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The New Watches Of Watches & Wonders 2020

Published on Mon, 27 Apr 2020 10:00:29 +0000

Everything you need to know about all the latest drops.

Synopsis

In this episode of Hodinkee Radio, hosts Steven Pulvirent, Ben Clymer, and Jack Forster discuss the first major wave of new watch releases in 2020, coinciding with the launch of the Watches and Wonders digital platform. This marks the first week of the year that felt like a traditional watch industry trade show week, albeit conducted virtually from their respective homes rather than in Geneva. The trio provides comprehensive coverage of major releases from brands including Cartier, IWC, Panerai, Vacheron Constantin, and others, offering their personal perspectives on the new collections.

The hosts break down releases into categories, focusing on brands that "went big" with full collections versus those offering smaller updates. Highlights include Cartier's reintroduction of the Pasha alongside new Santos Dumont and Tank Asymétrique models, IWC's extensive Portuguese collection overhaul featuring an in-house movement in the chronograph, and Panerai's 70th anniversary Luminor pieces including striking glow-in-the-dark models. They also discuss Seiko's extensive new diver releases, Audemars Piguet's quiet launch of a 34mm self-winding Royal Oak, and various pieces from Hermès, Piaget, Montblanc, and Laurent Ferrier. Throughout the conversation, the hosts emphasize the continued strong interest in watches despite the pandemic, noting increased traffic to Hodinkee and the industry's resilience in adapting to virtual product launches.

Transcript

Speaker
Unknown This is like a low key mega watch here. I love it. I
Unknown love it. Yeah. You love it? I do. Oh look, I mean I think it's complete Well it it it's it's absurd in in many ways. Uh well all look everything we talk about is absurd. This is like extremely absurd. It's a it's a really cool thing. And like if I ever come across somebody wearing this watch, I'm gonna be like, yeah man, like you're the man, you're you're doing it right now.
Unknown Hey everybody, I'm your host Steven Polverin and this is Hodinky Radio. I can honestly say I think this past week was the first really buzzing week in the watch industry in 2020. It's the first week that for me felt like kind of a quote unquote normal week. The Watches and Wonders digital platform launched, uh, and basically we got a virtual watch trade show. It was the first week of the year where we just had wall-to-wall new releases, and I thought it'd be fun to get Ben and Jack into a little virtual studio to chat about the highlights. So we covered some of the bigger brands like Cartier and IWC and Paneraye who released full collections, and then we also covered brands like Vacheron, Langa, Hermes, Piaget, who released a couple pieces here and there. So we look at what's coming, what's here, who's making big statements, and who's kind of riffing on their classics to create something new, just as watch fans, not even as as watch journalists and reporters. Uh this is exciting stuff. We've got new watches to talk about. So without further ado, let's get into it. We are rolling on my end so that we don't have a situation like last week. We uh by the way this past weekend found out on Sunday that I had not recorded the intro when we uh when we did it. So uh you mean you forgot to press record? Yeah, yeah, yeah, exactly. I forgot to hit the button, so we got to re record that on Sunday. Um
Unknown It's like that time Jack shot that watch without a memory card in the camera. Actually, um I think my most distinguished moment was uh publishing that um the hell with the brand. Response.
Unknown Arminstrom. That's right. Upside down. Yeah. All the photos for upside down. Yeah, we're we're all really good at our jobs. Yeah, we're all total pros. Hey guys, how's it going? Going great. Yeah. Still here. Little uh Friday Friday afternoon Zoom call. Nothing better. Nothing better. Uh so it's been a big Friday. It's been a big week. Uh this week feels like it's gone on I don't know, probably like a month and a half, maybe. Yeah. Um But uh yeah, we finally got some new watches this week. Sure did. It's exciting. Yeah, it's the it's like the first week that's felt I guess like kind of normal in the watch industry. I mean we're not in Switzerland so it's a little not normal, but uh it's close it's close to normal.
Unknown Well yeah I mean we have we have new watches to talk about which which feels good. You know we've had some kind of a a trickle out. We had some Grand Seiko's. We saw some some other new things that that kind of drop here and there uh so far this year. But I mean this is what? This is April 24th and uh this is the first big like you know onslaught of of new product from major brands Yeah, feels like uh feels like a normal trade show week. Except for of course you're you're in the house from ex Machina, right? And I'm in my parents' basement. And Stephen is
Unknown Yes, exactly. We're all where we look a great job with that. Yeah. We're all where we belong, really, if we're if we're being honest. U
Unknown h I know I've said this before, but the longer I use this as a background the more I wish it were actually my house. It does look really nice, I have to say. Yeah. Does look nice. I could see you in that house, Jack
Unknown . Oh man, suck it up. Uh the the big news is obviously this this virtual watches and wonders thing uh that's happening this weekend. Uh we're recording this Friday afternoon. So the watches that most people will see tomorrow on Saturday, uh, were released earlier today to the press and we were able to write about them so so by extension to our audience, uh, we're like what three hours out from most of these things dropping. Um so we'll talk about those in in a minute. There's a you know over a dozen brands to talk about, but uh we unexpectedly got some things earlier this week. And Jack, I wanted you to maybe talk to us a little bit about the first one, which is that Seiko called a sort of impromptu press conference uh on Wednesday and released a a ton of new watches
Unknown . Yeah, um I haven't counted, but uh it's it's literally dozens, so we're gonna be rolling out coverage on those uh probably over the next uh several several months I would think because um availability for some of them is later this year. But there was, you know, kind of a top of the pops were, I think for our readers, were a couple of uh new dive watches and um and a new Seiko Pressage. So we got the uh S23631 and S23629 uh tunas, um which uh you know are certainly uh uh you know fan favorites going way back and these these particular versions actually had uh quartz movements in them um which is not a new thing for the uh you know for the tuna watches at all it's basically just a super super technical dive watch um it's really you know a purpose built uh saturation divers timepiece and uh you know with all the sort of technical technical bells and whistles you'd expect. And um you know one of the great things about uh or one of the interesting things um about uh Sega's saturation diver watches is they don't actually have uh helium release valves. The idea was, you know, basically don't let the helium in in the first place and then you won't have to worry about it getting out. So um pretty much from the beginning their gasketing systems have sort of emphasized uh you know just preventing the helium you know when you're in a a saturated uh decompression chamber from you know getting
Unknown into the watch in the first place. That feels like a very Seiko approach to the problem, right? Like it it's the exact opposite tack that the Swiss took, right? Like they're they're like, oh the gas is gonna get in, let's let it out. And Seiko's like, why why would we even allow this to be a problem in the first place? Yeah
Unknown , you know it's funny, kind of um it reminds me for some reason of uh the that Lamborghini um era that we had um at H10, you know, uh and I'd never actually seen one in a metal before. And you look in and the first thing I noticed in the driver's compartment was a fire extinguisher, and I was like, yeah, that's like such a characteristically Italian solution, you know, engine engine catches fire, put in the fire extinguisher. I mean the Germans would have just made it made sure it didn't fire in the first place.
Unknown Very true. We got some other Seiko divers too, and uh I gotta say my favorites i think of the bunch are there's four references it's the uh spb 143 145 147 and 149 uh and they're reinterpretations of seiko's first diver uh,, which we got as an anniversary piece uh a couple years ago. Um, but these are awesome. And like most of them are under or right around $1,000. Um, they're 40.5 millimeters. They're just like a a n no BS mid-century style dive watch. Uh and if they're anything like most Seiko divers, they're probably built tough as nails. Uh they're pretty affordable. The colorways are nice. Like I think these are gonna be extremely successful watches. Yeah, James's um deck for that story was Shut Up and Take My Money. Yeah. Which I think is pretty apt. And I have a funny feeling James will end up like living living by that and actually uh actually buying one. But yeah, I think so. I don't know. Do you do you have any thoughts on on the idea of these being you know non-limited reissues? They did a limited edition a couple years ago. Do you do you think that kind of like cheapens it in any way or do you think it's it's kind of a nice thing? I I don't know. I I feel like people have pretty strong opinions about that. Yeah I don't I honestly I don'
Unknown t think so. Um there's a little bit of a tendency among brands who have a strong um vintage hand to play to double or triple or quadruple dip on on classic designs. But um you know, this is this is a very different watch at a very different price point. Well not very, very different from a design perspective, but it's it sits at a very different price point. And um I don't know. Uh I think they're I think they're darn good looking watches and uh you know, why why not
Unknown ? Cool. Yeah. Uh last one I want to talk about in terms of Seiko divers and then we' Yeah, and again, you know
Unknown , these are not a copy paste of the original um you know so-called Captain Willard. Um the new models are the SPB151 and SPB153. And um full disclosure, uh we are reading those reference numbers off of our computers. We have not committed them to memory. Corre
Unknown ct. What? Well I have. the panoram reference numbers also
Unknown . Shake my head. We're fired. Yeah. Jack, we're done. Yeah. Uh you know, again, it's pretty much the same reaction as to the uh the divers we were just talking about. I think it's a a really, really great looking watch. Um a little bit more marrow wearable than the original Willard. Um and um yeah, I mean I'd certainly love
Unknown to have one. It's smaller and and thinner than the original Wheeler, right? Yeah. Okay. I believe so. I think I've I've always liked that watch in terms of its design, but it's always been way too big. I'm curious to get one of these on my wrist and see if maybe this can be my like chunky Seiko diver. You don't actually own a Seiko diver yet, do you? Uh I own it. I don't know. We'll see. Yeah. Yeah. Uh like you said, tons more Seiko releases. We'll we'll talk more about those in the future as as we kind of get the full collection up on the site. But uh the other sort of pre watches and wonders thing this week actually came. Uh Ben is the one who flagged this for me earlier this week. Um AP has kind of gotten in this habit of quietly dropping things onto their website and just not telling anybody, which I think is funny for a brand that's like kind of known for for making a splash and it's sort of like not aggressive, but kind of like uh yeah, a little bit aggressive designs. Uh and they they've started doing this thing where they just like put watches on their website and put a little thing that says new next to them uh and wait for people to find them. Uh and you you found something earlier this we
Unknown ek. Yeah, I mean so so lucky for for you, Steven, I wake up every morning and check the AP website for the watches. That's what that's what I do every day. Before I shower, brush my teeth, I go into RMarthegate.com. Uh you know, I I don't know, somebody sent it to me, I I forget exactly how we found it. But yeah, AP has been slowly getting away from the the launch and and in in fact getting away from Watches and Wonder or the SH in general, right? Even if SIHH were Watches and Wonders were to happen as planned, they were not going to be there. You know, they wanted to go off and kind of do their own thing. Uh Francois had told me in the past that the goal was to do kind of a uh an unveiling, not unlike uh what you might see from like an Apple, where they get, you know, a bunch of journalists and and and retailers press and whoever into a room together and go deep on the AP lineup. Uh I they haven't done that yet as far as I know, but I think they were planning to do it with the remaster that kind of vintage style chronograph that that that they remade this year. But obviously, you know the, coronavirus had something else to say about that. So, you know, AP is is taking, you know, dramatically opposing tax to how they how they present new product. There is A, we're going to make like a BFD about it and say, like, hey, we're going crazy like we did with 1159, like they planned to do with remaster, and they probably will do again with other products down the road. Uh and then on this launch, which is basically another royal oak, I mean not basically, it is another royal oak, just in a different size. Uh so this is 34 millimeter self-winding as opposed to you know 32 millimeter quartz uh or 33 millimeter quartz which is currently in the catalog as well. You know that this, you know, regardless of how they communicate about it, I think it's a great product. I think this is something that a lot of the people, man and woman, uh would would find interesting. You know, it's still a very, very high-end movement. Uh it is not the 3120, you know, it's not the same movement that's in the the larger movement. I'm sorry, the larger watch. Uh it is the same case and dial and everything that goes into it. And and as as you guys surely know by now or hopefully know by now, that means you've been reading Hodinky, like this watch is just as much about the quality of the dial, how the dial is made, as well as the dial or the quality of the case and the bracelet uh as it is about the movement. That's not to, you know, kind of poo-poo movement in any way. Their movements are wonderful. This is just a sweet spot of a watch. You know, the the movement maybe is not as high end as you would find in the the 15500 or the thirty-seven military thirty seven millimeter Royal Oak, but it's still a great high quality Swiss movement. Uh and again, you know, the goal here is is not so much to appeal to to you know kind of movement files, but rather like just appeal to people that want a slightly smaller softwinding royal Oak. And I think there, you know, based on the comments alone, people are going going going crazy for this watch already. So I think a smart move, you know, I mean in in many ways, I was thinking about this the other day when I saw it, like I think there's some ambition from A P to be a little bit more like Rolex and I think there's some ambition from Rolex to be a little bit more like A P. You know, I think Rolex wants to go high end and hard to get, and I think A P wants to be like as ubiquitous as Rolex and be like, hey, we've got a we've got a royal oak for every size uh that you could ask for. Uh and I I think they're they're they're really seeing that here. And you know, as we've said many times, like, you know, the most popular watch role X is ever made is is a very small uh two tone um uh ladies date checklist. And I think, you know, basically what we're seeing here, and of course that's a self-binding watch, what we're seeing here uh is basically that from AP. You know, we're seeing a watch that like is slightly less expensive. And it is, I mean it's still a lot of money, but it's slightly less. And you know, this would be a perfect watch for uh a woman or man to just wear every day and not not give too many uh considerations to
Unknown . Yeah, I tot totally agree with that. I think the the kind of filling out the portfolio aspect of this caught my eye pretty quickly, which is that I mean now we have self-winding royal oaks in 34, 37, 39, and 41 millimeters, in steel, gold, two-tone, you know, platinum in some sizes. Like you can kind of get whatever. Don't forget about frosted. And frosted. And frosted. Oh, frosted's so good. Uh so you can kind of get whatever you want, which is is cool. Um at the same time, I wonder how, you know, as they do things like remaster and code, you know, it's it's interesting to see AP always balancing the Royal Oak with its other things. Um, I think, you know, Royal Oak's gotta be what ninety plus percent of people know AP for. So yeah um kind of balancing that success while also trying to make sure they have they have other other uh horses in the race, right
Unknown ? Yeah. I mean look, I I think the remaster is a great first step. You know, s you you and I obviously saw it together a few months ago. The watch is wonderful. You know, it's there are certainly things that I think you and I would would change. You know, first of all, like why why make it automatic? You know, it could be so much thinner and so much more true to form uh if it was if it were manually wound. But you know, speaking with Michael Friedman, who's you know is a historian and also head of complications there, like the goal was not to do a recreation. It was to interpret the original watch. And I think you know that that as far as I know has been received very well. You know, it was kind of introduced kind of in the early days of of the the pandemic. So I'm not really sure how many were were kind of put to market being that you know, basically the global watch retail chain is closed. Um, but I think that's a really nice first step. I think you know code for all of its faults is also it's it's the right decision, you know? Like you can you can debate you know the execution of it, but it's the right decision to start doing you know time only's chronographs, you know, mid-level comps as well as the high comps uh in in other cases uh and you know giving new life to to other lines. Um you know AP is doing exceptionally well. I mean it remains so strong. You can't I mean it's it's funny, you know, you you were saying Stephen, like now you can kind of get anywhere look you want. But of course, you actually can't get any roil look you want because you can't get them. You know, like in steel you cannot get these washes. Uh I would imagine there'll be a run on these these smaller washes for a little bit too. Uh so I think they they need to come up with product that that is sellable. And I think, you know, the the one funny thing that our readers tend to forget is like these brands don't like it when they can't sell a watch. You know what I mean? I think like the the average consumer is like, oh of course like Rolex is minimizing uh supply and AP is doing the same. It's like that,'s not how businesses work. You know, like to to pay salaries, to make money, you need to sell things. So I th I think you know AP is is currently looking for products that that they can sell, always under the the idea that like the 15202 and the fifteen five hundred and all the steel stuff is gonna be difficult to get.
Unknown Yeah. I do think it's interesting that you know, they released four references of this thirty four millimeter Royal Oak and the steel one they did with the silver dial, not with the blue dial. I think like they're still trying to keep that steel steel blue dial royal oak hard to get. And like I don't think they're gonna make a ton of these 34 millimeters. I don't think they're gonna flood the market or anything. But you know, not kind of juicing that supply, I think, is an interesting interesting choice. Yeah, and I I think you know the other th
Unknown ing to mention here is like AP, they're not only are their global boutiques closed, but they're actual manufacturers closed. You know, so I don't know when we'll see any of these. Yeah, unless they made them well in advance, which they probably did make some, but you know, I was speaking to another CEO of another high end, very high end uh watch company recently, like, you know, at a certain point they're gonna run out of stock, you know. Um they're w you know, case maker oh basically all of Switzerland and the manufacturing side is still shut down. So unless things open back up, which I know that you know things are about to, uh, you know, w the whole industry could run run out of stock and that could be much more of a problem for the industry than you know, kind of waning uh demand. I think the demand is there. I think the supply is going to be even more difficult than before
Unknown . Interesting. Well you know kind of uh the the opposite of that right is all these new watches, right? Like we we got you know, we ran I think uh we're we're recording this like I said on Friday. I think in the last twenty four hours we've run forty something new watch introductions. Uh and we have more coming over the next year. It might be it might be. Uh and so yeah, so as as potential supply wanes, we're we're still seeing brands ramp up for for this upcoming year. So um, you know, to set this up just just a little bit, uh, you know, right now in a normal year, the the three of us would be in Switzerland. I think right now we'd be yeah, we'd be in Geneva um getting ready for tomorrow morning for the opening of of Watches and Wonders used to be SIHH. Um instead we're here uh reporting on a virtual show uh from our laptops at all of our respective kitchen tables and uh our parents' offices and parents' basements. So uh you know, it's a different way to do a trade show, but it's still still happening. St
Unknown ill look, we're still getting it done. I mean, you know, the fact that we put up forty stories uh already, I mean that that that's not so bad. Uh not so bad. Not so bad at all. And I I think, you know the the interest uh you know I've said this I think on the last podcast, but the you know the interest in in watches is stronger than ever. I mean our are you guys obviously know well, like our editorial traffic is up considerably, shop traffic's up considerably. I mean people are are pretty psyched to to get into watches right now. So I I expect great results of the forty stories we've already published published and I expect uh stronger results of the the stories that are still to come over the week
Unknown end. Yeah. Same. Um, you know, so I I I thought it'd be nice to go through the releases uh kind of brand by brand and give people a little bit of an overview. You know, there's there's a lot to dig through. I I really do encourage people to dig into these posts. You know, you get a a real sense of the details of the watch, but you also get our editors kind of first thoughts. Uh, and and really we encourage people to editorialize here. We encourage people to inject their personalities. So, you know, if you read one of Jack's stories, you're gonna get Jack's thoughts on the watch, not just kind of an objective rundown of specs. Same thing if you read one of mine or James's or John's or anybody else's. Um so I I kind of split these brands up into some categories, and the the first category I want to talk about are the brands that went big. There's three brands that to me, this felt like a normal year's collection, and and in some cases bigger than a normal years collection. And then later we'll talk about some some other brands. So these these brands, uh, first up is is Cartier, who you know I think is having an extremely strong year. Um, Jack, do you do you maybe want to give us a little bit of an overview? I know both of you uh got a chance to see some of these watches in the metal uh a couple weeks ago. So can you maybe give us a little rundown of of this year's Cartier collection
Unknown ? Yeah, there was uh um basically we had New Santos Dumas models, uh we had uh the reintroduction of the pasha um which is a watch that was first launched in nineteen eighty five um and has existed in a number of different incarnations over the course of its lifetime um fairly divisive um you know sort of niche design um and I found it very, very appealing. And then there's the uh my personal favorite for the year, uh the tank uh asymmetrique uh is uh out in the previous collection. So this is I think um the fourth um basic model to be reintroduced to the uh Cartier Prevé collection. And uh I have to say when I saw it in Paris it was a lot at first sight
Unknown . Yeah, Ben, what were what were your thoughts having seen the watches
Unknown ? Yeah, I mean I think you know, Pasha is is divisive as as as Jack mentioned. You know, it is about as Cartier as Cartier gets. You know, I mean there's just nobody else that makes anything like it. I mean, in my mind and, I think I probably got this from from some experience in my in my in earlier years, like that watch belongs with a kunash. Like you buy that watch, you drive a countash, like that's just what you do. Like there's there's no other way to wear that watch, you know? That is not what I would have expected at all, but it makes sense actually. Where there's like four little apertures uh at like two, four, uh yeah, I'd say two, four six and eight or something like that. Uh and you can actually count how many strokes you and your your uh uh co-golfers are are uh are racking racking up. It's it's like one of those super inside baseball weird things that like why was that ever made you know uh but yeah possibly uh I've thought about it. They're probably gonna like skyrocket right now. But uh it's just like such a goofy thing. But the the pasha is like it is a straight fashion watch. You know, it's it's a watch for people that are are aesthetically inclined, um, that are, you know, tend to be more kind of higher fashion focused than I would say, you know, uh you know, current company here, I would say. Um but you know it,'s it's it's peak cardiac you know, there there's like this is this is a real design object from from Cartier. Not at all my thing. You know, I love Cartier so much as as you guys do too, I know. Uh but that one is just not my thing, and that's okay. I think the the other watches this year are exactly my my thing and like you know I kinda want all of them. Uh you know the new Santos Tumont stuff, uh having a hand wound uh watch now uh as opposed to quartz uh in the basic steel watch is is you know that's perfect. Uh, you know, the platinum pieces uh with the special dials and special uh accessories boxes are really wonderful. And the asymmetric, I mean the asymmetric is something I've long uh lusted over, you know, whether vintage knew, you know, the wash they did in the early two thousands or late 90s, just amazing. You know, the last reedition they did in platinum, um, which has kind of become a cult object now, um, had two lugs. This one has three lugs. Uh for me, I prefer the two lugs. Um it was made But yeah, I think you know the the Santo stuff and the symmetric, I mean again, that is like the the it's just as much Cartier as the Pasha is, just in a very different way. And you know, again, I I really love two out of the three. Uh the third I respect, but it's just not for me. That's okay. Um but yeah, the the asymmetric is a killer. Platinum one I really love the the platinum Santos Dumont as well this year
Unknown . Yeah, I feel like the Pasha has this really interesting vibe. It's one of the it's it's watch that sort of feels like it's you know, to me saying, I'm a pasha, take it or leave it. Yeah, totally. And you gotta respect that, you know. Yeah. I hear what you're saying about the Lamborghini though. I mean, you know, coming out in 85, I was uh you know starting to go out in New York City after college for the first time, and I remember, you know, seeing um those watches on people's wrists and I remember seeing them in the you know the fashion pages in the newspapers. And uh you know it was definitely you know one of the hip watches to
Unknown have uh you know back then. Yeah, I mean the the the pascha is, you know, believe it or not, like it's an icon. You know, in terms of watches that were designed, you know, past the nineteen seventies, like the nineteen eighties or or or more recent, I couldn't think of something that that's probably you know, as I kind of mean maybe Longa One, but in a totally different way. Yeah. I mean what what's come out, Jack, since the Pasha that that's kind of bigger than uh than the than that. I mean all the panorized stuff even though it became popular in the nineties, like that's obviously nineteen thirties and forties design stuff. Well',s it bigger than that. I I I don't I don't really know
Unknown . Yeah, I can't think of anything off the top of my head. I mean I'm sure that if I thought long and hard enough I'd come up with something, but uh it's you know, instantly recognizable design, very characteristically Cartier. Is Cartier showing their um you know sort of whimsical fun side, which they don't um um you know you look at Car you think about Cartier and you think about its history, I mean this is like you know a white glove jeweler, the king of jewelers, the jeweler of kings, um, you know, the company that put platinum and um platinum and diamonds on the map. And uh, you know, usually um, you know, you get this sense of sort of regal uh not disdain necessarily, but you know, um regal hauteur uh from Cartier. And uh when they kind of like bust out and make something that's uh you know fun and playful it's always really interesting.
Unknown Yeah. That's actually why I love the um skeletonized uh tank asymmetrics. Uh so there's the the standard models that look very classic, very traditional. Uh, and then there's these skeletonized versions. And to me, there's something just so like fun and over the top about it. Like they took this icon of this like super classic re,fined, geometric, like very precise watch, and it just looks like it's gone absolutely insane, right? Uh, and like you said, Jack, it's it's when you can see Cartier having fun and like riffing on its own thing and doing it in a way that's like obviously self-conscious and like self-aware. Uh there's just something so charming and and nice about it and it feels real. It doesn't feel like a put on at all
Unknown . Yeah. Yeah. One of my favorite writers once said that um uh uh the difference between luxury and chic is that luxury is generally completely humorless and uh chic is intelligent and has a sense of humor. And uh I think that's a really chic watch. Thank you for remembering that clubjack.
Unknown Perfect. Uh yeah, do you guys have any other any other Cartier thoughts
Unknown ? I mean I I think as you said, Steven, like, you know, it's Cartier is the biggest brand at the SIG or at the Washes and Wonders Geneva. So it's nice to see them go hard. You know, I think it sends, frankly, a very important signal to the world that like, hey, like we're not taking this year off. And I I think that you know, if you s if you speak to the average kind of knucklehead watch enthusiast, like because Rolex and Paddock aren't doing anything, they think that the whole world is shutting down and like that that's not true at all. I mean Cartier is right up there with those guys in in many ways, you know, on peer uh on par if not if not above in terms of influence. Um you know so it's nice to see you know the flagship Richmond brand kind of really going for it and doing commercial stuff, which is what Pasha is. I mean this is like you know kind of bread and butter stuff, as well as having some really high design, you know, wonderful pieces. And also on on the women's side. The women the new women's product is wonderful. Yeah that you have Mayon. Exactly. Yeah. So I'm I'm really appreciative of Cartier, you know, kind of going hard uh in the middle of all this. Just from from a signal perspective you know
Unknown yeah I agree um you know if we want to move on to to another brand that's going hard and another like big reach mop brand that I think is doing some some signal sending here is IWC. Um, so you know I,WC typically uh picks a collection every year and that collection gets gets an overhaul. You know, last year we saw Spitfire, which was was kind of a sub-collection, I guess, of the pilots. But this year we're getting another complete overhaul. And this time it's it's the Portuguese. So it's I think a toss-up maybe between pilot and Portuguese as to which is is more quintessentially IWC, but whichever side you you come down on, I think it's two sides of the same coin, right? Like I can't imagine IWC without either of those product ranges kind of at its at its heart. Uh and there's some damn good looking new Portuguezers here
Unknown . Agreed. I mean uh you you you you nailed it again, like you know, this is as much part of IWC's history as the pilot watch. Um, you know, uh to be honest with you, in in in my life and in like in my experience before Hodinki, like the Portuguese was probably more a part of IWC than than pilots watch. You know, as as I've said many times, like when I was working in consulting and kind of you know briefly in finance, like when you got, you know, your first five thousand dollars or whatever it was, like you either bought a Samariner or you bought a Portuguese. And that's it. Like those are the two watches that like a young guy were were were really, you know, considering and and you know, maybe ten, fifteen years ago. And I think the Portuguese is is still such a you know, it really is a a cult classic. It's an icon. I can't tell you how many people I've met over the years that said my first great watch was a you know was an either an eight day or hand wound or or you know some version of the Portuguese. I I love the new product. I think that you know this this this potentially could be uh you know a game changing line for them if if they could deliver it. You know? I just think it's it's it's core. Like it's it it it goes in the opposite direction of what everything else is doing right now, which is like everything is on bracelets, everything is steel and sportsy and you know Royal Loki and you know they they've done that with their engineer and things like that. This is kind of flouting that and saying, hey, we're gonna go like dress watch, round case, you know, very classical. They're perpetual is very kind of you know three register, 3940-ish. Um, you know, it's it's very traditional Swiss watchmaking. Uh and I'm I'm appreciative of it for sure.
Unknown What did you guys think about the move of uh actually creating two yacht club models within the Portuguese or uh l
Unknown ine? Yeah, I think it's I think it's smart. Like I think there's an audience for that. I think those are probably the watches that personally to me are are less exciting. But you know, I had a a conversation with Christian Knupp, who's who's their head of design, uh a couple weeks ago, and like this is this is a watch that's important to this company, like it it's's meaningful for them and he thought it deserved more attention. He thought they could they could kind of refine it and take it to the next level and you know, talking to him about the details, the way the bracelet's constructed, the way the movement is, you know, kind of sits in the case and allows them to do certain things with the dial. It's it's really well thought out. And it's I think, you know, similar to the way where like the pasha is not a watch for me, but I respect it for what it is. I think I feel the same way about yacht club, right? Like it's it's important for IWC to have a sports chronograph in this lineup and one with a high-end movement in it. Am I buying it? No. But like I don't think when they were sitting in meetings trying to figure out you know who was gonna buy this product, I don't think I'm the guy who came to mind anyway. So, you know, nobody's ev everybody wins here. Nobody's uh losing out
Unknown . Yeah. And I I think like of all the Richmond brands like IWC has the broadest appeal. Like, you know, this is the you know, the Mercedes Benz of of watchmaking. Like, you know, Mercedes-Benz has the AMG GT, which like can compete with the nine eleven. Is it as good? It might be. It depends on on what you're looking at, but like it's not a true, you know, the Mercedes isn't for being a sports car. But then they also make, you know, the G Wagon, and then they also make the E class, which your parents drive, and then they also make the A class, which you know can be used as taxicabs. Like IWC can do all that. And I think, you know, that is a really the it it as far as I'm concerned, it's really the only brand within the group and the only brand really showing at at Watches and Wonders that like can do a little bit of everything. Uh and so therefore it has the biggest potential. I mean this this is a brand that has massive, massive appeal uh at least in our market, in the US market, and I think really, you know, is doing well and can do much better over the next you know five five or ten years. If they if they have strong product, which you know they have right now.
Unknown Yeah, it looks like a really strong lineup this year to me. Yeah, I I agree. I think the the funny thing is the the biggest news maybe was kind of like uh to say it was leaked I think is maybe not the right way to to position it, but it rolled out to stores early and quietly, and they're only announcing it now, but it's it's been out there, which is that the Portuguese chronograph, which I think after that seven day like, you know, two subdial uh watch that Ben was referring to, is is probably the next most recognizable and influential Portuguese model, the the two registered chronograph. Um it now has an in-house movement and it didn't get any more expensive. Like it's still, you know, around eight thousand dollars US in steel. Uh and it has an in-house movement now. And like that's that's big stuff and it has a display back you can see the movement um it's like a fully full-fledged modern IWC movement made in their new facility and like that's that's a big thing to again just kind of like quietly drop into boutiques and then be like, oh yeah, it's uh you know we, updated it
Unknown . To me, one of the greatest things about uh that watch is they didn't change the they didn't change the design at all.
Unknown Right. I I think you're right, because I remember you know they they did something called the Portuguese chronograph classic and then the Portuguese the other one when ultimately people just want the original, you know, and I think I've I've got to pull it up on my phone here. And yeah, you're right. I mean this looks just like the watch that we all kind of like know and love from years ago, but now is in house. And I think it's you know, I think it's it's a banger. Uh it's you know it's exactly what people want. It's seven thousand nine hundred and fifty in steel. That's great. And that came out in January
Unknown . I never minded the uh the seven seven five oh in it at all. Um this is you
Unknown know this is a fantastic thing to have. Yeah. I think the other two watches, you know, before we move on from IWC, because I think we could probably fill a whole show talking about this collection, but um the other two watches I I really liked are they took two watches, the the basic automatic and the perpetual calendar, and they created versions that were simpler and smaller, but they didn't get rid of the others. So we've now got uh an automatic Portuguese that's 40 millimeters, which is the smallest Portuguese I've ever heard of. And we've got a perpetual that's 42 millimeters and has, like Ben said, this kind of classic three-register layout with a moon phase, no year indicator or none of that stuff. It's it's a much more classic kind of take on the perpetual. Um and I think this is such a smart move for them. I think like you know, creating something slightly smaller, slightly more affordable, a little a little more pared down, um is a great move and it really fills out that collection. And now you've got again in a similar way, in a sort of similar way, I guess, to what AP's doing, right? Like you now there's basically a Portuguese in every size, every complication level, every price point. And so if you're into this design, if you're into the idea of this collection, you can find something. Like there's there's no more holes. Uh basically from 40 millimeters to like 46 or forty seven millimeters, there's a watch for you and also starting it around, I guess like, you know, seven thousand dollars, six thousand dollars and going up to hundreds of thousands of dollars for the complicated pieces. You know, if we if we go on to I think the last brand that really went super hard this year is uh is Panorai. Um and I I think you know it's it's an anniversary year it's a big year for the for the Luminore. Um and they they went hard. There's there's a lot of watches here. And I think, you know, for people who are maybe not diehard panoristi, uh, you would look at these and be like, wait a minute, these these all look the same. Um, but you dig into the specs, and you realize they're different sizes, they're made of different materials, in some cases, different movements. Um, but yeah, there's there's a lot to like here from Panera. I mean, Jack, did was there anything that really caught your eye here? I mean, you know, uh I have
Unknown a uh helpless, hopeless love of anything that glows in the dark. So um the Lumino Marina, seventy years of luminar collection, uh I just I just loved it. I mean uh if I I'd spend a lot of time I'd spend more time in a dark room than I already do if I own one of those wat
Unknown ches. Yeah, I mean it's it's it's all neat stuff. I mean I think you know Panorama, you know, kind of plays to their fan base better than almost any contemporary brand. Like they know exactly what their guys want, uh and they do it year after year after year. You know, I think it's it's one of it's it's a little bit like Richard Meal in some way where it's just like you kinda don't have to get it to to like really appreciate what what they're doing here. You know, it's it's one of those things where like this brand, like these are gonna sell out. You know, there there's just no question that these are gonna be gone before, you know the I mean as soon as we publish these stories, I'm sure like these boutiques are are getting emails and calls. Um, you know, they they they really have stuck to their guns and haven't tried to deviate from from the model too much and it
Unknown works. I'm I'm with Jack. I love these these glow in the dark pieces. Uh they're they're super over the top. Uh they're the seventy years of Luminore collection. It's basically three watches that are are technically very similar. One's titanium, one's carbotech, and one's fibrotech, which are two different sort of like synthetic uh case compounds. Um but they're they're just awesome. Like they they're they're these big weird glow-in-the-watches. Uh and I think they they inject a little bit of fun into what can sometimes feel like a very serious kind of like old school military watch. Um they they kind of like wink at you and I I I like that. Um I think it's it's a fun approach for for Panorai to take and it's not something I expected. I was really shocked when I kind of opened up an email and and saw these.
Unknown Yeah I actually really I also really like the fact that they aren't dilettantes when it comes to exploring new case materials. I mean, I feel like there's some you know new alloy or composite or compound with uh you know high performance specs uh you know that comes out every time they launch a new collection. And uh the fiber tech was something that I've certainly never heard of before. Uh a composite made of extruded basalt fibers, which is much, basalt is a minute is a volcanic mineral. And it's a relatively new composite. It has applications, has structural applications, you can weave fabrics out of it. Um it's just really, really cool stuff if you're like, you know, I guess if you're a materials science geek. Um but it's just really a little bit, yeah. Um you know, but to me, it's really neat that they're uh that they're just taking this uh you know seriously. It's not like uh this year we'll bring out a new you know variety of titanium or uh you know we figured out a new way to squeeze carbon fibers together. Um it's really like new, new uh stuff in terms of applications and watchmaking.
Unknown Cool. Yeah, I uh the the other panorai that I wanted to highlight is uh it has kind of a cumbersome name. It's the uh submersible Eco Pangea Turbion GMT fifty millimeter Mike Horn Edition. Like, okay, I guess. Um that's that's a little little difficult there, I guess. If you want the shorthand, it's the uh Pam 1108. That's much easier. Um, but this kind of follows uh I wouldn't call it a trend, but it follows a line that uh Pan or I started last year, uh, which was these watches that come with experiences, um, which I think is an interesting, like very twenty first century like internet y sort of way to sell something. Um which is that when you buy one of these experience watches, you you get to partake in an experience. So whether it's training with a Navy SEAL or going on an expedition, whatever, um if you buy the watch, you get to participate. So for this watch, it's super limited. Um it's uh five pieces. Uh and you get to go on an Arctic expedition with Mike Horn, uh, who is one of the leading explorers in the world. Um it's pretty awesome. Uh the 50 millimeter skeletonized uh turbion uh is is a lot. It's a pretty intense watch, but uh I guess if you're gonna go to to the Arctic I guess uh I guess it might make sense. I also have to say I think
Unknown we we had an opportunity to meet Mike Horn and uh uh just just once and my god that man has a firm handshake. I if there's anyone uh I would say the same thing
Unknown . So actually I I I d I don't know if I was uh if I was with you, Jack, or not. This was early days. I actually went sailing with my corn around just New York, you know, around the tip here. And uh he had me I don't even know what it's called, when you kinda like go like this and and crank up a a sail. And at a certain like he was on one side and I was on the other and I was just kinda like trying to keep up with him and he was basically doing it like one handed. I mean he is just like he's such a man, you know? He's a he's a hyperman. Uh but he's an amazing guy. He really I mean if if if you guys don't actually know who Mike Horn is, he's worth just like looking him up on on Wikipedia. Um and it look if he were gonna wear a watch, which he does, it would be a panorama that's fifty millimeters in size for sure.
Unknown Yeah. I I like on on like you know, you you just brought it up, right? Like you got to experience this guy and he makes sense in the context of the brand. I think it's a cool way for these brands to utilize brand ambassadors in a way that doesn't feel like BS. Like, you know, this isn't somebody who you hire and you you know you shoot an advertising campaign and they wear it on a red carpet. This is like this guy gets to use the products. The people who buy the products get to meet him and experience it. Like it's a cool, cool thing to do. And they, you know, they work with other folks like Jimmy Chin who who are just these amazing human beings and to put watches in that context I think is is both just fun. It's just flat out fun. And I think it's also a good thing for watches. Like I think it's cool to make watches feel aspirational in that way. Um and in a way that's tangible and not just like on a on a page. Yeah, and I I think, you know, I
Unknown I I completely agree. I mean, Mike Horn is like the when I met him, you know, you meet some people that like are not celebrities but just are interesting people, and it's like wow, like you know, it would be amazing to live your life like that guy lives his life and he's one of those people. And I think you know more directly to the experience idea, you know, we did that as well this year with our Montplan chronograph which included the trip to to Villarreal with actually the Jack Forrester and I know and Russell Lankara and you know the all of us you know usual suspects. Uh and you know the idea was so well received uh that we will definitely do it again. I mean, you know, this was kind of a a a can kind of a beta for us, but people love it. You know, and it's just like you get to do stuff that is so different. And again, you know, the the four or the three of us on the cult rather like we kind of get to live and breathe this stuff every day. And you know, under normal circumstances, we're in Switzerland all the time and you know, m you know, kind of you know, traveling about the world doing crazy things. But like as somebody, you know, who used to have a very boring job that involved sitting in a cubicle in in Weehawka, New Jersey, like I would die to to go Switzerland and you know see how my chronograph was made. Uh and I think you know that there there is real, real demand for stuff like that because the average person that that's that's the consumer of these products are are not traveling. Like they're they're working a nine to five. They're a doctor, a lawyer, a banker, an accountant, whatever. Uh and I think it's just a really nice way to to to put your product into into new perspective. So I think it's a great idea. S
Unknown weet. Uh all right. I think we have to move on because otherwise this podcast's gonna end up being like four hours long before we get through everybody. But uh yeah the the next brand I want to talk about moves us to a new kind of category and that's that's brands doing something somewhere in the middle. And I think Vashron kind of exemplifies this for me this year. Vachron Constantin is releasing new substantive products, but they're not, they didn't overhaul a whole line. They didn't, you know, shake up the whole catalog. But I think they they showed a really nice kind of measured approach, uh, doing things that are very them um and kind of building collections incrementally, mostly at the higher end, uh I'll I'll say um with a few fifty six introductions to kind of, you know, appeal to the lower end, but uh the lower end of what they do, which is not low end at all. Um but to me the the standout piece here was the uh overseas perpetual uh as a skeleton. Um that watch is so awesome. Uh I am so I I think this this is definitely top like two or three for me from the whole collection we've seen, uh from all the brands of of watches that like I really can't wait to get my hands on. Yeah, and I I I completely agree. And I think like
Unknown the there's a story that our friend Paul Boutros, who used to write for us, wrote many, many years ago. Uh and it was about the traditional skeleton perpetual. Oh yeah. He sent he he sent me a text when he published this, you know, maybe six, seven years ago. And he's like, dude, this is the best perpetual calendar I've ever seen. Like just straight up. You know, the movement, the the skeleton, the skeletonization uh that that bashron does is next level. Look, Patek does it, AP does it, you know, all the all the big guys do it. Um the this this is really next level, you know, and I think much will do exceptionally well. A P has a a skeleton in steel gold and now uh ceramic as well. Uh I think this is just as good looking. You get the three straps, um you know it's it's gonna kill for Bash Run, I've I have no doubt
Unknown about that. Yeah. Jack, you you wrote up some of the uh Kabinottier pieces, right? The the unique complications as well, right?
Unknown Yeah, it's really interesting stuff to write about because um you know I mean Basharon has um a couple of really interesting sort of core competencies or core characteristics that have carried through a lot of its history and uh they're very, very strong on the Metier d'art stuff on enameling and uh engraving um open working you know it's um you know as Ben was saying it's really um you know top of its class um but they're also very well known as a complications maker um and you know we, it's it's easy to forget, but it wasn't that long ago that they actually launched uh the most complicated watch ever that anyone has ever made, uh the 57260 pocket watch, uh, with 57 complications. So what they've sort of have been doing is taking that uh that pocket watch and using it as a sort of jumping off point for exploring other uh other things that are um you know wristwatch size a little bit more wearable a little bit less complicated but still uh still quite quite complicated pieces. And they're they're doing them as unique pieces. So we had um see what did we have? Uh we had the uh Le Cabinautier Astronomical Striking Grand Complication Ode to Music. And we had a timing uh focused one uh called simply the tempo. And uh both of these watches are double-sided watches. One of them has 19 and I think the other 22 complications. And you know it's really, really classic, classic hand watch making, but the interesting thing to me is they're actually both really wearable. Um, you know, the Ode to Music, for example, is a chiming watch, it's an astronomical watch, uh, with a but it's built on um their ultra-thin 1731 uh minute repeater movement so despite the fact that it's an extremely complex watch and it delivers a lot of uh a lot of information, it's it's actually very elegant. Um I've had a chance to see some of the let le Cabinautier uh unique pieces uh in person and um they're they're just really really beautifully wearable watches. It's kind of like you know, you need a certain amount of real estate for uh for the dial not to end up looking, you know, just cluttered, but they've figured out a way to sort of uh organize the movements in such a way that the wash remains you know sort of wearable dimensions. And we have to remember the way the movement is organized determines how information is organized on the dial. So you have to be thinking about this is something that Burguet was famously really good at. You have to be thinking about the final outcome at the same time that you're thinking about movement architecture. And there's very, very few companies in the world that can do that
Unknown . And I think Vashron does it beautifully. Yeah, I I think I've said this before on the show, but uh Vashron was the first watch manufacturer I ever got to visit uh back in I guess it was 2012. Yeah. Yeah, 2012. Um and it was funny because I I got to see you know the Mettier workshop, I got to see the Cabinet workshop. I got to chat with a watchmaker who was working on their 14-day turbulent, right? Uh and I was like, oh, this is what a watch factory is like. Like, this is what a manufacturer is. And then I went to visit a few other watch manufacturers and I was like, uh oh, oh, this isn't okay, that's not normal at all. Like I I had no idea when I went that w the um amazing things that Vashron is able to collect under that one roof just outside of Geneva is insane. And like I I still don't know that I've ever been to a manufacturer where that many sort of like individual skills and crafts that are either watchmaking or watchmaking adjacent are all done in in one place and kind of in concert like that. Um and it's cool to see them flex their muscles like this. Like they can do it in a way that like almost nobody else, maybe nobody else can
Unknown . It's a really overwhelming place to visit. You know, I mean I will never forget the first time that I went there. It was like you walk into uh a room where movement finishing is being done in its best of class movement finishing. And you walk into a room where gem setting is being done in its best of class gem setting. Enameling its best of class enameling. Uh eng
Unknown raving its best of class engraving. I mean it just goes on and on. Yeah. All right. Uh we're gonna have to move on to a semi-lightning round here because I I wanna make sure we get in the other highlight releases. So uh we're not gonna talk about everything. We're not gonna talk about every brand. Uh people should check out. We'll link it up in the show notes here. We have a uh a landing page on the site, a collection page where you can see all of our watches and wonders coverage. But uh you know, to to go through some highlights, um there were a bunch of brands who who had smaller collections, right? They they released a couple of updates. Sometimes it was one or two watches. Sometimes it was maybe three or four watches. Um, but I think these are brands we may see more from them later this year, but uh there's still plenty of interesting stuff now. So uh to kick off that section, uh let's talk about Langa. Um Longa had a new uh a new Zeitwork Minute Repeater with a blue dial, um, which is beautiful. Uh, but I think maybe the more interesting thing is the uh Odysseus in white gold not on a bracelet. Um, you know, Jack, you reviewed the Odysseus for us uh just a couple weeks ago, actually. Um, and kind of the the whole idea behind that watch was that it was Longa's uh move into the integrated bracelet or semi integrated bracelet steel uh semi sport watch, like the luxury sport watch category. Um and it came out in the fall, like I think November it was released. Uh and now just a couple months later. October twenty fourth, right. There we go. Perfect. Um Right. Isn't that the isn't that the day that they always do stuff? Oh yeah, I think you're right. Yes. Um I think so. Yeah, I think you're right. Uh but yeah, now we're seeing it in white gold, not on a bracelet. What do you what do you think is the story there, Jack? I don't know. I thought it was a fascinating thing to do
Unknown actually. I mean, you know, the we all had it in our heads. Like this is Longa's first steel watch, it's the first not the first steel watch, but their first sort of series produced full production series watch, their first sports luxury watch. And uh you know you sort of think to yourself, okay, this is gonna be where the steel is. And the second the the the very you know, right on the heels of the first release, uh they get this guy out in white gold, um, which really uh I I think I thought it was a fascinating thing to do. For one thing, it kind of um makes it all about the design and not about the material. And uh and I thought it was also uh pretty cool that uh if you want to have an Odysseus on a silicone strap uh right now it comes with white gold. Ye
Unknown ah, it's true. Ben, what are what are your thoughts on this thing? Yeah, I'm I'm a fan. I mean I think the the the dial, the the texturing of the dial is is is quite a bit different than the than the steel watch. Uh I think it it works maybe a little bit uh better uh not on the bracelet here. You know, I I still think that there's some you know some quick changes that could really kind of set this thing off, but I I happen to love the dial color, which is not a surprise. Um and I I think it looks great and I I love the idea of it coming out with with two different stra
Unknown ps. Yeah, same. Um I I think you know I was not the biggest fan of the Odysseus when it came out. I'm still kinda up in the air about it, but I think seeing them move it in this direction tells me that they're they're thinking about a bunch of different options and I think it's probably not too long before I'm before I'm a convert. Yeah, I mean there's there's I
Unknown I don't I don't know but I would imagine that we're you know there's gonna be a whole family uh so I would hope to see some some more cool stuff coming soon
Unknown . Yeah. Alright, let's uh let's go to another brand. Uh I know we all love this watch when it debuted last year, but uh there's five new models this year, and uh I think they're even cooler than the ones from last year, and that's the Hermes uh Arceulur de la Lune. Um that watch is is insane. It's so Hermes. I can't imagine anybody else doing it. It's got these two, you know, your hour dial and your uh your hours in It's a dual moon phase indicator. Um the one last year came with there were there was an option with a meteorite dial and this year uh there's five new dials uh three of which are different kinds of meteorite uh one of which is lunar meteorite which is awesome you can literally wear a piece of the moon on your wrist uh and the other one is a Martian meteorite dial. Uh you can literally wear a piece of Mars on your wrist. They're only making two pieces, it's price on request. I requested and was politely told no. Um I didn't know you got a serious buyer. Yeah, I was like I was like, can I make the request? And they were like, No, you can't. Um so I was told no, but uh, you know. Just makes me just makes me want it more. I asked, yeah. I tried. But uh yeah, I I kinda like the moment I saw these watches I was
Unknown like holy shit this is cool. A lot of other brands could try to do something like this, but it wouldn't really make sense with anybody but uh butter met. Ye
Unknown ah Jack I would imagine you have some feelings about these watches. Oh well I mean I love them when they first came out and uh you know I'm with you on the Martian meteorite. Uh you know, the idea of having somebody something that uh was uh hurled into interplanetary space, found its way to Earth, and is now on uh arguably uh you know the most beautiful moon phase watch anybody has out there is just I mean come on. I I would have asked too. Well you know, maybe if Jack sol
Unknown d that house that he's in over there, he could probably afford one. Yeah, one or two. Uh all right, up next, uh let's go to something that uh it actually doesn't drop till tomorrow morning. So it's as of recording, it's not out there, but I want to make sure we talk about it, is the uh Piaget Altiplano Ultimate Concept um which debuted a couple of years ago as a concept watch. I mean as the name would indicate as a concept watch. Uh it's the thinnest mechanical watch in the world. Um I believe it's two millimeters. Um exactly two millimeters. Exactly two millimeters top to bottom. Um I wrote a little hands-on story with it. Jack has written a hands-on story with it. It's insane. It's an absolutely insane little mechanical thing. Um it's now commercially available. Like they figured out how to make it a thing that you can actually buy and that's serviceable and and all of that. Um and you're gonna be able to personalize it too. So you'll be able to order, you know, I want the dial the time telling dial this color and the base plate this color and I want this strap on it. So you'll be able to kind of make it your own your own thing. Um I think that's that's a pretty cool pretty cool thing from Piaget
Unknown . I gotta say I didn't give them a snowball's chance in hell honestly of being able to uh produce this thing on any kind of commercial level. I made it's kind of amazing. Um it has a crown, but the crown is actually a uh little inset uh rectangle in order not to increase the uh diameter of the watch or interrupt the uh contour of the case. And uh the case metals uh it's something like high tech cobalt alloy. They needed something uh you know, because it's only two millimeters thick, they needed something a lot more rigid than um, you know, conventional uh case material. So, you know, like I mean there's a a million really cool technical solutions in this thing. Um also uh I asked them how much and also they wouldn't tell me. Okay. Uh we're we're we're we're striking out here, Jack. I mean clear it's it's strict right now, huh? It's it's very clear it's very clear uh on you know on what level as individuals were regarded as serious customers for some of this stuff. It's like yeah. It's like like me asking for a test drive and a Vigati uh Sheron.
Unknown Yeah, it's not gonna happen. Sorry. Um all right, let's keep going. Let's let's go opposite end of the spectrum. Uh let's go to Mont Blanc. Um Mont Blanc is they've already released some things this year. Uh we got some heritage pieces from them. Um, and we got a couple eighteen fifty eight pieces, but they released two more eighteen fifty-eight pieces. One is a new mono pusher, uh, that includes a bronze Limited edition. Uh and one is a twenty-four hour dial watch that I find weirdly charming. Like I didn't expect to like it at all, but I'm actually I'm kinda into it
Unknown . Yeah, and I I think it's it's really nice stuff. I mean a lot of uh not a lot of the stuff. Some of the stuff Jack and I saw under embargo uh when we were at Villeray uh earlier this year. And I I think it's it's really great stuff. The the the bracelet in particular or the bracelet work that Mont Blanc is doing. I mean it is true to form proper vintage, you know, David H. kind of level detail. Um you know, it looked it would fit perfectly on like a nineteen sixties Hoyer Octavia as well. You know, it was really gay for air style. Um the details as always are are wonderful on on this stuff. And you know, we're we're obviously a retailer of of some of the Montplanks stuff. And people love it. I mean p it goes all day, every day. Uh you know, it's it's really, really nice stuff. And then of course you have the Villarreal product, which I know Jack is is a fan of and so am I. I mean this is as as good as anything out there. Um so it it's you know, I think there's still a bit of a disconnect in terms of having, you know, people at scale really appreciate the difference between the eighteen fifty eight stuff and the Villare stuff and and I understand that. You know, I think that there's no question that we're getting a little bit more concise with our messaging from from Montplunk. Um but either way, both products are wonderful. They just serve totally different purposes
Unknown . Yeah. Yeah. By the by the way, Stephen, I agree with you. I found the t I I really thought I was just gonna find the twenty four hour watch uh gimmicky, but th it there's something kind of irresistible about it
Unknown . Yeah, I I I also I said this in I I wrote it up for the site and I said this in the story, but like I'm just happy they're doing something different. Like so many brands, especially in that price point. Like when you look at watches in the three to six thousand dollar price bracket, it's same, same, same. Like everybody wants a time and date, everybody wants a chronograph, everybody wants, you know, preferably a three register chronograph with a date window. Like it's the same it's the same stuff over and over. Maybe some sort of traveler GMT complication. But I like that Mont Blanc, like they did a GMT, but they did it as the geospheres. Like they wanted to do something, you know, kind of adventurey. They did a twenty four hour dial. Like they're not just making the same watches that everybody else is making. They're doing something that sets them apart. And I think, you know, it's a very Dobby day strategy and I think it's a winning strateg I agree. I mean I I think you just nailed it. Like they're they're they're not making me too washes at all, and I really appreciate that. Yeah. All right. Uh you know, I think the last thing I want to talk about here uh is is one of the more interesting watches and more I think probably divisive watches uh that we're gonna see, which is a watch from Laurent Ferrier. Uh I want to make sure we get an independent in here. Uh so this is the Turbillon Grand Sport on the bracelet. Yeah. Um it's this is like a low-key mega watch here. I love it. I love it. Yeah. You love it? I
Unknown do. Look, I mean I think well it it it's it's absurd in in many ways. Uh well all look everything we talk about is absurd. This is like extremely absurd. This is uh what is this, a hundred and eighty thousand dollars? Uh yeah, I think around that. Yeah, so let's say it's between a hundred and sixty and a hundred and ninety thousand US dollars. It's a stainless steel sports watch with a hidden turbine on the back. Uh in they they announced this watch last year in I think titanium or maybe in steel uh, on on a l a rubber strap. And they did twelve watches to kind of celebrate the anniversary of uh Mr. Ferrier's uh win or second place finisher forget at Le Mont. Um and you know, it sure, it why not? You know, like let l let let's do this but I I think it really works on the bracelet uh the movement is fantastic I mean an LF uh kind of reverse turbillon is is one of my I remember the first time I saw the La Ronfer turbillon it was at I don't even remember the name of the watch show uh in downtown Geneva that used to kind of run alongside SHH. Do you remember that? Oh gosh. Um did it have a a a separate name? It did, yeah. I've I've I forget. Maybe G GTE or Geneva Time I think. Oh yeah, yeah, yeah. I think the GTE. So I mean LF was there among other brands, many of which are now totally defunct. And I s I I saw this thing and it was probably William or somebody who told me about them first. I turned the number of like, oh my god, like you know, this is one of the most beautiful movements I've ever seen. It look it looks like a Patek turbion from like the 50s, you know. Uh and that's effectively what you have on the other side of of this watch that in many ways looks a little bit like a Nautilus. You know, if you know Laurent's background with Patek, that that makes a lot of sense. I think the case is wonderful, the movement is wonderful. There's some things I would personally change about the dial, the the hands, etc.etera But I love the idea of this watch very, very much. And I you know, I mean you guys know me, like I love a good sleeper watch. Like I love a good like holy shit. Like this is like a a Ferrari that looks like a Toyota type of thing. Yeah. And that that's basically what this is. Uh, you know, d is the price justified? Who knows? Is the quality excellent? I would guarantee it. It's the Long Ferrier. Um it's a it's a really cool thing. And like if I ever come across somebody wearing this watch, I'm gonna be like, Yeah, man, like like you're the man.
Unknown Nice. Yeah, I I totally agree. I I I you know I'm with you the dial and the hands and the markers, like not not totally my taste, but uh the idea of this watch and the execution and the movement are absurd. They're just so next level, it's ridiculous
Unknown . For sure. I just I just double checked the price. It's a hundred and seventy two thousand Swiss. Um, but hey, you know, uh any double balance spring turbine finished to that level is uh it's okay by
Unknown me. Yeah, I mean look, that that's the the same that's actually less than uh 5740 on the secondary market, you know, which is the the Nautilus for Petrol Calendar and White Gold. Like that watch is 130, I think, retail. This is a turbion, it's an independent. You know, you know, you put those things side by side. I think, I think, you know, if if you're not talking about brand recognition, which of course the tech would win, and you're just talking about quality and watchmaking, like the the LF is gonna hold its weight, no question about it. Yeah
Unknown . All right. Well uh I think that's gonna do it for us for now. Uh you know, I know Jack and I both have stories to finish uh for for tomorrow. Uh so we'll get out of here. But uh yeah, I would encourage everybody listening here, go down to the show notes, go read up about these watches. Everybody on the editorial team at Hodinki put a ton of work into producing these stories and making them as thoughtful as possible. So like I said, you're you're you're gonna get the specs, that's all there, fine. Um, but you're also gonna get our our kind of take, some info about the context where, this thing sits in the market, what it's building on, what it's like, what it's not like, all of that. So you know in this in this age right now where like we're not we're not getting to see watches in the metal, uh at least short term. Um I I think our our teams put together probably the closest thing you're gonna get to to what these watches are actually like and and what the experience of them is is like. So go check all of that out. Uh make sure you visit Hodinky. We're gonna have more coverage for you all of the week that this is running. Uh and and beyond. Uh I think we're we're starting to see new products come out and I think other brands that aren't showing stuff now are gonna start. So I think I think it's the the beginning of the year cycle.
Unknown I agree. Yeah, it's uh it's you know, it's the first like full on excitement that we've had in the watch industry in two thousand twenty. So it's uh it's good to be back.
Unknown Yeah. All right. Good to see you guys and uh enjoy the weekend and uh yeah. See you see you soon. All right.. See you guys Take care. Thanks, guys. This week's episode was recorded remotely Thank you for listening and we'll see you next week.