They make the headlines, sometimes demand considerable waiting times, and are the talk of the town among enthusiasts: hype watches. The celebrities of the horological universe do not enjoy their popularity by chance, but have many highlights to offer, from historical significance to impressive technology. We show you the top 10 luxury models that have triggered watch hype in recent years and decades.

Rolex Datejust

Oyster case, cyclops loupe, fluted bezel: since its introduction in 1945, the Rolex Datejust has been regarded not only as the definition of a classic Rolex, but also of a timelessly elegant wristwatch in general. Since the turn of the millennium, watch hype surrounding the Datejust has been on a steady rise – the functional all-rounder is the dream watch of many enthusiasts and new designs are regularly added. Especially the new models from 2021 with palm tree or fluted patterns on the dial are currently highly trendy.

Omega Speedmaster

Moonwatch with unrivaled fame: Since the Omega Speedmaster accompanied the Apollo 11 mission in 1969, it has been one of the greatest legends in the watch world and regularly triggers watch hype when new editions of the icon are launched. 2021 was a big year for the Speedmaster, in which it was comprehensively modernized technically but left largely unchanged visually. Tachymeter scale, domed glass and white hands on a black background – the appearance of the Professional Moonwatch has an almost mythical status in the watch world. The compact Speedmaster 38 and the imposing ceramic editions of the “Dark Side of the Moon” also triggered hype in their respective classes.

Breitling Chronomat

Comeback in style: When Breitling brings back the Chronomat in 2020, the sporty pilot’s watch bristles with striking details. While the easy-grip rouleaux bracelet and the four horsemen on the bezel have been adopted from its historic ancestors, the renowned B01 chronograph movement is a new addition to the powerful collection. If you want to take the retro charm to the extreme, order a bicolor model in stainless steel and 18-karat rose gold. Also affected by the watch hype is the Super Chronomat, which brings 44 instead of 42 millimeters of diameter to the wrist and even has a four-year calendar if desired.

Audemars Piguet Royal Oak

Eight corners, tapisserie dial, and hype matched only by Patek Philippe’s Nautilus in the high-end class: The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak has been playing in its own league for over 40 years. Immediate euphoria may not have spread when the world’s first luxury-class stainless steel watch was unveiled in 1972, but just a few years later, the Royal Oak was enjoying international fame. Ask enthusiasts about their absolute dream watch in the five-figure price range, and the name of the handcrafted work of art comes up more often than any other. With its large offshore variants, prestigious complications and numerous designs, the watch hype surrounding the Royal Oak will continue in the future.

Rolex Submariner

Supply and demand regulate the price: no watch model demonstrates the most important law of free markets more obviously than the Rolex Submariner. The world’s most famous diving watch transfers the timeless simplicity of the Datejust to the Diver format, causes a sensation with legendary color combinations such as “Pepsi” or “Hulk,” and demands years of waiting time from its owners. Those who don’t want to wait pay hefty surcharges at retailers. We are curious to see whether the biggest hype of the last decade will ever reach its end.

TAG Heuer Carrera

Hype watches with racing DNA: For many enthusiasts, the TAG Heuer Carrera is the flagship of the Swiss luxury brand and offers everything the horological heart desires, from the timeless sports watch to the technical gem with tourbillon and manufacture movement. In particular, the models with in-house automatic caliber HEUER 02 are a great success, which is due to 80 hours of power reserve and comprehensive skeletonization as well as the enhanced image that the manufacturer experiences due to its independent drives. In the summer of 2022, the hype watches will be expanded to include the Red Dial Limited Edition, which brings fiery temperament to the racing collection.

Nomos Tangente

When the young NOMOS Glashütte brand presented its first collections in 1992, one model in particular stood out: the Tangente. Despite all the additions to the product portfolio that the manufacturer has made over the past 30 years, it is still considered the epitome of the purist Bauhaus style for which Nomos is appreciated by all age groups. Clean lines, blued hands, and five numerals with unmistakable typography characterize the look of this all-rounder, while the manufacture Alpha movement ensures superior power. In the meantime, the NOMOS Tangente has grown into a proud family that includes neomatik editions and compact ladies’ watches with a diameter of 33 millimeters in addition to the classic hand-wound models.

Breitling Navitimer 8

The Breitling Navitimer undergoes a true revolution in 2018, when the iconic pilot’s watch collection is expanded in a striking way. This is because the Breitling Navitimer 8 does not feature a slide rule bezel, which has been the most striking visual detail of the pilot’s watch since its first introduction in 1952. The sporty, clean look of the newcomer appears in five variants, ranging from the noble Unitime with world time complication to the Navitimer 8 B01 with superior manufacture power. Later, the watch hype continues under the Aviator 8 designation, which remains part of the Breitling model family to this day and celebrates legendary aircraft such as the Curtiss Warhawk, P-51 Mustang or F4U Corsair with special editions.

Grand Seiko Heritage Collection

Perfect craftsmanship and technical super performance: Anyone who loves luxurious timepieces is either fascinated by Grand Seiko or at least pays their well-deserved respect to the Japanese high-end brand. Especially the Heritage Collection with legendary models like the SBGA211 “Snowflake” or the SBGJ201 “Mt. Iwate” is gaining increasing recognition on the German market, coupled with the uniqueness of its spring-drive system and the special shine of its Zaratsu polish. Quartz precision with mechanical winding – Grand Seiko’s decades-old drive system arouses the curiosity of both experienced and new enthusiasts, and meets good value for money in the face of sophisticated craftsmanship.

Tissot T-Classic PRX

If the case and bracelet form a unit, special watch shapes are guaranteed. Especially in the 1970s, the eye-catching tonneau cases broke with prevailing design ideas and transported icons like the Tissot PRX to the wrist. Since the modern form of the classic exists, there has been a real run on the affordable design piece. Quartz and automatic versions are available, all equipped with a whopping 100 meters of water resistance. The option to order an 18-karat gold bezel on the retro icon also marks a highlight of the price segment. We are big fans of the automatic variants, whose 80-hour power reserve provides an additional reason for the watch hype surrounding the Tissot PRX.

Der Beitrag Watch hype about hype watches erschien zuerst auf Uhrinstinkt Magazine.

The influential Munich watch expert, collector and author Christian Pfeiffer-Belli passed away on December 9, 2021. Made famous as editor-in-chief of the magazines “Alte Uhren” and “Klassik Uhren,” he shaped the world of timepieces since the 1970s with unparalleled knowledge and more than 50 specialized books. Companions describe Pfeiffer-Belli as a helpful and lovable person who knew a competent answer to every watch question.

Allies of the watchmaking world: Pfeiffer-Belli and Gisbert L. Brunner

In the early years of his career, Pfeiffer-Belli’s path intersected with that of Gisbert L. Brunner, who today probably is Germany’s most influential watch journalist. The two luminaries of chronometric passion met in 1978, when Brunner purchased a pendulum clock at the Auer Dult art and antiques market in Munich. Driven by a hunger for knowledge about his valuable piece, he became aware of Christian Pfeiffer-Belli through a friend, who liked to call himself “CBP” and at that time published a new book – the “Klaus Erbrich Präzisionspendeluhren” (Klaus Erbrich Precision Pendulum Clocks) in the Munich Callwey publishing house. It should be noted that there were no horological constructions about which the clock specialist did not have spectacular knowledge. No sooner had he called than he was standing at Brunner’s door, showing great interest in the pendulum clock. The foundation stone for an extraordinary watchmaking friendship had been set.

Competition of watch collectors

If the passion for ticking mechanics runs deep, every watch lover will one day turn into a collector. Brunner, a law graduate, was particularly diligent and started a collection in the 1960s that grew to more than 800 pieces during the 1970s. This must have impressed Christian Pfeiffer-Belli – who himself was an avid watch collector. Above all, the subject of wristwatches bonded the two and sparked a friendly competition between the collectors. This “battle” was rather fought with each other than against each other; in one day, the two watch connoisseurs together purchased half of all the watches in a store.

“Classic Watches”: Pfeiffer-Belli’s masterpiece

It was also Pfeiffer-Belli who convinced the lawyer Brunner to write his first article on wristwatches in 1981. The work appeared in the magazine “Alte Uhren,” a trade journal for historical timepieces launched by CPB in 1978. As editor-in-chief, the watch connoisseur left his mark on the magazine for more than 40 years, which was taken over by the Ebner publishing house in 1994 and renamed “Klassik Uhren”. Until it was discontinued in 2020, the bi-monthly magazine was the only one in the German-speaking world to focus explicitly on older timepieces.

Today, the magazines, in which articles by Pfeiffer-Belli’s companion Gisbert L. Brunner appeared again and again during their decades-long success story, are cult. Flipping through the magazine, one finds a literary treasure trove of CBP and selected authors who are among the best in the world in their subfields. Brands, models, complications – if you want to learn first-hand about timepieces and are looking for information that is not available on every Internet site, you should pick up one or two “Klassik Uhren”.

Book projects for eternity

Together with Brunner, Christian Pfeiffer-Belli realized dozens of important book projects over a period of 40 years. In particular, the work ” Armbanduhren” (“Wristwatches”) (Callwey), first published in 1983 and later expanded several times, brought the befriended connoisseurs great success, along with other books. More recently, the 500-page “The Watch Book” (teNeues publishing house) is considered one of the most important watch books and was created – like the earlier works – by Brunner and Pfeiffer-Belli in a familiar division of labor: Brunner produced the texts, CPB the pictures. The same applies to the popular Watch Book Rolex (teNeues), to which Pfeiffer-Belli contributed important images. In addition, the creative watch expert initiated significant brand books on Patek Philippe and Audemars Piguet, the latter work having a special history.

The story takes place in Mumbai in 1990. CPB and Brunner, in search of new information about the Audemars Piguet book, are walking through a cemetery and are threatened by a group of men with knives to hand over their hidden money. The duo manages a narrow escape. Back at the hotel, they celebrate their good fortune with champagne and become even closer.

Central head at Ebner Publishing House

It should also be mentioned that, in addition to “Klassik Uhren,” Christian Pfeiffer-Belli provided a number of other Ebner publishing house magazines with his knowledge. In addition to “Chronos,” “Uhren-Magazin,” of which CPB was editor for several years, also benefited from the expert’s knowledge. Pfeiffer-Belli was extremely popular among the editors of these magazines as well as the online magazine watchtime.net and used his experience well beyond retirement age to provide colleagues in need of help with pictures, books and manuscripts on all topics. A watch specialist with heart and willingness to help, who despite 20 years of illness still put all his energy into his horological passion at the age of 80. CPB was no ordinary watch author; he had a mission: to collect vast amounts of specialized knowledge and make it available to enthusiasts in an understandable form.

A work that does not fade

That the respected connoisseur died on December 9, 2021, at the age of 81, saddens the watchmaking world. Probably no obituary is accurate enough to adequately reflect Pfeiffer-Belli’s work and character. His works, on the other hand, are: With decades of work, the exceptional specialist has compiled an imperishable and such a rich fund of watch knowledge in magazines and books that whole generations of enthusiasts and authors will still benefit from him. The master is gone, but his work remains. May CPB be remembered by the watch world for a long time to come.

Der Beitrag Christian Pfeiffer-Belli erschien zuerst auf Uhrinstinkt Magazine.