Since the early 2000s, a special project team (Advanced Research Department) within the Patek Philippe manufacture is occupied with the future of (haute) horlogerie. In 2017, their effort resulted in two major innovations: the new Spiromax(R) balance spring made of Silinvar(R) and a new solution to set a second time zone in timezone watches. To […]
Visit Gimmicks – Spiromax(R) – Patek Philippe Aquanaut Travel Time Ref. 5650 to read the full article.
For all friends of Pilot watches ARCHIMEDE presents now in-house fabricated Blued-Steel Watch Hands for their Pilot 42 A & H. For a few years now, ARCHIMEDE has offered their in-house fabricated blued-steel watch hands solely in their DeckWatch and a number of special editions. ARCHIMEDE now announce that their facilities have developed these high-quality […]
Visit ARCHIMEDE: In-House Fabricated Blued-Steel Watch Hands for Pilot 42 A & H to read the full article.
Last October, I was invited to a Bvlgari event in Rome, Italy. Together with a group of journalists from other watch media, I had a diner with the CEO (Jean-Christophe Babin). During this diner, listening to Babin talk about the (Italian) DNA of Bvlgari and discussing the Bvlgari Octo design, it became clear to me, […]
Visit Bvlgari Octo Finissimo- A Refreshing Roman Design to read the full article.
Seiko is introducing a limited edition ‘Black Series’ for their Prospex collection. Prospex, referring to ‘professional specification’, consists of a wide collection of watches for divers, pilots and adventurers. For their diving collection, Seiko created three models with black coated cases. A quartz chronograph (SSC673P1), a quartz three-hand model (SNE493P1) and an automatic three-hands watch […]
Visit Seiko Prospex – The Black Series Limited Edition 2018 to read the full article.
Sweden is the land of Ikea, Volvo, Saab, Nils Holgersson but also of a few watch companies, including Bravur. Based in the capital Stockholm, Bravur was founded in 2011 by Johan Sahlin and Magnus Äppelryd. Two industrial designers by trade, who wanted to design and create a watch that stands out from the crowd, have a […]
Visit Hands-On With The Bravur BW003 to read the full article.
It is the last Tuesday of the year, the perfect opportunity to show you our best read Speedy Tuesday articles in 2017. Some of the Speedy Tuesday articles that are very popular, such as our Buyer’s Guides or our Speedmaster Professional Moonwatch versus Reduced article, have been written before 2017 (but updated) so we don’t include […]
Visit The Best Of Speedy Tuesday 2017 to read the full article.
This 52Mondayz episode is more or less on a Sunday, it’s Christmas! However as the calendar indicates that Christmas is on a Monday this year, here we are. The last 52Mondayz of 2017, it had to be a special one. And as next week Monday will be January 1st 2018, I want to wear a […]
Visit Ulysse Nardin GMT ± Perpetual – 52Mondayz, week #52 to read the full article.
A Merry Christmas to all our readers who are celebrating! This year, we return to where I essentially “started” with Fratello Watches and that’s with a look at a Rolex. It was three years ago that I wrote about the Submariner 14060M and it’s time for a repeat engagement – with a twist. Yes, this […]
Visit Fratello Watches Christmas Special – The Rolex Sea-Dweller 1665 to read the full article.
The Patek Philippe reference 5960 annual calendar in stainless steel stirred BaselWorld during its introduction in 2014. Today, we find the reference 5960 available in platinum, rose gold, white gold and stainless steel. In the video below, you will find Thierry Stern’s explanation of how Patek Philippe deals with creations like the reference 5960 for […]
Visit Playing with the Devil – Patek Philippe Ref. 5960 to read the full article.
With the new Phara LIMES offers again an automatic ladies watch, which is the successor of the beautiful Artemisia, manufactured from 2006 to 2012. The feminine, elegant timepiece is available in two dial versions, with fine leather straps in black, brown, pink and light blue and a smooth steel bracelet. The silky natural Mother of […]
Visit LIMES: The new Ladies automatic watch Phara to read the full article.
Some weeks ago we were invited by A. Lange & Sohne for an exclusive behind the scenes event capturing some of their watches in a very special way. We all know that photography is important for presenting watches in the best way possible but sometimes you don’t want those picture perfect images. Where the average […]
Visit Behind the scenes of A. Lange & Söhne wet plate product shoot to read the full article.
Celebrating the happiest time of the year People all over the world have already begun to observe their traditional customs, along with rituals all their own. When the hours fly by on a pre-Christmas walk, or the minutes before the first gifts are opened seem to last forever, then two distinguished companions from Glashütte Original […]
Visit Glashütte Original: Festive Anticipation to read the full article.
During one of the get-togethers we organized, we came across this very special Omega Constellation that one of the guests brought in. Now, I have to admit that I have a weak spot for the Constellation. Not only the Constellation pie-pan models from the 1950’s or the recent Constellation Globemaster, but I also happen to […]
Visit #TBT – 18 Carat Gold Omega Constellation Manhattan With Omani Swords to read the full article.
Are you buying watches on-line or rather do it the old school way? Just over a month ago, I visited the Dubai Watch Week (here’s my report) and one of the panel discussions was about e-commerce. The title was “E-commerce – Perfect storm or the silver lining“. At first, I could not believe that this […]
Visit Buying Watches On-Line: Pros and Cons to read the full article.
Apollo 17 was the last mission to the Moon. The decision to cancel Apollo 18 and 19 missions was already done in 1971 and based on budget cuts. Apollo 20 was already cancelled before (in 1969). The Apollo 17 mission, while being the last one to go to the Moon, was the first to have […]
Visit Speedy Tuesday: Today Marks The Return Of The Last Apollo Mission On December 19th 1972 to read the full article.
This is 52Mondayz week #51. The penultimate week of the year already! One way or the other, towards the end of the year I tend to wear more gold watches than in any other period. To get smoothly used to the change in material, I started this year with a Rolex Day-Date in 18-carat white […]
Visit Rolex Day-Date in White Gold – 52Mondayz, week #51 to read the full article.
The first tourbillon was patented on June 26th, 1801 by watchmaker Abraham Louis Breguet. A tourbillon is a complication that was especially useful for pocket watches at the time, to deal with the effect on the accuracy due to the gravitational pull when the watch was in vertical position. A tourbillon construction consists of a […]
Visit NEWS: Breguet Classique Tourbillon Extra-Plat Automatique With “Grand Feu” Enamel Dial to read the full article.
Soon Santa will come to town and so it’s time to celebrate this with the yearly Christmas episode of Watches and Pencils. After a compact recap and some thoughts about last year we will look to some Christmas-related questions I asked all the Fratello team members. But first, let’s shake this snow globe watch to […]
Visit Watches & Pencils #33 – Christmas Special to read the full article.
If you’re visiting Stührling‘s Brooklyn-based headquarters, odds are you’re there to talk watches. And if you’re there to talk watches, sooner or later the conversation will turn to dive watches— a brand staple. Like most every brand’s dive watches, Stührling’s flagship Regatta 842 features design cues that bring Rolex to mind. At the same time, the brand’s […]
Visit THE STÜHRLING REGATTA 842: A DEEP UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT DRIVES DIVE WATCH AFICIONADOS to read the full article.
A photo report of Blancpain’s Night at the Museum event in London Blancpain has donated to different ocean preserving projects for years and years already. Since 2014 however, Blancpain officially committed themselves to protect the world’s oceans. This resulted in the ‘Blancpain Ocean Commitment‘. Increasing public awareness Blancpain intends to increase public awareness through funding […]
Visit Blancpain Ocean Commitment to read the full article.
When you eat and sleep, live and breath watches you develop a strange view on money. Some brands feed you with empty and – sometimes – ignorant phrase like “this is a great price point for this model” or “we managed to offer this watch at a very attractive price”. Often, astronomical numbers follow these […]
Visit Undone Watches – Hands on Review to read the full article.
In 2018, Hamilton will celebrate an important milestone in our history as we mark our first century of timing the skies. Hamilton has a prestigious history of serving the flying community and has been providing essential cockpit tools to pilots and co-pilots since the early days of flight. Watches are essential in aviation. Everything is […]
Visit Hamilton: 100 Years of Timing the Skies to read the full article.
Ah Seiko…a brand that almost all of us on the Fratello team follow avidly. We meet with them often, whether in the Netherlands, Frankfurt or Basel. We’ve traveled to Japan to see their works and a few of us avidly hunt down their vintage releases. So, yes, you could call us fond. We’ve also watched […]
Visit Hands-on with the new Seiko Presage Blue Enamel Limited Edition to read the full article.
The World Time watch ranks among the most popular complications in Patek Philippe’s wristwatch collection. Some time zone designations have changed or were replaced with new ones. Accordingly, Patek Philippe presented the World Time watch Ref. 5230, which has replaced all previous models. For ladies, there is the World Time Ref. 7130G watch indicates all 24 […]
Visit Heart As An assistant: Patek Philippe 5230 & 7130G to read the full article.
Which 52Mondayz watch to chose was a difficult one this week. Last week, together with the rest of the Fratello Watches team, I picked up my Omega Speedmaster Speedy Tuesday. However already being in Biel I took the opportunity to visit Eterna in Grenchen, who had my Kon-Tiki Bronze Manufacture limited edition ready as well. […]
Visit Eterna KonTiki Bronze Manufacture – 52Mondayz, week #50 to read the full article.
Our bi-weekly feature where we select three interesting watches from the Catawiki auctions. This article is a partnership with Catawiki, but we made our own selection of watches and without any interference in our write-up. For this week, we have a Longines Conquest Olympic Games 1972 (Munich) edition, a vintage Grand Seiko 5646-7010 and a […]
Visit OUR CATAWIKI FAVORITES – EDITOR’S CHOICE: Longines, Grand Seiko, Jaeger-LeCoultre to read the full article.
The Senator Chronograph Panorama Date gives functionality a very stylish look The Senator Chronograph Panorama Date from Glashütte Original confronts the challenges of cold and stormy days with casual elegance: This robust timepiece built for everyday use steps into the spotlight with the Saxon manufactory’s unmistakable flair for design. The manufactory chronograph in stainless steel […]
Visit Glashütte Original: A Chronograph for the Man of Taste to read the full article.
Although the name De Ville Trésor is not new, the new Omega Trésor ladies’ collection definitely is. Most ladies’ watches are based on gents’ models within the Omega collection: smaller diameters, different dials and colors etc. This is the case for many watch brands out there. The new Omega Trésor ladies’ collection though, is all-new. […]
Visit The New Omega Trésor Ladies’ Collection to read the full article.
Introduced on January 10th 2017 and sold out within 4.5 hours and about 7500 people on the waiting list. And believe me if I say that I had some sleepless nights before the release over the number of 2012 pieces in total. The delivery of the Omega Speedmaster Speedy Tuesday Limited Edition started in June […]
Visit The Omega Speedmaster Speedy Tuesday Limited Edition In Pictures to read the full article.
Omega gave us the opportunity to use one of the Golf Edition models of their 2017 Omega Aqua Terra line up. I happily accepted it as my 52Mondayz watch for this week. Omega Aqua Terra 150M Golf Edition The Omega Aqua Terra 150M collection currently comprises of no less than 22 variations. A closer look […]
Visit Omega Seamaster Aqua Terra Golf Edition – 52Mondayz, week #49 to read the full article.
You probably recall the Jaeger-LeCoultre Geophysic True Second that was introduced in 2014 (we wrote about it here). At the time also a limited edition that came in three different case materials: stainless steel (800 pieces), pink gold (300 pieces) and platinum (58 pieces). A tribute to the original 1958 Geophysic, with a 38.5mm diameter […]
Visit Jaeger-LeCoultre Geophysic True Second Limited Edition – 100 Pieces Only to read the full article.
Since its inception in 2014, Zelos has been a microbrand popular for its bronze timepieces. Bronze has always been closely linked to the sea as it is one of the most corrosion resistant metals available. A patina forms over time, creating completely unique pieces. What starts out as a shiny rose-gold, ages with the atmosphere […]
Visit Zelos Abyss 2 3000m. Engineered for the Extremes. to read the full article.
It was a Hamilton watch used on the first US postal service flight between Washington and New York, so aviation is nothing new to the brand whose prestigious aviation heritage dates back to 1918 and has included the rank of official supplier to the US Armed Forces since 1914. Geared toward the skyward bound, working […]
Visit Hamilton’s Khaki Aviation X-Wind line heads for new heights as the brand launches a new interpretation of its iconic X-Wind collection to read the full article.
A journalists’ darling, it seems. I am talking about Grand Seiko. Whether it is here, or on any of the other on-line watch magazines and blogs, when there’s a mention of Grand Seiko you hear violins playing in the background. To such an extent, that it becomes implausible perhaps. However, a few months back we […]
Visit Hands-On With The Grand Seiko SBGH263 Boutique Edition to read the full article.
Watches with an extra time zone indicator, like a GMT or world timer always had my interest. I am a frequent traveler, but mainly within the same time zone. Unlike a few years ago, when I traveled for the investment bank and auditing firm I worked for. I used to have a Rolex GMT-Master II […]
Visit Hands-On With The Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Geographic With Sector Dial to read the full article.
As we are approaching the end of the year, I looked back at the watches I’ve bought and sold and I realized that I bought more than I had planned. Actually, when the year started I didn’t plan to buy much anyway, except for an extra Speedmaster Speedy Tuesday. But in the end, I bought […]
Visit Speedy Tuesday – The Speedmasters I Bought In 2017 to read the full article.
Yesterday Oris presented their Movember Edition of the popular original 40mm Sixty-Five Diver in The Hague Netherlands. As Official Watch Partner of the Movember Foundation, Oris herewith continues the company’s ‘Change for the Better’ campaign. And I was invited. Oris Movember Edition The Movember Foundation was founded in 2003 in Melbourne, Australia by Adam Garone, […]
Visit Oris Movember Edition – 52Mondayz, week #48 to read the full article.
From one time zone to another, at the push of a button The Hublot Unico manufacture movement is equipped with a new patented proprietary module which enables the second time zone to be updated instantly by a push-button, allowing the local time to be read easily via the conventional main hand of the watch. The […]
Visit HUBLOT: Big Bang UNICO GMT to read the full article.
It’s not everyday that you get to travel to China for an event. But when it comes to really special occasions it asks for a matching location. And this is exactly what Longines did for their 185th birthday and the official launch of their new Record Collection. With Asia being the most important market for Longines. […]
Visit Report: Longines 185th anniversary in Beijing and launch Record Collection to read the full article.
As we introduced you to our Catawiki Favorites (Editor’s Choice) a few weeks ago already, this time we show you three different watches of our choice: Zenith El Primero Chronomaster, a Bell & Ross (by Sinn) chronograph and a Cartier Tortue in gold. This article is a partnership with Catawiki, but our selection consists of […]
Visit OUR CATAWIKI FAVORITES – EDITOR’S CHOICE: Bell & Ross, Zenith and Cartier to read the full article.
After Revolo had a very successful campaign with their first watches, they decided it was time to add a complication (other than a date) to the game. The Revolo Chronograph! In this article we explained the concept of configuring your personal Revolo, so I don’t go into that today. What you see here is the […]
Visit The Revolo Chronograph – Same Concept, New Complication to read the full article.
Happy Thanksgiving to all our American readers! At Fratello Watches, we’ve followed the activities of the Diver’s Watches Facebook Group with real anticipation. The group’s 35,000+ members plus their insatiable appetites for all things diver, from inexpensive to dear and vintage to new, it’s a good place to scroll through and blow through a few […]
Visit Hands-On with the Zelos Diver Medic Technician to read the full article.
