5 new watches I’d recommend to almost anyone.
Plus the vintage stand-ins—from $200 to $25k.
If you haven’t seen the Chocolate Guy making a massive Ulysse Nardin Freak, here you go.
Today’s newsletter includes: 5 new watches I actually like from Hamilton, Nomos, Rolex, Jaeger-LeCoultre, and Lange, along with real vintage alternatives—including where to buy a few right now.
The online Unpolished archive is the best way to find old newsletters.
First, a novel with some watches.
These Memories Do Not Belong to Us is the debut novel of Yiming Ma, set in a dystopian future where memories can be recorded and transmitted between minds. This also means they can be edited, marketed, corrupted. It includes vintage watches as an integral part of the story.
Yiming says the book is a constellation novel of banned memories: “One of the central memories, involving the Chrysanthemum on the cover, centers on a vintage watchmaker during a pandemic.” Yiming’s a vintage collector and says he included a few watches throughout the novel.
“I also buried a few of my own watches,” he told me via text. “A blue JLC Memovox Speedbeat, a ruby dial Zenith Respirator.” But these aren’t just Easter eggs from a collector.
“I included the vintage watch motif because time is a core element of my book,” he said. “The novel plays with how political sentiments change over time, as what is celebrated in one era may be censored in another, even as themes of love and sacrifice remain at the heart of the book.”
As for his collecting, Yiming says his tastes skew vintage:
“I haven't been buying pieces for the last 18 months due to my focus on the book, but my collection includes classic pieces such as a Movado M95, Gallet Worldtimer, a tropical Polerouter. I do own a modern Ming Mosaic for rainy days.”
Find These Memories Do Not Belong To Us on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or an indie bookstore. It’s already getting great reviews on Goodreads.
5 new watches I’d recommend to almost anyone.
The number of new watches I actually feel confident recommending to almost anyone, in a vacuum, is small. There are so many variables. What do you like, what’s your budget, is mercury in retrograde?
But there are a few.
Just as important: You can confidently go forth and buy four of these at retail—I’ll note the exception in the comments.
But there’s also fun in hunting down the vintage watches that inspire today’s releases. Sometimes more accessible, sometimes just…better. Let’s get into it.
Hamilton Khaki Field Quartz
Last year, Hamilton brought back the Hamilton Khaki Field Quartz. Similar to the Khaki Field Mechanical—blasted steel case, big crown, 50 meters of water resistance. Hamilton even shrunk the lug-to-lug (45mm), and added a smaller 33mm version alongside the 38mm.
The matte dial is a take on the original Hamilton GS, or General Service watch, produced in the ‘60s and ‘70s for non-military U.K. government personnel. The Khaki signature at 6 o’clock is retro fun.
I’d prefer a domed crystal to the flat sapphire, and drilled lugs wouldn’t hurt. But it’s a solid watch for $425, but discounts are out there.
Nomos Club Sport Worldtimer
A new Worldtimer, under 10mm thick, under $5,000. The Nomos Club Sport Worldtimer is one of the best watches of the year—functional, fun, and wearable.
My only complaints: (1) I prefer the limited-edition matte dials to the standard silver and blue; and (2) the bracelet is just okay. The 175-piece limited editions sold out faster than you can type an umlaut, so I hope they revisit in years to come.
Rolex Oyster Perpetual with Pretty Colors
There was drool all over the sapphire crystals of the updated Rolex Oyster Perpetual lineup at Watches & Wonders. Pistachio, Beige, Lavender were all Instagram bait. But Rolex snuck out this Petrol Blue soon after, and it might be the best of the bunch. As I wrote in April, they’re gorgeous, but certainly on trend.
Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Monoface Tribute
Last year, Jaeger-LeCoultre finally released a steel Reverso that’s the same size as the original Reverso. The Reverso Tribute Monoface measures 40x24mm, and much as I love a vintage Reverso, it’s simply no match for the smooth swivel of a modern JLC.
It’s dress, it’s sport, and Jaeger-LeCoultre put them on great Saffiano leather straps. In another world, an opaline white Monoface is the only watch I need.
Lange 1815 34mm
And finally: The A. Lange & Sohne 1815 34mm. The essence of Lange, if not all dress watches, distilled into a $24,500, 34mm package. The kind of simple dress watch that makes you question the need to complicate anything. Lange offers that rich blue dial in rose or white gold—I’d love to see a yellow, too.
The vintage alternatives
Part of the fun of collecting is hunting down the earlier watches that inspired today’s releases. Vintage field watch alternatives; Seiko world timers; ‘90s Lange, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Rolex, and more, including a few for sale right now.
Vintage Hamilton Khaki Field
You can find all kinds of vintage Hamilton field watches strewn across the internet. Since the Khaki Field Quartz takes cues from the Hamilton G.S. watch, you could hunt one down (more expensive), but I took another path:
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