Classic Watches
Classic watches to invest in or admire, compiled and curated by Wallpaper*
-
Watches and Wonders 2024: what to do, where to go and who to see in Geneva this weekendAs the Geneva fine watch salon opens its doors to the general public for three days this weekend, and satellite shows take over the city, here's our whistle-stop guide
By Caragh McKay Published
-
Fan base: how a vintage Breitling collector forged the path to the brand’s design futureBreitling, the classic aviation watch brand, is undergoing as thorough a brand reinvention as you’re ever likely to see, shifting its focus, cleaning up and, above all, re-connecting with its past. While the first two require experience and imagination, the last needs knowledge. But when Breitling’s new owners turned up, they discovered only the basics of an archive for a brand that spans 133 years of production. Heritage, of course, is the nucleus around which great brands thrive. So, It was a seriously savvy move by new Breitling CEO Georges Kern to turn to a fan - the esteemed Breitling collector Fred Mandelbaum, the most authoritative source on Breitling’s history around, known to aficionados as @watchfred. It is Mandelbaum and his fabulously tended personal collection, then, that have filled in the sizeable gaps, creating a springboard for a future with its roots in the past.Here's our pick of the best classic watch design..
By James Gurney Last updated
-
Collectors’ corner: Vacheron Constantin remasters a century of fine-watch designsBy Hannah Silver Last updated
-
Clean cut: white metal designs add a glint of refinementBy Laura Hawkins Last updated
-
Exceptional collection of vintage Panerai watch designs to go on sale in ParisBy Caragh McKay Last updated
-
Modern movements: Georg Jensen reworks its classic Koppel watchBy Emma O'Kelly Last updated
-
Independent watchmaker Hannes Bonhoff rethinks timeBy Josh Sims Last updated
-
Editor's Pick: Rolex at Baselworld 2019Rolex is all about the detail and small changes make for a surprisingly large impact, as the Swiss watchmaker’s new designs reveal
By James Gurney Last updated
-
Vacheron Constantin recreates American 1921 watchThe American 1921 Pièce Unique is a one-off to mark the hundredth anniversary of a classic watch. Produced using vintage and specially made tools, it faithfully captures the optimistic slant of the original
By Hannah Silver Last updated
-
Rolex's Cosmograph Daytona meteorite dial is out of this worldRolex unveils three new versions of the Oyster Perpetual Cosmograph Daytona, all with a dial made from metallic meteorite
By Hannah Silver Last updated
-
Rolex Awards for Enterprise announces five winnersThe five winners of the Rolex Awards all share a commitment to a more sustainable future
By Hannah Silver Last updated
-
Double trouble: Nicolas Le Moigne rethinks the Corum ’Bubble’ watchBy Hannah Silver Last updated
-
Bonhams to auction Donald Healey’s rare Rolex and Austin Healey motorsBy Hannah Silver Last updated
-
Traditional watches reinterpreted for a new timeOn the eve of Watches and Wonders 2021, we look back on watchmakers including Rolex, Patek Philippe and Audemars Piguet who are drawing inspiration from the past
By Hannah Silver Last updated
-
Phillips, in association with Bacs & Russo, presents almost 30 timepieces from a private collectionPhillips, in association with Bacs & Russo, presents almost 30 timepieces from a private collection
By Hannah Silver Last updated
-
W.W.W: a war-regulation watch for our timesBy James Gurney Last updated
-
Cartier wins Best Glove Affair: Wallpaper* Design Awards 2022The Cartier Clash [Un]Limited mitten watch, by Cartier, is crafted from supple rose gold mesh and set with nearly 1,600 diamonds
By Hannah Silver Last updated
-
Cartier creates a series of vitrines telling the tale of the Tank watchBy Caragh Mackay Last updated
-
Cartier bejewels Paris’ Grand Palais in a new exhibitionBy Caragh McKay Last updated
-
Behind the times: the best retro watch designsA new book shines a spotlight on the rare and eccentric designs from watchmaking’s most creative era
By Hannah Silver Last updated
-
The American Museum of Natural History celebrates animal jewelleryA new exhibition, Beautiful Creatures, marks the opening of the new Allison and Roberto Mignone Halls of Gems and Minerals
By Hannah Silver Last updated
-
The Fondation Cartier launches an all-star exhibition programme in honour of its 30th anniversaryBy Caroline Roux Last updated
-
Cartier’s new high jewellery watch rethinks the panther motifThe Panthère Tropical watch bracelet unites coral, tourmalines and aquamarines with the familiar onyx spots of the panther motif
By Hannah Silver Last updated
-
Cartier’s new homewares have a celebratory spiritThe range of functional items from Cartier include a stationery set, tea box and Christmas decorations
By Hannah Silver Last updated
-
Up, up and away: a new timepiece celebrates Concorde’s glory yearsBy James Gurney Last updated
-
Cartier reinvents its Paris Nouvelle Vague collection with perfectly formed new volumesBy Jessica Diamond Last updated
-
New book casts aviation watches as heroes of the hourAir Time: Watches Inspired by Aviation, Aeronautics and Pilots traces the history of aviation watches – from those paying tribute to the golden age of air travel, to those primed for the precision of moon landings or Tom Cruise in Top Gun
By Hannah Silver Last updated


