Author Archives: Josh Rankin

Genta and Audemars Piguet: Partners in Design Since 1953

1963 Audemars Piguet Vintage Watch

It’s no secret that we have a thing for vintage Audemars Piguet watches here at Stetz & Co., as anyone who follows our Instagram (@stetzcowatches) and Facebook accounts (www.facebook.com/stetzcowatches) will know.  It’s also no secret that it was famed watch designer Gerald Genta that designed the Royal Oak among other iconic watches. Highly interesting yet […]

Before the Royal Oak – A Closer Look at Several Unforgettable Vintage Audemars Piguet Watches

VINTAGE AUDEMARS PIGUET

Today, Audemars Piguet and the Royal Oak are synonymous, the iconic line defining the brand arguably more than any single line of any other watchmaking house.  Conceived by designer Gerald Genta in a single night in 1972, its octagonal bezel and counterintuitive screws are instantly recognizable.  And while there’s no disputing the Royal Oaks’ status […]

Selections From Louis Matthey’s “PATEK PHILIPPE; Les Maitres de l’ Horlogerie Genevoise”

Selections from the book “PATEK PHILIPPE; Les Maitres de l’ Horlogerie Genevoise” by Louis Matthey, printed in Geneva, Switzerland in the early 1950’s.  Text in French with beautiful illustrations of dozens of wrist and pocket watch references including the famed reference 1518 chronograph, 1526 triple calendar, 1436 split second chrono and several others.  Some pages […]

The 1960’s Omega Seamaster 300 – A Hands On History.

Omega Seamaster 300 165024 Big Triangle

The development and commercialization of the SCUBA system in the 1930’s and subsequent rise in popularity of recreational diving brought to life a new breed of watch designed for the rigors of underwater exploration – the dive watch.  Introduced in the late 1950’s, the Omega Seamaster 300 quickly carved out a place among dive watch […]