1. HMT Watches: The Rise and Fall of India’s Watchmaking Titan

HMT watches

Mention watchmaking and the countries that come to mind are probably Switzerland, Japan, Germany, and the United States. It may surprise you, then, to find out that India actually has a rather active watchmaking industry. In fact, at its peak, India’s HMT watch company was actually one of the world’s largest producers of watches. In 1991, near the height of its popularity, HMT produced nearly 7 million watches, more than all of its domestic rivals combined. However, and unfortunately for HMT, it was closed earlier this year after continual losses for years on end. This is the story of how it all went wrong for HMT.

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Source: Watches by SJX

2. In-Depth: A Game Of Tones II – The Bulgari Octo Finissimo Minute Repeater (With Live Recording)

Bulgari Octo Finissimo Minute Repeater

Most of you might associate Bulgari with jewelry, but the fact is that the company has been making remarkable progress as a watchmaker and has garnered some impressive records under its belt. One of their most extraordinary pieces is the Octo Finissimo Minute Repeater, the thinnest minute repeater watch in the world. The movement, the Bulgari caliber BVL 362, is just 3.8mm thick, while the case is a scant 6.85mm thick. More incredible, perhaps, is the fact that it bested the previous record holder, the Vacheron Constantin Patrimony Contemporaine Calibre 1731 Minute Repeater watch by an amazing 1.29mm! Take a look and a listen to this amazing watch.

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Source: Hodinkee

3. Commissioning A Watch: My Journey With The Kari Voutilainen Masterpiece Chronograph II

Kari Voutilainen Masterpiece Chronograph II

For watch lovers, I would imagine that one of the greatest pleasures one could have would be to commission your very own watch. The only thing that could top that would be to commission your very own watch from one of the world’s greatest living watchmakers, Kari Voutilainen. Here is the story of the commissioning of a very special Kari Voutilainen Masterpiece Chronograph II. Learn more about the commissioning process, the ideas behind some of the watch’s design, and how the final watch came to life.

Source: Quill and Pad

4. Seiko Mt. Fuji World Heritage Limited Edition SRP783

seiko-mount-fuji

Japan is one of my favorite holiday destinations, and one of my most enduring memories of Japan is the sight of Mount Fuji looming in the horizon as I drove down from Hakone towards Gotemba. Mount Fuji is, of course, the highest peak in Japan, but size aside, it was the sheer symmetry of Fuji-san that blew me away. Curiously, despite the popularity and significance of Mount Fuji in Japanese culture, it was only added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2013. To commemorate this, Seiko released three limited edition Seiko Mount Fuji World Heritage watches. This is one of them, the SRP783.

Source: The Time Bum

5. Why I’m no longer a ‘vintage watch guy’

vintage-patek

There are a number of reasons why vintage watches are all the rage now. I suppose one of the most obvious ones is rarity and exclusivity. Anyone with money can run out and get the latest Daytona or Royal Oak, but it takes a special kind of person to hunt down that elusive, hard to find, mint condition, vintage piece from decades gone by. However, the increase in demand and popularity of vintage watches has brought with it new problems. One of the most pressing is the increase in the number of counterfeit or “franken-watches.” Here are some reasons vintage watch lovers have been turned off by the way the market is heading.

Source: Time and Tide Watches


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