Malaika: Yes but that is Jay-Z that's another level. He is untouchable.</p>\n\n<p><strong>Danny:</strong> It's kind of amazing because I think the watch guys do take these opportunities to really show off in ways that are untouchable.</p>\n\n<p><strong>Tony:</strong> No doubt Uzi's different, and I do think we need more of that.</p>\n\n<p><strong>Danny:</strong> Mayer wore a unique Patek 5004 on a bracelet in 2013...which like, is sort of insane.</p>\n\n<p>And Uzi's is insane in a totally different (but no less cool) sort of way.</p>\n\n<p><strong>Malaika:</strong> And I think the pocket watch thing is funny because it will get people talking. Whether they like it or not. And we have to remember watches are for everybody to talk about not just the inner sanctum of collectors.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"size":"large","images":["23bc10fd-66f3-4af6-a572-19c02f537281"]},"type":"Block::InlineImageContainer"},{"data":{"copy":"<p><strong>Tony:</strong> Hey if it takes a guy like Uzi to bring pocket watches back, I'm all in.</p>\n\n<p><strong>Danny:</strong> That would be the best origin story for the return of pocket watches.</p>\n\n<p><strong>Tony: </strong>But to Danny's point, one of the reasons I love a choice like Kendrick's \"humble\" OP is because it totally says \"yeah, I could flex on all of you, but I'm not.\" And sometimes, isn't that the biggest flex of all?</p>\n\n<p><strong>Malaika:</strong> 100%</p>\n\n<p>Kendrick and Uzi very different approaches in general though.</p>\n\n<p><strong>Tony:</strong> Totally, and we need both.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"size":"large","images":["0d9a471f-2461-4fc1-9999-2679a4a4c18a"]},"type":"Block::InlineImageContainer"},{"data":{"copy":"<p><strong>Malaika:</strong> I love the mix of watch personalities and seeing who wears what. Keeps us on our toes!</p>\n\n<p><strong>Danny:</strong> Unless there's anything else worth calling out, shall we close this chapter of Grammy's horological discourse?</p>\n\n<p><strong>Malaika:</strong> WAIT.</p>\n\n<p><strong>Danny:</strong> Uh oh.</p>\n\n<p><strong>Malaika:</strong> BAD BUNNY.</p>\n\n<p><strong>Tony:</strong> Omg how could we forget!</p>\n\n<p>I take everything back, HE was the highlight.</p>\n\n<p><strong>Malaika:</strong> I mean who is sourcing his watches? Because they have immaculate taste.</p>\n\n<p><strong>Tony: </strong>A vintage ladies' AP from the looks of it. Who else would do that?</p>\n\n<p>Also, he had a watch change too after his performance.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"size":"large","images":["96cb6b47-01c7-4823-8bdb-746d20da0d93"]},"type":"Block::InlineImageContainer"},{"data":{"copy":"<p><strong>Malaika:</strong> We love the Grammys. Show up in a full couture gown, or a beanie and jeans (Chris Martin please do better) or a Grandmaster Chime. There are no rules.</p>\n\n<p><strong>Tony: </strong>And the watch game was equally outrageous, in the best way possible.</p>\n\n<p><strong>Danny:</strong> The Grammys. Always here to surprise and delight.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"copy":"<p><i>All images from the Grammy Awards courtesy of Getty.</i></p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"}],"migrated_content":true,"meta_title":"What Watch Did Jay-Z Wear To The Grammys?","meta_description":"Three Hodinkee editors dish about it.","meta_social_media_headline":"","meta_social_media_description":"","meta_social_media_image":"","artist_name":null,"artist_type":"","internal_notes":"","column":{"id":22,"slug":"watch_spotting","name":"Watch Spotting","description":"Photo-first, event-driven articles that feature photography from news and wire agencies. The focus may be on one watch or multiple watches from a single event.","sort_order":null,"created_at":"2016-07-13T12:24:44.241-04:00","updated_at":"2022-05-06T14:24:41.017-04:00","status":"hidden"},"hero_image":{"id":"addf080f-64c4-42cd-bf39-404b98972726","container_id":11882,"container_type":"Article","url":"https://hodinkee-production.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/images/20247e7e-a6fa-47e2-a21e-1c83df25773d/jayzhero3-2copy-2.jpg","width":2880,"height":1620,"format":"jpg","render_args":null,"caption":null,"alt_text":"Grammy Illustration","created_at":"2023-02-06T12:32:10.848-05:00","updated_at":"2023-02-06T14:59:06.399-05:00","sort_order":0,"product_ids":null,"imgix_url":"https://hodinkee.imgix.net/uploads/images/20247e7e-a6fa-47e2-a21e-1c83df25773d/jayzhero3-2copy-2.jpg?ixlib=rails-1.1.0"},"share_url":"https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/hodinkee-editors-live-chat-grammy-watches-featuring-jay-zs-insane-patek-grandmaster-chime-and-trevor","full_title":"Watch Spotting: We've Spent All Day Discussing Trevor Noah's THREE Grammy Watch Looks + Jay-Z's Insane Patek Grandmaster Chime","tags":["patek-philippe","watch-spotting","grammys"]},{"id":11872,"slug":"how-the-five-time-zone-shaped-modern-watch-culture","column_slug":"in_depth","title":"How The Five Time Zone Shaped Modern Watch Culture ","status":"published","working_copy_of_id":null,"published_at":"2023-02-03T15:00:00.000-05:00","created_at":"2023-02-03T09:07:55.670-05:00","updated_at":"2023-02-04T14:23:58.260-05:00","scheduled_for":null,"review_status":null,"package_id":null,"lede":"<p>Richard Mille and Audemars Piguet as we know them wouldn't exist without the Jacob & Co. watch that brought horology to hip-hop.</p>","hero_media_type":"image","hero_video_id":null,"hero_video_type":"vimeo","hero_homepage_image":null,"gallery_view":false,"legacy_url":null,"multiple_authors":false,"pinned_related_article_id":null,"hero_image_url":null,"hero_homepage_image_url":null,"view_count":29119,"public_token":null,"notification_sent":true,"keyword_targeting":null,"apple_news_id":null,"display_template":"standard","exclude_from_related":false,"comments_state":"comments_enabled","article_type":"default_article","shopify_id":null,"featured_comment_id":null,"noindex":false,"sponsored_by":null,"advertising_enabled":true,"redirect_url":"","automatic_related_articles":true,"show_promotional_frame":true,"show_related_articles":true,"show_editors_picks":true,"sponsor_image_url":"","display_theme":"light","custom_props":{},"content_chunks":[{"data":{"copy":"<p>In November 2003, Jay-Z performed a sold-out \"retirement\" concert at Madison Square Garden. Every major artist in hip-hop and R&B was in attendance. Beyonce, Ghostface Killah, Pharrell, Missy Elliott, Foxy Brown, and Mary J. Blige all performed alongside him. At 10 years into his career, he was already one of the greatest rappers of all time and was on the cusp of becoming one of the most important cultural figures of a generation. On that night, to mark the momentous occasion, Jay-Z was wearing a Five Time Zone watch.</p>","dropcap":true},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"size":"right","images":["e62805f2-d8c7-48fb-9ed9-0fb33d3f8803"]},"type":"Block::InlineImageContainer"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>The Five Time Zone had been launched a year prior by Jacob Arabo, the famous 47th Street entrepreneur known as Jacob the Jeweler, a nickname that had been given to him by Biggie Smalls.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>The piece had four subdials (zones) that showed the time in New York, Los Angeles, Tokyo, and Paris. Each subdial, as well as the principal dial, was decorated with bold primary or pastel colors. The watch was powered by a quartz ETA movement. It came in 40mm or 47mm with the original press release from 2002 stating that the watch transcended gender. The Five Time zone could be purchased in stainless steel and different precious metals, with or without diamonds on the bezel; fully gem-set was also an option. Every model came with easily interchangeable straps: four polyurethane bands with deployant buckle for plain timepieces, two alligator bands for diamond accented timepieces, and four alligator bands for all diamond dial timepieces. It was Arabo's very first watch collection, the price started at $5,500.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"size":"small","images":["58cac37e-8e67-4e69-ac52-376721d8e138"]},"type":"Block::InlineImageContainer"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>In May 2002 a bikini-clad Naomi Cambell wore one in a photoshoot by Gilles Bensimon, styled by the inimitably named Carlyne Cerf de Dudzeele for <i>Elle</i>. And then the floodgates opened. Pharrell bought one, Busta Rhymes bought one, Sean \"Diddy\" Combs bought one, Bono bought one. Teenagers and rappers in the USA and in Europe wanted one. There were six-month waiting lists for wholesale suppliers.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"size":"small","images":["53f07eaa-adec-444e-a979-da6c310efa67"]},"type":"Block::InlineImageContainer"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>Arabo's Five Time Zone was modeled after a watch that now 57-year-old Arabo received from his father back in 1978 when he was just 13. \"It was my first watch,\" he told me. \"It had two time zones, two movements, and a map of the world in the middle. That's the original inspiration that led me to create the Five Time Zone. I still have it.\"</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>The journey to the epicenter of hip-hop notoriety started when Arabo emigrated to the US from Uzbekistan with his family in 1979. By the age of 17, he had already enrolled in a six-month jewelry-making training program. In 1986, Arabo, then 21, launched his own luxury label: Jacob & Co.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>Jacob the Jeweler went on to create an entire universe of bespoke diamond-encrusted regalia for many of the most important musicians in the world. He sold and placed pieces on almost every big-name celebrity which in turn made diamonds and fancy-colored stones visible to a much larger audience. Opulent jewelry no longer belonged exclusively to Elizabeth Taylor or Liberace or Upper East side heiresses. He even introduced Bape founder and pop star Nigo and Pharrell, two figures who changed the way men wore jewelry by embracing the use of colored diamonds and pushing totally new boundaries of jewelry design (including the now famous gem-set Gshock watch). Arabo essentially created an entire category of jewelry culture.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"size":"small","images":["1d258812-ffbd-4fbd-bb72-798b17abe770"]},"type":"Block::InlineImageContainer"},{"data":{"size":"small","images":["539d3c07-0bf2-4fbe-af59-e7fbca20d7f0"]},"type":"Block::InlineImageContainer"},{"data":{"size":"small","images":["d09ccc7a-bb42-4fe2-9b2f-2c305a4905c6"]},"type":"Block::InlineImageContainer"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>Above all Arabo was a marketing genius, the heir apparent to Tito Caicedo, the New York-born and raised son of an Ecuadorian immigrant who founded his first jewelry store on Canal St and later moved to the diamond district in 1984. \"Before Arabo there was Tito, but you'd be hard-pressed to put a face to his name,\" said creative consultant Ferris Bueller, who was working for Roc-A-Fella when the watch dropped and then went on to work with Pharrell at Star Trak Entertainment. \"Tito was a name but Jacob the Jeweler, well, he was a personality.\"</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>By the time of his first watch release, Jacob the Jeweler had already created his own jewelry legacy. In the early '90s RUN DMC and Slick Rick were wearing colossal dookie rope chains and by the end of the decade, Sean \"Puffy\" Combs and Jay-Z were wearing platinum and diamonds. It was a new look and it could all be traced back to Arabo's modest booth inside the Kaplan Diamond Exchange on 47th Street.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"size":"small","images":["8c293c4e-7e79-44ac-88e5-31f06ebb17d2"]},"type":"Block::InlineImageContainer"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>It's hard to imagine now, but at this point, the traditional luxury world did not appreciate hip-hop. This was long before Virgil Abloh for Louis Vuitton, before A$AP Rocky would be the star of a Dior Campaign or Young Thug the face of a Calvin Klein campaign or Jay-Z himself a brand ambassador for Tiffany and Co. 47th Street catered to the hip-hop contingent. Arabo was not the first jeweler to attain a huge celebrity client list on 47th Street but he was the best at developing and sustaining relationships. He allowed clients to trade up older custom pieces for new creations and always kept his word when it came to ensuring one-off designs were never copied. Vikki Tobak, author of <i>Ice Cold. A Hip-Hop Jewelry History, </i>told me over the phone, \"He recognized the mutual hustle with the hip-hop community. You can't front on his come-up story.\"</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>Arabo made such an impact that in 1999 <i>The New York Times </i>named him the \"Harry Winston of the hip-hop world.\" He was featured in countless rap lyrics and starred in the video game <i>Def Jam: Fight For NY</i> where hip-hop action figures compete to earn cash to buy Jacob's diamond jewelry. Before Arabo men in the mainstream didn't wear diamonds, after him, they did. It's no accident that the word \"bling\" was added to the Oxford English Dictionary in 2003. The word actually comes from the song \"Bling Bling\" by BG and Cash Money Millionaires, they were singing about men wearing diamonds, and men were wearing diamonds because of Jacob.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"size":"small","images":["394c2846-4797-43c4-ae7f-ad46db518303"]},"type":"Block::InlineImageContainer"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>It was common practice for hip-hop artists' A&R rep to take them to Jacob the Jeweler once they had signed to a label or achieved another milestone. They could buy a Five Time Zone watch to signify they had made it. The watch became a symbol for the glow-up.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>\"This watch's five time zones spoke to aspirations of being global. It spoke to certain aspirational elements of hip-hop culture and making it,\" Tobak said. \"The Five Time Zone came along at a very specific time in hip-hop history and music culture. That watch couldn't happen again now. It was a perfect storm of the music business getting money, stepping into its power, becoming interested in the luxury world, coupled with the luxury world not loving hip-hop.\"</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>But Arabo's influence was about to extend beyond hip-hop and into the world of Swiss watch making.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>In order to understand the importance of the Five Time Zone watch, you have to appreciate how early it came along to the watch space. Today, we are inundated with images of hip-hop artists and their luxury mechanical watches but It would be a full three years before Jay-Z partnered with Audemars Piguet and a total of nine before he partnered with Hublot.</p>","dropcap":true},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>\"It took an object that was still largely insular, still pretty much niche and to be fair still kind of geeky and transformed into one of the coolest lifestyle symbols around,\" said Wei Koh, the founder of Revolution magazine and a vocal Jacob supporter. \"In particular its appearance on the wrists of the hip-hop community and following that the Hollywood and celebrity communities demonstrated the incredible crossover potential of luxury watches into a broader cultural landscape.\"</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"size":"small","images":["05eb33f4-28cb-47d9-b895-f83d5e0dc0d7"]},"type":"Block::InlineImageContainer"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>Today, entertainer-watchmaker collaborations (like Pharrell and Richard Mille) are business as usual. \"But you can make an argument that without its existence those collaborations may not have come about.\"</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>The Five Time Zone was a luxury item for a demographic that luxury was not paying attention to. Arabo was quick to recognize what his clientele would respond to when it came to watch design. He created the Five Time Zone to go with people's clothes: the matching tracksuits, oversized puffers and baggy denim. He created it to go with a specific lifestyle in mind, and even if someone wasn't living that life yet they could aspire to it.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"size":"small","images":["8bbc15da-63f5-40d2-a517-fdab55872c14"]},"type":"Block::InlineImageContainer"},{"data":{"size":"small","images":["b688dc7c-719d-438c-a56c-862bf7288593"]},"type":"Block::InlineImageContainer"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>\"My clients were always traveling,\" Arabo said. \"And they loved that I put diamonds on bezels. And they dressed in so many colors back then, they needed a watch that would go with their outfits. So I created the Five Time Zone. It was the first travel watch that was cool. It was large. It was colorful. It had diamonds. And it had interchangeable bands. It's funny because today, a lot of watches fit that description. At the time, not a single one did.\"</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>This was the early 2000s when the zeitgeist was all about excess, with logo mania on clothes and Foxy Brown and Lil' Kim in colorful chinchilla fur. The Five Time Zone went with this aesthetic, it was bright, it was loud. \"This watch is what went with the clothes. It went with the culture.\" said creative director Melissa Battifarano, who at the time was working for brand Sean John (an apparel brand founded by Sean Combs) and Ecko, \"You wanted something that went with your shoes and your hook-up suit.\"</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>The interchangeable straps were also a big component of the watch's success. Battifarano explained to me how important it was to know what local independent New York shoe retailers were ordering for the season before her brands knew what they were doing. \"You would wait to know what the sneaker drops were gonna be at Jimmy Jazz and Dr. Jay's. The hookups, the clothes, wouldn't sell unless they matched the color of the shoes. You really wrapped it around what the latest drop of the sneakers were.\" Arabo's idea for interchangeable colored straps fit right into this model.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"size":"small","images":["07d72ade-8f30-494d-a77b-593379e378a5","fa7653ad-dc48-4f85-b320-3d61de810807"],"enforce_aspect_ratio":true},"type":"Block::TwoUpImageContainer"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>A few days ago, on a trip back from Geneva, I ran into a well-known and very respected industry professional (who shall remain anonymous). I told him I was writing an article about the Five Time Zone, to which he replied, \"Why?! That watch is awful.\" But this is a man who loves Richard Mille and gem-set Royal Oaks. Does he really think those things would exist so successfully without the Five Time Zone? The watch that was the precursor to haute horlogerie brands being name dropped in rap lyrics and worn on the wrists of those very rappers who would, by association, push the horological agenda into mainstream culture. The Five Time Zone paved the way for loud, colorful and diamond set watches, with Franck Muller acting as the Swiss equivalent of the early multicolor aesthetic.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"size":"small","images":["a6d669a4-e595-40b3-b466-f0fea96bc5a7"]},"type":"Block::InlineImageContainer"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>The most important thing that Arabo did by creating this watch was to change the landscape and audience of watch consumerism. This very un-Swiss watch paradoxically supported traditional mechanical watch culture. In the '90s Biggie Smalls was wearing a Day-Date with an artificial diamond bezel, Rolex was the moment. Then along came Jay-Z, first with a gold Rolex and then with a platinum Rolex – and making sure you knew about it.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"size":"inline","quote":"<p>Wearing that platinum s**t</p><p>When all y'all chicks thought it was silver and s**t</p><p>I gotta really be the pioneer of this s**t</p>","source":"Jay-z, \"imaginary player\""},"type":"Block::PullQuote"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>Braggy? Yeah, maybe. But no more so than any other Rolex collector making sure you know his vintage GMT is a Mark 3 and not a Mark 2.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>By the early 2000s, Jay-Z was a certified watch guy and he still chose to wear the Five Time Zone. Audemars Piguet was the first luxury Swiss watch brand to sit up and notice the culture by officially collaborating with him on a limited edition watch. Eventually, a few others in the industry reacted to the cultural shift. AP even went on to make Royal Oak Offshores with factory set diamonds, this was clearly their way of taking the 47th Street culture and then doing it through the factory. An indisputable example of hip-hop, America's largest cultural export, and its influence back on traditional brands.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"size":"small","images":["71f30203-a778-4e3a-bd2c-aab9ff1b2345"]},"type":"Block::InlineImageContainer"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>\"At the time, this watch was one of the most visible timepieces in watchmaking, representing a kind of counterculture to high horology,\" explained Yoni Ben-Yehuda from NYC-based luxury watch and jewelry boutique Material Good. \"If you wanna look at the watch for the merits of the price versus the movement, then fine, you can have that conversation. But you can't look down at the success of the design. If you do, you are missing the moment that it was in history.\"</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"size":"inline","quote":"<p>If the Patek World Time is Beethoven then the Five Time Zone is Jay-Z.</p>","source":"Yoni Ben-Yehuda "},"type":"Block::PullQuote"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>Ben-Yehuda went on to explain that the watch could almost be described as a counterpoint to a Patek 5130. \"The World Time Pateks are the most demure and conservative watches. A world traveler's dress watch as seen through the lens of the '30s, '40, and '50s. If the Patek World Time is Beethoven then the Five Time Zone is Jay-Z.\"</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>The watch evolved through various references. After the initial release of the Five Time Zone in 2002, The World Is Yours was released (a reference to the famous <i>Scarface</i> scene) in 2003. The watch was designed with white and fancy colored diamonds representing the continents and seas that replaced the geometric shapes of the original Five Time Zone. There is one currently for sale in Christie's<a href=https://www.hodinkee.com/"https://www.christies.com/lot/lot-6412207?ldp_breadcrumb=back&intObjectID=6412207&from=salessummary&lid=1\%22 target=\"\"><u> \"The Collection of André Leon Talley\" </u></a>auction.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"size":"small","images":["198adce7-7c43-4b6d-ace1-b1f392a3d1d7"]},"type":"Block::InlineImageContainer"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>Then came the Royal Five Time Zone in 2005, which was made in two styles: one with princess-cut diamonds and one with baguette-cut diamonds. Pharrell recently sold his <a href=https://www.hodinkee.com/"https://www.joopiter.com/products/jacob-co-5-time-zone-royal-collection-white-gold-and-diamond/" target=\"\"><u>Royal Five Time Zone</u></a> in his <a href=https://www.hodinkee.com/"https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/pharrell-williams-joopiter-auction-audemars-piguet-chopard/" target=\"_blank\">inaugural auction for Joopiter</a>. There have also been collaborations, notably with Nigo on the Bape Five Time zone in the mid 2000s and then later in 2020 with cult streetwear label Supreme.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"size":"small","images":["72288053-e5f4-4ae4-ac20-b8ae2a99bbf6"]},"type":"Block::InlineImageContainer"},{"data":{"size":"small","images":["db80da02-72cc-49c7-9313-d4bee431013d"]},"type":"Block::InlineImageContainer"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>In 2006 Jacob launched the H 24 Time Zone, a mechanical version of its predecessor and arguably the precursor for the complete evolution of Arabo's mechanical watch endeavor.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>In an ideal world, this watch would have been the same design with the mechanical prowess that Arabo has now fully proven to be capable of. But it's important not to dismiss the Five Time Zone as \"just a quartz watch.\" It fit an aesthetic of the time, it featured a complication that was aspirational, it had diamonds that were set in a factory, and above all it embraced and included a clientele that wasn't catered to, a clientele that was infiltrating every corner of popular music and style.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>Today, luxury culture is remix culture. The brands that used to shun hip-hop artists either clamor to work with them or co-opt the culture with zero credit given in return. The picking and choosing of when and where to appreciate hip-hop artists can be found throughout fashion and jewelry, and Jacob the Jeweler is part and parcel of who stands on either side of that dividing line.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"size":"small","images":["95d058ad-97c5-4e5a-8a28-a8de8748937b"]},"type":"Block::InlineImageContainer"}],"migrated_content":true,"meta_title":"The Five Time Zone Watch By Jacob The Jeweler: A Hip-Hop Classic","meta_description":"","meta_social_media_headline":"","meta_social_media_description":"","meta_social_media_image":"","artist_name":null,"artist_type":"","internal_notes":"","column":{"id":10,"slug":"in_depth","name":"In-Depth","description":"Deep, detailed research on the topics and products defining the watch industry today.","sort_order":6,"created_at":"2016-07-13T12:24:44.037-04:00","updated_at":"2023-05-04T16:59:23.477-04:00","status":"visible"},"hero_image":{"id":"c5286285-d026-4969-9956-1ad5295c8236","container_id":11872,"container_type":"Article","url":"https://hodinkee-production.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/images/152562d7-24a1-4dcc-b381-bbeb1e420453/5timezone-hero.jpg","width":2880,"height":1620,"format":"jpg","render_args":null,"caption":null,"alt_text":"Jacob & Co. Five Time Zone watches ","created_at":"2023-02-03T09:07:55.706-05:00","updated_at":"2023-02-03T16:23:30.856-05:00","sort_order":0,"product_ids":null,"imgix_url":"https://hodinkee.imgix.net/uploads/images/152562d7-24a1-4dcc-b381-bbeb1e420453/5timezone-hero.jpg?ixlib=rails-1.1.0"},"share_url":"https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/how-the-five-time-zone-shaped-modern-watch-culture","full_title":"In-Depth: How The Five Time Zone Shaped Modern Watch Culture ","tags":["jacob&co","jacob-and-co","hip-hop"]},{"id":11854,"slug":"jaeger-lecoultre-raids-its-archives-for-a-new-vintage-watch-collection","column_slug":"product_launch","title":"Jaeger-LeCoultre Raids Its Archives For A New Vintage Watch Collection ","status":"published","working_copy_of_id":null,"published_at":"2023-01-30T15:00:00.000-05:00","created_at":"2023-01-29T15:28:09.322-05:00","updated_at":"2023-01-31T07:23:02.895-05:00","scheduled_for":null,"review_status":null,"package_id":null,"lede":"<p>The grande maison hits rewind for a refresher on some of their most coveted wristwatches.</p>","hero_media_type":"image","hero_video_id":null,"hero_video_type":"vimeo","hero_homepage_image":null,"gallery_view":false,"legacy_url":null,"multiple_authors":false,"pinned_related_article_id":null,"hero_image_url":null,"hero_homepage_image_url":null,"view_count":38038,"public_token":null,"notification_sent":true,"keyword_targeting":null,"apple_news_id":null,"display_template":"standard","exclude_from_related":false,"comments_state":"comments_enabled","article_type":"default_article","shopify_id":null,"featured_comment_id":null,"noindex":false,"sponsored_by":null,"advertising_enabled":true,"redirect_url":"","automatic_related_articles":true,"show_promotional_frame":true,"show_related_articles":true,"show_editors_picks":true,"sponsor_image_url":"","display_theme":"light","custom_props":{},"content_chunks":[{"data":{"alignment":"square_breaker"},"type":"Block::Advertisement"},{"data":{"size":"h3","headline":"What We Know"},"type":"Block::Headline"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>Outside of the watch enthusiast bubble – where mere mortals who verge on watch-curious roam free, unfettered by a memory backlog of reference numbers and caliber updates – the brand Jaeger-LeCoultre is synonymous with one very well-known watch: the Reverso. For those of us who understand a little more about the history of watchmaking, Jaeger-LeCoultre is equally as famous for its indispensable role in the evolution of mechanical watchmaking.</p>","dropcap":true},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"size":"right","images":["dad3a108-d349-42e1-9b0f-7f650ba37e4a"]},"type":"Block::InlineImageContainer"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>I should preface this article by acknowledging that a deep dive into movement history isn't my usual MO. But this is Jaeger LeCoultre, a brand whose production of calibers is deeply rooted in their core history as watchmaking's \"<i>Grande Maison</i>.\" And so Jaeger LeCoultre's story I shall tell.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>Now 190 years old, JLC has made and supplied calibers for just about every prestigious watch brand on the market. Within their extensive back catalog of over 1,300 movements exists Caliber 920, the only caliber to be used by all three brands in the holy trinity: Patek Philippe, Vacheron Constantin, and Audemars Piguet and for some pretty important watches too: PP Nautilus ref. 3700/1A and AP Royal Oak ref. 5402ST and VC ref. 222.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>There's also Caliber 145, created in 1907; the first collaboration between Jaeger Paris and LeCoultre & Cie. At time of production it was the thinnest caliber ever created; it measured 1.38 mm thick and was dubbed \"the knife\". It was extensively used by Cartier and other brands for pocket watches.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"size":"small","images":["061a268d-f037-411f-8ac3-0f967d6666c8"]},"type":"Block::InlineImageContainer"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>In addition to thin time-only calibers, JLC also worked on complications, including Caliber 494, a triple calendar movement created back in 1942 when wristwatches were still in their infancy. The triple calendar is somewhat forgotten as a complication but back in the early '40s this kind of complicated wristwatch would have been a very big deal. It was famously used in the Vacheron Constantin 4240 and perhaps doesn't count as a strict outsource due to the 1938 merger between Jaeger-LeCoultre and Vacheron under the umbrella of a holding company called SAPIC (Société Anonyme de Produits Industriels et Commerciaux).</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"size":"left","images":["9433a019-9fff-4ab0-8663-a439014668e7"]},"type":"Block::InlineImageContainer"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>Forever nicknamed the Watchmaker's Watchmaker, (I know, major eye roll for this tired cliché, but it's the truth, so stay with me for a second ), JLC created some of the industry's most progressive technology to be decorated, encased, and stamped with a different brand's name on the dial.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>Now Jaeger-LeCoultre is taking the opportunity to revisit some of their own important wristwatches: movement, case, dial and finishing all included. With a curated series of 17 wristwatches created during the so-called \"Golden Age\" of watchmaking (1920s to the early 70s), as well as a new master reference book also named \"The Collectibles\" to accompany the collection, JLC is breathing a little life back into some of these vintage treasures.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>There are 12 references currently available from <a href=https://www.hodinkee.com/"https://www.jaeger-lecoultre.com/us-en/news/watchmaking/the-collectibles#OVERVIEW\" target=\"\"><u>the core 17</u></a> featured in the reference book because JLC wants to ensure only the best of the best are presented for sale; it has yet to source close-to-perfect examples of the remaining five watches. Over time, a continually evolving selection of timepieces will be available to purchase online and eventually through traveling capsule collections in JLC boutiques. Every Collectibles timepiece will be presented with an extract from the Jaeger-LeCoultre archives, a new watch strap, and a copy of The Collectibles coffee-table book. In addition, when available, the original box and papers, and original strap or bracelet will be included.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"size":"small","images":["daf270f1-215b-482f-b9dd-95d4f045cf05"]},"type":"Block::InlineImageContainer"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>Every piece offered through The Collectibles is vetted by Jaeger-LeCoultre's heritage team and fully serviced and restored by the specialized watchmakers from the Manufacture's restoration workshop. Given that JLC's manufacture is fully integrated, the restoration team is able to go through the archives and find the blueprint for every piece ever made, and in some cases, they can also find stock of original spare components. If there is no component on hand, there are around 6,000 swages that can be used to make an identical component from scratch.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>I sat down with the Product and Heritage Director, Matthew Sauret, who talked me through some of the pieces in the capsule.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"copy":"<p><strong> Duoplan Secret</strong></p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>First created in 1925, the Duoplan (Caliber 104) was what led LeCoultre & Cie. to embark on their wristwatch venture. Not yet in full wristwatch construction territory, LeCoultre created the caliber in Le Sentier, Switzerland and had the bracelet and finishing parts assembled by Jaeger in Paris, (then known for designing and manufacturing cases for big maisons like Cartier). The two companies would officially merge in 1937.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>The Duoplan Secret from 1935 houses the very miniature Caliber 403 and has a small crown placed on the caseback. The watch is set inside of an integrated solid gold bracelet with a five-link structure. I asked Sauret why they chose this watch over the more well-known Caliber 101 (<a href=https://www.hodinkee.com/"https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/remembering-queen-elizabeth-ii-through-her-watches/" target=\"\"><u>famously worn by the Queen of England</u></a>) \"This caliber is the big brother to Caliber 101. They are from the same family. It's the same concept: two planes stacked on top of each other.\" The balance wheel on the upper plane and the gear train on the lower plane.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"size":"small","images":["233bd031-76a2-45c3-85f6-7c9cdca256c6"]},"type":"Block::InlineImageContainer"},{"data":{"copy":"<p><strong>Reverso Small Seconds</strong></p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>This particular Staybrite steel Reverso was created in 1933, which makes it 90 years old. Hard to believe when looking at the perfectly intact lacquered toffee-brown dial. Colored dials feel so modern, so OP \"Stella\". \"In the original catalogs they spoke a lot about black dials because, as they saw it, black dials were the dials of the future. To make watches with colored dials at a time where people were still using pocket watches with very traditional, classic silver dials was certainly bold. They offered these dials exclusively upon request in blue, red and brown\" recounted Suaret. These dials were most likely initiated and created by Jaeger as the dial is signed \"Jaeger Fab Suisse\". LeCoultre's main business, as we know, was to manufacture calibers, perhaps this is the reason why it could experiment so freely. Equipped with the rectangular manual-winding LeCoultre Caliber 410, the watch is fitted on a new dark brown calfskin leather strap.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"size":"small","images":["8a52d362-d5c1-411f-8814-541f00c3673f"]},"type":"Block::InlineImageContainer"},{"data":{"copy":"<p><strong>Triple Calendar</strong></p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>This was the first complicated watch produced as a series by Jaeger LeCoultre. Created in 1940 as a response to the heightened demand for wristwatches, the Triple Calendar was made as a shrunken down display of a complication typically reserved for pocket watches – a much easier feat given the roomier dial. The watch displays hours, minutes, small seconds, day, date, month, and moonphase. The case and Dauphine hands are 18k yellow gold with a red arrow pointer for date indication. The case design is typical of the '40s, round with smooth contours and dropped-shaped lugs – a signature of this model. The diameter of a Triple Calendar would have been in line with the trends of the time and offered in 32mm, 35mm, or in some rare cases, 36mm (very large for the time). This watch houses Caliber 494 which was famously sold to Vacheron Constantin in 1942 and turned into VC ref 4240.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"size":"small","images":["3ffd8b17-c0fa-4414-a5d6-0f8d91988022"]},"type":"Block::InlineImageContainer"},{"data":{"copy":"<p><strong>Memovox Parking</strong></p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>The Memovox was a total innovation when it was created as a manual wind alarm watch back in 1950 and then later as an automatic movement in 1957.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>In 1949 Jaeger-LeCoultre filed a patent for this style of alarm watch which worked with a mobile disc in the dial center decorated with a triangular marker serving as the pointer to set the alarm time in 10-minute increments. There are two crowns: one to set the alarm and one to set the time.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>The alarm sounds thanks to a hammer that hits the striking pin driven directly into the caseback. The sound of this alarm is pretty unusual, nothing like the harmonious gong sound of a minute repeater. Instead a rattle-like noise, which sounds remarkably like an old fashioned wind up toy, emanates with a steady vibration – subtle when worn on the wrist for daily appointments. Not so subtle when placed on a bedside table if used as an alarm clock.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>The Memovox Parking took this alarm watch category one step further. In 1958, Jaeger LeCoultre, by then famous for their alarm complications, celebrated its 125th anniversary with a few new Memovox references. This Parking model had a patented dial and complication that was highly recognizable thanks to the blue and white \"P\" pictogramme. The idea was for the Memovox Parking to have an alarm for a specific duration (30 mins, 60 mins, and two hours) in order to avoid tickets.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>This specific Memovox Parking is equipped with the manual-winding Jaeger-LeCoultre Caliber 814 with alarm function.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"size":"small","images":["cf5fc91c-6e6d-40e9-9aca-5a33ea3a486e"]},"type":"Block::InlineImageContainer"},{"data":{"copy":"<p><strong>Polaris Memovox E 859</strong></p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>This watch, when first released in 1965 at 42mm, would have been perceived as nothing short of gigantic. Let's remember that in the '60s a watch sized at 37mm would have been categorized as \"jumbo.\" But this was a serious tool watch with substantial water resistance (200m) and excellent legibility. The Memovox Reference E 859 was the first alarm wristwatch of the Maison to feature three distinct crowns: one for the time, one for the alarm, and one for the bi-directional inner bezel. The alarm function signaled to the diver when it was time to start the ascent to the surface, in addition to the visual indication by way of the rotating bezel. The \"glassbox\" domed crystal functions as a sort of magnifying glass.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>The Memovox Polaris is presented in a \"supercompressor\" case made by Piquerez. The caseback is composed of three elements: a brass inner back enabling the alarm to resonate, a steel back with a spring compression system, ensuring 200m of water resistance, and an additional 16-hole perforated outer caseback which gives the alarm sound more power. This sound is also more of a rattle than a ring, but with the intensity of a tropical bird call!</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>The Memovox E 859 houses self-winding Caliber 825 and has approximately 55-hour power reserve.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"size":"small","images":["8f419a21-55e9-4734-8293-530877924d2b"]},"type":"Block::InlineImageContainer"},{"data":{"size":"h3","headline":"What We Think"},"type":"Block::Headline"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>Jaeger-LeCoultre is THE Grande Maison of the Vallée de Joux. Centuries old, it's earned a reputation as the \"BTS Watchmaker.\" Its principal role as movement supplier had made it responsible for so many watches that are widely recognized in and outside of the collector community.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>A visit to its manufacturer helped me to understand just how important Jaeger-LeCoultre was in moving the industry forward during this \"Golden Age\" that it's celebrating. In fact, I consider it one of the most important visits I have made on my journey in this field.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>The manufacture in Le Sentier proves the full range of JLC's capabilities – and all under one roof! From the very delicate <a href=https://www.hodinkee.com/"https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-butterfly-effect-review-silk-shellac-and-a-rush-of-cochineal-11596809161/" target=\"\"><u>shellac (natural glue) made by Southeast Asian butterflies</u></a> used to fix the synthetic ruby pallets to the levers, to the miniature enamel painting, all the way to the restoration of oxidized watch hands.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>For this Collectibles project they are able to use all the original tools to make parts they can no longer source. Given that JLC is a completely in-house operation, they can pretty much make everything they have produced since the company began. I left feeling like Haute Horlogerie in many ways is just like Haute Couture. Every component, whether created in order to be visible on the end product or created only to be hidden away on the inside is delicately crafted, decorated and handled by a human. Everything is done in small, precise steps.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>But JLC is quiet luxury. It's understated. A well-known brand amongst watch aficionados but never too loud. Yes, the Reverso is recognizable, but not in the same way a 5711 or Royal Oak or a Submariner is. I would know because I own one and my friends outside of this funny little universe marvel at the flip mechanism every time I wear it.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>There are of course a few additional JLC start-to-finish hall-of-fame items: the Caliber 101 worn by the Queen of England and the Atmos clock with its special collaborative designs carried out by the likes of Marc Newson and Hermès.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>Jaeger-LeCoultre is like wearing a beautiful cashmere coat with no visible label. You feel confident wearing it without having to signal or wave around your status. The message is clear from the brand's choice of brand ambassadors: Anya Taylor Joy and Benedict Cumberbatch. Well known but certainly not loud in any capacity.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>When I reflect on fashion and key figures who changed the way we wear clothes I often reference Poiret. He changed womenswear in Paris by moving away from artificially structured, laced-up bodies to more natural forms with the use of brassieres. Claire McCardell changed womenswear in The USA – she created the earliest version of the sportswear aesthetic. There is also Vionnet who also changed the structure of clothing, she pushed for bias cuts and clothing that you could finally pull over your head rather than lace up in the back. But many people don't recognize these names today and yet they are responsible for how people wear garments now. I can't help but draw parallels to Jaeger LeCoultre during the 20th century \"Golden Age\" where they pushed things forward so dramatically, yet aren't recognized for it outside of the watch bubble we some of us folks exist in. </p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>The curated capsule will of course serve watch enthusiasts, giving them the chance to purchase sought-after vintage models that have been fully vetted and restored by Jaeger LeCoultre. It will also give JLC the opportunity to bring these pieces back into the wider conversation at a time when watches are quite literally everywhere, now piquing the interests of a younger generation on platforms like TikTok and Discord.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>The 17 pieces which mark the history of JLC and the material which started as a leaflet and gradually became a tome, prove that Jaeger-LeCoultre is happy to get the word out there but it is also happy to keep their quiet and discerning customers. I do hope, once this look-back to history is done, that we will see Jaeger take some bolder leaps forward; and shake things up with something as daring as their designs of the early and mid-20th century. They certainly have the means too.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"size":"h3","headline":"The Full Collection "},"type":"Block::Headline"},{"data":{"images":["1168e32c-34ec-4e9f-85c8-b3debe4028a7","52c84adc-c638-4242-9ea0-964bbe304bec","121ef2d9-8b55-431d-9173-5d387766aa8b","c66ebc6f-34b9-4d8c-8789-ca50fa753b5c","01f4243c-161c-4773-a0a2-e8a3652475ab","c4f8fff9-e81b-4729-8c02-8d0ea1f7d17d","86d73dac-6c38-433f-be7b-0b98248b0171","7184610f-b30b-4263-90c3-748c3052f005","07ffff32-5cae-4ad2-b3a0-c79b1641ef6c","b631bb91-1aff-499b-9788-9a9b6a7c3585","84f997dc-ac02-46a8-834e-d3c799115304","2607bf59-d708-4a33-a230-fc5313074b71","aeed0fef-3e3c-4f49-b00b-5c8e6d081774","d39b732a-494f-42c8-9b3e-660d163e95dc","b7ee0df7-dd18-4b07-86ef-957f49ebed9f","e8d5e96a-c2bc-4f9f-9686-b761de1a29e7","30e79923-7125-4dbd-a5f5-57da453ee42a"]},"type":"Block::SlideshowImageContainer"},{"data":{"size":"h2","headline":"The Basics"},"type":"Block::Headline"},{"data":{"copy":"<p><strong>Brand:</strong> Jaeger LeCoultre <br><strong>Model:</strong> The Duoplan Secret, Reverso Small Seconds, Triple Calendar, Memovox Parking, Polaris Memovox E 859<br><strong>Reference Number: </strong>REF. QVE9D100, REF. QV020101, REF. QVE27221, REF. QVE85801, REF. QVE85901</p>\n\n<p><strong>Diameter:</strong> 12mm, 39 x 21 mm, 32, 35 or 36 mm, 35mm, 42mm. <br><strong>Case Material:</strong> 18k yellow gold, stainless steel, 18k rose gold, stainless steel, stainless steel.<br><strong>Dial Color:</strong> gold, toffee brown, beige/eggshell, silvered grey, black grained. <br><strong>Strap/Bracelet: </strong>18k yellow gold, leather strap, leather strap, leather strap, leather strap.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"size":"h2","headline":"The Movement"},"type":"Block::Headline"},{"data":{"copy":"<p><strong>Caliber:</strong> 104, 410, 494, 814, 825.<br><strong>Functions:</strong> hours and minutes; hours, minutes and small seconds; hours, minutes, seconds, date, day, month (moon phase); hours, minutes, seconds, alarm; hours, minutes, seconds, alarm, date. <br><strong>Diameter:</strong> 5.80mm x 16mm, 17.85 mm x 24.55 mm, 28mm, 28mm, 31.6mm<br><strong>Thickness:</strong> 3.40 mm, 3.35 mm, 5.25mm, 5.2mm, 7.5mm<br><strong>Power Reserve:</strong> up to 40 hours, up to 45 hours, up to 40 hours, approx. 48 hours, approx. 55 hours. <br><strong>Winding:</strong> manual, manual, manual, manual, self-winding. <br><strong>Frequency:</strong> 21'600 vibrations per hour, 18,000 vibrations per hour, 18,000 vibrations per hour, 18,000 vibrations per hour, 18,000 vibrations per hour.<br><strong>Jewels:</strong> 19, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"size":"h2","headline":"Pricing & Availability"},"type":"Block::Headline"},{"data":{"copy":"<p><strong>Price:</strong> $41,200, $37,900, $21,700, $19,500, $60,000. <br><strong>Limited Edition: YES </strong></p>\n\n<p>For more, <a href=https://www.hodinkee.com/"https://www.jaeger-lecoultre.com/us-en/news/watchmaking/the-collectibles/" target=\"_blank\">click here.</a></p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"disclosure":"<p>The Hodinkee Shop sells pre-owned Jaeger LeCoultre watches; click <a href=https://www.hodinkee.com/"https://shop.hodinkee.com/collections/jaeger-lecoultre-brand/" target=\"\">here</a> to discover our entire collection.</p>","product_ids":""},"type":"Block::DisclosureBox"}],"migrated_content":true,"meta_title":"Jaeger-lecoultre presents the collectibles a capsule collection of emblematic vintage pieces, complemented by a new master reference book","meta_description":"","meta_social_media_headline":"","meta_social_media_description":"","meta_social_media_image":"","artist_name":null,"artist_type":"","internal_notes":"","column":{"id":16,"slug":"product_launch","name":"Introducing","description":"HODINKEE Introducing articles are designed to be fact-filled, detail-rich introductions to newly released timepieces. Each article provides essential details including technical specs, pricing, and availability, and also provides a quick first impression of the new timepiece, and the larger context it occupies in the modern watch landscape.","sort_order":7,"created_at":"2016-07-13T12:24:44.152-04:00","updated_at":"2023-05-04T16:59:23.481-04:00","status":"visible"},"hero_image":{"id":"a4f99a12-0f8e-418e-98ae-1b5c588015d4","container_id":11854,"container_type":"Article","url":"https://hodinkee-production.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/images/f71ce069-5082-4943-9ee2-9e72a739d7b0/JLC1-3.jpg","width":2880,"height":1620,"format":"jpg","render_args":null,"caption":null,"alt_text":"Jaeger LeCoultre Collectibles ","created_at":"2023-01-29T15:28:09.463-05:00","updated_at":"2023-01-29T15:28:09.463-05:00","sort_order":0,"product_ids":null,"imgix_url":"https://hodinkee.imgix.net/uploads/images/f71ce069-5082-4943-9ee2-9e72a739d7b0/JLC1-3.jpg?ixlib=rails-1.1.0"},"share_url":"https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/jaeger-lecoultre-raids-its-archives-for-a-new-vintage-watch-collection","full_title":"Introducing: Jaeger-LeCoultre Raids Its Archives For A New Vintage Watch Collection ","tags":["jaeger-lecoultre","reverso","jaeger-lecoultre-memovox","jaeger-lecoultre-polaris","polaris","memovox","jaeger-lecoultre-reverso","jaeger-lecoultre-caliber-920","triple-calendar"]},{"id":11855,"slug":"the-ravishing-polka-dot-watch-box-by-louis-vuitton-x-yayoi-kusama","column_slug":"the_style_section","title":"The Ravishing Polka-Dot Watch Box By Louis Vuitton x Yayoi Kusama","status":"published","working_copy_of_id":null,"published_at":"2023-01-30T11:00:00.000-05:00","created_at":"2023-01-29T23:42:08.567-05:00","updated_at":"2023-01-30T19:21:09.172-05:00","scheduled_for":null,"review_status":null,"package_id":null,"lede":"<p>Fashion and watch lovers unite. Louis Vuitton just updated its classic coffret for the latest Kusama release.</p>","hero_media_type":"image","hero_video_id":null,"hero_video_type":"vimeo","hero_homepage_image":null,"gallery_view":false,"legacy_url":null,"multiple_authors":false,"pinned_related_article_id":null,"hero_image_url":null,"hero_homepage_image_url":null,"view_count":18180,"public_token":null,"notification_sent":true,"keyword_targeting":null,"apple_news_id":null,"display_template":"standard","exclude_from_related":false,"comments_state":"comments_enabled","article_type":"default_article","shopify_id":null,"featured_comment_id":null,"noindex":false,"sponsored_by":null,"advertising_enabled":true,"redirect_url":"","automatic_related_articles":true,"show_promotional_frame":true,"show_related_articles":true,"show_editors_picks":true,"sponsor_image_url":"","display_theme":"light","custom_props":{},"content_chunks":[{"data":{"copy":"<p>Unless you live a blissful, social media free existence or you truly do not care even the tiniest bit about luxury fashion brands, then you will have noticed the very splashy collaboration between Yayoi Kusama and Louis Vuitton which launched earlier this month.</p>","dropcap":true},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"alignment":"square_breaker"},"type":"Block::Advertisement"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>It's such an event that a monster-sized Kusama sculpture was planted on the flagship Champs-Élysées Louis Vuitton store in Paris. Kusma towers over the Art Deco building, perched in place to cover the whole thing with giant-sized versions of her famous colored polka dots.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"size":"small","images":["e1e88e62-c546-4a17-b790-b5416cbd0f49"]},"type":"Block::InlineImageContainer"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>Kusama is in her 90s. Still working and still relevant. She is known mainly for her polka dots, her pumpkins, and her Instagram-friendly public installations.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"copy":"<p><a href=https://www.hodinkee.com/"https://www.vogue.co.uk/gallery/louis-vuitton-unveils-yayoi-kusama-collection/" target=\"\"><u>Vuitton originally collaborated with Kusama back in 2012</u></a> with then-creative director Marc Jacobs. That collection is the stuff fashion legends are made of, finding certain pieces now is like finding buried internet treasure / hidden Pokemon Go characters. They do extremely well on the resell market. Jacobs was the king of deconstructing and rebuilding the Louis Vuitton logo. Kusama was part of Jacobs' legendary roster of artist collaborators: Steven Sprouse, Takashi Murakami, and Richard Prince.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>Multi-storage watch boxes are not my thing, but accessories are. So much so that I plan to write a thesis on the importance of designer monogramming, its impact on the collective consumer conscience, and what their counterfeit subsidiaries did to mass-market consumption back in the early aughts. But back to watch boxes for the moment: They are usually bulky, generic looking, and aimed at hardcore collectors who have enough money left over after buying all their fancy watches to spring for an equally fancy storage case. </p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>What I do love is a limited edition watch box with a real design point-of-view: an <a href=https://www.hodinkee.com/"https://images.app.goo.gl/55chvpNjDQvK3Ypo6/" target=\"\"><u>AP Royal Oak Offshore Las Vegas strip box</u></a>; a <a href=https://www.hodinkee.com/"https://www.ebay.com/itm/125675908593/" target=\"\"><u>Rimowa Richard Mille collaboration </u></a>; <a href=https://www.hodinkee.com/"https://www.ebay.com/itm/175036679275?chn=ps&mkevt=1&mkcid=28&srsltid=Ad5pg_Hb2t89ChesbMMnJh1ARHLeUmgYIBNEg6bP7Z4Icq4Z0VM6XCaz7i8\%22 target=\"\"><u>a burgundy vintage Rolex box from the '70s complete with coronet buckle</u></a>. These are fun. </p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>Amongst the multiple SKUs of polka-dot RTW and accessories, Vuitton has also released souped-up Kusama version of its core collection watch box. This is about as good as watch boxes get.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"size":"small","images":["762cfab4-1ec3-40a6-94d9-bb2f956cf9b0"]},"type":"Block::InlineImageContainer"},{"data":{"size":"small","images":["fd19c11d-4d82-46e7-9d04-c38dd3006fac"]},"type":"Block::InlineImageContainer"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>The Polka dots are splashed all over the monogrammed canvas with a \"3D painted dots print,\" where each dot is made to look like freshly applied paint using a multi-step serigraphy technique. This brightly colored cartoonish Kusama style plays in contrast with the traditional LV trunk-style storage. </p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>As always, Vuitton is maximum luxe; the mini <i>coffret</i> features the traditional cowhide-leather trim reinforced with rivets and trunk-style brass corners and S Lock closure with key. The lining is red microfiber and the protective cushions are removable. The box holds up to eight watches.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>The regular canvas monogrammed version is priced at $7,450. The Kusama edition has a sticker price of $11,500. That's a hefty premium for those dots. But if you're buying Louis Vuitton leather goods then chances are that the price won't faze you. If you can, add to cart.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"disclosure":"<p>Louis Vuitton is part of the LVMH group. Although LVMH Luxury Ventures is a minority investor in HODINKEE, we maintain complete editorial independence. </p>\n\n<p>To learn more<a href=https://www.hodinkee.com/"https://us.louisvuitton.com/eng-us/stories/lvxyayoikusama/" target=\"_blank\"> visit LV</a>. </p>","product_ids":""},"type":"Block::DisclosureBox"}],"migrated_content":true,"meta_title":"Louis Vuitton x Yayoi Yusama 8- watch coffret","meta_description":"","meta_social_media_headline":"","meta_social_media_description":"","meta_social_media_image":"","artist_name":null,"artist_type":"","internal_notes":"","column":{"id":317,"slug":"the_style_section","name":"The Style Section","description":"Where fashion and watches intersect.","sort_order":19,"created_at":"2022-11-30T16:10:19.147-05:00","updated_at":"2022-11-30T16:10:28.340-05:00","status":"hidden"},"hero_image":{"id":"4d1a4978-2b81-44c7-b310-b6831b506163","container_id":11855,"container_type":"Article","url":"https://hodinkee-production.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/images/a55b45eb-1d02-4a02-a06c-28203a6da074/lv3-3.jpg","width":2880,"height":1620,"format":"jpg","render_args":null,"caption":null,"alt_text":"Yayoi Kusama ","created_at":"2023-01-29T23:42:08.653-05:00","updated_at":"2023-01-29T23:42:08.653-05:00","sort_order":0,"product_ids":null,"imgix_url":"https://hodinkee.imgix.net/uploads/images/a55b45eb-1d02-4a02-a06c-28203a6da074/lv3-3.jpg?ixlib=rails-1.1.0"},"share_url":"https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/the-ravishing-polka-dot-watch-box-by-louis-vuitton-x-yayoi-kusama","full_title":"The Style Section: The Ravishing Polka-Dot Watch Box By Louis Vuitton x Yayoi Kusama","tags":["louis-vuitton","style-section"]},{"id":11834,"slug":"the-devil-horned-richard-mille-priced-for-rockstars","column_slug":"product_launch","title":"The Devil-Horned Richard Mille Priced For Rockstars","status":"published","working_copy_of_id":null,"published_at":"2023-01-24T11:00:24.092-05:00","created_at":"2023-01-23T18:19:24.032-05:00","updated_at":"2023-01-24T11:01:56.563-05:00","scheduled_for":null,"review_status":null,"package_id":null,"lede":"<p>Can you still be punk if you're wearing a million-dollar watch?</p>","hero_media_type":"image","hero_video_id":null,"hero_video_type":"vimeo","hero_homepage_image":null,"gallery_view":false,"legacy_url":null,"multiple_authors":false,"pinned_related_article_id":null,"hero_image_url":null,"hero_homepage_image_url":null,"view_count":28622,"public_token":null,"notification_sent":true,"keyword_targeting":null,"apple_news_id":null,"display_template":"standard","exclude_from_related":false,"comments_state":"comments_enabled","article_type":"default_article","shopify_id":null,"featured_comment_id":null,"noindex":false,"sponsored_by":null,"advertising_enabled":true,"redirect_url":"","automatic_related_articles":true,"show_promotional_frame":true,"show_related_articles":true,"show_editors_picks":true,"sponsor_image_url":"","display_theme":"light","custom_props":{},"content_chunks":[{"data":{"alignment":"square_breaker"},"type":"Block::Advertisement"},{"data":{"size":"h3","headline":"What We Know"},"type":"Block::Headline"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>Richard Mille knows how to get conversations started on the world-wide-watch-web. Whether you love the brand or hate it, you're bound to feel something when confronted with a picture of a new RM release on your Instagram feed. Which kind of means they're doing something right.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>This latest model is anything but short of divisive. At first glance, the RM66 \"Horn To Be Wild\" looks like a watch made for two sides of extreme. Exhibit A : aging rockstar who wears deep v-neck t-shirts, skinny jeans and prayer beads, this rockstar once lived to beat the system, and now resides in a 20 million pound home in Kensington. Exhibit B: L.A. hypebeast decked out in Amiri with zero taste barometer and a rose gold Brabus G Wagon (car reference courtesy of Highsnobiety automotive editor Jonathan Schley).</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>Now for the actual watch and its contents . The rose gold openwork hand, which sits as the proud centerpiece of the RM66 is instantly recognizable. Its representation of the \"sign of the horns\" symbol was popularized by <a href=https://www.hodinkee.com/"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ronnie_James_Dio/" target=\"\"><u>Ronnie James Dio</u></a> of Black Sabbath fame. The link isn't hard to make: think Ozzy Osborne biting off bat heads, think Gene Simmons and his \"The Demon\" stage persona (or the <a href=https://www.hodinkee.com/"https://images.app.goo.gl/jcMyzeRoyg82h1f27/" target=\"\"><u>Family Guy</u></a> parody thereof), think Hells Angels and faded \"I heart mom\" tattoos.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"size":"right","images":["50f41b08-a056-408b-b755-1cf21b064831"]},"type":"Block::InlineImageContainer"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>The \"sign of the horns\" is ultra emblematic to a modern audience, but this type of skeletal imagery has always been imbued with meaning. Visual artists have employed the same code for hundreds of years, typically as a <i>Memento Mori</i> – a symbolic reminder of the inevitability of death. Found across various mediums, these ancient skulls weren't intended to scare. Peversley, they were a jovial reminder of the imminent pleasures of the afterlife as famously depicted in the <a href=https://www.hodinkee.com/"https://images.app.goo.gl/eWnAXZEqCrzw8U3D9/" target=\"\"><u>Danse Macabre</u></a>. This watch uses much of the same code. The RM66 isn't morbid, it's life affirming, it's rock and roll.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>The message carries through onto the design of the rest of the watch. No surface or detail is spared of the punk rocker aesthetic. The Carbon TPT bezel and caseback almost resembles a Glam Rock style monochrome animal print, the caseband features 5N red gold plates with a <i>clou de Paris</i> pattern (aka a studded belt pattern, the ultimate punk rock signifier and early 2000s Kelly Osborne / <a href=https://www.hodinkee.com/"https://images.app.goo.gl/KwH8Nmods5KnKjb6A/" target=\"\"><u>Avril Lavine</u></a> accessory) and the gothic-inspired spider-like crown displays a small skull engraving and encases a synthetic ruby. The crown resembles the top of a scepter, a symbol of gothic culture; it embodies something I like to call <a href=https://www.hodinkee.com/"https://www.thegreatfroglondon.com/heritage//" target=\"\"><u>The Great Frog aesthetic</u></a>: a crossover of gothic, punk and leather.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"size":"small","images":["5dae6c00-5f50-4a4d-9cb8-3bcfad901bb1"]},"type":"Block::InlineImageContainer"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>But let's set these audacious looks aside for a second, because there's a whole lot of fine watchmaking happening inside of this black carbon TPT tonneau shaped case.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>The openwork RM66 features a manual winding caliber which showcases a fast-winding barrel positioned at six o'clock and the tourbillon at 12 o'clock. The grade 5 titanium movement, whose lines follow those of the hand, is highly skeletonized. This is possible thanks to a flying tourbillon with a cage that is fixed at only one end of its axis, eliminating the upper bridge.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>The tripartite case is assembled using 20 spline screws in grade 5 titanium and is fitted with 2 Nitril O-ring seals to 50 meters of water resistance.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>Of course it's all in the material at Richard Mille: The Carbon TPT used is composed of multiple layers of parallel filaments obtained by dividing carbon fibers. These layers are then woven on a special machine and heated to 120°C. Using Carbon TPT basically means there's far less chance of you scratching, cracking or making nicks in your watch. The damascene effect (I'm still calling it animal print) differs from one watch to the next, making each watch unique.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"size":"small","images":["0227d619-9170-4d95-a0d1-35e7f4fc37bb"]},"type":"Block::InlineImageContainer"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>Back to the decorative elements of this openwork splendor. There is a small skull engraving set atop the tourbillon, which echoes the skulls we've seen in <a href=https://www.hodinkee.com/"https://www.richardmille.com/historical-models/rm-052-tourbillon-skull/" target=\"\"><u>previous RM designs.</u></a> The indices could be mistaken for joint sockets, or tiny baby teeth. Turns out they are meant to be guitar plectrums.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>The engraved hand is attached to the barrel bridge, with the index and little fingers outstretched and visible from the front, whilst the thumb holding the middle and ring fingers are visible from the back of the watch. Whether this is very much your cup of tea or your worst possible nightmare, the engraving work executed here deserves all the praise and more. As somebody who has collected and inherited charms since their early teenage years, the level of detail on this x-ray hand has me wondering if RM only hires engravers with doll-sized hands. The finishing is indeed manual, with the contours of the bones and delicate joints created by deburring and polishing.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"size":"small","images":["a50faf56-243d-4af7-921f-6be82830c001"]},"type":"Block::InlineImageContainer"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>Yes, ossuary artifacts are inherently morbid, but the point here is to turn that natural instinct on its head. Something that should be weird, scary and gross is instead associated with free spirit and rebellion which echoes the RM anti-conformist spirit perfectly.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"size":"h3","headline":"What We Think"},"type":"Block::Headline"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>Richard Mille just gave us permission to stick up our horns and embrace our inner rebel, something I enjoy doing in this sometimes very stuffy watch space.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>OK, so the watch has a million-dollar price tag, but this watch isn't for us mere mortals. It's for the<i> actual</i> aging rock stars collecting their royalties from a castle in France. I don't see the problem with enjoying Richard Mille from afar. Are we not allowed to enjoy something without owning it? This is an objet d'art!</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>Divisive as the brand's products may be, their cultural relevance is so significant that the Tonneau-shaped RMs are not just relegated to the musings of hardcore watch enthusiasts, Richard Mille is part of the mainstream cultural discourse. Yes, it helps when Pharrell and Rafael Nadal are your brand ambassadors, it also helps when the price tag can sometimes be north of a million dollars. But I love RM for pushing the boundaries and essentially reframing the definition of a luxury watch: Luxury is no longer just about owning a giant gold or platinum brick timepiece.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"size":"small","images":["0b2787bf-2a38-4564-ba71-33da932b1361"]},"type":"Block::InlineImageContainer"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>The RM66 is an accessory with a whole lot of personality, done in the most Richard Mille way. The high grade materials, the progressive mechanical function, the top-notch decorative elements. The various themes and motifs used by the brand can often be tongue-in-cheek but they are always done to material and mechanical perfection. This type of watch world rebellion is what keeps me interested in the brand. Serious haute horlogerie but always fun, always with a f**k you approach.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>Wearing a Richard Mille is like the rich man's equivalent of dying your hair blue. It's punk with a price tag. Is this going in my personal Richard Mille hall of fame? Probably not. I'm an RM88 Smiley, RM07-03 Bon Bon kinda gal. This watch would have even scared the 14-year-old version of me who listened to slipknot and wore safety pins in her jeans.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>Does this look like an archeological excavation gone wrong, does this watch belong to James Goldstein? Richard Mille doesn't care. They are sticking it to the purists.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"size":"small","images":["a4953efa-e2b2-40fb-85ce-c4c14c78d438"]},"type":"Block::InlineImageContainer"},{"data":{"size":"h2","headline":"The Basics"},"type":"Block::Headline"},{"data":{"copy":"<p><strong>Brand:</strong> Richard Mille <br><strong>Model:</strong> RM 66 Flying Tourbillon</p>\n\n<p><strong>Diameter:</strong> 42.70 x 49.94 x 16.15 mm<br><strong>Thickness:</strong> 16.15mm<br><strong>Case Material:</strong> Carbon TPT® and grade 5 titanium<br><strong>Indexes:</strong> Applied <br><strong>Water Resistance:</strong> 50mm <br><strong>Strap/Bracelet: </strong>Rubber</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"size":"small","images":["c9ea6689-8ca5-4281-89f8-38b56191e6a2"]},"type":"Block::InlineImageContainer"},{"data":{"size":"h2","headline":"The Movement"},"type":"Block::Headline"},{"data":{"copy":"<p><strong>Caliber:</strong> RM66<br><strong>Functions:</strong> Hours and minutes<br><strong>Diameter:</strong> 32.50 x 30.30 mm<br><strong>Thickness:</strong> 5.68 mm<br><strong>Power Reserve:</strong> Around 72 hours (± 10%)<br><strong>Winding:</strong> Manual <br><strong>Frequency:</strong> 21,600 vph (3 Hz)<br><strong>Jewels:</strong> 17<br><strong>Additional Details: </strong>Flying tourbillon with variable-inertia balance</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"size":"h2","headline":"Pricing & Availability"},"type":"Block::Headline"},{"data":{"copy":"<p><strong>Price:</strong> $1,095,000.<br><strong>Limited Edition: </strong>50 pieces</p>\n\n<p>For more, <a href=https://www.hodinkee.com/"https://www.richardmille.com/collections/rm-66-flying-tourbillon/" target=\"_blank\">click here</a>.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"disclosure":"<p>ADD DISCLOSURE INFORMATION HERE</p>","product_ids":""},"type":"Block::DisclosureBox"}],"migrated_content":true,"meta_title":"","meta_description":"","meta_social_media_headline":"","meta_social_media_description":"","meta_social_media_image":"","artist_name":null,"artist_type":"","internal_notes":"","column":{"id":16,"slug":"product_launch","name":"Introducing","description":"HODINKEE Introducing articles are designed to be fact-filled, detail-rich introductions to newly released timepieces. 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A Bauhaus-Inspired Bunny Watch","status":"published","working_copy_of_id":null,"published_at":"2023-01-15T11:00:00.000-05:00","created_at":"2023-01-13T13:40:29.747-05:00","updated_at":"2023-03-02T13:28:22.081-05:00","scheduled_for":null,"review_status":null,"package_id":null,"lede":"<p>The cartoon watch that changed my mind about cartoon watches.</p>","hero_media_type":"image","hero_video_id":null,"hero_video_type":"vimeo","hero_homepage_image":null,"gallery_view":false,"legacy_url":null,"multiple_authors":false,"pinned_related_article_id":null,"hero_image_url":null,"hero_homepage_image_url":null,"view_count":51424,"public_token":null,"notification_sent":true,"keyword_targeting":null,"apple_news_id":null,"display_template":"standard","exclude_from_related":false,"comments_state":"comments_enabled","article_type":"default_article","shopify_id":null,"featured_comment_id":null,"noindex":false,"sponsored_by":null,"advertising_enabled":true,"redirect_url":"","automatic_related_articles":true,"show_promotional_frame":true,"show_related_articles":true,"show_editors_picks":true,"sponsor_image_url":"","display_theme":"light","custom_props":{},"content_chunks":[{"data":{"copy":"<p>As a rule, I don't like cartoon watches. I'm not trying to be contrarian, I just don't ever see myself reaching for a <a href=https://www.hodinkee.com/"https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/omega-speedmaster-that-has-everyone-over-the-moon-hands-on/" target=\"\">Snoopy Speedy</a> or a <a href=https://www.hodinkee.com/"https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/the-gerald-genta-mickey-mouse-watch-returns-and-now-he-plays-soccer-okay-football/" target=\"\">Mickey Mouse Arena Bi-Retro</a> to pair with my outfit in the morning. I put on my oversized jeans, reach for a vintage T-shirt, and throw on a pair of boots. I don't then say to myself \"I know what would really work here. A Popeye Franck Muller watch.\" If I want to ruin my day, I'll do it later.</p>","dropcap":true},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>Last April I met Laurens de Rijke, a native Hollander and founder of the watch company De Rijke & Co, and he almost, sort of made me a believer.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>He was kind and soft-spoken and a true relief to meet after almost a week of trade show mayhem (I had a permanent loop of minute repeater chimes going off in my head). We exchanged our \"how I got into watches\" stories, he told me about a trip he took along the ancient Silk Road on a 50-year-old Vespa and how during this trip he bought his first mechanical watch at a flea market in Georgia. The watch would come to be the inspiration for his very own company.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>We engaged in small talk with some industry peers, drank red wine, and complained about how tired we were, all the while De Rijke was clutching a little wooden box which he seemed to be reluctant to let go of.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>I guessed that there had to be a watch inside of the thing. Why else would he bring a small square box to a watch event? After some persuading, he finally let me open it. Inside the intricate packaging was a Miffy Moonphase watch.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>It was perfect.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"size":"small","images":["73e7733e-0ded-4546-af3a-1d057ba4557d"]},"type":"Block::InlineImageContainer"},{"data":{"alignment":"interscrollerV2"},"type":"Block::Advertisement"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>A round, rotating driving watch with a blue dial and a tiny cartoon Miffy moonphase. What are the odds that something like this would actually work for anybody – much less for me, the cartoon curmudgeon?</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>For those who don't know, Miffy is a cartoon rabbit created by the late Dutch artist Dick Bruna in 1955. Miffy's simple lines and bold colors became recognizable around the world (so much so that Bruna claimed Hello Kitty was a copy of Miffy).</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"size":"small","images":["a4796a89-8919-46ed-aa97-34695ac97e69"]},"type":"Block::InlineImageContainer"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>Back to the actual watch, which I tried on and kept on for the rest of the evening.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>The fact I liked the watch not only made me uncomfortable, it also incited a brief moment of existential panic. Did I not understand my own taste? Was all I needed to permanently alter it two glasses of wine and a conversation with a stranger?</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>It's not that I don't understand the appeal of cartoon watches. I too can enjoy a bit of whimsy in the all-too-serious watch space, <a href=https://www.hodinkee.com/"https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/would-you-like-some-gems-with-your-gems-bulgari-overdoes-it-but-exactly-right/" target=\"\">particularly if it has a lot of gems in it.</a> And the current wave of cartoon watch collaborations don't exist in a vacuum, either. There is a high-fashion preoccupation with cartoon adornment. Gucci x Donald Duck, Lanvin x Batman, Givenchy x 101 Dalmatians. The list goes on. Cartoon watches are merely a tiny slice of a much bigger pie.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>There is just something about a <a href=https://www.hodinkee.com/"https://www.unimaticwatches.com/u1-ss2//" target=\"\">Spongebob Squarepants Unimatic</a> watch or an<a href=https://www.hodinkee.com/"https://sufhelsinki.com/products/sarpanevaxmoomin75/" target=\"\">S.U.F. Sarpaneva x Moomin watch</a> that immediately irks me. I feel the same way about cowl-neck sweaters. It's an instinct. I can't help it.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>But Miffy was different. Miffy was designed by Bruna, who, fun fact, was born in 1927, a Chinese zodiac year of the rabbit – and yes, 2023 is also the year the rabbit.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>Bruna was influenced by both Bauhaus and the Dutch De Stijl movement. He cited Piet Mondrian and Henri Matisse as inspirations. Which to me meant that Miffy was sophisticated, a bunny born out of a highbrow modernist aesthetic. In addition to finding it cute, I could also have pseudo-intellectual feelings about this being a modernist relic.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"size":"small","images":["ee86efbc-0f60-4f95-82fc-1c2cceae8302"]},"type":"Block::InlineImageContainer"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>Miffy today is ubiquitous: I walked past her in an East Village toy store the night before I wrote this. <a href=https://www.hodinkee.com/"https://usa.tommy.com/en/tommy-x-miffy?&cid=cpc_ggl_us_bau_tommy-dsa_dsa-catch-all_catch-all_113596784316_643836592224&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIu7KQ4tLC_AIV-cqUCR2xjgWgEAAYASAAEgI8ovD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds\%22 target=\"\">Tommy Hilfiger</a> just did a Miffy Collaboration, British accessory brand <a href=https://www.hodinkee.com/"https://www.mulberry.com/us/shop/miffy/" target=\"\">Mulberry</a> recently released a Miffy capsule, and streetwear brand<a href=https://www.hodinkee.com/"https://poptradingcompany.com/uncategorized/popmiffy//" target=\"\">Pop Trading Co.</a>designed a Miffy collab back in 2019. There are Miffy lamps sold in the MoMA design store, cosmetics, and stationery. There is even a <a href=https://www.hodinkee.com/"https://us.baccarat.com/en/decoration/small-animals-and-deco/miffy-2815127.html/" target=\"\">Baccarat</a> crystal Miffy.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>But it turned out De Rijke & Co's limited edition Miffy was at the end of its run. I exchanged info with De Rijke, safe in the knowledge that the watches were sold out so I wouldn't have to write a review and publicly admit that I liked them.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>Almost a whole year went by before De Rijke popped up in my inbox. He had made three new Miffys, and once again they were all perfect. In fact, they were even more perfect than before thanks to a few technical upgrades and a color revamp.</p>","dropcap":true},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"size":"small","images":["66042e0c-8352-4c30-a47f-29b5d0ae5bb0"]},"type":"Block::InlineImageContainer"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>De Rijke stuck with most of the same specs of his original Miffy watch. Each watch still features a 90-degree rotatable 38mm diameter case. But this time there are three different dial colors: orange, white, and yellow, all in the correct Dick Bruna shades.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>I have tried each color on for equal amounts of time and have reached a final wearability verdict: I would pair any of these with one of my hastily put-together but somehow always carefully considered weekday outfits. The small-ish size (the watch is 11mm thick), the smooth, round, and fuss-free simple silhouette, the bright pop colors – all of these things would make Miffy a happy addition to my accessory roster.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"size":"small","images":["527ecd31-b8cd-4332-98f2-f9c3fb73d2d4"]},"type":"Block::InlineImageContainer"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>The black and dark blue pebbled leather straps are pretty neutral and work just fine in my opinion, but De Rijke explained to me that he'd added slightly more curve to the spring bar lugs which now makes changing the straps a little easier. So Miffy can be easily upgraded to a patent crocodile strap or downplayed on a NATO.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"size":"small","images":["a3afb2ab-d23f-43d6-88b6-02895831a42b"]},"type":"Block::InlineImageContainer"},{"data":{"size":"small","images":["d45e809c-9759-460f-9175-13e1c6bf4136","a56ebcc4-eb9f-43fd-9608-f2f64197ec40"],"enforce_aspect_ratio":true},"type":"Block::TwoUpImageContainer"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>The moonphase remains identical to De Rijke's first series. Little Miffy, who is laser etched out of brass, polished and black rhodium plated, disappears and reappears in line with the lunar cycle. Miffy, the moon, and all of the tiny stars on the blue moonphase are hand filled with Superluminova, as are the indices. A teeny tiny bunny chasing the stars – now you see her, now you don't. Very quaint, and I approve because technically this means you only see Miffy on the watch for a limited number of days in the month.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"size":"right","images":["2f6453fb-c373-48f0-a3e1-92b6495e08cb"]},"type":"Block::InlineImageContainer"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>The caseback features a laser-etched engraving of Miffy holding a balloon. The watch houses a converted Sellita SW288-1 movement, which has approximately 38 hours of power reserve, helpful for the inevitable occasions when you want to set this aside and wear a watch that doesn't prominently feature a cartoon rabbit.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"size":"small","images":["1fca4b28-4cd7-4ed4-8831-4f9163cee47e"]},"type":"Block::InlineImageContainer"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>The most unique aspect of the Miffy Moonphase is the fact it's a driving watch. It all goes back to De Rijke's drive along the Silk Road, where he realized that a standard mechanical watch with a fixed crown at three o'clock provided limitations when zipping through the long mountainous roads of central Asia.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>The watch has a screw-down crown at 1:30 and the case actually rotates within a 90-degree arc. So unlike the Cartier Tank Asymetrique or the Vacheron Constantin Historiques American 1921, where the dial is fixed at an angle of 45 degrees, you can choose your own angle. De Rijke explains that he did this in order to keep things flexible for the wearer. Set the watch at a 40-degree angle when on a motorcycle, at 45 degrees when driving a car, and back to zero when doing anything else.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>Miffy is the star of the show, but her presence on the watch is subtle, she's a complication with a pop aesthetic. The simple roundness of the watch, the monochrome wash of solid color, and the smooth rotation of the case are equally as appealing to me as the endearing little bunny floating among the stars.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"size":"small","images":["3bdb9045-a29d-421a-acfd-dd0517503b1c"]},"type":"Block::InlineImageContainer"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>What's even cooler about this Bauhaus-inspired bunny watch is that many of the components are made in-house (in Dordrecht, The Netherlands) and aside from the crown tube and glass, which are made by Yuki Precision in Japan, the rest of the parts are made in close collaboration with Dutch suppliers. The baseplate and the caseback are actually from Utrecht, Miffy's birthplace!</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>De Rijke explained to me that in the Netherlands \"we are pretty much born and raised with Miffy. Every Dutch child has a Miffy book and it's been this way for many generations, which makes Miffy sort of immortal.\" And now my love for Miffy is immortal, which means it must live alongside my equally immortal snobbery. I hope sweet Miffy knows how to share.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"size":"small","images":["ef5a7560-7151-4bf4-884b-b5687ed45b43"]},"type":"Block::InlineImageContainer"},{"data":{"copy":"<p><i>The De Rijke & Co 38mm orange/yellow/white Miffy Moonphase, Stainless steel case 38mm x 11 mm with blue or black leather strap. Anti-reflective sapphire crystal. Sellita SW288 with 38 hours of power reserve. 50m water resistance. Priced at </i>€<i>2,888 (converts to $3,128 at time of publishing) and available </i><a href=https://www.hodinkee.com/"https://derijkeandco.com/collection/" target=\"_blank\"><i>online</i></a><i> from January 19th. Worldwide shipping included. </i></p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"disclosure":"<p>For more information about the Miffy Moonphase, <a href=https://www.hodinkee.com/"https://derijkeandco.com/collection/" target=\"_blank\">click here.</a> </p>","product_ids":""},"type":"Block::DisclosureBox"}],"migrated_content":true,"meta_title":"Review Of The Miffy Moonphase Watch By Rijke & Co.","meta_description":"","meta_social_media_headline":"","meta_social_media_description":"","meta_social_media_image":"","artist_name":"Tiffany Wade","artist_type":"photographer","internal_notes":"","column":{"id":8,"slug":"hands_on","name":"Hands-On","description":"A longer-form review of a watch we've actually held and spent time with. 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There's a BR 03 time-only model with date, a BR 03 diving watch, and a BR 03 chronograph.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"size":"small","images":["d467ffbe-8d14-4f23-98ce-15569dbfed1f"]},"type":"Block::InlineImageContainer"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>All three watches are made of black ceramic and fitted with black rubber straps: the Bell & Ross canvas onto which the trademark Silberstein primary colors and shapes are applied. The BR 03-92 KLUB 22 is time only, but does feature a blink-and-you'll-miss-it date display at 4:30. It has a very large red circle to mark the hours, an oversized blue arrow to indicate the minutes, and a squiggly S-shaped yellow seconds hand. The watch houses an automatic movement Caliber BR.CAL-302.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"size":"small","images":["2fd56b07-5b34-4d07-bae5-63d70963eefc"]},"type":"Block::InlineImageContainer"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>The BR 03-92 Marine 22, a dive watch, features Silberstein's \"Maxi\" hands, a blue circular hand with a large luminous plot for the hours, and a red triangle inlaid with luminous material for the minute hand that provides a reading for elapsed dive time. There's a two-tone ceramic bezel with the last 20 minutes of the insert colored red and featuring a full set of 20-minute markers with luminous indexes. The diver model is depth rated to 300 meters, features a screw-down crown, and is powered by the same automatic movement with date function as the time-only model, caliber BR.CAL-302.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"size":"small","images":["52b7cb8b-fb56-43fd-8e2a-615837770618"]},"type":"Block::InlineImageContainer"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>The Chronograph, the BR 03-94 Krono 22 is fully loaded with no less than five different Silberstein hands. The same red circle for the hours and blue arrow for the minutes as the time-only, but now the yellow S-shaped hand serves as the chronograph seconds indicator. In addition, a blue triangle serves as the indicator for the chronograph 30-minute counter, with a yellow arrow for the continuous seconds indicator. The chronograph pushers are inlaid with a yellow lacquered rectangle for the start/stop function and a blue rectangle for the reset function. The crown features Silberstein's signature red triangle. The watch features an automatic chronograph movement with date, the caliber BR.CAL- 301.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"size":"small","images":["b6d31141-6736-45b7-a041-01f2c66ffe25"]},"type":"Block::InlineImageContainer"},{"data":{"size":"h3","headline":"What We Think"},"type":"Block::Headline"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>The BR 03 is at its core a utilitarian tool. It's inspired by aviation cockpit instruments. I'm not normally one for circles inside of squares when removed from the dashboard (I make exceptions for the Braun alarm clock and Marc Newson Solaris), but the design of this watch is a strong canvas that leaves room for Silberstein magic without losing its own identity. That's the mark of a successful collaboration.</p>","dropcap":true},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>I'll admit that it is a lot to look at. Even for me, and I am a devout maximalist. Yes, I was drawn in by the mad shapes and the layers of color and the fact it looks like a zany scientist made in his Bauhaus color lab, but I stayed with the watch because there is still a strong sense of balance. Every hand, every marker is intentional. The larger hands actually do make these watches weirdly more functional than you would imagine. </p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"size":"small","images":["66f61e81-f5d5-40dd-ab04-a6bcb95033f7","7ff67374-4671-46ee-ab39-feda2102b8bf"],"enforce_aspect_ratio":true},"type":"Block::TwoUpImageContainer"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>I have a soft spot for wacky avant-garde design in the watch space, I belive it serves as much-needed lighthearted relief in a sea of seriousness and reference numbers, so I was already pretty familiar with Silberstein. Every time I look at any of his namesake pieces in old auction catalogs it conjures up images of the living room in the '80s movie <a href=https://www.hodinkee.com/"https://images.app.goo.gl/PtKSRGERdoZUjpTX9/" target=\"_blank\"><i>Ruthless People</i></a> (A Danny DeVito classic that you must watch if you are into horrendous/borderline amazing '80s interiors).</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>Despite his now-on-trend '80s Memphis bonafides, no doubt Silberstein's primary design tenets are classic Bauhaus. You'd have to be reading this with your eyes closed to miss that. But the serious industrial design mixed with his trademark dose of humor is the clever part here. And hey, isn't that what modernism is all about, form following function?</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>Is this really the watch you are buying to measure a lap or time a dive? Probably not. But it's fun and I'll take a healthy dose of fun in the middle of an otherwise very grey January.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"size":"h2","headline":"The Basics"},"type":"Block::Headline"},{"data":{"size":"small","images":["70eb7572-20fa-49f2-9611-2bb936971d3a"]},"type":"Block::InlineImageContainer"},{"data":{"copy":"<p><strong>Brand:</strong> Bell & Ross x Alain Silberstein <br><strong>Model:</strong> BR 03-92 \"KLUB 22\", BR 03-92 \"MARINE\", BR 03-94 \"KRONO 22\"<br><strong>Reference Number: </strong>BR0392-AS-CE/SRB, BR0392-D-AS-CE/SRB, BR0394-AS-CE/SRB</p>\n\n<p><strong>Diameter:</strong> 42mm x 42mm <br><strong>Case Material:</strong> Ceramic <br><strong>Dial Color:</strong> Black <br><strong>Indexes:</strong> Applied <br><strong>Lume:</strong> Yes <br><strong>Water Resistance:</strong> \"KLUB 22\" 100m, \"MARINE 22\" 300m, \"KRONO 22\" 100m.<br><strong>Strap/Bracelet: </strong>Black Rubber with additional black fabric.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"size":"h2","headline":"The Movement"},"type":"Block::Headline"},{"data":{"copy":"<p><strong>Caliber:</strong> BR.CAL-302. and BR.CAL- 301<br><strong>Functions:</strong> BR.CAL-302. Hours, minutes, seconds and date and BR.CAL- 301 Hours, minutes, small seconds, chronograph and date.<br><strong>Diameter:</strong> BR.CAL-302. 25.6mm and BR.CAL- 301 28mm<br><strong>Power Reserve:</strong> 42 hours <br><strong>Winding:</strong> Automatic <br><strong>Frequency:</strong> 28800<br><strong>Jewels:</strong> 25 + 37</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"size":"small","images":["4226f4ee-b5e1-4b0c-b435-6cc07d5603f6"]},"type":"Block::InlineImageContainer"},{"data":{"size":"h2","headline":"Pricing & Availability"},"type":"Block::Headline"},{"data":{"copy":"<p><strong>Price:</strong> \"KLUB 22\" $4,400, \"MARINE 22\" $5,600, \"KRONO 22\" $6,700.<br><strong>Availability:</strong> <br><strong>Limited Edition:\"KLUB 22\"</strong> numbered and limited edition of 200 pieces; watches 1 to 50 will be sold in a special box set comprising all three watches of the trilogy. <strong>\"MARINE 22\" </strong>and <strong>\"KRONO\"</strong> numbered and limited edition of 100 pieces for both; watches 1 to 50 will be sold in a special box set comprising all three watches of the trilogy.</p>\n\n<p>For more, <a href=https://www.hodinkee.com/"https://grailwatch.com/collections/grail-watch/" target=\"_blank\">click here.</a></p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"disclosure":"<p>Hodinkee is an authorized dealer of <a href=https://www.hodinkee.com/"https://shop.hodinkee.com/collections/bell-ross/products/bell-and-ross-brv192-black-steel/" target=\"\">Bell & Ross</a><a href=https://www.hodinkee.com/"https://shop.hodinkee.com/collections/bell-ross/products/bell-and-ross-brv192-black-steel/" target=\"\">.</a> For more information, visit <a href=https://www.hodinkee.com/"https://www.bellross.com/us/en-gb/store?gclid=Cj0KCQjw48OaBhDWARIsAMd966D3v0BVTbqPK6ISQs_DkjyBK3ETHVrEYPaSYTYLOyGrSk56v8SZEDoaArFoEALw_wcB\%22 target=\"\">the brand's website</a>.</p>","product_ids":""},"type":"Block::DisclosureBox"}],"migrated_content":true,"meta_title":"The Bell & Ross x Alain Silberstein Grail Watch Collaboration ","meta_description":"","meta_social_media_headline":"","meta_social_media_description":"","meta_social_media_image":"","artist_name":null,"artist_type":"","internal_notes":"","column":{"id":16,"slug":"product_launch","name":"Introducing","description":"HODINKEE Introducing articles are designed to be fact-filled, detail-rich introductions to newly released timepieces. 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Today the brand is launching three new models, all with a host of functions to lure in the wifi watch inclined and to convert those who sit on the tech fence.</p>","dropcap":true},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>While no huge leaps have been made on the software side of things just yet (bar one cool feature on the Sports Edition, which I will explain later) – we are still in the Caliber E4 zone which is the fourth generation of Connected since TAG Heuer's initial foray into smartwatch territory back in 2015 – a few major tweaks in sizing have opened up the offering to a wider audience. A little change in case diameter goes a long way, with the scaling down from 45mm to 42mm for both the black titanium Caliber E4 and Golf Edition giving this new lineup a more universal appeal.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>Let's start with the golf watch because according to the productivity gods, you're supposed to begin with tasks that you find the most challenging, and as I know nothing about golf this is where I'm starting. One thing I do know is that smartwatches are big on the golf scene and the TAG Heuer Connected Caliber E4 42 mm Golf Edition has some serious golfer clout (I found all this out from my golfing community forum trawling).</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"size":"small","images":["10c16d95-4aa1-49b7-93bf-d8ee27640c1a"]},"type":"Block::InlineImageContainer"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>Even I know that the shrunken size, along with the light weight of titanium, means a more balanced swing. It's apparently the lightest Connected watch ever produced to date. Improved technology means that shots are tracked automatically from the tee to the green, and tracked shots are allocated to a club, so the wearer's club statistics and distances evolve over time to make sure the club recommendation learns from their performance. It's like a tiny little caddie that sits almost weight free on your wrist. This sounds like total golf magic if you are playing for pleasure and cheating if you are playing competitively. The new edition of the best-in-class TAG Heuer Golf app will be available from the watch's launch.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"size":"small","images":["08e7894f-aafe-4557-8ee4-0d3f858bdcb3"]},"type":"Block::InlineImageContainer"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>On to the Sports Edition, which feels extreme at 45mm but includes some new sporty updates to the core Caliber E4 that make the hefty dimensions of this edition (sort of) justifiable. The barometer function has been fine-tuned so you can now track gradients whilst running the new \"Trail & Hiking\" application, which comes out with the new software update planned for mid-February. There's also a new strap which features a breathable rubber mesh for all you high-performing sweaty athletes out there, as well as a rubber insert on the crown making it easier to grip. The black sandblasted titanium case, with black ceramic bezel, once again keeps things super light. At 45 mm the touchscreen OLED display measures a healthy 1.39\" with a resolution of 454 × 454 pixels. All in all, pretty decent specs for outdoor extremists. </p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"size":"small","images":["ef8f6acb-ba83-45a3-a78f-0d3fe9ff0974"]},"type":"Block::InlineImageContainer"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>We'll be finishing out with the cleaner and much leaner black titanium TAG Heuer Connected Calibre E4 42mm (previously only available in 45mm). Like the Golf Edition, there's no bezel insert on this model, just a full 1.28\" of OLED screen which should make for a pretty sharp display (416 × 416 pixels to be exact) : Perfect for uploading your NFTs and pictures onto the image viewer dial<strong>. </strong></p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"size":"small","images":["aec1d251-1703-4bdb-9006-664f8ceca7bd"]},"type":"Block::InlineImageContainer"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>Each watch runs on Wear OS by Google, and will be compatible with the upcoming Wear OS 3 software update. Functions include heart rate monitor, compass, accelerometer, barometer, microphone, WiFi, Bluetooth, GPS, and NFC. Battery life lasts a full day if charged to 100% which should take a grand total of 1h30 mins from 0. </p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"size":"h3","headline":"What We Think"},"type":"Block::Headline"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>It wasn't all that long ago that the Apple Watch threatened the demise of the mechanical watch. Seems almost laughable to us now as we watch the expanding network of mechanical watch lovers grow by the second. But still, the smartwatch is a tough category for this crowd to digest.</p>","dropcap":true},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>The key takeaway from a quick evaluation of the new Connected watches and <a href=https://www.hodinkee.com/"https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/the-matrix-smartwatch-gift-guide-2021/" target=\"_blank\">an even deeper dive into other</a> smartwatches, is that it's just impossible to compare this kind of technology to an inherently anachronistic accessory that we have projected so much superiority onto (guilty!). I appreciate TAG Heuer's little nods to real watchmaking: the different generations of \"Caliber\", the chronograph-like shape with crown and pushers as well as the higher quality material finishes such as the sandblasted titanium. </p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"size":"small","images":["af1c09ff-354c-494b-8191-23f0a9881862"]},"type":"Block::InlineImageContainer"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>But let's just call a spade a spade and celebrate the smartwatch for its technological utility. We can safely dispel any attempt at placing this on the traditional horological landscape. It's not a souped-up watch with an unending list of compilations; it's a battery-powered tool, a piece of technology that measures health, fitness, and a whole bunch of other stuff that I have yet to figure out because running in the park is my most athletic pursuit these days. </p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>We haven't quite reached <i>Blade Runner 2049</i> status when it comes to everyday gadgets, but perhaps it's helpful and maybe even wise to keep an open mind to wearable tech. If you're even the smallest amount of curious, I say slap this on one wrist, your mechanical watch on the other, and see how it works for you. Just think of it as having a little mechanical butler / personal trainer on your wrist. <i>Ask Jeeves</i> the 2023 edition.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"size":"small","images":["8e696fb8-ea86-474a-aa64-98d77b5a1527"]},"type":"Block::InlineImageContainer"},{"data":{"size":"h2","headline":"The Basics"},"type":"Block::Headline"},{"data":{"size":"small","images":["99f7b83d-40df-4215-b426-d8f84f898cc5"]},"type":"Block::InlineImageContainer"},{"data":{"copy":"<p><strong>Brand:</strong> TAG Heuer <br><strong>Model: </strong>TAG Heuer Connected Calibre E4 Sport Edition 45mm, TAG Heuer Connected Calibre E4 42mm Black Titanium, TAG Heuer Connected Calibre E4 42mm Golf Edition,<br><strong>Reference Number:</strong>SBR8A80.EB0259, SBR8081.BT6299, SBR8080.EB0284. </p>\n\n<p><strong>Diameter:</strong> Sport Edition 45mm, Black Titanium 42mm, Golf Edition 42mm. <br><strong>Thickness:</strong> - 14.11 mm, 13mm, 13m.<br><strong>Case Material:</strong> Sandblasted black DLC Grade 2 titanium<br><strong>Water Resistance:</strong> 50 meters<br><strong>Strap/Bracelet: </strong>Black rubber strap with red rubber mesh w/ Black DLC Grade 2 pin buckle; Black rubber strap w/ black DLC Grade 2 titanium folding clasp with double safety push buttons; White rubber strap + additional full black leather strap with green stitching and green lining w/ black DLC Grade 2 titanium folding clasp with double safety push buttons.</p>\n\n<p><br></p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"size":"h2","headline":"Pricing & Availability"},"type":"Block::Headline"},{"data":{"copy":"<p><strong>Price: </strong>Sport Edition<strong> $</strong>2,600, Black Titanium 42mm $2,250, Golf Edition $2,400.<br><strong>Availability:</strong> Sports Edition available from end of January 2023, Caliber E4 42mm black Titanium available from mid-February 2023, Golf Edition available from Spring 2023.<br><strong>Limited Edition: </strong>No</p>\n\n<p>For more, <a href=https://www.hodinkee.com/"https://www.tagheuer.com/us/en/smartwatches/collections/tag-heuer-connected//" target=\"_blank\">click here.</a></p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"waitlist_id":"eb2668c4-e71a-4051-870a-fba35dda6a7e"},"type":"Block::Waitlist"},{"data":{"disclosure":"<p>The HODINKEE Shop is an authorized retailer of <a href=https://www.hodinkee.com/"https://shop.hodinkee.com/collections/tag-heuer/" target=\"\">TAG Heuer</a>. </p>\n\n<p>TAG Heuer is part of LVMH. Although LVMH Luxury Ventures is a minority investor in HODINKEE, we maintain complete editorial independence.</p>","product_ids":""},"type":"Block::DisclosureBox"},{"data":{"cta":"more from lvmh watch week","url":"/articles/would-you-like-some-gems-with-your-gems-bulgari-overdoes-it-but-exactly-right","icon":"#icon-white-note","image":"https://hodinkee.imgix.net/uploads/images/c0fa81cf-fac5-445d-9c1d-f1b2ffa0c0c7/bulgari-round-up-hero.jpg?ixlib=rails-1.1.0&fm=jpg&q=55&auto=format&usm=12","title":"Would You Like Some Gems With Your Gems? Bulgari Overdoes It, But Exactly Right.","headline":"Article","icon_alt":"Article","image_alt":"Would You Like Some Gems With Your Gems? Bulgari Overdoes It, But Exactly Right.","article_type":"default"},"type":"Block::Recommendation"}],"migrated_content":true,"meta_title":"New TAG Heur Connected Watch ","meta_description":"","meta_social_media_headline":"","meta_social_media_description":"","meta_social_media_image":"","artist_name":null,"artist_type":"","internal_notes":"","column":{"id":16,"slug":"product_launch","name":"Introducing","description":"HODINKEE Introducing articles are designed to be fact-filled, detail-rich introductions to newly released timepieces. Each article provides essential details including technical specs, pricing, and availability, and also provides a quick first impression of the new timepiece, and the larger context it occupies in the modern watch landscape.","sort_order":7,"created_at":"2016-07-13T12:24:44.152-04:00","updated_at":"2023-05-04T16:59:23.481-04:00","status":"visible"},"hero_image":{"id":"0097df84-7fb7-4b3b-8216-d2620f9bd9ca","container_id":11782,"container_type":"Article","url":"https://hodinkee-production.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/images/40ffbf92-d69d-4667-a308-ba8f31b7ef3d/tag-heuer-connected-hero.jpg","width":2880,"height":1620,"format":"jpg","render_args":null,"caption":null,"alt_text":"TAG Heuer Connected Watch Caliber E4 Black Titanium 42mm ","created_at":"2023-01-05T19:37:12.291-05:00","updated_at":"2023-01-09T13:41:32.259-05:00","sort_order":0,"product_ids":null,"imgix_url":"https://hodinkee.imgix.net/uploads/images/40ffbf92-d69d-4667-a308-ba8f31b7ef3d/tag-heuer-connected-hero.jpg?ixlib=rails-1.1.0"},"share_url":"https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/tag-heuers-trio-of-new-connected-watches-have-something-for-everyone","full_title":"Introducing: TAG Heuer's Trio Of New Connected Watches Have Something For Everyone ","tags":["tag-heuer","connected","new-watches-2023","lvmh-watch-week-2023"]},{"id":11787,"slug":"would-you-like-some-gems-with-your-gems-bulgari-overdoes-it-but-exactly-right","column_slug":"product_launch","title":"Would You Like Some Gems With Your Gems? Bulgari Overdoes It, But Exactly Right.","status":"published","working_copy_of_id":null,"published_at":"2023-01-10T21:00:06.999-05:00","created_at":"2023-01-06T19:43:16.266-05:00","updated_at":"2023-01-10T21:01:20.651-05:00","scheduled_for":null,"review_status":null,"package_id":null,"lede":"<p>It's raining diamonds and sapphires and rubies and peridots and tanzanites and citrines...</p>","hero_media_type":"image","hero_video_id":null,"hero_video_type":"vimeo","hero_homepage_image":null,"gallery_view":false,"legacy_url":null,"multiple_authors":false,"pinned_related_article_id":null,"hero_image_url":null,"hero_homepage_image_url":null,"view_count":8094,"public_token":"3092fd8bf2923da9ee689f91be1cb63f","notification_sent":true,"keyword_targeting":null,"apple_news_id":null,"display_template":"standard","exclude_from_related":false,"comments_state":"comments_enabled","article_type":"default_article","shopify_id":null,"featured_comment_id":null,"noindex":false,"sponsored_by":null,"advertising_enabled":true,"redirect_url":"","automatic_related_articles":true,"show_promotional_frame":true,"show_related_articles":true,"show_editors_picks":true,"sponsor_image_url":"","display_theme":"light","custom_props":{},"content_chunks":[{"data":{"alignment":"square_breaker"},"type":"Block::Advertisement"},{"data":{"size":"h3","headline":"What We Know"},"type":"Block::Headline"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>Bulgari made a lot of splashy horological moves in 2022: <a href=https://www.hodinkee.com/"https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/bulgaris-new-octo-finissimo-ultra-is-worlds-thinnest-watch-sets-new-record/" target=\"_blank\">The Octo Finissimo Ultra</a> (the world's thinnest watch at the time of release), high jewelry Serpentis covered in enamel and gemstones to emulate life-like reptilian skins for the 75th anniversary of the collection, and a <a href=https://www.hodinkee.com/"https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/the-gerald-genta-mickey-mouse-watch-returns-and-now-he-plays-soccer-okay-football/" target=\"_blank\">Gérald Genta Mickey Mouse Football </a>watch! To name but a few.</p>","dropcap":true},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>I am an Octo Finissimo disciple; the recently released yellow gold U.S.-only edition seized me with joy, for numerous reasons. I recognize Bulgari for its true mechanical watch prowess, which somehow seems to be developing at breakneck speed. But there's nothing like a smattering of vibrantly colored cabochon gemstones and a new line of Serpentis to stop me in my tracks, devour my full attention, and get me to lose sight of anything and everything on my to-do list.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>Pardon my sheer jubilation, but one must revel in the things one loves. </p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>Today we see the release of multiple little bejeweled Bulgari babies as part of the \"Time is a Jewel\" collection. Side note: I can't help but laugh at the names of these jewelry and watch collections, they are both truly terrible and truly genius all at once. Which leads me to the first watch on my list which just so happens to fall under the Diva's Dream (!) collection.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>The Diva's Dream jewelry (and watch) collection was launched back in 2016 and has enjoyed a high degree of success on the <a href=https://www.hodinkee.com/"https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E6aN_DaUcAEVWvH?format=jpg&name=large\%22 target=\"\">red carpet</a>. The fanned petal-shaped motif, which is often constructed into a floral-like shape when in watch form, is a little twee for my personal taste. Fortunately, the new \"Mosaica '' models incorporate the fan-shaped pattern in a more discreet, almost scale-like way. The design is supposed to recall the mosaics that adorn the Baths of Caracalla in the brand's native city of Rome. This particular model is all white gold and is sized at 37mm. The case and bezel are set with brilliant-cut diamonds and the fan-shaped snow-set dial also includes blue sapphires. The in-house Caliber BVL 191 can be seen through an open sapphire crystal case back.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"size":"small","images":["033a58b4-ed22-4493-a233-3291d59dfc8a"]},"type":"Block::InlineImageContainer"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>On to the Allegra model in yellow gold, which reminds me of Cartier Tutti Frutti but done in a very Bulgari, <i>Dolce Vita</i> kind of way: the bold citrusy colors, the use of yellow gold, the freedom of design and execution of gem-setting, plus the use of the high-value Cabochon-cut stones that Bulgari made popular before anybody else back in the 1950s. </p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>This example of the Allegra is made in yellow gold with a case diameter of 36mm. It's set with 32 round brilliant cut diamonds, 32 yellow sapphires, three cabochon cut pink tourmalines, two cabochon and emerald cut citrines, three heart and oval and emerald cut peridots. PHEW. The Mother of pearl dial is set with 12 round diamond indexes. The watch features a quartz movement.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"size":"small","images":["4e6f667d-6dcc-4ed7-9f43-ed80285e86a4"]},"type":"Block::InlineImageContainer"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>The Serpenti is arguably Bulgari's most iconic watch. We have seen the sinuous form evolve from the more stylized versions of the Tubogas in the late 1940s, with their circular and pear-shaped dials suggestive of snakeheads, to the more naturalistic snakes created in from the late '50s well into the late '70s, also in gold, with the head of the snake attached by a hinge to conceal a secret watch. Many <i>Dolce Vita</i> era Serpentis were made with enamel work which often mimicked real snakeskin colors and patterns. The Serpenti has seen all sorts of twists and turns, it has morphed into multiple variations, with different metals, sizes, and even complications (tiny tourbillons!). </p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"size":"small","images":["ffcfc66c-5629-416a-80a2-bf73a32237af"]},"type":"Block::InlineImageContainer"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>This release brings us the Serpenti Tubogas Infinity. The gem-setting on the bracelet of the watch extends all the way up to the watch case, creating an uninterrupted line of diamonds – a perfectly complete snake shape. The Serpenti Tubogas Infinity features a 35mm curved rose gold case and the watch is set with a total of 486 diamonds (~5.85 carats). It's available as a single or double wrap and houses a quartz movement.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"size":"small","images":["ca79dd32-8611-4188-aa2e-b29e2166e69c"]},"type":"Block::InlineImageContainer"},{"data":{"size":"h3","headline":"What We Think"},"type":"Block::Headline"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>By this point you probably know what I think. It may seem that this article is lining up to be a positively glowing review with absolutely 0 whispers of critical analysis. There's a part of me that is leaning toward a 10/10 verdict. Bulgari is one of the few legitimately strong contenders in the women's watch space. The heritage, the considered design, the lapidary, the archival referencing that it does so well, and the sex appeal that they somehow manage to hold onto is not to be discredited.</p>","dropcap":true},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>My one critique here, surprisingly, has nothing to do with the majority of these pieces using quartz movements. Nothing wrong with using quartz if you are at least attempting to create watches with serious mechanical offerings (The Serpenti Seduttori Tourbillon launched in 2020 is enough to make up for any use of quartz in any watch).</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>No, my one comment, or rather my humble suggestion, would be to mix it up a little and go for something a little more geometric in terms of actual case shapes. I love the juxtaposition between gemstones and less dainty shapes. I would be so excited to see some of the Octo Finissimo DNA revamped with the playful and perfectly executed gem setting that is oh-so Bulgari.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>A final plea to dearest Bulgari: For the love of God, please make more Serpentis in yellow gold.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"size":"small","images":["d4be51d6-bdf7-47e5-9ab4-9738f8b99b25"]},"type":"Block::InlineImageContainer"},{"data":{"size":"h2","headline":"The Basics"},"type":"Block::Headline"},{"data":{"copy":"<p><strong>Brand:</strong> Bulgari <br><strong>Model:</strong> Allegra Yellow Sapphires, Diva's Dream Mosaica Blue Sapphire, Serpenti Tubogas Infinity (Single + Double Twirl)<br><strong>Reference Number: </strong>103714, 103761, 103791, 103792</p>\n\n<p><strong>Diameter:</strong> Allegra Yellow Sapphires 36 mm, Diva's Dream Mosaica Blue Sapphire 37mm, Serpenti Tubogas Infinity (Single + Double Twirl) 35mm<br><strong>Case Material:</strong> Yellow Gold (Allegra), white gold (Diva's Dream Mosaica), rose gold (Serpenti Tubogas Infinity).<br><strong>Dial Color:</strong> Mother of pearl (Allegra), \"snow set\" diamonds and sapphires (Diva's Dream Mosaica), pavé diamond-set (Serpenti Tubogas Infinity).<br><strong>Indexes:</strong> Round-cut diamonds (Allegra), NA (Diva's Dream Mosaica), Applied (Serpenti Tubogas Infinity).<br><strong>Lume:</strong> No<br><strong>Water Resistance:</strong> 30m <br><strong>Strap/Bracelet: </strong>White alligator strap with iridescent effect and yellow gold ardillon buckle with 8 round diamonds (Allegra), white gold fan-shaped bracelet set with diamonds (Diva's Dream Mosaica), bracelet (Serpenti Tubogas Infinity).</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"size":"small","images":["a9339a7a-a15a-4285-8768-6a7566839d95"]},"type":"Block::InlineImageContainer"},{"data":{"size":"h2","headline":"The Movement"},"type":"Block::Headline"},{"data":{"copy":"<p><strong>Caliber:</strong> Quartz (Allegra Yellow Sapphires + Serpenti Tubogas Infinity) , Calibre BVL 191 (Diva's Dream Mosaica Blue Sapphire).<br><strong>Functions:</strong> Time-only<br><strong>Diameter:</strong> 25.60 mm (Calibre BVL 191)<br><strong>Power Reserve:</strong> 42 hours (Calibre BVL 191)<br><strong>Winding:</strong> Automatic (Calibre BVL 191)<br><strong>Jewels: </strong>26 (Calibre BVL 191)</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"size":"small","images":["a6c0a2eb-3f7f-44f4-aad6-059a1b6e3ed1"]},"type":"Block::InlineImageContainer"},{"data":{"size":"h2","headline":"Pricing & Availability"},"type":"Block::Headline"},{"data":{"copy":"<p><strong>Price:</strong> Allegra Yellow Sapphires $29,700, Diva's Dream Mosaica Blue Sapphire $139,00, Serpenti Tubogas Infinity (Single Twirl $66,000 + Double Twirl $85,000).<br><strong>Availability:</strong> Immediately <br><strong>Limited Edition: </strong>No</p>\n\n<p>For more, <a href=https://www.hodinkee.com/"https://www.bulgari.com/en-us/watches/womens/" target=\"_blank\">click here.</a></p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"waitlist_id":"d44337ae-daf3-4434-968e-a738576122c3"},"type":"Block::Waitlist"},{"data":{"disclosure":"<p>The HODINKEE Shop is an Authorized Retailer of<a href=https://www.hodinkee.com/"https://shop.hodinkee.com/collections/bvlgari?_gl=1*8ud50b*_ga*ODIzNjk0MDY5LjE2NzI4NTE5NjI.*_ga_HW81C0Y7GK*MTY3MzI5ODEzOC4xNi4xLjE2NzMzMDE1MjAuMTMuMC4w\%22 target=\"_blank\"> Bulgari </a>watches. </p>\n\n<p>Bulgari is part of LVMH. Although LVMH Luxury Ventures is a minority investor in HODINKEE, we maintain complete editorial independence.</p>","product_ids":""},"type":"Block::DisclosureBox"},{"data":{"cta":"more from lvmh watch week here","url":"/articles/tag-heuer-revives-a-60s-era-panda-dial-carrera-for-the-chronographs-60th-anniversary","icon":"#icon-white-note","image":"https://hodinkee.imgix.net/uploads/images/94a4d620-f288-4118-804b-b58c91aea6b3/01-CBK221H.FC8317_HERO_16-9.jpg?ixlib=rails-1.1.0&fm=jpg&q=55&auto=format&usm=12","title":"TAG Heuer Revives A ‘60s-Era Panda Dial Carrera For The Chronograph’s 60th Anniversary","headline":"Article","icon_alt":"Article","image_alt":"TAG Heuer Revives A ‘60s-Era Panda Dial Carrera For The Chronograph’s 60th Anniversary","article_type":"default"},"type":"Block::Recommendation"}],"migrated_content":true,"meta_title":"New Bulgari Watch Releases ","meta_description":"","meta_social_media_headline":"","meta_social_media_description":"","meta_social_media_image":"","artist_name":null,"artist_type":"","internal_notes":"","column":{"id":16,"slug":"product_launch","name":"Introducing","description":"HODINKEE Introducing articles are designed to be fact-filled, detail-rich introductions to newly released timepieces. Each article provides essential details including technical specs, pricing, and availability, and also provides a quick first impression of the new timepiece, and the larger context it occupies in the modern watch landscape.","sort_order":7,"created_at":"2016-07-13T12:24:44.152-04:00","updated_at":"2023-05-04T16:59:23.481-04:00","status":"visible"},"hero_image":{"id":"3f581e2c-5d6e-43d1-b855-c5dd17635cfa","container_id":11787,"container_type":"Article","url":"https://hodinkee-production.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/images/c0fa81cf-fac5-445d-9c1d-f1b2ffa0c0c7/bulgari-round-up-hero.jpg","width":2880,"height":1620,"format":"jpg","render_args":null,"caption":null,"alt_text":"three bulgari watches ","created_at":"2023-01-06T19:43:16.435-05:00","updated_at":"2023-01-09T15:02:24.796-05:00","sort_order":0,"product_ids":null,"imgix_url":"https://hodinkee.imgix.net/uploads/images/c0fa81cf-fac5-445d-9c1d-f1b2ffa0c0c7/bulgari-round-up-hero.jpg?ixlib=rails-1.1.0"},"share_url":"https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/would-you-like-some-gems-with-your-gems-bulgari-overdoes-it-but-exactly-right","full_title":"Introducing: Would You Like Some Gems With Your Gems? Bulgari Overdoes It, But Exactly Right.","tags":["bulgari","new-watches-2023","lvmh-watch-week-2023"]},{"id":11762,"slug":"mbandf-just-made-the-worlds-most-ambitious-watches-for-women","column_slug":"in_depth","title":"MB&F Just Made The World’s Most Ambitious Watches For Women","status":"published","working_copy_of_id":null,"published_at":"2023-01-04T13:00:00.000-05:00","created_at":"2022-12-23T16:15:58.134-05:00","updated_at":"2023-01-04T13:05:36.238-05:00","scheduled_for":null,"review_status":null,"package_id":null,"lede":"<p>The latest Legacy Machine Flying T is a partnership with hotshot jewelry designer Emmanuel Tarpin (the man behind Rihanna's earrings). And it provides an important lesson in how to make gem-set watches with rigor and imagination.</p>","hero_media_type":"image","hero_video_id":null,"hero_video_type":"vimeo","hero_homepage_image":null,"gallery_view":false,"legacy_url":null,"multiple_authors":false,"pinned_related_article_id":null,"hero_image_url":null,"hero_homepage_image_url":null,"view_count":17516,"public_token":null,"notification_sent":true,"keyword_targeting":null,"apple_news_id":null,"display_template":"standard","exclude_from_related":false,"comments_state":"comments_enabled","article_type":"default_article","shopify_id":null,"featured_comment_id":null,"noindex":false,"sponsored_by":null,"advertising_enabled":true,"redirect_url":"","automatic_related_articles":true,"show_promotional_frame":true,"show_related_articles":true,"show_editors_picks":true,"sponsor_image_url":"","display_theme":"light","custom_props":{},"content_chunks":[{"data":{"copy":"<p>MB&F is a unique organism within the watch ecosystem. The avant-garde Geneva watchmaker appeals to both left- and right-brain thinkers by underlining the importance of both physics and art. Put simply, MB&F is horological wizardry set inside radical design. And this combination is pretty much nowhere else to be found in the women's watch market.</p>","dropcap":true},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"alignment":"square_breaker"},"type":"Block::Advertisement"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>The MB&F Legacy Machine Flying T line is setting the benchmark for the future of women's watches. And in his latest <a href=https://www.hodinkee.com/"https://www.mbandf.com/en/machines/performance-art/lmflyingt-ice-blizzard-emmanuel-tarpin/" target=\"_blank\">Flying T venture</a>, founder Max Büsser has called on esteemed jewelry designer Emmanuel Tarpin to create a new design for two watches.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>Created in 2019, the LM Flying T is MB&Fs only line of watches focused primarily at women. \"I created MB&F to do what I believe in, making three-dimensional sculptural kinetic art pieces that give the time,\" he told me just before the release of these new timepieces last month, which happened to be the day after he took home the prestigious GPHG Aiguille d'Or (basically the watch equivalent of winning best picture at the Oscars. \"I was creating for myself. But at some point, there came a desire to create something for the women in my family. I've been surrounded by their influence all my life, so I gave myself the challenge to do something for them.\"</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"size":"small","images":["d35e16eb-6003-429f-aab4-7917d10b1676"]},"type":"Block::InlineImageContainer"},{"data":{"size":"small","images":["0837da91-b3fe-4f8a-be38-545eeb06f5b4"]},"type":"Block::InlineImageContainer"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>Despite his seven-year tenure at mega-jeweler Harry Winston, Büsser admitted that he's not a natural. \"The worst thing is that most people are in denial of their shortcomings. I'm pretty much aware of a lot of my shortcomings and diamonds are not my thing. It was an ordeal for me to do diamonds on watches back then [at Harry Winston]. Jewelry has never been my thing.\"</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>Still, even before he launched the Flying T, he knew it would be \"a canvas for jewelers.\"</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>Anybody familiar with the brand will know that much of Büsser's talent lies in his ability to identify and call on the best of the best. This is where the \"&F\" (MB&F is short for Max Büsser and Friends) part becomes evident. Tarpin is now one of the Friends.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>In case you don't know, Emmanuel Tarpin is a 30-year-old independent jewelry designer, widely applauded by those in his field for his contemporary take on flora-and-fauna-inspired designs, but perhaps not the conventional choice for a brand whose last project for women was done in collaboration with Bulgari. I honestly hadn't imagined Tarpin being high on any watch brand's radar, even MB&F's.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>But after a grand total of 30 pensive seconds, it all made sense to me: Büsser's goal was to lock down an independent, forward-thinking designer. He doesn't stick to the conventional formula, or any formula for that matter, for any other category of the brand – why would he call on another big maison for round two?</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"size":"small","images":["bae121ab-ffe2-4d7a-b3bb-26d8eb9829b3"]},"type":"Block::InlineImageContainer"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>The conversation surrounding horology and gender has rapidly evolved over the past couple of years. The status quo in 2019 (the birth year of the Flying T) feels a very long way from the discourse surrounding gender today, where a movement is afoot to treat all watches as unisex – or, if they must be divided by gender, to give women's watches the same attention and respect as men's. Of course, things take time in the watch world. The real test will come in a couple of years, once production catches up with the zeitgeist.</p>","dropcap":true},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>In the meantime, a few brands are making progress. Audemars Piguet is probably the most significant high-horology brand making excellent women's watches, notably through its collaboration with jewelry designer Carolina Bucci. A number of jewelry houses – namely Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels, and Bulgari – make their own contributions, generally more via design than mechanics. Rolex have mastered in-house gem-setting and Patek Philippe have wisely partnered with the Swiss company Salanitro, a leader in the gem-setting world. But few other watchmakers are really in the game. MB&F now joins the list of top-tier players.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>Büsser understands that gem-setting is its own legitimate craft. But he also knows that diamonds alone do not make a watch interesting – or feminine. They can be lazy and prescriptive. The ones on the new Flying T are anything but, which makes sense for Büsser. He is an industry figure whose approach to watchmaking is seen as agreeably contrarian – making him the ideal person to manufacture and market watches specifically aimed at women, and to do it right. His latest Flying T feels strikingly modern and in line with an agenda that I keep pushing: more complicated women's watches.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"size":"small","images":["843726c4-1b87-4901-8d2c-ff666d46e3af"]},"type":"Block::InlineImageContainer"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>\"We are in a world in transition,\" Büsser told me \"There's a strong vocal current about genderless watches. On the other side, there's a whole quest that the watch world has been trying to define for the last 15 years: What's a ladies' watch? We haven't yet found a solution to that. We are still trying to figure it out.\"</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>Büsser is a man of many talents (including refreshing honesty, as you can see from our conversation), but he's a trained engineer and his most notable strengths are clearly mechanical. Recognizing that, he brought in Tarpin – who would be to MB&F what Bucci is to AP.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>The LM FlyingT \"Ice\" watch & \"Blizzard\" watch are two winter-themed versions of the Flying T \"blank canvas\" line. Born in the alpine region of Southeastern France, Tarpin drew on his childhood ski trips and hikes around the region as inspiration for both of his designs.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>Both are 39mm in diameter, with 18k white gold fully diamond-set cases. They also both feature blue matte lapis lazuli dial plates, which are shielded by domed sapphire crystals. The dome on each watch enhances the 3-dimensional quality of the design and the convex shape ultimately gives the watches a futuristic feel – very MB&F. The vertical architecture of the movement and the central flying 60-second tourbillon, which sits just above the dial plate, put these watches under the haute horology category. The time is displayed on a tiny 50° inclined dial, also in blue lapis, with two very small white gold serpentine hands.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>Now for the diamonds.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"size":"small","images":["0311bcad-f1a2-4abf-adf2-13f630663383"]},"type":"Block::InlineImageContainer"},{"data":{"size":"small","images":["0d50283a-4469-4d0a-a158-0b9d8b4d99b2"]},"type":"Block::InlineImageContainer"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>\"Ice\" features asymmetrical, jagged diamond-set stalagmites that encroach on the sapphire crystal dome, suspended from the rough-cut lapis lazuli dial plate. It has a total of 2.15 carats of diamonds used with 2 paraiba stones on the crowns at 3 o'clock (time setting) and 9 o'clock (winding), plus a 3rd paraiba atop the central flying tourbillon.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>\"Blizzard\" features a different sort of lapidary. There are brilliant-cut diamonds set under the sapphire crystal dome and closed-set diamonds set into the matt lapis lazuli dial. This watch has a total of 2.51 carats of diamonds and also features 3 paraiba tourmalines in identical positions to \"Ice.\"</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>Both watches have a three-dimensional sun-shaped winding rotor in 18K 5N+ red gold, titanium, and platinum. The 280-component engines of these Legacy Machine Flying Ts have a power reserve of four days (100 hours), which is among the highest within MB&F. All in all, these are serious mechanical watches – so acutely contemporary and far-reaching in their creativity that they look as if they belong atop a plinth, under an acrylic cube on display at TEFAF. Together they signal a new vanguard of design in the watch jewelry crossover category.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"size":"small","images":["42a36819-4f7a-4acc-a6d4-0ddf65ebfc64"]},"type":"Block::InlineImageContainer"},{"data":{"size":"small","images":["708a5485-0912-4859-8591-a3b62c191eac","c65167c7-7a0c-497f-bece-c7e68103789b"],"enforce_aspect_ratio":true},"type":"Block::TwoUpImageContainer"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>Tarpin – who rose to prominence after appearing in a Christie's Magnificent Jewels auction in December of 2017 and then went on to gain notoriety in the jewelry world when Rihanna wore a pair of his seashell earrings to an Oscars afterparty in 2019 – is anything but traditional. Born in Annecy, France, he attended HEAD (The Geneva School of Art and Design), and went on to spend three years at the bench for Van Cleef & Arpels before starting his own brand in 2017, at the age of 25.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>He creates unique one-off pieces for his clientele, and prefers to keep business small and personal, \"Rarity is real luxury,\" he told me as we sat down for coffee on a gloomy New York morning in his perfectly minimal Soho apartment. \"Real luxury is something nobody else will have.\" There are only 8 examples of both the Ice and Blizzard Flying Ts, and each one will set you back $170,000.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>Tarpin prefers to work with flexible non-precious metals such as aluminum, and often plays on a contrast between dark matte metals with a singular gemstone or a small and discreet strip of diamonds. It is interesting that for his collaboration with Büsser, Tarpin has actually chosen to use more diamonds than he would on any of his own independent designs.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"size":"small","images":["0b15911e-95b7-4f12-8c93-533b148c21d9"]},"type":"Block::InlineImageContainer"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>Cool-hued paraiba tourmalines and icy-white diamonds convey a wintery atmosphere, and adhere to his usual aesthetic. What I like about the collaboration is that it's distinctively Tarpin and immediately recognizable as MB&F, and yet it pushes both parties to go somewhere new.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>\"I really wanted to focus on the inside of the dome without adding much more to the case,\" said Tarpin, who was drawn to the three-dimensionality and volume of the piece. \"I love the idea of there being a full universe in your watch.\"</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>Tarpin is into universe building. In his apartment, we were surrounded by giant canvases of color and thoughtfully curated objects, including a Mark Newson hourglass placed on the coffee table. I sat facing Tarpin in his Pierre Jeanneret chair. He shares the home with his husband, an avid watch collector – but the watch draws from boyhood back in Europe. \"I Grew up in the Alps,\" he said. \"I love the mountains. I love to ski. I wanted to create something that made me feel the frost.\"</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>To achieve that frosty look, he could've just flooded the watches with diamonds and called it a day. Instead, Tarpin explained, \"I wanted it to create a contrast between the roughness of the lapis with the sparkle of the diamonds.\"</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>The second watch, \"Blizzard,\" is slightly more comforting in its poetic rendition of winter, with the diamonds set under the sapphire crystal dome depicting snowflakes on the ground, like a snow globe in motion. The crocodile strap is matte, because \"the attention should be on the watch, without too much added shine from the croc.\"</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"size":"small","images":["e07716e3-a22f-4b39-97e4-321307e6f3ef"]},"type":"Block::InlineImageContainer"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>Despite the serious amount of stones under each crystal, the diamonds somehow manage to appear toned down and discreet: a thoroughly modern execution of gemsetting. The rough-cut lapis lazuli was also an unusual decision; Lapis is usually polished, but the uneven, granular texture here, which contrasts against the transparency of the sapphire crystal dome, keeps the watch from \"blinging\" too hard.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>What adds another, almost deeper stratum of complexity to the watch is the use of a flying tourbillon complication. Flying tourbillons are normally seen through aperture windows made in the dial. Here, the 60-second tourbillon sits above the dial on top of a vertically-stacked movement structure. Affixed to the top of the upper tourbillon cage is a single paraiba that rotates simultaneously with the tourbillon.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>Although I don't believe every watch needs to be this far forward on the scale of complicated watch design, what MB&F is doing here is setting a precedent for women's watches. An integration of haute horology with a fresh take on design – all for a woman's watch. This is how it's done.</p>","dropcap":true},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"size":"small","images":["f0b00a9a-8f1f-4440-bab9-37f4be0fcaba"]},"type":"Block::InlineImageContainer"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>Tarpin and Büsser share a lot of things in common: They both prefer to remain small and independent in order to keep the message of their respective brands clear and consistent, which ultimately ensures they can keep doing what they want. I understand, of course, that pushing the boundaries of watchmaking and design to such an extent is easier for a smaller independent brand like MB&F. I hope, however, that MB&F exists as a kind of watch subculture that can eventually permeate the mainstream and influence a broader sphere of watch design.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>These designs are not for everybody. This is clear. But the combination of complications and modern jewelry design feels revelatory. The onboarding of a designer like Tarpin brings a fresh perspective on gem-setting to a traditional industry that's always struggling to find imaginative uses for gemstones. My hope (and plea) is for this release to show what's possible: flexibility, fluidity, and respect for the women's watch market.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"disclosure":"<p>To learn more visit <a href=https://www.hodinkee.com/"https://www.mbandf.com/en/machines/performance-art/lmflyingt-ice-blizzard-emmanuel-tarpin/" target=\"_blank\">MB&F</a>. </p>","product_ids":""},"type":"Block::DisclosureBox"}],"migrated_content":true,"meta_title":"MB&F x Emmanuel Tarpin LM Flying T Ice & Blizzard Watches ","meta_description":"","meta_social_media_headline":"","meta_social_media_description":"","meta_social_media_image":"","artist_name":"Tiffany Wade","artist_type":"photographer","internal_notes":"","column":{"id":10,"slug":"in_depth","name":"In-Depth","description":"Deep, detailed research on the topics and products defining the watch industry today.","sort_order":6,"created_at":"2016-07-13T12:24:44.037-04:00","updated_at":"2023-05-04T16:59:23.477-04:00","status":"visible"},"hero_image":{"id":"4038eccb-6c70-4c50-8334-d21549558a2e","container_id":11762,"container_type":"Article","url":"https://hodinkee-production.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/images/05ea2f8f-246d-4f4a-9e5c-6ae4ce778bf4/mbf10-21-2022013116by9.jpg","width":2880,"height":1620,"format":"jpg","render_args":null,"caption":null,"alt_text":"MB&F Flying T x Emmanuel Tarpin Watches ","created_at":"2022-12-23T16:15:58.193-05:00","updated_at":"2022-12-23T16:15:58.193-05:00","sort_order":0,"product_ids":null,"imgix_url":"https://hodinkee.imgix.net/uploads/images/05ea2f8f-246d-4f4a-9e5c-6ae4ce778bf4/mbf10-21-2022013116by9.jpg?ixlib=rails-1.1.0"},"share_url":"https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/mbandf-just-made-the-worlds-most-ambitious-watches-for-women","full_title":"In-Depth: MB&F Just Made The World’s Most Ambitious Watches For Women","tags":["mbf","womens-watches","flying-tourbillon","max-busser","diamonds","diamond-set"]},{"id":11700,"slug":"14-piece-unique-timepieces-will-be-sold-this-weekend-at-the-timeforart-auction","column_slug":"happenings","title":"14 Pièce Unique Timepieces Will Be Sold This Weekend At The TimeForArt Auction","status":"published","working_copy_of_id":null,"published_at":"2022-12-09T13:13:00.000-05:00","created_at":"2022-12-09T12:31:49.862-05:00","updated_at":"2022-12-09T13:14:36.493-05:00","scheduled_for":null,"review_status":null,"package_id":null,"lede":"<p>A first-of-its-kind auction sees the worlds of art and high horology collide through the Phillips New York Watch Auction: SEVEN.</p>","hero_media_type":"image","hero_video_id":null,"hero_video_type":"vimeo","hero_homepage_image":null,"gallery_view":false,"legacy_url":null,"multiple_authors":false,"pinned_related_article_id":null,"hero_image_url":null,"hero_homepage_image_url":null,"view_count":17743,"public_token":null,"notification_sent":true,"keyword_targeting":null,"apple_news_id":null,"display_template":"standard","exclude_from_related":false,"comments_state":"comments_enabled","article_type":"default_article","shopify_id":null,"featured_comment_id":null,"noindex":false,"sponsored_by":null,"advertising_enabled":true,"redirect_url":"","automatic_related_articles":true,"show_promotional_frame":true,"show_related_articles":true,"show_editors_picks":true,"sponsor_image_url":"","display_theme":"light","custom_props":{},"content_chunks":[{"data":{"alignment":"square_breaker"},"type":"Block::Advertisement"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>Winter auction season is well underway here in New York City, and this time the buzz feels more evenly spread out than last year. The anticipation lies in the variety of offerings rather than a <a href=https://www.hodinkee.com/"https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/patek-philippe-nautilus-5711-tiffany-blue-phillips-new-york-2021/" target=\"_blank\">single rockstar lot</a>– and the focus on a wider landscape of watches is a welcome change for many.</p>","dropcap":true},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>This weekend sees the opening chapter of a new initiative called TimeForArt, created by the New York non-profit Swiss Institute. A first of its kind, the auction was established as an aid to support contemporary art and will be held as part of the <a href=https://www.hodinkee.com/"https://www.phillips.com/auctions/auction/NY080322/" target=\"_blank\">Phillips New York Watch Auction: SEVEN,</a> this coming weekend, December 10 and 11. The Swiss Institute has called on 17 watch brands to participate in the benefit.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>Three previously existing timepieces were donated, including the Hermès H08 Limited Edition for Hodinkee (numbered 100/100), and the rest were all produced as \"pièces uniques,'' specifically for the auction. This initiative sees watches conceptualized to be art from the beginning, not just a functioning watch but a piece of art in itself.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"size":"small","images":["ff41a847-1f14-4a92-9121-6e151c5b76f9"]},"type":"Block::InlineImageContainer"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>\"The Swiss Institute's focus is to show emerging artists from around the world,\" said Mojdeh Cutter, TimeForArt's Managing Director. \"Our name is a little misleading. We were founded by Swiss expats living in New York who wanted to promote Swiss art culture here. Over the past few decades we've expanded our scope. Now we show about 40 percent Swiss artists and 60 percent artists from around the world.\"</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>The sole mission of the Swiss Institute, which is located in the East Village and offers free entry to all of its exhibits, is to support contemporary emerging art; whether that's young artists setting out to build a career or older artists who have yet to receive the recognition by the wider art community.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"body":"<p><a href=https://www.hodinkee.com/"https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/hello-patek-and-hello-kitty-her-collection-runs-the-gamut-from-the-silly-to-the-sublime/" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">We spoke to TimeForArt's Managing Director, Mojdeh Cutter, about her personal watch collection earlier this year.</a></p>","title":"Four + One Featuring Mojdeh Cutter","images":["54406a3b-ccf2-48eb-9131-ee8b435f0f1a"],"alignment":"left"},"type":"Block::CallOutBox"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>With the pandemic imposing severe financial constraints on any kind of philanthropic activity in the art space, Cutter and her associate Simon Castets – previously Director of the Swiss Institute and now Executive Chair – set about finding a new way to create funding. The miserable state of affairs for the museum world happened to coincide with the boom of the watch market in 2020 and so they put two and two together.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>\"In March of 2020, together with the rest of the planet, the art world came to a standstill,\" Castets said. \"What was most worrisome in our case was the understandable pause in philanthropic support and its immediate repercussions in US museums, especially the smaller ones: There was a 40 percent dip in average income for them, more than twice as severe as for larger ones. The art world and the watch world are intrinsically connected by their creative pursuits. What we're aiming at is to further this connection exactly through the prism of creativity in order to foster in-depth dialogue and unexpected results, with each party gaining a deeper understanding of the other's way of thinking. It's a long-term project.\"</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"size":"small","images":["e7dfee9e-dfe9-4769-bd96-10597b3513ac"]},"type":"Block::InlineImageContainer"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>There are 17 lots in total, two of which were commissioned artist collaborations by the Swiss Institute and serve as the blueprint for what they hope to achieve in future auctions (which will now be held bi-anually). One is the Arnold & Son \"HM Swiss Institute by Matt Copson\" – Copson is a young London-based artist who is known for laser installations and focuses on light and shadow play. The other is the Urwerk UR-102, made with artist Cooper Jacoby, a sculptor who incorporates innovative treatments of materials like nickel, copper, rubber, and silicone.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"alignment":"square_breaker"},"type":"Block::Advertisement"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>All of the lots offer something unique to the auction, with my favorites including the DeBethune hourglass made in collaboration with industrial designer Marc Newson and the HYT Hastroid Rainbow Nebula, a fun and completely different take on the <a href=https://www.hodinkee.com/"https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/our-style-editor-on-the-years-biggest-watch-design-trend/" target=\"_blank\">rainbow trend</a>.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"size":"small","images":["49d8b46f-06af-4a5b-9ab0-3e820c20e971"]},"type":"Block::InlineImageContainer"},{"data":{"size":"small","images":["47ece533-809e-4804-88be-4fed7a315045"]},"type":"Block::InlineImageContainer"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>\"We talked with each brand as if they were an artist themselves, without forcing a format onto them or any sort of specific criteria,\" Cutter said. \"It was an invitation for each brand to think about the most creative aspects of their watchmaking house.\"</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>Paul Boutros, Head of Americas for Phillips Watches, who are hosting the lots in their sale, spoke with me about TimeForArt and the opportunity an initiative like this presents for both art and watch collectors, alike. I was curious to get his take as I commented on the chasm that seems to exist between the art and watch worlds. \"Watches aren't pieces of art in the fundamental definition of what is art,\" he said, \"but it can expose art collectors to the world of fine watchmaking that we love so much.\"</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>All of the proceeds, including buyer's premiums, will go directly to the Swiss Institute to fund exhibitions, public programs, education and community engagement workshops in New York and beyond. \"Kudos to the Swiss institute for motivating these important watch brands to do this,\" Boutros said. \"We as a community want and hope that contemporary art collectors will view watches in a different light – and get introduced to fine watches as a collectible.\"</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"disclosure":"<p>For more information on TimeForArt, visit their <a href=https://www.hodinkee.com/"https://timeforart.ch//" target=\"_blank\">website</a>. </p>","product_ids":""},"type":"Block::DisclosureBox"}],"migrated_content":true,"meta_title":"TimeForArt At The Phillips New York Watch Auction: SEVEN","meta_description":"","meta_social_media_headline":"","meta_social_media_description":"","meta_social_media_image":"","artist_name":null,"artist_type":"","internal_notes":"","column":{"id":38,"slug":"happenings","name":"Happenings","description":"","sort_order":null,"created_at":"2017-04-24T20:47:31.402-04:00","updated_at":"2021-01-04T14:04:40.580-05:00","status":"hidden"},"hero_image":{"id":"0c43317f-adac-49ff-978b-d247a2d568e5","container_id":11700,"container_type":"Article","url":"https://hodinkee-production.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/images/a8267839-4572-4563-94f9-30eb476e1b9a/timeforarthero-2.jpg","width":2880,"height":1620,"format":"jpg","render_args":null,"caption":null,"alt_text":"Urwerk UR-102 ","created_at":"2022-12-09T12:31:49.933-05:00","updated_at":"2022-12-09T12:31:49.933-05:00","sort_order":0,"product_ids":null,"imgix_url":"https://hodinkee.imgix.net/uploads/images/a8267839-4572-4563-94f9-30eb476e1b9a/timeforarthero-2.jpg?ixlib=rails-1.1.0"},"share_url":"https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/14-piece-unique-timepieces-will-be-sold-this-weekend-at-the-timeforart-auction","full_title":"Happenings: 14 Pièce Unique Timepieces Will Be Sold This Weekend At The TimeForArt Auction","tags":["urwerk","hermes","hyt","phillips","arnold & son","marc-newson","debethune","hermes-h08"]},{"id":11654,"slug":"our-style-editor-on-the-years-biggest-watch-design-trend","column_slug":"year_in_review","title":"Our Style Editor On The Year's Biggest Watch-Design Trend","status":"published","working_copy_of_id":null,"published_at":"2022-12-07T15:00:00.000-05:00","created_at":"2022-12-07T09:53:37.165-05:00","updated_at":"2022-12-12T15:26:27.371-05:00","scheduled_for":null,"review_status":null,"package_id":null,"lede":"<p>Last year, every other watch was green. The look of 2022 wasn't one color, but all of them all at once.</p>","hero_media_type":"image","hero_video_id":null,"hero_video_type":"vimeo","hero_homepage_image":null,"gallery_view":false,"legacy_url":null,"multiple_authors":false,"pinned_related_article_id":null,"hero_image_url":null,"hero_homepage_image_url":null,"view_count":33132,"public_token":null,"notification_sent":true,"keyword_targeting":"yearinreview2022","apple_news_id":null,"display_template":"standard","exclude_from_related":false,"comments_state":"comments_enabled","article_type":"default_article","shopify_id":null,"featured_comment_id":null,"noindex":false,"sponsored_by":null,"advertising_enabled":true,"redirect_url":"","automatic_related_articles":true,"show_promotional_frame":true,"show_related_articles":true,"show_editors_picks":true,"sponsor_image_url":"","display_theme":"light","custom_props":{},"content_chunks":[{"data":{"alignment":"square_breaker"},"type":"Block::Advertisement"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>There's absolutely no denying that the modern rainbow-watch lineage begins with Rolex.</p>","dropcap":true},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>Many enthusiasts and collectors would argue that it also ends with Rolex.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>For this story, I spoke with a large sampling of watch lovers, most of whom confessed that no other watch brand came close to being a legitimate rival in the rainbow-colored playing field. The Daytona ref. 116598RBOW and ref. 116599RBOW kick-started the rainbow wave back in 2012, and Rainbow Mania became even more widespread with the 2018 release of ref. 116595RBOW in Everose gold. The glitz and glam of this watch has grabbed everyone from Miley Cyrus to John Mayer.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"size":"small","images":["03133cd8-0b7d-4cfa-91f2-1eef3945101e"]},"type":"Block::InlineImageContainer"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>That makes a certain kind of sense. In so many ways, Rolex sets the industry agenda. But I don't think any of us expected pretty much every major watch brand to follow suit and wrap itself in rainbows. And yet that's what we saw in 2022. It happened slowly and then all at once, which is pretty much how things move in the world of watch design. By December (and actually, probably before that), rainbow had clearly distinguished itself as the year's definitive design movement.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"size":"h3","headline":"First, A Little History"},"type":"Block::Headline"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>In order to put all of this in context and really understand why it matters, allow me to set the scene.</p>","dropcap":true},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>The history of the Rolex rainbow dates back to the 1980s Cellini models (pictured below). But the real rainbow blueprint which has become the frame of reference for this entire category is the Rainbow Daytona. If you want to explore real rainbow predecessor territory then you can take a look at ref. 6269 and ref. 6270, both extremely rare, and both likely created to test the appetite for masculine gem-set watches. This was back in the '80s and it's interesting to think of this in terms of groundwork being laid for future gem-set experiments.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"size":"large","images":["1bc3854e-649f-457b-902c-2b2c50e862bf"]},"type":"Block::InlineImageContainer"},{"data":{"size":"large","images":["ce146623-cff1-4637-9c86-9b6031ffe549","0680d08d-e392-4997-9764-63a7bff90e86"],"enforce_aspect_ratio":true},"type":"Block::TwoUpImageContainer"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>Eric Ku – the Bay Area-based horological expert and cofounder of online auction platform Loupe This – recently told me about a piece unique Daytona that he had previously sold, it was made in the '90s, originally commissioned by a Middle Eastern client. Which kind of makes it the OG rainbow, pretty wild considering how popular this whole trend has become.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"size":"small","images":["42d33459-9377-4f88-8ca6-65ab22fa748d"]},"type":"Block::InlineImageContainer"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>The rainbow Daytona was initially met with overtly hostile and borderline violent reactions (see the comments section from the 2018 Baselworld release). And I get this. Before my entry into the watch space, I absolutely detested rainbow jewelry. Its popularity was rising right around the same time as the infamous ref. 116595RBOW, and I felt a strong aversion to well-known jewelry designers like Stephanie Gottlieb and Jessica Biales making rainbow tennis bracelets, necklaces, rings…rainbow everything. It was just too jarring for me, too loud (which is funny if you know me, because my personal style is anything but muted so this really is saying a lot; I am the woman who loves yellow gold). Fast forward a couple of years to the first time I held a rainbow Daytona in the metal. That's when the rainbow setting became a totally different thing for me. Rainbow was now Rolex. I couldn't unsee it and I didn't want to.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"size":"small","images":["66452c9d-9b70-49ff-81ba-70b82bdf5b82"]},"type":"Block::InlineImageContainer"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>At the recent Miami Basel launch of the Code 11.59 Starwheel, John Mayer made a comment during his discussion with François-Henry Bennahmias and Ben Clymer that stuck with me. He said he enjoys a watch that can win him over after a period of time. He enjoys having his mind changed. He went on to explain how often the experts and people behind a brand can also change your feelings toward a watch. This resonated with me in the rainbow context.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>Initially, I had wanted to hate the Rainbow Daytona. But after looking at it up close and seeing the quality of craftsmanship, the perfect gradient of sapphires, after trying it on, after speaking with countless vintage experts at auction previews, I simply fell in love with it.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>This isn't an attainable watch by any means. Rainbow, in watch parlance, generally constitutes a gem-set watch, which limits this to a very exclusive bracket, which in turn means it's very collectible. What's more alluring to collectors than a small production run? Eric Ku called it the rich person's \"ultimate status symbol watch\" and he's right.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"alignment":"square_breaker"},"type":"Block::Advertisement"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>If we take the price out of the equation and focus on the increase in admiration and overall appreciation of rainbow watches, it signals a desire for more, a desire for fun, and perhaps even a desire for more gender neutrality. Here was a fully gem-set watch on what was considered to be an extremely masculine Daytona profile. It was an exchange of male and female design codes: a gender-neutral hybrid.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>If you are intrigued by gem setting, this is really the top lot by traditional jewelers' standards. I spoke about this with my friend and jewelry designer <a href=https://www.hodinkee.com/"https://www.instagram.com/sarahysabeldyne/?hl=en\%22 target=\"_blank\">Sarah Ysabel Dyne</a>, who graduated from Central Saint Martins with a degree in jewelry design, then attended the GIA for her gemology degree, and then went on to work for NYC jewelry designer Lorraine Schwartz – so she knows her stuff, but isn't involved with watches, which makes her the perfect person to weigh in on the gems for gems' sake. \"Sapphires used for that kind of work are normally heat-treated to achieve vibrant colors,\" she told me.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"size":"small","images":["9ad89b51-47cb-4c36-936f-8f1337481407","dde626e4-76fa-4bfd-b92f-5dab2b01c6fd"],"enforce_aspect_ratio":true},"type":"Block::TwoUpImageContainer"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>Rolex sources natural stones, hand-selecting them, and then cutting them to size, which means the watchmakers are taking this seriously. \"The calibration on these stones is amazing,\" Dyne said. \"I have nothing against the use of stones here.\" Horological gem setting is no easy feat, with up to 90 percent of each colored stone being disposed of in order to have them fit perfectly into a gradient setting. And all of this is done in-house.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>Okay, so that's Rolex.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>Until recently, I hadn't really given much thought to other rainbows. But there are many. And this year they just kept coming, to the point where rainbows seemed to be, uh, falling out of the sky. <a href=https://www.hodinkee.com/"https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/audemars-piguet-just-reinvented-the-rainbow-with-this-new-royal-oak/" target=\"_blank\">Audemars Piguet</a>, <a href=https://www.hodinkee.com/"https://www.ablogtowatch.com/h-moser-cie-unveils-streamliner-tourbillon-rainbow-watches//" target=\"\">H. Moser & Cie.</a>, <a href=https://www.hodinkee.com/"https://www.hublot.com/en-us/watches/mp/mp-09-tourbillon-bi-axis-rainbow-3d-carbon-49-mm/" target=\"\">Hublot</a>, <a href=https://www.hodinkee.com/"https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/the-patek-philippe-aquanaut-luce-rainbow-chronograph/" target=\"_blank\">Patek Philippe</a>, <a href=https://www.hodinkee.com/"https://www.tagheuer.com/us/en/timepieces/collections/tag-heuer-carrera/45-mm-calibre-heuer02t-cosc/CAR5A8AF.FC6415.html/" target=\"_blank\">TAG Heuer</a>, <a href=https://www.hodinkee.com/"https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/ulysse-nardin-searches-for-success-at-the-end-of-the-rainbow-2/" target=\"_blank\">Ulysse Nardin</a>, and <a href=https://www.hodinkee.com/"https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/zenith-defy-21-chroma-lvmh-watch-week/" target=\"_blank\">Zenith</a> all released rainbow watches – and so did even <a href=https://www.hodinkee.com/"https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/the-sparkliest-timex-in-all-the-land/" target=\"_blank\">Timex</a>, albeit with Swarovski crystals rather than sapphires.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"size":"small","images":["520b157d-d824-44a4-95b6-9f5944c675a5"]},"type":"Block::InlineImageContainer"},{"data":{"size":"small","images":["20109117-49c3-4819-b4f6-c4bf858ce282"]},"type":"Block::InlineImageContainer"},{"data":{"size":"small","images":["b6956035-35d5-4368-a98f-49f6242d6943"]},"type":"Block::InlineImageContainer"},{"data":{"size":"small","images":["fd89f4f4-78ab-4751-8a5a-6165bfabdbab"]},"type":"Block::InlineImageContainer"},{"data":{"size":"small","images":["a3eba93b-a2dd-407a-9593-4d23b542a6f4"]},"type":"Block::InlineImageContainer"},{"data":{"size":"small","images":["5e8b9aee-b4b7-4e81-81e9-5ab35497f4de"]},"type":"Block::InlineImageContainer"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>Hublot and Audemars Piguet are two brands that know how to execute young, fun, and modern gem-set watches, rainbows aren't a far cry from their current brand DNA. To have Patek enter the chat with the release of the Aquanaut Luce Rainbow, well, that was a surprise. It signified a new level of competition. Patek Philippe making a rainbow means the stakes have been raised.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>Part of what we are seeing this year is the idea of color being used as currency in the watch space. Even watches that aren't strictly rainbows seem influenced by the brightening color schemes. There's the MoonSwatch, to cite one example. But even IWC – a brand I would consider far more conservative in its approach to color – is playing the color currency game. Earlier this year, during the Miami Grand Prix, they released a Formula One watch in a vibrant turquoise.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"alignment":"square_breaker"},"type":"Block::Advertisement"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>Then there are ombre gem-set dials, notably the new Omega Seamaster Diver 300m 60 Years of James Bond Canopus Gold – a watch made in tribute to the Jamaican flag and referencing Ian Flemming's home on the island. The Patek 712/1R-001 has a two-tone gradation of cognac-colored spessartites around the bezel. The color of the stones blends nicely with the rose gold case and bracelet, it has a rich and warm feeling – more neutral than a proper rainbow. And of course, we mustn't forget the Rolex Oyster Perpetual Yacht-Master 40, a sequence of four different-colored sapphire hues and diamonds, also on the bezel; again, not a full gradation but an eye-catching set of colors, nonetheless.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"size":"small","images":["58e501eb-ef44-4848-8701-972e424d48df"]},"type":"Block::InlineImageContainer"},{"data":{"size":"small","images":["3cfd1fb0-c7be-4f14-8aa3-5ba3e7e92f9c","33c1020a-fb0b-4df1-b65b-7c684aa6ea1a"],"enforce_aspect_ratio":true},"type":"Block::TwoUpImageContainer"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>If we widen the definition to feature PVD reflective coating, then we have ourselves a pretty comprehensive list.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"size":"h3","headline":"A Few Of Our Favorite Rainbows"},"type":"Block::Headline"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>To me, the heaviest hitter is the Aquanaut. If anything can dethrone the Rainbow Daytona, it's this timepiece – with its invisible baguette-set diamond-and-sapphire bezel, its engraved mother-of-pearl dial, and its multicolored baguette sapphire hour markers. It has already been seen on the wrist of Kris Jenner, which, regardless of your opinion on the Kardashian family, means the watch is a hot commodity.</p>","dropcap":true},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>\"I don't think Patek were following a trend,\" said Leigh Zagoory, a VP and specialist in the watch department at Sotheby's. \"I think they were trying to involve more women. They were smart to do it on an Aquanaut, even though the hype around Nautilus and Aquanaut is starting to die down, they are both instantly recognizable watches. That is what a Daytona is to Rolex.\" Which rings very true <a href=https://www.hodinkee.com/"https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/the-patek-philippe-aquanaut-luce-rainbow-chronograph#comments\" target=\"_blank\">with my argument for Patek to make more popular modern watches for women</a><a href=https://www.hodinkee.com/"https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/the-patek-philippe-aquanaut-luce-rainbow-chronograph#comments\" target=\"\">.</a> \"It's good because it's so understated,\" Zagoory says. \"It's not as chunky. It's not as loud. I could wear it in a more casual setting and if you change the strap it would be even more subdued.\"</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>Watch dealer Zoe Abelson loved it, too. \"It's special and very un-Patek in a good way,\" she told me after posting about it on her popular <a href=https://www.hodinkee.com/"https://www.instagram.com/watchgirloffduty/?hl=en\%22 target=\"_blank\">Instagram feed</a>. \"If they're going to sell hype sports watches and not focus on their grand comps and dress watches like they used to, at least make them interesting.\"</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"size":"small","images":["928e39e3-ce22-4813-a39f-2430e5b621b2"]},"type":"Block::InlineImageContainer"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>For its part, H. Moser released a Streamliner Tourbillon Rainbow in both steel and 5N rose gold, pulling out all the stops with a fumé dial for the steel and a vantablack dial for the gold – oh, plus a flying tourbillon at 6 o'clock. This is a watch with a lot going on, but somehow it manages to look almost…restrained? It's a beautiful piece. Top notch.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"size":"small","images":["1aaeee21-3dee-433a-ae32-b41474dd8d50"]},"type":"Block::InlineImageContainer"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>Although I could never wear the giant 49mm Hublot MP-09 Tourbillon Bi-Axis Carbon Rainbow, it's notable as a rainbow sans gemstones. This watch features a rainbow-themed case made through the rigorous process of threading carbon composite; colored carbon bars are then inserted to fill in the gaps. A materially innovative rainbow! Similarly, the Zenith DEFY Extreme Felipe Pantone came through with a rainbow PVD-coated rotor register and hands, which all reflect a gradient of metallic rainbow tones. At three o'clock there's also a 30-minute totalizer, featuring a mini graduated scale of colors, for an extra rainbow touch.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"size":"small","images":["c6d27adf-0f2f-4428-8c68-78245eb5ef62"]},"type":"Block::InlineImageContainer"},{"data":{"size":"small","images":["91a4cd18-c306-43b4-a81b-7fb78d6744e2"]},"type":"Block::InlineImageContainer"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>Meanwhile, <a href=https://www.hodinkee.com/"https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/audemars-piguet-just-reinvented-the-rainbow-with-this-new-royal-oak/" target=\"_blank\">Audemars Piguet reinvented the rainbow</a> with two sets of 10 individually unicolored gem-set Royal Oaks, in two sizes: 37mm and 41mm. Each watch is made of white gold and set with approximately 800 baguette-cut stones (861 total stones in 179 sizes for the 41mm; 790 total stones in 153 sizes for the 37mm), all of the stones were hand-selected and custom-cut to ensure uniformity. Apparently, a rainbow bezel is no longer enough: The new gold standard is a full collection of gem-set watches that make a rainbow when you line them all up. How nice for whoever can afford this.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"size":"small","images":["83e4768b-6ef8-4976-ab36-d9a5c27247ef","9aaee70d-8ae0-4e02-b1c1-b81e93dc4a23"],"enforce_aspect_ratio":true},"type":"Block::TwoUpImageContainer"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>On to the next Audemars Piguet Rainbow, the Royal Oak Offshore Selfwinding Music Edition. As a tribute to Audemars Piguet's ties with the music world, the <i>tapisserie</i> dial bears the pattern of an equalizer. This gem-set version is particularly rainbow-y; it renders the equalizer motif in colored gemstones which also continue onto the bezel.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"size":"small","images":["f3b99412-7874-4394-be4a-30c106a257da","00c48349-aebe-48c8-a294-1ffc66135e26"],"enforce_aspect_ratio":true},"type":"Block::TwoUpImageContainer"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>The final Audemars Piguet rainbow on the list, and my personal rainbow watch of the year, is the Carolina Bucci 34mm Black Ceramic Rainbow Dial. At first glance, the dial appears black, but on closer inspection it reveals a reflective multi-colored spectrum tapisserie effect in the light. The combination of black ceramic and subtle rainbow on a 34mm watch is heaven to me.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"size":"small","images":["95951d7c-77d8-4261-ba9d-8323b792a49a"]},"type":"Block::InlineImageContainer"},{"data":{"alignment":"right_rail"},"type":"Block::Advertisement"},{"data":{"size":"h3","headline":"Parting Thoughts"},"type":"Block::Headline"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>Zagoory is probably right that Patek is appealing to women with its Aquanaut. But then again, the watch is 39.9mm, which is big for a lot of women – and plenty of men. This fact, plus the cross-gender appeal of that original Rainbow Daytona, makes me think the 2022 generation of rainbows are pretty much made for everyone. To confirm this hunch, I asked Hublot's CEO, Ricardo Guadalupe, what he thought. After all, his brand has more than one rainbow model – there was also last year's Hublot Classic Fusion Takashi Murakami Sapphire.</p>","dropcap":true},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>\"I would say, in the rainbow, our sales are 50 percent men and 50 percent women,\" Guadalupe told me. I was impressed with this statistic, and even more shocked by the fact that 25 percent of Hublot's overall sales are to women. At 49mm, the MP-09 Tourbillon is obviously made for men, and it's not even meant to be a big seller. \"The piece will not change our business revenue,\" he said. \"It's a run of eight watches. It's a talking piece.\"</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>And that, my friends, is why brands keep making rainbows. Nobody wants to be left out of the conversation.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>\"Everything is cyclical,\" said former Hodinkee editor Cara Barrett, who owns a Rainbow Daytona and penned an enthusiastic <a href=https://www.hodinkee.com/"https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/rolex-rainbow-daytona-everose-gold-hands-on/" target=\"_blank\">Hands-On review for Hodinkee in 2018</a>. \"It's just like fashion. Watches are the exact same thing – when one thing is up, the other thing is down. And then it dies. And then it comes back 10 years later. That's just how it works.\"</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>All hail rainbow, the design trend of 2022 – and, it seems, of 2032, as well.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"}],"migrated_content":true,"meta_title":"Design Trend of the Year: Rainbow Watches ","meta_description":"","meta_social_media_headline":"","meta_social_media_description":"","meta_social_media_image":"","artist_name":"Andy Gottschalk","artist_type":"illustrator","internal_notes":"","column":{"id":53,"slug":"year_in_review","name":"Year In Review","description":"","sort_order":null,"created_at":"2017-12-20T15:21:49.969-05:00","updated_at":"2022-05-04T17:01:26.062-04:00","status":"hidden"},"hero_image":{"id":"e3a6cf82-200c-4fca-8950-5e98bcb91a02","container_id":11654,"container_type":"Article","url":"https://hodinkee-production.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/images/0e2bd033-f89d-4a31-a091-41011050ecf1/Dec6-DesignTrendoftheYear.png","width":2880,"height":1620,"format":"png","render_args":null,"caption":null,"alt_text":"Aquanaut Rainbbow ","created_at":"2022-12-07T09:53:37.211-05:00","updated_at":"2022-12-07T09:53:37.211-05:00","sort_order":0,"product_ids":null,"imgix_url":"https://hodinkee.imgix.net/uploads/images/0e2bd033-f89d-4a31-a091-41011050ecf1/Dec6-DesignTrendoftheYear.png?ixlib=rails-1.1.0"},"share_url":"https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/our-style-editor-on-the-years-biggest-watch-design-trend","full_title":"Year In Review: Our Style Editor On The Year's Biggest Watch-Design Trend","tags":["h-moser","rolex","patek-philippe","audemars-piguet","omega","tag-heuer","zenith","hublot","omega-seamaster","rolex-cellini","rolex-daytona","carolina-bucci","year-in-review-2022"]},{"id":11641,"slug":"chopard-just-released-a-new-yellow-gold-alpine-eagle-and-were-basking-in-its-glow","column_slug":"hands_on","title":"Chopard Just Released A New Yellow Gold Alpine Eagle And We're Basking In Its Glow","status":"published","working_copy_of_id":null,"published_at":"2022-12-04T15:00:19.647-05:00","created_at":"2022-12-03T15:36:01.961-05:00","updated_at":"2022-12-04T16:25:42.246-05:00","scheduled_for":null,"review_status":null,"package_id":null,"lede":"<p>The watch gods have answered my prayers with a yellow gold version of the maison's signature sport watch.</p>","hero_media_type":"image","hero_video_id":null,"hero_video_type":"vimeo","hero_homepage_image":null,"gallery_view":false,"legacy_url":null,"multiple_authors":false,"pinned_related_article_id":null,"hero_image_url":null,"hero_homepage_image_url":null,"view_count":24673,"public_token":null,"notification_sent":true,"keyword_targeting":null,"apple_news_id":null,"display_template":"standard","exclude_from_related":false,"comments_state":"comments_enabled","article_type":"default_article","shopify_id":null,"featured_comment_id":null,"noindex":false,"sponsored_by":null,"advertising_enabled":true,"redirect_url":"","automatic_related_articles":true,"show_promotional_frame":true,"show_related_articles":true,"show_editors_picks":true,"sponsor_image_url":"","display_theme":"light","custom_props":{},"content_chunks":[{"data":{"alignment":"square_breaker"},"type":"Block::Advertisement"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>I have spent a good deal of time, actually more like a borderline unhealthy amount of time, complaining about the prominent use of rose gold in today's watch market. Frankly speaking, I just don't like the stuff. But I'm a sensible, empathic human, when I need to be – I understand that rose gold, despite being an inferior precious metal in my eyes, must somehow be attractive to a wide pool of people. Those people certainly don't run in my social circles, but I'm guessing that every Swiss watch executive out there can't be entirely wrong.</p>","dropcap":true},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>The use of rose gold wouldn't bother me so much if it weren't for the fact that yellow gold seemed to suffer complete annihilation at the hands of these very executives. So I went out on an investigative mission, one led by fury and motivated by sheer confusion.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>\"Dear CEOs, why the rose gold agenda?\" I asked at every possible turn. My friends all prefer yellow gold, every fashion editor I know prefers yellow gold, and historically, yellow gold has been worn by the most celebrated and glamorous style icons; Paloma Picasso, Bianca Jagger, and Elizabeth Taylor (notably in her role as Cleopatra) to name but a few.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>Earlier this year, I wrote an article for <a href=https://www.hodinkee.com/"https://shop.hodinkee.com/products/hodinkee-magazine-volume-10/" target=\"_blank\" data-product-id=\"6691333242955\" data-shoppable=\"link\">Hodinkee Magazine</a> lamenting the fact that so few brands were producing their novelties in my preferred precious metal. I prefaced the whole article with an incident between myself and a PR rep for Chopard back in 2019, right after the Alpine Eagle had just launched. She showed up to a photo shoot with two iterations of the watch; one in stainless steel and one in, yup, you guessed it, rose gold. I was visibly upset with this offering, I simply couldn't understand why there was no yellow gold model. I reacted to her as if the whole thing were a personal attack; lucky for me, she took it in stride, and we are still friends.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>Readers, I am pleased to say that after a long and bumpy ride, we have come full circle. The watch gods have answered my prayers: The 41mm Chopard Alpine Eagle has been made in yellow gold and I can't quite believe it.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"size":"small","images":["6e43b37a-cbd4-4fdf-910a-3bb2f5221e42"]},"type":"Block::InlineImageContainer"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>Despite the famous rose gold incident of 2019, I have always had a soft spot for the Alpine Eagle. It's a well-made, good-looking watch. Which brings me to my next point, Chopard is a brand that doesn't always get the credit it deserves, it often feels underrated amongst many of its horological peers. Bought by the Scheufele family in the early '60s, the brand as we know it today is more commonly associated with its prominence in the high jewelry space and its sponsorship of the Cannes Film Festival. But Chopard originated as a bonafide watch manufacturer, it was created by namesake founder Louis-Ulysse Chopard way back in the 19th century.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>The maison, which is currently run by the German-born Scheufele family, introduced the St. Moritz, the predecessor to the Alpine Eagle, back in 1980. Then-22-year-old Karl-Friedrich Scheufele (now brand co-president) insisted that the family get on board with the dominating market trend of stainless steel sports watches. And while I admit that 1980 is at the very end of the timeline for the conception of such a product, I am, much like you probably are, bored of the Gérald Genta design purists' argument. I acknowledge, of course, that he is completely responsible for the conception of the trend and let me just be clear: I love and appreciate and often lust over the Royal Oak and Nautilus. But can we please agree to move on and accept that other watches are welcome in the space? Particularly watches that were conceived in and around the original time period of peak-Genta greatness.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>The St. Moritz was Chopard's attempt at a sexy, youthful, luxury lifestyle product; an identity that went hand-in-hand with the infamous Alpine ski resort town for which the line was named. I spoke with Mr. Scheufele about his decision to push the maison into a completely new direction back in 1980 when the brand was focused primarily on jewelry and gold dress watches. \"I really sensed that we needed to open up to a more casual lifestyle. My argument was that people were indulging more and more in [lifestyle] sports: tennis, golf, skiing – which was my case, it's still my case. I couldn't go skiing wearing a gold dress watch.\" I went on to ask him if he felt the decision was in response to the changing trends of the watch landscape. \"I was convinced that we needed to keep up with the times, yes. It was a piece that was made for what was, at the time, a younger generation.\"</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"size":"small","images":["248a48f7-0b0c-40e2-b3da-297acc735bf2"]},"type":"Block::InlineImageContainer"},{"data":{"size":"large","images":["2050192a-4a7f-4c7f-9e7c-67b82f70949a"]},"type":"Block::InlineImageContainer"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>The story of the St. Moritz starts in 1980, it was then announced at Basel in 1982 and hit stores late in 1983 and was sold in three colorways: stainless steel, two-tone (steel and yellow gold), and solid yellow gold. \"We were obviously very good at manufacturing gold cases and bracelets,\" Mr. Scheufele laughed and took a pensive pause: \"But cases and bracelets in stainless steel. That was the real novelty. That was also something which needed some persuasion.\"</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>We spoke about my obsession with yellow gold, which Mr. Scheufele seemed to understand from the outset of my explanation. In fact, he got it without barely any prompting on my part. It was a refreshing reaction from a Swiss-based watch executive. \"When I started in the watch industry, every gold watch was basically yellow gold and I think now we can obviously sense a return.\" This was maybe the best news I'd heard from any watch CEO, or really from anybody working at any Swiss watch brand. I tried to keep calm and not get super New York and loud about it. He continued, \"Yellow is, in a way, more edgy. Or you could even say, more contemporary.\" I definitely let out a little squeal but I think Mr. Scheufele was probably relieved at the fact that I had such a positively strong reaction.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"alignment":"square_breaker"},"type":"Block::Advertisement"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>Chopard is now opening a new flagship boutique on Fifth Avenue in New York, in the historic Crown building. The city has sentimental value to the Scheufele family. The images for the first-ever St. Moritz campaign were shot in a studio in New York, and Mr Scheufele remembers the day fondly. He also explained that it was his grandfather's wish to have a boutique on Fifth: \"My grandfather went to the States for 18 months, when he was in his twenties. He worked in New York as a goldsmith to finance a trip he wanted to take to the West Coast.\" Chopard opened its first US subsidiary back in 1976, inside the Rockefeller Center.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"size":"large","images":["a8141a9e-7aed-4823-9d27-f0707dee429e"]},"type":"Block::InlineImageContainer"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>I got my hands on the new 41mm model in time for its debut, which will be unveiled tomorrow at the brand-new Fifth Avenue boutique. The features of the watch remain pretty much identical to the 41mm rose gold and stainless steel versions. The satin, polished bezel, complete with beveled edges, sits atop the tonneau-shaped case (which measures 9.7mm thick) and is fixed in place with screws, which ensure 100 meters of water resistance. The crown is signed with a compass rose motif located at three o'clock, in between the polished crown guards, which are also repeated at nine o'clock. And while this feature does bear a resemblance to the Nautilus design, it keeps things looking symmetrical.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"size":"small","images":["a15650a2-2ded-468c-b1d8-f16c00e67f68"]},"type":"Block::InlineImageContainer"},{"data":{"size":"small","images":["ad160a93-7e55-4561-b7bf-53e492b3a62c","9c3e3186-07a3-43a7-b965-b807fed2c581"],"enforce_aspect_ratio":true},"type":"Block::TwoUpImageContainer"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>The screws on the bezel have a small tendency to misalign at times, but this <a href=https://www.hodinkee.com/"https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/why-screw-slots-arent-aligned-in-watchmaking/" target=\"_blank\">seems to be true of all screw heads featured in watch design</a> – with the exception of the Royal Oak, which features bolts, not screws, and the screwed-on nuts which hold them down from the back usually don't line up. So there, we solved that! I personally don't care too much about minor screw misalignment, but if you are a stickler for this kind of detail it can be forgiven when considering the quality of the watch's finishing: the vertical satin-brushed caseband, the tapered bracelet with largely brushed surfaces, offset by the polished central caps (each individual link is actually easily removed with a screwdriver, a bonus!), and polished facets at the edge of each link. And then, of course, there is the textured dial, reminiscent of an eagle's iris, a feature which Mr. Scheufele confirmed was inspired by the name.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>The dial is certainly what makes this model stand out against its competitors on the market. It's more akin to dials one would usually find on a Grand Seiko; the deep ridges are (intentionally) uneven in order to evoke a more natural look. The swirl pattern feels almost hypnotic to me – well, I'm not sure if it's the pattern or the fact that I'm staring down at a giant hunk of 18-karat gold, either way, the dial is impressive. There is a sapphire crystal exhibition caseback through which you can see the in-house caliber Chopard 01.01-C, it offers a power reserve of 60 hours. The movement is complete with an engraved central rotor in 22-karat yellow gold.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"size":"small","images":["526ae8c5-a1e7-4982-87f7-0fbe9791ce1f"]},"type":"Block::InlineImageContainer"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>The Alpine Eagle has a glare-proof, flat, sapphire crystal which helps the owner to admire all of the fine details on the textured dial, as well as the gilded applied hour-markers and numerals which are enhanced by Super-LumiNova (as are the gold-plated, baton-style hours and minutes hands). The arrow-type seconds hand with eagle feather counterweight is made of bronze and also plated with yellow gold. The date window is displayed between four and five o'clock with a gold disc to match the dial.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>The bracelet, while attractive, is quite rigid and extends the case out quite significantly. While it's certainly too large for my six-inch wrist, if you're in the game for this size range of watch I think it's important to consider that this wears more like 42mm than 41mm. There is a sequential-fold butterfly clasp, which, when closed, bears a very small and discreet engraved Chopard logo.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"size":"small","images":["9f8dc2eb-44e5-4a42-8669-a2cd1cc0824b"]},"type":"Block::InlineImageContainer"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>This watch is solid 18-karat gold; that's a considerable amount of heft. The bracelet, which feels extremely refined on the steel models, feels chunkier in yellow gold. The specs are the same, but the weight just gives the watch a different quality. Mr. Scheufele explained that Chopard was one of the first brands to incorporate the use of \"Fairmined gold\" – gold which is sourced directly from a mine the brand is familiar with and which runs in a responsible manner, both socially and environmentally, or gold which is sourced from a supplier with the correct certifications – into jewelry and watch production back in 2013. As of 2018, the brand was able to announce that they now use Fairmined gold exclusively.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>Perhaps my overall praise for this watch was to be expected? I made the case for a very specific change to a watch that I was already fond of and I got what I wished for (well, I <i>am</i> still hoping for the 36mm, but Mr. Scheufele told me to be patient!). I just hope that other brands take note of this shift in consumer tastes. I'll be waiting. You know where to find me.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"}],"migrated_content":true,"meta_title":"The new Chopard Alpine Eagle in Yellow Gold. ","meta_description":"The new 41mm Chopard Alpine Eagle in Yellow Gold available at the Fifth Ave New York Boutique. ","meta_social_media_headline":"","meta_social_media_description":"","meta_social_media_image":"","artist_name":null,"artist_type":"","internal_notes":"","column":{"id":8,"slug":"hands_on","name":"Hands-On","description":"A longer-form review of a watch we've actually held and spent time with. 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Most of the Miami Beach activity, which is spread out over the week, seems to go down after dark, and even if it's a daytime event the bass is definitely still bumping. There is a whole spectrum of brand activations, lavish events, and parties, so it's easy to see how anybody could get lost in the Miami sauce. The art, however, remains the primary focus for most people attending – let's not forget that this is an outpost of the world's premier contemporary art fair!</p>","dropcap":true},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>For the Hodinkee crew, it was watches, first and foremost. We braved the high temperatures (my hair braved the humidity) to attend a few special events. First up: Longtime Art Basel sponsor Audemars Piguet held a talk between CEO François-Henry Bennahmias and John Mayer, moderated by our very own Ben Clymer, for the launch of the new <a href=https://www.hodinkee.com/"https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/audemars-piguet-brings-back-the-starwheel-live-pics/" target=\"_blank\">Code 11.59 by Audemars Piguet Starwheel</a>.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>Hublot also invited us to their Miami Basel party, which coincided with the launch of the new MP-09 Tourbillon Bi-Axis Rainbow.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>Last stop was the Miami Beach Convention Center, the perfect place for some afternoon watch spotting. Remembering the reason for the season, we saved a little time to take in the art, too. 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We also offer a selection of pre-owned Audemars Piguet, Cartier, Hublot, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Patek Philippe, and Rolex watches. Explore our current collection <a href=https://www.hodinkee.com/"https://shop.hodinkee.com//" target=\"_blank\">here</a>. </p>","product_ids":""},"type":"Block::DisclosureBox"}],"migrated_content":true,"meta_title":"Watch Spotting At Art Basel Miami 2022","meta_description":"The watches and fashion Hodinkee saw during Art Basel Miami 2022.","meta_social_media_headline":"","meta_social_media_description":"","meta_social_media_image":"","artist_name":"Tiffany Wade","artist_type":"photographer","internal_notes":"","column":{"id":15,"slug":"photo_report","name":"Photo Report","description":"Photo-first, event-driven articles, featuring brief intros and collections of photographs from assigned photographers. Watches on wrists are a priority, but capturing the atmosphere of the event and dynamic imagery is also front-of-mind.\r\n ","sort_order":null,"created_at":"2016-07-13T12:24:44.114-04:00","updated_at":"2022-05-06T14:26:03.596-04:00","status":"hidden"},"hero_image":{"id":"eb2f4983-05dd-4820-9044-7f994a0941da","container_id":11638,"container_type":"Article","url":"https://hodinkee-production.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/images/a86e39a2-9b4f-4105-acb5-0f0fdfca1243/1C2A0390-2.jpg","width":2731,"height":1536,"format":"jpg","render_args":null,"caption":null,"alt_text":"Royal Oak Rainbow ","created_at":"2022-12-02T22:52:17.577-05:00","updated_at":"2022-12-02T23:10:00.593-05:00","sort_order":0,"product_ids":null,"imgix_url":"https://hodinkee.imgix.net/uploads/images/a86e39a2-9b4f-4105-acb5-0f0fdfca1243/1C2A0390-2.jpg?ixlib=rails-1.1.0"},"share_url":"https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/all-eyes-on-the-watches-of-art-basel-miami-2022","full_title":"Photo Report: All Eyes On The Watches Of Art Basel Miami 2022","tags":["audemars-piguet","hublot","audemars-piguet-code-11:59","audemars-piguet-starwheel"]},{"id":11622,"slug":"our-favorite-watch-merch-of-all-time","column_slug":"the_style_section","title":"Our Favorite Watch Merch Of All Time ","status":"published","working_copy_of_id":null,"published_at":"2022-12-01T13:00:00.000-05:00","created_at":"2022-11-30T16:00:05.241-05:00","updated_at":"2022-12-01T14:10:49.690-05:00","scheduled_for":null,"review_status":null,"package_id":null,"lede":"<p>From branded baseball caps to cell phones – and everything in between.</p>","hero_media_type":"image","hero_video_id":null,"hero_video_type":"vimeo","hero_homepage_image":null,"gallery_view":false,"legacy_url":null,"multiple_authors":false,"pinned_related_article_id":null,"hero_image_url":null,"hero_homepage_image_url":null,"view_count":48998,"public_token":null,"notification_sent":true,"keyword_targeting":null,"apple_news_id":null,"display_template":"standard","exclude_from_related":false,"comments_state":"comments_enabled","article_type":"default_article","shopify_id":null,"featured_comment_id":null,"noindex":false,"sponsored_by":null,"advertising_enabled":true,"redirect_url":"","automatic_related_articles":true,"show_promotional_frame":true,"show_related_articles":true,"show_editors_picks":true,"sponsor_image_url":"","display_theme":"light","custom_props":{},"content_chunks":[{"data":{"alignment":"square_breaker"},"type":"Block::Advertisement"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>If you are a consumer in the year 2022, chances are you own some kind of branded merchandise. Maybe you have a <i>New Yorker</i> tote that came free with your subscription, which you pretend to use as a nothing shopping bag for a small grocery run – but the choice of branding is actually wholly intentional and you're desperate for people to read you as an intellectual. Or maybe you drink your coffee out of a State Farm insurance mug – you're not sure why it lives in your kitchen cabinet, but you sip from it every morning anyway. Or maybe you've spent hours trawling eBay looking for a Patek Philippe baseball cap and setting alerts for Rolex multi-tool knives.</p>","dropcap":true},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"size":"small","images":["e67d4bf0-4182-450e-b6d4-dd55ae8c4dee"]},"type":"Block::InlineImageContainer"},{"data":{"size":"large","images":["dc01b71d-20f0-4308-bbfc-404dc711c244"]},"type":"Block::InlineImageContainer"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>We are living in the age of promotional merch. There's just no escaping it. From giant conglomerates to small indie brands, everybody's playing the game. And consumers want in. Products that were once merely given away as extras have become a paid-for extension of the lifestyle that certain brands are synonymous with. They've become social currency.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>In the watch world, what used to be commonly referred to as \"swag\" now sits under the umbrella term of merchandise – or \"merch\" if you're feeling saucy. It is now somehow normalized for collectors to hit an online auction and bid hundred of dollars for perfectly worn vintage Rolex caps. Or tens of thousands of dollars for <a href=https://www.hodinkee.com/"https://www.timetradersonline.com/products/one-of-a-kind-audemars-piguet-royal-oak-golf-club-set/" target=\"_blank\">Audemars Piguet golf clubs</a>.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>A recent visit to the <a href=https://www.hodinkee.com/"https://www.reddit.com/r/rolex//" target=\"_blank\"><i>r/rolex</i></a> subthread on Reddit clarified the division. <a href=https://www.hodinkee.com/"https://www.reddit.com/r/rolex/comments/voiz4l/show_me_your_swag//" target=\"_blank\">The \"Show Me Your Swag!</a> post pictured below led to 99 comments ranging from, \"I've sold all my swag online to the hype boys. Easy $$,\" to \"Have you ever tried the cologne? Just wondering what it's like. I know sensory descriptors online aren't the easiest to input.\" It made for a pretty entertaining read.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"size":"small","images":["03f6a2c2-f1d7-4a6d-af87-65e194b82ec4"]},"type":"Block::InlineImageContainer"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>I am no stranger to the merch game. I'm happy to confess I own a decent amount of it, watch- and non-watch related, vintage, and new. So I set myself the task of finding the coolest, the weirdest, and the downright dumbest watch items available for sale (as of publishing, you know how it goes) on the internet.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>First up is <strong>Rolex</strong>, who, Eric Ku – leading horological expert and cofounder of online auction platform Loupe This – told me \"were really the pioneers for this stuff… Brands like Rolex and Patek, who have been doing this since the '60s, have catalogs of swag that dealers pay for and give out at their own discretion.\" In recent years, the Crown has made key chains, puffer vests, and logo-branded mirrors.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>It's hard to choose just one product from Rolex, the crowned kings of merch, so I chose four. A set of vintage \"Perpetually Yours\" perfume bottles from the '70s, the ones pictured below sold for $12,000 dollars at Christie's in 2019. Rolex brought out a new edition of cologne just over a year ago; one pour homme and one pour femme, I suspect these are what our friend from Reddit was inquiring about earlier. Then there's a Steiff Teddy bear from 2015 and some pretty fancy-looking binoculars, useful when attending all those high-class sports the brand sponsors. And my personal favorite: a '70s Italian marble ashtray produced by the same company who manufactured the Stella dials during that same time period. There's one currently available at the Todd Snyder store in New York (provided by NYC watch dealer Alan Bedwell, <a href=https://www.hodinkee.com/"https://www.instagram.com/foundwell/?hl=en\%22 target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">@foundwell</a>). </p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"images":["2c751883-10b5-40ef-9c00-7400f08a23fc","4eb559a1-4961-4495-9636-8a3afbf34e8a","a43ca3ae-5526-4d56-80e3-787e0ac92f87"]},"type":"Block::SlideshowImageContainer"},{"data":{"images":["f11f3466-dc15-4105-b4be-07cbc6649281","5ceb650d-01d4-491b-8a34-65e1febb770e","534c67d6-360f-4890-a809-13412a214c7f"]},"type":"Block::SlideshowImageContainer"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>Next up is <strong>Patek Philippe</strong>, with the Golden Ellipse solid 18-karat gold lighters. Maybe this is cheating because, technically, these weren't given away for free, but this is my list and I make the rules. Released in the '70s, when smoking was still cool, this is the ultimate luxury watch-related accessory. The lighters came in a variety of textured finishes, and there were examples made in enamel, too.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"images":["9613564a-baa8-42ba-a2b2-af870bba2aca","0bf9c5f0-2a60-4184-8f27-b4a2013155f5","e33dd47f-4f4d-4073-8d91-8183660e89f1"]},"type":"Block::SlideshowImageContainer"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>Patek is also known to give out Limoges porcelain dishes to their VIP clients every year. I stumbled across a <a href=https://www.hodinkee.com/"https://www.watchprosite.com/patek-philippe/patek-limoges-trays--origin-history-etc-/11.1361661.11998201//" target=\"_blank\">forum pos</a><a href=https://www.hodinkee.com/"https://www.watchprosite.com/patek-philippe/patek-limoges-trays--origin-history-etc-/11.1361661.11998201//" target=\"\">t</a> where a collector had managed to achieve a full set at the time of his entry. The engagement was relatively high, with nothing but praise for this man's full set of enamel-painted plates. Case in point for the collectability factor.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"size":"small","images":["5a139e00-36c0-427c-b7c8-2ff96c8319ce"]},"type":"Block::InlineImageContainer"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>Now for everybody's favorite polarizing brand: <strong>Richard Mille</strong>. \"RM is a break-the-rules kind of brand,\" Ku says. \"I think the coolest non-vintage and most substantial gift I've seen is the Richard Mille Rimowa watch box.\" This is luxury on luxury, two powerhouses combined. A black aluminum Richard Mille-stamped Rimowa box with the Rimowa logo lasered onto each of the three small cushions. There are a few <a href=https://www.hodinkee.com/"https://www.ebay.com/itm/185420785364?hash=item2b2bf0a6d4:g:V8EAAOSwfgZieyff&amdata=enc%3AAQAHAAAA8PuTjutKarAxbY3h3RuYasTUyxyEKomzpOpPT5lhc2D32rKqmks5W9Plo23m%2BVjdQyfTcAqzLtCkdn4HQXzmbQVMqUrKORqfMctWjQwQDnJLPKGy8kFlnk8VFJrzJuKyHWkpL1OtTd9r4nk5atkkFxnBZxO%2FrniWSGO0SiugzJHNJwSpmhDcA%2BeBceRwG1%2BWIorHPRgDUJyUuiq824hpgWaVwaFXNyo%2Bo66YQhhqWzSX8%2BMPw2ZU8ljNTiYCEsZLlXXwQqJDSq80pFZp3JbmsxzLl5y6DETRZauPen0YCkXfvxV9zm87NzWF2IHR%2F8EHaw%3D%3D%7Ctkp%3ABFBMxrnnq5lh\%22 target=\"_blank\">currently available on eBay,</a> with one asking price <a href=https://www.hodinkee.com/"https://www.ebay.com/itm/203740595682?hash=item2f6fe2c5e2:g:PgsAAOSw9qRhxmdn&amdata=enc%3AAQAHAAAAsBnjwEu607T%2BNZcWuYbHTGVuUR4w2m3MgKgVGyMU92E2X0Gctf9yFKPpQ4ruPwWNI0iriJgvG8ZlxkCFbCFrY8gIXdbu3L6Y4Fa1VQTfm4l9k7nIllyYFBol6szYy6wwYSR4Vp3sg3OdYZdRX6jl8MoCPt%2FrsSEJC7NYENDrDdECxRTURC6NzBSEqUQPOAaxRH0Q2nwyNuqdRK84QxnDCmzdKs6xvSNJQBjTRBrB4Pkc%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR8i556uZYQ\%22 target=\"_blank\">set at $8,500</a>.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"size":"small","images":["d5371aee-5f8d-46f0-8118-8d144f474be4","cad8df83-3247-45a4-b8a9-be991df8523f"],"enforce_aspect_ratio":true},"type":"Block::TwoUpImageContainer"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>Then there's the Richard Mille Polaroid camera. Also black and also signed. Ku went on to tell me about the fancy candy-filled gift boxes they gave out during the Bon Bon collection launch in 2019. Inside the box, there was also a small digital camera painted with tiny candy gummy drops. \"They've given away a lot of cool gifts. Not necessarily just expensive, but cool.\"</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"alignment":"right_rail"},"type":"Block::Advertisement"},{"data":{"copy":"<p><strong>Audemars Piguet</strong> is also a heavy-hitter in the swag space. The<i> tapisserie-</i>textured pen is a firm favorite among collectors, as well as the branded AirPods and Gold Xoopar Bluetooth Mini Speaker. And let's not forget the Royal Oak wall clocks, also given as gifts to VIPs; but be warned, these do not come with an in-house movement, which is pretty obvious from the sticker price (around $5,000). If you're really thirsty for some AP swag then I would suggest visiting <a href=https://www.hodinkee.com/"https://www.timetradersonline.com/pages/about/" target=\"_blank\">TimeTraders.com</a>, an online platform dedicated to selling authenticated Audemars Piguet luxury goods and accessories.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"images":["1cb103b0-c13e-4aed-907f-5061d5ea1849","9924e93c-0e68-4065-a1f9-e5da5e48cb21","507794c5-d9cd-425f-af30-1cded2a3c844","19f399da-46e6-4e7a-8c6d-0527107a8706","b99db965-83fb-4996-bda2-04043b0305eb","7c216f6d-59ac-4d89-b03f-31a2a9f10df0","6cd54130-4a7b-475b-ae5c-98626d1f3dea"]},"type":"Block::SlideshowImageContainer"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>As a vintage T-shirt fanatic, I had to include the <strong>Swatch </strong>graphic tees from the '80s and '90s. You can find them on Grailed and Etsy for a pretty reasonable price. I recently purchased one that was made for the 1997 Swatch Artist Special GR135 ROBOBOY by Steve Guarnaccia. It was $24. A bargain by vintage T-shirt standards. Honorable mention goes to the MAXI Swatch wall clocks. Not a free gift but a pretty crazy-looking object. Below is the Damien Hirst collaboration Mickey Mouse MAXI Clock made in 2018 in a run of 333. The clocks originally went for $500 at retail. I found one on eBay going for $24,999.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"images":["e82e8c2a-0143-49d7-84ba-5db0a1b2e6c5","3a6e4fac-b673-4925-8197-f07a3e0cd901","7c93b0f4-3b8d-4337-9f1c-d0ff7685151c","53396c5e-82ca-4751-9d34-70ca906a03e3"]},"type":"Block::SlideshowImageContainer"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>Now for an item that falls under the weird memorabilia that was once a functional product, now for sale category: <a href=https://www.hodinkee.com/"https://www.ablogtowatch.com/tag-heuer-meridiist-mobile-phone-is-official-costs-more-that-your-tag-watch-watch-out-vertu//" target=\"_blank\">The <strong>TAG Heuer </strong>Meridiist mobile phone</a>. Why TAG Heuer made a collection of luxury cell phones is beyond me, but I did warn you that this list contained products that skewed on the stranger side. At time of sale (2008), this phone retailed for $5,000, and features included a touchscreen, a speaker, Bluetooth, and an MP3 player, probably with the likes of Soulja Boy and Flo Rida on repeat. Very 2008.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"size":"small","images":["a155ca9f-4a0d-4a5e-a39f-2efb87165ce2"]},"type":"Block::InlineImageContainer"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>This list wouldn't be complete without the <strong>MB&F</strong> Robotoys and Robodogs, which are watch stands with arms, hands, and legs that can be manipulated. The toys are for sale in the M.A.D Gallery shop and may be included with purchase; I wouldn't know, as much to my dismay, I've yet to purchase a Legacy Machine.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"images":["cdeec287-b79e-4d30-98ed-13b933e99d0e","b41043b5-6b51-4144-b615-79d15966c311","75004b19-5e01-46ad-af52-39cb5f5ba261"]},"type":"Block::SlideshowImageContainer"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>MB&F isn't the only watch brand in the toy game. My colleague, Tony Traina, recently just went <a href=https://www.hodinkee.com/"https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/what-these-fp-journe-toys-and-boxes-tell-us-about-where-the-hype-is-dying-down-and-where-its-not/" target=\"_blank\">In-Depth on <strong>F.P. Journe</strong> toys</a> and what they might mean for the watch world in general (I make a guest appearance, a true crossover episode).</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>When I spoke recently with Yoni Ben-Yehuda from NYC-based luxury watch and jewelry boutique Material Good, he was sure the golden age of swag happened during the '70s and '80s: \"The big conglomerates have the most resources for merch and the least appetite. The more popular the watches, the less exciting the merch.\"</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>I am of the opinion that each watch brand has had its own golden age for merch: Patek and Rolex in the '70s, Swatch in the '90s, and Audemars Piguet in the 2010s, but Ben-Yehuda certainly wasn't wrong when he commented about the attitude of many retailers: \"Now the watch is presented as a gift,\" he says. \"Even though we are paying for it.\"</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>Which brings me to my next question: What merch would you like to see in the future? I personally believe that baseball caps and other wearable items are the most effective. But perhaps that boils down to the fact that wearable merch simply falls in line with what's trending today. So I'm throwing the question out to the wider watch community. Suggest what you'd like to see in the comments section, below.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"}],"migrated_content":true,"meta_title":"The Best Watch Merch by Rolex, Audemars Piguet, and Patek Philippe","meta_description":"","meta_social_media_headline":"","meta_social_media_description":"","meta_social_media_image":"","artist_name":null,"artist_type":"","internal_notes":"","column":{"id":317,"slug":"the_style_section","name":"The Style Section","description":"Where fashion and watches intersect.","sort_order":19,"created_at":"2022-11-30T16:10:19.147-05:00","updated_at":"2022-11-30T16:10:28.340-05:00","status":"hidden"},"hero_image":{"id":"9866bb44-f323-4f0c-98c3-96bc722acbe2","container_id":11622,"container_type":"Article","url":"https://hodinkee-production.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/images/f6d38fc6-9cc2-4a30-b4bc-6e600851c022/hero-rolex-perfume.jpg","width":2880,"height":1620,"format":"jpg","render_args":null,"caption":null,"alt_text":"Vintage Rolex perfume bottles ","created_at":"2022-11-30T16:00:05.350-05:00","updated_at":"2022-11-30T16:00:05.350-05:00","sort_order":0,"product_ids":null,"imgix_url":"https://hodinkee.imgix.net/uploads/images/f6d38fc6-9cc2-4a30-b4bc-6e600851c022/hero-rolex-perfume.jpg?ixlib=rails-1.1.0"},"share_url":"https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/our-favorite-watch-merch-of-all-time","full_title":"The Style Section: Our Favorite Watch Merch Of All Time ","tags":["rolex","patek-philippe","audemars-piguet","tag-heuer","mbf","swatch","richard-mille"]},{"id":11610,"slug":"the-watch-lovers-guide-to-london","column_slug":"neighborhood_watch","title":" The Watch Lover's Guide To London","status":"published","working_copy_of_id":null,"published_at":"2022-11-28T15:18:00.000-05:00","created_at":"2022-11-27T18:03:22.266-05:00","updated_at":"2022-12-13T10:53:40.455-05:00","scheduled_for":null,"review_status":null,"package_id":null,"lede":"<p>Pack some comfortable shoes, grab your raincoat, and leave your Rolex at home. This London native is taking you on a (totally unbiased!) horological tour of the greatest city in the world.</p>","hero_media_type":"image","hero_video_id":null,"hero_video_type":"vimeo","hero_homepage_image":null,"gallery_view":false,"legacy_url":null,"multiple_authors":false,"pinned_related_article_id":null,"hero_image_url":null,"hero_homepage_image_url":null,"view_count":25272,"public_token":null,"notification_sent":true,"keyword_targeting":null,"apple_news_id":null,"display_template":"standard","exclude_from_related":false,"comments_state":"comments_enabled","article_type":"default_article","shopify_id":null,"featured_comment_id":null,"noindex":false,"sponsored_by":null,"advertising_enabled":true,"redirect_url":"","automatic_related_articles":true,"show_promotional_frame":true,"show_related_articles":true,"show_editors_picks":true,"sponsor_image_url":"","display_theme":"light","custom_props":{},"content_chunks":[{"data":{"alignment":"square_breaker"},"type":"Block::Advertisement"},{"data":{"copy":"<p><i>Hodinkee writers are always on the move. In this </i><a href=https://www.hodinkee.com/"https://www.hodinkee.com/search?q=neighborhood%20watch\%22 target=\"_blank\"><i>new series</i></a><i>, we'll show you the world through our eyes. This is how we (and watch-loving locals) experience some of our favorite cities around the world. Set your GMT bezel and join us on the trip.</i></p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>My great-grandpa Monty, a born and bred Londoner, and the kind of man to repeat things he found very true, would often revisit the famous Samuel Johnson quote, \"When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life.\" Grandpa loved his city with unwavering devotion; he knew his neighbors around the square, he was steadfastly loyal to the local shopkeepers and restaurants and adored taking his grandchildren out on adventures to shows and museums. I will always remember our black cab rides to his favorite book shop, John Sandoe, just off the Kings Road. He had a habit of slipping back into his East London accent as he joked with the cabbies. After each visit we would come home with a fresh new stack of books and as much chocolate from the newsagent as we could physically carry. </p>","dropcap":true},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>It's hard to make this city guide without a heavy dose of nostalgia. I have lived in New York City for almost nine years, but London is my native city and I think of it often. During visits, I return to old haunts and soak up the feeling of familiarity; the ivy-covered houses that line the cobblestone mews, the meandering streets of the neighborhood where I grew up and the handsomely tall trees that line Holland Park. For me, London is the garden squares and the Friday morning Portobello Market trips, the dimly lit pubs, and the friends and family whom I love. Of course, London isn't just my hometown, it's also a global capital city, with plenty of horological delights. </p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>But before I rattle off my favorite spots and send you merrily on your way, it would be remiss of me not to preface this with a giant disclaimer alert: London is experiencing a huge surge in <a href=https://www.hodinkee.com/"https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/why-do-we-watch-videos-of-people-stealing-watches/" target=\"_blank\">watch-related crime</a>. This is something to take into consideration when packing watches for your visit, as well as a plea for you to take precautionary measures if purchasing anything new. And while we would normally include a watch spotting section, these days it feels like anything of value is best worn inside.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>The below advert has recently been doing the rounds on social media and Reddit subthreads. The digital billboard created by online auction house <a href=https://www.hodinkee.com/"https://www.watchcollecting.com//" target=\"_blank\">Watch Collecting</a> has provoked uproar for misleading many into thinking it was an official advert created by the Metropolitan Police, but the message was not wrong. <a href=https://www.hodinkee.com/"https://www.met.police.uk/foi-ai/metropolitan-police/d/june-2022/theft-of-watches-january2018-may2022/?__cf_chl_tk=CmlpYN4orICbw.TekwFuaC4hEJlByaPW21FWARa1Shw-1669661984-0-gaNycGzNB6U\%22 target=\"_blank\">The statistics</a> were, in fact, obtained by the Met and are factually correct. Of course, watch theft is rampant in cities all over the world but the numbers in London are particularly concerning. Stay safe out there!</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"size":"small","images":["39cb2c4f-7a9a-4abd-8020-1f473c972b8c"]},"type":"Block::InlineImageContainer"},{"data":{"size":"small","images":["8b04c9b9-6916-4fd9-bf44-2aaaeec9ba40"]},"type":"Block::InlineImageContainer"},{"data":{"size":"h2","headline":"Where To Watch Shop"},"type":"Block::Headline"},{"data":{"copy":"<p><a href=https://www.hodinkee.com/"https://www.instagram.com/alexstevensvintage/?hl=en\%22 target=\"_blank\">Alex Stevens</a> is a self-described \"man with a phone.\" He calls his business model the \"modern version of an antique dealer with an estate car.\" Stevens, who wears a yellow gold Tank Louis Cartier as his daily, has been buying and selling watches since his teens and is a staple on the London vintage scene. He offers a wide range from the usual suspects: Rolex, Cartier, Audemars Piguet, and Omega, as well as a host of cool British military-issued pieces. Like with any good dealer, if you have a specific request then ask and you shall receive. I spend A LOT of time on his Instagram and he has some pretty great informational <a href=https://www.hodinkee.com/"https://www.tiktok.com/@alexstevensvintage?lang=en\%22 target=\"_blank\">TikTok videos</a>, too. I will also give credit where credit is due: Stevens was the man who introduced me to vintage Pierre Cardin watches, which I am now obsessed with.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"size":"right","images":["9c490d4f-0004-4775-a181-6303a49255d1"]},"type":"Block::InlineImageContainer"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>I asked Stevens to give me a rundown on the London pre-owned and vintage scene. \"Hatton Garden is probably where people's minds go initially but it's very trade-y and can be quite intimidating as a private buyer,\" he told me, apprehensively. He wouldn't necessarily recommend it as a first stop but, he added, \"You're most definitely going to get a better price than somewhere on Bond Street or Burlington Arcade.\" If you do feel like taking a trip to the historic Burlington Arcade, a shopping gallery first opened in 1819, even to just check out the scenery, he recommends <a href=https://www.hodinkee.com/"https://www.maunderwatches.co.uk//" target=\"_blank\">Maunder</a> as a safe bet for high-end retail and <a href=https://www.hodinkee.com/"https://www.vintagewatchcompany.com/collection-landing/" target=\"_blank\">The Vintage Watch Company</a> for window shopping. \"The owner isn't exactly friendly,\" he warned. \"But the windows are amazing, you'll see anything from a 9-karat gold, boring Rolex to a £300,000 Paul Newman Daytona and Stella dial Day-Dates.\"</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"size":"small","images":["5cf24c24-ebaa-4df2-b567-6655a7ce0997"]},"type":"Block::InlineImageContainer"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>Next stop is <a href=https://www.hodinkee.com/"https://www.somlo.com//" target=\"_blank\">Somlo London</a>, also in Burlington Arcade, recommended to me by Stevens as well as long-time industry veterans James Buttery, a seasoned watch journalist, and <a href=https://www.hodinkee.com/"https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/why-mark-cho-co-founder-of-the-armoury-is-letting-almost-everything-go/" target=\"_blank\">Mark Cho</a>, watch collector and owner of the Armoury. Somlo is the sole official vintage dealer of Omega in the world. Buttery summed it up nicely in a reply to my DM, \"Father-and-son-run Somlo offers a gateway into vintage Omega (and others) via one of the most inspiring window displays in town. Ask for Daniel if you go. It's worth it for the '60s Piaget cuffs in the window alone.\"</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"size":"small","images":["3f3a1e4b-faa4-4ae5-93f0-8b45ed21aabd"]},"type":"Block::InlineImageContainer"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>If you're up for an adventure and something a bit \"dustier,\" Buttery also recommends <a href=https://www.hodinkee.com/"https://www.instagram.com/antiquewatchuk//" target=\"_blank\">Antique Watch Co. </a>in Clerkenwell. Stevens recommends the 101 Antique Arcade (also known as the Red Teapot) in Portobello for a good scavenger hunt, but it can be hit-and-miss. More on my beloved Portobello Market, below.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"copy":"<p><a href=https://www.hodinkee.com/"https://www.instagram.com/robinmann//" target=\"_blank\">Robin Mann</a>, founder of Mann About Time, is another London-based vintage watch specialist of note. He focuses on mid-century Omega, Rolex, and Universal Genève with a smattering of other bits in between. Mann sells both online, where he deals with the higher-ticket watches, and also has a cabinet of pieces in Drake's, Savile Row, and Fortnum & Mason, Piccadilly, where a selection of watches can be bought for anything up to the £3,000 mark – the latter is especially fun if you feel like a traditional spot of afternoon tea on the fourth flour, after perusing the jewelry and Mann's watches.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"size":"small","images":["99f6edba-8f98-4633-a617-2839b2fba927"]},"type":"Block::InlineImageContainer"},{"data":{"size":"small","images":["ca690188-4a84-4e44-94de-db56b682d78b","4aa1dc89-2455-4405-b0b3-19e65e919f62"],"enforce_aspect_ratio":false},"type":"Block::TwoUpImageContainer"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>Mann was recommended to me by Stevens, a sign of the collegiality in London's watch community. \"Independent dealers here are really working together and not against one another,\" Mann says. \"Coming from the art game, it makes a welcome change.\"</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"size":"small","images":["11c5adda-797a-440a-8105-31759e2bd23e"]},"type":"Block::InlineImageContainer"},{"data":{"size":"small","images":["a624e020-b2e7-4a0f-beea-f78dbe416ad6"]},"type":"Block::InlineImageContainer"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>Next up is London auction house Bonhams, a treasure trove loved by both me and Stevens; he suggests trying Bonhams Knightsbridge, \"They don't have the sexiness that the other auction houses do, but 10, 15 years ago they were one of the biggest players in the watch game.\" If you dig through the lots, chances are you'll find some cool offbeat gems that you might actually have a chance of winning at auction.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>Stevens notes that London has been a tricky place for watch dealing since Brexit. \"We've got this geographical and currency difference, and now, because of Brexit, it's even harder for British dealers to access foreign stock, we don't have as much to work with. Remember that the U.K. is a tiny country in comparison to the U.S. That being said, the watch business is still quite strong for such a small place with so many limitations.\"</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>For those of you who are looking for a traditional retail experience you can head over to Bond Street for your pick of the lot. James Buttery insists that your first stop would have to be Watches of Switzerland (155 Regent Street). In the most English-sounding sentence I've heard in a while, Buttery told me, \"Chrono 24 have also just refurbed a huge barn in Hertfordshire that they'll shuttle London customers to.\" So I did my research and it turns out luxury pre-owned watch specialist <a href=https://www.hodinkee.com/"https://www.xupes.com/watches/products.html/" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Xupes</a>, previously based up the road at The Wheat Barn (I kid you not), was acquired last year by the global watch trading marketplace. Now known as The Barn by Chrono24, it is home to offices, a trading floor, workshops, and a new operation called The Watch Atelier.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"alignment":"square_breaker"},"type":"Block::Advertisement"},{"data":{"size":"h2","headline":"Where To Go For Service"},"type":"Block::Headline"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>For a fair and reliable service or battery change head to <a href=https://www.hodinkee.com/"https://tictocman.com//" target=\"_blank\">Tic Toc Man</a> in Hatton Garden. If you need some heavier duty restoration work, try <a href=https://www.hodinkee.com/"https://www.shwr.co.uk//" target=\"_blank\">Steven Hale Watch Restoration</a>, pricey but a reliable name in the game.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"size":"h2","headline":"Where To Go When You're Not Watch Shopping "},"type":"Block::Headline"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>Narrowing this down is going to be tough so I'll keep this West London-based. That's what you're getting from me, folks, because I'm West London born and bred!</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>I'll start with the aforementioned <a href=https://www.hodinkee.com/"https://johnsandoe.com//" target=\"_blank\">John Sandoe Books</a>. Founded in 1957, this little gem is located at 10 Blacklands Terrace in Chelsea and is well worth a visit if you are the kind of person who strives to be a repository of information and literary quotes. When searching for the website I fell upon a Google review that pretty much sums up the whole experience: \"creaky floors, narrow staircases, cluttered piles, and tweed-clad customers.\" I am biased, given my emotional attachment to the place; this is where my grandpa replenished the ever-growing and ever-changing stack of books and magazines next to his bed; he had a standing tab with them and refused to shop anywhere else. But this is an independent bookstore mecca. The staff are particularly helpful and should you have the means and the inclination, they can even help you create your own home library.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"size":"small","images":["061870cd-eed1-4479-827a-35c86ed7e670"]},"type":"Block::InlineImageContainer"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>I grew up going to Portobello Market and while it's not exactly a hidden secret, a Friday morning stroll in the neighborhood is heavenly, but avoid Portobello Market like the plague on Saturday afternoons! I would suggest starting at Notting Hill Gate tube station and working your way down the Portobello Road. You'll find everything here: fruit and vegetables, antiques, jewelry, vintage clothes, knickknacks, and the best baguette in London at <a href=https://www.hodinkee.com/"https://www.instagram.com/maison_puget_french_bakeries//" target=\"_blank\">Maison Puget</a> (tried and tested by my French grandmother, who has lived in London for 63 years).</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>If you keep walking down and make a right onto Golborne Road, that's when you get to the good stuff. Portuguese custard tarts at Lisboa Patisserie, coffee at Golborne Deli, and shopping at my favorite vintage store in the WORLD: <a href=https://www.hodinkee.com/"https://relliklondon.co.uk//" target=\"_blank\">Rellik</a>.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>My very dear friend Jonathan Krauss opened up Golborne Road hotspot <a href=https://www.hodinkee.com/"https://laylow.co.uk//" target=\"_blank\">Laylow</a> with his business partners in 2018. It's been a hotbed of it-girls and celebrities ever since. There are three floors: restaurant, club, members' bar, plus a handful of secret rooms. The interiors are sumptuously plush with lots of velvet upholstery and scattered cushions, all designed by London-based Bella Freud, daughter of Lucien Freud. I recommend Sunday lunch in the restaurant and the live music events in the basement club.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>Now for some serious shopping. The <a href=https://www.hodinkee.com/"https://www.margarethowell.co.uk//" target=\"_blank\">Margaret Howell</a> store on 34 Wigmore Street is a zen, light-filled, airy space with enormously high ceilings. It's full of perfectly staged mid-century furniture and objects; the kind that inspire you to abandon any sense of personal taste and to adopt an absolutely identical minimalist aesthetic. But the main attraction here are the clean-cut, deliciously tactile and often androgynous-looking clothes. Howell, propagator of the less-is-more strata of fashion philosophy, is a national treasure. She has come to represent the benchmark standard for understated utilitarian luxury. The design studio lives behind the store, where Howell's desk sits under a huge Georgian sash window surrounded by books, personal pictures, and fabric clippings.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"size":"small","images":["df7da8cc-0c3b-47a5-9bc7-87b4b2e18a38"]},"type":"Block::InlineImageContainer"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>Last on the list, a trip to <a href=https://www.hodinkee.com/"https://www.instagram.com/artistjewel/?hl=en\%22 target=\"_blank\">Didier ltd</a> – an extraordinary place full of extraordinary objects for both art and jewelry lovers. The Gallery is located on Kensington Church Street and specializes in artistic jewels designed by leading modern masters and designers from the second half of the 20th century. Didier and his wife, Martine Haspeslagh, have acquired one of the most impressive collections of artists' jewelry known to exist. Make sure you book in advance and set out time to speak with Didier himself, he knows absolutely everything about his trade and is one of the most insightful specialists I have had the pleasure of spending time with. There is jewelry from Calder, Picasso, Dali ,and Braque. Jewelry designers such as Delfina Delettrez use this sanctuary as a reference archive. It's not a particularly watchy place, but it was through Didier that I discovered the Dali Spoon Watch, as well as \"La César,\" an 18-karat gold watch in the form of the artist's thumb.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"size":"small","images":["667d886c-561c-40ea-aee1-7c4deca94225"]},"type":"Block::InlineImageContainer"},{"data":{"size":"small","images":["c92c417b-be41-4db1-9b9d-11aa4415cc56"]},"type":"Block::InlineImageContainer"},{"data":{"size":"h2","headline":"Where To Eat "},"type":"Block::Headline"},{"data":{"copy":"<p><a href=https://www.hodinkee.com/"https://www.instagram.com/normanscafelondon/?hl=en\%22 target=\"_blank\">Norman's Cafe</a> is perfect for traditional English fare. Fry-ups, bangers and mash, all the home comforts I miss (this is my one East London recommendation because, well, nobody's perfect). Nopi is amazing for Italian food and for Ottolenghi levels of chic. And the newly opened <a href=https://www.hodinkee.com/"https://www.instagram.com/sessionsartsclub//" target=\"_blank\">Sessions Art Club</a> in Clerkenwell (I've sent you east-bound again!) is heaven; the hugely regal open space, a Grade II-listed former courthouse, has giant windows with carefully distressed, art-covered walls and soaring arches. It looks like a fairytale. The food is ostensibly Italian and it comes at a cost. Well worth a visit, though.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"size":"small","images":["d56ffe8c-8773-4b6e-b0c3-6eb86928394a"]},"type":"Block::InlineImageContainer"},{"data":{"size":"large","images":["a167c4c5-41b5-44dc-9024-f09d171475d9"]},"type":"Block::InlineImageContainer"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>And because London just wouldn't be London if you didn't hit the pub for pints, try the Scarsdale Tavern on Edwardes Square, or the Anglesea Arms on Selwood Terrace in South Kensington for a slightly more elevated but nevertheless authentic experience.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"size":"small","images":["00d2a717-39c4-44a3-87a0-438a7eee1504"]},"type":"Block::InlineImageContainer"},{"data":{"size":"h2","headline":"Pack These Watches"},"type":"Block::Headline"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>For safety's sake, I would suggest your watch choices stay somewhat modest. The Bamford Titanium B347 \"Panda\" has a clean, modern aesthetic that would serve as a great daily wear on your travels. Fellow Brit George Bamford is one of the most genuine and kind people I have met in the watch industry; he also has a <a href=https://www.hodinkee.com/"https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/gb-talks/id1553017451/" target=\"_blank\">very fun podcast</a> that would make for some good airplane listening. </p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"size":"small","images":["8ba66525-453d-475b-a21d-af9235b13e5c"]},"type":"Block::InlineImageContainer"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>If you do leave the house wearing something recognizable, then how about a vintage Cartier London Tank, complete with London hallmarks (which can be found on the side of the case, on the inside caseback, as well as on the original deployant clasp)? This one is Alex Steven's personal prized possession that he keeps stored in the vault. I'm afraid it's not for sale. Cry.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"size":"small","images":["a5e1ce45-f783-47fb-9a39-bef006e6939f"]},"type":"Block::InlineImageContainer"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>I keep a picture of my grandpa on my dresser. It was a photograph I would stare at on the pinboard in his study; he's walking down a street in New York, dapper in a suit and double-breasted overcoat, the year is marked 1953. I look at it every day, a reminder that when all the ruckus of New York tires me out, home is always to be found within.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"}],"migrated_content":true,"meta_title":"The Watch Lover's Guide To London","meta_description":"Where to shop for watches in London.","meta_social_media_headline":"","meta_social_media_description":"","meta_social_media_image":"","artist_name":null,"artist_type":"","internal_notes":"","column":{"id":237,"slug":"neighborhood_watch","name":"Neighborhood Watch","description":"For the horologically-minded, travelling to a new city presents an opportunity to engage with the hobby in a new locale. But where do you start? HODINKEE has the answer, with a guide to the city's best spots for watch fans.","sort_order":23,"created_at":"2022-02-09T20:59:39.832-05:00","updated_at":"2022-05-04T14:53:45.753-04:00","status":"hidden"},"hero_image":{"id":"8917599f-23c9-4339-8945-982e4b25efb8","container_id":11610,"container_type":"Article","url":"https://hodinkee-production.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/images/696f6c52-94de-49c7-aa70-d8c7e9f2f13e/NeighborhoodWatch-London_v2.jpg","width":2880,"height":1620,"format":"jpg","render_args":null,"caption":null,"alt_text":"Vintage postcard of London ","created_at":"2022-11-27T18:03:22.295-05:00","updated_at":"2022-11-27T18:03:22.295-05:00","sort_order":0,"product_ids":null,"imgix_url":"https://hodinkee.imgix.net/uploads/images/696f6c52-94de-49c7-aa70-d8c7e9f2f13e/NeighborhoodWatch-London_v2.jpg?ixlib=rails-1.1.0"},"share_url":"https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/the-watch-lovers-guide-to-london","full_title":"Neighborhood Watch: The Watch Lover's Guide To London","tags":["rolex","audemars-piguet","omega","universal-geneve","watch-shopping","cartier","bamford-watch-department","vintage","bamford","crime","neighborhood-watch"]},{"id":11595,"slug":"gift-guide-malaika-crawford-holiday-2022","column_slug":"gift_guide","title":"Gifts For People Who Embrace The 'More Is More' Philosophy","status":"published","working_copy_of_id":null,"published_at":"2022-11-27T11:00:00.000-05:00","created_at":"2022-11-21T18:06:21.961-05:00","updated_at":"2022-12-16T09:47:07.004-05:00","scheduled_for":null,"review_status":null,"package_id":null,"lede":"<p>Hodinkee's Style Editor Malaika Crawford shares the gifts she would like for herself that work equally well for the style-savvy people in your life.</p>","hero_media_type":"image","hero_video_id":null,"hero_video_type":"vimeo","hero_homepage_image":null,"gallery_view":false,"legacy_url":null,"multiple_authors":false,"pinned_related_article_id":null,"hero_image_url":null,"hero_homepage_image_url":null,"view_count":16295,"public_token":"3a6c96a917a43825230516b48d753c5a","notification_sent":true,"keyword_targeting":null,"apple_news_id":null,"display_template":"standard","exclude_from_related":false,"comments_state":"comments_enabled","article_type":"gift_guide_article","shopify_id":null,"featured_comment_id":null,"noindex":false,"sponsored_by":null,"advertising_enabled":true,"redirect_url":"","automatic_related_articles":true,"show_promotional_frame":true,"show_related_articles":true,"show_editors_picks":true,"sponsor_image_url":"","display_theme":"light","custom_props":{},"content_chunks":[{"data":{"alignment":"square_breaker"},"type":"Block::Advertisement"},{"data":{"copy":"<p><i>In this year's </i><a href=https://www.hodinkee.com/"https://www.hodinkee.com/packages/holiday-gift-guides/" target=\"_blank\"><i>Hodinkee Holiday Gift Guides</i></a><i>, our editors round up their top gift picks across a range of price points, from all corners of the internet and our very own Hodinkee Shop. No matter who you're shopping for this season, we've got you covered.</i></p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>I am a self-confessed hoarder, so in theory, I could shop for loved ones from the comfort of my own closet. But, sigh, that would be cheating! This year, I'm going to brave the streets of NYC, soak up the festive cheer, and hit some real-life brick-and-mortar stores. In a dream world, I would buy everything at Bergdorf Goodman on a casual weekday to avoid the crowds, finish by 5 p.m., and end the day with some personal shoe shopping and a glass of champagne on the 7th floor, but sadly that's not my lifestyle. Not yet, anyway.</p>","dropcap":true},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"headline":"Featured In this Story"},"type":"Block::ShoppableProductSummary"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>Shopping, however, is very much my lifestyle. It's almost become a personality trait, given the amount of time I have spent doing it, professionally. I wish I could say I was one of those people who planned my gift-giving months in advance, as in, \"I saw this hand-blown glass vase being made in the South of France last summer, and it just had your name all over it!\" But if you're anything like me, then you're reading this on December 20th and checking the express shipping options on the Hodinkee Shop site.</p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"copy":"<p>I'm hoping for your sake that you actually aren't like me and that you are a level-headed human checking out this guide for a little nudge in the right direction with enough time for the standard shipping option. And maybe you'll have a glass of champagne when you're all done. You deserve it. </p>","dropcap":false},"type":"Block::BodyCopy"},{"data":{"blurb":"<p>Haribo is one of those universally loved products, every time I see the little bear logo, I get a warm, fuzzy feeling, and the <a href=https://www.hodinkee.com/"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lFK3Dr2Tz34\%22 target=\"_blank\">Haribo commercial music</a> plays in my head on a loop. Then again, maybe that feeling is actually a jittery itch for my next sugar fix, hard to tell. Either way, I'll take this watch – it looks like a giant gummy, plus the packaging is cute. Bonus points for objects that come in square- or rectangular-shaped boxes for foolproof wrapping.</p>\n\n<p>The Baby G is straight-up '90s / Y2K <a href=https://www.hodinkee.com/"https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/styling-90s-watches-with-90s-fashion-and-keeping-things-tubular/" target=\"_blank\">nostalgia</a>. Buy it for a loved one, your inner child, or for an actual child. I like to think of this particular collab as the layman's version of a <a href=https://www.hodinkee.com/"https://www.richardmille.com/historical-models/bonbon-collection//" target=\"_blank\">Richard Mille BonBon collection</a> watch.</p>","brand":"","headline":"","sponsored":false,"product_ids":["6776197316683"]},"type":"Block::ProductHighlight"},{"data":{"blurb":"<p>The <a href=https://www.hodinkee.com/"https://www.matchesfashion.com/us/mens/designers/charvet/" target=\"_blank\">Charvet</a> store in Paris is about as chic as it gets. If you're brave enough to walk into the <a href=https://www.hodinkee.com/"https://theparisshortlist.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Charvet_Place_Vendôme_first_floor_03.jpg.webp/" target=\"_blank\">Place Vendôme shop</a> (do not try and take pictures, I'm speaking from experience), you will be met with rows of striped cotton shirting, tables of silk jacquard ties, and drawers filled with finely ribbed cashmere and silk socks, available in every pastel hue and jewel tone imaginable. It's sartorial heaven. </p>\n\n<p>These slippers are a little slice of Charvet chic that makes you feel grown-up, put-together, and elegant in a way only the French can pull off. All this glamor without even having to leave the house! Buy these for any fashion-savvy friend, and I promise they will be indebted to you for at least the next calendar year.</p>","brand":"","headline":"Charvet Slippers ","sponsored":false,"product_ids":""},"type":"Block::ProductHighlight"},{"data":{"blurb":"<p>Now that I've let you all know I'm a hoarder and sugar addict, I might as well lean in and tell you that I lose my keys, phone, and wallet at least three times a day. Well, I suppose \"misplace\" would be the proper term here, but if you were to see the level of panic that arises every time I empty the entire contents of my purse over the closest available surface area, you would think I had lost a precious family heirloom. </p>\n\n<p>This gadget is helpful for the people in your life who just can't seem to remember where they put anything or who have a habit of throwing things into the bottom of a giant purse and hoping for the best. I am obviously the latter. </p>\n\n<p><i>Though this piece is currently sold out, here's a </i><a href=https://www.hodinkee.com/"https://shop.hodinkee.com/products/apple-airtag-loop-white/" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><i>similar item we love</i></a><i>, and you can shop all Apple products in </i><a href=https://www.hodinkee.com/"https://shop.hodinkee.com/collections/apple/" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><i>the Hodinkee Shop Right here.</i></a></p>","brand":"","headline":"","sponsored":false,"product_ids":["6556997517387"]},"type":"Block::ProductHighlight"},{"data":{"blurb":"<p>More chic gifts for more chic friends! I realize that gifting a toothbrush and toothpaste might seem unnecessary, and I get that oral hygiene isn't very sexy, but trust me on this one. I'm talking about a monogrammed tortoiseshell toothbrush with silk bristles here! Receiving anything from <a href=https://www.hodinkee.com/"https://buly1803.com/en/products/brosse-a-dents-brosse-a-dents-dure?variant=42634093592775\%22 target=\"_blank\">Buly 1803</a> is truly a sensorial experience; the design and quality of the packaging, the expensive and aromatic scent. These are the kind of gifts I hope for, where you shut your eyes when using them and imagine you are staying at the Crillon on Place de la Concorde.</p>\n\n<p><br>If you actually happen to be in Paris over the holidays, may I suggest, after a long browse in Charvet, that you head over to the flagship Buly 1803 store on 6 rue Bonaparte; it has polished walnut wood-paneled interiors, with marble-topped counters, and antique-style faucets. The products come in glass and ceramic bottles and jars, and it all gives very 19th-century French apothecary vibes. They even have an in-house calligrapher who is available to script your name on the packaging of anything you purchase. </p>","brand":"","headline":"Buly 1803 Toothbrush And Toothpaste","sponsored":false,"product_ids":""},"type":"Block::ProductHighlight"},{"data":{"blurb":"<p>Here is my pricey pick for those of you who are feeling spendy. I love this watch because I love anything that looks like it belongs in a '70s sci-fi movie. But I also love this watch for the following reasons: a) it's nearly identical to the original El Primero A385, b) I love a smoked dial, and c) the Zenith ladder bracelet is a seriously under-appreciated piece of (Gay Frères) design. </p>\n\n<p><br>Zenith is a watch person's brand, but I would love for them to get more recognition outside of the collector community. This is by no means an entry-level watch (unless you are horny for the '70s), but giving the gift of the El Primero caliber, the first automatic chronograph caliber, inside a revival of one of the first steel watches ever to house it, well that's pretty nerdy but in a totally accessible way. Plus, it has a 37mm case, and I am team \"anything under 38mm!\"</p>","brand":"","headline":"","sponsored":false,"product_ids":["4723959038027"]},"type":"Block::ProductHighlight"},{"data":{"blurb":"<p>Back to my Richard Mille obsession. The <a href=https://www.hodinkee.com/"https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/hold-the-phone-richard-mille-released-an-emoji-watch/" target=\"_blank\">RM Smiley</a> was one of my favorite releases of the year ( RM haters, you can hang me out to dry, I don't care, I love it), and so this feels like a <a href=https://www.hodinkee.com/"https://store.moma.org/products/smiley-lights?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIz6Lw1d_O-wIVj6XICh1xcgAVEAAYASAAEgKMhPD_BwE\%22 target=\"_blank\">joyous little affordable ode </a>to a not-at-all affordable watch. Great for a teenage relative, your friend who lived through '90s acid rave culture and survived to tell the tale, or for the <a href=https://www.hodinkee.com/"https://blog.rushordertees.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Talking-Heads-Psycho-Killer.jpg/" target=\"_blank\">Talking Heads</a> fan in your life.</p>","brand":"","headline":"Smiley Lights ","sponsored":false,"product_ids":""},"type":"Block::ProductHighlight"},{"data":{"blurb":"<p>I grew up voraciously reading every fashion magazine I could get my hands on. I think I still have a stack of early-2000s <i>British Vogues </i>in an attic somewhere at my grandmother's house in Sussex. It was a passionate activity of mine that somehow, over time, became almost obsolete. </p>\n\n<p>They say print media is dead, but that's just not true. There are countless talented humans working on beautifully curated print publications such as <a href=https://www.hodinkee.com/"https://www.luncheonmagazine.com//" target=\"_blank\"><i>Luncheon</i></a><a href=https://www.hodinkee.com/"https://www.luncheonmagazine.com//" target=\"_blank\">.</a> I came across this title during the early pandemic days, when I noticed a few friends posting stories on their Instagram feeds that were all food-related but through a fashion industry lens. A curious combo! <i>Luncheon</i> mixes art, fashion, and food in the most free-spirited and thoughtful way. It's always a treat to flip through the large format and get lost in the photographic dreamscape they create. </p>\n\n<p>Reading magazines does require more effort than scrolling social media, so why not turn it into a ritual? I always pick up my favorite magazines when traveling through Heathrow airport (for some reason, they always have a wide selection). I spend hours of my plane journey engrossed in gorgeous pictures and long-form articles. Give somebody who craves creative inspiration a subscription to this gem. </p>","brand":"","headline":"'Luncheon' Magazine Subscription ","sponsored":false,"product_ids":""},"type":"Block::ProductHighlight"},{"data":{"cta":"Shop away","url":"/articles/gift-guide-six-gifts-to-give-to-people-with-immaculate-taste","icon":"#icon-white-note","image":"https://hodinkee.imgix.net/uploads/images/52f908c5-1eed-42cc-81f2-bfc814edcb69/Hero_Nora-Taylor.jpg?ixlib=rails-1.1.0&fm=jpg&q=55&auto=format&usm=12","title":"Six Gifts To Give To People With Immaculate Taste ","headline":"Article","icon_alt":"Article","image_alt":"Six Gifts To Give To People With Immaculate Taste ","article_type":"default"},"type":"Block::Recommendation"}],"migrated_content":true,"meta_title":"Hodinkee Holiday Gift Guide: For People Who Believe 'More Is More'","meta_description":"Hodinkee's Style Editor Malaika Crawford shares the gifts she would like for herself that work equally well for the style-savvy people in your life.","meta_social_media_headline":"","meta_social_media_description":"","meta_social_media_image":"","artist_name":null,"artist_type":"","internal_notes":"","column":{"id":51,"slug":"gift_guide","name":"Gift Guide","description":"","sort_order":3,"created_at":"2017-11-29T12:10:28.865-05:00","updated_at":"2023-03-08T13:22:25.032-05:00","status":"hidden"},"hero_image":{"id":"573edf58-c08a-4e24-82d8-2be2deb9e86e","container_id":11595,"container_type":"Article","url":"https://hodinkee-production.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/images/14245174-3bf2-4137-a255-a2c39f03603f/Hero_Malaika.jpg","width":2880,"height":1620,"format":"jpg","render_args":null,"caption":null,"alt_text":"","created_at":"2022-11-21T18:06:22.073-05:00","updated_at":"2022-11-22T09:59:38.274-05:00","sort_order":0,"product_ids":null,"imgix_url":"https://hodinkee.imgix.net/uploads/images/14245174-3bf2-4137-a255-a2c39f03603f/Hero_Malaika.jpg?ixlib=rails-1.1.0"},"share_url":"https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/gift-guide-malaika-crawford-holiday-2022","full_title":"Gift Guide: Gifts For People Who Embrace The 'More Is More' Philosophy","tags":["zenith","apple","zenith el primero","gift-guide","gshock","casio-g-shock","holiday-gift-guide"]}]}">