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Into the deep – Creating the ultimate divers watch
Whilst Blancpain is generally regarded to have pioneered the first dive watch – the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms – in 1953, it is Rolex and Omega who spent the next two decades battling it out to produce ‘the ultimate divers watch’. Both Rolex and Omega were commissioned to supply watches to the British Royal Navy in …
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A Model Citizen
In 1959 Citizen produced the very first Japanese water-resistant watch – the Parawater. This is the grandfather of all Japanese diver’s watches and the very first produced in Japan. However, it wasn’t until 1962 that Citizen made their first “professional” divers watch – the super Jet. Water resistant to 150m and with large trapezoidal shapedtritium …
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Omega Seamaster ‘Ploproff’ – The first professional divers watch
The Omega Seamaster “ploprof” was launched in 1970 and was the most expensive watch in Omega’s range at this time. It was twice the price of a Rolex submariner costing 690CHF with isofrane strap and 720CHF on Milanese bracelet. Nicknamed the “ploprof” (PLOngeur PROFessionnel), it took 4 years to develop in conjunction with Comex and …
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Tudor – The Rose and Crown
Born out of Hans Wilsdorf’s desire to offer a watch with all the qualities of Rolex but at a cheaper price point, Tudor was officially taken under Rolex’s wing in 1946.Sharing the same oyster case as Rolex as well as the self-winding perpetual rotor mechanism, these first watches were initially marketed to the working man. [...] More -
Rolex – Stepping out of the shadows
Whilst Rolex is universally credited with producing and marketing the simplest and easiest to use GMT watch in the 1950’s, other swiss makers also tried their hand with varying degrees of success. However, one maker, in particular, stands out in that not only did it produce some of the earliest diver’s watches but it also …
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Mido – The original ‘tool watch’
Whilst Rolex are widely accepted as producing the first “waterproof” watch with it’s oyster case, it is easy to forget, that at the same time, other swiss makers were striving further. Launched in 1934, the Mido Multifort was one of the first watches launched to be waterproof, anti-magnetic and shock resistant. Prior to launching the …
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The Patek IOS, and the Fall of a Financial Empire
The Patek Philippe IOS is a watch that came from a collapsing empire. Investors Overseas Services Ltd, or IOS, came into being in 1955, founded by salesman and financier Bernard Cornfield. He began selling mutual funds, as a change was taking place in the American stock market – traditional investment companies were falling to the …
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The Submariner In Depth
The Submariner, In Depth Rolex was founded in London in 1905 as ‘Wilsdorf & Davis’, before adopting the company name Rolex in 1915 and moving to Geneva four years after that. The name was chosen for its easy pronunciation in any language; its symmetry and brevity allowed it to fit easily on the dial of …
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Omega, Before the Moon
Omega, Before the Moon It can be difficult doing research on vintage Omega watches, as for the most part, Omega like to reinforce their status as the First Watch on the Moon, almost ignoring or glossing over the history that came before 1969. In all fairness, this is quite the claim to fame, and speaks …
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