Watches Blog Wrist Watch Reviews

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 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. After last weeks battle of sophistication vs. opulence, the Omega Aqua Terra beat the Rolex Yacht-Master in the end. This week the Breitling Chronomat 42 B01 battles the Tudor Black Bay Chrono SG for a showdown of the B01 movement.Last week looked like it was going to be a tight battle until the finish lin [...]

I love a good auction. They used to scare the heck out of me when I first got into watch collecting. But now I swear by them as great access points for all collectors. If youre just starting out you can always find the odd bargain. Sure, it may go for a low price because no one else likes it, but who knows? It could be the next big thing For established collectors, auctions present an opportunity to acquire the holy grails of our industry. At 9 pm (UTC+1) October 1st, Veritas Art Auctioneers (based in Lisbon, Portugal) is hosting a very interesting event: Auction 100: Watches.Between September 25th and September 30th, from 10 am C8 pm daily, youll be able to view the rather vast catalog deta [...]

Oris introduces you to their Big Crown ProPilot Calibre 111 with blue dial. Most interesting about this watch is the in-house caliber 111 movement that is being used. This hand-wound movement was introduced a couple of years ago, and now also available in the Big Crown ProPilot watch. In their Big Crown ProPilot collection, you will find a variety of models (with different complications), but this is the only reference with an in-house movement. Normally, Oris core collections use third party movements (from Sellita for example) to keep their watch affordable and in a certain price bracket. The Oris Big Crown ProPilot Calibre 111 starts at 5,200 CHF (up to 5,500 CHF for the watch on a croco [...]

Make no bones about it; the Seiko Spring Drive Tuna is the most over the top watch I own. Strike that, mine is even zanier because it's the limited edition Spring Drive Golden Tuna. Yes, I know that this article publishes on a Thursday, which means it's TBT and vintage, but I'll bend the rules big time I suppose because I will review a watch that isn't vintage but it has been out of production for roughly three years. You see, I have a soft spot for the big brand from Japan and, therefore, I'll invoke some license to talk about a seriously different watch.The official release photo of the Golden Seiko Spring Drive Tuna from 2013 (photo credit: Seiko)The Birth of the Seiko Spring Drive T [...]

When Omega introduced their Speedmaster Automatic 376.0822 in 1987, they never guessed it would be nicknamed The Holy Grail by Speedmaster collectors and fetch prices between 20.000 and 30.000 Euro.We wrote an article on the Speedmaster Holy Grail last year, with an explanation of mainly the technicalities of this watch. The production number (believed to be 2000 pieces), production years (1987 and 1988), and how it was initially being delivered (which bezel, dial, hands, bracelet, etc.). If you are looking for that, please read this article, as it covers the extensive research done by the authors of Moonwatch Only as well as the author of OmegaHolyGrail.com.But what makes the Speedmaster Ho [...]

Watch fanatics will instantly recognize this slogan. Perhaps, even their significant others will do too. Patek Philippe, considered to be the best watch brand, uses this slogan since 1996. Besides this campaign, Patek Philippe also has separate one for women which started in 1999 for their 24 collection and was refined in 2006.As more than ten years after it was first presented, the ?e??? ?Generations?e???�� campaign enjoys continued and unprecedented success. Only a few theme campaigns of such longevity exist. According to Tim Delaney, the Chairman of Leagas Delaney and the creative mind behind the campaign, this timelessness originates primarily from its central message: ?e??? ?Patek Phili [...]

As soon as you buy (or collect) a few nice timepieces, make sure to store them safely to protect them for dust, moisture, children, hungry pets etc. The best way to store your watches would be in a safe, so make sure you pick a watch box that will fit your safe or the safe you have in the bank.One of my favorite on-line accessory shops, watch-winder.co.uk, sells a few great watch boxes. I have ordered some watch winders from them before, but never a suitable watch box. Their black piano finish watch box with this orange effect for holding 8 timepieces was the way to go for me. The compartments are 35mm wide, which means every strap or bracelet will fit on the pillows. Since I have a collecti [...]

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. After a short break for March Mania, were back with todays candidates. Each contender revives a cooky layout from its past in a modern guise. The Breitling Top Time and Zenith Chronomaster El Primero A385. Which revival riles you up?Dont adjust your television set. You are indeed looking at two brand new [...]

A white gold case, a gray dial with day, date, and month indicators, and the added bonus of a moonphase give the Vacheron Constantin Traditionnelle Complete Calendar its name. Traditional in its layout and fashionable in its dial color slate gray is the new black this white gold Vacheron appears both complicated and understated.Let's talk calendars before going deeper into the Vacheron Constantin Traditionnelle Complete Calendar (41,200). There are watches out there with simple, double, triple, full, complete, annual, semi-, and fully perpetual calendars. Sometimes, the differences are purely semantic. Most of the time, however, the functions are different. So, it all starts with the simpl [...]

Magnetism, it is actually one of mechanical movements biggest enemies. That, and dropping your watch on the tiles in the bathroom. Numerous brands have tried to take precautions and some of them took it to another level. Were sure you know about the IWC Ingenieur and the Rolex Milgauss. The latter one even has this lightning-shaped second hand to indicate its very very anti-magnetic.Perhaps you havent heard about the Railmaster before. Or perhaps you did, but didnt link it to anti-magnetic watches. However, the first Railmaster that was introduced in 1957 had a double case to prevent it from being influenced by magnetic fields. Especially designed for scientists, technicians and other people [...]

Paneristi rejoice The Italian brand has released its latest watch, the Luminor Marina 44mm Guillaume N ry Edition PAM1122. The PAM1122 celebrates the 70th anniversary of the birth of Luminor, a patented tritium-based substance with luminescent properties. It is also a tribute to freediver and Brand Ambassador Guillaume N ry.Forming an important part of dive watch history, Panerai has done some exciting things with the Luminor Marina. The PAM1122 was developed by the Panerai Laboratorio di Idee, using DMLS (Direct Metal Laser Sintering) technology, which shapes the titanium case using a 3D printing process. The finished product takes on a cool granulated texture.hands-on takeaways of the tech [...]

Whats the first to say about a Top-5 list of vintage chronographs? That there are too many to choose from. I have to say that compiling this list and seeing the watches together did open my eyes to some of my preferences. The most important? All of these chronographs have a strong link to the 1960s and have their roots within a decade of each other. I never considered myself a 1960s chronograph guy, but now its hard to deny thats exactly what I am. So lets check out my Top-5 Vintage Chronographs and see if you are too.The fact that these watches are all from the same period in time is not the only thing that links them. As they are all from the same era, you can see a connection in some of t [...]

Last week we wrote a detailed hands-on article about the new Omega Speedmaster Master Chronometer in Sedna gold. This week, were bringing you a video in which Karina and I talk about the Speedmaster Sedna versus the Daytona Everose.In this new video, were presenting the Speedmaster Professional Master Chronometer in Sedna gold, Omegas own rose gold alloy. Instead of silver, the brand uses use a specific amount of palladium in the composition. This ensures an enduring rose gold color. Rolex has a similar alloy for its rose gold watches, and calls it Everose. We compare the Speedmaster Sedna and the Daytona Everose and tell you why we think the Speedmaster is a better pick.Speedmaster Sedna ve [...]

Here are our Top 5 coolest watches for the 2019 beach season.If you are one of those guys who has designated watches for different occasions and places, chances are you probably have a beach/holiday watch. For some, a holiday watch is the same as a beater. A timepiece you can wear carelessly whether you are doing some work around the house, messing with your car in the garage or playing in the pool with the kids. Others wear one watch all day, every day. A Rolex Submariner, an Omega Seamaste perhaps a Seiko Turtle or whatever else. Again others and I'm also one of these guys, have watches for different occasions; dress watch for the suit and tie, bigger sports watches for the jeans and t-shi [...]

We all like the three, differently colored sub-dials on a Zenith chronograph, don't we? It's a distinct look for sure. And it stands for something; it clearly says In know my chronographs. But that connoisseur-approved look can also be very present. What if you want something a bit more understated. The distinguished Zenith El Primero 36,000vph Chronograph 42mm with its black dial could just be the chronograph for you.I don't want to step on anyone's toes so I'm not going to make a ranking based on qualities, but I think the unofficial chronograph Top 3 must include the Rolex Daytona, the Omega Speedmaster, and a Zenith El Primero-powered model. But which El Primero? Is it going to be the El [...]

In 2021, Omega updated the iconic Speedmaster Professional Moonwatch with the caliber 3861 movement. A very good reason to update our Speedmaster Buyers Guide as well!This guide dates all the way back to 2014, and since then, a lot happened. Not only did we have our own way with Omega and the two Speedmaster Speedy Tuesday watches (in 2017 and 2018), Omega also introduced a number of interesting Speedmaster watches to the collection. What about the Speedmaster Calibre 321 from 2020, or the new Moonwatch Master Chronometer models in gold? Time for us to update this Speedmaster Buyers Guide.In this Speedmaster Buyers Guide, we give you an overview of the most important references of the Speedm [...]

It's been a pretty good year for me so far. From all angles. Im still fit and healthy, I started at Fratello earlier this year, and the world seems to finally be opening up too. I also saw some pretty nice watches swing by the office. More than five, actually, but I had to narrow it down. I went for the watches that I thought looked best, both in my hand and on my wrist, without looking at the price. This list will serve as a look back at my favorite releases of the year so far, in anticipation of what we will see cropping up during Geneva Watch Days.Tudor Black Bay CeramicYou might have already read or seen that at first, I wasn't all that impressed by the Tudor Black Bay Ceramic. My first [...]

Here you go, our hands-on review of the new Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch Master Chronometer.Everything you need to know about the Speedmaster can be also found in this article on Fratello. We also covered the new Moonwatch in our recent podcast, here. [...]

Since Omega started making in-house movements (again), you could say that they stepped up a bit on the horological ladder. Their Hour Vision is a very interesting watch, not only because the caliber 8500 movement, but also because of the classic case design that resembles their 1960s models. Furthermore, their Hour Vision has this nice sapphire centre part in the watch case, enabling you to look at the movement when wearing the watch.I just noticed that there is one for sale via one of the Dutch watch forums (DeZinVanLuxe) and Chrono24 for just over 2500 euro. The sellers asks more through Chrono24, but that gives you some room to bargain, I guess. Perhaps because the local (Dutch) forum see [...]

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 todays showdown, our writers get wet n wild with hefty professional divers. With such a mass of metal, you could even confuse them for diving bells. The Omega Seamaster Ploprof 1200M takes on the Grand Seiko SBGH257.I dont know about you, but last weeks Showdown was a blast. The writers wave their [...]