Close-Up: Rolex’s 50th Anniversary Daytona (with Video)
Last year marked the 50th anniversary of the Rolex Cosmograph Daytona, the chronograph watch made famous by actor and motor racing enthusiast Paul Newman. The anniversary edition that Rolex released at Baselworld 2013 still generates strong opinions in the brand’s legion of fans. Here is a closer look at the watch.The first Rolex Oyster Perpetual Cosmograph Daytona �� a wristwatch in a steel case with a manual-wind chronograph movement, named after the famous racetrack �� was released in 1963 and has been produced in various versions ever since. (Newman regularly and famously wore a Daytona when he took up auto racing in the 1970s; a few very rare models have what collectors now refer to as the “Paul Newman dial,” with block indices and crosshairs on the subdials.) This model, however, is the very first Daytona with a platinum case. The color scheme �� a dial in what Rolex calls “ice blue” and a bezel in what it terms “chestnut brown,” is also unp

Bremont Codebreaker Limited Edition Watch Announced
Bremont just announced its latest limited edition piece, the Codebreaker watch. Much like the?EP-120, the P-51, and last year's Victory, this new model follows Bremont's pattern of creating limited edition watches that are connected to famous military icons and often incorporate materials sourced from specific historic examples. The Codebreaker commemorates Bletchley Park's involvement in World War II military intelligence. Essentially the headquarters for British code breaking and decryption, Bletchley Park is responsible for unlocking the secrets of the German Enigma and Lorenz machines, which helped to greatly expedite the end of the war. Bremont is paying tribute to the successes of Bletchley Park by designing a watch that not only looks the part but also incorporates actual physical elements from Bletchley Park and the technologies they helped to develop (or crack). Additionally, Bremont will share some of the proceeds from the sale of the Codebreaker to help support continued pla

Angular Momentum Dive-Tec/500 Watch
Angular Momentum is about to release a sensational dive watch the likes of which I've never seen before. Most of Angular Momentum's design are polarizing, so I don't expect each of your to like this watch, but enough of you will appreciate the interesting concepts that went into it. Like the Pita Barcelona Oceana watch, this is a uniquely artistic rendition of a dive watch that is art, but also heavily focuses on diving utility. So just because it doesn't look like all the Rolex Submariner clones out there (and Rolex Submariners themselves), does not mean this is not a admirable diving tool. So lets jump right into discussing this new Dive-Tec/500 watch.The 46mm wide case (by 17mm thick) is done in Staybrite 1.4435 NCu steel that is higher quality than 316L stainless steel used on most steel watches. Rolex Sea Dweller watches watches (especially the Deep Sea) use Staybrite steel as well. It might be the same formulation. Why is it over 316L? Because this type of steel has a special res

Pre-SIHH: Introducing The Baume & Mercier Clifton Collection
For SIHH 2013, Baume & Mercier will be unveiling an entirely new collection, Clifton. While most of the pieces will not be shown until January, we have a sneak peak at Clifton for you this morning. And if these three watches are any indication, Clifton is going to be a strong collection for B&M. 2 OF 6 The inspiration for Clifton comes from vintage dress watches of the 1950s, though the name comes from a South African sea-side resort. Go figure. The basic models like those here come in at 41mm and 42mm, which are certainly modern sizes, but not overly huge. The numbers on the dial are elegant, the three-piece case is sturdy, and there seems to have been a great attention paid to details throughout the design process.First up are two steel models, one with a silver dial and the other with a black dial. Both are 11.54mm thick, house automatic movements (likely ETA or ETA-like), and come on alligator straps. With the sub seconds and discrete date at 3 o'clock, these really d

A Week On The Wrist: The Breguet Classique Chronometrie 7727
Here's the thing. When most watch folks think of the best and brightest in high-end watchmaking today, we most often mention names like Patek Philippe, A. Lange & Söhne, F.P. Journe, Audemars Piguet, and Vacheron Constantin. For some strange reason, the name Breguet doesn't usually make an appearance. Why? It's hard to say, because Breguet, at least the historical brand, is absolutely the most important in all of watchmaking. But is Breguet of today the rightful heir to the brand that Abraham-Louis built, or is it simply another name chosen by a group of savvy investors from the headstone of a Swiss (well, French in this case; Breguet's buried in Père Lachaise, in Paris) graveyard? This watch, the Breguet Classique Chronométrie 7727 answers this question – and resolutely. Breguet is here to play, and produce absolutely fascinating watches today. Let's get into what I mean. Before I do that, I encourage you to go ahead and press play on t