Journal

Notes from the bench

Christian writes about the pieces, the people and the ateliers behind them.

Vacheron Constantin 4178 chronograph in steel and rose gold with a champagne dial and brown alligator strap
Auctions · Phillips Hong Kong Watch Auction ONE – our picks Six picks from the Phillips Hong Kong Watch Auction ONE, from a rare Vacheron & Constantin 4178 to the A. Lange & Söhne Tourbograph Pour le Mérite.
Novelties · MB&F Legacy Machine Perpetual – complexity simplified with integrity and beauty MB&F’s Legacy Machine Perpetual, developed with Stephen McDonnell, has a 581-component in-house movement that avoids the usual perpetual calendar drawbacks.
Bovet Chronographe Mono-Rattrapante from the 1950s with black dial, steel case and brown leather strap
Collecting · Bovet Chronographe Mono-Rattrapante, 1950s A 1950s Bovet mono-rattrapante chronograph with black glossy dial, whose seconds hand stops while a pusher is held and then catches up.
Vacheron & Constantin 6026 rose gold chronograph with cream dial and three sub-dials on a brown leather strap
Auctions · Phillips Watches, Geneva Auction Two – my picks Ten picks from Phillips Geneva Auction Two, 7 and 8 November 2015, led by a rare Vacheron & Constantin 6026 in pink gold.
Vacheron Constantin 4261 minute repeater in pink gold with a champagne sector dial on a black strap
Auctions · Christie’s November 2015 – our picks Our picks from Christie’s November 2015 sale: a Vacheron Constantin 4261 repeater, an Audemars Piguet repeater, Patek Philippe 1518, 530 and 2508, and a Rolex 5512.
Rolex 6610 Explorer in steel on a bracelet with black dial, gilt hands and Arabic numerals
Auctions · Sotheby’s Hong Kong, 6 October – our choices Four picks from Sotheby’s Hong Kong sale of 6 October, from a Rolex 6610 Explorer with red depth rating to a Lange Richard Lange Tourbillon Pour le Mérite.
Benzinger Zeitsprung with a steel case, a silver guilloché dial and a large jump hour window showing the numeral 5
Collecting · Benzinger – Zeitsprung, the last of the series The last Benzinger Zeitsprung of a limited series of 25 jump hour watches on rare Kasper 1415 movements, in a 40mm steel case.
Benzinger rose gold open-face pocket watch with silver guilloché dial, Roman numerals and sub-dial
Collecting · Benzinger Moser pocket watch The Benzinger Moser pocket watch, limited to 10 pieces, uses a Moser pocket watch movement of the 1920s and a hand-guilloché dial.
Square Patek Philippe wristwatch with silver dial, Arabic numerals, small seconds at six and dark strap
Auctions · Patek Philippe and Longines at Boule Monaco, 30 July 2015 Two picks for Boule Monaco’s auction of 30 July 2015: a platinum Patek Philippe 2422 with a personal caseback engraving, and a Longines flyback chronograph.
Patek Philippe reference 130 chronograph in steel with a two-tone sector dial signed Walser Wald
Collecting · Patek Philippe 130 in steel featured by HODINKEE My Patek Philippe 130 in steel, with a two-tone sector dial signed Walser Wald, featured in HODINKEE’s “Bring a Loupe” of 2 July 2015.
Patek Philippe stainless steel wristwatch with silver dial, applied markers and small seconds on a dark strap
Auctions · Christie’s, 17 June 2015 – my picks Five Patek Philippe picks for Christie’s sale of 17 June 2015: a steel 2508, a 530, a 1518, a 2499 and a split-seconds 1436 signed Tiffany & Co.
Haldimann H8 flying tourbillon with gold balance and steel cage seen from the side under a domed crystal
Novelties · The Haldimann H8 – a flying sculpture The Haldimann H8 shows only a flying tourbillon over a black dial without hands or indexes: a 17.8 mm cage, a 14.5 mm balance and 18,000 vph.