1. THE CASE OF THE STOLEN WATCH DETECTIVE

The soaring prices of certain sought-after watches also bring with it more thefts and scams. And if your watch has been stolen, the watch detective can help. Watch Claim is an independent archive of lost and stolen watches founded by Christopher A. Marinello, who has made a career out of recovering lost art. Since last year, he says he has been receiving inquiries about lost watches twice a week, which led him to start Watch Claim. Sadly, most watches are never recovered, but that’s not to say there aren’t happy endings. Once, he recovered a Richard Mille RM 030 Carbon Argentina that’s worth well over $100,000.

Source: The New York Times

2. THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE TO LANGE 1 TIME ZONE

I’ve always maintained that the Lange 1 is the watch for folks who appreciate thoughtful design. The asymmetric layout is a thing of beauty and A. Lange & Söhne has used it to good effect as a foundation to more complicated watches. Case in point? The Lange 1 Time Zone, which is a dual-time watch that’s clearly designed for the jet-setting Lange 1 fan. Despite all the information that it needs to display, Lange has somehow maintained the harmony of the dial and retained all of the distinctive elements that make a Lange 1. The Lange 1 Time Zone was introduced in 2005 and it received a dramatic update last year. Hit the link below to see what’s new and to learn about the history of this Lange model.

Source: Langepedia

3. THREE WATCHMAKERS’ UNFINISHED WATCHES

Time and opportunity sometimes get in the way of what we set out to do. And this is the story of three watchmakers and their unfinished watches. For the late great George Daniels, it was a pocket watch that he eventually became too old to complete. And for Derek Pratt, a much under-appreciated watchmaker (go look him up), it was a battle with cancer that robbed him of the time needed to complete a recreation of George Harrison’s legendary H4. And finally, for Francois-Paul Journe, it is believed that a client lost interest in one of his creations which would later become the Vagabondage I.

Source: A Collected Man

4. UP CLOSE: OPHION OPH 786 VÉLOS

Have you always wished for a watch with all the design cues of a high-end independent watch but with a more palatable price tag? Your wish may have just been granted. This here is the OPH 786 Vélos from a Spanish brand called Ophion. They aren’t new. They made their debut five years ago with the OPH 786, which has become a cult favorite with seasoned collectors. The OPH 786 Vélos takes what we love about the original OPH 786 and elevates it. It features a guilloche dial with beautiful Breguet numerals, a case with teardrop lugs, and a finely decorated hand-wound movement. And you get all this at a price tag that’s well under five figures.

Source: Watches by SJX

5. IN-DEPTH THE NEW GRAND SEIKO MASTERPIECE SPRING DRIVE SBGZ007

There are a few things you can be certain of in life: death, taxes, and limited-edition Grand Seikos. I know some collectors are miffed at the rate Grand Seiko is dropping limited-edition watches, but this is simply the Japanese way. At any rate, most of them are very pretty — like the latest Masterpiece Spring Drive SBGZ007. Crafted by Grand Seiko’s elite Micro Artist Studio, this watch features a hand-engraved platinum case. The blue starry dial is achieved using a complex process of stamping, plating, and painting. And finally, we have the hand-finished Spring Drive calibre 9R02 that is as accurate and precise as it is beautiful.

Source: Monochrome