If you are into EDM, then Carl Cox’s is no stranger to you. Carl Cox was the resident DJ at Space in Ibiza for 15 years until 2016. Born in the UK he is one of the pioneers of house music along with names like Frankie Knuckles better known as ‘The Godfather of House Music’, David Morales and Paul Oakenfold. If you want to see how everything started when it comes to EDM, you must watch the documentary ‘What We Started’ on Netflix. Additionally, there’s some great watch spotting on the wrists of Carl Cox, Afrojack, Steve Angello, Tiësto and others.
From the Editor: Patek Philippe Nautilus 5711/1A is Finally 'Discontinued' for Good. Should we Expect its Replacement to Overshadow the 50th Anniversary of the AP Royal Oak?
A little bit over three years ago, I wrote one of my first articles about the crazy prices in the secondary market for the Patek Philippe Nautilus ref. 5711/1A. At that time, I talked about a ‘Sealed from Service’ Nautilus 5711/1A being offered at $50K USD. Today, that is finally official —the third time is a charm after the release of the Olive Green and Tiffany Blue dial 5711s after it was supposedly discontinued— that the 5711/1A and 5711/1R are long gone, I decided to bring this topic back and in retrospective, the $50K USD back then seems like a steal when compared to what this watch is selling for nowadays.
Introducing: Zenith DEFY Revival A3642 'Bank Vault'. Another Time Capsule Reissue from 1969.
Zenith is excited to announce a new addition to its Revival series. While 1969 will forever be known as the year of the birth of the El Primero, it also marks the important introduction of the first Defy timepiece. Originally dubbed the ‘coffre-fort’ —bank vault in English—, the new Zenity Defy Revival A3642 is a modern reproduction and a celebration of Zenith’s DNA in a 250-piece limited edition. With its octagonal case and distinctive 14-sided bezel, it showcases the historical source of inspiration of today’s Defy models.
From the Archives: Visiting the Armin Strom Manufacture in Biel/Bienne. A Small but Mighty Fully Integrated Independent Watchmaking Manufacture.
Biel/Bienne is the tenth largest city in Switzerland and the only Swiss city with bilingual signage in German and French. Located in between German and French speaking cities, Biel/Bienne —name in both German and French— is surrounded by the Swiss Alps and magnificent crystal clear water lakes. Home to the Armin Strom Manufacture and also to Swatch Group brands like Omega and Swatch along with one of Rolex’s final assembly facilities, Biel/Bienne will captivate your senses with its Art Deco architecture, Bauhaus landmarks and views of the Swiss Alps for days.
From the Editor: Is the Patek Nautilus ref. 5990/1R a Half a Million Dollar Watch? I Don't Think So. I'll Tell You What Else You Could Get for That Money.
I worked on a hands-on review only 20 days after its release last year and I called the 18K rose gold 5990/1R the ‘King of All Nautiluses’. Almost a year later, this watch with a sticker price of $106,450 USD is selling/trading close to half a million dollars. Yes, that is not a typo. In my book is this watch worth that amount of money? Absolutely not. Many will differ with me and will say that something is worth what people are willing to pay for it. In theory, yes; but in the practice this is pure stupidity.
Introducing: Zenith Chronomaster Revival Lupin The Third 'Final Edition'
In 2019, Zenith became the first manufacture to produce a watch directly inspired by a depiction in a Japanese manga and anime series. In the very first episode of the animated Lupin The Third series, Daisuke Jigen, the debonair right-hand man and best friend of the title character Arsène Lupin III, is portrayed wearing a watch based on the A384 with a black, grey and gilt dial that had never actually existed.
Rare Bird: IWC Aquatimer Perpetual Calendar Digital Date-Month '50 Years'. When was the Last Time you Saw One of These?
Every now and then we run into watches that are true ‘rare birds’. How often do you get to see a diving watch equipped with a perpetual calendar? Not very often, right? The IWC Aquatimer Perpetual Calendar Digital Date-Month Edition ‘50 Years Aquatimer’ is one of those watches that you rarely see in the wild and one that is worth talking about in our ‘rare birds’ section.
Insider: Arnold & Son Luna Magna. The First Three-Dimensional Moon Display of its Kind.
Since its release we’ve been wanting to bring you a proper hands-on review of the Arnold & Son Luna Magna and see what all the hype around it was really about. Without hesitation, we think that Arnold & Son makes the best moon phase indication watches out there and the Perpetual Moon by Arnold & Son is without a doubt our favorite moon phase watch in the market. The oversized realistic moon phase disc of the Perpetual Moon arching between 10 and 2 o’clock is something really captivating and there is no other watch that does it this well.
Introducing: Harry Winston Premier Valentine’s Flying Hearts Automatic 36 mm. A 14-Piece Limited Edition.
For 2022, a model from the luxurious Premier collection has been selected to deliver a joyous message of love. The many facets of love are portrayed by a bouquet of heart-shaped balloons made of precious gemstones and mother-of-pearl cabochons floating in an ethereal mother-of-pearl sky in a limited edition of only 14 pieces.
Experience: Byredo Bibliothèque Eau de Parfum. The Scent of a Library and its Leather-Bound Archive Books.
If you are an avid reader of WCL, then you already know we love great fragrances and especially those that are mode under the radar. From Creed and Penhaligon’s to Diptyque, Frédéric Malle, and everything in between, we are always in constant search for the ultimate scent to pair with our watches. Byredo and its most iconic scent Bibliothèque is our latest find and a new favorite here at WCL.
From the Editor: Audemars Piguet Royal Oaks Hit an All-Time High and Why I Decided to Take the Plunge for a Safe Queen from the Grey Market
This New Year 2022 marks the 50th anniversary of the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak and the price for any Royal Oak has hit an all-time high like I never imagined it ever would. Furthermore, when you hover over the pricing information for any watch on Audemars Piguet’s website, you get the following disclaimer: “Non-binding recommended public price in the USA”. This literally means that AP is not obligated to sell you any watch at the price that appears on their website and potentially establish the ‘sale price’ according to the basic laws of supply and demand.
Experience: Leopine Gentalovers Socks. Keeping the Gap Between Your Pants and Shoes in Style.
While here at WCL we’ve never been the biggest fans of socks with patterns or designs, we do have to give our friends at Leopine a round of applause for releasing yet another splendid watch-centric collection of socks. As we’ve talked about it before, Leopine is a relatively new brand that started selling swimwear and pocket squares a couple of years ago.
Insider: Gorilla Outlaw Drift Limited Edition. Wandering Hours, Swiss Made, and Budget Friendly. Gimme!
Gorilla Watches was launched in 2017 by Octavio Garcia —former Chief Artistic Officer at Audemars Piguet for more than a decade— and his business partner Lukas Gopp —a former employee of brands like IWC, Sector, Ralph Lauren Watches and Audemars Piguet.The first time we reviewed one of their watches, it was also the first time that we had posted a review of a watch under $1,000 USD. You can check out the review of the Gorilla Fastback here.
Insider: Chopard Alpine Eagle Cadence 8 HF. A High-Frequency Limited Edition of 250 Pieces.
The recently released Chopard Alpine Eagle Cadence 8 HF is an upgraded version of the Alpine Eagle released in 2019. Just like its predecessor, the dial, the finishing and the bracelet are our favorite parts of this watch. The Chopard Alpine Eagle Cadence 8 HF is a reinterpretation of the St. Moritz watch, the first watch created in 1980 by Karl-Friedrich Scheufele, now co-president of Chopard.
Experience: Merry Christmas with Audemars Piguet's Tree Ornaments
Since most people outside of the U.S. in Europe, Asia and Latin America celebrate Christmas on Christmas Eve and we happen to also do the same, we have decided to prepare a small collection of Christmas inspired images for today. This beautiful Audemars Piguet tree ornaments along with an Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Extra-Thin ref. 15202OR will for sure wish each and everyone of you a very Merry Christmas.
From the Editor: Gérald Genta's Very Own Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Jumbo ref. 5402 and Original Drawings Up For Sale
The grail of all Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Jumbos ever produced is for sure Gerald Genta’s very own Royal Oak. A very unique stainless steel AP Royal Oak Jumbo ref. 5402ST fitted with a yellow gold bezel never intended to become a two-tone Royal Oak. Since Genta was a genius, wearing such a unique-looking watch was yet another proof of his character and incredible personality, and way of thinking.
Insider: Girard-Perregaux Laureato Absolute Ti 230 Limited Edition. An Ultra-Light Monochromatic Beauty.
Girard-Perregaux was founded 230 years ago in 1791, which is the same year titanium was discovered by William Gregor. Discovered as a black sand called menachanite, it contained oxides of iron and an unknown metal subsequently identified as titanium. Taking its name from Greek mythology, the name titanium alludes to Titans, the children of Uranus and Gaea. Today, titanium is widely used, not only in watchmaking but also in the fields of aerospace, medicine, and motorsport, because of its anti-corrosive and ultra-light properties.
News: Ferdinand Berthoud 'Naissance d'une Montre 3' Enters Last Stage Before Production Commences
Two years ago, Karl-Friedrich Scheufele, co-President of Chopard and President of Chronométrie Ferdinand Berthoud, announced the launch of ‘Naissance d’une Montre 3’. The Time AEon Foundation joins forces with Ferdinand Berthoud for a new adventure sharing the same values, their perpetual quest for the transmission of knowledge and training brings the two entities together for a common purpose.
Introducing: Vacheron Constantin Traditionnelle Complete Calendar Openface
Classically inspired with its round case featuring a fluted back, its railway minute-track and its Dauphine-type hands, the Traditionnelle complete calendar openface model adopts an avant-garde profile with these two distinctive versions in pink and white gold.
Experience: Artisans de Genève Armstrong Challenge Project
This personalization is a reflection of Lance Armstrong career and vision of time. He wanted retro functions on his watch while being very light. To live up to the challenge Artisans de Genève developed a pulse dial with dual counters at 3 and 6 o’clock so he could count time during his races. Even the Rolex calibre 4130 was converted from automatic to manual wound in order to allow for more visibility of the mechanism and give the watch a retro-feel as Armstrong wanted it.
