Tag: Review

Owner Review: Kudoke 1 – Meet the Kudokes

If you want to meet some of the nicest people in the world of watches – consider a visit to the Kudokes. It was more than 10 years ago that I first became aware of the watches of Stefan Kudoke (watchmaker and engraver) from Saxony, Germany. The name, which is written on the dial and…
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11/12/2022
Owner Review: Farer Cobb MonoPusher

So what made me buy a Farer Cobb Monopusher? I wanted to feel like I had “made it” when I bought my first mechanical watch and social influences dictated the criteria of “made it” being a Swiss watch first and foremost, and I wanted my first to be new. All the brands out there such…
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15/11/2022
Owner review: IWC Portugieser Chronograph 3714

In 1939, two Portuguese businessmen requested IWC to make a wristwatch that is as accurate as a marine chronometer. Being the practical watchmakers they were, the IWC Watchmakers simply modified their pocket watch movement, built a 41.5mm case attached to a leather strap, and called it a day. But what they created was the birth…
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14/11/2022
Owner review: Rolex GMT Master II

There is no denying that we sometimes wear watches to look and feel like someone we aspire to be. No other than the infamous con artist Frank W. Abagnale could have said it any better “There is enchantment in a uniform, especially one that marks the wearer as a person of rare skills, courage or…
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11/11/2022
Owner review: Bvlgari Octo Finissimo S

While the emphasis on independence and familial heritage is widely promoted as bragging rights, being part of a conglomerate is not without merits. One good example is Bulgari. The Italian jeweller experimented with everything from serpentine depictions to Roman coins before integration into LVMH; until a ground-breaking creation emerged under Fabrizio Buonamassa Stigliani. The Octo…
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09/11/2022
Owner review: Citizen Promaster Diver

My eyes slowly open. Laying in bed, I take a deep breath of humid August morning air. The sun filters through the blinds. The cacophony of chirps from the wildlife outside my open window is not as deafening as it occasionally is. I lie in bed, assessing what I should do today. The trees outside…
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07/11/2022
Owner review: Cartier Tank Louis Cartier

Cartier being first and foremost a jeweller, the Cartier Tank Louis Cartier was essentially a canvas for artistic expression. Despite his artistic genius, Louis Cartier was also good at recognising talent in others. In this instance, it was the ingenuity of watchmaker and inventor Edmond Jaeger. A century-old marriage between French romanticism and Swiss know-how…
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05/11/2022
Owner review: Patek Philippe 5115J

Reserving a watch for memorable events and occasions adds a ceremonial cachet to the experience. It ritualises the moment a timepiece girdles the wrist till its dutiful return. For this reason, the Patek Philippe 5115J stands out among other watches in rotation. Anything short of exemplary is deemed unworthy of such distinction. A minimalistic time-only dial…
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04/11/2022
Owner review: Rolex Explorer 214270

If I tried to distil the whole Rolex line into a single watch, it would be the Rolex Explorer, or more specifically, the Rolex Explorer 214270 in this review. We have a straightforward design that demonstrates inherent beauty in a product of astute conception. In simpler terms, charm is when form follows function. High contrast…
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03/11/2022
Owner review: Seiko SBBN025

There are few iconic moments that can match the sheer reach of James Earl Jones’ epic line “No. . . I am your Father” and the character he’s voicing from the immense Star Wars saga Darth Vader is surely one of the most recognisable baddies the world has ever seen. The Seiko SBBN025 Darth Tuna…
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02/11/2022