Half curiosity, half collector’s resource, I bought these “dealer cards” on eBay in 2021. I thought they’d be both lovely and useful for others once digitized. These cards present the watches roughly life size, the cards uncannily similar in size and shape to an iPhone. Vacheron Constantin sent these to dealers so that they could… Read more »
Why Are Vintage Vacheron Constantin Dress Watches Undervalued? Because Vacheron Constantin never had a smash hit dress watch. But why didn’t Vacheron Constantin have a hit, and why do so many collectors focus on hit watches? Fewer Hits Than The Grateful Dead Consider early wrist watch icons like the Cartier Tank or the Patek Philippe Calatrava,… Read more »
Documenting watch servicing with photos should be standard practice among all watchmakers and dealers. Why isn’t it?
In 1960, Seiko’s Suwa factory launched a brand of luxury dress watches known as the Liner. The Liner range was to fit just below the newly launched Grand Seiko range, providing much of the style and luxury without the high precision of the Chronometer-rated Grand Seiko model. However, by 1964, the brand was no more,… Read more »
In my last King Seiko Guide I described how the the King Seiko brand was conceived by the Daini Seikosha factory in 1961 as a luxury watch brand to rival Suwa Seikosha’s Grand Seiko line established in 1960. We also saw how the unnumbered movement from that first King Seiko model would go on to become… Read more »
As watch collectors, we tend to deal with a great deal of animal-derived leather products, mostly straps. For those of us who are concerned with how our consumption of leather impacts our increasingly distressed ecosystems, this guide will serve as a primer on the topic, if not a final answer to the myriad questions one… Read more »
By Gary Bedrosian and Greg Bedrosian Beyond The Dial is pleased to welcome mathematician, aerospace enthusiast, and physicist, Gary Bedrosian, PhD to assist the watch enthusiast community with a deep dive into the slide rule instructions for the Breitling Navaitimer. Gary also happens to be my father and it was truly special to collaborate with… Read more »
The lack of new, old stock crystals can be a real headache for collectors of vintage watches. Some watches use very specialized crystals either by virtue of the shape or the case fitment. When replacement crystals are not available, a serious choice must be made whether to fit a replacement of the incorrect type or live with the imperfections and signs of use. This is particularly relevant to collectors of vintage watches originally fitted with mineral glass which tends to scratch rather easily compared to sapphire glass.
This guide aims to help you hone both looking and seeing as a means to taking personal control of the narratives we carry about watches.
King Seiko was a luxury brand of Seiko from 1961 to 1975. It was positioned directly below Grand Seiko in terms of pricing, quality and accuracy. While the brand was initially created as Daini Seikosha’s alternative to Suwa Seikosha’s Grand Seiko brand, by 1969, both factories were creating watches for both ranges and King Seiko was firmly established as Seiko’s second, purely-domestic, luxury line.