Panerai is a brand that has delved deep into its historical catalog many times to reinstate and solidify the importance of its Radiomir collection. The line harnesses the manufacturer's maritime references, as well as its historical ones. Panerais prototype of the Radiomir watch underscored the beginnings of what would become one of the world's most recognizable designs. The embryo of a concept centered around legibility. A watch initially conceived as a military tool but one that has since become a part of many a self-respecting horophile's collections.Now, Panerai merges the Radiomir design DNA with another important chapter in the brand's story. The Radiomir Eilean brings together the sig...
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A manufacturer of watches that goes to extremes. Omega sent its creations to the moon and the bottom of the deepest point on earth, the Mariana Trench. But Omega is also a brand you associate with the glamour of movie star George Clooney, the adventures of secret agent James Bond, and the biggest sports event on the planet, the Olympic Games. Omega is everywhere and it's always right on time because it continues to push horological boundaries with its ultra-precise Master Chronometers for example. Join us for a brief overview of some of Omegas historical highlights.Since 1848, Omega has set itself the goal of seeking out and pushing boundaries. The watch brand from Bienne, Switzerland, has a...
Although Chuck Maddox wrote that the only true Mark V is a Speedmaster Mark V with caliber 1045 movement, I hereby add the German Special from 1982 with caliber 861 movement to Mark V as well. ??Yesterday (and today) a fellow from a large ICT company configured a server for one of the companies I work for, I noticed at lunch that he was wearing a Speedmaster Mark V. It slipped my mind that it probably would seem a bit sick to start about his watch, but on the other hand, this watch probably cost him quite some money, and since it is quite scarce, I decided to go ahead.He bought this watch in 1982 (which is the only year Omega produced it, for the German market. Productionnumber unknown) and ...
With news flooding in thick and fast, you could be forgiven for missing the announcement that Grand Seiko is set to open a new Studio facility. As the brand hopes to kick-off its next 60-year cycle with a rush of positivity, the Grand Seiko Studio Shizukuishi promises to boost production capacity for the future.A lot lies in wait for us in Summer 2020. Mostly, of course, unanswered questions when it comes to travel plans and the potential cancellation of major sporting events (like the Tokyo 2020 Olympics). But there is one thing about which we can all be very excited The opening of the Grand Seiko Studio Shizukuishi, scheduled for June.The Studio will house the specially-trained watchmakers...
On the 11th of June, Antiquorum is auctioning Timepieces from Twentieth Century Icons. This auction includes some stuff that belonged to Steve McQueen. Besides the actual watch that Steve McQueen wore in the Le Mans movie, the Heuer Monaco (ref.1133), Antiquorum is also auctioning his Von Dutch motorcycle (what has this to do with timepieces you may ask? I dont know. It has to do with money probably.) and a omega Submariner 5512 that was given to Jimmy Brucker, early 1980. I dont know if it is the actual watch that has been spotted on the wrist of Steve McQueen several times, or that it is just a similar model. Chad McQueen, Steves son, has been spotted wearing a similar Submariner as well. ...
Back in 2010, when Cartier introduced their Calibre de Cartier I would have never thought that it would be possible to create a divers watch based on this model. Even though the Calibre de Cartier was more masculine than most other Cartier timepieces with the exception of the Santos 100 models perhaps I still classified it as a dress watch. Now, December 2013 and just a few weeks before the SIHH exhibition will start in Geneva, Cartier prepares us for a divers version of the Calibre de Cartier. Lets have a look at this early introduction.For starters, Cartier made sure that this Calibre de Cartier Diver Watch met all requirements according to the ISO 6425 standards. This ISO norm has a set...
Probably one of the most sought-after Breitling models is the Navitimer ref.806. However, not everyone (or every owner) knows how to use all the information on the dial in combination with the slide rule. Bill Sohne, a well known collector whos active on the internet for years now, and Chuck Maddox (the ??ober Chronograph-meister) put the original manual online of the vintage Breitling 806 Navitimer APOA.It describes perfectly how to perform calculation with this watch, using the slide rule. Click here for the online manual.Scan of the manual below by Bill Sohne and published by Chuck Maddox.????...
Omega recently introduced two modern sports watches designed especially for upcoming Olympic Games Tokyo 2020. Lets have a look at them!Whether youre in the mood for The Land of the Rising Sun during cherry blossom season, or the sensory-overstimulated jungle of neon lights, manga, Maneki-Neko cats, and video games, Tokyo speaks to ones imagination. These new limited editions for the Tokyo 2020 Games also have a unique vibe to them, which might speak to specific customers.A Watch Game?The Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games are getting closer. I'm quite sure that everyone has heard that this time, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) emphasis on making the upcoming games more sustainable, thus IOC...
The ice-blue dial gives a omega away. And if you get the chance to get close enough to have a peek between the lugs at 6 oclock of a Patek Philippe and spot a diamond, that's another telltale sign. In both cases, you're dealing with a platinum watch. Nothing whispers luxury like cool and heavy platinum. It's even more of an introvert pleasure than white gold, but an ice blue dial or a diamond in a clever spot where the watch's owner can see it from time to time, also provides a bit of reassurance. You paid a heavy price for something that is not that obvious at all, so you want/need to see some form of acknowledgment from the watch. Let's look at platinum perfection from omega and Patek Phil...
High-tech materials is a bit of a buzzphrase in the watch industry. To many, it's a marketing gimmick, while to others (myself included), it's a fascinating look into the future of watchmaking. Materials like ceramic may seem new and high-tech, but some brands have dabbled in the dark arts of ceramic watchmaking for decades. The most famous? Rado. The Swiss brand has used ceramic in its watchmaking since 1986 That's some pub quiz knowledge for you right there.This groundbreaking material, which had never been used in watchmaking in this way before, conquered the hearts and wrists ? of watch enthusiasts around the world with its scratch-resistant, lightweight and skin-friendly qualities. Its...
As a watch reviewer, it is quite common to find yourself experiencing Deja Vu. We cover thousands of watches throughout our careers. Most of these write-ups will be standalone pieces, focused on new releases or classic throwbacks that deserve attention. But every so often, you run into a watch that just wont leave you alone. Luckily, for me at least, the Hamilton Field Khaki Murph is one of those pieces Ive had the opportunity to cover on several occasions.The watch first appeared in Christopher Nolans 2014 sci-fi epic as a central character. Gifted by Coop to his daughter Murph, this particular Field Khaki was used by a future version of Coop to communicate with his daughter. Thankfully, th...
In 2008, Jaeger-LeCoultre celebrated the 80th anniversary of their famous Atmos clock. As you might know already, Atmos clocks keep ticking because of temperature changes in the environment. I did a write-up in its 80th anniversary year where you can read more about the Atmoss background and workings (click here to read it).Now, in 2011, Jaeger-LeCoultre did not only steal the show (SIHH2011) with regards to wrist watches, they also introduced a new Atmos clock. The Atmos Marqueterie Paille.Restricted to 28 pieces only, the Atmos Margueterie Paille (or straw marquetry) is celebrating an ancient decorative technique that was revived by interior designers during the 1930s. The transparent cabi...
Michael Collins, born on October 31st, 1930 in Rome, was one of the three men that were on Apollo 11 in 1969. Together with Edwin Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins left Earth on July 16th, 1969, destination Moon. It became the most famous space mission of all time and remains so to this day.Last week, on April 28th, 2021, Michael Collins passed away aged 90, in Naples, Florida. Having a father in the military, Michael Collins followed a well-trodden path at first. In 1952, he graduated from the US Military Academy at West Point and at some point became a test pilot in the Air Force. Then, in 1963, Collins was selected by NASA for their space program. It wasnt until 1966 that he...
A few weeks ago when we first discussed the idea of sharing our guilty-pleasure watches, I knew exactly the watch I'd be writing about. Nobody else did, as I hadn't even shared with them that I owned this watch. In fact, to this day I haven't even shared a picture of it on my Instagram. It's not that I'm ashamed of this watch I wear it from time to time and really enjoy it. But like a true guilty pleasure, my guilty-pleasure watch was one that remained a secret until now. You've read the title, and you already know that the watch in question is my TAG Heuer Formula 1. Specifically, it's the 34mm plastic-bezeled, lume-dialed reference WA1211. It seems that, without knowing that I would be wr...
omega, Audemars Piguet, and Patek Philippe watches are not the only ones people buy as investment pieces. I often receive questions about investing in Omega watches as well, especially when it comes to Speedmaster models. The Speedmaster Silver Snoopy Award from 2015 saw an increase in value few modern Speedmasters could match. Because of this, a noticeably larger audience has suddenly started considering the prospect of investing in Speedmasters.Whether a watch is a good investment or not isnt something only flippers care about. I find that those looking to make their first big purchase also consider this question as well. Buying ones first luxury watch is often a big deal, and many people ...
Ho, ho, ho, what a year its been for Hamilton Overall, the Swatch Group has had a surprisingly impressive 2020. Despite challenges that no one saw coming and several circumstances beyond anyones control, SG brands have been turning out the goods on a regular basis. Hamilton has had a particularly strong 12 months, as you can see from the festive selection belowFratello is a broad church. We like all kinds of watches. We enjoy covering extremely high-end horology just as much as we love covering new and exciting microbrands. But above all, we like well-made, reasonably priced steel sports watches. There is room for an all-gold piece in anyones collection, of course, but, if youre anything lik...
An Astronauts Speedmaster!Fratellowatches is excited and proud to show you one of the actual astronauts Speedmaster Professional watches worn by Reinhard Furrer. Reinhard Furrer was one of ESAs astronauts during the Space Shuttle mission in 1985.On the 30th of October 1985, the Space Shuttle Challenger lifted off from Pad A of Launch Complex 39 at Kennedy Space Center, Florida, USA. This mission, a Spacelab mission that was funded and directed by [West] Germany was nicked D-1 besides the official Space Shuttle program code STS-61-A. D-1 stands for Deutschland-1 and a part of this succesful mission was controlled by the German Space Operations Center in Oberpfaffenhofen (near Munich) in Germa...
When it comes to practical complications, its difficult to argue against the everyday usefulness of the calendar. Sure, complications like the minute repeater or rattrapante are romantic, awe-inspiring displays of watchmaking prowess. But are their functions of any real consequence to most of our daily lives? Likely not. The calendar, on the other hand, affects us all whether we like it or not. Without the ability to keep track of the day, date, month, and year, our modern societies would collapse. From the humble and economical date complication to the regal perpetual calendar, these complications offer some of the most useful timekeeping information outside of hours, minutes, and seconds. ...
The Rado Captain Cook family first appeared in 1962. It disappeared not long after in 1968. For almost fifty years the Rado Captain Cook collection lay dormant. That was until 2017 when the 37mm steel version was revived. It was joined also by a reimagined 45mm version in a hardened titanium case designed for a modern audience.?Nowadays, we have the option of a much more versatile 42mm case to play with, but new for 2020 is the addition of bronze options to the line-up. Sure, it looks great, but theres more to it than thatWhen bronze first became a mainstream thing in luxury watchmaking, there was quite a pushback against it. In fact, despite this rugged material finding its groove in the in...
To be honest, I have at times felt thoroughly exhausted from overexposure to the word Zaratsu. Despite this, I tried a basic Grand Seiko on the wrist. I was hesitant. Not keen on following the pack, I almost didnt want to like it. And then I gazed into that inky black void and got lost. Thus began my obsession with models SBGR053 and SBGR253I got lost to the point of now rethinking my recent purchase of a BB58. Thats despite striking lucky after a short two-month spot on an AD list. And there I was actually considering selling it to buy a second GS, a Quartz model, no lessSure, the 58s lugs were a tad sharp, but surely it wasnt that alone that could threaten to lever me from my latest acquis...