Even if you dont follow watch auctions, you may know that the Patek Philippe Nautilus 5711 with its Tiffany & Co. signed dial in the distinct color of the famous jeweler sold for more than $6 million at an auction earlier this month. Of the 170 watches made, this particular Nautilus 5711 Tiffany 170th Anniversary Limited Edition that normally retails for $52,635, was auctioned off to support the Virginia-based, non-profit Nature Conservancy. It s a special watch for a special occasion; that kind of explains the stellar price. But even when it comes to non-beneficiary auctions, watch auction prices still go through the roof. Why pay so much more for a Patek Philippe or at an auction with...

Happy Holidays from the good folks at Wrist Game or Crying Shame! Well, that s just me, but no matter. We ve made it through Thanksgiving, Black Friday, Cyber Monday, St. Nicholas Day, and the UK not letting anyone in without quarantine. Oh, strike that, I m particularly salty about the latter, and it looks like Christmastime in London will have to wait yet another year. Alas… Returning to our subject, this week I offer you the perfect holiday gift in the form of one Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Control Ultra Thin. But first…The last time we came together, I showed you a Bell & Ross BR-03 92, and despite all the whining and crabbing (hi, RJ!), a full 58% of you decided that an equ...

After the Montre de Souscription 1 - a vintage-inspired chronograph made in collaboration with Habring2 - the Montre de Souscription 2 follows. Yes, theres logic to be found in the highly emotional horological universe! And Monochromes second subscription watch is a Czapek Antarctique limited to just 33 pieces. The Monochrome White edition will be sold via subscription, a process that was once introduced by Abraham-Louis Breguet in the late 18th century but can still be put into good use today. Make sure to be ready tomorrow at 3 PM Central European Time/9 AM New York time/10 PM Singapore time if you want to get your hands on what is a very cool Antarctique indeed.The Monochrome Czapek Ant...

Today, I am joined in the studio by Monica Porracin, the founder and director of The Blue Company. Based in London, the Blue Company manages the interests of seven popular brands in the UK, working as a distributor for some and an agent for others.Monica represents Doxa, Junghans, Meistersinger, Maurice Lacroix, Mhle Glashtte, Scatola del Tempo, and SwissKubik in the UK and at events all around the world. Her tireless championing of brands that she sees as united by a mutually strong design DNA has earned her the respect of her peers. This podcast player is blocked because you did not accept marketing cookies. Change cookie settings The Blue Company was founded in 2008, giving Porracin...

Here we are, race fans - in the final race of The Fast And The Fratelli competition! The last four weeks have seen 30 other contenders come and go, all in our quest to determine the best racing chronograph watch released in the last decade. Up until a few days ago, we thought the final round might see two Speedmasters facing off against each other. But the Fratelli have spoken, and such a race wasn t to be. Instead, today, in the very last race, two heavyweights of watch history are going head-to-head!Interestingly, both watches are tightly connected to the year 1969. It was the year of humankind s first moon landing, and the year the first automatic chronograph sprung on the market. This ti...

Weve elaborated on the lack of availability of watches more than once. And just last week, we had an article by Lex about the dangers of flaunting your precious . But what if you are destined to buy a anyway?I think is one of the brands that brings a lot of people into this interesting world of watches. But what to do once confronted by the fact that the watches are difficult to obtain, at least at retail price? This has been the case for a long time with certain steel sports models, or when a new sports model was introduced. Now, however, it seems to be an issue with no end in sight.Image by PhillipsBuying a gold Lets say you want to buy a steel Daytona 116500LN with a white dial, which ...

I m going to say that sometimes the number of new watches that come out is overwhelming. Overwhelming up to the point that you tend to forget about a lot of a year s releases. Or watches hardly leave an impression. But sometimes you get surprised by a watch with great charm that is a joy to wear when you have no expectations whatsoever. The Titoni Heritage 83019 S-639 is the perfect example of a watch that has great style, offers great quality, and comes at a great price.The story of this Titoni starts earlier this year. In the spring of this year, Rob reviewed the Titoni Heritage 83019 S-ST-638, and I still remember when we had that watch in the office for review. Its charming style and gre...

Although we put a lot of care and work into our own Speedmaster archives here on Fratello, they are only available online (with the exception of the print publication we once did for the Speedmaster). Sometimes, it is nice to have something in print to enjoy on the couch with your favorite beverage. Books like Moonwatch Only, the Mondani books on , and now Magister are a nice way to spend a few hours in the evenings and weekends on your favorite watches.The Magister BookCollector and watch enthusiast Andrea Foffi released a special book on the Speedmaster topic. Meet the Magister book, covering 70 special Speedmaster watches from his collection. We already published about this book being in ...

Neo-vintage? Vintage-inspired?? Take your pick with these new interpretations of the Alpinist. Rather dressy, aren t they? Im still riding the vintage wave - more like a tsunami at times - and I havent had my fill of nostalgia just yet. Seiko has already given us a plethora of new references this year, and there seems to be no stopping the brand. We had a smaller take on the Alpinist last autumn, and the Seiko Prospex 1959 Modern Re-Interpretation this spring. Did we need more? Well, we got them. Here, Seiko dresses up the Alpinist range with the SPB249J1 and SPB251J1, in what could be someone s elegant two-Alpinist collection.?Let s address the virtual elephant in the room. Some of you migh...

We re just one day away from the finals of The Fast And The Fratelli competition. One of the finalists will be a Speedmaster, and the decision seems to be fixed that it is the Speedmaster Calibre 321 presented by RJ. The other finalist will be the winner of this race here - either Dave s Fortis or Andreas s Zenith. Which contestant shall go head-to-head with the mighty Speedmaster?Andreas - Zenith El Primero A368 RevivalSo it s Dave s Fortis that you Fratelli chose to oppose my Zenith in the semi-finals. Well then, let s take a look at that opponent. Why does the Fortis B-42 always remind me of the B-52 Stratofortress? Is it the robust look or the generous dimensions of this chubby little Co...

Does the name ring a bell? If you consider yourself a true fan of vintage watches, perhaps it should! It s a classic watch brand born in the mid-1930s in France and deceased along with many of its contemporaries in the early 70s, yet another victim of the Quartz Crisis. But don t break out the Kleenex just yet - this is not a sad tale. The brand was brought back to life by Tom Van Wijlick in 2014 - 80 years after it was originally founded. Today, after a number of successful Kickstarter campaigns, the brand continues to gain pace and impress with its ambition.As I said before, this is no tragic tale, but rather a comeback story. Stewards of the brand since its return in 2014, the Van Wijlic...

As 2021 comes to a close, Seiko brings two Seiko Prospex 1968 Divers Modern Re-interpretation limited editions to the table that will break either your heart, the bank, or maybe even both. These diver s watches borrow their looks from a vintage design, but are made using modern technology and materials. This is as you would expect, but the watches come with some design quirks. And the pricing of both watches could also take you by surprise.In the second month of 2021, Mike was philosophizing about both Grand Seikos and Seikos brand strategies and what would come out of them. He talked about his struggles with press releases that referenced inspiration from nature, and he also foresaw a tidal...

It s funny, as if you d asked me my opinion of titanium last year, I d certainly not have the same opinion as I do today. Having only really worn and collected stainless steel watches, I was a bit weirded out by titanium s lightness when I first held it. It was a bizarre experience, and I wasn t ready for it. Since that day, practicality and sense have come to rule, and I ve learned not just to appreciate it but also love it!This innate lightness is not for everybody, and I get that. I sat on the other side of this argument for quite a while. So in an attempt to help convert some more folks over to #teamtitanium, I ve put together a list of some of my favorite titanium watches that suit the ...

Who doesnt love a good dive watch? For many, they are the gateway drug into a life-long passion for watches. And for some, they remain the focus of their collecting for years to come. No wonder then that every single year we are blessed with countless new models, both from microbrands and established luxury brands alike. Ill be keeping things personal today, and show you some of my favorite picks, which all happen to land under the $2,000 price point. To me, this is where true value can be found. These are watches that you can wear as intended without worrying about their value in ten years. Its what tool watches are all about.This is why Ive put together a list of my top five dive watches r...

We just entered the semi-finals of this The Fast And The Fratelli contest, with a wonderful Traxxas Bandit RC car (scale 1:10) at stake. Now it is getting tough, with two Speedmasters racing each other in this round. The Omega Speedmaster Calibre 321 meets our own Speedmaster Speedy Tuesday Ultraman edition. RJ s Speedmaster Calibre 321 is in the left lane, Balazs s Speedy Tuesday Ultraman is in the right. Start your engines.RJ: I was wearing the Speedmaster Calibre 321 yesterday during the F1 GP in Abu Dhabi. It just felt like an appropriate thing to do. I enjoyed watching F1 this season, although some of the decisions were highly questionable. But the racing has become more interesting, fo...

Ive never seen a helicopter up close before. Im excited. Im not expecting to be so (almost literally) blown away by the power of these machines, but it turns out I should have been. We race down to the landing area just in time to see them both land, but it isnt until our (unbelievably young) pilots fire up the engines for take-off that the forces at play become apparent.Matze boards the first copter with his filming equipment. Hes traveling with one representative from Esrange who is specially trained to help us recover the payload, wherever it may have landed. As his captain sets the blades in motion, were treated to a fearsome show of human engineering firsthand. The helicopter is taking ...

The montre de souscription, or subscription watch, presented by Abraham-Louis Breguet in 1796, was not only a pocket watch but also a brilliant conceptual idea. Produced upon registration and fitted with a robust, relatively easy-to-manufacture movement, this pocket watch responded perfectly to the capricious market during post-revolutionary times. And the Breguet Tradition 7097 Automatique Seconde Retrograde I wore on my wrist is reminiscent of those turbulent times. This watch is like a mechanical costume drama and an action movie combined.The stage is Paris. Of course, Abraham-Louis Breguet (1747-1823) was Swiss. He was, after all, born in Neuchatel. But his parents were French refugees, ...

When Bulgari acquired Daniel Roth back in 2000, it acquired the designs and watchmaking know-how that included Roths patented Papillion time-display method. Fifteen years later, that acquisition led to Bulgaris creation of the Papillon Tourbillon in a large 45mm Roth-inspired case.In 2021, we see the Papillon take on a new form as it joins the celebrated Bulgari Octo family. However, the addition of the central tourbillon created a beautiful harmony, with the butterfly and the whirlwind in the classy Octo Roma case: call it The Butterfly Effect.The Papillon rebornThe original Roth-inspired 45mm Papillon is a large and oversized watch by current standards. This year, Bulgari decided it was ti...

What a season! The 2021 Formula One season may go down as one of the most competitive campaigns in its over-70-year history. Not since 2012 have two opponents from opposing teams taken it down to the final race. With Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes-AMG and Max Verstappen of Red Bull Racing tied on 369.5 points apiece, everything was to play for in Abu Dhabi. The only advantage was that Verstappen had more wins under his belt for this year. In a thrilling battle under the lights of Yas Marina, Max Verstappen came out on top in a thrilling battle. Verstappen is now crowned the F1 World Champion for the first time and marks Red Bulls first drivers championship since 2013. But what watch was Max Vers...

The quarter-finals are here and we still have a bunch of Speedies in this game. But have no fear, the Zenith El Primero A386 Revival is here. Will it push the Speedmaster Apollo 8 off the track like Lewis did to Max (or vice versa), or will we see only Speedies in the finals? Today, Andreas s Zenith goes up against RJ s Speedmaster Apollo 8.RJ: This is going to be interesting. And truth be told, I would have a hard time making a decision between this classic Zenith El Primero A386 Revival - despite being a re-edition - or a modern interpretation of a classic, like the Speedmaster Apollo 8. A watch with a Zenith El Primero movement is still high on my wish list, but which one?Speedmaster Apol...