Please be aware that the headline does not refer to The Art of Speculation, a 1931 book by Philip Carret (1896C1998), a man considered a Wall Street legend and a leading thinker in basic value investing. Rather, Im speculating what Vacheron Constantin has in store for us this year. As youre probably well aware, this year, Genevan watchmaker Vacheron Constantin celebrates its 270th birthday. The celebrations started with a steel version of the Historiques 222, a sporty successor to the yellow gold version that debuted in 2022. That watch was a big deal for the brand and enthusiasts alike. Launching a steel version of the 222 three months ahead of Watches and Wonders, arguably the best venue t...
The Submariner is one of my all-time favorite watches, and I am not alone. It is so widely loved that we almost dont see it for what it is anymore. The Subs ubiquity makes it feel like an obvious, unimaginative choice. This, however, does gross injustice to its status as a benchmark and example for so many dive watches. A new or pre-owned Submariner is still one of the best everyday watches you can buy.So today, I would like to take you shopping for a pre-owned example. Well look at a few neo-vintage and recent no-date Subs and cover some reasons for picking one over the other. One little disclaimer: when shopping for one, you want to do your homework on the minutiae of original and perio...
It has been a while since we covered Panerai s Luminor Due collection. Mike wrote an article in 2019 when the brand went from the OPXXXIV to the new P.900 movement. He was a fan of the simpler Luminor Due models, mainly because of their dial design, the crown system, and the case shape. We thought the recent introduction of the Panerai PAM01539 with a bold burgundy dial was a good opportunity to refresh your minds on the brand s lighter and slimmer Luminor Due collection. In addition, it comes on a new stainless steel bracelet.At the time of Mike s article, the Luminor Due still had a 30m water resistance rating. Today s watches have a 50m rating, which makes these slightly more formal and e...
You blink once, and it is Sunday again! Fear not - we have another big horological battle prepared to help you softly transition into action this morning. This week, we pit the Vacheron Constantin Historiques 222 against the iconic Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Jumbo 16202. It is the watch worlds latest darling reissue versus the daddy of the genre.Today, Jorg defends the 222s honors, taking on Thomas with the 16202. Before they get into it, though, lets have a quick look at last weeks results.Last weeks resultsJorg enters the arena gleaming with confidence after he managed to beat Mike last week. The gentlemen dug deep, but Jorg came out victorious with 52% of the votes for his Submariner ref....
Thomas recently published his love story on the A. Lange & S?hne 1815 Chronograph. I also made a quick video about it since it was in our Fratello office for a few days. Seeing beautiful images of a watch is one thing, but seeing the hands in motion and the wheels and gears turning is something else. In this video, I am looking at and talking about the white gold A. Lange & S?hne 1815 Chronograph ref. 414.028.A. Lange & S?hne 1815 ChronographI love A. Lange & S?hne watches, and visiting the brand s manufacture on several occasions only fueled my appreciation for these pieces. The 1815 Chronograph ref. 414.028 is made of 18K white gold and has a beautiful black dial. Additiona...
Ceramic is a material that has been used in watches for decades. It comes with some significant advantages over more traditional stainless steel. However, there are also a couple of issues to consider.Recently, I spent a significant amount of time with the IWC Pilot s Watch Automatic RAAF (ref. IW3281-02). This is a modern interpretation of the IWC Mark 11 that was provided to members of the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) after World War II.Long-term exposure to a new (for me) watch material?The IWC RAAF features the same baton hour hand and font for the Arabic numerals as the original from the 1950s. But it is there where the similarities end. Inside is a modern ValFleurier caliber that ...
All watch enthusiasts have certain itches they need to scratch. I m sure you know what I mean when you read an article with collection in its title. Whether we collect a brand, a complication, or whatever we like, there s always a model topping the wishlist, making us say, Well, I d like to own one of those someday. For me, that has always been a vintage Submariner. Last year, the itch was scratched when I finally put my hands on this beautiful Submariner 5513.I usually don t spend five figures on a watch - not even close. This was the single most expensive watch I ve ever bought. I was reaching a milestone, though, so I thought, If not now, when?An aspirational purchase?The most common rea...
If a dog is a mans best friend, can a watch be his second-best friend? What boxes would this watch need to tick? Well, lets not idolize material goods quite to that degree. But still, having a watch that can confidently accompany you through everything life throws your way can certainly create a deep appreciation and strong connection with it.This video is blocked because you did not accept marketing cookies. Change cookie settings We have been looking for a watch that can accompany the owner during daily activities, whether at home, at the office, or while out walking your best friend. But this watch should also be suitable for a ski trip or riding your mountain bike through the mud. I...
Another Friday, another list! This week, we look at the brilliant and rich history of Omega Seamaster dive watches. The lineage started in 1957 with the introduction of the first Seamaster 300, which was part of Omega s famous trilogy along with the first Speedmaster and Railmaster models. After that, the brand released many iconic dive watches that have become fan favorites. For this list, we picked our top five that show the great history of Omega s dedicated series of Seamaster dive watches. Let s find out what they are!Before we get into our list, though, let s define what we mean by vintage Seamaster dive watches. As I explained in the intro, it all started in 1957, so we ll kindly disr...
It s no secret that I adore the classic Zenith El Primero A384 and all of its vintage and modern descendants. One of the most famous is the brilliant El Primero A3818 Cover Girl that graced the cover of Manfred R?ssler s popular Zenith book from 2009. The vintage blue-dial A3818 is an absolute beauty and has become a much-desired classic. In 2020, Zenith and Revolution brought back the Cover Girl in steel to much critical acclaim. Two years later, the collaborators joined forces again to release a titanium version of the A3818. Now, three years after that release, the final chapter of the Cover Girl trilogy is here with the Zenith Revolution Chronomaster Revival A3818 Cover Girl Carbon.Whe...
The Explorer is one of those classics that will never go out of style. Unfortunately, it is also a rather costly watch that certainly does not fit every enthusiasts budget. Today, I want to take a look at some recent affordable alternatives to the Explorer. How do you scratch that itch without scratching that itch, if you catch my drift?I will limit myself to watches from the past 12 months as there are plenty of articles out there on older alternatives. Furthermore, I will omit straight homage watches. After all, any affordable alternative needs its unique take on the theme or it will not satisfy your hunger in the long run. With those rules set, lets dive in!What are we looking for, real...
Over the past few years, I ve had the opportunity to sample most of the straps in the Artem catalog, and its always good stuff coming from the guys Down Under. The Adelaide, Australia-based brand makes luxury rubber straps with a sailcloth finish in various colors. Alongside traditional straps is the brands signature Loop-less?? design without keepers, providing a tidy appearance. Today, Artem announces a new line of straps, the Loop-less?? HydroFlex??. Spoiler alert - these might be the most comfortable yet!As someone who dabbles mostly in vintage, I don t necessarily keep track of the luxury strap market. Vintage watches usually live out their peaceful retirement on leather straps or brace...
Heres one from out of the blue! With all our expectations for 2025, we did not foresee a Baltic Hermetique motocross edition, but here we are. More specifically, the Baltic Hermetique Dual Time Enduropale Edition celebrates a new collaboration between the young Parisian brand and a legendary annual enduro event.If you move quickly, you can score one of the 200 numbered launch editions with a specially engraved case back. Baltic always rewards its early adopters with such a launch version, which is nice. Still, the regular production model isnt any less interesting. Lets have a closer look!Enduropale du Touquet-Pas-de-CalaisBefore we look at the watch, lets quickly explore the Enduropale even...
Last week, we published an article about how much fun it can be to buy a watch from a microbrand. We gave you a list of seven reasons, and many of you agreed. Unfortunately, though, things are rarely only fun and positive. There are, of course, also some drawbacks to buying yourself a microbrand watch. So, to restore the balance a bit, today, we ll go into the potential downsides of putting your money into a watch from a microbrand. The main argument here is that a microbrand isn t a well-known, established brand yet, and that certainly has its downsides.But first things first - the word microbrand can be a bit confusing. As I did for last week s article, Id like to use?Thomass simplified de...
The Seiko Tuna is sacred ground to geeks and a rathole to others. This article, however, is for everyone. The hope is to provide insight into the history of all monocoque Seiko Tuna models, starting with the 1975 reference 6159-7010 and finishing with the SBDX038 and SBBN047 of today.You ve probably all heard of the Seiko Tuna professional diving watches. And you might also know that this wasn t the name Seiko gave the watch at its birth. Because of the cylindrical shape of the lugless watch case, its form resembled a tuna can. Some say the Tuna nickname came up years ago on one of the internet watch forums. I guess it s clear that it has little to do with the fish species but more with the ...
Welcome back to?Fratello Talks. It s time for some tough love! Today, Nacho, Lex, and Daan are talking about a handful of watch brands with untapped potential. These are big names in the watch world that they deeply respect and admire but feel are not currently delivering to the full extent of their capability. This can relate to a brand s history and legacy, its technical expertise, or even aspects of watchmaking on which a brand has fallen behind. Some of it may sound harsh, but it s all well-intentioned feedback. These are brands that they are rooting for to do better and that they know, with some finesse and adjustment, could be genuinely excellent. Before we get into it, though, it s ti...
It feels like we re still recovering from the 2024 Olympic Summer Games in Paris. But Omega, the official timekeeper of the Olympics since 1932, is already gearing up for the 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Cortina d Ampezzo. The opening ceremony takes place one year from now, on the 6th of February 2026, at San Siro in Milan. In reality, the Games will take place in various cities all over northern Italy, but Cortina d Ampezzo is the headliner. Marking the occasion, Omega took a staple from the past and turned it into a special edition for next year s Winter Olympics. Take a look at the new Moonshine Gold Omega Seamaster 37mm Milano Cortina 2026.Image: Watches of LancashireThis is certainly no...
In 2019, Hamilton launched a limited-edition Chrono-Matic 50 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the legendary Calibre 11. Along with Breitling, Heuer, Dubois-Depraz, and Buren, Hamilton was one of the original partners in the development of the automatic Calibre 11 that debuted in 1969. The 2019 version of the Chrono-Matic 50 had a black dial, white sub-counters, and red accents based upon the highly collectible vintage Chronograph E from 1972. The new Chrono-Matic 50 has the same bold 48mm helmet-style case, but this time, the dial is blue, and the accents are orange. It s also a limited edition of just 150 pieces.It s not completely clear why this new version of the Hamilton Chrono-Matic...
One of last year s biggest surprises was the reintroduction of the Credor Locomotive. The original watch from the 1970s was one of Gerald Genta s lesser-known creations. As soon as you see it, though, you immediately recognize Genta s characteristic design signature. Having said that, it s a divisive design because of its quirky presence. I also had my initial reservations, but a hands-on experience completely changed my opinion. The limited-edition reissue of the Locomotive ended up on my list of last year s best releases after that. Now Credor presents a follow-up that features a new dial and is a regular production model. It s time to find out more!Initially, I wasn t too excited when las...
Watch models and variations come and go. Most go under the radar, slipping into oblivion without anyone paying them much mind. Others walk off stage to great fanfare. The Patek Philippe Nautilus 5712/1A sits somewhere in the middle. Patek Philippe did not officially announce it or share anything regarding the discontinuation. Still, we feel it is a significant one that we would like to briefly cover here at Fratello.Fratellos Lex discovered that the 5712/1A was missing from the website quite some time ago. We finally opted to cover it here, if not as big news, then perhaps as a small ode to the odd Nautilus.Image: The Watch ClubPatek Philippe Nautilus 5712/1A HistoryAlthough Patek Philippe d...
