Watches Blog Wrist Watch Reviews

We spend a lot of time talking about the Bvlgari Octo Finissimo on Fratello. Quite frankly, its because we love that line dearly. But the Octo Roma line has a lot to offer also. In fact, while the Finissimo is truly groundbreaking, for some people, its incredible thinness can be a bit too much. The Octo Roma has that same Roman flair, but with a bit more muscle backing it up. Let's take a closer look at the WorldTimer version today.It isn't uncommon for a brand to labor away for years and years in the shadows, doing all the right things and getting none of the credit it deserves. Oftentimes, it takes one moment, one seminal release to make the watch-loving crowd sit up and pay attention. For [...]

Last week, I had the opportunity to test one of my favorite watches at the sub-1,000 price point. I'm talking, of course, about the brilliant contemporary classic that is the Hamilton Khaki Field Mechanical. However, something was a little bit different. Instead of the usual Khaki Field 38mm size, the watches placed before me were larger. A whole four millimeters larger, to be precise. Now, as far as I'm concerned, Hamilton already found the perfect formula with this watch, so how does its bigger counterpart fare? As you can see, nothing much changes in terms of design, and the proportions are well-maintained. But it's not only what's written down on paper that matters. So, grab yourself a c [...]

Well, we finally made it to the last weekend of the Omega Speedmaster World Cup. What a ride its been. Weve seen surprise winners, remarkable comebacks, our fair share of voter fraud, and worthy watches left languishing in the group stages. The two watches that fell one step short, the Tintin and Snoopy III, now duke it out for your approval.Weve seen brutal character assassinations, indulged in well-worded arguments, and recoiled in disbelief as Mike failed three consecutive dope tests. Still, despite running the most sophisticated doping program since Lance Armstrongs USP team, Mikey couldnt propel his mighty Tintin into the Final. Instead, that pesky pooch from 2015 has marched on to face [...]

What makes a watch fan fall for a particular timepiece? Is it the dial? Or perhaps the case shape? Maybe the complication of the watch in question? When it comes to vintage watches, and especially chronographs, the answer is often, the movement.In this article, I collected 5 vintage chronograph movements that I find the most iconic. Clearly, I could have done a Top 10 or Top 20 article. And I might in the future. Until then, however, I hope you enjoy the list of my Top 5 iconic vintage chronograph calibers, listed in no particular order.Angelus 215It is no secret that the Angelus brand is near and dear to my heart. Partly due to its connection to the Hungarian Air Force, and partly because I [...]

The word is out, the new caliber 321 has been introduced last week during a Speedy Tuesday event that we hosted in Biel. Last week we already published about this movement and shared some of the extra information that was not in the press release. But besides the introduction of this movement, there was also the Speedy Tuesday event in Biel. The second one, actually, as the first Speedy Tuesday event was held already in 2016. Before and in between, we did many more in different places (D1sseldorf, Amsterdam, Noordwijk, London, Munich, The Hague and in Geneva) and we will do more this year, worldwide.Speedy Tuesday Event (II) in BielLast week in Biel there were about 45 of our readers and Spe [...]

Welcome one and all to a very personal journey. Today, Ill be discussing my experiences of sourcing a new and entirely appropriate strap for one of my all-time favorite dress watches the Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Ultra Thin Jubilee. There is often a lot of discussion surrounding the nature of dress watches. And yes, it is true that the nature of formal attire is changing. But here is an example than can be defined no other way. The Master Ultra Thin Jubilee is a manually-wound, super-slim, two-handed slice of heaven. And while that pared-back simplicity might make it sound like a strap monster on paper, nothing could be further from the truthPairing new straps with old watch heads is fun. It i [...]

Even if you don't follow watch auctions, you may know that the Patek Philippe Nautilus 5711 with its Tiffany Co. signed dial in the distinct color of the famous jeweler sold for more than $6 million at an auction earlier this month. Of the 170 watches made, this particular Nautilus 5711 Tiffany 170th Anniversary Limited Edition that normally retails for $52,635, was auctioned off to support the Virginia-based, non-profit Nature Conservancy. Its a special watch for a special occasion; that kind of explains the stellar price. But even when it comes to non-beneficiary auctions, watch auction prices still go through the roof. Why pay so much more for a Patek Philippe or Rolex at an auction with [...]

De Bethune DB26,?there are few modern manufactures as diverse as De Bethune: in addition to some extremely classical looking timepieces, there are also extremely avant-garde models on offer such as the DB26.Even the balance shape is unconventional teardrop shaped rotating eccentric masses on the end of blued arms, and no sign of a circle to be seen anywhere There is also a tension spring holding the balance bridge in place; presumably for a combination of both increased shock resistance and controlled endshake.This particular watch has a beautiful blue guilloche dial, with a neat touch at the 12 oclock position: a power reserve gauge. Unusually, the manufacturers name and all markings are p [...]

Okay, Im going to keep this short, because Oris, for some unknown reason, has decided to release an absolutely drop-dead gorgeous watch with just three images. Normally I would wait until more become available, but I just cant contain myself. I wanted to be one of the first to share this with you because I think the new Oris Aquis Date cherry dial dive watch is an absolute beaut and deserves a lot more attention than the three images I currently have at my disposal seem likely to get it alone.You know we love Oris as a team. However, within that team, there are three distinct camps. There are the pilots, the traditionalists, and the divers. I am in the latter camp despite not being qualified [...]

We visited the?Breguet Manufacture recently and witnessed how modern watchmaking can be combined with old watchmaking skills performed by artisans.Breguet overcoil, Breguet hands and of course, the tourbillon. We often use the name Breguet when talking about design elements or movements. Even when it is not about a Breguet watch. Breguet is a very old watch manufacture, that dates back to 1775 when founder?Abraham-Louis Breguet opened his first workshop in Paris. Responsible for many horological inventions in the history of watchmaking that are still being used today. In this article, I dont want to sum up those inventions (you can read about them here), but show you what Breguet is doing to [...]

Speedy Tuesday is here Although we love all the limited edition Speedmasters, mission patch models, X-33s, Flightmasters, Z-33, Moon phase etcetera etcetera models, we are the first ones to admit that some times it is just best to buy the original Moonwatch.The current Moonwatch is in our opinion the ref.3570.50 (as discussed and compared to a vintage Moonwatch in the recent past) but the real Moonwatch that has been used ON the Moon by Buzz Aldrin and other astronauts are the Speedmaster Professional models with reference number 105.012 and 145.012. At least, these are the reference numbers we know of. Perhaps during later missions the caliber 861 models (145.022) also might have seen the [...]

The Omega Speedmaster needs little introduction. It is one of the most talked-about chronograph watches in the world at least here on Fratello. But as strange as it might sound, the Speedmaster doesn't please everyone. Maybe you dont care about its Moon-going history, or perhaps you don't like the shape of the case. There could be any number of other reasons why the Omega Speedmaster doesnt suit you. With that in mind, I decided to make my own list of the top five alternatives to the legendary Moonwatch.Back in the late 1990s, when I was looking for an Omega Speedmaster Professional, there was one alternative that I briefly considered. It was IWC Pilot's Watch Chronograph ref. IW3706, a 39mm [...]

Welcome back to Wrist Game or Crying Shame, a weekly series that makes you feel like a boss. Let's see if you'll own today's candidate, the Rolex Explorer II 16570 Polar. But first?-Last week, we did a 180 and featured an early 90s svelte dress watch from Vacheron Constantin known as the Les Historiques 31110. This one came in platinum and, if I may say so, truly looked the part. As for what part that was, let's give it the leading role as a winner because this watch took home a convincing 64% Wrist Game victory. You might also recall my remark that detractors lacked good taste? Well, my feelings remain unchanged.But for those detractors that loved the icy white color of the VCs dial, Ive go [...]

Yesterday, IWC introduced their new Pilot collection of watches at Airport Eelde in The Netherlands. Besides the product presentation, done by their Head of Design, there was also one of the TOP GUN pilots explaining to us how important time is for a pilot.In the picture above you see RJ pretending he is a TOP GUN pilot in a jet. In fact, the watch on his wrist is the actual watch of the TOP GUN pilot that was present during the event.IWC restyled a hangar, with two very nice planes (a Spitfire and a L39 jet), lovely stewardesses and a great bar and a long table with room for everyone to enjoy a superb lunch. Friend of the brand Michiel Borstlap (proudly wearing a Big Pilot) made sure there [...]

Happy Halloween Welcome to the latest edition of This Week In Watches. Weve not had a huge amount of new releases trickle into our inboxes, but there have been a few tasty ones. To be honest, Im glad weve not seen a surge of cheesy, Halloween-themed watches (but theres always one) aint nobody got time for thatBreitling Chronomat 36 32 for womenIt was only a matter of time. The re-introduced Breitling Chronomat unveiled in Spring has now sprung into a full-blown collection in a variety of sizes. However, instead of upsizing from the base 42mm case, Breitling has taken things down a notch. To cater to those who prefer a smaller diameter and appreciate the 80s aesthetic, the Chronomat is now a [...]

NASAs Apollo 8 mission in 1968 was the first flight where the astronauts orbited the Moon, see Earth entirely, witness the Earth rise and C here it comes C see the far side of the Moon. Or dark side. On their wrists, a Speedmaster.Now, nearly 50 years later, Omega introduces you to the latest addition to the Dark Side of the Moon collection. Not a black ceramic Speedmaster Professional like we predicted a few weeks ago, but a watch based on the existing Dark Side of the Moon models. However, not with the famous bi-compax caliber 9300 movement, but with a hand-wound caliber 1869 movement. This manual winding chronograph movement is based on the famous caliber 1861 movement, but with a nicke [...]

Okay, I know, I know, I know: everyones going nuts over the green leafy dials. But the thing is, they arent the big news from this release. Im not trying to be a contrarian, really, Im not. Thats just the way I am. Last year, when the internet was melting down over the bright OP dials, I was banging the drum for the silver-dialed 36mm version. That aged pretty well if you ask me. Today, however, Im saying that texture triumphs over motif and that within this new Datejust capsule release there are two real stunners that could be populating wishlists for years and years to comeThe leaves will come and go. The winds of change will blow them in and out of fashion at will. Texture, however, only [...]

The new Speedmaster Moonwatch Master Chronometer was not even on my short-term wish list, as I already have a few Moonwatch references, but I simply could not resist. This time, I was initially (and finally) aiming for the Omega Speedmaster Dark Side of the Moon, but the Moonwatch force was strong. I ended up buying the new Speedmaster Moonwatch Master Chronometer, with Hesalite crystal. Allow me to explain.I bought the new Moonwatch with Hesalite crystal, mainly because I think it is somewhat more historically correct. But more importantly, I like the looks of the Hesalite crystal. It magnifies the dial of the Speedmaster in a way that the Sapphire crystal cant. The Omega Speedmaster sapphi [...]

I got this one in via e-mail by Martin, it is a reference to an article in a German magazine called Der Spiegel.Hi RJ!Do you know some German? If so, Im sure youre going to like this one:https://m.spiegel.de/wirtschaft/0,1518,339120,00.htmlIts about a Siemens manager who had his Rolex Sub retouched from his official press photo before announcing major layoffs. Pretty embarassing stuff.-martinThe photo the article is about: [...]

Here at the Fratello offices, we constantly talk about the smartest ways of spending your hard-earned money on watches. Our readers also often send us questions about the best watches within certain budgets. In this article, well dive into a very popular price bracket. We have picked some of the best available watches under 2,000. Its a price bracket with many wonderful offerings from both big brands and smaller independents alike. So today, lets take a look at what the market has to offer.When I started compiling this list, something quickly dawned on me. There is an absolute abundance of great offerings for the money. We truly are spoiled for choice when it comes to spending 2,000 on a wat [...]