Category: STRUCTURAL – Featured Section 1

A Seiko SJE093 62MAS Reissue Kicks Two Vintage Rolex Submariners Out of the Watch Box

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Seiko 62MAS and Vacheron Platinum Dress Watch

While I was away from BTD, I acquired two neo-vintage Rolex Subs. One is a two-tone 16803 from 1984 I got in a bizarre cash deal. It doesn’t glow, as the tritium has burnt through it’s half life a couple times. 1984 was the first year of the two-tone Sub, so eventually this will be a significant watch for collectors. The other Rolex Sub is a perfectly ghosted 16800 from 1981, making it a “transitional Sub,” which has a sapphire crystal and the quick-set date, but the old-school matte dial of the earlier 1680s. As my colleague, friend and well-known Sub-fanatic Greg Bredosian says, “That’s peak Sub right there.”

Hands-On – Tudor Black Bay 54

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In March of 2023, Tudor released the Black Bay 54 at the Watches & Wonders tradeshow. I’ve seen this feeding frenzy before with the Baselworld 2018 release of the Black Bay 58. Another Black Bay. Should I care? Curiosity manifested and I asked my local Rolex/Tudor AD to let me know when they got one in (even if it’s already allocated).

Hands-On – Yema Superman 500 GMT 39mm

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Yema is a watch brand that grows on me a little more with every new release. Its designs range from the futuristic LED Kavinsky to the vintage-inspired Navygraph Marine Nationale. Yema’s designs are thoughtfully familiar while being unapologetically French. Yema has reached a point with enough unique design language that it’s unfair to classify the brand as a wishful homage. The latest iteration of Yems’a Superman 500 GMT is a welcome update to its catalog. 

Iteration Tracker Tudor Black Bay Chrono (All Models 2017-Present)

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Tudor Black Bay Chrono Iteration Tracker

A unique and indispensable resource, our Iteration Trackers provide chronological information on all iterations of a specific watch model. Model Overview The Tudor Black Bay Chrono combines elements of the brand’s vintage Prince Date Chronograph with various versions of the Rolex Daytona Chronograph. Launched in 2017, the first Tudor Chronograph involved a movement produced in… Read more »

Iteration Tracker Tudor Black Bay Fifty-Eight (2018 – Present)

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Tudor Black Bay 58 Iteration Trackers

A unique and indispensable resource, our Iteration Trackers provide chronological information on all iterations of a specific watch model. Model Overview The Tudor Black Bay Fifty-Eight is an immensely popular retro-styled dive watch taking inspiration from Rolex and Tudor Submariners dating from the 1950s through the 1970s. Taking it’s basic form from the larger 41mm… Read more »

Insight Why the 2022 King Seiko Relaunch was a Misstep

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King Seiko is Back! So Seiko finally relaunched the King Seiko brand last month after a 46-year absence. With hindsight, last year’s 140-year commemorative SJE083 King Seiko limited release now seems to have been Seiko testing the public’s reaction to a renewed King Seiko brand. As a huge fan and avid collector of vintage King… Read more »

Book Review “The Cartiers” by Francesca Cartier Brickell

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The Cartiers is far more than a family member’s account of the legendary luxury brand; it is a unique overview of the 20th Century from a very specific – but entirely compelling – point of view.

Second Look The Oris Big Crown ProPilot X

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There’s wisdom in the old adages that tell us to be wary of first impressions, to not judge books by their covers, and to give things time, because only time will tell. Second Looks are opportunities to revisit watches that have been available for a while – many years, even – and give them fresh… Read more »