Watches Blog Wrist Watch Reviews

Having initially been postponed due to the coronavirus crisis, the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games have been announced for 2021. Following last year's limited edition Olympic Games releases, Omega just has announced the Seamaster Diver 300M Tokyo 2020.?Exactly one year ago Omega introduced two modern sports watches the ichimatsu-moyo-inspired Aqua Terra and the Planet Ocean with the red lollipop central seconds hand. Both models turned out to be a remarkable success even though Tokyo 2020 has been carried over to this year. Will this Seamaster be as successful as its predecessors? Lets see what its got going for itThe inspiration behind the design?Just like the Aqua Terra, the design of Seamaster D [...]

Wrist Game or Crying Shame returns with a look at an Ebel 1911 Chronograph.Back in 98, I was a fresh young face in the workforce, but a bit of hard work didnt stop me from partaking in a bit of high-rolling high jinks.? It was during a long weekend that I packed my bag and made my way to the airport in the 216, aka Cleveland.? My buddy flew out of the mean streets of Newark and we met in Sin City.? Vegas.? Now, back in 98, you could actually play black jack for $5 a hand on the Strip and stay at a hotel on that very street for a fair deal.? Nowadays, good luck with that as those prime location casinos are full of fancy pants partygoers and tattooed goofballs who make it rain with $100s for a [...]

Click on all images for larger.After many sleepless nights of deliberation, it was time for a change. I sold my Lange 1815 to make room for something new in the collection. What would it be? After much hunting and poring over catalogs and visiting dealers, I decided on a Jaeger Le-Coultre Reverso Grande GMT (RGGMT from here on) in steel. The standard alligator strap wasn't very flexible or comfortable for me, and left the watch sitting high, so I went for the bracelet model.That was in early 2009. Two and a bit years on, am I still in love?Let's back up a little. There are three things that can happen to a watch after you've owned it for a while: either it grows on you, you like it as much a [...]

We like to talk about vintage watches a lot within the Fratello team. Where 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. Its 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. But all of them are remarkable watches. This week well kick things off with the best Rolex watches from the 1950s.The best Rolex watches from the 1950s? What does that actually mean? Every week we [...]

It is my great pleasure to announce that the inaugural Speedmaster World Cup will kick-off on Fratello on Saturday the 24th of October (thats THIS weekend).In the absence of Euro 2020, we thought our beloved readers might enjoy a tournament of a different kind The Speedmaster World Cup We've assembled eight groups (A CH), each governed by a different Fratello team member. Each writer has been assigned four watches, which they will pitch to you during the group stages.All we need you to do is vote for your favorite to move on in the competition. The next round will be the quarter-finals, which will see the eight group winners go head-to-head for your votes. The four winners progress to the se [...]

Last week we joined Hublot for a canal cruise in the center of Amsterdam for the launch of a new watch. Officially called Hublot?Classic Fusion Aerofusion Chronograph Special Amsterdam Boutique Edition. We went to the recently opened Hublot Boutique in the P.C. Hooftstraat in Amsterdam, which is named after Pieter Cornelisz Hooft, who was?a Dutch historian, poet and playwright and lived from 1581C1647. This street is paradise in Amsterdam for those who are looking for an?exclusive shopping destination. Amsterdam Hublot BoutiqueMeeting up in the recently opened Hublot Boutique we are welcomed with champagne and typical Dutch snacks. Cheese cubes and (liver) sausage. Only the little Dutch flag [...]

Ive said it before and Ill say it again: in luxury watchmaking in 2021, texture is the name of the game. Dial colors get too much attention; dial surfaces, too little. More and more, were seeing brands pay attention to the displays background, the forgotten element, the passive superstar that can decide whether or not a watch lives or dies in the minds of our community. How those textures interact with the colors laid upon them matters too, of course. Today, we see Grand Seiko experiment with one entirely new texture and revisit another that has undeniable potential. Has the Japanese giant got it right this time with the SLGA007? Lets find outGrand Seiko announced the release of the SLGA007 [...]

I am not that well-endowed in the wrist department. There, I said it. I dont have the wrist mass that allows me to successfully and confidently wear some larger-sized watches, and thats a shame. Theres plenty of watches that I would love to own, but the sheer heft of the case means itd look like I was wearing a wall clock on my wrist. Despite my lamentations, theres not much I can do. Im not a weights guy, and I wont be going down to the local gym to pump some wrist iron and bulk them up. Its just not happening.I like hiking on the weekends, but thats as far as my exercise goes. All of the above basically means that most Panerai watches are firmly outside the realms of wrist-based realism fo [...]

Are you looking for a beautiful watch to pair with your ugly Christmas sweater? A classy companion for the happiest time of the year? A way of keeping your eye on the time between spiked-eggnog-and-turkey-induced naps? Omega has your back Not just one, but three new stunning models for the Globemaster Annual Calendar lineup are introduced just in time for the end-of-year festivities. These rather festive releases include a steel watch with a pale pine-green dial, a two-tone model with a burgundy dial, and a Sedna Gold bezel, as well as one in full 18K Sedna Gold.As the end of November rolls around, and December sneaks up on us all, there's no better time to get into the festive spirit. And w [...]

OK, folks, this is not a drill. For one last hurrah, Patek has brought back the 5711 for a super limited edition of watches. Did I mention it's a co-signed edition with Tiffany with a Tiffany blue dial? Let your mouth salivate as we present the incredible new Patek Philippe Nautilus 5711.Yesterday the watch industry went to bed with nary a thought about the possibility of a new Nautilus. Why would they expect such a thing? Patek announced it had discontinued the 5711 back in January of this year. So why now? Out of the blue (no pun intended)? The gorgeous new 5711 celebrates the 170-year partnership between the Swiss watchmaker and Tiffany, as well as Tiffany's new ownership as a part of the [...]

Happy New Year Lets kick off this first Speedy Tuesday feature with some awesome photos done by our very own Bert Buijsrogge. We received the Speedmaster Co-Axial Master Chronometer Moonphase Blue Side of the Moon recently, and we thought it would be fun to show you some details.Blue Side of the MoonIt started with the Dark Side of the Moon in 2013, an awesome and surprising piece coming from Omega at the time. Using their in-house developed chronograph movement (caliber 9300) in a full ceramic watch. The success was amazing. Not only did it sell very well, it was also very much appreciated by the collectors community. A tough crowd, as you know.? What happened next is that Omega started to [...]

Brand boutiques are popping up like mushrooms the last few years. I wonder how the authorized dealers feel about this and what the ideas are behind these brand boutiques. The authorized dealers are more or less required to buy a certain collection of watches from a brand, even if they know upfront they wont be selling certain models. The boutiques however, can probably decide on their own what to buy, or it just doesnt matter because they ARE the brand and can return the watches that dont get sold back to Switzerland (for example).The authorized dealers have their own solution for this, which is selling or trading the watches that they dont want to sell or cant sell, to [grey] dealers elsewh [...]

I had the opportunity to stop by Antiquorum Geneva and check out the watches in their upcoming May sale. Watch auctions are interesting for me to see things that I either haven't seen in person or am not familiar with. I enjoy doing research or checking details to see if I discover something I hadn't noticed before. Clearly, today vintage aficionados are more educated and the free flow of information on the internet allows for more critical buying. A lot of tomatoes are flying around the internet, but that shouldn't take away from the good research and hunting that still awaits us.A personal visit allows me to dig a little further and ask the team more about the watches that interest me. The [...]

With the Longines Heritage Classic, the brand pays tribute to a 1934 classic with sector dial.Before delving into the new Longines Heritage Classic, Ill go ahead and admit something: Ive long followed Longines and its Heritage collection.? As a watch collector and admirer who truly enjoys vintage watches, what could be better than one of the industrys most storied brands deciding to recreate some of its most famous models?? Well, it sounds fantastic but if Im being honest, models within the Longines Heritage collection have always left me just a tad cold.Ill share a personal analogy but hopefully youll be able to follow.? I, like so many others, dont eat red meat with the frequency that I on [...]

Fratello On Air is back This time, Balazs and Mike come back to case materials and focus on precious metals. Specifically, we discuss gold and platinum along with some of our favorite examples. Before we get to the main topicPrecious metals are in play this week, but Balazs and Mike also pick up on the latest news and releases from the LVMH brands First, though, its time for a Handgelenks Kontrolle and Balazs is sporting a pair of light blue DOXA watches the SUB 200 and SUB 300 while Mike is enjoying his new MING 17.09 in blue (everything runs well, thanks for asking).Some news and onto precious metalsThe news was fast and furious over the past week. We discuss the King Seiko Collection and [...]

Oris recently released its Sustainability Report for 2022. Its almost 50 pages of accounts of progress and promises for the future. Like some corporations that compile information for their shareholders in a sleek, savvy package, the Oris Sustainability Report is a seductive package for the environmentally-minded. It succinctly covers where Oris has come from and where the brand is going. I have to say, Im impressed, as I have been following Oris for a while now. But my question is, is it enough?Look, Im a bit of a sustainability kook. In another life, Im a professional arborist, climbing and taking care of trees in an urban forest on the West Coast of the United States. I was raised with st [...]

Ateliers deMonaco is just over one year old (6th of April 2009) and time for Olivier Muller (The Watch Lounge) to do an excellent write-up on this Dutch / Monaco haute horlogerie brand.From left to right:Christain Arbili, business development manager Ateliers deMonacoHSH Prince Albert 2 of MonacoRobert van Pappelendam Initiator and co-founder Ateliers deMonacoPim Koeslag Master Horloger ateliers deMonacoPlease read more about this brand at The Watch Lounge or read an earlier article on Fratellowatches here and here. [...]

Who knew that Swatch still had that circa 90s FOMO swagger? Sometimes, all it takes is a little help from our friends. In this case, Omega stepped in with an 11-part stonker. Im writing this prior to the official sale date of the MoonSwatch, but its safe to say that these watches are hits Im never one to stop at the current, though, so lets talk about what Swatch collab could be next.Ah, Swatch As a dorky teenager, I was certifiably hooked on these fun and often colorful plastic watches from Switzerland. I still remember the lady, Marguerite, who ran the accessories area at the Boca Town Center Bloomingdales. Yes, its true that I had a bit of a nerdy crush, but she was super friendly. As I b [...]

This week, we had the good fortune to visit Omega in Biel for a speedytuesday get together. For certain, the occasion will always be remembered as the world debut of the resurrected caliber 321. But there was something else that was divulged during part of the program that truly piqued my interest the absolute truth on two of the other references that were tested by NASA when selecting what would ultimately become the Moonwatch. Yes, folks, you will read the black and white truth about two of the watches that didn't become Moonwatches.? These are the other NASA-Tested watches.The Other NASA-Tested WatchesPetros Protopapas, the Brand Heritage Manager of Omega, held a 90 minutes long forum [...]

The third model in the Breitling Premier Heritage Collection is the new Premier Datora 42. This is the most complicated model within the series, so lets take a look.Theres no doubt that today is a big day for Breitling. The brand has released three distinct new models within its new Premier Heritage Collection. Theres the manual wind Premier Chronograph, the sublime manual wind Premier Duograph rattrapante, and the Premier Datora 42. In this article, we focus on the latter and, once again, were impressed.A quick look backJust like the other Breitling Heritage models, the Premier Datora 42 takes its inspiration from the brands back catalog. Fred lent another picture of a 40s Datora reference [...]