⌚The Weirdest Watch of 2024!

A weird watch from Japan, a coveted vintage IWC, independent releases, and more!

Welcome watch nerds

This is Watch Bites, where we wrap up weekly watch insights quicker than you can reset a stopwatch. This week, we’re talking black and white watches, gushing over an updated Yema, and more!
🍿 4 min read

Here's what we got today:

  • A stunning Audemars Piguet Code 11.59 💸

  • Industrial magnificence from Japan! 🇯🇵

  • A vintage IWC to go broke for 🤑

  • Raymond Weil’s forgotten masterpiece ✅

The numbers above represent market trends in secondhand watch prices. The “Price“ column represents the average secondhand price for the top 30 watches of each brand. This data is sourced from Watch Charts.

Watch News

Jiro Katayama Revives Industrial Watch Design in Japan

In many ways, it’s no surprise that Japan is home to some of the greatest watch brands in the world. While Seiko and Citizen have been household names for decades, a new school of watchmakers is making waves across the land of the rising sun. Independent watchmakers such as Naoya Hida and Hajime Asaoka are among the few who have recently found their stride in Western markets and now, it’s the strange genius of Jiro Katayama that propels his industrial watchmaking brand Ōtsuka Lōtec into the mainstream.

Most recently, Katayama revealed his latest and weirdest creation - the Detail No. 6. A fan-shaped display hosts hour and minute hands that sweep across a machined steel dial in a near-horizontal arch, snapping back to zero instantly when appropriate. This layout alone is strange enough without mentioning the ‘Frankensteined’ Miyota 9015 movement that powers it. Katayama customized this calibre by adding an in-house retrograde module that I can only assume emits a location signal to the Emperor at all times. And for a watch that looks more like a steampunk Geiger counter than anything else, $2,500 isn’t much.

Yema Does Better With Their Updated Navygraf

Some great boutique watches are coming out of France at the moment, perhaps none more exciting than Yema who, despite having the goofiest logo in the game, seems to be going from strength to strength. Yema’s illustrious past dates back to 1948 and includes contributions from Richard Mille, a Seiko buyout, and a partnership with the French Armed Forces. Yet, in 2024 many people in the luxury watch world still don’t clock Yema as a brand worth watching (see what I did there?).

Perhaps their latest take on the beloved Navygraf diver will change this, given that the new Navygraf Slim CMM.20 is every bit as attractive and robust as any diver in its class and slimmer than its predecessor. The limited splashes of yellow on the dial demand your initial attention and after a few seconds of staring at this ticker, you’ll recognize its quieter strengths. No numerals are present anywhere, except to communicate the ‘300 metres’ water resistance, micro-rotor movement, and ‘Manufacture Française’ at 6 o’clock. Everything else is dots and triangles and lines and lume and that’s just great. The black lacquer dial and solid silver hands do well to increase legibility while the Manufacture Morteau 20 self-winding movement goes big on power reserve and accuracy. A lot of national pride is on show here and rightly so. For all this, Yema only asks for $1,990 but take note - this is limited to just 200 pieces.

Watch Fact

The old English word ‘waecce’ is the origin of the modern word ‘watch’. The original word meant to keep an eye open and be awake. This is also where we get the term ‘watchman’.

3-Watch Collection

3 Watch Collection: Black and White Edition

Night and day, dark and light, yin and yang. Black and white tones have been coupled in contrast for millennia and we’re not stopping any time soon. Here’s a top three-piece collection of the B+W timepieces.

Omega Speedmaster Dark Side Of The Moon (Sport watch) -  Yes, everyone knows the Speedmaster. Most of us love it, too. Here, though, we’ve got an unsung hero of the Speedmaster collection. Batman’s Speedmaster, if you will. Carved out of a solid piece of black ceramic, the dark case provides a perfect canvas for white details to pop off. Equipped with all of the expected features (including one of the best fabric straps out there), this absolute masterpiece goes for $12,800.

Cartier Tank Must (Dress watch) - If you’re going to create a list of seminal black-and-white watches and don’t include a Tank, you’ve made a grave mistake. Arguably the most definitive and impactful watch on the planet, Cartier’s Tank Must may as well be a compulsory purchase. Sure, it’s got a quartz movement but that’s not really the point, is it? Grab a large model for $4,100.

IWC Pilot’s Watch Automatic ‘Top Gun’ (Everyday watch) - Even if you’re not a Tom Cruise fan, there’s no denying this is a seriously good-looking ticker. While the black ceramic case does a lot to catch the eye, it’s the minimal design and sharp symmetry that’ll likely maintain your gaze. An automatic in-house movement, pops of bright white, and more lume than you can shake a glow stick at only add to its $6,350 appeal.

Total Collection Cost (USD): $23,250

Watch News Bites

Quick Bites

  • Microbrand Amica recently dropped a reboot of their 70s Digitrend, a driver’s watch with jumping hours and plenty of retro charm. Fans of The Goonies and Stranger Things will love this!

  • Word on the street is that Rolex dropped the ball at Watches and Wonders this year. While it’s hard to quantify, I’m not the only one who’s disappointed by Rolex’s approach to the event - Rob Corder hit the nail on the head with his take.

  • It seems the watch world has forgotten all about this awesome Raymond Weil ticker from last year. A sector dial, sub-seconds, and open case back are just a few things that shine on this affordable sleeper hit.

  • MeisterSinger’s Edition Singularis in enamel is one of the best minimalist watches on the market. A glossy enamel dial hides the superb MSH01 hand-wound movement - what’s not to like?

  • While Rolex generally isn’t a dressy brand, the platinum Perpetual 1908 with Guilloché dial is likely the closest they’ve come to a proper dress watch since discontinuing the Cellini range. Is it worth the money, though?

Vintage Watches

IWC Cal. 89 Bombé 1951

Built around a 36.5mm case with definitive Bombé lugs, this classic IWC dress watch would have been unusually large for its time but today, is a perfectly-sized timepiece to throw on under a suit or even just for a (slightly fancy) stroll. The Bombé’s strength lies in its simplicity - there’s no dead weight on this piece, which is a modest combination of 18k gold, applied gold indices and a more-than-decent manual-winding movement. Pointed hands stand in perfect contrast to the slightly theatrical lugs and crown, which is yet another reason to be blown over by the balance in design on the Bombé. Expect to pay about $3,000 for a clean model.

Pre-Owned Watch Deals

Watch Scout by Watch Bites


Tudor Black Bay Professional GMT

  • Case: Stainless steel, 39mm

  • Condition: Very good

  • Box & Papers: Yes, box and papers included


1988 Rolex Day-Date Ref. 18238
  • Case: Yellow gold, 36mm

  • Condition: Very good

  • Box & Papers: No, watch only

Audemars Piguet Code 11.59

  • Case: Stainless steel, 41mm

  • Condition: Mint

  • Box & Papers: Yes, box and papers included

Watch Meme

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*Watch Bites does not provide financial advice. None of this is financial advice. This is strictly educational and is not investment advice or a solicitation to buy or sell any assets or to make any financial decisions. Please be careful and do your own research!

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