At this risk of this becoming “Grail Seiko” rather than “Grail Watch”, please allow me to present two wonderful and very rare watches for your consideration. Both are gaudy gold watches, both are relatively modern, and both are probably overpriced except in the eyes of a true Seiko fanatic. But one is an homage to Seiko tradition while the other was the first attempt by the company to take on the Swiss!
Glashütte Original PanoMatic Chrono XL
Let’s see how many watch enthusiast hot-buttons I can press… Glashütte? Platinum? Chronograph? Limited Edition? Sized for modern wrists (but not giant)? How about all this for a $16k auction starting bid?
1992 Svend Andersen Christopher Columbus Worldtimer
How would you like to own an extremely rare and interestingly complicated watch from a legend of independent Haute Horology? This worn but interesting world timer watch was constructed by Svend Andersen in 1992 to commemorate the 500th anniversary of Christopher Columbus’ journey to the new world. And it’s definitely worth the starting bid of € 4,000.
H. Moser & Cie. Perpetual One
When it comes to stealth complications, this H. Moser & Cie. Perpetual One is about as good as it gets. Lurking under an understated and classy exterior is a mean horological machine with a perpetual calendar and double barrel power to last all week!
2004 Speake-Marin “Piccadilly” Engraved Original Collection 2
Few modern watchmakers have the charisma of Peter Speake-Marin, and his watches are jealously collected and guarded by enthusiasts. It is always remarkable when one of his pieces comes up for sale, and especially so when it’s one of the hand-engraved “Collection 2” models decorated by Kees Engelbarts.
Audemars Piguet Huitieme Chronograph: Tantalum and Gold
Exotic materials are fairly common in modern watches, with most manufacturers augmenting their lineup of stainless steel and gold cases with titanium, platinum, and ceramic today. But what about really-unusual materials like rhodium and even tantalum? Yes! Many manufacturers have used these materials, though they’re certainly not common…
Ulysse Nardin GMT ± Perpetual Limited Edition: Calendar Innovations
Perpetual calendars are one of the legendary “grande complications” that make collectors swoon, and this Ulysse Nardin GMT ± Perpetual Limited Edition is even more special. It features the ultimate perpetual calendar, along with an easy-to-use pushbutton GMT function in a compact and wearable 40 mm red gold case.
1965 Jaeger-LeCoultre Memovox
We’re suckers for Jaeger-LeCoultre, and the Memovox is one of their coolest models. Introduced in 1950 with the hand-winding Calibre 489, the Memovox was updated with an automatic movement and larger case option in 1956. Today, it is one of the best-loved classic Jaeger-LeCoultre models, and has been a source of inspiration for recent tribute models from the brand.
Audemars Piguet “Equation of Time” Hyper-Personalized Watch
This 2004 Audemars Piguet watch is just waiting to become yours in a very deep, personal way. It is an “equation of time” watch, showing sunrise and sunset for your exact location, as seen in the video below. And it can even be personalized with your initials on the skeletonized rotor. What more could you ask?
NOS Minerva Pythagore Cal. 48
We’re suckers for Minerva movements. It’s not that they’re perfect (as well-documented in this tear-up review over at PuristS) but that they’re wonderfully handmade in a true classic way. Minerva was a little Swiss manufacture that went on about their business for 150 years before being snatched up by Richemont and made part of Montblanc. They only made a few movements in the classic era, but what they did produce ended up in some lovely watches. This all changed with a buyout in 2000 and the creation of new CAD-assisted versions of the classics, so it’s nice to see a true hand-made Minerva still out there.