DOUBLE BUBBLE! Welcome to a BONUS episode of Strap and Link! Today we're thrilled to bring you a recap of Watches and Wonders 2024, as this showcase brings together the biggest names in luxury timepieces, and we've got the lowdown on all the most noteworthy releases.

Whether you're a seasoned collector or just starting your watch journey, there's something for everyone in this episode. We'll be discussing a diverse range of new models, from the elegance of Cartier, to the cutting-edge technology of Grand Seiko, and the 1980s-inspired gold models from Rolex.

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Today we discuss the following watches:

• Tudor: Black Bay GMT "Coke" configuration
• Rolex: Yellow Gold Deep-Sea, "Bruce Wayne" GMT-Master, and how Rolex and Tudor are defining their brands for the long run
• Vacheron Constantin: Rose Gold and Green Overseas
• Grand Seiko: Two Grand Seiko releases – the White Birch Manual Wind Hi-Beat and the SBGC275 Sports GMT
• Cartier: Santos De Cartier Dual Time
• TAG Heuer: Carrera Chronograph "Glassbox" with a new grey dial and bracelet
• Patek Philippe: Aquanaut Travel Time in White Gold

This brand needs no introduction, as part of the "Holy Trinity," Vacheron Constantin are part of a three-headed high-horology beast offering models like the Overseas to compete with Patek Phillipe and Audemars Piguet.

Today we intro the brand's history, and dive into some unique models including their flagship Overseas, and the more attainable Fiftysix collection, in addition to their American 1921 iconic "sideways" model.

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Show Notes:

(0:20) - What’s Coming Next

(11:30) - History

(18:40) - Overseas

(25:50) - Historiques American 1921

(34:32) - FiftySix Complete Calendar

(37:32) - Fiftysix Self-Winding

(45:01) - Lourve Collection

Today we do a fantasy sports-style draft of some of our favorite pilot watches to build a three-watch collection. We put 11 distinct models into a selection pool and chose six to discuss at length throughout the episode, including a brief introduction and historical background on each watch.

The watches available for selection included the Orient Pilot RA, Hamilton Khaki Aviation Day Date Auto, Longines Spirit 37mm, Longines Spirit Zulu Time 39, Bell & Ross BR-03 Gyrocompass, Breitling Classic Avi Chrono P-51 Mustang, Cartier Santos-Dumont, Zenith Pilot Big Date Flyback, IWC Chronograph Top Gun, Christopher Ward C8 UTC Worldtimer, Breitling Navitimer B01, Tudor Black Bay GMT, and the Bulova Lunar Pilot.

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Show Notes:

(1:51) - Episode Outline

(5:17) - Pilot’s Watches to Choose

(9:50) - Pilot’s Watch Draft

(17:38) - Bulova Lunar Pilot

(22:07) - Christopher Ward C8 UTC Worldtimer

(26:36) - Tudor Black Bay GMT

(34:10) - Longines Spirit Zulu Time 39

(40:14) - Breitling Navitimer B01

(49:09) - IWC Pilot’s Watch Chronograph Top Gun

Today's episode is a format change up where we'll be reviewing iconic Rolex GMT-Master references from the original "Pepsi" in 1954 to the modern "Guinness", and several in between.

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Show Notes:

(6:44) - GMT Landscape in the 1950s

(9:22) - “Pan-Am Pepsi” 6542

(19:02) - “Coke” 16760

(27:30) - “Batman” 116710 BLNR

(37:18) - “Guinness” 126713GRNR

On this episode, we dive into the world of Christopher Ward, a brand that has made its mark lately on the luxury watch industry. We explore four standout watches, starting with "The Twelve," the latest craze in the integrated steel sports watch category.

We also discuss the C1 Moonphase, a stunning watch featuring a mesmerizing moonphase complication and aventurine dial. We also discuss the C60 Trident Pro 300, a dive watch that blends functionality with style, ideal for both underwater adventures and everyday wear.

Lastly, we talk about the Sealander GMT, a versatile travelers watch with a familiar design. We compare these timepieces to similar models in the market, discussing their unique features, craftsmanship, and value proposition in the world of horology.

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Show Notes:

(10:08) - History

(17:16) - The Twelve

(27:00) - C60 Trident Pro 300

(35:55) - Sealander GMT

(43:03) - C1 Moonphase

(48:23) - NWA Rolex Air-King

(52:21) - Watch Collection Mistakes

We're looking at some of Agent 007's most iconic watches over the years. From Sean Connery's Gruen Precision in Dr. No to Pierce Brosnan's GoldenEye Seamaster Professional, and Daniel Craig's No Time To Die SMP, we picked a range of watches from different decades and design languages.

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Show Notes:

(5:55) - James Bond's First Watch (Gruen Precision)

(6:50) - "From Russia With Love", "Dr. No", "Thunderball" (Rolex Submariner)

(8:22) - "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" (Rolex "Pre-Daytona" Chronograph)

(9:06) - "License To Kill" (Rolex Submariner - 16610)

(9:48) - "GoldenEye" (Seamaster Professional 300 - 2541.80)

(15:45) - "Casino Royale" (Seamaster Professional Planet Ocean - 2900.50.91)

(19:00) - "Skyfall" & "Quantum of Solace" (Seamaster Planet Ocean 600M (232.30.42.21.01.001)

(22:28) - "No Time To Die" (Seamaster Diver 300M “007” Edition)

(29:09) - Special Edition Pricing

(31:08) - Building Watch Collections

(44:23) - The Next Watch

In this episode, we look at the International Watch Company, better known as IWC. We're mainly discussing two modern dress watches from the Portofino and Portugieser lines, as well as the Mark XX and Ingenieur.

IWC has a unique history relative to many other brands in that they were passed around under ownership, and got into things quite later than most.

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Show Notes:

(0:00) - Intro and small watches

(5:04) - An update on the podcast

(15:01) - History of IWC

(29:04) - Portofino Complete Calendar

(32:31) - Portugieser Perpetual Calendar

(42:02) - Pilots Watch Mark XX

(47:26) - IWC Ingenieur

Audemars Piguet... Holy Trinity... Grail... A few things come to mind when you hear the name Audemars Piguet, or sometimes just "AP." Namely, the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak, is most certainly a "grail" watch for most collectors.

In this episode, we dive into the history of AP and the complex mechanisms and complications they built on workbenches in the Vallée de Joux. We also discuss the Royal Oak, designed by Gerald Genta, and its many iterations. We'll take a close look at two current models, the "Jumbo" Ultra-Thin and a Flying Tourbillon, in addition to some Code 11.59 pieces.

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Show Notes:

(0:00) - Welcome, Watch Battles, AP Research

(8:04) - History of Audemars Piguet

(13:18) - History of the AP Royal Oak

(22:01) - Overview of a Tourbillon Movement

(24:26) - Royal Oak Self-Winding Flying Tourbillon 

(32:04) - Royal Oak “Jumbo” Ultra Thin

(43:20) - Code 11.59 Perpetual Calendar

(58:31) - Code 11.59 Self-Winding Chronograph