Watches Blog Wrist Watch Reviews

Today, I noticed an Omega LED wrist watch on someones wrist in an interior store. Now, if I would be in a watch shop or perhaps in a bar or something, I probably asked him more about this watch. Is he a collector? Is this his only watch? How did het get it? What about the history of this watch? Is he aware that he wears something special? Does he have box, papers and the original receipt? You know the drill, these questions need to be answered if you encounter someone with a nice watch.Now, back at home, I still dont know anything about this man and his watch. I think I will manage to sleep well, but it would have been nice to interact with someone who has a nice time piece. At least when he [...]

Earlier this week, I was invited for a media lunch with Hublots new CEO, Mr. Ricardo Guadalupe, and their Asia-Pacific Regional Director, Ms. Miwa Sakai, who happened to be visiting Kuala Lumpur on an Asian tour.All images may be clicked on for larger versions.In addition to enjoying an excellent steak, I also had the chance to play with and photograph the new pieces introduced at Basel earlier in the year.Ive personally found a lot of the brands pieces rather lukewarm in the past it wasnt the aesthetics that didnt do it for me, but rather the lack of anything serious under the hood. However, with the recent Masterpieces, the Unico in-house chronograph caliber, and the new collection, Hublo [...]

Recently, I wrote about a Rolex Panerai 3646 with an anonymous California dial due to go under the hammer at Webbs Auction House in New Zealand. One of our readers, Jeff Hess, got in touch with me to point out that my use of the term California to describe the dial was misleading, erroneous, and wrong. Now, I thought that was pretty harsh, but Im not one to take offense easily, especially when the person dishing it out has a good reason for doing so. Having looked into Jeffs justification for his claim, I found myself disagreeing with him still, but we decided together that the mysterious history of the California nickname should be shared openly with the FratelliSo here we are. Jeff and I w [...]

We are approaching the end of March and thus the end of March Mania. It is a very successful but especially fun project on Fratello, and we thoroughly enjoy seeing the results and the discussions below each round. We would like to thank you for that!We even noticed some of you are starting to call yourself Fratelli already, in the comments. And we really see that as a token of appreciation for what we do, but also for the other readers that vote and comment on these March Mania articles. On April 13, we will be giving away a few straps from LIC and a Hamilton Intra-Matic Chrono watch from our shop to some of you. Make sure to read how you can participate in this contest in order to win those [...]

The start of the year is one of my favorite times for writing. Why, you ask? Well, its because the year is so fresh and new. There are no new trends yet for 2022; we still need to give the year a chance to find itself and decide what it wants to be. With that in mind, its the perfect time to appreciate what already exists with the clarity that the new year brings. Some of a brands more impressive work can get lost among the noise of its flagship launches. With that in mind, I wanted to take a look at Breguets Marine Collection. Why? Because I believe its the unsung hero in the Breguet family.Breguet had a solid year last year. While it released a couple of new additions to the Marine line, 2 [...]

This article is all about the gold Omega Speedmaster Professional Apollo 11, reference BA145.022-69. The gold commemorative watch was presented to all the active NASA astronauts in 1969, to the US President and Vice President, as well as to some other officials. It also became available to the public, with a slightly different inscription on its gold case back.We've covered it very often, especially when an astronaut's gold Speedmaster has come to the surface or when we saw an interesting example for sale or at an auction. This gold Speedmaster is also referred to as a Tribute to Astronauts watch. It was the first gold Speedmaster that Omega created, and it was offered to the active astronau [...]

After last weeks publication of my article on watch collecting (and thanks for all the amazing comments!), I also received a few messages about my preference for Omega.Although I did touch on the topic of Omega and its connection with my family, I thought I will freshen up a story that I wrote a few years ago.Why Do I Love Omega?I am often being asked why I only buy and wear Omega watches. Well, thats not entirely the case of course. I also own watches from other brands like Oris, Rolex, Hamilton, Grand Seiko, Seiko, Chronoswiss, Breitling, Swatch, G-Shock, and a bunch of other perhaps lesser-known ones. And in the past, I've owned IWC, Sinn, Audemars Piguet, Linde Werdelin, and others as we [...]

The Olympic gold, silver and bronze. But Omegas representation is of course gold, silver and pink gold where the pink gold is their own Sedna alloy and white gold the Canopus alloy. Canopus is a new introduction, an exclusive white gold alloy, which is 100% noble and distinctive for its high brilliance, whiteness and longevity.For the Olympics, Omega introduces to you these 39.5mm Seamaster Olympic Games Gold watches, all in precious metals. The watch is similar to the special Seamaster Edizione Venezia that we showed you here.Seamaster Olympic Gold CollectionA very classic looking Seamaster, which reminds us of the very early models of this collection that started in 1948. Thats right, the [...]

It's been a while since Hamilton's operations have been conducted from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, but the spirit-of-liberty style flows through the veins of Switzerland's most American brand. What I think the brand has done very well in recent years is streamline the DNA of its collection. Ten years ago, it had ballooned in too many disparate directions to make any sense to me. Now, though, we have a wealth of functional field models, which are the brand's biggest recent success, in my opinion. We have a raft of highly technical pilot's watches, which are an essential element of the brand's character. And last but not least, we have an easy-to-understand selection of timeless American classics [...]

Its Speedy Tuesday We realize weve been discussing the Omega Speedmaster Pro X-33 quite often here lately, but it seems we are not the only enthusiast about this model. Recently we received an e-mail from Philip Kisloff who owns an Omega Speedmaster Pro since 1977 with a very nice write-up on the new Speedmaster X-33 3rd Gen (reference ?318.90.45.79.01.001) model. We would like to share his article with you today. Review of the new Omega Speedmaster X-33 SkywalkerI've owned an Omega Speedmaster Caliber 861 for almost 40 years, wearing it proudly for almost every day of that time. For one thing, it's a tangible connection with the greatest feat of exploration in history. Even on its own, th [...]

TAG Heuer dives into 2022 with a lite version of the recently introduced 43mm Aquaracer Professional 300. The Aquaracer Professional 200 is ready for the life aquatic in any of its myriad and sundry forms. You can go swimming with it in the pond behind your house, the pool, the lake, or the sea. And it also will hold its ground while ice-climbing ice is frozen H2O after all and in an urban setting too. A refreshing dive in the city-square fountain, perhaps? Anyway, TAG Heuer presents us with sporty watches that come with black or blue dials and in two sizes a petite and elegant 30mm and a perfectly conservative 40mm.You would think that Jack Heuer spent all of his time trackside. But apparen [...]

It is not rocket science: everyone is after the same type of watches. For whatever reason, whether thats a genuine interest, lack of confidence, or the fear of missing out on things. It doesnt matter, in all honesty. I am happy to notice a small shift in things, at least in some of the watch collecting circles out there. People buy (again) what they truly enjoy and like. This 18 carat rose gold Omega Speedmaster Day-Date reference 3623.33.01 is one of those watches that only a few people will care about.And thats also fine, it means that those who do enjoy it, will be able to pick one up for a fair price. I wont say cheap, as 5,650 is a lot of money to many.? But compared to the more favored [...]

The TAG Heuer Carrera 160 Years Silver Limited Edition watch launched back in January. As one of the brands most handsome releases this year, were happy to bring it back to your attention. Harnessing the old-school vibes of Heuers golden age, this Carrera adds a touch of after-dinner class to a collection that is, in its modern guise, far more sporty in style.When youve been around for 160 years (as Heuer has), you can be forgiven for running out of model names. But it has to be said that TAG Heuer could have given its new Carrera any name under the sun and it would still be a handsome addition to the catalog. The new TAG Heuer Carrera (reference number CBK221B.FC6479) was a welcome return t [...]

It is Speedy Tuesday Just a few months ago, Bert Buijsrogge and I visited the OMEGA museum in Biel, Switzerland. With the focus on Speedy Tuesday, Bert took some photos of the Speedmasters (and Flightmasters), Apollo suit and NASA equipment (including the Moon buggy prototype). If you remember correctly, we already did a report on the OMEGA museum a while ago (click here), but lacking the photographic skills of Bert of course.Except for the beautiful vintage Speedmaster Professional from Bert above, on the NASA console (used for the Apollo space programme), we dont have any descriptions for the rest of the 77 photos. Just sit back and enjoy. If you have any specific questions regarding a pho [...]

Hublot is a brand that emphasizes new materials and, of course, Instagram-worthy colors. Now female collectors can play with the new 33mm Hublot Big Bang One Click which in addition to its eye-catching gold-and-diamond-case, also has a vivid pink strap!?Hublot has kicked off its 2021 release calendar with a new diamond pav watch created especially for women. The 33mm Big Bang One Click feels like a fresh addition to any wardrobe and fits with the spring/summer trends were expecting to see. Best of all, there are multiple colors to choose from. I chose pink as it's a strap like no other. But how did I find this petite but far-from-quiet Hublot after a few days on the wrist?The New 33mm Hublot [...]

For just this once, we turn Speedy Tuesday into Seamaster Tuesday, to introduce you to the new Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean Deep Black collection. However, before we take a thorough look at the new Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean Deep Black, lets give you some background on the Seamaster collection and the Planet Ocean in general.Seamaster HistoryYou probably know that Omega introduced the Seamaster in 1948 and that it looked nothing like the dive watches of todays collection. Actually, those first Seamaster models were based on Omega watches that were supplied to the Royal Airforce during WWII. The British required reliable watches with high precision movements and, water resistant cases. Ren| [...]

Desiring an ornate, yet incredibly capable diver?? Look no further than the new Omega Seamaster 300 Malachite on strap.Malachite and Azurite?- My Grandfather and Father enjoyed a fair bit of lapidary work as a hobby and I still recall being quizzed about different gemstones.? When it came to that unfinished stone in blue and green, there was only one answer: malachite and azurite.? And so it was with great pleasure when I flipped through Omega's 2019 novelties and came across one gorgeously audacious watch, the yellow gold Omega Seamaster 300 Malachite that's now available on strap.? It's so wild that it almost makes the new 300M in Sedna Gold seem a touch normal.Yellow Gold SeamastersC Our [...]

I greet you with the warmest of welcomes here on Wrist Game or Crying Shame. This week, Im bringing you the Zenith Epervier El Primero and the opportunity to enter high grade horology for a song. But firstLast week, I showed you a white gold Speedmaster Moonphase from right around the turn of the century. You folks thought enough of it to carry it to a 70% Wrist Game win. The real story, though, is about one of our readers. Klaus Zimmermann filed a written complaint about yet another Speedmaster article. I responded and gave him full license to choose a more suitable watch for this weeks article. Sadly, Klaus did not return with a suggestion. Therefore, I have been left to my own devices thi [...]

Its is a hypothetical question for most of us, but its one youve asked us often, so we decided to take a stab at answering it. Given 10,000, which three watches would you pick to start a watch collection today? Now, all of our editors already have a watch collection of sorts, and (perhaps because of that) most of us dont have 10K burning a hole in our pockets right now. However, it still makes for an interesting exercise, as there are so many watches out there today that offer a ton of value. Picking just three watches that, together, come in under the price limit is not as easy as you might think, but each of our editors will take their best shot Each authors choices are bound to be differe [...]

The Breguet Classique Tourbillon Extra-Plat Automatique 5367 is not new. Nor, as you may have noticed if you live in a clement part of the world, is the color blue. However, these two staples of daily luxury life have never been brought together. That is until nowThere are few brands in the industry that have the name-power of Breguet. It isnt just that the modern iteration of the brand is renowned for high-quality timepieces often flaunting a timeless elegance others struggle to match, but it is also the weight of history attached to the founders name. Abraham-Louis Breguet was not just a watchmaker. He was arguably?the watchmaker. In his lifetime, Breguet was a celebrity. And with good rea [...]