Watches By Cecil Clutton And George Daniels Book Review
A close-to-60-year-old book should rarely be reprinted unless it’s a piece of classical literature. Watches by Cecil Clutton and George Daniels is not a novel or collection of poems. Rather, it is a book about timepieces, and mainly pocket watches at that. Yet, what these two fine gentlemen put together in 1965 is not only still relevant, but it also forms the basis of what horologists have since built upon.Watches - A Complete History of the Technical and Decorative Development of the Watch is an extensive reference work on general horological history. As such, it is a must for anyone interested in this subject. I need to warn you that it is not an easy read, nor should it be. After a...
Hands-On: Christopher Ward C65 Aquitaine GMT
The designers behind the new and updated C65 Aquitaine deserve a handshake. It comes in one millimeter smaller, rather than larger. This White Sand version with a curved sapphire bezel that shines for nautical miles is the best model in the entire lineup. ?I have been covering Christopher Ward for a few years now. I don’t review everything the brand releases, just watches that I find unique. Two years ago, I was curious to see the unusual C65 Trident with a power reserve complication and the C65 GMT Worldtimer. When it comes to vintage-inspired pieces, I also reached for the C65 “Skipper” Chronograph. Despite all of them sharing the same case style, each piece had a unique ...
Swiss Customs Targeting Watch Show Attendees
In 2019, I endured a long, humiliating, and costly experience with Swiss Customs. Because of the article we published earlier today about traveling with watches, we decided to bring this older article back into the spotlight as well. Although Baselworld does not exist anymore, the topic is still valid! Be very careful when you cross borders with your precious watches.Baselworld 2019 - the last watch fair in BaselWhen attending Baselworld, we tend to stay over the border in either Germany or France. The costly hotel rooms in Basel along with pricey restaurants often lead us to roomier and more modern lodging across the border. That leads to a somewhat annoying train ride every morning and a c...
How To Travel With Your Watches: Dos, Don'ts, And Maybes
Are you ready for an article on how to travel with your watches that features all sorts of watch rolls, cases, and other implements? Well, if so, move along because this article isn’t that! I’ve traveled a lot over the past 25 years, and I’ve been a watch nut for a good portion of that time. In this article, I’ll share a few things that I’ve learned - sometimes the hard way.Travel is something that I’ve always enjoyed about my personal and professional life. As a result, I’ve spent a huge amount of time on the go, with the bulk of it on airplanes. I often spend at least two months of the year in hotels and, in prior years, somewhere around two weeks ...
Linde Werdelin Spidolite vs. Zenith Defy Extreme
Welcome to another edition of Sunday Morning Showdown. Today, two editors jostle for position with two watches of a similar persuasion. Expect no holds barred as these writers vie for your votes to be crowned the winner. In this fight, we have two titanium watches with automatic calibers. The Linde Werdelin SpidoLite Nord is going up against the Zenith Defy Extreme. These are two titanium watches for extreme conditions, but which one will take the crown? Our writers are ready, so let’s get this battle going.Today’s showdown is all about extreme titanium sports watches. Both combatants, thanks to their lightweight construction, are substantial in size but easy to wear. The intrica...
Fratelli Stories: Decades Of Appreciating The Omega Speedmaster
In this edition of Fratelli Stories, I sit down with Fratello reader Shanka. While growing up in Sri Lanka and Australia, he gravitated towards watches made for adventure, and none more so than the Omega Speedmaster.Shanka has been a Fratello reader for many years. Since he and I both live in Australia, I had the privilege to meet him in person over a coffee mere meters from the ocean. One of the best things about this hobby is getting to meet people from all different walks of life.It all starts with a vintage wall clockShanka’s watch journey started when he was a kid growing up in Sri Lanka. “As a kid, I always had a fascination for mechanical things and trying to understand ho...
Hands-On: New Louis Vuitton Escale Time-Only Automatic
On the 10th anniversary of the Escale collection, Louis Vuitton introduces its new Escale Time-Only Automatic watch with caliber LFT023. Four new references are available, each with a 39mm case in rose gold or platinum and a leather strap.Louis Vuitton EscaleMany of us, including yours truly, have been craving more new dress watches. It is not easy to find a dress watch that is not your typical “grandfather's watch” (there is nothing wrong with that, by the way) and that you can wear daily if necessary. These new Louis Vuitton Escale models for 2024 are the first three-hand versions in the collection.Escale Cabinet of WondersWe already introduced the (two-hand) Escale Cabinet of ...
The IWC Yacht Club II: A Genta Design I'd Like To See Reborn
Last year, the IWC Ingenieur returned. The original Gerald Genta design got reworked and, when launched in steel and titanium, proved an alternative to the (un)available Royal Oak and Nautilus, the most iconic of Genta-penciled watches. A recent visit to IWC's museum in Schaffhausen, on the banks of the river Rhine, sparked a couple of eureka moments. The first one happened when I laid my eyes on the IWC Yacht Club II ref. 3212 in the showcase. The second came a bit later. I will elaborate on that second moment of clarity, but first, let's focus on a Genta design that, in my humble opinion, stood the test of time way better than others.What were your thoughts when you saw Credor's Genta-desi...
Hands-On: Depancel Serie-R Tangerine Chronograph
The French brand Depancel has captured the hearts of people who love classic racing-style chronographs. The colorful and diverse racing chronographs of the 1960s and ’70s continue to offer plenty of inspiration for Depancel’s new models. With the new Serie-R Tangerine Chronograph Automatic, the brand once again looks to the greats from the past while introducing a new movement for the Serie-R Chronograph. It’s time to find out more!Depancel is one of those successful brands that has made a name for itself among a small but dedicated group of followers. Since 2018, Depancel has released many racing-inspired chronographs developed with and for fans. The series that started it...
Do You Wear, Protect, Or Baby Your Dream Watch?
Fratello On Air is here with a new episode. We told you we’d be back! This week, our show topic comes courtesy of one of our listeners. We were asked how we’d behave with a dream watch that was purchased new. We have some thoughts and expand the discussion to vintage watches. For those wondering, our watch content starts after roughly 21 minutes....
The Best Watches Under $5,000 Thomas's Picks
We are back with another series of Fratello Favorites. This time, we pick what we feel are the best watches under $5,000. I have the honor of kicking off this new series and sharing my favorites in the segment. I have chosen to focus on dive watches only this time. Why? Because I feel this is the perfect segment for a great diver. And the fact that it is one of my favorite genres of watches helps too, of course.Another little added benefit is that it allows me a nice escape from featuring my brand. Of course, that is my absolute favorite in the segment, but it would feel self-indulgent to feature it. So, dive watches under $5,000 it is! Let's get stuck in!The best watches under $5,000 - Pick...
Speedy Tuesday The Speedmaster Professional MIR 28 Pieces Only
Omega Speedmaster Professional MIROne of Fratello’s regular readers submitted his Omega Speedmaster Professional MIR edition for our Speedy Tuesday! Only 28 pieces have been made in stainless steel and 7 in gold. This limited edition Speedmaster Professional commemorates the second American-Russian space link-up (the first was the Apollo-Soyuz, which also had its special Speedies to commemorate).The stainless steel version comes with two references, one for the 18 examples with a steel bracelet (ST 345.0022.105) and one for the 10 examples with a leather strap (ST 145.0022.105). The steel version has the Lemania based handwound caliber 861 movement and the gold version has the luxury f...
Armin Strom Manufacture impression Photo Essay
Armin Strom ManufactureMy first encounter with the Armin Strom Manufacture and their work was with a skeletonized OMEGA Speedmaster watch. That’s right, Armin Strom has worked for 10 years on various skeletonized OMEGA timepieces. However, in the 40 years being active as a watchmaker and engraver, he also started working on his own timepieces since 1984. During the years, his business – both for other companies and his own – grew and in 2009 the Armin Strom AG moved to a large production facility in Biel. This was also the year that Armin Strom introduced their first in-house developed and manufactured movement, the ARM09. During the Baselworld 2013 exhibition we paid a vis...
Amsterdam IWC Cocktail Fratello Watches
Amsterdam?IWC CocktailIWC recently opened their boutique in one of the most famous shopping streets in The Netherlands. We are talking about the PC Hooftstraat in Amsterdam of course. On the 20th of June, IWC is organizing a cocktail to show the new Aquatimer collection. This collection has been presented during the SIHH 2014 in Geneva.? IWC Museum Curator David Seyffer will be there to present the new Aquatimer models. Also, he will bring?some of the museum pieces from Schaffhausen to show to you! Fratello Watches is pleased to give away 3 personal ?invitations to our readers from the Benelux?to join this unique event in Amsterdam. Like we did last year, to the IWC event at the race track i...
Summer Special: Seiko SKX007 vs Citizen NY0040
Sun's out guns out! Yes, it's June and that means that people are giving serious thought to where they will spend their vacation. For most, this entails some sort of beach setting and may include activities in the water such as swimming, diving, sailing or surfing. If not, though, the vacation usually involves some sort of travel and often to a foreign land. This is where, if you like watch forums, things get entertaining.So, if you're a forum reader, especially on a forum that focuses on more expensive brands, we are now entering the season of the infamous, Is it safe to wear my insert watch brand and model to insert destination threads. The threads often ask about South American locales wh...
The Oris Aquis Date in steel with stainless steel bracelet 52Mondayz #24
Last week we received the Oris Aquis Date divers watch in for review. Spot on to be my 52Mondayz watch for this week, as this week I will attend an event which includes diving.Oris Aquis Date 52Mondayz, week #24The Oris Aquis was slightly redesigned and presented at this year’s Baselworld. Compared to the previous?Aquis model (you’ll find our review here), the new Aquis?is somewhat more refined in its appearance.The redesign of an already attractive watchThe crown guard and lugs have become more softened, as well the hands got a somewhat more distinct appearance. The bezel inlay became brushed from glossy ceramic. All in all small changes which affect the appearance of the watch ...
Flagship Heritage 60th Anniversary 1957-2017: an exceptional anniversary timepiece
Saint-Imier (Switzerland), January?2017 Longines celebrates this year the 60th anniversary of its first Flagship collection. For this occasion, the watchmaking brand introduces the Flagship Heritage 60th Anniversary 1957-2017. This timepiece was inspired by a Flagship model kept in the Swiss watchmaker's headquarters, favoured by Longines' Ambassador of Elegance, Kate Winslet. Available in steel, yellow gold or rose gold, these numbered and limited-edition models display a flagship on the back, as did the original pieces.Longines sold its first Flagship in 1957, and ever since, the collection has met with lasting success. This timeless watch, with its white dial, thin profile and fine fasten...
Anonimo Nautilo Nato presentation aboard SFS VOR70 racing yacht
Ending a series?of travels we find our way to the C?te d’Azur in France to meet up with Anonimo watches for a sailing adventure. In a hotel nearby the harbor we gather up and change into the SFS sailing outfit for the best possible team spirit. Following a short walk we are looking at the SFS yacht which is one of the largest sailing boats there. As soon as we get on board and have a closer look, we realize this thing is made for one thing only and doing that in the fastest way possible. Sailing! It looks like almost everything is made out of carbon.With a small team we get some instructions and before we know it, we are out on?open water and the engine is turned off. This is where the...
Speedy Tuesday The Most Geeky Speedmaster Now Documented
Although it might be a close call between this LCD Speedmaster and the later Speedmaster X-33, I feel the LCD still wins the ‘Most Geeky Speedmaster’ title due to its high late 1970s/early 1980s design.We covered the LCD a couple of times before (read this early Speedy Tuesday story for example), and especially our team member Gerard warmed up to them quite a bit. But if there’s one guy who knows them best, it must be the Speedmaster fan from Switzerland who goes by the name of @kovpics on Instagram. He just finished a website that perfectly documents the LCD Speedmaster that was actually submitted to NASA for tests in 1979. A project by Omega that’s?known today as Al...
Speedy Tuesday Making A Dream Come True With Some Pocket Change
How having 90 Euros in coins resulted in owning a vintage Omega Speedmaster Professional. You read these stories sometimes and wish it was you. But it happened to Rumen Kostov, who has become an avid follower of Speedy Tuesday in the meanwhile. His love for the Speedmaster is because of the two most common reasons: 1) the timeless design of this chronograph and 2) the moonwatch story, of course.Although we watch enthusiasts and collectors tend to forget sometimes, spending $4500 on a watch is not normal for most people. It remains to be a lot of money, even though we are of the opinion that the Speedmaster is money well-spent. Putting money aside each month, sometimes for years, finally resu...