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 controversial Code 11.59 by Audemars Piguet gets its day in the sun. Hold onto your hats: This could get messy…You weren t expecting this, were you? I m sure most people imagined we d take-on the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak having put the Vacheron Constantin Overseas and Patek Philippe N...

What an installment of This Week in Watches we have for you. So much exciting news reached us this week. Let s get to it! I ll start with a watch which was presented last week, but exclusively in Japan. It must have taken the news a little while to travel to our region, but trust me, it was worth waiting for.Grand Seiko SBGA421We haven t been able to find any official press information in English - quite understandable for a watch exclusively sold in Japan - but this watch is too beautiful not to show you. We re talking about a limited edition Grand Seiko. In the year that Grand Seiko is celebrating its 60th anniversary, the AJHH - the Association Japon de la Haute Horlogerie?- celebrates it...

As one of Germany s most important watch and jewelry fairs, tickets for Inhorgenta Munich were hot property. A bustling atmosphere and fine array of brands ensured a stellar success for the organizers. Fratello deployed a trio of intrepid fair-goers to check out the novelties on show.And yes, we tried to photograph the pieces for you. As anyone who has ever been to a watch fair will know, taking good quality images on the fly is close-to-impossible. As the importance of on-the-spot reporting via social media channels grows, some fairs are starting to take note and provide special, well-lit areas for journalists to snap the products. While Inhorgenta Munich didn t offer that, it certainly pac...

This week s pre-owned line-up is a bit of a bold combination of watches - Vintage and new, dress and sports. I even included a watch I d never seen before: The Jaeger-LeCoultre chronograph from the 1970s.Every week we pick a few pre-owned watches from Chrono24, the largest market place for wristwatches in the world - watches that we love ourselves, or think they will be interesting to you. So to be clear, we picked the watches, Chrono24 only sent us the images without their watermark and in a proper resolution.Pre-Owned Picks Of Week 7This week we go from $2,350 (Tudor) to tenfold that amount for a with a moonphase complication. A with moonphase? Yes, there s more in their catalog than the...

It seems to be new release season for much of the Swatch Group and with the announcement of the new Union Glashtte Belisar Datum Sport, the German maker has also gotten in on the act. Today s focus just happens to be a large 45mm diver with strong legible looks and an approachable price level.The Belisar Datum Sport Comes in One VariantAs of now, the Union Glashtte Belisar Datum Sport is only available with a black dial and matching sapphire crystal bezel. It s a safe starting point for a brand that usually focuses on a different style of watch. Conveniently, the brand will supply two different 22mm-wide straps with the watch. Both use quick release spring bars for easy changing. For sport...

Originally known as the wristwatch with double stopwatch, ?no one could have predicted the rise of the now-legendary 158 pilot chronograph. Back in the 1980s and early 1990s, it wasn t a bestseller. As with many classic models, it needed more time. ?Among collectors, it is now one of the most sought-after watches ever produced by Sinn.Behind every good watch, there seems to be an equally good story. The origins of the Sinn 158 are so unusual because the model s predecessor wasn t born in the Sinn factory at all. Nowadays, it is commonplace to assume nothing but vertical production. But the meandering past of the watch industry often has a historical treat in store, if only you dig deep enoug...

MeisterSinger is welcoming a new model to its line-up. Building on the success of the recent Lunascope, the MeisterSinger Astroscope keeps the focus well and truly on the skies above.I like MeisterSinger for its uniqueness, but I often find it hard to get excited about the watches themselves. Why? The single-hand concept is cool (and brand-defining) but, for me, it is too limited for many novelties to be, well, novel. Here, however, with the release of the MeisterSinger Astroscope, the brand succeeds in presenting useful dial information without sacrificing its core values. That s a lot harder to do than one might think. And whenever a brand succeeds in pulling off a clever fix in a tough si...

We take a look at an unusually large watch from the 1960s - the Full Auto Orient King Diver.We ve delivered a fair amount of Orient coverage here on Fratello related to both new and old watches. Today, we ll head down the latter path as we feast our eyes on what I think is a true classic. It may be a bit derivative, but the Full Auto Orient King Diver has real character. So what if it looks a lot several other twin-crown Super Compressors from the same era? I still find it highly attractive, and I figure there s a good chance you will too.The First Simple King DiverYou ll likely recall our recent article on the 70th Anniversary King Diver that s due to hit shelves within the next couple of m...

We previously announced the Oris Artelier James Morrison Academy of Music on Fratello here. And now we have the chance to test drive it on the wrist. The Acadamy of Music slots into the existing jazz collection, but this time, it is inspired by a living trumpeting legend, James Morrison.After the announcement, and the excellent article by my fellow Fratello, Andreas, on the Art Blakey, I just had to get my hands on this piece.?I applaud Andreas for combining the Oris Art Blakey review with his passion for percussion. I m a guitarist, and although I ve chosen a piece intended for a trumpet player, James Morrison regards himself as a multi-instrumentalist. I m hoping that covers the electric g...

When brand partnerships feel forced, they can turn off customer interest quicker than a solar-powered Casio comes back to life when light hits the dial. Luckily for Alpina, the connection with the Freeride World Tour is not just a suitable pairing, but also one that benefits both parties. The latest Alpina AlpinerX adds to an already strong line-up.If you re not into Snowsports, you probably haven t heard of the Freeride World Tour. Similarly, if you re not into watchmaking, you probably haven t heard of Alpina, let alone the Alpina AlpinerX. Luckily, if you re into one, you now know about the other. Congratulations on having your mind expanded. Welcome to the club I just joined. The best th...

Welcome back to Wrist Game or Crying Shame, the weekly series that puts you in the driver s seat. This week, we put the pedal to the metal with a real chunk of gold as we ask you to vote on the Corum Gold Coin Watch. But first…Last week, we asked you to decide whether the 2017 Omega Speedmaster 60th Anniversary edition was worth your hard earned ducats. Well, you all showed up in force and the Speedy stormed the polls on the way to 70% Wrist Game mastery! On the other hand, we also received some deep sighs as this series has focused heavily on both Omega and that other brand with a coronet as a logo. What can I say? Sometimes you folks just don t show up when I talk about something?ecc...

It is with sadness we must convey that Grand Seiko has taken the governmentally-advised decision to cancel its upcoming summit. It would have been held in Tokyo from the 4th-5th of March 2020.Grand Seiko had intended for the summit to be a vehicle to celebrate its 60th anniversary, alongside the 55th anniversary of?Seiko Divers. If you haven t already checked out the models released to mark this occasion, you can read about the men s pieces here and the women s piece here.For those that had tickets in their hands, this will come as a crushing blow. Grand Seiko is one of the most beloved and interesting watch brands outside of Europe. Many of its fans were looking forward to following the eve...

Thank goodness for Swatch. Whenever we might find ourselves taking everything a bit too seriously, everyone s favorite plastic-peddler shows up with a joyous dollop of color to remind us that watchmaking is supposed to be fun. The new James Bond collection is exactly that.The new James Bond film, No Time To Die, will mark Daniel Craig s final outing as the British super-sleuth. To mark the occasion, Swatch has released six new watches. There s some low-hanging fruit (helloMoonraker andCasino Royale), alongside some odder, niche choices (who would ve predictedLicence to Kill and The World Is Not Enoughmaking the cut when this idea hit the drawing board?).Six new models will hit the market tow...

In 2007, Omega celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Speedmaster family. In my opinion, there is one very special member of this group that is too often overlooked. Perhaps?reference 311.33.42.50.01.001.001 is shunned for its enamel dial. Maybe it s down to its F. Piguet based 3201 movement. Whatever the cause for its past neglect, it s about time it got a bit more attention.And, in my opinion, it deserves it. Not only because of the commemorative character of the watch but because of the enamel dial, hand-wound Omega caliber 3201, and, last but not least, its impressive presentation box.Omega Speedmaster 50th Anniversary (2007)In 2007, Omega introduced two Speedmaster models that commemora...

Stop the presses! Bvlgari has something to say…Although I ve always wanted to say that, I really wish it wasn t under these circumstances. Minutes ago, the news that Bvlgari will not be attending Baselworld 2020 broke. As one of the most exciting and forward-thinking brands of the past decade, Bvlgari s absence is a real blow to a fair already reeling from a mass exodus.A decision for nowBvlgari has made one thing very clear: This is not yet a decision to end the brand s relationship with Baselworld going forward. It is simply a decision for now. Given the roaring success of LVMH s watch week and the positive reception to Bvlgari s latest releases (such as the Bvlgari Octo Finissimo Mi...

Don t feel guilty for not knowing about Zero West. It was only 2015 that the prototype dials started taking shape. Now with an ever-expanding collection that celebrates British engineering, Zero West is hitting its stride.I had a brief introduction to the brand during an event in London. Designer Andrew Brabyn helpfully explained the backstory, and I was excited to go hands-on with a few pieces from Zero West. Still, a rowdy pub and many interested onlookers made it a challenge to get too familiar with the collection. Hence, I was thrilled to learn Zero West hailed from the South Coast of England -?my neck of the woods. Specifically, Emsworth, a small coastal village situated about 10 miles ...

The new Oris Carysfort Reef Limited Edition is really something special. Not only is it a gorgeous watch, but it also marks the moment in time Oris may have jumped the pricing shark.You ve heard the term, jumping the shark, before, right? That moment a previously credible entity goes a little bit too far and alienates its core fanbase? Well, as much as I love Oris (and the Oris Carysfort Reef LE in particular) the price may be a bit much for fans of the brand to swallow.The term has its roots in the popular TV Show?Happy Days. The Fonz, in an attempt to prove his bravery (and, apparently, to showcase actor Henry Winkler s water skiing skills), jumps a confined shark on water skis. You might ...

I am wearing Armin Stroms smallest (41mm) watch, the Gravity Equal Force for a week.The beauty about 52 Mondayz, as far as Im concerned, is the fact that we have no boundaries. Especially when it comes to what watch to wear for a week. It can be vintage or not, simple or complicated. Also, we can feature brands from large conglomerates but also indie manufacturers. My last 52Mondayz article was about a recently acquired vintage piece, my Eterna 852. That was a fun piece to write, but this time around, I wanted something completely different. You should switch your watches up from time to time anyway. Thanks to Armin Strom, this week I managed to lay my hands on something special. Not entirel...

Swatch always brings back sweet memories. Back in the late 1980s and early 1990s, a lot of kids in school had them, in all sorts of colors. Over the last 20 years, the watch landscape has changed drastically and Swatch is not as disruptive as it used to be. Will the Swatch PAY! change that?Swatch PAY! was introduced last year. In November the introductions took place in The Netherlands and Germany. As we re big Swatch fans, we joined the Swatch PAY introduction in Amsterdam, which is closest to our headquarters. Together with ABN AMRO Bank - the first to support Swatch PAY! - the watch was explained and presented by Swatch Creative Director Carlo Giodanetti.Swatch s Renee Souer (PR & E-c...

An idea that wouldnt be possible a few decades ago. But with the speed and creativity of todays market, it was only a matter of time before a brand allowed its followers to design a new watch.? Im not saying it hasnt happened before. More and more brands are receptive to collaborative projects. You needn t look far to find examples of brands working with companies, military factions, and high-rolling individuals to create a special range of watches. But it is still rare to see an established brand opening itself up to the masses. Thats exactly what Yema is doing. The brand is asking the general public to submit design ideas for its next model. This kind of idea will not sit well with everyon...