Vintage Watches

The WatchTime Q&A: “The Naked Watchmaker” Co-Founder Peter Speake

English watchmaker Peter Speake and his business partner Daniela Marin founded Speake-Marin & Partner in 2002 in Rolle, Switzerland. When he left the independent brand in 2017, he and Daniela started The Naked Watchmaker online platform “to inform and inspire future generations of watch lovers and collectors, giving everyone a unique insight into timepieces and...

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Jul 19, 2021 by Roger Ruegger

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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Jul 19, 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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Jul 19, 2021 by Jens Koch

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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Jul 12, 2021 by Mark Bernardo

Introducing the Accutron Legacy 412, a Precursor to a Cult Classic

Accutron re-launched with a bang as an independent brand in 2020, unveiling numerous futuristic designs alongside a swath of historically-inclined, neo-vintage styles. Since its high-profile rebirth, the brand has focused foremost on the latter of these two pillars, eschewing more luxurious aesthetics, seen in collections like its captivatingly modern Spaceview, in favor of the more...

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Jul 9, 2021 by Caleb Anderson

Return of the French Skin Diver: Introducing the New Jacques Bianchi JB 200

Marseille-based master watchmaker Jacques Bianchi began providing models of the JB 200, a distinctively designed, quartz-powered divers’ watch that he developed for his eponymous brand, to the French Navy in the mid-1980s. Now 80 years old, Bianchi has partnered with a small team of French watch-industry players to resurrect the JB200 for a modern audience,...

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Jul 4, 2021 by Mark Bernardo

Breitling Dives Into Summer Colors with Superocean Heritage ’57 Pastel Paradise Capsule Collection

Ushering in the summer months in colorful fashion, Breitling has unveiled the new Superocean Heritage ’57 Pastel Paradise Capsule Collection. The series consists of five diver-style watches, all executed in bright, trendy pastel colorways and catering to a diverse and likely younger audience of watch buyers. The collection follows on the heels of the original...

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Jul 2, 2021 by Caleb Anderson

Tudor Introduces Black Bay Fifty-Eight Bronze: New Size, New Bracelet

Tudor returned to watch-industry headlines recently, for good reason, with the unveiling of the latest addition to its popular, “mid-sized” Black Bay 58 collection, the Black Bay Fifty-Eight Bronze, which offers not only the namesake bronze case but also the option to wear it on a solid bronze, Oyster-style bracelet. Featuring the aesthetics of previous...

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Jun 30, 2021 by Caleb Anderson

Sponsored: How Chrono24 Elevated the Status of Online Secondhand Watch Buying

Have you noticed that the watch collecting community is rarely whispering about the so-called “gray market” these days, and has instead become deeply engaged with discovering valuable pre-owned watches, hunting down prized “unicorn” timepieces, and embracing the thrill of side-stepping the impossible wait lists for certain new models? Chrono24 has not only been at the...

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Jun 23, 2021 by WatchTime

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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Jun 22, 2021 by Mark Bernardo

Fresh Tuna: Seiko Introduces the Prospex 1986 Quartz Diver’s 35th Anniversary Limited Edition

Japanese watchmaker Seiko made news earlier this month when it released a pair of vintage-inspired dive watches, the new SPB239 and SPB237 references. Proving it was not quite finished yet with resurrecting its historically influenced timepieces, Seiko now unveils a third in 2021: the Prospex 1986 Quartz Diver’s 35th Anniversary Limited Edition Ref. S23635. The...

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Jun 19, 2021 by Caleb Anderson

Vacheron Constantin Opens Its New North American Flagship in New York City

As has been hotly anticipated for some time, Vacheron Constantin will be opening its new North American flagship boutique this week in New York City. The boutique presents itself as much more than a simple retailer — more like the most comprehensive immersion into the brand you’ll find outside of its base in Switzerland —...

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Jun 14, 2021 by Caleb Anderson

Zenith Matches Green Dial with Retro Style in New Chronomaster Revival “Safari”

It’s 2021, and if we have learned anything from the first half of the year, it’s that watch brands are feeling a little green. The latest Swiss watchmaker to ease into the growing trend of verdant colorways is Zenith, which recently introduced the Chronomaster Revival “Safari,” a green-tinted variation on the vintage-flavored Zenith A384 Revival...

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Jun 13, 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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Jun 8, 2021 by Jens Koch

Vintage Dive Watches Resurface as Seiko Introduces New SPB239 and SPB237, Inspired by ’60s and ’70s Models

Few dive watches, historical or modern, enjoy such persistent praise from knowledgeable aficionados as those produced by Seiko. With a vast catalog of offerings at many different price points and levels of precision, the Japanese brand excels in producing watches that appeal to a wide variety of enthusiasts. Recently, Seiko once again revisited its archives...

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Jun 6, 2021 by Caleb Anderson

TIMEPIECE TIMELINE

10 Highlights in the History of the Dive Watch

In the beginning, dive watches were pure tools that helped keep divers on time and alive. Today they’re something else: fashion statements, conversation pieces, rugged companions for a trip to the beach or pool. Our Timeline: "Dive Watches Through the Decades," traces the history of the dive watch from its start in the 1920s, with the invention of the first truly water-resistant cases, to 2014.

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Jun 4, 2021 by WatchTime

The Bear is Back: Oris Launches Big Crown Hölstein Edition 2021

Following up on last year’s inaugural “Holstein Edition” timepiece, an all- bronze version of its popular Divers Sixty-Five chronograph, Oris has unveiled the latest in its limited series of watches paying tribute to the Swiss village of its founding. The Big Crown Holstein Edition 2021 provides a novel take on Oris’s vintage-inspired Big Crown model,...

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Jun 2, 2021 by Caleb Anderson

Ready for Takeoff: The Story of Longines and the Pioneers of Aviation

Daring pilots relied on Longines watches aboard their flying machines in the 1920s and 1930s. The brand’s recently launched Spirit models recall this exciting history. Freezing cold. Deafening noise. Leaden fatigue. He’s been flying for 11 hours and now night has fallen over the Atlantic Ocean. It will be more than twice as long before...

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May 31, 2021 by Ruediger Bucher

Sponsored: Following Up “A History of Firsts,” Bulova Launches YouTube Collector Series

With a history that spans 145 years, Bulova has built a legacy as an innovator in watchmaking. This history not only encompasses its many accomplishments in horology and design, but goes far beyond the watch industry itself, but encompasses the American brand’s role as a leader in the evolution of timekeeping and its growing role...

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May 26, 2021 by WatchTime

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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May 21, 2021 by Mark Bernardo

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