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When the watch craze begun for me, somewhere in the 1990s, I met with a watchmaker (who I became friends with) who had this interest in Zeniths El Primero chronograph movements. Oh, and gold watches. He showed me his Zenith El Primero Chronomaster?with full calendar in gold and I was sold. Every time I see this watch be it in gold or stainless steel I remind myself to buy that watch at some point.So, when Zenith contacted me whether we would be interested in doing a review and photo shoot on their Zenith Elite Chronograph Classic I immediately said yes. A while ago Bert and I traveled to Switzerland to do a little tour visiting watch manufacturers and one of them was Zenith (you can find t [...]
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. It inspired us to come up with a series of articles focusing on the best watches per decade from a select group of brands. Some of them priceless, some of them still affordable. In this installment, we will take a look at the best Rolex watches from the 1970s.In the 1960s, we witnessed developments that challenged the status quo of watch design forever. The sheer amount o [...]
The protest at Fratello HQ yesterday started out in good spirits with the more progressive editors marching through the office merrily and optimistically chanting,We want solar power We want solar power But it didn't take long for the situation to turn grim. That's when the purist defenders of the traditional, mechanical side of watchmaking started shouting slogans like, Quartz is dead For a moment, it looked like things would spiral out of control, but in the end, we watch fans, no matter how fanatical, are reasonable people. And that's why we, in the end, and over a cup of coffee, pondered the question of both if or why we need luxury solar-powered quartz watches from Rolex, Omega, Breitli [...]
Rolex has a rich history of advertising built for decades. The brand has produced some of the most remarkable ads ever created by a watch brand. In this recurring series, we take a look at the most iconic ads Rolex has created over the years.One of the most exciting and fun things to do when diving into the history of a watch brand is to look at their advertising.?Rolex has always been a brand that has created some of the most remarkable ads in the industry, not least because they are connected to outstanding achievements and famous people. Some of the advertisements are stylish, some of them are thought-provoking, and some are blessed with an excellent sense of humor. All of them represent [...]
Social media isnt always fun. Jasper Lijfering of Amsterdam Vintage Watches learned that the hard way. While being away (and posted about this on social media), his house was robbed. As you might know, Jasper Lijfering uses social media excessively to show his passion for watches and promote his shop in vintage watches. His live-sessions on Instagram and his videos on YouTube are definitely entertaining and educative.However, by showing the world that hes not around, it also brought the risk of getting the attention of the scumbags of this world with less good intentions. During his absence and besides other valuable things they took his Rolex Datejust reference 6305. Keep your eyes open f [...]
When alls said and done, Im a very lucky chap. I have a lot of nice watches that Ive spent the last couple of decades accruing. In the last few years especially, my collection has ballooned suddenly. Now with somewhere in the region of 75 timepieces to my name, spread around various locations on the big blue marble, hidden in safes, attics, and one particularly valuable sock drawer, Ive decided to move on from the majority of these pieces to make way for the next generation. Find out what Ill be chasing down over the next few years if all goes according to plan.Im not going to list my collection here, but let me make this clear: of those 75 or so pieces, a great many of them are inexpensive [...]
That wasnt easy. Its alway difficult for me to take my Rolex GMT-Master II, which I wore for 52Mondayz week 36, off my wrist. Something serious has to be brought into position to manage that. What else could that be except an Omega Speedmaster Professional?The Omega Speedmaster Professional 145.022-69 Straight Writing on my wristOmega Speedmaster Professional ref. 145.022-69And I decided to go vintage this week. Reference 145.022 was the Speedmaster which came onto the market around the period the moon landing took place (here is our story on how the Speedmaster became the Moonwatch). In 1968 the 145.022-68 took over from the 145.012-68. The 145.022-68 was a bit of a transitional model (mor [...]
Another day, another term that we see and hear, but maybe don't know what it means. Today, it's CVD. Well, what is CVD? As you probably guessed, CVD is an abbreviation. It stands for Chemical Vapor Deposition, a type of coating process that is not to be confused with PVD (Physical Vapor Deposition). Please note that this is a coating process rather than a coating itself.CVD-applied coatings are commonly found throughout the industry in many different consumer products. CVD-applied coatings are found in a range of applications that require a high-performance thin-film coating. But, what is it about the chemical deposition process that makes a superior coating for high-performance precision ap [...]
Hublots ability to bring the primary colors into luxury watchmaking while retaining an air of sophistication is once again on display with the release of the Hublot Big Bang MP-11 Red Magic.It shouldnt work. Although red has enjoyed a long career as the go-to accent color in horology (especially when it comes to sports models), it isnt very easy to get right when deployed as the base color. There are very few brands that can apply such a bright and bold color to a case and pull it off.Going full, fire-engine red on a dial takes excellent execution to look anything other than cheapAt an entry-level price point, the most red youre likely to see is when brands opt for a red dial. Even that is r [...]
Hidden away in the other launches section of the Cartier press site, the new Santos de Cartier was kept company by the new Indomptables de Cartier and the new Ballon Bleu releases. The new Santos, however, was a watch that I wrote off in my head as far too big and a bit too flashy. The first case measurement of 47.5mm told me everything I needed to know. Or so I thought Seeing the watch in person at the Cartier touch-and-feel session at Watches And Wonders 2022 had me scratching my head. Was this the 47.5mm monster I had read about? Surely, it couldn't be. It wasn't half as big or flashy as I had imagined. And on the wrist, it just worked like a charm. Perhaps the second case measurement of [...]
Sometimes we see a watch that we dont recognize. Either it was very rare, a fake, a frankenwatch or a prototype.Today, we have a watch like that for you here on Fratello. A gold Speedmaster Professional that looks very similar to the well-known and sought-after BA145.022-69, but with a strange looking dial.We dont need to introduce you to the gold Speedmaster Apollo XI from 1969, I am pretty sure. We covered that watch many times here and even recently when we did the comparison article between this years 50th-anniversary edition of the Speedmaster Professional Apollo XI in Moonshine gold and the original 1969 model in gold. Often referred to as the Nixon watch, as it was offered to the then [...]
Its time for Two For Tuesday where we pit two watches against each other that you just might find yourself hemming and hawing over at the local boutique. Were moving at a fast pace here with the high-frequency Zenith Chronomaster Sport and the Chronomaster Revival A385.Its already been quite a January for chronograph lovers. The month kicked off with a brace of steel Speedmaster models. Not to be outdone, Zenith has also dropped not one, but two new El Primero chronographs. One is the all-new Chronomaster Sport and the other is the retro Chronomaster Revival A385. Which will you choose?ZenithLets just start this discussion by saying that I really like Zenith. Within the annals of watch histo [...]
For this weeks SpeedyTuesday, we have three stories lined up for you. One from Lorenzo on his Speedmaster Apollo 8, a story from Dennis on his Speedmaster Mark II, and lastly, a very short story from Luca on his Moonwatch.We asked you to share your Speedmaster story with us, and this is the fourth installment featuring three stories of our readers. Some Speedmaster stories can be very short because one is simply mesmerized with the Omega Speedmaster watch. Other stories are a bit lengthier. It is about graduation, a wedding, celebrating business success, the birth of a child, or down to a tradition, for example. Whatever the reason is, it is always a good idea to buy a Speedmaster, of cours [...]
Regardless of the season, the only thing we need to complete the fashion game is the watch. A captivating alternative to boring jewelry that we will not be able to part with after a while. Ladies, Omega just introduced a timepiece worth your attention like no other the two-tone Omega Constellation Petite Seconde.In my previous article, I talked about the Sedna gold Constellation Petite Seconde which is an effortlessly modern ladies' watch with a distinct edge. This one is different luxurious yet utilitarian. Its classic style makes it a very versatile option. That trait is exacerbated by its slick bicolor case.The Chestnut Dial?The two-tone Constellation Petite Seconde's timeless aesthetic a [...]
Im sharing a story from a passionate Omega Speedmaster collector and his connection to his late grandfathers Omega Constellation. You may know him on Instagram as @dan_occasionally_likes_things. For brevity, I will just refer to him as Dan.But before we get into our discussion, I want to explain some backstory into my digital friendship with Dan.When I began my professional career around seven years ago, my father gifted me his 2006 Breitling Aerospace Avantage. Breitling introduced the ref. E79362 in 2005 and changed the name to Aerospace Avantage. The advantage this reference brought was the back-light on the LCD screens. In 2007, the name reverted to just Aerospace with the COSC text on t [...]
Just in case you are looking for a reason to buy one of those new Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch Master Chronometer watches, I will list five of them in this article.If you joined our last Speedy Tuesday GTG in December 2019, the new Moonwatch Master Chronometer wasnt really a surprise to you. During that event, Omega announced that its caliber 3861 will be used in a new Moonwatch. Those who have been paying attention over the last few years, know that every first Tuesday of the new year means a new Speedmaster introduction.The New Moonwatch Master ChronometerWith the introduction of the new Moonwatch Master Chronometer, the former famous caliber 1861 Moonwatch has been discontinued. You might [...]
2012 was IWCs year of their Pilots watch. The introduction party of the new Pilot collection during the SIHH in Geneva last year has been topic of several discussions. Whether it was positive or not, at least IWC got everyones attention for the Pilot collection. Here in The Netherlands, we had our own introduction day of the new IWC (TOP Gun) Pilot collection. A report of that day can be found by clicking here.Just before IWC is ready to launch the new Ingenieur collection in the next coming weeks at SIHH 2013, we look back at the Pilot collection with IWCs Creative Director, Christian Knoop. I sat down with Mr Knoop in the Dylan hotel in Amsterdam and asked him the following questions:Mr Kn [...]
Yesterday we introduced you to the Omega 60th anniversary trilogy. Today, we had our meeting with Omega and had a closer look at their new collections. We received many questions and comments about the Speedmaster. Lets try to answer a couple.Speedmaster 60th Anniversary Reference?311.10.39.30.01.001I can be super short about the new Omega Speedmaster 60th anniversary limited edition. I ordered one. So did two other guys of the Fratello Watches team. We were simply blown away by it. Based on the comments and likes we received on Instagram and Facebook and the numerous e-mails and whatsapp messages we received, you like it as well but have some questions.How many?First, there is the differenc [...]
Wrist Game or Crying Shame is here to see if you value history with a look at a Rolex GMT-Master 16700.Before we get into the Rolex GMT-Master 16700, lets spend a moment on last weeks subject, the Yema Bipole Duopoly.? For $569, or less than most of you spend on a pair of city-bound retro mining boots, you thoroughly denied this French oddity with a crushing defeat to the tune of 60% calling it a Crying Shame.? Ah but wait!? While the 40-percenters clearly lost the battle, one such Wrist Game voter climbed the highest mountain because he chose to vote with his wallet!? And that person was none other than Jason Heaton of?The Grey NATO,?Hodinkee, and other fame.? Now Jason calls the eternally [...]
The diver is the new dress watch. OK, stop shouting. Yes, this is still a controversial topic for some collectors, I know. We all know the old rules of a dress watch with a white shirt and jacket, and no watch at all with a tuxedo. But a dive tool watch? God forbid, thats only for aquatic activities (though exceptions can be made for a wooly jumper or a denim shirt). Look, I am past 50, and even I know that this is an ancient way of thinking. We don't have to look any further than the Oscars to see stars suited up with a diver on the big night of tuxedos and gala dresses. A majority of suited wrists were rocking big tool watches, with slim shirts straining to contain the large weapons. Or wa [...]
