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First introduced in 1972, the Royal Oak was a perfect choice for blending the form and function that are now synonymous with sports watches.Īre you shopping for a wristwatch? It’s good to keep your needs as well as your specific personal style in mind: A smaller, subtle timepiece is a good fit for small wrists. Designer Gérald Genta, whose range of clients included Rolex, created for Audemars Piguet the first luxury sports timepiece to be made from stainless steel. Now, wristwatches made of gold and steel can withstand the harshest climates - even 100 meters underwater, in the case of Rolex’s Submariner. In the early days of watchmaking, watches were fragile enough that they necessitated protection from the elements. At the same time, both casual fans and careful collectors are drawn to the unbeatable charm of vintage styles, such as the icons designed by Omega that even James Bond can’t resist. If anything, elaborately crafted timepieces - the unmistakably boxy silhouette of Cartier Tank watches, the elegant and minimal Calatrava designed by legendary Swiss house Patek Philippe - are even more effective than the shape we associate with traditional wristwatches.įorm watches - the all-encompassing moniker bestowed upon non-round watches - are making headlines and completing contemporary fashionable ensembles the world over. A subtle difference but it was a decisive factor for the owner of this particular watch.Antique, new and vintage wristwatches have captured the hearts and minds of all manner of watch collectors as well as the watchmakers themselves - it's time you found your own.Ĭertain vintage watches for men and iconic watch designs for women are sought after not only because of their graceful proportions or innovative materials but also because of the illustrious histories of the houses that created them, histories that they stylishly embody.īvlgari’s legendary Serpenti watch was on everyone’s list after the collection’s bold bracelet, which technically debuted after the timepiece, graced the wrist of actress Elizabeth Taylor.
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The 38mm version has the date located in-between the 4 and 5 hour markers just like the new Chronomaster Sport, while the 42mm version has the date at 6 o’clock. If you’re looking into buying an El Primero Chronomaster pay close attention to the date location on the small and large size. WATCHPOD Display Stand & The El Primero Conclusion Instead of a cam derived of two pieces, the column wheel is one single piece that is quite difficult to manufacture, but provides a much more precise function for the chronograph. Partly due to it’s excellent column wheel which is essentially an upgraded “cam”. The chronograph is super sharp, with clean – crisp clicks when starting and stopping the chronograph hand. The El Primero Chronomaster is the ideal gentleman’s racer watch, sporty and elegant with precise functions to back it up. It even has a solid amount of retro flare, evident by its skeletonized hands dating back to the very first original model, as well as its unprotected chronograph pushers where no crown guards have been implemented – unlike on its rival the Rolex Daytona. This is a watch that you cannot get bored of, it has a little of everything, without coming off as busy and disorganized.
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The silver sunburst dial is beautiful and the intricate hour markers suit the general complexity of the dial, bringing all of the design facets together in one harmonious time keeping instrument. Aesthetically pleasing, but also serving a clever functional purpose allowing you to differentiate between the elapsed seconds, minutes, and hours with colour coordination – a subtle increase to the chronograph legibility. Maybe the first thing you’d notice is the tri-coloured sub-dials, a trademark of the El Primero. There’s so much happening on the dial, you could practically write a novel about it. Namely the quality of finishing and the uniqueness of the dial layout. Owning it is like owning a piece of watchmaking history, but there’s so much more beyond that. This is a true connoisseurs watch, a watch very well known within enthusiast groups, but not so well known to the masses.
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One of the main reasons people buy this watch is simply for its historic one of a kind movement.
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