Watches Blog Wrist Watch Reviews

Here at the Fratello offices, we get a lot of questions from you, our readers. Probably the most-asked questions are centered around the topic of what to buy for different budgets. The most popular budget question is what watch to buy for under 5,000 in different watch categories. That's why we decided to set up a small series of articles focusing on the best watches that you can buy within that budget. In this installment of the series, we will look at the best vintage-inspired dive watches available for under 5K. Let's see what stylish, historically inspired options the industry has to offer.As I mentioned in last weeks list, dive watches are by far the most popular watch genre nowadays. P [...]

Yachting enthusiasts enjoy the kinetic momentum of a boundless fuel. Wind never depletes or pollutes and only the waves crashing against the hull act as the background noise. Mechanical watches have the same ideology.For this weeks Pre-Owned Picks, I have selected three watches for life on the waves.All watches are pre-owned and picked from Chrono24. Every week we pick a few pre-owned watches from Chrono24, the largest market place for wristwatches in the world watches that we love ourselves, or think they will be interesting to you. So to be clear, we picked the watches, Chrono24 only send us the images without their watermark and in a proper resolution.Tissot Sailing T-TouchThe T-Touch ran [...]

Lets forget about the 60 international awards (and 7 world records) for the Octo Finissimo watches for a brief moment. Thats important, especially for marketing purposes, but, in the end, its the watch itself that counts. Today, we bring you the latest iteration of this new icon: the Octo Finissimo Perpetual Calendar.Bvlgaris Octo Finissimo has grown up to become emblematic of the brand in an incredibly short period. That is a true accomplishment, especially today in an era in which many brands claim to have an icon (some brands even going as far as to name their product line Aikon). But icons are special. Icons are not simply anointed as such by marketing execs drunk on wishful thinking. Th [...]

Fratello On Air returns with an episode where both hosts are finally in the same room. It took two years, but the dynamic duo is together again. Face to face reunited and it feels so good!That's right, Balazs and Mike are finally sitting in the same room, recording a podcast, and checking out watches. It's a fun show with a couple of reader questions and a look at a handful of watches from each host's collection. Enjoy a candid discussion between two friends who haven't seen each other in a while.Handgelenks KontrolleBefore moving on to the main topic, the two discuss the recent DOXA ArmyDOXA Army release. They both offer their thoughts on this limited edition, sold-out timepiece. Then, for [...]

It is no secret we love Grand Seiko here. Almost all of our editors have one, be it new or vintage. But are we open-minded enough to buy a Grand Seiko with quartz movement?In a recent article, we answered one of our reader's questions about spending a significant amount of money on an expensive watch with a quartz movement. The watch we have here today, is a Grand Seiko GMT SBGN005G with a caliber 9F quartz movement. A watch for the traveller that needs a precision piece with the ability of reading the time at a glance in other time zones. There are cheaper watches that offer this functionality of course, but those who appreciate craftsmanship, superb finish and a companion for life might be [...]

rOmega has released Apollo XI editions of the Speedmaster since 1969. The first was the famous gold Speedmaster Professional with a burgundy bezel, a massive gold dial with onyx markers, and a gold bracelet. Only 1,014 of these watches were produced. Of them, a number were presented to the Apollo astronauts, President Nixon, and a few more important people who played a role in NASAs space program.Again in 1980, Omega introduced a gold Speedmaster Professional Apollo XI. There were 320 numbered pieces in total, 20 of which were white gold. However, you could say that Omega made these Apollo XI limited editions a recurring event starting in 1989. That year marked the 20th anniversary of the Mo [...]

Fratello on Air is here and this episode is quite a bit different. Balazs and Mike enter into a game of two questions. Enjoy!Balazs and I are inquisitive folks. We acted on this trait with a very different type of show. Each of us came up with two questions for the other person. The rules? They were simple The question had to relate to watches in some way and neither of us could prep the other person ahead of time. The hypothetical looms large and your hosts had to think on their feet. We think youll enjoy this candid listen.Wrist check and the newsBefore hitting the main topic, we do a wrist check and then mention friend-of-the-show Jason Heatons new book. Depth Charge sounds like a rivetin [...]

The year isnt over yet, but Grand Seiko has been treating us very nicely so far with a number of beautiful watches. Just recently, during our Fratello a Grand Seiko Paris event, I came across a watch that definitely took the top position on my wishlist. To structure my thoughts a bit, I went through all the new Grand Seiko watches in 2021, and realized they actually have more cool offerings than is realistically good for me (and for my bank account).Grand Seiko started 2021 on the right foot with the SLGH005 White Birch model, which received a big cheer from the crowd. Recently, we saw two beautiful Grand Seiko limited editions for the European market popping up: the SBGW267 Asakage and the [...]

Ahoj, hodinky kolektory Its This Week in Watches for July 27, 2019.So, were now in full vacation season mode here in Europe.? That means crowded airports, perhaps time for boring DIY jobs, and other fun activities.? I suppose a lot of these holidays leave a lasting impression after their culmination.? But I was recently thinking back on last weekends Moon Landing 50th Anniversary.? For sure, the mission and the actual landing represented incredible milestones, but think about what came afterwards.? Can you imagine having blasted off to the moon, either walking on it or orbiting it (lets not forget Mr. Collins), and then returning to home?? Forgetting the quarantine period post-touchdown, thi [...]

It's 22 November 1963 and US President John F. Kennedy has just been assassinated by Lee Harvey Oswald during a motorcade in Dallas, Texas. Kennedy's Vice-President, Lyndon B. Johnson (more colloquially known LBJ), assumes the top job and brings the solid yellow-gold Rolex Day-Date that often adorns his wrist to a worldwide audience. LBJ is the first US president to wear the Rolex Day-Date and in doing so, inadvertently launched one of Rolex's most memorable brand associations.Three years after its debut on the wrist of LBJ, Rolex officially began advertising the Day-Date as The Presidents' Watch. The rest, as they say, is history.Since being worn by LBJ, the Day-Date has adorned the wrist o [...]

I love my gold Omega Speedmaster, but it took me quite some time to warm up to the idea of having a sports or tool watch in gold. The Omega Speedmaster was initially meant as a tool watch, for sportspeople and scientists. We all know the old advertisements with the racing car and the Speedmaster featured as a timing device. To make one of these watches in precious metal was then not such an obvious choice. However, hindsight is 20/20 and we now know that theres nothing quite as special as a Speedmaster in gold!Essentially, I still feel that a tool watch shouldn't be made of gold. Or, better said, a watch you will use as a tool watch. However, I also believe that a) you should buy and wear wh [...]

Marcus Hanke wrote a review/posting on the new Senator series, introduced at Basel 2005.About four years ago, Heinz W. Pfeifer, then president of Glash?otte Original, mentioned a new automatic movement, designated cal. 100, to be in development. Of course, this stirred some unrest among the fans of the brand, and many hesitated to purchase a watch with a movement that seemingly would be replaced within some months or so.However, the years passed by, and the cal. 100 remained unseen. We knew it would eventually come and replace the traditional GO standard movement, the cal. 39, but the exact date of its release was unclear.Finally, at the Basel fair 2005, Dr. Frank M?oller, now the man at the [...]

A 1984 Speedmaster Mark V Reference 376.0806Its Speedy Tuesday Today we have something quite special, an OMEGA Speedmaster Mark V from 1984. OMEGA introduced the Speedmaster Mark series in 1969 with the Mark II and it lasted till the Mark V (1984). The OMEGA Speedmaster Professional (either 145.022 or as we know it now 3570.50) was always available as well during these 25 years.Chris L from Manila sent us some pictures of his Speedmaster Mark V, that is in his collection since 2006. A time piece that is hard to get (there is currently only 1 for sale on Chrono24) for Speedmaster enthusiasts. Although most of the Mark series are very well documented on the legendary Chuck Maddox website, we [...]

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.This week we will be looking at some of the best Heuer watches from the 1960s. Its a world of some of the most iconic chronographs we know. Its what made Heuer one of the most important brands of the decade.In the 1960s, we witnessed developments that challenged the status quo of watch design forever. While the 1950s introduced the sports watches next to the dressier timep [...]

If you've read my first-ever story on Fratello, you already know this by now. But in the first two years of my collecting journey, I was on the run. Im not sure what I was running from exactly, but I was buying watches fast. And when you go fast, you don't always make the best decisions. That's how I ended up with a 1974 Rolex Datejust. It was a 1603 with a beautiful blue pie-pan dial and pretty yellow tritium lume pips. But it was also attached to a very worn-out Jubilee bracelet. To cut a long story short, it didn't give me the butterflies when I was wearing it, so I ended up selling it after a few months.?That Rolex Datejust was supposed to be the star of my collection at that moment. Its [...]

Longines simply can't make a bad Heritage watch.Out of all the Swatch Group brands, Longines is the one company that nails their vintage reeditions 99% of the time. They are also doing it with a very small but talented design team in house. I should know, I've met them in Basel last year (thank you Swatch Group Germany!). For many years now the Longines Heritage models are the favorites of the press (first) and the enthusiasts (as soon as the pieces hit the stores). This was exactly the case last year when during this aforementioned visit the guys showed me not only one but two future-Heritage watches. The first was the Military Pilot, which I reviewed in March. The second was this cool piec [...]

Its fair to say the Hamilton Intra-Matic gets a lot of airtime on Fratello, but with good reason. Since its (re)release, it has been one of the most praised watches in its segment. Earlier today, we broke the release of the Intra-Matic Chronograph with a green dial. It was an olivine stunner that wowed the team, but what I have for you this evening might top even that Proving that less is sometimes more is the newly-released Hamilton Intra-Matic H chronograph.Upon first glance, you might not be able to tell exactly whats new about the H variant of Hamiltons now-famous Intra-Matic, but the differences are quite significant. Majorly, this watch is hand-wound. And while that is certainly the bi [...]

I am so looking forward to this. The Fratelli, long regarded as THE GREATEST collection of watch fans on the internet, have stormed the castle. Theyre pitching tents in the courtyard. One of thems even brought a paddling pool Thats right, in our quest to find the best summer watch of all, its time for the Summer Splash Wild Card Round, courtesy of well YOU!So where to start? This idea for a Wild Card round resulted in one of the most intense editing periods of my life. I went through every Summer Splash article and tried to pull every watch mentioned into the mix. As such, Ive had to split the Wild Card round into THREE separate heats, which will culminate in a FOURTH article dubbed the Wild [...]

A few weeks ago, we asked you to share your Speedmaster story with us, and with the Speedmaster community. Besides admiring other peoples Speedmaster watches, its the stories that make the watches truly special.The cool thing about Speedmasters is that theres often a very nice story behind the reason for buying them. People tend to purchase Speedmasters for a specific and special reason. These vary. For example, maybe you joined the Speedy club because of your connection or association with the space program? Perhaps your first Speedy was a gift, an heirloom, or a blind trade? We are interested in hearing and reading these stories. And we bet you are too For this weeks installment of Speedy [...]

Speedmaster Professional SnoopyIts Speedy Tuesday This week we received one of our favorite modern Speedmaster Professional editions from one of our readers, the Speedmaster Professional Snoopy.The Speedmaster Professional Snoopy pictures have been submitted by Daniel Justin Teo. He is an enthusiastic follower of our Speedy Tuesday topic and lives in Singapore. While growing up, Daniel Justin Teo writes us, Snoopy was one of his favorite characters. This, and the Eyes on the Stars being his personal slogan, makes the OMEGA Speedmaster Professional Snoopy his favorite daily timepiece. Besides OMEGA, Daniel Justin also collects Jaeger-LeCoultre watches.OMEGA Speedmaster Professional Snoopy 357 [...]