These Are the Watches We’re Obsessing Over in June 2018

As watch lovers, we spend our afternoons poring over watches both new and vintage. When a new timepiece comes across our radar, one that particularly resonates with our tastes, we can’t help but obsess over it. So, here’s a taste of that process — six timepieces that our watch-loving staff are obsessing over right at this very moment.

LIP “Paul Newman” Chronograph

I’ve been significantly more interested in Lip watches after coming across the Lip “Ninja” on Rue Watches. In researching more about the brand, I came across a Hodinkee article detailing the somewhat murky and fascinating history of the Lip “Paul Newman” Chronograph. The watches date from the late 1960s to early 1970s, and supposedly, there are two different versions of the watch — and it’s undetermined which one is the authentic version. That said, I’d happily take either. — AJ Powell, Assistant Editor

Farer Stanhope

The Farer Stanhope is a British-designed, Swiss-made 37 mm hand-winder that seems to me to be overflowing with personality. Ever since I first spotted this little guy online, I haven’t stopped thinking about its intricately textured dial paired with Farer’s own tan, perforated leather strap. Very few watches give me the feels for weeks on end, but this one still has me up at night! — Kyle Snarr, Head of Marketing

Rolex GMT Master (Ref. 6542)

So it’s got a service bezel and a tritium replacement dial and two tritium replacement hands — I don’t care! Look at it — just look! I MUST HAVE IT! And because it’s “Price On Inquiry” (and I’m smart enough NOT to inquire), I can continue to fantasize that I can afford it without having my dreams shattered by reality. — Oren Hartov, Associate Editor

Bulova Chronograph C

This is a watch that’s so pretty it would distract me — I’d check the time, get lost in that gorgeous dial and wander right into traffic. Not many watches (or other things, for that matter) visually impress me on this level. But to be totally frank, it’s unlikely I’ll ever buy this watch for myself; it’s quartz, and for a vintage-inspired piece like this, I’d really prefer a heritage movement of some kind. Bulova has the rich history to draw on for that. This chronograph is also 46mm, which feels unnecessarily massive and, from what I’m seeing, not totally on-trend for the current watch market. Maybe Bulova will make a really smart move in a couple of years and put out a 40-42mm version of the Chrono C, *maybe* even with a nice automatic movement (hint hint). That would have me taking a hammer to my piggy bank, no questions asked. The current model remains on my good-boy Christmas list in the meantime. — Andy Frakes, Editorial Assistant

Shinola Canfield Sport

For as long as I can remember, my mom wore a practical watch with a svelte brown leather band and a gold-and-white face, and, for as long as I can remember, I rebelled against that look. I owned chunky leather watches; monochromatic, polyurethane surf watches; bold, bling-y gold watches; pace-tracking training watches; army-inspired field watches; and silver bracelet watches. Then, I came across the Shinola Canfield Sport. It stopped me in my tracks — it’s classic, clean, sophisticated and, well, eerily familiar. I guess it’s true what they say — we do turn into our parents eventually. And, if this watch is any indication, that’s not such a bad thing. — Ali Carr Troxell, Managing Editor

Yema Superman Heritage

With every vintage watch reissue comes an opportunity to pick it to pieces. Oh, the case is two millimeters to big. Oh, the indices don’t look convincingly aged. Oh, the hands don’t look like the originals. And so on. So leave it to French watchmaker Yema — a brand I didn’t even realize was still in the watchmaking biz — to come out and launch a dive watch that’s more or less a shot-for-shot remake of its inspiration. The original Superman, if you’re unfamiliar, was one of the first divers to boast both a 300-meter depth rating and a bezel-locking mechanism (that little bracket at 3 o’clock) when it debuted in the early 1960s and was so durable it was issued to the French Air Force despite, you know, being built for diving. This reissue is a remake of a reference from 1970 and frankly, I’ve got no criticisms, no critiques; its pretty much perfect and given it costs just a bit over $1,000, it feels like a screaming deal. — Andrew Connor, Staff Writer

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