My First Grail Watch: Steven Holtzman
Welcome back to an original watches-dealer feature, "My First Grail Watch". In this series, we ask prominent people in the watch industry about the first timepiece that they lusted after.watches-dealer (ABTW): Who are you and what is your relationship to the watch industry?Steven Holtzman (SH): I am the founder of Ma?tres du Temps and a watch enthusiast from early childhood.ABTW: What was your first grail watch?SH: Actually, my grail watches have changed over the years based on my perception. As a child I had a great appreciation for old American timepieces. My first was the Gruen Curvex. The company dates back to 1894 and the current Rolex building you see from the train in the mountains of Bienne; was originally the Gruen factory.I was amazed by the curved mechanism and so enthralled by how someone could make a watch movement that was curved to fit the wrist. The word Curvex was a trademark that was owned by Gruen and I would say was one of the most interesting ideas of that era.As I

Can You Be A ��Serious�� Watch Collector On A Budget?
Sponsored PostTo read the reports from SIHH (Salon International de la Haute Horologerie) or the latest auction headlines, you would think that watch collecting is the preserve of the super-rich. Prices with four, five or even six zeros seem to be the norm and those non-millionaires amongst us can feel reduced to observer status only.So what can you buy if your pockets are not so deep? The good news is that there is a lot of fun to be had in the shallow end. There are "serious" watches of significance that can be bought for less than the price of a quartz fashion piece.The restless drive for innovation pursued by watch companies has left a trail of "firsts" and these are a good place to start for the cost-conscious collector. An example of the first ever automatic wristwatch, the Harwood from the late 1920s can be bought for less than ��300.The technological turbulence of the 1950s and 60s provides fertile ground for "firsts." If you can bear to wear anything powered by a battery, try a

Future SMP models
Does anyone have an insight into what Omega might be doing next? I was considering buying an SMP Chronograph Titanium but this is apparently discontinued (it's still shown on the Omega site). I have found one at an AD but if a coaxial is planned for later release I'd rather wait. Secret inside info will greatly appreciated!

As if I needed another reason to love the Aquanaut....
Hello everyone here on TRF! If you've spent any time at all here in the Patek Forum you are well aware of how owners of the Aquanaut truly love this watch. Being the owner of the 5164 (Travel Time) I put myself in that category as well. Much has already been said about the versatility of this model, so I won't presume to sing it's praises in that regard. But something interesting happened to me this weekend that gave me a whole new appreciation of the Aquanaut, so I thought I would share the story with all of you.This past Saturday night, the wife and I met up for dinner/drinks with a bunch of friends we haven't seen in a while. The evening was going great. The conversation was going and the drinks were flowing. Well, as the next round of cocktails arrived at the table, I could tell that our waiter was struggling. The tray used to bring the drinks to our table was off-balance and very unstable in his hands. One of the friends noticed the issue and tried to help by taking a cou

Pepsi GMT v TT RG GMT
Ok, so now the initial excitement of Basel 18 has started to calm down I have been really struggling with something...We all know the new SS Pepsi GMT is going to be THE watch of 2018/19 that's a given.I admit, like many many others around here, as soon as it was confirmed, I was straight on the phone to my AD to get on 'the list'However, the more I look at pictures and YouTube videos I'm starting to have second thoughts!Why? well I can't decide whether I want one because I actually do genuinely WANT one or because I'm caught up in all the forum hype and I only really THINK I want one because I know that everybody else will want one and therefore purely by default I should want one too???Is it just me or does anyone else feel that way?Here's the thing.Although I appreciate its older brother the BLNR, I've never actually been drawn to it enough to take the plunge and hand over my hard earned cash to fill the need to own one.Why then am I on the list for the new Pepsi version?This is th