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...
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Its Two For Tuesday time where we take a look at two watches that commonly cause hand-wringing at decision time. This week, youll need to muster some serious arm strength to lift those hands because were going BIG with the Panerai Luminor and Radiomir.The Legend of PaneraiI know that Ive mentioned this before, but the early 2000s hysteria caused by Panerai was a completely unique mania. There had been nothing like it up until that point in the watch world and theres been nothing since. Sure, the Royal Oak, Nautilus, and your steel sports omega du jour are impossible to find, but these are very specific cases. Nigh on 20 years ago, just about everything from Panerai was?unobtanium. The brand ...
A little while ago, we received a long email from our reader James. In his email, he admits he was a bit late to the game, but at least he did his homework and went through a lot of our Speedy Tuesday articles.Now, he has a question. About which Speedmaster to buy for himself to celebrate not only his first wedding anniversary but also the birth of his first child. But before he gets to his question, he first shared a bit of background with us.Speedmaster Mark IVJames: I was very touched by Robert-Jans story (Why I Love Omega So Much) from July 25th, 2018 I felt very similar. My grandfather always wore an Omega Speedmaster, which I really liked. I remember it as if it was yesterday: at a di...
Man, what a watch world we live in these days. Instagram. Hype. Waitlists. Premiums. Whether we like it or not, these are factors that have largely come to define the most popular segments of the collecting scene. As a watch brand, it can be a tricky landscape to navigate. What, exactly, do you do to survive? Do you humble yourself, observe the trends, and allow the desires of the market to dictate your offerings? Or, do you double down on what you do best and resolutely forge ahead?Good question, especially since both options may lead to absolute doom. Give the people too much of what they want? You run the risk of becoming yet another chided bandwagon jumper. Let your hubris get the best o...
When omega announced becoming the official timekeeper for the Formula 1 early December we thought it would be cool to do a Daytona-special here on Fratellowatches. For this occasion, we went out there and found this Formula 1 car of 2007 that has actually been used by Alonso.When you think of omega and Formula 1, the first watch that comes to mind is the Cosmograph Daytona. With its chronograph feature and tachymeter bezel this watch just breathes racing.Although omega produced chronograph watches since the 1930s, the omega Cosmograph Daytona wasn't introduced until the 1960s. The Daytona name was given to commemorate their sponsorship of races held on the Daytona Beach in Florida.Since we h...
I'm going to be straight-up honest and level with you (and any UN reps that are reading this): I wasn't excited about the visit to Ulysse Nardin. While I have a passing fondness for the brand that started my silicon obsession with the Freak what feels like a million years ago, those days, and the wide-eyed watchmaker that believed that by 2020 everything would be made from silicon, are long gone.But I came away from the Ulysse Nardin boutique impressed. Partly by our genial host Marie and her open, humble presentation, but also by the watches especially the crazily high-end pieces. Dont tell the three suitcases full of tool watches I have in storage. I might have a new loveIf you know me per...
Bas van Dorp emailed me a picture of his Seiko Monster. He wore it during his snowboard trip. As you can see, this Seiko Monster is like the Speedmaster Professional with NASA astronauts, worn on top of the (ski) jacket The large orange dial makes it very easy to read while being in full action!Seiko model: SKX781 K3, a.k.a. Seiko Monster, caliber 7S26 (automatic movement with day-date feature). Water resistant to 200 meters (660 ft). Stainless steel case with a diameter of 41mm (height: 12mm). Just google on Seiko Monster and you will find plenty of online dealers who sell this watch for a very reasonable price. The ski jacket is a Lowe Alpine and the gloves are by Ziener....
I really like what Bvlgari does with its jewelry timepieces. Nine times out of ten, they are not designed for me, but that doesnt stop me from appreciating the craftsmanship that goes into their creation. From afar, I have admired the recent releases (especially the aventurine glass dial models RJ reviewed a couple of months ago). When I heard about the Bvlgari Octo Roma Tourbillon Sapphire Malachite watch I was interested but not excited. I expected it to be beautiful and beautifully made, but not something I would wear. Well, I was wrong againA full diamond bezel with diamond-studded lugs, Rob? Have you gone soft in the head? Perhaps, dear readers, perhaps. Yes, after many years of chasing...
This year, I was happy to see a stainless steel omega Sky-Dweller during our appointment at BaselWorld. Introduced in 2012 already, but always in precious metals. Todays steel omega Sea-Dweller is partly precious metal, as the fluted bezel is made of white gold. Lets have a look.Steel omega Sky-Dweller reference?326934Although some say the new 43mm omega Sea-Dweller with red writing is the big news from omega this year, I think it was actually their Sky-Dweller in stainless steel that impressed me. A steel omega Sky-Dweller, with a 42mm case and a wonderful complication: the annual calendar. You will only need to correct the date on March 1st, and all other months are good to go. A clever me...
Welcome, one and all, to the preliminary round of March Mania 2021, here on Fratello. Are you a watch maniac like we are? If so, youre sure to love our month-long feature. 96 watches reviewed last year line up for a battle royale like nothing thats gone before. We need your votes. We want your comments. Help us decide the champion and share in its glory Let the games commenceIn this round, your task is simple: vote for your favorite watch. Below you will find a selection of 12 timepieces that we covered here on Fratello throughout 2020. Why not refresh your memory by clicking the links and reading those eruditely penned odes to wrist-wear? Once youve made your selection, vote using the poll ...
Ninety years ago, Jaeger-LeCoultre created the Reverso. It was an ingenious solution for polo players who wished to protect the glass of their watches while playing matches. The watch became the backbone of the Le Sentier-based manufacture. The most recent execution is the stunning Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Tribute Nonanti me. This pink gold two-faced watch celebrates the ninetieth birthday of the Reverso in a complicated yet elegant way. And it also doesn't lack originality.How do you like your Reverso? As a time-only watch with a solid case back like the recently presented green Reverso Tribute Small Seconds? And where do you stand on complications in a Reverso? Proper complications like a...
Are there proper replacements for the watch worlds biggest icons? Thats a question that often has a personal answer. A little over two weeks ago, I tried answering the question of whether there are great alternatives for the good ol omega Datejust. Last week, Robert-Jan did the same for the Omega Speedmaster. In this article, we will be searching for five alternatives for the current omega GMT-Master II. The famous GMT-Master defined the category of GMT watches. Many of the watches in the same genre took inspiration from the original that started the legacy in 1954. So lets see if there are true alternatives for the current GMT-Master II.The original omega GMT-Master is one of the most iconi...
Its time for Wrist Game or Crying Shame, the weekly series that lets you stop or start your chronograph. This week, well discuss a unique blip on the Breitling radar with the Superocean Heritage Chronoworks. But firstLast week, I did my best to take you back to the era of Boyz II Men with a look at the TAG Heuer Link chronograph. Sadly, it was the end of the road for this ornate sports watch as it fell to a crushing 68% crying shame loss. Lets see if todays watch can bring some of that Motown Philly magic because our Breitling Superocean Chronoworks happens to sit in a showcase near the City of Brotherly Love.Pricey cars and suchIm not sure why high-end watches drive so many automotive compa...
Its Speedy Tuesday This week we have this wonderful Omega Speedmaster 105.003 from Georg from Germany and it just returned from the watch spa. He bought all of his watches between 1984 and 1987, merely because he liked the look of them. As this was definitely a period where mechanical watches were out-of-fashion, he was able to pick them up for unbelievable prices. At least for todays standards. When mechanical watches tended to became a bit more main stream, when the first watch magazines popped up as well, he stopped buying them. It wasnt until recently that he started checking details on his purchases from 20 years ago.One his 1980s purchases is this beautiful Omega Speedmaster pre-Profes...
In this episode of Fratello on Air, we talk about the new Omega watches that have been introduced this week. The new Seamaster 300 in steel and in bronze gold get the most attention. But there was much more to discover Dont sleep on the 300M Black Black or the De Ville Tr sor. Both are stunning watches, but for very different reasonsYesterday we published nine articles on the new Omega releases. In addition to the rush of coverage, we thought it would also be nice to record a podcast and discuss the new watches. Omega sent us the watches a few days before they were released so we had time to photograph them and create new video content. Most importantly, however, we had the chance to experie...
The long-awaited stainless steel omega GMT-Master II with Pepsi configuration was introduced exactly at the same time as Tudor's Black Bay GMT?with a?Pepsi bezel. Since Tudor belongs to omega, this wasn't a matter of coincidence.GMT PepsiThere was never a sporty GMT model in Tudor's heritage, as far as I remember (or can find). I know about their vintage Submariner models, but I never saw an equivalent for omega' GMT-Master in their collection. As far as omega goes, the GMT-Master has been part of their history since 1954 when their reference 6542 was introduced. When omega cancelled their aluminium bezel models around 2007, that also meant the end of the much-praised Pepsi and Coke bezels. ...
Guys, we need to talk about something. The watch industry is facing a crisis. A crisis of color. It may not seem like it, but trust me, its true. After all, in recent years, weve been thrown into an ocean of blue dials vaster than the Atlantic itself. Weve seen so many green dials, youd think a squadron of laughing leprechauns launched the worlds largest dye bomb into the very heart of Geneva. I could even name a plethora of brown, red, yellow, and orange-dialed watches in a swath of price brackets right off the top of my head. But one color remains largely absent from the modern watch world: purple.Purple? I hear you cry. Who wants purple dials? Prince is gone (RIP), and Barney has been off...
Hamilton's 38mm steel sweetheart has stolen the hearts of many watch enthusiasts around the world since its release in 2018. Almost an exact replica of the Vietnam war era US government-issued field watch, the slightly more modern proportions make it a popular choice for an everyday watch. Unafraid to follow the bronze trend, Hamilton released its already popular Khaki Field Mechanical in (you guessed it) bronze earlier this year. Is this a perfect pick for the peculiar patinating alloy? I got a chance to spend some quality time with the watch to try and find out!Let me start by addressing the elephant in the room: no, the faux-tina used on the hands and markers doesn't bother me in the slig...
Perhaps you noticed the massive Grand Seiko coverage on our Instagram (stories) already, but last week our Grand Seiko readers journey took place in Japan. With a some of our readers (from the United States, Belgium and Germany) who signed up for this trip, we visited the Grand Seiko manufactures in Morioka and Shiojiri.Grand Seiko Readers JourneyWhen I visited Seiko back in 2015, as part of their Seiko Media Experience tour, I got so enthusiastic that I asked our publisher (Ebner Publishing, who also has WatchTime, Watch-Insider, Chronos and Uhren Magazine in their portfolio) if we could do anything like this for our readers. With the help of Seiko Germany and Seiko Watch Corp in Japan, we ...
Jaeger-LeCoultre is not only a high-end watch manufacturer but a very important one in the industry. The company, that came to existence in 1833, has been at the forefront of innovation. The company's founder Antoine LeCoultre's very first invention was an instrument that was able to measure the micron. It was called the millionometer. That set JLC on a path that brought them 1,200 calibers over time. Jaeger-LeCoultre has over 400 registered patents. Their manufacture, still to this day, masters old techniques in the decoration of their timepieces. Guillochage or grand feu enamelling just to name a few. JLC is also an expert in over 180 different watchmaking (and watch related skills) in the...