lukebenedictus

Luke Benedictus

Editor at Large

“Hi, I’m Luke and I’m an accidental watch guy….”

While Luke was Editor-in-Chief at Men’s Health he was regulalry dispatched to Baselworld as part of the obligatory schmooze-fest. At first he was utterly bamboozled by it all  – his first year was when Artya presented a timepiece with a dial made from fossilized dinosaur shit and Romain Jerome presented a  €300,000 “watch” that didn’t tell the time but only distinguished between night and day (it sold out in 48 hours). Fascinated by the weirdness and decadence, Luke was quickly pulled down the horological rabbit hole, until one day he awoke to discover he was spending way too much time on Chrono24. He continues to get excited about the stories behind watches and the journeys they make on our wrists.

Watch spirit animal: In its 1971 review of Get CarterThe Daily Telegraph described Michael Caine as “a paragon of strength, intelligence, ruthlessness, sexual attraction and even a dry sense of humour”. Sadly, I come up rather short in those categories, yet remain fixated with Caine’s on-screen watch – a Datejust on a black leather strap.
Home city: Melbourne
Something else I’m obsessed with: “Leicester City Football Club – when they won the league it reconfigured my entire belief system.”

Articles by Luke Benedictus

How to steal a watch clean off someone’s wrist without them even knowing
Very fancy potatoes! Maverick watch designers! The best watches of 2024! Yes, it’s Issue 9 of NOW, the Time+Tide Watch Buying Guide…
How the Ulysse Nardin Freak changed the face of modern watchmaking
Machete-wielding crooks! Daredevil mountain rescues! A shed-load of watches! Yes, it’s Issue 8 of NOW, the Time+Tide Watch Buying Guide…
The Hamilton Khaki Field Expedition will not lead you astray
Why Blancpain’s epic marketing flex didn’t involve a single watch
The Time+Tide Watch Discovery Studio is finally here
Wear this Pride-themed Swatch in Malaysia and you face a three-year jail term
The Longines Museum is on fire! Which three watches should be saved?
Gun-toting thieves steal up to US$16 million worth of watches and jewellery from Piaget store in Paris
TikTok is going crazy about people wearing Apple watches at weddings
Ear goes: Artist recreates three microscopic Van Gogh masterpieces inside tourbillon
Boxing clever: New report shows the market for fancy watch packaging is set to boom
Is using a Rolex dial as a ball marker the ultimate golf club flex?
Tyson Fury’s new reality TV series looks set to be a watchspotter’s delight
This is why Buzz Aldrin wears three watches at once
You can get not one but TWO Blancpain watches in this charity fundraiser for ocean conservation
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis wears the Zenith Defy Classic Skeleton “Night Surfer” Time+Tide Edition
The Rolex Daytona gets a skeletonised remix in white ceramic at the hands of 2 Chainz
The three watches TAG Heuer’s Heritage Director would save if the brand’s museum was on fire
Dubai police turn Rolex rescuers to salvage Yacht-Master from ocean floor
Grand Seiko auctions off last “Pink Flannel Flower” watch to help Australian wildlife
We asked a 5 year-old to pick the best watches of 2023…
Sam Kerr joins IWC to continue the brand’s tradition of sporting greats
What’s worse than selling a $12,000 Rolex for $6,000 to buy drugs?
Watch brands enter the culture wars
How Australia fell in love with TAG Heuer
Close but no cigar: Why I welcome horological deal breakers
How smartwatches could protect soldiers from chemical warfare
When “tropical” and “ghost bezel” don’t cut it. Describe the condition of this Rolex salvaged from the bottom of the ocean
Should you ever wear your watch over your cuff? Not unless you’re a playboy billionaire
From Rado to Hublot, why watch brands are finally padding up for cricket
Tudor vs Rolex is no longer such a fanciful comparison and a visit to the new manufacture shows why
The TAG Heuer Monaco Skeleton gives the iconic model a techno remix
Had a watch stolen? Use this Premier League footballer’s tactic to get it back…
Longines remind us why they boast one of the watch world’s most enviable histories