After many years, I ve found my birth year Speedmaster 145.022-76. Having a watch from your year of birth is something to which many enthusiasts aspire.In my opinion, the best thing is when your parents bought one in your birth year and looked after it for you. But I guess not everyone is so lucky (I wasnt). then you will need to find your own watch. This does mean that you can purchase the watch you really fancy, of course.This article is about my own quest for a birth year watch. One that took me about 15 years to find the perfect piece.Year of Birth 145.022-76Ever since I have been bitten by the Speedmaster bug, it was my goal to find a reference from my year of birth (1977). Already in 2...
If you re looking for a lush dial with pared-down neoclassicism, you came to the right place. What s that you say? Your partner wants the same? Well, whatever your tastes, Bovet is here for you. The Miss Audrey and Monsieur Bovet watches offer a creative solution for couples looking to sport the same style.Bovet is, at its heart, all about extravagance. Artisanal decoration, personalized miniature painted on dials, highly-decorated skeletonized tourbillons, and erotic watches. That makes for quite the catalog! But those are just a few examples from nearly a century of Bovets impressive and diverse design. The new Miss Audrey and Monsieur Bovet perfectly embrace the wilder side of this altern...
Would you ever turn to a Pepsi dial besides for a GMT-Master? Before I bought the Seiko Prospex SRPA21K1 PADI Edition, that thought had never even crossed my mind. Wearing my PADI Edition diver for this installment of? 52Mondayz is a good reminder of why blue and red is a great color combination for watches in general and why the Turtle is such an impressive watch.We have featured quite a few Seiko watches in 52Mondayz and there have been a number of articles on Seiko s retro-styled ‘Turtle diver. But the Turtle was never featured in our 52Mondayz articles. That s why it seemed appropriate to wear my Turtle PADI Edition for a week and collect my thoughts on it after having owned it fo...
Earlier this year, I reported about the new Omega Constellation 39mm Gent s collection. The lines of this model are a bit sharper than the previous model, and they are now all equipped with the in-house caliber 8800/8801 movements. My only concern, as I wrote in this article, is the thickness of the case. Let s see if that has been addressed by Omega.I never really took notice of the Constellation Double Eagle collection from 2003 and the later 2009 Constellation collection (38mm). They were much bulkier than the Constellation watches that were made from 1982 to 2002 and somehow I simply didn t warm up for them.The new Constellation 39mm Gents collection looks more mature, compared to its p...
In a world where differentiation is more important than ever, Genteel Handmade offers you the freedom to create your very own alligator watch strap for your timepiece. Made to order, made for you.Genteel Handmade is a business that distinguishes itself on the market through a passion for uniqueness. Through years of practice, they managed to perfect their craftsmanship and also to focus on quality and variety. One of the most important things for them is to offer as many customizable options as possible.Genteel Handmade valuesThe alligator watch strap perfectly aligns with Genteel Handmade values. Using carefully selected and ethically sourced skins ensures a top-quality product. Master craf...
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, the youthful Air-King is the subject of this macho tug-of-war twixt RJ and Jorg. Enjoy!When introduced this Air-King reference 116900 in 2016, it simply confused me. I even wrote that in this article on Fratello later that year. It appeared to me that used their 40mm Milgauss case and put in ...
Another month, another Watch Strap Review. In February we introduced Genteel Handmade Straps to you guys and for March we have yet another interesting company - Nero Biglia (Black Marble). Surprise, surprise, this brand hails from Italy! Let s see if the nation s reputation for fine craftsmanship holds up under scrutiny. might have guessed that we re reviewing an awesome Italian brandIf you are looking for exotic leathers and crazy creations you will be disappointed. Nero Biglia does not offer such extravagances. What it does offer, however, are excellent quality straps at very reasonable prices. These straps are beautiful. The focus on manufacturing and material quality mean these timeless ...
The Zenith Piggy Bank proves marketing genius lives for centuries. This is the story of a clock that helped people save money.? I met my friend Matej a few weeks after he lent me his Seiko Superior to be reviewed for 52Mondayz. I was about to give him the Seiko back when my subconscious autopilot threw a mandatory question at him. The one all curious watch nerds give and get all the time: Any new vintage additions to your watch collection? As proven on multiple occasions, I didnt even have to wait until he opened his mouth. I knew immediately I would hear something that would keep me from sleeping.Zenith Piggy BankMatej mumbled first about some Seiko watches he likes a lot, then jumped over ...
Part of the appeal of the Jazzmaster collection is the beautiful balance of contemporary aesthetic and traditional watchmaking expertise. In 2019 Hamilton welcomes brand new automatic chronographs as hero pieces in its most refined collection. Their understated style is a style statement in itself.The contemporary H-21 automatic chronograph movement boasts a date function as well as a seamless 60-hour power reserve. The movement is based on the traditional ETA 7750 Valjoux movement, which is known for its quality. Hamilton has adapted it and made it more powerful to deal with the demands of modern life.Visit www.hamiltonwatch.com for more information.Polished stainless steel cases are mascul...
This year Panerai surprised?us with 3 limited editions. That might sound a bit silly, and indeed it wasn t?that Panerai presented limited editions, however, hw they will be offered which surprised us.2019 was chosen by Panerai to be the year of new Submersibles. Except for new 42 mm and 47 mm models in the more or less regular collection, new models in the BMG-Tech, Carbotech, and Chronograph lines were introduced as well. And, as expected, within these different model lines 3 special limited edition models are presented and offered in a very special package.Three Panerai Submersible 47 mm Special Editions#gallery-1 {margin: auto;}#gallery-1 .gallery-item {float: left;margin-top: 10px;text-...
Today I m going to launch one of the most requested watches since the launch of Watches and Pencils. It will be all about this famous?thirst quencher:Old NicknameThe nickname ‘Pepsi for the GMT-Master seems to be quite old. I found several sources that go back multiple decades. It is an old and at least one of the most famous nicknames. Almost every watchnerd knows what you re talking about when you speak about the ‘Pepsi . Intentionally, created the famous blue/red bezel by request of Pan-Am. This airliner asked to develop the watch because the flights were becoming longer and pilots needed something to read multiple timezones. One of the requested features in this project ...
It is not always easy to be a watch critic. There s a lot out there that is not really good or making a difference. We shift a lot of the stuff that we come across on forehand, to present you at least the watches we think are interesting for you to read about. Sometimes, there s a watch out there that does make a difference. The (new) Omega Seamaster 300M in steel and Sedna gold is exactly a watch like that.?Then, it becomes very difficult to write a review without making it look like a promo.But believe me, it isn t. Omega has no influence in our editorial work and neither has any other brand. When that day comes, I will start doing something else as this freedom is a huge part of the fun f...
Chasing Time is a book written by an experienced watch collector, who highlights vintage watches that have gone through his hands being a collector and dealer.This book, written by Alistair Gibbons, takes you on a journey of being a watch collector (and dealer). Many different watches – including those from unknown brands – are being described in detail and most of all, what makes them so special. It is not just a book that lists (vintage) watches and their specifications, no, Alistair made sure to make it a worthwhile read by adding some very interesting facts about these watches. It also gives an insight into the mindset of a collector, showing the things that matter most when ...
Looks like a watch with 24 date windows, no? Well, look again.Lets not beat around the bush: the Gruen Airflight has twelve see-through apertures in the dial. At 1 pm a thin under-the-dial plate shifts automatically to expose the numerals 13 through 24. How cool?!This video is blocked because you did not accept marketing cookies. Change cookie settings My problemWhen I unboxed my Gruen Airflight, I immediately wound it and tried the hour change mechanism. I wanted badly to know how it works from the inside. If my new Airflight hadnt stopped just 2 hours after being on my wrist, I never would have made the video you can see below. The balance wheel stopped balancing after a few seconds e...
The new Hautlence HL Sphere is a work of art.I only found that out this past month when I saw Hautlence the first time in the metal. See, since a few years now I visit H. Moser & Cie during SIHH and Baselworld as well as other events. You could read about their latest creations they introduced during SIHH 2019 here and here. However, H. Moser & Cie is not the only brand the Meylan family is involved with. Our loyal readers couldve met the name Hautlence on the pages of Fratello a few years ago.? We covered some of the latest and greatest of the brand before but not as often as we should have perhaps. This is about to change: Today we will talk about the brands 8th manufacture caliber...
At least for us in Europe, a spotting a Grand Seiko watch in the flesh is still as rare as spotting a Japanese supercar like the Nissan GT-R.Perhaps it mainly has to do with price, as the Nissan GT-R starts at $169.600 here in The Netherlands (cars are expensive here in general). Grand Seiko is winning turf though, as its popularity is ever increasing. Enough has been written about the quality of the watches, and that s never really a discussion anyway. It is the unknown, that plays a role for these watches (and cars).Anyway, in 2019 Grand Seiko celebrates the 20th anniversary of their Spring Drive technology and Nissan the 50th anniversary of their sportscar, the GT-R. For this anniversary,...
Longines simply cant make a bad Heritage watch.Out of all the Swatch Group brands, Longines is the one company that nails their vintage reeditions 99% of the time. They are also doing it with a very small but talented design team in house. I should know, Ive met them in Basel last year (thank you Swatch Group Germany!). For many years now the Longines Heritage models are the favorites of the press (first) and the enthusiasts (as soon as the pieces hit the stores). This was exactly the case last year when during this aforementioned visit the guys showed me not only one but two future-Heritage watches. The first was the Military Pilot, which I reviewed in March. The second was this cool piece;...
Are you looking to buy an Omega Speedmaster but don t know where to start? We re here to help! Over the past 65+ years, Omega has created many variations of one of the world s most famous chronographs. The classic 42mm Moonwatch has been in the collection since 1965, and to the novice eye, little has changed since then. But if you look a bit closer, you will find that the Speedmaster evolved quite a bit in the decades that followed.In this Speedmaster guide, we ll give you an overview of the most important references of the Speedmaster (Professional) and some of its variations. Although this article isn t meant as a pricing guide, we will give some hints, of course. If you re already a knowl...
Ayrton Senna is the legendary (and three times World Champion) F1 driver who passed away 25 years ago (already). Today we show you a watch he gave to his mentor,?Angelo Parrilla, who ‘discovered Senna when he was 18 years old in 1978.Last Sunday was packed with sports for me. Meaning I watched the 1000th F1 race in the morning (local time), that took place in China and in the afternoon I watched Tiger Woods winning the Masters title. Then, my eye caught the Phillips auction on May 11-12 in Geneva, where they will offer a watch linked to Ayrton Senna, the Brazilian F1 driver that won three World Championships (1988, 1990 and 1991). I remember that Ayrton Senna died in an accident durin...
Compared to a decade ago, Seiko (and Grand Seiko) achieved to be on the radar of many watch enthusiasts. And where other (Swiss and German) brands used to smirk a bit upon hearing the name Seiko, they now pay close attention.Just before Baselworld, we saw the new Seiko Prospex LX SNR029J under embargo. For those who are not familiar with this, it means that we could have the press release in advance, but not allowed to publish before a certain date and time. So we were aware of most novelties that were shown to use a few weeks later in Basel. My interest went out to the Grand Seiko models of course, but I was also very curious to see how the Seiko Prospex LX SNR029J would be like in the fles...
