The Nipple Dial And Its Significance In Rolex History
'Nipple dials': it's a term that seems to be highly inappropriate for this day and age when extreme measures are taken to be non-offensive to literally everyone and everything. It brings back memories of the early Bond movies when 007 fought larger-than-life villains with the help of ladies with...
Love For The Datejust
At WatchWorks Haarlem, we love all things Rolex, but the Datejust first stole our hearts and remains very special to us. Early on in our careers, the position of the Datejust in the market was quite different from what it is now. Although a good and respected timepiece, the Datejust was still seen...
Why A Cheap Rolex Is Often The Most Expensive One
Talk to someone who is into Porsche, and they will tell you that a cheap Porsche is often far more expensive than one with a (slightly) higher price. The reason for this is almost apparent; the cheap ones either already have some mechanical issues, or are well on their way as the maintenance on...
Boy-Size Watches: A Man’s Choice
While a bit of an arbitrary term, boy-size watches are an industry term indicating men's watches with a smaller diameter. Although there is no set definition of the size, in general, this is between 30 - 32mm. Mind you, we are talking here about more sportive watches, as the term boy-size is not...
Two-Tone Watches: In The Twilight Of Style
Watches that combine gold with stainless steel are often called 'two-tone.' While this combination of metals was particularly popular in the 1990s, its popularity dwindled in the years after. Some even questioned whether this mixture of precious and non-precious metal was style-appropriate. At...
James Bond And His Rolex
While the world's most famous secret agent is now closely connected with Omega, it was Rolex that was historically the watch of choice for 007. Ian Flemming, the man whose mind produced James Bond, wore himself a Rolex Explorer I Ref 1016. While he mentions the brand a few times in various novels,...
A Testimony Of A Watch Industry Professional
I have the great fortune to have been one of those people that turned their hobby into their profession. In my late teens, I got fascinated by watches and was able to turn it into a career. As I always enjoyed writing, it started with reviews on then popular message boards, which were soon picked up...
Must de Cartier Tank Amsterdam Boutique Edition: The Rarest Of Them All?
Some watches are so rare that even experienced collectors, dealers, and people at the brand themselves haven't seen one in the metal. Such a watch is the Must de Cartier Tank Amsterdam Boutique Edition. The story behind this watch is also interesting and begins in the year 2000, Cartier moved their...
Gold; A Few Facts About The World’s Most Popular Precious Metal
The fascination for gold seems to be embedded in the DNA of humans, as since the beginning of time, we have been enamored by it. This also makes it so that gold watches are in a league of their own. When wearing one, you get to enjoy not only the unique color of this precious metal but also the...
The Fun And Importance To Accessorize
Being a watch enthusiast doesn't start and stop with the purchase of a new addition to the collection. While these are often highlights in the life of a collector, it also marks the beginning of another phase; living with the watch. In the past, it was customary to wear a timepiece on the strap it...
The Optional Luxury Of The Rolex Day-Date
In a time when you are among the lucky ones to get your hands on a new Rolex at a dealer or boutique, almost any Rolex, you forget that once the pleasure of purchasing one of their watches was a tailor-made experience. In particular with the Day-Date, this was almost like buying a car. The first and...
Exploring The Explorer II; The Watch Rolex Designed For Cave-Explorers
Within the Professional collection, Rolex designed watches with a specific sport and/or profession in mind. In most cases, like with the Submariner or Daytona, what those are is quite apparent. For the Explorer II, this might be different, as not everybody knows that Rolex created this watch,...
The Art Of Making Watches Ultra-Slim
The term complication applies in the world of watches to any feature in addition to just telling time. So a chronograph, moon phase display, or even a date is considered a complication. This is somewhat misleading as other things are very complex to make but not considered a complication. The best...
The Delight Of A Diamond Dial Rolex
While often fully accepted on a lady's watch, diamonds on a men's watch are often a topic of hot debate in Western Europe. While everybody is, of course, entitled to their own opinion, a dash of diamonds can be a welcome addition to any collection, in particular the more established. The most subtle...
Sea, Salt, & Swimming; How To Care For Your Watches During The Summer Months
As we move towards summer, many of you travel to warm and beautiful locations to enjoy some rest and relaxation. If you are reading this, you most likely have a passion for watches, so one or more will accompany you on your trip. These are often exposed to different activities as you would enjoy in...
Rolex Day-Date; The Precious Beginnings
They often say that a Rolex is a testimony of one's success, but if that's true, then the Day-Date must be the ultimate expression of that. Launched in 1956, the Day-Date was the very first watch to show not only the date but also the day. It does so in full, in a window located between eleven and...
The Magic Of ‘Clous de Paris’ & ‘Tapisserie’
Most things always sound better in French. Something about that language can even make the most common thing sounds exotic and elegant. An excellent example is 'Clous de Paris,' which, translated in English, means 'Nails of Paris' although most people call it a 'hobnail pattern' in that language....
The Impact Of Newly Introduced Models On Their Predecessors
Last week was Watches & Wonders in Geneva. The world's largest and most important watch fair meant that many leading brands, including Rolex, Cartier, and Patek Philippe, launched their latest creations. Selling those is often not a problem, as the demand is much greater than what the brands...
WatchWorks Haarlem’s Pursuit Of ‘La Dolce Vita’ With Friends
Watches are not a solitary hobby, as part of the enjoyment comes from sharing the passion with fellow enthusiasts. Like many of them, our passion also runs broader than this, including fine clothing and exotic automobiles. So when asked to join an official photoshoot for WatchTime Magazine in...
Patek Philippe And The Birth Of The Annual Calendar
In most of the world, we use what is known as the Gregorian calendar. It was introduced in October 1582 by Pope Gregory XIII and replaced the Julian calendar. This was done because the Gregorian calendar, although not perfect, more closely follows the actual time it takes for the earth to orbit...
Patek Philippe Nautilus: The Icon Designed Over Lunch
Some watches come with an interesting story of how they came to life. For the Patek Philippe Nautilus this happened in 1974, when Gérald Genta was having lunch in a hotel during the Basel Watch Fair. When he recognized the team from Patek Philippe sitting across from him in the dining room, he got...
Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso: The Innovative Icon
The Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso is one of the very first purposely built sports watches. It was created when in 1930, César de Trey, who made his fortune as a manufacturer of dentures, spoke with officers from the British Army in India. They enjoyed playing polo, a sport that emerged from Manipur, a...
The Effect Of Wear And Tear On Rolex Bracelets
While Rolex likes to boast about the perpetual qualities of its timepieces, even they are not entirely immune to wear and tear. In particular, the bracelets will eventually start showing their age when the connections between the links become more loosely over the years. This is a natural process...
Rolex Sky-Dweller: Accommodating A New Era Of Travelling
In 2012, Rolex made a bold move by introducing the Sky-Dweller. It doesn't happen that often that the brand launches an entirely new collection, let alone one as innovative (for Rolex) as this one. The name of the Sky-Dweller was appropriately selected, as its 42mm large and relatively thick case is...
Pie Pan Dials: A Yummy Horological Delight
Dials are often referred to as the face of a watch. This is quite true, as a lot of the expression of the timepiece comes from this little disk. Usually, in particular with Rolex, they are flat, but there is an exception to the rule, the so-called 'Pie pan' dials. These became in fashion during the...
Rolex GMT-Master Ref.16700; The Last Of The Mohicans
Within the history of Rolex, the GMT-Master Ref.16700 holds a unique place but doesn't always get the credit for it. This model was introduced in 1988 with a lineage that goes back to the iconic Ref.6542, the first GMT-Master that Rolex made especially for Pan Am Airlines. Unfortunately, the GMT-Master Ref.16700 is...
Acrylic vs Sapphire; The pros, cons, and how it affects the look of your watch
Synthetic sapphire is today the most common material to craft crystals out of to protect the dial and hands of a watch. Nearly all Swiss watches are fitted with them. As it scores a 9 on the Mohs hardness scale, with only diamond being harder, it is very scratch resistant. Coins, a knife, or steel...
Patina; Curse or Quality?
Patina is a hot topic when it comes to vintage watches, in particular in relation to Rolex. It can best be described as distinct signs of aging. Faded bezel, discolored hour markers, and black dials that turned brown are all examples of what patina can look like. One of the most enticing things...
Diving Into The Rolex Submariner 5513
Reference 5513 holds a special place in the history of the Submariner. It can be seen as the watch that cemented its reputation, turning a great diving watch into an icon. Rolex launched the ref.5513 in 1962, and it stayed in production for about 27 years. This is almost unheard of in an industry ruled by trends,...
What Is A Ghost Dial, And What Makes Them So Cool?
Over the years, Rolex's approach to selecting the printing color on the dials has been pretty straightforward and aimed at maximum contrast. This is why they use, for example, white printing on the dials of Submariners and Sea-Dwellers, and black on gold dialed Day-Dates. However, in some cases,...
Dancing The Dunes: WatchWorks Haarlem Enters Endurance Racing As Official Timekeeper Of Mode 11 Racing
Early morning. Patches of fog dance over the ribbon of immaculate asphalt that circles through the sand dunes. The sound of seagulls and waves breaking on the beach is interrupted by the engine of a Renault Clio 3 RS 200 Cup car coming to live in the paddock.
The Birth Of A President
1956 was an important year for Rolex, as it marked the introduction of the Day-Date. It was a watch that would grow to become an icon in its own right, and the favorite of quite a few presidents … Click the image above to find out how the Day-Date achieved this.
Is my watch waterproof?
Is a question we get asked quite often here at WWH, and the answer really is.. yes and no. It all depends on the watch and it’s case construction, and factors like keeping your screw-down crown tightened against the case… Click the image above to find out more.
Chopard Ultra-Thin 18k
Here’s a more in-depth article on our Chopard Ultra-thin, executed in 18k white gold. A timeless and classic dress watch for the modern day gentleman who likes something a little different for his wrist..
Tank Louis Cartier, Phase de Lune
Here’s a fresh article on our rare and seldom seen, Cartier Tank Louis Cartier, Phase de Lune aka Tank with Moonphase complication – Hope you guys enjoy this one!
Piaget reference 908 C4: Old School Elegance For The Modern Day Gentleman
We are excited to welcome Mr. Martin Green as an ‘Editor at Large’ for WatchWorks Haarlem! Please sit back and enjoy his first article, a take on vintage Piaget, in particular this Piaget 908 4C manufactured from 18k white gold with Clous de Paris finish.
WatchWorks Haarlem ╳ Minimatikal Nomos club 701
We’re very happy to have teamed up once again with our good friend, Dale Vito Boom on creating a one of a kind Nomos Club 701 aka The Frunch.
That other Pepsi..
Here are some thoughts from Erik Gustafson over at the hairspring.com on our Heuer Autavia GMT from the late 1960’s. One killer vintage Heuer!
AP Perpetual Calendar
Hodinkee, perhaps the number one luxury watches and lifestyle platform worldwide for us watchnerds, and one i’ve personally been following and reading with a lot of interest, since it’s foundation in 2008. Proud to be featured with this AP Perpetual Calendar.
WWH Editorial Shoot – Omega Speedmaster ‘TinTin’
Another Editiorial Shoot is live – This time we took the Omega Speedmaster ‘TinTin’ out for a day on the town, what a stunning and fun watch this is – Hope you guys enjoy the images and info excerpts.
1962 Rolex catalogue
Watches like this 1962 Datejust (sold) are the stuff we love and hunt for. It’s always cool to dig up old Rolex catalogues and see these watches and their bracelets in brand new conditions, we’ve selected a few pages from a ’62 catalogue, hope you enjoy.
WWH Editorial Shoot – Audemars Piguet 14100
Here’s our first Editiorial Shoot – We took the AP Royal Oak, reference 14100 out for a day on the town, click the image above to learn more..
We Love the Rolex Datejust!
Since 2010 I’ve been wearing Datejust watches off and on and I absolutely love these iconic timepieces by Rolex – steel ones, two/tone and full gold models, Silver/Black/Blue & Purple dials, Brick dials, Linen dials, Boiler Gauge dials, Gilt and Porcelain dials.. Click the image above to find out more.
How does a Minute Repeater work?
Read our article in Esquire Magazine’s “Big Watch Book” last December. Here we explain how a Minute Repeater complication works.
Defender ╳ Submariner
What does a Land Rover Defender and a Tudor Submariner have in common? back in July of 2019 you could buy both of these Icons in one purchase! Click the image above to find out more and to view the awesome video we shot..
Buying a vintage watch? Here are the best stores in The Netherlands
We are proud to announce that WatchWorks Haarlem has been named among the Top 5 best watch specialists in the Netherlands, by Esquire Magazine
WatchWorks Haarlem ╳ BMW Dusseldorp
Dusseldorp BMW approached WatchWorks Haarlem to be part of the festive unveiling of the all new BMW 3 series and the all new BMW Z4. Click the image above to watch the video recap…
Superhero Watch Prints Release
On Saturday March the 2nd 2019, WatchWorks Haarlem released our limited edition, in-house designed ‘Superhero Watch Prints’ made in collaboration with designer, Careaux at Kloffie Haarlem. Click the image above to watch the video recap…
Pop-up Speedmaster Lounge ‘The Moon Room’
Back in February of 2017 WatchWorks Haarlem teamed up with the guys and gals from Ace Jewelers, to organize and be part of a two week long, Omega Speedmaster frenzy! A Pop-up Speedmaster Lounge, AKA ‘The Moon Room’