I know, I know. You were expecting RJ to bring you an article for this week s Speedy Tuesday, but you are going to have to deal with me, the photographer. Remember me? I introduced you to my Explorer ref. 124270 in my first-ever article about my GADA watch, which you can read here if you haven t already. But don t worry; I will tell you the story of how I met your mothe-… Wait, no, that s not it. I will tell you the story of how I got into watches, and it is going to be legen…wait for it…dary! Legendary!In September 2023, I was part of the team that went to Japan for the Speedy Tuesday event that took place at the Nicolas G. Hayek Center in Ginza, Tokyo. If I could ve told...

Miyota is one of the biggest players in the modern watch movement market. The subsidiary of Citizen is a favorite among microbrands and larger brands alike. With the 9000 series and new customization options, Miyota broadened its scope to higher-end watches. We felt it was about time, then, that we have a closer look at this Japanese movement maker.If you have recently purchased a watch from Baltic, Nodus, or RZE, chances are you are already wearing a Miyota caliber. And we have a feeling that the list of client watch brands will only get longer very soon.Miyota 90S5 caliberHistory of MiyotaMiyota got its name from the town of Miyota in Nagano, central Japan. Citizen built a movement factory...

Frederique Constant is a brand with many faces. These days, the sporty Highlife line plays an important role in the brand s catalog. However, in the beginning, Frederique Constant made a name for itself with a classically inspired collection. That s why it makes total sense that Frederique Constant chose a classic silhouette to celebrate its 35th anniversary. And this is not just any watch. The new Frederique Constant Classic Tourbillon Meteorite Manufacture has a platinum case, a meteorite dial, and a completely hand-finished Manufacture FC-980 tourbillon movement. Talk about a celebration in style!I like what Frederique Constant has achieved as a brand. With a diverse collection, FC has pl...

You d think it wouldn t be too challenging to pick watches under $5K. There are so many fabulous timepieces on the market, and $5,000 is plenty of money to get a model from so many brands. This is all true. On the other hand, if you have five grand to spend on a watch, you probably won t want to pick something for 12 hundred. Instead, you ll want to aim for something that maximizes the budget. In that case, it gets more complicated. You still have many options, but there are far fewer brands to choose from. It also happens that I m among the last editors to give you the list of what I think are the best watches under $5,000. That means many brands have already been covered. Nevertheless, her...

When I was in the market for my first , I was looking to spend around $5,000. At that time (about three years ago) that was enough money to buy an all-time classic model. You could easily get an Oyster Perpetual, Datejust, or Explorer for that money. The secondhand watch market has been stabilizing a bit over the past year, but still, I had to stretch the budget to $7,000 to get to those same references now. However, it s nice to see that you can still get a very nice for well under $10K.That s especially comforting after having read Jorg s article on the top five watches that you can currently buy under retail. The two-tone Explorer was the most affordable one on there, and if you have t...

We took these photos the day after the Greenland Grand Prix, where Fratello Racing C Daelmans Dutch Stroopwafels Team took home some well-deserved points in the fight for the championship. Monday-morning testing is always tough, just like the first day of a workweek in a regular office, I presume. But it was also nice that we could test two Tudor Pelagos FXD Alinghi Red Bull Racing Edition watches while we put the car through its paces. It made us think of Tudor sponsoring a Formula 1 team. sponsors the whole F1 circus already, so why wouldnt Tudor be interested in backing a participating team? How about the Red Bull Team, for instance, since Tudor and the energy drink company already work ...

You know the feeling, right? You finally get your hands on that dream watch after months of research and online prowling. It is now sitting proudly on your wrist, shining away with its perfect surfaces. You walk to the bathroom and then it happens - bang! The doorjamb and watch meet, leaving a big scratch on the lug. Ouch, that first one always hurts! Some manufacturers try to protect you from this pain with case hardening technology. Sounds great, right? But what is it, technically?There are, in fact, many different technologies on the market to make steel more resistant to scratches. Today, we will have a look at the most common and see how it is done.Can you make steel as scratch resistan...

What do you do as a brand when you ve discontinued one of your references but people keep asking for it? Well, if you think anything like the people at Nomos do, you bring that reference back, of course. There s a challenge, though, because you want to bring the design up to today s standards and not lose the appeal that the original watch had. Well, don t worry because the designers at Nomos have found a way to do just that. The result is the new Nomos Club reference 701.1. Now, bring your loupe, and let s take a look.The Nomos Club reference 701 was the first Club model back in 2007. With its big numerals at 2, 4, 8, 10, and 12 o clock, its more rounded case shape, and tapered lugs, it was...

When it comes to horological innovation, we often wonder if we have seen everything there is to see. Have we reached the pinnacle? Can watchmakers reinvent the wheel once again? It s the mission of all serious horologists to do just that. But with watchmaking having been around for so long, most angles have been covered. Innovation is a noble thing to strive for but one that is notoriously hard to achieve. Few independent watchmakers and even fewer brands earnestly seek to reach it. However, it is not an impossible target to aim for. Once in a blue moon, a brand will achieve this elusive goal. Girard-Perregaux has done so this time with the new Neo Constant Escapement.As with any innovation ...

It has been just over five years since the announcement of Leica s watch debut with the L1 and L2 in 2018. And though you might know the brand primarily for its high-end cameras and lenses, that s not all that it has put its expertise in mechanical manufacturing into. To call it dabbling in horology would be a serious understatement. It seems that, in true German fashion, when the Wetzlar-based brand does something, it does it well. Now, long after the impressive debut, it s time for something new in the form of the Leica ZM 11 collection.These new watches from Leica take a more pared-back approach. Still, as you might expect, they have a trick or two up their sleeve. These include a clever ...

Whenever a new watch is released, we always try to compare it to another that already exists. The Longines Spirit Flyback was released in titanium last week, and we happened to have the complete Tudor Pelagos FXD lineup in the office for a photo shoot. Both the Tudor Pelagos FXD Chrono and the new Longines Spirit Flyback Titanium are lightweight chronographs. We thought it would be a good idea to put these recently released watches up against each other to see which becomes the midrange king of their category.The more appropriate battle here might ve been the Longines Spirit Flyback Titanium against a Tudor Black Bay Chrono in titanium. That would make it a battle between two properly vintag...

It was only last month that I wrote about a new 44GS-inspired Grand Seiko SBGW303. The limited-edition model was met with overall praise, and some asked for more variety from this highly wearable platform. Now we have two more additions to the line, and the good news is that they re serial-production pieces. The SBGW297 and SBGW299 Kamisen models are worth a look.Yes, we all know that Grand Seiko issues a lot of watches at a near-weekly pace. Reactions range anywhere from fatigue to jubilation. No matter where you fall on the spectrum, I think it s best to realize that this is simply the company s strategy. Instead of one tranche of watches (or even two as there are two Geneva shows these da...

One of my first serious watches was a two-tone Oysterquartz Datejust ref. 17013. At the time, it was a bit of a misunderstood watch, and perhaps it still is today. Upon seeing the Tudor Royal collection introduced in 2020, I was intrigued by the watches with their Oysterquartz-like shape. And now this steel and gold version makes me think of that 17013 even more. In addition, it has a beautiful chocolate-brown dial. The 38mm version only features a date, but the 41mm version has both a day and a date indicator. And thats the one I have here now.The Oysterquartz 17013Do I like the Tudor Royal because it reminds me of the Oysterquartz, or is there more to it? Tudor sent me the Royal ref. M28...

Another Friday, another Top 5! Last week s list focused on the best recently released German watches. It was a fun exercise with some great additions in your comments, Fratelli! Thanks for that. This week, we ll turn to a different kind of list. During one of our weekly editorial meetings, we started discussing the fact that some of the current models can be bought at or under their retail prices. And that goes for both brand-new and pre-owned options. For this list, we have picked five current models with interesting price tags. Is now the right time to buy a at a good price? These five watches might suggest so.After multiple years of the sky seemingly being the limit, it s hard to belie...

Most watch enthusiasts are aware of the connection that Fortis has with space travel. Consequently, the brand s B-42 Cosmonauts Chronograph has become a favorite among space-loving watch fans all over the globe. Almost three decades after introducing the first Official Cosmonauts Chronograph, Fortis now introduces the new Novonaut N-42 collection. This collection consists of three new models that sport a look that fans of the B-42 will immediately recognize. In addition, the new Novonaut comes with a proprietary movement made by La-Joux Perret. We had a chance to go hands-on with all three of the new models to find out if they are still the capable space chronographs we expect them to be.For...

Yesterday in Amsterdam, a curious clash of gastronomy and horology took place. Watch enthusiasts and those who love haute cuisine gathered in a single space. And as eclectic a combination as this may seem, learning more about the new Frederique Constant Highlife Automatic Edition Caron might add a bit of sense to the equation. With the same balance of expertise and care with which their recipes come together, the three chefs bearing the Caron name - a father and two sons - worked with Reijersen Juweliers and Frederique Constant to bring this project to fruition. These new Highlife models pay tribute to the spirit of French cooking in the form of a timepiece from the Dutch-Swiss brand. In doi...

Allow me to start with a bit of advice. If I were to spend $5K on my first-ever luxury watch, I would want a familiar name on the dial. For your first big horological purchase, you ll want a confidence-inspiring name. Once you have familiarized yourself with the world of watches and become more experienced, knowledgeable, and confident, that s when you can leave the beaten path. In the beginning, though, you most likely won t trust yourself enough to spend thousands of euros on a watch from a brand youve never heard of or seen on someone elses wrist before. I know I started my journey with well-known brands. And thats why in my Best Watches Under $5,000 list, you will find brand-new sure sho...

I just realized that it has been over a year since I last featured a Seiko watch on #TBT. I know, it s almost criminal not to feature any Seiko watch for such a long time. Let s fix that with a find that has been queuing on the #TBT list for some time now. Meet the orange-dialed fortress, the Seiko 6458-600A. Today, I will try to explain why I find it one of the most underrated quartz Seiko divers from the 1980s.Last week, summer gave us a proper goodbye where I live. The temperature is dropping, coats are coming out, and the leaves are turning into warm autumn colors. When my eyes landed on the Seiko 6458-600A, I felt like this vibrant dial was the best equipment for a chilly day ahead.Thre...

We cover all of watchmaking at Fratello, and for the last five years or more, our horological world has been marked by a huge retro-nostalgia wave. From budget Kickstarter watches to $10K+ big-brand offerings, many lean heavily on timeless sports watch designs and mid-century inspiration. Then, in the upper echelons, we have a mix of precious metal and avant-garde creations that most of us could never afford. Otsuka Lotec, however, takes a much different approach, and I think you ll agree that it s all the better for it.Ill admit to nearing my fill of vintage-looking watches and being drawn to more industrial future-chic watchmaking. It s a genre where brands like Urwerk, Vianney Halter, and...

Let s face it: watch releases don t always fulfill enthusiasts every wish. The recent release of the Breguet Type 20/XX left many of us disappointed. Blancpain s Fifty Fathoms 70th Anniversary Act 3 in Bronze Gold wasn t the stainless steel diver that a lot of us hoped for. I even sensed that some people were let down by Tudor s latest Pelagos FXD in black.RJ already addressed the fact that watch brands cannot just focus on watch enthusiasts needs?simply because they also need to make a living. But that doesn t mean we can t have our wish lists, of course. In the case of that Breguet, it could ve been a tad smaller, and it could ve done without the date window. That Blancpain isn t a bad w...