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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.