There are only a handful of projects in Hollywood that we can think of when we hear that Omega appears in them. The most obvious would be James Bond. Ok, that production is actually not coming from Hollywood, but you get what I mean. Since the release of GoldenEye in 1995 Her Majestys secret agent straps on an Omega timepiece every time he needs to save the world. Whether it is a quartz Seamaster 300M (GoldenEye) or a Planet Ocean Co-Axial 42mm (Skyfall) Mr Bond always has a nice timepiece to pick up from his secret service watch box. As a matter of fact, in 2020 James Bond will return to the silver screen for the (officially) 25th?time. Hopefully, he ll be wearing another cool Omega Seamast...
This is a you won t see every day: the Submariner Big Crown Four Liner 6538. Four Liner refers to the four lines of text on the dial that not only indicates the model name (Submariner), depth rate (200 meters / 660 feet) but also that it is an Officially Certified Chronometer.Submariner Big CrownAlthough it is definitely related to today s Submariner, this reference 6538 chronometer model is something else! With a diameter of ‘just 37.5mm, it looks very distinguished and the big crown (8mm diameter) gives you immediately the feeling of having a proper vintage tool watch on the wrist.A 1957 Reference 6538In the early days of the Submariner (introduced in Basel in 1954), things were a...
Juan Pablo Montoya?Ive always been passionate about the? Daytona, I won the? 24?three times, and its a watch that really relates to all of my racing. So I?was amazed when the idea came along to do a?skeleton Daytona.Artisans de Geneve embodies what I wanted in somebody who would build a watch for me. They are that somebody that was happy to go with?no limits to how a watch should be built.The more you look at it, the more you like it.??Juan Pablo MontoyaFor more information, visit www.artisansdegeneve.com/en/collections/la-montoya/Juan Pablo Montoya was taught the art of motorsports at an early age by his father. He quickly began to show promise, and has since then carved an incredible caree...
Today well kick off what I think (and hope) will become a fixture on Fratello Watches called This Week in Watches. For those of you who follow baseball, perhaps you grew up watching something on TV with a similar name but focused on baseball. Well, we wont have the San Diego Chicken here and the Wizard of Oz wont be doing any backflips, but what I aim for is a loose recap of whats gone on during the week. I (or perhaps my colleagues may jump in as well) wont cover everything, but well try to hit the high C and low C points along with other random findings that we come across as the week progresses. As for publishing, well shoot for later Friday (Central Europe time), but the weekend may be a...
On Wednesday evening we joined the official (re)opening of the Seiko boutique in Amsterdam. It was one of the very first Seiko boutiques in Europe, and they felt it was time to update it. In the center of Amsterdam, the Seiko boutique almost can t be missed.Seiko Boutique AmsterdamThe boutique?has received quite an overhaul on the inside and outside. The large doors give access to the most important Seiko collections. On the left side of the boutique, it has all been reserved for Grand Seiko. They have an impressive collection of Grand Seiko watches in?stock, including the rare platinum (here) and gold (here) Spring Drive pieces with 8-days movements. On the right side of the boutique, you w...
One of the questions we get a lot is which watch you should buy. Or which one is considered a good investment. First of all, I think you should buy a watch to wear and enjoy as thats what they are made for in the first place. But when collecting, it sure helps when a watch keeps value. But many have watches with emotional value.Balazs, I hope that some of my watches will become heirlooms for my kids one day…These watches can be priceless for various reasons. This could even go for watches that are not even that valuable. It is something that comes to mind occasionally so I asked our team if they have watches that are emotionally valuable to them. Here are the stories behind the watch(e...
Normally Black Friday is about big discounts, but we like to do it differently. And therefore I decided to create a screensaver from my latest illustration (‘Crown Guards ) and make it free to download for just this Black Friday.?It s our way to show you our appreciation for supporting us and being engaged to all our activities.Download offline (24/11/2018)It is strictly forbidden to duplicate, print or spread this wallpaper without permission of me (Teun van Heerebeek). Please respect the artist. More information about the piece can be found in the latest episode of watchesandpencils or via my personal website: watchesandpencils.com.The download will ONLY be available this Black Frida...
Today, well take a look at the Marc & Sons DWFB Limited Edition, the newest collaboration watch between a micro-brand and the Divers Watches Facebook Group. As you can certainly see, this is a different, more whimsically styled, type of watch versus past pieces from the group that now boasts over 47,000 members. On the other hand, youll see that it contains some fairly impressive specs that make it a serious tool watch in hiding.The Marc & Sons DWFB Limited Edition comes from the German brand founded in 2006. They advertise themselves as providing high-quality watches at affordable prices. Their large catalog of tool watches, including this piece, all state that the watches are Made ...
When I started to explore vintage Omega watches I was instantly hooked by their chronographs. To me, a chronograph is one of the coolest and most usable features a watch could have. This was the reason – or perhaps the fact that my first Omega with a complication was a caliber 1040 chronograph. Still to this day I hold those watches near and dear to my heart. So, as I dwelled into the wonderful world of vintage Omegas I came across a model line that, to me, was the epitome of vintage Omega dress watches, and there were many. It was the Omega Cosmic line. Now, Im not talking about the late 60s early 70s cushion-case (Seamaster) Cosmics and Cosmic 2000s. Though I had a few of those too. ...
After the very successful introduction of the Baltic Chronograph Bicompax 001 and their thee-hander (HMS 001), they are now ready to introduce to you their Aquascaphe.We wrote about the Bicompax 001 and HMS001 here, and Michael did a hands-on review of his Bicompax 001 after he received it (here). If you want to have more background information on Baltic and the guys behind it, I suggest you click those links.Today it is about their new release. A toolwatch?that bears the name Aquascaphe. Starting now, the watch will be on pre-order for exactly 30 days for a special price and come with a tropic strap.Baltic AquascapheAlso, the first 300 Baltic Aquascaphe watches will be numbered. After that,...
This week we re handling another question aiming at our advise to choose?a watch. Which, as always, is a pretty personal thing and thus difficult to answer. We ll try to read the question carefully, between the lines as well, and answer according to facts as much as possible. Which watch to choose, the Tudor Black Bay Fifty-Eight or the Sinn EZM 13?You Asked Us: Which Watch to Buy, the Tudor Black Bay Fifty-Eight or Sinn EZM13?Let s start with the complete text of our reader s question:Dear Fratellowatches,I am looking for a watch in the 2500-3500$ range. I need something with a relatively small case size, leaving a lot of cool options out of the mix. 38-41mm case size, and max of 46-47 lug-...
Last week we joined Hublot for a canal cruise in the center of Amsterdam for the launch of a new watch. Officially called ‘Hublot?Classic Fusion Aerofusion Chronograph Special Amsterdam Boutique Edition . We went to the recently opened Hublot Boutique in the P.C. Hooftstraat in Amsterdam, which is named after Pieter Cornelisz Hooft, who was?a Dutch historian, poet and playwright and lived from 1581C1647. This street is paradise in Amsterdam for those who are looking for an?exclusive shopping destination. Amsterdam Hublot BoutiqueMeeting up in the recently opened Hublot Boutique we are welcomed with champagne and typical Dutch snacks. Cheese cubes and (liver) sausage. Only the little Du...
Another week, another re-edition. This time its coming from Tissot. When we visited the Swiss brand during Baselworld 2018, we already reported on this timepiece. Though the dial design changed a bit, the basics of the Tissot Heritage Petite Seconde remained. A sub-second white dial dress watch with Arabic numerals and manual wind movement. My personal opinion on the watch is that its a bit of a hit and miss. It is a great looking watch with a beautiful case. The display case back showing the movement is just marvelous. The dial is elegant and clean. Its just a bit too large, I think. Especially if you consider that I have a 7.5 (19cm) wrist. Still, I was looking forward to the Tissot Herita...
Part of the fun of vintage watch collecting is gathering information about your precious timepiece. Luckily, many brands and models have a nicely documented past. We know about why and when they made certain watches. Which market they were targeting with them and even how many pieces left the factory. Some companies, like Omega for example, even have a designated vintage section on their site. Here you can search for your watch using the caliber or reference numbers of the timepiece. Other brands, like Certina, collaborate with an external source such as?www.vintagecertinas.ch So much so, that they list Vintage Certinas on the official Certina homepage. Of course, books have also been writte...
Our Watch of the Week is the award-winning Pangaea Day Date C because it displays the date in a truly MeisterSinger way. The most common and also the most practical additional display on a wristwatch is the date. Mostly we have at least a general idea of what time it is, but the date is something we are more likely to forget. Thats why wristwatches were designed at quite an early stage with an additional hand that pointed to the date on the outer edge of the dial. Finally, in the 1930s, the date window became a popular feature and from then on, the small aperture in the dial allowed the wearer to see the date ring rotating behind it, switching one step to the following date each day at mi...
If you want to get a watch with a cartoon character on the dial for your kids its not a problem these days. Every cartoon that ever existed has tons of merchandise including watches. eBay, Amazon and other platforms are flooded with these goods. They are fun, colourful, cheap and serve as a gateway for the children to get into the hobby that you (and us all) love so much. A Sponge Bob watch today, a Nautilus in 30 years from now. However, not many know that the custom of putting cartoon characters on watches started 85 years ago with the most iconic animated character ever; Mickey Mouse. Disneys most famous mouse is celebrating his 90th birthday this year (actually exactly today, 18th Novemb...
Trust me, I tried and tested the Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso more than once, but it is not for me. And I feel bad, because I love the looks and want to like it, but I just can t. Rectangular watches are not for me, there, I ve said it. But if there is one rectangular watch to buy, it is the Reverso in my opinion (no offence to all the Cartier fans). I ve tried many different versions and sizes, at some point even there square shaped Squadra, but that didn t work at all for me. I have the same issue with the classic Heuer Monaco for example. It is not for me. I tried again this time with this blue Reverso Tribute Small Seconds from Jaeger-LeCoultre. Let s have a closer look.Beautiful Blue Revers...
Welcome to my nightmare, otherwise known as the Seiko 7002 diver. Im only half joking, but do realize that this article and the watch you see here is akin to the third part of a trilogy where, up until the last episode, it looked as if the protagonist was destined to fail. And just when the hero (that would be me) slays the demon, the credits roll and we find out that the demon has a little brother. Confused yet? In watch terms, it took me three tries at buying 7002s to finally get a good seemingly original one. And then, during the photo shoot for this story, I dropped it onto a granite boulder from at least 2 meters high-sigh. Thankfully, the watch is fine aside from a nice scar above its ...
To commemorate the 80th anniversary of their Big Crown Pointer Date watch, Oris introduces this (stunning) bronze 40mm version of that watch, with a green dial.The story of the Oris Big Crown Pointer Date watch goes back to 1938 when Oris developed a watch with an?oversized winding crown for pilots. Very useful when wearing those leather gloves being high in the sky, and you need to set your watch. The date indicated by an extra hand, also known as a ‘pointer date .Oris Big Crown Pointer Date In BronzeInterestingly, the Big Crown Pointer Date has been in the collection forever it seems (or at least since 1938, and Oris was founded in 1904). I write this, as it was exactly this model th...
Dutch Formula One driver Max Verstappen unveiled his third watch, made by?TAG Heuer. The?TAG Heuer Formula One Max Verstappen Special Edition 2018 was presented during an exclusive event at the Hotel Arena in Amsterdam.TAG Heuer launches a new special-edition watch designed by Max VerstappenThe 2018 Max Verstappen Tag Heuer on my wrist during the event in Hotel Arena in AmsterdamThe new special edition timepiece is limited to 1.300 pieces, and as said, was designed by the racer himself. Rumour goes that all 1.300 pieces have been sold instantly.?After the launch of two successful special editions in 2016 (we covered that one here) and 2017 (and this one here), TAG Heuer decided to continue t...
