Not sure if you saw but the Hodinkee editorial team spent last week at Watches And Wonders. All told they saw about nine million watches and ate just as many convention center Poke bowls. There were watches we predicted, great watches with a few extra millimeters, new stunners, and a few surprises (more on that this week). We had an absolute blast and here are a few of the team's favorites.
After attending watch trade shows for now over a decade, you realize quickly there are new introduction watches that you see and love and want to own immediately, and others like Sting, where you don't really listen to the music, but you appreciate that he's making it. For me,orologi replica rolex it's about striking a balance of both because I could easily pick a new Daytona (probably platinum with diamond indices did you see how that thing looked on me?) or the Tank Normale but neither of those watches push watchmaking forward in any real way and let's not forget that the name of this trade show is Watches and WONDERS and that's the sensation I think one should feel about a favorite pick from last week. So it'll come as no surprise to anyone who knows me that my favorite is the A. Lange & Sohne Odysseus Chronograph. Because yes, it's a watch, and now indeed I can confirm one you can wear comfortably, and it is a remarkably beautiful, fine, and innovative new caliber from one of the best watchmakers in the world in other words, a veritable wonder of modern watchmaking. It's something new, and out of the norm, with a centralized minute counter, dynamic buttons, and some neat spinny action and it's something special, with only 100 pieces made for the world. But it's a Lange, so it'll actually work, unlike so many of the crazy wonder-producing watches I've seen over the last 15 years. It's not perfect, as my introduction mentioned,replica sunglasses but now having seen it in the metal, it is even better than I thought and frankly, what contemporary watchmakers should strive for in their creations. They say never meet your heroes. I've met a few of mine. Sometimes it's been great especially for people in the watch space that I admire but reality rarely meets expectations. That's why I was nervous about seeing Cartier's Prive Normale. My skepticism was unfounded. The new Normale is awesome.
I've spent far too much time looking through books on Cartier history in an effort to understand not only the brand but the design choices they made from the 1920s to the 1970s and most specifically their bracelets. While it's not a bracelet with quick-adjust or anything we normally get excited about,orologi replica a bracelet in the Prive collection for the first time is big news. So big in fact that it overshadowed the wild 24-hour skeleton movement Prive Normale announced at the same time.
I have minor qualms about the dial color and handset that are partially personal preference, but I really think Cartier knocked it out of the park this one. I'm surprised by my choice of a simple time-only Cartier as my favorite watch of the trade show since I'd much rather have picked a high complication (like the Patek 5316P which, sadly, I only saw behind glass) but the folks at Cartier had exactly what a lot of fans had hoped for and sometimes that is all it takes. - Mark Kauzlarich
I always admired the original Tudor Black Bay from a little over a decade ago. The black dial with a burgundy bezel was a killer combo and on paper, the specs seemed great, but on my wrist, it wore like a toaster due to its slabby case design. A few iterations later, Tudor thankfully addressed that issue and surprisingly upgraded a few others we weren't expecting.
It's still listed at 41mm, but the redesigned case makes orologi replica iwc it nearly indistinguishable at first glance from the Black Bay 58 which was praised by many as the perfect size. Adios slabs! It's also powered by Tudor's manufacture calibre MT5602-U which is a certified Master Chronometer and it comes on an optional five-link style bracelet with Tudor's T-Fit clasp for easy on-the-fly adjustability (think Rolex Glidelock). There's also a new crown, grippier bezel, and a lollipop seconds.
Sure, all these new features come with a slight premium (the five-link variation is $400 more than the previous model on the oyster-style bracelet), but at $4,450 it's hard to think of a watch that looks this good with a similar set of features. I can't wait to get one of these in house and give it the video treatment it deserves.