When a friend offers you to wear a the luxury sports watch for a week, only a fool will pass on it. Todays 52Mondayz is about the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak 5402.It is not the end of the year yet, but I could not resist the urge to look back on the last eleven months. I managed to spend quality time with quite a few generally beloved and admired watches, including the already reviewed Omega Seamaster CK2913, GMT Master 1675, and the Mido Rainbow Diver ref 5907, that I have yet to review on #TBT. All three watches mentioned were on my radar for some time, so obviously, I took the chance when it came. What I would not have been expecting in my wildest dreams would be wearing the legendary firs...
Today, well spend some time with the Orient Star Sports Outdoor, a field watch with a bit more happening on its dial than most.Its been a couple months since weve checked out a newer Orient, but we were impressed enough with the well-priced Kamasu dive watch that we went back for more.? This time, we change course and move a bit more upscale with the Orient Star Sports Outdoor.? For those who are fairly new to Orient, the Star line represents higher specd watches with better finishing and attributes such as sapphire crystals.? Im jumping ahead here, but Ill just go ahead and state that this is a very nicely made watch and there are notable differences between it and the diver we recently tes...
Welcome to This Week in Watches for November 30, 2019.? For those of you who celebrated Thanksgiving, we hope you had an enjoyable one and are still working through those epic leftovers.? For those who didn t perhaps you decided to take part in the madness known as Black Friday.? If you re still looking for something new, perhaps this week s news will present an idea…Wolbrook ReturnsFirst up on This Week in Watches is a look at some new watches from a brand that disappeared some 50 years ago: Wolbrook.? Wolbrook made watches that were assembled in France, but the ones I recall used skindiver cases that were found on many brands of the day.? Interestingly, Neil Armstrong had one during ...
In this weekly Pre-Owned Picks series, a Fratello editor will select some watches from the pre-owned market and explain why it is an exciting offer (or watch).The pre-owned watch market is very significant. People who don t want to pay the full price for a watch, seek for a discontinued model or collect (vintage) watches rely on the offers in the pre-owned watch market. Unlike car manufacturers, watch manufacturers neglected the pre-owned watch market for a long time. Incredible, as it is an important and profitable part of the car industry. Some watch manufacturers also slowly trying to get a grip on the pre-owned business by introducing their Certified Pre-Owned program. However, brands (f...
Today we will take a closer look at some of the creations of a very sympathetic brand from Singapore: Delugs Straps.When it comes to brands that we feature on Watch Strap Review, the process is simple. We get in touch with them and offer them the opportunity to have their straps featured on the site at no charge. We do not review straps for money. Sometimes, however, its the other way around. Brands get in touch with us to bring their products to our attention. The strap makers scene is getting bigger by the day. We cannot keep up with all of them. When we received an email from Ken, the name behind Delugs Strap, I admit I had no idea about the brand. However, it did not take me too long to ...
Checking your pulse might make your heart skip a beat. Its so much fun. With the Seiko Pulsemeter S234-501x making an appearance in the cult Alien movies, here is another must-have watch for your list.If you grew up in the eighties, you know the disorder I suffer from. Whatever ugly digital quartz watch is laid in front of me, I somehow find it cute. Some part of our DNA understands those watches at a level where we proudly add them to our collections. And if a quirky feature happens to be thrown in the mix, my mind wont rest until I know how to use it. Do you remember the first commercial watch ever to have a voice recording feature? It was the Seiko Voice Note M516-4009 and we featured it ...
We return to Wrist Game or Crying Shame where you tell us if a watch is worthwhile or simply a wild waste of time.? This week we take a look at the last of the line for an older style of watch, the Tudor Submariner 79090.? But first…I complained wildly a couple weeks ago that you readers were a bunch of softies who were willing to throw your hard-earned virtual cash at just about anything I presented.? After all, all you were doing was committing to a mouse click and everyone is so nice when they re anonymous on the internet, right?? Well, I threw a meatball right down the center of the plate with the Hublot MDM 1810.1 Chronograph and you hit it right out of the park into the nearest l...
Since 2017, Oris actively supports the Movember foundation. To raise awareness about men s health and the need to improve it (and to raise donations), Movember supporters reveal themselves by growing a mustache in November. So, November is the perfect time for an event to accentuate Oris dedication.Having started in 2017, Oris each year presents a special Movember edition of one of their watch models and donate part of the revenue. This commitment was the peg for a grand event that Oris hosted last week in Munich.This video is blocked because you did not accept marketing cookies. Change cookie settings Oris Watch Night in the Munich HearthouseOris, of course, also presented their other...
Recently, Gregoire Rossier and Anthony Marquie introduced the third edition of their masterpiece ‘Moonwatch Only . Where the 2nd edition was subtitled 60 Years of Omega Speedmaster , this third edition has a ‘The Ultimate Omega Speedmaster Guide subtitle.When this new edition was dropped on the @Watchbooksonly account of the authors, I put my order in via their distributor WatchPrint.com. I also own the first and second edition, and I was wondering what would be new to this book, besides the Speedmaster models that have been introduced since the appearance of the previous version. If you don t have any of the earlier editions, order this Moonwatch Only 3rd edition and trust me ...
We take a look at the Oak and Oscar Olmsted 38, the brands re – entry into the field watch segment.By the time you read this, about a week will have passed since a small group came together in Frankfurt, Germany with Oak and Oscars Chase Fancher (founder) and John Hatherly (creative director) at my absolute favorite cocktail bar on the planet (a shameless plug for Antonys?thanks for hosting us!) to share some drinks and to take a look at the Chicago-based watch brands newest watch: the Oak and Oscar Olmsted 38.? As mentioned, the watch is a simple 3-hander with date that falls into the oft-referenced field watch category.? We first saw this watch in photos a few weeks back and while it...
I am a kid of the 1980s, and although I had some watches before, the first watches I bought myself (being a kid) was a digital Casio W-14 in 1986 or so.I was aware of the larger G-Shock models, but I was a small kid, and it looked ridiculous on my wrist. But, I was thrilled with this W-14, and I still have it today in running condition. I had to perform surgery on the watch not too long ago and used a donor W-14 to swap the movement and put some fresh batteries inside. And a new strap, as the original strap was already replaced once, and the second strap was deteriorated entirely in 2018.Anyway, after the first Casio, many followed, including a G-Shock DW-5000SP, which was a limited run in 2...
We check in with the visually arresting anOrdain Model 2 Fume dial.With its Model 2, anOrdain has enjoyed quite the run of good press.? For certain, the brand is outgoing and has done a nice job of contacting various online watch publications along with making hands-on testing a breeze.? One such example is our very own Tomas Rosputinsky, who reviewed a white and blue enamel-dialed Model 2 last month.? Aside from a dislike of the clinical naming structure that the Scottish company employs, an elementary school level reader could feel the glowing warmth that Tomas had for this watch all the way from Bratislava.? But the company had contacted me at the same time as Tomas and while I was highly...
The discussion watch designs can go on forever. Why do we love it? Why do we hate it? Is it functional? In this episode, we feature the Cartier Crash.There are a number of stories out there on the origin of the Cartier Crash. Legend has it, that it is based on a heavily damaged watch that sort of survived a car accident. Jean-Jacques Cartier (designer for Cartier London) saw the watch and was inspired by the damaged watch. He went to the drawing board and did something truly magical: he turned a broken object into a design icon. What we normally would throw into the bin would become an expensive and beloved object.In this episode, I want to point out the strange taste we as watch lovers some...
It s This Week in Watches for November 24, 2019 and we come to you just before Thanksgiving – that fantastic tradition that involves stuffing your face and snoring on the couch.? Let s see if we can help fight indigestion with some watch news…DAEM x Basquiat WatchesBrooklyn-based DAEM Watches sent us news of three new pieces that tie into the works of iconic artist Jean-Michel Basquiat.? The watches will release on December 4th and each feature an work by Basquiat on the dial along with a strap designed to fit the theme of the piece.There s Undicovered Genius (which incorporates a piece commonly known as Skull), Now s the Time (this pays tribute to a Charlie Parker song of the sa...
Gatsby s style sign from . Original Seiko Date Tee and last, but not least, an Omega Speedmaster poster.A few weeks ago, we shortlisted our first three gift ideas. We created this series to show you what s out there for watch nerds like ourselves, besides watches - cool things to have.Creative lightingI once bought an all original 1975 Ford Coke bottle Cortina from an old fellow from the Czech Republic. I also noticed a big Ford sign hanging down from his ceiling. I thought to myself, If you dont ask, you dont get it. So I asked, but I didnt get it. But three weeks after I bought the car, I got a call from him. I was not asking this time, but I got it. I restored it and proceeded to hang it ...
Oris pays tribute to a living legend, James Morrison with a new time-only wristwatch. No, not that James Morrison, who serenades BBC Radio 2 listeners. Instead, the Australian jazz trumpeter and multi-instrumentalist who at only 57, has amassed respect and adulation from contemporary and big band jazz fans alike.Starting with the Andy Sheppard watch in 1996, Oris have a track record of jazz inspired watches in their classic Artelier range. Oris Chairman, Ulrich Herzog, has a deep love of jazz and Oris have previously sponsored the London Jazz Festival. Jazz standard composer, Thelonious Monk s syncopated rhythm style influenced his namesake watch that had offset indices on the dial. This wat...
This small collection of 12 watches only is very limited and aimed at the sneakerheads. If it werent for the quartz movement powering the Prim x Footshop Time for sneakers watch, I think they d also reach the watchnerd audience.??Watch manufacturers invite ambassadors from different parts of the world to put their faces to a particular watch, representing diverse communities and lifestyles. In the better, albeit less often case, they are invited to design the watch as well. Collaboration watches (as we shared recently) are nothing new, of course. Today we present a collaboration with a truly unique twist!Does it strike you as useless or even ridiculous? Maybe. I call it even a bit bizarre, b...
If youre a fan of baseball, then you probably just finished watching the World Series (Congrats, Nats!).? And while the Chicago Cubs werent in the hunt at the end of this season, theyre a highly competitive team with a rabid fan base. ?In the spirit of Americas pastime and related to the Cubbies, lets take a look at a neat story, the story of Ron Santos President and the watchs current owner, Sean Madigan.Ive mentioned it before that we receive a lot of email here at Fratello and it was one such day that Robert-Jan forwarded a message that served as the inspiration for todays story about Ron Santos President.? Now, if youre European C and the last time I checked, Robert-Jan is C youll ask ...
Only three watches, but a lot of style, individualism, and charisma. Today more about the sharp-edged rotating UG Cabriolet watch, the timeless Futurematic with a surprisingly high price tag, and the first European electric watch LIP R 27. Lets go!Want to know why we didnt feature a vintage watch (wish)list for October? Because I continuously fail at one of the rules of sane collecting C one in, one out. I believe this rule is a good principle, and honestly, I plan on sticking to it. My only problem is that I am not sure at what stage I will start to apply this rule. So if youve read the #TBT articles over the last two months, you know I havent stopped growing my vintage watch collection. Bu...
Welcome to Wrist Game or Crying Shame, where you get to choose if a watch meets your individual high and mighty criteria.? This week, we ve got a real humdinger in the Hublot MDM 1810.1 Chronograph, but first…Folks, you re too easy!? I put a somewhat controversial up there with the Datejust Tuxedo Dial and despite some seriously negative comments about how lazy this watch looks, it cruised to a 64% Wrist Game win!? It seems that can do no wrong with the masses.? But does make some highly polarizing pieces and I m talking about the bejeweled oddities that are often a plague to the Daytona model.? Well made?? Sure.? Ugly?? About 99% of the time and yet, we are treated to ongoing pictu...
