1. Gorilla Watches Fastback | Hands-On Review
We see a lot of new watches every year, but few of them are genuinely interesting or exciting. The Gorilla Fastback, however, is one of those few watches. The main reason why it is interesting and exciting is because it is the first watch by Gorilla Watches, which happens to be a new company founded by Octavia Garcia. Garcia has been called Gerald Genta’s heir apparently and that’s because he has been the Creative Director at Audemars Piguet from 2002 to 2015 – that’s 13 long years. The Fastback is the first watch from Gorilla Watches and I think it has a really attractive design and isn’t priced too crazily.
Source: Watch Report
2. Instagram Turbocharges The Watch Market
The Internet has had a profound and sometimes unexpected impact on our lives. Instagram, for example, was designed primarily for users to share photos and videos. But over the past couple of years, brands and retailers have taken to Instagram as a means of marketing and sales. And Instagram, in particular, has had a dramatic impact on watch collecting and watch lovers. The highly popular hashtag #SpeedyTuesday eventually led to a limited edition Speedmaster by Omega, and watch retailers, in particular, have reported significant increase in sales after participating actively on Instagram. This is the story of the impact Instagram has had on watch collecting and the industry.
Source: The New York Times
3. Passion For Panerai
Whenever I’m asked about eBay, I always tell people to proceed with caution. You may find gems, but you can also end up with junk. The latter, I find, is a greater possibility. That being said, it doesn’t mean that you can’t find gems on eBay. Rather, I think gems are a much harder find. And most of the time, one can only uncover gems if they are knowledgeable enough about what they are looking at. For most of us, that’s a nearly impossible task. For example, if I were to show you the photo above and tell you that these are genuine parts of a vintage Panerai, would you know if I was telling the truth? This is the story of how an eBay listing for a vintage Panerai for parts turned out to be the real deal.
Source: Perezscope
4. Is the Rolex Oyster Perpetual 39 the only watch you’ll ever need?
Let’s not kid ourselves, we watch lovers can and will never be happy with just one watch. But, having said that, this is a question I often get from friends who are in the market for their first luxury watch. “Hey, what watch should I get that I use for everything?” I have a couple of recommendations in mind, and Rolex’s new Oyster Perpetual 39 is one of them. Most Rolex watches would be a good choice, but the Oyster Perpetual 39 makes a very strong case for itself. Firstly, it is one of the more affordable Rolex models. Secondly, it has a classic design that is equally at home on the beaches as it is in boardrooms. And finally, it has a robust construction and movement that will give you years of trouble-free operation. Take a closer look at the Rolex Oyster Perpetual 39 here.
Source: Time and Tide Watches
5. Review: F.P. Journe Vagabondage III
Let me say upfront that I’m a huge fan of Mr. Francois-Paul Journe. His knowledge of watchmaking, his eye for design and his business acumen are admirable, and probably even unmatched in the world of horology. He has also created some of the most remarkable watches in recent history, the Chronomètre à Résonance and Sonnerie Souveraine, for example, are two watches with impressive technical innovations. Adding to that list is the new Vagabondage III, which is the world’s first mechanical wristwatch with a digital jumping seconds. It might not sound like much, but such a complication requires a tremendous amount of energy and to be able to execute this and provide a manually wound movement that offers 40 hours of power reserve is really a huge technical achievement.
Source: Deployant
6: In-depth: Seven Dive Watch Myths Deep-Sixed
Is there another type of watch that is as popular and as misunderstood as the dive watch? Dive watches are popular because of their rugged traits and versatility. Built to withstand the pressures of diving, dive watches are therefore built to be sturdy, which makes them ideal and suitable for daily wear – no need to baby them! Many are also styled in such a way that they won’t look out of place in at a formal dinner event or in the boardroom. The Rolex Submariner is a classic example, while the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Bathyscape is the more unorthodox. Yet, despite the popularity of dive watches, there’s a lot of misunderstanding about them. For example, the rotating bezel doesn’t actually tell you how much oxygen you have left. Plus, a helium release valve doesn’t actually let you dive deeper. Read this to better understand the capabilities of dive watches.
Source: Hodinkee
7. Conor McGregor’s Watch Collection
Conor McGregor might have lost his bout with Floyd Mayweather, but I guess he can find some solace in the fact that he has a pretty sweet watch collection. Conor is never shy about showing off his watch collection and we have seen him sporting numerous pieces in his Instagram profile. Looking at the watches he has, it definitely looks like he has a soft spot for Rolex and sports watches in general. Check out his watches here.
Source: Man of Many
8. Kaventsmann Hadal II Bronze 12000M in-DEPTH
If you like your dive watches big, chunky, muscular, and brash, then let me introduce you to Kaventsmann. Founded by Michael Fernadnez in Berlin, Germany, Kaventsmann makes some of the craziest dive watches by hand and in very limited numbers. The Hadal II is one of the brand’s newest watches and it recently passed a pressure test of up to 12,000 meters, making it the deepest diving bronze watch ever. This also explains the Hadal II’s unusual design. To withstand the pressures of diving to 12,000 meters, the Hadal II has a 49mm wide bronze case and a 12 to 15mm thick tempered Plexiglas acrylic crystal. Obviously, unless you are Namor, the chances of you diving to 12,000 meters is lesser than that of striking the lottery, but nonetheless, the Hadal II is an interesting example of watch design where the form is dictated entirely by function.
Source: OceanicTime
9. The Warrior is Back – The Seiko Prospex Samurai Collection for 2017 (and it’s not limited…)
For many readers, Seiko means well-made and affordable dive watches. The Monster is arguably Seiko’s most famous affordable dive watch, but the Samurai is possibly the most desirable. Made out of titanium and available only in Japan, it was discontinued nearly a decade ago and is highly sought after by collectors today. It costs significantly more to buy one in the second-hand market today than when it was brand new. Fortunately, Seiko is giving collectors what they want by releasing an updated version of the Samurai, that I think looks even better. Available in four variants, these watches are non-limited edition pieces and will be made easily available outside of Japan. Fancy a Samurai?
Source: Monochrome Watches
10. What Makes Up The Soul Of A Watch: A Contemplation (And You Will Not Want To Miss The Imagery!)
What is it about an object that causes a man to develop an attachment to it? Is it because of the way it looks? Maybe it is because we can appreciate the amount of work and engineering that went into it? Perhaps it is simply because we think that said object has a soul. The next question we must ask then is what actually makes up a watch’s soul? Is it simply because it is mechanical instead of quartz? Or maybe it was made by hand in a workshop of an artisan instead of a large factory and on a production line? This article examines the concept of soul and makes its readers ponder about the reasons why he or she may love a particular watch.
Source: Quill and Pad