It’s been a while since I started doing my own introspection about watch collecting and with the current state of the industry, I have finally reached a point where I get very little pleasure out of buying a new watch, whatever that ends up being. I’ve been collecting watches for the last 32 years and I’ve owned almost everything that I never even imagined I would own one day.
Posts filed under From the Editor
From the Editor: Celebrating Swiss National Day with a Philippe Dufour Simplicity
I can’t find a better way to celebrate Swiss National Day today August 1, 2022, than with one of the best watchmakers of our time and an independent watchmaker. The legend Philippe Dufour is a modern watchmaker that has been adhering to the most traditional and classic watchmaking codes since he founded his brand. A creator of some of the most coveted timepieces today, his watches feature clean, classic lines powered by the highest-end in-house movements with superb finishing and incredible hand polishing.
From the Editor: Here's Why I Like the New Santos de Cartier with Blue PVD Bezel
The moment I saw the new Santos de Cartier with blue PVD bezel a few months ago, I fell in love with it. There is no doubt that the Santos de Cartier is one of the most iconic and legendary watches in the world, and I love that every time Cartier releases a new iteration of this watch, they do it with the utmost care. Honestly, you can’t tweak an icon unless you do it right and many brands have learned the lesson the hard way.
From the Editor: The Rolex Daytona with 24 Hours at Daytona 'Winner' Engraving is Not a Myth
This morning, I was asked by one of our readers via email if a Rolex Daytona bearing a 24 Hours at Daytona ‘Winner’ engraving on its case back was necessarily a fake watch or not. Since I’ve covered this topic before, I decided to talk about it again today and clear up the air for those of you still wondering. While some of those watches bearing the ‘Winner’ engraving could be absolute garbage fakes, there are some of them out there, that are as real as it gets.
From the Editor: Richard Mille RM UP-01 Ferrari Breaks the Record for Thinnest and Most Unalluring Wristwatch in the World. Enough of Ultra-Thin Watches?
I’ve been talking about Richard Mille since 2013 when I launched WCL and I have always been a big fan of the brand. Right before the watch market became unhinged, I was very close to pulling the trigger on my first Richard Mille. Having a soft spot for Mexican-inspired limited editions, I was on the verge of buying an RM 028 Mexico limited edition. Today, I regret not having done it as I truly loved the watch and even though it is a round-shaped Richard Mille, it’s still one of those RMs that screams RM all the way.
From the Editor: Here's Why I Dislike the New AP Royal Oak Offshore Music Edition Models
First let me say that you all know how much I love Audemars Piguet, the Royal Oak, the Royal Oak Offshore, and music, especially EDM. I’ve spent countless hours spotting watches on the wrists of famous DJs like Afrojack, Steve Angello, Avicci, Cedric Gervais, and Tiësto, and one thing they all had in common is their choice for an Audemars Piguet watch, mostly Royal Oak Offshores. However, I doubt that any of these DJs will be sporting the new Royal Oak Music Edition watches any time soon.
From the Editor: Phillips Royal Oak 50th Sale Results. Here are the Top Lots and My Opinion.
Not sure what to think anymore about the watch market and the results of the watch auctions. I’ve been trying to understand what’s going on for several years now and the results from auctions are always very surprising but not necessary the best indicator of what’s going on. While I see trends after reviewing the results of the auctions, I also see some inconsistencies where is hard for me to understand why certain time/date watches would fetch more than Grand Complications.
From the Editor: The Phillips Royal Oak 50th Auction Taking Place Tomorrow. My Thoughts.
I was lucky to be the first journalist to peruse in person and photograph the majority of the lots part of the Phillips Watches Royal Oak 50th auction at the end of March. You can see all my pictures here. Tomorrow May 6th, the Royal Oak 50th auctionwill take place at the Hôtel La Réserve in Geneva, Switzerland. I think that not only this auction will continue to bring attention to the Royal Oak for years to come, but it will also establish some interesting world records for the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak.
From the Editor: What's There Not to Love About Furlan Marri Watches
I discovered Furlan Marri last year and my first encounter in person with their watches was when I was casting my votes as one of the jurors at the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève 2021. The Furlan Marri MR. Grey received the Horological Revelation Prize at the GPHG 2021 and that’s what really put the brand on the map. After six different watches they have released and as an owner of not one but two of their watches —Havana Salmon ref. 1031-A and the Mare Blu ref. 1051-A—, I can confidently say that there are many things to love about this young inexpensive brand.
From the Editor: Tudor Black Bay GMT S&G 'Root Beer'. Why I Think it was a Weak Release.
While Tudor was onto something with the release of the new Black Bay Pro and I told you already how much I liked it and how much I want one, I don’t feel the same way about the Tudor Black Bay GMT S&G 'Root Beer'. In my humble opinion, this was a weak release that didn’t really capture what Tudor was trying to do here. The new Black Bay GMT S&G ‘Root Beer’ was somewhat inspired by the Rolex GMT-Master 16753 ‘Root Beer’ but not necessarily by the Rolex GMT Master II Everose Gold ref. 126715CHNR as many would think.
From the Editor: Rolex Yacht-Master 40 ref. 126679SABR aka 'The Cotton Candy'. Is this @ILikeRolexes Next Watch?
Where the sky meets the ocean and the sun comes up over the water, the new Rolex Yacht-Master 40 ref. 126679SABR creates a powerful combo already nicknamed ‘The Cotton Candy’ by my close friend @ILikeRolexes. If you follow him on Instagram, you then know he’s the king of modern Rolex watch collecting and a watch collector that loves gem-set Rolexes like no one else I’ve ever met.
From the Editor: Happy 50th AP Royal Oak. Up Close and Personal with Genta's Personal Watch.
Today April 15th, 2022 is the official birthday of the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak. There’s no better way to celebrate the most iconic sports watch —that changed the watch industry— than by posting some of the pictures I recently took of Gérald Genta’s very own Royal Oak. While I was in Geneva for Watches & Wonders 2022, I was lucky to run into Genta’s Royal Oak at a somewhat secluded and seemingly insignificant small exhibition that almost all other media outlets missed.
From the Editor: Why the new Left-Handed Rolex GMT-Master II ref. 126720VTNR Touched my Heart
I don’t talk much about my personal life here on WCL and what makes me tick, no pun intended. However, the reason why I really liked the new Left-Handed Rolex GMT-Master II ref. 126720VTNR has to do with why I fell in love with Rolexes in the first place. Let’s go back to Mexico City in the late 1970s when I was not even a tween yet. At that time, a distant cousin of mine who’s nickname was ‘El Chico’ would come for dinner at my parent’s house and he would always be wearing a different Rolex or Tudor watch.
From the Editor: M.A.D.1 RED Edition. Good Luck on the Lottery for the Hottest Watch at the Moment.
After so many inquiries and direct messages via Instagram I felt the need to write an editorial on the new M.A.D.1 RED Edition. First of all, I consider myself very fortunate that after many emails that I sent out to MB&F back when the M.A.D.1 Friends Edition came out last year, I was added to the list of interested people and this gave me access to be one of the first ones to be able to purchase the just released M.A.D.1 RED Edition. I am also very lucky that I was in Geneva for Watches & Wonders 2022 a couple of weeks ago and I was able to collect my piece in person at the M.A.D. Gallery. What an incredible experience to say the least.
From the Editor: The Revamped Rolex Air-King ref. 126900 is a True Winner
When the Rolex Air-King ref. 116900 came out in 2016, it was love at first sight for me and I was one of the first ones to buy one. While I loved the watch back then and even took it with me on a trip through Japan and Hong Kong, I feel there was something missing about this watch that didn’t make me fall in love with it forever. Now that the Air-King has been revamped and the new reference 126900 was presented a week ago at Watches & Wonders 2022, my love for this watch is back.
From the Editor: Tudor Black Bay Pro. Without a Doubt a Must-Have for Me.
As soon as I received the press release from Tudor and the doors opened at Watches & Wonders 2022, I knew that it was love at first sight when it comes to the new Tudor Black Bay Pro. For more than a decade I have been on the hunt for a vintage Rolex Explorer II ref. 1655 Steve McQueen. Well, after perusing this new watch in Geneva, I am happy to say that the wait is over and I rather have this Tudor than a 1655.
From the Editor: The Incredible AP Royal Oaks I Just Saw at the Phillips Royal Oak 50th Auction
This past Wednesday, March 23, 2022, I went to New York City to peruse and photograph the Royal Oaks that are part of the Phillips Watches Royal Oak 50th auction that will take place at the Hôtel La Réserve in Geneva, Switzerland on May 6, 2022. This sale will feature several historically important watches including case No. 2 of the original Royal Oak ‘Jumbo’ reference 5402ST as well as Karl Lagerfeld’s PVD coated Royal Oak ‘Jumbo’ ref. 5402ST.
From the Editor: Here's Why I've Bought Four Tissot PRX Powermatic 80 Watches. The Best $650 USD One Can Spend.
When the quartz Tissot PRX was released, I was one of the first ones to want one. Even though here at WCL we rarely publish watches in that price range, we had to do a review of the watch. You can read the review here. As the watch lover that I am, the price tag on a watch means nothing to me. I love horology and will wear a Tissot as much as I would wear a Vacheron Constantin.
From the Editor: Cartier the 2nd Largest Watch Brand, Audemars Piguet the 4th, and Patek Philippe Falls to 6th Place.
Morgan Stanley just released a piece of research that includes the estimated revenue and units sold by the top 50 Swiss watch brands. While the rankings are relatively similar to what has been published by them in previous years, there are a few surprises. For the very first time, Audemars Piguet has surpassed Patek Philippe in terms of revenue and consolidated its spot as the 4th most important watch brand with a revenue of almost 1.6 billion Swiss Francs.
From the Editor: Counterfeit Rolex Warranty Cards are on the Rise. Here's What You Can Do to Protect Yourself.
Today, Rolex watches are at the peak of their demand and their secondary market prices are simply out of control. With that being said, I’ve noticed that the number of fake/counterfeit Rolex Warranty Cards out there has also skyrocketed. People can easily double their money by selling coveted Rolex professional models in the secondary market and watches that were typically sold ‘naked’ —without boxes or papers— are now being accompanied by fake boxes or real boxes but with counterfeit warranty cards.
