely accurate, and a vital tool in navigation. And while the design isn’t what we’d associate with tool watches these days, make no mistake, legibility and reliability were the name of the game. It’s logical that Lange, those masters of function and style, adopt this distinctive look as the trademark for their 1815 collection. With the blued sword-style hands, railroad minute…
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Editors’ Picks: HODINKEE Editors Pick Their Very Favorite Speedmaster (Or Try To)
On the fiftieth anniversary of man’s first footsteps on the Moon, we struggle with deciding, from among all possible choices, on a single Speedmaster.
Introducing: The Grand Seiko SBGE249 Limited Edition Spring Drive GMT (Live Pics & Pricing)
The latest Grand Seiko limited edition sports a dial inspired by a Japanese blizzard.
The Petrolhead Corner – Some of the Most Impressive Cars To Be Auctioned at Monterey 2019
There are countless classic-car related events around the world and throughout the year. However, when it comes to the highest quality and the most impressive cars, the list goes down to a handful… Goodwood, Chantilly, Le Mans, Villa d’Este and of course, Pebble Beach. Like for every edition of this “Concours d’élégance” (considered the most […]
Hublot's Sang Bleu II, as explained by the man who designed it
When it comes to creative collaborations, few brands have the level of panache or skill that Hublot does. They have a few on the burner at the moment: their Orlinski watches and the one we’re looking at today – the Sang Bleu. To be a little more specific, we’re looking at the Hublot Sang Bleu II in titanium. Now, you might be wondering who (or what) a Sang Bleu is — if your French is good, you’ll have worked out that it means blue blood, which gives you a bit of a hint. Sang Bleu is a tattoo studio, with notable clients including Kanye West and FKA Twigs. But it’s 2019, so tattoo studio doesn’t quite cover all of what Sang Bleu is or does — it’s also a fully fledged design agency, magazine and media platform. Sang Bleu has worked with heavy-hitters like Balenciaga and Rick Owens. The man who drives much of this, and who’s behind the Hublot collaboration, is Maxime Büchi. I sat down with him at Baselworld earlier this year and had a very enjoyable, to-the-point interview. Unlike many interviews that take place under the rubric of the Swiss watch industry, this one was refreshingly free of…
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Speedy stories – 3 tales of Omega Speedmaster love
You might not have noticed but we’ve hit the Omega Speedmaster pretty hard this week. Though, in our defence, we think it’s justified, what with the 50th anniversary of the Moon landing and all that. A few days ago, Felix asked the deep question of what actually makes a Speedmaster, and this morning we had a closer look at the new 50th anniversary piece. And tonight we’re taking some guests to a celebratory shindig at one of Omega’s Melbourne boutiques (spacesuit optional). To score one of the metaphorical golden tickets, we asked people (specifically subscribers to our newsletter) to tell us about their favourite Speedmaster. These are three responses … Jaye says … My favourite Speedy (as unexciting as it might be) is the Professional Ref 3572.5 that I own, from 2002. There’s so many great features in this timeless watch — manual wind 1861 movement, hesalite crystal (can’t beat the warmth it brings to the watch), sapphire caseback and the iconic black dial. It looks great on the Omega bracelet, any colour NATO strap, leather, canvas or perlon. I saved for four years through uni to get it as a graduation present and it was my first ‘proper’ watch. I…
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One small step for the Omega Speedmaster Apollo 11 50th Anniversary
On this day, 50 years ago Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin walked on the moon. An incredible achievement in the history of humanity. What’s even more incredible is that this occurred less than seven years after President John F. Kennedy declared: “We choose to go to the Moon.” Of course, along for the ride was a humble steel chronograph from Omega – the Speedmaster. In the 50 years since that decade, the Speedy has become (and remained) one of watchmaking’s most enduring icons. And, inevitably, this is something that Omega wanted to celebrate — and celebrate in style. At the start of the year, they released a solid gold tribute, but the low production and higher price tag of this piece made it unobtainable to many. So it was that fans waited with bated breath for Omega’s 2019 collection announcement in May, and they were not disappointed. The Omega Speedmaster Apollo 11 50th Anniversary in steel and Moonshine gold is a tribute to the history of Apollo 11, and jam-packed with details that speak to both the mission and the history of the watch. Most obviously there’s the medallion of Buzz Aldrin descending from the landing module in the running…
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Set sail for glory with the Ulysse Nardin Marine Chronometer Torpilleur
Editor’s note: The Ulysse Nardin Marine Chronometer Torpilleur is a very interesting watch — a mix of modern build and very, very classical design. It’s a winner. Story in a second The Marine Chronometer Torpilleur shows a new, focused and driven face of Ulysse Nardin. I’m going to start this review talking not about mechanical watches, but naval warfare. In the late 19th and early 20th century, naval dominance was all about massive floating fortresses, with thick plate armour and a massed battery of cannons. These ships, which culminated in the dreadnought class of battleships, were the undisputed masters of the seas. To counter these ungainly behemoths, the Torpilleur, or torpedo boat, was developed. Streamlined, fast and modern, the Torpilleurs were armed with the latest technology — the self-propelled torpedo. These low-cost boats were intended as battleship-killers and presented a real threat to the dominance of the big ships. Now, do you really think it’s a coincidence that Ulysse Nardin chose to name their new, streamlined Marine Chronometer the “Torpilleur”? The dial Of all the elements of the Torpilleur, the dial is the most traditional. It follows the established conventions of a marine chronometer or deck watch — early navigational…
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