Hmmm...
I’m at the Basel fair at the moment, and just wanted to share some thoughts. What I started to feel already last year, seems to be even stronger this year. It looks like I’m a bit tired of the next commercially issued model of the same big watch brand. Again a new Speedmaaster Limited edition, again a new commemorative edition, again another variation on well known theme. Patek, Breguet, Glashuette – they all bring slightly modified models, and got their inspiration by carefully listening to the market.One press conference even bigger than the next one, and attendet with even more celibrities and ‘important’ people.Where are the real watches? Where are the real...
OMEGA Speedmaster CK2915-2 For Auction
The first Speedmaster watch, the CK2915, is up for auction at Dr H Crott auctions on the 11th of May. Together with a lot of Patek Philippe and watches, they have this 1958 Speedy CK2915-2 listed in very nice condition. It has been serviced in 2011 at Omega in Switzerland, but they’ve managed to keep it as original as possible in my opinion.This particular Speedmaster was produced in 1958 by Lemania, which was owned by Omega at that time and were licensed to do so, and shipped to Argentina. The picture above shows the beautiful symmetrical case (39mm) with straight lugs and the lack of crown guards that they’ve added to the Speedy a few years later (starting with reference 105.0...
Brand of the Month Linde Werdelin
Ahead of BaselWorld, Linde Werdelin introduced the world to its fourth generation of the SpidoLite, a series originally conceived after a Mount Everest expedition, which debuts as Linde Werdelin's most extreme skeleton to date, opening the dial up to reveal the brand's first-ever power reserve indicator. Designed and engineered holistically, the SpidoLite represents an evolution in weight-optimised construction.The two new models the SpidoLite Gold and the SpidoLite Titanium really showcase Linde Werdelin's continued pursuit of skeletonisation.As Morten Linde explained, the parts left in the dial the skeletonized plates, gears, springs, rubies and so on are there only because they are absolu...
Hands-On Omega Speedmaster Professional Silver Snoopy Award
Omega did not surprise us with the introduction of a new Speedmaster Snoopy, but they surely did so with the watch itself. Although we already brought you the initial news about the Speedmaster Snoopy in BaselWorld, we now show you the watch again using our own photos instead of press pictures and some additional information we received.I thought it would also be nice to have the new Omega Speedmaster Professional Silver Snoopy Award pictured side-by-side with the Snoopy Award model of 2003. Just to be sure, I’ll also throw in the ‘real’ Apollo XIII commemorative model that Omega released in 1995, as a so-called ‘mission patch model’.However, let’s start w...
Eterna The Watchmaking Pioneer Celebrates 160 Years
For the past 160 years, Eterna has been driven by the same powerful force: a daring and pioneering spirt. Passionate and determined, the company continually takes on the challenges of fine watchmaking by creating, developing and optimising its timepieces with remarkable consistency. It is from this perspective that the company, based in Granges, Switzerland, has enriched and revolutionised the art of traditional watchmaking with a steady stream of horological innovations. As a result, the Eterna-Matic ball-bearing mounted rotor system established a new standard which has never been surpassed, while Eterna's continuing technical innovations demonstrate the company's pioneering and creative sp...
#TBT Omega Speedmaster 145.012
Writing an article on the Omega Speedmaster 145.012 isn't overly novel for us at Fratello Watches. No, it's been covered from a historical perspective here and several variations have been discussed as well. However, I've not covered it and thought I'd lend my personal story as to how I came upon this Speedy and why I decided to procure it. Perhaps I won't add too much different than what's been said here before, but as I looked through the annals of #TBT, I felt we were missing something. So, without further ado, it's Speedy time on #TBTOmega Speedmaster 145.012, with its deeply dished sub registers and step dial, exhibits a lot of topographyI spoke at length (here) about my overly long cou...
Fortis An Interview With Jupp Philipp
Just days before the borders came to a jarring close, I nipped over to Switzerland to meet with Jupp Philipp, owner of Fortis.Although the trip bought me two weeks in isolation, it turned out to be worth it. So now, Corona-free and enjoying the view from my bedroom window, I’d like to share with you our conversation. Fortis is a fascinating brand with an even more fascinating history. If you’re anything like me, you’ll become more mesmerized by its past the more you learn. And so, should you have any questions of your own, please add them in the comments section below. We’ll do our best to source the answers for you.The InterviewRob Nudds: Don’t worry. I’m...
The Omega Speedmaster 145.022-76 That Took Me 15 Years To Find
After many years, I’ve found my birth year Speedmaster 145.022-76. Having a watch from your year of birth is something to which many enthusiasts aspire.In my opinion, the best thing is when your parents bought one in your birth year and looked after it for you. But I guess not everyone is so lucky (I wasn't). then you will need to find your own watch. This does mean that you can purchase the watch you really fancy, of course.This article is about my own quest for a birth year watch. One that took me about 15 years to find the perfect piece.Year of Birth 145.022-76Ever since I have been bitten by the Speedmaster bug, it was my goal to find a reference from my year of birth (1977). Alrea...
Bovet 1822 Miss Audrey And Monsieur Bovet Boast Beautiful Green Guilloche Dials
If you’re looking for a lush dial with pared-down neoclassicism, you came to the right place. What’s that you say? Your partner wants the same? Well, whatever your tastes, Bovet is here for you. The Miss Audrey and Monsieur Bovet watches offer a creative solution for couples looking to sport the same style.Bovet is, at its heart, all about extravagance. Artisanal decoration, personalized miniature painted on dials, highly-decorated skeletonized tourbillons, and erotic watches. That makes for quite the catalog! But those are just a few examples from nearly a century of Bovet's impressive and diverse design. The new Miss Audrey and Monsieur Bovet perfectly embrace the wilder side o...
March Mania Grand Final Czapek Antarctique Terre Adelie vs. A. Lange & Sohne Datograph Lumen
Ladies and gentlemen, we are finally there. The end of a long, long road we’ve traveled together over the past month is now in sight. At the end of this bloody royal rumble that saw 96 watches lineup on March 1st, we have just two remaining. The surprise #2 seed from Jorg’s group, the Czapek Antarctique Terre Adelie, and the irrepressible top seed from Bert’s crop, the A. Lange & Sohne Datograph Lumen. From a neutral’s perspective, it could hardly be a better match-up. An up-and-coming modern classic look set to mesmerize watch lovers for decades, versus an irrefutably impressive slice of the “Hautest”?Horlogerie going.?This Grand Final vote will remai...
Hot Take: The New URWERK UR-100V "Blue Planet" A Reverie In Blue
Today is a very good day in my world. Why is that? Well, whenever URWERK releases something new, that equates to a very good day in my world. I adore the brand, and to date, everything they drop has been gold (figuratively speaking). So, when I saw the latest teaser video the brand shared on their social media profile, I was excited…even more so when it was revealed to be the next chapter of the UR-100V, my favorite URWERK watch model.I’ve previously written about the URWERK UR-220 Falcon Project and the EMC Timehunter “Stormtrooper” here on Fratello. I loved both of those watches for very different reasons. However, despite being the more advanced watches from the Sw...
Timor Heritage Field Watch Review An Honorable Successor To The Dirty Dozen
Over a year ago, in February 2020, I reported on the rebirth of the Timor watch company here on Fratello. In that article, I made it clear that if the brand drew from its heritage it would be staring down a slam dunk. This release had nailed-on success written all over it. There was no need to push the boat out. There was no desire for anything new, per se. All Timor had to do was keep its head and execute. Now we get to find out if the Timor Heritage Field delivers as we finally got the chance to go hands-on with it at our HQ in the Netherlands.With a watch like the Timor Heritage Field, the press shots can only tell you so much. Of course, every watch model deserves to be seen in the metal...
Hands-On With The Breitling Chronomat B01 42 Red Arrows Chronograph Watch
Breitling brings out the big guns with the Chronomat 42 B01 Red Arrows Limited Edition. As the name suggests, this version incorporates the RAF Red Arrows’ insignia. Not only that, but the famous flying “diamond nine” formation of the Red Arrows jets is displayed prominently on the dial, in place of the “B” logo.In my first hands-on review of the revived Chronomat, I referred to my Frecce Tricolori as a guilty acquisition. Typically guilt turns to resentment, and I feared the Chronomat would end up sitting unloved in the watch box. As it turns out, the opposite happened, and I find myself fighting the urge to grab the Breitling FT over all the others, including ...
Doxa Introduces The Whitepearl Colorway To The Wider Collections
When Doxa dropped the Whitepearl colorway on its entry-level SUB200 last year, it was a bit of an experiment to gauge reception and interest for a pure white watch. Well, the wider watch community lapped it up right away. Quite rightly, too! Indeed when I first saw it at Geneva Watch Days last year, I was a fan. It was pure. It was simple. So, now Doxa is rolling out the Whitepearl colorway to the broader range, with one extra unique twist.People often think bright and colorful watches are the perfect summer accompaniment for the wrist. That said, sometimes you might want to wear something bright but a little less bold. Yellow, orange, and baby blue might be a little much in some situations,...
Patek Philippe 5320G And 5271G With Great Salmon Dials
Patek Philippe graces us with two new timepieces inspired by vintage watches from the Patek Philippe Museum in Geneva. The first release is the Patek Philippe Perpetual Calendar 5320G. The reference 5230 was introduced in 2017 with a cream-colored dial. While that watch is no longer part of the current collection, Patek Philippe decided to re-introduce it with a stunning new aesthetic. The second release is the Patek Philippe Chronograph 5172G, introduced in 2019 in a beautiful deep blue color. For both releases, Patek Philippe chose to equip the watches with beautiful gilded opaline rose gold dials, or as most people call them, salmon dials. Let’s take a look at these two stylish beau...
H. Moser & Cie Unveils The Pioneer Cylindrical Tourbillon Skeleton
To the uninitiated, H. Moser & Cie is a highly acclaimed independent brand, best known for the minimalist, contemporary, and elegant designs of its timepieces. To those familiar with the family-owned Schaffhausen-based manufacture, its excellence in creating exquisite movements should be no surprise. With that baseline, you would be forgiven for dropping your jaw in seeing this novelty, a sporty intricate timepiece Moser is presenting at Watches & Wonders 2022. The brand has made its first foray into the skeleton watch segment with the launch of the Pioneer Cylindrical Tourbillon Skeleton.It is no exaggeration that I myself did a double-take when the news hit us. I would not have pre...
Vacheron Constantin Novelties Watches & Wonders 2022
Ah, the delights of Watches & Wonders, low on pandemic measures but big on revenge spending. Even while much of the world is still struggling with the pandemic aftermath, events are back. And sadly, while Europe is not peaceful as it used to be, isn't this just the right time to daydream? Vacheron Constantin shows us that this is a very real possibility, even a rule.And Vacheron Constantin is never short on material to feed your inner daydreaming child, or rather, watch-obsessive. My wife seems to think there is a deep correlation between the two, and frankly, I see her point. Vacheron Constantin shows the best of what the brand is good at, from the minimalist lux of the Patrimony to beg...
Zenith Chronomaster Sport Now In Gold And Two-Tone (2022)
Despite its slightly divisive birth last year, the wider community now seems to have firmly accepted Zenith’s Chronomaster Sport with open arms. A few of my friends and acquaintances have picked up the stainless steel version, and the feedback has been very positive. Zenith itself seems to believe in the collection, too, as evidenced by the new releases we see before us. First, we had a steel watch with a ceramic bezel. Then, we had a gold version with a ceramic bezel. Now Zenith has decided to introduce three new models in two-tone and gold with no ceramic bezels in sight.Personally, I felt that the ceramic bezels were the one thing that made the Chronomaster Sport feel so modern comp...
Zenith Chronomaster Open Now In 39.5mm (2022)
Some people say open-heart dials are passe. Well, call me old-fashioned, but I think that’s poppycock! If done right, dials that reveal the beating heart of the watch can be some of the most intriguing dials out there. This is especially true when paired with a high-frequency movement. And when it comes to Zenith, high-frequency is the name of the game! For Watches & Wonders 2022, Zenith introduces the newest generation of the Chronomaster Open. This classily executed and wearable watch puts the balance and escapement of the 5Hz El Primero on display. Paired with Zenith’s signature tri-color motif, it just may have you wearing your heart on your… face?Did you know that ...
Montblanc 1858 Collection Fluted Bezels And Frozen Dials (2022)
Fluted bezels are not a exclusive. Omega puts a fluted bezel on the Constellation Globemaster, for instance. But still, a bezel with multiple facets reflecting light has an inescapably strong vibe. But did you know that back in 1927, the Minerva Manufacture in Villeret made a fluted bezel? Well, it did. And in 1939, the brand produced a chronograph with a rotating fluted bezel with a red marking on it. And that last bezel is back. During Watches & Wonders 2022, Montblanc presents the Minerva Monopusher Chronograph Red Arrow LE88. And in the same Montblanc 1858 collection, the brand also launches a new Geosphere travel watch with an extra chronograph function, plus an icy cold dive watc...