Watches Blog Wrist Watch Reviews

Ive always enjoyed doing interviews. Having the opportunity to pick the brains of industry executives is a real privilege (which you can add to the long list of privileges we as watch reviewers get to enjoy). Normally, we find ourselves asking the same old questions. In these interesting times, however, it is all changed.Brands are being forced to think, feel, and react. This is undoubtedly the biggest crisis watchmaking has suffered this century. Yes, the financial crash eventually sent shock waves through our world, but it was business as usual. A little choppy, yes, but normal enough to stay the course and keep doing what had always been done.Those times are gone. We live in a new world. [...]

Hmm, thats one heck of a handsome family. Well, I certainly wasn't referring to the Hemsworth brothers. That was my gut reaction to seeing the new Rado Captain Cook dive watches. They have this wholesome look that has even me dropping my usual mean-girl defenses.The Rado Captain Cook has been wooing us with its 60s retro vibes since its revival five years ago. First introduced in steel and bronze in 2017, then in ceramics last year, the divers have firmly secured their position as Rado's winning collection. This market consensus is evidently corroborated by the verdicts of our Fratelli.To plasma or not to plasma?As a new release in 2022, Rado has extended the Captain Cook family with six new [...]

This week I am highlighting five of my picks of the IWC Aquatimer, ranging from 1968 to the present day.The concept of a bespoke, wrist-worn timing device for deep ocean diving began earlier than most people appreciate. Omega and Hamilton had novel ideas to retain waterproofness in the 1930s. Most famously, Panerai provided a luminescent and over-sized wrist-watch, with a case made by Rolex, for the Marina Militare. Not often were these watches commercially available outside of naval use.Turning the tidesBut there was a seismic shift by the middle of the 20th Century with the introduction of the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms in 1953. Soon after came the Rolex Submariner. At the time, these watches [...]

Theres no denying that 2020 has been one heck of a year. Any way you cut it, its been one well all remember for a long time. And thankfully, the luxury watch industry has been providing us with plenty of interesting things to keep us distracted2020 saw the release of several new models from Breitling, Tudor, and Bvlgari. Today, in Episode 26 (were back on track with that), Alon and Rob discuss these novelties and pick out their favorites. For the most part, this is a Podcast full of happiness, sweetness, light, and unbridled positivity. That is except for the part when Rob loses his mind (and almost his lunch) while expressing his fervent dislike for one headline-grabbing novelty on this lis [...]

On the 25th of December 2018, the man who probably had the biggest impact on Seiko's modern history, and possibly the story of the modern watch industry in the 20th century, passed away.Tsuneya Nakamura reached the age of 95 years and a funeral service was held on the 4th of February in the city of Suwa, in Japan's Nagano Prefecture, where Nakamura san spent most of his life serving local industry and economy but also education and arts.Tsuneya NakamuraToday we would like to pay tribute to this emblematic Seiko figure by retracing the life of the man that orchestrated Seiko's phenomenal success in the 60s and 70s.Born on the 8th of March 1923, Tsuneya Nakamura joined Daini Seikosha Kameido ( [...]

I remember when being a kid, our neighbor showed me his new timepiece. A Seiko with a moon phase. I was very intrigued by it, not even knowing it was just a quartz watch and that a mechanical moon phase watch would be much more complicated. It must have been mid-1980s somewhere, so what did I know?In any case, a moon phase disc on the dial of a watch is ever since something magical to me. It became even more magical when I learned about mechanical timepieces in the mid/late 1990s. It is one of the complications on a watch, not being a very useful one, that I really love.It is a real challenge though, to find a mechanical timepiece with a moon phase complication that comes at an affordable pr [...]

Rob dials in Maurice Lacroix HQ to speak with Thi baut Bentz, International Product and Marketing Director of the brand to discuss Fridays release of the Aikon Venturer GMT. A short and snappy episode, tune in to stay on top of this weeks watch news.Robs keen to know a few things about the new Aikon Venturer GMT. He asks the thinking behind the design, what Thi bauts favorite element is, and whether we can expect more from the Venturer GMT in the future. Bentz shares his insights into Maurice Lacroixs target demographic with women and millennials high on his list of priorities going forward.Theres some exciting stuff in the works for Maurice Lacroix in the coming months, with new manufacture [...]

We are living through a golden era of sports watch design. Ive alluded to it countless times this year and blurted it out loud on more than one occasion. At the end of the craziest year I can remember, I can say that despite all of the awful things that transpired in 2020, the luxury sports watch market is fizzing with optimism. I dont mean that to sound glib; in these dark days, we must rush towards the light where we find it. And thanks to Bvlgari the sun is shining brightly towards the futureIn 2017, Bvlgari released the Octo Finnissimo Automatic in blasted titanium on a matching bracelet. That case, inspired by the designs of the legendary Gerald Genta, became legendary itself overnight. [...]

The end of October brought a flurry of news surrounding the new Calibre 400 Aquis. A lot of the usual press channels covered the details. But what was interesting was the number of influencers on social media sharing their shots of the watch. Oris, in its wisdom, sent out examples of the new Aquis to many in the community to maximize its reach under COVID-19 restrictions. Smart move, but with the dust settling and social media checks clearing, what do current Aquis owners think of the new Calibre 400?Robert-Jan Broer went into great depth with his hands-on review of the new Aquis Calibre 400. I am pleased, but not too surprised that he was captivated by the blue gradient dial. The sunburst A [...]

The days of finding a pre-owned Omega Speedmaster Professional under $3,000 are behind us. Perhaps, when luck is on your side, you might run into one for that kind of money. But, in general, I will say that those days are gone.In this article, I want to share 5 Omega Speedmaster watches that can be had for under $3,000. These are the Speedmaster models I would (and in some cases I did) purchase with a budget of $3K. Perhaps not the best, wildest, coolest, or most popular references, but I happen to find them interesting Speedmaster watches.5 Speedmaster Watches Under $3,000I went with $3,000, as this used to be the budget for a nice pre-owned Moonwatch. Ive picked up Speedmaster watches for [...]

The full, exhaustive history of watches worn by the British Armed Forces (and all associated squadrons/units/regiments and so on) could fill several volumes. Here we will pick-up on some of the more famous watches worn by the British Army.Nowadays, military watches are incredibly popular for their no-nonsense layout and hardy construction. We often forget that it has its roots in real military conflict. In fact, the advent of wristwatches itself might well have war at its core. The British Army is one of the most famous military forces around the globe. Historic images of British Tommies have romanticized the armys reputation, which, throughout its history, has fluctuated. From the bloody ti [...]

Easily busted, next, please The statement that there are no complicated watches in the modern Rolex catalog, is evidently wrong. Sorry about my bluntness, I will obviously delve deeper into the matter, including the mere perception of what constitutes a complicated watch. We all have different standards, and while for some this means a sapphire-cased, Rattrapante Perpetual Calendar, Wikipedia puts it quite succinctly in their definition:?In horology, a complication is any feature of a mechanical timepiece beyond the display of hours, minutes, and seconds. A timepiece indicating only hours, minutes, and seconds is known as a simple movement. Common complications include the date or day-of-the [...]

This week's TBT focuses on a model from brand that's finally getting some long overdue attention: the Gallet Multichron 45. Here on Fratello Watches, we've had a couple articles on Gallet and more are coming but I've mainly had my attention on the larger 3-register Multichrons (Gallet's name for their chronographs). Today, though, we'll look at a more diminutive piece that's a lot simpler in execution, but no less interesting. Let's jump into it!The Gallet Multichron 45 is a simple, elegant chronograph that balances dress and sport35mm dont be afraid!When it comes to watch diameters, 36mm seems to be the cutoff between the wearable and the pass��. I'm not sure why, but I suppose this si [...]

Ive been test-driving each generation of the Forstner Flat Link bracelet for nearly two years now. From the early prototypes to the final product, Ive kept a close eye on each continual improvement. The new Forstner Contemporary Flat Link is the most significant update yet and gives an option to those wanting a modern feel. But while it still maintains the vintage cues, the Contemporary Flat Link is not without sacrifice.In his review here, Rob delivered the run down on this new Forstner bracelet. While it was fantastic to see the Flat Link on the Broad Arrow Omega Speedmaster, the Moonwatch is the iconic home of this bracelet style. As this is only a Strap Check, I wont be retreading Robs s [...]

The Memovox is probably the most sought-after Jaeger-LeCoultre watch amongst collectors. JLC is about to present a limited series of three new Master Memovox International watches at the Parisian concept store Colette. Why? Well, from the 29th of November till the 31st of December, 25 participants are showing off their best pieces of art (and timepieces are included in that definition) during a project called The Cabinet of Curiosities by Thomas Erber.For this event at Colette, Jaeger-LeCoultre has created a special edition of the Master Memovox International watch in a black PVD-coated steel case. This model is issued in a three-piece limited edition.The Memovox was introduced in 1956 and f [...]

From March 6th till March 15th, the 36th edition of the Americas Cup will take place. Just recently, Omega introduced its Seamaster Divers 300M Chronograph Americas Cup edition, with chrono lock. We wrote about it here. But last year, Omega debuted a very handsome Seamaster Planet Ocean Americas Cup Limited Edition, to celebrate the 36th race. We had the chance to go hands-on with it not so long ago and thought it would be nice to give it some attention right before the start of this years Americas Cup.Planet Ocean Americas CupOmegas Seamaster family consists of many members. We have the famous 300M, the heritage-inspired 300, the versatile Aqua Terra, the not-so-versatile PloProf, the funky [...]

Aint it funny when things coalesce? Take for instance, Armageddon coming out in the same year as Deep Impact in 1998. Two big-budget asteroid disaster movies from separate studios releasing within months of each other. While Im bringing it down to a much smaller scale, 2020 also saw another conceptual overlap. The vintage flat-link bracelet design for the Omega Speedmaster. The conceptors? Forstner and Uncle Seiko.Before I go into more detail on both these bracelets, let me explain a bit of backstory on the flat-link. The three-link construction with flat surface on the outer side of each link is a design both brands pay heavy homage to from the past. None more so overtly than the reference [...]

When it comes to press release justifications for celebrating a non-centennial anniversary, few have left me with as warm a feeling in my chest as Grand Seiko's recent explanation of the logic behind its 60th birthday extravaganza. A person's 60th birthday is significant in Japan's culture. At that age, a human has lived through all phases of the Zodiac. As such, it is time to begin again. And, to mark the onset of a new existential era, the Grand Seiko SBGP007 is a fitting release.Let's face it. There's a reason why Grand Seiko ranks close to the top of every Fratello team member's hot-list. While each team member is an individual with individual tastes, Grand Seiko unites us all. Why? Beca [...]

What we're having today at the Fratello Head Quarters, is a real mens dress watch. A type of watch that is not often discussed here, but since this watch ?is such a prime example of what a dress watch should be, an exception has been made.Nowadays any watch, that's not a 47mm diver, is often called a dress watch. Even well known watch blogs, dare to?call a Rolex Datejust or Panerai Radiomir a dress watch and while many guys wear those watches with cuffed shirts and to wedding parties, it's a fact that many occasions require a different and more discreet type of watch, or no watch at all.Van Cleef Arpels, well-known for their exclusive collection of jewelry and ladies watches, also has a gre [...]

Known for its flamboyant watches and jewelry, and one of the world's thinnest automatic watches, Piaget is no stranger to the spotlight. The Limelight Gala collection embellishes the Swiss Maison's iconic collection.It's a great time to be a watch-obsessed woman. Its been a long time coming, but the tide is turning. Finally, we are getting more and more pieces of interest. Brands are finally taking note of their modern customers needs. Firstly, creating timepieces exclusively for women is a must. Gone are the days in which it was acceptable to cover a mans watch with diamonds. This exclusivity shines through in the Piaget Limelight Gala models and exactly the kind of spontaneous femininity I [...]