Vintage Watches

Rarefied Air: The History of the Breguet Type XX Collection

The Breguet family revolutionized watchmaking in the 19th century and aviation in the 20th. The modern Type XX collection is the culmination of its multi-generational savoir faire in both fields. We explore the history of this storied watch model in this feature from our July-August 2020 issue.

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Mar 22, 2021 by Mark Bernardo

Digital Duo: Hands-on with the Yema Digidisc and LED

As demand for more and more unique watches grows, so too does the demand for digital watches. In the luxury realm, this demand has been apparent for some time, with the king of mechanized digital timekeeping, the A. Lange & Söhne’s Zeitwerk, representing possibly the highest tier. In recent years, the trend has entered the...

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Mar 14, 2021 by Caleb Anderson

FEATURE

Flying Ace: Tracing the History of the IWC Big Pilot’s Watch

IWC's Big Pilot’s Watch became an instant classic when it was re-released in 2002. But its history stretches much further back in time. In this feature from the WatchTime archives, we explore the Big Pilot and its many evolutions over the decades.

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Mar 8, 2021 by Jens Koch

Seiko Pays Tribute to Naomi Uemura’s Life of Adventure with Two 1970 Diver Re-interpretation Watches

With its new duo of Prospex 1970 Diver’s Modern Re-interpretation watches, Japan’s Seiko revisits one of its earliest commercially available dive watches and re-interprets and upgrades its popular vintage design for a modern audience. The pair includes a new gray-dial model (Ref. SLA051) and a limited-edition blue-dial model (Ref. SLA049). The latter model celebrates the...

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Mar 6, 2021 by Caleb Anderson

Introducing the Montblanc 1858 Monopusher Chronograph Origins LE100

Throughout 2020, Montblanc launched new releases from all of its various watch collections in rapid-fire fashion — from a limited-edition Heritage Pulsograph and an expansion of its Star Legacy line to an updated smartwatch and a growing blue focus in its 1858 collection, among many others. Heading into the new year, the brand needed a...

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Mar 4, 2021 by Caleb Anderson

Mountain Time: Seiko Heads for the Hills with New Prospex 1959 Alpinist Series

Japanese watchmaker Seiko has commanded serious attention in recent years for its growing roster of vintage-inspired watches. From the GPHG-Winning Prospex 1968 Diver’s Re-Creation SLA025J1, to the Re-Creation of King Seiko KSK, to the Prospex SRQ029 Limited Edition — to name just a few among many — the brand has demonstrated admirable expertise in creating...

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Mar 1, 2021 by Caleb Anderson

Longines Draws a Bead on the 1950s with New Heritage Silver Arrow

Longines has started rolling out its new releases for 2021, and as in many years prior, much of the brand’s focus is on expanding its vintage-inspired Heritage Collection. Last week, we looked at Longines’s latest take on 1930s-inspired Avigation BigEye, with a titanium case and smoked blue dial; now, we turn to one of the...

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Feb 23, 2021 by Caleb Anderson

Overseas Mission: The History and Evolution of the Vacheron Constantin Overseas

Vacheron Constantin’s sport-luxury Overseas collection, tracing its roots to an anniversary model in the 1970s, has become a versatile and resolutely modern cornerstone of the historical maison’s portfolio. The mid-1970s are widely regarded as a regrettable era for fashion, but one fashion accessory, the wristwatch, was having what is now acknowledged as a renaissance. More...

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Feb 22, 2021 by Mark Bernardo

Eye of Blue: Longines Updates the Avigation BigEye with Titanium Case and Smoked Blue Dial (With Live Pictures)

Longines has, in recent years, been substantially growing its already expansive Heritage Collection. In the past year alone the Swiss brand has unveiled, among many others, the Legend Diver Bronze, Military Marine Nationale, and Classic Tuxedo series. Returning once again to its rich archives, Longines this year adds another version of its historically inspired pilot’s...

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Feb 20, 2021 by Caleb Anderson

Sponsored: Unlocking the Equity in Luxury Watches Without Selling

Borro is a leading lender to luxury watch owners who have financial needs left unfulfilled by traditional banks.

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Feb 16, 2021 by WatchTime

Inspired (and Worn) by Elvis: Accutron Presents the New, 1960-Inspired Legacy 521

The revived Accutron returned to the news last week with the latest addition to its catalog, the vintage-inspired Legacy 521. The refreshed model, instantly grabbing eyes with its space-age look and bright gold color, takes its inspiration from a watch of the same name (below) released in 1960. That specific vintage piece was one of...

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Feb 14, 2021 by Caleb Anderson

Priced for the People: Tissot Channels 1978 with PRX 40 205 Integrated Steel Sports Watch

While much of the watch world was focused on LVMH Watch Week, and the plethora of novelties from Zenith, Bulgari, and Hublot, the Swatch Group’s Tissot was quietly releasing one of its more interesting timepieces in recent years. The updated Tissot PRX 40 205 draws its inspirations from a similar watch released back in 1978,...

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Feb 7, 2021 by Caleb Anderson

TIMEPIECE TIMELINE

The History of Seiko Through 12 Milestone Seiko Watches

Discover the history of Seiko watchmaking, stretching all the way back to the late 19th century, which includes several watch-world firsts, from the Seiko Marvel (1956) to the watch-world game changer: the Seiko Astron GPS Solar.

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Jan 20, 2021 by Mark Bernardo

The WatchTime Q&A: Chrono24 Founder and Co-CEO Tim Stracke

Despite the unprecedented challenges posed by the global pandemic, leading online luxury-watch marketplace Chrono24 achieved a wildly successful year in 2020, generating a 25 percent increase in volume and $2.4 billion in transactions. How did the company, which offers a platform for watch dealers, private sellers, and enthusiasts in more than 100 countries, pull off...

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Jan 15, 2021 by Mark Bernardo

Zodiac Partners with Italian Retailer for Super Sea Wolf 53 Compression Limited Edition Grimoldi Milano

Swiss-based Zodiac, founded in 1882, is a brand which has based its modern image upon many watches first developed in the mid-20th century. Chief among these is the ever-popular Super Sea Wolf 53 Compression, which takes inspiration from a skin diver’s watch launched in 1953, then only known as the Sea Wolf. More recently, the...

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Jan 14, 2021 by Caleb Anderson

Perfecting a Watch: The Design Evolution of the Rolex Datejust

Water resistant, automatic winding, chronometer-certified, a date window— in 1945, the Rolex Datejust was the first watch that could offer all this — just about perfect. Nevertheless, Rolex has continued to improve upon it. What does the perfect watch look like? Automatic winding, three hands, a date display, accurate, sturdy and water resistant — you...

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Jan 7, 2021 by Jens Koch

Zenith Re-Creates the Watch World’s First “Smoked” Dial with El Primero Chronomaster A385 Revival

Nostalgia has proven to be a powerful draw for watch enthusiasts in recent years, and Zenith has accordingly mined its archives for intriguing, and in some cases quite rare, timepieces to re-create for a modern audience. Last year saw the release of two historically inspired variations on Zenith’s famed El Primero from 1969, one based...

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Jan 6, 2021 by Mark Bernardo

The History Channelers: Inside the Longines Heritage Collection

The vintage-look trend continues apace, and one watch brand has devoted an entire family within its portfolio to resurrecting timepieces from its long and creative history. In this feature from the WatchTime archives, we explore the origins, inspirations, and varied offerings of Longines’s ever-expanding Heritage Collection.

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Jan 3, 2021 by Mark Bernardo

Watch Collecting 101: How to Clean Your Watch and Strap at Home

With the New Year beginning, and many of our watches undoubtedly needing a good sprucing up, we at WatchTime spoke with a few watch and watch-strap cleaning experts, to help our readers keep their wristwear shining in a few easy steps at home. We spoke with Michael Ryan, Vice President of Watches of Switzerland for...

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Jan 3, 2021 by Caleb Anderson

TIMEPIECE TIMELINE

The Evolution of the Men’s Wristwatch: A Decade-by-Decade Guide

World War I coincided with the breakthrough of the wristwatch. New and trailblazing designs followed in each subsequent decade. From the WatchTime archives, here are our highlights, from the beginning of the 20th Century to the present day.

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Dec 4, 2020 by Ruediger Bucher

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