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Watches – News, Reviews, Brands and Releases
Its been a long time coming. Today TAG Heuer releases the new generation of their famous Aquaracer line with a bunch of refreshed models. The new Aquaracer Professional 300 offers a bold yet elegant contemporary look in a functional and versatile form.The new Aquaracer 300 Professional comes in several iterations. You can choose between steel or titanium and regular production models or limited editions. Lastly, the collection consists of ladies and gents watches as well.Look backThe Aquaracers history started in 1978 with the iconic reference 844. That legendary diver had a distinct look with extensive lume-covered indexes, rotating divers bezel, and a red 24-hour scale. The watch had an au [...]
The best watches of 2019 according to our editorial team, an overview of over 30 different watches!Were looking back at a very successful year for Fratello. We grew tremendously, not only in reach but also in the quality and quantity of our content as well as the number of contributors to Fratello. We hired a head of operations, Daniel, whos responsible for almost everything besides the content you see here (yet we asked him to chip in as well for this article, as he is a watch guy after all), we did a total redesign of our online magazine, we started with our podcast series, we opened our shop, we started to have our articles translated in other languages (live early 2020) and we are about [...]
Im a big fan of stainless steel watches with integrated bracelets. The Rolex Oysterquartz Datejust with reference 17000 belongs to these watches.Rolex Oysterquartz DatejustC 52Mondayz, week 25The usual suspects in this field are of course the Patek Philippe Nautilus, the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Jumbo, the Vacheron Constantin 222, the original IWC Ingenieur (SL1832) and lately the Girard-Perregaux Laureato. However the Rolex Oysterquartz Datejust certainly fits in as well.A little history lessonAfter a model with an outsourced quartz movement in 1970, Rolex began supplying the Oysterquartz watches with in-house movements at the end of the seventies. Two models became available, the Oysterq [...]
This week in Pre-Owned Picks, I am selecting five watches in five categories under the sum of 3,000. My selecting process was straightforward. I filtered on the price from 0 to 3k, then chose the watch type, whether that be the complication or the purpose. Drilling down the selecting process, I based my choices purely on what caught my eye.And a lot was vying for my attention. 3k is a great budget to have to spend on a cracking timepiece. Enough to cover a luxury purchase but not so much that the bank deduction is a colossal gut-punch. The categories were harder to choose, however. I did my best steer clear of the typical sports and dress watch types, and find watches with a bit of mechanica [...]
Salmon dials have a strange effect on me. Whether it was one of the salmon dial Rolex Datejusts?in the 1990s, the salmon dialled Chronoswiss R|gulateur Automatique CH1223, Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Jumbo 14802 or Sinn 356 watches, I felt heavily attracted to them. Yet, I never bought one as I felt too scared. With this Patek Philippe 5270P (P for platinum), the dial has yet again that same effect on me.Patek Philippe 5270P Salmon DialAlthough I regret not buying the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak with the salmon dial (and the prices went berserk), I could have bought the Chronoswiss or Datejust with that dial. Yet I actually never dared to do it. Not because I think rose or salmon isnt masculine [...]
We like to talk about vintage watches a lot within the Fratello team. Though most of what we write about is largely focused on the most recent releases and developments, for many of us, a lot of the fun can be found in the sometimes weird and often wonderful world of vintage watches. Its 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 are priceless, some of them are still affordable. In this installment, we will take a look at the best Zenith watches from the 2000s.By the turn of the millennium, Switzerland had proudly re [...]
Today, were taking a look at an authentic Omega Seamaster 300M and a very high fidelity replica. It used to be very simple to tell the difference. Fakes were cheap knock-offs. They often made obvious mistakes. Many of the key details were wrong. Sometimes, everything was wrong. But in todays world,? replica watches are getting better and better. Sometimes, they are awfully close to the original.The fake Omega Seamaster 300M James Bond limited edition for the 50th anniversary of On her majestys secret service we have here, is being offered online for prices that come very close to 25% below retail. And it is being offered as an authentic watch. So this is not a watch for those who want to hav [...]
The story of the Speedmaster began in 1957, when OMEGAs Claude Baillod designed the watch for his manager, Head of Creation Pierre Moinat. The first few models (CK2915 and CK2998) had a symmetrical shape and were replaced by the a-symmetrical case as we happen to know it now, in 1963. When the Speedmaster was chosen by NASA to become part of the astronauts equipment, OMEGA added the wording Professional on the dial in 1965. The rest is history and has been discussed and documented by many, including here at Fratellowatches.Besides the Moonwatch, OMEGA developed and produced a number of Speedmaster watches that were not part of the Professional series. We would say that the Speedmaster Reduce [...]
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. In this weeks showdown, the Everose gold Rolex Daytona faces off against the new Sedna gold Omega Speedmaster.Its not a first that the high-ranking champions of iconic chronographs square up against each other. Nor even is it the first scuffle between the two in our Sunday Morning Showdown series. The [...]
Just like that, Grand Seiko introduces two new professional divers watches. The Grand Seiko SBGH289, in steel with a blue dial, and the SBGH291, in High-Intensity titanium with a black dial. Both watches arent powered by Grand Seikos Spring Drive movement, but rather by its mechanical hi-beat caliber 9S85 movement.Divers watches have been a hot ticket item for many years, even to those who dont dive (like me). Its often about the aesthetics of the watch, but also about the technical characteristics of these pieces. They can take a little bit of abuse, you dont have to worry about water or moisture, and often come with a useful rotating bezel (I often use them for timing things) and a proper [...]
Welcome to our newest series, Two For Tuesday. Today, well pit two of the watch worlds most popular watches against each other in a tussle to be Tuesdays-top-dog. Its the Rolex GMT 16710 vs the Submariner 14060M.Yes, Two For Tuesday is a new concept for us, but it came to mind when we were spitballing about new directions for the site. As the resident watch geek amongst my friends and colleagues, Im usually their first stop for advice. Oftentimes, people dont ask about a specific watch. They actually ask about a brand. Someone will say something like, I want an Omega. Or, I want a Rolex. Amazingly, theyll often boil it down to two models that are somewhat similar (i.e. both are sporty, both [...]
Last year, Breitling launched the new Super AVI collection in five editions, each paying homage to a legendary aircraft. Appropriately, the launch took place at the National Aviation Education Center in Dallas. And even more fittingly, expert pilots wore the namesake models in flight to reflect their vintage planes. Breitling sure likes to amp up the theatrics Following the flashy unveiling, I spent some time with the Super AVI and came to realize something: Breitling has the most legible, mechanical chronograph GMT on the market. I recognize this epiphany reflects a niche within a niche, but Ive got to give credit where credit is due. In this article, I delve into what I mean by its legibil [...]
Omega gave us the opportunity to use one of the Golf Edition models of their 2017 Omega Aqua Terra line up. I happily accepted it as my 52Mondayz watch for this week.The Omega Aqua Terra Golf Edition on my wristOmega Aqua Terra 150M Golf EditionThe Omega Aqua Terra 150M collection currently comprises of no less than 22 variations. A closer look learns that in fact there are 9 different watches with each a choice of different straps. Different straps, like the availability of a metal bracelet, a leather strap, a rubber strap, or even a NATO-style nylon strap. Robert-Jan did a good overview article on the entire new 2017 Aqua Terra series here. An in-depth review on one of the other 2017 Aqua [...]
The green production process of the watch manufacturer in Schaffhausen, is something to be proud of. Not only IWC, but a lot of other companies seem to embrace durable entrepreneurship and corporate social responsibility. One of IWCs projects is to support projects like David de Rothshilds Plastiki Expedition. David de Rothschild and his Adventure Ecology organization built a 60 foot catamaran made entirely of plastic bottles, PET plastic and recycled waste products. With this ship, named the Plastiki, David and his carefully picked crew members will sail approx. 10,000 nautical miles across the Pacific Ocean from San Francisco to Sydney.The name of this boat, Plastiki, was inspired by the f [...]
I am an advocate for actually wearing watches, instead of just putting them in a safe or babying them. Recently I noticed that our friend and colleague at Revolution magazine Adam Craniotes using the hashtag wearyoursh*t and that's exactly how I feel. And this almost always used to be the case, until interest rates dropped below zero, that is, and people started to look elsewhere to invest their money. It is probably partly our own fault (the watch community) as we always told the others that our hobby didn't cost us money, as watches often retain value instead of losing it. The others were neighbors, friends, colleagues, etc. And hey, who could blame them for listening to us in the first p [...]
Its This Week in Watches for March 14, 2020 and were doing our best to keep you connected during these uncertain times.TAG Heuer ConnectedThis past week, TAG Heuer released its third generation Connected watch powered by WearOS from Google. Now in 45mm, these watches will be offered in one of three stainless versions and a black matte titanium edition. Unlike prior editions, these watches look a lot more like traditional watches. This means sculpted lugs and the option of a traditional bracelet thats more in keeping with the brands mechanical pieces.The new Connected still requires a connection with a nearby smartphone for most of its features. On the other hand, the features have improved. [...]
It was foreseeable that Parmigiani would extend its Tonda PF line this year. After its launch in September 2021, this new watch family garnered a remarkable amount of attention. Through the Tonda PF, Parmigiani finally has earned the appreciation it deserves. Now, the Tonda PF GMT Rattrapante shall take the same path. Accordingly, the expectations are high. And you know what? You wont be disappointed!Let me clarify one thing right from the start this rattrapante is not a chronograph. While this information might dampen the enthusiasm of those who expected an extended version of Parmigianis awesome split-second chronograph from last year, it is excellent news for almost all of us. This watch [...]
We understand that it is not (always) easy or even possible for everyone to enjoy the latest novelties or see certain watches in person. Sometimes, as we are in the watch industry ourselves, we tend to forget these things a bit. Thats why we love to host events in close cooperation with brands and boutiques. This way, we can bring our readers closer to the brands and vice versa.Last weekend we co-organized an event with the Tourbillon Boutique in Baden-Baden, Germany. Tourbillon Boutique is part of Swatch Group, and has around 20 boutiques world wide. In the Tourbillon Boutiques, you will find the high-end Swatch Group brands such as Omega, Blancpain, Glash1tte Original, Breguet and Jaquet D [...]
Woohoo The Speedmaster World Cup grand final is here The Speedmaster Calibre 321 Ed White versus the Speedmaster Silver Snoopy Award 45th Anniversary edition. Limited production versus limited edition, an interesting battle, for sure.Here we are, the two major players in this Speedmaster World Cup Before we go head-to-head with the finalists, we would like to express our THANKS to all of you who voted. It has been a fantastic cup, full of surprises, controversy, and glorious victories.Speedmaster World Cup FinalsIn the left corner: The Omega Speedmaster Silver Snoopy Award 45th anniversary that was introduced in 2015 as a limited edition of only 1,970 pieces. A watch that made its mark in th [...]
A new addition to my collection is Omega Ladymatic. But this model is not the first time Ive encountered the range, of course. I wore the yellow gold version on my wrist during the photoshoot for Omega Ladies Club in New York. I'll admit, it wasn't love at first sightI never thought that such a wild and unconventional design could be for me. However, I found myself dreaming of a statement-making timepiece more than ever before. Why? There is an uncompromising sensuality to the design of the Ladymatic that I couldnt forget. In steel, more so than in gold, the strength and sensuality of the piece are apparent.Why dont more people feel this way about the Omega Ladymatic?All I wanted was a sexy [...]
