Weve seen so many promising pieces this year from smaller Swatch Group brands, it was a delight. From Tissot, Longines, Hamilton and of course Certina. Last year when we first visited the brand we did not know what to expect. In 2018 however, things took a different turn. I tend not to look at social media during the fair. I don t want other colleagues posts to spoil the surprise for me. However, I saw the new Certina DS PH200M and I could not wait to put my hands on it. Finally, Certina also decided to take inspiration from one of their largely successful vintage models and the outcome is very pleasing. We always associated Certina with great dive watches that incorporate groundbreaking tec...
I sense that Grand Seiko is getting more traction in Europe since the last year or two. I can t speak for the US, as I am not familiar with that market, but I notice that more people start to appreciate the Japanese craftsmanship when it comes to watches. This article is not to elaborate (again) on Grand Seiko and how amazingly well built their watches are, I am pretty sure you know that by now and otherwise you can read it in one of our Grand Seiko articles. Today, it is about one of the new limited editions that Grand Seiko made for the 20th anniversary of their 9S movement: the Grand Seiko reference SBGH267.A week before BaselWorld started, there were some embargoed press releases sent ar...
You can draw a clear distinction between the three brands connected in the past by ownership, namely; Ateliers deMonaco, Frederique Constant and Alpina. While Ateliers deMonaco clearly represents the highest segment of the three, Alpina is probably the most affordable and sporty brand of them. In Basel, we were introduced to their latest release: the Alpina AlpinerX. It is a smart watch that was designed for the outdoorsmen packed with functions that can be useful while hiking in the mountains but also can give you feedback in your daily activities and more. Whats interesting about the watch and its frenzy surrounding it is the fact that Alpina launched it on Kickstarter. Theres a very simpl...
Tudor brought two heavily praised stars to Baselworld 2018, the Black Bay GMT and the Black Bay Fifty-Eight.? We ve covered those pieces over the last couple days and the response has been overwhelming.? What you probably haven t noticed – and few have discussed it – is that the brand brought something else to the show that I quietly enjoyed.? It s a bit polarizing, but that s kind of how I like them.? Let s take a brief look at the Tudor Black Bay SG Champagne Dial.Last year, the more affordable brand within the stable brought us a two-tone Black Bay with black dial and bombarded us with David Beckham advertising.? The reaction to the watch was…interesting.? I d character...
Last week, we showed you press shots and gave you a rundown of the new Doxa SUB300T Poseidon Edition. To recap, Doxa chose to reissue a very rare yellow Divingstar model that contained the Poseidon logo on its dial.? Poseidon, as a refresher, is a longstanding innovative dive equipment from Sweden.? The original pieces from 1969 likely number in the handful range, but Doxa is giving us 500 of the re-edition.At Baselworld 2018, we had the chance to sit down with Rick Marei, General Manager at the brand, and we got to see some pretty fantastic future ideas (sorry, we re sworn to secrecy for now) and we we were able to go hands-on with the new Doxa SUB300T Poseidon Edition.As of the time of wri...
There s no doubt about it, the Oris Divers Sixty-Five is a bona fide hit.? When it was first released in 2015 in 40mm guise, it received near-universal praise and it has received continuous additions and updates since that time.? Currently, there are numerous dial colors and the case sizes available include the new 36mm diameter, a 40mm version and even 42mm variants.? Today, though, we ll focus on some pieces that debuted at Baselworld 2018, the Oris Divers Sixty-Five Bronze Bezel.I suppose if you re a reader of Fratello Watches, you re a detail hound.? If so, my unabashed love for the Oris Divers Sixty-Five Bronze Bezel won t shock you because it s a relatively minor detail that easily mak...
I won t lie to you, I love gold. Therefore, the new GMT-Master II Everose was a pleasant surprise for us. I will get back to the bi-color version later of course, but first let s have a look at the GMT-Master II Everose reference 126715CHNR.You know the watch for sure, the GMT-Master II with ceramic bezel. There was a yellow gold version already of this model, but now decided to bring the color of brown back to the watch. I released a very brief and silent sigh when I saw that they did not care to give it a brown dial (like it used to be with some of the vintage models), but upon further inspection the black dial isn t bad. At all. GMT-Master II EveroseWe ve talked about Everose before, ...
Tissot is a brand that we visit every year and Baselworld 2018 was no different.? They bring a wide variety of pieces such as the T-Touch, various dress watches and typically a piece that recalls the brand s rich history. For 2018, we weren t disappointed as the the brand brought the brand new Tissot Antimagnetique Heritage 2018.While there are some brands that discuss their role in the development of antimagnetic watches, it s Tissot that claims ownership of the first watch developed with such properties. The brand launched such a watch in the 1930 s and has decided to give us a re-interpretation with the Tissot Antimagnetique Heritage 2018.As a note, Tissot was quick to tell us that this p...
When Omega introduced the Seamaster 300M in 1993, their flagship model was the Chronograph reference 2296.80 that came in a combination of three materials: titanium, tantalum and rose gold. Sure, there was an all gold model as well, but this tri-color version was the model they advertised with for the new 300M (chronograph) collection. Tantalum is a rare, hard, blue-grey metal that is highly corrosion-resistant. It is mainly used in electronics today, but sometimes it had a purpose in the watch industry as well. Omega is not the only brand who used it, also Audemars Piguet, FP Journe and Panerai used it for their watches for example.Omega Seamaster 300M Chronograph 1993The blue-grey color gi...
BaselWorld is highlighted by the big brands like Omega, or Patek. Journalists as well as fans of the brands contemplate about the latest releases, wishing for a steel Pepsi or the 4th edition of a legend. However, the fair is not only about them. Smaller, lesser known brands, the underdogs of the industry, are also represented in quite a large number. One of these brands since last year is Monta; a brand brought to life by a group of guys from the US who are producing Swiss Made watches. Our very own Gerard reviewed one of their first models last year. This year they are back with some new and improved models. They tackle sea, air and-well, land. One watch for each territory. So, lets have ...
has been listening to some of the customer s feedback on their Deepsea Sea-Dweller it seems. We were presented the new and improved version of the Deepsea Sea-Dweller reference 126660.Before I continue, I have to say that I find it very interesting that is enhancing some of their models. In the past, besides some ‘transitional models, their watches would be in the catalog forever, or at least for many years in a row. That seem to have changed. The regular Sea-Dweller 4000 received an update rather quickly (after the previous model was taken out of the collection a while before), the Explorer 39mm received an update regarding the hands and the Day-Date II was introduced, then disco...
At Baselworld 2018, Tudor showed us a number of new watches. Theres a new Black Bay GMT with a Pepsi-esque bezel that we will cover shortly, but the watch that stood out to our team was a bit of a surprise: the new Tudor Black Bay Fifty-Eight.To be honest, the proliferation of the Black Bay lineup since its introduction in 2012 has been nothing short of voluminous. There are models with dates, without dates, bi-color, PVD, bronze, and even a chronograph that debuted last year. So, this year, when the Tudor Black Bay Fifty-Eight showed up on the screen during the annual press conference, we assumed that the model was nothing more than a color variant using an existing case and movement. Clear...
Today was press day at Baselworld 2018 and we took the opportunity to sit down with Breitling to see some of their newest releases. Theres been a lot happening with the brand since the arrival of Georges Kern as CEO. Examples of this are the embracing of the brands rich history, the deletion of the winged logo and the return of the script Band familiar Breitling font. With it, weve seen some new models announced such as the Breitling Navitimer 8 chronographs C a 3-hand model, a chronograph with in-house B-01 movement and an ETA 7750-powered version. Today, well take a brief look at just some of the newly announced Breitling Baselworld 2018 pieces.Navitimer CollectionWithin the Breitling Base...
Tutima Glashtte premieres a 40-mm model in Midnight GreyThe Saxon One M family welcomes a new member: after variants in Steel Blue and Maroon Brown, Tutima presents a self-winding watch in Midnight Grey with the lines typical 40-mm case at Baselworld.The midsize collection offers entry into the luxury class with watches that are optimally sized also for slimmer wrists.For more information visit https://tutima.com/Masculine Tutima midsize model: 40-mm stainless steel case; automatic Caliber Tutima 330; date indication; hour, minute, central second-hand; pressure tested to ten bar; Midnight Grey dial; sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating on both sides; exhibition see-through case bac...
Ever since the introduction of the stainless steel GMT-Master II 116710LN, people have been craving for a version with a Pepsi bezel. When introduced the white gold version in 2014, reference?116719BLRO, the craving became more intense than ever before. This BaselWorld, showed us the new steel GMT-Master II Reference 126710. With a Jubilee bracelet. That s right, the new GMT-Master II reference 126710 comes on a type 69200 bracelet. And that s basically the only option for this watch, as an Oyster bracelet will not even fit the new case of the new Pepsi GMT-Master II. GMT-Master II Reference 126710New SpecificationsThis new GMT-Master II is different from the previous models, such as t...
NASA s Apollo 8 mission in 1968 was the first flight where the astronauts orbited the Moon, see Earth entirely, witness the Earth rise and C here it comes C see the far side of the Moon. Or dark side. On their wrists, a Speedmaster.Now, nearly 50 years later, Omega introduces you to the latest addition to the Dark Side of the Moon collection. Not a black ceramic Speedmaster Professional like we predicted a few weeks ago, but a watch based on the existing Dark Side of the Moon models. However, not with the famous bi-compax caliber 9300 movement, but with a hand-wound caliber 1869 movement. This manual winding chronograph movement is based on the famous caliber 1861 movement, but with a nickel...
Introduced in 1993, the Omega Seamaster Diver 300M celebrates its 25th anniversary in 2018. Therefore, Omega will be introducing an updated version this BaselWorld 2018. The Seamaster Diver 300M, introduced as the 2531.80 for the automatic version and as 2541.80 for the quartz model (both models featured in the Pierce Brosnan James Bond movies), came a long way. Available in mid-sizes as well and in a couple of variations (black dial, America s Cup, chronograph, GMT, etc.).The Seamaster 300M basically evolved with Omega s grow regarding movements and materials. Where the Seamaster 300M was always based on ETA s 2892-A2 movement, later on with Omega s Co-Axial escapement, you will now see tha...
Even before the SIHH 2017 starts, Omega announces some BaselWorld 2017 news. Besides the Speedmaster Speedy Tuesday limited edition, they announce the Speedmaster Automatic Racing Dial and the Speedmaster Automatic 38mm. We will cover the ladies 38mm model at a later stage, but let s have a look at the Speedmaster Automatic Master Chronometer with racing dial.Speedmaster Automatic Racing DialJust like last year, when Omega actually announced their Speedmaster Moonphase Co-Axial Master Chronometer during SIHH, it is now time to unveil their Speedmaster Automatic Racing Dial. Also equipped with a Co-Axial Master Chronometer (caliber 9900) movement, of course. While Omega some times still refer...
Cartiers presentation at the SIHH in 2013 was for me personally an important one, since the ‘Rotonde Mysterieuse was introduced and the ‘Santos Dumont Skeleton in pink gold was launched. Two watches that I absolutely adore. Both of them had amazing features like the floating hands of the Rotonde Mysterieuse and the transparant movement of the ‘Santos Dumont Skeleton .?Just now a few days before the SIHH 2017, Cartier pre-announced a new ‘Rotonde Mysterieuse that excels the current version.?Rotonde de Cartier Skeleton Mysterious Hour Watch– The 2013 Rotonde de Cartier Mysterieuse –It excels because?it is even more mysterious than its predecessor. Cartier...
Despite our somewhat different focus when it comes to watches, we have a lot of respect for Bart and Tim Gr?nefeld, also known as the horological brothers, and their amazing timepieces. Just before SIHH 2017 kicks off, they introduce us a couple of new variations of their?Gr?nefeld 1941 Remontoire. A stainless steel version of his watch, limited to 25 pieces only and a couple of bespoke engine turned dials by the legendary?Kari Voutilainen. Without further ado, let s have a look.Gr?nefeld 1941 RemontoireThe grandfather of the horological brothers, Johan Gr?nefeld, was responsible for maintaining a 1913 church clock that was equipped with a remontoire mechanism. Later on, when Johan Gr?nefeld...
