Author Archives

• George Tyler ‘clock watch’ presented by Queen Anne to the Earl of Cromarty

  By horologium on April 21, 2011 • ( 0 )

  

  I have already blogged about one interesting ‘watch’ that is up for auction at Heritage Auctions. Here is another item from the same collection. It could not be more different to the spy watch, but it is also historically interesting,… Read More ›

• The Protana – the original ‘spy watch’

  By horologium on April 18, 2011 • ( 0 )

  

  Who isn’t intrigued by even the mere mention of spy and espionage devices? Whether we’re talking about the over-the-top comedy of Maxwell Smart’s shoe phone, the reality of miniature cameras hidden in cigarette packets, or even the poison tipped umbrella… Read More ›

• The Thalassa – no longer just blue

  By horologium on April 14, 2011 • ( 0 )

  

  Some of you may have seen one or two photos from Baselworld of an unexpected iteration of Peter Speake-Marin’s striking blue Marin 2 Thalassa, which contains the manual winding in-house calibre SM2. Perhaps like me, you initially thought that one… Read More ›

• A Harley-Davidson and Bell & Ross one-off

  By horologium on April 11, 2011 • ( 0 )

  

  Harley-Davidsons are known for being often modfiied or customised by their owners. Now, the company has teamed up with Bell & Ross to create a one-off motorcycle in conjunction with Shaw Harley-Davidson, based on the Harley-Davidson FXSTB Softail Nightrain. Shaw… Read More ›

• Minute Repeaters

  By horologium on April 4, 2011 • ( 0 )

  

  The January 2011 issue of International Watch had a feature article on repeater watches. They were, with one exception, mechanical watches, and of course as this is a serious complication, the entry level prices were considerable. Most of the big… Read More ›

• Vintage Jump Hours at Sotheby’s

  By horologium on April 3, 2011 • ( 0 )

  

  Those who know me well know of my fondness for alternative time displays, particularly direct read and jump hour watches. I don’t understand why they aren’t more popular, but a couple of interesting  jump hour pocket watches are coming up… Read More ›

• World record amount paid for Rolex wristwatch

  By horologium on March 31, 2011 • ( 0 )

  

  Antiquorum’s most recent watch auction, “Important Modern & Vintage Timepieces”, was held in Geneva on Sunday, March 27, with a result of  CHF 6,457,937 (USD 7,057, 360) for 564 timepieces, with 83 % sold. One of the most notable sales… Read More ›

• Hermès "suspends time" with ‘Le Temps Suspendu’

  By horologium on March 29, 2011 • ( 0 )

  

  Hermès is not normally my first (or even tenth) port of horological call, but the announcement at Baselworld 2011 of the Arceau Le Temps Suspendu grabbed my attention for its whimsy. With Les Temps Suspendu, Hermès’ Arceau watch, created in… Read More ›

• A bit of Moonshine and some Northern stars from Stepan Sarpaneva

  By horologium on March 28, 2011 • ( 0 )

  

  My fondness for Stepan Sarpaneva’s moon continues unabated. Many find it too gloomy or despondent in appearance, but to me it’s a contemplative, poignant, and only slightly mournful moon, reminiscent of Georges Méliès. Finally, after much anticipation, the moon’s latest… Read More ›

• Glashütte Original – Living in the ’70s

  By horologium on March 26, 2011 • ( 0 )

  I am old enough remember the 1970s, albeit as a young child, but the fashion and design of that decade may well be ones that some of us prefer to forget. Baselworld 2011 has brought a new offering from Glashütte… Read More ›