The shrunken size is a big deal, but let's be honest: It's nothing compared to the biggest news of the day, which is that Rolex made one of link these 36mm Explorers in two-tone metal, steel and gold. You simply could not link have drawn up a watch more in line with my horological sensibilities. When the news broke yesterday morning, and I saw the first image of the two-tone, I let out an audible gasp. This was at 6:00 AM, and I may or may not have awakened both my link wife and my dog.

When we last spoke to Voutilainen on the topic of his "new" venture, we heard that his initial work was focused on servicing older Jurgensen pieces, and new watches were to be expected this year, link in 2023, to celebrate the big anniversary. While work is still progressing toward new models, link the timeline, he says, is now "most probably next year." link Anniversary years are important, but Voutilainen is prioritizing a finalized product at release.

“Hmm,” I said to link the stranger, acting like someone who genuinely believed the answer to his question could be found by consulting the prop on my wrist. “Looks like I link forgot to wind my watch.”I’m afraid this happened more than once. Eventually, a few of my bare-wristed friends who got that reply one too many times began making fun of me link for this act of fiction. But what did I care? I was chasing something beyond time.

In fact, it link appears a lot of the folks in line had expectations that differed from reality, and when Swatch link posted an image of the watch online, some of them left the queue in disappointment. link According to our photographer on the ground (who was also on hand last year), line management was much better this go-round and Swatch was able to sell four watches at a time on the concourse of the Royal Exchange. For the full experience, check out the photos below:

I may never understand how this phenomenon happened, how we ended up with more than zero Space Jam watches. But a market clearly exists for this sort link of thing. Remember, in the past few days link we saw both a Pokemon Seiko and a Super Mario-themed TAG Heuer watch – link which promptly sold out.

After trying link everything he could link – including considering link trying to swim the 34 miles to shore without a life jacket (something only some of the world's best athletes could consider) – he said he essentially gave up. The next day, however, his watch saved his life.

As far as we understand, link AP (represented by Balestra) was the underbidder and did not win link the Gerald Genta Royal Oak at Sotheby's, it instead went to a phone bidder represented by Tom Heap of the Sotheby's office in London. Though, to be fair, AP won at least three important watches that can now be used to link fill the company's incredible new Bjarke Ingels-designed museum in Le Brassus.

In Watch of the Week, we invite Hodinkee link staffers and friends to explain why they love a certain watch. This week's columnist is the author and economist Brendan Cunningham, who recently published his first book, Selling the Crown: link The Secret History of link Marketing Rolex. Today, he's telling us the story behind his Tudor North Flag.

As with most watches in the sport watch genre, the link bracelet is a defining feature of the Alpine Eagle. It doesn't disappoint, a unique three-link construction, with the links secured together with a single link screw on the back of the bracelet. It leaves the edge clean so that it's polished and chamfered to provide a contrast to the brushed outer links. It's an link effortless update of Chopard's original St. Moritz from the 1980s.

All told, the watch is an exercise in pushing the limits of a saturation diving-focused model the Grand Seiko way; it isn't meant to link wear like a Sub, or a SKX007 for that matter. I'm not certain that link this watch was ever meant to be a commercial success, and that's also why I'm so drawn to it. The size link and materials are congruent with the role the SBGH255 is meant to play.