Watches Blog Wrist Watch Reviews

I'm always a bit ashamed when people ask me what movement is inside my own Cartier Santos Galb e XL from 2006. It houses a very reliable ETA 2893, which can be serviced by basically any watchmaker in the world. So it's certainly not something to be ashamed of, especially because the watch looks so good. But ever since Cartier launched its Collection Priv , Cartier Paris (CPCP) in 1998, the brand has been trying to impress us not only with that beautiful skin, but also with very impressive movements underneath it. Today, those efforts result in the launch of Cartier's most technical and complex piece to date. Behold, the Cartier Masse Myst rieuse.Here at Fratello, we look at numerous press re [...]

Its time for Two For Tuesday and this week we take a look at two of Omegas finest. The Speedmaster Professional will throw-down with the Seamaster 300M.In our inaugural episode of Two For Tuesday, the Rolex GMT 16710 duked it out with the Submariner 14060M. It was the heavyweight battle we all expected, but in the end it was the GMT that prevailed by less than 50 votes We thank you for all your participation and for some very lively comments. Lets see if todays contest between the Speedmaster Professional and Seamaster 300M inspires the same spirited debate.We all know people who can easily afford a Rolex, but they simply will not buy one. For them, a Rolex is too showy, reminds them of unsa [...]

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 [...]

Whether youre on the road or interested in taking delivery of a keepsake, we have your guide on how to celebrate the?Apollo 11 50th Anniversary.The?Apollo 11 50th Anniversary is a big deal and that means that theres little excuse not to celebrate the golden year of one of mans most incredible achievements.? Whether youre on the road traveling this summer (recall, the Moon Landing took place on July 20, 1969), hanging out at home, or looking for something for your office, there are all kinds of ways to personalize this historic event.? Weve scoured the web in search of all things Apollo 11 and while this article will be link heavy and picture short, we hope its of use.The WatchesOn a watch si [...]

For the purposes of this article, I?counted all the vintage and modern timepieces in my collection. I?never realized that the latter represents less than 3% in my three-digit plus collection. Well, that number is going to increase slightly. Blame the Zenith Revival El Primero A385.In the pictures, I liked everything about the Revival El Primero A385. The case size, shape and finishing, the dial, and color mix. The question was would I enjoy the movement, proportions, and a bit of that 1970s flair as much live on my wrist? Let's take it step-by-step.The Revival El Primero A385 vs. the Chronomaster SportA?quick warm-up. Have you seen Mike's recent TwoForTuesday article featuring the two new El [...]

Through the years, weve seen many incredible watches. But some of them certainly love the camera more than others do. Cases, colors, reflections, you name it. All manner of things can affect a watchs performance in front of the lens. To commemorate my favorites, Ive put together this list of the Top 10 most photogenic watches.Being able to capture them in all their beauty is always a pleasure. But not all watches photograph that easily. Needless to say, these watches were a pleasure to work with. Especially because some watches seem to been deliberately designed to make the life of a photographer extra tough.A. Lange Sohne Datograph Lumen.With Lange, it is really tough to select only one fa [...]

New from Raymond Weil in their adventurous Freelancer range is this green dial version. Working with Sellita, Raymond Weil created the exclusive Calibre RW1212 to power the automatic, smart-casual timepiece.When people ask about my hobbies, and I tell them I write for an online magazine about watches, I get a few standard follow-up questions:Is that a thing?Do people still wear watches?Are there enough watches to warrant an online magazine?These questions I tend to bat off without going into too much detail as I can predict the intended audience would lose interest.But there are a few questions that perk me up:My family member gave me a service watch. Would you know anything about it?Could y [...]

Jamaal Parham is a commercial director, filmmaker, and watch collector living in Brooklyn.? Currently, a director signed with ArtClass, next-gen production company, and a creative consultant at AKA, international marketing and advertising agency. The LA natives passion for filmmaking transported him to the East Coast, where he developed said passion at NYU Tisch School of the Arts. He cut his teeth at the editing desks of several post-production houses in LA, New York, and London, where he helped create several award-winning spots. Parham worked his magic on short films, fashion editorials, comedy specials, feature films, and high-profile music videos. His love for storytelling then took him [...]

I have a sizable watch collection. When people ask, which they often do, I tell them its around 75 pieces. Thats probably a relatively accurate median, but it fluctuates above and below that number as I churn through the lower realms of my hoard on a regular basis, gifting, selling, or trading watches that deserved a long look but never quite cracked my rotation. But is there any rhyme or reason to this hulking morass of timekeepers? Well, for a long while there was a lot of rhyming but not much reasoning. The chance acquisition of an Omega Speedmaster MK40 changed all that and reminded me where I came fromOkay, not literally. I know exactly where I come from. As a Dublin-born, Manchester-ra [...]

As a follow-up to our recent guide to mid-range Seiko dive watches, were back with another helpful article. This time, though, were looking at diving tools from the Swatch Group below 1,500.A quick look at the Swatch Group shows a staggering 18 different brands in the portfolio. From Swatch itself up to Breguet, this massive company offers something for every budget. The heart of the lineup, though, brings some serious value to prospective buyers with a lot of pricing overlap. This is especially true when it comes to mechanical divers below 1,500. We often talk Seiko when it comes to great value in this sporty sector, but dont count out the Swiss. Swatch Group has upped its game over the pas [...]

The impossible happened. The Cartier Santos Galb e changed my mind about bimetallic watches. Just a bit, but every bit counts.Every time I've seen steel and gold mixed together on a watch face or a bracelet, I give it a wide berth. Maybe it's just my childhood memories of walking through cheap markets full of rubbish goods (calling them gadgets would be an overstatement) from Russia or China. As much as I love debating with people and encouraging them to try new things on their wrists, I remain chained to my radical views on bimetallic watches.Gold and steel togetherWhen I see cold steel and warm gold together, I have to cover my eyes to un-see an outfit ready for a local 90s disco. I wasnt [...]

At my nieces birthday last year, the news finally broke that I had become a total watch nerd. I finally showed my family the Instagram account I had been running for a year and a half, and they asked me about the watches I owned. I named a few, and then they looked at my wife and asked, So, what are you wearing? She proudly showed them her Timex Waterbury, which I got her for around 80 a few years ago. What she didnt know was that, behind her back, I had already ordered a Cartier Tank Must Solarbeat for her 40th birthday.I got her that Timex because she had seen an actual Rolex Datejust at one of her gym classes and told me she liked it. Back then, I told her what that watch cost roughly 10K [...]

A visit to the OMEGA Museum was on my ToDo list as soon as I bought my first vintage Omega watch in 1999. In the past, I had mailed several occasions with Marco Richon (former curator of the museum) and John Diethelm (archives of Omega), but it never came to a visit to their museum in Bienne.Just recently, the Omega museum has been refurbished and a new curator (Brandon Thomas) has been appointed. Omega invited me over to come to visit their new museum and two factory visits to see how their Co-Axial movements are manufactured.Together with the guys from aBlogtoRead, Hodinkee, Les Rhabilleurs and WatchingHorology we headed to Bienne, Switzerland, to see these treasures of one of my favorite [...]

Today was press day at Baselworld 2018 and we took the opportunity to sit down with Breitling to see some of their newest releases. There's been a lot happening with the brand since the arrival of Georges Kern as CEO. Examples of this are the embracing of the brand's rich history, the deletion of the winged logo and the return of the script Band familiar Breitling font. With it, we've seen some new models announced such as the Breitling Navitimer 8 chronographs ? a 3-hand model, a chronograph with in-house B-01 movement and an ETA 7750-powered version. Today, we'll take a brief look at just some of the newly announced Breitling Baselworld 2018 pieces.Navitimer CollectionWithin the Breitling [...]

Omega didnt show us everything in BaselWorld, as we already noticed some images on Instagram from some Italian colleagues and collectors talking Seamaster Edizione Venezia. Just a few days ago, Omega officially announced this special watch that will only be for sale at the Omega Boutique and the T Fondaco dei Tedeschi by DFS (department store) in Venice.Omega Seamaster Edizione VeneziaThe Seamaster collection (1948) is actually the oldest line-up from Omega in the current families of watches. The Constellation was introduced in 1952, Speedmaster in 1957 and De Ville in 1967. The very first Seamaster models have little to do with the current line up of watches. The Seamaster slowly transforme [...]

The pursuit of perfection is a doomed undertaking. Take the creation of the perfect watch, for instance. Building an ideal watch that is entirely without technical and aesthetical flaws, defects, or shortcomings is the watchmaker's vision. Unfortunately, its one that will never materialize. But when you change perspective from creator to audience, perfection is something that can be perceived. Some hear perfection in Bach, see it in a statue by Michelangelo, or experience it when wearing a Cartier Tank Solo. And that experience can lead to strong feelings love, even. Let's try and find out why you can't help but love the Cartier Tank.The Cartier Tank was designed by Louis Cartier at the end [...]

Grand Seiko thrives on its legacy as an artisan. Its Spring Drive 8 Days Jewelry Watch (reference SBGD205) from the Masterpiece Collection captures the elegance of timeless design and the magic of the artistic crafts.This year marks a monumental moment in time for the house of Grand Seiko. 2020 heralds the Japanese watchmaker's 60th anniversary and debuts a new, cutting edge Masterpiece Collection. In honor of Grand Seiko's heritage and its watchmakers' desire to create a spectacular timepiece, the Masterpiece Collection revolves around the brand's history, its unique origin, and craftsmanship.I've always loved concepts that explore a breathtaking story. The release of reference SBGD205 is u [...]

We show you the Top 10 Speedmaster articles in the last 12 months with the most reads.This means, of course, that more recently published articles received less views than the ones that were already there 12 months ago. However, it will give a pretty good idea of what you like to read here.The Speedy Tuesday articles appear every week on Fratello, since 2012. Weve written more than 360 Speedy Tuesday articles in total, which you can all find on this page. After our first Speedy Tuesday article in May 2012, it quickly grew out to become one of our most popular items here on Fratello. Also on Instagram, the Speedy Tuesday hashtag was quickly picked up. It became a thing. So much, that we also [...]

All images can be clicked on for larger versionsAn imposing 44mm across and nearly 20mm thick, the U1000 is built like a submarine literally. Sinn uses submarine steel a special alloy also used by the German Navy for its subs for the case, bezel, crown and pushers. You know that slightly hollow feeling you get when you tap most watches with your fingernail? Not a sign of it with the U1000 its as though youre tapping an anvil. Even if you tap the crystal.That is the U1000 in a nutshell, really. Built to be a reliable, indestructible tool. The submarine steel case is water resistant to you guessed it, 1000 meters and is so strong and well sealed that it doesnt require a helium release va [...]

Theres no doubt about it, the Oris Divers Sixty-Five is a bona fide hit.? When it was first released in 2015 in 40mm guise, it received near-universal praise and it has received continuous additions and updates since that time.? Currently, there are numerous dial colors and the case sizes available include the new 36mm diameter, a 40mm version and even 42mm variants.? Today, though, well focus on some pieces that debuted at Baselworld 2018, the Oris Divers Sixty-Five Bronze Bezel.I suppose if youre a reader of Fratello Watches, youre a detail hound.? If so, my unabashed love for the Oris Divers Sixty-Five Bronze Bezel wont shock you because its a relatively minor detail that easily makes thi [...]