Author : JonDev

All articles

The Ultimate Seiko Alpinist Collectors Guide

THE SEIKO ALPINIST Seiko introduced the Alpinist wristwatch in 1961 with the intention of it becoming a reliable timepiece for Japanese mountain climbers...

Blancpain Fifty Fathoms: Mil Spec Watches

The year 1953 saw innovations in the dive watch industry that would resound and set the standards for future generations. This was the year when Blancpai...

The Seiko 6139 – 600X Collectors Guide

The 1960s saw many in the watch industry looking to capitalise on increased demand for automatic watches. In 1969, Seiko delivered by introducing what wa...

Enicar Sherpa Pilot (2 Crown Models)

INTRODUCTION An earlier article focusing on the development of the Enicar Sherpa brand covered single crown models culminating in the two models with bezels, th...

Enicar Graph Collector’s Guide

INTRODUCTION A separate article has documented the development of the Sherpa brand which you can read here, and the further development of various models of 36m...

Grand Seiko Collector’s Guide

GRAND SEIKO THE WORLD’S BEST The original Grand Seiko watch and the line of watches that followed would be a game-changer for the Japanese watchmaker. The Gra...

Breguet Type 20 Generation 1 Military Issue

INTRODUCTION Montres Breguet was founded in 1775 by the great inventor and clockmaker Abraham-Louis Breguet (1747-1823), and had its headquarters ...

Breguet Type 20 Civilian, Generation 1 , 2 and 3

INTRODUCTION An earlier article looked at the development of the Type 20 watch specification and the development of the Breguet Type 20 model which you can read...

Omega Railmaster: A Collector’s Guide

Initially starting in 1848, Omega has worked its way into becoming a worldwide brand. Being known as the brand that produced reliable and accurate watches, Omeg...

The 10 BEST Watches Under $250

It might sound crazy in a high-tech world, but it is damn hard to make a quality watch under $250. Watchmakers seeking to produce a quality timepiece at this lo...

Omega Chronostop 145.008 Collector’s Guide

In the case of premium luxury brands, there will always be an entry-level, a sense of belonging but not quite being there. It’s what the Boxster is to a Porsc...

The Seiko Bullhead Collectors Guide

The Seiko Bullhead 6138-0040 was introduced in 1969 as part of the “Seiko 5” family. According to Seiko’s official website, the “5 Sports” line came...

The Seiko Tuna Collector’s Guide

Seiko Tuna is the name given to a range of watches designed for scuba and professional diving. In particular, Seiko made these watches with saturation divin...

The Tudor “Snowflake” Submariner Collector’s Guide

Collectors use the name “Snowflake” to refer the Tudor Submariners with reference numbers 7016/0, 7021/0, 9104/0, and 9411/0 produced from 1969 to 1975 [1] ...

The Breitling Top Time Collector’s Guide

Breitling Top Time is the name given to the series of watches characterized by a bold and elegant design, which were also useful tools for professional pilots a...

IWC 3705 Collector’s Guide

The IWC 3705 was one model in a line of aviation chronograph (fliegerchronograph) wristwatches manufactured by Swiss watchmaker International Watch Company (I...

Enicar Sherpa Collectors Guide Part 1 (Single Crown models)

This article covers the Enicar Seapearl transition to the Enicar Sherpa and the development of other early single crown Enicar Sherpa models. It will be follo...

Enicar Sherpa Diver (2 Crown Models)

INTRODUCTION An earlier article covered the single crown Enicar Sherpa diver models. In 1964 Enicar announced a new two crown dive watch, and this article moves...

Seiko 7A28 Collector’s Guide

INTRODUCTION Seiko 7A28 is a series of watches that introduced the first analogue display quartz chronograph movement to the world. Seiko launched the series in...

The History of the NATO Watch Strap – Nato Straps in the Great War (WWI) era

HISTORY INTRODUCTION OF NATO WATCH STRAP Some would argue that the NATO watch strap history did not exist in WWI, but in fact, their grandfather straps were in ...

SEIKO SilverWave Diver’s Watches

INTRODUCTION After WWII as the popularity of diving moved beyond military and commercial diving, and the cost of Scuba gear reduced, watchmakers moved towards p...

The History of the NATO Watch Strap Part 2- The NATO Strap during WWII

INTRODUCTION An earlier article introduced the WWI era sources of DNA for the NATO watch strap history, as part of the evolution of the military watch. Anothe...

The Classic Zodiac Sea Wolf – A History

THE CLASSIC ZODIAC SEA WOLF The first diver’s watch with a rotating bezel, the Zodiac Sea Wolf was announced at the Basel Fair together with the Fifty Fa...

The Seiko 62MAS 010 – The first Seiko diver’s watch?

WAS SEIKO 62MAS-010 THE FIRST SEIKO DIVER’S WATCH? SEIKO: FROM TSUNAMI TO TSUNAMI. Above is the classic Japanese woodblock print of a great wave or tsunam...

Universal Geneve Bumper Polarouter – A Complete Collectors Guide

INTRODUCTION The aircrew who flew Helge Viking on the first commercial SAS Douglas DC-6B flight over the pole from Copenhagen to Los Angeles on November 15, ...

The Birth of the NATO Watch Strap – A History of the NATO Strap and Post WWII watches

INTRODUCTION In earlier articles the predecessors of the NATO watch strap were reviewed. Some military watch specifications were in the process of revision afte...

IWC FIRST AQUATIMER – Vintage Collectors Guide

THE FIRST IWC AQUATIMER INTRODUCTION With the development of aqualung (scuba) gear post world war II, Dr Hans Haas and other experts brought a new and fantastic...

Railrouter Universal Geneve

INTRODUCTION In the late 1950s, US and Canadian railways started to make the transition from pocket watches to wrist watches. Until then, wrist watches were dee...

Polerouter SUB

INTRODUCTION The Universal Geneve Polerouter Sub was first released in 1961 on an expanding stainless steel bracelet and was an instant success. Manufacture o...

The Zodiac Aerospace GMT

INTRODUCTION After the success of the Sea Wolf, Zodiac introduced the Zodiac Aerospace GMT using essentially the same case, with a 24 hour bezel which could rot...

You Can Now Buy the Classic A.F.0210. Military Watch Strap

YOU CAN NOW BUY THE CLASSIC A.F.0210. STRAP INTRODUCTION For many years the A.F.0210. watch strap has been a sought after item. It was designed for WWII watch...

The Dirty Dozen WWW watches on A.F.0210. straps.

INTRODUCTION There are thought to be a handful of collections of the complete set of “The Dirty Dozen” W.W.W .watches, which is not surprising since...

The Ray Mears Citizen Promaster Tough

PROMASTER Citizen introduced the Ray Mears Promaster Tough series in 1989. The Ray Mears Promaster Tough series included watches in the categories of Land, Ma...

The Seiko Silverwave Cockpit – 2628-0040

THE FIRST COCKPIT WATCH THE SEIKO SILVERWAVE COCKPIT – 2628-0040 In 1981 the Seiko Silverwave 2628-0040 won the Japanese Good Design award from the Minist...

The ATP watch – no longer on a pigskin strap

INTRODUCTION The Army Trade Pattern (ATP) series of watches were supplied to British forces at the commencement of WWll via an MoD contract with Swiss watch man...

The Rotating Bezel Invented by Weems- the Rotary Verge Ring

INTRODUCTION The question has been asked “Which watch carried the first rotating bezel?” The answer is the Weems, with what the advertising initiall...

Weems watches : WW2 and later

INTRODUCTION The RAF expansion schemes from 1934 to 1939 provided the opportunity for forward planning for the RAF and this was accelerated after the declaratio...