Even before I traveled deep into the lands of horology, spotting fake omega watches by their ticking sound and jerky jumping seconds hand was one of life's Universal Truths. This is so ingrained that holding a omega up to your ear seemed the default quality check when checking the thrift store shelf for epic finds. Unfortunately for the lesser-learned bargain hunters out there, the complexity of modern-day fakery has moved up a notch. This means unknown dangers for the bargain hunters, all the way up to million-dollar Paul Newman Daytonas. The busting of this myth also takes a lateral turn, as we look at the excellent value of the cool quartz references produced by omega. Yes, they are real,...
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In the land of the rising sun, the love runs strong, and the heart ticks away the moments worth remembering. These Japanese watches are prime eligible bachelor(-ette?)s looking for their ideal wearer to pick them up and while away the hours in sweet adoration. Today, its the elegant Grand Seiko SLGA007, the jazzy Kurono Tokyo Chronograph 2, and the shamefully easy Casio MQ24-7B2. Theyre all fun, in their own way. Its just up to you to which watch youll say, ˤ ϡ Ĵ줭 Ǥ (Konnichiwa, daisuki desu Hello, I love you).We here at Fratello have been showing Japanese watches a lot of love lately, to which I say, Kanpai From a flurry of articles about different elements in the G-Shock line, to Jorgs ...
Under the haze of dusk, Oris snuck in a Divers Sixty-Five in October. No fanfare or press release that usually accompanies a new configuration. Instead, just a quiet assurance that this watch was available by listing it on the website. But don't think this smooth criminal will get away with its stealthy strike. The sunset gradient brown dial has rekindled my interest in the Sixty-Five range, and I'm here to tell you why.Before I backtrack, let me jump straight to the action. New for 2020 is the 40mm Divers Sixty-Five with what Oris calls the Brown dial. For me, this sells it short as the gradient from the black aluminum bezel to the golden center takes you on a journey of color. It reminds m...
Purists take cover. The Bvlgari Octo Finissimo Automatic in polished ceramic cares not for your feelings. It is here to be heard, so theres no point ignoring what it has to say.External ceramic components used to raise eyebrows. These days, any brand?not exploring the possibilities of this fascinating material could be accused of sticking its head in the sand. Sure, it is highly unlikely that ceramic, however versatile and beautiful it is, will ever take the place of steel (or even titanium) as the ideal watch case material, but it certainly has a lot going for it in both the aesthetic and technical fields.A storm is comingThe Bvlgari Octo Finissimo Automatic is one of the greatest watches r...
Not too long ago on this blog I put forth a healthy dose of skepticism (Feb 26:???? New Detail Emerges on the Concord C1 QuantumGravity) as to the potential of the unconventional and nonconforming Concord C1 QuantumGravity watch.???? I further questioned the QuantumGravitys ability to live up to expectations that were being set by an effusive and over-the-top marketing campaign in the lead up to Baselworld 2009.Now after seeing some live photos and now live video of this watch, I confess that I am even more intrigued by it, but in a good way.???? The Concord C1 QuantumGravity is growing on me!???? What can I say it seems that my dismay was not with the watch itself but its verbose and unecc...
The Grand Seiko Snowflake is a huge success, and it seems to be the collectors darling for a while now. But theres a new hero since this year, the Grand Seiko SBGA407 Skyflake.Of course, Skyflake is not the official name for this Grand Seiko, but enthusiasts used their creativity to come up with something in line with the original Snowflake. When I was in the market for a Grand Seiko watch, I decided against the Snowflake, for two reasons: the use of titanium and the case shape. I wrote about this struggle in this lengthy article. Instead, I went with the stainless steel Grand Seiko GMT Mt. Iwate with 44GS inspired case and hi-beat movement. Up to this day, I dont regret my decision. But I a...
Compiling a list of the best modern luxury sports watches is like walking into a death trap. Can you actually come out alive? This is one of those lists that pretty much every watch enthusiast has an opinion on. But we like a good challenge here at Fratello. So I put on my armor and walked straight in. The mission? To come out on the other side, having found my Top-5 of modern luxury sports watches. A Top-5 that is irrefutably inspired by G rald Gentas design legacy. But instead by the spirit of his designs rather than a variation on his designs. So without further ado, lets get out the swords and daggers!Modern luxury sports watches are as relevant as ever. And by that I mean, alternatives ...
John Holbrook mailed me that he had written some articles that might interest us (poster and readers of Fratello -)). The first one is an article about watch polishing with the help of this magical stuff from Cape Cod.You can find the review hereJohn also writes for watch magazines in the US. He did a review of a nice Panerai for InSync here (it is a PDF!). And for Chronos, you can find a complete Holbrook report if you click right here. The Holbrook report contains a lot of different watches. Different brands and styles, certainly worth checking out!Have fun!...
We've seen more gold Speedmasters in recent years than ever before. The recent introductions of the Speedmaster Apollo 11 Moonshine, Apollo 17 in yellow gold, and the new Moonwatch models in white gold and Sedna gold, for example, have brought a lot of color to the SpeedyTuesday news feed on Instagram. But what about a platinum Speedmaster?This precious material has been used for the Speedmaster since 1994, but only in very small quantities. How come? It is not so much the fact that processing this rather gummy material is challenging, and therefore expensive, but because the demand is just low. Many of you prefer white gold over platinum (for a considerably friendlier price), with almost t...
Or should I say, Paneristi-case? Jerrel showed us his Panerai collection at P-Day 3 in Frankfurt. Not only his watches were incredible, but the way he presented them to fellow Panerai collectors was incredible as well. He made this case by himself, complete with Panerai crown-guard system lock and a nice (working) Panerai clock on top of the case. Also pay attention to the buckles on this case, Pre-Vendome stiloPicture was made by someone on the Paneristi forum, I think it was Yogi, I am not sure though....
Maurice Lacroix Pontos S Diver PT6248I rarely write about Maurice Lacroix watches on Fratellowatches and I actually don't know why. Back in 2008, I asked What to think of Maurice Lacroix? and it received quite a few interesting responses.Anyway, just recently I've become quite intrigued by their Pontos collection. Although I have a weak spot for some of their complicated watches for a long time (especially their Masterpiece Collection, the Moonphase model) I started to like their Pontos collection.Polished Facet On The LugsI am a sucker for chronograph watches, and the Pontos collection has a number of very cool watches with this type of complication. However, some days ago I received their ...
Pitching this series of stories to our Managing Editor came naturally to me, as I am contrarian by nature. I'm not saying that I feel in any way better or more worthy than rappers or rock stars. And I dont know if I am correct or just old, but surely, social media shouldn't dictate our taste in watches, right? This is probably a dumb rather than rhetorical question, as some influencers are rich for a reason. Consider this series, The Unusual Suspects, my attempt to shed some light on some unsung heroes hidden in plain sight. And the Patek Philippe Calatrava Pilot Travel Time ref. 7234G-001 is a perfect example of what youll find once you look outside of Instagram.In my role as a watch journa...
Welcome back to Wrist Game or Crying Shame, where you get to act like Caesar in Gladiator and choose the fate of an embattled subject. Today, we will look at the Omega Speedmaster 60th Anniversary edition. But first?-If we take last week's results as a guide, you are all ice cold I say that because the omega Explorer II 16570 Polar cruised to a 72% Wrist Game win. It seems that a price encroaching on $10,000 isn't too rich for your blood. Today, let's see if you're willing to vote in favor of something more limited in nature but currently less popular. Enter the Omega Speedmaster 60th Anniversary edition.Another Limited Edition SpeedmasterI know, I know?-. Limited edition Speedmasters must b...
So, this should be easy as I'm on home turf (home snow?) so to speak, even if my bio reveals my embarrassing secret. Yes, I am the only Norwegian who doesn't ski, neither cross country nor slalom. And no, I dont even own a snowboard. The closest I get to winter sports is sledding with the kids, which is actually quite a dangerous pursuit.?So what better than some ARCTICWHITE gear to camouflage me from the laughter of my mates as I sneak off to the city? While they're drunk at the Apr s Ski, I've snuck off to a coffee shop. You'll find me enjoying a strong macchiato with my writer's laptop, so sue me. However, I do enjoy the crisp polar white of a sports watch dial. Maybe even matched with ...
If you are in London between the 3rd of July and the 2nd of October, make sure to pay 170 New Bond Street in London a visit. Haute Horlogerie boutique Marcus is celebrating three important things, his late fathers arrival in England in 1932, his 70th birthday and the 10th anniversary of his magnificent shop in London.On the picture above, you see owner Marcus Margulies wearing his AP RO, as also featured in the book about 40 years of Royal Oak.The Marcus watch store in London only hosts very interesting and often unique timepieces, including those of Alain Silberstein, Audemars Piguet (they always have +150 models in store), Greubel Forsey, Ikepod, MCT, Richard Mille and Urwerk to name a few...
Good day, everyone. Mike is in the saddle today and here with your pre-owned highlights. With me at the helm, there's a strong chance of vintage in the forecast and likely occurrence of gold drizzle. Shall we begin?Photo courtesy of Chrono24 and Oliver ClarkePre-Owned Highlights: omega Datejust 1600 Ghost DialOur first pre-owned pick comes to us courtesy of Chrono24 and the Los Angeles-based sellers Oliver Clarke. What we have here is a omega Datejust 1600. If you were guessing that a 36mm Datejust would find its way into this article because of my recent obsession, you scored However, this isn't just any old Datejust. This is a smooth-bezel model in steel and gold. More than that, though,...
One of our readers contributes a tribute to the late (and legendary) Chuck Maddox. Some of the Speedmaster enthusiasts that have been around a bit longer already, have probably encountered Chuck Maddox on one of the forums or via his own website. In 2004, RJ published a multi-part interview with Chuck Maddox here on Fratello Watches. Later on, it has been republished in one complete article for your convenience. While it is already 14 years old, some of the topics discussed are still valid. You can find the complete interview with Chuck Maddox here. If you are not familiar with Chuck Maddox, who sadly passed away in 2008, he was one of the first Speedmaster (and chronographs in general) coll...
Like most Dutch people, I'm looking forward to the speed skating events of the 2022 Winter Olympic Games. And especially short-track speed skating on the small rink, because that's where we, most likely, can harvest a bunch of gold medals. In other countries, curling is the main event, or (ice) hockey, or biathlon, or downhill skiing. To be honest, I also enjoy sports I normally wouldn't watch because the Olympic setting adds significance to every event. And that's why we go hands-on, downhill, and round and around with the Omega Seamaster Aqua Terra Beijing 2022 watch a special edition, not a limited edition.It was in the Fall of 2021 that Omega presented the Seamaster Aqua Terra Beijing 2...
There are times in a person's life when they depart the mundane. The stars align, the background noise of the day-to-day falls away, and one is left standing, full of life, defiant, in tune with oneself and the cosmos. These moments are when the poetry of existence reveals itself, and time and our place in it are not exempt. For such occasions, there is one watch I'd have on my wrist above any other, testament to myself and others that I am truly alive and full of wonder for the universe and my experience: the Bvlgari Serpenti Tubogas.I am a man, as much as I am anything. The Bvlgari Serpenti Tubogas, (ref. 102680 as my personal choice) is very much marketed to women. One might say it is a w...
The creations that come out of the design department of Davide Cerrato (Managing Director of Montblanc Watches) are spread out on a very wide scale. Some are affordable and modest. Others are complicated both in terms of watchmaking. All I'm saying is, that we should not jump to a conclusion when judging Montblanc and categorize them in one way or the other. Having said that, today we will have a closer look at the simplest SIHH 2019 release, the Montblanc 1858 Automatic Limited Edition. Simple in terms of complications, nothing else.1858 CollectionBefore we talk about the watch itself let's first position the 1858?pieces, into the Montblanc collection. Basically, the brand has two main desi...