Grail Watch

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Stainless Tonneau: Patek Philippe Calatrava 3574

January 26, 2016 By Stephen 1 Comment

This stainless tonneau is a genuine Patek Philippe Calatrava but Ref. 3574 is beyond rare. I bet most enthusiasts never even heard of this model!

Filed Under: Grails Tagged With: 23-300, 3574, Breitling Datora 592, Calatrava, Calatrava 3574, Patek Philippe, Patek Philippe Calatrava, Robert Maron, stainless steel, tonneau, WatchCentre

Jacques Etoile Horst Jakob

January 8, 2016 By Stephen Leave a Comment

Even watch enthusiasts might not have heard of the Jacques Etoile, let alone master watchmakers Horst and Klaus Jakob. But this quiet German brand has made many fine watches in the last 20 years. This limited-edition watch was released in 2005 to celebrate Horst Jakob’s 50 years as a watchmaker. It was one of 70 handmade by Horst, all of which use a classic A. Schild AS 1123 movement.

Filed Under: Grails Tagged With: A. Schild, AS1123, Felsa, Glashütte, Horst Jakob, Jacques Etoile, Klaus Jakob, Progress, Sinn, SUG

Certina DS-2 Dive Watch

January 7, 2016 By Stephen Leave a Comment

Dive watches have been in vogue for quite a while, and off-brand vintage divers are really getting hot right now. My Enicar super-compressor has gotten more notice than almost anything else I own, and the segment just keeps getting more interest. This Certina DS-2 is a steal, with bidding starting at just €200, since it’s a nice retro diver with real history and a wearable 37mm case.

Filed Under: Grails Tagged With: 25-661, Certina, Certina DS-2, Enicar Sherpa, Super compressor

Patek Philippe Twenty~4 Ladies’ Watch, Ref. 4910

January 6, 2016 By Stephen Leave a Comment

Many male watch enthusiasts would love to give that special lady in their life a fine watch, even if they don’t share our enthusiasm. This Patek Philippe “Twenty~4” pushes all the right buttons on both side of the equation: A real Patek, with diamonds no less, in wearable form and affordable thanks to a quartz movement and steel case.

Filed Under: Grails Tagged With: Chopard, ladies, Patek Philippe, Patek Philippe 24, Patek Philippe Twenty Four, Patek Philippe Twenty-4, Patek Philippe Twenty~4

Curious: Jaeger-LeCoultre Club with A. Schild Movement

January 5, 2016 By Stephen Leave a Comment

Today, Jaeger-LeCoultre Club watches are mostly unknown. They don’t get the respect of the in-house models from Le Sentier, but they’re fine watches for daily use. Auctionata estimates €800 for this “C 2+” watch, but I suspect they’ll have trouble reaching that unless someone doesn’t know the provenance of the Jaeger-LeCoultre Club.

Filed Under: Grails Tagged With: A. Schild, AS 1906, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Jaeger-LeCoultre Club, Jaeger-LeCoultre Club Automatic

Omega 168.025 “Pie Pan” Constellation Chronometer

January 4, 2016 By Stephen Leave a Comment

Omega is a fine watchmaker, but many fans believe that their 1960’s Constellation chronometers are the height of their work. Yet these automatic watches remain affordable. Here we have an example of a late 1960’s Omega Constellation chronometer with an automatic date movement starting at just €300 at Auctionata’s January 14 auction.

Filed Under: Grails Tagged With: 168.025, Calibre 564, chronometer, Omega, Omega Constellation, Omega Constellation Calendar, pie pan

2001 Swatch Diaphane One Carousel Tourbillon

November 14, 2015 By Stephen Leave a Comment

Swatch is perhaps the most famous brand of Swiss watch (sorry, Rolex!) but they’re not known for luxury timepieces of high horology. No, Swatch is the brand that saved the Swiss industry, sold millions of watches, became a cultural touchpoint, and enabled the most powerful and profitable watch cartel the world has even known. That’s why this watch is so surprising!

Filed Under: Grails Tagged With: Carousel, Diaphane One, Swatch Diaphane One, Swatch Diaphane One Turning Gold, Tourbillon

Prototype 4.2 MHz Omega Quartz – One of Two Made?

March 30, 2015 By Stephen 1 Comment

Here’s a real puzzle: What do you make of a watch with a standard case and the word “Automatic” on the face yet a quartz movement inside? And what if the seller of that watch claimed it was a rare prototype with an unknown movement number yet included no photos of the inside of the watch? You’d be skeptical, right? So was I, but I believe this is the real deal: One of two known Omega prototype watch movements running at an amazing 4.2 MHz.

Filed Under: Grails Tagged With: Beta 21, Megaquartz, Omega, prototype, quartz, Watchuseek

“He’s No Jedi!” Debunking the Omega Seamaster 176.005

March 23, 2015 By Stephen 2 Comments

If you’ve read this blog for long, you know that I love to scour auction listings for under-described watches that are way more special than they appear. But folks like me also often note pieces that are incorrectly described, and one great example just caught my eye: The Omega Seamaster 176.005 Chronograph is often described as the “Jedi”, an incorrect name for this model and an unofficial one regardless. Let’s take a look.

Filed Under: Commentary, Grails Tagged With: Auctionata, Chrono24, Chronograph, ChronoMaddox, Chuck Maddox, debunk, eBay, Jedi, nickname, Omega, Omega Seamaster, Omega Seamaster Chronograph, Skywalker, Vader, Wound for Life

First In-House Chronograph: Parmigiani Fleurier Kalpagraphe

March 5, 2015 By Stephen Leave a Comment

Parmigiani Fleurier is not a company that ordinary people recognize, and even many watch enthusiasts are unfamiliar with them. But the company has produced some truly remarkable Haute Horology pieces and often prices them aggressively versus similar brands. This Kalpagraphe chronograph follows that trend, with an in-house 68 jewel (!) movement and eye-catching palladium case.

Filed Under: Grails Tagged With: Chronograph, in-house, palladium, Parmigiani Fleurier, Parmigiani Fleurier Kalpa, Parmigiani Fleurier Kalpagraphe

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