Antiquorum Sells Isser Harel's 5512 Submariner For Big Money

Earlier we took a close look at Bob Barth's Submariner, a watch that will command top dollar ($150,000) due to its spectacular provenance. This past weekend, a different Submariner sold at an Antiquorum auction that also has a pretty interesting history, and it sold for nearly a quarter million dollars. The watch's past owner was not a diver or movie star, rather it was Israel's most powerful man in the 50's and 60's, Isser Harel. What's more, the watch was estimated to sell between $20,000 and 30,000. So what led to the astronomic price it ended up selling for? 

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HODINKEE Exclusive, And In-Depth: Bob Barth's Historic SEALAB Rolex Submariner, For Sale

There are a few sports watches that, if they came up for sale would surely create unprecedented buzz among collectors and no doubt fetch high prices, such as a Moon-worn Omega Speedmaster, Siffert’s Heuer Autavia or Newman’s own Daytona. HODINKEE has learned about one of the most important Rolex Submariners to come available and we’re featuring it here today in an exclusive first look.

In the mid-1960s, while newspaper headlines were focused on the daring exploits of men pushing boundaries in outer space, a lesser-known feat of exploration was going on in an equally hostile environment hundreds of feet under the sea.  The U.S. Navy was undertaking pioneering experiments in technology, human endurance and physiology under the name of the SEALAB program. SEALAB was the Navy’s first foray into saturation diving, in which “aquanauts” lived in a pressurized habitat underwater for days, even weeks, on end. The program, which continued over five years, though grossly underfunded and underpublicized, laid important groundwork for the future of saturation diving. And, of particular interest to watch lovers, SEALAB was also the birthplace of the Rolex Sea-Dweller.

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Patek Philippe Reference 2499 Perpetual Calendar Chronograph Sells For $2,750,760 At Christie's, But Why?

The Patek Philippe 2499 in pink gold - now a $2.75 million watch.Yesterday in Geneva, Christie's watch department held its spring sale.  It made over $32 million dollars, with four inidividual lots bringing in over $2 million each.  The Breguet Resonance pocket watch that we showed you previously went for an amazing $4.68m, while the enamel Patek world timer that we showed you here went for over $2.9.  But, one watch we didn't show you, a Patek Philippe 2499 in pink gold is the focus of this post, because it seems so simple, and yet it sold for over $2.7million.  So, what made this 2499 so special when compared to, say, your average, run of the mill 2499 like this, also in yesterday's sale, that made only $314,000?  The devil is in the details, my friends.

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Hands-On With The DeBethune DB25 Ninth Underworld

Whatever your feelings on the impending transition of the Mayan calendar, end of the world or not, DeBethune has built a fitting tribute to the breadth of knowledge the Mayan people displayed in creating their calendars. Symbolizing the cosmic pyramid, the advent of a new world, and humankind's existential passage to the loftiest levels of consciousness, DeBethune's Ninth Underworld is a serious conversation piece. Of course, it tells the time as well, and we got a chance to get our hands on this special watch at this year's Basel world fair.  

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Introducing The Badollet Ivresse (Live Pics)

Recently, revived boutique brand Badollet introduced us to their latest creation at this year's Baselworld fair, right alongside the creative minds that brought it to life. The watch, dubbed Ivresse, is unique not for its complications, but for its shape and execution. The slight curvature of the rectangular case and abundance of negative space on the dial leave room only for subtle details to be enjoyed thanks to the handiwork of Eric Giroud, the it guy of haute horology design. The Ivresse is more than mere visual curiosity though, a cleverly designed movement adds real substance under the surface.

Click through for lives pics of this incredibly understated piece of horological design. 

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Introducing The Jaeger-LeCoultre Deep Sea Chronograph: Complete With Three Registers And An Activation Aperture

Updated on Monday, May 14, 2012 at 10:32AM by HODINKEE

Today we have a brand new Jaeger-LeCoultre diving watch.  It's called the Deep Sea Chronograph, and it is the modern extension of the Deep Sea line, of which, up until today, we've only seen vintage variations - the Deep Sea Alarm tribute of 2011 and the Deep Sea Vintage Chronograph.

It is with this new, three register, 42mm automatic chronograph that we see the Deep Sea line will not be for tributes only, but will encompass the entire JLC sport watch family.  Yes, this watch resembles the Deep Sea Vintage chronograph, but ultimately, this watch is very modern (we show you the two side by side, below).  It features sapphire glass, a rotating bezel, no faux-aged lume, and water resistance to 10 bar.  It's larger than the vintage guys by about 1.5mm, and complies with all the criteria imposed on diver’s watches by the ISO 6425 standard. 

Inside this new chrono is the JLC caliber 758 featuring with a 65-hour power reserve.  But, perhaps the most noticeable trait of this new JLC Deep Sea Chronograph is the activation aperture  that sites below 12 o'clock.  This display allows the wearer to know, without a doubt, if the chronograph is running, stopped, or ready to be used.  This is how it works:

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CONTEST: Guess The Value Of The Breguet Resonance At Auction, Win A Year's Subscription To Christie's

We've done it before and we're doing it again.  Take a guess at how much this incredible, previously unknown Breguet "Resonance" pocketwatch will sell for in today's Christie's sale, and whoever guesses closest, will win a year's subscription to the incredible Christie's auction catalogs, which are fast becoming the most interesting horological history books in the world.

Your guess should be the final hammer price plus commission, in Swiss Francs.  Be sure to leave a working email address with your guess.  Have at it!

Hands-On With The Montblanc TimeWalker TwinFly Chronograph GreyTech (Live Photos & Pricing)

You're looking at the Montblanc TimeWalker TwinFly Chronograph GreyTech.  It was a watch that nobody saw coming at SIHH, and it's one that left a lot of us saying "hmm, that's not bad at all."  The monochromatic appearance of the watch is what brings you in, using a satinized and pearl-blasted titanium case and with grey cut away dial revealing seven time indications.  But, it's the in-house Montblanc MB LL100 chronograph caliber that makes a handsome watch, a watch worth owning.

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