Watches Blog Wrist Watch Reviews

The history of the Pasha de Cartier is shrouded in mystery. Yes, the watch is named after the Pasha of Marrakesh, Thami El Glaoui. And it's also true that he commissioned a waterproof watch from Louis Cartier in the early 1930s so he could wear it swimming. Another fact is that in 1933, the Pasha got his desired watch. But here is where the mystery begins. No one knows exactly what the watch looked like, though experts point in the direction of the water-resistant gold Tank |tanche. What we do know is that the watch didn't look like the Pasha we know today. The G rald Genta-designed Pasha de Cartier only debuted in 1985. And when it did, it fit right into the decade of greed. With its exuber [...]

During our visits to watch manufactures we always get to see a lot of watch makers at work. Sitting behind their low desks, highly concentrated, working on movements or other small watch parts. Recently I was able to try it ourselves during the Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Class Watch Training.Jaeger-LeCoultre Master ClassOrganised in their recently opened boutique in the renowned P.C. Hooftstraat in Amsterdam, we were welcomed by the JLC team and their watchmaker. In their basement theyd set up some work benches, with all the necessary watch making tools for the surgery we were about to perform. Today patient? The Jaeger-LeCoultre Calibre 986, as used in the Grande Reverso Duoface.After explaini [...]

When did you last see a watch ad that made a lasting impression on you and wasnt created decades ago? While plenty of brands in different industries have found great success in finding new ways to connect to their audience through advertising, the watch industry is hardly creative in both ideas and execution when it comes to advertising. But that doesnt mean there havent been great promotional campaigns. Lets take a look at five creative watch advertising campaigns that have great iconic value.If anything, watch brand advertising has hardly changed in decades. For years watch brands have been painting a static picture of an aspirational world of luxury in their advertising. Unfortunately, th [...]

Theres a new kid on the blockchainAccompanying the rebirth of the Breitling Top Time (something all of us at Fratello are VERY excited about), is the news of a new digital service available to buyers. To better understand this new blockchain-stored digital passport, I caught up with Antonio Carriero, Breitlings Chief Digital and Technology Officer and a member of the senior executive team, the man with all the answers. Welcome, one and all, to the futureThe InterviewRob Nudds: It's a very exciting time for Breitling with the continued overhaul of the catalog. Everything feels very much on brand. Thats hard to achieve while also being progressive. And now we see the Top Time return to the fol [...]

First off, for those who are celebrating, the Fratello team wishes you a very Merry Christmas.? If not, happy Speedy Tuesday We do our best to publish new content on Christmas day because, after all, it's a decent day to laze on the couch and relax. So let's get into what has to be one of the most surprising and attractive Speedmasters to date, the Omega Speedmaster Rising Sun.A Speedmaster QuintetIt was late July this year when Omega dropped news of a quintet of Speedmasters to be released for the Japanese market in commemoration of the upcoming 2020 Tokyo Olympics. As a set (55 boxes), but also as separate watches. With 2020 pieces of each model (and the 55 sets), the watches started shipp [...]

Rightly or wrongly, when most people think of Rolex, they think of showy watches. I'd argue that a lot of the brands models are subdued, and perhaps the reputation comes more from the wearers than from the watches themselves. It is what it is, though. So, what happens when one stumbles upon a truly under-the-radar Rolex? Well, I happened to do just that with an atypical version of the Datejust 16200, and I think it's phenomenal.The Rolex Datejust is one of the most recognizable watches in the world. We've covered them extensively over the past year and, personally, I've been on a real DJ kick lately. I've always liked them, but they were so commonplace that I often overlooked what I typicall [...]

I hope you enjoyed a sunny weekend somewhere outside. And even if you stayed at home in front of the TV, the weekend was very eventful for the avid sports fan. There was MotoGP action from Portim?o in Portugal, the Merseyside derby between Liverpool and Everton at Anfield, and Formula 1 action from the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari in Imola, Italy. Plenty to talk about in the coffee corner, but maybe you also want to throw in some watch-related stuff. Well, if the F1 topic lingers on a little too long, you could mention a case of possible mistaken watch identity, the first topic in this episode of Coffee Corner Watch Talk. Anyway, enjoy your coffee and have a great start to your work/watch w [...]

Like a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step chapter 64 of Lao Tses Tao Te Ching ?I think a watch collection starts with a single watch. Not with three. But lets assume the hypothetical situation, where a sugar daddy gave me 10,000 to spend on a three-watch watch collection to start with. What would I do? First, Id celebrate, of course, and then Id consult my feelings and probably head over to Chrono24.At first, it might seem challenging to spend 10K wisely; there are so many options, and a considerable part of the watch world lays open to you. But realizing that it should be the start of a watch collection makes it relatively easy for me. Theres only one watch that I would c [...]

Sharks have long been a source of inspiration for dive watch manufacturers due to their infamous toothy maws and fearsome reputations. Well, now Ulysse Nardin has turned to the denizens of the deep for its new Diver Lemon Shark. It's an attractive black and yellow number, a color scheme that is right up my street.If I asked you to tell me your favorite shark species, I'd guess that many people would say the great white shark. Most likely because it's the only one they could name. That's fair given the amount of publicity the species has received over the years, even if it is mainly negative. I wouldn't, however, expect many people to list the lemon shark at the top of their list.Our toothy c [...]

Welcome to Episode 51 of Fratello on Air, otherwise known as WASP 7.0. Today we're going to discuss our three favorite sporting icons and which watches we'd gift them if we had the chance.Weve got disgraced and redeemed French cyclists, Swiss footballers and tennis stars, Hungarian and Irish soccer legends, a swaggering quarterback, and arguably the GOAT of all GOATs for your listening pleasure. The watches weve handed over to these sporting heavyweights range from the ludicrous to the luxury.Ending the show today we have a new segment called Robleys Believe It Or Not based on the popular books, Ripleys Believe It Or Not. In this new segment, Rob presents Balazs with frankly unbelievable sto [...]

Scottsdale and Aspen-based Oliver Smith Jeweler this year celebrates forty years of being in the watch business. And what better way to get the party started than by releasing a special watch? Well, with two very special watches, of course Enter the Parmigiani Fleurier a Oliver Smith Jeweler bespoke Tonda GT and Tondagraph GT limited editions. Twenty pieces in total reflect the jeweler's creativity and inspiration from nature.Reaching out to Parmigiani Fleurier to create something celebratory was a no-brainer for Oliver Smith, Founder and Creative Director at Oliver Smith Jeweler. Smith is an admirer of the creative genius that not only is a skilled restorer of antique timepieces and success [...]

Its the last Wrist Game or Crying Shame of 2020. Lets end this crazy year with the kooky Rolex Milgauss. But firstLast week, just before Christmas, I proposed the Cartier Tank Basculante and your response was a resounding Tank you very much The Cartier absolutely crushed it with an 87% Wrist Game win. Im not sure if that proves that you all have class or a thing for discontinued watches. Regardless of your motives, youll have your chance to decide on another bygone timepiece with todays Rolex Milgauss 116400.The Rolex Milgauss returns in 2007It was way back in 2007 when Rolex reintroduced the modern anti-magnetic Milgauss. I recall this period of my life because I was living in a somewhat se [...]

Roll up, roll up The summer has hit The Hague, and Fratello is keen to celebrate. After the fizzing success of March Mania, we are back with the Summer Splash. A new knock-out competition conceived to find the very best summer watch out there, according to YOU, the Fratelli. And guess what? You can win prizes No, there wont be a watch available this time, but there WILL be some of the finest water-firing weapons money can buy: the Spyra 2 water cannon is reputedly the strongest of its kind ever made. Fancy getting your hands on one? Read on and take part in the comments section of this article.It is time for my picks for Fratello's Summer Splash 2021. Three watches below 5,000 each, and with [...]

When I started collecting watches in the late 1990s, my watch dealer and now Fratello contributor Gerard told me that I needed a Rolex Datejust. Cant go wrong with a Rolex Datejust as they always work. With anything.. A short and simple statement from someone who had by that time already seen and tried it all. A few years later, just after graduation, I got my first Datejust. It was a vintage Datejust from 1969, with reference 1600, on a jubilee bracelet that was clearly added later. I managed to find a couple of extra bezels, including the fluted white gold one, so I could change it to a reference 1601 when I felt like it. It was also an easy watch to wear on a leather strap.Rolex Datej [...]

We like to talk about vintage watches a lot within the Fratello team. Where the daily routine is largely focused on the most recent developments in the world of watches, the most fun for many of us lies in the world of vintage watches. It's a world full of history, remarkable watches, incredible stories, and quirky details. It inspired us to come up with a series of articles focusing on the best watches per decade from a select group of brands. Some of them priceless, some of them still affordable. But all of them are remarkable watches. In this second installment, we will take a look at the best Omega watches from the 1950s.The best Omega watches from the 1950s? What does that actually mean [...]

Welcome back to Wrist Game or Crying Shame, the weekly series that allows you to participate in an important online survey while being stuck in the house. Today, well head back to the late 90s with the Breitling Navitimer Montbrillant. But firstWith our current homebound lives imagine how this will read in a years time a week ago seems like a month. But it was only last week that I showed you a NOS Seiko SKX007J, the ubiquitous everymans diver that not every man owns. For $289 on favored grey market dealer?Jomashop, the watch boomed to a stunning 86% Wrist Game win. Today, well go with something a lot more complex and 10 times more expensive in the Breitling Navitimer Montbrillant.The Brei [...]

Shots fired Or so it may seem from that provocative title. The thing is, as much of a Rolex hater as I may sound like in proclaiming the Cellini Moonphase has the dumbest moonphase display in the industry, it actually pains me to have such an opinion. Why? Because I love the watch Or at least, I love the idea of it.The Cellini Moonphase is exactly the type of watch I feel Rolex should have in its collection. Sure, theres no doubt the brand makes absolutely killer sports watches. But I believe having one complicated dress model to balance the offerings is honestly a great idea. It has historical precedence for the brand. It provides a classy, understated, and less hyped option for those seeki [...]

Hey there, its This Week in Watches for March 21, 2020 and we have some news for you We delve into a concept watch and a couple more made for derring-do.H. Moser Endeavour Centre Seconds Concept WatchH. Moser makes some downright gorgeous watches. Their dials are mesmerizing and Im generally a fan of their case work. The Endeavour Centre Seconds Concept watch fits within a trio of watches on the theme. Theres a tourbillon, a piece with diamonds and this simple piece. The concept moniker means that there is no branding or printing on the dial. The prices on the tourbillon are $65k USD (CHF is the same) in either white or red gold, and $59,900 USD (same in CHF) in steel. What we have here is a [...]

Yes, I confess, I believed that the Rolex Oyster was The Origin of many a wrist-worn invention and that the automatic watch was invented by Rolex. Surely the first rotor that spun under a case back had a crown on it? Well, this is all about busting myths, so you already know what's coming, Sonny Rolex didnt invent it, but perhaps the hypnotic spin of winding rotors would merely be a side note in history without Wilsdorfs crown. You might question my sanity when I compare the history of automatic movements to the history of the electric car, but be patient as there is a good reason for it.What is true is that Rolex deserves plenty of credit for refining the now well-known self-winding wonder [...]

Rolex decided to make Watches and Wonders 2021 all about the Explorer. As always, the news was surprising for what came and what didnt. For some of us, the news of a return to 36mm was welcomeRolex is like a box of chocolates; you never know what youre going to get. Each and every year, the internet wizards bring out their Ouija boards before the shows in an attempt to channel the spirits into revealing the next Rolex releases. Just like clockwork, these pundits are wrong on an annual basis. This year, everyone felt that the Explorer was due. Well, they were right, but the predictive details were woefully incorrect.The Explorer was in focus this yearFirstly, Rolex refreshed the Explorer II b [...]