Grand Seiko brightens up our morning by introducing no less than 4 new references in their Elegance collection. Not only do they come up with a new hand-wound movement (caliber 9S63), they also introduce you to their new 39mm case design.Lets have a closer look.Grand Seiko Elegance Hand-WoundThis news hit us early this morning (4:20am local time). A new movement is a big thing, as always, and especially when it was already 8 years ago since the last hand-wound Grand Seiko movement was introduced. Today, Grand Seiko unveils their caliber 9S63 movement. A movement with a small seconds hand at 9 oclock and a power reserve indicator at 3 oclock. The new Grand Seiko Elegance watches with this cal...
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Tom Mulraney, of The Watch Lounge website, makes it very easy for you to win this RED8 wrist watch by Christian Bedat. With the RED8, Bedat Co created something entirely different from their normal collection of watches. I actually like the RED8, because it is a fresh looking design with a self-winding eco-quartz movement, as we know it from the Omega Seamaster QMatic (the watch is powered by a capacitor that is charged by a spinning rotor). This would make a nice watch suitable for sports, big crown, large dial and hands.Anyway, the only thing you need to do is go to Toms website and follow the instructions. You either have to sign-up for his Twitter feed or sign-up for his newsletter. Bes...
Imagine your average Saturday afternoon. Add a group of around 40 people (oh yes, all men), together in a private section of a restaurant. Theres an open bar, snacks come and go, and there are a lot I mean A LOT of watches. It doesn't sound all that complicated, and it really isn't. But it sure makes for a seriously fun afternoon Yes, Fratelli, watch get-together season is here, and ready to wipe away those lingering pandemic blues!Since I got into watches around two years ago, I've only visited two other physical events like the one last weekend in Enschede, Netherlands. The first one was last November with roughly the same group of people. I didn't really know what to expect, but I got inv...
The legendary Omega Seamaster PloProf has been deservedly praised by many collectors. However, a lot of the information that was published up till now has been wrong. A number of collectors have now set the record straight, with the help of Omegas?International Brand Heritage Manager Petros Protopapas and his team. Not only that, the authors have performed deep research by going through Omegas archives themselves as well as collecting and analyzing material from other watch collectors. This doesnt necessarily mean you can toss away the book on the Ploprof by Jon Wallis, but it surely is important to acknowledge that some of the information in there is outdated now.54mm in width, 45mm in leng...
omega case backs invoke both recognition and frustration. Why? They are austere and blank. Or perhaps theyre gloriously-finished masterpieces? Well, maybe not, but I sincerely feel that for the price they are too plain. I do enjoy cool minimalist tool watches and lately, and have had a love affair with a Seiko SLA023. But even its tool-tastic monobloc case has an engraving. Isn't that half the charm of turning a watch around after becoming lost in the dial? Me, I am a dyed-in-the-wool dial addict, but the back is equally exciting. Whether its a wide sapphire crystal offering a lesson in micro-mechanics or even just a stamped-logo steel lid. But come on, even microbrands can have deep-engrave...
The new Bell Ross BR 03-92 GREY LUM is the latest addition to the brand's Instruments line.Bell Ross has three major model families, Vintage, Experimental, and Instrument. The latter is arguably one of BR's most iconic model families. Within that, the BR? 03 group is also the largest with 27 timepieces. From steel to PVD, two-tone, and even ceramic one can choose from many different looks as well as complications. The BR 03 line contains simple time-only pieces as well as watches with power reserve indicators, GMTs, and ever-popular chronograph complications. The BR 03-92 GREY LUM is coming to this line with its simple yet unmistakably Bell Ross design. Great size, clean lines, and insane...
Its This Week in Watches for November 16, 2019 lets do this!Before we get into the new watch news of This Week in Watches, Ill spend a few minutes talking about some observations over the last week.? Last weekend was auction weekend in Geneva with the Only Watch charity event occurring.? If my math is right, the Patek Grandmaster Flash Chime helped raise roughly 82% of the proceeds for charity when it sold for a whopping 31M CHF.? Im really happy for the charity, but if Im being open and honest, that was one unattractive watch.? Still, congrats to the owner and the charity.? Next up were all the individual auctions held by the usual suspects.? This year felt a bit normal as there werent any...
Theres nothing quite like getting a new watch, correct? Visiting a boutique, having a glass of champagne, and enjoying some white-glove service is a real perk. For some of us, though, buying an older watch is just as exciting. These days, buying a new omega borders on the nearly impossible. If the gray market isnt your thing, that leaves vintage omega as an option. It sounds funny because vintage was always more expensive. Those tables have turned, though, but is a vintage omega a good substitute for a new model? Lets discussBefore my fun experience with Swiss customs, Id routinely travel with a few watches on longer trips. I liked switching things up and tried to bring pieces to match the a...
In what has been a crazy time, there is something I think we can all agree on: the watch industry has surprised us with some unexpected releases. Cartier has occupied itself with reintroducing Must de Cartier. However, if you were expecting the old gold-plated design you might be disappointed. If youd been hoping the Must would get a modern update, however, I imagine youll be thrilled. The new Cartier Tank Must has many faces and the basic model stands far away from the vintage model. This is something really new in a very familiar package. It seems, at first glance, to be the perfect combo. But is it?Cartier's most iconic lineGiven that the Cartier Tank line is the brands most iconic, it's ...
Chronoswiss Sirius ArtistWe covered Chronoswiss last year and mentioned that we sort of lost a bit of track' with the brand. They happily surprised us with their collection of watches and we've been watching them ever since (again). With a brief explanation of the Chronoswiss history in our previous article let's have a look at their new watch collection. Chronoswiss basically has two collections. The Chronoswiss Timemaster being the sporty collection and Sirius the classic collection. Both collections consist of various models and the classic, with 20 variations up to this date, is most extensive one.The Artist watches are part of their classic Sirius collection. Introduced in 2013, this ex...
Heuer or TAG Heuer only got limited attention here at Fratellowatches, but thats going to change today. Recently, I had the opportunity to see the Heuer 300 SLR and TAG Heuer Carrera Caliber 1887 in the flesh and handled both of them. The Heuer 300 SLR is a chronograph to my liking, the column wheel in-house chronograph (although some voices whisper Seiko when discussing this movement) is a very straight-forward but impressive movement. The sleek case design with its elegant lugs and chronograph pushers and the brown dial with orange details make this 300SLR a great tribute to 1960s chronograph watches. Also, true Heuer fans will be excited that this watch has no sign of the TAG logo, its ...
This is not an elegant dress chronograph, this is a bruiser of a tool watch and likely will not fit under anyones shirt cuff unless you have a wrist the size of Michael Jacksons and are wearing Arnold Schwartzeneggers shirt. Chuck Maddox (27th of May, 2003)Photograph by Chuck MaddoxA few weeks ago I was in New York City and met with Bill Sohne (collector of fine time pieces and moderator of the Omega forum of PuristsPro) for a coffee and a small chat about watches. We discussed a lot of watches, including this Omega Seamaster Professional Chronograph in titanium (ref.2298.80) he bought, also known as the SeMPC Ti. Bill told me that during his long friendship with the legendary Chuck Maddox,...
As the western world watches and waits for a result from the US election, the Land of the Rising Sun seems ever more removed from the tumult were seeing on our side of the map. Although Japanese politics is also undergoing a transition following the resignation of long-serving premier Shinzo Abe, his successor, Yoshihide Suga, served in the same government and promises and somewhat smoother transition than we might be about to witness stateside.Thankfully, Fratello is not a place to analyze or pass comment on such grandiose matters. Here all are welcome. We are connected by our love of watches. And in an unpredictable year, one thing has remained constant: Japanese companies are killing it o...
Its Speedy Tuesday As you might have seen in our Speedy Tuesday Event report, Omega brought the original gold commemorative Speedmaster Professional BA 145.022 with them that belonged to astronaut Thomas Kenneth Ken Mattingly II. This Tuesday we discuss his gold Speedy that he and other astronauts received as a gift from Omega. Only 1014 of these Speedmasters have been made and even fewer were of course particularly for astronauts and other VIPs and have a slightly different engraving then the public models.?Thomas Kenneth Ken MattinglyKen Mattingly worked for NASA from 1966 to 1985 and flew on NASA missions Apollo 16, STS-4 (Space Shuttle) and STS-51-C (Space Shuttle).?However, perhaps ...
In our Sunday Morning Showdown, two of our writers go head-to-head in an epic showdown for the ages. Strong opinions and hysterical hyperbole are welcome (so feel free to join in with the fun in the comments section below). And don't forget to let us know which watches you'd like to see torn to shreds/effusively exalted next week. We'll try and feature as many of our readers' choices as we can. In todays showdown, our writers get wet n wild with hefty professional divers. With such a mass of metal, you could even confuse them for diving bells. The Omega Seamaster Ploprof 1200M takes on the Grand Seiko SBGH257.I dont know about you, but last weeks Showdown was a blast. The writers wave their ...
Since Omega started making in-house movements (again), you could say that they stepped up a bit on the horological ladder. Their Hour Vision is a very interesting watch, not only because the caliber 8500 movement, but also because of the classic case design that resembles their 1960s models. Furthermore, their Hour Vision has this nice sapphire centre part in the watch case, enabling you to look at the movement when wearing the watch.I just noticed that there is one for sale via one of the Dutch watch forums (DeZinVanLuxe) and Chrono24 for just over 2500 euro. The sellers asks more through Chrono24, but that gives you some room to bargain, I guess. Perhaps because the local (Dutch) forum see...
Here you go, our hands-on review of the new Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch Master Chronometer.Everything you need to know about the Speedmaster can be also found in this article on Fratello. We also covered the new Moonwatch in our recent podcast, here....
It's been a pretty good year for me so far. From all angles. Im still fit and healthy, I started at Fratello earlier this year, and the world seems to finally be opening up too. I also saw some pretty nice watches swing by the office. More than five, actually, but I had to narrow it down. I went for the watches that I thought looked best, both in my hand and on my wrist, without looking at the price. This list will serve as a look back at my favorite releases of the year so far, in anticipation of what we will see cropping up during Geneva Watch Days.Tudor Black Bay CeramicYou might have already read or seen that at first, I wasn't all that impressed by the Tudor Black Bay Ceramic. My first ...
In 2021, Omega updated the iconic Speedmaster Professional Moonwatch with the caliber 3861 movement. A very good reason to update our Speedmaster Buyers Guide as well!This guide dates all the way back to 2014, and since then, a lot happened. Not only did we have our own way with Omega and the two Speedmaster Speedy Tuesday watches (in 2017 and 2018), Omega also introduced a number of interesting Speedmaster watches to the collection. What about the Speedmaster Calibre 321 from 2020, or the new Moonwatch Master Chronometer models in gold? Time for us to update this Speedmaster Buyers Guide.In this Speedmaster Buyers Guide, we give you an overview of the most important references of the Speedm...
Here are our Top 5 coolest watches for the 2019 beach season.If you are one of those guys who has designated watches for different occasions and places, chances are you probably have a beach/holiday watch. For some, a holiday watch is the same as a beater. A timepiece you can wear carelessly whether you are doing some work around the house, messing with your car in the garage or playing in the pool with the kids. Others wear one watch all day, every day. A omega Submariner, an Omega Seamaste perhaps a Seiko Turtle or whatever else. Again others and I'm also one of these guys, have watches for different occasions; dress watch for the suit and tie, bigger sports watches for the jeans and t-shi...