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Hebdomas: The True Story of the 8-Day Pocket Watch

November 29, 2020 By Stephen 9 Comments

Spend some time looking at old watches and you’re bound to stumble across an unusual watch with an off-center dial, fancy exposed balance, and 8-day power reserve. The dial will likely say “Hebdomas” and “8 Jours” and not much more. Is this some exotic high-end watch or a mass-market pretender? That’s the story I’m telling today!

Filed Under: History Tagged With: 8-day, Aerowatch, Arthur Graizely, Baladin, Bienne, Hebdomas, Kolber, La Chaux-de-Fonds, Otto Schild, Schild & Co, Vincent Calabrese, Xantia

Jean d’Eve Samara: The First Automatic Quartz Watch

April 3, 2020 By Stephen 2 Comments

Browsing through the archives of Europa Star, I came across a groundbreaking watch I had never encountered. The Jean d’Eve Samara was not just the world’s first automatic-winding quartz watch, it was also a remarkably novel design! My research rabbit-hole lead me to learn not just about this watch but about an entire dark corner of horology.

Filed Under: Collection, History Tagged With: ETA Autoquartz, Le Phare, Renley, Seiko AGS, Seiko Kinetic, Sultana, Ventura MGS

Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Gran’Sport: The First “Beefcake” Reverso

January 23, 2019 By Stephen 1 Comment

Given the clever retrograde chronograph movement, the Gran’Sport Chronograph is the pick of the Gran’Sport lineup today. It’s really too bad that gorgeous Reverso Chronographe Rétrograde is out of the price range for most people.

Filed Under: Grails, History Tagged With: 829, 859, Chronograph, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso, Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Chronograph Retrograde, Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Gran'Sport, Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Gran'Sport Chronograph, retrograde

Jaeger-LeCoultre Gyrotourbillon 1: Grails Go Grey-Market

January 15, 2019 By Stephen Leave a Comment

Today we’re looking at something truly special: A groundbreaking movement in a limited-edition watch that retailed for well over a quarter-million dollars. But there’s another story here, too: The grey market for expensive watches that are a bit past their prime, and the steep discounts that follow. The result is a $150k discount on a basically-new piece of haute horology.

Filed Under: Grails Tagged With: Geotourbillon, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Jaeger-LeCoultre Geotourbillon, Jaeger-LeCoultre Geotourbillon 1, Jaeger-LeCoultre Hybris Mechanica, perpetual calendar, Tourbillon

The Current IWC Ingenieur Lineup is a Travesty

December 5, 2018 By Stephen 4 Comments

My enthusiasm for various watch models tends to wax and wane as I see something interesting, and lately my attention has turned to the IWC Ingenieur range. From the original Milgauss competitor to Gerald Genta’s remarkable Ingenieur SL to the chunky Mercedes-AMG racing models, the Ingenieur lineup has always been worth a look. Yet today’s lineup is beyond bland and not deserving of the name. Good thing, too, since IWC seems to be eliminating that, too!

Filed Under: Grails, Reviews Tagged With: Albert Pellaton, Chronograph, Flyback, Gerald Genta, Ingenieur, Ingenieur SL, IWC, IWC Ingenieur, perpetual calendar

Eterna Majetek and Longines Tartarugone: Czech Aviator Watches

January 10, 2017 By Stephen 1 Comment

A friend who lives in the Czech Republic recently mentioned that he loved the classic Eterna Majetek pilot’s watch. Since I had heard of the Majetek (and similar Longines Tartarugone), I decided to delve into these pieces a bit more. Here are my thoughts on these impressive classic pieces, as well as the new Eterna Heritage Military 1939 homage.

Filed Under: Grails Tagged With: Czech, Eterna, Eterna Majetek, Longines, Longines Tartarugone, pilot

The Best Watch For Leap Year: H. Moser & Cie. Endeavour Perpetual Calendar in Palladium

February 29, 2016 By Stephen 1 Comment

I love the mechanics of the IWC Da Vinci Perpetual Calendar watch, but it suffers from a serious issue for show-offs: The mechanism only works in one direction. So now I give you the ultimate perpetual calendar: H. Moser & Cie.’s Endeavour Perpetual Calendar. It’s the cleanest, simplest, friendliest perpetual calendar watch on the market, and unbelievably gorgeous besides!

Filed Under: Grails Tagged With: H. Moser & Cie., H. Moser & Cie. Perpetual One, perpetual calendar

Celebrating Leap Year with the Ultimate Modern Perpetual Calendar: IWC’s Da Vinci Perpetual Calendar Edition Kurt Klaus

February 29, 2016 By Stephen Leave a Comment

Today is a special day for watch enthusiasts: Watching a perpetual calendar watch tick over to February 29th and then March 1st represents a major accomplishment for horology. So today we will celebrate by highlighting a special perpetual calendar watch: IWC’s Da Vinci Perpetual Calendar Edition Kurt Klaus. Named for one of the masters of modern watchmaking, this watch features a novel perpetual calendar mechanism that really sets it apart!

Filed Under: Grails Tagged With: Chronograph, Grey Market, IWC, IWC Da Vinci, IWC Da Vinci Perpetual Calendar, IWC Da Vinci Perpetual Calendar Edition Kurt Klaus, Kurt Klaus, Lombard Perspectiva, perpetual calendar, Wonder Invest

Could an Officer’s Watch Be the Ultimate Patek Philippe Calatrava?

February 3, 2016 By Stephen 4 Comments

Today we take a look at Ref. 3960 and Ref. 5053, two “officer’s watch” Calatrava models. Although still not the perfect Calatrava, these are two very fine references!

Filed Under: Grails Tagged With: Calatrava, Calatrava 3960, Calatrava 5053, Chrono24, Essential Watches, Morgan and Company, Patek Philippe, Patek Philippe 324, Patek Philippe Calatrava, PP 324, The Perfect Calatrava

Simply the Best: Patek Philippe Calatrava Ref. 5227

February 2, 2016 By Stephen Leave a Comment

Having rejected the original Calatrava Ref. 96 and its successors as well as the entire Clous de Paris line, I now move on to something really special. Ref. 5227, introduced in 2013, was a high-point for the series in terms of craftsmanship and was unlike anything before. Let’s take a look!

Filed Under: Grails Tagged With: Calatrava, Calatrava 5227, Patek Philippe, Patek Philippe 324, Patek Philippe Calatrava, PP 324, The Perfect Calatrava

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