Panerai's first-ever watch prototype was released on October 24th, 1935, and it was called Radiomir. The watch will turn 90 next year, but the excitement must be too big to control at the brand's headquarters because the Panerai Radiomir Perpetual Calendar GMT Goldtech PAM01453 you see here is a celebratory model. It is a complicated pink gold one that shows the brand has come a long way in the la

The Ulysse Nardin Freak, with its open-worked dial and flying carousel movement, is one of the watch world’s most recognizable timepieces. It has also become a popular platform for collaborations. The latest of these is the new Freak X Enamel Seddiqi featuring a titanium case and guilloche dial.Ahmed Seddiqi & Sons, the leading luxury watch retailer in the Middle East, has partnered with

Recently, I was invited to join the presentation of HYT watches at a very fine restaurant?hosted by one of the top jewelers in The Netherlands,?Pijnenburg in Eindhoven. A mixture of press and clients of Pijnenburg were invited to see the HYT collection and meet with Vincent Perriard (CEO of HYT watches). A perfect reminder that we still had some photos of the initial presentation of the HYT H2 wat

It's been roughly a quarter since I wrote my last Vintage Market update, so it's high time for another installment. Ever since publishing that article and committing to writing another, I’ve mulled over some potential topics. Clearly, a pure regurgitation of the fact that prices continue to climb especially in the chronograph arena would be a short article. So, I've decided to focus on some

60th Anniversary2016 marks the 60th anniversary of the automatic Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Memovox. Reason to celebrate with the Master Memovox Boutique Edition, limited to 500 pieces only. These 500 pieces have a blue ‘rich’ dial with beautiful thick applied hour markers, inspired by their 1970s Memovox watches.Jeager-LeCoultre Caliber 815In 1956, JLC used the self-winding caliber 815 t

The Delma Shell Star Automatic is one of the brand's most iconic models and is a true dive watch. An ideal companion, it is equal to the toughest challenges, whether on the open seas, under water, on a mountaintop or on any other adventure. The new edition of this timeless stainless steel watch from Delma again demonstrates the traditional Swiss watch brand's mastery.In 1975 Delma launched its fir

Fortis Dornier GMTFortis is at it again. You?might remember that since a few years now we follow this Grenchen brand's activity on Fratello Watches. Just this year we have already looked at two of their new releases. Michael?had a Classic Cosmonaut Chronograph to play with, while I took the Aeromaster Steel Chronograph for a test drive. Both were really cool watches. Let's jump back a bit in time

Earlier this year, and we reported a few times about it, Seiko introduced the new SLA017 (SBDX019 for some markets). When I was in Japan about a month ago, doing a week long Grand Seiko manufactory tour with some of our readers, I had the chance to handle both the new Seiko SLA017 and the vintage Seiko 62MAS reference 6217-8001. Both watches belong to the?same person, who is an avid reader of Frat

Years ago, when Omega introduced their Co-Axial technology and silicon balance springs, they raised the warranty to 4 years (instead of the standard 2 years, which is also mandatory by European law for example). Now, Omega takes it one step further and decided to raise the warranty on all of their watches to 5 years, regardless of which watch model (or type of movement that is inside).Effective Ju

Last week we joined A. Lange & Sohne for the opening of their new boutique in the center of Dresden.?Located near the watch capital of Germany you always pass by this lovely place with its rich history and architectural beauty. Not only was it the day of the opening, they also launched their new Datograph Up/Down Lumen.The newly build location was the home of court jeweller Moritz Elimeyer in

Singer entered the watch scene with a huge splash back in 2017. Not only was the name new but so too was the approach the brand came with as well. Singer Reimagined took inspiration from Singer Vehicle Design to create Track 1. Fast forward to 2020, and Singer is back at it again. This time with a new model, the Flytrack.The Flytrack is unmistakably Singer down to the last screw. The case shape, t

I'm back again. More watches and more movies! I swear I do more than sit around watching movies and talking about the watches I see in them. As I said in my last post, we watch collectors love a reason to add another watch to our collections. Movie tie-ins allow us to kid ourselves as to why we need to buy just one more watch - except it never is only one more, is it?Despite being a big fan of Sei

Hundredth-anniversary wristwatches do not come around that often. Especially watches that are recreations of designs of the time, yet still appealing to today’s consumer. In 2017, Oris kept the faith in one of its original Big Crown pilot’s watches from 1917. This is my story about how and why the Oris Big Crown 1917 became my wedding watch.The story began in March 2017. I, along with

It has been almost a year since I ran a comparison between Forstner and Uncle Seiko aftermarket watch bracelets. Specifically, I compared both 19mm flat link polished and brushed variants that fit the Omega Speedmaster First Omega in Space. Over these past twelve months, the article grew to become one of my most well-read write-ups. To this day, I still receive comments, emails, and direct message

Unless you’ve been under a rock or holidaying at the Baltic Sea (as I was), you might have noticed A. Lange & Sohne - Germany’s undisputed grand-daddy of watchmaking companies - just dropped a watch that, on paper at least, sounds like the sexiest thing to enter my mind since I had that weird dream about Lex in a skimpy yellow speedo. But even though it seemingly brings together al

It sounds a bit dirty, but I’m definitely being influenced. Furthermore, I know that I’m influencing others too. I notice that I don’t really feel particularly proud or comfortable as I write this. It seems like it’s not cool to admit that Instagram - or any other social medium, for that matter - is affecting your thought processes. But I think that for me, Instagram has ac

It has been ten years since Tudor introduced the Black Bay and made its comeback in the US. It marked a new beginning for the company and a change of strategy, but now Tudor really does mean different things to different people. We have several generations of aficionados working at Fratello. Interestingly, the younger writers now seem to have a completely different view of Tudor than the older col

With the mood of the vintage watch market in line with the upcoming winter temperatures, now is about the right time to look for something unusual. I went deep into my safe to bring to light the Atlantic Seahunter, a low-budget piece with so many talking points.To start, there’s the brand. If you collect vintage watches long enough and don’t limit yourself to usual suspects like Omega,

Whoever knows Nomos knows the Tangente. The model was part of the first collection of watches that the brand from Glashutte launched in 1991. Since then, many different editions have also come out, and almost every color has found a home on a Tangente dial. Apart from stainless steel, the case has also been produced in 18K yellow gold. So, how can Nomos keep it fresh? Well, I think the brand’

Once you have experienced your fair share of watches, you develop a taste for certain specific watch features. Call them the opposite of your pet peeves. They are the details that make a good watch great for you. Some may be objectively better features, while others are completely personal preferences.In this article, I will share some of mine. These are the watch features I thoroughly appreciate