Watches Blog Wrist Watch Reviews

Have you ever dreamed of being a super spy? Have you ever wondered what watch you might wear if that career should become your daily grind? Well, perhaps we have an answer for you. At least when it comes to counting cards and flinging chips all over the board in the casinos youd no doubt make your second (or first) home. No, this isnt a go-anywhere, do-anything kind of watch. Its something thats been shaken and definitely not stirred. Allow us to present to you, the new Omega Seamaster Diver 300M James Bond Numbered Edition in platinum-gold.Before the coronavirus broke the world in ways wed never predicted something could, we found ourselves basking in the glow of the Omega Seamaster 300M Ja [...]

Just when watches with a >40mm case diameter are considered to be normal sized, I took my vintage Rolex Date-Just ref.1601 with me for a meeting last Friday with a small number of watch enthusiasts. Although I consider 36mm the bare minimum of millimeters for my wrist size, the watch stayed on all weekend and Monday during my work day. The other people who were present on the meeting also had fairly modest sized wrist watches strapped around their wrists. Among them a vintage Glash??otte (G.U.B) from the 1960s, a Cartier Tortue Mono Poussoir, a vintage Rolex Day-Date (ref.1803), a Girard Perregaux Richeville, a Patek Philippe Nautilus (5711/1A), a Breguet Type XX and my vintage Date-Just and [...]

All images may be clicked on for larger versions.I was given an hour with the Hublot Masterpiece collection recently these uncommon pieces were traveling through Kuala Lumpur as part of the Journey Through Time exhibition. These three pieces represent a significant and welcome departure from the staple line of Big Bang offerings and their myriad variants; however tastes and preferences will of course be personal. Hublot has gathered a team of watchmakers called the confrere horlogere, specifically to develop highly complicated pieces in small series. Please note that the watches photographed were non-functioning prototypes, so I am unable to comment on the running and usability of the piece [...]

Bas van Dorp, friend of the show for many years now, is always keeping his eyes open for a cool chronograph. He found this vintage Cyma Watersport chronograph from the 1940s in a watch shop in Maastricht, in the southern part of The Netherlands. Cyma is a brand with a history dating back to 1891, however they didnt survive the quartz crisis in the 1970s only to be reborn in 2005. The current Cyma company has nothing to do with the one that stopped about 40 years ago.Bass Cyma Watersport is a classic looking round chronograph with a tri-compax dial lay-out, which means it has the sub dials at 9, 6 and 3 oclock. In my opinion, the perfect chronograph design symmetry-wise. A fairly large watch [...]

Im setting myself up to receive some serious heat right now, but I dont care. Even among my own team, there are several Daytona owners, so to say Im walking into the lions den wearing a meat suit might be a bit of an understatement. But as someone who has become less and less interested in the Rolex Daytona and all the nonsense that surrounds it and the trials of its acquisition I thought I should say something. You know what? There are loads of excellent alternatives out there. Forget what the fashion mags tell you. Dont listen to the brand fawners or status seekers. Buy smart. Try these five on for size and thank me laterOne quick note: I get that the Daytona is more than a watch. I unders [...]

When I picked up the Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Tribute Small Seconds with the red dial at the SIHH last January, I was convinced it is some limited or special edition.At first, I thought I wouldnt even ask whether this is the case, but as soon as I put it on my wrist, I wanted to make sure. It is not a limited edition, but its for our regular collection.. Wow. It was my first appointment at the SIHH, and I already was smitten by the first thing I saw. That sounded promising. Unfortunately, the Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Tribute Small Seconds is about the only watch that stuck with me from the SIHH. Although weve seen lots of great new watches, the red dial Reverso was the piece I love best.Red [...]

It seems not even Patek Philippe is immune to the olive green trend weve seen sweep the industry in recent months. Following the high-profile discontinuation of the 5711 blue dial earlier this year, we knew something was just around the corner. This model, reference 5711/1A-014, is touted as the last of its kind. The last Nautilus of this generation, or so we believe. The question to you, dear Fratelli, is do you think that this olive green version is a fitting swan song for one of the industrys most enduring classics?The Patek Philippe Nautilus has undergone many subtle changes throughout its almost half-century of existence. Few iterations have been as beloved and well balanced as the 5711 [...]

The Zenith El Primero name is one that demands respect in the watch industry. Zenith introduced the venerable chronograph in 1969, and the movement remains the brands bread and butter to this day. Of course, there have been numerous updates and revisions, improving the accuracy and reliability as modern technology has allowed. The El Primero is one of the most well-known chronograph movements, but this year, its expanded its horizons to a simpler three-hand offering in the form of the Zenith Defy Skyline.It might take a little getting used to, referring to a non-chronograph watch as an El Primero, but there you go. The Skyline is powered by a variant of the El Primero 3600, the high-beat, te [...]

Fratello on Air returns with another talkative episode. This time, we answer a listeners question about watch culture around the world.Its true that Fratello boasts one of the more multinational teams. One of our listeners from Finland decided to take advantage of that by asking us about watch culture around the globe. How do people come together, do they come together, and do they even like watches in some countries? We dont have all the answers, but we enjoyed the chat. This time, its Mike, Jorg, and Balazs on the mics for a bit of banter.Wrist check and the newsThe gents roll through a Handgelenks Kontrolle and youll find a lovely Rolex GMT-Master 1675 on the wrist of our main Magyar, Bal [...]

Ahoy friends and all aboard for this weeks edition of Wrist Game or Crying Shame. Well take a look at the very first IWC Aquatimer Cousteau Divers. But firstEvery time I try to have a little fun around here, you guys go and get all kinds of serious. And so it was with the Corum Bubble Shark Diver. You burst my bubble because this expressive diver sunk into the abyss with a 75% Crying Shame loss. Boo hoo Staying on theme with the water ready, though, lets see if youll turn a kinder eye to the IWC Aquatimer Cousteau Divers.Jacques Yves CousteauIf Richard Dawson were still alive and hosting one of my all-time favorite TV game shows, Family Feud, Id try to qualify as a contestant. And if I got t [...]

When it comes to nearly any vintage Rolex bracelet, you will hardly find a bigger professional to take care of yours. My mind is still processing the fact that there is a man out there who has had more than 50,000 bracelets pass through his hands. ?I first got in touch with Michael Young maybe four years ago. I was thinking about what to do with a spare Breitling bracelet that came with my Chrono-Matic ref. 2110. It was so heavily worn and so loose that I could push it up to my thigh.Breitling bracelet foreplayFinding a Breitling watch fitted with an original bracelet is not very common, so I could not just throw it out. Especially when Breitling aficionado Fred Mandelbaum confirmed that thi [...]

With the 2021 Formula One season starting on schedule, I check out the watch brands that sponsor each manufacturer. Some of the partnerships are new for this year, whereas some are dyed-in-the-wool. There are even F1 teams without a watch sponsor as the season gets going. But no matter the case, I cover each team and weigh in with my thoughts on whether they are a good fit for the chosen watch brand.Did you check out Episode 6.0 of the Fratello WASP Podcast? If not, open your podcast player of choice, and have a listen as you read along. I made a guest appearance to give a rundown on the first European-originated sport to feature in the series. Previously Rob and Bal��zs focus on the North Am [...]

To be brutally honest, this newly introduced Panerai Luminor 1950?3-Days, or PAM 663, is already one of my all-time favorites concerning modern Panerai watches. It probably was a question of time when they would come up with a Panerai Luminor 1950?with a stunning vintage looking brown dial and a plexi crystal.This brown color should remember you of the discolored dials of vintage Panerai models (like the?reference 6154 also?named Egiziano Piccolo). These watches initially had black dials, but over time, they changed color to this distinct brown tone due to the effect of the radium-based powder used to lume the hands and indexes. Therefore, Panerai introduces two Special Edition models that h [...]

Vincent van GoghDutch Post-Impressionist Vincent van Gogh was?almost unnoticed during his (short) life time. Up to his death, age 37, he only sold one painting, La vigne rouge.?However, he painted over 2100 artworks, including around 860 oil paintings. He did so in only about a decade, as he only started painting in his late 20s. Before, he was working for a firm of art dealers in The Hague, London and Paris. When he moved to Paris in 1886 to live with his brother Theo van Gogh (art dealer), in Montmartre, where he got his own studio. Here is where he painted the Self portrait as a painter in 1887/1888. This painting is one of his best known works and can be admired in the Van Gogh Museum in [...]

Of course, of course, I get it. I understand why every article written about the new Rolex Oyster Perpetual collection is focused on the 41mm 124300. It is a handsome watch. Most importantly, it is something very new for Rolex. However, as seminal as its release may be, it has obscured the debut of a true classic. The Rolex Oyster Perpetual 126000 in 36mmWhy is reference 124300 important? Its the first time Rolex has released a 41mm Oyster Perpetual. Perhaps even more startling, is the fact it has bulldozed its way into the collection by replacing the 39mm family entirely. That, to me, seemed a shade unnecessary considering the Oyster Perpetual configurator page of the Rolex website already [...]

Its Speedy Tuesday One of our dear readers and Speedmaster enthusiasts has contributed a number of photos of his recently acquired Omega Speedmaster Pro Tintin watch. We discussed this watch already even before it was released in BaselWorld and then were the first to tell you about the association with Tintin. Jean-Claude Monachon ?Vice President and Head of Product Development told us about the initial plans for this watch when Omega designed it, making it an official Omega Speedmaster Tintin timepiece. Instead, it became the Omega Speedmaster Pro Racing as the owners of the Tintin copyrights (probably) did not like the idea of having this watch as a tribute. As our first publication on th [...]

In the 1970s, Hamilton supplied British Royal Air Force pilots with hand-wound chronographs. The new Hamilton Khaki Pilot Pioneer Mechanical Chronograph is a tribute to the watches used by Lightning, Harrier Jump Jet, and Vulcan pilots. Inside the 40mm steel case beats the hand-wound H-51-Si movement, and looking at the dial, it seems little has changed. But let's find out how the new version holds up in a hands-on review.Back in 2017, Mike Stockton wrote about the original chronograph that Hamilton made for the RAF back in the 1970s. In his conclusion, he stated, The Hamilton Military Chronograph is a really purposeful looking watch with great history. The fact that these watches were reall [...]

Gold Speedmaster Professional Limited Edition Moonwatch 1969Only 1014 have been made of this gold OMEGA Speedmaster Professional in 1969 of which 28 went to the White House and 26 of them were given to the NASA astronauts of that time. Number 1 was offered to President Nixon, but he declined it. This particular watch is on display in the OMEGA Museum in Biel.Above is a picture that I took of the Presidents watch when I was in Biel last year.Anyway, this weeks Speedy Tuesday is featuring this special gold Speedmaster Professional ref. BA145022 from one of our long-time readers. Originally bought in 1970 as you will see on the receipt. This watch was sitting in my mail box for a long long time [...]

Credor, the JDM luxury brand created by Seiko in the 70s to beat Patek Philippe and Rolex at the then-hot luxury quartz game. Today, we know Credor for its thin luxury and hand-finished porcelain dials of the Eichi models. Finally available outside Japan, and produced within the inner chambers of the Grand Seiko ateliers, Credor watches are as quirky as they are pure. Representing a very Japanese ethos of wrist-worn luxury, any Credor will make you dismiss the notion that the dress watch is dead. But I bet youve never heard of the Credor Phoenix.It took some time for Seiko to focus clearly on where it wanted to go with its main and sub-brands. Through my incessant Chrono24 browsing and a sto [...]

The design of the Submariner 114060, is unmistakably Rolex, despite the size and use of modern materials such as ceramics. Compare the modern 114060 to the 1953 Rolex Submariner 6204 and you will immediately notice that these watches share the same DNA.Owning and wearing a Rolex Submariner is one thing, but to dive into the history of this watch is quite a task. To make it somewhat easier for you, we hereby show you the history of the Submariner in a nutshell, including a table with most important references since 1953 till the current line-up of Submariner watches.Diving Into Rolex SubmarinerThe Rolex Submariner is a watch with an interesting story. Introduced over 60 years ago, the current [...]