The 1916 Newsroom with Jack Forster: Rolex Certified Pre-Owned, Quantum-Inspired Watchmaking, and Exotic Complications

The November 8, 2026 edition of The 1916 Company Weekly newsletter, titled "The 1916 Newsroom with Jack Forster," is a combined roundup of watch news, reviews, company history, event announcements, and pre-owned highlights. It presents itself as a guide to both the wider watch world and the company's own activities, and it covers a broad range of topics in one issue.

1. Overview of the Newsletter Contents

The newsletter opens by marking the company's 110th year and promising an in-depth review with The 1916 Company CEO, John Shmerler. The issue is organized into several clear sections:

• The 1916 Company In The News: Two features about the company itself. The first is an interview published by Europastar, in which Serge Maillard speaks with John Shmerler about the Rolex Certified Pre-Owned (CPO) standard and its effect on the broader pre-owned watch market. The second is a historical piece from Revolution Magazine by veteran journalist Tracey Llewellyn, which traces the company's history from its founding in Philadelphia to the present day.
• Happenings: An announcement of the Rolex Certified Pre-Owned Coast to Coast Roadshow, with a schedule of 2026 stops and details about the watches on display.
• The Weekly Wind Up: A set of product and review pieces covering the Louis Vuitton Tambour Convergence Mirror Steel, the URWERK UR-300 "Time Quantum," the Frederique Constant Classics Moneta Handwinding, and the Breitling Navitimer B09 Chronograph 41 and B02 Chronograph 41 Cosmonaute.
• The 1916 Company Studios: A show report from Watch Time New York 2026, presented as a video visit hosted by Armand and CQ, and a video episode from Tim on watch collecting mistakes to avoid in 2027, from the series Watches Tonight.
• Highlights From Our Collection: Descriptions of three exotic, complicated pre-owned watches: the Greubel Forsey Quadruple Tourbillon À Différentiel Sphérique, the FP Journé Vagabondage III with jumping seconds, and the Omega Speedmaster Chrono Chime.
• Footer: Contact information, service links, the company's shopping categories, social media links, legal notices, dealer license information for several locations, and the company's Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania address.

The overall tone is informative and enthusiastic, blending industry commentary with promotional content. Several sections invite readers to watch videos, register interest in events, or shop the collection.

2. The Products Featured

Louis Vuitton Tambour Convergence Mirror Steel

The Louis Vuitton Convergence watches were well received when they launched in early 2025. The most striking version of the original line had a pink gold case with a mirror finish. The new Tambour Convergence Mirror Steel reproduces the visual effect of that pink gold model in a specially formulated stainless steel. According to the newsletter, this steel is almost as hard as ceramic and just as scratch-resistant, making it a more practical way to enjoy the mirror-polished look.

URWERK UR-300 "Time Quantum"

The new URWERK Time Quantum is inspired by quantum mechanics, and its display is described as both striking in motion and somewhat mysterious. It works as a hybrid of a jumping hour and a wandering hour display. The newsletter says the watch breaks new ground for URWERK because its mechanism draws on quantum mechanics but is realized through the language of classical mechanics.

Frederique Constant Classics Moneta Handwinding

The Classics Moneta Handwinding is presented as one of the strongest candidates for a daily-wear watch with a slightly dressy character. It features a salmon fumé gradient dial and a design that combines traditional elements with subtly individual details. It is powered by a La Joux-Perret hand-wound movement. The newsletter highlights its price as a major advantage, since it makes a hand-wound watch accessible to a much wider audience than luxury hand-wound models usually reach.

Breitling Navitimer B09 Chronograph 41 and Navitimer B02 Chronograph 41 Cosmonaute

Breitling has added two hand-wound chronographs to its permanent collection. Both models bring the Twin Jet logo back into the core lineup. The Navitimer B02 Chronograph 41 Cosmonaute is a modern take on the 24-hour Navitimer that Breitling developed with astronaut Scott Carpenter, who wore the first Swiss wristwatch in space. The newsletter notes that hand-wound chronographs are relatively rare at these price points and emphasizes that the new models combine a proven in-house chronograph design with links to Breitling's history as an aviation supplier.

Greubel Forsey Quadruple Tourbillon À Différentiel Sphérique (Pre-Owned)

Greubel Forsey is known for experimental interpretations of the tourbillon. This Quadruple Tourbillon À Différentiel Sphérique is described as one of the most advanced developments of Breguet's invention. It uses two double tourbillons, each designed so that changes in position do not affect the watch's accuracy. A spherical differential links the two systems and combines their effects, aiming for greater precision than either could achieve alone.

FP Journé Vagabondage III with Jumping Seconds (Pre-Owned)

The Vagabondage series from FP Journé is among the most intricate collections the brand has produced, with each version exploring a digital, jumping-numeral display. The Vagabondage III is described as the logical conclusion of that idea. It features an unprecedented jumping seconds display and a constant-force remontoir, which keeps the rate steady while the display changes.

Omega Speedmaster Chrono Chime (Pre-Owned)

The newsletter describes the Omega Speedmaster Chrono Chime as a true first in horology. It is a rattrapante, or split-seconds, chronograph, a complication that is already uncommon and traditionally regarded as high complication. The Chrono Chime adds the ability to chime elapsed time on demand, which the newsletter calls the first chronograph capable of doing so. It also uses a 36,000 vph balance for higher beat frequency.

3. The Store: The 1916 Company and WatchBox

The newsletter is sent by The 1916 Company, a family-run watch business founded in 1916 when brothers Albert and Sam Govberg opened a small jewelry store in Philadelphia. According to Revolution Magazine, the company has since grown well beyond Philadelphia, and the Govberg name is no longer on the storefront. Danny Govberg, Albert's grandson, still regards it as a family business in the same spirit as the original, though it now includes several families rather than one.

WatchBox is described in the newsletter as one of the company's legacy companies. The newsletter credits WatchBox with introducing a new approach to the pre-owned market: a watch had to meet a defined standard before it could be sold, so buyers received more than they expected. The newsletter presents this as a shift in the conversation from authenticity alone to broader quality standards. The reference to thewatchbox.com is the domain associated with this business, but the newsletter itself does not provide further detail about that website beyond the WatchBox reference.

The 1916 Company's retail and service activity, as shown in the newsletter, includes:

• Services: Selling or trading watches, scheduling appointments, an app, WonderCare protection plans, and Affirm financing.
• Categories: Rolex Certified Pre-Owned, Patek Philippe, new watches, pre-owned watches, jewelry, and handbags.
• Locations and licensing: Dealer licenses are listed for Pikesville, Maryland; Newark, Delaware; Newport Beach and Manhattan Beach, California; Ardmore and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The head address is 166 E Levering Mill Rd, Bala Cynwyd, PA 19004.
• Contact: Phone 866-533-2327.

Taken together, the newsletter presents The 1916 Company as a long-established, family-rooted business that has moved from a single Philadelphia jewelry store to a multi-location operation focused on certified pre-owned watches, with an emphasis on standards, transparency, and collector education.