A lot happened at IWC in 1944. An American squadron bombed them on April 1 during an air raid on Schaffhausen, there was the appearance of IWC’s first W.W.W. (Watch. Wrist. Waterproof) watches for the British Army, and also the… Read More ›
Vintage watches etc
Vintage timepieces.
A military classic – a look at a Heuer Bund
Produced by Heuer Leonidas S.A. in the late 1960s and early 1970s for the West German Air Force (Budeswehr), these flyback chronographs using Valjoux 22/ 222/ 230 movements known as ‘Heuer Bunds’ are amongst some of the most collectible and… Read More ›
Scarcity and provenance : Eric Clapton’s Ref. 2499/100 Patek Philippe
In the book collecting world, ‘association copies’ often command higher prices, especially if a gift from a notable author to a similarly notable (and perhaps literary) recipient. In the watch world this concept currently seems most commonly manifested via the… Read More ›
Baume et Mercier’s 160 Year Australian Anniversary Tour
The first ‘adult luxury watch’ that I desired was a Baume et Mercier. I was in my early-mid teens, and can’t remember where or when I first saw a photo of it, but I do remember that I saw it… Read More ›
A truly iconic calibre – the 13ZN Longines
As mentioned in the ‘who are we?‘ post, there are many types of watch enthusiasts. A lot of them get quite excited by movements, and a subset of these are driven to find examples of iconic or important movements. One… Read More ›
Vintage Hamilton BuShips canteen diver
Today I bring you another 1940s American military watch. Not an unissued one this time, but nonetheless still an original one, complete with strap, in pretty good condition. As mentioned previously, whilst the A-11s were produced in large quantities by… Read More ›
A Monaco ‘worn by Steve McQueen’ fetches an astonishing $650,000
What is a ‘Monaco worn by Steve McQueen’? This was a question that I didn’t feel qualified to answer when I was told by a friend of a ‘Profiles in History’ auction of a watch described as “Steve McQueen hero… Read More ›
A rare unissued Waltham WW2 watch
Watches labelled as ‘NOS’ (new old stock) are oft prized. For watches, as it is for books or many other collectables, the idea of something that has been untouched, especially vintage watches, is tantalising. The words ‘new unissued in box’ were enough to draw me into the unknown world of vintage military watches. The lure of an untouched 1945 watch was too great.
The Rolex Ref. 5513 Mk IV
Having already blogged about the Ref. 5510 and the Double Red Sea-Dweller (Ref. 1655), today’s classic Rolex is the Ref. 5513 Mark IV. To read about the beginnings of the Rolex Submariners, go to the Ref. 5510 link above, but… Read More ›
A look at a rare Fifty Fathoms
Are there sounds in the sea Fifty Fathoms deep? Sea Music : W. J. Turner (1884 – 1946) In 1952, the French government created an elite team within the Navy called the ‘Nageurs de combat’ (combat swimmers). Headed by Captain… Read More ›
HOROLOGIUM 