New Watch Master

The Greatest Collectors of All Time: James Ward Packard – American Industrialist And Highly Competitive Discerning Collector James Ward Packard (1863–1928) was a prominent American industrialist, inventor, and watch collector. Best known as the founder of the Packard Motor Car Company, which manufactured some of the most luxurious automobiles of the early 20th century, Packard was also an avid horology enthusiast and one of the most influential watch collectors of his era. His rivalry with Henry Graves Jr. over acquiring the most complicated and exquisite timepieces played a pivotal role in advancing the art of watchmaking. James Ward Packard was an engineer both in and out of the classroom. He wired the door and alarm clock of his dormitory room with switching mechanisms and rigged telegraph lines to friends’ rooms. Five years after graduating, he applied for the first of over forty patents. Upon graduation he and his brother started manufacturing incandescent carbon arc lamps...

Introducing: The MB&F LM101 Longhorn And M.A.D.1S 20th Anniversary Pieces – Two Free (Yes, Free) Watches For Supporters (Live Pics) What We Know If you've bought an MB&F before, or entered (not just won) a raffle for a M.A.D.Editions watch (like the many versions of the M.A.D.1), then the brand has some good news for you. You could win a free watch. And the kicker? You don't have to do a single thing: you may already be entered to win. These are the new LM101 Longhorn and M.A.D.1S 20th Anniversary pieces, which MB&F says are a way to give back to the community that's supported them for the last twenty years. There are ten pieces of each, all designed with a matching aesthetic that the brand will never make again.  Photo courtesy MB&F. If you're a member of "The Tribe" (people who have purchased an MB&F from the brand over the past twenty years), you're automatically entered for the LM101 Longhorn 20th Anniversary Edition. The ...

Introducing: Brew Presents The World’s First Analog-Digital Espresso Timer Watch With The Metric Digital Blend (Live Pics) What We Know Brew is no stranger to presenting fun, unique designs, but this new one might just be the weirdest yet. It's the new Metric Digital Blend Watch, offering both an analog dial as well as a digital LED screen at the bottom of the dial for timing an espresso. While many Brew watches have offered espresso-specific markings, this new Ana-Digi design is even more precise when it comes to timing your next shot.  If you're familiar with the compact, rounded-square cushion case of the Metric line, the new Digital Blend model upsizes it to fit both the digital and analog components. The stainless steel case measures 37.5mm x 43mm, with a thickness of 13mm. It's still a compact case, as the 43mm measurement also serves as the lug-to-lug measurement; however, the increased thickness is quite perceptible in person. But there's quite a bit goi...

Brew Introduces the Metric Digital Blend, an Analog-LED Espresso Timer Brew founder Jonathan Ferrer has been making “coffee timers” for years now. It’s a well established if not definitional part of his watch brand. Inspired by coffee culture, most Brew watches over the years have some mechanism to highlight the passing of 30 seconds, considered by most to be the  ideal amount of time needed to pull the perfect espresso shot. I think just about everyone, including Jonathan, would agree that this timing mechanism works well as a brand signature, but that, for the most part, owners of Brew watches purchase them without thinking that they will definitely use it for coffee timing. It’s like buying a chronograph with a tachymeter scale – it’s there, you may even know exactly how to use it, but your enjoyment of the watch doesn’t derive from actively timing laps. That said, there are certainly some collectors, and perhaps professional baristas, who find real practicality in these ...

A History and Guide to Oris Nestled in a small valley in the Jura Mountains, Hölstein is a typical Swiss town that has endured for centuries. At its center, a pastel pink factory has seen many of them. Its story began in 1904 when Paul Cattin and Georges Christian purchased the closed Lohner & Co watch factory. Searching for a name, they settled on a nearby brook — Oris. It turned out to be a winning formula. By 1911, Oris was the largest employer in Hölstein with 300 workers and two additional factories in Holderbank and Como. They introduced staff housing to cope with the influx of talent. Just fourteen years later they opened two additional factories, paving the way for future growth. Nestled in a small valley in the Jura Mountains, Hölstein is a typical Swiss town that has endured for centuries. At its center, a pastel pink factory has seen many of them. Its story began in 1904 when Paul Cattin and Georges Christian purchased the closed Lohner & Co watch factor...

Watches, Stories, and Gear: Peak Design x Sitka, Spinnaker’s Nessie, Polyagonal Turning, and a Cool New F1 Merchandise Rereleased: The Peak Design x Sitka Optifade Marsh Slide Lite Peak Design has once again collaborated with Sitka, hunting and outdoor experts, on a limited edition Slide Lite camera strap. Crafted in Sitka’s Optifade Marsh pattern, this strap blends comfort, versatility, and Peak Designs quick-connection system with the unique aesthetics and outdoors benefits of Sitka’s legendary concealment know-how. Wether you’re trying to blend in, or stand out, this camera strap might just be the perfect accessory for you.  Full specifications of the strap and details on how this collaboration came to be are available on Peak Design’s website.   Spinnaker and Scottish Watches release the Nessie Pear Diver Spinnaker Watches has announced its newest rendition of the Fleuss Automatic Nessie Pearl Diver Limited Edition, created in collaboration with Scottish Watch...

Timex Launches “Timex Atelier” with the New Marine M1a Timex is continuing its experiment with higher-end horology with its latest release, the Timex Atelier Marine M1a, which the brand describes as a spiritual successor to the Giorgio Galli series and the first watch in the new Timex Atelier line. The Galli series garnered attention for being “luxury Timex,” with minimalist design, higher-grade cases — like the titanium Giorgio Galli S2Ti — and, biggest of all, that prestigious “Swiss-made” label. Timex says the Marine M1a is the “next chapter” in the brand’s history as it continues to build watches in Switzerland with higher-end materials and movements than typical Timex watches. In the case of the Marine M1a, that means a 41mm skeletonized stainless-steel case with an iron-plating coated midcase, a brushed-steel bracelet, a ceramic bezel, Superlominva-filled indices, and an enamel dial. The watch is powered by a Catena SA100 automatic movement finished with Geneva stripes a...

The Importance (And Fun!) Behind Safely Storing Your Collection The watch and jewelry collecting journey is often two-fold. On one hand, watches and jewelry are an investment and a growing asset class—there's an inherently practical aspect to building a collection. On the other hand, the most important part of the collecting journey is having fun and fully enjoying your collection. When I mention the topic of safe storage, you may inherently think this falls into the former, more practical category, but you might be surprised to learn that investing in the right storage solutions for your watch or jewelry collection can be fun too. "We can literally customize every aspect of our safes," shares Lynel Brown, owner of Brown Safes. "We can make every size and configuration you can imagine," she continues, "from the colors to the wood finishings and the stitch of the leather—we've had customers match the design to their Ferrari—anything you can imagine, w...