TimeZone's Watch Of The Year 2011 Competition Your Votes Please!
TimeZone’s 2011 Watch of the Year competition has started and there are six candidates you can choose from when voting. Go to the TimeZone website and leave your vote for your favorite watch manufacturer. Make sure you are a registered user of TimeZone and read the voting policy before doing so.The candidates of the 2011 edition of TimeZone’s Watch of the Year are:A. Lange & Sohne’s?Richard Lange Tourbillon Pour le Merite. Limited to 100 pieces only in platinum (model shown here in 18 carat red gold) and the fourth piece from this Glashuette manufacture with the Pour le Merite distinction. The tourbillon with a patented stop-seconds mechanism and the fusee-and-chain tra...
OMEGA Speedmaster CK2998-5 | Fratellowatches
Omega Speedmaster CK2998-5Speedy Tuesday is here! Last week we already had a Speedmaster pre-Professional CK2998, but that doesn’t hold us back to present another wonderful Speedmaster CK2998. This time, it is an untouched Omega Speedmaster CK2998-5, where the dash 5 stands for one of the last versions of this CK2998. To our best knowledge, the -62 is the last CK2998 (after -5 came -6, -61 and -61).The owner of this watch is a chronograph nut, and as he said, one has to decide fast if you see one, as these Speedmaster CK2998 watches tend to sell very fast. Especially when they are as good as this one here. We fully agree with him, as it becomes quite difficult to find a decent Speedmas...
FOUND: Omega Speedmaster Professional 105.012-65 Blue Dial For Sale
Last week I received an e-mail from Bob about his Omega Speedmaster Professional 105.012-65 blue dial watch. A rarity, as we wrote back in December 2014 when we discussed the blue dial Speedmaster Pro 145.012 from the Omega Museum. During our Speedmaster GTG in Dusseldorf last year (click here for the report), we’ve seen another blue dial Speedmaster from one of the guests.Bob is offering his Speedmaster Professional 105.012-65 blue dial on eBay and the current bid is already on $7,400.- USD. Why is this watch so special? There is not much to explain about these watches to be honest.?These blue dial Omega Speedmaster watches were delivered from the factory this way, not because of a ha...
The Breitling Curtiss Warhawk Collection
While it isn't exactly breaking news, we have the lifting of an embargo on the new Breitling Curtiss Warhawk collection.? Curiously, Breitling showed one of the models back in November, but we are now treated to a three-piece collection of non limited special edition watches.? Let's take a look.The Curtiss P-40 Warhawk (photo courtesy of the United States Air Force)Fighter PlaneWith the Breitling Curtiss Warhawk collection, we have a themed line of watches dedicated to the Curtiss P-40 Warhawk, a legendary American single-seat fighter plane from World War 2 that was first built in 1938.? If you're not familiar with this plane, it saw serious action in both the European and Pacific theaters w...
Introducing: The Eza AirFighter Blue
Ever since the founders of Eza found their way to us we’ve kept in touch with them. It helps that we live in the same area and share several passions including watches, beer and cigars. Besides that, we simply like the Eza models and their sharp proposition. We’ve covered the Eza Sealander?shortly after it was launched followed by the Eza AirFighter. And today they officially present a new version of that watch. Well not really a new version as it is a variation which gives you something to choose.Eza AirFighter BlueThis new version of the Eza AirFighter comes with the same 41mm stainless steel case but has a nice deep blue dial. Where the black version comes with blued hands the...
Charlie Paris: Concordia
INTRODUCTIONOn the January 13th of 2019, the adventurer Matthieu Tordeur completed the expedition of his dreams : crossing the Antarctic in total autonomy over nearly 1150km at only 27 years old. An exceptional fight that lasted 52 days in temperatures down to -50 degrees. He thus became the first French and youngest explorer in history to ski from the coast of the Antarctic continent (Hercules Inlet) to the South Pole solo, without assistance and in total autonomy.Charlie Paris designed and developed the CONCORDIA to meet the extraordinary specifications of this expedition. Amagnetic, waterproof up to 300 meters, the watch can withstand extreme temperatures, down to -70 .ABOUT THE CONCORDI...
Speedmaster Signature Case Back Collection (50 Years In Space)
For this week’s Speedy Tuesday article, we talk to a guy who has been featured here before in 2015. He calls himself TLIGuy on the Australian based OmegaForums and is occupied with creating an overview of historic moments in manned spaceflight between 1965 and 2015, using Speedmaster case backs.He started in 2013 with this massive project and we thought it would be nice to talk to him where he stands today. We ask him some questions about this impressive project that includes the involvement of many astronauts and NASA staff to be completed.Speedmaster Signature Case Back ProjectHow long has it taken to assemble the collection and are you finished with the entire project?I'm not finish...
Breitling AVI Ref. 765 1953 Re-Edition Is A Faithful Successor
It’s no wonder the average age of first-time homeowners is on the increase. Breitling keeps mining its archives with unavoidably awesome results. Last year’s 1959 reissue was, in my opinion, the best thing Breitling has?ever done. I mean it. Ever. Well, chalk me up as consternated, because the Georges Kern carnival has just served up another doozy. The Breitling AVI Ref. 765 1953 Re-edition is truly something special. But it’s not without its controversies…The Breitling AVI Ref. 765 1953 Re-edition’s life began 67 years ago with the launch of a pilot’s watch known as the “co-pilot.” Almost seven decades later, this oft-forgotten gem has been re...
Seiko introduces three Presage models to commemorate an iconic design
A trio of new watches come in the form of the new Seiko Presage Crown Chronograph Limited Edition series. These new pieces pay homage to the brand's first chronograph from 1964, the Seiko Crown.The new release season is definitely in full swing. Despite the recently announced cancellation of Grand Seiko's upcoming new release soiree, it seems that both the upmarket brand and Seiko will keep the press hot with news. Today happens to be one such example as we have the new Seiko Presage Crown Chronograph Limited Edition pieces. The watches are available in black (SPB127J1), cream (SPB131J1), or green (SPB129J1). These new stainless-steel watches are available now and produced in a run of 1,964 ...
Will Vieren OG Automatic White Diamond Be Successful?
It's amazing how many requests we get in our mailbox from emerging watch brands. PETA-approved watches, microbrands producing this, that, or the other, the latest emerging independent brand producing just a couple of examples of who knows what. You can imagine my excitement when I saw a nicely done website, a woman running a business, and a star of Project Runway Canada taking care of the creative side. As a luxury fashion consumer and a watch lover, I felt it might be quite an interesting mixture to check out. And so the Vieren OG Automatic steps into the ring. Will it emerge unscathed?Don't be fooled by the oh-so-Hollywood-Boulevard design, this isn’t some cheap, Chinese-made fashion...
Finding The Perfect Strap For A Formal Dress Watch Featuring Jaeger-LeCoultre
Welcome one and all to a very personal journey. Today, I’ll be discussing my experiences of sourcing a new and entirely appropriate strap for one of my all-time favorite dress watches - the Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Ultra Thin Jubilee. There is often a lot of discussion surrounding the nature of dress watches. And yes, it is true that the nature of formal attire is changing. But here is an example than can be defined no other way. The Master Ultra Thin Jubilee is a manually-wound, super-slim, two-handed slice of heaven. And while that pared-back simplicity might make it sound like a “strap monster” on paper, nothing could be further from the truth…Pairing new straps wit...
The Seiko Watches That Our Fratello Editors Love Marinemaster, Sumo, Pogue, And More
In these Covid-stricken times, there is nothing quite like chatting with friends. As such, we got together (virtually) to share our favorite Seiko watches. The question is, what would our writers spend their own money on? I posed the question with no budget restrictions. The choices could either be new or vintage - anything goes. Our editors got one choice and one choice only. Let's find out what they picked…Obviously, the first thing to ask yourself is where you stand on the new vs. vintage divide? Seiko is a brand with a great deal of history, making a deep dive into the brand’s history a great adventure. You will quickly learn that a lot of today’s collection is inspired...
The New Straton Yacht Racer Quartz (2022)
The microbrand Straton does colorful, entry-level chronographs like very few other microbrands do. Personally, I have followed the brand for some years. Straton actively engages with buyers on microbrand Facebook groups when it launches new models, and the Straton Yacht Racer Quartz is a great example of why we love micros. It's that more personal experience you get from buying from a small brand. The fact that you can communicate with brand owners is perhaps just as enticing as their unstoppable creativity.And creativity is something Straton has in abundance. I find myself exceedingly moving away from monochrome tool watches, and to be honest, I wouldn’t fancy a Submariner even if I h...
Counting Up/Down: Dive Bezels, Countdown Bezels, And Chronos
Time keeps on slipping…(everybody now!) into the future (thank you, Steve Miller Band). That’s a given, and it’s what our watches help us witness. But the way we interact with time is another matter. The evolution of the simple wristwatch, driven by professional needs, has brought us numerous different functions for recording time. Dive watches utilize the eponymous diver’s bezel. Pilot’s watches as a genre utilize many functions and complications, of which the countdown bezel and chronograph are merely two. All three of these functions measure specific intervals of time. And all three have thoroughly infiltrated non-professional watch culture. Each one - diver&...
Buying Guide: The Best TAG Heuer Watches From The 2000s
We like to talk about vintage watches a lot within the Fratello team. Though most of what we write about is largely focused on the most recent releases and developments, for many of us, a lot of the fun can be found in the sometimes weird and often wonderful world of vintage watches. It’s a world full of history, remarkable watches, incredible stories, and quirky details. It inspired us to come up with a series of articles focusing on the best watches per decade from a select group of brands. Some of them are priceless, some of them are still affordable. In this installment, we will take a look at the best TAG Heuer watches from the 2000s.By the turn of the millennium, Switzerland had ...
Dear IWC, Bring Back The Glorious Aquatimer Ref. 812
I have written about IWC before in this series. In a previous installment, I expressed my love for the classic IWC Ingenieur that Gerald Genta designed. It’s a watch that I have a stronger personal connection with than most watches. But IWC has more great classics that deserve a glorious comeback. One of them is the first Aquatimer that the brand ever produced. The IWC Aquatimer ref. 812 was introduced in the late 1960s as the brand’s first diver. Over five decades later, the watch hasn’t lost its attractiveness. It’s time for a new Aquatimer ref. 812.When IWC introduced the first Aquatimer ref. 812, the brand was pretty late to the diving game. As most of you will kn...
Omega Seamaster Professional 300M Old Versus New
We seem to be on a dive-watch kick lately on Sunday Morning Showdown. Last week, it was a battle of the household (more on that shortly), but this week, we head over to Biel with our time machine and put old versus new on the battlefield. As you know from the title, this week's battle will be Seamaster versus Seamaster. Less than fifteen years stand between this week's contenders, and though the Seamaster DNA is strong, these two could not be more different. So today, it will be Nacho and Jorg that clash, each on the side of one of these two modern icons, to see which of the two takes the crown home. But, as always, that's up to you and your vote. So make sure you read through until the end...
Hands-On: The Grand Seiko SBGX265
Unsurprisingly, my plans for the year have already been led astray by Chrono24 and its infallible feeds. Following my story on whether or not to perform what I envisioned as a final upgrade in the Seiko dive game, I folded. I sold my Marinemaster SLA023 and searched for an SBGX335/337, only to find that the bargains had disappeared. Then I remembered the Grand Seiko SBGX265.I won't blow my trumpet, but this was right after my story on this subject was published here. So who knows? Perhaps you, the Fratelli, snubbed me and vacuumed up all the bargain Grand Seiko quartz divers… I'm still looking forward to finding one, but I have to start saving up again as this quartz coup unexpectedly ...
The Omega Seamaster Diver 300M Nekton Pops Onto My Radar
The hype is real. Although it's a mini hype because the craziness is limited to Fratello HQ, it is still very real. Morgan recently bought one, Nacho can't stop wearing his, and that led to RJ wearing his more and more often. And if that weren’t enough, all the team members started studying the collection to pick their favorite iterations. The object of our obsession is the Omega Seamaster Diver 300M, and the one that caught and held my attention was the Nekton Edition on a black rubber strap (ref. 210.32.42.20.01.002). That's the one with the titanium bezel instead of a ceramic one. After receiving it at HQ and strapping it on, I began to understand why this is the SMP for me.Not long...
Introducing: The Omega Constellation With Meteorite Dials
The Constellation has been in Omega's collection since 1952, but it wasn't until 1982 that it received its claws, scalloped case shape, and integrated bracelet. This Constellation Manhattan was designed by Carol Didisheim, who started working for Omega two years before the introduction of this watch.Many iterations followed, with the biggest revisions being the Constellation ’95 (1995), Constellation Double Eagle (2003), Constellation Globemaster (2015), and modern Constellation Ladies (2018) and Gents (2020) watches.The Omega Constellation Meteorite collectionToday, Omega has nearly 400 different Constellation references in its catalog in different sizes, using different movements, an...