Bring a Loupe: A 1959 Omega Speedmaster Ref. CK2915-3, A 1957 Breitling Navitimer AOPA Ref. 806, And A 1979 Patek Philippe Nautilus Ref. 3700/1 Gübelin
This week’s round-up of vintage watches from around the world.
Introducing – Girard-Perregaux Laureato Skeleton “Earth to Sky” Edition
For its 2019 collection, Girard-Perregaux introduced an original “Earth to Sky” theme, which has been implemented on both existing pieces (like the 1966) or on new watches (like the Laureato Absolute). The name refers to the surprising conjunction of colours, mixing the blackness of the cosmos with the blueness of Earth. This “Earth to Sky” […]
HANDS-ON: Is this the most accessible true worldtimer on the market right now? The Christopher Ward C1 Grand Malvern Worldtimer
Worldtimers — which allow you to, at a glance, quickly determine the time anywhere across the globe — aren’t the most common complications. And typically, this level of mechanical wizardry comes at a cost. Typically. This handsome fella, the C1 Grand Malvern Worldtimer from UK-based outfit Christopher Ward, bucks the trend. Before we delve into the details, it’s worth a quick recap of the major types of travel watches. A GMT or dual time watch is simple enough — displaying a second time zone in either 24 or 12 hour time respectively (if the latter, you typically get a day/night indicator as well). And then there’s worldtimers, which rock 24-hour display AND a city disc to help make international travel and telephony a cinch. This system was initially developed in the 1930s by Louis Cottier, and is a complication with quite a prestigious pedigree. And then there are watches that have the city ring, but only show two time zones (but often allows you to quickly adjust them): Glashütte Original and Nomos spring to mind here. So that’s the potted history of worldtimers, so now let’s have a closer look at the Christopher Ward C1 Grand Malvern Worldtimer. As you can see,…
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RECOMMENDED READING: Timex’s new watches are Made in America … sort of
Even though they might not be as premium a name as their Swiss counterparts, Timex is a legendary company with a long history and one of the greatest ad lines of all time. Who hasn’t heard, “It takes a licking and keeps on ticking”? In recent years, Timex has been proactive in exploring that legacy, in a series of limited production pieces. The latest step in this journey is the Timex American Documents #001 collection, which is cool, if a little wordy. The schtick here is the Made in America designation. Timex has used local suppliers for all of the elements (Red Wing straps, Gorilla Glass crystal, etc), except for the Swiss quartz movement. Might not be for everyone, but that Made in America nostalgia-hype is real. Read more over at Worn & Wound.
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Turns out hand-painting watch dials is hard. Here’s the proof
Editor’s note: Look, we never thought it was easy. This is, after all, skilled manual labour. But Andrew discovered just how difficult hand-painting a watch dial is when he visited Franck Muller in Geneva … I’m not above admitting it. I’m more than just a bit painful when it comes to painted versus printed dials. “Is this painted or printed?” is a question I’ve asked countless times. Receiving countless eye-rolls, I might add. And, full disclosure, I’ve always assumed that the colour, paint volume and line-perfect proportions of Franck Muller dials are the latter. Printed. But when I attended the Franck Muller ‘chalet’ (such a more appropriate descriptor than ‘manufacture’) for a second time, early in 2017, I asked the question and was met with a very different answer, which also happened to be a question. “They’re painted,” said my soon-to-be nemesis from Franck Muller, Laura Bondi. “Would you like to try painting one yourself?” Sure, but only if she tried to paint one, too. The next hour of my life taught me a lot about the extraordinary skill required to make the watches we love — mostly by showing me how ordinary my own skills are in comparison.
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Turns out hand-painting watch dials is hard. Here’s the proof
Editor’s note: Look, we never thought it was easy. This is, after all, skilled manual labour. But Andrew discovered just how difficult hand-painting a watch dial is when he visited Franck Muller in Geneva … I’m not above admitting it. I’m more than just a bit painful when it comes to painted versus printed dials. “Is this painted or printed?” is a question I’ve asked countless times. Receiving countless eye-rolls, I might add. And, full disclosure, I’ve always assumed that the colour, paint volume and line-perfect proportions of Franck Muller dials are the latter. Printed. But when I attended the Franck Muller ‘chalet’ (such a more appropriate descriptor than ‘manufacture’) for a second time, early in 2017, I asked the question and was met with a very different answer, which also happened to be a question. “They’re painted,” said my soon-to-be nemesis from Franck Muller, Laura Bondi. “Would you like to try painting one yourself?” Sure, but only if she tried to paint one, too. The next hour of my life taught me a lot about the extraordinary skill required to make the watches we love — mostly by showing me how ordinary my own skills are in comparison.
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Erika’s Originals straps – hands down, some of the best on the market right now
Editor’s note: I ran into the lovely Erika a few times back at Baselworld, and it was clear she was having a good time. Her watches were flying off the shelves, and she had a collab with Bell & Ross that looked great. Her elastic parachute material straps offer a superb mix of comfort, style and story. Personalities like Erika are what make the watch industry great. If you need a primer on what Erika’s Originals straps are all about, here’s our interview from last year … Hi Erika, how did you find yourself making watch straps? It is pure chance that I ended up making watch straps. A few years ago, just for the fun of it, I started making custom leather sandals, initially because with my size feet, it is almost impossible to buy anything off the shelf. But when friends started raving about them, I soon was working full-time making bespoke leather sandals and eventually leather watch straps. So what’s your daily watch and why? I don’t have a daily watch. I wear a variety of new and vintage watches. When travelling, I like to wear my — which I’m almost afraid to admit — Apple Watch. I nearly…
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H10: The Green Room Interviews: What Makes A Great Watch?
Get the answers directly from Alton Brown, Howie Kendrick, and John Goldberger.
Photo Report: Celebrating A Pair Of Limited Edition Cars With Alfa Romeo
Great cars and great watches. What’s not to like?
Hands-on – Rolex Datejust 36 Steel Rolesor Ref. 126234
During Baselworld 2019, Rolex presented a steel version of the classic Datejust 36 – well, the Steel/Rolesor version with white gold bezel to be precise. A sibling of the Datejust 36 released last year in Everose gold and steel, the new Datejust is a more affordable proposal with white gold used exclusively on the bezel. With […]