Watch news! Earlier this week, a 1969 “John Player Special” Rolex hammered for $1.5m. It’s nowhere near a world record Rolex. In October 2017, Paul Newman’s Rolex Daytona fetched $17.75m. Still, it’s a pretty penny for a rare watch commemorating Rolex’s sponsorship of the John Player Special Formula 1 team. How rare? Our man @perezscope called out Hodinkee on their inaccurate account of the sale . . .
“In this batch alone,” Jose Perezstroike writes, “there were potentially 134 pieces made (2357347 – 2357480) . . . Sotheby’s stated ten examples are known while Hodinkee claimed only ten pieces were ever made.” JP contacted HoDinkee about the JPS. “Hodinkee has updated the article but keeps referring to Sotheby‘s incomplete data.”
Contactless Pay Rolex?
Back in December, we tore SWATCHPay! a new one. Undaunted by that commercial failure, Winwatch – makers of the MuchBetter WinWatch (above) – has developed technology to turn a metal-cased watch into a contactless pay system.
Working with German semiconductor manufacturer Infineon, the dynamic duo embedded a STISS crystal (Swiss Technology Inside Smart Sapphire) into a watch crystal (thicker than a conventional sapphire crystal). Is that enough new watch news to get smartwatch wearers to abandon the 473 other things their wrist computer does? Meanwhile, biometric rings.
“Food God” Robbed of $250k Mille at Gunpoint
We’ve warned you of the dangers of wearing a Rolex or any other obviously expensive watch, highlighting cases of opportunistic mugging. Watch news! cheatsheet.com reveals that Kim Kardashian’s BFF and watch guy Jonathan Cheban (@foodgod) was targeted for this Richard Mille watch – and only his Richard Mille watch.
The awful event took place around 8:30 p.m. after Cheban pulled into the driveway of his friend’s home. After exited his car along with his mother, Cheban was approached by the gunman.
The suspect asked the reality television personality for the time, before drawing a weapon and eventually pointing the gun at the mother.
After forcibly removing Cheban’s $250,000 Richard Mille watch from his wrist, the gunman and a second suspect who acted as a lookout fled on foot to a street leading to the nearby highway, Route 9W.
Though a police search for the suspects took place immediately after the robbery, it did not lead to their capture nor the recovery of any stolen property . . .
In 2013, the reality star was eating lunch in the Hamptons when a man attempted to steal his $500,000 Jacob & Co. diamond-encrusted Royal watch. Luckily, a nearby security guard intervened, and the suspect fled without the luxe accessory.
Chrono24 Adds “Temporary” 7.5% Buyer’s Surcharge to U.S. Sales
Most shoppers won’t know it until they head to checkout, but Chrono24.com is charging U.S. buyers a 7.5% surcharge on every sale.
Unfortunately, we have been confronted with some major changes on very short notice, including increased payment fees, changes to our US tax structure, and an increase in warranty-related refunds. [It’s needed to] run Chrono24 in a profitable manner that is sustainable in the long term.
Ah. Taxes. I sense someone got hit with a big bill . . .
To keep market prices competitive, we will be waiving the sales fee for all Trusted Checkout transactions that already include sales tax and bear the costs on our end.
Moonwatch on the Rise
Checking in with watchcharts.com, I asked young Master Charles to draw-up a chart on pre-owned OMEGA Speedmaster Professional Moonwatch prices, to see how values fared over the last five years.
Notice the huge valley in May 2018.
I have no idea what caused the bottom to drop out of the Moonwatch market, but there it is. Could it happen again? With the world economy taking it on the chin Coronageddon-wise, I wouldn’t rule it out.
Apple Reinvents the Watch Band
While a proper fit is appreciated by any and all watch wearers – half-link Hell is a thing – the Apple Watch health -related sensors. depend on constant contact.
To make it so, Cupertino’s boffins have filed a patent for a band that provides “adjustability across a continuous scale of tightness.”
That’s patentlyapple.com‘s take. “This is one of the patents where you say, why didn’t any of the long-standing Swiss watchmakers of the world ever think of this kind of ingenious watch band connector?” Formex FTW?
Rolex To Reveal New Models September 1
On March 16, Rolex stopped producing watches. In May, Rollie postponed their “new model” launch until next year.
Now that production has resumed – albeit at a lower level – the Geneva watchmaker’s decided to unveil its 2020 products in 2020. September 1 to be precise (as one should be when talking about Rolex). Meanwhile, Rolex remain thin on the ground. But then so are buyers.
Torgoen Breaks Out of Cyberspace
Even as maja playas like Hublot finally start online sales, plucky little aviation-style watchmaker Torgoen has cut deals to sell their REALLY BIG watches in what red pill-takers call the “real world.” The five-star T-10 Turnstone indicates the tightly focused marketing move has a good chance of working.
“Already a category leader in the direct-to-consumer space, we are excited to expand Torgoen’s distribution into the travel retail and duty free world, globally,” crows VP Rob Robertaccio. “We feel it is a natural integration based on our consumer demographic.” Jargon much? Still, good luck with that.
Cambodian Prime Minister Defends Luxury Watches
Wearing an expensive watch is an excellent way to signal the world that you’re a man of wealth and taste. If you’re not supposed to be a man of wealth (taste optional), a pricey timepiece sends the wrong message. If, for example, you’re the Prime Minister of Cambodia, where the average citizen lives on $5 a day.
Cambodia’s PM Earns $2,500 a Month. Where Did He Get So Many Million-Dollar Watches? vice.com’s headline asks, spying PM Hun Sen’s $1.2 million Patek Philippe Sky Moon Tourbillon and $950 Richard Mille Tourbillon Sapphire Dragon. Simple!
A Party spokesman told Radio Free Asia that Hun Sen’s critics were simply jealous, adding that he was often gifted watches from visiting tycoons.
“I heard that Hun Sen did not even buy the Tourbillon watch,” Sok Eysan said. “It was a gift from a tycoon.”
According to RFA, the spokesman added that pricey wrist pieces from foreign dignitaries are often presented to Hun Sen during state visits and argued that the gestures were not excessive.
“I don’t think it is too much,” the spokesman said.
More new watch news next week.
It’s nice that other countries still object to visible political corruption. Doesn’t the utterly delightful Ellen Degeneres have a Rolex like that? And why am I so familiar with the John Player racing livery color scheme despite having never seen the company’s product in my life?
Not sure how you fence a stolen Richard Mille watch. Really foolish robbers or they were contracted by some eccentric private collector. Or this is an insurance scam.