Watches Blog Wrist Watch Reviews

Two weeks ago, the 24-year-old Bas was with some of his friends on a little beach in Amsterdam. Enjoying the sun and the water. At some point, he noticed that someone tried to steal the Rolex of one of his friends. He said something to the robber and this was returned with three shots.Bas was dead. His murderer threatened to shoot his friends as well if they did anything but walk away. I fully understand that in some parts of the world this is the reality of every day, but here in The Netherlands, it is not. Or, perhaps better said, it was not. Now, the case is still ongoing and under investigation, but weve seen a huge amount of Rolex robberies in the past months here in The Netherlands. Of [...]

Breitling Chronoliner Vintage InspiredOur vintage?guy?Michael Stockton did a huge item on vintage Breitling watches a while ago (you can find it here) where he discussed these watches in-depth with some world renown?subject matter experts.Having that said, I have no deep knowledge on vintage Breitling watches but this new Breitling Chronoliner clearly shows some influences from their rich heritage. Sure, the limited edition we show you here is in gold but theres also a stainless steel version with panda-like dial. That model reminded me of one of the watch in the article from Michael Stockton to be honest: a Breitling Unitime AVI 1765 (image below by @WatchFred).Perhaps the older CP AVI ref [...]

When we first discussed the idea of creating a series of articles in which some of our editors would share their grail/exit watches, I didn't expect to end up in such a strange conundrum. To start, I didn't even really feel prepared to tackle the subject. After all, I've only been collecting or rather, enjoying watches for less than five years. Therefore, the thought of a watch that could put a stop to my desire to explore and experience the diverse spectrum out there was one I had not seriously considered. It's kind of like picking your ultimate car. Aesthetically, you might be able to point something out and say, That's the one for me; if I had that I wouldn't want any other car. However [...]

After moderating (and later on co-moderating) the Omega Forum at WatchUseek for years, I decided to jump in to moderate the Rolex Forum as well. The Omega Forum was a piece of cake, most of the time I just participated in threads and did some digging up for people. After Jean-Michel and Jon joined me to moderate the forum, I did a step back and just watch all threads and posters and post once in a while. While on the Rolex Forum, it seems that I am more busy with keeping it under control and friendly, then being involved on the true content of messages. Discussions are heated within a few lines in a thread and namecalling and brand bashing is often the result. Closing the thread or even dele [...]

Last year, LVMH brands Bulgari, Hublot, and Zenith held a lavish event in Dubai, showcasing their latest and greatest. Sadly, that is not possible in 2021, but that does not mean that well go without any timepieces. On the contrary, Zenith has prepared four fresh models for us. Along with new watches like the Chronomaster Sport and the Chronomaster Revival A385, we will see an iteration of the Defy 21 called Urban Jungle, as well as the Pilot Type 20 Silver Chronograph.For Zenith, 2021 is the year of Chronomaster, as the brand puts it, and it could not be more true. Aside from a vintage classic rendition, the A385, the Swiss brand also released its all-new Chronomaster Sport model, an exciti [...]

With Time to Move complete, were now free to shed details on all the new releases such as the new Omega Seamaster 300M Sedna Gold.Since the release of the new 42mm?Seamaster 300M at Baselworld 2018, weve been smitten by this diver.? With its reintroduction of the wave dial made popular by Pierce Brosnan as 007, but with far higher quality looks, whats not to like?? Whether in full stainless, bi-color (probably the watch we love most), 44mm titanium, or the limited edition tantalum titanium, its a real looker.? And with a Co-Axial Master Chronometer inside and a starting price of only 4,500 Euros for steel on rubber, its a seriously competitive watch.? Today, though, the ante has been upped a [...]

I always enjoy putting together these weekly roundups. Some releases and other news floats under the radar, and I miss them during the week as I am busy working on other things. So, having a reason to go back over the week's news and launches is always quite refreshing.Out of everything that has gone down this week, these are things I found the most interesting Weve got some hot news straight from the Fratello press (see below), some festive news from the Horological Society of New York, a straight gut-shot from the ever-creative Artya, a ghostly Girard-Perregaux, a birthday special for Mr. Heuer, andwellthe Ming that Mike covered yesterday? Why? Because its SO good, we just had to mention i [...]

Last week when I came home after a few weeks of traveling and opened one of the smaller cupboards that I hardly use, a little gecko fell on the floor and didn't move at all. When I picked it up from the carpet, I noticed that it must have been caught between the door and the doorpost because it was completely dried out to the bone.I felt bad, since I had never realized that I shared my apartment with this little gecko that?probably has protected me from many mosquitos during the night. ?However, it turned him into this beautiful skeleton.But also when talking watches, skeletons can often be very attractive, especially when they're stripped down to the bare minimum. The quite busy looking cla [...]

Last weekend, I was able to try a Rolex Milgauss with a Diamond-like Carbon (DLC) finish. Watch-Site had both this Rolex Milgauss and the Deepsea Sea-Dweller DLCed, where the Milgauss is ready for sale and the Deepsea needed to be assembled again. I took some pictures of the Deepsea to show the difference in color with the DLC Milgauss and to show how thick the crystal is, since the bezel was not re-attached yet.When the the new Milgauss ref. 116400(GV) just came out in 2007, I was very impressed with it (as you can read here) but noticed that the watch didnt get picked-up as I thought it would be (as I wrote here). Along the way, this watch really grew on me and I already decided that this [...]

Were back with a deepwater demolition derby as the rebooted Omega Seamaster 300 takes on the Panerai Submersible Azzurro. Who will triumph in this unlikely matchup between two classy dive watches?Before we break down the new Omega Seamaster 300 and the Panerai Submersible Azzurro, its always fair to ask how I chose these watches. I once stated that Two For Tuesday was created to mimic real-world scenarios. In other words, to guess where people actually cross-shop and to help them come to a decision. For dive watches, I think that anything not named Submariner makes the decision a proper wild card. Still, if a buyer has 10K or less to blow, there are tons of great options. With the brand new [...]

Our friends over at Hodinkee have something cool to offer today: an?IWC Pilot's Watch Mark XVIII Edition HODINKEE. A limited edition timepiece that IWC did together with the team at Hodinkee, based on the famous Pilots watches from 1948 and onwards. Inspired by the old, but definitely using some pretty cool innovation: a case made of Ceratanium, an alloy that is as light as titanium and as scratch-resistant as ceramic.IWC Pilot's Watch Mark XVIII Edition HODINKEELimited to 500 pieces only, this IWC Mark XVIII Edition Hodinkee will tick a lot of boxes for collectors of cool watches. What about a 39mm case (not too big, not too small), a dial without a date aperture and the aforementioned Cera [...]

With summer on the horizon, you might be on the lookout for a watch with a can-do attitude. And not just attitude, of course, it also has to be a watch that walks the walk. Looks are important too. You want something that gets noticed on the wrist. Not because of the logo, but because of a recognizable silhouette and proven design cues. One thing you definitely don't want is to attract any unnecessary attention. So what you want is something that isnt too flashy, but also not too bland, not too shabby, but also not too costly. What were looking for here, is the very definition of an all-rounder. So what about the Hamilton Khaki Navy Scuba Automatic diver's watch 43mm with a ceramic bezel? Le [...]

As far as anniversaries go, this one is cool. While were used to hearing about brands or specific models/model families celebrating significant (or often seemingly arbitrary) dates in their history, it is less common to celebrate the anniversary of a component, or, in this case, a?substance that went on to change a brands history. But here we are. Ladies and gentlemen, put your hands together for Luminor, the tritium-based glow-in-dark goo that turns 70 this year.And how did Luminors inventors Panerai choose to celebrate? By jumping the lume shark on a pair of rocket-powered water-skis, of course. While the Luminor name is now better known as the family that first brought the luminous substa [...]

In 2021, Omega updated the iconic Speedmaster Professional Moonwatch with the caliber 3861 movement. A very good reason to update our Speedmaster Buyers Guide as well!This guide dates all the way back to 2014, and since then, a lot happened. Not only did we have our own way with Omega and the two Speedmaster Speedy Tuesday watches (in 2017 and 2018), Omega also introduced a number of interesting Speedmaster watches to the collection. What about the Speedmaster Calibre 321 from 2020, or the new Moonwatch Master Chronometer models in gold? Time for us to update this Speedmaster Buyers Guide.In this Speedmaster Buyers Guide, we give you an overview of the most important references of the Speedm [...]

We love the challenge of a good list here at Fratello. Especially when it comes to smaller budgets, its a great challenge to figure out the best options. With ever-increasing prices, its not always easy to come up with a list of affordable contenders. For this list, we picked the best mechanical chronographs under 2,000. As it turns out, there are plenty of options available for the money. But some of the obvious picks of the past are not an option anymore. So lets find out what the best chronographs under 2,000 are.I am going to honestI am one of those people that loves making lists. It doesnt matter whether its about music, sports, or watches. When it comes to watches, I have a special int [...]

3, 6, 9 and 12 There is no watch brand that relies, so much on these four bold numbers.?Year after year,?Panerai keeps its followers in a grip and surprises them with new models. Often with minimal changes, since at Panerai it is all about details.?Now I just said minimal changes, but that's a bit crude, minimal' only counts for those who just know the brand? by name; any die-hard Paneristi notices every tiny detail that has been changed.Panerais Heritage and HistoryPanerai was around 1935 commissioned by the Italian Navy to construct watches for use underwater.? When Navy orders dropped in the late eighties and watch collectors started to show interest in these vintage Panerai watches, the [...]

Welcome back to Wrist Game or Crying Shame where, this week, we take a look at a mid 90s classic. The IWC Fliegerchronograph IW3706 is in focus. But first?Last week, we looked at the TAG Heuer Carrera 1964 that was reissued back in 1996. You lot truly enjoy a retro manual wind chronograph Despite the fact that this model was a bit overpriced, it stopped, started, and reset all way to an 87% Wrist Game win. Let's stay in the same era and the same color scheme for that matter. Will the IWC Fliegerchronograph IW3706 have an on-time arrival or will it fail to leave the terminal?IWC rocked the 90sI know that I bring this up somewhat frequently, but I just can't help it. IWC really had their act t [...]

Sometimes I feel slightly schizophrenic, probably a normal feeling for a horological obsessive. Some days, I feel like only wearing patterned, bright-colored socks (well, that's every day) with a searingly yellow Doxa. On other days, I hanker after the crisp monochrome, graphic panache of a matte black dial. Tool-zen, if you like. This story is my take on the best German monochrome watch design. Theres an emphasis on functionality and tool watches, no matter how used-up that term might seem in 2022.To be fair, here at Fratello Watches, the Speedmaster is the king of monochrome. But this is about Germanys best. There is a reason we associate pilot's watches with Germany, whether it be Sinn, L [...]

Patek Philippe in America is a book on how this brand conquered the United States. The sub title of the book, Marketing the Worlds Foremost Watch, covers it pretty well. The impressive dimensions of this hard cover book 13 x 11 and the 360 pages with over 500 images reveal that this must be something special. The arrival of Patek Philippe in the USA has been documented using archives, photographs and numerous advertisements starting in 1860. The author of this book, John Reardon, did an excellent job creating such a valuable treasure for collectors and admirers of Patek Philippe watches.Patek Philippe in America contains 8 chapters covering the marketing of the brand from the 19th century [...]

In this Sunday morning column, two of our writers go head-to-head in an epic showdown for the ages. Strong opinions and hysterical hyperbole are welcome (so feel free to join in with the fun in the comments section below). And don't forget to let us know which watches you'd like to see torn to shreds/effusively exalted next week. We'll try and feature as many of our readers' choices as we can. This week the famous Grand Seiko Snowflake dials are being debated. Prepare yourself for some ice-cold cruelty and white-hot barbsLast week, RJ and Ben squared off. The object of their affections/rejections? The Rolex Daytona reference 116500LN. Understandably, RJ, who positioned himself on the hate-fu [...]