This second installment of the W&W 2021 wrap by Time+Tide, Revolution, Monochrome, and Fratello is about the biggest Dark Horse released. What does it mean? The unexpected gem of the show, basically.The surprise killer watch of W&W 2021In this category that Frank from Monochrome hosts, and the four of us will give our choice for this darkest horse of Watches & Wonders 2021. Which watch surprised us the most? No budgets or limitations, just the horological surprised that we liked best! Share yours in the comments below and you can win this watch roll from Monochrome.What and when are the next categories up and who is hosting what?Saturday 8th May, 10pm AEDT, 2pm CET, 8am NYC C Wei...

Normally, these talks take place in a different setting, with beers and schnitzels. Or cheese-fondue. But in a year where even your parents and grandparents know what Zoom is, we have to make some concessions when talking about watches on pub-level. Wei Koh from Revolution, Andrew from Time+Tide, Frank from Monochrome, and me, will tell your our favorites in our own made-up categories.Our W&W 2021 favorites under 10KHere s the first episode, and the second one will follow quickly as well. Andrew from Time+Tide watches will start with this under 10K category, where each of us gives our favorite picks. The other three categories are titled Dark Horse, Batshit Crazy, and Future Forward. I t...

Its 22 November 1963 and US President John F. Kennedy has just been assassinated by Lee Harvey Oswald during a motorcade in Dallas, Texas. Kennedys Vice-President, Lyndon B. Johnson (more colloquially known LBJ), assumes the top job and brings the solid yellow-gold Day-Date that often adorns his wrist to a worldwide audience. LBJ is the first US president to wear the Day-Date and in doing so, inadvertently launched one of s most memorable brand associations.Three years after its debut on the wrist of LBJ, officially began advertising the Day-Date as The Presidents Watch. The rest, as they say, is history.Since being worn by LBJ, the Day-Date has adorned the wrist of Presidents Nixon, Ford...

The French Navy, or Marine Nationale, has been sailing the seven seas since 1626 making it one of the oldest naval forces in the world. When a watch fan hears the words Marine Nationale they think of watches and watch straps instead of frigates. In the recent past, members of the French Navy used sturdy watches from brands like Tudor, Doxa, and Longines. These are generally collectible watches nowadays with a traceable and detailed history. The YEMA Navygraf Marine Nationale GMT Limited Edition watch is not a replica of a vintage YEMA. The newest Navygraf marks the start of YEMAs military career since the company is now, for the first time in its history, an official partner of the French Na...

Just recently, I wrote why I love Omega watches so much. I received many wonderful responses, including a lot of questions about vintage Omega watches. This led me to the idea of creating an overview of the 10 vintage Omega watches I like best.It is not easy, to come up with an overview of just 10 vintage Omega watches that are my absolute favorites. It sounds easy and I could just mention 10 Speedmaster references, but weve published an overview of my favorite Speedmasters before. And, not many people are aware, but I also collect Constellations and have a weak spot for some other (vintage) Omega watches as well. So I tried to come up with a nicely balanced overview of 10 vintage Omega watc...

Since I live in Geneva, I got the opportunity to stop by Antiquorum and check out some of the watches in the house s upcoming May auction. They tend to have large catalogs so I do recommend looking through this one in advance or you might miss something cool as I have several times in the past.Antiquorum has just finished its Hong Kong sale and, overall, it looked like strong results across the board. I went back over it and was surprised as they sold some things well over what I expected. It is always interesting to see what kind of momentum auction houses carry from one country to another in the same season. I think it will do well, but auctions are always a bit of a gamble. Hence, the fun...

I?bet most of you have your underdog. A decent smaller watch that you all hold on to, even though you dont wear it often. The bumper Alpina Rensie is one of the earliest vintage watches I?bought. Every time I?see it in a drawer, my heart skips a?beat.?Early automatic watches with the so-called bumper movement are always fun. As explained in the Alpina History Brand Book, they relied on an active swinging weight to tighten the mainspring which, when fully wound, contained enough power to keep the watch running for circa forty hours. If you put the case back down you will see two springs that allow the central weight to bump. It is, in short, a simple and genius movement.Bumper timeThe wrist e...

Today Breitling has released the new, bigger brother to its popular Chronomat. The new Super Chronomat is the boldest and, perhaps most ambitious, addition to the Swiss brand s sports chronograph collection.?Breitling says that the Super Chronomat is the ultimate choice for those who want a timepiece mastering the balance between sturdy and stylish. Marketing spiel aside, I m inclined to agree, as my initial impression is that they look incredibly sturdy, and they re also rather stylish to boot. Of course, I d expect nothing less from a Breitling - just look at that stunning Four Year Calendar model!The Frecce Tricolori watch that Breitling created for the hotshots of the Italian Air Force s...

There is something magical about watches with a moon phase. But what if you combine it with the unique approach to watchmaking that defines Meistersinger? The brand from Mnster in Germany showed us the first example of it with their Lunascope introduced in 2018. Now the brand takes it one step further with the introduction of the new Meistersinger Stratoscope. It combines the best of both worlds, and the results are quite spectacular. I had a chance to go hands-on with the Stratoscope and find out more.Meistersinger is a fascinating brand. Not just because they produce single-hand watches, but the overall design of their timepiece is instantly recognizable. The combination of a single hand,...

In 1966 Seikos 62MAS dive watch accompanied researchers on the eighth Japanese Antarctic Research expedition. Seikos very first diving watch debuted the year before, and it marks a very important moment in the history of the brand. So it doesnt come as a surprise that this remarkable instrument shows up 140 years after the birth of Seiko in a celebratory collection of four. The Seiko 140th Anniversary Limited Edition Prospex Divers watch SPB213J1 is a crisp white and blue interpretation of the 1965 original.For its 140th Anniversary collection, Seiko chose to use white and blue as the connecting colors for its Astron, Prospex, Presage, and 5 Sports watches. If you saw the Astron GPS Solar SS...

Wrist Game or Crying Shame is back with a look at the Jaeger-LeCoultre Geophysic 1958. We ll see what you think about this simple beauty, but first…Last week, I was drinking light beer and hard seltzer (they re kind of the same) while hanging out in a South Florida pool. Appropriately, I chose the Yacht-Master 40 Oysterflex for your voting pleasure. It turns out that a full 73% of you would like the idea of rose gold and rubber too because this watch beach blanket bingoed its way to a massive win. Now, however, I m back in the land of frequent nasal swabbing and probing - aka Germany and that means that the fun has gone kaput. Thankfully, I m going to brighten things up for you with o...

Today Oris has updated one of its more technically advanced mechanical dive watches, the watch with a hole, the Aquis Depth Gauge. The second generation of the impressive tool watch features three critical improvements over its predecessor.Mechanical depth gauges are not that commonplace in most modern divers equipment bag. Partly because the advanced digital dive computers monitor this for them and because theyre just so few and far between. That said, many divers like to take a mechanical backup watch with them, so having a mechanical depth gauge to boot is certainly a helpful addition.Into the deepThe mechanical depth gauge mechanism is actually quite simple in its science, but the execut...

Are you tired of walking into empty AD s, but you d still like to own something worthwhile from the famous brand? Here are ten discontinued watches that you may wish to consider.There s so much talk about how difficult it is to buy a new steel sports . Actually, if my recent trip to South Florida is a guide, it s hard to find any right now. Seriously, the two large AD s I visited were empty save for a few jewel-encrusted gold models. Thankfully, the used market presents a great opportunity to find discontinued watches in great condition. Furthermore, people have been squirreling away watches for a long time, often keeping them in great condition.Discontinued watchesIf you re in the vin...

Minases Masterpiece collection displays some of the most beautiful crafts of Japan. Gold-engraved cases, needle-art decorated dials, or silver filigree decorations, Minase has shown it is the master of many different traditional techniques. Now the Japanese brand expands on its artistry showcase with the new Urushi Makie Hakose watches. Until now, the Japanese brand used its popular 5 Windows watches to showcase this artistry. From now on, it will use the stunning 7 Windows model for the acclaimed Masterpiece collection.To mark the occasion, Minase teamed up with the famous makie artist, Junichi Hakose, and developed a series of 4 urushi-makie watches around the theme of Japanese nature. Com...

Michael Collins, born on October 31st, 1930 in Rome, was one of the three men that were on Apollo 11 in 1969. Together with Edwin Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins left Earth on July 16th, 1969, destination Moon. It became the most famous space mission of all time and remains so to this day.Last week, on April 28th, 2021, Michael Collins passed away aged 90, in Naples, Florida. Having a father in the military, Michael Collins followed a well-trodden path at first. In 1952, he graduated from the US Military Academy at West Point and at some point became a test pilot in the Air Force. Then, in 1963, Collins was selected by NASA for their space program. It wasn t until 1966 that h...

Quite rare and hard to find: stumbling upon an Omega Seamaster Ref. 145.023 in such a good condition as the one we found on Zeitauktion is like discovering a NOS lightsaber on the planet Mustafar in the Outer Rim. The Omega Seamaster Anakin Skywalker watch is a multipurpose piece of kit because its both a style statement AND a very interesting chronograph from a historical perspective. The extravagant design catches the eye and immediately takes you back to the 70s. And if you let your mind wander freely, this Seamaster will even take you to a galaxy far, far away.It was the late Chuck Maddox - a legendary chronograph collector with a vast collection and the knowledge to back it up, who pub...

Today on Fratello on Air, I welcome my old friend Giles Ellis of Schofield Watch Company to the smooth booth to discuss some of his finest creations in exacting detail.Giles has been busy. Despite the world shutting down for many businesses, Schofield is busier than ever. The recent Strange Lights collection has been a great success thus far with very few units still remaining. Its release last year heralded a new and more consistent design language moving through the brand. This podcast player is blocked because you did not accept marketing cookies. Change cookie settings We talk about pens, we talk about materials (ceramic, bronze, and titanium particularly), we talk about tactility. I...

Finding Submariner alternatives over $10,000 is not very easy. You might think this is the case. If you want something with a minimum water-resistance of 300 meters, and a diving bezel, it gets really thin with results. Unless you add some precious metals to the game.Some of the Submariner fans weren t overly happy with my chosen title in a previous article where I showed seven? Submariner alternatives under $5,000. And let me state it once more, I have nothing against a Submariner, and if you want one, you should get one. Luckily, most of you acknowledged my intentions to show what s out there, for less money. Just not everyone has $10,000 to spend (or retail price if you re overly lucky)...

I have written about the Swiss custom shop that is Artisans de Geneve on more than one occasion before. Best known for customizing and modifying existing watches upon request for private customers, the brand has a pretty exciting back catalog of projects. Perhaps best known for its fantastic skeletonization, we ve seen open-worked Daytonas, Submariners, and even a 5711. Even if you are not a fan of the finished product, it s very difficult to deny the incredible craftsmanship chops on display.The latest project from the masters of Savoir-Faire eschews skeletonization in favor of adding a new complication to a Submariner. If you ve glanced at the lead image above, I m sure you ll have notice...

The month of March on Fratello was one of pure, unbridled joy. We had a lot of fun with our biggest, most hectic competition yet. We were sorry to see it end but we ve found ways to keep the fun alive. Dave and I are currently exploring a few What If? scenarios that illustrate what would have happened had the mighty Czapek fallen at any hurdle. Additionally, we have the small matter of prizes to distribute to the four commenters that, along with Hamilton-winning Ron_W, really made the contest come to life.Honestly, there were more than five major players in this tournament. It was so much fun watching you all interact throughout the contest. It feels like our community on Fratello has finall...