Youve probably heard it by now, OMEGA introduced the remake of the First Omega in Space Speedmaster. The watch worn by Walter Wally Schirra on the 3rd of October 1962 during the Sigma 7 flight, was the Speedmaster ref. CK2998. This is a second generation Speedmaster, a few years before it became the official choice by NASA and renamed Speedmaster Professional in 1965. We had a look at the new remake of this Speedmaster 1962 during our appointment with OMEGA in BaselWorld and wed like to share our findings and the pictures we took, with our readers.As you can see, the dial lacks the Professional wording and has the applied OMEGA logo again, like it was used in those days. The font that OMEGA ...
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IWC Ingenieur EventRemember our give-away of tickets to the AMG and IWC event at the Zandvoort Racing Track in The Netherlands? The conditions to participate were quite strict, you needed to have an IWC Ingenieur already AND live in The Netherlands, Belgium or Luxemburg. We had to disappoint quite a few people who mailed us from Denmark, UK, Franc and even Italy. In the end, we had two people who met all requirements!We have a Winner!However, one of them needed to cancel the evening before due to an important business meeting. So, in the end, we only brought Maarten van Munster to the race track. Instead the other winner, there was suddenly some extra room for our photographer Bert Buijsrogg...
It is not even a Speedy Tuesday but we're here with some important Speedmaster news. We've been following the auctions closely, and are happy to see that this very early 1957 Speedmaster CK2915-1 got some proper appreciation. With a record-shattering winning bid of CHF2,550,00 Swiss Francs!A very remarkable Speedmaster (lot 53) was auctioned today at Phillip's in Geneva. Not only because it is a Speedmaster CK2915-1 dating back to November 22nd, 1957, but also because of how it has aged. This is the horological dream to many collectors, not limited to Speedmaster collectors, a beautiful chocolate brown tropical dial with broad arrow hands.Speedmaster CK2915-1Introduced as a watch for race ca...
I never really liked Coke too much.I was always a Pepsi guy. No, I'm not talking about the drink. I could not care less about the age-old debate of which soda is better. I'm talking about two specific omega GMT-Masters. The choice is between Pepsi (blue/red) or Coke (black/red) bezel inserts.I shared the reasoning behind my decision to go with reference 1675 in this old TBT article of mine. To me, the colors on the bezel were the primary factor. I liked the look of a vintage Sub, but I dug the GMT with its Pepsi insert. It added a pop of color to the watch. For the longest time, I thought that no other GMT would take its place. Until this week cameDon't worry, I'm still Team Pepsi, but for ...
Contrary to what you may think, I did not pick the watches Im going to talk about. That was the Krakens doing. That said, I could not be happier with this pair of great chronographs. The Zenith Chronomaster El Primero A385 is easily my favorite watch from the Revival lineup. The quirky case shape, the light brown dial, and the El Primero movement are simply my favorite features. And I like the watch equally on a bracelet or a strap. The red chronograph hand, with its dash of color, spiced up the watch for me and matched the other contender perfectly. Speaking of contenders, we have a Speedy to race our Zenith. Not just any Speedy, though. Its the one that has the most iconic red chronograph ...
If youre enjoying the March Mania contest, weve got a little something for you to increase the fun A free, downloadable, printable bracket so you can either follow the competition offline or, better yet, make your own predictions.Why not play along with your watch buddies? Download the bracket here (or by clicking the below image) and share it with your group. Share it on Facebook, LinkedIn, throughout your Red Bar crew, wherever you like Nail it to lampposts throughout your hometown. Tie it to the backs of stray dogs (please get the appropriate jabs before attempting this), or have it blow up to 100 times its original size and attach it to the back of your Biplane before flying it all over ...
We are always looking forward to the SIHH presentation by Theodore Diehl, who works for Richard Mille. He is a great talker, and author, and today he presented us the Richard Mille RM 50-03 McLAREN F1 timepiece. Richard Mille is known for his brilliant technical timepieces, but with this 40 grams tourbillon split seconds chronograph things got just more brilliant.Richard Mille RM 50-03 McLAREN F1Aside from the 980.000 Swiss Francs (excluding 8% sales tax that is) price tag, this Richard Mille is not for everyone. It is a highly complicated and technical looking timepiece, that doesnt tick everyones boxes, but it is definitely an impressive watch whether you are into these type of things or n...
Meet the Omega a Swatch Speedmaster MoonSwatch. A watch made of bioceramic (a unique mix of two-thirds ceramic and one-third material derived from castor oil) that looks very similar to the famous and iconic Moonwatch by Omega. As we're pretty fond of Speedmasters ourselves here at Fratello, let's have a look at this new MoonSwatch and tell you what we think of it.A week before this official introduction, Swatch Group CEO Nick Hayek, together with Omega CEO Raynald Aeschlimann and Swatch CEO Carlo Giordanetti, invited us to come to Biel in Switzerland where they surprised us (and a select group of other journalists) with a collab that nobody expected to happen. Ever.Omega a Swatch Speedmaste...
Ten large, one stack of high society, or whatever you call it this, 10,000, is what I've been given to start a watch collection. Some would call it an insane amount of money to spend on an archaic wrist device. Others, perhaps, would say that it barely covers the price of admission. So, what will I do with this chunk of change? Let's see In reality, 10,000 is a lot of money to set aside for the sole purpose of starting a watch collection. It's the kind of money that pays for a seriously nice vacation or two. It helps pay off a car or some sort of desperately needed home renovation project. In the watch world, though, it all depends on your aims. Be reasonable, and you can expect some great o...
When it comes to recognizing our favorite movie wristwatches, we tend to focus on the good guy. James Bond and the Omega Seamaster 300M, or Ellen Ripley with her Seiko Giugiaro, for example. Yet, in interviews, actors and actresses often proclaim they cannot wait to chew the scenery and portray the antagonist. Therefore, I am selecting wristwatches worn by the bad guys.Playing the part of the bad guy can often turn a performer into a household name overnight. Alan Rickman and Gary Oldman kickstarted their Hollywood careers with Die Hard and L on respectively. Unnerving yet captivating performances surely leave an impression when exiting the theater. With my keen eye, their wristwatch choice ...
The early 1960's Cosmonaute reference 809 Wide Bezel' models are enough of an elusive piece for any vintage Breitling collector, so the news that one owned by Astronaut John Glenn will be coming up for sale is an absolutely awesome moment that might get some of us a little bit excited.On the 10th December 2019, Phillips Watches will be holding their Game Changers' auction in New York City where two of John Glenn's watches will feature, notably his Navitimer 809.John Glenns Breitling Navitimer 809 CosmonauteThis particular auction is already well known to be featuring Marlon Brando's omega GMT-Master as worn in the Film Apocalypse Now among other iconic watches.John Glenn Jr. was a United Sta...
This could be a life philosophy or just love for the suave look of black, you may interpret this in many ways. Some people (let's call out the architects and fashionistas) dress in minimalist black every day, but why? Let's just admit it, we all want to acquire that air of mystery sometimes, and what better way? Whether you're a wannabe secret agent, MIB fan, or believe in the slimming effect of black, it's all good, STEALTH is the word.This style lies between mission-tough and dark elegance. Should you go splurge-crazy and acquire all the items in this story, I'd be sincerely flattered. But don't put everything on while wearing black trousers and a black polo and driving the Defender. You'...
Hamilton's undeniably rich history in military watchmaking is once again brought to our attention. This time, it's the brand's Model 23 mil-spec pocket watch that inspires its latest release: the Hamilton Khaki Aviation Pilot Pioneer. A tough and reliable tool, Hamilton delivered over 27,000 pieces to the US armed forces during WWII. This was in addition to over one million wristwatches, marine chronometers, and a number of other timing devices and mechanical instruments. The Model 23 pocket watch was a staple of military aviation timepieces, featuring a large and extremely legible dial with cathedral hands and a chronograph function. Though the wristwatch which it inspires drops the added f...
Sheesj. Adee Kaye watches creating an Invicta Lupah replica. Besides the shameless Invicta copy, they also make copies of Zeno, Breitling, IWC, Fortis, Alain Silberstein and moreCheck this link here for a nice overview on shameless watchproducers.This is not a Silberstein, it is an original Adee Kaye.They could at least have come up with a better name than something which sounds like Yipee Caye....
Today is father's day here in the Netherlands. It wasn't until a few years ago, that I realized that father's day is celebrated on different days around the world. Call me a bad son, but, to me, it meant little more than a mandatory call to my parents on father's day or mother's day. That changed when I became a father myself, on May 31st, 2013. I now know what it means, and I happily call my own parents now to wish them a wonderful day.I can't speak for anyone else, but I remember seeing my daughter for the first time and the only thing I could think was, I know you already. That instant connection and instant love is something amazing. Someone called having a child a life-changing event. I...
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 sees a bona fide classic the omega Submariner take-on the young pretender, the Omega Seamaster Professional 300M. Who wins? You decideHere we are again. The best time of the week. Do you remember the days of waking up early on a Sunday morning to watch your favorite cartoon? That is what ...
Vacheron Constantin gets a little moonstruck with its latest addition to the limited Collection Excellence Platine with a Patrimony case and platinum dial.As part of the Fratello team, I am subject to many press releases from PR representatives and directly from brands. Often, there is a sense of deja vu. Either I am living in The Matrix, or the new watch is presented with such a minor change that it hardly constitutes a dedicated write-up. Such releases tend to feature in our weekly round-up that is This Week In Watches.Slipping through the cracksThe Watches and Wonders 2020 announcements certainly filled many spaces in that column, but somehow the new Patrimony Retrograde Date with Moon Ph...
I love the visionary idea that Carlo Crocco had in the late 1970s to create a watch that combined different materials. With the Hublot Classic that came out in 1980, Crocco created a watch that combined a yellow gold case with a rubber strap. Back then, it was considered pure blasphemy. To combine a precious metal with the material generally associated with cheap quartz watches was unheard of. Four decades later, however, it is an often-seen combination of materials. Additionally, the Classic Fusion is still part of the current Hublot collection, and it is a great reminder of Croccos legacy. I had a chance to try the current 45mm green Classic Fusion in titanium and determine if his visionar...
Lugs One of the make-or-break elements of a watch. In the best scenario, lugs define a watch. In the worst of situations, they can ruin a watch. When I just got into watches, the latter played a more significant part in my opinion about a watch, or rather than recognizing great lugs. I used to see them as a natural part of a case design. But over time, I found a great appreciation for lugs and how important they are in the overall design of a watchs face.Though lugs have always played an essential part in the looks of a watch, their importance has also increased in other aspects. Nowadays, lugs are often a big part of the discussion of whether a watch works on the wrist of a wearer. It has b...
One of the most heard comments on the Omega Speedmaster Calibre 321 is that you could also opt for an original 1960s Speedmaster reference 105.003. That's the reference the 2020 Speedmaster Calibre 321 has been based on.Whether you prefer a vintage Speedmaster 105.003 over the new Speedmaster Calibre 321 reference 311.30.40.30.01.001, that's a different discussion. It is mainly a matter of preference and opinion on watch collecting buying. If you want the real thing, the Speedmaster Calibre 321 might not cut it for you. If you don't want the hassle of finding an original 105.003 that has not been tampered with or are afraid to damage it while wearing it, the new Speedmaster Calibre 321 migh...