The Strap and Link Podcast

On the 23rd episode of Strap and Link we are honored to welcome esteemed guest, Joe Kirk, to the show. Joe is the Brand Curator for Grand Seiko, a true watch fanatic, and an all-around fantastic person. Check out the Show Notes below for a detailed overview of our discussion.

As is tradition in part two episodes we cover four additional watches, but since our guest is so knowledgeable, we added two or three extra watches. We also discussed the meaning and purpose behind the Evolution 9 collection, Zaratsu polishing techniques, and new materials Grand Seiko are working with.

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Show Notes:

(14:55) Mailbag

(20:54) “Shosho” GMT - SBGJ249

(25:22) Elegance GMT - SBGM221

(27:47) “Shunbun”, “Cherry Blossom” - SBGA413

(29:18) Spring Drive

(36:47) “White Birch” - SLGH005

(41:31) “Night Birch” - SLGH017

(43:57) Grand Seiko Dial Processes

(47:11) “Lake Suwa” - SLGA021

(48:18) Evolution 9 Design

(52:38) Bracelet Design and Materials

(58:44) Limited Editions

(1:04:47) 8-Day Spring Drive

(1:10:35) NYC Boutique Opening

We're back with another exciting episode on the storied Longines brand, and some of their new releases from 2023 including the new HydroConquest GMT and Legend Divers. In this episode we look at the brand and what's changed since we last covered them in April, 2023.

New models like the HydroConquest GMT have taken the watch world by storm, so we're diving into specs on watch this and the Legend Diver, Mini Dolce Vita, and Longines Master Collection dress watch. We'll give our take on the watches themselves, and how they play into a watch collection, but more specifically we focus today on the value proposition from Longines, and ask the question "Are you getting a good deal with a Longines watch?"

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Show Notes:

(1:11) - Longines Recap

(5:46) - New Watch Alert: Rolex Yacht-Master Rhodium

(18:47) - Mailbag

(26:21) - Legend Diver

(36:49) - HydroConquest GMT

(43:09) - Mini Dolce Vita

(54:24) - Master Collection

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On today's episode we discuss Rado, the "Master of Materials" against-the-grain Swatch Group company. 

Rado was founded in Switzerland by brothers Fritz, Ernst, and Werner in 1917. The brand quickly rose to international prominence and was synonymous with Swiss quality by the end of WWII.

We discuss a slew of watches including the DiaStar, True Square, and Captain Cook. We also give our take on the brand's design language, clearing standing apart from anything offered in the mainstream today.

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Show Notes:

(9:50) - News and Notes

(19:43) - History

(27:00) - True Square Open Heart

(35:50) - Captain Cook

(43:12) - Integral

(50:20) - DiaStar

Founded in 1992, the French brand Bell & Ross was a university project between two students, and the watches were originally produced by the German company Sinn. However, the "Bell & Ross by Sinn" is still a point of debate in the watch world.

Bell & Ross began by tailoring watches to military specifications, enabling them to stand out amongst peers. With innovative watches such as the Space 1 and Hydro Challenger, Bell & Ross have always played in a league of their own.

Today, Bell & Ross largely make sports watches designed to imitate the instruments inside an airplane cockpit, and this is what the brand has become known for. Aside from the BR 03, they also make stylish GMT, Chronographs, and offer an integrated bracelet design on many of their standard models.

Still, Bell & Ross are a contentious brand for using off-the-shelf movements and charging such a premium, especially considering the brand's short history - they were founded in 1992.

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Show Notes:

(13:25) - Bell & Ross History

(28:58) - BR 03-94 “Blacktrack”

(36:28) - BR V2-94 Steel Heritage

(44:05) - BR-X5

(50:37) - BR 03

TAG Heuer are synonymous with motorsport, and has accomplished some things you may not yet know. On the 19th episode of Strap and Link, we dive into their storied history including the invention of the winding crown and stop/reset pushers on the chronograph case.

Of course, we can't talk about TAG without mentioning their placement on the wrist of Hollywood star Steve McQueen, the King of Cool, in the movie Le Mans which features prominent branding from Heuer. We also look at their history in F1 from timing races in the mid 20th century to being main sponsors for the Red Bull Racing team and Max Verstappen, who have won 3 titles in a row.

We wrap up by discussing some of their iconic pieces and collections including the Monaco, Carrera, Aquaracer and Autavia, and how these watches fit into a collection including their price compared to similar models and other collections from TAG themselves.

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Show Notes:

(5:54)  - History of TAG Heuer

(26:18) - Aquaracer

(34:15) - Monaco

(47:45) - Autavia

(55:55) - Carrera

(1:04:07) - AD Relationships

On our 18th episode we look at the captivating Jaeger-LeCoultre brand (better known in the United States as JLC) and some of their modern watches. We look back at its founding as a shop that made steel watch pinions in the mid-nineteenth century, and forward to their elegant and dressy options at an upper-end luxury market placement. Of course, we touch on the most important pieces of their history including making watch movement components for the likes of Patek Phillipe, and their invention of the Reverso for polo players suffering from cracked watch crystals.

We specifically look at the JLC Reverso, Polaris, Polaris Memovox, and Duometre collections. We'll discuss each of their specs, price points, and how we perceive them fitting into the modern watch market.

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Show Notes:

News and Notes: 8:54

JLC History: 14:44

Reverso: 33:08

Polaris: 42:29

Duometre: 52:32

Polaris Mariner Memovox: 58:34

Welcome back to the Strap and Link Podcast - today we're retaking a look at Tudor to focus on their new watches of 2023 including the new five-link bracelet "Heritage" Black Bay, Pelagos FXD, and Black Bay 54. We're talking about the history of these watches, why they were re-released now, or why these models were selected as ones to be re-released.

We'll also give our own opinion on these watches of course, and provide a complete rundown of the specs for each including sizing, cost, and so on.

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Show Notes:

10:50 - Tudor Black Bay 54

22:30 - Tudor Pelagos FXD

36:20 - Tudor Royal

50:32 - Tudor “Heritage” Black Bay

The Hamilton Watch Company was founded in Lancaster, PA, USA in 1892 and started making watches for local railways and operators. As we moved closer to World War II, Hamilton got involved with the US Military and began providing watches to troops, so much so that they even ceased production of civilian models. They continued to innovate, releasing the world's first electronic watch, the Ventura in 1957.

Today, we associate Hamilton watches with a few things: Movies in which they are placed, sometimes becoming a plot point, and field watches, which they execute nearly to perfection. From Hawaii Blue to Men In Black, and most recently Interstellar and Oppenheimer, Hamilton watches continue playing a crucial role in outfitting characters across many genres.

In this episode we cover all this and more, including a vintage mechanical Hamilton 1936, the predecessor to the Boulton/Indiana Jones watch. We also cover several movies like Men In Black, Interstellar, and The Martian, where Hamilton watches are featured.

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Show Notes:

6:40 - History of Hamilton Watches

29:40 - "Lawrence" 1936 / Hamilton Boulton

38:44 - Khaki Field "Murph"

49:07 - Jazzmaster Collection

56:15 - Intra-Matic Chronograph Collection

1:07:10 - Mailbag

We're back at it with Episode 15 and a very special brand, none other than fan-favorite Seiko. Today we're looking at the history including their founding in 1881 in Tokyo, and many Japanese and World's first achievements from the Seiko Watch Company including the world's first Titanium Dive Watch and Spring Drive technology.

We're also covering current collections including the Presage, Prospex, Seiko 5 Sport, and Essentials. Specifically, we talk about the Presage Cocktail Time, multiple Prospex divers, and Seiko 5 Sport GMTs and Divers.

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Show Notes:

5:34 - Mailbag

10:16 - News & Notes

17:35 - Seiko History

37:44 - Seiko Elegance Collection

49:49 - Seiko Prospex Collection (SRPF03)

1:03:32 - Seiko Presage Cocktail Time

1:11:05 - Seiko 5 Sport SRPD59

1:26:14 - Mailbag and Wrap-Up

It's finally time. We're sitting down to discuss the most popular, most recognizable, and arguably most controversial watch brand in the world: Rolex.

Rolex is synonymous with wealth, status, and well... luxury wristwatches. We tackle Part 2 by discussing the Rolex Day-Date, GMT Master II, Explorer I and II, and the Sky-Dweller as well as answering a listener question about the Rolex/AD waitlist dilemma.

If you haven't listened to Part 1 be sure to check it out! We covered the founding and history of Rolex including their charitable organization status, and discussed the Rolex Submariner and DateJust.

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Show Notes:

4:50 - Rolex Day-Date

18:24 - Rolex Sky-Dweller

30:58 - Rolex Explorer I & II

47:13 - Rolex GMT Master II

1:00:12 - Rolex Aftermarket Pricing

1:04:27 - Mailbag