Watches Blog Wrist Watch Reviews

Time to bring out and dust off the Fratello crystal ball and also read the tea leaves in the Hublot mug we have at HQ. With a stream of novelties on the horizon Watches and Wonders is just a couple of months away some veteran references will have to go bye-bye. It's the circle of watch life. And even Rolex, Patek Philippe, Tudor, Omega, and Grand Seiko can't escape it. The crystal ball and the tea leaves predict the end of models like the Air-King and Milgauss from Rolex. It also seems the steel Aquanaut 5167A has come to the end of the line. While were at it, lets have a look at a few other brands and watches that are in dire straits.Nothing lasts forever. But some things last considerably [...]

In our Sunday Morning Showdown, 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. After the last Bond match up, we return with a second one. One that matches up two lesser talked about Bond watches So lets rev up the Aston Martin once more and discuss the Omega Seamaster Diver 300M James Bond vs. Omega Seamaster Aqua Terra.It was only last week we had our inaugural Bond bust-up bet [...]

In this article, I select the extra-terrestrial movies from the 2010s that feature great watches. As you'll see from the list, Im not just showcasing the space-faring Omega Speedmaster here (although it does feature). What's obvious in the last decade is the investment from Hamilton in cinematic product placement. But in no way do the watches feel shoe-horned into the narrative. Some of the watches even play an integral role in the storylines.I miss going to the cinema. I went from attending at least one showing a week in 2019, to about four in the entirety of 2020. The lack of blockbuster releases has been a shock to my regular downtime routine. And nothing beats a big-screen sci-fi romp or [...]

While many brands could be accused of underrating the importance of strap design, not even the best strap can save a poorly designed watch head. And sometimes, when a brand nails the watch head design, it can burst into life on hundreds of different straps. Some watches demand you wear them on the straps the designers designed for them; others encourage you to experiment. We call these watches strap monsters. Lets take a look at a few of my favorites.Theoretically, you can put a strap on any timepiece. In the early days, even pocket watches had wire lugs soldered on as a way to affix the watch head to the wrist. I say theoretically, as not all watches qualify as strap monsters. To comply as [...]

Last sunday, I went to the Rikketik watch fair in Houten/The Netherlands. This fair is being held a few times a year, and is also held in Antwerp/Belgium. Besides wrist watches, there are a lot of clocks and pocket watches for sale on the fair. So far so good.My last visit to the watch fair was at least 1 1.5 years earlier and as soon as I entered the large hall with all the sellers, I knew why it was 1 1.5 years earlier. What a mess. They should seperate the (wooden cuckcoo) clocks from the watches to start with. But this is not the worst part. The worst part is the quality of the offered goods. Omega watches seems to be the most popular brand on the watch fair. Logically, because the vin [...]

Longines has been killing recently. I mean it The brand from Saint-Imier had a pretty good 2020, and it seems pretty intent on keeping that momentum going in 2021. The well-received Spirit collection knocked it out of the park and won plaudits from across the industry. The Heritage line of watches also saw a bit of a makeover with some stunning results. Longines was on a roll Now, as we enter into the second month of 2021, Longines has dropped another winner onto us. A watch we possibly didnt know we needed: enter the Longines Avigation BigEye in titanium.The Avigation BigEye is an instantly recognizable watch from Longines, and it has enjoyed a successful few years since its release. Now, w [...]

TAG Heuer rounds off its 160th anniversary with a new lineup of Carrera Chronograph Calibre 02 models. We break down the news and give our thoughts.160 years as a company is certainly something to honor and TAG Heuer has steadily rolled out the goods in proper celebratory fashion. In January this year, we saw the beautiful Carrera 160 Years Silver Limited Edition. This was a faithful retro model that harkens back to the original 1963 model designed by Jack Heuer.Then, just a short couple of months ago, the first mainstream release came to light. We broke down the new 44mm Sport Carrera and came away impressed by the colorful, yet cohesively designed chronographs. Today, though, we finally ge [...]

OMEGAs Co-Axial Chronometer. For some time now, OMEGA has been teasing us with beautiful images on their Facebook page. Like the one below. Beautiful. Since it is Speedy Tuesday, we selected this one, but OMEGA did a few more very interesting images.This morning, about an hour ago, OMEGA released a video about their Co-Axial Chronometer movements. The Co-Axial escapement was introduced by OMEGA to the public in 1999 in their DeVille Co-Axial watches (very limited production). In the last 13 years, OMEGA has been adopting the Co-Axial movement in all of their ranges (except for the quartz models and the original Moonwatch of course). This George Daniels invention was adopted by OMEGA a few ye [...]

Longines has done a brilliant job in combining classic vintage looks with quality modern construction and movements in its Spirit collection. Now, the young line expands in an exciting direction with the introduction of the new titanium models. But that's not all, a new dial color as well as detailing in gold give these new models a classy edge. These details elevate the watches well beyond what was already available in the lineup. A new strap option is a cherry on top of this already appealing new offering.The watches found in the Longines Spirit collection walk the line between the pilot and field watch aesthetics. This is certainly well-trodden ground when it comes to watch design. Howeve [...]

When I borrowed the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Rubber Clad from Watch-Site, I got the AP Royal Oak 15300 as well. Just to?get some look feel?about this watch. Not too long ago, I was a bit reluctant on this particular model, since there was only one Royal Oak, and that was the Royal Oak Jumbo, also known as the ref.15202ST. I have written many times on this Jumbo by Audemars Piguet, saying it was my dream watch or number 1 or 2 (this position changes back and forth with the PP Nautilus 5711/1A) watch that I need to have somewhere in life. ??Friends of mine have the 15202 and are quite clear on the 15300. A no-brainer, because of the second hand with the wing on the short tip, the mo [...]

Here at Fratello, we love to shine the spotlight on special projects that members of the watch community are working on. Today we have the pleasure of introducing a new YouTube channel: Winters Bui Photography Watches. Its being launched by Lydia Winters and Vu Bui. And if their names ring a bell, you might know them already. Perhaps from their positions at Mojang Studios as Chief Storyteller and COO, respectively. The Swedish video game developer was responsible for the creation of the well-known sandbox video game, Minecraft. But if you don't know them from that already impressive side of their career, you may have come across their Instagram pages, where they often post stunning pictur [...]

The Overseas line by Vacheron Constantin is on the move. It is stepping out of the shadows cast by the Royal Oak and Nautilus. Capitalizing on a groundswell of positivity, Vacheron Constantin is bringing us more options to choose from.?Ok, dont tell my wife about the new blue dial Perpetual Calendar Ultra-Thin. Last year in May, my wife and I attended a Havana Club and Vacheron Constantin party, in Whitehall, London. Sipping Airmail and Dark n Stormy cocktails certainly lowered our inhibitions. Before long, we were inquiring about beautiful Vacheron Constantin Overseas watches that may have (definitely) been beyond our means. Luckily, the helpful staff members were more than happy to provide [...]

..for the ones who are able to read German, go here. Article by Elmar, from oysterinfo.de.???? [...]

On Her Majestys Secret Service is the 10th novel in the James Bond series and the 6th movie about the British spy. For this 1969 movie, George Lazenby played 007 and faced Blofeld (again).To commemorate the 50th anniversary of the On Her Majestys Secret Service film, Omega introduces a special version of the Seamaster 300M Diver. This limited edition is based on last years introduced Seamaster 300M model that has a long history with Bond. Since 1995, Omega has its relationship with James Bond, with the Seamaster 300M 2541.80 (quartz) and 2531.80 (automatic) references on the wrist of Pierce Brosnan as Bond. Even though in recent movies Bond was wearing a Seamaster Aqua Terra and Planet Ocean [...]

Sometimes it's written in the stars. You can call it cosmic fate. Or karma. Watch karma in this case. The story of why I bought the Grand Seiko Tough Quartz SBGX341 watch is a tale of random events that string together in the end. And it all began back in June of this year As you might know, this year, Seiko celebrates its 140th anniversary. As a consequence, numerous limited editions in all product families have reached Fratello HQ. Last June a rather handsome trio came in and especially one of them really struck a chord with me. That was the Grand Seiko Quartz GMT SBGN023 Limited Edition. That watch made it to my Top Five Watches Of 2021. Why? Because the watch immediately caught my eye. B [...]

The 2019 SIHH Montblanc Heritage novelties probably have the widest selection of timepieces in the brands current lineup. 6 models from an elegant 3-hand version to a sophisticated limited edition pulsograph. It is a very thought-out collection that offers a watch in every price segment. Let's look at the crown jewel of the line; the Montblanc Heritage Pulsograph. A watch that is a limited edition of only 100 pieces.Montblanc Heritage PulsographWhile I don't fancy fish (on my plate) I really like this salmon dial (color) steel amazingness from Montblanc. It is not only a super cool watch on the wrist but one that packs a lot of punches overall. We'll run through the basics, shall we? The Mon [...]

Here at Fratello, we love vintage dive watches. They not only represent the times in which they were made but also express the quality and precision of manufacturing available these days. So when I came across this awesome collaboration, I felt the need to take a closer look at the new CronotempVS? a Oris Spirit of Sixty-Five.Back in the sixties, two underwater diving pioneers Hans Hass and Christian J. Lambertse needed a proper tool watch that was technologically advanced enough to help other divers keep track of the time while diving. Oris was the major contributor in this venture and it resulted in the very first Oris diving watches for professional divers.In 2015, Oris decided to commemo [...]

Although Hublot is known for an arresting aesthetic, the Sang Bleu collection takes things to another level. With their bewitching dials, and multi-faceted, optionally-bejeweled cases, the Hublot Big Bang Sang Bleu II?watches are the very definition of statement pieces.Given the breadth of Hublots past experimentation with materials and aesthetics, it is perhaps surprising that the Sang Bleu collection still occupies an island of outlandishness. These new models, born of the continued collaboration between Hublot and tattoo studio Sang Bleu, double down on that trend. For this outing, both new timepieces put the color blue front and center. Available in both titanium and King gold housings, [...]

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 [...]

The interview, everyone is talking about, had its premiere yesterday in the US and today it will be released in Europe. Meghan Markle and Harry spoke with Oprah Winfrey about everything that raised doubts about their relationship and the reasons behind Megxit. Other burning issues they are tackling are their relationships with other royals, racism, and how their mental health suffered. Apart from the various controversies, they have a big impact on the current trends, maintaining, as they do, an impeccable style. Are you curious about what watches the British royal family wears on their wrists? Read on to find out more!?Meghan Markle wearing Cartier Tank Fran?aise /?Photo: Matt Sayles/PA/AAP [...]