Buying Guide – 5 of The Most Iconic Pilot Watches You Can Buy In 2018
Aviation inspired watches are said to have made their debuts on the wrist of aviator Alberto Santos Dumont. At the beginning of the 20th-century, Louis Cartier had made a watch for his Brazilian friend, who wore it to time its flights. It was the first purposed-designed wristwatch. Since then, many watches have been inspired by aviation, all born out of practicality – in particular, pilot watches. Today, the category is one of the most popular.
In my eyes there’s no better backdrop than the French Riviera to launch a luxury dive watch. And it seems Ulysse Nardin think so too, unveiling four new iterations of their Diver Chronometer amongst the glamour and affluence at this year’s Monaco Yacht Show. Plotting a cleaner bearing for the collection with a host of aesthetic updates. Beginning with four brand new textured dials that replace the wave pattern found on the previous version of the Diver Chronometer. There are two regular production models – a deep blue and an all-black dial version — plus two limited editions: the grey-dialled Diver Great White (300 pieces), and a red and gold accented black dial version that’s been specially made to celebrate the Monaco Yacht Show (100 pieces), with the tiny country’s red and white flag displayed at 12 o’clock, and a unique date wheel reflecting this year’s show dates, with a red colouring for the 26th, 27th, 28th, and 29th date numerals. While each dial may differ slightly in colour, they all feature the exact same layout. An indicator at 12 o’clock helps keep track of the power reserve, while the date and a small seconds subdial are nestled neatly at…
The story of Omega’s Speedmaster “Tintin” is the tale of a watch that almost never was. The same goes for Nathan and his red-and-white chequered dial Speedy. When did you first see/hear about it? I have always found the most interesting watches to be unique variations of classic designs. The Tintin fits this description perfectly, and from the moment I saw it online, I knew I would eventually own one. It was actually a few years after it had been revealed that I decided to do a bit more research. What I uncovered was the most intriguing story about a failed partnership and a half-complete watch, one that should have never really come to market. Any story behind the purchase? There was quite a bit of drama surrounding the purchase! When I first saw this Tintin for sale in Brisbane I hesitated and unfortunately someone in Sydney bought it before me. However, a few months later I saw another for sale in Sydney and I made sure I wasn’t going to let it get away from me. When I got hold of the watch, it became clear that this Tintin was the same one that had been taken to Sydney…
Last month, we filled you guys in on “6 oddball watches of an oddball comedian”, following the announcement that Sotheby’s would be auctioning various collections of art, furniture and watches that Robin Williams shared with his second wife, Marsha Garces Williams. Well, the results are in, and wrapping up the New York auction with a sale total of just over $6 million USD, the majority of the 310 lots sold. As we expected, all 44 watches sold for more than their auction estimates. The biggest earner was a gold-plated rectangular quartz Hamilton that Williams wore during filming of Dead Poets Society, which sold for $32,500 USD after an estimate of $1000 – $2000 USD. The most expensive, selling for $52,500 USD, was a white gold Franck Muller minute repeating tourbillon, which had an initial estimate of $25,000 – $35,000 USD. Below we’ve listed a few of our favourites, as well as the results of our 6 oddball picks. But for the full list, be sure to visit the Sotheby’s site. Lot 118 Azimuth Estimate $500 – $1000 USD. Sold $3500 USD Lot 119 Ikepod Hemipode Estimate $500 – $1500 USD. Sold $7500 USD Lot 129 Alain Silberstein Triple Calendar and…
I have a not-so-secret love in my heart for Antiques Roadshow — specifically the UK version, but the US version is pretty good, too. If you’re not familiar with the concept, it’s a show where random members of the public show up and have their junk/priceless artefacts evaluated by a range of hilariously eccentric antiques experts. And while a great part of the joy for me is finding out that creepy dolls can be crazy expensive, really it’s all about that moment they reveal the price and the owner of said crazy dolls (or carpet once owned by someone famous) either hides their sadness at not being sudden, surprise millionaires, or — equally as good — when they’re suddenly in possession of something really valuable and they pretend they’re not planning to sell it as soon as the cameras turn off. And while everything about Antiques Roadshow is pretty great, I especially love it when someone brings a watch on. So, in the interest of sharing my love, I scoured YouTube for five of the best. You’re welcome. Smith & Sons Pocket watch Let’s kick off with some classic Roadshow — there’s a lot to like here. The exceptionally dressed appraiser, the…
