I sense that Grand Seiko is getting more traction in Europe since the last year or two. I cant speak for the US, as I am not familiar with that market, but I notice that more people start to appreciate the Japanese craftsmanship when it comes to watches. This article is not to elaborate (again) on Grand Seiko and how amazingly well built their watches are, I am pretty sure you know that by now and otherwise you can read it in one of our Grand Seiko articles. Today, it is about one of the new limited editions that Grand Seiko made for the 20th anniversary of their 9S movement: the Grand Seiko reference SBGH267.A week before BaselWorld started, there were some embargoed press releases sent aro...
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Sigma 7Yesterday, it was exactly 54 years ago that astronaut Walter Wally Schirra?orbited Earth 6 times in the Sigma 7 spacecraft. The name of the NASA mission was Mercury-Atlas 8, and Schirra picked Sigma 7 as the name for the spacecraft. Using the mathematical symbol for summation as appropriate for an engineering evaluation, and the 7 to refer to the seven Mercury astronauts (source).?On his wrist, an Omega, the first Speedmaster in Space. Schirra is?the only astronaut to have flown Mercury, Gemini and Apollo missions.First Speedmaster in SpaceNot only did Wally Schirra use a Hasselblad camera for the first time in space, it was also the first time that an Omega watch was used in space. T...
Since 2020, I have been the happy owner of the Hamilton PSR, the 50th-anniversary edition in (PVD) gold. Then, last December, Hamilton introduced a special version for the latest sequel in the Matrix series of films: The Matrix Resurrections. Its an all-black Hamilton PSR MTX, limited to 1999 pieces. The number of watches corresponds with the year in which the first Matrix movie was released.In this video, RJ talks about the Hamilton PSR MTX edition, the watch that Nacho introduced to you here.Hamilton PSR MTXThe PSR MTX watch measures 40.88 a 34.7mm and has a PVD black coating. Whereas the original models came with a red LED display, the Matrix edition has a green display. Some very rare ed...
We are thrilled to announce the release of our exciting new publication: Omega Seamaster 300M Diver Magazine. Tracing 25 years of an icon in 25 articles, this methodically-researched magazine?follows on from the success of our Speedy Tuesday edition. From the icons birth to the release of Omegas current model, this publication plunges deep into the details of the Seamaster Diver 300M, covering stories as diverse as dive watch history, dial design, famous wearers, limited editions and of course James Bond.This comprehensive profile of the Diver 300M is a fantastic resource for watch fans and passionate collectors. So be sure to grab a copy of Omega Seamaster 300M Diver Magazine at your neare...
It has been a while ago that we covered Breguet here on Fratello Watches (in this article by Ming Thein on the Breguet La Tradition). There is no specific reason about the non-coverage, except that the brand wasnt really on my radar. The brand always appeared to me as very classic with the exception of the Marine and Type XX/XXI collections and very expensive. Although Breguet didnt change much, perhaps my taste for watches did.Just recently, Ive started to warm up to Breguets classic round fluted cases and hand guilloch| dials. It is probably because my collection consists with just a few exceptions of sporty watches. For formal occasions or just because Ive been looking around to acqui...
Speedmaster ArtworkOnly a few months ago, we did an interview with Danish artist Cay Broendum in this article. Not much later, we had an exchange of emails about Speedmaster artwork. Now that it is done and ready for ordering, lets have a look at this piece of art and tell you about some of its details.You saw it here first, on Fratello Watches Speedy Tuesday!Speedmaster 105.012/145.012As inspiration for this Speedmaster artwork, Cay Broendum used the Omega Speedmaster Professional 105.012 / 145.012.You can recognize this due to the use of the applied Omega logo at 12 oclock, the Dot Over Ninety bezel and drop counter weight chrono seconds hand. This could still be a transitional model from ...
Here we are, in the final run-up to Christmas Its been a long time coming in a long year. Theres been a lot of up and downs, but at this time of the year, we like to focus on the good stuff. Christmas should be fun and enjoyable Goodness knows we need it to be this year!Thankfully the watch world doesnt disappoint and delivers some fun and grooviness. Santa is immortalized in watch format (FINALLY!) that is itself should be enough, but theres also some other coolness if you read on!Konstantin Chaykin Santa 2020 WristmonChristmas is nearly here. This time next week, Santa will have been down your chimney or other appropriate entry point and deposited vast numbers of gifts under your Christmas...
Sometimes, there are watches you love that are not always top of mind. Once you are reminded of their existence, however, you instantly know what makes them so brilliant. The Omega De Ville Chronograph 145.018 is one of those watches for me. Every time I see the watch, its like falling in love all over again. The piece fits into the mold of sporty 1960s chronographs but with plenty of characteristic elements that make it stand out. It is one of those beloved chronographs from Omegas rich history that is very popular amongst Omega collectors. But as this watch is quite a rarity and Omega currently does not have a model like it in its collection, I would love to see it return. Time to find out...
Today I spoke with my watch friend, and also watch maker, Gerton. He told me about this Girard-Perregaux Chronograph watch he has for sale, with an Excelsior Park 4 movement. When I googled on this watch, one??of the results was this In Memory of Time website. A great website by this Japanese collector (TRS)??who has a number??of great (vintage) time pieces. Among them, the Girard-Perregaux??Chronograph with Excelsior Park movement.????????His site is really worth checking out. His collection also sports this great Ulysse Nardin Rattrapante Chronograph with Venus 179 movement. A watch produced in 1991 with a NOS 1960s movement by Venus.All pictures by TRS of In Memory of Time....
Exactly 50 years ago, Apollo 11 landed on the Moon and on the wrist of Edwin Buzz Aldrin was an Omega Speedmaster Professional 105.012. From that moment, the chronograph as part of the astronauts official equipment became The Moonwatch. Today, Omega shows us the Speedmaster Moonwatch 321 Platinum to commemorate Apollo XI and celebrate caliber 321.As you can read in this article we published last week, the Speedmaster didnt become the watch of choice by accident, it underwent some proper testing procedures by NASAs engineers and was the only watch to pass all tests. The Speedmaster that NASA qualified for all manned flight-missions, was their reference 105.003. But soon after, Omega made adju...
The Omega Museum Collection is an interesting assembly of timepieces. The idea is simple and something other brands also implement; let's take some of the most iconic designs of the company's past and rerelease them, updated to modern standards. You can look at these watches as simple reeditions. But theyre more than that, I think. This watch, the Omega Museum Collection Milestone 1941 Officer's Chronograph, is a perfect example of thatFor instance, its design, rooted in the 1930s, is not as popular as the first Speedmasters or Seamaster 300s from 1957. The Milestone 1941 has a distinct look. It is something you dont see anymore. However, a lot of modern watches take inspiration from pieces ...
(by Elizabeth Doerr, Freelance Journalist for Watches)(left to right): Leonid Khankin (owner and creative director Ernst Benz), Elizabeth Doerr and Philippe Dufour enjoy the Baselworld party on March 27, 2009.A book like this one has really never been seen before in the world of watchmaking: a non-commercial opus focusing on art on three fronts: the artistry of independent mechanical watchmaking with little or no commercial background, the artistry of creating an eminently enjoyable text with no marketing behind it, and the artistry of visuals created to express the rare stories of twelve unique watchmakers.The atmospheric look and feel of 12 FACES OF TIME: HOROLOGICAL VIRTUOSOS will delight...
Starting on the 19th of January, the annual SIHH is being held in Geneva. The SIHH, Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie, represents a number of fine watch manufacturers like Audemars Piguet, Officine Panerai, Jaeger LeCoultre, Vacheron Constantin and a few more. One of them is Cartier. Cartier once started out as a jeweler and in the 1900s, it was one of the first to create a wrist watch. I think everyone knows (or should know) the Santos-Dumont story.Anyway, I didnt classify Cartier as being a haute horlogerie brand for a long time. I just recently became interested in the brand, after talking to Treo. Treo is the owner of a dedicated Cartier website called Troisanneaux. After talkin...
Awkward or not, North and South Korea together during the opening ceremony of the Olympic Winter Games was impressive to witness. To celebrate the Olympic Games spirit, Omega introduces 18 new NATO straps inspired by flags world wide, as well as 6 NATO straps that are inspired by the 5 Olympic rings: white bordered straps in black, yellow, green, blue and red, and a multi-striped version which blends all 5 colors.All these straps come with stainless steel buckles and keepers. The flag-inspired can be ordered via Omega boutiques. Prices are probably around 188 (the official Omega website gives us the Sorry, the price is not available in your country. Please contact a Boutique.. The regular st...
Alon Ben-Joseph of AceJewelers.com friend of the show did a very nice video review on last years introduced Omega Speedmaster Professional 40th Anniversary Limited Edition.I love this version of the Omega Speedmaster Professional. The logo on the dial and special case back make it worth buying over most other limited edition Speedmaster Professional models. I have seriously considered buying this watch after it was presented during Baselworld 2009, but since I have had a few of these Speedies and cherishing my Speedmaster Professional pre-Moon caliber 321 the most anyway, I went for something completely differentEnjoy the video and dont forget to give some feedback on it!...
New York-based Auction house?Fortuna has their Important Watches sale tomorrow (December 6th) with no less than 114 lots.??From those lots, we selected four watches for you to check out (and feel free to browse the other 110 lots of course).Lets start with the omega 5512 that is featured above.omega Submariner 5512 Square Crown GuardsOne of the rarest versions of the omega Submariner, the reference 5512 with square crown guards, launched in 1959, replaced earlier models without crown guards to protect the crown from impact and water damage. It is thought that less than 100 examples of the Submariner with square crown guards were made; only about 30 are known to the market. Because of the dam...
We watch lovers are a varied bunch. Within this quirky watch-collecting sub-realm of ours, we have everyone from monogamous brand devotees to polyamorous proponents of brand diversity. We have both laid-back, casual toe-dippers and laser-focused hunters, forever on the prowl for the next prize. The beauty of this variety is that no matter what type of watch lover you are, there will always be a horological gem out there to set your passions ablaze.Throughout my watch journey, Ive found that I have developed a collecting philosophy. A set of rules, if you will, that I follow in an attempt to build my perfect collection. If you read my article on grail watches, to the end, you may be familiar ...
A woman or man who's in charge of a large transcontinental aircraft, its crew, and its passengers deserves a watch that underlines that person's role. A Big Pilot could do the job when you're piloting a single-seater, but when cruising wide-body passenger jets, a complicated Big Pilot is more fitting. And while I'm no captain, I went soaring high above the clouds with the IWC Big Pilot Perpetual Calendar anyway.I must admit I had some problems during take-off. I mean not actually becoming airborne, but putting on the XL complicated Big Pilot took some effort. Not that the combination of calfskin strap and folding clasp are difficult to understand or operate, but because it takes some time to...
Its that time of year again. The Geneva Watch Days event is here. As requested, were aiming to provide you, our dear readers (and viewers in this case) the most immersive experience ever. Here you will find our frequently updated ticker article, with all the novelties we see throughout the fair. Dont forget to keep an eye on IG live. Frequent sessions will pop up throughout the day to keep you abreast of developments. If you miss them, dont worry. Well add everything to reels and link to it here.Wednesday, September 1st, 17:45 PM Greubel ForseyAs I am sure you imagine, it is nothing short of exceptional to see the works of Greubel Forsey up close and personal. We met with the brands new CEO ...
In an odd move, we get a omega Sea-Dweller Steel and Gold at Baselworld 2019.While were far from closing the books on Baselworld 2019, we are noticing a rather consistent trend in the facial expressions when we ask fellow journalists about the newest releases from omega and Tudor: quizzical.? Starting with the Tudor Black Bay P01 that we reviewed yesterday, its been a strange one.? Keen not to let controversy follow its kid brother, we have the omega Sea-Dweller Steel and Gold, which was certainly a curveball.The omega Sea-Dweller Steel and Gold ref. 126603In Baselworld 2017, omega debuted a new 43mm Sea-Dweller (ref. 126600) with red writing on its dial to celebrate the 50th anniversary of ...