Affordable Vintage: the Exactus Squale
It's no small secret that the dive watches of the mid twentieth century held a certain charm that got lost or blurred over the years. Whether a 60's Sub, a O&W Caribbean 1000 or one of the various EPSA super-compressors, they just had personality and style to spare. Thanks to the guys over at Theo and Harris, today we're going to take a quick look at a watch that, despite being a bit of an odd ball, also exhibits these same qualities; the Exactus Squale.To start��who or what's an Exactus? Well, that's a good question without a good answer. Searching will reveal very little about the brand other than that their name has appeared on dials of all varieties from generic dress watches to EPSA super-compressors. According to an old print ad that sold on Ebay, the brand's full name was Montres Exactus SA, and they were based in Neuchatel, Switzerland. It would appear, like many other brands of the era, they were contracting out ready-made designs and rebranding them.That brings us to the w

This 20-Minute Video Will Teach You About Watch Collecting & The History Of The Modern Timepiece
Did you know that we, at HODINKEE, have published hundreds of professionally shot, highly produced videos on watches over the span of the last few years? You can see them all on our Youtube page. One video, originally published in June of 2014, the HODINKEE editorial team felt would be a particularly poignant clip to show today, when most Americans are away from work due to Labor Day. This video, Talking Watches with Jean-Claude Biver, not only tells us how he, and other top tier consumers collect (case quality and dial originality are a must!), but also about his early days in the watch industry, which date back to the 1970s. In sum, this 20 minute video is an amazing primer on not only serious watch collecting, but also how the watch industry came to be what it is today. Watch above and for more, you can see the full Talking Watches with Jean-Claude Biver here.

MBrillant Olympus rarity...?
My friend let me try on his new MountBrillant Olympus. It's got a lot on the dial, however the moonphase, and the four year calendar hand off date setting are very nice features in opinion- Also, the bracelet is just about the most comfortable stainless steel I've tried. Does anyone know if these are really that rare..? He has all the paperwork/books, bakelite box and certificate...

PAM 111 vs. PAM 112
Hello Everyone!I'm about to purchase my 1st panerai and I'm deciding between either the PAM 111 or PAM 112 but still can't decide. I'm leaning towards the PAM 112.Both the 111 and 112 have the sandwich dial. The only difference is the PAM 111 have the seconds dial while the 112 have all the numbers, 12, 3, 6, 9Which watch is more attractive? Has anyone found the seconds hand useful in a panerai?

Polar and black Explorer II in London AD window
Saw these yesterday in AD window in London. Quite rare nowadays.