green rambles

Green Rambles: Numbers Don’t Say Everything

Today I heard an interesting conversation between two people about cars. One argued that a certain Tesla was better than a Mercedes because it was faster and available at a lower price. I kept out of it, although hearing this conversation transported me about 25 years back in time when on a sunny summer day,...

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Jan 30, 2023 by Martin Green

Sponsored: Artel Rotec Introduces New Sky Series

Independent watchmaker Artel Rotec is introducing its second collection, the Sky Series, this month, with the bold timepiece serving as a worthy follow-up to its V-Series limited edition sports watch lineup. Artel Rotec first formed in 2018, when designer and longtime watch collector Matthew Roknipour launched the brand as a family owned, independent watch company...

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Jan 25, 2023 by WatchTime

Green Rambles: I Want to Do What You Do, but I Won’t Do That

This article was first published in spring of 2022. Every now and then, I get an email from somebody saying; I want to do what you do, how do I do that? I always respond to these emails and messages, and my first question is often: what do you think it is that I do?...

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Jan 23, 2023 by Martin Green

Green Rambles: Planting A Seed

About 25 years ago, I joined my mother in visiting a Christmas fair in Cologne, Germany. It was a dreadful day weather wise, with overcast, cold winds, and a nasty drizzle instead of more winter-appropriate snow. This weather soon persuaded us to go inside a large bookstore. Not a place I would usually venture into...

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Jan 9, 2023 by Martin Green

Green Rambles: Why Aren’t You A Bit More Critical?

Criticism and watch journalism have always been on edge with one another. One could argue that there is a great dependency between the writing press and the watch brands. Even at WatchTime, many of the brands we cover also advertise with us, so we better be nice to them, or not? We are indeed, but...

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Jan 7, 2023 by Martin Green

Green Rambles: The Underestimated Importance of a Good Bracelet

Some of you might recognize this: for years, you have been admiring a certain watch, and when you finally get it, you are very excited only to realize after a couple of weeks that you are not wearing it as much as you should. This might have nothing to do with the watch itself but...

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Dec 24, 2022 by Martin Green

Green Rambles: Watch Collecting isn’t About the Tiffany Blue Nautilus, It also Is

One of the things that I enjoy so much about WatchTime, and why it was a very easy question for me when I was asked to join them, is that they cover the entire spectrum of watchmaking. While the most expensive and rarest watches often dominate the headlines, only a fraction of us can afford...

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Dec 19, 2022 by Martin Green

Green Rambles: Experiencing Discomfort in the Business of Collecting

Recently I was at a press presentation for the Rolls-Royce Spectre, the brand’s first fully electric car. We discussed the mustard color chosen for the Spectre and how the brand chose the unique hue. The Director of Future Developments of Rolls-Royce stated that due to the lengthy process of developing a new car, the color...

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Dec 12, 2022 by Martin Green

Green Rambles: An Homage to Those Who Walked Before Us

Most collectors know the feeling of scrolling through an online watch sales platform and coming across an unexpected, beautiful vintage watch. With great anticipation, you click through the photos, and then it all evaporates when you discover that the back is engraved with the initials or name of a previous owner. Next to water damage,...

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Dec 5, 2022 by Martin Green

Green Rambles: Always Take a Second Look

As a watch journalist, I see have the opportunity to see countless watches in person each year. This is a treat and one of the most beautiful parts of my work. Especially at large fairs, the pace is very quick, and it is not unusual to handle over a hundred watches a day and sometimes...

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Nov 28, 2022 by Martin Green

Green Rambles: Investing In the Obsolete

I cannot think of a more successful obsolete technology than mechanical watches. Even when you invest several hundreds of thousand euros or dollars into a triple tourbillon delight, it is outperformed by the cheapest quartz watch, which in turn has a hard time competing with your smartphone. For decades a mechanical watch doesn’t make sense...

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Nov 26, 2022 by Martin Green

Green Rambles: The Power of the Lefty

As of recent, watchmakers have been giving more attention to releasing models with the crown (and pushers) on the left side of the case rather than the right. But why has this just become a thing? Earlier this year, we saw Rolex, and quite recently, Patek Philippe launch timepieces with the southpaw characteristic. While they...

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Nov 21, 2022 by Martin Green

Green Rambles: When After-Sales Is An Afterthought

Sometimes I wonder if brands become so focused on always selling new watches that they forget to provide service for the ones they have sold in the past. Right now, for example, I have two requests for after-sales service with two different brands. The first requires a full service, and it is a complex job...

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Nov 14, 2022 by Martin Green

Green Rambles: Buying Your Childhood Heroes

I still have very vivid memories of the first watches that caught my eye, all those years ago when I was about to set my first steps in the world of watches. I never bought them, as at the time I couldn’t afford them, but they have always stayed in the back of my mind....

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Nov 6, 2022 by Martin Green

Green Rambles: The Un-Exact Part Of Watchmaking and Your Role In It

Watchmaking undeniably places a huge emphasis on aesthetics, but at the end of the day, precision and accuracy are the foundation of the industry. Surprisingly, the same cannot be said for some of the language that is used to describe timepieces. ‘Diving watch’ is a prime example. While I’m sure we all have an idea...

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Oct 24, 2022 by Martin Green

Green Rambles: When Green Gets Tired Of Green

As yet another press release reaches my inbox with the inclusion of a green-dialed watch, I realize how tired I have grown of them. While the world of watches has always been ruled by a certain degree of trends, many makers seem to be following this one blindly. Perhaps it is because green reminds them...

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Sep 26, 2022 by Martin Green

Green Rambles: Is it All About the Money?

The question that I get asked most often on my Instagram account is the price of the watches I post. Some ask politely, others simply message me with ‘PP.’ In my world, this stands for Patek Philippe, in theirs for ‘Price Please,’ but in general, I think that ‘Public Problem,’ is perhaps the best description....

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Sep 19, 2022 by Martin Green

Green Rambles: The Importance Of Visiting Manufactures

When you are an established watch journalist working for respected publications, you get several invitations for press trips during the year. The brands certainly know how to make them tempting, often serving more champagne than water in breathtaking areas of the world with accommodations that rarely rate below five stars. It sounds like heaven on...

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Sep 12, 2022 by Martin Green

Green Rambles: The Power Of Goodbye

Collecting watches is a dynamic process. When I first started collecting, I thought that there was an end to it, that my collection would be complete at some point. When I look back at this, it is somewhat naïve to think. A watch collection is almost like a living, breathing thing, an expression of yourself...

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Aug 15, 2022 by Martin Green

Green Rambles: The GPHG and Its Importance to the Industry

While most of our readers are probably enjoying a sunny beach, the cooler mountains, or any other desirable vacation hot spot, I am on the website of the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG). Here, you can already find the complete list of the competing watches for this year’s edition. The amount of them is...

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Aug 1, 2022 by Martin Green

Green Rambles: The Vacation Watch Dilemma

During this time of year, most people are taking their summer vacations. The fun of this always starts with the preparations; where are we going this year, what can we see there, what are good places to eat, and when you are a watch enthusiast…. what watch am I going to wear? Personally, it is...

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Jul 25, 2022 by Martin Green

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