A member of the Dutch omegaforum posted a few pictures of his vintage ref.1675 omega GMT-Master from 1960. This GMT-Master has a beautiful aged dial, that omega collectors point out as a gilt tropical dial.The wording on the dial are special as well, since it only says Officially Certified Chronometer instead of the Superlative Chronometer Officially Certified wording. The reference before this one (ref.6542) used to have this wording on the dial as well. Before you think it is an older dial in a newer case, its not, as the diameter of the dial is different. The owner of the watch claims that this particular model was only in production for less than 12 months.Please note the beautiful sleek...
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I remember Omega introducing the Speedmaster X-33 in 1998 with a digital display, it took me a while to start breathing again. Omega labeled this Speedy the Mars watch, ready for the next landmark in space traveling. Sadly, Omega thought it was necessary to introduce a From Moon to Mars Speedmaster Professional as well, the fugliest* Speedmaster in my humble opinion.This is probably one of the Speedmaster models with the shortest production number ever, since the X-33 Mark II was introduced shortly after, because some NASA or professional users of the watch complained about the high polished parts on the watch. The price of an Omega Speedmaster X-33 is increasing rapidly over the last few ye...
Buckle up, folks Youre in for a ride. Somewhat out of the blue, we woke up today to the news that Patek Phillippe had dropped three new complicated chronographs. Patek is well-known for its mastery of the humble chronograph. So, what better way to cement that legacy than with variations of three of its most celebrated chronograph movements? The Manufacture is expanding its vast selection of chronograph watches by unveiling three new variations of the 5204, 5905, and 5930 models.Patek Philippe Reference 5204R-011: Split-seconds chronograph and perpetual calendarFirst up is Reference 5204R-011. The Patek Philippe Reference 5204 has lived in the brands collection since 2016. It comes in two ver...
Oris is introducing a new movement in its third collaboration watch with the Carl Brashear Foundation. Meet the Oris Carl Brashear Cal. 401 limited edition watch of 2,000 pieces.I am pretty sure you will remember the recent introduction of the Oris caliber 400 movement. The 400 is an in-house movement with a power reserve of 5 days. It is anti-magnetic (2,250 gauss) and comes with a warranty of 10 years. My colleague Ben (our in-house Oris guru) wrote an opinionated piece on the Aquis with caliber 400 here. But, today, we are showing you the new Oris Carl Brashear Cal. 401, which is limited to 2,000 pieces in total. It is a bronze variation on the popular Oris Diver Sixty-Five model.Carl Bra...
Welcome to Wrist Game or Crying Shame, the weekly online reality show that lets you decide whether a watch stays on the island or takes the slow boat home. We even allow keimschleuder to vote This week, we focus on a beacon of glowing light during these dark times with the Chronoswiss Timemaster. But firstLast week, I showed you a two tone omega Daytona 116523 with a slate grey dial. And while its not my jelly, it seems to be your jam. The salt and pepper Daytona just barely pulled itself over the chin up bar. As a result, it mustered a 53% Wrist Game victory. What the Chronoswiss Timemaster eschews on gold, it makes up with a glow of another kind. Lets take a look.The Chronoswiss Timemaster...
The following article is by no means meant to discourage you from buying vintage [omega] watches, damage the reputation of certain sellers or to doubt particular watches being for sale at this moment.Recently, a number of omega enthusiasts and collectors started doubting the origin and authenticity of certain vintage omega watches that were listed for sale. If you are not at home in this material, you have to know that collectors of?vintage?omega timepieces love the so called tropical dials [those that faded to a brown color due to over exposure to the sun],patina hour markers and patina hands. Prices of omega watches that have these tropical dials (click here for a bizarre example that my f...
You know you did something right when people start to compare your watch to one with a price tag three times as high.Whether it was justified or not to criticize the Breitling Premier chronograph for being a very expensive Hamilton Intra-Matic Auto Chrono (Michael Stockton mentioned it already in his Breitling Premier B01 review here), the comments do stick with you. I handled both the Hamilton Intra-Matic Chrono and the Breitling Premier B01, and I prefer the looks of the Hamilton. However, lets make it clear that this doesnt mean that the 1995 will buy you the same or better quality and finished watch as the 7500 Breitling. It just might buy you a better-looking watch. But again, the comme...
Its Speedy Tuesday As you probably know and as its name really suggests, the Speedmaster was meant for those who were active in sports or better yet, racing cars. Long before the Speedmaster became the Moonwatch, the tachymeter and chronograph were actually used for timing car racing. Even today the Speedmaster collection has two pillars, one is the Moon program and making sure that new models have enough Moonwatch heritage and the other pillar is racing. Whether it is a dedicated Speedmaster Racing or a Speedmaster Professional that refers to its racing history, there is always a Speedmaster that refers to the original purpose of the collection.One of the dedicated racing models from the pa...
Introduced in 2013 as a Speedmaster Professional Racing, but we soon found out it wasnt a Racing, at all. Omega told us the red and white checkered minute track was a reference to the rocket of Tintins Explorers on the Moon. Here on Fratello, the watch was immediately dubbed Speedmaster Tintin.You all know the story about the Speedmaster Tintin. We covered it in 2013 here and a larger article in 2016 here. We even received a legal letter from Herg s protectors if we could remove it from our website (here). The Omega Speedmaster Tintin 311.30.42.30.01.004 has since then become a very collectible piece. But that wasnt always the case. Only a few people picked up the story at first, mainly Spee...
Autumn is here and that must mean it's time for a Vintage Watch Market Update. In the time since I've started writing these, we've seen a lot of changes on the vintage scene. We've gone from highlighting opportunities on the market to discussing the craze that affects so many of us regarding collecting and how it has rapidly changed pricing. It's been a whirlwind and it's one that shows little signs of abating aside from a few stormclouds on the horizon. Today, though, lets focus on some of the trends I've noticed over the past quarter regarding the types of pieces that people are collecting and the behaviors that are becoming ever more present within social media outlets and forums.Former P...
If you're at all active on Instagram, then you've likely noticed some things going on around the Breitling brand. First, a couple Saturdays ago, there was the LegendaryFuture event where Breitling collectors posted pictures with their favorite chronographs from the brand. Alongside this, Breitling showed hints of an upcoming line on their feed. Then, last week, events in Asia debuted the new Breitling Navitimer 8 series. We'll get a chance in a week's time to see these pieces in Europe when Breitling continues its roadshow combining a museum-like display with the new pieces. For now, though, we'll continue to examine the brand's heritage in our recurring TBT series. Today's episode focuses...
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 youthful omega Air-King is the subject of this macho tug-of-war twixt RJ and Jorg. Enjoy!When omega introduced this Air-King reference 116900 in 2016, it simply confused me. I even wrote that in this article on Fratello later that year. It appeared to me that omega used their 40mm Milgau...
Here at the Fratello offices, we get a lot of questions from you, our readers. Probably the most-asked questions are centered around the topic of what to buy for different budgets. The most popular budget question is what watch to buy for under 5,000 in different watch categories. Thats why we decided to set up a small series of articles focusing on the best watches that you can buy within that budget. In this first installment of the series, we will look at the best GMT watches available for under 5K. Lets find out what some of your potential best travel companions are.With the world opening up again, its time to travel With two years full of quarantining and travel restrictions, its time t...
Ive been into watches since the 1990s and started Fratello in 2004. Ever since Ive seen a lot of different watch bracelets. It always amazed me that only a few watch brands are getting it right with these bracelets. Sometimes, they look gorgeous but wear like crap. And other times, the looks arent very attractive but wear fantastic. It is a very personal and thus subjective matter of course, but let me share with you the best watch bracelets in my book.Top 10 Best Watch Bracelets1. omega PresidentThe King, euh, President, of all bracelets as far as I am concerned. Only available in precious metals like white gold, yellow gold, red (Everose) gold and platinum. It consists of three semi-circul...
Are you tired of walking into empty omega ADs, but youd still like to own something worthwhile from the famous brand? Here are ten discontinued omega watches that you may wish to consider.Theres so much talk about how difficult it is to buy a new steel sports omega. Actually, if my recent trip to South Florida is a guide, its hard to find any omega right now. Seriously, the two large ADs I visited were empty save for a few jewel-encrusted gold models. Thankfully, the used market presents a great opportunity to find discontinued omega watches in great condition. Furthermore, people have been squirreling away omega watches for a long time, often keeping them in great condition.Discontinued ome...
Just before year-end and thus before the 150th anniversary of the Zenith Manufacture, Bert and I visited the impressive and big building in Le Locle (Switzerland) to see with our own eyes what Zenith is about these days.A friend of mine collects (mainly vintage) Zenith El Primero watches and Ive always been very interested in their classics like the Chronomaster (with moon phase) and their El Primero Rainbow Fly-Back from the 1990s. When Zenith was headed by CEO Nataf I lost interest in the brand to be honest and only after his successor Dufour put Zenith back on the horological map for enthusiasts (a.o. with the introduction of the Zenith El Primero Striking 10th) my interest was triggered ...
Last week I showed you my five picks for an Omega Speedmaster watch under 3,000 USD. Someone commented about the Speedmaster57 Replica 3594.50. That Speedmaster watch wasnt in there, and it should have been.I stand corrected. The Omega Speedmaster watch with reference 3594.50 is actually one of my personal favorites in my Speedmaster collection. The fact that it wasnt in there, is that I thought it would be more expensive than $3000USD. But in fact, when looking on Chrono24, I can actually see some offers that are just below this amount. And that, my dear Speedmaster friends, makes it a very interesting purchase. So yes, the Speedmaster57 Replica 3594.50 should be in last weeks list for Spee...
Balazs and Mike are sticking to their word by serenading you with their dulcet tones every two weeks. Our latest podcast touches on the subject of vintage chronographs once again, but with a twist.Thats right, vintage chronographs are in focus yet again, but this time we talk about the pieces on our wish list with some cool anecdotes thrown in for good measure. We dont own these but would love to acquire them if funds allow.Our Fratello on Air podcast is also available via Buzzsprout,?Soundcloud,?Apple Podcast,?Google Podcast,?Deezer,??Stitcher, and?Spotify.Handgelenk KontrolleBefore hitting the main topic on vintage chronographs, we roll through our customary Handgelenk Kontrolle. Mike come...
In 1948, Omega introduced the world to their Seamaster watch. Omegas commercial director of that time, Adolphe Vallat requested a watch that was water resistant with an automatic movement. Omegas designer Ren Bannwart had a sketch on the shelf that was originally intended to be a new Centenary model (the predecessor of the Constellation) that he found to be too bulky to be an elegant dress watch. Adolphe Vallat happened to find it a perfect match for his request.So, there it was, the very first Omega Seamaster. 34mm in diameter, a bumper movement and with these superb looking beefy lugs. These very first Seamaster watches (as pictured below) were available with either center seconds or a sm...
Well, what a massacre the Grand Final turned out to be Perhaps we should have had the Ed White ranked higher when we started the competition. Somehow, despite it clearly being beloved by the Speedy community, it feels like a bit of a dark horse winner. But Im all for dark horses the darker the better And this dark-dialed beauty finally put the dog to the sword, slaying the Snoopy most of us thought would winBut what did we?want to happen? Who did we?want to win? As the rounds progressed, we all threw our allegiance behind different survivors. Some of us championed the Alaska over the Tintin in that memorable back-and-forth quarter-final. A plucky one or two hopped on the seriously under-popu...