HODINKEE Podcasts

The movement maker's Director of Innovation and Marketing discusses collecting chronographs, Sellita, what the Swiss watch industry can do better, and his new brand Albishorn. 

Show Notes

1:46: Chronographs for Collectors

4:30: In-Depth: Swatch Group Battles With COMCO Over ETA Movement Sales (2020)

12:40: Hands-On: The Angelus U10 Tourbillon Lumière

19:30: Possible Tornado Hits La Chaux-de-Fonds, Causing Significant Damage To The Area

28:20: Sellita catalog from 2022

45:20: Albishorn Watches

We're back in the swing of things after an end-of-summer break from Hodinkee Radio. This week, James and Malaika join the show. We discuss some of our favorite recent releases from Zenith, Tudor, Hamilton, Chanel, and more. Then, we get into Malaika's recent in-depth article on Tiffany & Co.'s "untapped watchmaking potential." We explore the American retailer's long relationship with watches and watchmaking, and discuss the potential for revamping its watches in the wake of its 2021 acquisition by LVMH. Then, we have a Collecting Advice from a world-traveling free diver looking for a watch. Thanks as always for listening to Hodinkee Radio – we have some exciting guests lined up for the fall, so stay dialed into this feed.

8:30: Zenith ladder bracelet for the Chronomaster Revival Safari and Shadow

10:30: The Dubai Watch Club Zenith El Primero A384 (SJX)

11:15: Zenith Chronomaster Revival Safari

13:04: Just Because: Chanel Made A Watch with Headphones

18:20: Introducing: Hamilton Khaki Field Quartz

19:00: Introducing: The Tudor Black Bay Chrono 'Blue' Boutique Edition

20:08: A Week On The Wrist: Tudor Black Bay Heritage Chrono Blue

23:16: Gold Tudor Prince Chronograph for Only Watch

25:25: Hands-On: The Daniel Roth Tourbillon Rose Gold

27:30: In-Depth: Tiffany & Co.'s Untapped Watchmaking Potential

31:45: The Tiffany & Co. CT60 Collection

42:00: Introducing: The Marathon Navigator – Now With A Steel Case!

42:58: Hands-On: The Doxa Sub 200T

43:48: Garmn Descent G1

44:26: Scurfa Diver One

45:10: Benrus Type 1-C

45:50: Halios Seaforth IV

46:45: Introducing: Longines Hydroconquest GMT

47:40: Hands-On: The Seiko Prospex SPB451 And SPB453

49:10: Happenings: House Of Craft NYC | UBS x Hodinkee

It's almost the end of summer, so today I've got Mark Kauzlarich and our new editor TanTan Wang on to talk about some of the biggest news of the past couple of months. While the watch world mostly slows down in July and August, news and releases have still been trickling out. So we're going to highlight a few of our favorite releases from Tudor, Longines, MB&F, and more. Then, we hit on some other industry news before taking a longer look at Habring2, the Austrian brand from Richard and Maria Habring.  

Then, Mark and I will both be at Geneva Watch Days, so we do a preview of what to look forward to as the Swiss watch industry kicks into high gear again. Thanks as always for listening to Hodinkee Radio. We'll be off the next two weeks for an end of summer break, but we'll be back in your feed again on September 18. 

Show Notes

2:50: Longines Adds To Its Spirit Collection, Led By The Titanium Zulu Time 39

4:00: Hands-On: Tudor Black Bay 58 GMT

8:50: Hands-On: Longines Legend Diver – Back And Better At 39mm

10:30: Hands-On: The Tudor Pelagos FXD 'Cycling Edition'

13:10: Introducing: Two New Tudor Pelagos FXDs For Alinghi Red Bull Racing – And One Of Them Is A Chronograph

18:50: Hands-On: Furlan Marri Disco Volante

20:20: Introducing: M.A.D. Editions' M.A.D.1 Gets Slimmer With The M.A.D.1S

28:05: Business News: Chanel Takes A 25% Stake In MB&F

36:50: The Value Proposition: The Habring2 Erwin 'Tuxedo'

39:35: A Week On The Wrist: Jaeger-LeCoultre Geopyshic True Second

51:50: SpaceOne Watches Tellerium

Today's guest is a true legend. Fred Savage is an actor, producer, and director, best known for his roles in front of the camera in The Wonder Years and The Princess Bride after getting his big break in a commercial for Pac-Man Children's Chewable Multi-Vitamin. He's also a watch collector who I've seen get excited about vintage Gallet, Patek, and everything in between.

You might also recognize Fred from his 2018 Talking Watches episode. Since then, he's become a fixture in the vintage watch world, and I always look forward to crossing paths with him at shows, auctions, or meetups. 

Ben Clymer also joins the show, and we discuss Fred's evolution as a collector since his Talking Watches episode, some of his more offbeat finds, and how watches have become something for the whole family in the Savage house. Thanks for listening, and we hope you enjoy this week's episode of Hodinkee Radio. 

Show Notes

00:01: Fred Savage on Talking Watches

1:45: Fred's "new" vintage Rolex Datejust from Wanna Buy A Watch?

17:45: Fred's Rolex Commando

19:10: Fred's Framont Parking Meter Alarm Watch

24:55: Bulova Devil Diver 666 example (Hodinkee Shop)

46:00: Timepiece Grading Specialists

Our guest today is James Lamdin, co-founder of Analog Shift. After careers in outdoor equipment and cars, James started vintage dealer Analog Shift in 2012. A long-time watch collector, James turned his passion for vintage watches into a new resource for collectors and enthusiasts. You might know Analog Shift for its detailed watch descriptions, often with a bit of character, and perhaps you've even been lucky enough to visit its New York City showroom, a standby for local vintage watch lovers. In addition to Analog Shift, James is also the co-founder of the RedBar community.

In 2020, Analog Shift was acquired by the retailer Watches of Switzerland. But Analog Shift has kept its character since then. Today, James is VP of vintage and pre-owned with Watches of Switzerland. When he's not talking vintage watches, he's drinking whisky, driving his vintage Porsche, and generally cosplaying as Magnum PI.

James Stacey joins Mr. Lamdin and me to talk Doxa (of course), how the watch industry has evolved since Lamdin founded Analog Shift, neo-vintage watches, and his company's acquisition by Watches of Switzerland. Thanks for listening, and I hope you enjoy this week's episode of Hodinkee Radio.

Show Notes

00:01: Analog Shift

13:20: Example of Gruen Travel Alarm Clark

15:20: U-Boat at the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry

16:54: Cartier Envelope Watch

21:10: James' Doxa Sub 300 "Black Lung"

23:18: The Doxa Sub200T

26:00: The New Doxa Army

29:04: James' Doxa Sub300 from the Jamaican Defense Forces can be seen in the header image.

43:00: Cartier Tank Americaine with diamonds

45:30: IWC Chronograph ref. 3706

46:12: Hands-On: IWC Portugieser Chronograph Ref. 3714

Today's guest is gentleman dealer Eric Wind of Wind Vintage. Eric was one of the earliest contributors to Hodinkee, writing his first article about the Universal Geneve Polerouter way back in 2010.

Over the years, he published the weekly "Bring A Loupe" column and you probably also recognize him from his multiple Reference Points appearances – Speedmaster, GMT-Master, Explorer, and Submariner – and his two talks for the Horological Society of New York.

After his time as a Hodinkee contributor, Eric joined Christie's as a VP and Senior Specialist of Watches. In 2017 he set out on his own with Wind Vintage. Nowadays, you surely recognize his wrist and white cuff, always adorned with a rare or beautiful vintage watch.

Eric tells a few stories about putting together those epic Reference Points, then we talk about the current vintage watch market, his modern watch collabs, and a charitable auction coming this December that he's involved in. Thanks for listening, and I hope you enjoy this week's episode of Hodinkee Radio.

Show Notes

00:01: Wind Vintage and Eric's Instagram

3:58: Reference Points: Rolex Submariner

Reference Points: Omega Speedmaster

8:45: FHH Monthly Report on Swiss Watch Exports

9:00: Half-year financial reports for Swatch Group, Richemont, and LVMH

9:25: Watch Charts

12:30: Patek 3941J with "doré" dial

22:45: Tropical Abercrombie & Fitch Seafarer that sold at Christie's in 2017 and Phillips in 2021

25:49: Example of a Heuer 2447S with "eggshell dial"

28:35: Eric's unpolished Rolex Submariner 5510

29:10: Collector's Guide To The Rolex Submariner 5512

29:20: Collector's Guide To The Rolex Submariner 5513

39:05: The Rowing Blazers Seiko 5 Collab

39:17: Eric's collaboration with Tracksmith and Merci

40:00: Zodiac x Rowing Blazers Harry's Bar Super Sea Wolf

40:15: Zodiac x Rowing Blazers "Trading Places" GMT

47:30: Brian LaViolette Foundation

Today, we're chatting watches with our guest, watch journalist Blake Buettner. Blake's a veteran of watch media, having first contributed to Hodinkee in 2010. After that, he went on to work with StockX before becoming the Managing Editor of Worn & Wound. Nowawadays, you can find his writing in places like the Robb Report as well as his own project, The Deeptrack. We talk a bit about Blake's background, the early days of Hodinkee, and how he got into watches. But since he's old hat at this, James, Blake, and I mostly just kick back and talk watches – the new Seiko Speedtimer, exciting microbrands, all followed by a listener Q&A. 

A note that Hodinkee Radio will be adopting a summer schedule through the month of August. We're taking next week off, but we'll be back in your feed again before long. Until then, enjoy my discussion with Blake and James. 

Show Notes

00:15: Blake's The Deep Track

1:40: Reference Points: Understanding The Rolex Sea-Dweller

4:11: Worn & Wound's Windup Watch Fair

5:45: Christopher Ward C65 Super Compressor

6:20: Introducing: Oak & Oscar Atwood Chronograph

6:50: AnOrdain Model 3

9:15: Introducing: Furlan Marri Disco Volante

10:10: Hands-On: Autodromo Group C

11:00: Autodromo Racing Team

14:30: Inside The Manufacture: Parmigiani Fleurier

16:10: Hands-On with the d.m.h. Jump Hour

17:40: 2013 Formula 1 U.S. Grand Prix with Armin Strom

26:57: Seiko Prospex Speedtimer Solar in "Pogue" Colors

33:00: Hands-On With The Seiko 5 Sports 55th Anniversary

33:15: Seiko 5 Heritage Design Limited Editions

34:00: Seiko Navigator SPB411

37:45: Hands-On: Doxa Sub 200T

38:13: Week On The Wrist: Omega Speedmaster With White Lacquer Dial

40:38: Week On The Wrist: Patek Aquanaut 5065

Today's episode is coming at you in two parts. In the first part, Jeff Hilliard, our director of Limited Editions, joins Ben and me to chat about limited editions and Hodinkee's recent collaboration with Porsche Design, a take on the original Chronograph 1. Founded by F.A. Porsche in 1972, Porsche Design has made a number of contributions to watches, which we also discuss.

After that, James Stacey and Mark Kauzlarich join the show. Since we're already halfway through 2024, we decided to recap the first half of the year: Our favorite releases, overlooked watches, and the watches we've been wearing the most.

Thanks for listening, and enjoy the show. 

Show Notes

1:01: The Porsche Design Chronograph 1 Limited Edition for Hodinkee

3:00: TAG Heuer Carrera Skipper Limited Edition for Hodinkee

3:10: Vacheron Constantin Historiques Cornes de Vache for Hodinkee

16:30: Hublot Classic Fusion Titanium Limited Edition for Hodinkee

17:30: Zenith El Primero Limited Edition for Hodinkee

17:45: MB&F LM 101 for Hodinkee

18:15: IWC Pilot's Watch Mark XVIII for Hodinkee

25:15: The Casiotron Makes Its Grand Return 50 Years After Starting A Digital Revolution

28:10: The Doxa Sub 200T – A Smaller Take On The Classic Doxa Design

32:00: Grand Seiko's New SLGW002 And SLGW003 'White Birch' With A Brand-New Manual Hi-Beat Movement 

33:10: A Week On The Wrist: Omega Speedmaster with white lacquer dial

35:40: Hands-On: Tudor Black Bay 58 GMT

38:30: The Momentum UDT Eclipse Synch Solar – A Modern-Day Chronosport UDT

40:50: Bulgari Sets A New Record (Again) For The World's Thinnest Watch With The New Octo Finissimo Ultra

43:24: Hands-On: The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar John Mayer Limited Edition

44:36: A. Lange & Söhne Makes The First Datograph Perpetual Tourbillon In Honeygold – And It's A 'Lumen'

47:00: Singer Divetrack

53:45: Tudor Shocks Us All With The New Black Bay Chrono 'Pink'

54:50: Hands-On: Did Raymond Weil Really Make A Watch For Watch Enthusiasts?

Today: the vintage Patek Philippe Calatrava episode. Introduced in 1932, though it wouldn't be called the "Calatrava" until years later, the Patek Philippe Calatrava is perhaps the most iconic watch ever, laying the blueprint for the modern dress watch. It was also introduced at a pivotal time in the history of Patek Philippe, just after it had been acquired by the Stern family. After the acquisition, the Stern brothers hired Jean Pfister, a technical master who would lead the development of the first serially produced complications that defined so much of Patek's collection during the mid-20th century. But first came the Calatrava ref. 96, Patek's first serially-produced reference. 

I called up founder Ben Clymer and client advisor Rich Fordon to discuss the Patek Calatrava. We start by asking: what even is a "Calatrava," and what isn't? Then, we jump through the history of the line, from the original reference 96 through the golden era of the refs. 570, 565, 2508, and others (depending on your definition of "Calatrava"), through the hobnail ref. 3919 and then the rebirth of the traditional Calatrava in the 1980s and '90s. We also take a look at a few of our favorite overlooked Calatrava references as well as the most expensive ones to ever sell at auction.

In the show notes below, I've tried to include a link to each reference we mention to help you follow along with our discussion. Thanks as always for listening – let us know if you liked this model-focused discussion, and if so, what model you'd like to hear us discuss next.  

Show Notes

3:55: The Calatrava collection on Patek's website

5:05: A Visual Guide to Rare Patek Philippe Calatravas

5:50: Patek Philippe ref. 3919 (Hodinkee Shop)

11:54: Introducing: Audemars Piguet Mini Royal Oaks

13:18: Steel Patek Calatrava ref. 96 with sector dial at Sotheby's

16:36: The 'Imperial Patek Philippe' Owned By The Last Emperor Of China Sells For $6.2 Million

17:22: The Patek Ref. 565 With Breguet Dial For Sale At Phillips

17:30: Patek ref. 570 in yellow gold (Hodinkee Shop)

18:24: White gold Patek ref. 570 (Hodinkee Shop)

21:30: Alfredo Paramico Talking Watches, featuring his three two-tone dial 570s

24:35: Patek Philippe ref. 2509

28:45: The Patek Philippe 2526, And Why It's A Watch To Pay Attention To

34:52: Introducing: The Rexhep Rexhepi Chronomètre Contemporain II With Ruby Indices, Limited To Ten Pieces

40:26: Patek 2577 with enamel dial at Phillips

42:28: Patek ref. 530 with black dial and Breguet numerals that sold for CHF 1.4 million

43:05: Patek ref. 570 with two-tone dial and Breguet numerals that sold for CHF 3.3 million (most expensive Calatrava sold at auction)

47:26: Patek ref. 3796 (Hodinkee Shop)

51:10: Patek ref. 3923 for Harrod's 150th anniversary (Mr. Watchley)

52:00: Andy Warhol's Patek 2526 with Breguet numerals

Our guest today is editor and writer Jay Fielden. Jay is a media industry vet, having spent time at The New Yorker, Vogue, and Men's Vogue, before becoming editor-in-chief of Town & Country. From there, he took the same position at Esquire from 2016 to 2019. He's also contributed to Hodinkee a few times over the years.

We invited Jay on to talk more about his recent excellent piece, "The Strange Journey of John Lennon's Stolen Patek Philippe Watch," which appeared in the June 24 issue of The New Yorker.

It's the most detailed account yet of the "Lennon 2499" that has remained mostly a mystery for decades. He traces the story, talks to the people, and even found some never-before-published photos of the Patek given by Yoko Ono to Lennon for his 40th birthday, just months before he was murdered.

Also joining the conversation is our own Ben Clymer. Thanks for listening, and enjoy this week's conversation with Jay Fielden.

Show Notes

Since the main topic of this week's episode is Fielden's article in The New Yorker, it's short on show notes. Instead, below are links for further reading on the long, winding story of John Lennon's Patek 2499:

The Strange Journey of John Lennon's Stolen Patek Philippe Watch, Fielden's story in The New Yorker

In-Depth: Twelve of the Greatest Missing Watches, Hodinkee

John Lennon's Stolen Watch Found in Geneva, Gotham City, the first publication to break the news that Lennon's 2499 had been the subject of an ongoing lawsuit in Geneva

In-Depth: The Wild, Mostly Complete Story of John Lennon's Lost Patek Philippe 2499, Hodinkee, our coverage of the lawsuit where we fill in the blanks as to where Lennon's 2499 had traveled over the past two decades

The full Geneva court decision between Yoko Ono and "Mr. A.", Canton of Geneva

The Saga of Yoko Ono, Her Chauffer, and Lost Lennon Treasures, N.Y. Times, covering the 86 other items of Lennon's that Karsan had stolen and which were recovered in the 2017 bankruptcy of Auctionata