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Watches – News, Reviews, Brands and Releases
Its Speedy Tuesday As you might have seen in our Speedy Tuesday Event report, Omega brought the original gold commemorative Speedmaster Professional BA 145.022 with them that belonged to astronaut Thomas Kenneth Ken Mattingly II. This Tuesday we discuss his gold Speedy that he and other astronauts received as a gift from Omega. Only 1014 of these Speedmasters have been made and even fewer were of course particularly for astronauts and other VIPs and have a slightly different engraving then the public models.?Thomas Kenneth Ken MattinglyKen Mattingly worked for NASA from 1966 to 1985 and flew on NASA missions Apollo 16, STS-4 (Space Shuttle) and STS-51-C (Space Shuttle).?However, perhaps [...]
As the western world watches and waits for a result from the US election, the Land of the Rising Sun seems ever more removed from the tumult were seeing on our side of the map. Although Japanese politics is also undergoing a transition following the resignation of long-serving premier Shinzo Abe, his successor, Yoshihide Suga, served in the same government and promises and somewhat smoother transition than we might be about to witness stateside.Thankfully, Fratello is not a place to analyze or pass comment on such grandiose matters. Here all are welcome. We are connected by our love of watches. And in an unpredictable year, one thing has remained constant: Japanese companies are killing it o [...]
This is not an elegant dress chronograph, this is a bruiser of a tool watch and likely will not fit under anyones shirt cuff unless you have a wrist the size of Michael Jacksons and are wearing Arnold Schwartzeneggers shirt. Chuck Maddox (27th of May, 2003)Photograph by Chuck MaddoxA few weeks ago I was in New York City and met with Bill Sohne (collector of fine time pieces and moderator of the Omega forum of PuristsPro) for a coffee and a small chat about watches. We discussed a lot of watches, including this Omega Seamaster Professional Chronograph in titanium (ref.2298.80) he bought, also known as the SeMPC Ti. Bill told me that during his long friendship with the legendary Chuck Maddox, [...]
Heuer or TAG Heuer only got limited attention here at Fratellowatches, but thats going to change today. Recently, I had the opportunity to see the Heuer 300 SLR and TAG Heuer Carrera Caliber 1887 in the flesh and handled both of them. The Heuer 300 SLR is a chronograph to my liking, the column wheel in-house chronograph (although some voices whisper Seiko when discussing this movement) is a very straight-forward but impressive movement. The sleek case design with its elegant lugs and chronograph pushers and the brown dial with orange details make this 300SLR a great tribute to 1960s chronograph watches. Also, true Heuer fans will be excited that this watch has no sign of the TAG logo, its [...]
Chronoswiss Sirius ArtistWe covered Chronoswiss last year and mentioned that we sort of lost a bit of track' with the brand. They happily surprised us with their collection of watches and we've been watching them ever since (again). With a brief explanation of the Chronoswiss history in our previous article let's have a look at their new watch collection. Chronoswiss basically has two collections. The Chronoswiss Timemaster being the sporty collection and Sirius the classic collection. Both collections consist of various models and the classic, with 20 variations up to this date, is most extensive one.The Artist watches are part of their classic Sirius collection. Introduced in 2013, this ex [...]
In what has been a crazy time, there is something I think we can all agree on: the watch industry has surprised us with some unexpected releases. Cartier has occupied itself with reintroducing Must de Cartier. However, if you were expecting the old gold-plated design you might be disappointed. If youd been hoping the Must would get a modern update, however, I imagine youll be thrilled. The new Cartier Tank Must has many faces and the basic model stands far away from the vintage model. This is something really new in a very familiar package. It seems, at first glance, to be the perfect combo. But is it?Cartier's most iconic lineGiven that the Cartier Tank line is the brands most iconic, it's [...]
Theres nothing quite like getting a new watch, correct? Visiting a boutique, having a glass of champagne, and enjoying some white-glove service is a real perk. For some of us, though, buying an older watch is just as exciting. These days, buying a new Rolex borders on the nearly impossible. If the gray market isnt your thing, that leaves vintage Rolex as an option. It sounds funny because vintage was always more expensive. Those tables have turned, though, but is a vintage Rolex a good substitute for a new model? Lets discussBefore my fun experience with Swiss customs, Id routinely travel with a few watches on longer trips. I liked switching things up and tried to bring pieces to match the a [...]
Its This Week in Watches for November 16, 2019 lets do this!Before we get into the new watch news of This Week in Watches, Ill spend a few minutes talking about some observations over the last week.? Last weekend was auction weekend in Geneva with the Only Watch charity event occurring.? If my math is right, the Patek Grandmaster Flash Chime helped raise roughly 82% of the proceeds for charity when it sold for a whopping 31M CHF.? Im really happy for the charity, but if Im being open and honest, that was one unattractive watch.? Still, congrats to the owner and the charity.? Next up were all the individual auctions held by the usual suspects.? This year felt a bit normal as there werent any [...]
Rolex case backs invoke both recognition and frustration. Why? They are austere and blank. Or perhaps theyre gloriously-finished masterpieces? Well, maybe not, but I sincerely feel that for the price they are too plain. I do enjoy cool minimalist tool watches and lately, and have had a love affair with a Seiko SLA023. But even its tool-tastic monobloc case has an engraving. Isn't that half the charm of turning a watch around after becoming lost in the dial? Me, I am a dyed-in-the-wool dial addict, but the back is equally exciting. Whether its a wide sapphire crystal offering a lesson in micro-mechanics or even just a stamped-logo steel lid. But come on, even microbrands can have deep-engrave [...]
The new Bell Ross BR 03-92 GREY LUM is the latest addition to the brand's Instruments line.Bell Ross has three major model families, Vintage, Experimental, and Instrument. The latter is arguably one of BR's most iconic model families. Within that, the BR? 03 group is also the largest with 27 timepieces. From steel to PVD, two-tone, and even ceramic one can choose from many different looks as well as complications. The BR 03 line contains simple time-only pieces as well as watches with power reserve indicators, GMTs, and ever-popular chronograph complications. The BR 03-92 GREY LUM is coming to this line with its simple yet unmistakably Bell Ross design. Great size, clean lines, and insane [...]
The legendary Omega Seamaster PloProf has been deservedly praised by many collectors. However, a lot of the information that was published up till now has been wrong. A number of collectors have now set the record straight, with the help of Omegas?International Brand Heritage Manager Petros Protopapas and his team. Not only that, the authors have performed deep research by going through Omegas archives themselves as well as collecting and analyzing material from other watch collectors. This doesnt necessarily mean you can toss away the book on the Ploprof by Jon Wallis, but it surely is important to acknowledge that some of the information in there is outdated now.54mm in width, 45mm in leng [...]
Imagine your average Saturday afternoon. Add a group of around 40 people (oh yes, all men), together in a private section of a restaurant. Theres an open bar, snacks come and go, and there are a lot I mean A LOT of watches. It doesn't sound all that complicated, and it really isn't. But it sure makes for a seriously fun afternoon Yes, Fratelli, watch get-together season is here, and ready to wipe away those lingering pandemic blues!Since I got into watches around two years ago, I've only visited two other physical events like the one last weekend in Enschede, Netherlands. The first one was last November with roughly the same group of people. I didn't really know what to expect, but I got inv [...]
Tom Mulraney, of The Watch Lounge website, makes it very easy for you to win this RED8 wrist watch by Christian Bedat. With the RED8, Bedat Co created something entirely different from their normal collection of watches. I actually like the RED8, because it is a fresh looking design with a self-winding eco-quartz movement, as we know it from the Omega Seamaster QMatic (the watch is powered by a capacitor that is charged by a spinning rotor). This would make a nice watch suitable for sports, big crown, large dial and hands.Anyway, the only thing you need to do is go to Toms website and follow the instructions. You either have to sign-up for his Twitter feed or sign-up for his newsletter. Bes [...]
Grand Seiko brightens up our morning by introducing no less than 4 new references in their Elegance collection. Not only do they come up with a new hand-wound movement (caliber 9S63), they also introduce you to their new 39mm case design.Lets have a closer look.Grand Seiko Elegance Hand-WoundThis news hit us early this morning (4:20am local time). A new movement is a big thing, as always, and especially when it was already 8 years ago since the last hand-wound Grand Seiko movement was introduced. Today, Grand Seiko unveils their caliber 9S63 movement. A movement with a small seconds hand at 9 oclock and a power reserve indicator at 3 oclock. The new Grand Seiko Elegance watches with this cal [...]
Welcome back to This Week in Watches for July 18, 2020 the Colors Edition. Weve got some nice shades for you today, so lets take a look at the palette.Panerai Luminor Blu Mare 44mmNow, blue has been one of the hottest colors for the last five years or so and theres no stopping it. Proof positive is the new Panerai Luminor Blu Mare in 44mm. This stainless piece reminds us of the Luminor models from the late 1990s and damn is it hot. Check out that angled case, applied numerals, and OP symbol and youre transported back to a great era for Panerai. The blue dial looks perfect and it matches the blue leather and additional rubber strap. The caliber 6000 works away inside and, yes, you have to win [...]
A while ago, I wrote an article about my Top 3 favorite world timer watches (click here). Ever since I first saw the Nomos Zurich Weltzeit watch at the SalonQP in London last year, I was waiting for it to finally arrive, to see whether it would get a spot in the Top 3 of my favorite world timer watches.The version I had in my hands in London was a prototype or at least a version that was subject to a few changes, but it worked perfectly and was easy to adjust.Luckily, with the new Zurich line-up and Tangomat GMT watches, Nomos decided to enlarge their watches to 39-40mm. This way I could properly give them a try, as the inital Nomos models were way too small for me. A few weeks ago, I was ab [...]
Yes, you read that title correctly. And its true. This piece of woven polyamide with Omega-stamped hardware is more expensive than a MoonSwatch. I must remind you the Omega a Swatch Speedmaster MoonSwatch is a fully functional Swiss-made quartz chronograph with a bioceramic case, Hesalite crystal, Velcro strap, and surprisingly crisp dial. Judging by these two purchases, I am seemingly getting much more bang-for-buck with my MoonSwatch. Yet I appreciate both items dearly for what they offer. The Omega strap in question is the 21mm SPECTRE NATO, which mimics the early James Bond strap with five distinct stripes. This particular strap has gray on two inner lines with a black center and black o [...]
The year 2020 has been tough on James Bond fans. It was a tough pill to swallow when No Time To Die was postponed for a second time. Like so many, I was more than ready to see Daniel Craig in action one last time as 007. And just when you thought things could not get any worse, the news came in on the 1st of November that Sean Connery passed away at age 90. The Scottish actor was the first and, to many, the best James Bond. In the light of Connerys passing, we decided to create a list of our 7 favorite Bond watches.Discussing a list of Bond watches is as much fun as it is incomplete. Sure, you could cough up all the watches we have seen in 25 official Bond films, but that would not start a d [...]
This article was supposed to start off as a like-for-like comparison piece between the the unlikely foes, Urwerk and Rolex. Rob tasked me with going to town and making a crazy comparison between two totally different brands, occupying two totally different market sectors. I am always up for a challenge (unless it involves running I hate running), but I hit a blank as I sat down to write this.I mean, sure, I could compare the market spaces that?Urwerk and Rolex occupy, the construction materials, their respective histories, or maybe even the mass production versus the small batch production. There is technically plenty that could be said, but it just didnt feel right. Im sure Ill get some hat [...]
