Back in 2011, Jaeger-LeCoultre introduced the Tribute to 1931 collection of Reverso models. Watches with the same dimensions as the very first Reverso models (without the brand name on the dial). In the meanwhile, Jaeger-LeCoultre has been introducing a number of models in this ‘Tribute range. This year, it was time for the Reverso Tribute Moon watch. Let s have a closer look.Reverso Tribute Moon 3958420The Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Tribute Moon is based on the Tribute to 1931. The watch is slightly thicker of course, due to the complicated movement. Where the original Tribute to 1931 had a two hands manual wound movement which enabled the Le Sentier manufacture to use a case that was ...
Just when you thought you knew everything that Seiko made, mindless browsing usually reveals yet another model from the deep catalog. This was the situation I found myself in a few years back when I was in the midst of buying the lineage of Seiko divers. I thought I had uncovered everything when todays #TBT subject appeared on a forum and surprised me. In the end, and well discuss it, there was a reason for not seeing the watch beforehand, but I knew I wanted it. Lets take a look at some very modern vintage with the Seiko SKX031.Seiko Makes and Made a Watch for EveryoneWeve discussed it repeatedly, but its clear that Seiko makes a watch for everyone. More specifically, they make a dive watch...
Last Sunday we were invited to join the introduction event of TAG Heuer and their Max Verstappen 2017 Special Edition timepiece. Although Max Verstappen lives in Monaco these days, he considers The Netherlands to be his home country. The event took place in Amsterdam and for the occasion, Max Verstappen was ‘flown in to receive the very first Formula 1 No.33 Max Verstappen 2017 Special Edition watch.Max VerstappenMax Verstappen Special Edition WatchesAbout a year ago, we saw the very first ‘Max Verstappen special edition watch from TAG Heuer being introduced (also in Amsterdam). However, this year, and a few F1 Grand Prix richer, there is a new watch for Max Verstappen. This ti...
Gold Speedmaster 3695.50.31One of my first encounters with a gold Speedmaster was with the BA145.022-69, which translates into the famous yellow gold Apollo XI commemorative edition from 1969 with a burgundy bezel. It must have been late 1999 or early 2000 that someone showed it to me. It paved the way for my (later) craving to own a gold Speedmaster some day.Although Omega always had (and still has) a number of gold Speedmaster watches in their collection, you rarely see them in the flesh. Today, we feature an interview with one of our readers and Speedmaster fans, and talk about his gold Speedmaster 3695.50.31.Meet Tom, an avid Speedmaster fan and wearer.FW: Do you collect Speedmasters or ...
Back to basics. In 1983, designed and developed by Kikuo Ibe, Casio introduced the first watch according to their Tripple-10 concept. Waterproof to 10 bar, drop-proof to 10 meters and 10 years battery life. The Casio G-Shock DW-5000C was born and could withstand a pressure of even 20 bar.This weeks 52Mondayz watch, the Casio G-Shock GW-5000, is a direct offspring from the very first G-Shock in 1983. What happened between 1983 and now?The illustrious GW-5000 on my wristCasio G-Shock GW-5000After the introduction of the G-Shock DW-5000C, the model was slightly changed with a different module and dial in 1987. The type indication became DW-5600C. The G-Shock still had a solid metal inner casing...
Its holiday season and so I thought it would be a good time to publish an episode about watches and vacations. Prepare for a relaxed and sunny episode. Pack your suitcase:What to wear?!Overall most of the people choose their vacation watches from a practical point of view. Some things to consider:Water resistant: for safe dives into the swimming pool or sea.Price: depending on your destination it can be better not to bring your 5k+ watch. For example, on a campsite where you installed your tent.GMT function: can come in handy when you want to contact home now and then.Luminous hands: to keep track of the time when you are in darker environments, such as the campsite.Rubber strap: more comfor...
There are a number of online auctions and marketplaces out there, but one particularly great platform for purchasing watches online is Catawiki. They auction off over 2,500 watches every week and each watch must first be reviewed and approved by their team of 12 watch specialists. The expertise of the staff combined with their secure payment system makes Catawiki a trustworthy place to buy watches. Theyve shared some top tips on how to buy watches online below.1. Know what you wantThe hunt for a watch is much easier if you exactly know which brand and model you want. This is a very personal decision. Some good questions to ask yourself before starting your search are why do you want a watch?...
IAAF World ChampionshipsSince 1985, Seiko is the official timer of the?International Association of Athletics Federations, or IAAF in short. This year, Seiko invited us to come to the IAAF World Championships in London and – amongst others – have a look at the actual timing equipment and activities during the event. I have to admit that mostly watch European and World Championship soccer games, like most Europeans, a bit of Olympic Games and on January 1st I traditionally watch the ski jumping competition in?Garmisch Partenkirchen. Mostly on television, and only rarely I actually go to a stadium to watch sports. Only last year I visited athletic games for the first time, in Amste...
De StijlDe Stijl (literally translates as the style) is a Dutch art movement most famous for work by Mondriaan (Composition with lines) and Rietveld (Red & Blue chair). One of the schools I attended as a young boy was called Mondriaan as I lived in a village where Piet Mondriaan lived for a while, so I am quite familiar with his work and art. Also, the family of one of my friends used to have this beautiful residence that was designed by Rietveld and my parents have this famous Rietveld chair. Admittedly I am not really into art, but I do love great design (like Rietveld).Ace X NOMOS OrionThe Ben-Joseph family, who run two Ace boutiques and the Ace Jewelers e-boutique are proper art love...
Roger TallonThe watch industry has its own superstar designers. The first name that comes to mind for most of us is of course Gerald Genta. You also have a bunch of design studios, like Giugiaro, who has collaborated with a number of watch brands (Seiko Astron GPS for example). However, there are a handful of names in industrial design whose heritage is so vast it spans from aircrafts to chairs, trains to cameras, motorbikes and of course watches. Roger Tallon, creator of the LIP Mach 2000, is one of these designers. Born in 1929 in France, Tallon witnessed and actively participated in the revolution of industrial design. After getting his engineer degree at 21 Tallon worked for companies li...
Roughly a month ago, Oris reached out to us and asked if wed be interested in testing a new watch prior to the lifting of a press embargo (yes, you re looking at a watch released out of cycle – not at Baselworld). Naturally, we answered affirmatively to the rhetorical question and the mystery watch was on its way. A week or so later, I received whats known as the new Oris Big Crown ProPilot Worldtimer and I have to say that I was interested from the first glance.Let s take a trip to the beach where I fought the quickly rising tide and even encountered a shy, but ultimately compliant crab. With pictures shot solely in the Algarve in Portugal, enjoy seeing how this new release fared.The ...
For some reason the Omega Seamaster Aqua Terra collection struck me as younger, but Omega put out a press release about the 15th anniversary this year of this watch. In 2002, the Aqua Terra was introduced as another sub collection of the Seamaster family. Although Omega has only a couple of watch families, like the Seamaster, Speedmaster, Constellation and De Ville, some of them have quite a few sub collections. The Omega Seamaster Aqua Terra is – what I always believed – their answer to watches like the Datejust and Explorer. Watches that are very versatile and can be worn under almost any condition.Omega Seamaster Aqua Terra Through The YearsFirst introduced with the caliber 2...
Owners and their watches, providing an insight in what moved them to buy a certain watch or in this case, a Speedmaster. Once every while we like to feature a reader s story on their Speedmaster(s). This week we have the story of Iain and his wife Jackie and how they came to purchase their Omega Speedmaster watches.Iain tells the tale of their two Speedies in today s Speedy Tuesday feature on Fratello Watches.Jackie s Speedmaster StoryJackie s story on her Speedmaster all started with this new job. In 2016 Jackie started working with children who have special educational needs. One of the harder parts of the job involves dealing with the children when they suffer from epileptic seizures. Par...
Guess what!? This is the 26th episode in the 52Mondayz column. That means that we re half way. Half way the year that every week I wear a different watch which we present to you here at Fratello Watches.The Breitling Chronospace A56012.01 on my wristBreitling Chronospace A56012.01And this week I m going quartz again. A quartz watch from a brand which isn t directly my favourite, however from which one or two models always had my interest. First the classic Breitling Navitimer is of course a watch one can t neglect. This watch is as iconic and as of historical importance as the Daytona, Omega Speedmaster, Heuer Carrera and the like.Secondly Breitling always attracted my interest with their p...
Formex Swiss Watches, an independent Swiss watchmaker and direct online distributor of action-sport-influenced watches, just released a free App that lets you try on their watches with your smartphone.This video is blocked because you did not accept marketing cookies. Change cookie settings Being detached from any retailer and selling exclusively through their online shop, Formex Swiss Watches manufactures high quality watches at very attractive prices. Their new App breaks through the biggest obstacle of online shopping, namely the inability to try on a product before buying it. The App uses augmented reality to project a watch on the wrist and gives a feel of real-life size and look o...
A few years ago, we had a contributor that was particularly strong in photography and knew his watches. I am talking about Ming Thein. Ming decided to focus more on photography and became a very successful one. He also reviews photography gear and became an official Hasselblad ambassador in 2016. In the meanwhile, he never lost touch with the watch industry and collecting watches. Now, in 2017, Ming Thein is here to introduce his brainchild, the MING 17.01 watch.MING 17.01 WatchMing Thein and his team worked on the Ming 17.01 watch to come up with an answer to all the watches released today that lack so much inspiration and differentiation. In the last years, the number of re-issues, uninspi...
During a trip to Switzerland, I witnessed Swiss golf pro Kim Metraux playing on the Crans-Montana golf course and noticed she was wearing her watch. When I had the opportunity to speak to her, I asked if she is wearing her watch during the tours.Kim Metraux wearing her watch during the game. Image: Kim Metraux.Metraux wears her watch during practice and competitions. She said it doesn t affect her game, and she likes to always be wearing a watch. But, this doesn t answer the question whether it will damage your watch!When I play golf, I wear a mechanical watch. Every time I do, though, other watch enthusiasts comment on it. Either they say that I should take my watch off, or they ask me if I...
If you know a thing or two about sailing (unlike me) Im sure you have heard about the GC32 Racing Tour. Its a competition where only GC32-class sailing catamarans compete. Armin Strom is the proud main sponsor of one of these teams. By the grace of the brand I managed to experience first-hand how these marvelous boats operate on water. Bright sunshine and 30+ degrees Celsius at the coast of the beautiful Spanish island of Mallorca. It could have been worse. We spent a day on land and sea learning about the boat the team but also about Armin Strom, their resonance concept and their brand-new business venture; the configurator.GC32 ARMIN STORM, JULY 2017 ,Palma de Mallorca, Spain. ? Jesus Rene...
I just ordered a watch. No really, just now. The Eza AirFighter. After seeing the press release, I made sure to secure one for myself. That doesn t happen very often I might add. But first, let s have a look at the new Eza AirFighter.Eza AirFighterWithout trying and meaning to be nasty, this watch somehow reminded me of the Glashtte Original Navigator. That s nothing to be ashamed of, and the founders of Eza had to google it when I mentioned this (at least, I hear some typing on the background when I was on the phone with them). And to be honest, I liked that watch a lot. It is certainly not a copy or even homage, but the hands in combination with the fat case reminded me of that particular...
This week I was pleasantly surprised by a visit from one of The Netherlands most headstrong watchmakers, Fred Dingemans. Entirely by hand, Fred produces mechanical watches under his brand name d.m.h. Short for Dingemans Mechanische Horloges, or Dingemans Mechanical Watches in English.d.m.h. #09-09 on my wristFred Dingemans d.m.h. unique piecesIt was in March 2009 that I wrote an article about d.m.h. in Dutch on the (now sleeping) horlogenieuws.nl blog. At that time, highly inspired by my findings, I ordered my own d.m.h. watch as well. I received it in September that year, so my watch bears the serial number 09-09.From part to full time watch makerFred started to make his watches as a part ...
