Watches Blog Wrist Watch Reviews

The first time I ever laid my eyes on a Rolex Day-Date was when I was a student. I thought it was quite an impressive watch, and ever since then, I somewhat played with the idea of getting one when the time was right. And just the other week, the time was finally right, and I bought myself a Day-Date 18238.The Rolex Day-Date debuted in 1956, and to this day, not much about the watch has changed. That's the power of such an icon, but perhaps it's also the reason why it is such an iconic watch after all. This watch does not need much introduction. You probably know or have seen it many times. The Rolex Day-Date is only available in yellow gold, rose gold, white gold, and platinum, except for ( [...]

At the 2019 Only Watch auction in Geneva, Patek Philippe surprised both everyone and no one simultaneously when its stainless steel Grandmaster Chime (ref. 6300A-010) became the most expensive wristwatch ever sold at auction. It pulverized the previous record, held by Paul Newmans personal Rolex Daytona, by over CHF 14 million. But even more fantastically, the one-off steel version of Pateks most complicated wristwatch raked in a jaw-dropping sum of CHF 31 million for charity. That watch alone amounted to over 80% of the proceeds raised for the Monaco Association Against Muscular Dystrophy at Only Watch that year. And as the third consecutive Patek Philippe offering to take the top spot at O [...]

Speedy Tuesday is about sharing the passion for Speedmasters. No more, no less. Whether you have one Speedmaster or three dozen (or more), the collectors lot centers on their love for the Speedmaster watch.I like to hear stories about Speedmasters. What triggered someone to buy a certain Speedmaster or a Speedmaster in general? Every time I see someone wearing a Speedmaster, I am not too shy to ask about his or her watch. Without exception, theres always a story to it. Whether it was passed down, or Moon landing related, or simply a gift for a graduation, all the people I have asked about their Speedmaster know exactly what they are wearing. And, best of all, they know why.Speedmaster 145.00 [...]

The Speedmaster World Cup Group Stage is in the books. Its time for the head-to-head contests to begin. Over the next two weeks, we will run two quarter-final match-ups each weekend. One on Saturday; one on Sunday. Our intrepid warriors made it through blood baths of their own making, but now they need your help to fight another day. Only one man can progress from each quarter-final to the next stage. The choice of who receives that honor rests with you. Let battle commenceThis quarter-final is defined by adding a bit of color to the trusted Moonwatch. Red and white to be more precise. From reading the comments and looking at the number of votes, you guys like a Speedmaster with a colorful t [...]

Nope, no Reverso to be seen at Watches Wonders this year. Jaeger-LeCoultre made things complicated for 2022 by presenting a variety of round-cased watches. At the top of the list, there's the Master Grande Tradition Calibre 948. Just below it, you will find the Master Hybris Artistica Calibre 945 Galaxia in pink gold and the Atomium version in white gold. And last, but certainly not least, the brand from Le Sentier introduces a complicated athlete with endless stamina. Its the sporty 42mm Polaris Perpetual Calendar, which comes in either rugged steel or sophisticated pink gold.At first, I thought I was missing something. That I overlooked something. That I didn't see the full picture. But I [...]

Breguet expands its collection of Classique wristwatches with a new, blue, solid gold dial.For the past three hundred years, the name of Abraham-Louis Breguet has been one of the most revered in watchmaking circles. The man himself was a celebrity. He gave us a great many innovations that continue to impress todays audience. And yet one of my most enduring memories of Breguet occurred only two years ago. I was at Baselworld 2018 and had stepped out of the Hamilton booth after my appointment. Greeting me in the center of Hall 1 was gigantic super-yacht (I swear it had not been there thirty minutes prior).The reason for the super-yacht in the middle of a convention center in a land-locked coun [...]

Whether you are reading this because you would like to communicate your smartness more effectively or because youd like to compensate for lack of smartness, you have arrived at exactly the right place. Heres my rundown of the Top 4 watches for making anyone look smart.Far too often, unfortunately, watches are worn to communicate wealth. This doesnt do justice to our beloved timepieces. Nor does this attitude value the craftsmanship that watchmakers invested in their design and manufacturing.Fortunately, it does not have to be this way. Watches can be appreciated for their other, truer values. Designing a watch in a way that makes you appear smart requires a lot more than a prestigious brand [...]

It doesnt take much research to know that Sylvester Stallone is a huge fan of Panerai watches. He even ordered custom made Panerai watches a couple of times, featuring Slytech on the dial.Amongst others, Stallone had 200 pieces made of the Luminor Marina (ref.?5218-207/A)? with a white Slytech dial (which was auctioned in 2006 for $ 16,520 USD, see picture below). It was called the Luminor Daylight Slytech and exactly this model inspired Panerai to come up with a new model that has similar features. This new white dialed Luminor Daylight is part of the Special Editions PAM000785 set that Panerai introduced during the Hong Kong Watches Wonders exhibition.Special Editions PAM000785Panerai is [...]

For a long time, quartz watches were to be neglected by the watch enthusiast. Watches without a soul, could often be heard. But that seems to be changing: meet the Longines Conquest VHP GMT.Longines introduced their new collection of VHP watches in 2017, guaranteeing accuracy with a maximum deviation of 5 seconds per year. VHP stands for Very High Precision, and thats exactly what it is. Already in the 1980s, Longines had their VHP quartz watches but they disappeared again at some point. In those days, the accuracy was impressive, but not what they promised back in 2017. Longines is not alone in their battle for the best (quartz) accuracy: Grand Seiko is pushing hard with their 9F quartz mov [...]

One of the big bummers of the BaselWorld 2009 show was that I was unable to take a closer look at TAG Heuers new watches. The gigantic booth had this display in front of it, with both the old Monaco (1133) (it was the actual watch that Steve McQueen wore in Le Mans) and the new 40th anniversary Monaco.The girl (a rented promo model with a cool leather TAG Heuer Gulf jacket) couldnt allow us to go inside the booth to make some decent pictures and she was also told NOT to give any press kits to the press (I had a press card via Perpetuelle).I wonder if thats really the policy, since TAG Heuer at least floods my mailbox with ALL of their new releases and celebrity news. Anyway, since there was [...]

Jean-Claude Biver is a living legend and has been a purveyor of high-end watches since he was 18. His passion for watches stems from his childhood joy of steam machines and mechanical objects. In bustling West London, PHILLIPS PERPETUAL hosted a collection of Jean-Claude Bivers treasured collection of watches. During the evening, Biver divulged his story on his rise to the Head of the LVMH Watch Division.Spear-heading the marketing for the Royal Oak soon after its launch, Jean-Claude left Audemars Piguet for Omega. Appreciating the art of watch-making from AP and understanding the business at Omega gave him the great impetus to purchase the fledgling Blancpain brand. In a short time, he turn [...]

Master watchmaker Franz Wolff (Lottermann S? ??hne) created the Crazy Planet. With ?e??? ?Crazy Planet?e???�� developed and produced entirely in house Blancier is once again introducing a watch of unparalleled world class.The most important wheels of the Crazy Planet are laid out in a planet orbit formation. In normal mechanical watches, all wheels are invisible, hidden under the watch face. Blancier has made wheels visible by displaying the workings on top of the watch face. This Tourbillon-like design, in which wheels have actually been incorporated into the hands, makes Crazy Planet not only technically impressive but also aesthetically attractive. [...]

Besides a chronograph or GMT, there are only a very few mechanical complications one would need. Purists can debate whether a tourbillon is a complication, but its one of those examples of a complication that has little use today. Its just there to admire and enjoy.A perpetual calendar is somewhere in the middle. Having a calendar on your wrist that shows the day, date, month, leap-year, and moon phase, is simply pretty cool. It might come in handy, but its mainly there to show the craftsmanship of Swiss watchmakers who are able to program a calendar for the coming centuries.Portugieser Perpetual Calendar 42The first word that comes to mind when putting this watch on the wrist is impressive. [...]

Back in January when the new Bvlgari Octo Finissimo S with a steel silvered dial was introduced, Rob called it a possible contender for the watch of the year. But is it really? Time to find out. I had a chance to go hands-on with the steel Octo Finissimo model that is closest to the original concept of the titanium version that was introduced in 2017. The big question is whether it is better than the black and blue dial versions in steel? With those two models appealing to a broad audience, could the monochromatic steel version take the Bvlgari Octo Finissimo crown? As it turns out, the answer is not that simple.As most of you know by now, quite a few Fratello team members are fans of the Bv [...]

I have always been drawn to double brand names on a dial. Baume Mercier, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Patek Philippe and so on. Not because of the importance of a brand or about recognition, but I just like a long written double name. The typography is of importance here of course, as well is the positioning of the name. Unfortunately, as names did became more important, brands tend to print (or apply) them in a larger or even more bold font than they did before. A good example is Audemars Piguet, or even Patek Philippe. I think Baume Mercier also increased the font size a tad bit over the years. In my opinion it isnt necessary, but who am I. I assume the marketing gents and ladies gave it a good t [...]

Gone since 2011, but not forgotten. Not by me, at least. I have said this many times before, so as you might know by now, I once bought a Rolex Explorer II. That was the wrong Rolex for me. I should have bought a two-tone Datejust Turn-O-Graph 116263 with a gray dial on a Super Jubilee bracelet with a concealed clasp instead. That watch would have stayed in my collection. But for one reason or another, I never bought it. Sure, I can find a pre-owned one in good shape, but an updated version with a better movement, bracelet, and clasp would also be kind of nice. Let me introduce you to a watch that was introduced in 1953 and served as the blueprint for the 1954 Submariner. Yes, 2022 might be [...]

Breitling brings out the big guns with the Chronomat 42 B01 Red Arrows Limited Edition. As the name suggests, this version incorporates the RAF Red Arrows insignia. Not only that, but the famous flying diamond nine formation of the Red Arrows jets is displayed prominently on the dial, in place of the B logo.In my first hands-on review of the revived Chronomat, I referred to my Frecce Tricolori as a guilty acquisition. Typically guilt turns to resentment, and I feared the Chronomat would end up sitting unloved in the watch box. As it turns out, the opposite happened, and I find myself fighting the urge to grab the Breitling FT over all the others, including some review pieces. It might just b [...]

And now I'm in trouble. The angel consistently perched atop my right shoulder with a consistent message: don't buy a yellow gold Rolex. They're too expensive, they're too loud, and after all, it's yellow gold for goodness sake, shouted the haloed figure. On the sinister shoulder, the fellow with the pointy tail appeared with that lustful voice cooing, you truly want a gold Rolex: they're the horological version of forbidden fruit, the 24oz Porterhouse that calls your name when the 8oz filet will do just fine, or the V12-powered (pick your German marque) sedan that drives a sledgehammer through the word overkill. Well, since today's article extends beyond this very sentence, you don't have to [...]

New Coke, the Porsche 996, and Star Wars: The Phantom Menace all things that, upon introduction, were meant to be better than their predecessors. On paper, they probably were or perhaps they tested well amongst some group of people thought to encompass the product's target market. But we know what people ultimately thought. On the other hand, there are countless examples where a follow-up product or idea marks a vast improvement over the prior generation and the marketplace responds positively. Just consider about every piece of electronic or connected technology you own and how the bulk of these items have brought marked improvement, usability, and dependability with each new rendition. Wi [...]

Here in the Fratello office, we were standing in front of one of the big monitors to watch the preparation and launch of the New Shepard (named after Alan Shepard). On our wrists, the Omega Speedmaster (hey, it was a Speedy Tuesday) and on the wrist of the Blue Origin, also Omega Speedmaster watches. So which watch did they wear exactly? Keep on reading.Wally Funk and the rest of the Blue Origin crew. Photo (c) APWe watched the New Shepard NS-16 flight with a lot of interest, not in the last place because we love everything that has to do with space. And on this very special date, July 20th, 52 years after the Moon landing by the Apollo XI crew, Jeff Bezos, his brother Mark Bezos, Wally Funk [...]