PresageThis year, Seiko introduces the Presage collection to a wider audience. The collection already existed in some markets, but not in Europe for example. Let s have a look at one of their novelties, the?Seiko Presage SPB041J1.60 Years AgoThe first wristwatch of Seiko was their Laurel timepiece, in 1913. A few decades later, in 1956, Seiko introduced their first self-winding watch. Exactly 60 years ago. To commemorate, Seiko introduced the Presage Chronograph with enamel dial. Limited to only 1000 pieces. We wrote about this watch earlier this year (here). Another Presage watch that Seiko released this year, is the Seiko Presage SPB041J. A dress watch with date and power reserve, all unde...
Panerai ManufactureA few weeks ago, we were invited to visit the Officine Panerai Manufacture in Neuchatel. This manufacture was opened in 2014, but only few media have been invited to have a look in the actual production facility. Officine Panerai has a total of 600 employees world wide, of which 260 are located in this new manufacture in Neuchatel. The Panerai Manufacture is a large building, offering 10.000 square meters for the production of a number of their in-house developed calibers.AmazedBefore I continue my visitor s report of the Panerai Manufacture, I have to admit that I was a bit sceptic at first. Sure, Officine Panerai has been making in-house movements since 2005. But to me, ...
Omega RailmasterWait a second, the Omega Railmaster is far too new to be featured on #TBT! Well, for sure, the discontinued watch from Omega?is not so far removed from our mindscape, but it is gone. I had a recent visit from family and my Dad, who is seemingly a master in finding overlooked but worthwhile objects, wore a 39mm (39.2mm but whos counting?) ref. 2503.52.00 version during most of the visit. I noticed it C because, well, I notice the watch on anyone and everyones wrist C and I thought, damn, that is one seriously good looking piece that deserves a longer, more reflective view. It simply one of those watches that just feels so right. So, here we are and here you go-the Omega Railma...
Entry-level watches are ber popular. Why? Because of the ever-increasing prices of some brands, a lot of watch enthusiasts search for affordable (luxury) watches. Watches that they can wear on an everyday basis. We ve put together a Top 25 of watches below $ 1000 Euro (list price) based on demand. In this price segment it is definitely possible to buy a watch with an individual or even unique design, solid and well-finished case and small complications. We asked ourselves which watches under 1000 Euro have the high demand from the watch consumer. With the help of Chrono24?we focused on the on-line consumers from Switzerland, Austria and Germany and their demand for mechanical and quartz wat...
BOC IIBlancpain introduces the new Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe Flyback Chronograph Blancpain Ocean Commitment II (BOC II). This might be one of the longest names for a watch we ve come across so far. The Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe was presented a couple of years ago, as the new re-interpretation of the late 1950s divers watch by Blancpain. This particular watch, the Blancpain Ocean Commitment II edition, is limited to only 250 pieces. For every sold piece, Blancpain donates 1000 Euro in?support of scientific expeditions. We know you can do your math, but in the end there will be 250,000 Euro wired for a good cause. Quite an impressive amount.Let s have a look at the watch.Fifty Fathoms Bathysca...
Cartier PashaBefore we come to this about 18 year old Cartier?Pasha, you should know that?(until about 10 years ago)?the production of Cartier watches was done very differently than it is today. It was ?around 2007, when there was a complete change in the way of working and that the production of actually everything, was re-arranged at Cartier.Manufacture in La Chaux-de-FondsWhen Cartier finally decided not to rely on third parties anymore (for calibers and parts), they?built a huge 30.000 square meters vertically integrated manufacture in La Chaux-de-Fonds. Cartier also hired new staff and appointed the right people to do the job. Carole Forestier-Kasapi?(responsible for the development and...
GavoxLast year Summer, Gerard reviewed a Gavox Aurora. A quartz watch, but one that was?the worlds first watch that handles all geographical and political time zones. Today, we are looking at the Gavox Avidiver. The Avidiver is a watch aimed at pilots and divers. Or at least to someone who is either able to fly or dive.Efficient CombinationAt first sight, the Gavox Avidiver comes across like a diver more than an aviation watch. The aviation part mainly lies in the fact that it has great legibility as well as the ability to read an extra timezone. This can be done by using the internal bezel. However, the internal bezel is also for diving purposes. There is no 24 hour indication or whatsoever...
Being infected by the hobby of her husband, Fleur started her interest in watches a few years ago. While owning a , TAG Heuer Aquaracer, and an Omega Speedmaster she found that she could easily change the look of her watch by switching straps. Shortly after, the idea was born to start her own little webshop, with only those straps she likes and are of good quality.While going through piles of straps from different manufactures, and through piles of leather samples, she selected only those that offer good quality and thus will last a long time.The selection of straps Fleur carries are carefully selected and with the following in mind: Bring a bit of that vintage touch to modern watches, and m...
Im staring at the Bulova Sea Hunter chronograph and, frankly, Im lost. This watch has to be the most polarizing vintage watch that I own. It defines strange, but I see an almost elemental beauty in its simplicity. That being said, what the hell is this thing?!?! Where did it come from and why had I neither seen nor heard of this watch prior to just a few weeks ago? In this weeks #TBT, Im going to do my best to share with you as much as Ive been able to find about this seemingly rare chronograph and in what has proven to be an even greater challenge, Ive done my best to photograph this impossible beast. Lets reverse plunge off the gunwale into the murkiness with the decidedly different Bulova...
Jeff Kingston visits the Grand Complication Workshop of Audemars Piguet in Le Brassus where the Grand Complications are assembled. He shows us different stages of assembly of the Royal Oak Offshore Grand Complication that debuted at the SIHH in Geneva in 2013. We will get to see different elements and how they come together, such as parts of the Perpetual Calendar, dials, hands and the casing up, the final stage of construction for this Grand Complication. The guide Mark Schmidt leads us through the process of the building of the Royal Oak Offshore Grand Complication, starting with the way the parts arrive into this Grand Complication room.This video is blocked because you did not accept mar...
Did you ever wonder what goes into the construction of a watch case and in particular a watch case made of high tech materials like carbon fiber?We visited the Hublot carbon case manufacturing workshop in Gland, Switzerland to find out. The following video explains the various steps in Hublots process of making components out of carbon fiber and Texalium.We will also learn the trick that allows color to be added to a Hublot carbon fiber case, and how it yields the materia called Texalium.This video is blocked because you did not accept marketing cookies. Change cookie settings Want to know more about the assembly of the worlds finest timepieces? Subscribe to our YouTube Channel, IBG Wor...
Sigma 7Yesterday, it was exactly 54 years ago that astronaut Walter ‘Wally Schirra?orbited Earth 6 times in the Sigma 7 spacecraft. The name of the NASA mission was Mercury-Atlas 8, and Schirra picked ‘Sigma 7 as the name for the spacecraft. Using the mathematical symbol for summation as appropriate for an engineering evaluation, and the 7 to refer to the seven Mercury astronauts (source).?On his wrist, an Omega, the first Speedmaster in Space. Schirra is?the only astronaut to have flown Mercury, Gemini and Apollo missions.First Speedmaster in SpaceNot only did Wally Schirra use a Hasselblad camera for the first time in space, it was also the first time that an Omega watch was ...
40 Years AgoJust last week, we published an updated version of our Patek Philippe Nautilus versus Audemars Piguet Royal Oak comparison article. When talking haute horlogerie, I have to admit that these two watches are definitely my favorite pieces. How much I like other high-end watches like a Patek Philippe 3940 or 5140, A. Lange & S?hne Lange 1 or Vacheron Constantin Overseas Ultra-Thin, nothing comes close to how?I feel about the Nautilus and Royal Oak. Today, I was somewhat surprised to see the new Nautilus 40th Anniversary models popping up out of nowhere.NautilusThat I picked the Royal Oak for my private collection had also to do with the money to spend, at that time, it was far be...
Today is German Unification Day, so let s take a look at something from the Fatherland – the Sinn T2!? Enjoy!In 2013, I attended my first Baselworld with my wife-to-be as a public spectator and the watch that stole my heart that year was, surprisingly, the newly introduced Sinn T2. As one who had been living in Germany on and off for a little over a year at that time, I developed a strong regard for the brand from Frankfurt am Main. Plucky, full of innovation and generally quite cost aware; Sinn is a popular brand amongst enthusiasts who are looking for something unique and extremely functional. Today, if for no other reason than to shed some light on a rarely discussed model from the ...
Drive de CartierCartier Hong Kong celebrated the official launch of the three Drive de Cartier models and for this important release, an amazing party was organized, that lasted night after night, during the last 9 days of September. The Drive de Cartier time only model was already available since January, but the wait was still for the more complicated ?Drive de Cartier with complications and the Drive de Cartier flying tourbillon, to make the trilogy?complete.Nine BoutiquesSince the opening of the Cartier Princes Building Boutique in 1970, the first Cartier Boutique in Asia,??Cartier has realized nine boutiques in Hong Kong. Not those small shops like we have in Europe, but really large st...
At Fratello Watches we show a lot of?love for?Omega s Speedmaster watch. But there is a new watch that?is accelerating and heading for a position at the top: Yema Rallye. This year there were several articles about this extravagant watch with a true motorsports connection. Michael wrote about his Obrey branded Rallye and Balazs revealed the fact that Mario Andrettis Rallye is actually a one-of-a-kind piece (read about Andrettis Rallye).So what elements can we look at? In this article I would like to look at the variants and point out a few interesting design elements.This video is blocked because you did not accept marketing cookies. Change cookie settings Video credit: rene_jkRallye: m...
Autumn is here and that must mean its time for a Vintage Watch Market Update. In the time since Ive started writing these, weve seen a lot of changes on the vintage scene. Weve gone from highlighting opportunities on the market to discussing the craze that affects so many of us regarding collecting and how it has rapidly changed pricing. Its been a whirlwind and its one that shows little signs of abating aside from a few stormclouds on the horizon. Today, though, let s focus on some of the trends Ive noticed over the past quarter regarding the types of pieces that people are collecting and the behaviors that are becoming ever more present within social media outlets and forums.Former Parts D...
Gerald Genta DesignsYou either like them or you dont, Gerald Gentas master pieces from the 1970s. Genta designed Omega watches for years (i.e. Constellation and Seamaster models) before he started his own company in 1969. Although designing watches was mostly a job that people did who were on the payroll of a watch manufacturer, it was an immediate success.Patek Philipps Nautilus and Audemars Piguet Royal OakAs we all know, Gerald Genta is the genius behind the Royal Oak watch (1972) from Audemars Piguet and the Patek Philippe Nautilus watch (1976). Both brands have a long history in watch making and both companies are considered high-end watch brands. Genta also designed the Ingenieur SL 18...
Hands-On Victorinox INOX ReviewYou definitely know the Victorinox knives, but are you also familiar with Victorinox watches? Besides the knives and watches, you ll find Victorinox luggage and backpacks. Victorinox concentrates on outdoor gear, the Victorinox Swiss Army knives probably being the most famous accessories. But how about their watches? We were eager to learn about the Victorinox INOX watch and what the fuss is about. We selected the Victorinox INOX Paracord watch for our review, as it perfectly matches the durable look of the watch. So without further ado, here we go.Victorinox INOX ParacordWhen I received the Victorinox INOX Paracord, they told me that it is an extremely tough a...
If youre weak for the pillow shaped oyster cases of the past, but having trouble fitting them on your wrist, than E.C.Andersson North Sea might be something for you. It measures 40mm in diameter, 10mm thin and sits just right – No matter wrist size.But let us start from the beginning, what is E.C.Andersson and why did it suddenly appear on the highly competitive watch scene? The answer is quite simple, detail manufacturing is my true love, states the founder with the same name, Erik C Andersson.It all started when he was a young boy and hes grandfather showed him how to build miniature steam engines. I was awed by the fact that such small metal parts could work together and create such...
