It came with everything a collector could dream of. A long wait before the watch pops up. Bad pictures featured in the online listing and a blind bid, that ended in winning an all original and never-before-serviced watch. Unbelievable provenance unveiling that my Alpina 10 Seastrong has had hundreds of dives in Swedish waters. Including some of the first few pioneer dives to explore WW2 shipwrecks.Lets take it from the top. One night, two years ago, I was checking listings for Alpina 10 Seastrong divers watches. My heart skipped a beat when I spotted this model listed in a Swedish auction. The pictures were horrible and it looked like the minute hand was missing. A few random watch shots of ...
There are several divers from the 60s and 70s that are still charming today. Think of the Doxa Sub 300, the Longines Skin Diver, or the Bulova Oceanographer, for example. These are fantastic vintage pieces that are sturdy and rugged vintage tool watches. There s something else they all have in common too - they all have re-editions.The Longines Skin Diver came out a few years ago, and the market loved it. Doxa has made many reinterpretations of the Sub 300 as well. Lately, we have seen the release of the carbon Sub 300. Bulova has an extensive vintage portfolio from dive watches to LED watches and more. It was only a matter of time before the brand reached back and pulled out one of their ...
I m sick to the stomach. It just isn t fair. I thought I d been through this already. I had just about managed to convince myself that I didn t need last year s SNJ025 and then Seiko decided to release the new SNJ029 and SNJ031. Needless to say, my resolve is in tatters.I shouldn t complain. For this kind of money, you re getting a huge amount of watch. Better still, you re getting an under-the-radar cult classic, brought bang up-to-date with on-trend colorways. To be quite honest, it was the green that did it for me. I have a micro-collection of Casio Mudmasters that I rarely wear but can t stop buying because of their mastery of color. The SNJ031 in green particular grabbed me the moment I...
Welcome back to Wrist Game or Crying Shame, the weekly all systems go or all systems NO serial. This time around, we go digital with the Omega Speedmaster X-33. But first…Last week, I brought the metal with a first generation Panerai Luminor Submersible. And while our comments section showed stark divide, the big clunker took home a more than respectable 55% Wrist Game win. With today s Omega Speedmaster X-33, we ll also look at a first generation model. This happens to be a timely one as well as we ll soon see.The Astronaut s choiceThis past Saturday night, my wife and I joined a friend at a restaurant - that s allowed here in Germany - and we streamed the SpaceX launch. It was absolu...
Our friends over at Revolution and The Rake will be holding a charity auction in the week of June 15th. The proceeds of the auction will go to the countries affected the most.Covid19 has taken over our lives, at least for most of us. It has affected a lot of us. Whether that s by illness or loss, or decline in income, this virus has taken a lot away from us. I did not see my parents for the last four months - but I consider myself lucky that I at least still have them in good health - and our business is definitely affected by the lockdown. For a lot of people, things are a lot worse though. And for those people, Revolution and The Rake are trying to raise funds to offer some help.Jean-Marc ...
There are many similarities between MB&F and H. Moser & Cie, the most notable one being the fact that both companies are prominent Haute Horlogerie brands. Obviously, they both come from Switzerland and have a charismatic leader helming their ships. Furthermore, through H. Moser & Cies sister company, Precision Engineering AG, they have been working together for over 10 years. Lastly, 2020 marks the 15th birthday/rebirthday of both brands.MB&F was established 15 years ago by industry veteran and visionary Max Bsser. In the same year, the brand H. Moser & Cie is relaunched after a long sleep caused by the quartz crisis at the end of the 1970s. This double anniversary, as ...
Undone likes to present itself as one of the world s major custom-watch labels. According to the brand, the team tries to help you find a personalized watch that truly expresses your individuality and taste.That s all well and good. However, I don t consider myself a better designer than people who made it their profession. As a result, I m not such a fan of custom-made watches by non-professionals. What I do like, however, is that Undone used its ability to customize watches for the production of some excellent collaborations. Therefore, for me, Undone became the King of Collaborations!Undone - King of CollabsEstablished in just 2014, Undone almost immediately started to collaborate with we...
Some people are wondering why the SpaceX crew isn t wearing the Omega Speedmaster X-33 Skywalker. It s a fair question. Not only is the X-33 Skywalker the latest digital Omega Speedmaster, but it was also designed with exactly this kind of mission in mind. So what gives?It all comes down to the launch site s location. Had this flight been launched from Russian soil, Roscomos would have provided the crew with an Omega Speedmaster X-33 Skywalker and a Speedmaster Professional Moonwatch. The same courtesy is afforded everyone launching from Russia. Astronauts from NASA or ESA and Cosmonauts from Roscosmos itself would all receive the same treatment. But NASA prefers the tried and tested Speedma...
Smartwatches are here to stay. But what if you don t like the aesthetic of this modern, wrist-bound tech, or cannot bear the thought of discarding your classic wristwatch in favor of increased functionality? A bright idea from Dutch brand Trivoly aims to bring the two worlds together with the release of the Trivoly 3 smart disc.Our world is becoming increasingly connected. Wearable technology has never been in higher demand. And yet for some of us - those of us that love and respect the craft of horology - having to choose between the latest advancements in wearable tech and our beloved beaters is a tough decision. Trivoly, a Dutch company founded by Caspar Toornstra, is aiming to make that ...
Ever since I first laid eyes on the Norqain Freedom 60 Chronograph, I struck me as exactly what a retro-inspired chronograph watch should look like. And after wearing it for some time, I must admit it ticks a lot of boxes. But is it also exciting enough to set itself apart from competitors? Or does it feel all too familiar? After a week of wearing the Freedom 60 Chronograph, it s time to put the pieces of the puzzle together.Let me start by saying that the Norqain name is quickly picking up in recognition. Most watch enthusiasts have heard of the brand by now. But, for some reason, I struggled to commit the name to memory. I read the stories and knew about the brand, but the name just didn t...
I m wearing the Fortis Aeromaster PC-7 Team Edition Chronograph this week. A watch on loan which makes one realize how privileged at Fratello we are with the possibility to wear so many different watches. To be honest, I probably wouldn t have considered this watch. But wearing it for a more extended period proved me wrong in that.The Fortis PC-7 Chronograph is part of a set of two watches launched to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the equally named Swiss Airforce aerobatics team. Two weeks ago, we had an in-depth review of the other watch in this set, the Fortis PC-7 Day-Date. A comprehensive report C like that of the Day-date C will provide you with more technical, historical, and backg...
I m a sucker for compressor or compressor-style cases. But that doesn t mean I had any intention of going easy on the Milus Archimedes when I heard I d be getting it on my wrist for a couple of weeks…Everyone s got a weakness. Mine is a double-crowned watch case. I m not sure when it started. I m not even sure which model turned me on to the compressor in the first place. All I know is that my legs go all wobbly whenever I see one in person - even better on my wrist.From a proportional perspective, I would have regretted not getting the chance to see it in the metal. Archimedes reminds me of the Jaeger-LeCoultre Polaris, which is about the highest praise I ve dished out so far this yea...
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 ve got another head-to-head for you. It s getting deep this week. The Sea-Dweller 126600 is going up against the Grand Seiko SLGA001.If we were running a competition for misleading titles, this one might win it. No, dear readers, we are not diving headfirst into the muddy trenches of World W...
Speedmaster fans were excited to see the SpaceX crew wearing the titanium Speedmaster X-33 Gen 2 watches last Wednesday. Or, at least visibly on the wrist of astronaut Bob Behnken.Behnken was wearing the Omega Speedmaster X-33 Gen 2 watch on board of the SpaceX Falcon 9. Over his spacesuit. Astronaut Doug Hurley was wearing the X-33 under his suit, but we couldn t identify it on the images that NASA broadcasted once he was on board of the Falcon 9.X-33 comes from NASA s codename of a Space Shuttle project in the early 1990s. Omega decided to adopt that codename to make the X-33 a worthy successor of the Moonwatch.Last Wednesday, the weather conditions were too bad to launch the Falcon 9 so t...
Welcome back to This Week in Watches for May 30, 2020, the affordable edition. This week we bring an interesting assortment of timepieces that are a bit easier on the wallet.Junghans Meister S ChronoscopeOk, the first entry of today happens to be the least affordable, but it s not eye-watering expensive. The brand new Junghans Meister S comes to us with a very sporty looking case and a dial design that s reminiscent of some Porsche Design watches. That s not a bad thing and I think it looks clean without being sterile like many Teutonic watches. An ETA 7750 (called the J880.1 here) powers these 45mm watches and features a day and date display. Regarding variety, a neat PVD stainless piece ki...
In 2018 Porsche Design presented a minimalist chronograph in an unusual color, driven by their proprietary flyback caliber.My interest in Porsche Design was induced by the Porsche Design by IWC Ocean 2000 watch. That model had also been the watch that inspired my more profound interest in mechanical watches. It took a while until that watch found its way into my collection. But that s another story. Let s examine the 1919 Chronotimer Flyback Brown & Leather.A bit of historyThe first watch carrying the name Porsche Design had been built by Orfina in 1972. That was the Chronograph 1. The outstanding characteristic of that watch was its color - it was matte black all over. Case, bracelet, a...
This week, in Pre-owned Picks, I am highlighting four watches with Ferrari co-branding spanning more than four decades.The news of Sebastian Vettel leaving the Scuderia Ferrari Formula One team this season, whatever is left of it, had me thinking about what Ferrari means to F1. The team from Maranello is the most successful in terms of drivers and constructors championships. But they transcend any other team when it comes to prestige. F1 without Ferrari is not F1 to me.Credit: Edwin van Nes C www.dacorsa.netClassic racing chronographsThe Formula One YouTube channel has been replaying classic races from previous seasons the past few months. The 2003 British Grand Prix was a particularly excit...
Triwa doesnt have an awe-inspiring design, but it combines a unique story with a good cause. At the end of last year, the brand added an automatic movement to the family of Humanium watches. Is it a good watch or is it just good marketing?In the past, there have been watches with dials made of wood or cases made of stone, like the Tissot RockWatch we reviewed on TimeTravel. A few weeks ago Gerard introduced The Gyre SeaCleaner, the worlds first sports watch made out of recycled fishing nets from the Indian Ocean. Swedish Triwa, that you might remember from its Aprils Fool Comb-Over watch, took it even one step further. The cases of Triwa Humanium watches are made of metal derived from melted...
This week on #TBT, we take a look at the Citizen Seven Star Deluxe Diver, an elegant watch with a unique date display.And we re back with yet another vintage Citizen diver. If you ve been hanging around these parts for the last year or so, you ve likely noticed that I continue to add these to my collection. Yes, I m on a relaxed journey to create a nice hands-on library of pieces from the 1960s and 70s to sit alongside my more complete Seiko grouping. I love to compare and contrast within the brand, but also to see how these two brands stack up against each other.The Citizen Seven Star Deluxe DiverThe Citizen Seven Star Deluxe Diver before you was made in 1969 as reference 4-520017Y. As you...
Bvlgari is on a roll with its Octo Finissimo! The Octo Finissimo collection receives a blue dial version as well, in satin-polished stainless steel.I recently shared my experience of wearing the Bvlgari Octo Finissimo in satin-polished steel (here). As I commented, I believe it is one of the coolest luxury sports watches available at this moment. For me, the Bvlgari Octo Finissimo in steel is the one to buy and I even prefer it over some other hyped Gerald Genta designs out there. And that comes from deep down inside my soul, as I am a big fan of the Royal Oak and Nautilus.But which one to buy? The choice just got a lot harder. Enter the Bvlgari Octo Finissimo in satin-polished steel with a ...
