In the southwestern Turkish province of Denizli lies the town of Pamukkale. Famous for its mineral-rich thermal springs, it s the home to one of Turkey s beloved natural tourist attractions and quite a sight to behold. Volcanic activity in the earth s crust warms the water deep below the town of Pamukkale. This water is naturally calcium-rich, and as it finds its way to the surface, it spills out over a hillside, creating an otherworldy white rock formation. As the water evaporates, the calcium is deposited on the surface. The process has occurred for millennia and has created the famous hillside, where white travertine formations make small, clear blue pools of hot water.Today, we are excit...
Zodiac has been on a hot streak lately, primarily thanks to its Super Sea Wolf line. Fun releases with bold colors are part of Zodiacs heritage, but lately, words like Watermelon and Aquamarine Dream come to mind. While there is certainly a current colorway for everyone under the Super Sea Wolf umbrella, pushing the boundaries on materials is something altogether different. The Super Sea Wolf Ceramic uses color (or lack thereof) to its advantage, creating a stylish and fun experience on the wrist that is a different vibe from its more colorful brethren.Setting an exciting precedent for the brand, this first ceramic model came to the market around the time when Zodiac introduced a limited edi...
In Japanese, asaborake (ܤ餱) is the light of dawn. And guess what? The dial of the Grand Seiko Heritage SBGY011 is inspired by the special light at daybreak. Some of the Fratelli start rolling their eyes when they read about Grand Seikos sources of inspiration. I dont. See, I dont care where the GS designers find their inspiration when the result is, almost without exception, stunning. And the hand-wound Spring Drive Asaborake in its 44GS case is a combination of the brands most famous case design, a high-tech movement that also pleases purists, and a delicate dial design.Just when I thought the Evolution 9 GMT SBGE285 Mist Flake was my favorite Grand Seiko release of 2022, the brand presen...
One of the toughest-looking dive watches out there has received a more historically accurate overhaul. ZRC has released two new models carrying the name Grands Fonds 38 Heritage. Their designs are fully inspired by the watches that ZRC began producing in 1961 and which became the official watch for the French Navy in 1964. There s a time-only version with a ceramic bezel, the S2, and one with a date and an aluminum bezel, the S3. Let s take a look!The current lineup of ZRC watches (one of which Sky reviewed here) definitely looks like it takes inspiration from the original Grands Fonds from the past. However, the brand also tried to update the design a bit. In addition to black, ZRC s curren...
For the second week in a row, Balazs has a guest on the podcast, and it s another member of the Fratello family. After last weeks discussion with Dave about space watches this week, we have our one and only Lex on Fratello On Air. The man known for his refined taste in clothing and timepieces is also somewhat of a Breguet fan.This podcast player is blocked because you did not accept marketing cookies. Change cookie settings His impressive knowledge of the brand is a delight to listen to when it comes up in conversation. As such, it was logical for Balazs to sit down with Lex and chat about the Swatch Groups crown jewel.Wrist checkWe do not see Lex without something denim, so it was no su...
Watch enthusiasts. They exist in many different shapes and forms. Don t worry, I won t go over each type in this article. The topic of today is more about the term flippers. Ever since I entered the world of watch forums and get-togethers, I ve been intrigued by that term. It s almost as though it s seen as a swear word by some, while others just can t seem to stop buying and selling watches as quickly as they can. Let s dive a little bit deeper into the matter and explore why some people keep flipping and why others can t stand the fact that they do so.I must admit, in the first three years of my life as a watch enthusiast, I have flipped quite a few pieces. I say admit because I really fee...
Watches are all about stories. Quite often, the stories behind a watch, the people who wore it, and the things that they accomplished tell a timepiece s great history. But there are stories even more personal and even more valuable than those. After taking one look at the brilliant two Casio A1000 models that I had the pleasure to review, the stories of my youth immediately sprung to mind. For people over 30C35 years old, the A1000 will transport them back to their youth. I m pretty sure quite a lot of us owned one of the predecessors of the current Casio A1000 models. I was reminded of my youth by the gold A1000MGN-9ER and the stealthy A1000RCB-1ER made in collaboration with the New York fa...
Collaborations between watch brands and other entities are very, very popular. Whether a brand joins forces with a fashion brand or a museum, the result is often something different and fun - a new colorway, a funky dial pattern, or a brand-new model. However, not all watches that stem from these collaborations are affordable. Some retail in the thousands and are only produced in tiny quantities. So its nice that Worn & Wound worked with Timex to offer a fun watch - the WW75 - for a cool price of $199. And there will be no fewer than 1,000 of them available!Disclaimer: I have stayed clear from collaborations for the most part because they arent usually to my taste (Im quite a boring watc...
Grail Watch, an initiative by our friend Wei Koh (Revolution, The Rake), proudly presents its second?release with the Frank Muller 30th Anniversary ‘Tribute Chronographs. This set consists of no fewer than three stunning chronographs, all built to pay tribute to those Lemania-powered 1990s Franck Muller chronographs that made watch collectors go crazy.Although my interest in watches only took off in the second half of that decade, I vividly remember the Franck Muller watches from those days. Not least of all, this is because many authorized dealers of Franck Muller watches in those days had the same crazy demand - sometimes also paired with robberies - as some of the trophy watches of...
Autumn is well and truly here. There s no denying it. We ve all noticed the nights drawing in and the temperatures dropping (well, all of us in the Northern Hemisphere have, at least). I don t know about you, but I ve even started putting the heating on here and there. The days of summer are gone, but that doesn t stop us from seeking a bit of late-summer sun. Instead of taking a summer holiday in summer and skipping the little good weather that the UK naturally gets, I decided to take my summer holiday in October. As is the age-old dilemma as a holidaying watch fan, which watch gets the nod? Well, I took the new Cristallo dive watch from the Italian microbrand Echo/Neutra.I got into collect...
During the Watches and Wonders salon earlier this year, I requested the Montblanc 1858 Iced Sea for a hands-on review. It took a little time, but last week, the watch finally arrived at HQ. Not in black - my test color of choice was unavailable - but the way more outspoken green-dial variant. I will let you know how Montblancs s reborn dive watch and I got on, but there will be more to discuss in this episode of Coffee Corner Watch Talk. Since Christmas is upon us and planning is everything, why not have a look at the Kross Studio Wayne Enterprises Edition watch winder in sinister black? It might just be the perfect present under the tree. And there s also a Phillips watch auction on the hor...
I can relate to most people I meet in the watch industry. Most are guys and gals who are kind of like me. We can level with each other and talk about watches. I understand what they do, and they understand what I do. However, there are some exceptions. There are some people operating on a different level altogether, working on concepts I barely understand. Correction: working on concepts of which I barely understand the child-proof simplified version. One such man is Fran?ois-Paul Journe.F.P.Journe has been the subject of so much hype lately, claiming a place in the spotlight due to soaring auction results. I do not find that all too interesting. It does signal, however, that there is someth...
Just like you, we love to browse watches. Yes, our daytime job is writing about them, but that doesn t mean (at all) that we re bored with watches when we get home in the evening. In a previous life, where I worked for an investment bank that sucked the life out of me during the day, I escaped by browsing (and buying) watches in the evenings. And although my daytime job today is a gift from heaven, I still like to search for nice watches in my spare time. In this column, Pre-Owned Spotlight, we share some of the watches that have recently caught our eye.Despite ever-increasing prices, there are still some pretty awesome watches out there within reachable means. In that category, I picked a v...
The festive season is upon us. For those of you in need of a spectacular gift to impress or suggest, look no further. Every year, Bvlgari curates a gift guide for the holiday season. The theme this year is Believe In Wonder, and to save you from getting overwhelmed by a huge array of luxury items, here is a small selection to get you started. Out of the four picks, three are chronographs at different price levels in different materials.Bvlgari Aluminium ChronographFirst off, the Bvlgari Aluminium Chronograph hails from a collection of sports watches launched in the 90s. Reintroduced in 2020, the new Aluminium range revives a distinct design language for a retro look. The use of aluminum and ...
Parmigiani Fleurier is closing the year on a high note with the release of the award-winning Tonda PF Automatic 36mm. Retaining all the stylistic codes of the Swiss brands best-selling collection, the new Tonda PF addition aims to delight those with slender wrists. The compact model also boasts a new in-house automatic movement and comes in three iterations. The two stainless steel versions feature either a silver-gray or a dark gray dial, while the 18K rose gold version carries a deep ruby dial.Fresh off the GPHG stageHot off the press (as we reported here just three days ago), the Tonda PF Automatic 36mm won the Ladies category at the GPHG (Grand Prix d Horlogerie de Geneve, dubbed the The...
All watch enthusiasts, at some point, experience the epiphany that opens the gateway to wristwatch passion. While my enthusiasm stretches back to James Bond s Omega Seamaster, Instagram was the tool to discover similarly afflicted aficionados. Through hashtags and IG accounts, I experience a variety of watches vicariously through each person s lens. Over time, certain photographers have influenced the content I enjoy and the inspiration for my posts. This list compiles a selection of my favorite content creators from Instagram and beyond social media. These photographers create a distinct identity, and their posts are instantly recognizable.This won t be a deep dive into each entry s photogr...
This week s Sunday Morning Showdown is a much-discussed topic that hadn t been made into a proper match-up until now. But we read your comments, dear Fratelli! Last week, Jorg wrote an article about the best titanium dive watches and selected the recently introduced Tudor Pelagos 39 as one of them. Some of you, however, would have rather seen the Pelagos LHD or even the regular Pelagos on that list. That sparked the debate about which one to choose. But instead of leaving the decision out on the Fratello office floor, we decided to make it into a Sunday Morning Showdown. This time, you guys get to vote for your favorite and settle the matter of which Pelagos is better once and for all.Tudor ...
I was immediately intrigued when Hermes launched the Arceau Le Temps Voyageur at Watches and Wonders earlier this year. It doesn t look exactly like any other dual-time watch out there, yet it still looks completely coherent and oh-so-elegant. But I wasn t there in Geneva to get a feel for what the watch looks and feels like in person. That s why I decided to request the watch for review so I could spend some time with it. And I m so glad I did because this is a piece that you definitely need to experience in person. Are you ready for a trip around Hermes s imaginary world?I must admit, I wasn t fully aware of the Arceau watch collection. Yes, I had seen the brand s H08 modern-looking cushio...
Your phone might tell you the exact time, but it wont tell who you are. A new watch can do that, but for a growing number of people in their early twenties, vintage or neo-vintage is the way to go. They feel that a carefully selected pre-owned watch fits them better, and in all kinds of ways. The thumb-and-screen generation, or Generation Z, craves affordable vintage watches because they fit their style and budget, for instance, but also because pre-owned watches fit into their ideas about sustainability. And on top of that, a vintage watch is safer to wear than a new one when theyre out and about in town. The Vintage Youth is streetwise and stylish.When we speak of the vintage market here o...
This year, like every other, November is a quiet month in the watch industry. The press trips are over, and the releases for the year, aside from a few exceptions (Im looking at you, ), are already out. One can also say that the end-of-year unwinding, which will last until mid-to-late January, has begun. Before we call it quits, though, we have one last order of business. The GPHG (Grand Prix dHorlogerie de Geneve) takes place around mid-November to honor some of the most outstanding timepieces in our industry.This year, close to 100 timepieces competed in 15 categories for first place and, eventually, the ultimate goal - the Grand Prix.The Horological Brothers, Tim and Bart Gr?nefeld - GPHG...
