Omega Seamaster 300 Master Co-Axial 2014
Omega Seamaster 300This is the watch we've all been waiting for since Omega started to tease us via their Facebook page. We already did a guess some time ago (here), but now we finally get the chance to try the watch and see it in the flesh.Based on the original Seamaster 300 CK2913 from 1957, Omega introduces the new Seamaster 300 Master Co-Axial in a number of different flavours. The name Master Co-Axial as this confused a number of people is referring to the anti-magnetic movement. Omega introduces 69 new watches with 8 different calibers that will carry an anti-magnetic movement based on the > 15,000 gauss movement they introduced in the Seamaster Aqua Terra last year.This Seamaster 3...
Aquastar Regate, a classic regatta start timer for use on sailing ships.
Aquastar Regate – a regatta start timerWhat is a watch to wear after a week of Baselworld? Do you want to see watches at all after a week of Baselworld? The latter question is easier to answer than the first one; of course I want to see watches after a week of Baselworld, I’m never tired of watches ??And the first question – which watch – I was happily helped with by our team member Balazs Ferenczi. He showed me a very nice regatta timer, the Aquastar Regate, and offered it me to wear for this week.Chronograph with special functionI’m a lover of classic chronographs, specially if they have or are something special in terms of function or design. The Aquastar cer...
The Eterna KonTiki Diver A Serious New Entrant In The Dive Watch Category
As a follow-up to our recent article on the limited edition Eterna KonTiki Bronze Manufacturer, we're back with a look at the steel serial production models, the new Eterna KonTiki Diver. While it does usher in some cost saving specifics versus the bronze model, there's a lot of value for the money in this watch.Once again, 2017 marks the 70th anniversary of Thor Heyerdahl's legendary voyage from Peru to Polynesia and this year's release of the Eterna KonTiki Diver is meant to evoke some of the cues used on the diver models that Eterna released after the voyage in the 50's and 60's. Those typical Eterna triangular indices and a classic diver's case with unidirectional bezel are certainly fam...
Christiaan van der Klaauw Baselworld Novelties 2017
2017 is a special year for Christiaan van der Klaauw. This year they were qualified as a haute horlogerie brand. There are only 64 brands who are within this group and almost 90% has Swiss roots, so it is quite an accomplishment.The one and only watch manufacturer that isspecialized in astronomical watches presented three new timepiecesto us this year at BaselWorld.Christiaan van der Klaauw: The MilestonesChristiaan van der Klauw is best known forits smallest mechanical planetarium and the most accurate three dimensional moon (according to them). The first Christiaan van der Klaauw Real 3D moon dates from the 1980s and was presented in a clock. Today,Christiaan van der Klaauw is still innova...
Speedy Tuesday Hands-On With The Omega Speedmaster CK2998 Pulsometer
Some expected a new Speedmaster Speedy Tuesday in BaselWorld, but instead Omega surprised us with a number of other Speedmaster novelties. The Apollo 8, a Speedmaster Moonphase Master Chronometer in blue ceramic with Aventurine dial and three variations of those in full platinum. More about those later, because first I want to shed the light on the new Speedmaster CK2998 Pulsometer that they released for this year. This watch is based on the original CK2998 reference that was introduced in 1959 and is the 2nd generation Speedmaster. It was in production up to 1962 and succeeded by the 105.002 and 105.003.A very early Speedmaster CK2998-1 from 1959Speedmaster CK2998 PulsometerExactly 6 years ...
BaselWorld 2018: Certina DS PH200M
We've seen so many promising pieces this year from smaller Swatch Group brands, it was a delight. From Tissot, Longines, Hamilton and of course Certina. Last year when we first visited the brand we did not know what to expect. In 2018 however, things took a different turn. I tend not to look at social media during the fair. I don’t want other colleagues' posts to spoil the surprise for me. However, I saw the new Certina DS PH200M and I could not wait to put my hands on it. Finally, Certina also decided to take inspiration from one of their largely successful vintage models and the outcome is very pleasing. We always associated Certina with great dive watches that incorporate groundbrea...
Hands-on With The White Gold Citizen Caliber 0100
Limited to 100 pieces in white gold (and another 700 in titanium), Citizen brings us their ‘Caliber 0100’ (marketed as ‘The Citizen’ in Japan) with an accuracy of just +/- 1 second per year, without relying on data from satellites or being radio controlled.This year, Citizen took us by surprise and introduced something ‘high-end’ to us. And not even mechanical, but a quartz powered watch. Although the world of watch enthusiasts mainly revolves about mechanical watches, there’s also an audience that aims for the best accuracy possible. Even quartz watches have to deal with a deviation, which is where radio controlled and GPS connected watches come in ...
Hands-On: Zenith El Primero A386 Revival
Zenith kicked off the 50th anniversary of the El Primero with a trio of watches first shown during, but not at, SIHH in January.? At Baselworld 2019, the celebration continued with additional pieces the brand that the brand has named Zenith El Primero A386 Revival.It was only a couple months ago that we first laid eyes upon Zenith's 50 Years of El Primero Anniversary Set.? It was a set offering three different expressions of the famous movement that first debuted in 1969.? A futuristic Defy, a modern Chronomaster, and a re-edition of the original A386 were included in this run of 50 sets for 50,000 CHF.? We liked the notion, but most of us vintage grouches were really hoping for either a lim...
Pre-Owned Picks Survival Watches For "The End of Time"
With a little wink of course, but in a week when my Ploprof has been described by one commenter as the perfect survival tool, it seemed like an opportune moment to pick our top-five pre-owned survival watches.Well, I thought about this, and came up with a few more models for you to consider when it’s “the end of time”. Besides the discontinued Ploprof in steel, I selected a Panerai, a Breitling, a , and - perhaps the sanest choice - a Casio G-Shock. But one with a little twist, of course.All watches are pre-owned and picked from Chrono24.? Every week we pick a few pre-owned watches from Chrono24, the largest market place for wristwatches in the world - watches that we love ...
Nezumi Corbeau Chronograph The King Of Color
Founded nine years ago, Nezumi studios is a design Maison based in Stockholm, Sweden. The brand's first model, the Voiture, came to life through Kickstarter. Since then, the brand has released a series of handsome meca-quartz chronographs at reasonable prices. Today, we check out one of the catalog's mainstays, the Nezumi Corbeau.We all have our secrets. I'm not talking about the big stuff. I'm not talking about gambling on the sly or the quart of whiskey you keep in your pencil case. And I'm certainly not talking about what you get up to after dark while your neighbors assume you're tucked up in bed like any other self-respecting citizen. No, I'm talking about those little corners of the in...
Hands-On With The Christopher Ward C65 GMT Worldtimer
This is the first Christopher Ward watch ever to combine GMT and worldtimer functionality. It also happens to be the first watch in the C65 divers' range with a screw-down crown.Having to wait to share this news with you for a couple of weeks has inspired me. One day, I will name my dog EMBARGO. I love the word. It's the sound of it. When you say it out loud, your mouth is full of the word. I've become fond of the word since I started writing for Fratello and began encountering news releases with a publishing EMBARGO. While embargoes can be frustrating, being on the press side of them is a real privilege.It's a unique feeling to know about a watch before the entire world learns of it. The hi...
March Mania: Quarter Finals Breitling 765 AVI Vs. Lange & Sohne Zeitwerk Date
Wow, this is all happening so fast. When we started the competition, we had 96 watches. Now we have started the end game! We are at the stage where our writers go head to head and hope to battle their way through to the final. At this point, each of our writers has only one watch remaining. So today, we have our third quarter-final that sees Mike and Tomas battle it out for a spot in our March Mania Final Four. We need your help to find out who will be one of the four final contenders. Where will your votes fall?We're at the sharp end now. Every writer has one watch left. We need you to pick your favorite in this March Mania quarter-final. Today is our third quarter-final that sees Mike and ...
Independent Insights: MING Teases Us, Gos Watches Teams Up With Black Badger, Zelos Sells Out (Again) And Ergon Drops The New Adventum
I am back once again like a renegade master, with another issue of Independent Insights. Last time around, I shed a little light on some cool projects from independent brands and will continue to do so today. Right on!I have followed the independent scene and been an active part of it for a long time. As such, I decided it'd be nice to round up some of the projects I think are worth a few minutes of your time. Here's what caught my eye this week.MING is teasing something new…MING is no stranger to this site, and I’m sure not a new name for many of you too. One of our editors, Mike, is a big fan of the brand and usually covers any of any new releases. For example, you can read Mik...
Buying Guide: The Best Omega Watches From The 1960s
We like to talk about vintage watches a lot within the Fratello team. While the daily routine is largely focused on the most recent developments in the world of watches, the most fun for many of us lies in the 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 priceless, some of them still affordable. But all of them are interesting watches. In this installment, we will take a look at the best Omega watches from the 1960s.In the 1960s, we witnessed developments that challenged the status quo of...
Best-Kept Secrets: Credor Phoenix A Japanese Daytona-Beater
Credor, the JDM luxury brand created by Seiko in the ’70s to beat Patek Philippe and at the then-hot luxury quartz game. Today, we know Credor for its thin luxury and hand-finished porcelain dials of the Eichi models. Finally available outside Japan, and produced within the inner chambers of the Grand Seiko ateliers, Credor watches are as quirky as they are pure. Representing a very Japanese ethos of wrist-worn luxury, any Credor will make you dismiss the notion that the dress watch is dead. But I bet you’ve never heard of the Credor Phoenix.It took some time for Seiko to focus clearly on where it wanted to go with its main and sub-brands. Through my incessant Chrono24 browsing ...
Dear Breitling, Bring Back The Iconic Top Time Ref. 810
The Breitling Top Time returned to the scene in 2020 with the release of the Top Time Bow-Tie”. While the revival of the Top Time was reason enough for excitement, I was never a fan of the “Bow-Tie” model. Sure, the “Zorro” or “Bow-Tie” dial is a Breitling classic, but not one for me. However, the re-introduction of the Top Time name did make my heart beat faster. Was there going to be a return of the glorious Top Time ref. 810? Unfortunately, we haven’t seen this iconic Top Time reference return to the Breitling collection yet. After a few colorful limited-edition releases, the Top Time Classic Cars Capsule Collection, and a collab with Triump...
New Racing-Inspired TAG Heuer Carrera Chronographs
With these new racing-inspired TAG Heuer Carrera Chronographs, the brand is proving that the new Glassbox editions aren’t the only pieces worth a gander. These pieces may “only” be new dial variants, but I had to look twice to see if there wasn’t more at work. These are really good!A duo of racing-inspired Carrera Chronographs may sound redundant because, after all, the Carrera is the racing watch. Still, one look at these will reveal the automotive connection. TAG Heuer is releasing some really nice pieces this year, and that includes dial updates.The Carrera Calibre 02 chronographsIf we head back to September 2020 (let’s not actually do that), TAG Heuer releas...
The Zenith Defy Revival Shadow Is A Stealthy Surprise
One of my favorite quests during a watch show is to discover some of the sneakier releases. You know, the pieces that don’t scream at the tops of their lungs at 8:30 AM sharp on opening day. The Zenith Defy Revival Shadow is one of those watches. This is a smooth operator, so why not take a closer look?For the last few years, Zenith has been on a roll! The brand is making some of my favorite watches on the market under the Chronomaster and Defy lines. A retro piece that I’ve checked out online on more than one occasion is the Defy Revival. The original Defy first debuted back in 1969 with a wild 14-sided bezel and an 8-sided case. It also came with a lovely Gay Frres ladder brac...
Patek Philippe Releases 17 New References For 2023
With Watches and Wonders 2023 now well and truly underway, Patek Philippe drops a whopping 17 new references. The new additions showcase the extent of the house's capabilities, from Haute Complications and Haute Joaillerie to sports watches.There are five new references in the Patek Philippe Grand Complications category. Four new models grace the Complications collection, two of which are pilot's watches. Then we get four new Calatrava references, three of which are in a rather sporty style. Lastly, we have one Gondolo and three Aquanaut references. In short, we have much ground to cover, so let's get to it!Patek Philippe Grand ComplicationsLet's kick things off with a big one - the Grandmas...
Tudor Introduces The Latest Evolution Of The Black Bay
It looks like the time-only, non-diver, non-GMT Black Bay has finally grown up. It started as a watch with a glossy black or blue dial, an Oyster-style bracelet, and an ETA or Sellita movement. Then a sunburst silver dial was added, and now it’s time for the next step. The case has been redesigned, and it comes on a Jubilee-style bracelet. Also, all of the dial variations (blue, anthracite, and light champagne) now feature a sunburst finish. And finally, they’re all powered by Tudor’s in-house COSC-certified movements. And that means it’s the end of the curved smiley text on the dial.In addition to what feels like the final evolution for the Black Bay lineup, Tudor al...