There are some watch/strap combinations that are classic, timeless, and with which you can never go wrong. Take, for example, the trusty gray NATO. Gray is a neutral color that pairs well with any steel or titanium watch. Even black DLC or PVD watches look great on gray. A black or brown two-stitch leather strap will also look good on just about anything. And black alligator, overused and boring as it may be, is a perfect match to any dressier watch. But life is too short to stick to classic pairings. Sometimes, going over the top with color, patterns, or texture is the way to go. That, or a strap that perfectly matches and complements the basic color scheme of the watch in question. And tha...
English actor?Roger Moore?took over Sean Connerys role as 007 in the 1973 movie Live and Let Die. The year after, he appeared in The Man with the Golden Gun, and five other Bond movies starring Moore followed - The Spy Who Loved Me (1977), Moonraker (1979), For Your Eyes Only?(1981), Octopussy (1983), and A View to a Kill (1985). Moore (1927-2017) was the oldest Bond; he was 45 when he played 007 for the first time and retired at the age of 58. Moore portrayed Bond with humor… and a Submariner 5513. Seiko also had a strong presence in the 1980s Bond movies. Let s have a look at the James Bond watches of Roger Moores era.Who is your favorite Bond? Sean Connery? Daniel Craig? Both are a...
When URWERK released the UR-112 at the tail end of 2021, I was predictably in love. It was a completely new member of the URWERK fold, but here we had something totally new, yet still quintessentially URWERK. Now, the Swiss masters of the Avant-Garde have released the second iteration of the UR-112 with the new UR-112 Aggregat Odyssey.For a brand that has created its identity around futuristic mechanical time-telling sculptures, the UR-112 Aggregat was something I was not expecting. It was so clinical and perfectly executed. There was no hint of the playfulness that we see in some of the brand s other models, but I liked that. URWERK intended to make a statement, and it had done just that. N...
A dive watch does a lot. It s a tool for a safe dive in lieu of (or in combination with) a dive computer. It s becoming an acceptable GADA (Go Anywhere, Do Anything) in modern culture. And, of course, dive watches capture an aesthetic and serve as robust companions for all of us non-divers. But of all the dive watches with all the additional complications possible, there are hardly any that have a moonphase indication. The Oris Aquis Dat Watt Limited Edition and Blancpain s Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe Quantieme Complet Phases de Lune show the phases of the Moon within the confines of a unidirectional diver s bezel. The Panerai L Astronomo Luminor 1950 Tourbillon Moon Phases Equation of Time GM...
It s is a hypothetical question for most of us, but it s one you ve asked us often, so we decided to take a stab at answering it. Given $10,000, which three watches would you pick to start a watch collection today? Now, all of our editors already have a watch collection of sorts, and (perhaps because of that) most of us don t have $10K burning a hole in our pockets right now. However, it still makes for an interesting exercise, as there are so many watches out there today that offer a ton of value. Picking just three watches that, together, come in under the price limit is not as easy as you might think, but each of our editors will take their best shot! Each author s choices are bound to be...
An Omega Speedmaster under $2,000 - are you sure thats even possible? Sadly, this amount wont buy you a hand-wound Moonwatch anymore. Nevertheless, there are some Speedmaster variations that you can buy for around (or sometimes even under) $2,000. One of them is the Omega Speedmaster 3511.50.00 with its cool reverse-panda dial and automatic movement.Since the late 1980s, Omega has been making smaller variations of the Speedmaster that have come to know as the Speedmaster Reduced. They feature a smaller case, an automatic chronograph movement, slightly different design elements, and, of course, a more attractive price tag.Speedmaster 3511.50.00 - Image via ZeitAuktion.Omega Speedmaster 3511.5...
I feel like I ve gone full circle. The wardrobe of my youth was filled with Levi s jeans and denim jackets that seemed to last a lifetime. Before the pandemic, I only had suits and chinos, but now, I have seen the light once again. I ve come around and now embrace #DENIM blues and indigo cool. Having said that, however, the image has changed. Gone are the 501s from my bachelor days. Instead, we have access to online bespoke cool from Sweden and the best denim from Japan. Like the grand value of mechanical Seikos (light pun intended), Nippon denim bears a mark of craftsmanship. The Japanese do love a good pair of jeans, but they have taken the US aesthetic and made it their own. There is a de...
Fratello On Air kicks off a new series where Balazs and Mike discuss their six favorite watches of all time from a given brand. First up on the docket is Tissot, a historic Swiss brand with loads of options. Settle in and hear about some watches that you know and some that just might surprise you. This podcast player is blocked because you did not accept marketing cookies. Change cookie settings Before getting to Tissot, Balazs and Mike talk a bit about cycling, lead-lined film bags as a radium shield, and Balazs s informative article on the Tissot Antimagnetique. We also hit upon the recent Seiko 5 Brian May release and both declare it to be a bit of a head-scratcher!Handgelenks Kontrol...
The market for dive watches is very healthy. If a friend comes to me looking for recommendations for their first watch, I usually direct them towards this style of watch first of all. The reason is that aside from the fact dive watches are built to handle more than what the average wearer might throw at it, there s also an incredible amount of choice. The chances are that nearly everyone can find a watch that suits their tastes. Color, size, shape, and more - the possibilities are endless. Tissot has thrown its hat into the ring once again with its new additions to its Seastar collection of watches designed to fit any wrist, any time, any place.Not everyone who buys a watch ends up as a coll...
Is it possible to find five alternatives to the Daytona? Let me answer that by saying that you dont really have a choice. Not if you insist on buying at list price, you dont. For the cool and collected amongst us, the hype-free crowd, this means finding a chronograph that ticks the same boxes. Okay, maybe the five alternatives I ll present from Zenith, Omega, Breitling, TAG Heuer, and Seiko dont tick all the boxes. There is no sign of the illustrious crown on the dial - the obvious one. Nevertheless, I feel these chronographs have a lot to offer.So here are my five alternatives to the Daytona. The current Daytona 116500LN, that is, a $13,800, stainless steel, mass-produced watch (although ...
This might not come as a surprise, but my enthusiasm for watches is very real, even if it gets me in trouble occasionally. You might have read my story on how to consolidate a collection, and yes, that was an autobiographical tale. This is not the New York Times, so I am allowed to have a slightly colored, subjective viewpoint. I do try to put myself in other watch buyers shoes though, as a watch can be a knock-out even if I find it slightly odd myself. This certainly applied when discovering the quirky Girard-Perregaux Richeville for an article. But then I had a second look.My personal challenge is having diverse tastes. This simply means that I do get tempted (a lot!), hence the need for a...
King Seiko is back on the minds of watch buyers once again. With the recently announced King Seiko Collection, I hear more and more folks talking about vintage references from this sub-line that first existed from 1961 to 1975. Let s spend a few minutes on King Seiko, go over some do s and don ts, and talk about why they re worth collecting (for some people). I ll also touch on some of my favorite models and where to take your King Seiko for service.Unless one is a real Seiko buff, the King Seiko brand might come off as somewhat confusing. I d invite you to scour our pages for some more history along with the work done by the folks over at Beyond the Dial. They ve interviewed retired Seiko e...
Cleaning up the oceans one watch at a time. That could take a while, but since sarcasm is the lowest form of wit and has never contributed to anything good, I will change my tone. I will serve you an English proverb that says, Even the smallest things are helpful when towards a goal, instead. Thats the spirit! It sure is Bernard Werks spirit, one of two founders of Dutch watch brand Gyre. Werk, a long-time watch journalist and industry veteran, materializes his concern about polluted seas with something he loves deeply and knows a lot about - a watch, made from recycled plastic and powered by light. The Gyre SeaCleaner watch tells a recycling story on your wrist in a most pleasing style.The ...
Gone since 2011, but not forgotten. Not by me, at least. I have said this many times before, so as you might know by now, I once bought a Explorer II. That was the wrong for me. I should have bought a two-tone Datejust Turn-O-Graph 116263 with a gray dial on a Super Jubilee bracelet with a concealed clasp instead. That watch would have stayed in my collection. But for one reason or another, I never bought it. Sure, I can find a pre-owned one in good shape, but an updated version with a better movement, bracelet, and clasp would also be kind of nice. Let me introduce you to a watch that was introduced in 1953 and served as the blueprint for the 1954 Submariner. Yes, 2022 might be the Year o...
The microbrand Straton does colorful, entry-level chronographs like very few other microbrands do. Personally, I have followed the brand for some years. Straton actively engages with buyers on microbrand Facebook groups when it launches new models, and the Straton Yacht Racer Quartz is a great example of why we love micros. Its that more personal experience you get from buying from a small brand. The fact that you can communicate with brand owners is perhaps just as enticing as their unstoppable creativity.And creativity is something Straton has in abundance. I find myself exceedingly moving away from monochrome tool watches, and to be honest, I wouldn t fancy a Submariner even if I had the ...
Time keeps on slipping…(everybody now!) into the future (thank you, Steve Miller Band). That s a given, and it s what our watches help us witness. But the way we interact with time is another matter. The evolution of the simple wristwatch, driven by professional needs, has brought us numerous different functions for recording time. Dive watches utilize the eponymous diver s bezel. Pilot s watches as a genre utilize many functions and complications, of which the countdown bezel and chronograph are merely two. All three of these functions measure specific intervals of time. And all three have thoroughly infiltrated non-professional watch culture. Each one - diver s bezel, countdown bezel...
We like to talk about vintage watches a lot within the Fratello team. Though most of what we write about is largely focused on the most recent releases and developments, for many of us, a lot of the fun can be found in the sometimes weird and often wonderful world of vintage watches. It s a world full of history, remarkable watches, incredible stories, and quirky details. It inspired us to come up with a series of articles focusing on the best watches per decade from a select group of brands. Some of them are priceless, some of them are still affordable. In this installment, we will take a look at the best TAG Heuer watches from the 2000s.By the turn of the millennium, Switzerland had proudl...
Here at the Fratello offices, we get a lot of questions from you, our readers. Probably the most-asked questions are centered around the topic of what to buy for different budgets. The most popular budget question is what watch to buy for under $5,000 in different watch categories. That s why we decided to set up a small series of articles focusing on the best watches that you can buy within that budget. In this first installment of the series, we will look at the best GMT watches available for under $5K. Let s find out what some of your potential best travel companions are.With the world opening up again, it s time to travel! With two years full of quarantining and travel restrictions, it s...
Last year s Grand Seiko White Birch SLGH005 receives some serious competition from the new White Birch SLGA009. A new variation on the existing theme, it features a slightly different dial finish and a Spring Drive movement.In this video, RJ talks you through the new Grand Seiko reference SLGA009 from the new Evolution 9 collection. More background information can be found in his recent hands-on article as well.SLGA009Inside the new Grand Seiko SLGA009 is caliber 9RA2. It s a fairly new movement in the Grand Seiko collection, ensuring an incredibly impressive accuracy of just 10 seconds per month. This new movement has been reduced in height, enabling Grand Seiko to make its watch cases a l...
If you harbor a healthy obsession with watches - especially those from the many microbrands out there - you are likely to be a fan of the EDC concept. EDC, or every-day carry are the accessories that are with you day-in, day-out. Whether in your pocket, in your bag, or at your desk, its these highly functional items that make your life a little easier. The idea of EDC encompasses not only watches, but also pens, wallets, knives, torches, headphones, sunglasses, hats, and more. Its no surprise then that a brand, like BOLDR Supply Co., which goes beyond watches and also offers a range of EDC gear in its catalog, should kick off the year with such a perfect pairing in collaboration with Nitecor...
