Updated Omega Speedmaster Professional 3861 Bracelet
Since the end of last November, the Omega Speedmaster Professional 310.30.42.50.01.001 (Hesalite) and 310.30.42.50.01.002 (sapphire) models have been leaving the production facility in Bienne with a long-awaited bracelet upgrade with an easy-adjustment clasp. It was long-awaited because, when the current Speedmaster Moonwatch was introduced in early 2021, it was one of the few critiques that the watch received.When Omega introduced the Speedmaster Chronoscope later that year, it came on a bracelet with an easy-adjustment system. At that time, Omega CEO Raynald Aeschlimann promised that the Moonwatch bracelet would also get an upgrade at some point. Some Speedmaster fans, including our own Be...
Girard-Perregaux Laureato Absolute Light & Fire And Light & Shade
I will happily admit to having a soft spot for the Girard-Perregaux Laureato, and I would love a silver-dialed 38mm version. It has transcended its integrated-bracelet-stepchild status, and this is highly visible in its pre-loved prices. Though it was a long time coming, unfortunately for me, they are now 40C60% above what they were two years ago. That was the same time I had a weekend with The Beauty and The Beast - the standard Laureato and Laureato Absolute - and was torn between the two. Let me explain.In the fall of 2020, I had just segued from hosting my own watch-themed YouTube channel to writing and had two weekend-loan watches. After calming my nerves from having over $30,000 in a p...
Collection Spotlight: MING, Gallet, Zenith, Angelus, And More!
Fratello On Air returns with Balazs and Mike in the same room! In this episode, Balazs travels to Frankfurt, and among some surprise topics, the duo decides to engage in a collection spotlight. Hear about four attractive watches from each. Enjoy it!...
Making A Case For Refinishing See How The Pros Do It
Refinishing is a topic of debate. Some say you should never have a watch refinished. Others have their watches touched up with every service. Few people realize, however, that refinishing is a craft that takes great skill, so there is a big difference from one refinished watch to the next. I thought I would meet up with our friends at Tempus to see how it is done.Mark from Tempus was generous with his time and knowledge, sharing the entire process with me. He redid the surface finishing of a fairly hard-worn Explorer 114270. Let's see how it is done and what it entails.Refinishing: yes or no?In my vintage-dealing days, the subject of refinishing was a source of much debate. A vintage watch ...
Hands-On: Casio G-Shock GM-2100C Utility Series
By now, we all know the famous G-Shock “CasiOak.” Pretty much straight after its introduction, the watch got its famous nickname and became an incredible hit for G-Shock. Along the way, we have seen the introduction of various versions using different materials and designs. The latest series of the G-Shock CasiOak is the new GM-2100C Metal-Covered Utility Series. The series introduces three new models that come with a familiar case design and execution but combine it with fabric straps, resulting in a new aesthetic that is both recognizable and refreshing.When G-Shock introduced the original resin-cased GA2100 series in 2019, it took the world by storm. In the summer of 2021, G-S...
Arnold Schwarzenegger Was Held At Munich Airport
Traveling with luxury watches can be challenging if you don’t follow the rules. Arnold Schwarzenegger found that out the hard way when he was detained at Munich Airport in Germany when flying in from Los Angeles today. The Terminator was quizzed about a one-off Audemars Piguet he had on him. The unique piece will be auctioned at a special World Climate Summit held tomorrow in Austria. The Governator was quizzed “under tax law” about the unregistered piece for about three and a half hours before he was released. Did Schwarzenegger take a big risk bringing the watch? For those wondering what could get you into trouble while traveling with luxury watches, we have some tips to ...
Introducing: A New Desert Tan Dial For The RZE Resolute
The RZE Resolute is getting a fresh coat of color. Today, the brand introduces a new Desert Tan colorway for the Resolute and reintroduces Urban Teal and Arctic Grey. Starting the year off strong is not something most brands do. It’s a tradition for Switzerland’s watch industry to go into a state of hazy hibernation each winter. This will end soon, with an exciting roster of releases lined up for debut over the coming weeks. But in the meantime, while the seasonal lull remains, agile and tireless micro/independent brands like RZE are making the most of the opportunity. With some of the classic colorways discontinued, it’s great to see RZE bring back some color to this brill...
Hands-On: The Tuseno Shellback V2 Dive Watch
As it has been said before, dive watches are perhaps the most ubiquitous style of watch out there. In fact, they’re the type of watch that many budding enthusiasts first go for and that many veteran watch lovers proudly own and enjoy. This can easily be explained by their aesthetic versatility and solid build. That is, of course, if the watch is indeed well thought-out and constructed using quality components. If that's the case, then we find ourselves owning a watch that could last decades and can do it all. For some of us, that's all this obsessive hobby is about - finding the one timekeeping device to rule them all. And I might have found a very good option for you in the Tuseno She...
Hands-On: Unimatic Modello Uno U1S-PD5
In early October, Unimatic released two new professional dive watches. That in itself is nothing spectacular because we see brands constantly release professional divers. But for the Italian brand, it was an interesting next step. Over the past couple of years, Unimatic has become known for releasing timepieces that stand out through their great designs, combining various visual concepts with the signature minimalist Unimatic style. With the Modello Uno U1S-PD5, the brand created a dive watch that uses that same style but also means business as a professional dive tool. It’s time for a serious hands-on.If you are a regular Fratello reader, you know that I am a fan of Unimatic. My fasci...
Watch Design: From Pizza Margherita To Hawaiian Deep Dish?
Picture this: it is summertime, and we fire up the kamado barbecue in the backyard. I put in the pizza stone and let it heat up. In the meantime, my fiancee kneads the dough that she prepared earlier into that familiar flatbread shape. We team up to add the homemade tomato sauce and mozzarella, and then we carefully slide a pizza shovel underneath and put our creation on the hot stone. A handful of minutes later, we have a steaming, crunchy pizza with the creamiest cheese and a hint of wood fire in the taste. We throw on a few fresh basil leaves and realize that life doesn't get much better.This, to me, is the essence of good food - a small number of high-quality ingredients, each crucial to...
Tudor Introduces the Black Bay Chrono "Flamingo Blue"
In March last year, Tudor revealed a daring version of its Black Bay Chrono with a pink dial. Leading up to the release, some people already spotted the watch on David Beckham’s and Jay Chou’s wrists. The same happened this week with, again, British football superstar David Beckham and Taiwanese singer-songwriter Jay Chou. Both of them were wearing a Tudor Black Bay Chrono with what looked like a turquoise dial. Well, today, Tudor takes away all our doubts because the new Tudor Black Bay Chrono with a “Flamingo Blue” dial is now officially available, even to non-superstars.Pink is a color more brands play around with from time to time, especially on limited editions r...
The 25 Most Important Anniversaries For Watch Brands In 2025
I already thought “2024” had a nice ring to it, but “2025” sounds and looks even better. The fact that it’s such a round number also suggests that there will be several anniversaries this year. Then again, I suppose most people don’t have the foresight to choose a specific year to start a watch company. Well, anyway, we did take a look at some of the best-known watch brands to see if they have something to celebrate this year. Fittingly, we ended up with a list of 25 notable anniversaries.Some relate to the founding of the brands themselves, and others commemorate the introduction of their most famous models. So, without further ado, let’s take a loo...
Fratello's Top 5 Modern Reissues
Another Friday, another list! Attentive readers will notice that this is our second list article this week. On Wednesday, we put the spotlight on regulator watches, an often-forgotten style that deserves more attention. Today, we’ll continue our regular Friday series of lists with our picks for the best modern reissues of great classics. The watch industry thrives on looking into the past and bases many of its releases on that. We decided to pick the top five watches we feel do their vintage counterparts the greatest justice in the modern day.Before we start, here is a quick note on what a modern reissue should be. For most of us, that would be a remake of the original watch but powere...
The Timezone Watch School pays off
Bart Thans, a Paneristi (amongst other watches) from Belgium, finished Level 1 from the famous TimeZone Watch School and created the ‘project’ watch below with his new skills:Incredible eh?The watch has a handwound Unitas 6498 movement inside. Read the complete story on TimeZone here.If you don’t care about reading and just want to see pictures, click here....
PAM000 for sale
My 2007 Panerai Luminor Base (Logo) has to go, if you are interested, please let me know. It comes complete with box+papers, OEM rubber strap, bezel protector etc.You can either contact me by mailing me ([email protected]) or by visiting the Chrono24 and check the contact details. https://www.chrono24.nl/panerai/1439107.htm...
SIHH2010: Ralph Lauren Slim Classique
Last year, during SIHH2009, Ralph Lauren introduced a line of watches that definitely can be considered haute horlogerie. Some of the Ralph Lauren boutiques carried vintage watches (by , Patek Philippe etc) for quite some years now, but now they have their own impressive line-up.This year, Ralph Lauren introduces the Slim Classique Collection. So if you think that Ralph Lauren is fashion only, think again.The Slim Classique is a 42mm diameter timepiece and only 5.35mm thick. Last week, I blogged about the thinness factor over at Vacheron Constantin with their Ultra-Fine watches but it seems that more brands follow this trend this year at SIHH (Salon International de Haute Horlogerie) in Gene...
Top 50 Most Popular Watch Brands Of 2012
Yesterday, Chronolytics published an overview of the Top 50 most popular watch brands of 2012 in their monthly newsletter. The overview is based on data of the biggest on-line watch market platform in the world (Chrono24), which receives approximately 40 million page impressions each month. Chronolytics collects, analyzes and reports this market data to the watch industry. These market studies includes trends amongst watch consumers, interest in brands and models, the effect of marketing campaigns, and so on.Click here for the Top 50 Most Popular Watch Brands Of 2013The Top 50 most popular brands has been based on the most searched-for watches on Chrono24 by visitors from the USA as well as ...
Piaget Emperador Coussin XL 700P Mechanical With Quartz Precision
Piaget already introduced this?Emperador Coussin XL 700P to the market in December, but now we finally got to see it at the SIHH in Geneva.40 years ago, in 1976, Piaget introduced their first in-house developed quartz movement, the ultra-thin caliber 7P. Not entirely quartz, but using a quartz oscillating at 32768 Hertz to control the speed of the generator that rotates at 5.33 turns per second is their new caliber 700P movement for the Emperador Coussin XL 700P.You could say that it is using technology similar to Seiko’s Spring Drive. When I asked Piaget about it, they explained that it was constructed in a different way. Where Seiko’s starting point to develop the Spring Drive ...
Watches & Pencils #11 Submariner: Name & Typography
Today we talk about the most famous submarine in the world: the Submariner (find our historical Sub overview here). Besides the impressive machinery and all its revolutions through time there are a lot of visual aspects to point out. In this article the focus will be on the naming, dial and typography of this U-boat'.Wilsdorf the ArtistBeing obsessed by visual perfection, the open-minded founder?Hans Wilsdorf is quite a hero for many watch collectors. ?Myself included.?He understood that for optimal marketing, every detail counted. For example, when he invented the name '. He said:I tried combining the letters of the alphabet in every possible way. This gave me some hundred names, but none...
Watch Strap Review Part 26. Worn & Wound Shop
A new year means a new Watch Strap Review. Our 26th installment of the series brings us a company from the USA.Worn & WoundThese guys are definitely not newcomers to the game and they have a wonderful site and a super cool shop. Their selection is pretty versatile from watch rolls to tools, belts, watches and of course straps. After a lengthy procedure and a parcel that spent more than its fair share of time with customs, it finally reached my German office towards the end of last year. Inside, I found a good few straps for our next review. The straps were mainly 18mm and 20mm in various colors and designs and I managed to match every strap to a watch in my collection. Therefore I like t...