At Watches and Wonder 2021, we saw several beautiful new watches launched by many different brands. Some were expected, and some were a bit of a curveball and caught us by surprise, but in a good way! At the digital event, TAG Heuer launched its new Aquaracer Professional 300 collection. The release marked a new generation of the famous model, with a refreshed look that blended a bold-yet-elegant contemporary look with a functional and versatile form.After the launch s success and the subsequent availability of the watches from boutiques and dealers, TAG Heuer has revealed an unprecedented look behind the scenes of the fascinating advertising campaign that accompanied the launch. So sit back...

When I first put this watch on my wrist, I thought something misfired inside my brain. Of course, I tried to hide my confusion from my seasoned watch pro colleagues at Fratello HQ, but that lasted about three seconds. I think I shouted out loud, what the hell is going on? I saw the seconds hand moving counterclockwise, the 12 is a 0, and although the 6 is in its usual spot, the 3 and the 9 had swapped places. Everything is turned around! At first glance, the Raketa Russian Code is an enigma squirreled inside a brain-melting riddle. How to read time? Could I crack the code?I thought I got a Polar Watch out of the colorful Raketa box with Cyrillic letters and emblems recalling the former Sovie...

All aboard for another voyage on the S.S. Wrist Game or Crying Shame. This week, we examine a watch that feels a bit polarizing to me: the Yacht-Master II. Before we leave for sea…Marco! Polo! Marco! Polo! Ah, just kidding. Last week, I brought you back to the days of Studio 54 with the Piaget Polo. Folks, this equestrian-intended watch bracelet engaged in quite the horse race and it went down to the wire. Sadly, the Polo lost by a nose in a 51% Crying Shame result. Something tells me that today s Yacht-Master II will finish far more decisively. Let s see which direction.The Yacht-Master IIThe Yacht-Master II left the boatyard way back in 2007 and has motored on under its own power...

Limited editions come in all shapes and sizes. They also come with all kinds of nods to their inspiration. When it comes to the Casio Honda Racing Limited Edition EQW-A2000HR, we have a very full-blooded manifestation of the risky and riveting world of motorbike racing. With aesthetic and material cues riddled throughout this piece, we ask whether it achieves its remit.I ve had the recent pleasure of coming up close and personal with Casio s modern catalog. I m not afraid to say I have my favorite sections thereof and that the Edifice collection is not one that particularly resonates with me. However, I do happen to be quite the motorbike fan, so when the opportunity to get the Casio Honda R...

In February of this year, Grand Seiko announced four new GMT watches as new additions to their Elegance collection. Two of the four models are the Spring Drive powered SBGE269 and SBGE 271. The other two are the mechanical Hi-Beat SBGJ249 and SBGJ251. Together these four models form the special Seasons series of watches. This series focuses on the changing of seasons that inspired the dials for these watches. I had a chance to go hands-on with the mechanically powered SBGJ249 and SBGJ251. With the world opening up again, could these be your next travel companion?When it comes to GMT watches, there is no better brand than Grand Seiko. The brand offers a variety of different models that featur...

For this week s Speedy Tuesday we have an interview for you with Peter, or PC as his friends call him. However, to most of you #SpeedyTuesday followers on Instagram, you ve probably come across his account by the name of @watch_ors.With over 2500 posts he gathered roughly 7500 followers on his Instagram account. It will become immediately clear he s a Speedmaster enthusiast, although you will also find posts of his Swatches, Grand Seiko, Longines, and watches. PC is a Speedmaster enthusiast living on a continent surrounded by two oceans and three seas. He s married with children, yet fortunate enough to still continue his passion for watches. His grandfather was a watch collector, his fathe...

These days, we seem to focus on the newest watch releases with a longing eye towards whatever might come next. We lap up the debuts and move on quickly. Furthermore, we also pine over those watches that are impossible to buy (ahem, ). It s time to take a deep breath and realize that there are some truly great watches that are readily available and are, dare I say, modern classics. Let s have a look …FOMO … that s fear of missing out, for those of you who aren t glued to your phone. We re addicted to platforms like Instagram where the pressure is on to keep showing something / anything new. In today s watch world, a competitive nature exists where yesterday s news is gone and forg...

You ve seen pictures of bronze watches before, some with almost no patina at all, and some that looked like there s a forest growing on them. How quickly does the Fratelloris (Oris x Fratello collab watch) start to develop patina? A question we received a number of times of people who ordered one. In this video, we ll show you.Together with Karina, I talk about the development of patina on the Oris Big Crown Pointer Date in bronze. We show you a brand new Oris that we just unboxed versus the one I have been wearing since December 1st (or actually a few days before the introduction day).This video is blocked because you did not accept marketing cookies. Change cookie settings Bronze Pati...

Convinced that quartz watches are not worth exploring? Well, they are not all the same. Take this early Q Timex with an M63 movement that combines a quartz crystal and balance wheel to bring us a crazy hybrid watch.?Inside a quartz clock or watch, it is the battery that sends electricity to the quartz crystal through an electronic circuit. The quartz crystal oscillates at a precise frequency. The circuit then counts these vibrations and uses them to generate regular electric pulses. Normally, one per second. That pulse drives a tiny stepping motor that turns the gear wheels responsible for advancing the hands. I dont know how many quartz watches you disassembled as a child (deliberately or n...

Wrist Game or Crying Shame returns this week with a look at the Minerva Pythagore Edition 2001. This watch represents the last gasp effort prior to becoming part of something much bigger. Will you honor its death throes? Let s see, but first…Last week, I showed you a bargain bin Zenith El Primero with the Epervier model name. Despite the incredible movement and inspirational pricing, this child of the late 80s fell to a 57% Crying Shame loss. One day, when pleated pants make a proper return (not that half-baked attempt that the fashion industry is trying now), you ll wish you d bought this chrono. Oh well: we move onwards and upwards. If the Epervier represented the end of one of my f...

Omega has been the timekeeping partner for the Olympic Games since 1932. The last time should have been 2020, but it seems that it is at least postponed till this year (if the planned Tokyo edition goes ahead at all). However, the show must go on, and the Winter Games are already planned for 2022 in Beijing, 14 years after the city hosted a historic summer competition.To celebrate the countdown to the start of the Beijing Winter Games 2022, Omega introduces to you a special Seamaster 300M.Seamaster 300M Beijing 2022 EditionWhen Omega introduced the current Seamaster 300M collection in 2018, it took a step forward concerning innovations and technology, and a little step back regarding design....

You could be forgiven for wondering whether humor (or satire, even) has a place in luxury watchmaking. It is a fair consideration considering this is an industry that, at its very upper reaches, takes itself rather (too) seriously. But if after asking yourself that question, you find yourself on the fence, open to being convinced in one way or another, I d encourage you to take a look at this, the latest and very last entrant in the H. Moser & Cie. Swiss Alp series. I ve got to believe that this slice of high-end hilarity would plant a grin on the grumpiest of faces. Why? Because it is, quite simply, genius.I must admit to having an odd relationship with H. Moser & Cie. It is a brand...

It is becoming more and more difficult to find a mechanical divers watch under $1,000, especially from the big brands. The watch landscape changed tremendously over the past 10C15 years, and prices have increased quite a bit.Is it still possible to find a proper mechanical dive watch with this budget? In this top 7 mechanical dive watches under $1,000, you will find my favorites.Top 7 Mechanical Divers Under $1,000I am not a diver by any means. I only go for the occasional swim during my holidays. The real divers in our team are Gerard, Bert, and Andreas. They have their PADI qualifications and know a thing or two about what it takes to dive with a watch. And while I do like the looks of div...

Just in case you are looking for a reason to buy one of those new Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch Master Chronometer watches, I will list five of them in this article.If you joined our last Speedy Tuesday GTG in December 2019, the new Moonwatch Master Chronometer wasn t really a surprise to you. During that event, Omega announced that its caliber 3861 will be used in a new Moonwatch. Those who have been paying attention over the last few years, know that every first Tuesday of the new year means a new Speedmaster introduction.The New Moonwatch Master ChronometerWith the introduction of the new Moonwatch Master Chronometer, the former famous caliber 1861 Moonwatch has been discontinued. You might...

Paneristi rejoice! The Italian brand has released its latest watch, the Luminor Marina 44mm Guillaume Nery Edition PAM1122. The PAM1122 celebrates the 70th anniversary of the birth of Luminor, a patented tritium-based substance with luminescent properties. It is also a tribute to freediver and Brand Ambassador Guillaume Nery.Forming an important part of dive watch history, Panerai has done some exciting things with the Luminor Marina. The PAM1122 was developed by the Panerai Laboratorio di Idee, using DMLS (Direct Metal Laser Sintering) technology, which shapes the titanium case using a 3D printing process. The finished product takes on a cool granulated texture.…hands-on takeaways of ...

Wish lists are common among the watch hopeful. No matter the popular brand, you can find discussions about what people think is coming down the pipe. Today, as it relates to Seiko and Grand Seiko, I d like to turn our attention away from what will probably come towards what I d actually like to see.It s been over five years since I joined the Fratello team. During that time, I ve woken up to almost daily emails from brands showing their new wares and it s something that still excites me. No matter the brand, I enjoy looking at the newest of the new. It s important to note, though, that for the longest time, we received almost nothing from Seiko and Grand Seiko. Yes, these brands were present...

If you ve been looking for a go-anywhere, do-anything, super legible, satisfyingly robust, everyday timepiece for absolutely no money at all, you re in luck. In our second watch giveaway of 2021, Avi-8 has kindly donated the Flyboy Automatic, Sydney edition for your pleasure.I love free stuff. Who doesn t? Unfortunately, an irksome little thing I like to call journalistic integrity prevents me from keeping a lot of the nice things that would otherwise call my watch box home. That s good news for you lot, though! Last week, we gave away the handsome Zelos Nova to our worthy reader Luka. This time around, we have another interesting texture on the dial but, beyond that, a different proposition...

2020 was a dark year. Thankfully, however, some things brought light to what was otherwise a rather bleak affair. One of those things was light in its literal form. Enter, the Linde Werdelin ?Black Badger Oktopus Blue Sea. What a wonderfully cheesy, yet apt, segue!I have been a fan of Linde Werdelin for a while now. Visually, the brands watches have always struck a note with me. Modern, and, somehow, organically angular. I also admire the brands strong DNA that runs through its designs. Each of Linde Werdelins model families (3-Timer, Spido, and Oktopus) cases follow the same base shape. Sure, the 3-Timer has a rotating bezel, the Spido case is partially skeletonized, and the Oktopus has a ...

The Hamilton Ventura is one of those watches that pretty much every watch enthusiast knows. The Ventura takes all the classic conventions of what a watch should look like and throws them straight out of the window. The most famous wearer of the Ventura was without a doubt, Elvis Presley. Back in 2015, Hamilton launched the Ventura Elvis80 collection on what was to be Elvis s 80th birth year. Almost six years after that, the latest additions to the collection are the Hamilton Ventura Elvis80 Skeleton watches. Are these two watches still the classic that Elvis wore? Let s find out!It s remarkable how I managed not to review or even wear a Hamilton Ventura before. As someone that is predominant...

Titoni Ltd. is a Swiss watch manufacturer headquartered in the city of Grenchen. Two years ago, the family company, which holds a unique position in the Swiss watch industry in many respects, looked back on 100 years of watchmaking history.The company was originally founded as Felco (later Felca) Ltd. by the grandfather of the current CEO, Daniel Schluep. In the early 1950s, the traditional Swiss watchmaking company expanded its business networks to Asia and began producing watches under the name Titoni. Today, Titoni Ltd. is one of the very few remaining independent watch companies in Switzerland.In-house manufacturingThe independent, family-owned company has a long tradition of producing c...