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What is the meaning of life? Is there a god? When will I finally get the call from my Rolex AD about that steel sports model? These are questions that (for the most part) have puzzled humans for centuries. For millennia eons even Some will spend a lifetime consulting gurus, traveling the world, or even analyzing every single subreddit under the sun to uncover the answers. Others, however, seem like they were effortlessly handed the knowledge. Like a salt shaker at the dinner table. More often than not, though, the latter folk have simply been fortunate enough to learn from the best teacher one could ask for Experience.Learning by doing, learning by failing, learning by living. It is these me [...]
Some time ago, Bas van Dorp and I both decided we needed a Lemania 5100 watch. I bought a Sinn 142 St.S at Horloge Platform Nederland in The Hague and Bas ordered a Sinn EZM1. His one was on order, and since the run on the last watches with Lemania 5100 was enormous, he had to wait a bit longer. Last week his watch arrived and here you can read his review on his EZM1.About two years ago, I read that Lemania would end the production of thecal. 5100. The horror The guys who came up with this idea will be thefirst against the wall when the revolution comes, that's for sure. Sinn,among others, would still be producing watches with this movement, usingthe remaining stock. I was still happy wearin [...]
Theres always been a bit of hostility between smartwatches and watch aficionados.? And yet, although I call myself a watch lover, I dont experience this negative feeling. And so it wasnt too much of an effort to wear the TAG Heuer Connected for a few weeks daily. Mostly, I enjoyed using it as a regular watch and as a stopwatch for cooking purposes. But using it as an activity tracker as well, and as a notification center was an interesting experience. Id like to share my thoughts on that below.Who would have thought that the TAG Heuer connected would have made it to its 3rd generation? TAG Heuer first tested the water in 2015, becoming one of the first major luxury brands to dive into this n [...]
Speedmaster Broad Arrow or Speedmaster Professional?Its Speedy Tuesday Dont let the broad arrow hands fool you Often confused with the Speedmaster Broad Arrow, this Moonphase model is definitely part of the Speedmaster Professional collection. This Speedmaster Professional Moonphase is based on the Speedmaster 57 re-edition ref.?3894.50.37 that was introduced in 1997/1998. It was in production from 1999 till 2003 and has the famous hand-wound Lemania based caliber 1866 movement. This is a modified version of the caliber 1861 movement, that can be found in the current line-up of Speedmaster Professional Moonwatch timepieces.This Speedmaster Professional Moon Phase ref. 3575.20 clearly has Pro [...]
During the summer period I find myself wearing watches with white or light dials more often than in other seasons. Some time ago I bought a 1998 Rolex Explorer II with a white tritium dial. It was in adequately used condition, so I decided to have it serviced at Rolex in Geneva first. Got it back in far better condition than I hoped for, and subsequently never took it out of the protective plastic to wear it.Rolex Explorer II Reference 16570The 1998 Rolex Explorer-II with white tritium dial, reference 16570Important For Cave ExplorersSome history. The first Rolex Explorer II saw the light only in 1971 (heres our in-depth review of one). It was an enhancement to the regular Explorer which was [...]
Welcome, one and all, to the first round proper of March Mania 2021, here on Fratello. Are you a watch maniac like we are? If so, youre sure to love our month-long feature. 96 watches reviewed last year line up for a battle royale like nothing thats gone before. We need your votes. We want your comments. Help us decide the champion and share in its glory Let the games commenceIn this first round proper, your task is a bit different from your task in the preliminaries. Below you will find the eight remaining timepieces of each of our Fratello competitors in four head-to-head contests of two timepieces. The seedings in the preliminaries dictate the match-ups. So its number 1 vs. number 8, numb [...]
Omega ConstellationYou probably know me best for being an avid Speedmaster fan and collector. But my passion for watches started actually with the Omega Constellation. I wrote about this in-depth when I did a write up on the Sedna gold version of the Omega Globemaster. Anyway, the Globemaster is part of the Constellation family. The Globemaster has a history with the old Constellation watches. In the past, there used to be a legal issue with the name Constellation in the USA, so Omega used Globemaster instead. This was only for a short period though, and only few of those watches are around.Omega Globemaster ReviewEven though the in-depth Omega Globemaster review as pointed out above contain [...]
Like many of us, I had anticipated new additions to the Oris ProPilot X range for a while. Before this, there had only been a single model in this collection since its inception in 2019. Well, OK, if you count both the titanium bracelet option and the leather strap, there were two. That all changed with the new ProPilot X Calibre 400. However, this trio of new models was probably not what anyone expected. The ProPilot X Calibre 400 receives three dial variants in 39mm titanium cases. With Calibre 400, the ProPilot X goes automatic with a date function at 6 o'clock. Let's dive in and dissect what else this non-limited edition brings to the fray.Before I get into it, I am interested in underst [...]
It seems that every Monday, visitors of the German Rolex Forum (www.r-l-x.de) who are fortunate enough to own a Rolex Oyster Day-Date, should post a picture of their precious time piece. In the meanwhile, Monday has been replaced by every day. Although it is not an everyday watch of course.Although the original Day-Date is only 36mm in diameter, I still prefer it over a Day-Date II (which is 41mm). To me, the Day-Date is the classic wrist watch in precious metal (available in gold or platinum) that you cant go wrong with.Enjoy some of the Day-Date photos sent in by visitors of R-L-X.Photo by HannesPhoto by Savoy TrufflePhoto by KurtPhoto by KurtPhoto by RO.lexThe Day-Date models were introdu [...]
Welcome back to another installment of How Watches Work. Today, well be discussing automatic watches. Well take a look at not only what they are, but also how they came to be, how they work, and what different types there are. Whether youre new to watches, a veteran collector, or simply a curious enthusiast, there will no doubt be something in this article that will help you better understand these miraculous ticking machines we love so much. So prepare yourselves, were about to jump in.To get our first question out of the way, an automatic watch is a mechanical watch that winds itself through the users movement. Being a mechanical watch, an automatic watch does not use a battery. Instead, t [...]
Greetings and my apologies for the late publishing of This Week in Watches. I've essentially been on the road since last week's article, but I've kept an eye on events. Let's get to it heres your dose of TWIWHodinkees 10th Anniversary (image credit: hodinkee.com)Hodinkee 10We'd be remiss if we failed to congratulate the fine folks over at Hodinkee on their 10th anniversary. The brand's impact, via the leadership of Ben Clymer, on the watch hobby as we know it can't be underestimated. They continue to evolve, by trying different things, while employing some great writers many of whom are friends of ours. Personally speaking, I remember Hodinkee from the get-go and it was a real game change [...]
Welcome to Wrist Game or Crying Shame, where you get to choose if a watch meets your individual high and mighty criteria.? This week, weve got a real humdinger in the Hublot MDM 1810.1 Chronograph, but firstFolks, youre too easy!? I put a somewhat controversial Rolex up there with the Datejust Tuxedo Dial and despite some seriously negative comments about how lazy this watch looks, it cruised to a 64% Wrist Game win!? It seems that Rolex can do no wrong with the masses.? But Rolex does make some highly polarizing pieces and Im talking about the bejeweled oddities that are often a plague to the Daytona model.? Well made?? Sure.? Ugly?? About 99% of the time and yet, we are treated to ongoing [...]
Speedmaster Lunar DustIts Speedy Tuesday What else would youve expected us to write about than the new Speedmaster Lunar Dust? The brother (or fratello?) of the Speedmaster Dark Side of the Moon that was introduced last year during BaselWorld came a bit as a surprise, but what a pleasant surprise it is!First of all wed like to stress that this Speedmaster Co-Axial Caliber 9300 Lunar Dust (reference 311.93.44.51.99.01) model wont be on the market before end of this year. Both the newly introduced Speedmaster Lunar Dust watch and the new Speedmaster Professional X-33 are not on the Baselworld 2014 novelties page of the Omega website yet, as they were probably just finished in time to present t [...]
As youve probably read by now, Rolex introduced this new version of the Yachtmaster (we did an overview on this relatively young Rolex collection a while ago). While I wasnt really overwhelmed during Baselworld this year, Rolex as always did create three neckbreakers for their 2015 collection. I am talking about their new line-up for 39mm Oyster Perpetual watches, the new Day-Date 40mm collection and this Rolex Yachtmaster ref.11655 in Everose gold with its new Oysterflex bracelet.Ive had a 2004 Rolex Yachtmaster in my personal collection at some point, which I really cherished as well, but somehow became the victim of one of those up-trading swaps for another watch. I know how much some h [...]
Back in 2011, Jaeger-LeCoultre introduced the Tribute to 1931 collection of Reverso models. Watches with the same dimensions as the very first Reverso models (without the brand name on the dial). In the meanwhile, Jaeger-LeCoultre has been introducing a number of models in this Tribute range. This year, it was time for the Reverso Tribute Moon watch. Lets have a closer look.Reverso Tribute Moon 3958420The Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Tribute Moon is based on the Tribute to 1931. The watch is slightly thicker of course, due to the complicated movement. Where the original Tribute to 1931 had a two hands manual wound movement which enabled the Le Sentier manufacture to use a case that was only 7.2m [...]
As a watch enthusiast, watches have always been my weakness. Indeed, my Omega collection could map the story of my adult life. Well, you're probably wondering if Omega was, in fact, the choice of my adolescence. Well, yes and no. I wore Baby-G to my primary and secondary school. As a student, I couldn't afford a crazily expensive timepiece so I happily made do with my first Constellation that I got when I was a kid. At that time, despite my love for Constellation, I wasn't even thinking that watches could actually become a thing for me. As you can imagine, there was not a single article to be found on The Top X Womens Watches under 1,000. Also the discussions on women's watches were really o [...]
As we head well into the race stint, the competition heats up. Twenty-four watches have DNFd from The Fast And The Fratelli. The final eight prove themselves worthy of the best racing chronograph watches of the past ten years. But there can be only one winner. The winning watch may even be amongst the choices today. From Bens side of the grid is the Rolex Daytona reference 116520. On RJs side is the Omega Speedmaster Calibre 321. This is the titanic battle of iconic chronographs we were hoping to have But we wouldnt have gotten there without your votes and voices of encouragement. You now hold the power to select the best racing chronograph. And by commenting, you have the chance to win a Tr [...]
Watch AmbassadorsOnly yesterday, during a press event from a?watch brand, the topic of watch ambassadors and red carpet brands was being discussed with a colleague watch journalist. Here on Fratello, we touched the subject before (click here for my rant on watch brand ambassadors) so there is no need to do that again. Instead, lets have a look at the real watch ambassadors. People who endorsed a watch that were not on the payroll of a watch brand. People who made a watch famous even, without knowing it themselves. Or realizing which impact they would have on the watch (brand).Steve McQueen RolexAlthough Steve McQueen endorsed the Heuer Monaco during the movie Le Mans, he didnt pick it himse [...]
Almost a month ago, I told you about the upcoming Moonwatch Only 2nd edition (60 years of Omega Speedmaster). During the annual trade show in Basel, I received a signed copy of this 2nd edition of what I quoted as this book sets a new standard in 2014. Lets have a look at this Moonwatch Only 2nd edition book.Moonwatch Only 2nd Edition BookThat said, I can keep this review short and just say that the best book just got better. However, that wouldnt do justice to the book and doesnt answer the question why you should upgrade from the first edition (here is my review of Moonwatch Only first edition).The image above was taken during the book presentation at BaselWorld, a few weeks ago. On the le [...]
For whatever reason, the Rolex Datejust glides past almost invisibly. Perhaps the reason is that it's so ubiquitous. Or is it overshadowed by its catalog mates with more tool-like intentions? Whatever the reason, this watch is a standard and deserves a bit more credit.Yawn, another Rolex Datejust. They're truly everywhere and if you're not seeing an actual example, someone is probably wearing some sort of imitation. The watch has been such a go-to choice for white-collared professionals that it has caused so many other brands to release a copycat or a nearly dead-on competitor over the past 30 to 40 years. As watch enthusiasts, we tend to focus on the sportier models from the brand, but the [...]
