For many, the 18th century watchmaker represents the forefather of Haute Horlogerie. A visionary who, albeit was not born into a watchmaking family thanks to his stepfather picked up the trade and revolutionized it.In 1775, after marrying his fianc e, C cile Marie-Louise L'Huillier the newlyweds set up their home and watchmaking company in Paris, at the Pont Neuf C a stone throw away of the Notre Dame. Since that date, Breguet has been creating some of the most exquisite timepieces the watch world has seen. They are constantly breaking boundaries while keeping the elegance of each timepiece. Whether it's a highly complicated watch with tourbillon and perpetual calendar like the Classique Co...
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Most watch complications are related to our actual whereabouts. Take the chronograph, power reserve, and alarm or minute repeaters as examples. I?always found it fascinating that the GMT presented a?complication that referred to the events or reality related to you, just happening in any far corner of the world. Today we look at my favorite vintage GMT watches.?I?like simple solutions. That's why I?prefer omega ref. 1675 from 1959 to the ref. 16750 introduced in 1983. Pointing to its primary feature, which was an extra GMT hand, the later GMT Master II ref.16710 allowed it to be set independently. That resulted in the possibility to read not two, but three time zones.omega GMT-Master 1675 1 ...
Although not officially part of the Geneva Watch Days event, Panerai decided to open its doors to the traveling cartel of journalists and retailers to take advantage of the sudden influx of industry professionals over the 26th-29th of August 2020.We kicked off Thursday with a visit to the Panerai boutique in central Geneva. As it turned out, it was quite a revelation for all of us (RJ, Bert, Mike, and me). Many Fratello team members have owned Panerai watches in the past (and some still do). However, I do not, have not, and have never seriously considered it. Until now, that isThe closest I ever came to buying a Panerai, was buying horrendously cheap imitation cases to play with during my wa...
RogerCP (a TZ regular) wrote a nice review on the Omega DeVille Co-Axial GMT. It is a 18 karat ros?? gold version, but thats not even the argument why I think it is special. The watch is only 35mm in size. Thats smaller than the average mens modern wrist watch.Picture by RogerCPThe review is quite in-depth, not only on the movement (caliber 2628, which is based on the famous co-axial movement caliber 2500, which is based on ETA 2892-A2 again. Or did I forget to put the Omega caliber 1120 in there as well?), but also on the case, dial, hands, strap, deployant clasp and last but not least the GMT watch as such (and links to some other GMT related articles as well).Anyway, click here for a good...
The Bvlgari Octo Finissimo watch is the darling of many watch journalists. Not only because of its thin case or the micro-rotor movement. But also because Bvlgari is doing some different from the other luxury brands. The design of the Bvlgari Octo Finissimo is attractive and somewhat off-the-wall. A lot of brands are on the re-edition train, but not Bvlgari.Last month, we reviewed the stainless steel version and I explained why I think it is so great. Also compared to the other luxury steel sports watches out there from established brands, the Bvlgari Octo Finissmo watch stands out for me. The watch I have here today is the rose gold Bvlgari Octo Finissimo watch. On a leather strap. I am not...
Watch design is without a doubt one of the hardest forms of design to master. Watches are small objects and come with a long list of aesthetic and technical requirements. In its essence, the watchs design always has to be serving the wrist of the wearer and the movement that powers the watch. That combination of aesthetics and technique makes watches fascinating, to begin with. But what happens when industry outsiders get involved in the art of watch design? Time to check out some of the creations from renowned architects and find out if we can learn from them.For me, watches are about aesthetics first and foremost. No matter how impressive the movement is, if the watchs design does not move...
I am very proud to present to you, the first ever (real) pictures of Ian Flemings watch and the exhibit interior, published on the internet. Below, you will see an excerpt from the press release, a picture?of the actual watch that Ian Fleming wore and used as inspiration for his James Bond novels and a picture of the exhibit room. Note that pictures of the museum nor the watch have never been published before. Taking pictures inside the museum is strictly prohibited.From the press release:?Ian Fleming's personal James Bond watch is not kept wound while it's on display as part of the increasingly popular Bond Watches, James Bond Watches exhibit.So when attendees arrive for the special Bond ...
To commemorate the 80th anniversary of their Big Crown Pointer Date watch, Oris introduces this (stunning) bronze 40mm version of that watch, with a green dial.The story of the Oris Big Crown Pointer Date watch goes back to 1938 when Oris developed a watch with an?oversized winding crown for pilots. Very useful when wearing those leather gloves being high in the sky, and you need to set your watch. The date indicated by an extra hand, also known as a pointer date.Oris Big Crown Pointer Date In BronzeInterestingly, the Big Crown Pointer Date has been in the collection forever it seems (or at least since 1938, and Oris was founded in 1904). I write this, as it was exactly this model that also ...
Speaking of Constellations (see post below), last weekend I visitted my grandfather and he told me he was quite happy with the accuracy and new looks of his Constellation. Some years ago, before the watch got a complete overhaul, I wrote a small essay/review on his watch. Next time I visit him, I should make a new picture of his watch. The dial is cleaned up and the crystal and case are bright and shiny again.Anyway, the review can be found here. Mind you, it is dated (2001) and the pictures are made with a digital camera which probably is even cheaper nowadays than a leather strap....
Chopard is a brand that I truly believe is criminally overlooked in the watch landscape today. But for over 25 years now, the brand better known for its jewelry has taken phenomenal strides in truly in-house watchmaking. Chopards first manufacture movement, caliber 96.01-L, debuted in 1997 in the now-legendary L.U.C 1860. The 3.3mm-slim foundational caliber boasted a micro-rotor, double barrels, COSC certification, and the Geneva Hallmark for its immaculate craftsmanship and finishing. Since then, these four characteristics have become a signature of many of Chopards jaw-dropping high-horology creations. And now, at Watches Wonders 2022, the brand finally brings them all to its flagship spo...
When Longines introduced their Legend Diver a few years ago, it came in two flavors. A date and a non-date. At some point, Longines decided to only continue with the date version.Sure, Longines has its Skin Diver without a date, but thats not the same. I was very happy and a little bit surprised to see that the Longines Legend Diver in bronze has no date. I am not really in favor of date windows on a watch (exceptions exist of course), so I am biased anyway. We did a Wrist Game Crying Shame article on a Legend Diver No Date and you were brutal as well though, 78% voted for the Legend Diver without a date. Now, they make one again And it is in bronze!Longines Legend Diver BronzeWhat we have h...
Finally, its my turn to step into the arena. Ive enjoyed taking a backseat so far in the competition and watching the track-based carnage unfold, but Ive got to say, Im excited to buckle up for what is sure to be a thrilling race to the finish. Maybe, just maybe, Im doubly excited because I actually think I might win this. Why am I confident? Check out my picks: the Omega Speedmaster Racing Co-Axial Master Chronometer Chronograph 44.25mm 329.32.44.51.01.001 and the Nivada Grenchen Chronomaster 86010M. Both are stunning watches, but there is one clear favorite (in my opinion) when it comes to snaring the crown of the greatest modern racing chronograph.For my money, very few of the watches my ...
We did an article last year on everything about a watch that wasnt the watch itself straps, bracelets, clasps, and spring bars. It seemed exhaustive in its reach (and in the writing), but it wasnt. That was the primer for the respectable, polite, middle-of-the-road people that accessorize their watches accordingly. This article, on the other hand, is downright funky. Well get to some unique strap options that are still accessible, like Erikas Originals and Bund pads, but Im going to be showing you some weird, sometimes old, truly unique options as well. It will be polarizing. Words will be said in the comments that cannot be un-said. I may be asked to never do an article like this again. Jus...
I thought I was an as-found kind of a watch collector. Just get a watch serviced, and thats it. That was until I found a beautifully patinated all-black Gallet Multichron 12 with a portion of lume missing from the minute hand. That got me thinking should I relume or not?What was I to do? One part of me wanted to keep it that way as almost a sign of respect for what the watch was. Now, I dont want to overcomplicate the sentiment here, but just as I dont try to change people and I take them as-is, I always thought Id prefer to take a watch with all of its dents, scratches, and even little cracks on its Plexiglass crystal.Missing lumeHonestly, I had not faced this dilemma before because I alway...
In this Sunday morning column, 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. This week, THE classic among classics gets treated to the original mano-a-mano format. Ladies and gents, it is time for the omega Datejust 36 to be rated or hated.Last weeks contest between the omega Milgauss and Omega Railmaster always had the whiff of a foregone conclusion about it. RJ and I discusse...
Every month my company Chronolytics sends out a newsletter to the watch industry, watch enthusiasts and press with some facts figures on watch consumers and their behavior. Todays newsletter is about the awareness of German watch brands by consumers from the USA. Based on IP-address and cookies, Chronolytics is able to track the on-line behavior of millions of watch enthusiasts on the largest watch market platform in the world. I thought it would be interesting to show how German watch brands are doing in the USA, as some of them are clearly trying (and with quite some positive results) to get a piece of the US market for (luxury) watches.This article is an excerpt of the original newslette...
The first omega Yacht-Master debuted in 1992. It was a yellow gold watch with a full gold bracelet and a bi-directional bezel with raised numerals. I cant imagine that omega intended that watch to be a serious companion for those who were sailing. Rather, it was a watch to show off that you probably owned a boat, even when you werent actually on the boat itself.It wasnt until 1999, in fact, that omega released the Yacht-Master in Rolesium a combination of steel and a platinum bezel and dial. That watch, reference 16622, was one of the omega models other than the Daytona that had a long waitlist at first. Soon after, it became the model that was always available, more or less.omega Yacht-Mast...
The Tudor Black Bay Pro was the big one for Tudor at Watches And Wonders 2022. The watch was met with a lot of praise, but its design also sparked a lively discussion. Did Tudor make the right move by copying the design of the legendary omega Explorer II ref. 1655? Or is it a different watch influenced by the original Explorer II? The same questions can be asked looking at the second big Tudor introduction. The new Tudor Black Bay GMT SG Root Beer was inspired by the iconic omega GMT-Master Root Beer models. The original models represent the style of the 70s and 80s perfectly. Did Tudor successfully salute that aesthetic, or should the brand have left it alone? Lets find out.For Tudor, 2022 ...
Goldene Unruh 2013Every year, readers of the German Uhren Magazine and Focus magazine (a Munich based news magazine) can select a winning watch from a number of brands, in different price categories. This year, the selection process was even easier for voters using the Focus internet platform.Anyway, in total 25.246 people participated and voted for their most favorite watches amongst the 426 candidates. Voting took place between 15th of December 2012 and the 31st of January 2013. The categories of watches are as follows:Category A up to 2500 EuroCategory B up to 5000 EuroCategory C up to 10.000 EuroCategory D up to 25.000 EuroCategory E over 25.000 Euroand then there was the Gold-Medal...
For Grand Seiko USA, we created a small magazine on the four special edition watches to celebrate the Japanese 24 seasons. Additionally, we cover the original 62GS design to have a better understanding of the current models. Last but not least, theres an article on Grand Seikos Hi-Beat and Spring Drive movements.This magazine is created for the US market and can be found in a number of their boutiques. For you, we have a digital copy of the Grand Seiko magazine available for download. When you are a Grand Seiko fan, theres probably nothing much new for you to discover, but I am sure you will enjoy it anyway!Grand Seiko MagazineThis 16-page magazine covers three articles. Theres one big artic...