Inside Basel.Geneva 2014 Showcase: Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe Flyback Chronograph
WatchTime and noted watch collector and expert Jeff Kingston are teaming up again to present the 2014 edition of the popular “Inside Basel.Geneva” live event series, kicking off September 5 in Chicago. The series also visits New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco. Blancpain returns this year as a core sponsor, and at the show, you will be able to try on the new Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe Flyback Chronograph.For 2014, Blancpain has created an exciting new Bathyscaphe model powered by the new, self-winding, manufacture F385 flyback chronograph movement. New movements are always big news, and that is especially true in this case.Why big news? The answer is simple: 5Hz, or 36,000 vph. That is the rate at which this new movement ticks, and it represents a kind of holy grail in watchmaking. This rate is significant because it allows the chronograph to measure elapsing time to the tenth of a second �C by far the most commonly used fraction in timed events. The great majority of chr

Gustafsson & Sj?gren Damascus Vile Watch & Oden Knife Set
This is the set that should have been for a while now. Swedish watch maker Gustafsson & Sj?gren (GoS) will soon release this limited edition watch and knife set. Johan Gustafsson is actually a bladesmith who specializes in creating beautiful Damascus steel. His work has been transformed into watch cases and dial in the GoS brand, but now you can get one of their watches and knives together in a beautiful set.Artisan type work with this aesthetic is either something you love or hate. You can't deny the incredible level of detail and work that goes into creating the complex patterns of this type of folded and then blacksmithed metal. What I really like is that between the knife and watch you get a range of different Damascus steel styles and patterns. The set really does include a large range of GoS's capabilities. Plus, given the nature of Damascus steel, no two pieces of metal look exactly the same.The watch has a rather funny name and is called the GoS Vile. Yea, don't ask why - m

A Week On The Wrist: The Panerai PAM 560 Luminor Base 8 Days Acciaio With The In-House 8 Day Caliber
This is the most stripped-down watch in Panerai’s current collection and it also represents the entry level price into the world of Panerai in-house movements. It’s actually a relatively new movement – the caliber P.5000 was introduced only two years ago and back in 2013, HODINKEE founder Ben Clymer took a look at the watch in which it was introduced: the PAM 510, which has a seconds sub-dial at the 9:00 position. In case you’re not up on Panerai history, the use of an 8 day movement with small seconds is an homage to that history; Panerai used 8-day movements by Angelus in some of its earliest watches (along with Rolex movements based on Cortebert ebauches).   1 OF 7 The PAM 560 is newer than the movement – we saw it for the first time at the 2014 edition of the SIHH, and the feeling we have is that it’s part of a general move across the board to make all Panerai watches powered by in-house movements. We haven’t spent a tre

A pair of blue ...
Well, kinda a hoarding, eh?Best.

Are Today's Rolexes Overpriced?
All things considered and taking into account that there are many outstanding watches in the -$5K range. Some attribute the exorbitant pricing to Rolex SA's extensive and costly marketing program. Others say one is strictly paying for the name and visual recognition.At one time, a Rolex was affordable (for those who really wanted one) by either being frugal or eliminating other miscellaneous/unnecessary expenditures. It's a seemingly different story today as $8-10K+ represents a bigger chunk of change even when accounting for current inflation and higher salaries/wages.A co-worker bought his 1675 back in the mid-1970s while working at a minimum wage job (about $2.00/hour). It took him roughly six weeks + some overtime to accrue the necessary funds. Today at minimum wage (e.g. $5.50/Georgia to $11.50/Washington), it would take close to a year's wages (and that's not even allowing for basic living expenses).Over the past few decades, Rolexes have become an 'elitist' commodity rather than