Already announced in late 2017, there will be a new PADI Special Edition 200M Automatic Diver s watch available. Based on their first professional diver from 1965, this new model, with reference SPB071J1 has a cool dial with a color gradation from blue to black and features a wave pattern.Seiko SPB071J1For $910 (approximately), you will receive a 42.6mm diver s watch from their Prospex (‘Professional Specifications ) collection. This is not the first PADI Special Edition, we wrote about the earlier models here.The reference SPB071J has the Seiko 6R15 (automatic) movement which has a power reserve of 50 hours. This movement ticks at 21,600vph. The watch has a screw-down crown and caseba...

Montblanc has some interesting watches for you in store this year. One of them is the Timewalker Manufacture Chronograph. In this article, we will give you a first look and some of our thoughts. Starting at just below $5000 Euro for an in-house chronograph (up to $5290 depending on the strap / bracelet combination), it could become a very serious option for those who love chronos with a manufacture movement.TimeWalker Manufacture Chronograph Panda DialDuring the presentation, Montblanc actually referred to this watch as ‘Paul Newman style themselves (sigh), but if you can look past that statement, there s actually a cool watch being offered here. It is powered by a three register chro...

Singer Reimagined. A name that took the watch scene last year like a tornado with their Singer Reimagined Track 1 chronograph. This magnificent timepiece is a child of a collaboration between three worlds, three passionate experts in their respected fields. First Marco Borraccino, an industrial design specialist with many ties to the watch industry. Then there s Rob Dickinson, a Porsche fanatic and owner of Singer Vehicle Design who hooked up over common interest in cars. The friendship evolved and the idea of a new watch was born. However, they needed someone to help them turn their idea into reality. They were still missing a crucial piece; a watchmaker. This is when Jean-Marc Wiederrecht ...

Although the focus seems to be on the new Panerai Luminor Due this year, with a small diameter, I like to give some attention to the new Panerai Luminor Base Logo and Luminor Marina Logo. These watches used to be equipped with the Unitas/ETA movement, but now have the new caliber P.6000 movement. Developed and manufactured at Panerai in Neuchatel. Let s have a quick look at these new watches.Before I start, let me tell you that all watches are water resistant to 10 bar (~ 100 meters) and have the P.6000 movement, that offers a power reserve of 72 hours. As you can see, the dials are not the typical sandwich dials, but instead have painted numerals.Panerai Luminor Base LogoThree new reference...

Social media isn t always fun. Jasper Lijfering of Amsterdam Vintage Watches learned that the hard way. While being away (and posted about this on social media), his house was robbed. As you might know, Jasper Lijfering uses social media excessively to show his passion for watches and promote his shop in vintage watches. His live-sessions on Instagram and his videos on YouTube are definitely entertaining and educative.This video is blocked because you did not accept marketing cookies. Change cookie settings ?However, by showing the world that he s not around, it also brought the risk of getting the attention of the scumbags of this world with less good intentions. During his absence ...

We saw this one coming a long time ago, as we knew the Cartier Santos was a classic from 1978 and taken out of production recently. Our contributor George Cramer wrote about that here. The Santos collection goes back as far as 1904, but it was in 1978 that it was introduced as a stainless steel and gold (bi-color) model. With the beautiful screw-bracelet. A watch that was one of the most wanted watches in the 1980s if you were successful – regardless of which business that was – and wanted to show it off.A beautiful watch that was discontinued and I found to be a pity. However, the assumption was already that it would be brought back to life with an in-house movement. What better...

While the SIHH overpowers the media this week with watches on show there, I thought it would be adequate to give some pushback. Happily, I am allowed to wear the?Omega Speedmaster Blue Side of the Moon to do so. This is the watch Robert-Jan did an extensive hands-on review on two weeks ago, complete with incredible close-up pictures by Bert Buijsrogge. Tip: head over to that review first, if you didn t already do so.Omega Speedmaster Blue Side of the MoonThe Omega Speedmaster Blue Side of the Moon on my wristAs most has been said and shown on this watch in the above-mentioned excellent review, I had to look for something additional to write about. I found it in the material where the watch i...

When Anthony de Haas (Director of Product Development at A. Lange & S?hne) started his job in Glashtte in 2004, he was welcomed by Walter Lange. Walter Lange explained to him that he would like to see a watch with stop seconds, like his ancestors did for their A. Lange & S?hne pocket watches. Last year, in January 2017, Walter Lange passed away and Anthony de Haas thought of his wishes for a timepiece.The 1815 Homage to Walter Lange is exactly what he would have liked, ensured to us by Anthony de Haas. Walter Lange actually insisted on having a watch like this for a long time. Now, at the SIHH 2018, Lange presented us this watch with stop seconds in a 1815 case with a manual movemen...

Richard Mille must have thought that a watch for polo players doesn t need a reverse function. Instead, he made sure that the sapphire crystal is simply unbreakable. Six years ago, Richard Mille created their first timepiece for this elegant but hard-handed sport.Pablo Mac Donough (born in 1982) is an Argentinian polo player who won his first tournament age 14 ( Potrillos Cup). Since 2011 he is one of the elite members of the Richard Mille team and in 2012 the first watch for polo was born: the RM053. Limited to 15 pieces only, created after Mac Donough explained the Richard Mille engineers his world of shocks, blows and forces polo players face in a game that sees solid balls launched throu...

Very often, I use Jaeger-LeCoultre as an example of a brand that is so interesting, yet they have not a single watch for me. The Master Ultra-thin perpetual perhaps being an expensive exception (I wrote about that one here). In 2004 they tried with the Master Compressor Memovox, which I liked at first, but quickly saw that it wasn t a future classic. I don t need a sports watch from Jaeger-LeCoultre, but I am also too young for a Reverso as a daily beater.We re happy to show you that Jaeger-LeCoultre is announcing something that could fill that gap between a dress watch and a sports watch. Meet the new Jaeger-LeCoultre Polaris collection. Based on the 1968 Memovox Polaris watch, but with mod...

This week Vacheron Constantin will present a number of interesting new timepieces, but their focus is on their new collection by the name of FIFTYSIX. Of course, referring to the year 1956 in which they released their iconic reference 6073 watch. A stunning 35mm timepiece with the automatic winding caliber 1019/1 movement, a silver matte dial with applied gold numerals? and dauphine shaped hands. A stunning timepiece from a period in which they made? beautiful dress watches.Vacheron Constantin refers to the 1950 s as the golden age for round watches. There s little to bring up against that. Below, an image of this reference 6073 that was auctioned by Christie s over five years ago during the...

Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in. To quote Michael Corleone in The Godfather Part III. I ve always been a huge Audemars Piguet Royal Oak fan, especially of the Jumbo (later referred to as Extra-Thin and now AP started to use both indicators for the watch being really flat). A few years ago, I spent an arm and a leg buying one of my grail watches, the Royal Oak Jumbo 15202ST. Somewhere, I lost my love for the company a bit (not their watches) after a few disappointments which I wrote about here already. That happens sometimes (at some point you re just done with an unanswered love :)), but already last year my interested sparked again with their introduction of the gold Roy...

Inspired by the stopwatches that the manufacturer from Bienne made for timekeeping events, specifically for the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal and Innsbruck, Omega presents their Seamaster Olympic Games Collection. Five Seamaster Olympic Games watches, in the colors of the Olympic Rings (blue, yellow, black, green and red).Each watch has this domed black and white dial, just like the stopwatches, and a colored ring on the outer white dial. At 6 o clock, the ring is broken by the Olympic rings logo in a mono color. This ring can also be used a a pulse reader, as it has small 20 seconds intervals, enabling the sporty wearer to easily measure and calculate their pulse beats-to-minute. The wordi...

Baume & Mercier excited us recently with an invitation to Geneva, where we got to see their novelty for the SIHH. Not exactly a new watch, but a new movement. Meet the Baume & Mercier caliber Baumatic BM12-1975A. An in-house movement, developed with the help of ValFleurier and the Richemont Group s innovation hub. A certified chronometer movement with 120 hours of power reserve and ensuring anti-magnetism up to 1500 gauss. Let s have a closer look at the Baume & Mercier Clifton Baumatic.Clifton BaumaticYou are probably already familiar with the Baume & Mercier Clifton watch. If not, we reviewed it some of the Clifton collection?here?and here. When this watch was introduced 6 ...

When it comes to those I surround myself with, Id guess that Im like a lot of watch-crazed addicts. I have friends who suffer from the same affliction, friends who are mildly interested in timepieces, and those who truly couldnt give a rip (funny, this latter group is generally comprised of folks who can easily afford a great watch).Those who have slightly more than a passing interest are the ones who often ask me questions about why I am so fascinated by watches and they generally turn into the type of person who asks about what nice watch they should buy when considering their first significant purchase. Sometimes they know the brand or the style/category of watch they want, but often they...

Just before the SIHH kicks off, a couple of brands that are not part of that exhibition are introducing new watches as well. Oris is one of these brands and they introduce you to the new Carl Brashear Chronograph Limited Edition. The first bronze Oris Carl Brashear sold very well, and in the meanwhile has become a true collector s item. Prices on the market are well over the original retail (of $2600).Now, Oris comes up with the Carl Brashear Chronograph limited edition. Limited to 2000 pieces in total and this time, with a chronograph complication. For the background on the Carl Brashear connection, follow this link, where you will find an in-depth review on the first edition.Oris Carl Bras...

It is not even a year ago that astronaut Gene ‘Last Man on the Moon Cernan passed away. Last week, the longest serving astronaut in NASA s history (42 years) passed away: John W. Young. With that, the number of astronauts that were on the Moon and are still alive today is down to 5 (out of 12). A sad statistic.Although we are mainly focussing on the astronaut s watches here, let s have a look at a big part of John W. Young s life at NASA first, which started in 1962. Being part of the NASA Group 2 in 1962, also known as the ‘Next Nine . Other astronauts in this selection were?Neil Armstrong, Frank Borman, Pete Conrad, Jim Lovell, Jim McDivitt, Elliot See, Tom Stafford and Ed Whi...

That s one of the advantages being a watch journalist: wearing so many different watches. More than one reasonably could have ever have bought. This week is no exception. I am able to try the Omega Constellation Globemaster in stainless steel and Sedna gold.Omega Constellation Globemaster Co-Axial Master Chronometer 39mmA serious model indication, isn t it? It seems to me that Omega is proud about the specifications of their watches, and they re eager to let you know them. This two-tone Globemaster is a serious watch as well however.Who s afraid of gold and steel?Personally Ive never been afraid of gold and steel (two-tone) watches, and a few of them are always in my collection. There are ev...

Since its inception in 2014, Zelos has been a microbrand popular for its bronze timepieces. Bronze has always been closely linked to the sea as it is one of the most corrosion resistant metals available. A patina forms over time, creating completely unique pieces.? What starts out as a shiny rose-gold, ages with the atmosphere into a rustic brown. Hence, bronze was the perfect choice for a divers watch made for the deepest depths.Zelos Abyss 2 3000MThe Abyss 2 was engineered for the extremes. It offers 3000m of water resistance, the pressure at that depth is enough to crush steel. A 7mm thick and highly domed sapphire crystal is built to withstand the forces that would crush most regular sap...

Sinn Spezialuhren from Frankfurt is top of mind when it comes to (relatively) affordable tool watches. We have covered Sinn watches many times, since the start of Fratello Watches in 2004 actually. It is no secret that we have a lot of love for Sinn watches and there are a couple of them in our team.Sinn creates watches where form follows function. That s a very German thing to do, and certainly not a bad thing if you like the aesthetics of tool watches anyway. Their watches are used by German special police and military forces, and they also created a special piece for the fire brigade. The fire services are a big thing in Germany, they have over 1.3 million(!) fire fighters, most of them a...