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Watch Industry Insights
Matthew Bain Blog
"An inside look at what piques our interests"


Grail Omega Speedmaster Ref. 2915-1
April 17, 2015 This is the reference 2915-1 which is the the very first Omega Speedmaster produced from 1957. The 2915-1 is one of the...


Prototype Jaeger Lecoultre Polaris
December 16, 2014 I have had both the 1965 and 1968 version of the Jaeger LeCoultre Polaris several times but have never seen or had...


Civilian versus Military Submariner ref: 5513
October 14, 2014 In early to mid 1970s Great Britain used the Rolex Submariner reference 5513 as a source for its military watch. There...


Patek Philippe Reference 3450
October 8, 2014 This is my favorite Perpetual Calendar Moon Phase ever produced by Patek Philippe due to its large size 37mm and the...


The Elusive R-series Rolex Daytona
August 28, 2014 These two watches are the older R series manual wind Daytona reference 6265 and its successor reference 16520. In 1987...


Grail Watch
August 14, 2014 This is a second series rose gold Patek Philippe reference 2499 from 1950s which is extremely rare and considered to be...


The Ultimate Contemporary Patek Philippe Ref. 5004
July 11, 2014 This is the highly complicated Patek Philippe reference 5004 in platinum from 2010 which has now been discontinued and...


Comparison of Patek Philippe Reference 2499 and 3970
June 2, 2014 Here is a comparison of the last series Patek Philippe reference 2499 from the early 1980s to the first series reference...


Heavy Metal by Gerald Genta
March 12, 2013 Gerald Genta was one of the most important watch designers of the 20th century. He was born in Geneva, Switzerland in 1931...


2012 Review
January 15, 2013 During 2012 I attended 20 watch shows and 10 major auctions worldwide which has given me great insight on the state of...


Vintage Cartier
June 5, 2012 Perhaps no single jewelry or watch brand evokes more glamour, design innovation and noble ties than Cartier. Founded in...


Miami 2012 starts with a Bang...
February 14, 2012 The first major watch events of 2012 took place in Miami at the end of January at the IWJG and the Miami Beach Antique...


Affordable Dato-Compax Watches
December 1, 2011 When I hear the term Dato-Compax my first thoughts are a Rolex 1950's reference 6036 triple date calendar chronograph...


Summer Watch Report 2011
September 8, 2011 Summer is officially over and on to the fall watch season which features many watch shows and major auctions that will...


Geneva Spring Auction Season May 2011
May 20, 2011 I just returned home from Geneva where I attended the three major watch auctions of Antiquorum, Sotheby's, and Christie's....


Market Show Report First Quarter 2011
April 14, 2011 The first quarter of 2011 has been very impressive for the watch business. I have attended four IWJG watch shows, two WWT...


The World of Longines Chronographs
January 24, 2011 The vintage Longines chronographs from the 1930s to the 1960s are highly sought-after and have exceptional quality....


Patek Philippe ref #96
January 6, 2011 When I started collecting vintage watches back in the late 1980s there were a lot less brands to collect especially with...
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