No, this is not Part Two of Tomas s #TBT article about the Nivada Dato Ref. 4368. What we have here is a hybrid watch. First and foremost, inside the new Nivada Datomaster is the Seiko VK64A meca-quartz movement. That may be a bit of a turn-off for a lot of you, but please, bear with me. Also, the Datomaster is not really a Datomaster. Its basically a Nivada Dato in looks, but a Datomaster in the new Nivada watch collection. Despite being a hybrid, a mix of two, the Nivada Datomaster Mecaquartz is an incredible timepiece, especially in its price range.I received a few watches from Nivada, and I must admit, this was not the first piece I picked up. But the time had come for me to wear it, and...
We all have an origin story when it comes to our watch collection. Mine began nearly five years ago with a watch and a brand that were never on my radar. A pending milestone in my life brought me on this journey, and like many, I went down the research rabbit hole. That is how I discovered Fratello, watch collectors, and the Tudor Black Bay Steel. This was the first watch in my collection. With the watch having been quietly discontinued, now seems an excellent time to revisit what drew me to this timepiece and how it established some criteria that I ve used in building my collection.I didnt set out to be a watch collector. Five years ago, my wife and I were expecting our first child, a boy. ...
It was only a few months ago that Robert-Jan asked me to come up with an update on the article Shut Up And Read The Truth About Cartier. And that was actually not such a bad plan. Apart from the fact that it is still my best-read Cartier story, a lot has changed at Cartier since that article was first published on April 29th, 2015, especially in the way La Maison manages its collections.Let s wind the clock back a bit. In the 20s and 30s, Cartier had already its collection of shaped watches like the Tonneau, Tortue, Santos-Dumont, and others. In the early years, these watches, which were mainly produced in yellow gold or platinum, were usually equipped with an EWC caliber. Later on, many m...
Good morning. How was your weekend? Good. Ready for another watch week? Let me kick off Coffee Corner Watch Talk with a question: where do you stand on collaborations between watch and car brands? I ask you this because Girard-Perregaux announced an Aston Martin F1 watch in high-tech materials. And IWC just released the Pilots Watch Chronograph 41 Edition Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team. Theres also an Atelier Jalaper series of watches with dials made from an Aston Martin DB5 bonnet. Perhaps these are nice topics to discuss over a cup in the coffee corner with like-minded watch fans. And you could also cause a bit of controversy by stating that youre going to buy yourself a Hublot Big...
We all know Hamilton well. Initially formed in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, in 1892, the brand now proudly resides under the Swatch Group umbrella. Beloved for its well-constructed and excellent-value-for-money watches, I know several fellow collectors whose first foray into serious watch collecting began with the acquisition of a Hamilton timepiece. In each case, those collectors chose a mighty Khaki Field due to its military heritage and affordable price tag. Now, Hamilton has updated its Khaki Field Titanium range with some more excellent watches.The Khaki Field is one of those watches that speaks to many people due to its no-nonsense legibility and rugged construction. These are, in my opini...
When the Seiko Astron GPS Solar debuted in 2012, the light-powered, GPS-satellite-connected watch came in a hefty 47 16.5mm case. All that tech needed space, you see. But as you would expect, over time, Seiko managed to slim things - the high-tech quartz caliber, that is - down quite a bit. The latest four Astron iterations boast atomic-clock precision and recognize 39 time zones. They are slimmer, sleeker, and sharper than ever before. The Astron GPS Solar 5X53 Dual-Time comes in an edgy titanium case that measures a more moderate 42.7 12.2mm; numbers befitting an all-around, everyday (travel) watch.To be honest, my Seiko Astron GPS Limited Edition 2012 SAST001 may be a 47 16mm watch,...
The Seiko Spacewalk… This is a Seiko many remember solely for costing $28,000 - if one could even find it at all. It was Seiko s first foray into a purpose-built space watch, and what a watch it was… Spring Drive movement, 12-hour chronograph, 24-hour indicator, power reserve, and date, all present on a black, no-nonsense dial and wrapped up in a radical titanium bullhead case. And - true to the name - the Seiko Spring Drive Spacewalk did perform a spacewalk in, well, space. But that was 14 years ago. In both space travel and watches, that s a veritable lifetime. Now with commercial space travel taking the stage, it s time to ask: where is our new Seiko Spacewalk?In 2008, Seiko r...
In the battle of the plastics (yeah, Bioceramic) for this Sunday Morning Showdown, two popular, fun, and affordable watches go head to head. It s the Swatch collaboration with Omega versus one of Casio s G-Shock models. Today, RJ brings the MoonSwatch and Daan brings the G-Shock CasiOak to the table.For this MoonSwatch versus CasiOak battle, let me (RJ) kick it off by saying that I have tremendous respect for both brands. My first watch - that I can remember, at least - was a Casio (W-14). I remember buying it (or, more likely, having my parents buy it for me) at Dixons in Canterbury, England in the summer of 1986. I also had a look at some of the very early square G-Shock models. But at tha...
When I told my father I was getting more and more into watches, he told me he had a gold IWC pocket watch from my great-grandfather. On the back, it says Van Moe, which means From Mom in Dutch, and October 1919. Apparently, my great-grandmother gifted him the watch 103 years ago this October. My father, who recently handed the watch down to me, doesn t exactly know why she did that. Even without knowing the exact reason, to me, this is a very valuable piece because it s a part of my family history. But it also made me think about when and how I would engrave one of my own watches.As most well-known watches with engraved case backs are vintage pieces, it seems like engraving a watch has becom...
Spring watch auctions were back with a vengeance in Geneva this past week. Phillips In Association With Bacs & Russo achieved yet another record-breaking sale at The Geneva Watch Auction: XV that took place on May 7th and 8th. The white glove sale (meaning a sell-out) yielded over CHF 38.9 million from 196 lots, broke six world records, and fetched CHF 3.3 million from the headliner, Patek Philippes Pink on Pink Ref. 1518 in Pink Gold.After chalking up 2021 as the most successful year for any auction house in watch-auction history, Phillips staged its highly anticipated watch event at La Reserve Hotel. Over two days, the bumper sale generated far more than the pre-sale estimate of CHF 14...
It s no secret that I have a weak spot for the Omega Constellation. In fact, I do have my fair share of them (eight different references, to be exact), but the only modern version I own is the Constellation Globemaster. In this video, I talk about the latest addition to the Omega Constellation Globemaster collection, the Annual Calendar with a green dial.Omega Constellation Globemaster Annual Calendar 130.33.41.22.10.001When Omega introduced the (modern) Constellation Globemaster back in 2015, I was immediately smitten by it. The pie-pan dial reminded me of those early Constellations from the 1950s and 1960s, and the case shape was something new. On the case back, Omega added the famous obse...
In a 1981 interview on Granada TV, former legendary Liverpool FC coach Bill Shankly spoke these often misquoted and famous words: Somebody said that footballs a matter of life and death to you, I said, ‘Listen, it s more important than that. Does that quote apply to watches as well? Im inclined to answer that with a firm yes based on the comments we get on articles we publish. At Fratello, we are proud of the engagement our stories effectuate. But sometimes we also are stunned by the intensity. The comments you leave behind range from lyrically positive to intensely annoyed, vexed, and aggrieved. We have to ask, dear watch fans, why so angry?Over the last year, the number of comments ...
I often envy those who can live with one watch for a large part of their lives… The people who don t feel the need to have a collection. My grandfather was a perfect example. He had his gold watch for 42 years and just wore it every single day. Just recently, my dad showed me a Junghans watch that he received in 1960 when he was 10 years old. It was a gold-plated mechanical watch with a case diameter of approximately 34mm. He wore it until he graduated and received an Omega Geneve when he was 18. He basically wore that watch until 2017 when he proudly purchased the Omega Speedmaster Speedy Tuesday.In this day and age, I think its less common to spend half a lifetime with one watch. Eve...
OK, so the MoonSwatch might not quite yet be widely available online, but there s no harm in making sure you re fully prepared for when it is. I didn t get my Mission To Mercury on the day of release. I had to wait until a couple of weeks after the launch, but the wait was worth it. Why? Because I was fully prepared with my replacement strap, ready to go.Replacement strap? If you re asking what s wrong with the stock hook-and-loop option, the answer is nothing. There s nothing wrong with it whatsoever, but it s just not quite for me. My Mission To Mercury came with a silvery number which I wasn t super keen on. If it had been black or something a little plainer, I might have given it a chanc...
As watch enthusiasts, we get excited about new watch releases. Its inevitable, and we cant help it. Its like telling sugar not to be sweet - its just not going to happen. Some releases get us a little more hot under the collar than others, especially when weve been biting our tongue for months, knowing what was coming. Its even more difficult when youve been involved in the testing and development process, as is the case with the new Fortis Stratoliner.Previously, you may have read some of our articles here on Fratello in which Rob and I discussed a top-secret mission that took us 150km north of the Arctic Circle. Think temperatures of -17C and the like - brutal, but beautiful. Fortis and Fr...
If you read my series on The Allure Of Japanese Watchmaking before Christmas, you will remember my fondness for the bare-metal dial art of Naoya Hida. I still havent figured out the Japanese-language version of Haute Horlogerie, but the creations of Hida-san fit the bill to a tee. The NH Type 1-3 models are variations on a 37mm steel-cased theme of studied craftsmanshipMost Japanese top-tier dials are infused with centuries of Japanese culture, like a lacquered zen garden glassy to the touch. But there is more to Japanese horology than a multi-layered maki-e urushi lacquer dial. Here is proof that Japanese independent watchmaking is so much more than colored flash. Witness the intrinsic deta...
The Jaeger-LeCoultre Polaris is a watch that began its life as a three-crown dive/alarm watch. The brand reminded us of this in 2018, releasing the Memovox Tribute to Polaris and the Polaris Date at SIHH that year. Since its release in the 1960s, the Polaris has become much more than just one quirky diver. Now, the brand uses the Polaris name to designate an entire line of watches. It includes chronographs, world timers, perpetual calendars, the Polaris Date and no-date models, and even one model which remains faithful to the OG Polaris with its built-in alarm function. Looking through the lineup, one cant help but notice that other than black and gray, only blue is available as a more color...
The Citizen Alarm Date caught me totally unprepared. I wanted it long ago, that s for sure. When it turned up, I was just not expecting so much joy. If you ve ever considered acquiring your first Citizen, let an Alarm Date ALDS 52902-Y be your bet.I have a thing for alarm watches, and in particular, the mighty Vulcain Cricket. Reading Mike s articles while going down the rabbit hole helped me put vintage Citizen on my radar. When I saw a very diver-esque Citizen with an additional short hand with a red arrow for the first time, it went straight on my wishlist. But it didn t have a high priority or any particular purchase deadline.As it usually goes…I was not actively searching for the ...
Dive watches are ten a penny when it comes to new microbrands. It often seems to be the go-to style for brands when they re starting out. Why? Well, a dive watch is possibly one of the most well-rounded styles in as much as it s a rugged tool built to handle the rigors of everyday life. It s often a little less niche than, say, a dress watch. As a result, the microbrand market is somewhat saturated with dive watches, and it takes something a little bit different to stand out. When Horon Watches dropped us an email about its upcoming Ocean Hunter dive watch, there was something there that piqued our interest enough to want to have a closer look.With the sheer number of dive watches on the mar...
Sometimes the stars align for a watch-and-strap combination. All of the ingredients come together, and the result is as close to perfection as it gets. OK, maybe thats going a bit too far. But its my way of letting you know just how much I love the combination Im here to tell you about on todays Strap Check. Of course, if youve read the title (which you probably have) you know what Im going to be showing you today. Its my Hamilton Khaki Field Automatic on a lovely khaki-green strap. Before we start, I do have a confession to make. Ive been going through somewhat of a green phase recently. It seems that, try as I might, I cant get enough green in my life. That s especially true when it comes ...
