Tag: history

Best Swiss watches

And It’s Goodbye From Them…Milgauss & Cellini Dropped

The latest updated Rolex website shows a couple of longstanding models that are missing, presumed dead from the stock list. Say goodbye to the Milgauss and Cellini models, which are no great loss to the market in our humble opinion. The Cellini watches were a dress watch from the 1960s, taking inspiration from an Italian goldsmith. Originally a range of gold – often presentation style … Continue reading And It’s Goodbye From Them…Milgauss & Cellini Dropped

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Classic Swiss

Hamilton Ventura S Has That Art Deco Class

Yes, the Ventura was worn by Elvis, plus featured in a Men In Black movie – we need to get that stuff out of the way. Let’s look at the real history that underpins the Hamilton Ventura, which is the cross-cultural architecture that built America as a 20th century superpower. By that, I mean the Chrysler Building, Packard Straight Eight cars, the sleek Hoover Dam … Continue reading Hamilton Ventura S Has That Art Deco Class

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Classic Swiss

Auctions: Is a Rolex Explorer Freccione Worth A Bid?

We think so because Explorer values have been heading up a decent pace of late, as demand for GMT II, new Oyster and Subs becomes a feeding frenzy. There is something to be said the classic Explorer, especially one like this, which we spotted on a watch auction site. It’s in Italy, which often sets off alarm bells, but the period box and booklet looks … Continue reading Auctions: Is a Rolex Explorer Freccione Worth A Bid?

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Best Swiss watches

New Cal 400 From Oris is a Worthy Workhorse

Oris has lauched a new in-house calibre movement recently. Why does this matter? Well it’s important because those of us who love watches are always keen to own something unique, that doesn’t share its engine with other watches. For example, you might think Tissot, Certina or a Hamilton were more interesting brands when they didn’t all share the Powermatic 80 movement. Then again, you may … Continue reading New Cal 400 From Oris is a Worthy Workhorse

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British Watches

The Watchmaking Craft of The Past is Worth Appreciating

The thing I admire most about the watchmakers of the past is their determination to solve what must have seemed like incredibly complicated problems. Take this Strigel verge watch from the 1760s for example. It was no easy task making glass back then. No Pilkington float method had been invented, so glass had to be blown into shapes by skilled people, then carefully cut and … Continue reading The Watchmaking Craft of The Past is Worth Appreciating

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Watch market news

Sotheby’s Paul Newman Rolex Daytona Could Make a Cool Hand Million

Sotheby’s have a piece of watch history up for auction on the 31st July. A Paul Newman solid 18K gold Rolex Daytona from 1969, when Newman was arguably at his peak as a movie star, after hits like Cat On A Hot Tin Roof, Cool Hand Luke, Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid and just on the brink of becoming a serious racing driver in … Continue reading Sotheby’s Paul Newman Rolex Daytona Could Make a Cool Hand Million

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Classic Swiss

Three Times A Wristwatch Became The Star of The Movie

Watches are cool. There we said it. But sometimes a watch can play a small part in a movie, symbolising something more than the counting of seconds and minutes. So here are three moments from movie history when watches said something extra – and there isn’t one bomb-about-to-explode movie clip in the list! Too obvious. EASY RIDER – FORGET ABOUT TIME The Easy Rider film … Continue reading Three Times A Wristwatch Became The Star of The Movie

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Vintage Watch Tips

Motorsport History: The Story Behind Mike Hailwood’s Heuer Carrera

A Heuer Carrera was sold by Bonhams last year, making over £56,000, once the property of Mike Hailwood, arguably the greatest motorcycle road racer of all time. That’s Valentino Rossi saying it, not me by the way. The inscription on the 18ct caseback from watch boss Jack Heuer reads `For a Successful 1973,’ and the story of that roller-coaster season is a tale worth telling. … Continue reading Motorsport History: The Story Behind Mike Hailwood’s Heuer Carrera

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