Unfortunately, a 37mm looks kind of silly on my 7.5 wrist. Otherwise, a Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Moon like Robs (friend of the show since 2004) would be a perfect timepiece for formal occasions. Although Jaeger-LeCoultre seems to have entered a different route to approach its clients since a while, with big bulky watches or with high-tech materials, this Master Moon with a diameter of 37mm and a height of just 10mm is a true classic that at least will look good on you in a few decades from now. Will the Compressor watches do to? I think not.For around 3000 Euro, you should be able to find a nice Master Moon (young occasion) in good condition, complete with box and papers. Make sure the alliga...
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Welcome to the Speedmaster World Cup. In the absence of Euro 2020, we thought our beloved readers might enjoy a tournament of a different kind. Weve assembled eight groups (A CH), each governed by a different Fratello team member. Each writer has been assigned four watches, which they will pitch to you during the group stages.All we need you to do is vote for your favorite to move on in the competition. The next round will be the quarter-finals, which will see the eight group winners go head-to-head for your votes. The four winners progress to the semis. Following that, a third-place play-off will precede the final round, due to be held on Sunday, December 13th (get the beers in).If you have...
Welcome to the Speedmaster World Cup. In the absence of Euro 2020, we thought our beloved readers might enjoy a tournament of a different kind. We've assembled eight groups (A CH), each governed by a different Fratello team member. Each writer has been assigned four watches, which they will pitch to you during the group stages.All we need you to do is vote for your favorite to move on in the competition. The next round will be the quarter-finals, which will see the eight group winners go head-to-head for your votes. The four winners progress to the semis. Following that, a third-place play-off will precede the final round, due to be held on Sunday, December 13th (get the beers in-). If you h...
We welcome you back to Wrist Game or Crying Shame with a take on the Cartier Ballon Bleu. Will you take it or leave it? Well have to see, but before we get thereA couple of weeks back, I showed you the JLC Master Control Ultra Thin, and an overwhelming 93% of you did the right thing by awarding that watch a Wrist Game win. Hey, 7%-ers, its ok to be flat-out wrong sometimes This week, with the Cartier Ballon Bleu 36 on deck, we will talk about something decidedly more divisive. Its just the kind of article that should help blow some time while you wait for New Years Eve (seriously, this period between Christmas and NYE just feels like a weird no mans land).Cartier and suchIf you havent notice...
It could be argued that since Baselworld 2017, the most highly anticipated new watch releases are actually a trio of very old watches. If you've been living under a proverbial rock I'll help to bring you current; I'm referring to Omega's 60th Anniversary group of near carbon copies of the original Speedmaster, Railmaster and Seamaster. Perhaps it's disheartening to new watch designers that these reissued pieces are the talk of the town, but I can assure you that they're very very good. Personally, and I've mentioned this, I have ordered the Speedmaster, but I could be happy with any one of the three. For testing purposes, though, we thought it wise to ask Omega to send different anniversary ...
After all the omega violence last two weeks of Pre-Owned Picks, we will go a bit into another direction with watches from Audemars Piguet and Patek Philippe in the selection of this week.Not picking the obvious pre-owned Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Jumbo and Patek Philippe Nautilus (Jumbo), but something a bit more under the radar with this 26300ST Royal Oak chronograph and a Calatrava 5096J. But, we also did a few picks that are more wallet-friendly (and yes, this is also relative) for you. In any case, all are watches that I admire. Two of them (actually three) used to be in my collection but had to make room for something else. In close collaboration with the worlds leading watch market pla...
????I feel lucky that I live very close to The Hague. The city where Christiaan Huygens lived in the 17th century. He was a Dutch mathematician, astronomer and physicist; born in The Hague on April the 14th 1629. Besides his other impressive (mostly astronomical work),????he also worked on the construction of accurate clocks, suitable for naval navigation. In 1658 he published a book on this topic called Horologium. In fact his invention on Christmas 1656, the pendulum clock (patented 1657), was a breakthrough in timekeeping. Devices known as escapements regulate the rate of a watch or clock, and the anchor escapement represented a major step in the development of accurate watches. You can r...
This year, we visited 7 different locations to host a Speedy Tuesday Event. The kick-off took place in Biel, at the headquarters of Omega to introduce the new caliber 321 to the Speedy Tuesday community.What followed were events in Milan, Frankfurt, Singapore, Hong Kong, New York, and last but certainly not least, Tokyo. We spent countless hours in preparing these events, but the results have been amazing. Hundreds of Speedmaster fans signed up for these events, even though we had limited capacity, and we received (and still do) many requests for other locations to host these events.Last week, we did the last Speedy Tuesday event of this year in Tokyo.Speedy Tuesday Tokyo EventJapan is an im...
The trend of ultra thin watches continues After weve seen Vacheron Constantin, Piaget and Audemars Piguet introducing thin timepieces (again), next in line is Parmigiani Fleurier. The Tonda 1950 is the subject of my weekly watch article over at Motoring Exposure. Parmigiani has developed a brand new in-house movement for the Tonda 1950, being only 2.6mm in height. I dont have pictures of the caliber PF700 movement yet, but I am very curious about the platinum micro-rotor and level of finish on its bridges and wheels.Parmigiani will introduce this watch during the upcoming SIHH in January 2011.Click on this link to go my article on Parmigianis thinnest timepiece....
With the exception of the newly released Reverso?Ultra Thin Tribute to 1931, the Classique is perhaps in many ways the quintessential Reverso: its been in JLCs catalog for many, many years; it can be appreciated by both men and women (the size is a nice in-between that makes it a largish ladies watch but a slim mens dress watch) and is powered by a hand-wound caliber 846.Its also perhaps the closest thing we have to the original size, too. The bracelet is very flexible and comfortable for all wrist sizes; highly recommended over the strap if you have small wrists. (Fratello Tip: If you have very small wrists like my wife, you can make the extra links into a ring, see below.)Interestingly, de...
Three of us recently got together from three different countries to talk about our favorite pieces from Watches and Wonders 2021. As youll see, the choices are eclectic!Balazs, Jorg, and Mike came together to talk about their favorite novelties from Watches and Wonder 2021. The picks were surprising Just like the recent episode on Watches and Wonder from Robert-Jan and Rob, a omega did not make the cut. That didnt stop the team from discussing the newest wares from the untouchable brand, though.Pick six Watches and Wonders 2021You can also listen to this Fratello on Air podcast via Soundcloud,?Apple Podcast,?Google Podcast,?Deezer,??Stitcher, and?Spotify. Please subscribe to the channel so y...
We spend time with the new Rado Golden Horse, a serial production model that just might change your thoughts about the brand.I know our readers come from all over, but I often wonder how many of you hail from my home region of South Florida.? And if you do, were you alive and cognizant during the late 80's into the 90's?? If you were, you'd no doubt recall this special time.? Blousy silk shirts, billowy pleated chinos, gold chains, and slim loafers were all the rage.? And the cars?- Forgetting the semi-performance rides that sported colors such as teal and mauve, this was the brief period of the gold package. ?If you could pony up for something like a Cadillac, Lexus or Infiniti (in pearl wh...
It has been a while that we reported on the Omega Speedmaster Speedy Tuesday Limited Edition. Weve been overwhelmed with all the responses and comments on this watch, and are thankful for all the positive messages we have received thus far. Omega gave us a prototype just before the official release date (January 10th 2017) so we have been able to play around with it, take photos and show it to some of our readers, colleagues and friends.The first Omega Speedmaster Speedy Tuesday Limited Edition models have been produced in Bienne and are currently being shipped to their new owners. Watches are not produced in chronological order, so it might very well be that number 13 (for example) is being...
We really don't want to instill fear into your hearts and minds, our valued readers. But after reading about yet another watch robbery this weekend here in the Netherlands, we think it's time for a word of warning. Please keep your omega to yourself and don't flaunt it online. That also goes for easy-to-spot luxury watches like the Nautilus and the Royal Oak. Social media has become an online shopping catalog for wrong-doers, it seems. Of course, watches have always been a target for thieves, but the times, they are a-changing for the worse. How did it come to this?When you're proud of your new/vintage omega GMT-Master II, you want to show it. Because you're happy with your watch, you want t...
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, you're sure to love our month-long feature. 96 watches reviewed last year line up for a battle royale like nothing that's gone before. We need your votes. We want your comments. Help us decide the champion and share in its glory Let the games commence?-In 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 it's number 1 vs. number 8,...
After many years, Ive found my birth year Speedmaster 145.022-76. Having a watch from your year of birth is something to which many enthusiasts aspire.In my opinion, the best thing is when your parents bought one in your birth year and looked after it for you. But I guess not everyone is so lucky (I wasn't). then you will need to find your own watch. This does mean that you can purchase the watch you really fancy, of course.This article is about my own quest for a birth year watch. One that took me about 15 years to find the perfect piece.Year of Birth 145.022-76Ever since I have been bitten by the Speedmaster bug, it was my goal to find a reference from my year of birth (1977). Already in 2...
The 1950s and 1960s are periods with a lot of exploration. From the Moon to the depths of the sea with the Deep Sea Special project. Today we will go on exploration in the snow, ice, and high peaks with the omega Explorer.Watches with a good story always score. The omega Explorer is no exception. Launched in 1953, this was a true explorer and pioneer in the world of tool watches. While summiting Everest in 1953, Sir Edmund Hilary famously wore a omega Oyster Perpetual. It is said that this watch directly inspired the design and development of the omega Explorer.About the illustrationThe snow scooter featured in this image is based on the 1950s Polaris Sno-Travelera?an era-appropriate pairing...
We all know and adore the Omega Speedmaster the first watch on the Moon, official watch for NASA astronauts. The Breitling Navitimer has its own prestigious history and diehard fans as well. It is the embodiment of the quirky yet beloved slide rule bezel. These two watches are pinnacles of aviation horology. However, they arent the best. Oh no, if anything, they are only thematic stepping stones to the true king of flight watches: the Seiko Flightmaster. It is the best of Speedmaster and Navitimer, with a few quirks and special features of its own.First off, Id like to apologize to RJ for this article. From the website that brought you Speedy Tuesday, I bring you an article about why not to ...
This customized omega is an initiative by Philipp Stahl (Steiner Maastricht) and Jerrel Manbodh (Manbodhwatches). It is a Jacques Piccard Edition called the Single Red DeepSea, and will be produced in only 86 pieces.This number stands for each year of the life of Jacques Piccard. Phlipp and Jerrel have an official approval by the son of Jacques Piccard, Bertrand. The omega DeepSea Sea-Dweller that has been used, underwent quite a metamorphose. A DLC coating, engraving on the caseback and a single red wording of DeepSea (referring to the red printed vintage Sea-Dwellers).The watch comes in a special box and with an additional NATO strap. This project has been a crown on the work of the creato...
2020 marks the 60th birth year of the first Grand Seiko watch. To begin a full year of celebrations of this important landmark, the independent brand spun off from Seiko is introducing four new limited-edition timepieces. The standout piece for ladies? Reference STGK015.While Rob has already covered the three men's models, my eye is on the women's watch from Grand Seiko, obvs This diamond-studded automatic watch is limited to 300 pieces. It is a very feminine extension to the brand's Elegance collection. At 27.8mm, the petite size offers a delicate presence on a lady's wrist. Together with the SBGH281, it's the his and hers of the celebratory pair.DialThe stainless steel STGK015 boasts a dia...