I'm only kidding, of course. No need to commit a cyberpunk sci-fi fashion faux pas this early in the week. The latest Hamilton Pulsar dons the black mantle for you, also featuring the iconic green digital text of the 1999 cinematic masterpiece The Matrix. This limited edition release provides fans of both the Hamilton PSR and Wachowskis's iconic film with a perfect wrist-dwelling companion, just in time for the latest sequel in the franchise coming out later in December. Are you ready to acrobatically dodge some bullets in slow motion? You'd better be because this one is taking us straight into the gritty digital sci-fi universe. Is it the One to have though?I hope you've had enough Matrix p...
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Wrist Game or Crying Shame is here with a look at yet another Omega. This time, we put the Omega Dynamic III to the test. But firstIt was tough sledding for last weeks TAG Heuer Kirium Formula 1. The neo-vintage ana-digi chronograph took a vintage Mike Tyson style beating with 73% voting this one to the scrap pile. The comments were absolutely savage and many of you recalled the days of fragrances such as Drakkar Noir and Davidoff (no, not those guys) Cool Water. Im going to go out on a limb and guess that todays Omega Dynamic III will fare much better. Whether it wins the Fratellis favor, will be up to you.The Omega Dynamic IIIThe Omega Dynamic series of watches have normally been reserved ...
I have covered the Omega Speedmaster Professional Apollo XI Moonshine more than once here. That includes a long-term review on the watch after exactly a year of ownership. But never before I did an article on the bracelet alone. Here we are though: Meet the Nixon bracelet review.The bracelet of the Speedmaster Professional Apollo XI Moonshine deserves its own article. It is that good, in my opinion. And, to be frank, I didnt expect it to be this good. The specifications didnt lie about the small clasp (14mm)? and got me a bit worried at first.The Speedmaster Nixon BraceletBut boy was I worried for nothing. I mean, it is not everyday one spends the amount of a nice car on one watch. It was ev...
TAG Heuer has a history of creating some of the best full lume dial diving watches. In the mid-1980s, the brand released an entire collection of full lume dial versions of their Heuer 1000 and later TAG Heuer 1000 Professional line of watches. One of them became a Bond icon on the wrist of Timothy Dalton in the Bond movie The Living Daylights. I love this series of watches a lot. Its why I was delighted that TAG Heuer announced a full lume version of theirAquaracer Professional 300M. Time to find out whether the new stylish Aquaracer Night Diver is as good as its iconic predecessors.As some of you might know, I write a series of articles on the best vintage watches per brand per decade. Over...
Just a few days before traveling became impossible, we saw the new Longines Spirit collection. Under embargo, of course. So we are happy that its now finally time to show you the pictures we took during that appointment.To me, it seems that Longines is taking a new direction with the Spirit collection. Although weve seen and still see some heritage-inspired watches from Saint-Imier, this Longines Spirit collection is different. It combines heritage and modern watchmaking, with a very attractive price tag.Longines Spirit CollectionEvery new watch needs a story. For this collection, Longines has dived into its archives and come up with tales of more than 20 pioneers as well as some extraordina...
Well, folks, I am honored to be holding the fort during RJs summer holiday absence. Earlier this month, I was at Fratello HQ in The Hague when RJ shouted at me from his desk. He said he was going on holiday (yes, even RJ needs a holiday sometimes) and asked me if I could make sure that Speedy Tuesday went ahead as usual. He suggested lending me a Speedmaster for a week on the wrist type of review.While that may seem a little vanilla at first, I think I am probably the only member of the Fratello team that doesn't actually own an Omega Speedmaster. I know, I know: on paper, that is absolute sacrilege. For some of the team members, joining Fratello was the catalyst for their first Speedmaster ...
Jason Oliver at TimeZone posted a message that the Speedmaster Pro owned by astronaut Deke Slayton was sold at some auction. You can find it here.Here is a picture of the watch:I hope the buyer puts on a new strap ?? The buckle seems to be original Omega (and in the right time-period). I really doubt if I would ever sell such a personal belonging as a watch that joined me on spaceflights....
I have to admit I am not a fan of doing pre-SIHH or pre-BaselWorld releases. However, I also understand that during some of the other shows, like SalonQP, or in this case the Dubai Watch Week, you need to have something to tease the customers with. Some pre-SIHH or pre-BaselWorld novelties are shown in a smaller group, mainly press only, I assume also to monitor their responses. While that is a good thing, it does take away a bit of the ooh and aah effect during the official launch dates.Whatever the reason is for a brand to come up with a pre-SIHH/BaselWorld release, Vacheron Constantin decided now is the time to show us this new Overseas Dual Time.Lets have a closer look.Vacheron Constanti...
One of the best designed watches in my opinion is the Patek Philippe Calatrava ref.5127. I dont know what the idea is behind Pateks reference numbers, as they dont seem to be logical, but if you want to order one at your nearest (un)authorized Patek dealer it might come in handy. Anyway, I will call it Calatrava in this post, without mentioning the reference all the time. Patek has a lot of Calatrava models in their collection, but the one below is the one in particular when I addressed one of the best designed watches. It has no sharp edges or hard lines in terms of design, the lugs have only this slight bend towards the strap (or bracelet for the /1 models) and the dial is perfectly clea...
Welcome back to This Week in Watches we have some exciting news this week, so lets get right down to it!Hamilton Chrono-Matic 50First up on This Week in Watches is a new Hamilton.? We received word a little over a week ago that Hamilton was celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Caliber 11 with a limited edition release based upon its highly collectible vintage Chronograph E from 1972, which is otherwise known as the Count-down GMT Chrono-Matic.? Hamilton was one of the original partners in the Caliber 11 automatic that debuted in 1969 along others such as Breitling, Buren, and Heuer, so its fitting that they decided to take part in the celebrations.? Admittedly, Hamilton chose a very obsc...
The omega Sky-Dweller has, recently, started to get a bit more of the love it perhaps deserved when it stumbled out of the blocks in 2012. For the best part of a decade, the bizarrely complicated love child of the omega Datejust and GMT Master II clamored for attention. With an updated dial that saw batons replace the busy numerals used in its early days, the watch began to come of age. Now, with the release of three 18-karat gold models on Oysterflex bracelets, the crown has given a new angle from which to appreciate the ugly duckling that is flourishing into a graceful swan.Weve seen the Oysterflex hit the Daytona and Yacht-Master collections before. Despite this rubber bracelet looking li...
The Portugieser debuted in 1939. IWC built it at the request of two Portuguese businessmen, who requested a wristwatch that was as accurate as a marine chronometer. Pragmatically as watchmakers are in Schaffhausen, IWC put a marginally altered hand-wound Calibre 74 pocket watch movement in a 41.5mm case, put a leather strap on it and the Portugieser was born. It wasn't until 1998 that the IWC Portugieser Chronograph was introduced. The current model still looks like the one from 23 years ago and has proven to be a modern-day brand icon. Does that strike you as laziness on IWCs part or sound boring? Why change a winning formula, you could riposte.The first Portugieser bears the reference 325....
We give a lot of Speedmaster coverage, but mainly on (Speedy) Tuesdays. Today we make an exception, as?we were invited to join the Omega Speedmaster Event in London, with Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin, former NASAs engineer James H. Ragan who was responsible for testing and selecting the Speedmaster and actor George Clooney, a long-time space and Speedmaster fan.Speedmaster Event in LondonThere is no secret that I love the Speedmaster. Ive told this many times before, but the Speedmaster is the model?that got me into watches in general and one that I collect myself. A love that resulted in starting the Speedy Tuesday feature and has been celebrated with its own limited edition watch for it...
This week, I am looking at brands that have designed watches for the Stuttgart-based sports car brand, Porsche.I partly took inspiration from Tomas' TBT article on the Porsche Design by IWC reference 3704 that you can read here. Scrolling through Chrono24, I found more awesome watches that co-branded with Porsche. Before Porsche Design became, well, Porsche Design.All watches are pre-owned and picked from Chrono24. Every week we pick a few pre-owned watches from Chrono24, the largest market place for wristwatches in the world watches that we love ourselves, or think they will be interesting to you. So, to be clear, we picked the watches, Chrono24 only send us the images without their waterm...
Launched in 1992, Bell Ross was founded by Bruno Belamich and Carlos Rosillo. The first Bell Ross models were very similar to those of Sinn Spezialuhren and officially, this collaboration lasted till 2002 (although Bell Ross made their own models long before that year). Most people who started their interest in watches just recently, probably know the BR Instrument watches best.In 2005, the first BR instrument was introduced and Bell Ross clearly have been inspired ever since. They have been introducing various models based on the famous flight panel instruments, including the BR 03-92 thats now being featured on Fratellowatches. A 42mm glass bead blasted steel case with black carbon pow...
600 pieces only, a weight of 12 Kgs and 600 pages telling the story of 130 omega Daytona watches in prestine condition, dated from 1960 and on. Pucci Papaleo Editore did an amazing job on describing these watches with this level of detail, delivering it in one book that is entirely bound by hand with a leather lined 8mm wood binding. The team of Pucci had some help from only the best vintage horology specialists, who consist of collectors, watchmakers and retailers.For photographing all these time pieces, the most advanced photography techniques have been used and in the end (it is about the result) it has been printed with the highest resolution possible.This said, it perhaps gives you more...
There are different ways a watch can grab your attention for the first time. There seem to be some more common examples for an encounter that can cause a lasting impression, though. But, whichever circumstance turned you into a watch enthusiast, I feel confident that passion was involved. This is my very personal story, along some detours that initiated my passion for watches.I dont remember which was my first watch. I do remember a cheap plastic quartz watch, which I wore as a child, that looked cool because it had a black case. And I remember how discontent I felt when this watch with a 30m waterproof rating died after some diving in a pool.My first watch that spawned a lasting impression ...
Earlier this year, I was asked to write an article for Omegas Lifetime Magazine about the Trilogy watches. Including the Speedmaster 311.10.39.30.01.001 of course. From the first moment on, I was thrilled by this watch and I didnt need much time to order one for myself. As I am writing this, I am waiting for the watch to be delivered, but in the meanwhile I received a Speedmaster?311.10.39.30.01.001 for review. The so-called 0000/3557 number (and there are more of these 0000s, for sample and presentation purposes).Speedmaster 311.10.39.30.01.001A bit later, when I saw the watch in the flesh during BaselWorld, I was certain I made the right choice by ordering it. I read the positive reactions...
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, I feel the need the need for speed In a clash of the chronographs, the Daytona?116500LN takes on the Omega Calibre 321 Ed White.But before we race ahead of ourselves, lets turn our minds back to last weeks brouhaha. I have to say; I was a little surprised to take home the Regatta Trophy. As...
So its time for something completely different now Its weekend for us and probably most of our readers. Today we present you an easy to digest article. Going through our vast photo archive, we dug up the watch macro photo?A to Z. Some unpublished material or re-editited images. Taking a few detours to fill in the few missing brand names in the alphabet. Maybe an interesting quest for the upcoming Baselworld fair.Kicking it off with the A for A. Lange Sohne. We didnt want to zoom in too much as there is so much going on for this Datograph Perpetual Tourbillon.A. Lange Sohne Datograph Perpetual TourbillonB for Blancpain L-Evolution Tourbillon Carrousel, limited to 50 pieces. Note the crazy l...