IFL Watches Introduces Citizen Tsuyosa Concept Collection
Japan is an infinite source of inspiration for creative people. The history and culture of the Land of the Rising Sun have long sparked a rich palette of artistry in art, fashion, furniture, and architecture. With the Citizen Tsuyosa Concept Collection, IFL Watches pays tribute to Japanese culture by creating four very distinctly Japanese dials for the Citizen Tsuyosa. The brand’s popular watch is the perfect canvas for the artists at IFLW to honor Japanese culture with hand-painted dials based on images of four historically important Japanese cities. Let’s find out more!It’s no secret that Japan has long been praised for its craftsmanship. We see this in watchmaking, but i...
The Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Minute Repeater Review
It seems that this year is to be the year of the super complication! Thanks again to the folks at Jaeger-LeCoultre, we had the opportunity to photograph and enjoy this piece for a very short period of time – enough to produce some images and gather some impressions of this rare bird.As usual, click on any image for a larger version.Most repeaters are housed in cases of ‘heavy’ metals – think platinum, or at very least, gold; there have been a few forays into exotic metals (I have no idea what Richard Mille would use if they were to ever make a repeater) but titanium seems to be the predominant choice for non-precious metal cases. The reason for this is fairly simple: ...
#TBT Clebar Chronograph Venus 178
Clebar is apparently slang in French for wet dog. I suppose that's better than a cat, but it's still not overly flattering. Then, we have Robert-Jan's colorful take on the word he thinks it sounds like an ill-gotten malady that would often require a shot of penicillin. Either way, Clebar is also the name of a watch brand and a certain chronograph model is the subject of today's #TBT.?? I've had this watch for roughly a year now and it's a study in mystery no matter how you slice it. Information is scarce and the design is confounding. There's one thing that easy to explain, though, and that's the beauty and condition of this watch. Furthermore, it contains a fantastic movement not often seen...
Endeavour Centre Seconds Concept Blue Lagoon?By H. Moser & Cie
SIHH is fun for many reasons. It's a great place to catch up with our fellow journalists from all over the world. It's also great to get a taste of this year's buzz from the Richemont brands. Last but not least SIHH is an amazing experience for fans of the independents. These brands often have limited marketing budgets compared to the big names like Cartier, Panerai or Audemars Piguet (also independent of course). They don't often organize huge events, and press roadshows around the globe. So, seeing them and actually their whole staff together in one place is as rare as it gets. More important than that, of course, are the novelties they are bringing to the show each year. H.Moser? & Ci...
Apollo 16 Astronaut Charlie Duke Signing My Speedmaster
During our Speedy Tuesday event in Frankfurt last year, Apollo 16 astronaut Charlie Duke was our special guest for the day.Charlie Duke was selected for the Apollo program by NASA in 1966. In 1969, Duke served as an astronaut support crew member for the Apollo 10 mission and was the CAPCOM for Apollo 11. The CAPCOM was the single person at the Mission Control center who was directly in touch with the astronauts in space. Duke’s first words to the Apollo 11 crew on the surface of the Moon were: “Roger, Twank…Tranquility, we copy you on the ground. You got a bunch of guys about to turn blue. We’re breathing again. Thanks a lot!”.Charlie Duke as CAPCOM for Apollo 1...
Grand Seiko STGK015 Elegance Collection Women's Automatic Limited Edition Watch
2020 marks the 60th birth year of the first Grand Seiko watch. To begin a full year of celebrations of this important landmark, the independent brand spun off from Seiko is introducing four new limited-edition timepieces. The standout piece for ladies? Reference STGK015.While Rob has already covered the three men's models, my eye is on the women's watch from Grand Seiko, obvs! This diamond-studded automatic watch is limited to 300 pieces. It is a very feminine extension to the brand's Elegance collection. At 27.8mm, the petite size offers a delicate presence on a lady's wrist. Together with the SBGH281, it's the “his and hers” of the celebratory pair.DialThe stainless steel STGK0...
Moritz Grossmann Super Bowl Watch Celebrates Kansas City Chiefs' Victory
I’ve been a fan of the movements produced by Moritz Grossmann for a long time. Longer than that, however, I’ve been a fan of the NFL. As the German manufacture marks another Super Bowl with yet another unique piece, I ask myself the obvious question: Do I want it?Last year I had the pleasure of sitting down with Moritz Grossmann CEO Christine Hutter. Invariably, I turned the subject of our conversation towards the spate of, as I would term it, “odd” limited and unique editions being turned out by the brand. My question was personally motivated by last year’s Super Bowl watch.That model commemorated the New England ?Patriots defeating the LA Rams. On paper, this ...
TAG Heuer Carrera Calibre 02 Porsche Special Edition Watch Drops Today
It’s 2021. The world has become so accustomed to having been turned on its head by the relentless pandemic that began sweeping the globe more than a year ago that it seems the world’s ears have sprouted feet of their own. That’s right: this is the new normal. Brands are getting more and more creative. Some are looking within themselves for answers, digging through their archives and searching their true souls for messages their followers desperately need to hear. Meanwhile, TAG Heuer and Porsche decided to turn their attention outward and, incidentally, toward one another. As such, I’m pleased to announce the TAG Heuer Carrera Calibre 02 Porsche special edition watch....
Patina And Me: Enjoying The Fratelloris One Month On (Video)
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).Bronze PatinaBronze has been used for many years now for watches. One of the first watche...
#TBT Full Set 1975 Q Timex Watch With A Crazy M63 Movement
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 don't know how many quartz watches you disassembled as a child (deliberat...
[Video] Two Speedmaster Alternatives To The Calibre 321 In Canopus Gold
This year marks the 65th anniversary of the Speedmaster, and Omega started the celebrations by showing us a beautiful Calibre 321 in Canopus (white) gold. However, even though we think it is a beautiful watch, it’s only available for the very lucky few due to its $80,000 price tag. But that doesn’t mean that there isn’t an alternative available.In this video, RJ talks about two alternative choices that feature the same Broad Arrow hands. The Speedmaster ref.3594.50 and the Speedmaster ’57 60th-anniversary edition. One is based on the 42mm Moonwatch case and the other has the same straight-lug case with a diameter of 38.6mm like the Calibre 321 in Canopus gold.Speedmas...
G-Shock GWG-2000TLC-1AER Toyota Land Cruiser Mudmaster
The Dakar rally has always had a reputation for being one of the world's toughest races since its inaugural season in 1979. Drivers have to navigate thousands of kilometers of remote desert under the harshest possible conditions. Naturally, a G-Shock seems like the perfect choice for drivers taking part. And how about what is undoubtedly one of the toughest G-Shock models on the market today? Teaming up with the Toyota Land Cruiser team, G-Shock introduced the Mudmaster GWG-2000TLC-1AER. Equipped with all the tools drivers might need, it’s a perfect watch for all off-road activities. Whether in the desert, the mountains, or on and under the ocean, the new Mudmaster makes sure you are r...
Hands-On: Aevig Thule GMT And Three-Hand Automatic
There is a special niche in the watch universe for watches with TV dials. Throughout history, we have seen quite a few iconic watches that featured them. I have covered quite a few in the Buying Guide series of articles and found that I have a massive soft spot for a well-executed TV dial. That’s why I was happy to see the two TV-dial Thule models from Dutch brand Aevig land on my desk. The first was the three-hand Thule Automatic and the second was the Thule GMT, which were both recently introduced. The watches combine ’70s-inspired looks with a modern titanium execution, and it’s a combination that works very well. Time to dive into the world of modern TV dials.When I thi...
Five Alternatives To The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Jumbo
The best alternative to the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak 15202 Jumbo is the brand-spanking-new Audemars Piguet Royal Oak 16202 Jumbo. The problem is, of course, that you're not the only one who wants one. The demand exceeds the supply, and you're not willing to break the bank on the parallel market; you have principles and/or a brain and a half. To help you ease the pain, I have lined up for you five alternatives to the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Jumbo in five price categories. I have selected watches from Laurent Ferrier and Parmigiani Fleurier in the two highest price categories. Then I've dropped the budget step by step - a matter of getting the same looks for less. That's when Girard-Perrega...
Building A Watch Brand: A Designer, Finances, And Risk Mitigation
Welcome to the third episode of Building A Watch Brand! Some crucial choices have to be made while VPC is still in this seedling stage, so I have been doing a ton of calculations and even more hard thinking. As I shed my na?vete and the true scope of what I have taken on presents itself, it is time to get serious.In this episode, I will let you in on some of the decisions I have made so far. The most important are a number of financial and strategic choices and picking the right designer to partner with. But before we get into that, I have to revisit Episode 2.Preliminary logo sketches from Ep. 2Unveiling VPC in “Building A Watch Brand Episode 2”I unveiled the brand name VPC in t...
Doxa Sfygmos, Grand Seiko SBGA375, And Omega "Jedi"
Today's Pre-Owned Spotlight is an eclectic bunch. I picked a vintage chronograph because, well, I love them. It’s not something you often see, but it has a complication (or rather, a purpose) that I find utterly fascinating. We discussed it while recording next week’s Fratello On Air episode, hence the idea. The second vintage chronograph comes from my beloved Omega. It is from an era - the late ’60s and early ’70s - when brands went funky, and you can undoubtedly see it in this one. I also selected a modern watch from Grand Seiko, a fancier version of my own timepiece.The aim was to bring models to the forefront that might not be well known. On one hand, hunting for ...
An Owner's Review: The Second-Gen Apple Watch SE
The subject of this article has become utterly ubiquitous. As a lover of traditional watches, however, I am shocked that one is currently on my wrist. Through some matter of luck and a Black Friday Christmas sale, I am now the owner of a second-generation Apple Watch SE. I have put it through its paces over the last two months in the only way that I can as a watch enthusiast.It has been some time since we have reviewed an Apple Watch on Fratello. Revisiting a more recent model lets us try to answer the question: does this watch belong in my collection?The Apple Watch SE: will I wear it?My thoughts on the Apple Watch have been the same since it debuted: why would I want my phone on my wrist? ...
Cartier Tank Louis Cartier Vs. Tank Must SolarBeat
Welcome to another edition of Sunday Morning Showdown! This week, we have a face-off between two watches from the same house. It's a battle of old versus new, gold versus steel, and most of all, unabashed luxury versus (relative) affordability. We would like to know which Cartier Tank you would spend your money on. Would it be the Tank Louis Cartier, also known as the Tank of Tanks? Or would you prefer the modern Tank Must SolarBeat? Which will be Fratello’s King of Tanks? It’s time to find out!When wearing a Cartier, you are not merely wearing a watch. You are wearing a style statement. The brand’s creations are way too extravagant and stylish to be considered normal watch...
Hands-On With The Redesigned Casio G-Shock Rangeman
G-Shock is slowly introducing new versions of its classics within the Master of G line. This series of professionally specced watches contains some of the brand’s most famous models. Among them are the Mudman, Mudmaster, Gravitymaster, Frogman, and Rangeman, the last of which is the subject of today’s review. At first glance, the new G-Shock Rangeman GPR-H1000 is overwhelming, mostly because it is an intimidatingly big watch. However, the new Rangeman also offers various features that could make this the ultimate adventurer’s watch. How does it hold up the concrete jungle? It’s time to find out.Last year, I reviewed the latest-generation G-Shock Mudman, which was comp...
Understanding The Gray Market For Watches
In the watch industry, people often toss around the term “gray market,” but they don't always fully understand it. The gray market for watches refers to a network of unofficial sales channels through which sellers trade watches outside of the authorized distribution system. While this market is legal, it operates without the endorsement of the brands. For many buyers, this market offers a chance to acquire sought-after timepieces that may be hard to find at retail, such as the Daytona, which has been an excellent example for many years. However, this comes with complexities and risks. In some cases, customers can also buy watches with serious discounts. Let’s dive into how...