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Watch History Articles

The Evolution of Tudor’s Iconic Snowflake Hands

Tudor watches have long stood out in the world of horology for their ability to balance utility and elegance. Whilst the brand operates under the shadow of its more famous parent company, Rolex, it has cultivated a devoted following with a distinct identity of its own. Among Tudor’s many defining design elements, one feature rises above the rest, the ‘Snowflake hands’.

Published on Thursday 16th of January 2025

New Tudor models for 2024

Tudor launched a handful of new models in 2024, with some striking additions to their already established collections.

Published on Friday 8th of November 2024

The Tudor North Flag: A Milestone in Swiss Watchmaking

The launch of the Tudor North Flag in 2015 marked a transformative moment in the history of Tudor, the renowned Swiss watchmaker. This timepiece was not only distinguished by its striking aesthetics but also heralded the introduction of Tudor’s very first in-house manufactured movement. In this article, we’ll explore the design, inspiration, and significance of the Tudor North Flag, highlighting why it remains a cherished piece among watch enthusiasts.

Published on Monday 21st of October 2024

A Comprehensive Look at the Tudor 1926 Collection

The Tudor brand is often associated with its robust diver and sports watches, which have become some of the most recognizable timepieces in the watch industry. However, in 2018, Tudor introduced the 1926 collection, a departure from its rugged designs, offering a range of elegant, classically styled dress watches. With its vintage aesthetic and refined details, the Tudor 1926 collection has made its mark as a timeless and versatile option for both men and women.

Published on Wednesday 16th of October 2024

The History of Tudor Black Bay Watches: An Iconic Diver's Collection

The Tudor Heritage Black Bay was introduced in 2012 as part of Tudor’s efforts to relaunch the brand and recapture its glory in the luxury watch market. The Black Bay was not just a new dive watch; it was a tribute to the brand’s rich history and its earlier Submariner models, blending vintage design elements with modern technology.

Published on Monday 7th of October 2024

History of the Tudor brand

The Tudor brand was founded in 1926 by Hans Wilsdorf, the man that was also responsible for creating the now infamous Rolex watch brand. Wilsdorf had already successfully placed Rolex as a front runner in the watch industry, yet he had the desire to create a ‘sister’ company that would bring his watches to a wider audience that would offer the quality, reliability and craftsmanship for which Rolex had become renowned, but at a more ‘modest’ price.

Published on Friday 12th of July 2024

The History and Development of Omega Speedmaster

Omega have been making chronographs since the late 1800s. In 1957 Omega started producing the Speedmaster range. Since then, Omega have made a number of chronographs under the Speedmaster name. The Speedmaster Professional, or ‘Moonwatch’ is the best known. A Moonwatch was worn during the first spacewalk, and most famously, was the first watch worn by an astronaut walking on the moon during the Apollo 11 mission in 1969.

Published on Friday 25th of March 2022

The History and Development of Rolex Explorer

The Rolex Explorer 214270 has always been a little overlooked in the Rolex Professional Watch range. Unlike its bigger brother the Explorer II 216570, with its large case and a chunky, tool-watch aesthetic, the Explorer 214270 is a much smaller more refined design, a design that has remained relatively unchanged since its inception in 1953.

Published on Sunday 20th of March 2022

What is a Watches Mechanical Movement?

The watch movement or calibre is often considered as the heart of a watch, powering all of the functions and movements of the watch including the chronograph, alarms and any complications. The movement is made up of a collection of intertwined springs, coils and gears that work together beautifully to turn energy into precise regulated movements.

Published on Wednesday 16th of March 2022

The History and Development of the Rolex Milgauss

Rolex looked to the scientific community for a market to sell its next watch for professionals to, specifically the scientific researchers at the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) in Geneva, Switzerland. A watch made to be used in such an environment would need to be legible and rugged like the rest of the Rolex Professional watch range, but scientists posed a unique problem for Rolex to solve, when working with electromagnetic fields greater than 100 gauss, conventional watches would be affected greatly, disrupting the time keeping so much that they either had to deal with a dysfunctional timepiece, or simply not wear a watch. To solve this problem, Rolex created the prototype ref 6543, they took the design of the Rolex Submariner, and created a watch that had a 37.5mm steel case, with an inner case surrounding the watch movement made of a soft iron, effectively creating a Faraday cage around the watch movement, making the watch resistant to magnetic fields, and thus the Rolex Milgauss was born.

Published on Saturday 12th of March 2022

Brietling Aerospace

In 1985 Breitling released its latest and most powerful pilots watch to date, with the release of the Aerospace. The Aerospace watch had a innovative multi-function quartz chronograph. It had a double display, both analog and digital displays with two LCD screens.

Published on Monday 7th of March 2022

The History and Development of The Rolex Sea-Dweller

The Rolex Sea-Dweller was developed in the late 1960s, and this first, (reference number 1665) was released to the public in 1967. These first models featured all the hallmarks of a Rolex divers watch, such as would be found on the Submariner, such as a similar black dial and bezel, with the famous ‘mercedes’ hands. It even mentioned its sibling on the dial, with two lines of red writing reading "Sea-Dweller / Submariner 2000", giving It the nickname “double red” before the text changed to white in 1977.

Published on Friday 4th of March 2022

Rolex Daytona, everything you need to know

Initially created and designed for the stars during the space race the Rolex Daytona found its home on the race track, being rebranded and becoming the go-to watch for the modern racing driver. The Daytona took its name from the Daytona International Speedway after Rolex became the official timekeeper in 1962. Firstly lets take a look at the Chronograph functions, primarily on the Rolex Daytona ref 116500LN models, although all functions will be the same just dial configurations may look slightly different on some models, such as the Zenith Rolex Daytona ref 16523.

Published on Saturday 26th of February 2022

The History and Development of the Rolex Yacht-Master

In the mid-1980s, Rolex were having great success with their line of sports watches that had remained unchanged for many years. However rumour has it that at some point Rolex were looking at redesigning the iconic Submariner. Thankfully Rolex eventually came to their senses and left the design of the Submariner alone. However, the work that had gone into the redesigned watch was rather good and it seemed a shame to leave it on the design room floor. Therefore, in the years that followed, Rolex used the new design intended for the Submariner to make a brand new line of maritime watches for the luxury market, and so the Rolex Yacht-Master was born.

Published on Tuesday 22nd of February 2022

The History and Development of the Rolex Oyster Perpetual

The words ‘oyster’ and ‘perpetual’ are synonymous with Rolex. They are terms that appear on the dial of almost every Rolex watch made today, and symbolise the pioneering technological advancements that the horological giants put into the development of the watches made today. The name Oyster Perpetual comes from two key aspects that Rolex put into every watch they make today. Oyster refers to the water resistant properties of the watch case, and Perpetual from the name Rolex have given the automatic winding function of their movements.

Published on Sunday 13th of February 2022

Rolex Nicknames

Within the world of Rolex, collectors and enthusiasts there are a number of nicknames that have been developed throughout the years. Rolex, themselves have never given their watches any such names and have stuck to the model names and numbers, so where have many of these names come from? Some of the nicknames refer to the people that have worn them such as the ‘James Cameron’ or the ‘Pussy Galore’ whilst others refer to the colours of the dials, bezels or both including ‘hulk’ or the ‘batman’. Many of these have then further developed as the watch has changed or other variations have been included and added to the collection.

Published on Saturday 5th of February 2022

Breitling Superocean History

In the 1950s the conquest for sea exploration had risen, through scientific exploration of the seas and professional deep-sea diving meaning the demand for divers watches had increased. The publics interest in water sports had also increased, meaning amateurs too also required instruments that they could use safely. In 1957 Brietling responded to this demand and released two new diving watches: a time only diver (ref 1004) and a chronograph (ref 807). Both of these watches held the name Superocean but had different purposes – the time only watch was aimed at the gentleman who cares about his style whilst at the beach and enjoying water sports, whereas the sportier chronograph model was for the diver who needed performance and reliability.

Published on Wednesday 2nd of February 2022

The Co-Axial Escapement

A watches movement is the beating heart of a watch, being relatively unchanged for centuries, until British watch maker George Daniel’s invented the Co-Axial Escapement. Simply put the escapement of a mechanical watch is the heart of the watch and maintain the oscillations of the balance, which is the watches regulating mechanism. George had a vision of creating and escapement that reduced the amount of friction between the moving parts, meaning that the watch would need less servicing and a increased level of accuracy.

Published on Wednesday 26th of January 2022

The History and Development of Rolex Sea-Dweller Deepsea

In the late 2000s, Rolex had been making waterproof mechanical watches for over 80 years, and had established themselves in the world of divers watches as the industry leader, with the most capable dive watch in the Rolex range being the Rolex Sea-Dweller ref 16600. In 2008 however, Rolex replaced its Sea-Dweller ref 16600 with a new addition to the Sea-Dweller range, the Rolex Sea-Dweller Deepsea ref 116660.

Published on Saturday 22nd of January 2022

Rolex Bracelets and Straps

Whilst certain Rolex watch models have gained a following and are available in an array of models. Differing in size, material and function. Many of the watch bracelets have fans of their own. Most Rolex bracelets have been designed for a specific series, however some models of watches now give the buyer the ability to choose a bracelet for their watch (usually dependent on the material of watch).

Published on Tuesday 18th of January 2022

Rolex Sky-Dweller Features

As the Rolex Sky-Dweller approaches its 10 year anniversary, having been originally released in 2012 we decided to look at some of its many features. For many Rolex fans this will not be new news however there are many people out there that will not know about these.

Published on Wednesday 12th of January 2022

Rolex Papers, what are they and how do I tell if they are real?

When a new Rolex watch is purchased from an Official Rolex Dealer, the watch will come with what is called Rolex Papers, even though in recent years this is a card. These Rolex papers are used initially to hold warranty information, but once the watch is out of that warranty period, why are the papers still considered to be important?

Published on Saturday 8th of January 2022

The History and Development of the Rolex Day-Date

For many, the words ‘A gold Rolex’ conjure up an image of wealth, success, and of luxury. For over 60 years that image has been of Rolex’s flagship, the Day-Date. The Rolex Day-Date is worn by world leaders, business tycoons, heads of industry and the worlds elite. It is no wonder then, that the Rolex Day-Date is considered the epitome of success, a goal for the many and treasured by those who use them.

Published on Thursday 30th of December 2021

Box and Papers, Important or not?

When looking at buying pre-owned watches there are plenty out there that stipulate box and papers. Why is this important? Does it matter?

Published on Tuesday 14th of December 2021

Swiss Made, What does it mean?

Many luxury watches have the mark ‘Swiss-Made’ on the dial of their watch but lots of people do not fully understand or even know what this means. Watches with this mark usually cost more than those that do not have it on.

Published on Wednesday 8th of December 2021

The History and Development of the Rolex GMT Master II

The modern Steel Sports Rolex is one of the most desirable and difficult to obtain watches in 2021. Playing on the psychology of people who, when told they can’t have something, makes them want it more, Rolex restrict the amount of steel sports watches that are available for sale, fuelling ever growing waiting lists from authorised dealers. This results in an increased demand, which then develops in ever growing waiting lists. Arguably the watch that has the most attention for being subject to this vicious circle of lowering supply to increase demand is the Rolex GMT Master II. With its loud and vivid (for Rolex) colour schemes, and iconic design with a cult following, it's one of the most recognisable Rolex models of all time.

Published on Saturday 27th of November 2021

The History and Development of the Rolex Datejust

A lot of attention is given to the professional watch range. It would sometimes seem that the whole world paying attention to every update or new addition to the Submariner range or GMT Master II etc, but one collection that is often overlooked is also one of the best-selling, most successful watch models ever made, the humble Rolex Datejust.

Published on Saturday 20th of November 2021

The Rolex Submariner Range

For many people, when you think of a Rolex watch, the Rolex Oyster Perpetual Submariner 126610, (or simply the Rolex Submariner as it is almost exclusively referred to), is what you will think of. The clean and classic design has remained virtually unchanged since its release in 1954. It is widely considered the staple of the modern tool watch, and is said to be ‘the reference point among divers watches’ by Rolex themselves.

Published on Sunday 14th of November 2021

The History and Development of the Omega Seamaster

Of all the many quality watches made by the high-end watchmaker Omega, the best known is the ‘Seamaster’ series. Seamasters are the longest running watch model made by Omega, having been in production since 1948, and have been made in manual winding, automatic and quartz (battery) versions. The name Seamaster stems from the fact that the watch design was based on watches made by Omega for the Royal Navy during the Second World War.

Published on Wednesday 10th of November 2021

The History and Development of the Rolex Yacht Master II

The Rolex Yacht-Master sits well in the Rolex Professional Watch line up. A watch with all the capabilities as the truly rugged working watches like the Rolex Submariner, or the Rolex Sea-Dweller, but with more of a luxury feel, and a more affluent target market than some of the other watches in the range. In 2007, 15 years after the birth of the Rolex Yacht-Master, Rolex announced it would be making a new watch that would share the Yacht-Master name, the Yacht-Master II. At first glance it looked like this watch would be the missing link between the luxurious Yacht-Master, and the bulkier function orientated watches that it shares a catalogue with.

Published on Saturday 6th of November 2021

Rolex Chromalight vs Superluminova

An integral component to a Rolex watch is how well it works in little or no light. Look at any Rolex divers watch for instance; if it didn’t glow in the dark it would be useless as a dive watch. A diver depends on how legible that watch is in murky waters. The same goes for watches worn for other adventures, such as mountaineering or cave exploring. A big selling point of the first Explorer watch was its ability to tell the time in the dark.

Published on Tuesday 2nd of November 2021

The History and Development of the Rolex Daytona

Rolex in the 1950s had been busy working hard to cement the brand as a maker of watches for professionals, with the Rolex Submariner released in 1954, targeting professional divers. Rolex also partnered with Pan American Airways a year later to produce the Rolex GMT, the epitome of pilots watches, and worked to meet the needs of the scientific community working around electromagnetic fields, when Rolex introduced the Milgauss in 1956. Despite the relative success of these models, Rolex set their sights even higher and aimed for the stars. When US president Kennedy gave his speech in 1962 promising to put man on the moon, Rolex saw an opportunity to complete the set, and add astronauts to the list of professions they catered for.

Published on Saturday 30th of October 2021

The History and Development of the Omega Planet Ocean

Omega produce a number of watch styles under the umbrella ‘Seamaster’ range. A variety of styles from solid sports watches to slimmer, elegant dress watches. One of the more specific, distinct ranges has been the ‘Planet Ocean’.

Published on Sunday 24th of October 2021

The History and Development of Rolex Explorer II

Ever since Rolex made their first waterproof watch in 1927, they have been making watches for specific groups of professionals and sports people. From the Rolex Submariner, made to be used by professional divers, to the GMT Master II made for transatlantic airline pilots, to the Rolex Daytona for race-car drivers, it's safe to say that Rolex caters for very specific needs to sell watches to the masses. One of the more unknown professions that Rolex caters to however is with their Explorer range. Now it's pretty obvious that their watches are made to be used by, well, explorers. Whilst this is true, many people just think of the 1953 Everest climb by Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay, where Norgay famously wore a Rolex Oyster Perpetual on his wrist that would eventually be branded the Explorer. But almost 20 years after that, Rolex released another watch to complement the Explorer, the Rolex Explorer II. Whereas the Rolex Explorer was created for people climbing to the top of some of the highest peaks on earth, the Explorer II was created for people going under them, cavers. As is obvious, a caver (or spelunker) is someone who explores caves, thus presenting a whole different set of criteria for Rolex to cater for when compared with the standard Explorer.

Published on Saturday 16th of October 2021

An Overview of Breitling

The Breitling watch company (officially known as ‘Breitling SA’) are based in the city of Grenchen, Switzerland, and have been making luxury watches since 1884. Founded by Leon Breitling in the nearby town of Saint-Imier, the company was passed to Leons son, Gaston, in 1914, upon Leon’s death. The company remained in the ownership of the Breitling family until 1979. The company is now owned by CVC Capital Partners.

Published on Friday 8th of October 2021

One Watch is Not Enough - James Bond Watches

All good spy movies come with their quota of fancy gizmos and gadgets to assist our hero in his mission. The James Bond movie franchise stands head and shoulders above all others in this genre. Each Bond film brings new input from Q Branch to ensure success in the field. The cars, the aircraft and the weaponry have all become synonymous with Bond and made him the legendary figure that he is. The most iconic piece of his customized equipment has always been his wristwatch. Each Bond, each film, has been accompanied by a new model, all of which have passed into movie folklore. All of these watches, (and many of the watches worn by Bonds foes) have their uniqueness, and are certainly worthy of discussion.

Published on Tuesday 28th of September 2021

History and Development of Rolex Air King

During and immediately after World War II, Rolex made a line of watches commemorating the brave efforts of the British Royal Air Force by creating a line of ‘Air’ watches for the pilots arriving home once the war was over. The line of watches consisted of four models: The Air-Lion with a round dial in a rounded square shaped case, the Air-Tiger, with a sub seconds hand at 6 o’clock, the Air-Giant with a larger case often seen in gold, and the Air-King with the largest case size of the four at 34mm, a large watch in its day. As the other models in the Air range were eventually discontinued, the Air-King, launched in 1945, would be the only one of the four to go on to still be made today.

Published on Saturday 11th of September 2021

Rolex Submariner Date 'Starbucks' History

In 1953, Rolex started production of a new watch, after a man by the name of René-Paul Jeanneret, who sat on the board of directors at Rolex, came up with the idea to make a divers watch. The sleek yet sporty design used the Oyster case technology to make an everyday watch that had a rotating bezel, allowing divers to keep track of how much time had passed. The watch was unveiled at the Basel Watch Fair in 1954, and today is regarded as the staple of the modern tool watch. It is said to be ‘the reference among divers' watches’ by Rolex themselves.

Published on Sunday 5th of September 2021

Rolex Swing Tags

If you have recently been looking to buy a Rolex watch, (or you are already the owner of one) you may have noticed that the swing tags (also known as hang tags) that come with Rolex watches have changed colour over the past few years. Up until 2015, Rolex swing tags were red in colour. Since 2015 these tags have changed colour and are now green. What do these tags actually mean? Why have they changed colour?

Published on Wednesday 1st of September 2021