The missing link. Some of you may remember the article I wrote earlier this year pitting the Zenith A386 against the Seiko 6139 in a battle of two of the earliest automatic chronographs. I mentioned that I did not own an example of the 3rd entrant in the early automatic wars: the Calibre 11. Well, those days are over as I recently added one of these rabbit-eared specimens to my stable. My choice of model, however, may surprise you slightly as I went down the path least traveled or discussed. Then again, in light of yesterday s Vintage Market article, I did mention that any Cal. 11 was a godo idea to consider.? In any case, get those wrists moving in order to keep that movement running becaus...

Todays article marks the first of what we hope will become a periodic series. As the resident vintage writer (#TBT) for Fratello Watches, I often muse to my teammates about things Im seeing in the marketplace. On one particular day, I started chatting with Robert-Jan and brought up the idea of publishing a state of the market article on at least some part of the vintage world; a taste of what Ive been seeing along with some thoughts on why and perhaps some ideas for our readers to locate some potential pieces of interest. As per the norm, Robert-Jan gave me the green light to prognosticate away and create something that you, the reader, will hopefully enjoy.Before I start down the path of a ...

Early June we received a letter from one of our readers from Germany, who we will refer to as HU and shares his Speedmaster story with us.Omega Speedmaster Pro 145.012-67I?was a 10 year old kid when the first Moon landing got my undivided attention. Somewhat later, I dreamt of having his very own Moonwatch, as I knew about the astronauts wearing the Omega Speedmaster. Omega watches could already be found in my family, as my parents bought a pair of them in the early 1960s. My father wore an Omega Seamaster and my mother a Ladymatic. The Seamaster watch is in my possession today and I treasure it!It took until 1992 though, before I got his first Moonwatch. I received the famous Omega Speedmas...

When someone is getting himself into nice watches and wants to make the first real Swiss made watch purchase, the is a big chance?that?Tissot is one of those brands he or she will come across. We sat down with Tissot in?Basel and I have to say that we have not been let down by them.My own very first Swiss made watch was none other than a Tissot PRC 200 chronograph, which I bought back?in 2007. I loved the black dial with the yellow chronograph hands; the size was just perfect or my 7.5 wrist too. It came on a bracelet, which I later changed to a Hirsch Golfer starting some kind of a trend among WatchUseek s Tissot forum members who had the same watch and were looking for a strap alternative....

If you start to explore the world of Speedmasters and Omega in general one name you will come across is the late and great Chuck Maddox. Many things we know today are results of his thorough research, which is still a reference point for a lot of topics. Let that be a Speedy Pro, a vintage Heuer or vintage chronograph in general; he had his hands in everything. And boy was he ingenious. So ingenious that his works inspired a lot of people to start their own research, buy their first watch, or like the subject of this article, make their own authentic NASA Velcro strap.Haise s flown strap at the Bonhams auctionAs Phil (or Kizzi known by members on watch forums and eBay) a veteran Speedy weare...

This week, we feature an interview with the owner of a small watch goods company. I had the opportunity to meet this person on a recent trip to San Diego and was really taken by his story, his real interest in watches and, most importantly, the quality and design of his watch rolls. Erik gave me a watch roll of his own creation and it s been my go to accessory during travel and, believe me, I travel a lot. We hope you enjoy this candid view from a collector.What s your name and where are you based?Erik Akin and Im from San Diego, California USA. I ve lived here my whole life except for 5 years in Japan.What s your business and what type of products do you create? How did you come up with the...

MeisterSinger specializes in manufacturing watches that feature one single hand C and only show what is really important. Mostly, a single, needle-thin hour hand rotates around a dial on which you can accurately tell the time to the nearest five minutes.However, the Salthora, which was first presented in 2014, features a minute hand instead C and the hour is shown in a circular window positioned at 12 oclock. As soon as the hand reaches the middle of the window every sixty minutes, the number denoting the next hour appears in the window like a flash.The jumping hour principle was first used in wristwatches during the 1920s. However, its perfection is quite a technical challenge.The Salthora ...

Suns out guns out! Yes, its June and that means that people are giving serious thought to where they will spend their vacation. For most, this entails some sort of beach setting and may include activities in the water such as swimming, diving, sailing or surfing. If not, though, the vacation usually involves some sort of travel and often to a foreign land. This is where, if you like watch forums, things get entertaining.So, if youre a forum reader, especially on a forum that focuses on more expensive brands, we are now entering the season of the infamous, Is it safe to wear my insert watch brand and model to insert destination threads. The threads often ask about South American locales where...

Basel prognostications begin as early as January and start in earnest in February. One of the most discussed brands, of course, is . A quick browse of forums brings out multitudes of hypotheses about what the giant will release at the show and, then, a month or so later, the actual news is almost universally met with disappointment. While some of the hoped-for watches are plausible, Ive seen some fairly wild ones alongside creative photoshopped images. One imaginative idea that I remember distinctly was of a Submariner chronograph or, perhaps, a Daytona diver. In actuality, the idea is not so far-fetched as there are plenty of diving chronographs and why wouldnt , who is apt in making both ...

As most of our readers know by now, here at Fratello Watches we love our vintage watches. Having said that, innovation in watchmaking, usage of modernmaterials and even the introduction of a groundbreaking technique are all crucial things we appreciate. When companies try to combine past and present, I always look at things carefully. What might be an obvious move for the brand might not be that clear for their clients. History is important and having a rich heritage makes things easier, I guess.In this game Longines tends to be on top in recent years. Their Legend Diver for instance was a great hit due to the friendly price and the timeless yet classic design. Careful though; releasing too ...

This June?edition of Watch Strap Review will add yet another country to the already long lists of international strap creators. The company I will talk about today has been in the leather business for quite some time now. Our very own Gerard, RJ and Bert paid a visit to them a few years ago in Paris. Our paths crossed earlier this year when Yann and me were involved in a correspondence regarding some other issues. I asked him if he would be interested in a review and he said yes. We met personally in Basel during the BaselWorld exhibition?this year. ?Later that month the FedEx guy brought me a little something from them. As I said it before, they are based in Paris, France and they are:?Atel...

Are you looking to buy an Omega Speedmaster but don t know where to start? We re here to help! Over the past 65+ years, Omega has created many variations of one of the world s most famous chronographs. The classic 42mm Moonwatch has been in the collection since 1965, and to the novice eye, little has changed since then. But if you look a bit closer, you will find that the Speedmaster evolved quite a bit in the decades that followed.In this Speedmaster guide, we ll give you an overview of the most important references of the Speedmaster (Professional) and some of its variations. Although this article isn t meant as a pricing guide, we will give some hints, of course. If you re already a knowl...

Its rare that I am able to try on a vintage watch before purchasing it. That sounds funny, but unlike the new watch buying experience, most of my forays into the classic world dont involve a flashy store, a gratis glass of sparkling water or Champagne, or an anxious salesperson. No, the bulk of my purchases are made online. Therefore, I target watches that typically pick up on a similar theme as they probably look similar to something I already own that I like. Sometimes, though, if Im lucky, I get to ogle vintage pieces in person and try them on for size and looks. Here again, though, my in-person experiences have always led me down familiar thematic paths. This all changed recently, though...

Cartier made huge progress with their own calibers during the last 9 years.?Complication after complication was presented at the SIHH in Geneva and I think I am right in saying that with the launch of the new Cle de Cartier watch – powered by?their new automatic 1847MC movement – the total amount of ‘Made by Cartier calibers reaches over 40 now.Cartier?has since the beginning of 1900 a beautiful collection of watch cases, of which many are still in production. Most of them however, were rectangle or square shaped and since more and more calibers with complications are being developed by Cartier, the need?for round mens cases, to house these calibers, became more urgent. Be...

Are you looking to buy an Omega Speedmaster but don t know where to start? We re here to help! Over the past 65+ years, Omega has created many variations of one of the world s most famous chronographs. The classic 42mm Moonwatch has been in the collection since 1965, and to the novice eye, little has changed since then. But if you look a bit closer, you will find that the Speedmaster evolved quite a bit in the decades that followed.In this Speedmaster guide, we ll give you an overview of the most important references of the Speedmaster (Professional) and some of its variations. Although this article isn t meant as a pricing guide, we will give some hints, of course. If you re already a knowl...

Every once in a while you come across a person, in the flesh or on-line, that makes you wonder about the story behind his or her watch(es). In case of the Speedmaster, the stories behind the watch are often very personal and interesting. In the future we will ask more Speedmaster owners about their relationship with the watch, the reason why they bought it (or why it was given to them) and how they feel about things like: vintage versus modern, the Moonwatch (hi)story and so on. This Collector s Corner series will hopefully give you some inspiration and insights about the Speedmaster and its collector s base.Collector s Corner?kicks-off with RJ Kama, one of our loyal followers and an Omega c...

Linde Werdelin is a brand that we ve been covering from their (and our) early days on. Not only because Jorn Werdelin, Morten Linde and their entire team are great people, but also – of course – because they truly have something to show with their modern sports watches.This time – and we already had a little sneak preview – Linde Werdelin presents the SpidoSpeed Titanium. A watch that was made based on the original Linde Werdelin design code: a sturdy sports watch that has?a clear focus on construction and functionality. Everything unnecessary has been cut away from the Grade 5 titanium. To what s left, Linde Werdelin makes sure to finish it in the best way possible. ...

This weeks #TBT is about a watch that I always admired in pictures and felt like owning, but I only just recently acquired. As I will detail a bit later, the aspect that held me back from buying one, aside from not being able to find a great one at a decent price, is its rather small size. While Ive mentioned that I have a small wrist, our featured piece actually does look good on me.?? Still, I ultimately found a much better reason to buy the subject of todays article: the birthday of my wife. Todays #TBT is relatively affordable and about a neat gem of a watch: the Tissot 1281 chronograph.There are many of us who love to collect watches and while some of our significant others appreciate o...

MeisterSinger manufactures single-hand watches. The leanest and flattest of these is the Neo. It is one of those timepieces that appears ultimately familiar in its measurements and design, as if it had been around for decades. Its diameter of 36 millimeters, the thin bezel and the Hesalite glass make the Neo seem like it was created in the 1950s. However, not in an old-fashioned way, but embracing the modern aspects of the decade. After all, the 50s was a time of creative awakening and, above all, the renunciation of superfluous embellishment. The unadorned clarity of the dial also follows this tradition, although it was only designed half a century later by Manfred Brassler, the founder of ...

Perhaps I changed a bit during the last few years or at least my taste did, but I am warming up to gold watches. Not only did I think they were often too gaudy, tacky or whatever label you want to use, I also was of the opinion that certain watches should be in stainless steel only. The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak and Patek Philippe Nautilus are perfect examples of that thought.However, like I wrote, I am warming up to gold watches and even gold versions of these classic stainless steel luxury sports watches. Not how Gerald Genta meant them to be perhaps, but as long as it is done with the utmost respect to the original design, I can be fine with it. However, I am still a bit of a purist and a...