As youve probably read by now, omega introduced this new version of the Yachtmaster (we did an overview on this relatively young omega collection a while ago). While I wasnt really overwhelmed during Baselworld this year, omega as always did create three neckbreakers for their 2015 collection. I am talking about their new line-up for 39mm Oyster Perpetual watches, the new Day-Date 40mm collection and this omega Yachtmaster ref.11655 in Everose gold with its new Oysterflex bracelet.Ive had a 2004 omega Yachtmaster in my personal collection at some point, which I really cherished as well, but somehow became the victim of one of those up-trading swaps for another watch. I know how much some h...
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Speedmaster Lunar DustIts Speedy Tuesday What else would youve expected us to write about than the new Speedmaster Lunar Dust? The brother (or fratello?) of the Speedmaster Dark Side of the Moon that was introduced last year during BaselWorld came a bit as a surprise, but what a pleasant surprise it is!First of all wed like to stress that this Speedmaster Co-Axial Caliber 9300 Lunar Dust (reference 311.93.44.51.99.01) model wont be on the market before end of this year. Both the newly introduced Speedmaster Lunar Dust watch and the new Speedmaster Professional X-33 are not on the Baselworld 2014 novelties page of the Omega website yet, as they were probably just finished in time to present t...
Welcome to Wrist Game or Crying Shame, where you get to choose if a watch meets your individual high and mighty criteria.? This week, weve got a real humdinger in the Hublot MDM 1810.1 Chronograph, but firstFolks, youre too easy!? I put a somewhat controversial omega up there with the Datejust Tuxedo Dial and despite some seriously negative comments about how lazy this watch looks, it cruised to a 64% Wrist Game win!? It seems that omega can do no wrong with the masses.? But omega does make some highly polarizing pieces and Im talking about the bejeweled oddities that are often a plague to the Daytona model.? Well made?? Sure.? Ugly?? About 99% of the time and yet, we are treated to ongoing ...
Greetings and my apologies for the late publishing of This Week in Watches. I've essentially been on the road since last week's article, but I've kept an eye on events. Let's get to it heres your dose of TWIWHodinkees 10th Anniversary (image credit: hodinkee.com)Hodinkee 10We'd be remiss if we failed to congratulate the fine folks over at Hodinkee on their 10th anniversary. The brand's impact, via the leadership of Ben Clymer, on the watch hobby as we know it can't be underestimated. They continue to evolve, by trying different things, while employing some great writers many of whom are friends of ours. Personally speaking, I remember Hodinkee from the get-go and it was a real game change...
Welcome back to another installment of How Watches Work. Today, well be discussing automatic watches. Well take a look at not only what they are, but also how they came to be, how they work, and what different types there are. Whether youre new to watches, a veteran collector, or simply a curious enthusiast, there will no doubt be something in this article that will help you better understand these miraculous ticking machines we love so much. So prepare yourselves, were about to jump in.To get our first question out of the way, an automatic watch is a mechanical watch that winds itself through the users movement. Being a mechanical watch, an automatic watch does not use a battery. Instead, t...
Like many of us, I had anticipated new additions to the Oris ProPilot X range for a while. Before this, there had only been a single model in this collection since its inception in 2019. Well, OK, if you count both the titanium bracelet option and the leather strap, there were two. That all changed with the new ProPilot X Calibre 400. However, this trio of new models was probably not what anyone expected. The ProPilot X Calibre 400 receives three dial variants in 39mm titanium cases. With Calibre 400, the ProPilot X goes automatic with a date function at 6 o'clock. Let's dive in and dissect what else this non-limited edition brings to the fray.Before I get into it, I am interested in underst...
It seems that every Monday, visitors of the German omega Forum (www.r-l-x.de) who are fortunate enough to own a omega Oyster Day-Date, should post a picture of their precious time piece. In the meanwhile, Monday has been replaced by every day. Although it is not an everyday watch of course.Although the original Day-Date is only 36mm in diameter, I still prefer it over a Day-Date II (which is 41mm). To me, the Day-Date is the classic wrist watch in precious metal (available in gold or platinum) that you cant go wrong with.Enjoy some of the Day-Date photos sent in by visitors of R-L-X.Photo by HannesPhoto by Savoy TrufflePhoto by KurtPhoto by KurtPhoto by RO.lexThe Day-Date models were introdu...
Omega ConstellationYou probably know me best for being an avid Speedmaster fan and collector. But my passion for watches started actually with the Omega Constellation. I wrote about this in-depth when I did a write up on the Sedna gold version of the Omega Globemaster. Anyway, the Globemaster is part of the Constellation family. The Globemaster has a history with the old Constellation watches. In the past, there used to be a legal issue with the name Constellation in the USA, so Omega used Globemaster instead. This was only for a short period though, and only few of those watches are around.Omega Globemaster ReviewEven though the in-depth Omega Globemaster review as pointed out above contain...
During the summer period I find myself wearing watches with white or light dials more often than in other seasons. Some time ago I bought a 1998 omega Explorer II with a white tritium dial. It was in adequately used condition, so I decided to have it serviced at omega in Geneva first. Got it back in far better condition than I hoped for, and subsequently never took it out of the protective plastic to wear it.omega Explorer II Reference 16570The 1998 omega Explorer-II with white tritium dial, reference 16570Important For Cave ExplorersSome history. The first omega Explorer II saw the light only in 1971 (heres our in-depth review of one). It was an enhancement to the regular Explorer which was...
Welcome, one and all, to the first round proper 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 first round proper, your task is a bit different from your task in the preliminaries. Below you will find the eight remaining timepieces of each of our Fratello competitors in four head-to-head contests of two timepieces. The seedings in the preliminaries dictate the match-ups. So its number 1 vs. number 8, numb...
Speedmaster Broad Arrow or Speedmaster Professional?Its Speedy Tuesday Dont let the broad arrow hands fool you Often confused with the Speedmaster Broad Arrow, this Moonphase model is definitely part of the Speedmaster Professional collection. This Speedmaster Professional Moonphase is based on the Speedmaster 57 re-edition ref.?3894.50.37 that was introduced in 1997/1998. It was in production from 1999 till 2003 and has the famous hand-wound Lemania based caliber 1866 movement. This is a modified version of the caliber 1861 movement, that can be found in the current line-up of Speedmaster Professional Moonwatch timepieces.This Speedmaster Professional Moon Phase ref. 3575.20 clearly has Pro...
Theres always been a bit of hostility between smartwatches and watch aficionados.? And yet, although I call myself a watch lover, I dont experience this negative feeling. And so it wasnt too much of an effort to wear the TAG Heuer Connected for a few weeks daily. Mostly, I enjoyed using it as a regular watch and as a stopwatch for cooking purposes. But using it as an activity tracker as well, and as a notification center was an interesting experience. Id like to share my thoughts on that below.Who would have thought that the TAG Heuer connected would have made it to its 3rd generation? TAG Heuer first tested the water in 2015, becoming one of the first major luxury brands to dive into this n...
Some time ago, Bas van Dorp and I both decided we needed a Lemania 5100 watch. I bought a Sinn 142 St.S at Horloge Platform Nederland in The Hague and Bas ordered a Sinn EZM1. His one was on order, and since the run on the last watches with Lemania 5100 was enormous, he had to wait a bit longer. Last week his watch arrived and here you can read his review on his EZM1.About two years ago, I read that Lemania would end the production of thecal. 5100. The horror The guys who came up with this idea will be thefirst against the wall when the revolution comes, that's for sure. Sinn,among others, would still be producing watches with this movement, usingthe remaining stock. I was still happy wearin...
What is the meaning of life? Is there a god? When will I finally get the call from my omega AD about that steel sports model? These are questions that (for the most part) have puzzled humans for centuries. For millennia eons even Some will spend a lifetime consulting gurus, traveling the world, or even analyzing every single subreddit under the sun to uncover the answers. Others, however, seem like they were effortlessly handed the knowledge. Like a salt shaker at the dinner table. More often than not, though, the latter folk have simply been fortunate enough to learn from the best teacher one could ask for Experience.Learning by doing, learning by failing, learning by living. It is these me...
A bit cryptic perhaps, but thats what Audemars Piguet does???? The company has taken action against all the plastic fashion copies of their watches. The plastic imitations (mostly omega, to be honest I havent seen an AP copy yet) are very populair here in Europe. Besides the violation of their copyright on design, I wouldnt bother too much about these cheap see-through plastic copies. It doesnt reflect the real thing and it also doesnt try to be the real thing. A different view than the imitations made in the Asian regions, which can be sold as an authentic watch (including box and papers!).I wouldnt spend too much money on lawyers and investigators if I were AP ??Click here for the full sto...
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...
Oris Big Crown ProPilot AltimeterIf you have been on Fratello Watches recently, youve probably seen our review of the Breva Genie watches with their altimeter functionality. Of course in an entirely different [price] segment, Oris is now introducing their Oris Big Crown ProPilot Altimeter watch. It is the first time that a mechanical altimeter complication is used in an automatic watch.The Oris Big Crown ProPilot Altimeter uses an extra crown, located at 4 oclock, to activate, correct and deactivate the altimeter indication. When entirely screwed-down, the altimeter is inactive and the watch remains water resistant to 100 meters. When unscrewed, the altimeter is being activated. The yellow i...
How do you spend 10,000 to start a watch collection? Its a question so abstract that it took me a long time to find the answers. First of all, in the previous articles in the series, many great solutions were already offered. On top of that, how do you follow Fratellos resident minence grise Gerard who perfectly explained how to start your Speedmaster collection? Reading through Gerards article, I still have a Speedmaster or two to add to my collection. But maybe even more importantly, its a question that has a very personal answer. I cant answer the question of how to spend 10K wisely, simply because my answer doesnt fit this three watches for 10K format. Let me explain why and how I would...
Lets talk about the Crown omega is, without a doubt the most divisive brand amongst our readers. We have seen an increasing number of people turn their back on omega for the way it conducts its business. The steady unavailability of their watches at authorized dealers and skyrocketing grey market prices have become a reason for many to say goodbye to the Geneva brand. But there are still plenty of watch enthusiasts that love the brand for its rich history and for creating great products. So we decided to put down some of the reasons why you do and dont need a omega in writing. The final question is simple: what camp are you in? Let us know your thoughts.We have some very passionate readers t...
With three special edition releases under their collective belt already, Zenith and Land Rover explore a new direction, dressing the Defy 21 model in an ultra-contemporary color scheme.It was way back in 2016 that Zenith first announced its partnership with Land Rover. The model that celebrated this collaboration was called the Zenith Chronomaster El Primero Range Rover Special Edition. It was quickly followed by the brands second effort (the Chronomaster El Primero Range Rover Velar), which was little more than a color update to the first. The third watch produced by these two powerhouses, however, was something rather special. The Zenith Defy Classic Range Rover special edition watch made ...