Journal

Notes from the bench

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

Patek Philippe 570 in rose gold with pink dial, Arabic numerals and brown suede strap
Auctions · Phillips Watches, Geneva Auction Five – my Patek Philippe favourites Nine Patek Philippe picks from Phillips Geneva Auction Five, 13 and 14 May 2017: three dress watches, three complications and three chronographs.
Patek Philippe 130 steel chronograph with two-tone sector dial signed Walser Wald and telemeter scale
Collecting · Patek Philippe 130 in steel – two-tone sector dial signed Walser Wald, with telemeter scale A Patek Philippe 130 in steel with a two-tone sector dial double-signed Walser Wald and a telemeter scale, exceedingly rare and in sublime condition.
Bovet Monorattrapante chronograph with a black dial, gilt Arabic numerals and two sub-dials on a brown strap
Collecting · Bovet Monorattrapante with a gilt black gloss dial A Bovet single-button split-seconds chronograph, 38mm, with a gilt black gloss dial and white signature, a watch since sold to a private collector.
Side view of a yellow gold Rolex Daytona case with pushers and crown against a reflective red backdrop
Collecting · Rolex 6263 in 18kt yellow gold – NOS, full set, perfect case A Rolex 6263 in 18kt yellow gold in NOS condition with full set, oxidation around the pusher and its green sticker still on the caseback.
Grieb & Benzinger Blue Sensation in a platinum case with blue regulator display and skeletonised dial
Collecting · Grieb & Benzinger Blue Sensation on an 1889 Patek Philippe movement The Blue Sensation, made by Hermann Grieb and Jochen Benzinger around a Patek Philippe split-second chronograph movement of 1889 made for Tiffany & Co.
Rolex Cosmograph Daytona Newman dial with white face, black sub-dials and red Daytona lettering, fitted with its matching hands
Collecting · Rolex 6239 Paul Newman – the naked truth A Rolex 6239 Newman three-colour white dial in extraordinary condition, shown bare, from the back with its early Singer stamp, and with matching hands.
Finished Benzinger ONE with skeletonised silver dial, Patek cross and blue hands on a black strap
Atelier · Benzinger ONE, Patek Philippe for Tiffany & Co.: the finished timepiece The finished Benzinger ONE built on a Patek Philippe movement made for Tiffany & Co. around 1920, hand guilloché, hand engraved and hand skeletonised.
White gold George Daniels Millennium wristwatch with silver guilloché dial, gold chapter ring and black strap
Auctions · George Daniels Millennium in white gold at Sotheby’s London The white gold George Daniels Millennium offered at Sotheby’s London on 25 April, one of only eight in white gold from a series of 50.
Gold Rolex 5100 Beta 21 with white dial, date window and Omani emblem, on a light wooden surface
Collecting · Rolex 5100 “Beta 21” Oman – featured on Bring a Loupe A rare gold Rolex 5100 “Beta 21” with the Omani emblem on the dial, featured in Hodinkee’s Bring a Loupe in February 2017.
Rolex 5512 Submariner, black dial with tritium markers and black bezel on a steel bracelet
Collecting · Rolex 5512 Submariner with “Neat Fonts” dial The Rolex 5512 Submariner with the rare “Neat Fonts” dial, found only on examples from 1966 and 1967.
Man in a checked shirt with a magnifier headband working at an antique rose engine guilloché machine in a workshop
Atelier · Guilloché lessons – some memories Learning guilloché at Jochen Benzinger’s atelier: working a rose engine machine and a practice dial with a sun guilloché pattern.
Galvanic-finished Benzinger ONE plates with guilloché engraving and TIFFANY and PATEK PHILIPPE lettering on a sketch
Atelier · Benzinger ONE, Patek Philippe for Tiffany & Co.: galvanic finish done, ready for assembly The Benzinger ONE Patek Philippe for Tiffany is galvanic finished and ready for assembly, after hand guilloché and engraving of its parts.