Baume Mercier is adding some new interesting Baumatic powered watches to their Clifton collection, and we will cover them all. However, wed like to start with the boldest of them first (although theres also a red gold three-hander): the red gold?Baume Mercier Clifton Baumatic Perpetual Calendar. It is one of the most interesting complications to us, besides a chronograph (we dont care much about tourbillons, to be honest, Baume Mercier actually did one in 2014 for their Clifton collection).Clifton Baumatic Perpetual CalendarWe dont have to explain what a perpetual calendar is to you I am sure, but for those who are new to the world of mechanical watches; it is a complication that will kee...
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Admittedly, I am a fan of the omega Day-Date. I love the 36mm version best, but the Day-Date 40 surely ticks some boxes as well. Especially now that it will be available (or will it?) with a green lacquered dial.Mike already touched upon the new platinum Day-Date (with fluted bezel) in this article. But theres more.Walking by the omega booth here at Watches Wonders in Geneva, my attention was drawn to the new GMT-Master II Lefty, the new Yacht-Masters (I thought the Falcon Eye was a faulty watch, to be honest; thats the reason why I didnt take a picture), but especially towards this omega Day-Date 40 in yellow gold with the green lacquered dial.omega Day-Date 40 ref. 228238The green dial is...
I can't deny it Chronoswiss is a very polarizing brand and I haven't been a big fan. Do you think I am being unfair by putting them in the folder marked Retro Overkill? Like Graham, Speake-Marin, and those clunky ZRC crown-at-6 divers, large-cased retro maximalism is not my game.?I know Chronoswiss has a penchant for large case sizes. So I'll do myself and the slim-wristed readers a favor by not checking the diameter until later. The Open Gear ReSec series is a baffling collection. There is everything from blacked-out stealth to eyewatering, PVD blue overload, so if you enjoy colors like me, you'll like the rainbow of choices. Seeing the traditional R gulateur design being remixed is refresh...
Lets say youve always fancied a tourbillon watch but never had the hefty funds required to own one. In todays market there are several affordable watches that feauture a tourbillon. Although affordable is a personal thing of course but with an average price tag of around 100K for a tourbillon, buying one for roughly 15K classifies it as affordable instantly. Lets have a look at the TAG Heuer Carrera Heuer 02T Tourbillon chronograph.Being part of the Carrera manufacture line, the Heuer 02T tourbillon has the same case design as the Heuer 01 line. Both are fitted with their own calibre movements that evolved from their first in-house movement.Modular case designThe TAG Heuer Carrera Heuer 02T ...
Grand Seiko has become synonymous with its incredibly textured dials but theres more to the brand than that, of course. Meet the Grand Seiko SBGY007 from the Elegance Collection: a Spring Drive powered dress watch whose dial pays tribute to the frozen waters of Lake Suwa. During most winters, a long ridge appears in the ice from one side of the lake to the other. Legend has it that this is the Omiwatari', or where the Gods themselves walk over the ice. When Grand Seiko puts it like that, then you know it must be good. And based on what weve seen so far, it is.The dress watch stylings of this Grand Seiko Elegance Collection SBGY007 are unmistakable. The case dimensions also reflect its more r...
It's finally here!? As the first model in what we hope will be a multi-pronged approach, we have official news of the Gold Omega Speedmaster Apollo 11 50th Anniversary Limited Edition.It's no secret that Omega releases a high number of variants based upon its legendary Omega Speedmaster Professional Moonwatch each year.? For Speedmaster fans, and we are most certainly loyal members of that group, the last several years have been fantastic.? The '57 reissue, the Speedy Tuesdays, the Apollo XIII Silver Snoopy are just some of the memorable pieces we've had the pleasure of seeing and enjoying.? But and this is a big but if you're a space fan, a history buff, or one who likes recalling one o...
Since Maurice Lacroix introduced their Masterpiece series (around 1990), they are able to compete with brands like Chronoswiss, Omega, Ebel and probably some more established brands. Maurice Lacroix is a relatively new player (1975) and in 2006 they introduced their manufacture chronograph movement. Maurice Lacroix produces 150.000 watches per year, of which 40.000 watches have a mechanical movement.How come that Maurice Lacroix gets so little attention from serious watch collectors and afficinados? Their price setting is really competitive and I have yet to see some complaints about the quality of these watches. One of the few things I can think of, is that Maurice Lacroix ruins their credi...
When Anthony de Haas (Director of Product Development at A. Lange Sohne) started his job in Glashutte in 2004, he was welcomed by Walter Lange. Walter Lange explained to him that he would like to see a watch with stop seconds, like his ancestors did for their A. Lange Sohne pocket watches. Last year, in January 2017, Walter Lange passed away and Anthony de Haas thought of his wishes for a timepiece.The 1815 Homage to Walter Lange is exactly what he would have liked, ensured to us by Anthony de Haas. Walter Lange actually insisted on having a watch like this for a long time. Now, at the SIHH 2018, Lange presented us this watch with stop seconds in a 1815 case with a manual movement. There w...
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 we ask you to choose your flavor: Pepsi or root beer?Last weeks double-header was brutal. I need a nice sit down a long, cold soda. But which beverage would I choose? Dont worry. Well get to that. But before we do, lets address the results of our Lange extravaganzaPerhaps unsurprisingly, the ...
Welcome back to Wrist Game or Crying Shame, the weekly all systems go or all systems NO serial. This time around, we go digital with the Omega Speedmaster X-33. But firstLast week, I brought the metal with a first generation Panerai Luminor Submersible. And while our comments section showed stark divide, the big clunker took home a more than respectable 55% Wrist Game win. With todays Omega Speedmaster X-33, well also look at a first generation model. This happens to be a timely one as well as well soon see.The Astronauts choiceThis past Saturday night, my wife and I joined a friend at a restaurant thats allowed here in Germany and we streamed the SpaceX launch. It was absolutely fantastic...
It is never too late to give yourself a nice present. If you order a vintage watch today, you know, you can pay FedEx to arrange for a little miracle and have it delivered to your doorstep (or shall I say under your Christmas tree) the next few days.So, if you haven't spent all of the savings on the ones you love the most, here is the December selection with watches from my never-ending vintage watches wishlist.Heuer Autavia 73363 Orange Boy StyleAfter the hype on vintage Heuers in the last few years, it is relatively quiet these days. Which is not bad. You have time to think twice and not to make impulsive purchases driven by fear of loss. I thought it might be the right time to talk about ...
Hamilton is going to shake things up again with their new release, the PSR. A timepiece that, back in the 70s, brought the space-age era to the dusty watchmaking tables of traditional Swiss watch ateliers is making a comeback. It was the hottest thing on the market back then. And I have to say the new one is not too bad either.The original Pulsar came out in 1970, exactly 50 years ago. To celebrate this anniversary, Hamilton releases the PSR, a remarkable reinterpretation of the iconic 70s quartz wonder. On the outside, the watch shows a striking resemblance to the vintage model. Inside, however, you find a quartz movement that has been reworked to meet 21st-century expectations.Hamilton PSR...
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. You asked for it. We (finally) delivered. Perhaps the most hyped punch-up since the Rumble in the Jungle. This week the two RJs go head-to-head. Their champions? The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak and the Patek Philippe Nautilus.In our efforts to bring something new to the party every week, we cant help but...
Yesterday, I had a phone call with a watch dealer that I know for quite some time. It was quite a while since our last conversation, so we had a lot to talk about. He told me that he bought this IWC Big Pilot Perpetual Calendar, in stainless steel. I didnt know about this version, only about the platinum version (click here to read about the platinum version).It seems that IWC made them as a Bucherer special edition. Bucherer was founded in 1888 by Carl-Friedrich Bucherer, who opened his first watch and jewelry store in Lucerne, Switzerland. Nowadays, there are 18 shops in Switzerland, Germany and Austria. I was in their store in Lucerne a few years back, they have a pretty impressive collec...
Omega Speedmaster Professional MIROne of Fratellos regular readers submitted his Omega Speedmaster Professional MIR edition for our Speedy Tuesday Only 28 pieces have been made in stainless steel and 7 in gold. This limited edition Speedmaster Professional commemorates the second American-Russian space link-up (the first was the Apollo-Soyuz, which also had its special Speedies to commemorate).The stainless steel version comes with two references, one for the 18 examples with a steel bracelet (ST 345.0022.105) and one for the 10 examples with a leather strap (ST 145.0022.105). The steel version has the Lemania based handwound caliber 861 movement and the gold version has the luxury finished ...
Andrew Babanin wrote a great essay on the omega caliber 3135 at TimeZone. He starts his review with the following short, simple but yet so caracteristic introduction, omega is a manufacture with old traditions and one hundred years of history. omega is always considered a luxury watch, giving assurance to its owner.I would like to review a quite common model omega Submariner (Ref. 16610). The case and the bracelet are made of stainless steel. It is a COSC certified automatic chronometer with central seconds and date indicator. Theres a special Triplock screwed down crown with increased water protection. And what follows is everything beyond short and simple.. a superb review on the caliber 3...
It's been a few weeks since some of the Fratello team packed our bags and headed to Switzerland for Geneva Watch Days 2021. That may technically now be old news, but some of the fantastic things we saw were top secret and under embargo, so we've been unable to share them with you. Well, today, I can share one of those fantastical things now that it's made its way into the open. That is the new production version of the Vacheron Constantin Overseas Dual-Time Everest.Back in 2019, Vacheron Constantin held an event in New York to celebrate the recent attempt of noted pro-photographer, explorer, and VC ambassador Cory Richards to ascend Mount Everest along the Tibetan North-East Ridge. Amazingly...
In this video, I talk about one of my favorite wearers of the last two years. The Omega Seamaster PloProf 1200M, reference 224.30.55.21.01.001.I never thought I would say this, but the Seamaster PloProf 1200M could despite the dimensions of 48mm x 55mm x 17.5mm and weighing nearly 280 grams be my daily wearer. Yes, it is heavy and yes, it is a chunk of steel, but on the wrist, it wears relatively compact. In the video we made I explain to you all the details about the stainless steel Seamaster PloProf 1200M and talk about some of the PloProf history as well.Now discontinued, but it should still be possible to source one of these watches from an authorized dealer or boutique. This Seamaster P...
On Thursday March 8th, Dutch auction house De Ruiter will offer an interesting omega GMT-Master reference 1675, once belonged to Sgt. D.W. Scheele.David Willem Scheele was a Dutch-born, Australian sergeant who served several missions in the Vietnam war. Sergeant Scheele enlisted in the Australian Regular Army in 1964. He joined the Australian Army Training Team in Vietnam in March 1969 and was attached to the 2nd Mobile Strike Force, 5th Special Forces Group.Sgt D.W. Scheeles omega GMT-MasterSgt D.W. Scheeles GMT-Master...
Today we're reporting on a partnership between Hamilton and Schott NYC. About a month ago, I visited Hamilton's HQ in Biel, Switzerland. They gave me a quick run-down on what was still to come for the brand this year. I saw some exciting watches, including this Khaki Pilot Schott NYC.The watch is the result of a partnership between Hamilton and Schott NYC. A limited piece that pays tribute to the heritage of both brands and what bonds them together; the United States Armed Forces. To celebrate their shared history, they released a timepiece today. Both Hamilton and Schott were companies that supplied gear to the Armed Forces, namely watches and jackets, as well as other garments. Furthermore...