With only a day to go, 2016 has come to its end. It was a very interesting year for the watch industry and for watch collectors. The watch industry is currently going through a rough time, but still managed to come up with some very interesting watches this past year. State of the watch industry […]
The post 2016 Watches – A Recap appeared first on Fratello Watches.
Here we are in the last week of 2016 and we’re going to kick it old-school style by looking at a classic chronograph, the Wittnauer 235T. We’ve featured a watch from the brand before with a look at the remarkably unique and bold 242T and while today’s watch might not trigger any “grail alerts”, it’s […]
The post #TBT Wittnauer 235T Chronograph – a Possible Moonwatch? appeared first on Fratello Watches.
When the Clifton was introduced by Baume & Mercier’s CEO Alain Zimmermann in Geneva, he introduced it as a watch in the category of affordable luxury. Back then, the Clifton series started below 3000 Euro for the most basic version. Later on, complications (including a tourbillon) were added. Today, we take a look at the […]
The post Hands-On With The Baume & Mercier Clifton Chronograph Complete Calendar (10280) appeared first on Fratello Watches.
After collecting and hunting down Speedmasters for many years now, I can say that my personal grail would be a Speedmaster CK2998-1. To me, it represents the Speedmaster in its best form. Black bezel, leaf hands, straight-lug case and caliber 321 movement. Unfortunately it took me some years to find out, and once I did, […]
The post Speedy Tuesday – First Series Omega Speedmaster CK2998-1, an absolute grail watch appeared first on Fratello Watches.
Novak Djokovic has been the Seiko Astron GPS ambassador since 2014. Since then, Seiko didn’t stand still and kept developing the GPS movement. It became much smaller, more energy efficient and is capable of receiving information from 4 satellites. Just a while ago, Seiko introduced a new limited edition of 35oo pieces only, with a […]
The post Seiko Astron GPS – The Novak Djokovic Limited Edition appeared first on Fratello Watches.
Two years ago, watch collector and connoisseur Mike Stockton contributed a wonderful write-up about his Rolex Submariner 14060M. A 2000 word write-up about the classic Rolex Submariner 14060M, from the very early moment he laid his eyes on this iconic diver from Rolex, the moment he bought it (years later) up to now, years of […]
The post Fratello Watches Christmas Special – Rolex Submariner 14060M Review appeared first on Fratello Watches.
Zahnd & Kormann to Launch biggest Swiss Made Watches Crowdfunding Campaign ever on Kickstarter Zahnd & Kormann watch brand was founded by Roger Zahnd and Florian Kormann in order to create and offer you high quality timepieces bearing the prestigious Swiss Made label, in a most transparent and modern way, aiming to change how Swiss […]
The post Zahnd & Kormann – A Swiss Microbrand is reaching out for the world of Haute Horlogerie appeared first on Fratello Watches.
My interest in watch photography started after I ran into some watch forums, many years ago. My main goal was to learn about mechanical watches, but as a side-effect, I started to learn about photography as well. That was 2008. Since then, I have learned a lot, photographed a lot, saw my work on magazine […]
The post 10 Tips For Better Watch Photography appeared first on Fratello Watches.
3, 6, 9 and 12 – There is no watch brand that relies, so much on these four bold numbers. Year after year, Panerai keeps its followers in a grip and surprises them with new models. Often with minimal changes, since at Panerai it is all about details. Now I just said minimal changes, but that’s a bit […]
The post Heritage and History – The Power Of Panerai appeared first on Fratello Watches.
We’ve been following the Toolwatch guys since their early start and they did a great job in creating a ‘tool’ to measure the accuracy of your watch. First via their website, but now there’s also the Toolwatch app available in the Apple Store and Play Store (Google). Checking the accuracy of your watch For most […]
The post Download the Toolwatch App appeared first on Fratello Watches.
At 35,000 feet about halfway from Europe to the United States on a trip “home” for the holidays, the mind starts to get a little fuzzy. Call it the sweet return to drinking American craft beer or California Cabernet (yep, no matter where I live I’m still a “homer” and as a result, I’ve had […]
The post Vintage Watch Market Update for the Holidays 2016 appeared first on Fratello Watches.
Not that long ago, we reviewed the Victorinox I.N.O.X Paracord watch. Today, we have a look at the I.N.O.X Professional Diver. This is basically the bigger (45mm) brother of the 43mm I.N.O.X (Paracord) and comes with a uni-directional rotating bezel. I.N.O.X. Professional Diver This watch is very similar to the I.N.O.X. Paracord that we reviewed in this […]
The post Hands-On Victorinox I.N.O.X. Professional Diver Review appeared first on Fratello Watches.
You might think that cooperation between Omega and NASA stopped after the Apollo program. But that isn’t the case. In fact, the Moonwatch was re-certified for the Space Shuttle missions in 1978. Again, after a tender and some rigid testing procedures, the Omega Speedmaster Professional was chosen again for all manned space flights. 56 Pieces For NASA […]
The post Speedy Tuesday – Numbered Gold Speedmasters As Tribute To The Renewed Flight Qualification For The Space Shuttle appeared first on Fratello Watches.
Welcome to the last episode for 2016! A special laid-back episode, Christmas-themed. So put on your wool sweater and seat yourself nearby the tree. Don’t crack under Pressure As we all know, 2016 was a pretty amazing year with lot’s of ups and downs. The watch market is under pressure and we all experience it. Often […]
The post Watches & Pencils #22 – Christmas Special appeared first on Fratello Watches.
Almost identical to the Grand Seiko that won the “Petite Aiguille” award in the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève in 2014, Seiko now introduces the Grand Seiko Hi-Beat SBGJ021 with a special dial and oscillating weight. The design of this Grand Seiko is based on the 1967 Grand Seiko 44GS. Let’s have a look at this […]
The post Hands-On With The Limited Edition Grand Seiko Hi-Beat 36000 GMT SBGJ021 appeared first on Fratello Watches.
A cool watch does not have to be an expensive one. I think we can all agree on that. (Vintage) Seikos are as cool as it gets, there are a bunch of divers that won’t break the bank and not to mention the 7733/7734 vintage chronographs. So for a few hundred euros you can get yourself […]
The post #TBT Amida Digitrend appeared first on Fratello Watches.
Watchstars Awards is one of the few awards out there where jury members can select – any – watch that has been introduced in the last year (with the exception of the Stars for a Lifetime and Design Stars categories). Brands have no influence on the selection and cannot submit watches, unlike many other awards […]
The post Watchstars Award Winners 2016/17 appeared first on Fratello Watches.
We always had a slight preference for Sinn watches that we would categorize as tool watches: the 140/142, 103, EZM series, 358, 756, 856 and so on. However, there’s more to Sinn than these watches for professional use only. They also have collections like the ‘Klassische Meisterwerke’ (dress watches basically), ladies’ watches and of course, […]
The post Hands-On Sinn 6052 Review – The Frankfurt Financial District Watch appeared first on Fratello Watches.
Perhaps as rare as it gets, these orange handed Speedmasters are topic of (heated) discussions every once in a while. Only a few of them have been (officially) made in Bienne, but (official) numbers aren’t known. The watch was only made in 1968 and featured in The Return of Ultraman in 1971, which gives it its […]
The post Speedy Tuesday – Omega Speedmaster Ultraman Ref.145.012-67 appeared first on Fratello Watches.
Ronde Louis Cartier Cartier has been best known for its square and rectangle watches, ask anyone on the street to name a Cartier watch, and you will get an answer like; ‘that watch with the screws.’. That is what Cartier is among the general public; the Santos and the Tank watches. They represent the common […]
The post Luxury Hasn’t Lost Its Lustre – the ‘Ronde Louis Cartier’ appeared first on Fratello Watches.
Flagship model from Tutima Glashütte creates a new style in the world of German watches. For more information please visit the Tutima website Tutima presents the flagship model of its new watch family to the public: the SAXON ONE symbolizes sportiness and toughness – and also delivers unmistakable esthetics. Even the name SAXON ONE heralds […]
The post Tutima Saxon One: Statement in Steel appeared first on Fratello Watches.
It has been exactly 60 years since the introduction of the first Rolex Day-Date, reference 6511. This is being celebrated by a dedicated Rolex Day-Date 40 exhibition at one of the largest retailers in The Netherlands, Schaap -/- Citroen. Even better, their boutique in The Hague was chosen for this exhibition. A ‘home game’ for us, for […]
The post Rolex Day-Date 40 Exhibition – Schaap Citroen Den Haag appeared first on Fratello Watches.
For the first time again in a long while, I am super enthusiastic again about a watch. I’ve worn the Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Perpetual from the moment I picked it up, till the very last hour before I had to hand it over again. Yes, we need to give back the watches that we review. In […]
The post Hands-On Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Perpetual Review appeared first on Fratello Watches.
Today’s #TBT takes a look at a chronograph that I’ve been hunting for a long time, a Mark 1 Breitling Top Time 810. It’s a watch – and a watch line that existed for some time – that’s been grossly underrated in vintage watch collector circles for some time, but is finally getting some deserved […]
The post #TBT Making a Case for the Breitling Top Time 810 appeared first on Fratello Watches.
1858 refers to the founding year of Minerva, a watch company that was located in Villeret, Switzerland. A brand that struggled through its last years of existence, but also a brand with a lot of watchmaking history. If you put some effort into it, you will find – for example – the most beautiful chronograph […]
The post Montblanc 1858 Chronograph Tachymeter Champagne – Limited to 100 pieces appeared first on Fratello Watches.
Watch Around the World Recently, when we were in Vienna (Austria) during an event, we met up with a loyal reader of Fratello Watches. Let’s say his name is Markus, you’ll find him on Instagram as @vintagewatchzilla. Except being a Speedmaster and Speedy Tuesday fan, Markus had a very nice idea. Not long ago he […]
The post Watch Around the World – #watw appeared first on Fratello Watches.
Yvo Staudt and his Watches For those who aren’t familiar with Staudt Watches, a small recap. Staudt Watches was found by Yvo Staudt. Yvo (1991) is actually a professional musician and plays classical accordion. He studied in Italy for two consecutive years with one of the best classical accordionists in the world. While being away […]
The post Hands-On Staudt Praeludium Hand Wound Review appeared first on Fratello Watches.
Contest by Omega Imagine it is 1973, you live somewhere in France and you entered a contest by Omega. A bit later, you receive the following letter and box: A translation below: Sir, We were very pleased that you participated in this global competition, and you have been able to find, through reflection, adequate answers […]
The post Speedy Tuesday – Speedmaster Professional 145.022-69 Straight Writing appeared first on Fratello Watches.
Not long ago, we were contacted by artist Diederick Kraaijeveld to tell us about his Speedmaster art. Diederick is an artist from The Netherlands and create iconic pieces out of salvaged and found wood (in old buildings, on beaches etc). He does NOT paint the pieces, he only use a saw and over 50.000 kilo of painted […]
The post Speedmaster Art Made Of Painted Wood appeared first on Fratello Watches.
Christmas Gift Guide Christmas is just around the corner, but there is still time. If you have not made your mind up on what to ask for from your loved ones here are a few tips. Throughout the year we wrote about various accessories and goodies watch lovers like yourself might enjoy. We thought it […]
The post Christmas Gift Guide for the Watch Enthusiasts appeared first on Fratello Watches.
The article Visual Complications from the past: Cartier Pasha Day & Night explained in a nutshell how Cartier build their famous Day & Night and Mystery clocks in the thirties. Quite remarkable, since at the time the brand was a small company with just a few watchmakers on the payroll. This makes it even more […]
The post Cartier’s Visual Complications Today and Tomorrow appeared first on Fratello Watches.
Today, on #TBT, we’ll take a look at one of the most popular vintage chronographs: the Seiko Bullhead 6138-0040. While it’s a watch I struggle to wear on a consistent basis – more on that later – it has undeniable charm due to its unorthodoxy. We’ll take a close look at the watch, its odd […]
The post #TBT The Seiko Bullhead 6138-0040 Chronograph appeared first on Fratello Watches.
Jeff Kingston visits the Patek Philippe Museum in Geneva. The video shows particular timepieces of the Patek Philippe Company. There are over 2,000 watches in the Patek Philippe Museum in Geneva. It may be there’s another museum in the world with more timepieces – that’s in the Forbidden City in Beijing, the Watch and Clock […]
The post Patek Philippe: A visit to the Patek Philippe Museum guided by Jeff Kingston appeared first on Fratello Watches.
Two Stitch Straps A little over two years ago, on 13th September 2014 the first Watch Strap Review was published on Fratello Watches. Since then, I tried to bring a new strap maker to your attention every month. A few times RJ or Mike took over, we might have skipped a month but we are […]
The post Watch Strap Review Anniversary Edition Part 25. – Two Stitch Straps appeared first on Fratello Watches.
Speedmaster 105.012-66 Racing When Omega designed the Speedmaster in 1957, it was actually meant to be a sports chronograph. It was a time when there was no connection with space yet, and Omega introduced their Seamaster 300, Railmaster and Speedmaster, as watches for ‘professional’ use. Racing Models Even though the Speedmaster was connected with space […]
The post Speedy Tuesday – Omega Speedmaster 105.012-66 Racing appeared first on Fratello Watches.
Greubel Forsey is financing Philippe DuFour to produce a film to record for posterity: watchmaking techniques that slowly are being lost, slowly are fading from memory. So that generations to come, people will have a recorded lesson, on how to do these steps of watchmaking. Philippe DuFour shows us what he is going to be […]
The post Philippe DuFour Explains Watchmaking Techniques That Are Almost Forgotten appeared first on Fratello Watches.
World Traveller’s Watches Some call it the best time ever, others hate it. Travelling around the world comes in many flavours, be it for work, leisure or perhaps even both. If you are a regular world traveller, you might want to have a world traveller’s watch to accompany you on these trips. They help you to […]
The post Three Haute Horlogerie World Traveller’s Timepieces – Patek Philippe, De Bethune and Glashütte Original appeared first on Fratello Watches.
As it’s the weekend after Thanksgiving and most Americans are either exhausted from eating too much or from being dragged to the mall to fight the crowds (this idea of Black Friday is spreading around the globe by the way), we thought we’d lighten your spirits by giving you a mini #TBT “Just Because” about […]
The post Just Because – A Barn Find Gallet Multichron Decimal appeared first on Fratello Watches.
Vintage Rolex Vintage Rolex is no hype, it is here to stay. It does come with waves though and so do the prices of some of the models. Today, a double red Sea-Dweller is less expensive than it was a couple of years ago, but in general, you could say that almost all of the […]
The post Rolex Submariner 5512 vs 5513 – Which One Should You Get? appeared first on Fratello Watches.
This week’s #TBT will be a bit different, as I’ll focus on something I think you, our readers, will enjoy: a Vintage Seiko Buyer’s Guide. The thought of pulling together a directional like this sounds audacious, but as you’ll see, Seiko makes, and made, a lot of things relatively easy for us. But…as with all […]
The post #TBT A Vintage Seiko Buyer’s Guide to Affordable Goodness appeared first on Fratello Watches.
Walking into a prestigious watchmaker’s, you browse the glass cabinets for your perfect timepiece. This a luxurious experience, where attention to detail is a must. It is then when you spot it and instantly, you know this is the one for you. To try the watch on, you ask for assistance and wait excitedly as […]
The post Lepsi Watch Technologies appeared first on Fratello Watches.
Holthinrichs Watches Officially Introduced Michiel Holthinrichs yesterday officially introduced his watch brand ‘Holthinrichs Watches’ together with his first watch model, the ‘Ornament 1’. Holthinrichs, being a recent Architecture graduate, choose the Faculty of Architecture of ‘his’ Technical University in Delft (Netherlands) as location for the presentation. This not being our first introduction event, we were […]
The post Event Report: Official Introduction of Holthinrichs Watches appeared first on Fratello Watches.
Oris Diver Watches Ever since the introduction of the new Oris diver watches, the Oris Divers Sixty-Five models, people have been praising them. A cool retro watch with a very affordable price tag. We have reviewed a couple of the Oris Divers Sixty-Five variations ever since (the original Sixty-Five, the 42mm model, and just recently […]
The post Comparison – Original 1960s Oris Diver and the Oris Divers Sixty-Five appeared first on Fratello Watches.
The Beginning My love with vintage watches started with Omega. To understand that however, we have to go back a bit. The year was 2007 and I had my eye on a then new Swiss watch; the Tissot PRC 200. It was quartz but with a somewhat timeless design I was drawn to it immediately. […]
The post Omega Speedmaster Transitional – Balazs’ Story appeared first on Fratello Watches.
This episode we finally set the Speedmaster watch in the spotlight of the Watches & Pencils feature. In particular, we zoom in on the first Speedmaster which has passed the NASA tests: the Omega Speedmaster with reference number 105.003. Also known as the ‘Ed White’ Speedmaster. Later on more about the NASA tests: Form and Function Hand […]
The post Watches & Pencils #21 – The NASA Tests and the Speedmaster appeared first on Fratello Watches.
Porsche Design has been a synonym for innovative solutions and inventions from its foundation. In the early 1970s, Porsche Design brought the idea of a matte black cockpit and instruments with white hands to ensure maximum contrast for optimal readability from the racetrack to a watch. The first Porsche Design timepiece, named Chronograph I, […]
The post 1919 Chronotimer: Passion for Racing and Pure Performance appeared first on Fratello Watches.
ANALYSIS OF RESULTS AT – PHILLIPS (BACS & RUSSO), CHRISTIE’S, SOTHEBY’S & ANTIQUORUM Chart – RECAP ON NOVEMBER 2016 WATCH AUCTIONS – GENEVA AUCTION HOUSE TTL LOTS* QTY SOLD SOLD % TOTAL VALUE AVG. PRICE PHILLIPS (Bacs & Russo) 191 177 93% CHF 27.513.625 CHF 155.444 Christie’s 323 276 85% CHF 14.702.500 CHF 53.270 Sotheby’s […]
The post Wrap Up Of Geneva Watch Auctions of November 2016 appeared first on Fratello Watches.
Mastering speed and design for a quarter of a century The Klondike Chronograph, the twenty fifth anniversary edition of Delma’s heritage collection, was designed to make men’s hearts beat just a little bit faster. This collection highlight from the traditional Swiss brand Delma has been created with attention to detail and the highest level of […]
The post Delma Klondike Chronotec appeared first on Fratello Watches.
Tudor Pelagos LHD Yesterday, Tudor invited us for a lunch in Amsterdam. We understood that it had to do with a new introduction, but had no clue about what to expect. Exactly at 1pm, Tudor unveiled their latest, the Tudor Pelagos LHD. LHD stands for Left Hand Drive, for left-handed divers, meaning that the winding […]
The post Tudor Pelagos LHD (Left Hand Drive) Numbered Edition – Awesome Tool Watch (Live Pics, Background Info And Specs) appeared first on Fratello Watches.
I’d bet that it was ten years ago that I found myself looking at pictures of a vintage Doxa Sub 300T and the brand’s newest offerings on the company’s website. There was something so cool about this watch that hadn’t really changed since its mid-1960’s introduction. Perhaps it was the then rudimentary website that hasn’t […]
The post #TBT The Legendary Doxa Sub 300T Sharkhunter appeared first on Fratello Watches.
Officine Panerai Radiomir PAM00627 I recently visited the Panerai manufacture in Neuchâtel. You can read about my Panerai manufacture visit in this article. It changed my view on Officine Panerai quite drastically. No longer I see them as manufacturer of large watches that happen to look good (slightly exaggerated statement), as I’ve witnessed how much effort they […]
The post Hands-On Officine Panerai Radiomir 1940 3-Days PAM00627 Review appeared first on Fratello Watches.
The Rolex Submariner is a watch with an interesting story. Introduced over 60 years ago, the current Rolex Submariner model (updated four years ago) is a product of a long history and development. The similarities are clearly visible while the innovations are as well. A ceramic bezel, masculine case and solid bracelet with an easy-to-adjust folding […]
The post Rolex Submariner – Historical Overview Of A Diving Legend appeared first on Fratello Watches.
