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

Our good friends over at Gear Patrol are in the midst of publishing just an awesome series on “Timekeeping Icons”.  Penned by GP contributor Jason Heaton (who shares a name, wife, and life with HODINKEE contributor Jason Heaton), the series takes a detailed look at some components that are, though utilitarian in nature, rather romantic in cult horology lore.

The first piece is on the Super Compressor Dive Watch, and the second installment is on the Valjoux 7750 chronograph movement.  We can’t wait to see what comes next.  Check em out!

From:HODINKEE

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IWC forum moderator Michael Friedberg was recently given access to integral elements of IWC’s facilities, including the testing laboratory, complications atelier and the casemaking division. His most recent report focuses on IWC’s new casemaking manufactory in the small town of Neuhausen, along the banks of the Rhine river.

Michael gives a fascinating look inside IWC’s new facility, detailing each step of production and the requisite quality inspection along the way. He notes, surprisingly few Swiss brands produce their own cases due to steep barriers to entry. The role is not taken for granted then, as IWC engineers take an active approach to quality after each of the processes, whether done by hand or machine. Michael explains in this excerpt :

Some of the work in milling isn’t suited for large machinery, and instead hand-operations are involved. At each step, whether by large machine or hand-operation, there is meticulous quality control and measurement. We often talk about “fine-timing”, but in the world of fine machining “fine measurement” is required. Each item that is produced must meet extraordinary specifications. Often dimensions must meet measurement tests of within 1/100 of one millimeter.

Head over to the IWC community to read the rest of the story that Michael has prepared, along with some beautiful visuals. It’s there that you’ll be able to find his subsequent posts from the visit as well.

From:HODINKEE

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This seems like old news, doesn’t it? Well, that’s because Swatch, which made their intentions clear about cutting back on the supply of ETA movements several years ago, has been sued a number of times by a number of different watch firms in hopes of keeping the flow alive. 

But, finally, it is becoming clear that Swatch does not have to sell its movements to competitors and in this weekend’s NY Times, there is an interesting article on the matter.  It is interesting to hear what Olivier Muller of Laurent Ferrier has to say about things, especially after being a Swatch exec in the past.

Click here for the full article.

Btw, was anyone else shocked to hear that the average Hublot costs $ 27,000?

Editor’s Note: There was another article in this weekend’s NY Times about the current state of the sport watch category, in which our very own Jason Heaton is quoted. Click here for that.

From:HODINKEE

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The Transocean Chronograph is the best thing to come from Breitling in a while. Vintage inspired looks, an awesome mesh bracelet, and the use of the mark’s beautiful Caliber 01 in-house chronograph make it a really attractive package (though we wish it were a bit smaller than 43mm…).  Recently, the big boss man over at Revolution Online, the great Jack Forster, put a Transocean chrono on his promiscuous wrist and wrote a detailed review of it.

If you’re a fan of Breitling, chronographs, or the use of term “Dagwood sandwich” in watch writing, click on over for the full report.

From:HODINKEE

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The prolific Peter Chong of Watchscapes (and Bespoke, Ho Chiak) is showing and telling about his hands-on experience with the UR-1001, or Urwerk Zeit Device. Peter gives detailed descriptions of each of the many complications, surfaces and shapes that the device has to offer. The accompanying photographs will put you right there with the 1001. 

Everywhere one looks, the attention to detail is amazing. From the tatical feel of the case and chain, to the smooth gliding movement of the satellite. 

Read the full story and see all the pictures over at Peter’s blog, Watchscapes. 

From:HODINKEE

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It isn’t everyday that our friends in the field of independent horology make it into the pages of Forbes Magazine.  But, in the issue dated September 12th, a few guys we really like get the spotlight shown on them, their products, and their way of life. Written by Hannah Elliott, this story examines just who these men are, where they came from, what drives them, how they spread their gospel (hint: blogs don’t hurt), and how they plan to survive through the generations.

This is a great story for anyone interested in timepieces, independent or not, and to hear where most of these guys got their starts is really cool.  What is also interesting, and unknown to many, is the role that Max Büsser played with the conception of the Opus 1 at Harry Winston – considered the first time an independent watchmaker (Francois-Paul Journe) was put at the forefront of a large watch company’s marketing efforts. 

Included in the article are some guys we’ve featured with video content before, such as Roger Smith (seen above), the Grönefeld Brothers, Peter Speake-Marin, and the McGonigle Brothers.  Additionally, the piece makes mention of some great, less expensive pieces like those from d.m.h., and NOMOS. 

The article is available in the September 12th issue of Forbes Magazine, and online right here.

From:HODINKEE

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Vintage watch advertisements and catalogs are one of the most useful ways to determine what a vintage watch should look like, and for what it was originally indended.  Over on the Purists, member “Blomman,” has crafted an excellent seven part series on the ads and catalogs of vintage Jaeger-LeCoultre.

If you have an interest in JLC, this is not to be missed.  Click here to be taken to part seven of the series, where you will also see links to the previous six entries.

From:HODINKEE

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Gear Patrol’s Jason Heaton (hey wait, we have a Jason Heaton too!) drops some dive watch knowledge on you with a fantastic article that includes a little bit of history, a dash of reason, and some great photography of the world’s most popular category of watches – the diver.  Click on over to read, you’ll be glad you did.

Related Content: To see our Jason Heaton (who looks, acts, and smells a lot like GP’s Jason Heaton) review one of the baddest divers in the world, the AP Royal Oak Offshore Diver, click here.

From:HODINKEE

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Earlier this week, we saw one of the few remaining Heuer mysteries cracked under the will of Jeff Stein and company. Today, we’ve found a look at an entire line from Heuer that you’re likely unfamiliar with, the Easy Rider. 

A low cost alternative to Japanese quartz watches, the Easy Rider made a short appearance in the early 70′s with a price tag of 50 bucks. The Easy Rider featured some great names of the day to capitalize on the growing popularity of racing sports (and department stores?). With a funky case, bright colors, innovative materials and seriously finicky movement that was never meant to be fixed, this Heuer is worth remembering.  

Read the full story over at Calibre 11 right here. There is even another mystery of sorts involved regarding the identity of one Mathey Prevot (or is it Mathey Brevot?) waiting to be solved. 

For those interested, we’ve found one for sale on eBay right here.

From:HODINKEE

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Is the Swiss watch recession proof? According to this article in the WSJ, yes, though we can think of a few brands who might have something else to say about that.  Either way, this piece reports that Swiss watch exports rose 40.1% in May in real terms with virtually all markets showing a rise.  Even Greece, yes the country with a government on the verge of defaulting, showed a 6.1% increase over May last year. 

Gold watches did particularly well with an increase of over 50% and fitting with a mantra we at HODINKEE have always tried to bestow on you, “watches priced under 200 Swiss francs were the big risers in May, with exports up around 40%. But at the other extreme watches with an export price of more than 3,000 francs also reported an increase of around 30%.”  So, it looks like people are buying really cheap, or rather high-end, skipping over the grey area of $ 1000-$ 3000 watches.

To read the full report on the “Recession Proof Swiss Watch”, click here.

HODINKEE

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