Watches Blog Wrist Watch Reviews

I love Formula One. Id put it above all my other passions. Ahead of fast cars, guitars, movies, music, and, yes, even watches. I try to keep it quiet because whenever you mention an interest in F1, everyone feels the need to weigh in: Oh, it is just going around in circles, or- its not a real sport. F1 is where I feel no need to listen to anyone elses opinion or justify my passion for it. Thankfully, wristwatches are intrinsically linked to Formula One enabling me to combine my interests.Sporty wristwatches and Formula One coalesce in a natural way that benefits both industries. TAG Heuer was the official timekeeper for Formula One for several years, in what I consider its heyday. The 90s ma [...]

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 dont forget to let us know which watches youd like to see torn to shreds/effusively exalted next week. Well try and feature as many of our readers choices as we can. This morning, we set you the task of choosing between the same watch in different metals. The Rolex Day-Date 40 in yellow gold takes on its platinum sibling.When devising this weeks Sunday Morning Showdown topic, our writers knew they wanted to feature the Rolex Day-Date. Its one of the few current Rolex [...]

Me and Mr Jones.we got a thing goin'onThe song, Me and Mrs. Jones, was a song originally performed by Billy Paul back in 1972. It alludes to the extramarital relationship between a man and his lover Mrs Jones.My relationship with F.A. Jones is more wholesome. Florentine Ariosto Jones was the American entrepreneur who founded the International Watch Company back in 1868. IWC have produced many beguiling timepieces since its inception.However, one that got away, was a limited edition hand-wound Portuguese F.A. Jones I saw a few years ago. The watch was available in different metals, but my favourite had a white dial and blued Breguet hands. It reminded me of my innocent youth as an angelic cho [...]

Watch buckles and clasps can take many forms. In todays market, we are truly spoiled for choice. For some brands, the quest to manufacture the perfect clasp is eternal. At times, it can seem as we horologically smitten enthusiasts will never guess what nifty buckle innovations lay just around the bend. As watch manufacturers strive to set themselves apart, buckles and clasps, once an afterthought in design, are now becoming ever more critical to a brands prestige.For these brands, determining what makes the perfect clasp may not be as straightforward as one might imagine. The least we can do here at Fratello, however, is to make sure you understand your options and the styles available today [...]

It is no secret that passionate watch collectors (and journalists) have a slight preference for vintage watch models. The same goes for the Jaeger-LeCoultre Memovox. Whatever version they created in Le Sentier, most collectors just shrug their shoulders and referred to a vintage Memovox model. On January 15th we already briefed you about the?Jaeger-LeCoultre Polaris Memovox limited edition and other models in the new Polaris collection. However, nothing beats a good hands-on review, so they sent us their?Jaeger-LeCoultre Polaris Memovox and here we are. After a few weeks of having this watch in my possession, I think I can write down some helpful notes on this limited edition of 1000 pieces. [...]

Introducing the new limited-edition Omega S Well, we havent heard that in a while. At least for a good six months. That may not sound like a long time ago. But over the last few years, learning about the latest Omega limited edition has been a regular occurrence. The steady release of exclusive Omega watches, mainly in the Speedmaster and Seamaster range, seemingly became a way of life. However, we see fewer and fewer Omega timepieces produced at a capped amount in recent times. So today, I am looking at the possible reasons for the sudden shift. Sorry to bait and switch you in the intro if you were hoping for something new from Omega. Hopefully, I can give some insights and advice on models [...]

This series was actually my idea, and boy, do I regret it The premise of this idea is to help guide a watch-loving newbie down the right path to a hypothetical starter collection. I'm normally not indecisive, but here, the word doesn't even start to explain my situation. As I am in the middle of a personal consolidation of my collection, it makes the concept even more poignant. But when I try to tell you how to spend 10K wisely, these are loose guidelines only, not a gospel.Embarking on this quest was difficult, believe me. You have no idea of the number of watches I've mentally sorted through to get to what I find is a curated but fluctuating three-watch collection. I'm not mentioning which [...]

Welcome to a special episode of This Week in Watches. I say special because its a one-brand show today as we bring you the Panerai Edition where Ill run down each and every new model for 2020.What youll notice in this Panerai edition is a real focus on case materials. Its almost as if Panerai has transitioned into a Formula 1 chassis builder with its suite of cool composites. And for those who have scoffed at reduced water resistance in the recent past, rest assured that 300 meters it the theme here. Lets get to it.PAM01118 Luminor Marina Carbotech 44The Luminor Marina Carbotech 44 closely follows yesterdays PAM01117 Luminor Marina. This watch also celebrates the 70th anniversary of Luminor [...]

When I bought my first Speedmaster Professional (on the 1st of October, 1999), I was completely captured by the beauty of this historical chronograph. Weeks, perhaps even months, I was browsing the internet for more detailed information on the Speedmaster series. It rapidly occurred to me that buying a vintage Speedmaster wasnt something easy, as it like always is in the details. Luckily, the world wasnt craving for tropical brown dials and all original flimsy bracelets, so at some point I was quite comfortable buying my first caliber 321 Speedmaster Professional ref.145.012 for approximately 800 euro (2000 Dutch guilders).The fun thing is, that I always seem to return to Omega Speedmaster [...]

During the SIHH 2016 in January, IWC showed us a range of new Pilot models or upgrades of existing models. One of the models that received a lot of attention was the IWC Pilots Watch Timezoner Chronograph 3950.Although I love the clean designed IWC Mark XVIII, Mark VIII Le Petite Prince edition, Big Pilot and the new BP Heritage watch in 48mm, I have to make an exception for the new IWC Pilots Watch Timezoner Chronograph 3950 as well.At first sight, Ive found this watch to be relatively cluttered when it comes to the design. It also reminded me a bit of the Breitling Aviastar (I covered that one here). ?But when I gave it a closer look, the watch definitely has these IWC design features and [...]

Today, I received a mail by a long time watch friend that included a picture of Tom Hanks wearing an OMEGA Speedmaster Professional. This photo was featured in an article (this one) in The Washington Times about Tom Hanks and his political preferences. I am pretty sure you saw or know the Apollo 13 movie, where he plays the role of NASA astronaut Jim Lovell.In the Apollo 13 movie, he is wearing [more or less] the same Moonwatch as the NASA astronauts did. It is nice to see that Tom Hanks also likes to wear a Speedy Moonwatch in his own time, where he probably can just pick out any watch he wants to have.Actor, director and producer Tom Hanks is not on the list of official OMEGA ambassadors b [...]

We like to talk about vintage watches a lot within the Fratello team. Though most of what we write about is primarily 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 still affordable. In this installment, we will take a look at the best TAG Heuer watches from the 1990s.This week we will continue our journey through watch his [...]

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 dont forget to let us know which watches youd like to see torn to shreds/effusively exalted next week. This week sees us (mosh)pit two quartz-regulated titanium barnstormers in a battle like no other the Omega Speedmaster X-33 and Breitling Aerospace. Life in the ISS and above the clouds may be the primary intent of these watches, but Jorg and Ben share a passion for music, which led them to uncover an unintentional benefit of both the Omega and BreitlingHip hop see [...]

Im pretty sure many of us either thought about buying or actually bought a watch from our birth year. I know I have at least thought about it. But it never happened. When I was looking for one back in the late 90s, I could have bought a 1968 Rolex Submariner 5513 Meters First, but I didnt like it that much. Stupid? With current knowledge, absolutely. But they were different times back then, kids. I didnt like it enough to wear it, and that was that. Recently, though, we had a talk here at HQ about why you should (not) buy a watch from your birth year. For instance, ask yourself: is that Rolex really the one you want? I will share some views and ideas with you. But Im also curious how you fee [...]

Yesterday, Omega announced the Speedmaster Professional Speedy Tuesday limited edition. Watches were available for reservation immediately via the official Omega website. We werent sure if people would truly take to the watch and the process, but you did. Massively. Yesterday was an unreal experience and I would like to share some of it with you today.First of all, if you reserved one of the 2012 Omega Speedmaster Professional Speedy Tuesday Limited Edition watches, congratulations All watches were reserved in just a few hours time and that was beyond expectations. I reckoned it would take a couple of days, but it went faster. Far faster.We feel sorry for those who missed reserving a piece d [...]

Before the start of any significant watch event, predicting what were likely to see while we await releases with bated breath is par for the course. But, while arrivals are frequently the topic of discussion, models likely to depart the scene for good are less often thrown out for consideration. Only introduced in 2016, the Rolex Air-King 116900 has been a candidate for the chop for the last two or three years. Thats quite understandable, too. Fair or otherwise, it is one of the most openly reviled Rolex sports models among aficionados.Why exactly is it that the 116900 Air-King isnt popular? There are various reasons, but the most common blame is that its design isnt Rolex-like or even worth [...]

RUBBER B a company located in Miami, Florida introduced vulcanized rubber straps for a number of Rolex sports models. Their rubber straps will fit seamlessley to your Rolex Oyster case and the original Rolex clasp of the Oyster bracelet will fit without a problem. I came across these straps by reading Jakes Rolex Blog where he covered RUBBER B straps already. Go over there to see some more pictures of the straps, including some close-ups of the strap attached to the original Rolex clasp.This rubber strap could be an excellent alternative if you dont want to wear your Rolex with a bracelet while swimming, on the beach or just during summer. RUBBER B claims the straps to be of an impeccable [...]

Chronoswiss R gulateurBefore I start with the review of the Chronoswiss Flying Regulator, let me give you a brief history on my own experience as a Chronoswiss R gulateur owner. It must have been around Christmas 2000, when I got my own Chronoswiss R gulateur. R gulateur, not Regulator. At some point, Chronoswiss changed the wording.1987The Chronoswiss R gulateur model that I have for over 15 years, is reference CH1223. There was only one different reference before this one, which was a hand-wound watch (reference CH6322). The first Chronoswiss R gulateur was created by Gerd R. Lang (founder of Chronoswiss) in 1987, and had this Unitas based movement, turned into a regulator watch. Hour, min [...]

This coming Wednesday, the Fortuna Exchange auction will take place. A monthly live auction where you can bid on watches and jewellery. In this month, Fortuna offers 45 watches of which we selected 4 to show you.Rolex Milgauss 1019The rare Rolex Milgauss reference 1019 is a watch that was meant for engineers and scientists. A watch that could be used in professional environments, where it could be exposed to (strong) magnetic fields. The IWC Ingenieur and Omega Railmaster were its main competitors at the time, also offering anti-magnetic watches.The Milgauss was created in 1956 as the result of a collaboration between CERN, the famed European Organization for Nuclear Research, and Rolex. To [...]

Watches Wonders is here, and as you may have seen, it has announced itself this morning with a glut of new releases from a multitude of brands. It may take you a while to get through all of the new release articles here on Fratello, but dont skip by this one, as Piagets Novelties are gold Yes, I entirely meant that terrible pun, and I stand by it.Piaget has given us new takes on both the Polo Skeleton and the award-winning Altiplano Ultimate Concept. Both are excellent models, tailored for the discerning collector. Still, both have been given lockdown facelifts which elevate them for a new year, new me attitude.Piaget Polo SkeletonThat was a mouthful to say. The Polo is an essential model f [...]