Grail Watch

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1972 Rolex Double Red Sea Dweller (DRSD) Mark II

March 20, 2014 By Stephen 1 Comment

It’s rare to find a watch that is universally desirable and pricey yet still common. Such is the case with the Rolex “Double Red” Sea Dweller, a proper tool watch, investment, and status symbol. Even more unusual, this watch comes from the 1970’s, the era of the collapse of the Swiss watch industry and many truly horrible designs. Yet it is so iconic, so sought-after, and so recognizable that prices continue to vault upwards!

Filed Under: Grails Tagged With: Comex, Rolex Double Red Sea Dweller, Rolex Sea Dweller

Audemars Piguet Huitieme Chronograph: Tantalum and Gold

March 18, 2014 By Stephen Leave a Comment

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…

Filed Under: Grails Tagged With: Audemars Piguet, Audemars Piguet Huitieme, Audemars Piguet Huitieme Chronograph, Calibre 889, Dubois Dépraz, Huitieme, Jaeger-LeCoultre, tantalum

Ulysse Nardin GMT ± Perpetual Limited Edition: Calendar Innovations

March 13, 2014 By Stephen Leave a Comment

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.

Filed Under: Grails Tagged With: GMT, Lemania 1340, Ludwig Oechslin, perpetual calendar, Ulysse Nardin, Ulysse Nardin GMT ± Perpetual, UN 32

1965 Jaeger-LeCoultre Memovox

March 12, 2014 By Stephen Leave a Comment

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.

Filed Under: Grails Tagged With: Camille Fournet, Hadley-Roma, Jaeger-LeCoultre Memovox, MyWatchMaker

Audemars Piguet “Equation of Time” Hyper-Personalized Watch

March 11, 2014 By Stephen Leave a Comment

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?

Filed Under: Grails Tagged With: AP 2120, Audemars Piguet, Audemars Piguet Equation of Time, Equation of Time, Jaeger-LeCoultre

Fame and Fortune, or Why Some Vintage Watches Are Worth More Than Others

March 1, 2014 By Stephen 3 Comments

Today, a vintage Rolex Explorer or Jaeger-LeCoultre Geophysic can command $10,000 or more, yet I just purchased a beautiful Nivada Antarctic at auction for just € 450.

Filed Under: Collection, Commentary Tagged With: Buren, Croton, Enicar, Grenchen, International Geophysical Year, Jaeger-LeCoultre Geophysic, Nivada Antarctic, Nivada Grenchen, Rolex Explorer, Rolex Milgauss, Vulcain

Panerai PAM 64C Submersible 1000m “La Bomba”

February 27, 2014 By Stephen 1 Comment

Panerai isn’t for everyone, but if I was going to buy one, it would be this Panerai PAM 64C Submersible 1000m, the original “La Bomba” watch.

Filed Under: Grails Tagged With: La Bomba, Panerai PAM 64C, Valjoux 7750

The Last Buren: High-Beat Calibre 82 Revival

February 26, 2014 By Stephen 4 Comments

We recently ran across a mystery: This Buren Calibre 82 wristwatch boasts an unknown 36,000 A/h movement and ambiguous date of production. What is it? We unravel the mystery and recommend a buy!

Filed Under: Collection, Grails Tagged With: Buren Calibre 82, Calibre 82, Comor, Hamilton, High-Beat, Schweizer Uhren-Editionen

Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Grande Date 8 Days

February 24, 2014 By Stephen Leave a Comment

The Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso is one of the most iconic watches of all time, especially among enthusiasts. The classic Reverso had a “flip over face” to protect the crystal on the polo grounds, making it one of the earliest “sports watches”, albeit for noble gentlemen. Even today, flipping over the face of a Reverso is a “wow” moment for everyone who witnesses it!

Filed Under: Grails Tagged With: 240.8.15, Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso, Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Grande Date 8 Days

Breitling Co-Pilote 7651 Chrono-Matic

February 19, 2014 By Stephen Leave a Comment

Here is a lovely early 1970’s Breitling “Co-Pilote” 7651 watch with the famous Chronomatic movement. It was seriously huge at the time, but today 48 mm is simply “large”. This makes it eminently wearable, not just a safe-queen. The black PVD bezel is cool, but the replacement bracelet is unfortunate.

Filed Under: Grails Tagged With: 7651, Breitling, Breitling Chrono-Matic, Breitling Co-Pilote, Chronomatic

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