Watches Blog Wrist Watch Reviews

Vintage watches are hot, it is beyond hype and especially the interest in Rolex watches from yesteryear is still increasing every day. Ive been occupied with watches since the 1990s, the last couple of years on a full time and professional basis. With great interest I saw the masses also start to buy and collect vintage Rolex. Some because they were told this is the big thing, others because they sincerely love the look and feel of vintage Rolex watches.I am not talking a million dollar Daytonas here, but just the vintage Rolex GMT-Master 1675 or a nice Submariner 1680 for example. But even those can cost you an arm and a leg, especially when something is not right about them and you want to [...]

Last Friday, a friend and I visited the Miljonair Fair. Not that we are millionaires, probably not even together, but Amsterdam Diamond Center (part of Gassan Diamonds) gave us tickets to come to the show.Gassan Diamonds had one of the biggest booths at the fair, including a few shop-in-shop boutiques from Jaeger-LeCoultre, IWC, Omega, Breguet, Ebel, Breitling, Cartier and Ateliers de Monaco. Being a huge fan of Atelier De Monaco, I was very pleased to see them here. Pim Koeslag of Atelier De Monaco took a lot of time to show their timepieces and do some explanation on them.Pim Koeslag giving some explanation on one of their exquisite timepieces to my friend Ger.Below, youll see some of the [...]

Ive been a fan (and wearer) of Santoni shoes for quite a long time and I was thrilled to see IWC introducing a new Portofino watch with a Santoni strap. Last week, the Ace Dik boutique in Amsterdam turned into an IWC and Santoni shop for two whole days. Host of the evening, Alon Ben-Joseph and his colleagues, provided a great platform for admirers of Italian and Swiss craftsmanship. Two people from Santoni were present as well, to answer questions about their products and to demonstrate how their shoes are being made, colored and polished.Visitors of the boutique were able to try on all IWC watches and to see the new Santoni straps (and shoes) for themselves. The 45mm Portofino Hand Wound E [...]

Oris is on a roll, with their support to great projects like the Coral Restoration Foundation, Movember and now with its sponsorship of the Clipperton Expedition. Clipperton Island is worlds most isolated land mass, and only very few people ever set foot on land. It is the home of a number of threatened species, on land and in the water. Earlier this year, Oris sponsored an expedition to Clipperton Island together with a number of scientists and conservationists?to gather data to help develop existing shark migration theories, and to effect lasting change that will preserve Clipperton's ecosystem.Oris ClippertonNow, Oris introduces the Clipperton Limited Edition divers watch that is limited [...]

Alex at WatchRap.com asks the following:Omega seems to have a good history and nice design. But my perception is that the Purists do not really rate Omegas? Or am I mistaken?I dont consider myself to be a Purist or member of the Purists, because I rarely post there. However, for a generic or public forum, it is one of the best around so I like to lurk over there.I would expect that Omega is not in the league of most Purists, because Omega isnt exactly a manufacturer. But, as one of the answers demonstrate, Omega seems to get mad props because of its diversity, history and classics (e.g. Speedmaster). Although I am personally heavily disappointed by most new Omega models, except for their bes [...]

This week my wife you know she who wears an Omega Seamaster Professional 300 Chronometer Midsize resides half way on the other side of the globe. What else could I wear than a watch indicating the time simultaniously in two time zones? In my case this will be a Rolex GMT-Master II.My favorite Rolex GMT-Master II, the version with Pepsi bezelRolex GMT-Master II 16710For me, a true GMT-Master has a Pepsi bezel. Black is for Submariners and black and dark red (Coke) is just because Rolex needed something else. I know, I know, the latter was introduced with the introduction of the GMT-Master II while the Pepsi bezel originally was for the GMT-Master (I). Still I prefer Pepsi, most probably as [...]

Exactly 52 years ago today, the Apollo 11 crew turned the Omega Speedmaster Professional chronograph into the Moonwatch. It may have actually been one of the first nicknames ever given to a wristwatch. As a watch enthusiast, you probably have heard the story about the Moonwatch a thousand times already. However, in case you're new to watches, or simply don't mind hearing about it for the 1001st time, read on for more on one of the greatest chronographs of all time.Speedmaster Professional 105.012The Omega Speedmaster Professional did not become the Moonwatch purely by coincidence. Quite the opposite, in fact. One of the toughest rumors �ҧ� for a long time �ҧ� in the watch industry was that the [...]

Its no wonder the average age of first-time homeowners is on the increase. Breitling keeps mining its archives with unavoidably awesome results. Last years 1959 reissue was, in my opinion, the best thing Breitling has?ever done. I mean it. Ever. Well, chalk me up as consternated, because the Georges Kern carnival has just served up another doozy. The Breitling AVI Ref. 765 1953 Re-edition is truly something special. But its not without its controversiesThe Breitling AVI Ref. 765 1953 Re-editions life began 67 years ago with the launch of a pilots watch known as the co-pilot. Almost seven decades later, this oft-forgotten gem has been reborn. Seeing it now, it is a wonder it took a management [...]

In this Sunday morning column, 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. This week, weve got another head-to-head for you. Could the Rolex Datejust 116234 and the Grand Seiko SBGA211 Snowflake, please enter the ringHey, hey Im on something of a roll. Old Benny Boy might have had my number when it came to our A. Lange S?hne clash a few weeks back, but in our three most rece [...]

Prepare yourself for a strap frenzy as six new references join the Zenith Defy Classic Midnight family. Still, in the name of personal expression, thats no bad thing.To side-step what Im sure could have been an eloquent, poetic opening gambit as to why we need to look at the night sky and consider all the magnitudinous questions of our existence, I will say this: Gradient dials are pretty. Ive always been a fan of them. I dont much care whether they are inspired by an achingly beautiful celestial scene, or by the darkening waters of the briny deep. I see two colors, slowing becoming one another, and I like it. And so, to my eyes at least, the Zenith Defy Classic Midnight watches have somethi [...]

We like to talk about vintage watches a lot within the Fratello team. While the daily routine is largely focused on the most recent developments in the world of watches, the most fun for many of us lies in the world of vintage watches. It's 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 priceless, some of them still affordable. In this installment, we will take a look at the best Rolex watches from the 1980s.While the 1970s marked a time of tremendous change in the watch industry, the 1980s showed the effects of that cha [...]

In the first installment of this new podcast series, Balazs sits down with Davide Cerrato from HYT. The two talk about Davides career as a world-renowned watch designer in the industry.If you are a fan of the Fratello On Air podcast, first of all, thank you. Your support means a lot to us all, who sit down week after week to research, record, edit, and put out new episodes for your listening pleasure. I consume a lot of podcasts myself, so I know how it feels when my phone notifies me about a new episode from one of my favorite channels.But we do want to evolve the show, so we came up with the idea for the Meet The- podcast series. Today, were bringing you an exciting inaugural episode highl [...]

Guilty pleasures everybody has them, but should they? As Lex explained in the first article of this series, a guilty pleasure could be defined as something that you enjoy but is frowned upon by your peers. Its a possible reason for embarrassment, especially amongst friends. But why should you be embarrassed? As Lex said, You should celebrate that you have the ability to feel such wonderful things because of your so-called guilty pleasure. Thats why I want to present my guilty pleasure to you I love the Hublot Classic Fusion Chronograph Italia Independent Pied De Poule!I have some mad love for Hublot. There, I said it again A little over a year ago, I wrote about five watches from the 1980s t [...]

For its new introductions for 2020, Montblanc puts a lot of focus on expanding the 1858 collection. The 1858 collection is inspired by the Minerva watches from the 1920s and 1930s. Tool watches that were created mostly for military use and mountain exploration. The all-new Montblanc 1858 Automatic 24H fits perfectly in the 1858 collection and adds its own dose of quirkiness.The first thing that came to mind when I saw the Montblanc 1858 Automatic 24H was the thought of me flipping through the pages of the Grote Bosatlas as a young boy. Its the Dutch equivalent of the British Oxford Atlas of the World and was first published in 1877. The Grote Bosatlas?is a Dutch institution that still captur [...]

From an outside perspective, watch collecting is often seen as an exclusive past-time for the wealthy. But as soon as you take a closer look, you begin to see that there is another side to it. It is one that is much more humble and down-to-earth people who enjoy a Seiko diver, Vostok Amphibia, or a digital Casio watch as intensely as some might enjoy a Rolex, Omega, or Patek. This is where I made my start. A time in my life when the watch budget was non-existent, as a university student living in the city of M1nster in North-Western Germany. Considering my limited means at the time, I still look back fondly on those first steps into the world of watches and what they taught me. And looking [...]

On April 17, 1970, the Apollo 13 crew landed safely on Earth after some incredibly scary moments onboard the module. The Speedmaster played such an important role on the return trip, that NASA decided to give a Silver Snoopy Award to Omega on October 5th of that same year. Some think the Snoopy cartoon on a Speedmaster is a bit childish, but often, those people dont know why it is there. In this article, well explain how Snoopy ended up on the dial of a Speedmaster.In 1970, NASA astronaut Thomas P. Stafford presented a Silver Snoopy Award to Omega. Not everyone realizes how important this award is. It is an award given by NASA crew to staff or contractors for their special contribution and o [...]

Recently, Seiko has been celebrating its 140th anniversary. This milestone also coincides with 20 years of the Japanese brands ingenious Spring Drive movement. The beating heart of this watch has been developed by an elite team of craftsmen at the brands Micro Artist Studio in Shiojiri. And it seems that each time Grand Seiko releases a Spring Drive watch, it comes in an even more mouthwateringly beautiful packageathis time capturing the wintery backdrop of Shinshu.The three-handed Grand Seiko watch paints a lasting memory of the snowy scenes that surround the brands manufacturing facility for its Spring Drive watches. It features a pink gold case with matching faceted hands and indexes, dis [...]

Welcome back to another round of Wrist Game or Crying Shame and this week we take a look at a gold Omega Seamaster 120M. But firstLast week, I discussed what I found to be a lovely Patek Philippe Gondolo 5014G. Despite some cranky comments, 73% of our respondents like putting the art in deco. Today, we stay with the metal of kings with an Omega Seamaster 120M in 18K.Its amazing to think that companies once gave their longtime employees gold watches upon retirement. These days, a lot of companies look to rid themselves of their most dedicated translation: costly staffers before theyre really ready to retire. In lieu of a gold watch, these folks often hear a chorus of, dont let it hit ya whe [...]

With the UEFA EURO 2020 European Championship football full swing underway, we see all kinds of watches on the wrists of famous European football players. Most of them are from the same brands, though. Rolex, Audemars Piguet, Patek Philippe, and Richard Mille are kings in the land of football. No surprises there, really. Neither are the models of those brands. But we have tried to spot some less common timepieces. At the same time, they might still be part of the usual brands. Some of them may be less expected. Or maybe there is an interesting story. So let find out what has been on the wrists of some of the prominent players and managers of the UEFA EURO 2020 European Championships.Where th [...]

Lately, Ive been in some lengthy conversations with a friend who is looking for either a Rolex Submariner 16610 or Sea-Dweller 16600. Imagine my surprise when I looked at the prices of these models Its time to look back on a couple of popular watches that left us more than ten years ago.Sure, we talk a lot about Rolex, but hardly a day goes by when someone doesnt message with questions about one of their models. New or old, theyre always on peoples minds. Recently, it seems people are turning their attention to modern models that were discontinued roughly ten years ago. The Rolex Submariner 16610 and the Sea-Dweller 16600 are two dive watches from the same period. Their differences are subtl [...]