Watch Dandy

The Elections… for the Watch of the Year and the GPHG that is!

While the race for presidency in the USA is going on until the last minute, we’ll of course focus… on watches! And in the world of watches, we also have elections. Just two weeks ago I attended the gala award ceremony for the election of the Watch of the Year, organised by our friends of Chronos24 in Poland. And this Thursday, when we finally know who’s going to be the new tenant of the White House, is the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève – a.k.a the 2016 Edition of the GPHG. While the first becomes a bit international due to several international jury members – including yours truly – the latter can best be compared to the Oscars in the world of movies.

Speedy Tuesday – Speedmaster Alaska Project (The Original Alaska II and the 2008 Re-Edition)

Speedmaster Alaska Project The project name Alaska has little to do with the state, besides its name. Omega used code words for a lot of their projects. This was done not to wake-up other watch companies. You should know that the watchmaking community is not that big, people go to the same bars and restaurants […]

Blancpain Villeret Quantieme Annuel GMT Watch Hands-On

Look closely and you’ll see in Blancpain watches genuinely innovative attempts that are creating new assortments of existing ideas, as well as some novel ones. Today, I’d like to look at the Blancpain Villeret Quantieme Annuel GMT watch.

HANDS-ON: The most iconic Rolex gets an update – the Oyster Perpetual Datejust 41

rolex-datejust-126331-1 There are two main contenders for the title of ‘most recognisable watch in the world’, both of them made by Rolex. Naturally, the Submariner has a good shot at the title, but for me, the clear winner is the Datejust. First introduced in 1945, it includes one of the most useful and ubiquitous complications – a date window. Like many features we take for granted on a watch today, this date represented a Rolex first, in that rather than slowly transitioning over a few hours, the Datejust’s date jumped instantly at the stroke of midnight. Even though the model has been around for over 60 years now, the fundamentals haven’t changed much. Three hands, Oyster case, automatic movement and of course the date (with Cyclops). We saw its first leap to the 40mm+ club in 2009, with the bulked up, 41mm Datejust II. But it wasn’t just the diameter of this watch that had increased, it was broader all over: bezel, indices and lugs all felt super-sized. And while the masculine look had its fans, it lacked the elegant proportions of the classic version. Enter this year’s Datejust 41, released at Baselworld in a swathe of yellow and Everose Rolesor models, with options including fluted and…

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Photo Report: Watch Spotting At SalonQP 2016

The French contingent of HODINKEE (Arthur Touchot and Louis Westphalen) was in London last week and spent the weekend at the sixth edition of SalonQP, London’s premier watch fair. If there were fewer big brands in attendance this year, there was no shortage of excitement. Between fresh faces showing off their new creations and a wealth of British watch companies announcing things like new movements, we had a ton to pay attention to. Of course we also had to scout the wrists of other attendees for some good old fashioned watch spotting. Enjoy.

Talking Watches: With Jeff Stein

There aren’t too many people in the watch world like Jeff Stein. Sure, there are true lovers of a single category – but few dedicate so much passion, so much energy, and so much time to any one single type of watch, and have done so for as many years and with as much vigor as Jeff Stein. Stein is the founder and owner of OnTheDash, the undisputed champion of vintage Heuer online. The resource hosts an active forum, original stories (most authored by Stein), and an unparalleled level of information about all things vintage Heuer. It won’t come as a surprise that Mr. Stein is, in fact, a Heuer collector of some note. This is your official Talking Watches with OnTheDash founder Jeff Stein.

A Pen By Any Other Name: Montblanc’s Writers Edition William Shakespeare

In an insightful move Montblanc chose this year, the 400th anniversary of William Shakespeare death (or what the company delicately calls the “anniversary of his life’s achievements”), to honor him with an annual Writers Edition limited edition pen full of symbolism.

Watch Giveaway – Lebois & Co Avantgarde Date – Only A Few Hours To Go!

Watch Giveaway We love it when we can giveaway something to you, our readers. We will have a couple of giveaways before the end of this year and we start with this stunning Lebois & Co Avantgarde Date with blue dial. You can read an in-depth review of this watch with a satin white dial […]

Introducing: Atelier de Chronométrie, And Why It’s The Most Interesting Thing I Saw During SalonQP

Some of the most interesting watches I saw at this year’s SalonQP were made in Barcelona, Spain. And, as if that isn’t enough, they were made by a three-person company that’s barely more than a year old. No joke.

Chopard L.U.C Full Strike Minute Repeater Watch With Sapphire Gongs Hands-On

The all-new Chopard L.U.C Full Strike is here, and frankly, it has everything going for it to become any real watch lover’s wet dream.