What do you know about Zeitwinkel? If you ve been around the watch industry for a while, chances are you ve seen or heard of this small, independent Swiss brand at some point. Its most famous model, the Zeitwinkel 273 Saphir Fume with its distinctive smoked sapphire dial, is a fine ambassador for the brand. As it turns out, it s also something of a metaphor for the brand s presence…The Zeitwinkel brand has lingered on the edge of my consciousness for many years now. The 273 Saphir Fume has floated in and out of my mind, a spectral figure quietly going about its business in a world of loud brands and showy watches. The watch, like the brand itself, is something of an under-the-radar c...

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 dont forget to let us know which watches youd like to see torn to shreds/effusively exalted next week. Well try and feature as many of our readers choices as we can. After a month out, we return. Re-energized and ready to take to the skies with the Blancpain Air Command Vs. the Breguet Type XXI.It has been a while since our last Sunday Morning Showdown. And that is for a good reason. At the beginning of each edition, just like above, we ask for suggestions from our re...

Welcome back to This Week in Watches for October 10, 2020 the Birthday Edition. Birthdays are this week s theme because it seems so many people have them in October. There s yours truly and so many others - the result of New Year s revelry perhaps? Now, let s try to find some suitable gifts.Norqain Freedom 60 GMTOur first apt birthday gift comes from Norqain in the form of the new Freedom 60 GMT and, folks, if you re buyin I m in! These newest additions to the field watch styled Freedom collection add the chronometer-certified NN20/2 manufacture GMT movement with independent hour hand and 70 hours of power reserve. So yes folks, this is what watch snoots refer to as a real GMT.You can choos...

Being unique is en-vogue in a big way. People are naturally drawn to exclusivity and the idea of having something that nobody else does. That also goes for watch collecting. Look at how popular limited editions and numbered series of releases can be. That exclusivity can inflate prices on the second-hand market. It is down to the fact that people want what others dont, or cant, have. Artisans de Geneve provides that service in a thoroughly independent fashion.More and more independent watchmakers and brands are catering to this trend. They assemble and build their watches to order, allowing their customers to customize the colors, finishes, and other aspects of their watch. This is all well ...

Don t say the words heritage re-issue. It s become a sometimes tiresome term over the past few years, with every brand under the Sun mining its back catalog for inspiration, only to artificially age the resulting re-issue so it looks both new and old at once. The Caplan brothers of Topper Jewelers in Burlingame, CA, don t seem to mind being inspired by the past with the latest limited edition to hit their shelves. But with the Oris Topper Jewelers collaboration, you find any pre-aging whatsoever. Instead, you have an entirely new piece inspired by perhaps the brand s most inventive period. Intrigued? So was I…I ve worked with Rob and Russ personally during my time with NOMOS Glashtt...

Now that the James Bond No Time To Die has been postponed, I d like to cheer you up with a selection of used Omega Seamaster James Bond watches.Since 1995, Omegas have adorned the wrist of secret agent James Bond. In Goldeneye, he could be seen wearing the quartz version of the Seamaster Diver 300M, reference 2541.80. When No Time to Die?eventually hits theaters, he will be wearing a titanium Seamaster 300M with an in-house-developed self-winding movement. Besides the watches he wears in the movies, there are also some limited editions dedicated to 007.In this article, I will show you 5 Omega Seamaster James Bond watches. These are all used Seamaster limited editions that commemorate one of ...

We have exciting news today with the announcement of the new Aquastar Deepstar Re-Edition. This legend of the deep returns as a thoughtful modern update. AND we have live images already (and that s just as well, as this is a seriously photogenic watch)!This video is blocked because you did not accept marketing cookies. Change cookie settings ?2020 will go down in history as one of the worst years on record. Really, what a mess. On the other hand, if you re a watch person, I d actually wager that this is one of the better years in recent memory. Just have a look at our Watch Releases 2020 subsection and you might confuse this year with a very different Roaring 20s. Regarding dive watche...

The team at Christopher Ward knows how to surprise us. The brand s latest model, the C65 Super Compressor has a lot of attention traps that you can fall into. A bit of sentiment for cult dive watch fans, re-discovered innovation, an unusual shape, or cheeky youthful colors. Oh, and all for under $1,000.British company Christopher Ward has been my favorite horology vigilante since 2014 when it introduced the SH21 movement regulated to COSC accuracy. Bold moves make history. While the industry stood frozen with its eyes wide open due to COVID-19, CW jumped on TV promoting their sapphire dial watch. I ve started keeping a bag of popcorn on-hand 24/7 in case another embargo email from CW hits my...

We re big fans of all things Seiko here on Fratello. Up until now, we ve covered almost all the notable lines from the brand, but it s high time that we give the modern Seiko Alpinist its due.The Seiko Alpinist is a fascinating watch. It s a watch that was originally conceived for adventurers. As you ll read below, it started off as a simple piece during the late 1950s and early 60s. Then, after an incredibly long absence, it returned as a far more formidable timepiece with greater capability. Today, we ll spend the bulk of our time focusing on this more recent era with a focus on models with twin crowns and an internal compass bezel. First, though, let s briefly set the table with a look a...

I came up with the idea for this article almost two years ago. Anytime I spotted something unusual that belongs to this category, I saved it. Last week I?finally shortlisted the TOP 10 craziest seconds hands I ve seen (so far). Let us know which models you would add to this list in the comments section below.It s probably no surprise to learn that a few odd-ball brands have made it onto this list. Strangely, however, you more established (and often more conservative brands) such as Longines Citizen also make an appearance. Alongside some classic central seconds hands, I ve added a couple of curveballs for your pleasure. Enjoy!Sicura SatelliteIts humongous, my wife says looking over my should...

Last year, TAG Heuer celebrated the 50th birthday of an icon. The Heuer Monaco was one of former CEO Jack Heuer s finest contributions to watchmaking (and, unwittingly, the silver screen). Following a rush of special edition timepieces dropped in 2019, TAG Heuer treats us to three more references (two dial colors) in the same vein. As 2020 slides towards non-existence, the TAG Heuer Monaco reminds us that it is still a relevant player in the sports chronograph category, now more than half a century after its debut.It s tough to do the same thing over and over again while remaining interesting. Even though I am not a huge fan of the TAG Heuer Monaco, I respect it plenty enough to have enjoyed...

Welcome back to Wrist Game or Crying Shame where, this week, we ll take a look at the Omega Speedmaster Teutonic. Get ready for a serious discussion, but first…Last week, the bulls were on parade as the Longines Legend Diver No Date crushed it with a 78% Wrist Game win. It turns out that many of you are just like me in the sense that you really don t care about such silly things as a calendar. This week, let s reach a bit to keep on theme with another watch that foregoes the dreaded date window. Our questionable candidate of the week just so happens to be the Omega Speedmaster Teutonic. Huh?The Omega Speedmaster TeutonicI ll forgive you if you ve never really heard of the Omega Speedma...

You will have noticed that this year, 2020, marks the 55th anniversary of Seiko entering the diver s watch league. In 1965, Seiko introduced its first-ever diver s watch, the 6217-8000 or 62MAS. Only a few years later, in 1968, it was followed by the first hi-beat model, 6159-7000. But things got really serious in 1975 when Seiko introduced its first watch suitable for saturation diving. The subject of this article, the SLA041, is to commemorate that very first saturation diver s watch, the 6159-7010 a.k.a Grandfather Tuna.Did you lose track of this year s 55th anniversary commemorative Seiko diver s models a bit? Let s get that out of the way first then. So far this year, we ve seen six div...

Yesterday, Omega announced its new Speedmaster Silver Snoopy Award 50th anniversary watch (click here). The third Speedmaster with the Snoopy theme and the 4th watch commemorating the Apollo 13 mission.I am lucky enough to own the first two Speedmaster Snoopy watches (2003 and 2015) and the Apollo 13 watch from 1995. But, that s not a reason to blindly buy the next one as well. I need to like - no, love - a watch before I spend that much money on one. Perhaps it would be different if I had unlimited financial resources, but I don t. I need to make choices. Spoiler alert, though: I did order the new Snoopy. The first deliveries will take place in November, we ve been informed.Without further ...

The variety of luxury sports watches is continually growing. More and more brands are extending their offerings by this category. But, are these new alternatives better than the classics? Are they alternatives at all? That depends on your requirements. Here are 13 alternatives to and Patek Philippe sports watches.It has become a matter of course that the popular sports watches from and Patek Philippe are not available to the average watch aficionado. The demand is vast, and the supply is scarce. Unless you are willing to pay a considerable premium on top of the already high prices for these watches, you will end up on a potentially endless waiting list. Therefore, any watch that is availab...

The Speedmaster Silver Snoopy Award 50th Anniversary is here, and I am convinced this was not what you expected! A beautiful mechanical animation on the case back and powered by the caliber 3861.Meanwhile, our hands-on review of this new Speedmaster Silver Snoopy Award can be found here.Here it is, the Speedmaster Silver Snoopy Award 50th Annniversary. Finally, I might add, as weve been waiting for it for months. There was no Baselworld or Time to Move this year, so Omega decided to spread the introductions of their new watches over the year. October 5 marks the date on which Omega received the Silver Snoopy Award from the Apollo 13 crew in 1970. So, theres no date thats more spot on to intr...

I worked for NOMOS Glashtte for three years. I traveled all over the northern hemisphere on behalf of the brand. Wherever I went, the questions were always the same. Will NOMOS ever make a bracelet? As it turns out, yeah, the brand did exactly that in early 2019. I thought it was fine, but I never needed my NOMOS watches on bracelets anyhow. No, I was more interested in the second (at the time), ridiculous question: Will NOMOS Glashtte ever make the Lambda model in stainless steel? Hahaha. No. Never. Or so we thought…LIVE FROM GLASHTTE: NOMOS Glashtte HAS released the Lambda in stainless steel. I bet you never saw that coming (what do you mean I gave it away in the title?). I apolo...

Aside from Apollo 11, NASA s 1970 Apollo 13 mission is probably the most talked-about one from the Apollo program. It was a mission that failed - almost fatally! On April 17th, 1970, the Apollo 13 crew landed safely on Earth after some incredibly scary moments onboard the module. The Speedmaster played such an important role on the return trip that NASA decided to give Omega a Silver Snoopy Award on October 5th of that same year. Some think the Snoopy cartoon on a Speedmaster is a bit childish, but often, those people don t know why it is there. In this article, we ll explain how Snoopy ended up on the dial of a Speedmaster.In 1970, NASA astronaut Thomas P. Stafford presented a Silver Snoopy...

Hold up, hold up. Smartwatches have a place in our industry. I m not going to tell you you need to shelve your mechanical babies in favor of a modern, super-duper, all-singing, all-dancing, endlessly connected contraption. No. I m not that guy. But I am a guy who is becoming a little more comfortable with keeping one of these luxury gizmos in his stable. I haven t always felt this way, but the latest TAG Heuer Connected has started to change my mind.When I think about my former opinion on luxury smartwatches, it didn t really make much sense. I was quite comfortable dismissing them out of hand. Sure, I knew they were highly functional. Sure, I knew they could, in theory, make my life easier....

Spoiler alert: if you don t want to know the result of the Stanley Cup Final between the Dallas Stars and the Tampa Bay Lightning, look away now… In the wake of a thrilling, if somewhat unconventional, end to the professional hockey season, Norqain has announced its new partnership with the NHL Players Association. The Norqain new Adventure Sport Chrono NHLPA Limited Edition, limited to 500 pieces, marks the moment…Was it ever in doubt? Did anyone really think the Stars could hoodwink the quick-striking Lightning in the same way they did my beloved Golden Knights in the conference finals? As Tampa Bay skates off into the history books with its second Stanley Cup triumph this cen...