It could be argued that since Baselworld 2017, the most highly anticipated new watch releases are actually a trio of very old watches. If youve been living under a proverbial rock Ill help to bring you current; Im referring to Omegas 60th Anniversary group of near carbon copies of the original Speedmaster, Railmaster and Seamaster. Perhaps its disheartening to new watch designers that these reissued pieces are the talk of the town, but I can assure you that theyre very very good. Personally, and Ive mentioned this, I have ordered the Speedmaster, but I could be happy with any one of the three. For testing purposes, though, we thought it wise to ask Omega to send different anniversary pieces ...
I have always been drawn to double brand names on a dial. Baume & Mercier, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Patek Philippe and so on. Not because of the importance of a brand or about recognition, but I just like a long written double name. The typography is of importance here of course, as well is the positioning of the name. Unfortunately, as names did became more important, brands tend to print (or apply) them in a larger – or even more bold – font than they did before. A good example is Audemars Piguet, or even Patek Philippe. I think Baume & Mercier also increased the font size a tad bit over the years. In my opinion it isn t necessary, but who am I. I assume the marketing gents an...
Knives have always been present in manned space flight, mainly as a survival tool. Although this subject is not very well documented, it is interesting to understand why knives were taken into space and to see what these knives look like.??Astronaut-gear is interesting. It has strong appeal, especially to men. It looks cool, must be built to exceptional expectations and it is used in high-risk or even dangerous situations; it is pure heroic stuff. The looks of space-items automatically attract attention. Think about space suits, bags, vehicles, instruments, pens and other utensils. The Moonwatch is extra interesting because it is a NASA qualified instrument that has been on the moon and in S...
That wasn t easy. It s alway difficult for me to take my GMT-Master II, which I wore for 52Mondayz week #36, off my wrist. Something serious has to be brought into position to manage that. What else could that be except an Omega Speedmaster Professional?The Omega Speedmaster Professional 145.022-69 Straight Writing on my wristOmega Speedmaster Professional ref. 145.022-69And I decided to go vintage this week. Reference 145.022 was the Speedmaster which came onto the market around the period the moon landing took place (here is our story on how the Speedmaster became the Moonwatch). In 1968 the 145.022-68 took over from the 145.012-68. The 145.022-68 was a bit of a transitional model (more a...
We dont do public service announcements often here on Fratello Watches. Aside from letting you know about the occasional stolen watch or fake, we figure that most of the hijinks occurring on the internet or elsewhere are so obvious that they dont warrant discussion. Today, though, and after a lot of thought, I think its high time that we feature some fakes that are always on eBay and coming out of California (Artesia and South El Monte seem to be the typical locations). Ill use a name coined by @watchfred as he refers to this collection of hucksters C or is it one person? C as the California Crooks.The California Crooks are Selling Complete JunkIts easy to find wrong watches, so-called Frank...
We can t wait to see what new Breitling CEO Georges Kern will make of Breitling. A brand that was in the need for a new direction for quite a while, in my opinion. It has such a rich and interesting heritage, that doesn t stop at the famous Navitimer. Let s see what will happen over the next few years, if designs and collections will drastically change.For now, I picked a watch that was introduced to us in BaselWorld: the Breitling Superocean Heritage II 42. A no-nonsense three-hands watch that grabs back to the past. The new Breitling Superocean Heritage II 42 is using the B20 movement, based on the Tudor MT5612. Let s have a closer look.Breitling Superocean Heritage II 42The ‘II imp...
Reviewing watches from micro brands puts the tester in an awkward position. On the one hand, there exists a tendency to overrate a watch from a small startup because they tend to offer a lot for the money and, hey, everyone loves an underdog. On the other hand, these newcomer timepieces often exhibit some signs of teething that youd likely not find with established makers. So, wherever parts come from, the desirability, feel and finish typically comes down to how that brand chooses their design and the related components. Speaking of parts, Ive come to accept that countries such as China make some excellent watch components and they do this for more than the small or Asian-based brands. Yes,...
Fifty years ago, Doxa introduced their SUB 300 in Basel. An orange dial model was called ‘Professional , the black dial ‘Sharkhunter and the silver dial ‘Searambler . About a year later, Doxa introduced the SUB 300T collection (with a slightly bigger case, larger dial and a thicker bezel) and added a yellow version as well, the ‘Divingstar . What I have here today is the Doxa SUB 300 Searambler, a remake of the original 1967 model. Doxa also offers their Sharkhunter and Professional as a 50th anniversary edition.Doxa SUB 300 SearamblerMichael already did an excellent write-up on the vintage Doxa 300T Sharkhunter, where he discussed its history and the SUB 300(T) heri...
Egotempo is an Italian family business, where pride and passion for craftsmanship and watches play an important role. Gianfranco inherited the passion for watches from his grandfather Giancarlo, an Italian musician. Besides music, Giancarlo was also able to work on complicated movements of watches. However, it was his son that founded the Egotempo company.Today, a brief look on the Ego no Logo wristwatch by Egotempo.Egotempo Ego no LogoHand-made watches from Italy, not a single piece will be the same as Egotempo claims on their website. This refers to the enamel dial of the Egotempo Ego no Logo watch. A multi-layer enamel dial with gold appliances, available in several colors (but pictured i...
Customization of watches isn t new. Also not on Speedmaster watches. We reported about a modified Speedmaster some years ago (here), including an article about a company that specializes in customizing dials. Just recently even, we showed you a customized Speedmaster that was done for Hackett.Today, we have another customized Speedmaster for you, but this time we feel it is something really special. Where the other modifications mainly consisted of using parts from different Speedmaster references, or painting dials, the Speedmaster we have today has some real craftsmanship applied to it.Speedmaster Snoopy SchumacherSnoopy has a special connection with Omega. The most famous beagle in the wo...
Chronos magazine celebrates its 25th anniversary this year. When my interest in mechanical watches took off in the 1990 s, this was the magazine that I always bought to read and learn about watches. Needless to say that I feel proud that their editor-in-chief Rdiger Bucher asked me to contribute with an article about 5 important Speedmasters.The article has been translated into German, as Chronos is aimed at Germany, Austria and Switzerland. However, please find the English version in this article for today s Speedy Tuesday feature.Of course, opinions vary and it is difficult to select only 5 important Speedmasters, but that was the task so I picked 5 and explained my choices.5 Important Sp...
This week my wife – you know she who wears an Omega Seamaster Professional 300 Chronometer Midsize – resides half way on the other side of the globe. What else could I wear than a watch indicating the time simultaniously in two time zones? In my case this will be a GMT-Master II.My favorite GMT-Master II, the version with Pepsi bezel GMT-Master II 16710For me, a true GMT-Master has a Pepsi bezel. Black is for Submariners and black and dark red (Coke) is just because needed something else. I know, I know, the latter was introduced with the introduction of the GMT-Master II while the Pepsi bezel originally was for the GMT-Master (I). Still I prefer Pepsi, most probably as it is ...
For the sixth time, the Historic Grand Prix Zandvoort was held last weekend on this famous race circuit near Amsterdam. Tudor partners with this event and the trophies (12 x a special engraved Tudor Chronograph) were presented to the 12 different winners yesterday.On Saturday and Sunday, Fratello Watches was attending this event for the 3rd time (go here for our reports on the 2015 and 2016 editions).Historic Grand Prix Zandvoort 2017Besides fans and followers of Lady Gaga and David Beckham, Tudor also focuses on a different type of customer. The ones that have a passion for speed, mechanical things, the smell of gasoline and burnt rubber. Tudor has been partnering with the Historic Grand Pr...
This year, Cartier is celebrating the 100th anniversary of their Tank watch. Created by Louis Cartier in 1917, inspired by the (then) new Renault tanks that were used at the front during WW1. Based on this design, Cartier has made beautiful variations; the Tank Louis Cartier, the Tank Ame?ricaine and the Tank Franc?aise.Cartier Tank is a LegendThe Tank design has been copied by many, but there s only one original of course. The Tank is a rectangular watch, but not exactly, as the sides (also referred to as brancards) are a tad bit longer than the center part of the case. It allows the strap to become part of the overall design of the watch. Most Tank watches are characterized by having Roman...
As most of you know, we have a special and creative feature on Fratello Watches: Watches & Pencils. As of today the official shop / website about this feature is launched.In short: What is Watches & Pencils again?It all started with the idea by founder and Fratello team member Teun. A few years ago, he came up with an idea to combine his two passions: watches and art. After he launched the feature it became a popular topic on Fratello Watches. Up until today, a new cartoon is published every month.The process simplified in 3 stepsA dedicated shopTeun: After each illustration published on the website and Instagram I received lots of individual requests for prints, stickers etcetera. I...
is one of the major partners in Formula 1 since 2013. Besides Pirelli and DHL, you see mentioned about everywhere along the track. is the Global Partner and Official Timepiece of Formula 1.Last weekend, the Grand Prix of Belgium was raced on the Spa-Francorchamps circuit. I had the privilege to visit the Formula 1 training day on Friday as a guest of . A privilege, as I never visited a Formula 1 event before, and since Dutchman Max Verstappen started racing in this king class of racing, I am an avid follower of Formula 1.The guests of were welcomed in the Paddock Club. Inside, had an impressive exhibition of their Daytona watch. The chronograph (since 1963) that is linked to racing, hen...
Earlier this year, I was asked to write an article for Omega s Lifetime Magazine about the Trilogy watches. Including the Speedmaster 311.10.39.30.01.001 of course. From the first moment on, I was thrilled by this watch and I didn t need much time to order one for myself. As I am writing this, I am waiting for the watch to be delivered, but in the meanwhile I received a Speedmaster?311.10.39.30.01.001 for review. The so-called 0000/3557 number (and there are more of these 0000s, for sample and presentation purposes).Speedmaster 311.10.39.30.01.001A bit later, when I saw the watch in the flesh during BaselWorld, I was certain I made the right choice by ordering it. I read the positive reactio...
Last year we reported about the new project by (amongst others) Octavio Garcia, former Head of Design at Audemars Piguet. The Gorilla Fastback was born and we brought you a review and a #52Mondayz feature on this watch. Today, we show you the new Gorilla Fastback collection consisting of three pieces: The Acid Green, RS White and Phantom Black.Gorilla Fastback CollectionThere s more to it than just the different colors about the Acid Green, RS White and Phantom Black. Upon closer inspection, the Phantom Black has a bead blasted ceramic bezel while the others have a glossy ceramic bezel. Two of them have the forged carbon case while the Acid Green has a layered forged carbon case. However, in...
Normally, our contributor Gerard talks about one of his watches in this 52Mondayz feature. Whilst he is enjoying a deserved holiday, I decided to do this week s write-up for 52Mondayz. It took a while before I decided which watch I wanted to cover, but going through my modest collection I stumbled upon my trusty Seiko SKX007.Without further ado, here s the Seiko SKX007.Seiko SKX007Seiko SKX007I don t want to go into the details of the history of the Seiko SKX007. It succeeded the Seiko 7002 in 1996 and looks quite similar at first sight. The 7002 was the successor in the 1980s of the famous and very collectible 6309. If you want to read more about those, you might enjoy this article.The Seik...
Toc19, a hand wound watch that makes a personal statementToc Watch, or Toc, launched their first watch at the end of July and crowdfunded it in just 24 hours. It was pretty incredible for Will and Max to watch as their year-long project became an overnight success. They are eager to push on from here and are excited about the future.The pair set Toc up in July 2016. Their mission was simple; design and deliver vintage styled watches that could make a personal statement about the wearer. They believe in individuality and personal freedom and their watches tell a story about you, about your personality, your attitude, your character.The Toc19, their first watch, is now available from $229 on I...
