Australian Watch Authority
My week with the A. Lange & Söhne Saxonia Thin 37mm
"Authentic" is an often misused and even abused accolade in today's disposable and instant-service world. Consumers tend to be impressed for brief moments with the speed and functionality of an app, or the savings and convenience that a subscription model lends to their lifestyle. Less and less frequently, consumers are able to appreciate a product offering durability and longevity and, thus, when they do encounter such a thing, simply write it off as frivolous luxury. The A. Lange & Söhne Saxonia Thin 37mm guise initially presents as frivolous luxury indeed. For nearly $20,000, the consumer earns the right to know only the time on a small-ish, seemingly simple dial. Sure, the watch is made of gold, but there isn't even a matching bracelet to emulate the weight of those dollar bills on your wrist. To really understand the Saxonia Thin, the value of its authentic qualities need to be examined from some arm's length perspectives. History always lends credibility and it is within the historical perspective that the Lange scores a big win. The end of the Cold War and fall of communism in Eastern Europe gave the world a lot of things, some good and some not. The resurrection…
The Enabler: How to justify buying another watch (#9. "But it's an investment…")
NOTE: We understand that you've found a new watch to add to your collection (congratulations!). But rationalising this fact – coupled with the fact that it'll cost a bucketload of cash – may not always sit well with the less horologically minded. That's where we come in … Use The Enabler's advanced levels of sophistry to validate your latest acquisition. Sadly, it's time for The Enabler to bow out. Over the last few weeks I've furnished you with a stack of irrefutable reasons to justify blowing your pay-packet on yet another watch. To testify on your horological behalf we've called to the stand everyone from Kanye West to Mahatma Gandhi. And we've discussed a succession of tried-and-tested manoeuvres — The Heirloom Defence, The Milestone Celebration, The Cost Per Wear Argument, not to mention the "At Least It's Not Coke & Hookers" Line Of Attack. Hopefully, your watch collection will already be considerably richer as a result. But I've saved one of the most convincing arguments until last, namely the fact that buying the right watch can prove to be a genuine investment. "You've just bought a watch that costs the same as a small car!?!" yells your red-faced wife as she eyes your…
Fun with fundamentals: A watch glossary for the budding enthusiast
Editor's note: For anyone that isn't already a watch enthusiast, understanding the multitude of watch-specific terminology can be a bit daunting. In fact, a friend of mine, who is the definition of the horologically uninitiated, recently read one of my articles and said it was akin to hieroglyphics. So, for their benefit, and for anyone else out there that needs to brush up on the basics of watches, we've created this easy to understand glossary. Enjoy. Case The modular case of the TAG Heuer Carrera Heuer 01. The case is the exterior of the watch. It can be made from a range of high-tech or precious materials, but steel is most common. Typically, measurements are provided as the diameter, excluding the crown. Bezel The blue ceramic bezel of the Omega Seamaster Diver 300. The bezel is the ring that surrounds the dial of the watch (on the outside), and typically plays a role in attaching the crystal to the watch. If the dial is surrounded by a separate internal ring, that is often referred to as a chapter ring. Strap Nomos on a Time+Tide strap. The strap is a material band that attaches the wristwatch to the wrist. These are…
What Sealed The Deal – James' Vertex MP45 chronograph
Vertex is a brand with a wonderful history. Founded in 1916 by Claude Lyons, the brand produced watches for Allied troops in the Second World War, following the specifications of the British Ministry of Defence, alongside 11 other brands (a group of manufacturers now known by collectors as the Dirty Dozen). The brand continued to produce watches in the post-war years, until Vertex was forced to close its doors in February 1972, due to the quartz era which wreaked havoc on the watch industry. The brand remained the subject of history books until 43 years later, in 2015, when Don Cochrane, the great-grandson of Claude Lyons, revived the brand and produced their first watch in 2016. This watch was the M100, which was directly inspired by the Cal 59 watch that Vertex had produced for the military in 1944. The second watch to come out of the second-coming of the brand was the Vertex MP45 chronograph. A monopusher chronograph with similar links to military timepieces from the middle of the last century, it was a watch that James (@twentysix____) was so enamoured with, he bought it. When did you first see/hear about it? Military watches have always held a special…
