Speedmaster enthusiasts and collectors love accessories for their watches. I am no exception myself, to be honest. Omega has just introduced three new Speedmaster Moonwatch Velcro straps. We received two of these to try out.As you know, astronauts who used the Speedmaster during EVA (Extra-Vehicular Activity), wore them on velcro straps over their spacesuit. Ed White even wore two of them in 1965! That same year, the Omega Speedmaster (105.003) was qualified by NASA for all manned space missions. You can read about that here.These Velcro straps came in handy for the spacesuit, but are way too long for your wrist, of course. The original velcro strap also has a special internal NASA code: SEB...
I remember when Zenith first released the Defy 21 back in 2017. I was invited to a showcase event where many of the new watches from that year s Baselworld. It was the first time I was able to see these watches up close and personal. I was rather excited as that year had seen a few new watches released that I was eager to see up close and personal. One of these was the Zenith Defy 21.The Zenith El Primero Defy 21 was a big update and upgrade on the original El Primero movement from 1969. The movement s frequency was given a bump up from 5Hz to 50Hz, in turn giving a considerable increase in timing precision from 1/10th of a second to 1/100th of a second for chronograph readings. This means t...
Roll up, one and all, March Mania has reached its second round! At this stage, our eight competing writers get a rest. Rob and Dave will present our weary warriors remaining four watches over the next four days, with each post featuring the winners of two first-round votes.Your mission, if you choose to accept it, is to finally help us decide the champions of Mike and Tomas s groups. The last two pieces standing trade blows for the right to exit the group stage as king of the castle, and march on to the quarter-finals with their head held high…Login to your Fratello account and drop us a comment. Who did you vote for and why? What s your prediction for the later rounds? The Omega Spee...
Meet Omega s latest addition to the 300M collection: The Seamaster Diver 300M Black Black reference 210.92.44.20.01.003. This 43.5mm diameter diver watch looks similar to the titanium and ceramic edition of? 2019, but now in all-ceramic.What I love about the 2019 Seamaster 300M Diver in titanium & ceramic (reference 210.92.44.20.01.002) was the diameter size of 43.5mm and the fact it has no date. I am a sucker for no-date watches, as I rarely use the date on my own watches. Consequently, I prefer to keep things clean. So, I am giving the new no-date Seamaster 300 Black Black a very warm welcome to the collection. Without further ado, let s have a look.Omega Seamaster 300M Black BlackOmeg...
Omega updated its Seamaster 300 collection and added a bronze gold version (reference 234.92.41.21.10.001) as well. Bronze certainly isn t new to the industry. Nor is gold new to the Seamaster 300. However, this fresh new alloy - the aptly-named bronze gold - is something new to us all.The Omega Seamaster 300 collection receives a few subtle changes, including an upgraded movement (caliber 8912, Master Chronometer certified) and modified case proportions. The 41mm diameter remains, but the case band and bezel combined are slimmer than before, with the old height retained by virtue of a boxy sapphire. The classic Broad Arrow hands and straight lugs remain. Without further ado, let s have a lo...
You might expect a dress watch to exude a certain sex appeal, exotic class, or self-confident verve. But for the new 40mm Omega De Ville Tresor in stainless steel, it is much more than that. There is a tone of substance beneath the style. The combination of a steel case, diamonds, and a burgundy dial makes for an unusual visage but a really compelling proposition, from top to bottom.? It is certainly an off-base choice for men, but, as you can see from the below images, it doesn t look all that uncomfortable on a male wrist either.The 40mm De Ville Tresor collection is quite well-known not only among men but also among women. The history of the De Ville Tresor line dates back to 1949. Thats ...
In our double-talk, two of our editors share their bold opinions on just one watch. This week Karina and Robert-Jan discuss the new Omega release - the 40mm Yellow Gold De Ville Tresor.Although Omega is well-known especially for its sports watches like Seamaster Diver 300M or Speedmaster, its more elegant lines De Ville and Constellation are as significant as the ones mentioned before. Largely due to the remarkable stories of both lines and simply awesome designs. However, today lets have a closer look at the novelty from the De Ville Tresor line.?The De Ville Tresor CollectionThe Tresor watches were launched originally in 1949 and housed Omegas famous 30mm caliber. In 2014, Omega decided to...
Natural lines and precision engineering combine in a collection of timepieces designed especially for women who seek-out elegance with an edge. The well-known dial in new colors, couple with Omegas female-focused communication strategy surely foreshadows the success of the new Seamaster Aqua Terra for ladies.Among many ladies releases of 2021, the ones I was waiting for the most have just appeared. As the creator of Omega Ladies Club, Omega watches are the ones I love and the ones I wear. Therefore, last week when Omega s novelties arrived at HQ and landed on my desk, my heart immediately went out to the new Seamaster Aqua Terra for ladies.The Powerful DialThere are few better additions to a...
Regardless of the season, the only thing we need to complete the fashion game is the watch. A captivating alternative to boring jewelry that we will not be able to part with after a while. Ladies, Omega just introduced a timepiece worth your attention like no other - the two-tone Omega Constellation Petite Seconde.In my previous article, I talked about the Sedna gold Constellation Petite Seconde which is an effortlessly modern ladies watch with a distinct edge. This one is different - luxurious yet utilitarian. Its classic style makes it a very versatile option. That trait is exacerbated by its slick bicolor case.The Chestnut Dial?The two-tone Constellation Petite Secondes timeless aesthetic...
The Omega ladies novelties are here to shine and this collection is no exception. The Constellation Petite Seconde in Sedna Gold adds a bit of the sparkle we all need in life.?From Cindy Crawford to Nicole Kidman, the iconic Omega Constellation was seen on the wrists of many it-girls - especially in the late 90s and early 00s. The last few years have seen something of a revival. Ive met so many wonderful women wearing the latest generation of Constellation or its previous versions, so much so that Omega has decided to bring back another well-known model - the Constellation Petite Seconde.The Very First Constellation Petite SecondeAs part of the Constellation collection, in 2016, Omega relea...
As you can probably imagine, last week was a very exciting week at Fratello HQ. We were lucky enough to receive a special package from Omega, jam-packed with some of the brand s tastiest novelties of the season. We divvied up the watches among the team and set to work. By complete chance (and a happy one at that), the Omega Seamaster 300 with a rich blue dial landing on my plate.The cynic might ask how many times a brand can keep reissuing or redesigning the same concept while remaining interesting. I don t have an answer for you, but I can tell you this: Omega hasn t reached that cut-off point yet. In fact, the brand is far from it if this new diver is anything to go by.Inspired by the very...
March Mania marches on! When we started the competition, we had 96 watches. Now we re at the stage when the last 16 will be scythed in half to leave just eight still standing. At that point, the writers will have just one watch remaining each. So today, for the very last time, the watches that started in the preliminaries together will go head-to-head for the division champion crown. Where will your votes fall?We re at the business end of the groups now. Gerard and RJ both have just two watches left. We need you to pick your favorite in this quick-fire round. Tomorrow we will have the last two competitors from Mike and Tomas s groups before Ben and Bert step into the fray on Wednesday. Then,...
Last year was all about the Sub 300 Carbon Aqua Lung US Divers at Doxa. It was the brands first model in its all-new forged carbon case. A limited-edition of only 300 pieces, that innovative Sub 300 did not only have a carbon case but a bezel and dial too. Last week, Doxa released an array of new Sub 300 Carbon models, six to be exact, in ten versions.Whether you want a piece that stands out or fancy a more down-low color, Doxa s got you covered. From the classic orange to a daring turquoise, the line offers a diver for everyone. And the best thing about it; theyre non-limited versions.LineageThe new Doxa Sub 300 Carbon is the continuation of what was started last year by the Carbon Aqua Lun...
Longines has been killing recently. I mean it! The brand from Saint-Imier had a pretty good 2020, and it seems pretty intent on keeping that momentum going in 2021. The well-received Spirit collection knocked it out of the park and won plaudits from across the industry. The Heritage line of watches also saw a bit of a makeover with some stunning results. Longines was on a roll! Now, as we enter into the second month of 2021, Longines has dropped another winner onto us. A watch we possibly didn t know we needed: enter the Longines Avigation BigEye in titanium.The Avigation BigEye is an instantly recognizable watch from Longines, and it has enjoyed a successful few years since its release. Now...
When I was a young watchmaker, the industry seemed enormous. There was so much I didnt know. There were so many options available to me. It seemed impossible at the time to choose. My career and collecting habits could have gone in any direction. And while those habits have evolved over time, I will never forget where they began. They began with a Hamilton Khaki Aviation X-Wind Automatic Chronograph and the honest belief that complexity was king.If you were to open my watch boxes now and assess the fare within, you might well accuse me of being a bit boring. Perhaps a bit safe. Several NOMOS watches, a demure Speedmaster, a selection of dive watches that do not stray too far from any of the ...
Wow, this is all happening so fast. When we started the competition, we had 96 watches. Now we re at the stage when the last 16 will be scythed in half to leave just eight remaining. At that point, the writers will have but one watch each remaining. So today, for the very last time, the watches that started out in the preliminaries together will go head-to-head for the division champion crown. Where will your votes fall?We re at the sharp end now. Jorg has two left, as does Balazs. We need you to pick your favorite in this quick-fire round. Tomorrow we will have the last two standing from Gerard and RJ s groups before Mike and Tomas step into the fray, followed finally by Ben and Bert. The q...
Rob and Balazs scoot through five major sports leagues (and touch on a sixth) as they seek out the very best on-field threads available right now. Pairing each jersey/team with a watch model or brand, is, of course, their secondary task.We ve got lots of , Breitling, Lange, and other heavy hitters, wild creations like Hublot, Artya, and HYT, fun stuff like Neff and Casio, and loads more watchmaking wonders to discuss. Jump in and enjoy, and let us know your favorite jerseys in the comments section. Today, we re touching on the MLB (baseball), NHL (ice hockey), NFL (football), NBA (basketball), and the EPL (soccer). If we re not talking about your favorite sport, make sure to let us know abou...
In our Sunday Morning Showdown, two of our writers go head-to-head in an epic showdown for the ages. Strong opinions and hysterical hyperbole are welcome (so feel free to join in with the fun in the comments section below). And don t forget to let us know which watches you d like to see torn to shreds/effusively exalted next week. We ll try and feature as many of our readers choices as we can. For this morning, our writers select two modern re-interpretations of iconic Seiko dive watches. The Prospex SPB143 recreates the spirit of the 62MAS from 1965. Whereas the Prospex SPB185 takes inspiration from the reference 6159-7000 from 1968. As the prices line up, please cast your vote and let us ...
Roll up, one and all; March Mania has reached its second round! At this stage, our eight competing writers get a rest. Rob and I have presented our weary warriors remaining four watches over the past four days, with each post featuring the winners of two first-round votes. After today we move onto the Sweet Sixteen, how exciting!Here come the final four warriors from both Ben and Bert s groups. The writers aren t going head-to-head just yet, so the seedings attached to each watch stay put from the previous round. By the end of the week, we ll be down to the final two from each initial group of 12 as we barrel towards the showpiece final. As always, what we need from you is simple: vote for ...
I am happy to admit that my taste in watches spans from the classic and reserved to the more out there and wacky pieces. I ve made no secret of my love for avant-garde and non-traditional watch design. It s not always easy for brands to step outside of conventional design, either by their own self-imposed boundaries or by what they perceive to be their fanbase s boundaries. Sometimes, these boundaries can only be overcome by the input of someone not connected with the brand or its history.Such collaborations can often end one of two ways. A big swing and miss, or something which adds a valuable point of difference and indication that a brand is willing to experiment with creativity. Today I ...
