brand watches wiki – rolex watches, omega watches, replica watches

Few television shows have been as loudly or consistently praised for the quality and authenticity of its costumes, sets and props as AMC’s Mad Men. Now in its fifth season, the show continues to go to great efforts to source appropriate accessories to showcase a hyper real version of New York in 1966.

This obsession with historically accurate physical culture extends to the wrists of the characters, and for years watch fans have eagerly paused DVDs on partially blurred wristshots of Don Draper and his co-workers. The ability to accurately identify a watch from 50 paces (or a blurred screengrab) is a highly prized skill among watch fans. James Enloe, founder of Watches In Movies (the premier watches on screen website), attributes the desire for fans to identify watches as an extension of watchnerds’ passion, and an important way to show off their otherwise esoteric knowledge. Of Mad Men, Enloe suggests that the there’s a double appeal for fans; “It makes for good watching simply for the ‘did they get it right?‘ factor. Are the watches worn proper for the period, or did something more modern slip in that shouldn’t have been there?” Today we’d like to take a closer look at some of the lesser stars of Mad Men: Four watches used in the most recent season.

From:HODINKEE

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There are a few sports watches that, if they came up for sale would surely create unprecedented buzz among collectors and no doubt fetch high prices, such as a Moon-worn Omega Speedmaster, Siffert’s Heuer Autavia or Newman’s own Daytona. HODINKEE has learned about one of the most important Rolex Submariners to come available and we’re featuring it here today in an exclusive first look.

In the mid-1960s, while newspaper headlines were focused on the daring exploits of men pushing boundaries in outer space, a lesser-known feat of exploration was going on in an equally hostile environment hundreds of feet under the sea.  The U.S. Navy was undertaking pioneering experiments in technology, human endurance and physiology under the name of the SEALAB program. SEALAB was the Navy’s first foray into saturation diving, in which “aquanauts” lived in a pressurized habitat underwater for days, even weeks, on end. The program, which continued over five years, though grossly underfunded and underpublicized, laid important groundwork for the future of saturation diving. And, of particular interest to watch lovers, SEALAB was also the birthplace of the Rolex Sea-Dweller.

From:HODINKEE

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Twenty years ago, Richard Habring created the world’s first affordable split-seconds chronograph in the IWC Doppelchronograph.  He did it with a bit of genius engineering that turned the ubiquitons Valjoux 7750 into a very special watch.  But, in the past twenty years, a lot has changed – like for example, Richard Habring left IWC to start Habring² with his wife Maria, and just last month, the 20 year patent on the doppelchronograph that Habring designed for IWC expired.  What does that mean? It means that Richard Habring can make an updated watch of the doppelchronograph under his own name, and that is exactly what you see above.  Click through for a detailed look at the Doppelchronograph and the new Doppel 2.0 – with technical thoughts from Richard Habring himself.

From:HODINKEE

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The Rolex Submariner.  Arguably the most recognized, respected, and clandestinely reproduced wristwatch of the 20th (and 21st) century.

Wthin the almost 60 year span of the ultimate dive watch’s reign as the king of cool (yes, the actual king of cool wore one, too), the purest example of the Submariner – those that the purists among us often seek out, purchase, and wear the crap out of, are those without a date window.  The “no date” Sub is the realest of the real.

This year at Basel World 2012, Rolex introduced a brand new dateless Submariner, the reference 114060.  But what is different about the new Sub, when from 30,000 feet, it looks just like the 14060 that we loved so dearly? Well, it has a slightly redesigned case (still 40mm), a new bezel, and a new bracelet. 

We go hands-on and in-depth after the jump.

From:HODINKEE

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In 2010, Tudor introduced a watch called “The Heritage Chronograph” (inspired by this chronograph from the early 1970s) that, in the eyes of many (including us), unofficially, but dramatically relaunched the brand that few here in the US of A ever saw and those in the remainder of the world thought of as anything more than “the poor man’s Rolex”. 

You see, Tudor was designed to be just that – it was created in the 1946 to be a less expensive Rolex, and through most of its history, employed half of its parent company’s genius (the Rolex Oyster case, but not the Rolex in-house calibers) and sold for about 2/3 the price.  It made perfect sense from a commercial stand point, but it was always an afterthought to most watch guys (with the exception of a few vintage sport models.)

But, with the Heritage Chrono, Tudor began to attract fans of its own, and the coolness to price ratio on this chronograph had even the mightiest of vintage Rolex collectors clamoring to get their hands on one.  Two years later, we’re told the Heritage Chrono is now the iconic Tudor model.   Last year, Tudor released another tribute to an old ticker, the Heritage Advisor alarm (based on this guy from the 1950s).  For an alarm watch, it’s priced well and has a following all its own. 

Now just last week Tudor brought back a third heritage piece, one that completes its line-up – they started with a chronograph, then went to an alarm watch, and now they have the Heritage Black Bay, a nod to the Tudor dive watches of yesteryear.  But, when the Heritage Black Bay was leaked online a short time before Basel World 2012, the purists lambasted it as a mish-mash of historical reference – a gilt, rose dial and big crown with snowflake hands?  That doesn’t make sense.  Except, it does.

Click through for in-depth analysis, specs, pricing, and lots of live photographs.

From:HODINKEE

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IWC makes watches with a purpose – watches designed to be taken into battle, or to be worn while doing important research.  So, in August, when the gang from Schafhausen released a $ 750,000 mega-watch, the world wasn’t sure what to think.  Had IWC jumped the shark and started to cater to clients who demand a watch this expensive, the clients who buy more for the sake of ownership than the joy of ownership?  You all know the type.

A $ 750,000 IWC is curious, but it is not unwarranted, and nothing about the Sidérale Scafusia is superfluous, from a developmental standpoint.  You see, this watch took ten years to create, and employed the minds of some wonderfully brilliant men, including Professor Ben Moore of the University of Zurich, independent watchmaker Jean-Francois Mojon (who conceived the movements of both Harry Winston’s Opus X and MB&F’s Legacy Machine One,) and the man you will see in the video above, Thomas Gäumann, who leads Research and Development for IWC’s movements department. 

The Sidérale is an incredibly complex wristwatch, the most complex IWC has ever made.  It combines a perpetual calendar and astronomical display with a (huge) constant force tourbillon.  The oversized tourbillon, which displays running seconds, guarantees a regular and precise rate for a period of at least 48 hours, though the watch has a complete 90 hour power reserve as shown at 4:30, as seen below.

From:HODINKEE

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It’s not often we lead off a post with a picture of a movement, but in this case, it’s warranted.

Heritage Watch Manufactory (HWM) is a privately held company based in Neuchâtel, Switzerland. It is the manufacturer of classically made chronometers and its TENSUS model with force constant is high on the hit list of true horological aficionados the world over.  We discovered Heritage while walking around the GTE over one year ago, and since then, we’ve been tracking this independent maker of some of the most beautiful movements in the world.  Heritage’s flagship model boasts a movement with a true constant force mechanism and five individual patents to its credit.  The entire line was designed by the indomitable Eric Giroud, and the story doesn’t end there.  These are some of the truest watches from a young brand we’ve seen in a while, and the level of creativity shown in the development of Heritage’s three calibers is extraordinary.  

In this in-depth look, we speak to both founders of the company, lead designer Eric Giroud, and a collector or two for their input on what makes Heritage so special.  For the true watch lover’s reading pleasure, click through for an in-depth look at the Heritage Watch Manufactory.

From:HODINKEE

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If you ask most journalists which watch from SIHH most impressed them from a pure horological standpoint, I would venture to bet most would respond with “The Spherotoubillon.”  What they would be referring to is the big novelty from Jaeger-LeCoultre this year, a watch that goes by the name Duomètre à Sphérotourbillon and according to JLC CEO Jerome Lambert, sets a new paradigm in high-complication pieces.  In this in-depth article, we explain what makes the Spherotoubillon so special, and show you live photos of this incredible new piece.  We also show you a video above of the watch in action, as explained by Mr. Lambert himself.

Click through for an in-depth explanation of this dual-winged, dual-axis 20° tourbillon with a movement made of German silver, you’ll be glad you did.

From:HODINKEE

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SIHH is just 10 days away, and the story of this year’s show will likely be the 40th anniversary of Audemars Piguet’s Royal Oak.  While the famed ultra-thin movement (the thinnest in the world with a full rotor), the amazing Genta design, the incredible finishing on the stainless steel case, the fact that the watch essentially created the luxury sport watch category are all great things, the one thing most often overlooked is the unique design to the Royal Oak’s dial.

In this special, in-depth post, we take you through the dial production process of the famed Royal Oak.  How do you think the famous tapisserie motif is cut into the brass dial, with a laser? Not at all.  Actually, AP uses a machine that was invented in 1603.  Seriously.

From:HODINKEE

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If you’re the sort of person who owns a 33.19-carat diamond, do you ever really need to know what time it is? In short, no. But the legendarily late-for-everything Elizabeth Taylor still managed to amass a fine collection of jewelry watches that are a part of the year’s most anticipated auction. The exhibit fills two floors of Christie’s Rockefeller Center headquarters in New York with Taylor’s clothing, accessories, and jewels, including the aforementioned Elizabeth Taylor Diamond, the 50.56 carat La Peregrina Pearl set into a massive pearl, diamond, and ruby necklace by Cartier, and a few hundred carats worth of an emerald-and-diamond Bulgari suite. But if you can tear yourself away from the Taj Mahal heart-shaped diamond, there are 14 fine examples of Taylor’s watches to peruse. The highlights include pieces from both Vacheron Constantin and Patek Philippe, and many more.  Though, there were suspiciously no Elgins included in the lot in spite of Taylor’s time as a brand spokeswoman.

Click through for our picks of the best of Elizabeth Taylor’s wristwatch collection. 

From:HODINKEE

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