Today we have a common example confirming how difficult the purchase of Submariner 5513 might be. Or how quickly it can become a nightmare for a neophyte collector.Dont read this article?on? Submariner 5512 vs. 5513 that?Robert-Jan wrote some time ago. It still brings me to tears. Especially the intro. RJ recounts how he paid $1,800 for the first GMT-Master 1675 he bought in 2003. Or the other one he bought 10 years later for $4,500. We are in 2020 today and Corona seems to be fading slowly. What next months will bring is still uncertain, but prices of GMT 1675 seem hopping comfortably above 10k mark. The vintage watch market clearly cares very little about the troubles faced by society.Su...
When you re a watch collector, there s always a wish list. At Fratello, we are collectors in the first place, the writing part came (much) later. In this episode of Fratello on Air, Mike and RJ talk about the next 3 pieces on their radar. There s no overlap in watches this time, just one brand that is mentioned twice.After the mandatory wrist check (see below), Mike and RJ discuss these topics. Our Fratello on Air podcast can be played via Apple,?Soundcloud,?Spotify,?Google Podcast, and?Buzzsprout. This podcast player is blocked because you did not accept marketing cookies. Change cookie settings For RJ, the lists consist of a Zenith El Primero Rainbow (Flyback), a Day-Date 118238, and ...
During the Covid-19 lockdown, Robert-Jan spoke with Panerai CEO Jean-Marc Pontroue about this year s Panerai introductions, the Panerai experience trips and whether Pontroue considers himself to be a Luminor or Submersible type of guy.Jean-Marc Pontroue, Panerai CEOOther videos from us can be found on our YouTube channel, here....
I ve always been a fan of Doxa. When I started my journey into the wonderful world of watches, it was one of the first brands I came across. It amazed me how versatile Doxa s line up was. It had vintage 38mm time-only pieces - gigantic watches in those days! Doxa made a handful of fantastic chronographs in the 40s and 50s. Some even came with a regulator dial layout. And, of course, you had its Divers watches, the Sub 300 series. So, when I received the press release of their new Sub 300 Carbon Aqua Lung US Divers, I knew I had to lay my hands on one.I prepared an article about the Sub 300 Carbon at that time, but that was only the beginning. I wanted to check out the watch, see how it fe...
I m still not sure how comfortable I feel with Meca-quartz, but, ostensibly, that uncertainty odes nothing to inhibit me wearing Nezumi chronograph at least once a week. I ve talked about my love for other models in the past. Those pieces are easier to digest. This model, however, is something rather special. The Nezumi Loews Reference LQ1.501 is far more vibrant than my usual fare. Let s see how we got on…I like color. My obsession with sports (especially those of the American persuasion) means my wardrobe is jam-packed with vivid jerseys celebrating teams from coast-to-coast. As such, I don t mind sporting a sizzling shade. Oddly, however, this proclivity for color rarely translates ...
Welcome back to Wrist Game or Crying Shame, the weekly serial where you get to play monarch. Let s see if you ll award the royal crown to the Air-King. But first…Last week, I tried to present value to you in the form of a rare Breitling Superocean Chronoworks. It turns out that this rarity was caused by its initial price of nearly $40K! Even a reduction down to roughly $15,000 wasn t enough to save this science experiment as it fell to a thundering 73% Crying Shame loss. That Breitling was once the brand s veritable head of state, but was quickly deposed. Now let s focus on a monarch with a far longer reign, the Air-King.The Air-King debuted in 1945Internet lore tells us that the A...
I woke up one morning, about two weeks ago, to a press release from Czapek. That s normally a good way to start the day. But what I found within that press release - news of the Czapek Antarctique Terre Adelie Secret Alloy automatic watch hitting the market - was enough to put a spring in my step for the next week. Obviously, I had to get it on my wrist as soon as possible.Oh. My. Goodness. It has finally happened. Czapek & Cie, a brand I have followed ardently since its reestablishment in 2011, has finally made a watch that I don t just admire, but actively want. The Czapek Antarctique is not just cool; it is a contender to a throne that has been warred over by the Patek Philippe Nautil...
We finally have some news from Tudor! The new Black Bay Fifty-Eight Navy Blue is here and brings variety to a beloved dive watch.Well, I guess we saw this coming. Blogs and keyboard warriors all speculated about what could be in store from Tudor. Renders were created, fuzzy pictures of what could be were circulated. But it s always best to wait for the real scoop and now we finally have it. The Tudor Black Bay Fifty-Eight Navy Blue is here! And while this watch doesn t really blaze any new trails, it does something more important. Namely, the Fifty-Eight Navy Blue gives the fans more of what they want.A quick trip back to 2018It s hard to believe that it was over two years ago that I penned ...
I never get tired of getting new watches in hand. Even after thousands of timepieces have passed through my possession, I remain surprised at how surprised I am still able to be. The more watches I encounter, the more I must remind myself to keep an open mind and to get them on the wrist. If I d ignored that sage advice, I might still be sleeping on the Grand Seiko SBGW257 and SBGW259.The Grand Seiko SBGW257 and SBGW259 watches would not have been watches I d have gravitated to in the boutique. Why not? I hear you cry. Do you not think they re beautiful? Well, yes, actually, I do think they re beautiful. In fact, I would go as far as to say that their beauty far outstrips almost anything els...
LL Cool J s lyrics Don t call it a comeback, I ve been here for years are very much in place when it comes to Bvlgari s watches. With the recent Octo Finissimo watches, they are throwing some good punches. We ve been raving about the Bvlgari Octo Finissimo watches a number of times, it has become one of our favorite new watches.You are probably also aware that Bvlgari is a proper watch manufacture, located in several places in Switzerland. We visited the P?le Habillage in Saignelegier,? the assembly atelier in Neuchatel, and the Bvlgari Manufacture de Haute Horlogerie in Le Sentier. In this article, we show you how things are done at Bvlgari.Bvlgari Manufacture Visit ReportOur trip starts wi...
The days of finding a pre-owned Omega Speedmaster Professional under $3,000 are behind us. Perhaps, when luck is on your side, you might run into one for that kind of money. But, in general, I will say that those days are gone.In this article, I want to share 5 Omega Speedmaster watches that can be had for under $3,000. These are the Speedmaster models I would (and in some cases I did) purchase with a budget of $3K. Perhaps not the best, wildest, coolest, or most popular references, but I happen to find them interesting Speedmaster watches.5 Speedmaster Watches Under $3,000I went with $3,000, as this used to be the budget for a nice pre-owned Moonwatch. I ve picked up Speedmaster watches for...
It s Two For Tuesday where we take a look at a couple of models often considered during a purchase decision. This week, we ll talk about the Oris Divers Sixty-Five and the Big Pointer Date.Last week, we spoke about two incredibly popular Seiko divers. The Marinemaster 300 took on its offspring in the Baby Marinemaster. It seems that most of you enjoy saving a few bucks while staying comfortable because the little guy took home most of your votes. This week, we ll look at a couple of really nice watches from Oris. The 116-year old brand from H?lstein, Switzerland has a pair of hot tickets on its hands with the Divers Sixty-Five and the Big Pointer Date.My Oris memoriesPrior to 2015, I have to...
Hamilton is no stranger to Hollywood super productions. The brand with American Spirit and Swiss Precision has been on the wrists of the silver screen stars for decades. 2020 brings us yet another collaboration by British film director Christopher Nolan and Hamilton. The movie is Tenet, and the watch is the Khaki Navy BeLOWZERO.Many of us remember Agent Jay and Kay in the 1997 sci-fi comedy Men In Black (played by Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones) sporting the quirky/futuristic-looking Hamilton Ventura watches. Who can blame them? Even Elvis loved the Ventura, after all. Or how can we forget the most popular Hamilton of recent years, the Murph? This very model took its name from one of the mai...
When you say Superman, most of the population see handsome Clark Kent dashing to the bathroom to don his cape. When I hear it, I see a vintage divers watch by French brand Yema. Today, Yema hits us with a re-edition of the 1963 OG with the shiny bakelite-like bezel. Enjoy it with us in an exclusive hands-on review.Months ago, I heard from the Yema communications team that a vintage-inspired skin diver was in the works. I instantly thought about early Yema Superman watches with framed lumed indexes big enough to drown in. If you dont remember them well enough, you can read Mikes piece about the LeJour-branded Yema Superman 87062 for the US market. His piece is quite unique as it came with an ...
Im on holiday. I shouldnt be writing this. But social distancing measures on trains mean my travel partner is sitting a row in front of me and more concerned with the bag of cherries we stashed for the journey than my company. And, more to the point, this is the release Ive been building up to all year. Today, the Laventure Transatlantique GMT hits the shelves. Move quickly. With just 100 pieces available, I dont think this one will hang around for long-I am the proud owner of the first two Laventure watches. I have the Marine (with a green dial), and the Sous-Marine (with a bronze case and a black dial). Had a blue or brown dial been included in the Transatlantiques debut I would own one of...
Welcome back to our Watch On Your Wrist? Instagram extravaganza! Tag your watch snaps with #fratellowatches to be in with a chance to win!Every week, we select four images. You can vote in the article for your favorite image. The winner moves on to the semi-final round (held every fifth week between the previous four weekly winners). Win that and you re into the final, which will be held at the end of the year. There will be five finalists in 2020 and ten from next year on.Basically, if you like winning things - and there will be a prize for the champion of 2020 - this year represents your best shot. So get snapping, get tagging, and get sharing. And don t forget to vote for yourself… ...
From H?lstein with love. It is the catchphrase Oris has chosen for their new series of H?lstein Edition watches. Like many of you, I love 007, so a good Bond reference is always welcome. But what does it stand for? Well, Oris shows us with a new series of limited edition watches. The first in the series is the visually stunning Oris H?lstein Edition 2020. It s an all-bronze version of the well-known Oris Divers Sixty-Five Chronograph. The moment I took the watch out of the box, I thought: Now this is something I will enjoy!. With the Oris bling factor turned up all the way to 11, this one is for fans of making a statement.Before I get into the details of the watch, I would like to get back t...
As the very first model to grace the new Fratello store, the Frederique Constant Manufacture Moonphase hits the market as a standard-bearer of things to come. Utilizing an in-house movement with an attractive moonphase function, it debuts as an affordable option for those seeking extra complications in a wearable watch.Being the first is never easy. The temptation to create noise through superfluous additions and a ground-shaking aesthetic is ever-present. But restraint - especially when it comes to limited editions - is wise. By choosing a tried and true model and making tasteful tweaks, the designers have bolstered this model s long-term appeal.CaseIt is harder than it should be to find we...
In this Sunday morning column, 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. This week we take to the waves, but stay above them for once. The Yacht-Master II and the Panerai Luminor Luna Rossa Regatta Chrono Flyback are approaching the start line, but first…Last week, the battle we d been waiting for took place. To be quite frank, it wasn t the gritty tussle for which I d h...
It s This Week in Watches for June 27, 2020 the variety edition. We ve got serious diversity this week, so without further ado…TAG Heuer Carrera 160 Years Montreal Limited EditionOur first entry in this variety edition comes from TAG Heuer. I got a bit excited when the press release came in and I saw a 1972 Montreal chronograph. Well, it turns out that we re getting a 39mm Carrera with the familiar Glassbox construction in the guise of a Montreal. This 1,000-piece limited edition features blue, yellow, and red highlights on its dial and a blue leather alligator strap. The in-house Calibre 02 automatic powers the three-register chronograph. The $6,400 watch will begin hitting boutiques ...
