Let’s see what made the final month of the decade a pretty memorable one!
December was a very varied one for the industry. With many people out spending money, a lot of the news focused on setting up things for 2020, Let’s get into the final month of the year...
MB&F / Legacy Machine Thunderdome - the world's fastest triple-axis tourbillon!
The MB&F / Legacy Machine Thunderdome - Image Credit: MB&F Press
We kicked off December with another new MB&F. The new ‘Thunderdome’ is a new piece of art that has come from Eric Coudray and Kari Voutilainen. This Hour Glass exclusive release features a three-axis tourbillon with each axis oscillating at a different speed to the next. The result is the world’s fastest triple-axis tourbillon and something which we cannot take our eyes off.
MB&F, Coudray and Kari have somehow created something even more ‘MB&F’ like. If you want to talk about pushing boundaries and making us think anything is possible you can start and end at MB&F.
The New Omega Seamaster Diver 300M 007 Edition
The New Omega Seamaster Diver 300M 007 Edition - Image Credit: Monochrome Watches
The seriously anticipated new Bond movie ‘No Time To Die’ finally saw it’s next star of the film announced in early December: The Omega Seamaster Diver 300M 007 Edition. On first look, this watch is refreshingly unique for Omega and the Seamaster range. Vintage coloured lume combined with black, a broad arrow hand on the dial, full titanium and an unexpected mesh strap feel very… unexpected for the brand. But, when you consider the recent trend the watch industry is going through it’s clear this Bond watch ticks a lot of boxes.
The relationship with Bond is massive for Omega so it was imperative they made a success of Bond in 2020. The watch isn’t a limited edition, however, expect to pay around £7,000 for the 007 on the mesh bracelet.
The New Seiko Alpinists Arrive!
Remember the three new Alpinists we reported were rumoured to arrive in January last month? Well in December we received confirmation they are happening and a further look at the new models. Now living in the Prospex family, these new and improved ‘Alpinists’ have a few notable changes, but for the most part, the DNA that made them so favourable with many still remains.
A cyclops, the Prospex logo on the dial, a display caseback and of course the new colours are the main new features. We’ll have more to say on these watches soon…
The Game Changers Auction...
The final most noticeable auction of the year began on the 10th December in the shape of Game Changers by Phillips. As the name would suggest, this auction basically had every important watch from the past century. Looking through the catalogue is like looking through a history book with every noteworthy watch present and accounted for.
Highlights include Marlon Brando’s GMT worn in Apocalypse Now (that sold for $1.9 million), Jack Nicklaus’ Yellow Gold Day-Date which fetched $1.2 million as well as a 5513 MilSpec Sub, a Patek 5950 (easily one of my favourite from the auction, let alone favourite Pateks), a 6542, a handful of Paul Newman’s, honestly, we could go on but we’d recommend checking out the catalogue for yourself...
The Watch Scanner from Chrono24
The Chrono24 Watch Scanner App - Image Credit: Chrono24
In mid-December, we saw the Chrono24 app evolve with a new feature called Watch Scanner added. This pretty much does what you’re hoping it does but didn’t know was possible. It’s pretty simple, take an image of a watch on your wrist and Chrono24 will instantly tell you everything you need to know about it including the current market value (pre-owned and mint condition), the full reference number, case material, years it was produced and links to listings.
Jay Z wears a real show stopper...
Attending Diddy’s 50th birthday (along with every major celeb you could think of) Jay-Z arrived wearing a Patek Philippe Grandmaster Chime Ref. 6300G. Sure, people arrived wearing Richard Mille and iced out Royal Oak’s but Jay Z definitely won that night. The 6300G was a $2.2 million watch back in 2016 so as you can imagine the watch is more than likely worth a little more now. Even more so thanks to the success of OnlyWatch in 2019. If anyone was going to wear it, it could only be Jay-Z.
A George Daniels The Blue Sold for £1,000,000 by ACollectedMan.
We then heard some news regarding our friends over at ACollectedMan in London. They had managed to get their hands on one of only four fully custom watches that George Daniels made and of course it is the definition of beautiful. ACollectedMan has made a name for themselves for selling stunning watches with equally impressive, honest photography. Here at WG we always find ourselves sharing images from the ACollectedMan team to each other, regularly obsess over their offerings.
Congratulations to ACollectedMan for selling this watch and of course the new owner!
The Watch Lounge at Baselworld 2020
Baselworld - Image Credit: Baselworld Press
Yes, more Baselworld news. This time it’s in the form of ‘The Watch Lounge’ which will see 15 brands who previously took over a hotel close to the hotel be fully integrated into the show. The more intimate and casual set up of this section sounds very similar to events we’ve attended previously which I can see would benefit smaller brands. Whether you agree with the changes or not, the people behind Baselworld seem to be doing something behind the scenes. Late April 2020 can’t come soon enough...
Our Favourite Watches Of 2019
And finally, we ended this month by wrapping up our favourite watches of 2019. Many of the office, as well as off-site staff, got involved with this article. I wanted to get an idea which watches people felt spoke to them the most in 2019 and I was quite surprised by the selections. Everything from Breitling, Zenith, Grand Seiko, Bulgari and Glashütte Original all many appearances. Check out the full list here!
And that was December 2019 in watches! Although we’re only a few days into 2020 we still have a lot of news to talk about so keep your eyes peeled for the first This Month In Watches in 2020!
