Australian Watch Authority
Rockstars rocking vintage watches, Part 1 – The yellow gold Patek Philippe Edition
Celebrity watch spotting is a pastime of watch enthusiasts — there is something more genuine about a watch in the wild on a famous wrist than a planted timepiece as part of a contractual ambassadorship. While many opt for flashy precious metal and gemstone-covered watches to convey a sense of status and success that ties to their celebrity, those in the know can tell which celebrities are truly one of us. Usually by displaying impeccable taste with Phillips-worthy vintage creations slapped on their wrists. This kicks off a three-part series of rockstars rocking vintage watches — spotted with some help from Nick Gould — that any mere mortal would kill to have in their collection. Adam Levine – Patek Philippe Nautilus ref. 3800 in yellow gold While many opt for the coveted 5711/A in stainless steel, Maroon 5 singer Adam Levine proves he is above following trends by pairing his wrist with the classically sized 3800 in yellow gold. While very similar to its modern sibling, the JLC-based movement, smaller proportions, and older dial font have a timelessness that newer versions have seemed to have lost. As the saying goes, respect your elders – and Adam Levine clearly respects the earlier origins…
How did this Rolex get past QA? Revisiting the suspicious case of the ‘Double 9’ Air-King…
Editor’s note: It seems to be yet another sub-sub-sub-culture within the watch collecting community. And that is the people that get some kind of a kick out of Rolex imperfections. I suppose, in lots of ways, it makes sense. They are so rare as to be freaks of nature. Recently, a new Oyster Perpetual model with misplaced double batons has been doing the rounds. While it is treated, naturally, with a very high does of skepticism, for a few days there, it was everywhere. But this one, that was first uncovered last year, is certified legitimate and next level curious. How could something so detectable, so obvious, have slipped past QA? Revisiting the confounding case of the ‘Double 9’ Air-King… It’s a modern-day escape from Alcatraz, where the escapee is a defect on a watch that makes it to market, and Alcatraz is the Rolex manufacture. That, I suspect, is flattering Alcatraz. Because, the fact that a modern Rolex with a defect you can actually see even exists is unthinkable to the point of immediately being suspected as a hoax. But here it is. Not only does a ‘double nine’ Rolex Air-King 116900 — with a nine where the ‘3’ numeral should be — allegedly…
The shark attack victim, who has become a Seiko ambassador, relives that fateful day in Sydney Harbour when he lost two limbs…
Editor’s note: If I had to list my most motivational interview of the year, it would be easy. It would be Paul de Gelder. Paul is a former navy clearance diver, turned TV show host and now Seiko ambassador. Paul is an Aussie based in L.A – and his claims to fame are more than just being the last shark attack victim in Sydney Harbour. He has also taught Mike Tyson how to dive. And he is the creator of a COVID-19 lockdown in-house fitness routine involving a broom, shopping bags and lots of canned goods. If you’re looking for a non-standard watch-related video to watch today, you have found it. We hope you enjoy the video, and also this first-person minute-by-minute recap of the day that changed his career, and changed his life. That morning, it was February 11, 2009, 6 in the morning. Overcast, and the water in Sydney Harbour is quite murky, which always makes it a bit nerve-racking. I was swimming near HMAS Kuttabul, which is where we’ve spent thousands of hours working on the warships. I had sharks on the brain. I always have sharks on the brain! I was in the water doing what we…
Opinion
A barn find to give you hope – the story of a very special NOS vintage Gruen Ocean Chief
Editor’s note: This week, Eric Ku, vintage watch dealer and friend of Time+Tide, posted about five years having passed since the remarkable watch barn find story involving a LeCoultre Deep Sea Alarm. A man by the name of Zach Norris came across an interesting-looking watch at a local Goodwill store, featuring a price tag of $5.99. He bought it in a heartbeat, suspecting it was worth more than the tag suggested, and was delighted to discover its true value. He was flooded with offers for the watch, one of which came from Eric Ku. He agreed to sell the watch to Eric for a cool $35,000. That’s right, nearly 6000 times the price he paid for it. We put a call-out to see if anyone else had their own story of successful thrift shop hunting, and Frank (@SpeedyFett on Instagram) reached out, telling the tale of his vintage Gruen Ocean Chief. Enjoy! I have a barn find story from a couple years ago that is pretty special. I took my family on vacation to Philadelphia for my kids to experience the old historic area. Little did I know that in addition to the Liberty Bell, just around the corner was…
