Watches Blog Wrist Watch Reviews

And a warm welcome to all of you for This Week in Watches, the November 9, 2019 edition.? Its been awhile and its good to be back!Yes, readers, This Week in Watches took a little breather over the past several weeks as yours truly went to the US of A on vacation for two solid weeks.? I did my best to stay away from the laptop, but Im happy to be back and bring a strong dose of news to your pupils.? Im ready if you are, so lets get it onNew Heuer Camaro SiteI mean, when you get an email from Steve Perry regarding Heuer, the thoughts of helping the former frontman of Journey find his dream vintage watch can really allow the mind to wander.? I mean, if I or my teammates did such a thing, we mig [...]

The Moonwatch doesnt need any introduction here on Fratello (in case it does, go here), but this doesnt apply to everyone. Like this guest on BBCs Antiques Roadshow.The BBC aired a new episode of Antiques Roadshow yesterday evening. One of the guests bought a Speedmaster Professional pre-Moon watch at a car boot sale. When someone offered hime50 for it, he luckily turned them down.However, he still didnt have a clue about the watch. Watch expert Richard Price explained the importance of this watch to the owner, and why he was so right not to sell it for 50 quid to some shark (who probably knew very well what he was looking at). The owner paid onlye5 for it at the car boot sale, but his insti [...]

Last year, I reviewed the Grand Seiko SBGM021, a similar looking model of what we have here today. However, the Grand Seiko SBGJ017 GMT has a hi-beat movement and a less casual appearance. Lets have a look.Grand Seiko?SBGJ017The ivory dial of the aforementioned SBGM021 is something I really love about that watch. It gives a great contrast with the hands and a playful appearance. This Grand Seiko SBGJ017 GMT has a silver dial and looks a bit more elegant than the SBGM021. But enough with the comparison, this new Grand Seiko SBGJ017 (introduced in September last year) landed on our desk and was introduced at the same time as its black dial SBGJ019 counterpart. It features Grand Seikos caliber [...]

I have a weak spot for watches that help you travel through different time zones, without losing track of home time. We all know about the GMT watches that just have an extra hour hand, to display home time (or 24h notation). However, there are also watches that can flip through different timezones with only a push on a button or turning an extra crown. Technically speaking, these watches are much more complicated than the ones with just an extra hour hand like the Rolex GMT-Master or ETA 2893-A2 based watches (Omega, Linde Werdelin etc.).World Timer watches, as they are being called, attract me since the day I became interested in wrist watches. During all these years, my taste did not chan [...]

What can I say but thank you? After a roller-coaster month of hilarity, with accidental (and occasionally deliberate) controversies, we have reached our final Summer Splash round. We team Fratello, the Fratelli, and the newly-minted Kraken Kartel have narrowed down our combined selections to three models. Left standing after four weeks of furious voting are RJs Omega Seamaster 300M, Mikes Tudor Black Bay .925, and Phils Doxa Sub 300.Weve got a fresh, colorful line-up including a crisp white dial, a surprisingly versatile taupe dial, and, thanks to you the Fratelli, a vivid orange dial (nice one, Phil). The Doxa Sub 300 battled through a packed Wild Card tussle that saw more than 30 audience [...]

During Watches Wonders last year, Zenith graced us with the new Defy Extreme. The most extreme Defy model was not just a tour de force in materials and design. The main attraction was, without a doubt, the 1/100th of a second automatic high-frequency chronograph movement. We had the pleasure of witnessing one of the models from up close. Besides the amazing movement, I was pleasantly surprised by how comfortable the Defy Extreme was with its titanium case and bracelet. Now the brand makes the watch even lighter by releasing the Zenith Defy Extreme Carbon.I love Zenith because the brand shows great variety in its collections. The biggest joy for me is in the Chronomaster line, and especially [...]

Among many ladies releases from last year, perhaps the most bittersweet was Patek's minimalistic manchette-styled Twenty~4. Considering what modern women demand from a watch, it fell just short. My heart went out to the rectangular design but not to the movement. Almost as if Patek heard my cry, the brand has decided to start this year in a big way. I'm thrilled that two of the three ladies' novelties, feature the in-house Caliber 324 S C self-winding movement.Patek Twenty~4 AutomaticMany of you know that I adore ladies watches. They are sophisticated and many of them have a touch of flair that I love. Even without diamonds, they are attention-grabbers. Unfortunately, very few of them have a [...]

Its time for Two for Tuesday where we consider a pair of watches that just might make it to your shopping list. Today, we look at a couple of standards. The Tudor Black Bay Fifty-Eight takes on the Rolex Submariner.Steel, no date, automatic, and with a durable bracelet these are attributes that many of us enjoy on a dive watch. Plenty of brands offer a diver with these characteristics, but theres one true king of the genre. The Rolex Submariner sits at the top of the food chain and it does so for a lot of reasons that we will cover below. With go anywhere good looks, fantatsic build quality, and a reputation for holding or growing value, its hard not to like this watch. The problem, of cour [...]

With the re-release of the Pasha Grille at Watches And Wonders 2022, Cartier has launched a model that comes very close to the design that the brand says was custom made for the Pasha of Marrakesh in 1943. But before we get into the new 2022 models, lets take a quick look back at what the Pasha actually is and when it came on the market; opinions are quite divided on that. Until the 80s, Cartier was always known for its small, often square and rectangular watches, usually made in yellow gold. Therefore, it was quite a surprise when in 1985, a 38mm round timepiece suddenly hit the windows of the Cartier boutiques. Believe me, 38mm was very large for a mens watch at the time, and some models e [...]

Its Speedy Tuesday Ever since we saw the new Speedmaster 57 Caliber 9300 models but especially after a couple of weeks of wearing it ourselves the Fratellowatches team is in love with this particular model. In case you missed it, read our thorough hands-on review of the Speedmaster 57 Caliber 9300 here. This week, we show you the stainless steel Omega Speedmaster 57 Caliber 9300 from one of our readers and followers on Instagram.Using his instagram account?@GeoMags, we noticed that he was wearing this Speedmaster 57 Caliber 9300 on some of the Speedy Tuesdays (use the speedytuesday hashtag for over 500 photos of Speedmaster watches on Instragram or just to join the Speedy Tuesday). The co [...]

At the dawn of availability, last week Fratellowatches attended the introduction?of the Jaeger-LeCoultre Geophysic 1958 tribute in The Netherlands. The presentation was held in the beautiful historic Admiralty room of the former Arsenal, now National Maritime Museum in Amsterdam.The HistoryIn the mid 20th century the scientific community was preparing a program of scientific explorations towards the International Geophysical Year 1958. Jaeger-LeCoultre decided to associate with this initiative by creating an exceptional precision instrument, the Geophysic watch.The most important design elements of the watch were readability, precision and reliability. Its calibre 478BWSbr movement was deriv [...]

Welcome to Episode 61 of Fratello on Air, otherwise known as WASP 9.3. After spending the last three weeks rummaging around in our mailbag, we're returning to the world of sports to provide you with a quick whizz around the American sports leagues to keep you abreast of news and developments in the NBA, NHL, MLB, and NFL.Find us on Instagram?@robnudds?and?@ferenczibazs. [...]

As every wednesday, it is Wednesday Watch over at MotoringExposure. Today it is time to put Marvin Watch in the spotlight This brand, over 150 years old, has recently been re-invented and the on-line promotion and presence is unbelievable. This brand knows how to put themselves back on the horological map again.Reasonable priced (mechanical) time pieces with great eye for detail In Basel I had the chance to have a look at them and was impressed by these classic looking (see below) watches.Check out my latest MotoringExposure article about Marvin Watch and let me know what you think Click here [...]

I've been collecting Speedmaster watches for over 20 years. The first one I bought was in 1999, a Speedmaster Professional 145.012-67. Things were very different back then. There were far fewer resources available. Doing your homework was hard. It took a lot more legwork than it does today. When I started out, I used the TimeZone Omega forums and was in touch with fellow enthusiasts like Chuck Maddox and Bill Sohne, for example.I hadnt set out with the 145.012-67 in mind. Honestly, it could have been any Speedmaster Professional. This was just one of the most affordable models around. It was even cheaper than a young pre-owned model with caliber 1861 or 861. In 1999, nobody ever heard (or ca [...]

What better way to make the most wonderful time of the year even better than by giving your watch-loving loved ones some of the coolest goodies out there? Big budget or small budget, the Fratello Watches Holiday Gift Guide has you covered. With picks ranging from 15 Christmas decorations from NOMOS all the way to 730 for the Bennet Winch watch roll (and above), there's bound to be something for everyone. So check out these carefully selected picks from our editors and treat your loved one (or yourself) to one of these great gifts. 'Tis the season after all!You may notice that some of our editor's gift ideas below have already been covered on the site this year. And if that's not testament th [...]

You might expect a dress watch to exude a certain sex appeal, exotic class, or self-confident verve. But for the new 40mm Omega De Ville Tr sor in stainless steel, it is much more than that. There is a tone of substance beneath the style. The combination of a steel case, diamonds, and a burgundy dial makes for an unusual visage but a really compelling proposition, from top to bottom.? It is certainly an off-base choice for men, but, as you can see from the below images, it doesnt look all that uncomfortable on a male wrist either.The 40mm De Ville Tr sor collection is quite well-known not only among men but also among women. The history of the De Ville Tr sor line dates back to 1949. That's [...]

Earlier this year, I had an online talk with Montblanc's new Managing Director Watch Division, Laurent Lecamp (43). Amongst other things, I asked him about his favorite new watch in the collection. That must be the new, bronze 1858 Geosphere Limited Edition 1858, he answered. This new Geopshere is inspired by a 2,000 kilometer solo journey by legendary mountaineer and adventurer Reinhold Messner in 2004 through the Gobi Desert. The watch reads like a logbook of that adventure thanks to the colors used, different details and the laser etching on the back. I had to find out more. And now I want to wear the Montblanc 1858 Geosphere Limited Edition 1858 upside down.I didn't just talk about the l [...]

Believe me when I say I have one of the coolest jobs in the world. It actually doesnt feel like work, I am just occupied all day with something I am very passionate about. Fratello has been there since 2004, but it still excites me when I receive a package from A. Lange S?hne in my office. This time, I asked them if they could provide me with their Saxonia Thin in copper blue. An A. Lange S?hne Lange 1 would be my end-game for sure, but this Saxonia in 39?millimetres with a copper blue dial (looking very similar to aventurine glass) that they showed earlier this year in Geneva is so breath-taking, I had to have it. Even when it is for just two weeks.Saxonia Thin in Copper BlueThis referenc [...]

I suppose that I could be faulted for featuring the rather newish Rolex GMT-Master II 16710?in a TBT article, but I'll live with it.I've covered a couple newer pieces in this series such as the Rolex Explorer 14270 and, more recently, the IWC Mark XII, so I'm more on the side of featuring what I'd call classics instead of purely vintage. Definitions aside, the Rolex 16710 is definitely a classic and one that continues to be on the acquisition list of many people; let's find out why.The Rolex GMT-Master II 16710 was around for so long nearly 20 years that its still hard to believe its goneThe Rolex GMT-Master II 16710It's awfully hard to believe that the Rolex GMT-Master II 16710 has been [...]

The Rolex Day-Date is the watch that speaks to the?imagination more than any other model from their collection. It is the watch worn by Presidents, CEOs, actors, sports people and so on.By owning a Rolex Day-Date yourself (if you dont fall into one of the categories above), you might be able to think (or fantasize) that you are in a great company. Besides everything that relates to the image of the Rolex Day-Date, it is just one heck of a watch. Wonderful design, only available in precious metals (yeah yeah, they did a few protos in steel) and with a wide variation of dial configurations. Although Rolex also introduced it in 41mm discontinued in the meantime and in 40mm, the Day-Date was a [...]