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Patek Philippe is planning for another generation of family ownership, while Deloitte examines an industry adapting to persistently lower sales volumes. Our features connect long-term craftsmanship with neighborhood repairs, unconventional Rolex collecting, and the appeal of fixed lugs. Seiko’s literal panda chronograph brings some welcome humor, Frederique Constant pairs complications with stone dials, and RGM returns to the perpetual calendar. Tudor’s GMT-equipped Northflag once again gets a closer look, and New York prepares for a busy watch week. Yesterday’s Moser auction stopped at US$23,055, missing its US$40,110 reserve by 42.5%. Today’s spotlight falls on a convertible Parmigiani Fleurier annual calendar, with bidding scheduled to close at 7:05 p.m. EDT.

Time Graphing Today’s Watch Universe

What Makes a Watch Worth Keeping?

The watch industry spends an extraordinary amount of energy persuading us to want the next watch. Today’s issue raises a question that matters just as much: What makes us want to keep one? The answers run through family ownership, the repair bench, thoughtful design, mechanical invention, and the sometimes uncomfortable distance between an asking price and an actual bid.

Start with Patek Philippe’s succession plans. Thierry Stern’s insistence that the company will remain independent gives the familiar language of stewardship a practical foundation. Ownership determines who gets to make decisions, how much patience those decisions receive, and which obligations survive a difficult sales year. A family preparing the next generation has a different planning horizon from a business preparing its next transaction.

That does not make every family-owned company wise or every corporate owner impatient. It does make continuity something we can examine. In Stern’s discussion of heritage and craftsmanship, the most compelling idea is that a watch being designed today should remain repairable a century from now. That promise has consequences for materials, construction, training, and the preservation of knowledge. It requires people who understand how to maintain what earlier generations made.

Which brings us to a much smaller business in Brooklyn. Jewelers on Court’s repair-centered approach belongs in this conversation because the long life of an object eventually becomes somebody’s hands-on responsibility. A customer brings in something scratched, stopped, loose, or inherited. Someone examines it, explains the problem, and makes it useful again. Trust grows through that ordinary exchange. The industry’s grand promises about permanence need those everyday encounters to mean anything.

The economic pressure behind all of this is laid out in Deloitte’s assessment of lower Swiss watch volumes. Higher prices can support revenue for a time, but fewer watches also mean fewer opportunities to bring people into the hobby and less work moving through the supplier network. If the middle of the market becomes too thin, the consequences extend beyond the brands whose names appear on the dial. Skills and production capacity need regular demand.

That is one reason I like seeing Seiko’s panda chronograph in this issue. At US$540, it gives someone a clear, immediate reason to smile. The panda is the design, right down to the arrangement of the counters and the bamboo-inspired hands. Nobody needs to construct a resale thesis to explain its appeal. Enjoyment can be enough, and the industry needs more watches that make that proposition easy to understand.

The Citizen Promaster–Omega Seamaster comparison asks a related question from the practical side. A more expensive watch can deliver better finishing, a more interesting movement, and greater emotional satisfaction. Those qualities are worth discussing honestly. They do not automatically make it twenty times more useful. Collectors benefit when we can describe the pleasure of luxury without pretending that every dollar purchases additional necessity.

There are other ways to build an enduring attachment. Fixed-lug watches invite us to appreciate a simple construction choice and the character it gives a watch. Unconventional Rolex models remind us that even the most familiar manufacturer contains corners worth exploring. A collection becomes more personal when curiosity reaches beyond the models we have already been told to admire.

At the more complicated end, RGM’s new perpetual calendar offers a different kind of staying power: traditional proportions, an enamel dial, and a calendar whose appeal rewards patient attention. Today’s Parmigiani auction adds another interpretation, with an annual calendar conceived as part of a system that could move between wrist, pocket, and desk. These are objects with ideas behind them. Understanding those ideas deepens ownership, even when the secondary market gives them an uneven reception.

Yesterday’s Moser result supplies the necessary dose of discipline. The top bid was substantial, but it remained US$17,055 below the seller’s reserve. One unsuccessful auction cannot diagnose an entire market. It can show us that admiration, rarity, and a seller’s expectations do not always converge at the same number. Anyone buying an unusual watch should leave room for that distinction.

A watch worth keeping might be a family heirloom, a beautifully finished complication, a dependable diver, or a panda that makes its owner laugh. What connects them is a reason to care that survives the purchase itself. The strongest watch businesses will keep giving us those reasons—and maintain the people, skills, and service that let the relationship continue.

-Michael Wolf

News

Patek Philippe Plans for Succession, Not a Sale

Thierry Stern is again dismissing speculation that Patek Philippe could be sold, emphasizing that the Stern family’s complete ownership allows the company to follow its own course. Succession remains a gradual process rather than an announced handover, with Stern suggesting that his sons need considerably more experience before assuming the responsibility. He has also indicated that he would prefer to step aside earlier than his father did.

The family acquired Patek Philippe in 1932, establishing an ownership structure that has now endured across four generations. Today’s discussion concerns more than who eventually occupies the president’s office: it touches investment, product development, and the preservation of an identity built around independence. For collectors, Stern’s message is continuity, with leadership preparation taking precedence over an exit.

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Deloitte: Swiss Watchmakers Adjust to Permanently Lower Volumes

Swiss watchmaking’s volume problem is increasingly being treated as a structural change rather than a temporary setback. Deloitte’s study describes manufacturers moving beyond immediate cost reductions toward product development, research, and broader geographic exposure. Higher average selling prices have helped support revenue, but declining output creates pressure throughout the network of companies supplying components and specialist services.

The consumer findings make the challenge more pointed: many prospective customers remain reluctant to spend beyond CHF1,500 on a traditional watch, while value, design, and Swiss provenance retain their appeal. Pre-owned watches and smartwatches compete for attention, and multibrand retailers remain important to shoppers who want choice. Suppliers, meanwhile, are exploring automation, AI, and opportunities in fields such as medical technology and aerospace. The industry must preserve its capabilities while producing watches that enough people actually want—and can afford—to buy.

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Features

Five Rolex Watches for Collectors Thinking Outside the Box

There is considerably more to Rolex collecting than the familiar procession of Submariners, Daytonas, and GMT-Masters. This feature looks toward the Yacht-Master family, the compact Oyster Perpetual, the angular Oysterquartz, the dress-oriented Cellini, and the rectangular Prince. Each opens a different chapter in the manufacturer’s design history and offers a way to build a collection with a more individual emphasis.

The contrasts are the attraction. A 34mm Oyster Perpetual delivers uncomplicated everyday proportions, while an Oysterquartz brings the sharply drawn case and integrated-bracelet character of another era. Cellini models explore formal watchmaking, and the Prince reaches back to the architectural elegance of the late 1920s. Together, they demonstrate how much variety remains available within a brand often discussed through a surprisingly narrow selection of watches.

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Jewelers on Court Puts the Repair Bench at the Heart of the Store

At Brooklyn’s Jewelers on Court, the work itself is part of the customer experience. Brothers-in-law Armen and David built their family business around visible, hands-on repairs, allowing customers to see the care their watches and jewelry receive. Since opening in September 2025, the store has attracted strong word-of-mouth support and, according to the profile, more than 300 five-star Google reviews.

The founders also built much of the interior themselves, giving the space a direct connection to the people operating it. Plans include expanded custom design, appraisals, and resale services, but the central proposition remains personal attention and clear communication. In a luxury market often preoccupied with presentation, this is a reminder that explaining a repair and doing it well can be a powerful way to earn repeat business.

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Thierry Stern on Heritage, Craftsmanship, and Patek Philippe’s Future

Thierry Stern’s vision of innovation begins with an unusually long obligation: the watches Patek Philippe makes now should be serviceable by watchmakers far in the future. His discussion of materials, engineering, and traditional handcrafts places restorability alongside technical advancement. The Grand Exhibition in Milan provides a setting for that argument, bringing historical watches into conversation with contemporary complications and decorative arts.

Stern also describes a changing audience, including younger collectors and women interested in smaller watches with substantial mechanical content. Planning extends through 2039, with an ambition to deliver two major technical innovations annually. The broader message is that heritage must remain productive: it should guide new ideas, support training, and preserve the human expertise that gives complicated watchmaking its continuity.

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Fixed-Lug Watches Find a Fresh Following

Fixed lugs bring an old construction approach into a contemporary collecting conversation. Instead of relying on removable spring bars, these designs incorporate permanent attachment points that help determine both the watch’s appearance and how its strap is fitted. Their appeal combines structural simplicity with a distinctive relationship between case and strap.

The feature ranges from Tudor’s military-oriented Pelagos FXD to the Delhi Watch Company Terra, Donut Watch Company’s Glazed, and Bertucci’s DX3 Glow, while also exploring unconventional historical and modern attachment designs. These watches approach the wrist with very different personalities, but each makes the lug arrangement part of its identity. For collectors accustomed to judging a watch primarily by its dial and movement, the story offers a useful reason to look at the case more closely.

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Audemars Piguet and Konstantin Chaykin Take Watchmaking Beyond the Wrist

Audemars Piguet and Konstantin Chaykin are extending recognizable watchmaking ideas into accessories. AP’s Royal Oak jewelry translates the collection’s visual language into necklaces, earrings, and cuffs, using precious metals and gemstones to carry familiar design cues into another category. Chaykin takes a mechanical route: his Master of Days cufflinks incorporate miniature mechanisms that display the day of the week.

The two approaches show how a watchmaker’s identity can support products beyond watches themselves. AP emphasizes sculptural jewelry and the reach of an established design, while Chaykin gives enthusiasts another small mechanical object to operate and enjoy. Royal Oak jewelry pricing is available on request; the cufflinks are listed at CHF4,500. Both invite collectors to carry an interest in watchmaking into a different part of the wardrobe.

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New Watches

Seiko’s Panda Chronograph Makes the Nickname Literal

Seiko is bringing one of its most memorable power design project concepts into production, turning the familiar “panda” chronograph description into an actual animal-inspired watch. Designed by Kiyotaka Sakai, the dial uses its counters as eyes, the pushers as ears, and bamboo-inspired hands to complete the idea. A playful “SASAMETER” scale adds another detail for owners to discover.

The 43mm stainless-steel watch uses Seiko’s quartz caliber 8T61 and comes on a leather strap, with splash resistance suited to ordinary wear rather than aquatic adventures. The white version is limited to 3,000 pieces and the pink version to 2,000, with release planned for November 2026. Some details have changed from the exhibition concept, but the essential humor survives intact. Price: US$540 each.

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Zenith and USM Create a Mirrored Defy Chronograph for TimeForArt

Zenith and USM Modular Furniture are contributing a unique watch-and-furniture pairing to the TimeForArt benefit auction. The Defy Chronograph USM combines a mirror-polished dial with accents in USM’s Golden Yellow, Pure Orange, Green, and Gentian Blue. Its 37mm steel case, angular geometry, fourteen-sided bezel, and ladder bracelet preserve the compact architectural character of the collaboration.

Inside is the automatic El Primero 400, a high-frequency column-wheel chronograph with a stated 55-hour power reserve. USM complements the watch with a matching mirrored Haller sideboard designed to accommodate up to 24 watches, including a glass-topped display area and a lockable lower compartment. The unique pairing is scheduled for Phillips New York on December 5, with proceeds supporting the Swiss Institute’s contemporary-art programs. Price: No fixed U.S. dollar retail price; auction estimate not provided in the announcement.

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Depancel Opens Up the Serie-R Chronograph

Depancel’s Serie-R Chronograph Skeleton puts the movement at the center of its racing-inspired rectangular design. The stainless-steel case measures 40mm by 36mm and 13.7mm thick, pairing brushed and polished surfaces with a bevelled sapphire crystal. Orange chronograph indications and luminous dashboard-style hands help separate the displays from the exposed mechanical architecture.

Power comes from the automatic Peacock SL-4802 chronograph movement, offering a stated 55-hour reserve, while water resistance is rated at 50 meters. The watch is limited to 100 numbered examples and is supplied on a bull-leather strap with a steel buckle. Preorders open October 8 at 4 p.m. Paris time, with deliveries expected in mid-December. Price: US$1,595, as quoted in the release.

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Frederique Constant’s Elements Collection Pairs Stone Dials With Manufacture Complications

Frederique Constant’s 2026 Elements Collection brings together three watches whose natural stone dials give familiar complications a different visual character. Black onyx provides the setting for the Classic Moonphase Date Manufacture, heliotrope surrounds the Classic Tourbillon Manufacture’s rotating cage, and turquoise brightens the Classic Perpetual Calendar Manufacture. All three use steel cases and sapphire backs, allowing their decorative surfaces and mechanical interiors to share the attention.

The moonphase-date and perpetual-calendar watches measure 40mm and offer three-day power reserves, while the tourbillon is described in the collection presentation as 39mm with a 38-hour reserve. The release comprises 88 numbered three-watch sets, with matching individual numbers across each set. Natural variations in the stones ensure that identical specifications will still produce visibly different examples. Price: Approximately US$5,895–US$19,260 per watch using the supplied CHF4,895–CHF15,995 reference range; the official U.S. dollar price for the complete set is available on request.

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IWC Takes Its Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 43 Onto the Golf Course

IWC’s new olive-green Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 43 accompanies its continuing association with the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship. Reference IW378008 combines the warm dial color with white markings and gold-plated luminous hands, giving the familiar aviation-inspired layout a softer appearance. The 43mm steel case retains sapphire glazing and 100-meter water resistance.

The automatic caliber 69385 supplies column-wheel chronograph operation, a day-date display, and a 46-hour power reserve, with its finishing visible through the caseback. A five-link steel bracelet is included, and an optional olive-green rubber strap offers a more casual alternative through IWC’s EasX-CHANGE system. This is a permanent-collection addition, giving buyers time to consider whether the new color suits their everyday rotation. Price: US$9,500.

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RGM Returns to the Perpetual Calendar With the Model 501-PC

American independent RGM is returning to the perpetual calendar with a watch that looks toward traditional pocket-watch design. The Model 501-PC combines a 39mm stainless-steel case with a white Grand Feu enamel dial, Roman numerals, blued hands, and red accents on the minute track. Day, date, month, leap-year information, and moon phase create a substantial calendar display within restrained dimensions.

The movement combines a heavily modified ETA 2892-A2 base with a custom Dubois Dépraz calendar module and a solid-gold winding rotor. Traditional finishing is visible through the sapphire back, while curved lugs and a raised sapphire crystal contribute to the period-inspired appearance. Supplied on a brown alligator strap, the watch offers 50-meter water resistance and a stated power reserve of 52–56 hours. Price: US$39,900.

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Comparisons

Citizen Promaster vs. Omega Seamaster: What Does the Extra Money Buy?

A roughly US$300 Citizen Promaster Eco-Drive Diver and a roughly US$6,000 Omega Seamaster Diver 300M can both fulfill the ordinary demands placed on a dive watch. The Citizen emphasizes straightforward ownership: solar-powered quartz timekeeping, clear displays, and the freedom to wear it through swimming, outdoor activities, and daily errands without much ceremony. Its appeal is strongest when usefulness and cost carry the most weight.

The Omega adds a METAS-certified mechanical movement, more elaborate finishing, sapphire crystal, and the visual depth of a more expensive dial and bezel. Those are meaningful attractions for enthusiasts, but the comparison asks readers to distinguish them from basic functional requirements. The Citizen emerges as the practical choice, while the Seamaster makes its case through craftsmanship, mechanical interest, and the pleasure of wearing it. The decision depends on which of those qualities matters most to the owner.

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Reviews

Hands-On With Tudor’s GMT-Equipped Northflag

Tudor’s Northflag returns with a travel complication and a renewed emphasis on its angular, instrument-like character. The reviewed M9140G1A0U pairs a 40mm steel case with a matte black dial, high-contrast white indexes, and yellow accents on the seconds and GMT hands. Replacing the original model’s power-reserve display with a second-time-zone indication gives the layout a different practical purpose.

The automatic MT5652-U offers Master Chronometer certification and a stated 65-hour reserve, with a sapphire back providing a view of the movement. The case measures 12.7mm thick and carries a 100-meter water-resistance rating, while the steel bracelet includes Tudor’s T-Fit adjustment system. At US$5,525, the watch offers an alternative for buyers drawn to Tudor’s technical capabilities but interested in a more angular design than its better-known Black Bay models. Its reception may depend as much on that distinctive shape as on the specifications.

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Events

New York Watch Week Is Almost Here

New York’s watch calendar fills up October 15–18 with opportunities to meet brands, handle watches, and hear directly from the people making them. WatchTime New York runs October 16–18 at Gotham Hall with 48 participating brands, while the free-admission Windup Watch Fair brings more than 160 microbrands to Center415. The combination gives visitors access to a broad range of prices, production scales, and design approaches.

Thursday’s schedule includes the Fondation Haute Horlogerie Summit, with discussions of value and sustainability, and Indies.NYC, presenting 25 independent watchmakers. Additional talks and social gatherings round out the weekend. For enthusiasts accustomed to evaluating watches on screens, the central attraction is straightforward: seeing the dimensions, finishing, colors, and personalities in person.

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HSNY Brings Hands-On Watchmaking Classes to Boston and Los Angeles

The Horological Society of New York is taking its educational workshops to Boston and Los Angeles in November. Boston sessions are scheduled for November 7–8 at Shreve, Crump & Low, followed by a Los Angeles class on November 14 at F.P. Journe. The half-day courses introduce participants to the mechanisms they usually encounter only through a dial or exhibition caseback.

Students work with mechanical movements while exploring gear trains, winding and setting systems, and escapements under the guidance of professional watchmakers. The format provides a practical introduction to the precision and patience involved in servicing a watch. Enrollment is open, with the traveling classes offering a chance to develop a more concrete understanding of the hobby.

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Podcasts

Fratello On Air: Are You Safe Online as a Watch Collector?

Balazs and Mike consider how much collectors reveal when they discuss watches through social media, messaging platforms, and online groups. The episode raises questions about location sharing, the people behind unfamiliar accounts, and the privacy implications of bringing AI tools into conversations. Their approach is grounded in personal habits and experience, with an acknowledgment that they are enthusiasts rather than security specialists.

The discussion also makes room for the usual watch talk, including Hanhart’s 417 ES Steve McQueen, Citizen, and the Delhi Watch Company Terra. The useful takeaway is to think deliberately about what a post reveals beyond the watch itself. A wrist shot can communicate more than the owner intended, particularly when it is accompanied by location details and a predictable routine.

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Videos

“The 2027 Watch Market Crash Has Begun” — Luxury Secret

Luxury Secret presents a bearish argument about the watch market, using a claimed inventory of 3.2 million unsold watches as the basis for its warning. The video discusses how excess stock could pressure prices, encourage production cuts, and increase competition among sellers. Its dramatic title frames those possibilities as the beginning of a broader downturn.

The inventory figure and crash prediction should be understood as the creator’s claims, rather than established conclusions presented by BuyingTime. The useful question is how inventory, pricing, and demand interact—and how differently those pressures can affect individual brands and models. Watch it as a market argument to evaluate alongside more measured industry reporting.

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“I Broke a Rolex Band” — Watch Hospital NYC

Watch Hospital NYC puts a broken Rolex bracelet at the center of this video, bringing attention to a component owners often take for granted. A bracelet is handled, flexed, fastened, and exposed to daily wear every time a watch goes on the wrist. When something fails, that familiar piece of hardware suddenly becomes the most important part of the watch.

The clip offers a more immediate, workshop-oriented counterpoint to discussions of prestige and resale prices. The supplied description does not establish the cause of the break, so it should not be taken as evidence of a general Rolex defect. Its appeal lies in the incident itself and the attention it directs toward the physical realities of ownership.

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Auctions

Toledano & Chan’s Oshinobi Hides Its Diamonds in Plain Sight

Toledano & Chan’s unique Oshinobi begins with an austere exterior: a sculptural, sandblasted titanium bracelet concealing the watch display beneath a small cover. Open it, and the visual character changes completely. Approximately 387 natural diamonds, totaling about two carats, create a snow-set interior inspired by the crystalline surfaces inside a geode.

The 21mm titanium watch uses a manually wound Swiss LTM caliber and carries a special TimeForArt engraving. It is scheduled for the December 5 Phillips New York benefit auction, supporting the Swiss Institute’s contemporary-art programming. A limited production interpretation is planned for 2027, but this unique piece makes the initial statement with an unusually theatrical approach to discovering the time.

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Marteau’s “Encore” and Antiquorum’s New York Return Put Collectors on Alert

Two upcoming auctions offer different views of the collecting market. Marteau & Co.’s “Encore” concentrates on roughly 40 selected pieces, bringing established independent names together with less familiar makers. Highlights include a steel F.P. Journe set and work by Sylvain Pinaud, Yosuke Sekiguchi, Ludovic Ballouard, Marco Lang, Reuben Schoots, Ondrej Berkus, and Habring².

Antiquorum’s New York return takes a broader approach with 157 lots, including vintage Rolex and Patek Philippe, Cartier Crash watches, and a complicated Vacheron Constantin. A first-year 1932 Patek Philippe reference 96 and a Tiffany-signed gold Rolex Daytona illustrate the historical interest available alongside contemporary independent watchmaking. Together, the catalogs provide an opportunity to observe where collectors place their bids across very different forms of rarity.

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Auction Results

Moser’s Aventurine Moon Falls US$17,055 Short of Reserve

The October 6 auction of the 2021 H. Moser & Cie. Endeavour Perpetual Moon Concept Aventurine, reference 1801-0402, reached a top bid of US$23,055, failing to meet its US$40,110 reserve. The gap was US$17,055, or approximately 42.5% below reserve, leaving the watch unsold.

That is a significant miss for a distinctive complicated watch, though it remains the outcome of one auction rather than a comprehensive valuation of the reference. The bidding demonstrates interest at a substantial price; the reserve demonstrates how much further the seller expected that interest to extend. On this occasion, the two did not meet.

Auction Report

Three Ways to Wear Time: Parmigiani’s Transforma Annual Calendar Meets the Market

Today’s auction features the Parmigiani Fleurier Tonda Transforma Annual Calendar, reference PFC272-1002500-XA1432, a 43mm watch combining a blue dial, an 18-karat rose-gold watch head, and a steel holder. The USA-based example is described as unworn, with box and papers, and with its dial, case, and bezel in excellent condition. The listing allows for minor handling marks, while its “2019–present” year range does not establish a specific manufacturing date. Its appeal begins with the combination of precious metal and a substantial calendar complication, but the unusual construction gives collectors considerably more to investigate.

The Transforma concept debuted in 2011, allowing a watch head to move between wristwatch, pocket-watch, and table-clock configurations. The blue-dial annual calendar followed in the CBF collection presented in 2013, associated with Parmigiani’s partnership with the Brazilian Football Confederation. That collection included a set with separate chronograph and annual-calendar heads. This auction should therefore be evaluated according to the components actually included: box and papers alone do not confirm that a second watch head, pocket-watch fittings, or desk-clock accessories accompany it.

Inside is Parmigiani’s automatic PF339, providing a retrograde date, day and month indications, and a precision moon-phase display. The caliber offers approximately 50 hours of power reserve and manages the differing lengths of 30- and 31-day months, with calendar correction generally required at the end of February in non-leap years. The retrograde date adds a distinctive visual event as its hand returns to the beginning of the scale. Taken together, the calendar and convertible architecture make this a particularly individual expression of Parmigiani’s earlier design language.

Current advertisements provide useful price context, although they do not establish a completed-sale value. One specialist dealer lists the corresponding blue-dial Transforma annual calendar at approximately US$28,700 and cites a US$45,500 retail reference; another advertised example is offered at US$29,500. Those figures place visible seller expectations in the high US$20,000s, but an auction result may be lower, and accessory completeness and service history can materially affect comparability. The attraction is substantial mechanical content in a distinctive, relatively uncommon package; the uncertainty is what today’s bidders will pay for that combination. Bidding is scheduled to end at 7:05 p.m. EDT today, Wednesday, October 7, 2026.

Current bid: $800

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Losing Time

Today’s Big Losers at Auction on Grailzee

Four watches, four failed sales, and four reminders that an asking price is a wish until someone agrees to pay it. These bidders had rather different numbers in mind.

The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak 39mm White Dial on Steel Bracelet (15300ST.OO.1220ST.01) carried a $36,500 ask but attracted a final bid of just $21,300. That’s a $15,200 shortfall, or 41.6% below asking. Apparently, the seller and the bidders were admiring two very differently priced versions of the same watch.

The 2024 Audemars Piguet Code 11.59 Chronograph 41mm Blue Dial on Textile Strap (26393OR.OO.A348KB.01)came closest to bridging the gap, although “closest” is doing considerable work here. Against a $41,080 ask, the high bid reached $29,600—$11,480 short, or 27.9% below asking. The seller’s oddly precise price suggested careful calculation. The bidders supplied a less flattering calculation of their own.

The 2020 Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar 41mm Blue Dial on Rose Gold Bracelet (26574OR.OO.1220OR.02.02) delivered the largest disconnect. Its $149,500 ask met a $76,666 final bid, leaving a $72,834 gap, or 48.7% below asking. A perpetual calendar can account for leap years, but apparently it cannot account for this level of seller optimism. Bidders offered barely more than half the requested price.

The 2026 Rolex Land-Dweller 40mm White Dial on Rose Gold Flat Jubilee Bracelet (127335) asked $62,500 and drew a $40,000 high bid. That left it $22,500 short, or 36.0% below asking. A current-year Rolex and a rose gold bracelet gave the seller plenty to talk about. They did not persuade bidders to supply the missing $22,500.

Together, the four sellers sought $289,580, while the final bids totaled $167,566—a combined $122,014 shortfall, or 42.1% below asking. These were substantial pricing disagreements, not deals that fell apart over the last few dollars. The Code 11.59 had the smallest percentage gap; the Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar had the largest, in both dollars and percentage terms.

Four failed auctions cannot establish the direction of the entire watch market, and an unsold high bid is not a completed-sale valuation. They do show that these bidders were unwilling to validate these sellers’ expectations. Closing the gap would require higher offers, lower asks, or a different audience. For now, the sellers still have the watches—and their opinions.

Closing Time

The watches we remember are often the ones that give us a reason to keep looking: an ingenious calendar, an unexpected design, a beautifully repaired heirloom, or a panda hiding in plain sight. Today’s issue offers all of those pleasures, along with a reminder to keep our enthusiasm and our price expectations in conversation.

Thank you for spending part of your day with BuyingTime. Enjoy what is on your wrist, stay curious about what you have yet to discover, and we’ll see you tomorrow.

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BuyingTime in 30 Seconds

Omega gives collectors a choice between James Bond and Spectre, MeisterSinger dresses its jumping-hour Panthero in blue guilloché, and Seiko takes the panda chronograph quite literally. King Seiko’s titanium VANAC and Shinola’s mechanical Duck offer very different approaches to everyday personality. Our features explore dress watches, rotating bezels, and the importance of human judgment in a hobby increasingly shaped by automated recommendations. Bell & Ross celebrates Defender Rally’s championship, while our reviews examine everything from an approximately US$1,000 Orient Star to Louis Moinet’s elaborate chronograph. Yesterday’s Harry Winston reached just US$4,200 against an US$18,445 reserve. Today, a 2021 H. Moser & Cie. Endeavour Perpetual Moon Concept Aventurine takes the auction spotlight, with bidding scheduled to close at 2:05 p.m. EDT.

Time Graphing Today’s Watch Universe

Who Decides What Deserves Your Wrist?

A watch can find its way onto your radar for almost any reason. A movie connection. An unusual dial. A clever complication. A familiar name returning after years away. Someone whose taste you respect telling you to take another look. Today’s issue contains all of those invitations, and together they raise a question that deserves more attention than it usually receives: How much of our collecting taste have we developed ourselves?

That is why the argument for human watch curation feels especially relevant. Recommendations influence what we encounter, and what we encounter repeatedly can begin to feel inevitable. A watch appears in enough feeds, videos, and conversations, and suddenly it seems like the watch everyone should want. Familiarity becomes a substitute for consideration. The useful curator interrupts that process by explaining what makes something interesting, where its compromises lie, and who might actually enjoy owning it.

Human judgment has its own weaknesses, of course. Enthusiasts develop loyalties, reviewers have preferences, and a persuasive personality can make an ordinary watch sound indispensable. What matters is having a point of view that can be examined. Tell me why you admire a watch. Tell me what disappoints you. Give me enough substance to disagree intelligently. A collector learns more from a thoughtful disagreement than from another unqualified declaration that something is a must-have.

Consider Omega’s James Bond and Spectre Seamasters. The emotional invitation is immediate. These watches arrive with characters, imagery, and decades of cinematic association already attached. That can be a perfectly good reason to enjoy one. But the ownership decision still comes down to the object: the dial, the bracelet, the fit, the movement, and the price. A beloved fictional spy can introduce you to a watch. He cannot tell you whether you will still enjoy wearing it after the novelty settles.

Then there is Seiko’s Panda Chronograph, which turns an established watch nickname into an actual design idea. Its appeal is playful and direct. You do not need a complicated argument about heritage to understand the joke. The Shinola Duck Automatic approaches the same opportunity from another direction, wrapping an accessible mechanical watch in a campaign built around personality. Both remind us that pleasure belongs in the conversation. A watch collection does not have to resemble a committee’s approved list.

The quieter objects deserve equal consideration. The feature on wearing fine dress watches makes a case for proportion, restraint, and the daily satisfaction of something that fits comfortably beneath a cuff. MeisterSinger’s blue guilloché Panthero asks you to appreciate the relationship between a traditional decorative technique and an unconventional time display. Neither needs to win an argument about how much attention it attracts. The reward comes from looking closely.

Practical knowledge also changes what we notice. After reading about rotating bezels, a ring around a crystal becomes a timing instrument, a travel aid, or a compact calculator. That understanding gives the Inercy Compass a different context. You can evaluate how its design supports its functions instead of treating the second crown as a styling flourish.

The same independence of thought should extend to heritage and resale. The Gallet revival editorial asks whether corporate enthusiasm for an old name will translate into lasting collector demand. Yesterday’s Harry Winston auction provides a sharper example of the distance between a seller’s expectations and the bids a particular sale attracts. Neither a celebrated name nor expensive materials can guarantee that buyers will agree on a price.

Today’s Moser auction brings the discussion back to the pleasure of the watch itself: a moon display, a sparkling blue dial, and considerable mechanical ambition presented with remarkable restraint. It also reminds us that admiration and scrutiny belong together. Even an appealing watch deserves a careful reading of its reference, condition, and market comparisons.

The best collection is one you can explain in your own words. Let the stories introduce you to something unfamiliar. Let the reviews challenge your first impression. Then give yourself permission to choose the watch that continues to interest you after everyone else has moved on.

-Michael Wolf

News

Bell & Ross-Backed Defender Rally Wins World Championship

Defender Rally’s 2026 campaign has delivered the FIA World Rally-Raid Championship Stock Manufacturers’ title, giving official timing partner Bell & Ross a championship season to celebrate. The team won its class at all four W2RC events it entered—Dakar, Portugal, Argentina’s Ruta 40, and Morocco—while Rokas Baciuška and Oriol Vidal secured the corresponding drivers’ and co-drivers’ titles with 233 points.

Bell & Ross supplied its BR-X3 Black Titanium to the crew, connecting the partnership to a watch built around lightweight grade-2 titanium and a COSC-certified movement. The appeal of the association is easy to understand: rally-raid competition places endurance, preparation, navigation, and precise timing under sustained pressure. Defender Rally now turns toward the 2027 season, with Dakar again providing the opening challenge.

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Features

How to Wear the Finest Dress Watches

The dress watch is finding renewed relevance through the qualities that have always distinguished it: restrained dimensions, a legible dial, balanced proportions, and the ability to disappear comfortably beneath a shirt cuff. Interest in smaller watches gives those virtues a fresh audience, including younger collectors who are discovering that visual presence does not depend on case size.

This feature considers how that approach appears across watches including Blancpain’s Villeret Ultraplate, Vacheron Constantin’s Historiques American 1921, Breguet’s Classique 5177, Chopard’s L.U.C 1860, and Patek Philippe’s Calatrava. Their personalities vary considerably, from deliberately angled displays to traditional numerals and quietly elaborate dial work. What connects them is an emphasis on considered design. Wearing one well begins with proportion and comfort, while leaving room for a dress watch to become an everyday companion.

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The Small Complications: Understanding the Rotating Bezel

A rotating bezel can add considerable usefulness without adding another hand or a more complicated movement. Depending on its scale, it can track elapsed time, support the reading of another time zone, count down toward a deadline, or perform calculations that once mattered directly to pilots and navigators.

This guide explains the differences between those applications and the safety features associated with them. A dive bezel’s unidirectional action, for example, serves a practical purpose by limiting the consequences of an accidental adjustment. Internal rotating rings, locking systems, compass markings, and slide-rule scales demonstrate how much functionality can be built into the case surrounding a movement. It is a useful reminder that some of watchmaking’s most satisfying complications are operated directly by the wearer.

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According to Ariel: Make Room for Human Watch Curation

Discovering watches through an experienced enthusiast can offer something an automated recommendation struggles to provide: an explanation grounded in taste, experience, and context. Ariel’s argument for human curation centers on the value of recommendations that help collectors understand an object and develop their own preferences.

The concern is that engagement-driven feeds repeatedly promote familiar names and commercially effective imagery, narrowing the apparent range of choices. A knowledgeable curator can introduce an overlooked design, explain a historical connection, or challenge a fashionable assumption. The strongest version of that relationship encourages curiosity and disagreement. For collectors, the reward is a broader understanding of watches and a clearer sense of why a particular piece deserves attention.

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New Watches

MeisterSinger Panthero Jumping Hour Gets a Light-Blue Guilloché Dial

MeisterSinger gives its Panthero Jumping Hour a more decorative expression with a light-blue dial finished using traditional hand-operated guilloché machinery. The textured surface works against dark-gray accents, an off-center minute display, and the brand’s rotating sun-wheel detail, creating a composition with considerably more movement than the usual restrained dress watch. A 40.5 mm stainless-steel case combines polished and brushed surfaces, sapphire crystals, and 50 meters of water resistance.

Inside is the automatic MS-JH-01, based on the Sellita SW300 and fitted with a jumping-hour module, with a stated 47-hour power reserve. Limited to 25 examples, the edition arrives on a cognac-colored, crocodile-embossed calfskin strap with a double-folding clasp. Its attraction rests on the pairing of a distinctive time display with a dial that rewards close inspection. Price: approximately US$8,950, converted from €7,990 including VAT.

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Omega Seamaster Diver 300M: James Bond Meets Spectre

Omega turns its enduring connection with James Bond into a choice between opposing identities, introducing James Bond and Spectre interpretations of the Seamaster Diver 300M. Both stainless-steel watches use a 42 mm case, offer 300 meters of water resistance, and run on the automatic caliber 8806. Their personalities emerge through the details: the Bond version pairs a blue gun-barrel dial motif with a titanium bezel, while the Spectre edition adopts a darker treatment with a black ceramic bezel and matte black aluminum dial.

Steel mesh bracelets feature a slimmer clasp, and the display backs reveal customized rotors that extend the theme beyond the dial. For collectors seeking the more elaborate presentation, separate Bond and Spectre box sets each combine a steel watch with a platinum-gold counterpart and special accessories; each set is limited to 77 numbered examples. Price: US$8,700 for an individual stainless-steel watch; US$89,800 for either two-watch limited-edition box set.

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Seiko’s Power Design Project Makes the Panda Chronograph Literal

Seiko’s Power Design Project Panda Chronograph takes one of watch collecting’s most familiar nicknames and gives it an unmistakably animal-inspired interpretation. White and pink versions arrange their contrasting subdials like facial markings, while pushers positioned at 11 and 1 o’clock suggest ears. A bamboo-referencing “Sasameter” scale carries the theme into the dial’s finer details.

The watch measures 43 mm across and 14.6 mm thick, making this a deliberately expressive design rather than a discreet vintage-style chronograph. Seiko’s quartz caliber 8T61 supplies the timing functions and a stated accuracy of plus or minus 15 seconds per month. Production totals 5,000 examples—3,000 white and 2,000 pink—with preorders opening October 6 and deliveries expected in November. Price: approximately US$675, converted from £510.

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Shinola’s Duck Goes Automatic—and Keeps Its Sense of Humor

Shinola brings mechanical power to its Duck collection with a range of automatic watches housed in approachable 38 mm cases. The launch includes two conventional stainless-steel versions, a gold-PVD model, and a gift-set offering, all built around the collection’s recognizable H-link bracelet with quick-release attachment. Standard models use Miyota’s automatic caliber 9015, with a stated 42-hour power reserve.

The surrounding campaign is as conspicuous as the watch itself, bringing together Tefi Pessoa, Kareem Rahma, Benton McClintock, and NEMS, alongside a Cheerios collaboration billed as a “Duck Watching Snack.” That playful presentation gives Shinola a way to introduce mechanical watches without making the conversation overly formal. The compact case and familiar bracelet format provide the practical foundation beneath the marketing. Price: US$895 for the standard stainless-steel models; US$1,095 for the gold-PVD and gift-set editions.

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King Seiko VANAC Finds a New Angle in Titanium

King Seiko’s VANAC continues its reinterpretation of 1970s design with titanium construction and three dial treatments inspired by Tokyo. References HKF001, HKF002, and HKF003 preserve the collection’s angular case and flowing bracelet architecture while reducing the weight associated with an otherwise substantial sports watch. The 41 mm case combines multiple surfaces and pronounced geometry, giving the design much of its identity before the dial comes into view.

Power comes from the automatic caliber 8L45, which operates at 28,800 vibrations per hour and provides approximately 72 hours of running time. A sapphire display back, luminous hands and markers, and 100 meters of water resistance support its everyday ambitions. For collectors drawn to integrated-looking sports watches, the titanium VANAC offers an unusually assertive interpretation of that familiar category. Price: US$3,850.

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Inercy Paris Introduces the Compass Collection

Inercy’s Compass collection builds its identity around a 39 mm stainless-steel case with two crowns and an internal rotating bezel. The bezel supports timing and solar-compass use, while textured Light and Dark dials, luminous Dauphine hands, and a red-tipped, double-ended seconds hand create a distinctive visual arrangement. A sapphire exhibition back reveals the customized rotor of the Swiss La Joux-Perret G101 automatic movement, which offers a 68-hour power reserve.

Each color is limited to 150 examples and comes with both a black nubuck leather strap and a vented black rubber strap. The launch also includes a promotional treasure hunt: three randomly distributed gold cards among the first 300 deliveries entitle their recipients to an additional watch with a brown dial and gold-toned case. Preorders open October 6, giving the young collection a combination of practical functionality and launch-day theater. Price: approximately US$2,005, converted from €1,790.

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Reviews

Can Orient Star Build a Better US$1,000 Diver?

The Orient Star RK-AT0106E makes a strong first impression through its teal-green dial, elaborate casework, and combination of an open-heart display with a power-reserve indicator. Its 43.2 mm case and substantial bracelet place it firmly in the large sports-watch category, while the visible mechanics give it a more decorative personality than many straightforward tool divers.

The review finds plenty to admire in the finishing and changing dial color, but daily wear introduces qualifications. Size and weight are noticeable, particularly on smaller wrists, and the reviewer reports a crown-tightening concern on the tested example. Luminous performance is useful without matching the brightest Seiko alternatives. At approximately US$1,000, the Orient Star makes its case through visual richness and detail; buyers should give equal attention to fit and handling.

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The Tudor Northflag Gets a Second Chance

Tudor’s Northflag returns to a market far more receptive to integrated-bracelet sports watches than the one that greeted the original North Flag in 2015. The new interpretation retains a 40 mm steel case and recognizable design ancestry while introducing GMT functionality, a revised black sunburst dial, and a more polished approach to the case and bracelet.

The MT5652-U movement brings Master Chronometer certification and a stated 65-hour power reserve. The changes also remove two memorable elements of the original: its power-reserve display and contrasting ceramic bezel ring. That trade-off sits at the center of the review, which weighs improved balance and refinement against the loss of some unconventional charm. At US$5,525 and 12.7 mm thick, the new Northflag offers a distinct alternative within Tudor’s sports-watch range, particularly for buyers who prefer travel functionality without a dive-watch format.

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Louis Moinet 1816 Chronograph Champagne

Louis Moinet’s 1816 Chronograph Champagne builds its identity around the Compteur de Tierces and the early history of the chronograph. Its 40.6 mm grade-5 titanium case combines polished and satin-finished surfaces, while a champagne dial, Roman numerals, and three counters establish a more traditional visual language.

The hand-wound LM1816 caliber is central to the attraction, with column-wheel construction, a 48-hour power reserve, and decorative work visible through the sapphire caseback. The review considers how effectively the watch combines historical references with a contemporary material and a detailed movement presentation. Marking 210 years since the original 1816 instrument, this version places heritage firmly at the center of its appeal. Its stated CHF31,900 price, including VAT, converts to approximately US$38,385.

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Traska Chronograph Tungsten Gray

Traska’s Chronograph Tungsten Gray represents an ambitious step for a brand better known for comparatively straightforward everyday watches. A mechanical chronograph brings greater complexity and a higher price, while the 39 mm steel case and bracelet preserve the compact, durable character that has helped establish Traska’s following.

Seiko’s NE86 automatic movement provides the mechanical foundation, and the design adds a stronger case profile, detailed bracelet finishing, and a distinctive chronograph display. The review examines whether those additions create a convincing next chapter for the brand while retaining the wearability that existing owners expect. At US$1,650, the watch enters a more demanding competitive field, where buyers will judge its movement, construction, and visual identity together.

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Editorial

Nobody Was Asking for a Gallet Revival

Reviving a historic watch brand can make strategic sense long before collectors demonstrate that they want the resulting watches. This editorial examines Gallet’s return within the broader grouping of Breitling, Universal Genève, and Gallet, asking how corporate ambitions align with actual demand.

The market evidence described in the piece is mixed. Gallet’s auction median reportedly doubled after the acquisition announcement, while dealer prices rose only about 8 percent—a useful distinction between attention around a relatively small auction sample and the wider market’s willingness to pay. Universal Genève occupies a different position, with heightened activity and expectations surrounding its return, while Breitling’s much larger supply shapes its secondary-market behavior. The central challenge is turning renewed visibility into products collectors want to own for years. A respected archive can provide a starting point; the watches must supply the lasting reason to care.

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Podcasts

Scottish Watches #820: Karl Brown Brings Chronography to Dublin

Designer, collector, and Chrome Calibre founder Karl Brown joins Scottish Watches to discuss the creation of Chronography, the watch event scheduled for October 10 at Dublin’s Smock Alley Theatre. More than 20 brands and independent Irish makers are expected to participate, with exhibitions, launches, talks, and a live podcast recording giving collectors several ways to engage.

The conversation explores the work involved in turning an enthusiast’s idea into a public event and the value of letting Irish collectors meet brands they often encounter primarily online. A magazine and a charity raffle supporting breast cancer research add further dimensions to the program. With the event scheduled from 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., the episode serves as both an introduction to the organizer and a preview of a day built around direct conversation.

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Videos

MB&F at 20: Max Büsser on Risk, Survival, and What Comes Next — EsperLuxe

Max Büsser reflects on two decades of MB&F, looking at the decisions and risks involved in building a watch company around unconventional ideas. The anniversary provides a chance to consider the less visible work behind spectacular products: sustaining a business, maintaining conviction, and continuing to experiment.

The discussion also turns toward the company’s future and the challenge of preserving a distinctive creative identity as expectations grow. For anyone interested in independent watchmaking, the appeal is the opportunity to hear a founder describe the relationship between imagination and survival in his own terms.

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“New Omega Bond Seamaster Has One Big Problem” — Britt Pearce

Britt Pearce takes a critical look at the new Bond Seamaster, adding a skeptical voice to the attention surrounding Omega’s latest cinematic tie-in. The video offers a companion to today’s launch coverage, particularly for viewers who want to consider objections alongside the collection’s visual appeal.

The headline signals a strong criticism, but should not by itself be read as evidence of an established mechanical defect. Watch for the substance of Pearce’s argument and how it affects the ownership proposition, then compare that assessment with your own priorities for a Bond-themed Seamaster.

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“The Rolex Waitlist Is Dead”—Examining the Argument — Zenikura Finance

Zenikura Finance considers whether changing market conditions are weakening the waitlist culture associated with buying a Rolex. The video frames availability, supply, and buyer behavior as parts of a broader reassessment of the brand’s scarcity narrative.

Its sweeping title is best approached as an argument to examine. Access can differ substantially by reference, retailer, and location, so a broad market claim needs to be weighed against those distinctions. For collectors following the relationship between retail availability and resale premiums, the discussion offers another perspective on how expectations may be shifting.

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Thierry Stern on Patek Philippe’s Heritage, Future, and Watch Art Grand Exhibition — Perpetual Passion

Thierry Stern discusses Patek Philippe’s identity through the connected subjects of heritage, craftsmanship, and the company’s future. The conversation considers how an established watchmaker continues to develop while maintaining the continuity that collectors associate with its name.

The Watch Art Grand Exhibition 2026 provides a setting for that broader discussion, bringing the manufacture’s history and present-day ambitions into public view. For viewers interested in the thinking behind a major watch house, the interview offers a useful complement to product announcements and individual watch reviews.

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SJX in Conversation With Benjamin Arabov: Building Jacob & Co. Beyond the Spectacle

Benjamin Arabov joins SJX to discuss Jacob & Co.’s development from the Five Time Zone era into increasingly ambitious mechanical watchmaking. The conversation addresses the engineering behind its attention-grabbing designs, how ideas become products, and the role smaller cases can play in reaching additional collectors.

Partnerships involving Bugatti and The Godfather provide examples of how the company translates outside associations into watchmaking concepts. The interview also examines celebrity clientele, retail relationships, and the longer-term challenge of building a family business that can sustain its founder’s creative ambition. It offers considerably more business and product context than the brand’s most photographed watches typically receive.

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Auction Results

Harry Winston Falls US$14,245 Short of Reserve

The October 5 auction of the 2025 Harry Winston Midnight Moon Phase 39, reference MIDQMP39RR002, ended with a high bid of US$4,200, leaving the rose-gold, diamond-set watch unsold against its US$18,445 reserve. The shortfall was US$14,245, or approximately 77.2 percent below reserve. Bidding reached just 22.8 percent of the seller’s minimum.

That is a substantial disconnect between the seller’s expectations and the demand expressed in this auction. The result should not be treated as a completed sale or a definitive valuation of every comparable Harry Winston. It does show that this offering attracted nowhere near the bidding required to establish a transaction at the reserve.

Auction Report

A Thousand-Year Moon Meets Today’s Market: Moser’s Aventurine Endeavour Goes to Auction

Today’s auction features a 2021 H. Moser & Cie. Endeavour Perpetual Moon Concept Aventurine, reference 1801-0402, with bidding scheduled to end at 2:05 p.m. EDT today, Tuesday, October 6, 2026. One discrepancy deserves immediate attention: the listing calls the watch stainless steel, but Moser identifies 1801-0402 as the 18-karat red-gold version; the steel aventurine model is reference 1801-1201. The supplied condition notes also describe wear to rose-gold surfaces. The reference, case hallmarks, and accompanying papers therefore need to agree before bidders apply red-gold market comparisons.

The aventurine edition appeared in 2019, extending a Perpetual Moon lineage introduced in 2010, with production limited to 50 examples in each metal. Its appeal is unusually concentrated: a sparkling blue glass dial, an oversized moon display, and the absence of the usual logo and hour markers. The 42 mm case houses the hand-wound HMC 801, offering a seven-day power reserve and a moon-phase mechanism calculated to accumulate roughly one day of error in 1,027 years when kept running and correctly set. That figure describes the lunar indication’s precision, not a promise that the watch can operate for centuries without maintenance.

The red-gold reference launched at CHF39,900. Current advertised examples of reference 1801-0402 place dealer asking prices at approximately US$31,800 to US$39,500, with differences in completeness, condition, and seller location. Those figures establish a retail asking range rather than proven transaction values, and an auction bid should not automatically be expected to match them. No reserve or current bid was supplied for today’s lot, so its relative attractiveness will depend on where bidding finishes, any applicable fees, and confirmation that the watch is the red-gold reference described.

The U.S.-located example comes with its box, papers, product literature, and hangtags. The dial is described as excellent, while the case and bezel show minor wear, including small nicks; the listing’s bracelet or strap category also records minor wear. Its service and polishing history remain unspecified. For the right collector, the combination of limited production, an unusually precise lunar complication, and a strikingly spare dial gives this Moser considerable appeal. The strongest bid will be informed by that appeal and by careful confirmation of exactly what is being offered.

Current bid: $19,000

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Losing Time

Today’s Big Losers at Auction on Grailzee

Four watches, four failed sales, and four reminders that an asking price is a wish until someone agrees to pay it.

The 2026 Rolex Oyster Perpetual 34MM (124205), with black dial and Oyster bracelet, led the optimism parade. Against a $44,500 ask, the final bid reached just $9,999—a $34,501 shortfall, or 77.5% below asking. Bidders offered less than a quarter of the seller’s target. Apparently, the Rolex name wasn’t enough to get everyone reading from the same price sheet.

The 2016 Blancpain Villeret 37.5MM (6025-1542-55B), with white dial and leather strap, attracted a $10,300 high bid against a $27,000 ask. That left a $16,700 gap, finishing 61.9% below asking. An elegant watch, certainly. The expectation that bidders would supply another $16,700 was perhaps its most ambitious complication.

The 2025 Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Tribute Monoface Small Seconds (Q713216J), with gold dial and rose gold bracelet, brought plenty of precious metal to the proceedings. Buyers brought considerably less enthusiasm: a $12,000 final bid against a $43,000 ask. The $31,000 shortfall put it 72.1% below asking. The Reverso can turn its case around; turning that bid into $43,000 would require a different mechanism entirely.

The 2022 Breguet Tradition Seconde Retrograde 7097 (7097BR/G1/9WU), with skeleton dial and leather strap, came closest to its target—although “closest” is doing some generous work here. Its $14,100 high bid fell $9,400 short of the $23,500 ask, or 40.0% below asking. In this group, attracting 60% of the requested price qualifies as a comparatively grounded conversation.

Together, the sellers wanted $138,000, while the final bids totaled $46,399—a combined shortfall of $91,601, or 66.4% of the total asking amount. These weren’t deals that narrowly missed over a little last-minute haggling. Three of the four watches failed to attract even 40% of their asking prices. The Breguet showed the smallest disconnect; the Rolex showed the largest, both in dollars and percentage terms. These results alone don’t establish fair market values, but they do show that this bidding audience had very different ideas about price. To get these watches sold, sellers would likely need substantially lower expectations or buyers this auction failed to find.

Closing Time

A memorable watch can begin with a technical achievement, a familiar character, an unexpected color, or a detail that only its owner notices. Today’s issue offers examples of each—and plenty of reasons to look beyond the first impression.

Thank you for spending part of your day with BuyingTime. Keep asking questions, take time to enjoy what is already on your wrist, and we’ll see you tomorrow.

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BuyingTime in 30 Seconds

Bonhams recruits Reg Brack to expand its American watch business, Phillips raises the stakes for online auctions, and Watches of Switzerland brings watches and jewelry together in a new retail format. New releases range from IFL’s colorful Bulova customization to Grönefeld’s elaborate Quadrivium, with gold, guilloché, aviation history and celestial displays competing for attention. Our features consider military heritage, affordable collecting and the practical demands of owning too many mechanical watches. Friday’s Patek Philippe 5905/1A-001 reached US$51,000 but missed its US$52,400 reserve. Tonight, an unworn 2025 Harry Winston Midnight Moon Phase in rose gold takes the spotlight with an US$18,445 reserve and a 7:45 p.m. EDT closing time.

Time Graphing Today’s Watch Universe

What Are We Really Paying For?

Put today’s watches next to one another and the usual explanations for luxury pricing begin to look incomplete. There is a Grönefeld filled with intricate mechanical choreography, an Armin Strom that extends its use of rose gold deep into the movement, a quartz-powered Bulova carrying a pop-art interpretation of Edvard Munch, and a Harry Winston whose appeal rests heavily on diamonds, proportion and decorative craft. Each asks for a different kind of appreciation. Each also asks the buyer to decide what that appreciation is worth.

That is the thread running through today’s issue. We often discuss watches as though there were a single ladder of merit, with better movements, more prestigious names and higher prices carrying us steadily upward. Actual collecting is less orderly. Someone captivated by a hand-finished bridge may have little interest in gemstone setting. Another collector may value a slim case and a beautiful dial more than a complicated mechanism. The useful question is whether we understand what we are buying—and whether the price makes sense for that particular pleasure.

Consider Watches of Switzerland’s expanding interest in jewelry. Its new Watches of Switzerland and Mayors showroom in New Jersey brings the two categories together while preserving their individual identities. That arrangement acknowledges something collectors already practice: a purchase can begin with engineering, aesthetics, a celebration or simply the desire to wear something beautiful. A customer does not necessarily organize those desires according to the industry’s departmental boundaries.

The Armin Strom Tribute³ Au750 occupies the intersection particularly well. Its gold is both material and visual language, extending through the case, dial and movement architecture. Hand guilloché adds another reason to look closely. The Grönefeld Quadrivium presents a different argument, bringing constant-force regulation, a flying tourbillon and jumping seconds into a single performance. These are expensive watches with distinct ambitions. Understanding those ambitions is more useful than assuming their prices make them interchangeable.

At the other end of the budget, the affordable-watch roundup shows how much enjoyment remains available below US$600. A watch can offer an engaging design, useful timing functions and a recognizable personality without becoming a major financial event. There is also a quietly persuasive argument in the feature asking whether larger collections make mechanical watches inconvenient. Once a watch box fills up, readiness becomes a feature. Picking up a quartz watch that already tells the correct time can feel wonderfully sensible.

History offers another form of value, provided we distinguish the different ways brands use it. Tudor’s relationship with the Navy SEAL community gives its military associations a tangible setting. The feature on Vario, Timor and Ollech & Wajs asks how faithfully the past should be reproduced. Both stories reward a more precise conversation about heritage: which details came from actual use, which have been adapted, and which are imaginative additions?

The auction business brings all these motivations to a particularly clear test. Reg Brack’s arrival at Bonhams and Phillips’ ambitious New York online sale show how seriously auction houses are competing for collectors’ attention. Meanwhile, Marteau & Co.’s approach to independent watchmaking raises a further question: when a maker’s work succeeds in the resale market, should the maker share in that success?

Friday’s Patek result supplies a smaller but useful lesson. Bidders stopped US$1,400 below reserve. That gap was only about 2.7%, yet it was enough to prevent a sale. Admiration, bidding interest and an agreed transaction are three different things. Tonight’s Harry Winston presents another version of that distinction: an attractive jewelry watch, an unworn description, a respected name—and a reserve that still needs to be judged against available alternatives.

The pleasure of collecting grows when we become more specific about what pleases us. Craftsmanship matters. So do comfort, convenience, personal associations and the willingness to wear the thing after the excitement of buying it has passed. Today’s issue offers plenty of reasons to want another watch. The better opportunity is to understand which reason is yours.

-Michael Wolf

News

Watch Industry Veteran Reg Brack Joins Bonhams

Bonhams has appointed Reg Brack international director of watches for the United States, giving the experienced auction and market specialist responsibility for business development, collector relationships and national growth. Based in New York, Brack brings experience spanning Christie’s, Freeman’s, StockX and The NPD Group, combining traditional auction knowledge with an understanding of digital resale and market data.

An early focus is Bonhams’ December 8 Fine Watches sale, described as the first live watch auction at its New York flagship. With consignments being accepted, the appointment signals a more assertive effort to build the house’s American watch business and compete for important collections.

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Phillips Launches Its Most Valuable New York Online Watch Auction

Phillips’ New York Watches team is presenting nearly 90 timepieces in what it describes as its most valuable online auction to date, with bidding continuing through October 9. Highlights include a Voutilainen 28Sport Limited Edition estimated at US$120,000–US$240,000, a Patek Philippe 5270J at US$80,000–US$160,000, and a platinum Rolex Daytona 116506 at US$70,000–US$140,000.

The selection brings independent watchmaking together with established collector favorites, including F.P. Journe, A. Lange & Söhne and Jaeger-LeCoultre. Its breadth also demonstrates how comfortable auction houses have become placing significant watches into online sales, where condition, presentation and specialist relationships remain central to buyer confidence.

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Watches of Switzerland and Mayors Share a New Jersey Showroom

The Watches of Switzerland Group has opened a 4,505-square-foot showroom at The Promenade at Sagemore in Marlton, New Jersey, bringing Watches of Switzerland and Mayors Jewelers together under one roof. It is Mayors’ first expansion beyond Florida and Georgia and introduces a format with separate entrances and a connected interior.

The location combines watches from brands including Rolex, Tudor, Omega and Grand Seiko with jewelry from Messika, FOPE and John Hardy. A dedicated Rolex VIP lounge and private consultation spaces support a more personal shopping experience, while the shared setting gives customers a broader reason to visit.

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Jewelry Becomes a Bigger Opportunity for Watches of Switzerland

Jewelry represents 13% of Watches of Switzerland Group sales, up from 8.5% in 2020, and the company sees room to expand that share. Its acquisition of Roberto Coin’s North and Central American business and its developing dual-store concept show how the strategy is moving beyond simply adding jewelry cases to watch stores.

Separate storefront identities paired with connected interiors allow the group to serve different shopping occasions while sharing staff and customer traffic. For a retailer closely associated with watches, the opportunity is to deepen relationships with existing customers and attract shoppers whose first interest may be gold, diamonds or a gift.

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Features

Tudor Finds a Natural Setting at San Diego’s Navy SEAL Museum

A visit to the new Navy SEAL Museum in San Diego places Tudor’s military history within the experiences of the people who used its watches. Vintage Submariners and the brand’s longstanding relationship with the SEAL community give substance to an association that can otherwise become a familiar line in a product announcement.

The museum’s involvement with retired SEALs brings a personal perspective to that history. The feature also considers Tudor’s continuing connections with military units and the appeal of watches whose reputations were formed through practical service.

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September’s Affordable Watches Offer Plenty Below US$600

September’s affordable releases demonstrate how much variety is available without moving into luxury pricing. Timex supplies three of the highlighted options: the US$229 Ironman Adrenaline, the Marlin Neo Classic Chronograph starting at US$279, and the Deepwater Meridian 200 HEV reaching US$499.

Tissot’s US$525 PRX Chronograph Quartz and Citizen’s US$595 Tsuyosa 60 37mm broaden the selection further. Across digital sports watches, quartz chronographs, divers and automatics, the appeal comes from matching useful features with a design the owner will enjoy wearing.

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How Much of a Vintage Watch Should a Modern Reinterpretation Preserve?

Vario, Timor and Ollech & Wajs provide three approaches to the same design problem: how to use history without becoming trapped by it. Vario draws from entire eras to create watches that feel historically plausible, while Timor emphasizes the visual fidelity of its military reissues and updates the components behind the familiar appearance.

Ollech & Wajs makes room for both faithful revivals and newly assembled interpretations of its past. The feature argues that consistency matters more than any prescribed ratio of old and new: a brand needs to know which details define its identity and which can evolve.

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Does a Bigger Collection Make Mechanical Watches Less Convenient?

Winding and setting a mechanical watch can be part of the pleasure of ownership—until a growing collection turns that ritual into a recurring chore. This feature examines how rotation habits change as more watches compete for wrist time and why quartz and solar models can become increasingly appealing.

Casio, Timex and Citizen illustrate the attraction of a watch that is ready when its owner is. Mechanical favorites from Orient, Seiko and Hamilton retain their charm, but the article makes a useful distinction between enjoying watchmaking and wanting every daily choice to require attention.

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Six Discontinued Watches Collectors Would Welcome Back

This selection of missed watches ranges from the original proportions and presentation of the A. Lange & Söhne Datograph to the compact, cushion-shaped Heuer Camaro. It also makes the case for the Nodus Trieste, the 36mm Oris Divers Sixty-Five, the Rolex Milgauss and the Seiko SKX family.

What connects them is the feeling that a particular combination of size, character and function disappeared with the reference. The exercise becomes more interesting than a nostalgia list because it asks what a revival would need to preserve—and whether a modern replacement really serves the same purpose.

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Bulova’s A-11 JIMMY Connects a Field Watch to Jimmy Stewart’s Wartime Service

Bulova’s A-11 JIMMY revisits the straightforward field-watch design associated with World War II and Jimmy Stewart’s service as a military pilot. The project also connects with the film “JIMMY,” for which period watches from Bulova’s museum helped establish the historical setting.

The modern watch retains a legible black dial, white Arabic numerals and hacking seconds, pairing that familiar appearance with a Miyota 9039 automatic movement, sapphire crystal and modern luminous material. A 37mm case keeps the proportions approachable, while the 42-hour power reserve and 50-meter water resistance support everyday use. The announced price is US$795, with delivery scheduled for October 2026.

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New Watches

Prices are in U.S. dollars. Converted figures are approximate and retain the tax basis of the quoted source price; they are not confirmed U.S. retail prices.

Armin Strom Tribute³ Au750: Rose Gold Through and Through

Armin Strom takes the Tribute concept into especially luxurious territory with rose gold extending from the case and dial into the movement’s bridges. Limited to eight pieces, the Tribute³ Au750 measures 38mm across and 9.38mm thick, with the brand’s distinctive off-center display, crown at 2 o’clock and small case lip at 6. Hand-applied guilloché patterns introduce different textures across the dial and movement, giving the restrained format considerable depth.

The manually wound caliber uses a motor-barrel architecture and offers a 100-hour power reserve. A gray nubuck strap and rose-gold buckle complete a watch whose attraction depends as much on close inspection as on its precious-metal construction. Price: approximately US$83,470, converted from CHF69,000.

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IFL Watches Gives the Bulova Super Seville a Scream

IFL Watches brings a neon interpretation of Edvard Munch’s “The Scream” to the Bulova Super Seville, transforming the dial into a vivid piece of wearable pop art. The 300-piece edition uses a UV-reactive background and a stylized central figure to create an appearance that changes under black light. Beneath the artwork remains Bulova’s 37.5mm stainless-steel platform, with sapphire crystal and an integrated three-row bracelet.

The high-frequency Precisionist quartz movement supplies the practical foundation, while a date display preserves everyday utility. This is a customization whose main appeal is the contrast between a familiar watch shape and an unmistakably unconventional dial. Price: US$1,190.

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Gerald Charles Maestro GC Sport Tennis Turquoise Edition

Gerald Charles pairs its asymmetric Maestro case with Darkblast-treated grade 5 titanium and a turquoise-gradient dial in this 100-piece edition. The case measures 39mm by 41mm and 9mm thick, while the stated 64-gram weight supports the watch’s emphasis on comfort during active wear. A left-side screw-down crown, luminous hands and markers, and 100-meter water resistance reinforce its sporting intentions.

The Vaucher-produced GCA2001 automatic movement supplies a 50-hour power reserve and enhanced shock resistance. A turquoise Velcro strap with titanium hardware carries the dial color around the wrist, giving the watch a more overtly athletic character. Price: approximately US$22,450 before tax, converted from the quoted €20,000 price.

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Grönefeld 1941 Quadrivium Combines Four Mechanical Attractions

The Grönefeld 1941 Quadrivium brings a 7.5-second remontoire, a one-minute flying tourbillon, central jumping seconds and a power-reserve indication into a 40mm case. Its newly developed movement contains 473 components and 49 jewels, with twin concentric barrels supporting a 50-hour running time. The display distributes its mechanisms across the dial while retaining the recognizable contours of the 1941 case.

Two editions of 28 pieces each are offered: the tantalum Première Edition and a Platinum Edition. Frosted dial surfaces, blued hands and carefully finished movement components give collectors plenty to examine beyond the complication list. Prices: approximately US$369,660 in tantalum and US$409,280 in platinum, converted from SGD473,100 and SGD523,800 respectively, including Singapore GST.

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Hanhart Officially Connects the 417 ES With Steve McQueen

Hanhart’s 417 ES Steve McQueen Limited Edition No. 1 formalizes the connection between its chronograph and one of its most recognizable wearers through a collaboration with McQueen’s estate. The 39mm stainless-steel watch retains the compact character of the historic pilot’s chronograph while incorporating a modern hand-wound AMT5100 M movement. Sapphire crystal and 100-meter water resistance make the vintage-inspired design easier to live with today.

Production is limited to 300 pieces, with presentation materials that reference McQueen’s motorcycling history, including a limitation card inspired by his 1964 racing license. The result is intended for collectors who appreciate both the underlying Hanhart design and the personal story attached to it. Price: approximately US$3,244, converted from €2,890 including German VAT.

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Mido’s Multifort TV Big Date Celebrates Alebrijes

Mido gives its Multifort TV Big Date a colorful Día de los Muertos interpretation, centering the dial on a calavera surrounded by fantastical Alebrijes creatures. Twelve lacquers and three shades of Super-LumiNova create an elaborate composition that takes on another personality in low light. The 40mm by 39.2mm case preserves the collection’s television-screen shape and provides 100-meter water resistance.

Inside, the automatic Calibre 80 delivers an 80-hour power reserve. Bracelet and strap options extend the styling possibilities, but the richly decorated dial is clearly the centerpiece of this cultural tribute. Price: approximately US$1,485, converted from the quoted £1,125 price.

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Raymond Weil Millesime Jubilee Marks 50 Years

Raymond Weil celebrates its 50th anniversary with a 500-piece Millesime Jubilee Chronograph that uses contrasting shades of blue and silver to give its vintage-inspired dial greater depth. A light-blue center, silver-grained hour ring and midnight-blue chronograph registers sit within a 39mm stainless-steel case. The absence of a date display keeps the bi-compax arrangement visually balanced.

The automatic RW5030 movement, based on the Sellita SW510, provides a 56-hour power reserve and can be viewed through the sapphire caseback. A glass-box sapphire crystal and midnight-blue calfskin strap complete the period-influenced presentation. Price: US$4,275.

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Sinn 103 St Sa Lufthansa Celebrates an Aviation Centenary

Sinn’s 103 St Sa Lufthansa translates the airline’s visual identity into a limited run of 100 pilot’s chronographs. Yellow accents stand out against a restrained gray palette, while an engraved rotor and aviation-inspired details give the familiar 103 platform a specific commemorative character. The stainless-steel case measures 41mm across and approximately 17mm thick, retaining the substantial presence associated with this chronograph family.

A Sellita SW500 automatic movement powers the watch, which is supplied with olive-gray textile and black calfskin straps. Availability is expected around early November, giving aviation enthusiasts another distinctive Sinn collaboration to consider. Price: approximately US$3,244, converted from €2,890.

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Van Cleef & Arpels Midnight Jour Nuit Phase de Lune Looks to the Sky

Van Cleef & Arpels combines a day-and-night indication with a moon-phase display in a 42mm white-gold watch built around celestial theater. The black Murano aventurine glass dial creates a starry setting, while an on-demand animation rotates the display to reveal the moon’s phase. An automatic movement coordinates the daily and lunar indications, bringing mechanical complexity to a presentation designed to appear effortless.

The decorative work continues on the reverse with an engraved lunar surface, an enameled Earth and miniature painted planets. A black alligator strap and white-gold folding buckle complete the formal appearance of a watch intended to reward both technical curiosity and an appreciation for miniature art. Price: US$153,000.

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Brellum Pandial 43 Power Reserve LE Chronometer Goes Black

Brellum limits its black-dial Pandial 43 Power Reserve LE Chronometer to 33 pieces, combining a busy instrument-style display with individually certified chronometer performance. The 43mm stainless-steel case houses the Valjoux 7750-based BR-750RM movement, offering chronograph timing, a date display and a power-reserve indicator. A tachymeter bezel and telemeter scale add to the watch’s traditional timing-tool character.

The movement provides a 46-hour reserve and is visible through a sapphire caseback, while 100-meter water resistance and a five-row steel bracelet support regular wear. At 15.9mm thick, this is a substantial chronograph whose attraction lies in its specification, finishing and very small production run. Price: approximately US$3,792 at the CHF3,135 export price, before applicable import charges and taxes; approximately US$4,101 at the CHF3,390 Swiss price.

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Comparisons

Ianos Amfivios Versus Doxa Sub 300 Ti5

Two titanium dive watches approach the same assignment with different identities. The Ianos Amfivios emphasizes a utilitarian finish, distinctive dial architecture and the personality of a young Greek brand, while the Doxa Sub 300 Ti5 draws on established diving-watch history and a more familiar visual vocabulary.

The comparison considers the differences between grade 2 and grade 5 titanium, finishing, date placement and overall balance. The reviewer ultimately favors the Doxa’s execution, while acknowledging that the Ianos offers an appealing alternative for collectors drawn to less conventional designs.

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Five Ceramic Watches for Collectors Who Dislike Scratches

Ceramic’s resistance to everyday scratching has made it an attractive case material across a wide range of prices and design styles. This guide brings together the Earthen & Co Summit MKII, Tudor Black Bay Ceramic, IWC Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41 Le Petit Prince, Zenith Defy Skyline Skeleton Black Ceramic & Gold, and Urwerk UR-100V Lightspeed Ceramic.

The selection ranges from an accessible US$899 offering to ambitious high-end watchmaking. Beyond the material itself, the useful comparison concerns how each brand balances case size, movement, finishing and visual identity; scratch resistance is only one part of what makes a watch satisfying to own.

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GMT Watches With Their Own Identity

A practical travel watch does not have to follow the visual formula of a Rolex GMT-Master II. This roundup explores alternatives from Seiko, Nodus, Jack Mason, Farer, Monta, Rado and Nomos, covering field-watch styling, distinctive bezel treatments and world-time displays.

The variety extends to how the watches operate, including independently adjustable local-hour hands, conventional GMT indications and city-ring systems. For buyers, the useful starting point is how they travel and read the time; the best-looking dial is more satisfying when its adjustment method also fits the owner’s routine.

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Reviews

Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Control Chronometre Perpetual Calendar

Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Master Control Chronometre Perpetual Calendar brings substantial calendar information into a case measuring 39mm across and 9.2mm thick. The automatic caliber 868 contains 332 components and delivers a 70-hour power reserve, while the dial coordinates day, date, month, year and moon-phase indications.

Steel and pink-gold versions pair their respective dial treatments with integrated three-row bracelets. The review focuses on the balance between complication and wearability, examining whether the finishing, proportions and bracelet execution make this a watch that can move comfortably beyond occasional formal use.

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The Cartier Roadster Returns With Its Personality Intact

The Roadster’s appeal has always depended on the way Cartier combines automotive references with its own design vocabulary. The tonneau-shaped case, prominent crown and distinctive date magnifier give the watch an immediately recognizable silhouette, and the revived collection returns that identity to the contemporary sports-watch conversation.

Medium and large sizes, measuring 34.9mm and 38mm respectively, are offered across steel, two-tone and gold configurations. Automatic movements, 100-meter water resistance and prices starting at US$10,200 place the renewed Roadster firmly in the luxury category, with its success likely to depend on how effectively that distinctive shape translates to the wrist.

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L. Leroy Vox Temporis Makes Sound Part of the Experience

The L. Leroy Vox Temporis combines a minute repeater and flying tourbillon with an unconventional time display in a 43mm officer-style case. A rotating dial passes beneath a fixed pointer, asking the owner to engage with time differently while the repeater offers an audible alternative.

The manually wound L601SQR movement contains 321 components and runs for more than 90 hours. Offered in titanium, red gold and platinum within a 15-piece edition, the watch also provides an opportunity to compare how case materials influence the character of a striking mechanism; the review particularly favors titanium’s acoustic performance.

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Albishorn Type X-Graph Gives Imaginary Vintage a Technical Edge

Albishorn’s Type X-Graph imagines a historical watch that never existed, then builds that idea with a thoroughly modern specification. Its translucent anthracite dial reveals elements of the manually wound ALB04 M chronograph movement, while the unusual register positions and red pusher establish a strong visual identity.

The 39mm case houses a COSC-certified movement with a 65-hour power reserve, and water resistance reaches 100 meters. Limited to 99 pieces, the Type X-Graph invites close attention to its design decisions as well as its mechanics, making it especially relevant to readers interested in where heritage inspiration ends and original design begins.

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Abinger Phantom Luna Packs Tool-Watch Capability Into Modest Dimensions

The Abinger Phantom Luna pairs a dark, tactical appearance with dimensions that should accommodate a wide range of wrists. Its 38.5mm case measures 10.8mm thick and 45mm from lug to lug, while the specification includes 200-meter water resistance, sapphire crystal and a 120-click unidirectional bezel.

A Miyota 9039 automatic movement supplies a 42-hour power reserve, and an FKM rubber strap keeps the presentation practical. The review considers whether the luminous treatment, compact proportions and UK assembly make the Phantom Luna a persuasive choice in the crowded affordable tool-watch category.

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Dennison ALD Elements Brings Stone-Dial Glamour to Everyday Wear

Dennison’s ALD Elements combines lapis lazuli, onyx, tiger’s eye and amazonite in a mosaic dial whose natural variations make each example different. The cushion-shaped case measures 33.5mm by 37mm and only 6.05mm thick, giving the watch a distinctly slim, jewelry-like presence.

A Swiss Ronda 1062 quartz movement makes that profile possible, while steel and yellow-gold PVD versions offer different expressions of the same 1970s-inspired design. The bark-textured mesh bracelet adds another layer of surface interest, reinforcing the watch’s appeal as an object of color, texture and proportion.

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Casio’s Sapphire MR-G Takes the G-Shock Square Into Rare Territory

The G-Shock MR-G MRGD5000 applies sapphire construction to one of watchmaking’s most familiar digital silhouettes. A titanium inner case supports the architecture, while a blue-toned display, gold accents and a rubber strap give the transparent exterior a distinctly luxurious presentation.

Only 20 pieces are planned, including six for the United States, with deliveries scheduled between December 2026 and June 2027. At US$80,000, this is an exploration of materials and collectibility at the far edge of the G-Shock range, retaining digital functions and 200-meter water resistance while asking how far the original square can travel.

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Podcasts

Celebrity Watch Shopping With Tom Cruise — A Podcast About Watches

This episode uses Tom Cruise’s watch choices as the starting point for a conversation about celebrity taste and its influence on collecting. The broader attraction is the relationship between a recognizable public personality and the watches audiences come to associate with that person. Available as a video podcast, it offers a lighter counterpoint to today’s discussions of specifications, auction estimates and retail strategy.

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Videos

Gallet’s Relaunch Explained — Time+Tide Watches

Time+Tide examines Gallet’s return within Breitling’s developing House of Brands and the role of more accessible tool watches in that strategy. The discussion considers how a historic name can establish a useful position today through product design, pricing and a clearly communicated identity. It is a timely companion to the issue’s broader questions about heritage and what buyers expect to receive for their money.

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Inside Artisans de Genève With Founder John Isaac — Rob the American

A workshop visit offers a closer look at Artisans de Genève and the detailed work involved in personalizing luxury watches. The focus is on the relationship between an owner’s preferences and the craftspeople translating those preferences into a finished object. For viewers interested in customization, the appeal is seeing the process and understanding how far an individual commission can depart from the starting watch.

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Is Panerai Listening? Smaller Luminors and Better Prices — IDGuy

IDGuy considers whether Panerai’s latest Luminor direction responds to collectors who want more manageable proportions and stronger value. The discussion examines how much a brand can adjust size and pricing while retaining the design features that make its watches recognizable. It is particularly relevant for enthusiasts who admire Panerai’s appearance but have found previous models difficult to wear.

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A “Perfect” Watch That Few People Know — Chisholm Hunter

Chisholm Hunter makes the case for an overlooked watch, focusing on the details that can make a less familiar model especially rewarding. The presentation invites viewers to look beyond the references that dominate online conversation and consider how design, execution and personal preference come together. Its central question is one many collectors recognize: how much does widespread recognition contribute to our enjoyment?

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Did Tim Mosso Still Love His Grail Watch One Year Later?

The pursuit of a grail watch receives plenty of attention; the experience of owning it can be more revealing. This video revisits Tim Mosso’s feelings after a year, considering whether the watch continues to deliver the satisfaction that made it so desirable. It is a useful reminder that the most meaningful review may begin after the acquisition story ends.

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Rolex Surprises and Tudor Revivals — Britt Pearce

Britt Pearce reviews September’s watch news, including developments at Rolex and Tudor’s return to a cult-favorite design. The appeal lies in considering individual releases as part of a broader conversation about what collectors want from familiar brands. Expect an enthusiast’s perspective on the mix of surprise, nostalgia and expectation surrounding major launches.

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The Swiss Watch Industry and the Counterfeit Problem — Andrew Morgan Watches

Andrew Morgan examines counterfeit watches and the challenge they present to brands, dealers and buyers. The subject extends beyond visual imitation to the trust required for a healthy secondary market. The video offers an opinion-led look at why authenticity remains central to the ownership experience, especially as buying increasingly takes place at a distance.

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What It Takes to Acquire a Patek Philippe in 2026 — Zero to Sixty

This discussion looks at the practical challenges surrounding a Patek Philippe purchase, from availability and dealer relationships to the alternatives offered by the secondary market. It considers how patience, preparation and a clear budget influence the experience. For collectors contemplating a first purchase, the useful distinction is between wanting the brand and identifying a particular watch worth pursuing.

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A Free Rolex at TPT — TimePieceTrading

TimePieceTrading builds this episode around the surprise of a Rolex giveaway and the reaction it produces. It offers a glimpse of the personality-driven side of watch retail and the way memorable moments become content. Alongside today’s more technical viewing, this is a look at watches as entertainment and shared experience.

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The Downfall of Watch Flipping — Jenni Elle

Jenni Elle offers a critical perspective on watch flipping and the expectations that formed around easy profits, particularly in the Rolex market. The discussion is relevant to collectors sorting out the difference between buying a watch to enjoy and buying one because they expect someone else to pay more. It also raises questions about access, pricing and the effect speculative behavior has on the wider hobby.

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Is This Rolex’s Most Iconic Daytona? — Subdial

Subdial’s Drop #297 uses a Daytona as the starting point for a discussion of recognizable design and enduring collector appeal. The presentation considers what makes a particular version stand out within a model family that already carries considerable cultural weight. It is an opportunity to look past the Daytona name and pay attention to the specific details that shape preference.

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Xavier de Roquemaurel Explains Czapek’s GWD26 Releases — Deployant

Czapek’s Xavier de Roquemaurel discusses the brand’s GWD26 releases, offering context for their design and technical choices. Hearing the thinking behind a collection can help connect specifications with the experience the maker intends to create. The video should particularly interest viewers following independent brands and the development of a recognizable house style.

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Why Rolex Does Not Chase Every Sale — Casual Watch Reviews

An ex-Rolex manager’s perspective informs this discussion of exclusivity, customer expectations and the way the brand’s retail experience is perceived. The video considers why immediate availability is only one part of the relationship between Rolex and prospective buyers. Its value is as a viewpoint on the system, rather than a promise that any particular purchasing strategy will produce a watch.

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US$4,000 for a Submariner? — Watch Hospital NYC

Watch Hospital NYC raises a price question certain to catch collectors’ attention: what does a US$4,000 Submariner proposition actually involve? The discussion invites viewers to consider how the identity and circumstances of a particular watch affect the meaning of its headline price. It is another reminder that an appealing number is the beginning of an evaluation.

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Auctions

Vintage Finds: Lucien Piccard, Mappin & Webb, Omega and Jaeger-LeCoultre

This selection explores the more approachable side of vintage collecting through a Lucien Piccard telephone watch, a Mappin & Webb dress watch, an Omega Admiralty and a Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Mariner. The attraction lies in distinctive designs and overlooked references that can provide considerable character without the budgets associated with headline auction lots.

Condition, originality and accompanying material remain essential to the comparison. The feature combines individual finds with a broader reminder that good vintage buying depends on understanding the particular example, especially when unfamiliar references make quick price comparisons difficult.

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Marteau & Co.’s The Encore Puts Independent Watchmaking Center Stage

Marteau & Co.’s largest auction to date runs online from October 8 through October 16, bringing together 40 watches across established independent names and emerging makers. Among the highlights is a complete set of F.P. Journe’s limited-edition 38mm stainless-steel watches, created to mark the end of the brand’s 38mm production.

The sale also expands the house’s roster with makers including Marco Lang, Sylvain Pinaud, Yosuke Sekiguchi, Ondřej Berkus and Reuben Schoots. Beyond the selection, Marteau’s distinctive proposition is to give participating independent watchmakers a share when their work resells, adapting an idea associated with artists’ resale rights to the watch market.

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Auction Results

Patek Philippe’s Green-Dial 5905/1A Stops US$1,400 Short

Friday, October 2’s auction of the 2024 Patek Philippe Annual Calendar Flyback Chronograph, reference 5905/1A-001, reached a high bid of US$51,000 but did not meet the US$52,400 reserve. The stainless-steel, green-dial watch therefore remained unsold.

The final bid was US$1,400, or approximately 2.7%, below the seller’s minimum. That is a relatively narrow gap, but it remains a failed sale rather than a completed US$51,000 transaction. The result shows where bidding stopped on this example; it does not establish a sale price for the reference.

Auction Report

Diamonds After Dark: Harry Winston’s Midnight Moon Phase Faces the Price Test

Tonight’s auction presents a 2025 Harry Winston Midnight Moon Phase 39, reference MIDQMP39RR002, in 18-karat rose gold with a diamond-set case and rosé-champagne dial. Located in the United States, the watch is offered with its box and papers and described as unworn, with the dial, case, bezel and band rated excellent; the listing allows for slight handling marks. The reserve is US$18,445, and bidding is scheduled to close at 7:45 p.m. EDT tonight, Monday, October 5, 2026. Its appeal is immediately apparent: warm gold, restrained proportions and a decorative lunar display from a house whose identity was built around exceptional jewelry.

Harry Winston’s New York business dates to 1932, while its first watch collection, Premier, arrived in 1989. The Midnight collection carries that jewelry heritage into a classical round-watch format, and this model expresses it through a circular guilloché wave motif and 161 brilliant-cut diamonds totaling approximately 1.12 carats. The 39mm case is 8.6mm thick, giving it a relatively slim profile. The HW5201 quartz movement provides hours, minutes, date and moon phase, and the standard configuration includes a taupe alligator strap with a rose-gold buckle. Its luxury proposition rests on design, materials and gem-setting, with quartz providing straightforward operation.

The strongest directly comparable price found is a public dealer asking price of US$17,650 for this exact reference, also described as a 2025 unworn watch with box and papers. That is an advertised price, not a confirmed transaction, and the matching description could represent the same watch offered through another channel rather than an independent comparable. Even so, it is a meaningful alternative to investigate: tonight’s reserve is US$18,445. The dealer also quotes an approximate MSRP of US$27,900, putting the reserve about 33.9% below that figure, although an advertised MSRP is less useful for assessing resale value than an available like-for-like offering.

For a buyer who wants a refined gold-and-diamond watch with an expressive dial, the Midnight Moon Phase has a clear attraction. The reserve nevertheless requires scrutiny because the exact-reference advertised alternative sits below it. Condition, availability, warranty coverage and final acquisition cost could explain a difference, but those details should support the price rather than be assumed. Tonight’s auction will test whether a bidder values this particular example enough to meet the seller’s minimum; the watch’s beauty is evident, while the strength of the deal depends on the terms.

Current bid: $3,200

See it Now on Bezel >

Losing Time

Today’s Big Losers at Auction on Grailzee

Four watches, four failed sales, and four reminders that an asking price is a wish until someone agrees to pay it. The shortfalls below are measured against each seller’s ask.

The 2018 Rolex Cosmograph Daytona 40MM Silver Dial on Oysterflex (116519LN) carried a $45,000 asking price but attracted a final bid of $30,000. That’s a $15,000 shortfall, or 33.3% below ask. The seller and bidder were only one-third of the price apart—a relatively intimate disagreement by the standards of this group. The Daytona had the smallest percentage gap, though “closest to selling” still didn’t produce a sale.

The 2020 Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Chronograph 38MM Grey Dial on Steel (26315ST.OO.1256ST.02) asked $45,275 and drew a high bid of $23,000, finishing $22,275 short, or 49.2% below ask. You have to admire the precision of that $45,275 valuation. Unfortunately, bidders disagreed with substantially more than the last $275.

The 2021 Rolex Day-Date 36MM Champagne Dial in Rose Gold on a President Bracelet (118235F) sought $50,000 but received a $21,400 bid. That left a $28,600 gap, or 57.2% below ask. The President bracelet brought the title; the bidding declined to approve the budget. Buyers offered less than half of what the seller wanted.

The 2023 Patek Philippe World Time “Tokyo Edition” Limited 40MM Purple Dial on Leather (5330G) delivered the biggest disconnect: a $105,000 ask against a $35,000 high bid. That’s $70,000 short, or 66.7% below ask. A watch capable of tracking world time apparently couldn’t get seller and bidder into the same pricing time zone.

Together, the sellers wanted $245,275, while final bids totaled $109,400—55.4% below the combined asking prices. These weren’t near misses awaiting a modest concession. Three of the four needed roughly half or more knocked off their asks to meet the bidding.

The conclusion: prestigious names and limited editions didn’t persuade these bidders to fund the sellers’ expectations. These results alone don’t establish fair market values or prove a broader market slump, but they do show a substantial pricing disconnect at these auctions. Aspirational pricing had an excellent showing. Actual transactions, less so.

Closing Time

Today’s watches offer very different reasons to look twice: a beautifully finished movement, a familiar design brought back to life, a dial made from natural stone, or diamonds arranged around a miniature moon. The pleasure comes from discovering which details continue to matter after the first impression.

Thank you for spending part of your day with BuyingTime. Enjoy the watches already in your rotation, approach the next one with curiosity, and we’ll be back tomorrow with more of the stories that make this world worth following.

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BuyingTime in 30 Seconds

Patek Philippe dominates today’s lineup as its Milan exhibition brings new Aquanaut, Calatrava, Gondolo and grand-complication releases alongside extraordinary enamel and marquetry. Diatom incorporates space-derived materials into its Inner Worlds collection, while Lorige turns racing brake material into a limited-edition watch. Hamilton revisits its cushion-shaped heritage, Christopher Ward celebrates its jumping-hour complication, and Seiko’s UK results show the continued appeal of recognizable quality at accessible prices. Our features remember Günter Blümlein and examine everything from hacking tourbillons to Hublot’s Jeff Koons collaboration. Yesterday’s Chopard remained unsold at US$25,500 against a US$74,888 reserve. Tonight, a 2024 Patek Philippe 5905/1A-001 annual calendar flyback chronograph takes the auction spotlight, with bidding scheduled to close at 8:35 p.m. EDT.

Time Graphing Today’s Watch Universe

The Story Gets Our Attention. The Watch Has to Keep It.

Almost every watch in today’s issue arrives with a story bigger than the object itself. Some promise a connection to space exploration. Others carry the material remains of a racing car, the cultural identity of a city, the imagination of an artist or the memory of an influential watchmaking executive. That is part of what makes this hobby so absorbing. We can begin with a dial and end up discussing Italian architecture, lunar meteorites, industrial design or the rebuilding of German watchmaking.

The interesting question is what happens after that first introduction. A story can make us stop scrolling. It can explain why a watch exists and give us a reason to remember it. Living with the watch asks for something more: proportions we enjoy, functions we use, construction we trust and a price we can accept. Today’s issue offers an unusually broad look at how those two experiences—the attraction and the ownership—fit together.

Start with Patek Philippe’s Italian enamel and marquetry creations. Here, the connection to Italy becomes physical through demanding craft. Buildings, landscapes and decorative traditions are translated into enamel, gold wire and carefully selected wood. The subject draws the viewer in, while the technique rewards a much longer look. Even someone who will never own one of these pieces can leave with a better understanding of the work involved.

The Milan Calatrava trilogy approaches the same setting through color, familiar case design and different levels of complication. The blue Aquanaut makes its connection more immediately visible through a distinctive dial and exhibition identity. These watches share an occasion, but the ownership experiences would be quite different. A collector drawn to the exhibition still has to decide which expression of it makes sense on the wrist.

Diatom’s Inner Worlds collection and Lorige’s BL-Evolution Competition take another route. Their appeal includes material that has already lived a remarkable life. An aerospace component or a piece of racing brake material allows the owner to feel a tangible connection to something otherwise distant. The quality of that connection depends on clear provenance, but its emotional appeal is easy to understand. People have always valued objects that bring history within reach.

There is a different kind of transformation in Hublot’s collaboration with Jeff Koons. Turning the visual language of a balloon sculpture into a mechanical watch requires decisions about volume, surfaces, legibility and construction. Whether the result appeals to an individual collector is a matter of taste. What interests me is the attempt to make an artistic idea shape the whole object. A recognizable image is an effective introduction; a coherent watch design gives the collaboration a chance to remain interesting.

The remembrance of Günter Blümlein brings the conversation back to people. His influence survives because it helped create watches, institutions and standards that continued beyond his own lifetime. That is a substantial form of legacy. Brand histories often concentrate on founding dates and famous references, but the difficult work of deciding what a company should become deserves just as much attention. Collectors are still encountering the consequences of those decisions every time they handle the watches.

At a more accessible level, Christopher Ward’s C1 Jump Hour XV gives an anniversary a practical expression. Its mechanical display changes the way the owner reads the time. Hamilton’s cushion-shaped revival offers the pleasure of winding a compact watch whose form recalls an earlier period. Neither requires the buyer to become an expert historian. The history provides context, while the daily interaction supplies its own reward.

That brings us to Seiko’s UK results. In a difficult market, the company’s commentary points to the strength of quality, familiarity and value. Those qualities can sound modest beside a minute repeater or a meteorite dial, yet they are persuasive reasons to buy a watch. The guide to parent-friendly watches under US$500 makes the same point through everyday use. A watch that survives a demanding day without requiring attention has fulfilled a meaningful promise.

Today’s podcast discussion about brand ambassadors asks how that initial interest begins. A familiar face can introduce someone to watches, just as a film, a family member or a chance conversation can. What sustains the interest is usually discovery: learning how something works, finding a design that feels personal, meeting other collectors and developing preferences of one’s own. The most productive introduction leaves room for that exploration.

The auction market supplies a particularly direct test. Yesterday’s Chopard had precious metal, diamonds and a recognizable design, yet bidding stopped far below the seller’s reserve. That does not erase the watch’s qualities. It tells us that the audience present at that sale online did not translate those qualities into the required price. Tonight’s complicated steel Patek presents its own combination of mechanical substance, brand appeal and market expectations.

A good story gives a watch depth. A satisfying watch keeps adding to that story after the purchase—through use, familiarity and the memories of its owner. That is the connection I find most compelling in today’s issue. The exhibition ends, the launch moves off the front page and the limited edition sells through. What remains is the object we chose, and whether we still enjoy spending time with it.

-Michael Wolf

News

David Edwards Delivers Stable Seiko UK Sales in His Final Year

Seiko UK recorded revenue of £27 million for its 2025–26 financial year, slightly below the previous year’s £27.6 million, as David Edwards completed one of his final responsibilities for the business before his death in July. The company reported an operating loss of £215,000 and finished the period with net assets of £28 million. Its commentary described trading as consistent with expectations against a difficult UK retail environment and softer luxury-watch demand.

The results also point to a distinction within the market: consumers continued to respond to Seiko’s combination of recognizable quality and value. Globally, the group’s watch division reported first-quarter revenue growth of 16%, with contributions from Grand Seiko, Prospex, Presage and Seiko 5 Sports. The UK performance therefore sits within a broader business showing growth, even as local profitability remains under pressure.

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Features

200 Odd Years of Hacking Tourbillons

Stopping a tourbillon precisely enough to set the time presents an intriguing mechanical problem: the regulating organ is moving inside a rotating cage. This historical examination follows the different solutions watchmakers developed, including mechanisms that stopped parts of the going train, arrested the cage or contacted the balance itself. It also distinguishes stopping the mechanism from stopping a separate seconds indication.

The story reaches from early pocket-watch experimentation to modern wristwatches, including A. Lange & Söhne’s Cabaret Tourbillon. Along the way, it shows how a seemingly simple convenience can require considerable ingenuity. For collectors, it is an invitation to look beyond the visual spectacle of a rotating cage and consider how the watch is actually set and used.

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Remembering Günter Blümlein, 25 Years Later

Twenty-five years after his death, Günter Blümlein remains a central figure in the story of modern mechanical watchmaking. His work with IWC, Jaeger-LeCoultre and A. Lange & Söhne helped shape the identities and ambitions of brands that continue to command collectors’ attention. This remembrance revisits that influence through photographs, personal recollections and the experiences of people who worked alongside him.

A feature-length documentary in development adds another dimension to the tribute, drawing on conversations with longtime associates and figures from the watch community. The lasting interest in Blümlein reflects the substance of his contribution: he helped give historic names a credible future. His legacy can still be examined in the watches themselves.

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Hublot, Jeff Koons and the Challenge of Making a Watch Look Inflated

Hublot’s collaboration with Jeff Koons pushes the Classic Fusion into unfamiliar territory, using rounded surfaces and sculptural details to evoke the artist’s Balloon Dog. The project extends beyond decorating a dial, reshaping the watch’s visual character around the illusion of inflated volume. The Balloon Dog editions are priced at US$25,100, while the more elaborate MP-14 Origin carries a US$488,000 price and a production limit of 30 pieces.

Roberta Naas’s account of the New York presentation considers both the engineering demands and Koons’s ideas about scale and time. The resulting watches will invite sharply different reactions, which is consistent with the artist’s work and Hublot’s history. The feature offers a closer look at what happens when a watch manufacturer allows an artistic collaboration to influence the architecture of the product.

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Watch Gang’s Wheel Makes the Purchase Part of the Entertainment

Watch Gang’s Wheel combines a defined entry-level selection with the possibility of receiving a watch from a higher tier. Buyers select target watches within the available structure, pay the applicable entry price and receive an outcome through the Wheel. The attraction lies in adding surprise to a purchase while establishing what the minimum watch outcome will be.

That structure makes the buying experience part of the product’s appeal. Collectors still need to assess whether they would be happy receiving the lowest-tier selection, since the possibility of an upgrade does not establish the value of the underlying purchase. The model illustrates how watch commerce increasingly incorporates entertainment, participation and anticipation.

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New Watches

Converted prices are approximate U.S.-dollar equivalents of the supplied overseas prices, rather than confirmed U.S. retail prices. Local taxes, duties and regional pricing may differ.

Diatom’s Inner Worlds Collection Brings Space History to the Wrist

Diatom’s Inner Worlds collection comprises Mercury, Venus, Earth, Moon and Mars editions, each limited to 450 watches. The 39.5mm stainless-steel models combine planetary-inspired dial treatments with space-derived materials, including meteorites and components associated with historic aerospace programs. Automatic movements provide a 42-hour power reserve, while the collection’s reported journey to approximately 100,000 feet adds another element to its space-exploration identity. Its strongest appeal is the opportunity to combine a wearable watch with a tangible connection to a subject many collectors have followed since childhood. Price: approximately US$2,910 each.

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Hamilton Revives the American Classic Cushion

Hamilton returns to a case shape closely associated with its early wristwatches, offering the American Classic Cushion Mechanical in 30mm and 34mm sizes. Both versions measure a slim 8.1mm thick and use the hand-wound H-42 movement, which provides a 57-hour power reserve and a Nivachron balance spring. Small seconds at six o’clock, period-inspired numerals and a choice of dial finishes reinforce the historical connection, while sapphire crystal and 50-meter water resistance support everyday wear. Leather straps and restrained dimensions make this a particularly interesting release for collectors seeking a compact mechanical watch with character. Price: approximately US$1,240–US$1,380, depending on configuration.

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Lorige BL-Evolution Competition Turns Racing Material Into Watchmaking

Lorige’s BL-Evolution Competition links its construction to Inter Europol’s endurance-racing program through carbon-carbon material recovered from racing brake components. The case measures 50mm by 42mm and combines that unusual material with a Grade 5 titanium bezel and caseback. Inside, the manually wound LOR-DB03 movement developed with Chronode provides a seven-day power reserve, while yellow and green details connect the display to the team’s colors. Limited to 50 pieces, the watch gives its motorsport association a physical presence in the case itself. Price: available upon request; a U.S.-dollar figure has not been disclosed.

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Patek Philippe Gives the Gondolo a Colorful Ladies First Revival

Patek Philippe’s Gondolo reference 7043 collection brings six interpretations of its Ladies First theme to the Milan exhibition. Precious-metal cases, vivid straps and extensive gem-setting give the range a more expressive character, with three diamond-set models joined by three Joaillerie versions. The E15 quartz movement emphasizes convenient timekeeping, allowing the design and decorative work to remain the principal focus. These watches broaden the conversation around Patek’s women’s offerings through color, case shape and jewelry craftsmanship. Price: US$37,510–US$68,768, according to the supplied launch coverage.

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Porsche Design and Hodinkee Introduce the Chronograph 1 Utility

The second chapter of Porsche Design’s collaboration trilogy with Hodinkee draws on the visual clarity and functional priorities of military chronographs. Its 40.8mm titanium case houses the WERK 01.340 movement, with a central elapsed-minute hand that recalls the practical display associated with the historic Lemania 5100. A black dial, red accents and an aircraft-shaped chronograph-minute hand give the watch an immediately recognizable identity, supported by COSC certification, a 60-hour power reserve and 100-meter water resistance. Production is limited to 350 pieces, including 100 allocated exclusively to Hodinkee customers. Price: US$9,650.

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Seiko Prospex “Blue Tears” Adds Ocean Color to a Practical Diver

Seiko’s Prospex “Blue Tears” edition pairs a blue dial with a brighter blue seconds hand in a 41.7mm stainless-steel case. The automatic 4R35 movement provides approximately 41 hours of power reserve, and the watch offers 200-meter water resistance, a screw-down crown and a date display. A steel bracelet and included silicone strap provide two wearing options, while drilled lugs make strap changes easier. Limited to 1,200 pieces for selected Asian markets through the Thong Sia Group, it retains the straightforward specifications and accessible positioning that give Seiko divers their enduring appeal. Price: approximately US$745, based on the quoted Singapore price of just under S$954.

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Christopher Ward C1 Jump Hour XV Celebrates a Different Way to Read Time

Christopher Ward marks 15 years since its first proprietary complication with the C1 Jump Hour XV, a 300-piece edition that revisits the jumping-hour display. Its 39mm steel case surrounds a textured dial produced with femtosecond-laser technology, combining a digital hour aperture with a conventional minute hand. The Sellita-based JJ01 movement supplies a 38-hour power reserve, while the case’s contrasting surfaces and layered dial treatment move the design toward the brand’s more ambitious contemporary work. Buyers can choose leather or a steel bracelet, giving the watch either a dressier or more substantial everyday presence. Price: US$2,495 on leather or US$2,695 on a bracelet.

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Patek Philippe Aquanaut 5167A Milano Takes on Gradient Blue

Patek Philippe’s Milan exhibition Aquanaut gives the familiar 40.8mm steel sports watch a gradient midnight-blue dial, red minute-track accents and a matching blue composite strap. The self-winding caliber 26-330 S C supplies the time-and-date display, preserving the straightforward functionality that helps define the reference. Production is limited to 250 pieces, with exhibition identification on the sapphire caseback marking its connection to Milano 2026. The result emphasizes a distinctive color combination within an established design, making the dial treatment central to its collector appeal. Price: U.S.-dollar pricing has not been announced in the supplied coverage.

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Patek Philippe 5978P-010 Combines an Instantaneous Perpetual Calendar With a Chronograph

The platinum 5978P-010 is one of the most technically ambitious watches in Patek Philippe’s Milan exhibition lineup. Its manually wound movement combines a chronograph with an instantaneous perpetual-calendar mechanism, presenting a complex set of calendar indications within a 42mm case. A navy-blue dial, Italian-language calendar windows and a strap with red stitching connect the watch to the exhibition’s design language. Limited to 120 pieces, it brings a new mechanical expression to the manufacture’s long association with perpetual-calendar chronographs. Price: U.S.-dollar pricing has not been announced in the supplied coverage.

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Patek Philippe’s Calatrava Trilogy Salutes the Italian Tricolore

Three white-gold Calatrava editions use red, green and white to interpret the colors of Italy’s flag. The red-dial 7047G-010 minute repeater is limited to five pieces, the green-dial 7147G-010 perpetual calendar to 100, and the white-dial 7007G-010 date-and-center-seconds model to 200. Carbon-pattern dial treatments establish a shared visual identity across watches with very different levels of mechanical complexity. The trio gives collectors several ways to engage with the Milan exhibition, from a relatively direct automatic display to one of watchmaking’s most demanding complications. Price: U.S.-dollar prices were not provided in the supplied coverage.

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Patek Philippe World Time Minute Repeaters Depict Milan by Day and Night

Two versions of the 5531G combine Patek Philippe’s world-time minute repeater with cloisonné enamel views of Milan. Each is limited to five pieces and housed in a 40.2mm white-gold case, with the two dial scenes presenting the city in daylight and after dark. The automatic R 27 HU movement enables the repeater to sound the local time associated with the selected city, connecting the audible complication to the world-time display. Distinctive calfskin straps complete the two interpretations, while the enamel work gives each watch a strong sense of place. Price: U.S.-dollar pricing has not been announced in the supplied coverage.

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Norqain Expands the Wild One With Titanium and Meteorite

Norqain introduces 39mm and 42mm Wild One Skeleton Titanium models alongside a 42mm Meteorite Titanium edition. The watches retain the collection’s layered, shock-absorbing construction and 200-meter water resistance, using titanium elements to give the familiar architecture a different appearance. COSC-certified automatic movements provide approximately 65 to 70 hours of power reserve, while the skeleton and meteorite dials offer contrasting visual experiences. The skeleton editions are limited to 400 pieces each, with strap and clasp choices affecting the final price. Price: approximately US$6,720–US$7,650 across the quoted configurations.

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Comparisons

Nine Watches Under US$500 Built for the Realities of Parenting

The most useful watch for a busy parent may be the one that asks for the least attention. This guide considers affordable digital and analog choices through the practical demands of spills, water, rough handling and long days on the move. Models ranging from the Casio F-91W to the Citizen Promaster Diver illustrate how different budgets can buy different levels of durability and capability.

Legibility, comfortable straps, dependable power and appropriate water resistance matter more here than elaborate finishing or prestige. The guide also recognizes that inexpensive watches involve tradeoffs, including limited water protection on some models and greater bulk on others. Its value lies in matching the watch to the day its owner actually has.

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Reviews

Artem Refines the Classic HydroFlex Strap

Artem’s updated Classic HydroFlex brings its FKM-rubber construction and sailcloth-style texture to a slimmer, conventional two-piece strap. Five colors, quick-release spring bars and an updated tang buckle provide a range of combinations without changing the central objective: comfortable daily wear with strong resistance to moisture and perspiration. The quoted European price translates to approximately US$252.

The review focuses on how reduced bulk and greater flexibility affect the wearing experience, particularly on watches that can be overwhelmed by a thick strap or large clasp. A strap change can alter the character of a familiar watch substantially, and this update concentrates on the details that remain noticeable after the first few days. The visual appeal of sailcloth is paired with the practical benefits of rubber.

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G-Shock’s Blue Rose Project Takes the Square Into Sapphire

Casio’s MRG-D5000 Blue Rose Project moves one of watchmaking’s most familiar digital shapes into an extraordinary material setting. The transparent blue sapphire construction uses interlocking components inspired by Japanese joinery, while preserving the functional identity of an MR-G through solar charging, radio-controlled timekeeping and everyday digital features. Production is limited to 20 watches at US$80,000 each.

The review also considers related models that bring parts of the Blue Rose theme to lower price points: the US$6,600 MRG-B5000SA-2 and US$770 GMW-B5000SB-1A2. The flagship’s considerable thickness and rubber strap are part of the wearing equation. Its fascination lies in watching Casio apply ambitious material engineering to a design originally celebrated for toughness and utility.

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Seiko Speedtimer HBJ008 Pairs Deep Blue With Orange

The European limited-edition Seiko Speedtimer HBJ008 uses a deep-blue dial and orange accents to give the 39mm solar chronograph a lively sporting character. Its V192 movement offers approximately six months of operation on a full charge, while the steel case provides 100-meter water resistance. Production is limited to 4,000 pieces, with the quoted €880 price equivalent to approximately US$995.

The review finds much to appreciate in the dial color, solid construction and comfortable proportions. It also identifies practical areas for improvement, including clasp adjustment and easier strap changes. With a steel bracelet and complementary leather option, the watch offers an approachable way to enjoy racing-inspired chronograph design without the upkeep of a mechanical chronograph.

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Voxel Meridion VX01-E Changes Its Face Every Twelve Hours

Voxel’s Meridion VX01-E uses a proprietary module to change its dial between 12-hour and 24-hour displays. The complication sits above a Soprod Newton automatic base and gives the watch a different visual identity as the day progresses. Its angular 41.4mm case combines 904L steel with Grade 5 titanium, while the movement provides a 44-hour power reserve.

Three dial colors make up the 300-piece production run, and buyers can select an Alcantara strap or integrated bracelet. Preorders opened October 1, with deliveries scheduled for February 2027. Prices convert to approximately US$2,825 on the strap and US$3,220 on the bracelet, excluding taxes, positioning it as an unusual option for collectors interested in alternative time displays.

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Living With the Favre Leuba Raider Harpoon 42

The Raider Harpoon 42 asks its owner to learn a different reading habit. A prominent minute hand works with a moving hour ring, allowing the display to communicate both hours and minutes without the conventional pair of central hands. Its modified Sellita-based FL301 movement places that distinctive mechanism inside a substantial cushion-shaped case.

This owner’s review examines whether the novelty remains satisfying after extended use. Strong lume, 300-meter water resistance and assertive 1970s-inspired styling support its identity as a capable sports watch, while its nearly 15mm thickness makes strap choice and fit important. The conclusion is rooted in ownership: the display takes adjustment, but the overall design can become more convincing with time on the wrist.

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Events

Patek Philippe Celebrates Italy Through Enamel and Marquetry

Patek Philippe’s Watch Art Grand Exhibition in Milan presents an opportunity to examine decorative watchmaking well beyond the conventional wristwatch. Table clocks, dome clocks, pocket watches and wristwatches interpret Italian subjects through cloisonné enamel, miniature painting, gold-wire work and intricate wood marquetry. Scenes and motifs draw on Milan, Ravenna, Venice and the Amalfi coast, giving the collection a wide geographical and artistic range.

The attraction is as much about technique as subject matter. These objects demonstrate how tiny pieces of wood, carefully controlled color and painstaking metalwork can create recognizable landscapes and architectural detail. The exhibition runs October 2–18 at CityOval in Milan, with complimentary admission requiring online registration.

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Podcasts

Fratello Talks: Can Brand Ambassadors Create a New Generation of Watch Enthusiasts?

Fratello’s hosts examine the difference between putting a watch in front of an audience and encouraging someone to become interested in watches more broadly. Actors, athletes and musicians can introduce brands to people who rarely encounter specialist watch media, but credibility and an authentic connection influence what happens next. The discussion considers whether that initial exposure develops into curiosity, collecting and lasting involvement.

Social media and independent creators complicate the traditional ambassador model by offering different kinds of access and personal connection. This episode is a useful companion to today’s stories about artistic collaborations and brand identity, asking how watch companies can turn attention into a relationship that lasts.

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Scottish Watches #819: Andy’s Watches on Life, Collecting and Following Your Passion

Andy from Andy’s Watches joins Scottish Watches to discuss the path from personal enthusiasm to sharing watches with a much larger audience. His story includes the influence of seeing Panerai in a Bruce Willis film, building a collection around meaningful pieces and developing a recognizable style on social media. Encounters with fellow collectors and public figures add color to a conversation grounded in personal experience.

The episode also explores leaving an unsatisfying job, committing to content creation and paying attention to mental health along the way. Independent watchmaking and H. Moser feature in the discussion, but the broader subject is how an interest can become an important part of a person’s working and social life.

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Videos

Happy Jewelers: One Hour Behind the Scenes

Happy Jewelers presents an hour-long, unfiltered look inside its business. The extended format offers viewers a different perspective from a short product presentation, with the retail setting itself taking center stage. For readers interested in the people and activity surrounding watch buying and selling, this is today’s longer viewing selection.

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Fratello: Can Brand Ambassadors Bring New People Into Watches?

The video edition of Fratello’s ambassador discussion considers how public figures influence watch awareness and whether that influence can develop into lasting enthusiasm. It is a subject with relevance across celebrity partnerships, social media and the way collectors first discover a brand. Readers who prefer to watch the conversation can follow the same debate in its visual format.

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Chisholm Hunter: Guess the Watch Price and Keep It

Chisholm Hunter turns watch pricing into a guessing challenge, placing the audience’s sense of value at the center of the entertainment. The format invites viewers to make their own estimates before the answer arrives. It is a lighter addition to an issue that repeatedly returns to the distance between appearance, expectation and price.

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Time+Tide: Inside Panerai’s Military Lab, With Two Limited Editions

Time+Tide explores Panerai’s military-development story alongside the PAM01734 and PAM01794 limited editions. The presentation connects the brand’s familiar visual language with the engineering and testing themes that support its tool-watch identity. It also gives viewers a closer look at two releases whose appeal rests on the relationship between historical purpose and contemporary execution.

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Menta Watches: Is It the Right Time to Buy an Omega Speedmaster?

Menta Watches considers the Speedmaster through the perspective of a prospective buyer, focusing on market timing and the appeal of one of the most recognizable chronograph families. The question invites viewers to think about the particular reference they want, its condition and its place among the alternatives. For anyone already considering a purchase, the discussion provides another perspective to weigh against their own priorities.

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Rolex’s Most Delightfully Different Watches

This selection turns attention toward the less predictable side of Rolex design. The theme offers an opportunity to consider the brand beyond the familiar references that dominate everyday collecting discussions. For enthusiasts who enjoy unusual details and departures from a house style, it provides a different route through a very well-known name.

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Auctions

Antiquorum Returns to the U.S. With an October 18 New York Sale

Antiquorum is returning to the U.S. auction market with an Important Modern & Vintage Timepieces sale at The Ned NoMad in New York on October 18. The lineup includes eight F.P. Journe watches alongside pieces from Patek Philippe, Richard Mille, Rolex, Cartier and Vacheron Constantin. Previews are scheduled for October 16–17, with bidding available in person and through remote channels.

Highlighted watches include a salmon-dial F.P. Journe Centigraphe Souverain, a rose-gold Patek Philippe Nautilus 5711/1R-001 and a Richard Mille RM 35-02 Rafael Nadal. Antiquorum describes the sale as part of a renewed commitment to the American market. For collectors, it adds another venue to an increasingly busy autumn auction calendar.

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Mel Blanc’s Patek Philippe Brings a Familiar Voice to FutureGrail

FutureGrail’s October 2–6 sale includes a yellow-gold Patek Philippe 1579J associated with Mel Blanc, the performer whose voices helped define Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck and many other animated characters. Described in the auction coverage as a 1943 watch, the manually wound chronograph carries an estimate of US$70,000–US$110,000. Its appeal combines the interest of a vintage Patek chronograph with a particularly memorable ownership history.

The wider sale spans early wristwatches and contemporary independents, including a Greubel Forsey Balancier Convexe S2 Titanium with an estimate of US$200,000–US$400,000. Watches from F.P. Journe, Parmigiani Fleurier, Dominique Renaud and MB&F broaden the selection. The Blanc watch nevertheless supplies one of the catalog’s most immediately recognizable human connections.

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Auction Results

Chopard Alpine Eagle Remains Unsold, With Bidding 65.9% Below Reserve

The October 1 auction of the 2024 Chopard Alpine Eagle 41 Frozen Diamond, reference 295363-5011, ended without a sale. Bidding reached US$25,500 against a reserve of US$74,888. That left a US$49,388 shortfall, with the highest bid representing approximately 34.1% of the seller’s minimum and falling 65.9% below it.

The size of that gap shows how far apart buyer participation and seller expectations remained in this particular offering. Precious metal, elaborate gem-setting and a recognizable sports-watch design create an impressive object, but the resale audience must still be willing to support the required price. Expensive materials and a high retail position cannot, by themselves, produce competitive bidding.

The US$25,500 figure is an unsuccessful high bid, rather than a completed transaction or a definitive valuation of the reference. Equally, the reserve expresses the seller’s minimum rather than proving that a buyer will pay it. The result records a substantial disagreement over price, leaving the watch unsold.

Auction Report

Complicated Steel, Green Dial, Real-World Value: Patek Philippe’s 5905 Takes the Stage

Today’s featured auction is a 2024 Patek Philippe Annual Calendar Flyback Chronograph, reference 5905/1A-001, pairing a 42mm stainless-steel case and bracelet with a sunburst olive-green dial. The 5905 family debuted in platinum in 2015, expanded into rose gold in 2019 and gained this steel interpretation in 2021. That progression brought an established complicated watch into a more casual setting, combining the visual presence of a bracelet watch with two functions that have a practical place in daily life.

The automatic CH 28-520 QA 24H movement combines a column-wheel flyback chronograph with an annual calendar that distinguishes between 30- and 31-day months and requires correction at the end of February. Its vertical clutch supports the chronograph mechanism, while a large 60-minute counter and an arc of calendar windows organize the dial. A 21-karat gold rotor winds the movement, which provides approximately 45 to 55 hours of power reserve. The watch measures 14.13mm thick, giving it substantial wrist presence despite the relatively restrained dial arrangement.

The U.S.-located auction example includes its box, papers, product literature, hangtags and setting pin. It is described as pre-owned, with an excellent dial and light scratches on the case and bracelet. The bracelet description states that all links are pictured, which should not be interpreted as confirmation that every original link is included; usable bracelet length remains a detail to establish. The listing’s general condition language allows for possible servicing or polishing but does not confirm either, making documented history and the actual condition of the surfaces relevant to comparison with other examples.

For market context, the available WatchCharts data places this steel reference at approximately US$47,300 against a reported retail benchmark of roughly US$71,600, a difference of about 34%. That market estimate is a reference-level guide, not a guaranteed sale price or a specific appraisal of this lot. This example’s year, accompanying items, bracelet length, condition and total acquisition cost will determine how it compares with alternatives. Its appeal is clear: a complicated Patek in steel with a distinctive green dial and useful functionality, offered in a market where the secondary price can sit well below retail. The auction is scheduled to end at 8:35 p.m. EDT tonight, Friday, October 2, 2026.

Current bid: $19,250

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Losing Time

Today’s Big Losers at Auction on Grailzee

Four watches, four failed sales, and four reminders that an asking price is a wish until someone agrees to pay it.

The 2026 Ulysse Nardin Blast 45MM arrived with a $44,999 ask and attracted a final bid of $10,000—a $34,999 shortfall, or 77.8% below asking. The skeleton dial offered an excellent view of the movement, but apparently no clear explanation for the price. A current-year watch, it seems, can still encounter a very old problem: buyers declining to fund the seller’s expectations.

The 2022 Ulysse Nardin Diver X L.E. 44MM delivered the largest percentage miss. Against an $18,200 ask, the $2,700 high bid fell $15,500 short, or 85.2% below asking. “Limited edition” described the watch; “limited enthusiasm” described the bidding. Buyers offered less than 15 cents for every dollar requested.

The 2019 Audemars Piguet Royal Oak 41MM in rose gold produced the biggest dollar gap. Its $79,950 ask met a $40,600 final bid, leaving $39,350 on the table—a miss of 49.2%. That was the strongest performance relative to asking among these four, which is a rather diplomatic way of saying it got only halfway there. Even the Royal Oak name couldn’t persuade this bidding audience to bridge the difference.

The Arnold & Son Nebula 41.5MM, with no year provided, drew $6,500 against an $18,000 ask. That left a $11,500 gap, or 63.9% below asking. Plenty of mechanical artistry on display; considerably less financial appreciation in the bids.

Together, the sellers wanted $161,149, while the final bids totaled $59,800—62.9% below the combined asks. The Ulysse Nardin pair showed the widest proportional disconnect, while the Royal Oak attracted the strongest relative offer. These failed auctions don’t establish definitive market values, but they do establish that these buyers weren’t buying these expectations. The sellers can revisit their pricing or wait for a different audience. Optimism, fortunately, carries no service interval.

Closing Time

Thank you for spending part of your Friday with BuyingTime. Today’s watches connect us to cities, artists, racing teams, space exploration and the people who helped shape modern watchmaking. The best discoveries also remind us to enjoy the simple experience of wearing something that feels right. Give a favorite watch some wrist time this weekend, stay curious about the unfamiliar names, and we’ll see you Monday for another look at the watch world.

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BuyingTime in 30 Seconds

Rolex UK’s sales rose 5% in 2025, but operating profit fell 10.4%, showing how currency pressures can squeeze even a powerful luxury business. Bangalore Watch Company has secured its first outside equity investment to support international expansion. Our features connect watches with records, explore Billy Strings’s vintage collecting, and visit ambitious watchmaking projects in Dongguan and Geneva. Nezumi introduces an automatic racing chronograph starting at approximately US$965, while Moritz Grossmann takes the Benu Power Reserve in a darker, contemporary direction. Tudor’s Northflag returns with GMT functionality, and Formex’s Raphael Granito discusses the manufacturing decisions behind his brand’s growth. Yesterday’s Czapek remained unsold at US$27,500 against a supplied US$53,300 MSRP. Today’s diamond-dial Chopard Alpine Eagle auction is scheduled to close at 1:05 p.m. EDT.

Time Graphing Today’s Watch Universe

Who Gets to Decide What a Watch Is Worth?

A watch passes through several different systems of value before it reaches a collector’s wrist. The manufacturer calculates development, materials, labor and margin. The retailer considers inventory, demand and the cost of doing business. A collector sees design, history, personal associations and perhaps the possibility of selling later. All of them can examine the same object and reach different conclusions. Today’s issue is particularly revealing because it gives each of those perspectives a turn.

Start with Rolex UK’s financial results. Revenue increased, yet operating profit declined. That combination complicates the familiar assumption that a desirable product and rising sales automatically produce a healthier business. Currency movements affect the cost of watches moving from Switzerland into Britain, while a global pricing strategy limits the freedom to solve every local problem with another increase. These are the accounts of a UK operation, rather than a complete picture of Rolex worldwide, but they offer a useful reminder that luxury still has to work as a business.

For Bangalore Watch Company, the calculation is different. Its first outside equity investment is intended to help a young brand grow beyond the limits of self-funding. Money can expand a team, improve customer service and support product development. The harder task is preserving the qualities that made people care in the first place. A brand built around Indian stories has an opportunity to bring something specific to an international audience. Growth becomes meaningful when more people understand that identity.

The manufacturing stories in this issue show two very different ways of supporting that ambition. Eddie Leung’s project in Dongguan aims to bring suppliers, production, training and watch culture into one large development. At La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton, the attention turns toward enamel, specialized handwork and the time required to produce an exceptional dial. One story concerns the advantages of proximity and scale; the other reveals the patience behind objects made in tiny numbers. Both begin with capabilities that most buyers never see.

That invisible work matters, but it does not settle the question of desirability. Formex’s Raphael Granito discusses a business built around manufacturing knowledge, engineering and a close connection with customers. A better clasp or a more comfortable case can reward the owner every day, even when those improvements receive less attention than a dramatic complication. There is a practical kind of value in a watch that keeps proving thoughtful after the excitement of opening the box has passed.

Then Billy Strings enters the conversation with an entirely different set of priorities. His interest in vintage Accutrons, Universal Genève and unusual older watches grows through discovery, friendships and giving watches to people he cares about. The pleasure is partly in finding something that feels right for a particular person. A famous name becoming more expensive does not necessarily make its watches more interesting to him. That is a useful distinction for anyone who has ever mistaken increased attention for increased personal appeal.

The feature on records and watches takes that idea further. Packing a collection for a move forces an unusually direct question: why am I keeping this? A record might carry memories of a particular apartment, relationship or period of discovery. A watch can perform the same function. Streaming makes music easier to access, just as a phone makes accurate time effortless to obtain, yet the physical objects remain compelling. Handling them becomes part of how we revisit our own histories.

That helps explain the breadth of today’s new releases. Nezumi’s Voiture VM2 offers mechanical chronograph appeal and confident color choices at a comparatively accessible price. Moritz Grossmann’s Benu Power Reserve asks buyers to appreciate the finishing, construction and limited production of a much more expensive watch. Their audiences may overlap, but the reasons to buy them differ. Understanding those reasons is more useful than insisting that one universal formula can explain every price.

Even the G-Shock comparison belongs here. A collector choosing between two familiar digital watches is weighing comfort, readability and functions against years of actual experience. The winner earns its place through use. That is a demanding test, and an expensive watch does not receive an exemption from it.

Yesterday’s Czapek auction brings us back to the difference between appreciation and a willingness to pay. Bidding reached US$27,500, approximately 48.4% below the supplied retail price, and the watch remained unsold. The natural-stone dial and movement architecture retained their appeal. The auction simply failed to produce a buyer willing to meet the seller’s minimum. A high bid below reserve is evidence about that particular auction; it does not establish a completed-sale value for every comparable watch.

Today’s Chopard will put another combination of qualities before bidders: rose gold, diamonds, colored gemstones, recognizable design and manufacture watchmaking. Some buyers will see an unusually appealing expression of Chopard’s abilities. Others will prefer a simpler Alpine Eagle, regardless of the discount. Both responses make sense. The useful question is whether the qualities commanding a premium are the qualities the prospective owner actually wants.

We can learn from financial statements, production methods and auction results without allowing any of them to dictate our taste. Those sources help us understand what a purchase costs and how the market might treat it. The final decision still belongs to the person who will live with the watch. A collection becomes more satisfying when its owner can explain that decision in language more personal than “everyone wants one.”

-Michael Wolf

News

Rolex UK’s Sales Rise While Currency Pressures Reduce Profit

Rolex UK reported revenue of £736.7 million for 2025, up 5%, while operating profit declined 10.4% to £87.1 million. A weaker pound against the Swiss franc increased the cost of watches purchased from Switzerland, and the company’s approach to international price alignment limited its ability to offset that pressure locally. Corporation tax payments fell from £21.9 million to £16.7 million.

Operational changes also reshaped the balance sheet. A move toward UK retailers purchasing directly from Switzerland reduced stock holdings by £48.5 million. Employee numbers fell from 208 to 197, although staff expenses increased to £19.2 million. Meanwhile, UK property assets were revalued at £328.05 million, up £22.35 million. The figures provide a revealing view of Rolex’s British operation, while remaining distinct from the privately held group’s global finances.

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Bangalore Watch Company Secures Its First Outside Investment for Global Expansion

After eight years of self-funded development, Bangalore Watch Company has secured its first external private-equity investment. Founded in 2018, the brand now reaches customers in more than 30 countries, with international buyers accounting for roughly half its sales. The funding will support product development, a larger team and further expansion into overseas markets.

Co-founders Nirupesh Joshi and Mercy Amalraj retain operational control as the business enters this next stage. Their challenge is to scale a brand whose identity depends on Indian culture and storytelling while delivering the service and consistency expected by customers worldwide. The investment gives the company more room to pursue that ambition and a broader platform from which to introduce collectors to Indian watchmaking.

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Features

The Records Explain the Watches: What Our Collections Carry With Them

Moving to a new Brooklyn apartment becomes an occasion to reconsider two collections that are heavier than their owners sometimes remember: records and watches. Packing requires practical decisions about space, usefulness and what can be sold. Those decisions become harder when a Radiohead box set or Bob Dylan’s original mono recordings recall the person who first bought them and the life surrounding that purchase.

The connection extends to ritual. Handling a record and winding a watch both require a small, deliberate interaction with a physical object. Even after streaming makes music more convenient, those gestures retain their appeal. The author’s plan to set up a modest turntable and speakers in the new apartment suggests that the collections will keep moving forward, carrying earlier chapters into the next one.

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Billy Strings Finds His Rhythm in Vintage Accutrons and Universal Genève

Billy Strings’s watch collecting began with a Citizen Eco-Drive given to him by his wife and expanded into an enthusiasm for vintage pieces with character. Accutrons, Universal Genève and Ernest Borel cocktail watches all figure in a collection shaped by curiosity and a taste for objects that feel connected to another era. His description of the hobby as a “nasty addiction” captures the enthusiasm behind the search.

The story is also about sharing that enthusiasm. Strings consults specialists such as Eric Wind, exchanges ideas with other collectors and chooses watches for family and band members. He is more ambivalent about the price and attention surrounding Universal Genève’s relaunch, preferring the discovery and individuality available in older examples. The resulting portrait is of a collector guided by personal connections and distinctive design.

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Eddie Leung’s Dongguan Project Brings an Entire Watchmaking Community Into Focus

Eddie Leung’s Sino Swiss Inno Park is an ambitious attempt to concentrate watchmaking infrastructure in one place. The proposed 130,000-square-meter development in Dongguan combines design, manufacturing, assembly, repair, retail and training with residential and business facilities. Backed by Leung’s Dailywin group, which produces approximately 2.5 million watches annually, the project is intended to make cooperation between brands and suppliers more efficient.

The development is scheduled for completion in December 2026, with an official opening planned for May 2027. Its estimated cost has grown from CHF50 million to around CHF80 million, funded principally through Leung’s capital and bank financing. A museum adds a public dimension to the industrial project. The broader ambition is to make Dongguan a place where production expertise, education and watch culture reinforce one another.

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Inside the Enamel Workshops of La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton

At La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton in Geneva, decorative artistry and mechanical watchmaking develop alongside one another. The facility brings together movement specialists, dial makers and artisans working in techniques including grand feu, cloisonné, champlevé and paillonné enamel. The process demands close attention to color, temperature and the interaction between successive layers.

The feature examines how that expertise contributes to watches such as the Tambour Taiko Arty Automata and the Escale Cabinet of Wonders creations. Enamel provides depth and richness that printed or conventionally finished dials cannot easily reproduce, while each firing introduces the possibility of damage. These watches reveal how much experimentation and skilled labor can be concentrated into a surface small enough to sit beneath a wristwatch crystal.

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New Watches

Earthen Co. Expands the Summit MK II With Three Colorful Ceramic Editions

Dune Devil, Glade and Après-Bleu add fresh colors to Earthen Co.’s Summit MK II collection. Each combines a ceramic case with matching or complementary straps, colored details and luminous hands. The underlying dimensions remain approachable: 38mm in diameter, 10mm thick and 45mm from lug to lug.

A Miyota 9039 automatic movement provides approximately 42 hours of power reserve, while 100-meter water resistance supports the watch’s active-use brief. Each US$899 package includes two interchangeable rubber straps and a travel pouch. The appeal lies in the combination of ceramic construction, practical proportions and an aesthetic that lets a daily watch feel playful without abandoning functional basics.

Nezumi Voiture VM2 Makes the Mechanical Racing Chronograph a Permanent Fixture

Nezumi brings a fully mechanical interpretation of its racing-inspired Voiture into the permanent collection with the VM2. The stainless-steel case measures 40mm across and 47mm from lug to lug, with a double-domed sapphire crystal and a three-register dial that draws on late-1960s and 1970s chronograph design. Buyers can choose a restrained black, gray and white version or a more colorful arrangement incorporating orange and cream.

Inside is the Peacock SL4801 automatic column-wheel chronograph movement, operating at 28,800 vibrations per hour with approximately 55 hours of power reserve. Leather, canvas and a five-row steel bracelet provide different ways to wear the design, while the contrasting dial colors help preserve the visual identity that made the original Voiture appealing. Price: approximately US$965 on a strap or US$1,024 on the bracelet, converted from €850 and €902, excluding VAT and other applicable charges.

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Moritz Grossmann Gives the Benu Power Reserve a Darker, More Contemporary Character

Moritz Grossmann introduces two Benu Power Reserve editions that combine traditional Glashütte watchmaking with brushed steel and dark gray DLC-coated steel cases. Both retain a 41mm diameter and use an anthracite sector-style dial with contrasting textures, recessed small seconds and the collection’s distinctive linear power-reserve display. Carefully shaped steel hands add another point of interest to a design that rewards close inspection.

The manually wound manufacture caliber 100.2 supplies 42 hours of power reserve and incorporates Grossmann’s patented crown-and-pusher system. A sapphire back reveals the movement, while black kudu-leather straps reinforce the understated appearance. Created in the year marking the bicentennial of Moritz Grossmann’s birth, each version is limited to 18 examples. Price: approximately US$46,330 each, converted from €40,800, excluding taxes.

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Comparisons

G-Shock DW5600 Versus GW6900: Two Longtime Favorites, One Everyday Winner

Two familiar G-Shock designs compete for a collector’s loyalty in a comparison grounded in years of ownership. The DW5600’s square case brings compact proportions, recognizable styling and straightforward operation. The GW6900’s larger, rounded form makes a different impression, pairing its triple-eye display with features including Tough Solar charging and Multi-Band atomic timekeeping.

The author ultimately favors the GW6900 for daily tasks, travel and demanding use. Its feature set and practical convenience outweigh the square model’s advantages in simplicity and size, while the particular DW5600 configuration’s negative display and strap arrangement introduce compromises. Both remain convincing expressions of G-Shock’s purpose; the distinction comes from how their details perform in the owner’s actual routine.

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Reviews

Artisans de Genève’s Neon Daytona Turns a Familiar Chronograph Into a Personal Commission

Artisans de Genève revisits the visual language of its Adam Levine-inspired Neon project with a customized Rolex Daytona that changes character between daylight and darkness. A white dial, black chapter ring and openworked elements establish the daytime appearance, while luminous mint-green details bring a different personality in low light. This interpretation adopts more restrained hands than the earlier commission.

The mechanical alteration is substantial: the automatic movement has been converted to manual winding, making the view through the sapphire back central to the experience. Handworked case details and skeletonized components further distinguish the finished watch. This is an independent customization service with no official Rolex affiliation; the client supplies the base watch, and the modification price has not been disclosed.

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Tudor’s Northflag Returns With GMT Functionality and a Stronger Independent Identity

The original North Flag mattered because it helped introduce Tudor’s manufacture-movement era in 2015. The returning Northflag revisits that contemporary design territory with a 40mm steel case, GMT functionality and the automatic MT5652-U movement. COSC and METAS certification, together with a 65-hour power reserve, establish the technical foundation.

The review considers what the return means for Tudor’s broader direction. A distinctive modern design gives the brand another way to express its identity alongside its extensive vintage-inspired offerings. The new Northflag’s success will depend on whether collectors respond to that character as strongly as they respond to Tudor’s more familiar heritage designs.

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Timex Atelier Chronograph Quartz M1q Offers a More Accessible Route Into the Collection

The Timex Atelier Chronograph Quartz M1q translates the styling of the brand’s more expensive Atelier watches into a Swiss-made quartz chronograph. Its 40mm steel case combines a tachymeter bezel, rectangular pushers and a guilloché-patterned dial with a date display. Water resistance is rated to 100 meters, and a solid screw-down back completes the practical specification.

The Ronda 5021.D movement offers approximately 54 months of battery life and a 30-minute chronograph counter. Buyers can choose a rubber strap or a three-link steel bracelet, with pricing around US$700. The absence of luminous material is one everyday compromise, but the watch’s smaller proportions and lower price broaden the audience for Timex’s more ambitious design work.

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Raymond Weil Millesime Jubilee Celebrates Fifty Years With an Automatic Panda Chronograph

Raymond Weil marks its 50th anniversary with the Millesime Jubilee, a 500-piece chronograph that retains the collection’s vintage-inspired panda-dial appeal. A 39mm case, sector-style dial, pump pushers and angled tachymeter scale create a familiar visual language, while the 12.9mm thickness keeps the proportions within everyday territory.

The automatic RW5030, based on the Sellita SW510, supplies 56 hours of power reserve and distinguishes this model from the manually wound Millesime Fifty. A sapphire crystal and calfskin strap complete the package. At CHF3,895—approximately US$4,670 at the reference exchange rate—the Jubilee makes the anniversary design available at a substantially lower price than its predecessor.

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Events

Toronto Timepiece Show 2026 Puts Watches and Their Owners in the Same Frame

The Toronto Timepiece Show brought together more than 90 brands at the Meridian Arts Centre, creating a setting for discovery across established names and smaller independent makers. The photo report ranges from familiar Tudor, Seiko and Omega watches to pieces from Baltic, RZE and 22Studio. Watches worn by visitors contribute as much character as those displayed at the stands.

Collaborations, unusual materials and conversations with enthusiasts give the report its wider appeal. The photographs capture an event where collectors can compare impressions, meet the people behind brands and encounter watches outside their usual search habits. That social dimension is part of what makes a physical fair useful even to enthusiasts who follow releases closely online.

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Windup Watch Fair NYC Returns October 16–18 With More Than 160 Brands

Windup Watch Fair returns to Center415 in Manhattan for three days from October 16 through 18. The expanded event is set to feature more than 160 watch brands, additional exhibition space and programming that includes eBay Live streaming. Admission remains free, with no registration required.

Lead sponsors include Bremont, Brew, Bulova, Christopher Ward and Oris, alongside new participants and a broad selection of independent brands. Planned experiences include a G-Shock legacy exhibit and the Brew Coffee Bar. For collectors, the attraction is the opportunity to compare many watches in person, ask questions directly and discover designs that photographs alone may not fully explain.

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Omega Connects Speedmaster History With a New 38mm Collection in Dubai

Omega’s Dubai exhibition traced the Speedmaster’s development from a racing chronograph to a watch closely associated with NASA, the Apollo program and lunar exploration. Historic examples highlighted the design changes that shaped the collection, including case profiles, dial layouts and different treatments of the chronograph counters.

The exhibition concluded with a preview of seven new 38mm Speedmaster references. Revised dials, more prominent bezels with the Dot-Over-Ninety detail and five-link bracelets give the collection a refreshed sporting character. Automatic Co-Axial movements, including calibers 3330 and 3332, support a compact interpretation of the Speedmaster identity for buyers seeking something different from the manually wound Moonwatch.

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Podcasts

The Business of Watches: Raphael Granito on Formex, Dexel and Building Value Through Engineering

Formex CEO Raphael Granito joins The Business of Watches to discuss the brand’s revival and the manufacturing expertise behind its current direction. The conversation traces Formex’s early identity, the difficulties following the financial crisis and the 2016 takeover backed by component specialist Dexel. Granito explains how that relationship supports the development of cases, bracelets, clasps and other details that shape the ownership experience.

The discussion also considers the Aria, a titanium sports watch with a thin micro-rotor movement that takes Formex into a higher price category. Direct customer relationships, the importance of the American market and the challenge of communicating engineering improvements all feature. It is a useful look at how a comparatively small brand decides where to spend its resources and how those decisions reach the wrist.

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Videos

European Watch Company: The Independent Watchmaker Collectors Are Fighting Over

European Watch Company explores the enthusiasm surrounding scarce independent watchmaking and the competition that can develop when production is small. The subject raises familiar questions about craftsmanship, distinctive design and the effect of limited availability on demand. For collectors, the useful distinction is between wanting a watch for its individual qualities and wanting it because obtaining one has become difficult.

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Roman Sharf’s Dual Time Podcast: How Getting Rich Can Change People

Episode 19 of Dual Time considers how a substantial change in wealth can alter priorities, relationships and behavior. The discussion moves beyond what money makes possible to examine how it affects identity and expectations. In a hobby where purchases can become visible expressions of success, the topic invites viewers to think about the relationship between financial freedom and the reasons they collect.

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Monochrome Watches: Baume & Mercier’s Clifton Ice Blue Editions

Monochrome examines the Clifton Automatic 39 and Perpetual Calendar 40 in their Ice Blue editions. The video provides an opportunity to compare how a similar color treatment works across a simpler automatic watch and a more elaborate calendar display. Case proportions, dial organization and the presentation of the movements help explain the different personalities beneath the shared palette.

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This Watch, That Watch: Why Aren’t Chopard and Dress Watches More Popular?

This Watch, That Watch considers the gap between watchmaking merit and broad collector attention through Chopard and the dress-watch category. Brand recognition, prevailing tastes and the prominence of sports watches all provide context for the discussion. It is a timely companion to today’s auction, encouraging viewers to examine which qualities attract attention—and which may deserve a closer look.

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Auction Results

Czapek Falcon Eye Remains Unsold as Bidding Stops 48.4% Below Retail

The September 30 auction of the 2025 Czapek Antarctique Mount Erebus Falcon Eye in rose gold ended without a sale. The watch attracted a high bid of US$27,500 but did not meet its reserve. Against the supplied US$53,300 MSRP, that represents a US$25,800 gap: bidding reached approximately 51.6% of retail and stopped 48.4% below it.

That is a substantial separation between the manufacturer’s price and the demand expressed in this auction. The Falcon Eye combines precious metal, a distinctive natural-stone dial and the appeal of an independent manufacture, yet those qualities still require the right buyers to be present and willing to compete. Rarity can make a watch desirable while also leaving it with a relatively narrow resale audience.

The reserve amount was not supplied, so the distance between the high bid and the seller’s actual minimum cannot be calculated. Nor does an unsuccessful auction prove that US$27,500 is the watch’s established market value. What the result demonstrates is that this particular offering did not attract enough bidding to produce a transaction. For buyers and sellers alike, it is another reminder that retail positioning and secondary-market demand can remain far apart.

Auction Report

Gold, Diamonds and a Reality Check: Chopard’s Alpine Eagle Takes the Auction Stage

Today’s featured auction is a 2024 Chopard Alpine Eagle 41 Frozen Diamond, reference 295363-5011, pairing an 18-karat rose-gold case and bracelet with a diamond-paved dial and a rainbow-colored gemstone bezel. The Alpine Eagle collection debuted in 2019 as a contemporary descendant of the St. Moritz, the sports watch Karl-Friedrich Scheufele introduced in 1980. Its integrated bracelet and distinctive bezel preserve that sporting lineage, while this jeweled execution brings Chopard’s watchmaking and jewelry identities into the same object.

The 41mm watch uses Chopard’s automatic 01.03-C movement, with a stated 60-hour power reserve and a sapphire exhibition back. Chopard specifies 236 diamonds totaling 1.79 carats on the dial, surrounded by colored gemstones on the bezel. The U.S.-located auction example includes its box and papers and is described as pre-owned, with an excellent dial and minor signs of wear to the case, bezel and bracelet. The listing’s general condition language allows for possible previous servicing or polishing but does not confirm either.

For price context, authorized retailer Wempe lists this reference at US$123,500 before tax. Current secondary-market advertisements include examples around US$74,800 to US$85,500, although these are asking prices and do not establish completed-sale values. A more concrete comparison comes from Phillips, which recorded a same-reference example selling for HK$444,500, roughly US$57,000, at its Hong Kong Watch Auction XIX. That historical result is a useful benchmark, but differences in condition, bracelet completeness, sale timing and transaction charges prevent it from serving as a precise valuation of today’s lot.

The available evidence shows a wide spread between authorized retail, advertised resale prices and a recorded auction result. That makes this an interesting test of demand for a watch whose appeal combines precious metal, gem-setting and an established sports-watch design. Bracelet length, stone condition, service history and the total cost after fees deserve attention when comparing bids with other offerings. The auction is scheduled to end at 1:05 p.m. EDT on Thursday, October 1, 2026.

Auction Results

Czapek Falcon Eye Remains Unsold as Bidding Stops 48.4% Below Retail

The September 30 auction of the 2025 Czapek Antarctique Mount Erebus Falcon Eye in rose gold ended without a sale. The watch attracted a high bid of US$27,500 but did not meet its reserve. Against the supplied US$53,300 MSRP, that represents a US$25,800 gap: bidding reached approximately 51.6% of retail and stopped 48.4% below it.

That is a substantial separation between the manufacturer’s price and the demand expressed in this auction. The Falcon Eye combines precious metal, a distinctive natural-stone dial and the appeal of an independent manufacture, yet those qualities still require the right buyers to be present and willing to compete. Rarity can make a watch desirable while also leaving it with a relatively narrow resale audience.

The reserve amount was not supplied, so the distance between the high bid and the seller’s actual minimum cannot be calculated. Nor does an unsuccessful auction prove that US$27,500 is the watch’s established market value. What the result demonstrates is that this particular offering did not attract enough bidding to produce a transaction. For buyers and sellers alike, it is another reminder that retail positioning and secondary-market demand can remain far apart.

Auction Report

Gold, Diamonds and a Reality Check: Chopard’s Alpine Eagle Takes the Auction Stage

Today’s featured auction is a 2024 Chopard Alpine Eagle 41 Frozen Diamond, reference 295363-5011, pairing an 18-karat rose-gold case and bracelet with a diamond-paved dial and a rainbow-colored gemstone bezel. The Alpine Eagle collection debuted in 2019 as a contemporary descendant of the St. Moritz, the sports watch Karl-Friedrich Scheufele introduced in 1980. Its integrated bracelet and distinctive bezel preserve that sporting lineage, while this jeweled execution brings Chopard’s watchmaking and jewelry identities into the same object.

The 41mm watch uses Chopard’s automatic 01.03-C movement, with a stated 60-hour power reserve and a sapphire exhibition back. Chopard specifies 236 diamonds totaling 1.79 carats on the dial, surrounded by colored gemstones on the bezel. The U.S.-located auction example includes its box and papers and is described as pre-owned, with an excellent dial and minor signs of wear to the case, bezel and bracelet. The listing’s general condition language allows for possible previous servicing or polishing but does not confirm either.

For price context, authorized retailer Wempe lists this reference at US$123,500 before tax. Current secondary-market advertisements include examples around US$74,800 to US$85,500, although these are asking prices and do not establish completed-sale values. A more concrete comparison comes from Phillips, which recorded a same-reference example selling for HK$444,500, roughly US$57,000, at its Hong Kong Watch Auction XIX. That historical result is a useful benchmark, but differences in condition, bracelet completeness, sale timing and transaction charges prevent it from serving as a precise valuation of today’s lot.

The available evidence shows a wide spread between authorized retail, advertised resale prices and a recorded auction result. That makes this an interesting test of demand for a watch whose appeal combines precious metal, gem-setting and an established sports-watch design. Bracelet length, stone condition, service history and the total cost after fees deserve attention when comparing bids with other offerings. The auction is scheduled to end at 1:05 p.m. EDT today, Thursday, October 1, 2026.

Current bid: $8,600

See it Now on Bezel >

Losing Time

Today’s Big Losers at Auction on Grailzee

Four watches, four failed sales, and four reminders that an asking price is a statement of ambition—not a binding agreement with reality.

The 2022 Girard Perregaux Laureato “Aston Martin F1” Limited Edition, with its 44mm case, green dial and textile strap, carried an $18,000 ask but attracted a final bid of just $8,500. That’s a $9,500 shortfall, or 52.8% below asking. Apparently, the Formula 1 association added considerably more horsepower to the seller’s expectations than to the bidding.

The 2026 Girard Perregaux Laureato Absolute Lugano Limited Edition, a 44mm model with a black dial and rubber strap, fared much the same. Against a $15,900 ask, the high bid reached $7,900—a $8,000 miss, or 50.3% below asking. A current-year watch, limited-edition credentials, and buyers still wouldn’t meet the seller halfway. Literally: halfway was $7,950.

The 2023 Hublot Big Bang Unico Carbon Sky Blue Limited Edition, featuring a 44mm case, skeleton dial and rubber strap, sought $19,999 and drew a $12,000 final bid. The $7,999 gap put it 40.0% below asking. That psychologically persuasive dollar below $20,000 appears to have done surprisingly little heavy lifting.

The 2023 Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Diver, with its 42mm case, grey dial and rubber strap, came closest to its target. Unfortunately, “closest” meant a $16,700 high bid against a $24,200 ask: $7,500 short, or 31.0% below asking. It wins this group’s expectations-management award, although nobody should rush to engrave the trophy.

Together, the four sellers wanted $78,099, while final bids totaled $45,100—a combined shortfall of $32,999, or 42.3%. The two Girard Perregaux listings showed the widest disconnect; the AP retained the strongest bidding support relative to its ask. These unsuccessful auctions don’t establish definitive market values, but they do show that this bidding audience wasn’t buying the sellers’ pricing. Limited editions may limit production. They clearly do not guarantee unlimited enthusiasm.

Closing Time

Thank you for spending part of your day with BuyingTime. Today’s stories remind us that a watch can be a business, a piece of engineering, a personal keepsake and a source of simple pleasure—all at once. The most useful collecting habit may be learning which of those qualities matters most to you. Enjoy the watches already earning time on your wrist, stay curious about the unfamiliar ones, and we’ll see you tomorrow for another day in the watch world.

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BuyingTime in 30 Seconds

Gallet’s return sharpens competition in the middle of the Swiss watch market, while Chronext strengthens payment protection for expensive transactions. New releases stretch from a US$170 banana-inspired G-Shock to Breguet’s spectacular flying tourbillon, with NOMOS, Oris and Konstantin Chaykin offering very different expressions of personality. Our features explore cult classics, Panerai’s Florence heritage and the movement-making expertise behind independent brands. Fratello asks whether financing helps collectors—or simply helps them spend more. Yesterday’s Bovet remained unsold at US$9,700 against an US$84,950 reserve. Today’s rose-gold Czapek Falcon Eye brings natural-stone character and serious movement architecture to an auction scheduled to close at 8:00 p.m. EDT.

Time Graphing Today’s Watch Universe

What Makes a Watch Worth Owning?

Watch collecting becomes more interesting when we stop treating value as a single number. There is the price a manufacturer prints, the amount a seller hopes to receive, the money a buyer will actually commit, and the pleasure an owner gets from wearing the watch. Sometimes those measures line up. Often they do not. Today’s issue moves between them, from an inexpensive G-Shock with a banana on its backlight to a rare Breguet whose tourbillon appears to float above a miniature night sky.

The most consequential business story may be Gallet’s return to the middle of the market. There is a substantial audience between the enthusiast buying a first mechanical watch and the collector shopping for precious-metal complications. That audience still wants good design, credible construction and a name with something to say. As brands pursue higher prices, they risk leaving these buyers with fewer persuasive reasons to remain loyal. Gallet’s opportunity is to make its heritage useful at a price that gives people a reason to look.

A historic name, however, only begins the conversation. Our feature on 11 cult classics collectors keep returning to examines what happens after the purchase. These are watches that become familiar companions, acquiring meaning through repeated use. A distinctive case, an immediately recognizable dial or a dependable presence on the wrist can matter more over time than the specification that initially caught our attention. The owner supplies part of the value through the life lived with the watch.

That helps explain why today’s BAIT × G-Shock collaboration belongs in the same conversation as much more expensive releases. Its banana-inspired colors are cheerful, a little ridiculous and unmistakably intentional. Nobody needs to build an elaborate argument about rarity or investment potential to understand its appeal. It makes someone smile while doing the practical things a G-Shock is expected to do. There is considerable freedom in a purchase that does not need to justify itself beyond that.

At the other end, Breguet’s Classique Tourbillon Sidéral offers a different kind of pleasure. Here, the attraction lies in technical invention, finishing and the way the mechanism is presented. The visual effect is central to the watch: a rotating assembly appears suspended over an aventurine-enamel sky. Appreciating that achievement does not require pretending it serves the same purpose as an everyday sports watch. It does require looking closely enough to understand what the additional expense is intended to deliver.

The La Joux-Perret manufacture visit provides a useful bridge between these extremes. Behind many distinctive watches sits the less visible work of making movements consistently and at an achievable cost. Selective automation and skilled handwork help brands turn a design into something they can actually produce, regulate and sell. Collectors sometimes treat a purchased movement as a limitation. This story reminds us that a capable specialist supplier can be one of the reasons an interesting watch exists at all.

Personality also comes from choices that have little to do with adding complications. Oris’s burgundy Big Crown Pointer Date changes the mood of a familiar design through color and materials. The NOMOS Worldtimer Dark gives an established travel-watch platform a more dramatic nighttime identity. Neither proposition depends entirely on novelty. Both ask whether a particular interpretation makes an already appealing watch feel more personal.

Then comes the uncomfortable question of how we pay for these pleasures. In Fratello’s discussion of watch financing, the attraction of acquiring something now meets the reality of paying for it later. Breaking a purchase into installments changes the timing of the expense; it does not change the amount of watch being bought. The collecting question remains whether the object deserves a place in your life at its full cost, after the excitement of availability and the pressure of the moment have passed.

Trust is another part of that calculation. Chronext’s payment-protection initiative addresses the uncertainty involved in sending substantial sums to acquire a small, valuable object. Better transaction safeguards cannot make an unsuitable watch desirable or an excessive price reasonable. They can make it easier for buyer and seller to complete a transaction with confidence. That confidence has practical value, even though it will never appear on a movement specification sheet.

Yesterday’s Bovet result exposes how far the different meanings of value can diverge. A US$9,700 high bid against an US$84,950 reserve left a US$75,250 gap. The watch’s craftsmanship did not disappear when bidding stopped. What failed to materialize was sufficient demand in that auction to meet the seller’s expectation. Calling the entire high-end market broken would ask one result to carry far more evidence than it contains. Ignoring the gap would be equally unhelpful.

The thread running through this issue is the need to identify what we are actually buying. History, engineering, humor, beauty, convenience and social recognition can all contribute to a watch’s appeal. Their importance differs from one collector to another, and none guarantees an easy resale. A satisfying collection begins with understanding those preferences—and being honest about the price we are willing to attach to them.

-Michael Wolf

News

Gallet’s Return Opens a New Contest for the Mid-Priced Swiss Watch Buyer

Gallet’s revival under Breitling’s House of Brands brings a historic name back into a segment where buyers scrutinize both specifications and price. With an anticipated range of approximately US$2,900 to US$6,700, the strategy combines heritage appeal with the manufacturing and distribution resources of a much larger organization. The challenge is to give collectors a clear reason to choose Gallet among established Swiss brands and increasingly capable independents.

The timing matters because successive moves upmarket have changed what many familiar names offer at attainable prices. Longines, Oris and Frederique Constant already compete for buyers who want credible watchmaking without an unlimited budget. Gallet’s return adds another contender, but its success will depend on the watches themselves: the designs must feel distinctive, the execution must withstand comparison, and the pricing must remain persuasive after the novelty of the relaunch fades.

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Chronext Strengthens Payment Protection for High-Value Watch Transactions

Chronext has partnered with payments company Nuvei to introduce a protected payment flow for expensive watch transactions. Funds are held in a regulated environment until the relevant transaction requirements are satisfied, giving buyers greater reassurance about where their money sits while providing sellers with confirmation of payment before fulfillment.

The arrangement also gives Chronext a dedicated dashboard for overseeing payment operations and tracking transactions. For a business selling valuable objects across a digital marketplace, that operational visibility matters alongside the customer-facing safeguards. The broader objective is straightforward: reduce uncertainty at the point where enthusiasm for a watch turns into a substantial financial commitment.

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Features

Money Is Time: When Coins Become Watches, Clocks and Sundials

The Horological Society of New York explores the literal intersection of time and money through objects that combine the language of currency with timekeeping. Examples range from a Bulova desk clock styled after a US$20 coin to a Ulysse Nardin watch incorporating a genuine gold coin. A Bhutanese coin that becomes a sundial takes the connection in another direction, giving money an unexpected practical function.

Historical tokens, inexpensive “dollar watches” and clock imagery on coins broaden the story beyond decorative novelty. These objects reveal how often people have linked measured time with work, commerce, aspiration and belonging. They also expose an interesting difference in durability: a coin can remain legible for centuries with little attention, while a mechanical timekeeper needs care to continue doing its job.

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Eleven Cult Classics That Keep Finding Their Way Back Onto Collectors’ Wrists

Some watches develop a following that survives changing fashions, stronger specifications elsewhere and the arrival of countless newer alternatives. This selection explores that loyalty through models ranging from the Seiko SKX007 and Casio G-Shock to the Omega Speedmaster. Their appeal grows through familiarity, use and the stories owners attach to them.

The feature considers why small shortcomings often become part of a watch’s personality instead of reasons to replace it. Practical usefulness, recognizable design and a community of enthusiastic owners can sustain affection long after a model’s launch. For collectors surrounded by new releases, the article offers a reminder that lasting satisfaction is often easier to recognize in a well-worn favorite than in a product announcement.

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Panerai Revisits Its Florentine Roots Through an Immersive Exhibition

Panerai marked the centenary of its historic Florence boutique with an exhibition at the Museo Marino Marini. Rare objects, archival documents and prototypes connected the company’s family history with its military associations and subsequent development as a wristwatch brand. The setting gave visitors a broader view of Panerai than its familiar case shapes alone can communicate.

Two Luminor Firenze 8 Giorni editions accompanied the celebration: the Platinumtech PAM01734, limited to 100 pieces, and the polished-steel PAM01794, limited to 1,000. Eight-day manually wound movements and Firenze-marked dials tie the watches to the commemorative theme. Together, the exhibition and releases demonstrate how a brand can use its hometown to make its history tangible.

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Inside La Joux-Perret, Where Industrial Scale Supports Independent Watchmaking

La Joux-Perret has become an important supplier for brands that need capable Swiss movements without building an entire manufacturing operation themselves. Owned by Citizen since 2012, the company produces approximately 200,000 movements annually across mechanical, solar-quartz and high-end applications. That range connects it with small independent brands as well as established names.

The manufacture visit shows how focused investment and selective automation support this breadth. Machines handle repetitive tasks such as jewel setting, oiling and decorative processes, while skilled technicians remain central to assembly and finishing. Its G100 mechanical platform, solar-quartz production and specialized work for Arnold & Son and Angelus illustrate how different forms of watchmaking can coexist within one operation—and how much expertise may sit behind a name mentioned only briefly in a watch’s specifications.

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New Watches

Dollar equivalents are rounded conversions where confirmed U.S. prices were not supplied. They are estimates, and regional retail prices and taxes may differ.

BAIT × G-Shock’s “Yamagata’s Finest” Turns the DW5600 Into a Banana-Inspired Collectible

BAIT and Casio give the familiar DW5600 a playful transformation with a yellow case, brown accents and a backlight graphic featuring a kissing banana. Beneath the styling, the watch retains the practical appeal of the square G-Shock, including shock resistance, 200-meter water resistance, an alarm and a stopwatch. The case measures 42.8mm across and 13.4mm thick, keeping the collaboration within the recognizable proportions of this long-running platform. Following the Santa Ana store launch, the release expands to BAIT Chapter locations and online, accompanied by clothing and accessories that extend the banana theme. Price: US$170.

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Breguet’s Classique Tourbillon Sidéral Suspends Its Complication Above a Night Sky

The Classique Tourbillon Sidéral ref. 7255 gives Breguet’s first flying tourbillon a setting worthy of the occasion: a blue aventurine-enamel dial with the visual depth of a star-filled sky. Its 38mm gold case keeps the presentation compact, while the construction creates the impression that the rotating mechanism floats above the dial. The manually wound caliber 187M1 provides a 50-hour power reserve, with elaborate decoration extending the visual experience beyond the front of the watch. Created for Breguet’s 250th-anniversary celebrations and limited to 50 examples, the piece pairs its mechanical spectacle with a navy alligator strap and folding clasp. Price: approximately US$227,700, converted from CHF190,000.

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NOMOS Club Sport Neomatik Worldtimer Dark Gives Travel Time a New Nighttime Identity

NOMOS adds a black-dial interpretation to its Club Sport Neomatik Worldtimer, contrasting the dark surface with pale luminous elements and an unusually prominent illuminated city ring. The stainless-steel case measures 40mm across and 9.9mm thick, with 100-meter water resistance and a sapphire back. Its automatic DUW 3202 movement provides a 42-hour power reserve, combining a selectable local-time display with a separate 24-hour indication for home time. A steel bracelet reinforces the watch’s everyday character, while the new palette gives an already distinctive layout a stronger presence after dark. Price: approximately US$4,990, converted from €4,400.

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Oris × Cervo Volante Brings Burgundy to the Big Crown Pointer Date

Oris gives the Big Crown Pointer Date an autumnal character with a burgundy gradient dial and a dark brown deer-leather strap created with Cervo Volante. The 40mm stainless-steel case preserves the oversized crown, fluted bezel, cathedral-style hands and perimeter date display that define the collection. Inside, the automatic caliber 754 offers approximately 41 hours of power reserve, while a domed sapphire crystal and 50-meter water resistance support everyday use. The strap and accompanying travel pouch continue the collaboration’s use of leather recovered from Swiss deer management, giving the release a material story alongside its seasonal color. Price: US$2,600.

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Konstantin Chaykin Transforms Atomic Heart’s Ballerina Twins Into Wristmons

Konstantin Chaykin’s collaboration with Atomic Heart turns the game’s robot ballerinas into two highly stylized watches, offered as left and right interpretations. Each uses a 40mm titanium case, disc-based time indications and a prominent moon-phase display to translate the characters into the watchmaker’s familiar face-like format. Black-and-red or silver-and-graphite treatments, gold-colored detailing and fabric straps give the two versions distinct personalities. The automatic K.18-25 movement builds on a La Joux-Perret G200 base with Chaykin’s display module and provides a 68-hour power reserve. Production is limited to 69 examples of each version. Price: approximately US$23,970 each, converted from CHF20,000.

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Breguet Reworks the Marine Chronographe 5527 Around a Bicompax Dial

Breguet gives the Marine Chronographe 5527 a revised face, replacing the previous three-counter presentation with a bicompax arrangement and a date display at 6 o’clock. The 42.3mm case retains the collection’s substantial sporting presence, while Arabic numerals and the revised dial organization change the balance of the display. The automatic caliber 582QA continues to provide flyback chronograph functionality, a 4Hz operating frequency and a 48-hour power reserve. Titanium and rose-gold configurations, together with rubber-strap and bracelet options, create a considerable spread in price while preserving 100-meter water resistance. Prices: approximately US$33,590 for titanium on rubber, US$60,440 for rose gold on rubber, and US$95,360 for rose gold on a matching bracelet, converted from the supplied British prices.

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Reviews

Norqain Adventure Sport: Finding Character in an All-White Watch

The white Norqain Adventure Sport makes its impression through texture and contrasting surfaces rather than a complicated color palette. A glossy ceramic bezel, textured dial and satin-finished case give the watch depth, while the rubber strap keeps the presentation casual and practical. The review follows the appeal of this aesthetic through actual wear, including situations far removed from a carefully lit product photograph.

Price provides another part of the discussion. With the model moving from below US$2,000 at launch toward roughly US$3,000, its position against Tudor, TAG Heuer and Oris deserves renewed consideration. The author finds a persuasive combination of independent-brand identity and everyday usefulness, while illustrating how strongly a watch’s appeal can depend on a particular execution.

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Wind Vintage × True North Dreamsicle Combines Pastel Color With an Unusual Papal Connection

The Wind Vintage × True North Dreamsicle brings soft orange tones to a compact, vintage-inspired chronograph. Its 37mm stainless-steel case, steel bracelet and Seiko Instruments VK63 meca-quartz movement create an accessible package priced at US$490. The production run of 1,986 pieces references the creator’s birth year, with sales scheduled to begin October 2.

The watch’s story extends beyond its appearance: an example was presented to Pope Leo XIV, and the collaboration supports youth-ministry work in Palm Beach County. The review also traces the personal origins of the color scheme and the response it attracts in everyday settings. Those details give the Dreamsicle a warmer identity than a celebrity association alone could provide.

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Seiko Alpinist GMT HBC007 Adds Travel Functionality to a Familiar Favorite

The Alpinist GMT HBC007 brings the collection’s recognizable mixture of outdoor styling and dressier details into a travel-watch format. A dark green dial, cathedral hands, gold-toned numerals and an internal compass bezel maintain the family resemblance. The 39.5mm stainless-steel case is a substantial 13.6mm thick, while the automatic 6R54 movement supplies the additional time-zone indication.

At US$1,150, the review asks whether that added functionality justifies the step up from a standard Alpinist. The stated accuracy range and the supplied strap receive scrutiny, but the overall design remains appealing. A strap change may be the easiest improvement for an owner who likes the watch’s character while wanting a different feel on the wrist.

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Monceau Model 01 GTS Channels Motorsport Through Compact Proportions and Strong Color

Monceau’s Model 01 GTS develops the revived brand’s angular sports-watch design with a sandblasted case and colors inspired by vintage automotive paint and racing liveries. Its 39mm diameter and short 44.7mm lug-to-lug measurement help keep the design compact. Verde Scandal, Tobacco Targa and Irion Azure provide markedly different personalities within the same basic architecture.

A manually wound Sellita SW210-1 movement supplies approximately 42 hours of power reserve, with its decoration visible through the caseback. Rubber-strap and integrated-bracelet options let owners emphasize either the sporting theme or the watch’s 1970s character. The review’s strongest point is how effectively the proportions, matte finishing and colors work together without overwhelming the basic time display.

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Rotary × MoD ATP Reissue Makes Military Heritage Small, Simple and Accessible

Rotary’s ATP Reissue takes inspiration from the Army Trade Pattern watches that preceded the better-known wartime “Dirty Dozen.” A compact 33.5mm case, beige dial, clear Arabic numerals and small-seconds display preserve the utilitarian character. Modern provisions include a sapphire crystal, screw-down crown and 100-meter water resistance.

The quartz movement keeps the watch practical and affordable, with a British price of £149. Its military-style fabric strap and restrained dimensions reinforce the field-watch brief without requiring the compromises of owning an original wartime example. The review finds the small case surprisingly comfortable and presents the watch as an approachable way to enjoy the design’s historical appeal.

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Zenith Chronomaster Solo Sport Brings High-Frequency Mechanics to a Three-Hand Watch

Zenith’s Chronomaster Solo Sport takes the brand’s high-frequency movement expertise into a three-hand sports-watch format. The automatic El Primero caliber 3620 operates at 5Hz and offers a 60-hour power reserve, while ceramic elements and 200-meter water resistance support a contemporary sporting identity. Different dial and date configurations give buyers several ways into the collection.

The bracelet deserves attention of its own. Zenith’s ZENCLASP system provides 10mm of adjustment in 2.5mm increments, addressing the everyday comfort questions that specifications can sometimes overlook. With steel models priced from US$9,800 to US$10,900, the review weighs the appeal of the movement and bracelet against a competitive segment filled with established alternatives.

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Podcasts

Fratello On Air: Does Watch Financing Help or Hurt the Hobby?

Michael Stockton and Balazs Ferenczi consider what installment payments have done for watch buying—and whether the benefits to retailers translate into benefits for collectors. The discussion includes a past purchase made using a zero-interest store-credit offer, the temptation to act when a desirable watch becomes available, and occasions when financing a meaningful gift might seem appealing.

The conversation also takes in the Laver Cup, Rolex’s presence in tennis and the watches currently occupying the hosts’ wrists. Its central question fits neatly into today’s issue: does easier access to a purchase improve the collecting experience, or simply make it easier to commit to an expense? The episode runs approximately 67 minutes.

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Videos

Deployant: A Closer Look at the BA111OD Chapter 7 Skeleton

Deployant turns its attention to the Chapter 7 Skeleton, a watch that makes exposed mechanics central to its appearance. The subject offers an opportunity to examine how an openworked display interacts with the case shape, hands and remaining dial structure. For viewers attracted to skeleton watches, the useful question is how the visual complexity translates into a watch that can still be read and enjoyed on the wrist.

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Scott Adam Lancaster: “You Should NEVER Buy a Grail Watch”—An Argument Worth Examining

Scott Adam Lancaster challenges the idea that a collection needs one ultimate prize. The discussion considers the expectations attached to a “grail,” the pressure created by status and scarcity, and the possibility that achieving the purchase may deliver less satisfaction than the pursuit promised. The provocative premise invites viewers to consider whether the watch itself remains appealing once the mythology surrounding it is removed.

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A Podcast About Watches: Budget Alternatives to Hard-to-Get Rolex Models

This selection explores more accessible watches for enthusiasts drawn to styles associated with difficult-to-obtain Rolex references. Comparisons focus attention on design, practical features and price, opening the discussion to brands a buyer might otherwise overlook. The most useful alternative will depend on what attracted someone to the original watch: proportions, functionality and everyday feel can matter as much as a familiar visual resemblance.

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Exquisite Timepieces: Ten Green-Dial Watches to Explore

Exquisite Timepieces surveys green-dial watches across a range of designs and collecting interests. The color can produce very different effects depending on surface texture, case material and the amount of light reaching the dial. This roundup provides a starting point for comparing those interpretations and deciding whether a particular shade or finish would continue to appeal after the initial attraction.

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Canadian Watch Community: Inside the Toronto Timepiece Show

Canadian Watch Community takes viewers through the Toronto Timepiece Show with a walkthrough and conversations with participating brands. The format brings some of the appeal of an in-person event to viewers elsewhere: watches can be seen in motion, brand representatives can explain their decisions, and unfamiliar makers have a chance to attract attention. It is an opportunity to explore beyond the names that dominate the daily headlines.

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Scott Adam Lancaster: Fifteen Rolex Models, Retail Prices and the Grey Market

A comparison of retail and grey-market prices provides the basis for this examination of 15 Rolex models. The exercise is useful because different references can behave very differently, making sweeping claims about the brand’s entire secondary market difficult to support. Viewers should distinguish advertised prices from completed transactions and consider how condition, seller terms and immediate availability affect the comparison. The title supplies the provocation; the individual examples are where the analysis needs to stand.

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Auction Results

An US$84,950 Reserve Meets a US$9,700 Bid: Bovet’s US$75,250 Disconnect

The September 29 auction of the Bovet Dimier Récital tourbillon, reference R041003, ended without a sale. The rose-gold, skeletonized watch attracted a high bid of US$9,700 against a reserve of US$84,950. That left a US$75,250 shortfall: bidding reached just 11.4% of the reserve and finished 88.6% below the seller’s minimum. Ouch is a reasonable first reaction.

This was an extraordinary disconnect between seller expectations and the demand expressed in that auction. A precious-metal tourbillon can represent substantial watchmaking achievement while appealing to a relatively narrow pool of buyers. Servicing concerns, familiarity with the reference, confidence in resale and the number of serious bidders present can all influence how aggressively that pool competes. The result does not tell us which factor mattered most here, but it makes clear that the reserve had little connection with the bidding the auction actually generated.

Is the high-end watch market collapsing? This result cannot establish that. An unsuccessful auction is not a completed transaction, and US$9,700 should not be presented as the watch’s proven market value—or as evidence that it has depreciated 88.6%. The comparison is between a bid and a reserve, not between two sale prices. A broader conclusion would require repeated, comparable sales across brands and price categories. What this auction does demonstrate is the danger of assuming that an ambitious asking price will be validated simply because the underlying watch is rare, complicated and expensive to make.

Auction Report

Stone, Gold and Market Reality: Czapek’s Falcon Eye Comes to Auction

Today’s featured auction is a 2025 Czapek Antarctique Mount Erebus Falcon Eye, combining a 40.5mm rose-gold case with a natural-stone dial and a strap. Czapek’s name reaches back to François Czapek, who partnered with Antoine Norbert de Patek in 1839 before establishing his own firm in 1845. The modern company launched publicly in 2015, and the Antarctique arrived in 2020. The precious-metal Mount Erebus followed in 2024, with the rare-stone interpretations appearing in 2025. Falcon Eye production was announced at ten pieces annually, giving this variation a particularly small place within an already specialized collection.

The attraction is the interaction between the warm case and the shifting appearance of the falcon-eye quartz. Its fibrous structure produces a shimmering effect that changes with the light, giving the dial more character than a simple anthracite-gray description suggests. Inside, the automatic SXH5 uses a platinum micro-rotor, an openworked bridge arrangement and a 60-hour power reserve. The combination offers two distinct reasons to turn the watch over: natural pattern and color on the front, mechanical architecture through the sapphire back.

The U.S.-located auction example comes with its box, papers and product literature. It is described as pre-owned, with an excellent dial and minor signs of wear to the case, bezel and strap-or-bracelet category. The listing’s general condition language allows for the possibility of servicing or polishing but does not establish that either occurred. For a watch with a delicate stone dial and a precious-metal case, the quality of the individual example matters, as do the condition of the strap and clasp, documented service history and current movement performance.

The supplied MSRP is US$53,300. For comparison, a dealer currently advertises a 2025 rose-gold Falcon Eye on rubber with box and papers at US$46,570—US$6,730, or approximately 12.6%, below that retail figure. That is a negotiable asking price rather than a verified sale, and it may represent the same watch offered through another channel, so it should not be treated as an independent transaction benchmark. The available evidence supports a useful retail comparison, but not a confident auction-value range. This is a distinctive independent watch with strong aesthetic and mechanical credentials; its eventual price will depend on how much those qualities mean to the bidders present. The auction is scheduled to end at 8:00 p.m. EDT today, Wednesday, September 30, 2026.

Current bid: $2,200

See it Now on Bezel >

Losing Time

Today’s Big Losers at Auction on Grailzee

Four watches, four failed sales, and four reminders that an asking price is a statement of ambition—not a binding agreement with reality. Percentages below measure the shortfall against each seller’s ask.

The 2018 Jaeger-LeCoultre Polaris Chronograph (Q9028180) arrived with a blue dial, a steel bracelet, and a $10,497 ask. Bidders supplied $4,350, leaving a $6,147 gap—58.6% below asking. The 42mm chronograph posted the largest percentage miss of the group. The seller and bidders weren’t negotiating so much as attending different auctions.

The 2019 Vacheron Constantin Overseas Perpetual Calendar (4300V/000R-B509) came closest in percentage terms, although “closest” is doing some fairly strenuous work. Against an $80,000 ask, the high bid reached $59,000, a $21,000 shortfall, or 26.3%. That was the largest dollar gap of the four. A blue dial and a perpetual calendar can accomplish plenty; persuading this bidding pool to produce another twenty-one grand was apparently outside the complications list.

The Parmigiani Fleurier Tonda Centum Retrograde Perpetual (PFH227-1200300-HA1441) asked $26,000 and drew $11,200, missing by $14,800, or 56.9%. Its skeleton dial offered transparency; the bidding offered an uncomfortable amount more. Whatever the appeal of the watch’s elaborate mechanics, this auction produced less than half the requested money.

The 2025 IWC Schaffhausen Pilot Performance Chronograph “722 Edition” (IW388308) brought limited-edition credentials and a $21,900 ask. The high bid stopped at $10,500, leaving $11,400 on the imaginary table—a 52.1% miss. Apparently, “limited edition” also described the bidders’ willingness to keep going.

The pattern is hard to miss: three of the four watches attracted bids below half their asking prices. Vacheron showed the narrowest relative gap, but even that result left a substantial distance to a deal. These bids don’t establish definitive market values; they show what these particular auctions could produce. The practical conclusion is less glamorous than the watches: sellers would need lower expectations, a different audience, or more patience. Prestige, complications, and scarcity make excellent sales copy. They do not automatically make the sale.

Closing Time

Thank you for spending part of your day with BuyingTime. Today’s watches offer plenty of reasons to look closely: an unexpected color, a familiar design made fresh, a movement worth turning over, or a story that makes an object feel personal. Keep those reasons in view when the conversation turns to price. The most rewarding watch in a collection is often the one that keeps earning time on the wrist. We’ll be back tomorrow with more discoveries, more perspective and another day in the watch world.

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BuyingTime in 30 Seconds

George Bamford takes on a major role at JCB while keeping his watch businesses moving. Louis Vuitton revisits the Monterey in ceramic, Marco Tedeschi puts a floating tourbillon against black aventurine, and Ianos and Yema offer distinctive titanium divers. Our features connect Victorian royal patronage, a musician’s collecting instincts and the industrial expertise behind modern movements. An affordable tourbillon raises questions about what a low price includes, while New York prepares for a packed October watch calendar. Yesterday’s F.P. Journe Élégante remained unsold despite a US$117,500 bid. Today, a rose-gold Bovet Récital 0 tourbillon closes at 1:40 p.m. EDT.

Time Graphing Today’s Watch Universe

Seeing Through the Watch—and the Price

There is an appealing coincidence in today’s issue. Several watches invite us to look directly through them, while several other stories ask us to look past what we think we already know. Sapphire cases expose the machinery. Skeletonized movements turn construction into decoration. A reluctant Rolex wearer discovers something attractive in a modest vintage reference. An inexpensive tourbillon challenges the assumption that a rotating cage must come with an intimidating invoice. Taken together, these stories suggest a useful collecting habit: look beneath the first impression.

That applies especially to price. Yesterday’s F.P. Journe Élégante attracted a bid of US$117,500 and still did not sell. We do not have the reserve, so we cannot calculate how far apart the two sides were. We do know that a substantial expression of buyer interest was insufficient to complete the transaction. The distinction matters. An unsold watch has produced information about that auction, but it has not established a sale price simply because a large number appeared beside it.

Today’s review of the US$850 Atelier Loreti tourbillon approaches the same subject from the opposite end. Here, the question is how much mechanical spectacle a relatively small amount of money can buy. The answer appears to be quite a lot, provided the buyer accepts compromises in legibility, strap quality, power reserve and the uncertainty of future servicing. A tourbillon can be fascinating without making the entire watch an equally convincing proposition. The complication gets our attention; the ownership experience has to keep it.

At the other extreme, Marco Tedeschi’s Central Floating Tourbillon in black aventurine makes its movement architecture the principal event. The pleasure comes from the arrangement of components, the sense of depth and the relationship between the starry surface and the mechanism above it. Comparing that watch with an entry-level tourbillon by checking whether both have a rotating escapement would tell us very little. Design, execution, finishing and the ambition of the construction require their own examination.

The roundup of transparent sapphire watches takes visibility even further. Removing an opaque case changes the way a watch is experienced: the movement becomes an object that can be examined from several directions. It also makes case manufacturing more demanding. Yet transparency is not an explanation in itself. Seeing more components does not automatically tell us which are difficult to make, how well they have been finished or whether the resulting watch is comfortable to wear. A clear case can still leave a collector with plenty of questions.

One of the most useful counterpoints comes from the story of Josh Smith’s watch collection. A musician accustomed to finding expression through an instrument brings an interesting perspective to watches. The appeal lies in character, construction and the response an object produces, with room for vintage Enicar, Japanese independents and unexpected discoveries. That kind of curiosity gives collecting somewhere to go beyond the next widely approved purchase.

The author warming to a 1974 Rolex Oysterdate Precision arrives at a similar place by another route. A brand can accumulate so much cultural baggage that the individual watch becomes difficult to see. Put a simple 34mm, manually wound Rolex on the wrist, however, and the discussion becomes more specific. Do the proportions work? Does the dial have charm? Does winding it add pleasure or inconvenience? Those are more useful questions than deciding in advance whether one is a “Rolex person.”

History helps explain why this is sometimes difficult. Our feature on Victorian royal timepieces reminds us that watches have long carried messages about status, taste and access. Royal patronage connected technical achievement with social authority. Exhibitions made innovation visible and desirable. Today’s collectors inhabit a different world, but the relationship between craftsmanship and prestige remains familiar. The challenge is recognizing when reputation helps us understand an object and when it starts doing our thinking for us.

Meanwhile, Louis Vuitton’s ceramic Monterey shows how much identity can reside in shape. Its rounded, lugless form survives a change in materials and movement because the underlying design is strong enough to remain recognizable. The Ianos Amfivios makes a different argument, concentrating on titanium construction, water resistance and a strap arrangement designed around use. Both have clear personalities, even though they answer very different desires.

Today’s Bovet auction brings these threads together. The Récital 0 offers precious metal, openworked mechanics and a seven-day tourbillon movement. There is considerable watchmaking to admire. But the price still needs to be considered in the context of condition, service history and the market for this particular reference. An advertised dealer price is useful evidence of what a seller wants; it does not tell us what another buyer has paid.

The opportunity for collectors is to hold these ideas together without allowing one to cancel the others. Enjoy the spectacle. Appreciate the history. Examine the mechanics. Then ask whether the particular watch, at the particular price, makes sense for you. Looking closely should deepen the pleasure of collecting—and occasionally give us the confidence to leave a watch where it is.

-Michael Wolf

News

George Bamford Takes a Bigger Role at JCB—and Keeps His Watch Businesses Running

George Bamford has been appointed joint chairman of JCB, adding a major industrial responsibility to the career of one of British watchmaking’s most recognizable personalities. The appointment signals a larger role in the family construction-equipment business, but Bamford says his watch operations will continue as usual, including new product launches.

Those operations encompass Bamford Watch Department, known for collaborations and customization, and Bamford London, which develops watches under its own name. Both work from the Mayfair headquarters nicknamed The Hive. The story raises an interesting question about how an entrepreneurial watch business evolves when its founder assumes much broader responsibilities, with Bamford’s stated answer being continuity.

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Features

Royal Time: How the Victorian Era Changed the Meaning of a Watch

Queen Victoria’s reign coincided with an extraordinary expansion in the reach and importance of precise timekeeping. Railways encouraged standardized time, industry demanded greater coordination, and pocket and pendant watches increasingly connected personal routines with the wider world. Royal patronage added another layer, presenting exceptional timepieces as expressions of craftsmanship, influence and national achievement.

This feature examines the relationship between those practical changes and the luxurious objects associated with Victoria and Prince Albert. The Great Exhibition of 1851 provided a stage for technical ambition, while royal collections and warrants helped confer prestige on their makers. It is a history of watches becoming both more useful and more symbolically powerful.

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Josh Smith Collects Watches With a Musician’s Open Mind

Blues guitarist Josh Smith brings the same appetite for discovery to watches that he brings to music. His collecting accelerated during the pandemic and developed across vintage references and independent makers, including Enicar, LeCoultre, Otsuka Lotec, Hajime Asaoka and Masa & Co. The attraction is a mixture of mechanical interest, distinctive design and the satisfaction of finding something that feels personal.

Smith also approaches watches as objects to wear, considering how they suit his hands and his life as a working musician. The interview draws connections between instrument making and watchmaking without reducing either pursuit to brand recognition. For collectors inclined to stay within familiar territory, his enthusiasm offers a persuasive argument for exploring beyond it.

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Through the Looking Glass: Watches That Make the Case Disappear

Transparent sapphire cases give watchmakers an opportunity to display their mechanisms as three-dimensional objects. They also introduce substantial manufacturing challenges: sapphire resists scratches exceptionally well but is brittle and demanding to machine. Creating a case that is clear, precisely shaped and structurally sound requires more than substituting one material for another.

Watchonista’s selection explores how brands turn those constraints into distinctive designs. Bell & Ross places its skull architecture inside a transparent enclosure, Hublot adds color to its sapphire vocabulary, and makers including Behrens, Cvstos and Zenith pursue their own combinations of shape and mechanical display. The result is a survey of watches in which the case becomes part of the viewing experience.

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A 1974 Oysterdate Precision Makes the Case for Looking Past Rolex Stereotypes

The Rolex Oysterdate Precision ref. 6694 offers a quieter introduction to the brand than many of its celebrated sports watches. This circa-1974 example combines a 34mm stainless-steel Oyster case with a restrained dial and the manually wound caliber 1225. Its dimensions and straightforward presentation make the appeal unusually easy to assess on the wrist.

The author’s initial reluctance gives way to appreciation of the watch’s proportions and vintage character, while acknowledging compromises such as the non-quick-set date. Winding the movement becomes part of the experience, and a period-sympathetic strap reinforces the compact design. The broader lesson concerns keeping an open mind: sometimes an individual watch is more persuasive than the reputation surrounding its maker.

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Inside La Joux-Perret: The Industrial Expertise Behind Independent Watches

La Joux-Perret occupies an important position between the small brands that need dependable movements and the industrial capabilities required to produce them consistently. The supplied manufacture visit describes a business combining mechanical calibers, solar-quartz production and high-end work associated with Arnold & Son and Angelus. That breadth makes the company relevant to very different segments of the watch market.

The production approach combines selective automation with skilled assembly and finishing. Repetitive processes can be handled efficiently while technicians concentrate on tasks requiring judgment and dexterity. For collectors, the visit provides useful context for the name appearing in so many specifications: a specialist supplier’s contribution can be central to the quality and viability of the finished watch.

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New Watches

Dollar equivalents below are approximate conversions of the supplied European or Swiss prices, rather than confirmed U.S. retail prices. Regional pricing, taxes and import costs may differ.

Marco Tedeschi’s Central Floating Tourbillon Gains a Black-Aventurine Backdrop

Marco Tedeschi brings a dark, sparkling setting to the Central Floating Tourbillon, using black aventurine to emphasize the depth of its unconventional movement architecture. The 45mm Grade 5 titanium case houses the manually wound KS 7’005 caliber, which comprises 220 components and offers a five-day power reserve. A central barrel helps determine the arrangement of the surrounding mechanism, while the elevated tourbillon, exposed gearing and layered display make the construction the visual centerpiece. The watch pairs a domed sapphire crystal with a black calf-leather strap and titanium deployant buckle, and production is limited to ten numbered examples. Price: approximately US$110,600, converted from CHF92,000.

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Baume & Mercier’s Riviera Chronograph Heads to the Historic Italian Grand Prix

The Riviera Chronograph Gran Premio Storico d’Italia Limited Edition celebrates Baume & Mercier’s role as official timekeeper of the historic motorsport event at Mugello. Its 41mm stainless-steel case retains the collection’s twelve-sided bezel, framing an opaline white dial with green chronograph counters and red timing hands. An automatic Valjoux 7753 movement supplies a 48-hour power reserve, while 100-meter water resistance gives the watch everyday practicality beyond its racing theme. A black rubber strap with canvas detailing and a tool-free change system completes the package, and the sapphire caseback carries the event’s identity. Price: approximately US$5,350, converted from €4,700.

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Louis Vuitton Monterey Returns in Green and Black Ceramic

Louis Vuitton revisits its early watchmaking history with two ceramic Monterey references inspired by the LV II of 1988. The 37mm case preserves the rounded, pebble-like silhouette associated with Gae Aulenti’s original design, with concealed strap attachment maintaining the smooth outline. Glossy black ceramic surrounds a white dial, while the green version extends its color across the case, dial and matching calfskin strap. An automatic movement with a rose-gold rotor and 45-hour power reserve updates the proposition, and the display concentrates on timekeeping rather than retaining the original alarm and date functions. Both versions join the permanent collection. Price: approximately US$26,170 each, converted from €23,000.

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Ianos Amfivios Brings Purposeful Titanium Construction to Everyday Diving

The Ianos Amfivios translates the brand’s functional design approach into a civilian dive watch with a 41mm bead-blasted Grade 2 titanium case. Its matte black dial combines luminous markers with small seconds and a date window at 12 o’clock, creating a distinctive arrangement within an otherwise restrained display. The automatic Sellita SW360 provides approximately 56 hours of power reserve, while a domed sapphire crystal, fixed strap bars and 300-meter water resistance reinforce the practical brief. A channel beneath the case accommodates the rubber NATO strap, and the initial production batch comprises 300 pieces, including 100 numbered watches allocated to existing clients. Price: approximately US$2,465 before taxes, converted from CHF2,050.

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Yema Navygraf Meteorite Combines a Titanium Diver With an Extraterrestrial Dial

Yema gives the Navygraf a distinctive dial material with black and green interpretations of Muonionalusta meteorite. The naturally occurring Widmanstätten pattern provides a different surface on each watch, surrounded by a 39mm titanium case with brushed finishing and polished bevels. Inside, the automatic CMM.10 movement offers a 70-hour power reserve and a stated daily accuracy range of –3 to +5 seconds. The specifications include 300-meter water resistance, a double-domed sapphire crystal, luminous hands and markers, and a titanium bracelet with micro-adjustment. Individually numbered limited production adds another collecting element to a watch whose strongest distinction is already visible on its face. Price: approximately US$3,300, converted from €2,900.

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Reviews

An US$850 Tourbillon: Mechanical Entertainment With Ownership Questions

The Atelier Loreti Celestial Tourbillon poses an irresistible question for mechanically curious collectors: what happens when a complication associated with expensive watchmaking becomes available for US$850? Its gold-tone case and aventurine dial create a suitably theatrical setting, and the review finds real entertainment in the mechanism itself.

The compromises become clearer when the watch is judged as a complete product. Legibility, strap quality and power reserve receive criticism, while the longer-term availability of service remains an important uncertainty. The review’s value is in separating the pleasure of seeing a tourbillon operate from the broader demands of owning and wearing the watch around it.

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Perrelet Weekend Stone Dials Put Natural Materials at the Center

Perrelet expands the Weekend collection with turquoise, lapis lazuli, tiger’s eye and black onyx dials. A restrained 39mm stainless-steel case keeps attention on the stone, while applied markers, dauphine hands and a date window provide a conventional framework around the individual patterns and colors. The automatic Soprod-made P-321 movement delivers approximately 42 hours of power reserve.

The review considers how successfully that combination balances visual character with everyday usefulness. There is no lume, but the metallic hands and markers provide contrast in daylight, and strap or bracelet choices alter the watch’s personality. At CHF1,590—approximately US$1,910—the collection gives buyers a comparatively accessible way to explore natural-stone dials in a Swiss-made automatic.

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Events

New York’s October Watch Calendar Comes Together

WatchTime and Windup are aligning on October 16–18, creating an unofficial New York Watch Week with markedly different but complementary experiences. WatchTime’s ticketed event at Gotham Hall brings together a curated group of luxury watchmakers, while Worn & Wound’s Windup offers free admission at Center415 and a much larger roster spanning independent and accessible brands. The venues are close enough to make visiting both a practical proposition.

Indies.NYC adds an October 15 evening gathering focused on independent watchmaking and direct conversation. Together, the events offer collectors a chance to handle watches that are otherwise experienced mainly through photographs and specifications. The concentrated schedule also encourages exploration across price categories, with established names and smaller makers sharing the city’s attention.

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Podcasts

From the Archives: The Business of Watches—La Joux-Perret CEO Jean-Claude Eggen

This March 25, 2026 episode of Hodinkee’s The Business of Watches provides a useful companion to today’s manufacture feature. Host Andy Hoffman speaks with La Joux-Perret CEO Jean-Claude Eggen about movement production, pricing, technology and the business of supplying brands with very different requirements. The conversation examines the company’s growth to approximately 200,000 movements annually and its ambitions for greater precision and smaller calibers.

The episode also introduces Tad Kozh, an initiative supporting the development of specialist skills among young watchmakers. Together, the discussions connect the economics of production with the people needed to sustain watchmaking’s more demanding crafts.

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Videos

Britt Pearce: Omega Quietly Discontinued Hundreds of Watches

Britt Pearce examines a substantial reduction in Omega’s catalog and what it means for enthusiasts navigating the brand’s many collections and variations. The subject raises questions about how a major manufacturer balances breadth, recognizable product families and the need to keep its offering manageable. For collectors, the discussion provides a starting point for thinking about discontinued references and changing availability, without assuming that removal from a catalog automatically makes a watch more desirable.

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The Iced Coffee Hour Clips: Building a Watch Collection Under US$15,000

A fixed collection budget forces decisions that a single-watch wish list can avoid. This discussion considers how to distribute US$15,000 across a selection of watches, balancing recognizable names, different uses and the desire for quality. The interesting question is how the pieces work together: a satisfying collection should give its owner reasons to wear each watch, rather than simply accumulate variations on the same purchase.

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Andrew Morgan Watches: “The Decline of Rolex”

Andrew Morgan uses a provocative title to examine Rolex’s position within a changing watch market. The discussion considers the relationship between collector demand, status and the alternatives competing for buyers’ attention. It is best approached as a market argument to examine, with the distinction between changes in enthusiasm, secondary-market pricing and the underlying strength of a watch business kept firmly in view.

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The 1916 Company: Five Watches to Consider Right Now

The 1916 Company presents a five-watch selection built around the appeal of individual models in the current market. Design, construction and collecting interest provide the basis for comparing watches that may serve different tastes and purposes. As with any dealer-led selection, the useful exercise is to understand the reasoning behind each choice and decide which characteristics matter in your own collection.

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Time+Tide Takes Cartier Enthusiasts Inside the Melbourne Boutique

Time+Tide brings passionate Cartier collectors to the brand’s Melbourne boutique to experience watches in person and compare expectations with what happens on the wrist. The premise is simple: which watch did each visitor most want to see, and which one ultimately captured their attention? Their reactions underline how strongly proportions, surface finishes and the movement of light can change an impression formed from photographs. This is a collector gathering and hands-on encounter with Cartier’s watches, with the pleasure of discovery at its center.

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Auctions

Four Unique Rolex Daytonas Bring a Reported US$49.4 Million for Charity

The Rolex Four Seasons Daytona collection reportedly achieved a combined US$49.4 million at its London charity auction. The four unique watches interpret winter, autumn, spring and summer through different precious metals and elaborate gemstone treatments, with proceeds benefiting the Federer Foundation and Re. Phillips and Aurel Bacs conducted the sale, bringing together exceptional watches and a philanthropic setting capable of producing exceptional bidding.

The result deserves to be understood in that context. Unique pieces created for a prominent charity event occupy a different market from ordinary production references, where buyers compare condition, availability and established transaction histories. The sale demonstrates the fundraising power of Rolex’s reputation and these particular watches, while offering limited guidance for valuing a standard Daytona.

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Auction Results

US$117,500 Wasn’t Enough: F.P. Journe Élégante Remains Unsold

The September 28 featured auction for the 2018 F.P. Journe Élégante 48 in titanium ended without a sale. The white-dial watch attracted a high bid of US$117,500, but that figure did not satisfy the seller’s reserve.

The reserve amount was not supplied, so the gap between the bidding and the seller’s expectations cannot be calculated. What is clear is that even a six-figure bid could not complete the transaction. The result records a serious expression of interest in this example, alongside a seller who wanted more; it is not a completed sale at US$117,500.

Auction Report

Seven Days of Mechanical Theater: Bovet’s Rose-Gold Récital 0 Faces the Market

Today’s featured auction brings a Bovet Dimier Récital 0 tourbillon, reference R041003, to the block in a 41mm rose-gold case with an openworked display. The model belongs to Bovet’s modern revival under Pascal Raffy, who acquired the house in 2001 and expanded its manufacturing capabilities through the Dimier acquisition in 2006. The Récital 0 family was introduced in 2011, building on the early Récital collection’s emphasis on tourbillon watchmaking. Its conventional crown placement and wristwatch proportions give it a different character from Bovet’s pocket-watch-inspired Fleurier designs.

The manually wound movement offers a seven-day power reserve, with the tourbillon and exposed architecture providing the visual attraction. Hours, minutes, seconds and a power-reserve indication turn the openworked construction into a functional display rather than decoration alone. At 41mm, the watch presents substantial mechanical detail within dimensions that are relatively restrained for this kind of complicated showpiece. Its appeal depends on the relationship between the warm rose-gold case and the machinery visible within it.

The U.S.-located auction example comes with box and papers and is described as a store display piece, although the overall condition category is pre-owned. The supplied report rates the dial and strap or bracelet category as excellent; its general wording allows for possible servicing or polishing without establishing that either occurred. The listing’s “2017–present” year range does not identify this particular watch’s production date. Confirmation of its date, service history and current mechanical performance would therefore help establish how it compares with other examples.

For value context, an exact-reference R041003 dealer listing is advertised at US$84,950 with box and papers and a like-new or unworn description. That is an asking price, not a verified transaction, and it does not establish the auction watch’s realizable value. No sufficiently comparable completed sale was verified to justify a firm auction estimate; bidders should weigh the individual watch’s condition and service needs alongside the total acquisition cost. The attraction is significant watchmaking in precious metal, but the price must stand on more than an advertised comparison. The auction ends at 1:40 p.m. EDT on Tuesday, September 29, 2026.

Current bid: $750.00

See it Now on Bezel >

Losing Time

Today’s Big Losers at Auction on Grailzee

The four failed sales offered a useful reminder: sellers set the asking prices, but bidders are under no obligation to admire the imagination behind them.

The Arnold & Son DSTB DBG Equation GMT, 44mm, asked $15,220 and drew a final bid of $4,600—a $10,620 shortfall, or 69.8% below ask. That is less a narrow negotiating gap than two people attending entirely different auctions. The watch may offer mechanical complexity, but the bidding delivered a simple answer: nowhere near that price.

The 2025 Konstantin Chaykin Ace of Hearts x Behrens “Joker” limited edition, 37mm, attracted $5,600 against a $9,490 ask, missing by $3,890, or 41.0%. The Joker produced the closest approach to its asking price of these four listings, which is rather like winning a high-jump competition by hitting the bar least badly. The collaboration and limited-edition billing drew interest, but bidders declined to fund the full punch line.

The H. Moser & Cie Endeavour Centre Seconds, 41mm, carried a $15,000 ask and reached $8,000, leaving a $7,000 gap, or 46.7% below ask. Understated elegance apparently extended to the bidding. There was an audience for the watch at $8,000; the additional $7,000 remained a seller-side aspiration.

The 2026 Audemars Piguet Royal Pop “Swatch OTG ROZ,” 40mm, asked $2,000 and received a high bid of $750—$1,250 short, or 62.5% below ask. The turquoise dial supplied the color; the seller supplied the optimism. Whatever premium the asking price anticipated, this auction’s bidders were prepared to recognize only a fraction of it.

Together, the four listings sought $41,710 and attracted combined final bids of $18,950, a 54.6% aggregate shortfall. The common thread is a substantial mismatch between seller expectations and what these bidders would pay. Every watch missed by at least 41%, so these were hardly deals derailed by the last few dollars. Four unsuccessful auctions cannot establish the entire market’s value, but they can deliver a fairly coherent message: rarity, complications, and branding may earn attention; they do not automatically earn the asking price.

Closing Time

Thank you for spending part of your day with BuyingTime. Today’s issue offers plenty to admire, from a compact vintage Rolex to a tourbillon that puts its engineering on full display. Keep looking closely, leave room for an unexpected favorite, and remember that enjoying a watch and agreeing with its price are separate decisions. We’ll be back tomorrow with more watches, more stories and another look at what the market is telling us.

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BuyingTime in 30 Seconds

Richard Mille joins Britain’s America’s Cup campaign, while Gallet’s comeback raises questions about how heritage brands find new audiences. Atelier Wen and Massena LAB pair tantalum with hand-worked gold, Buci turns literary inspiration into a wristwatch, and Orient offers an accessible take on the integrated bracelet. Our features explore sector dials, digital minimalism and watches collectors wish would return. MB&F adds diamonds to its floating mechanical universe, and Minerva brings an olive-green treatment to its suspended tourbillon. Friday’s Arnold & Son remained unsold at US$34,500 against a US$59,000 reserve. Today’s featured 2018 F.P. Journe Élégante 48 closes at noon EDT.

Time Graphing Today’s Watch Universe

A Watch Should Have Something of Its Own to Say

Spend enough time looking at new watches and a curious thing happens: you begin noticing the similarities before the differences. Another integrated bracelet. Another vintage-inspired dial. Another limited edition distinguished by a color that was absent from the catalog last season. Familiarity can be reassuring, especially when you are spending serious money. But collecting becomes much more interesting when a watch gives you a reason to pause.

Today’s issue offers several examples of what that reason can be. Sometimes it is an unusual material or a demanding decorative technique. Sometimes it is a familiar design approached with conviction. Sometimes it is a practical idea that challenges our assumptions about what serious watchmaking ought to look like. The common thread is a clear point of view.

Consider the Atelier Wen × Massena LAB Inflection Shuò. Its integrated bracelet places it within one of the industry’s busiest categories, yet the combination of tantalum, hand-tremblage gold and Chinese calligraphy gives the watch a specific identity. There is substance behind the visual distinction: a difficult material to work, a surface shaped by hand and a deliberate conversation between Chinese design and Swiss movement making. Whether the result appeals to your taste is personal. What makes it worth discussing is how clearly it expresses its ambitions.

Buci’s Nouvelle approaches that same challenge from a different direction. Its inspiration comes from books, handwriting and the act of putting thoughts on a page. The irregular numerals, paper-like texture and hands that meet in the shape of a pen nib create a coherent idea. At 36mm, it also suggests that a watch can have considerable personality without demanding considerable wrist space. The details belong to the same story, which is harder to achieve than simply adding an unusual dial.

Then there is the Orient Flusso. It enters a crowded field at a much more approachable price, drawing on Orient’s own 1970s history. That connection matters. A brand with an archive has the opportunity to recover something distinctive from its past, provided the result works as a contemporary object. For buyers, the useful questions remain wonderfully ordinary: does it fit, is it legible, does the bracelet feel right, and will you enjoy wearing it after the launch excitement disappears?

Our sector-dial history helps explain why certain ideas keep returning. Concentric scales and carefully divided spaces offer a satisfying way to organize information. Their appeal rests partly in the relationship between appearance and purpose. A good sector dial looks considered because its elements have jobs to do. That is a lesson contemporary designers can apply without reproducing an old watch line for line.

The Bulgari conversation with Fabrizio Buonamassa Stigliani and Vianney Halter adds another dimension. Collaboration becomes meaningful when each participant brings a way of thinking that the other would not have reached alone. Bulgari’s established visual language and Halter’s independent imagination create a productive tension. The interest lies in how they work through it—and how much of each voice survives in the finished watch.

That question of identity also applies to companies. Gallet’s return involves more than reviving names from a catalog. A heritage brand has to explain why it belongs on a buyer’s wrist today. Access to manufacturing and distribution can help bring watches to market. The harder task is giving people a reason to choose them. History provides material; the current collection has to turn that material into something convincing.

At the opposite end of the spectacle scale, our guide to watches for digital minimalists asks what we actually want from the object on our wrist. A useful watch can reduce the number of decisions competing for our attention. It can tell the time, track another time zone or sound an alarm, then leave us alone. In a world full of devices asking to be checked, that restraint has become a feature in its own right.

Today’s auction watch makes an especially interesting contribution to this discussion. The F.P. Journe Élégante is powered by quartz, yet its movement reflects an unusually thoughtful response to everyday use. Leave it motionless and the hands stop to conserve energy; pick it up and they return to the correct time. Its sophistication is experienced through convenience. That is an entirely legitimate form of horological intelligence, even in a collecting culture that often places mechanical complexity at the top of the hierarchy.

Of course, having a distinctive idea does not settle the question of price. Friday’s Arnold & Son attracted a US$34,500 bid but required US$59,000 to sell. Rarity, precious metal and a tourbillon gave bidders plenty to consider, but the transaction still needed agreement between buyer and seller. The result is a reminder to separate admiration for an object from confidence in a particular valuation.

The pleasure of this issue is its range. A book-inspired dial, a revived Japanese sports watch, an independent collaboration and an electromechanical Journe can all reward attention for different reasons. A collection becomes more personal when those reasons are understood. Before asking whether a watch belongs among the approved choices, it is worth asking what it contributes—and whether that contribution means something to you.

-Michael Wolf

News

Richard Mille Joins GB1’s America’s Cup Campaign

Richard Mille has become the official timekeeping partner of GB1, the British America’s Cup challenger preparing for the 2027 competition. The partnership connects the watchmaker’s emphasis on advanced materials and performance engineering with a sailing campaign in which weight, precision and technical development are central concerns. It also extends the brand’s presence in competitive sailing, giving its sporting identity another setting where engineering decisions are tested under demanding conditions.

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Features

Sector Dials: The Lasting Appeal of an Organized Face

Sector dials divide time into carefully arranged rings and tracks, creating a visual structure that can feel both technical and elegant. This guide follows the design’s early development, its association with precision instruments and its later reinterpretation by contemporary watchmakers. Examples from established luxury houses and more accessible brands show how much variation is possible within a recognizable format. The enduring attraction is easy to understand: a well-executed sector dial gives every marking a place and makes that organization part of the watch’s beauty.

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Beyond the Rolex Padellone: Calendar Watches With Their Own Appeal

Collectors drawn to calendar displays and moon phases have a wide field to explore beyond Rolex. This selection considers alternatives from Raymond Weil, IWC, Girard-Perregaux, Blancpain, Jaeger-LeCoultre and Vacheron Constantin, comparing how each organizes useful information within a distinctive design. The differences extend beyond branding: case shape, dial balance and the presentation of the calendar can substantially change the ownership experience. These watches offer different interpretations of a similar fascination, although their calendar mechanisms should not be assumed to have identical capabilities.

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Bulgari and Vianney Halter: What Happens When Two Design Languages Meet

Fabrizio Buonamassa Stigliani and Vianney Halter discuss the creative relationship behind their Octo Finissimo Dual-Time collaboration. Their conversation explores the challenge of introducing an independent watchmaker’s personality into a collection with a strongly established identity. Thinness, movement architecture and the limits of the brief become useful creative pressures, encouraging solutions that neither participant could approach casually. The interview is also a reminder that productive collaborations depend on trust and shared curiosity as much as recognizable names.

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Gallet’s Comeback: Turning Chronograph Heritage Into a Contemporary Proposition

Gallet managing director Erwan Rossignol explains the thinking behind the revived brand and its emphasis on travel, movement and adventure. Historic names such as Flying Officer and Multichron provide a foundation, while Breitling’s production and retail infrastructure offer a route to a broader audience. The challenge is to translate that heritage into watches that feel relevant to people encountering Gallet for the first time. Rossignol’s ambitions center on visibility and actual wrist time, useful measures for a name seeking life beyond the vintage collector’s vocabulary.

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Why Richard Mille Resonates With Women Collectors

Richard Mille’s appeal to women extends across engineering, materials, color and elaborate decorative work. This feature traces the development of that approach through watches including the RM 007 and later creations combining advanced composites, gem-setting and complicated movements. It also considers the influence of women involved in the brand’s creative and commercial direction. The broader subject is how a watchmaker develops a convincing collection for women by taking their interests seriously across both technical and aesthetic dimensions.

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Fourteen Omega Watches That Helped Shape the Brand

Omega’s history is especially revealing when examined through the watches that expanded its capabilities. This retrospective moves from the caliber that gave the company its name through the Marine, Seamaster, Constellation and Speedmaster, then into professional diving and modern antimagnetic watchmaking. Along the way, it connects familiar collections to the practical problems they were developed to address. The result offers useful context for understanding why Omega’s present catalog contains such a broad mixture of sporting, technical and everyday watches.

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Six Dress Watches That Take a Different Approach

A dress watch can remain elegant while introducing an unexpected shape, material or decorative technique. This selection brings together Frederique Constant, Alexandre Martin, Venezianico, Marcu, Kiwame Tokyo and Berneron, spanning accessible watches and highly exclusive independent creations. Salmon tones, textured dials, titanium cases and unconventional movement presentation demonstrate how flexible the category has become. The common question is how much personality a watch can express while preserving the restraint and visual balance associated with dressier occasions.

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Smartwatch Burnout: Watches That Give You Useful Information and Some Peace

For wearers tired of notifications and charging routines, a conventional watch can offer a welcome reduction in daily demands. This guide explores options ranging from simple Casio digitals to mechanical travel watches, considering which functions remain useful when the connected ecosystem disappears. Alarms, second time zones and long battery life can all serve practical purposes without requiring constant interaction. The emphasis is on choosing a watch around what you use, rather than accumulating functions that compete for your attention.

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Five Discontinued Watches Collectors Still Want Back

The second installment of this enthusiast wish list revisits the Seiko SKX007/009, Omega Railmaster, Tudor Heritage Chrono, Breitling Top Time ref. 810 and Omega Speedmaster X-33. Each represents a particular combination of design, history and usefulness that the author believes deserves another opportunity. Some arguments favor a faithful return; others leave room for improved dimensions or updated technology. Together, they explore why a discontinued watch can retain a clearer identity in collectors’ minds than the products that follow it.

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New Watches

Approximate U.S. dollar equivalents are currency conversions, not confirmed U.S. retail prices. Local taxes and regional pricing may differ.

Atelier Wen × Massena LAB Inflection Shuò: Tantalum Meets Hand-Tremblage Gold

Atelier Wen and Massena LAB bring an unusually ambitious combination of materials and decoration to the Inflection Shuò. Its 40mm tantalum case and integrated bracelet surround a gold dial worked with hand-tremblage, creating a finely textured surface that catches light across thousands of tiny irregularities. Arabic numerals and Chinese calligraphy give the display a distinctive cultural identity, while a Girard-Perregaux GP03300 automatic movement supplies approximately 48 hours of power reserve. Production is limited to 50 watches, divided between 10 white-gold-dial examples and 40 rose-gold-dial versions, with deliveries scheduled for 2027. Price: approximately US$40,800, converted from CHF33,800.

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Buci Nouvelle: A Small Watch With a Literary Imagination

Buci’s Nouvelle collection turns the textures and rituals of writing into a compact 36mm stainless-steel watch. An oval, concave bezel frames either an aged-paper-inspired Essentiel dial or a deep-blue Contemplation version, with irregular hand-painted numerals reinforcing the literary theme. The manually wound Sellita SW219 provides a 42-hour power reserve and small seconds at 9 o’clock, while the hands align to suggest a fountain-pen nib. The 300-piece collection arrives in book-inspired packaging with a notebook, and its announced Kickstarter campaign runs from September 25 through November 15. Price: approximately US$1,770 at launch, rising to approximately US$2,110 afterward.

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Casio G-Shock MRG-B2100HR-1A: Japanese Decorative Craft Goes High-Tech

The MRG-B2100HR-1A combines the familiar resilience of a G-Shock with elaborate surface treatment and Japanese metal-leaf artistry. Its titanium and COBARION construction is complemented by laser-generated color effects and work associated with Kyoto artist Hiroto Rakusho, producing a finish that changes with the light and viewing angle. Practical equipment includes sapphire crystal, Tough Solar power, radio time calibration, Bluetooth connectivity and 200 meters of water resistance. Limited to 800 pieces, it makes a particularly bold proposition at the upper end of the G-Shock range. Price: approximately US$7,000.

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Orient Flusso: Seventies Inspiration at an Accessible Price

Orient’s Flusso collection draws on the brand’s Super King heritage for a contemporary integrated-bracelet design. The 39mm stainless-steel case has a tonneau profile, with recessed corner details and a bracelet intended to create a continuous line around the wrist. Standard dial options are joined by a ruby-red gradient edition limited to 4,500 pieces, while the automatic F6522 movement provides approximately 40 hours of power reserve. Sapphire crystal, luminous hands and 100-meter water resistance strengthen the everyday proposition, with availability announced for December 2026. Prices: approximately US$340 for standard steel models, US$380 for the limited edition and US$410 for the gold-plated version, converted from the announced euro prices.

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Favre Leuba Harpoon Revival Adds Black and Blue

Favre Leuba expands the Harpoon Revival with black and dark-blue sunray dials, retaining the compact proportions that distinguish the collection. The stainless-steel case measures 36.8mm across and approximately 10mm thick, pairing a domed sapphire crystal with restrained detailing inspired by the brand’s 1960s watches. Inside is a La Joux-Perret G100-based automatic movement offering a useful 68-hour power reserve. Black or brown leather straps complete the two versions, which preserve the original model’s 50-meter water resistance. Price: approximately US$2,170 each, converted from CHF1,800.

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MB&F SP One Pavée: A Floating Mechanical Sculpture With 255 Diamonds

MB&F gives the SP One a high-jewelry treatment with a white-gold case set with 255 diamonds totaling 1.608 carats. The 38mm watch retains the collection’s sculptural movement arrangement, using sapphire on both sides to emphasize the apparent suspension of its principal components. A dark-blue inclined time display adds contrast, while the exposed balance provides the animation that makes the design so engaging. The manually wound movement contains 189 components and offers a 72-hour power reserve. Price: US$104,000.

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Minerva Exo Tourbillon Limited Edition 18: Olive Green and Yellow Gold

Minerva’s latest Exo Tourbillon combines an 18-karat yellow-gold case with black onyx and olive-green guilloché elements. Its defining feature is the elevated balance wheel, positioned outside and above the tourbillon cage to give the regulating assembly unusual visual prominence. The 44.8mm watch houses the manually wound M16.68 caliber with a 50-hour power reserve, and the tourbillon also provides the small-seconds indication. An olive-green alligator strap, gold folding clasp and specially decorated presentation box complete the 18-piece edition. Price: approximately US$182,450, converted from €160,000.

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Comparisons

Christopher Ward vs. Mido: Two Interpretations of Swiss Watch Value

Christopher Ward and Mido address many of the same practical buying questions, but their personalities differ. This comparison presents Christopher Ward as the more experimental choice, with an emphasis on distinctive details, frequent refinements and enthusiast engagement. Mido’s strengths emerge through consistency, comfort and a more understated approach to everyday ownership. The author favors Christopher Ward’s overall package, while recognizing that Mido’s quieter character may be precisely what some buyers want from a dependable daily watch.

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Hamilton Murph 38mm vs. Seiko Alpinist: Simplicity or Character?

The Hamilton Khaki Field Murph 38mm and Seiko Prospex Alpinist approach the versatile adventure watch from different directions. Hamilton offers a clean, no-date display and compact proportions, reinforced by the Murph’s cinematic connection to Interstellar. The Alpinist brings its own longstanding identity, including a distinctive dial layout and internal compass bezel in familiar versions. This showdown weighs the Murph’s visual restraint against the Seiko’s more idiosyncratic charm, leaving readers to decide which would earn more time on their wrist.

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Reviews

Living With the Hanhart 415 ES After an IWC 3706

Replacing a well-loved chronograph gives a review a particularly useful frame of reference. Here, the Hanhart 415 ES Reverse Panda is assessed as a daily companion after the author’s IWC 3706, with attention to legibility, dimensions and the experience of manual winding. Its 39mm case, contrasting registers, ceramic bezel and 100-meter water resistance support a practical sporting identity. The review appreciates the overall balance while acknowledging that the approximately 13.5mm thickness remains part of the wearing experience.

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LUM-TEC Combat B70: A Bold Tool Watch in Red, White and Blue

The LUM-TEC Combat B70 brings a colorful aviation-inspired dial to a substantial 43mm hardened-steel case. Its luminous treatment is central to the design, supported by sapphire crystal, 200-meter water resistance and a Japanese automatic movement. The review considers how its strong visual identity and rugged construction translate to daily wear, particularly for buyers comfortable with a larger watch. Limited to 500 pieces and priced at US$1,095, it emphasizes utility and presence rather than discreet proportions.

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Ming’s Donut Watch Company Glazed Makes Room for Play

Donut Watch Company introduces a more accessible and deliberately playful expression of the creativity associated with Ming. The Glazed prototype combines a 35mm steel case, an openworked presentation of its Miyota automatic movement and a colorful subsidiary display. Even the packaging participates in the idea, with a plush donut-shaped case and a small character named Snowball. With an indicated price around US$700 and final sale availability still to come, the project explores how much personality a modestly priced watch can carry.

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Shinola Detrola Color Theory Warm: A Watch That Enjoys Its Palette

Shinola’s Detrola Color Theory Warm uses a geometric dial and a bright orange strap to make color the central attraction. Its 41mm construction combines a steel core with TR90 resin, giving the watch a different physical character from the brand’s more conventional metal-cased designs. Quartz power keeps ownership straightforward, while contrasting hands add another layer to the dial’s composition. At US$495, the review evaluates how successfully the playful treatment holds together as an everyday watch.

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Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Control Chronometre: The Case for Date and Power Reserve

This review makes the argument for the Master Control Chronometre Date Power Reserve as a particularly appealing expression of Jaeger-LeCoultre’s contemporary design direction. A 39mm case and integrated bracelet frame a blue dial with separate indications for date and remaining power, creating a display with more visual activity than a simple three-hand watch. The caliber 738 supplies a reported 70-hour reserve. At US$17,000 in steel, the central question is how convincingly the watch combines movement pedigree, finishing and everyday appeal.

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On the Wrist With the Atelier Wen × Massena LAB Inflection Shuò

The hands-on perspective adds another dimension to the Inflection Shuò’s ambitious materials list. Tantalum’s weight, the bracelet’s curvature and the way the tremblage gold dial responds to changing light all influence how the watch feels beyond its specifications. The review also examines the interplay of Arabic numerals, Chinese calligraphy and blued hands, along with the customized Girard-Perregaux automatic movement. For a watch asking collectors to reconsider their expectations of Atelier Wen, these physical details are especially consequential.

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Inside the Patek Philippe Celestial Ref. 6105G

This technical exploration examines how Patek Philippe combines astronomical information with a bold contemporary presentation. The discussion follows the relationship between the celestial display, sunrise and sunset indications, and the mechanical systems required to coordinate them. It also considers the visual implications of a large case, smoked sapphire and a sportier wearing format. Beyond the complexity itself, the article asks how a highly traditional manufacture can develop a different aesthetic while maintaining the depth of engineering collectors expect.

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Editorial

Is Richemont the Right Home for Its Watchmaking Maisons?

Richemont’s jewelry businesses and specialist watchmakers operate within the same group but face different commercial realities. This editorial examines what that imbalance means for investment, distribution and the long-term development of individual watch brands. Boutique expansion and access to substantial resources can provide advantages, while the need to preserve a maison’s identity presents a less easily measured challenge. The underlying question is whether a large luxury group can give specialist watchmaking the patience and distinct direction its products require.

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Events

A. Lange & Söhne Heads to Audrain Newport Concours & Motor Week

A. Lange & Söhne returns to the intersection of fine watchmaking and automotive collecting at the 2026 Audrain Newport Concours & Motor Week, scheduled for October 1–4 in Newport, Rhode Island. The program brings watches, collector cars and hospitality together across the week’s activities, with Lange continuing its association with major concours events. Featured watchmaking provides another expression of the mechanical craftsmanship that draws visitors to the automobiles. For enthusiasts of both fields, the attraction is the opportunity to appreciate engineering and finishing in two very different scales.

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Part 3 of 3

Podcasts

Scottish Watches #818: Day of the Independents 2026

Rikki, Dave and Pietro report on London’s Day of the Independents, bringing together impressions of established names and emerging watchmakers. The conversation ranges across the variety that makes this part of the industry so engaging, including distinctive complications, unusual designs and collaborations that sit outside the largest manufacturers’ catalogs. Watches from figures such as Stefan Kudoke and brands including Laurent Ferrier, HYT, H. Moser & Cie. and Konstantin Chaykin provide plenty to discuss. It is a useful companion to an issue concerned with individual ideas and the people who pursue them.

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Videos

Fourteen of the Best Chronograph Watches Money Can Buy — Britt Pearce

Britt Pearce surveys chronographs across a broad range of prices and collecting ambitions, considering what makes their designs and movements appealing. The format offers an opportunity to compare familiar icons with other candidates for the same place in a collection. For anyone drawn to pushers, subdials and the interaction of a stopwatch mechanism, there is plenty to consider.

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Are Patek Philippe and A. Lange & Söhne the Best Watch Brands Right Now? — Burdeens Jewelry

Burdeens Jewelry considers the appeal of two names that occupy prominent positions in high-end collecting. The discussion invites comparison of their design identities, craftsmanship and reputations, along with the qualities that inspire lasting enthusiasm. Treat the question as an opening for debate: the answer will depend on what a collector values most in a watch.

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Back to RAW — Watch Hospital NYC

Watch Hospital NYC returns to its extended, unfiltered workshop format, shifting attention from polished product presentations to the working environment around watches. The appeal is the opportunity to spend time with the business of servicing and handling timepieces. It offers a different perspective on ownership: the watch continues to have a life after the purchase.

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Breitling’s Next Five Years — Time+Tide Watches

Time+Tide sits down with Georges Kern and Breitling CEO Jean-Marc Pontroué to discuss the brand’s direction within the wider House of Brands. The conversation addresses Breitling’s position alongside Gallet and Universal Genève, and the opportunity to develop both accessible entry points and more ambitious watches. It provides a useful companion to today’s feature on Gallet’s revival.

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How a Dentist Built a 2,000-Member Watch Club — Roman Sharf

This Dual Time Podcast conversation explores how a shared enthusiasm for watches became the foundation for a substantial community during the pandemic. The story focuses attention on the social side of collecting: introductions, conversation and the relationships that develop around common interests. It is a reminder that the most memorable part of the hobby may involve people as much as objects.

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Eleven Surprises From a Tour of Swiss Watchmaking — Harrison Elmore

Harrison Elmore shares observations from visiting Swiss watchmaking facilities, using the experience to reconsider assumptions about how watches are produced. The subject invites a closer look at the relationship between machinery, skilled labor and the finished object. For collectors who mostly encounter watches in boutiques or photographs, the manufacturing perspective adds useful depth.

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Moser Goes Digital, a Rolex “Frying Pan,” and Hublot Gets Weird — aBlogtoWatch

The aBlogtoWatch Weekly team brings its conversational approach to a selection of unusual developments and provocative watch designs. Moser, Rolex and Hublot provide the starting points for discussion about experimentation, aesthetics and how enthusiasts respond when brands depart from expectations. The episode’s playful framing makes it an appropriate companion to today’s broader examination of personality in watchmaking.

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NOMOS Glashütte: What’s New Since Watches & Wonders — The 1916 Company

The 1916 Company revisits NOMOS Glashütte’s recent developments and considers how they fit within the brand’s recognizable design language. The discussion offers a way to assess changes in the context of a collection associated with clear typography and disciplined proportions. For NOMOS enthusiasts, small details can be especially meaningful when the overall identity is so consistent.

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Building a Panerai Collection — The 1916 Company

The 1916 Company explores how to build a Panerai collection with an understanding of the brand’s history and its different expressions. Case designs, reference distinctions and the relationship between historical inspiration and modern execution all shape the subject. The useful collecting challenge is finding pieces that add something distinct while preserving the qualities that first attracted you to Panerai.

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SteveWillDoIt Drops US$250,000 in Ten Minutes at TPT — TimePieceTrading

TimePieceTrading presents a fast-moving visit centered on SteveWillDoIt and a substantial watch-shopping headline, with a Rolex giveaway also featured. The entertainment comes from the pace, personalities and transaction-driven atmosphere. It offers a view of watch culture in which the buying experience itself becomes part of the spectacle.

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Is a Brand’s Least Expensive Watch Its Best? — A Podcast About Watches

This discussion tests the proposition that an entry-level watch can deliver the clearest expression of a brand’s appeal. The argument raises worthwhile questions about what buyers gain as prices increase and which characteristics already appear in the simplest models. It is a useful exercise for collectors trying to distinguish features they will appreciate from prestige they may be paying for.

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The Current Rolex Situation — Jenni Elle

Jenni Elle examines the Rolex buying landscape and the questions occupying collectors as they assess availability and market conditions. The subject is especially relevant to buyers balancing a desired reference against the route, timing and price of a purchase. As with any market discussion, the most useful conclusions depend on the particular watch and the terms actually available.

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The Best and Worst “Starter” Watches — This Watch, That Watch

This Watch, That Watch considers the assumptions behind recommendations for a first serious watch. The discussion gives newcomers a way to think about practical ownership, personal taste and the compromises that accompany different choices. Experienced collectors may recognize the larger lesson: a satisfying beginning depends on understanding your own preferences as much as following a familiar list.

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Too Many Liabilities — Watch Hospital NYC

Another extended installment from Watch Hospital NYC brings viewers into the working atmosphere of a watch service business. Its title puts responsibility at the center of the episode, an appropriate subject in a trade involving valuable objects and customer expectations. The workshop format adds a grounded counterpoint to the excitement of launches and purchases elsewhere in the issue.

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Inside the Watchmaker That Powered AP, Vacheron and More — Zero to Sixty

This factory-tour feature explores the movement-making expertise behind watches associated with some of the industry’s best-known names. It directs attention to the manufacturers and specialists whose contributions can be less visible than the signature on the dial. For collectors interested in how the industry developed, that broader production history can change the way a familiar watch is understood.

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Why Luxury Watches Often Look Alike — My Watch Journey

My Watch Journey examines the forces that encourage recognizable shapes and recurring design cues across luxury watches. The subject brings commercial expectations, brand heritage and consumer preferences into the same conversation. It also connects directly with today’s theme: distinctive design becomes easier to appreciate when we understand the pressures that make familiar choices attractive to manufacturers and buyers.

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Auctions

Vintage Finds: An LED Oddity, an Unusual Favre-Leuba and Familiar Classics

Worn & Wound’s latest auction selection ranges from a tropical-dial Omega Seamaster and a 1950s Lord Elgin to a Seiko automatic and the wonderfully named Hudson Harris Quantum LED watch. A Favre-Leuba Moon Raider and Heuer Autavia “Viceroy” add further variety. The appeal is the mix of established collecting territory and designs that deserve a second look simply because they are unusual. Each listing merits its own examination of condition, originality and seller information.

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Auction Hunting: Omega Ranchero, Cartier Santos Ghost, AP and ZRC

This roundup brings together four very different collecting propositions: an Omega Ranchero, a Cartier Santos Ghost, an Audemars Piguet Edward Piguet perpetual calendar and a ZRC Grands Fonds diver. Their attractions range from unusual dial treatments and restrained vintage proportions to complicated mechanics and professional diving history. The descriptions also underline the importance of condition and completeness, particularly where paperwork or original accessories are absent. Estimates provide a starting point for research; the individual watch and the sale’s terms deserve the closer attention.

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Auction Results

Arnold & Son’s Platinum Tourbillon Falls Short of Its Reserve

September 25 featured auction for the Arnold & Son Chronometry Ultrathin Tourbillon 41.5 in platinum, with its green mother-of-pearl dial and Roman numerals, ended without a sale. Reference 1UTBX.F01A.C208A, from an edition of 28 pieces, attracted a high bid of US$34,500 against a US$59,000 reserve. The bid finished US$24,500 below the seller’s threshold, a shortfall of approximately 41.5%. That establishes the outcome of this auction, rather than a completed market transaction at the high-bid figure.

Auction Report

The Quartz Exception: A 2018 F.P. Journe Élégante 48 Comes to Auction

Today’s featured auction is a 2018 F.P. Journe Élégante 48 in titanium with a white dial, Arabic numerals and strap. The Élégante occupies an unusual position in independent watchmaking: a battery-powered watch whose appeal rests on the originality of its engineering as well as the name on its dial. Introduced in 2014 after eight years of development, the collection applied François-Paul Journe’s problem-solving approach to convenience and energy efficiency. Its distinctive flat tortue case gives the watch an identity immediately separate from the manufacturer’s round mechanical collections.

The caliber 1210 combines electronic timekeeping with a mechanical motion detector. After approximately 35 minutes without movement, the hands stop while the electronics continue tracking time; when the watch is moved again, the hands return to the correct indication. Journe quotes autonomy of eight to ten years in daily use and up to eighteen years in standby conditions. The system makes the Élégante particularly interesting as a watch to rotate through a collection, delivering practical sophistication through a mechanism designed around the habits of its wearer.

This U.S.-located example measures 48 by 40 millimeters and is offered with its box, papers and extra straps. The supplied condition report describes the dial as excellent, with minor signs of wear to the case, bezel and strap or bracelet category. It is a pre-owned watch, and the listing’s general language allows for possible previous servicing or polishing without confirming either. The completeness is appealing, but the case finish, clasp, battery history and correct operation of the standby system remain meaningful factors in assessing this particular example.

For market context, Phillips reported US$114,300 for a titanium Élégante 48 with a 2025 guarantee at its spring 2026 New York online sale. That published auction result is a useful reference point, but it concerns a newer watch and should not be treated as an automatic valuation of this 2018 example; buyer’s premium also matters when comparing auction totals with bids. Today’s watch offers the attraction of an earlier example with accessories, while its condition and service history must determine how closely bidders consider that comparison applicable. The auction ends at 12:00 p.m. EDT today, Monday, September 28, 2026.

Current bid: $112,500

See it Now on Bezel >

Losing Time with Hublot

Today’s Big Hublot Losers at Auction on Grailzee

Hublot brought the asking prices. Bidders brought a reality check. These four failed sales show just how wide the gap can be between what sellers want for a Hublot and what the secondary market is willing to offer.

The 2026 Hublot Spirit of Big Bang “Black Magic” 42mm (642.CI.0170.RX) carried a $19,000 asking price but attracted a bid of just $11,000—an $8,000 shortfall, or 42.1% below ask. Apparently, the black magic doesn’t extend to making buyers believe in the seller’s valuation. Even with a 2026 date attached, the watch couldn’t draw an offer approaching the asking price.

The 2025 Hublot Spirit of Big Bang Meca-10 45mm (614.OX.1180.RX) fared much the same. Against an ask of $25,995, its high bid reached $14,999, leaving a $10,996 gap—42.3% below ask. All that mechanical complexity, and the hardest trick remained finding someone willing to pay the requested price.

The 2021 Hublot Big Bang L.E. 42mm (441.UB.5120.NR) delivered the biggest percentage embarrassment. Its $17,995 ask met a $4,250 bid: $13,745 short, or 76.4% below ask. “Limited edition” may describe the production run, but here it could just as easily describe buyer enthusiasm. The bid covered less than a quarter of the seller’s target.

Then came the Hublot Big Bang 44mm with carbon-fiber dial (301.PB.131.RX), with no year provided. The seller wanted $13,750; the high bidder offered $4,100. That’s a $9,650 shortfall, or 70.2% below ask. The Big Bang name survived intact. The valuation suffered a rather smaller landing.

Together, these sellers sought $76,740 and received bids totaling $34,349—55.2% below their combined asking prices. Four listings cannot establish Hublot’s entire resale market, and asking prices aren’t original purchase prices, so these figures aren’t measured depreciation. Nevertheless, this is an ugly snapshot of secondary-market demand and a poor advertisement for value retention. Even the newer pieces drew bids roughly 42% below ask; the other two couldn’t attract 30 cents on the asking-price dollar.

The conclusion: ambitious pricing met deeply unenthusiastic buyers. Hublot certainly knows how to make a statement on the wrist. In these listings, the secondary market’s statement was: “Good luck with that.”

Closing Time

Thank you for spending part of your day with BuyingTime. Today’s watches remind us how many forms a good idea can take—from a dial inspired by a handwritten page to a Journe that quietly conserves energy while it waits to be worn. Enjoy the search, look closely at the details, and leave room in your collection for something that surprises you. We’ll be back tomorrow with more from the watch world.

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BuyingTime in 30 Seconds

Longines gives the Spirit Pilot family fresh blue dials, Formex takes its titanium field watch flying, and Breguet refines the Marine. Vacheron Constantin celebrates 30 years of the Overseas with a 200-piece perpetual calendar, while Timex and Seiko make their cases at more approachable prices. MB&F puts a gorilla on your desk, and Edward R. Murrow’s Bulova heads toward auction. Yesterday’s Richard Mille remained unsold at US$76,000 against a US$119,888 reserve. Today’s featured Arnold & Son platinum tourbillon closes tomorrow, Saturday, September 26, at 7:00 p.m. EDT.

Time Graphing Today’s Watch Universe

What Makes a Watch Worth Its Price?

A watch has a price before it has an owner. What happens after that is considerably more interesting. Someone sees a beautiful dial, recognizes an important movement, remembers a connection to a person or place, or simply tries it on and decides it feels right. The number on the tag becomes part of a larger judgment about what the object offers.

Today’s issue gives us an unusually broad set of answers. There are affordable watches with convincing personalities, established collections receiving thoughtful refinements, rare complications made in tiny numbers, and a vintage chronograph whose greatest distinction is the person who wore it. Together, they remind us that value in watch collecting has several meanings—and trouble often begins when we treat them as interchangeable.

Start with the Timex Marlin Neo Classic Chronograph. At US$279 on leather, it delivers a substantial dose of vintage visual pleasure: a cream dial, colorful scales and the busy charm of an old navigational instrument. Its quartz movement and acrylic crystal help explain the price. They also make an important point. A collector seeking that particular look can find considerable satisfaction without paying for an elaborate mechanical movement.

The Formex AirField makes a different argument. Here, the money buys hardened titanium, useful water resistance, a longer-running automatic movement and a design intended to remain readable in ordinary use. These are tangible benefits that a wearer can experience repeatedly. A watch does not need a dramatic origin story when its case, dial and strap work well together.

Longines’ new blue Spirit Pilot models occupy another position. Their appeal combines practical proportions with the familiarity of a brand closely associated with aviation. A new dial color is a modest change, but modest changes can matter when the underlying watch already has a persuasive identity. For a prospective owner who admired the collection without finding exactly the right version, blue may be the detail that completes the decision.

Further up the price ladder, Breguet’s refreshed Marine collection shows how much can depend on the organization of a dial. Guilloché, color, numerals and the placement of a date window influence how a watch feels every time its owner looks down. Mechanical pedigree deserves attention, but an expensive watch still has to succeed as an object you want to see on your wrist.

The 30th-anniversary Vacheron Constantin Overseas perpetual calendar brings precious metal, a demanding complication and limited production into the discussion. Its attraction is the combination: an elaborate calendar inside a remarkably slim sports-watch form, with an azure dial that changes the familiar collection’s expression. The anniversary adds context. The craftsmanship and proportions must sustain the relationship long after the commemorative year has passed.

Then there is the auction market, where those carefully assembled arguments meet a particular group of bidders at a particular moment. Yesterday’s Richard Mille reached US$76,000, yet the seller required US$119,888. The gap was US$43,888. That result tells us there was no agreement in that sale; it does not establish a completed transaction at either number. It is a useful distinction in a hobby where an asking price can too easily acquire the authority of a market fact.

Today’s Arnold & Son presents the same question through a different kind of rarity. A platinum tourbillon limited to 28 pieces offers considerable mechanical and material interest. Its missing box and papers, condition and service history still matter. Scarcity describes how many were made. The auction will reveal how strongly the participating buyers want this particular example.

Edward R. Murrow’s gold Bulova chronograph introduces something that specifications cannot reproduce. Its association with a defining figure in broadcast journalism gives the watch a historical identity. Provenance becomes central because the story belongs to the actual object. A visually similar chronograph would offer a different ownership experience.

Even MB&F’s GorillaSharpener belongs in this conversation. Nobody needs an elaborate gorilla sculpture to sharpen a pencil. Its proposition is delight: imaginative design, mechanical interaction and the pleasure of placing an unexpected object on a desk. Collectors understand that impulse very well, even when we prefer to discuss movement architecture.

The most useful question, then, is what kind of value we expect a purchase to deliver. Daily usefulness, decorative craft, mechanical fascination, personal meaning and potential resale each deserve their own assessment. Today’s watches offer all of them in different proportions. Knowing which one matters most to you makes the price easier to judge—and the eventual choice more satisfying.

-Michael Wolf

News

MB&F and Caran d’Ache Put a Gorilla to Work on Your Desk

MB&F’s latest collaboration with Caran d’Ache transforms an ordinary pencil sharpener into a knuckle-walking mechanical creature. Designed by Maximilian Maertens, the GorillaSharpener stands approximately 150mm tall and combines muscular sculptural limbs with a functioning Swiss sharpening mechanism. Zinc alloy, steel and chrome-plated components give the object the industrial character familiar from MB&F’s imaginative desk creations.

The Alpine Frost blue edition is limited to 300 pieces and accommodates round or hexagonal pencils measuring 4–10mm in diameter. Each comes with a securing clamp, instructions and Caran d’Ache pencils, making it a usable accessory as well as a collectible object. The collaboration continues a relationship that previously produced the Astrograph writing instrument and DinoSharpener.

Introduced for World Gorilla Day, the project supports the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund. Distribution runs through MB&F’s eShop, M.A.D. Galleries, LABs and New York Lounge. The price is approximately US$1,027 before VAT, converted from CHF850.

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New Watches

Converted dollar figures are approximate equivalents of the supplied overseas prices, rather than confirmed U.S. retail prices. Local taxes and regional pricing may differ.

Longines Gives the Spirit Pilot Family a Fresh Blue Outlook

Longines expands the Spirit Pilot collection with four references pairing matte blue dials with either blue rubber straps or steel bracelets. The three-hand Spirit Pilot retains a 39mm stainless-steel case, while the Spirit Pilot Flyback measures 39.5mm. Both combine luminous Arabic numerals, aviation-inspired styling and 100 meters of water resistance.

The automatic Spirit Pilot uses caliber L888.4 with a 72-hour power reserve. The manually wound Flyback houses caliber L792.4, offering a column-wheel chronograph, flyback operation and a 68-hour reserve. The shared dial treatment gives buyers a consistent visual identity while leaving a clear choice between straightforward everyday timekeeping and a more involved chronograph experience.

These are permanent-collection additions, with the rubber option giving the familiar design a more relaxed appearance. The compact dimensions remain an important part of the appeal, particularly for collectors seeking pilot-watch character without an oversized case. Approximate prices: Spirit Pilot, US$2,955 on rubber or US$3,355 on steel; Spirit Pilot Flyback, US$5,740 on rubber or US$6,140 on steel.

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Breguet Refines the Marine With New Dials and a More Balanced Display

Breguet updates the Marine 5517 and Marine Chronograph 5527 with dial treatments that bring greater emphasis to texture, color and symmetry. The time-and-date model combines the hand-guilloché “Quai de l’Horloge” pattern with new blue, ice-blue and black executions, depending on case material. Moving the date to six o’clock gives the display a more balanced appearance.

The chronograph receives a related redesign, with gradient dials, a two-register arrangement and a six-o’clock date. Caliber 777A supplies the 5517 with a 55-hour power reserve, while the 5527’s automatic caliber 582QA offers flyback functionality and a 48-hour reserve. Both models retain 100 meters of water resistance.

Titanium, white-gold and rose-gold cases can be paired with rubber straps or matching bracelets. The result gives the Marine a clearer visual connection to Breguet’s decorative traditions while preserving its contemporary sporting character. Approximate prices range from US$24,160 for a titanium Marine 5517 on rubber to US$85,900 for a gold-bracelet Marine Chronograph 5527.

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Formex AirField Takes a Tough Titanium Platform Into Pilot-Watch Territory

Formex turns its titanium field-watch platform toward aviation with the AirField, introducing new hands, a revised dial and an upgraded automatic movement. The 40mm grade-2 titanium case retains a hardened surface rated to 900Hv, a slim 10.5mm profile and 150 meters of water resistance. Those specifications give the watch a practical foundation beyond its pilot-inspired appearance.

The textured dial comes in Desert Sand, Horizon Blue, Jet Black or Tarmac Grey, with luminous markers designed for clear reading. Inside, the Sellita SW200-2 Power+ operates at 4Hz and provides a 65-hour power reserve. That increased running time is a useful everyday improvement, although the movement is not chronometer-certified.

Buyers can choose a nylon-and-Velcro strap or leather with a carbon-fiber deployant clasp. The combination of low weight, hardened titanium and straightforward legibility makes this an appealing option for collectors who expect a sporty watch to see regular use. Prices: US$1,060 on nylon/Velcro and US$1,200 on leather.

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Vacheron Constantin Celebrates 30 Years of Overseas With an Azure Perpetual Calendar

Vacheron Constantin marks the Overseas collection’s 30th anniversary with a 200-piece edition of the Perpetual Calendar Ultra-Thin. An 18K white-gold case and bracelet frame a lighter azure lacquered dial, giving the familiar design a fresh expression. The watch measures 41.5mm across and approximately 8.1mm thick.

Its automatic caliber 1120 QP/1 brings together the perpetual calendar and moon-phase display within a movement only 4.05mm thick. The distinction matters: that exceptionally slim movement allows the complete watch to remain elegant despite its complicated calendar. Water resistance is rated to 50 meters.

The interchangeable bracelet and accompanying rubber straps extend the Overseas’ emphasis on versatility, while the restrained anniversary treatment lets the dial carry the visual distinction. This is a commemorative edition built around an established combination of fine watchmaking and sporting proportions. Reported U.S. price: US$132,000.

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Comparisons

Six French Watches Worth Looking Beyond Switzerland For

French watch brands offer a compelling reason to widen the usual collecting itinerary. This selection examines six watches, including offerings from Wolbrook, Baltic, Serica and Yema, that approach familiar categories with distinctive proportions, details and design sensibilities.

The comparison considers dimensions, movements, water resistance and ergonomics alongside the less easily measured question of character. A recognizable case shape, an unusual dial treatment or a particularly thoughtful bracelet can make a watch feel individual without requiring an exotic complication.

The useful takeaway is the variety available outside the best-known Swiss names. These watches deserve consideration for what each delivers, with country of origin providing context rather than an automatic verdict on quality. For collectors whose watch boxes are beginning to look predictable, the selection offers several directions worth exploring.

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Reviews

Seiko Refreshes the 5 Sports Field GMT With Olive and Khaki Dials

Seiko adds dark olive green and khaki beige to its 5 Sports Field GMT range, giving the HDB001 and HDB002 a natural fit with the collection’s utilitarian styling. The 39.4mm stainless-steel case, fixed 24-hour bezel and bright orange GMT hand remain central to the design.

Inside is the automatic 4R34, providing a date, second-time-zone indication and approximately 41 hours of power reserve. The watches pair Hardlex crystals with 100 meters of water resistance and five-link steel bracelets. Their relatively compact dimensions help make the additional GMT information manageable on the wrist.

The new colors broaden the appeal of an already approachable travel-watch formula. At approximately US$542, converted from £410, the attraction is a useful mechanical complication presented in an easygoing, everyday format.

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Timex Marlin Neo Classic Chronograph Delivers Vintage Character at an Accessible Price

The Timex Marlin Neo Classic Chronograph draws on the visual vocabulary of mid-century timing instruments. Its cream dial combines tachymeter and telemeter scales with red, blue and black printing, giving the watch plenty to examine even when the chronograph is standing still.

A 40mm stainless-steel case houses a quartz movement beneath a domed acrylic crystal. Water resistance is rated to 50 meters. Acrylic contributes to the vintage appearance, although owners should expect it to acquire scratches more readily than sapphire.

The appeal rests in the overall design and approachable ownership cost. Buyers can enjoy an elaborate-looking chronograph without the expense associated with a mechanical caliber. Prices start at US$279 on leather, with a US$319 bracelet version.

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BA111OD Chapter 7 Skeleton Opens Up in Stainless Steel

BA111OD gives the Chapter 7 Skeleton a brighter appearance by replacing the earlier anthracite-coated exterior with polished and brushed stainless steel. The 40mm tonneau-shaped case and decagonal bezel surround an openworked display that makes the movement the main visual attraction.

The Soprod P024-SQ’s cutaway bridges and plates create a layered view through the watch, while the crown at four o’clock helps establish the collection’s identity. A 10.5mm case thickness keeps the design relatively restrained despite its angular sporting character.

The review also considers the practical differences between the rubber strap and H-link bracelet. Strap length may matter for smaller wrists, and the bracelet uses conventional spring bars rather than a quick-release system. Prices are US$1,295 on rubber and US$1,635 on a bracelet.

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Makina Azazel_I Adds a GMT Function to Its Futuristic Design

Makina’s Azazel_I GMT brings a travel complication to a watch whose appeal begins with its unconventional display. The 40mm sandblasted steel case frames a colorful arrangement of discs, indications and luminous elements, with orange, blue, white and black providing contrast.

The automatic Miyota 9075 offers approximately 42 hours of power reserve and an independently adjustable local-hour hand. That operation is particularly useful when traveling, allowing the wearer to change local time while retaining a home-time reference.

A silicone strap with quick-release pins supports the watch’s sporty character, and the review finds its proportions and weight well balanced. At US$990, the Azazel_I GMT offers an alternative for buyers who want practical travel functionality presented through a decidedly individual design.

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Traser P65 Tactical Mission Titanium Updates a Military-Watch Foundation

Traser revisits the functional character of its P6500 Type 6 with a modern titanium interpretation. The P65 Tactical Mission Titanium uses a 43mm grade-2 titanium case, an antireflective sapphire crystal and screw-down construction supporting 200 meters of water resistance.

The matte black dial retains the familiar military-style combination of clear hour markings and an inner 24-hour scale. Tritium illumination supplies continuous low-light visibility, with an orange marker at twelve helping the wearer establish orientation. The Ronda 715 quartz movement offers approximately five years of battery life and an end-of-life indication.

Rubber, nylon and titanium-bracelet options let buyers choose between a lighter, more casual fit and an all-metal presentation. The watch’s strongest argument is its concentration on legibility and utility. Prices are US$695 on a strap and US$860 with the titanium bracelet.

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Glashütte Original Senator Chronograph: Dress Watch or Pilot’s Instrument?

Glashütte Original offers two distinct personalities around the same Senator Chronograph foundation. The classic version pairs a finely grained silver dial with blue Roman numerals, while the Navigator uses a matte black dial and luminous Arabic markings for a more instrument-like appearance.

Both employ a 41mm stainless-steel case and the automatic caliber 37-24, combining a flyback chronograph, Panorama Date and 70-hour power reserve. The 12.9mm thickness and 48.5mm lug-to-lug measurement provide useful context for buyers assessing how the watch will sit on their wrist.

The choice ultimately concerns how the same mechanical package is expressed. The silver dial emphasizes traditional elegance; the Navigator presents the information with a stronger aviation identity. Approximate prices are US$18,415 on leather or textile and US$19,437 on a steel bracelet, converted from the supplied euro prices.

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Events

Audemars Piguet Brings Its Padel Pop-Up Club to Singapore

Audemars Piguet’s Padel Pop-Up Club opens today in Singapore, running September 25–27 at the School Hall of New Bahru. The event combines court time with a courtside lounge, giving experienced players and newcomers a setting in which to try the sport and spend time together.

The activation extends the brand’s involvement in padel through its relationship with the Qatar Airways Premier Padel Tour and player Agustín Tapia. It also shows how watch companies are broadening the sporting environments in which they meet potential customers.

Court sessions and lounge access are offered through the event’s registration system. For local enthusiasts, the attraction is a watch-brand gathering organized around participation and conversation.

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Auctions

Edward R. Murrow’s Gold Bulova Chronograph Heads to Auction

A gold Bulova chronograph owned by Edward R. Murrow is scheduled to appear in Jones & Horan’s October auction, concluding October 22. The 1950s watch features a 14K gold Spillman case measuring approximately 38mm across—substantial proportions for its period.

A letter from Murrow’s son, Casey, documents the ownership history. The watch is associated with Murrow’s television work on See It Now and his meetings with President Kennedy, giving it a connection to the public life of one of America’s most influential broadcast journalists.

Its unusual case adds horological interest, but provenance is the central attraction. This is an object tied to the working life of a recognizable historical figure, making its significance extend beyond its movement, metal and dimensions.

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Podcasts

Scottish Watches #817: Moser’s Digital Turn, Balloon Dogs and Independent Ideas

Scottish Watches gathers an eclectic selection of releases for episode 817, beginning with H. Moser’s Streamliner Off-Grid and the implications of a traditionally mechanical watchmaker exploring digital functionality. GPS, travel information and multiple timing functions provide the starting point for a broader discussion of what collectors expect from a brand.

The conversation moves to Hublot’s Jeff Koons Balloon Dog collaboration, Studio Underd0g’s fish-inspired chronograph and colorful new work from Chronoswiss. Other topics include MeisterSinger’s Route 66 edition, listener questions about Formex and collecting budgets, and the Day of the Independents gathering in London.

The episode’s variety is its strength. Technology, playful design, unusual materials and practical buying questions all receive attention, offering a lively survey of how widely contemporary watchmaking can range.

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Videos

Scott Adam Lancaster: Why Big Watch Brands Are Struggling—and Why Collectors Should Care

Scott Adam Lancaster examines the pressures facing established watch companies, including pricing, changing tastes and competition for customers’ attention. The video’s provocative premise raises a useful question about how brands maintain relevance when buyers have more alternatives and become more selective.

For collectors, the discussion offers a reason to look beyond the next release and consider the relationship between price, identity and demand. Its argument is best approached as a perspective on industry challenges, with individual brands facing different circumstances.

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Subdial: Are Midsize Watches Just Better?

Subdial’s Drop #296 considers the appeal of midsize watches and the role proportions play in everyday satisfaction. Comfort, versatility and the way a case sits on the wrist can have more influence on regular wear than a dramatic specification.

The discussion is useful for anyone reconsidering case size or trying to understand why a smaller watch can feel more adaptable. It also invites viewers to think beyond diameter alone, since thickness, lug shape and bracelet fit contribute to the experience.

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Fratello: If We Could Keep Only One Watch

Fratello takes on a collecting question that quickly becomes personal: which watch would remain if the rest had to go? The exercise brings emotional attachment, usefulness and individual history into the same decision.

A collection can accommodate specialized roles and occasional indulgences. Choosing a single survivor asks which qualities matter most when those choices disappear. It is an engaging prompt for viewers to consider which watch has become indispensable—and why.

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Revolution: ArtyA’s Double Cônillon Tourbillons With Yvan and Stan Arpa

Revolution meets Yvan and Stan Arpa to explore ArtyA’s Complexity Métiers d’Art and its Double Cônillon tourbillons. The subject brings the brand’s expressive design language together with elaborate mechanical spectacle.

For viewers drawn to unconventional watchmaking, the appeal is the opportunity to hear the creators discuss a project in which visual impact and complicated mechanisms are closely connected. It provides a vivid counterpoint to today’s more restrained watches and a reminder of the range of ideas independent makers pursue.

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Auction Report

Richard Mille Falls Short; a Rare Platinum Arnold & Son Takes the Spotlight

The September 24 auction of the 2022 Richard Mille RM 60-01 Automatic Winding Flyback Chronograph Les Voiles de Saint Barth, limited to 80 pieces, ended without a sale. Bidding reached US$76,000 against a US$119,888 reserve, leaving a US$43,888 gap. The high bid was approximately 36.6% below the seller’s minimum, recording an unsuccessful negotiation rather than a completed market transaction.

Today’s featured watch is the Arnold & Son Ultrathin Tourbillon Platinum, reference 1UTBX.F01A.C208A, from an edition of 28 pieces introduced in 2022. Its design recalls the arrangement of John Arnold’s marine chronometers, placing the time display above the exposed tourbillon. The 41.5mm platinum case measures only 8.3mm thick, while the green “Cosmic Grené” main dial combines gold powder and aluminum particles around a white mother-of-pearl time subdial. Inside is the manually wound A&S8300, despite the auction listing’s automatic designation, with a 100-hour power reserve. The U.S.-located example comes without box or papers; the supplied report describes an excellent dial and minor wear to the case, bezel and strap/bracelet category.

The available price comparisons show why original retail positioning and secondary-market value need separate treatment. A new example of this reference is advertised at approximately US$109,100, while a pre-owned example with original box and papers is advertised at US$58,720. Both figures are asking prices, and neither establishes what a buyer has actually paid. The lower listing is a more relevant comparison for a pre-owned auction watch, although differences in condition, documentation, service history and seller support prevent a direct valuation. With its accessories missing, today’s example needs to be assessed on its own merits; the research does not establish a dependable recent completed-sale range.

The appeal is substantial: platinum construction, an unusually slim tourbillon movement, a distinctive textured dial and a production run of just 28 watches. Those qualities make it interesting to a collector who values mechanical refinement and relative obscurity, but they do not guarantee an easy resale or a particular auction result. A sensible comparison includes the full purchase cost and any foreseeable servicing alongside the bid itself. The auction closes at 7:00 p.m. EDT on Saturday, September 26, 2026.

Current bid: $5,700

See it Now on Bezel >

Losing Time

Today’s Big Losers at Auction on Grailzee

Four watches, four failed sales, and four reminders that an asking price is a wish until someone agrees to pay it.

The 2017 Glashütte Original Sixties 42MM Black Dial asked for $16,900 and drew a final bid of $7,400—a $9,500 shortfall, or 56.2% below ask. The design may be inspired by the sixties, but the bidders weren’t feeling nostalgic enough to overlook the price. An offer worth less than half the asking figure suggests this needed more than a little negotiating room.

The 2022 Girard-Perregaux Laureato 42MM Skeleton Dial delivered the biggest disconnect. Against a $21,500 ask, the high bid was just $6,600: $15,900 short, or 74.0% below ask. Apparently, the skeleton treatment extended to the bidding support. With bidders offering barely a quarter of the requested price, this was the least convincing pricing proposition of the four.

The 2022 A. Lange & Söhne Saxonia 35MM Silver Dial came closest, although “closest” is doing considerable charitable work here. Its $11,501 final bid missed the $19,260 ask by $7,759, or 40.3%. It attracted the highest bid in the group and recovered the largest share of its asking price. A relative bright spot, provided your definition of bright includes being nearly eight grand apart.

The 2026 Ressence Type 1 Slim 41.5MM Grey Dial sought $16,500 and reached $8,200—a gap of $8,300, or 50.3% below ask. A futuristic display, a current-year watch, and a bidding audience prepared to fund roughly half the dream. Novelty clearly wasn’t enough to bridge the difference.

Together, the four watches carried $74,160 in asking prices against $33,701 in final bids, leaving a combined $40,459 gap—54.6% below the total ask. Three failed to attract even half their requested price. The Lange showed the strongest support relative to expectations; the Laureato showed the weakest by a substantial margin. These results suggest sellers’ expectations were well ahead of what this particular audience would pay. They don’t establish definitive market values, but they do make “we were almost there” a difficult sales pitch.

Closing Time

Thank you for spending part of your Friday with BuyingTime. Today’s issue stretches from the accessible charm of a Timex chronograph to the intricate construction of a platinum tourbillon, with plenty of worthwhile choices in between. The pleasure of collecting is discovering which details keep rewarding your attention after the first impression.

Our featured Arnold & Son auction closes tomorrow, Saturday, September 26, at 7:00 p.m. EDT. Enjoy the start of the weekend, wear something that makes you glad to check the time, and we’ll see you Monday.

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BuyingTime in 30 Seconds

Héron’s US$630 Continental puts everyday wearability first, while Grönefeld’s Quadrivium combines four signature achievements in one ambitious watch. Ulysse Nardin adds decorative depth to the Freak, and Frederique Constant salutes the French Foreign Legion. Our features explore obscure automotive collaborations and the watches that became summer companions. Elsewhere, we examine Richemont’s next generation, the importance of movement manufacturing, and Czapek’s independent journey. Yesterday’s Moser reached US$82,000 without meeting reserve; today’s 80-piece Richard Mille Les Voiles de Saint Barth edition closes at 12:10 p.m. EDT.

Time Graphing Today’s Watch Universe

The Watches That Earn a Second Look—and a Permanent Place

The watch industry spends considerable energy getting us to look at something new. There is another launch, another collaboration, another anniversary, another complication that needs several paragraphs to explain. Attention is the first hurdle. Keeping that attention after the announcement disappears from the top of the page is a much more interesting challenge.

Today’s issue is full of watches competing for that longer relationship. Some offer mechanical ingenuity. Others offer a familiar shape at an approachable price, a connection to an institution, or a small piece of automotive history. Together, they raise a question that is easy to overlook while scrolling through new releases: what makes us keep coming back?

The most revealing answers appear in the watches Hodinkee’s editors wore this summer. The appeal of these pieces cannot be reduced to a ranking of movements, case materials or retail prices. A watch becomes associated with a trip, a recovery, a dive or a stretch of ordinary days. Its significance grows because it was there. That is a form of value no manufacturer can fully install at the factory.

The same idea runs through the 16 watches reviewers kept wearing after their reviews. Once the photographs are taken and the deadline passes, there is less reason to tolerate an awkward clasp, an uncomfortable case or a display that takes too much effort to read. The watches that remain in rotation have survived a useful test: their owners still want them around when nobody needs another opinion.

That makes the Héron Continental particularly relevant. A 37mm steel watch with a dependable automatic movement, useful water resistance and an adjustable bracelet is proposing a relationship built on frequent use. The sandwich dial and orange accents supply personality, but the proportions may ultimately do more to secure its place on someone’s wrist. At US$630, it also leaves room for the experiences that might make it memorable.

At the other end of the price spectrum, Grönefeld’s 1941 Quadrivium asks for sustained attention through mechanical depth. A remontoire, flying tourbillon, jumping seconds and power-reserve display give the owner multiple reasons to keep looking. Here, the attraction lies partly in understanding how the watch works and partly in appreciating the difficulty of making it. That pleasure can deepen with familiarity rather than fade once the novelty wears off.

The new Ulysse Nardin Freak One editions approach lasting interest from another direction. The Freak’s unconventional display already makes reading the time an encounter with the mechanism. Blue enamel and guilloché add surfaces that reward a closer look. Mechanical architecture and decoration become parts of the same experience, with the changing light giving the owner something different to notice.

Of course, watches also borrow meaning from the worlds around them. Today’s six obscure watch-and-car collaborations show how a partnership can become more interesting with age. An IWC connected to Saab or a Seiko associated with Honda preserves a specific moment in the relationship between two companies. What began as marketing can eventually become an artifact of shared history. The most obscure examples sometimes tell the best stories because they escaped endless repetition.

Frederique Constant’s French Foreign Legion editions make that connection more explicit. Their significance depends partly on what the institution means to the wearer, with support for its mutual-aid association giving the collaboration a practical purpose. A limited-edition number alone offers very little emotional content. A connection someone recognizes and values can offer considerably more.

There is an industrial side to this discussion, too. Today’s editorial about movement ownership argues that control of the mechanism will increasingly determine which brands hold a durable advantage. It is a serious argument, but collectors should resist turning it into a shortcut. An exclusive caliber can justify attention; a well-chosen supplied movement can also make an excellent watch. The quality of the complete object—and the experience of owning it—still deserves the final vote.

The Czapek conversation with Xavier de Roquemaurel adds the work behind the romance: financing, production, back orders and the resilience required to build an independent company. Meanwhile, the profile of Anton Rupert considers continuity at a very different scale. Both stories concern the same underlying responsibility: giving customers reasons to believe a watch and the company behind it will remain relevant.

Yesterday’s Moser auction provides a useful reminder that admiration and agreement on price are separate matters. A bid of US$82,000 is substantial, but it did not meet the reserve. Today’s Richard Mille will face its own negotiation between engineering, rarity, condition and what buyers are actually prepared to pay. Neither a compelling history nor an impressive mechanism settles that negotiation in advance.

Perhaps the most useful collecting discipline is to imagine the watch after its launch story has gone quiet. Will the design still please you? Will its proportions suit your day? Will you enjoy learning more about it, or simply enjoy wearing it without thinking very much at all? There are many good answers. The watches that stay tend to make those answers feel personal.

-Michael Wolf

Features

Six Obscure Watch-and-Car Collaborations You’ve Probably Never Heard Of

Watch and car partnerships extend well beyond the familiar names that dominate modern advertising. This Worn & Wound feature explores six less obvious collaborations, uncovering watches whose appeal rests on unusual design choices, limited production and the histories of the companies involved.

The selection includes an IWC Mark XII associated with a limited-edition Saab convertible, a Seiko 7A28 celebrating Honda’s racing achievements, and Citizen’s Walter Wolf Racing chronograph. Buler’s Bertone Stratos LED watch takes the discussion into futuristic design, while Heuer’s Audi Sport chronograph and Ferrari Chronosplit demonstrate how deeply automotive associations ran through the brand’s identity.

These pieces are interesting as records of how watches and cars were presented to enthusiasts in their respective eras. Some emphasize technical progress, others racing credibility or the exclusivity of a particular vehicle. For collectors willing to look beyond the obvious partnerships, the result is a fascinating collection of mechanical and cultural side roads.

Go Deeper

The Watches We Wore This Summer

A summer watch becomes more than a seasonal accessory when it accompanies something worth remembering. Hodinkee’s editors look back at the watches that followed them through travel, outdoor adventures, recovery and everyday life, offering a collection of personal stories rather than a conventional best-of list.

The range is refreshingly broad. A DWC Terra Titanium enters the picture after spinal surgery, while a Citizen Aqualand Duplex carries the remarkable story of being recovered from a lake wreck. Other selections include a Timex Ironman, Panerai Luminor 1950 PAM 233, Tudor Black Bay 58 Bronze, Bulgari Serpenti Tubogas, Doxa SUB Army 200T and Otsuka Lotec No. 5 Kai.

What connects them is the way ownership adds meaning. A watch that performs reliably on a trip or becomes a companion during a difficult period can acquire importance well beyond its specifications. This roundup captures that transformation—and offers a useful reminder to take the watches we enjoy out into the world.

Go Deeper

Anton Rupert and Richemont’s Next Generation