These Are the Watches We’re Obsessing Over in January 2020

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 — eight timepieces that our watch-loving staff are obsessing over right at this very moment.

Mk II Hawkinge AGL

I’ve been a fan of Mk II’s Ready to Wear watches for some time, but it was the moment I tried on the Hawkinge AGL when this particular timepiece moved straight onto my future purchase list. This watch feels purpose-built yet stylish, simple yet technical, clean yet ready to get dirty. At a diameter of 37.8 mm, this classically proportioned automatic strikes a do-it-all, daily-wear balance the few watch designs achieve. –Kyle Snarr, Head of Marketing

Tudor 9411/0 “Snowflake” Submariner

Had you asked me five or 10 years ago, I would’ve preferred a ref. 79090 Tudor Sub to a Snowflake. Not so anymore — the Marine Nationale-inspired, funky handset and indices has captured my heart. Thankfully, these are way too expensive for me to touch, but I can obsess from afar, can’t I? Especially over this gorgeous ref. 9411/0, miraculously intact and complete with box and papers. –Oren Hartov, Associate Editor.

TAG Heuer Carrera 160 Years Silver Limited Edition

I’ve always wanted a vintage chronograph. First it was the Heuer Autavia “Jochen Rindt,” then a Breitling Top Time, and of course who doesn’t lust after a minty Daytona ref. 6263? I’ve long loved the Heuer Carrera but was told by some of our watch nerds in the office that my time for a vintage one had passed; they were already on the way to overvalued. And now there’s this — a faithful reproduction of one of the originals from 1964, in a larger size for the modern era and with a display case back. I don’t even know what this will look like on my wrist, but that dial and those lugs! And it may even withstand an errant splash of water here and there, not something I could say about one that’s 50+ years old. –Brian Louie, Head of Commerce

Brew Mastergraph Universal

All the watches in my collection (if you can call it one) are either time-only watches or only have a date function. One watch has a rotating bezel. I’ve been wanting to get a chronograph for quite some time and the Brew Mastergraph has seriously caught my eye. This timepiece is powered by a Seiko VK68 Hybrid Meca-quartz movement, which means the base timekeeping is like that of any other quartz watch, but the stop watch function is mechanical and the hand sweeps smoothly as such. The design of this watch is rather unique, it looks contemporary but you can tell it’s inspired by chronographs of the past. I would get a black dial Mastergraph to match the rest of my watches.–Hunter Kelley, Associate Designer

Cartier Coin Watch By Piaget

Housed inside this authentic 1908 gold $20 coin is a beautiful watch by Piaget with Cartier branding. Coin watches were fairly popular in the 1960s, and Cartier pretty much had the biggest share of that market. It’s impressive to whip this out of your pocket to show someone a century-old coin; it’s even more impressive when you press the secret button to reveal the watch inside. This would surely be in James Bond’s arsenal of gadgets if it were packed with some sort of spy functionality. Just kidding — it’s not an Omega. –Tyler Chin, Editorial Associate, Editorial Operations

Rolex Oyster Perpetual ref. 6084

A newfound admirer of vintage Rolex Explorers, I recently came across one of its precursors, the Oyster Perpetual ref. 6084, thanks to a coworker who has helped me navigate the complex, pricey world of vintage Rolexes. I love the cream dial, dagger markers and very manageable case size (34mm). The discount — when checked against true Explorers — is nice, too. — Jack Seemer, Deputy Editor

Piaget Altiplano

First things first: This watch, while beautiful, is way more than I’d ever spend on a watch — I could buy a used car with that type of money! Regardless, I’m currently loving the simplicity of this Piaget Altiplano watch. The rose gold case, clean dial and ultra-thin body would likely act as a beautiful piece of jewelry rather than my everyday watch, but at $15K, that’s to be expected. –Meg Lappe, Editorial Coordinator

TAG Heuer Professional

People often have strong feelings about Heuer post-tagging on the TAG prefix (that is, when the brand became TAG Heuer in 1985), but I find myself intrigued by some of what they were doing in the nineties and aughties. There were a lot of funky quartz watches, but there are also funky mechanical ones to be found. Don’t fear the funk. A precursor to the modern Aquaracer, this example of a Professional 2000 series watch has an ETA 2824 automatic movement, sapphire crystal, and a thin case measuring a pretty tantalizing 39mm wide. Look at that rounded case! Stay tuned for more strange TAGs I’m obsessing over from this era… –Zen Love, Associate Staff Writer

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  These Are the Watches We’re Obsessing Over in November 2019

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