What a 52,800 Euro Grand Seiko Looks Like: The Rose Gold SBGD202 Spring Drive
During BaselWorld, Bert Buijsrogge and I had the opportunity to have some ‘alone time’ with the platinum Grand Seiko?SGBD201 which I called the high-end watch that impressed me most in Basel. Simply a stunning 43mm watch made of platinum with this amazing sparkling dial. The inner works were just as impressive, with Grand Seiko’s Caliber 9R01 movement. An 8-days movement with a power reserve indicator on the back.When I was visiting Japan in September, with some of our readers, I stumbled upon the rose gold version of this exact Grand Seiko master piece. I couldn’t recall that I’d seen it before, so I asked Seiko Netherlands to assist me with this and they dug u...
#TBT Seiko 7002 Diver A Neo-Vintage Classic
Welcome to my nightmare, otherwise known as the Seiko 7002 diver. I'm only half joking, but do realize that this article and the watch you see here is akin to the third part of a trilogy where, up until the last episode, it looked as if the protagonist was destined to fail. And just when the hero (that would be me) slays the demon, the credits roll and we find out that the demon has a little brother. Confused yet? In watch terms, it took me three tries at buying 7002's to finally get a good seemingly original one. And then, during the photo shoot for this story, I dropped it onto a granite boulder from at least 2 meters highsigh. Thankfully, the watch is fine aside from a nice scar above its...
Oris Big Crown Pointer Date 80th Anniversary Edition Introduced
To commemorate the 80th anniversary of their Big Crown Pointer Date watch, Oris introduces this (stunning) bronze 40mm version of that watch, with a green dial.The story of the Oris Big Crown Pointer Date watch goes back to 1938 when Oris developed a watch with an?oversized winding crown for pilots. Very useful when wearing those leather gloves being high in the sky, and you need to set your watch. The date indicated by an extra hand, also known as a ‘pointer date’.Oris Big Crown Pointer Date In BronzeInterestingly, the Big Crown Pointer Date has been in the collection forever it seems (or at least since 1938, and Oris was founded in 1904). I write this, as it was exactly this mo...
Ultra Deep x Five Deeps
It is not every day you get to meet a world-record making explorer. Victor Vescovo is the first human who has climbed the highest mountains, skied to both the North and South poles, and now?reached the deepest depths of the planet.Vescovo has just returned from the Five Deeps Expedition, the unprecedented endeavour to reach the bottom of all five oceans in a manned submersible. His ship is passing through our straits and docking in London for two days.On board is the man himself, his expedition team, and the submersible that made the historic dives. On its external robotic arm, strapped the Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean Ultra Deep Professional timepiece that descended together.Ultra DeepOmega...
The Patek Philippe 5235R Annual Calendar Regulator
After the dust clouds settled at Baselworld 2019, the Patek Philippe Alarm Travel Time 5520P was one of the most talked-about watches of the fair. Another great introduction is the updated version of the Patek Philippe 5235R Annual Calendar Regulator. It may be less talked about than the Alarm Travel Time 5520P, but it’s at least as divisive.It’s funny how most of the discussion about Patek Philippe as a brand is about the design of their new watches. There is hardly anyone that doesn’t think that Patek watches are technically brilliant and that their level of craftsmanship is almost unparalleled. The design of new Patek watches, on the other hand, does cause a lot of discu...
Omega Speedmaster World Cup Group H: Bobsled Bobby
Welcome to Group H of the Speedmaster World Cup. In the absence of Euro 2020, we thought our beloved readers might enjoy a tournament of a different kind. We've assembled eight groups (ACH), each governed by a different Fratello team member. Each writer has been assigned four watches, which they will pitch to you during the group stages.All we need you to do is vote for your favorite to move on in the competition. The next round will be the quarter-finals, which will see the eight group winners go head-to-head for your votes. The four winners progress to the semis. Following that, a third-place play-off will precede the final round, due to be held on Sunday, December 13th (get the whiskey in...
Hamilton's Janie Bryant Ladies Collection Is Full Of Hidden Gems
Oh, to be young and not know the cruel sting of the luxury watch collecting habit. I was young once, and it wasn’t as long ago as my impressive collection of crow’s feet would have you believe. When I was young, I didn’t have a lot of money. But what little money I did have, I would spend on watches. One of those watches I bought (with a 70% discount in the Swatch Group Christmas sale) was the quartz-powered Hamilton Ardmore, a watch I believe Hamilton pitches toward its female fans. I don’t care if that’s the case. I love it. Twelve years on from that purchase, I still own it and wear it occasionally. That’s why I was thrilled to see the Ardmore feature i...
My Seiko Diver Journey Part One: Vintage, Modern, and Modded
About seven years ago, the barrage of online articles and forum (what's a forum?) threads on the HUGE VALUE of Seiko got to me. At the time, I had just graduated from fashion watches. You've been there too, haven't you? I thoroughly enjoyed my first foray into rattly vintage skin divers, and my first microbrand piece was an Obris Morgan. To be honest, I'm a contrarian (or just vain), and the merest sniff of hyperbole about Seiko repelled me. But boy, was I wrong. This became obvious after my first vintage Seiko purchase, sending me down a proverbial rabbit hole, and starting a personal Seiko diver journey. Today, I sincerely feel I've reached the peak of Seiko divers with the SLA023 Marinema...
Different Types Of Date Displays The Best, The Worst, And Why!
Date displays are one of those complications that divide the community. Some people swear by them; others hate them. I’m in the former camp, and I find myself at a bit of a loss without a date indicator at times. I find myself often looking down at my watch to check the date, only to come up short. So, today I’m looking at some of my favorite types of date displays: what works best and what leaves me out in the cold?There are, of course, several different methods that watch brands use to display the date on watches. Some are more suited to certain watch styles, and others are more easily legible at a glance. That said, they still all have their uses. Still, I definitely seem to p...
Fast And The Fratelli: Chopard Mille Miglia Versus Singer Track1
Time for another Fratello contest! This time, it's chronographs that take center stage. But not just any chronograph will do. We're talking chronographs with racing pedigree - high-octane watches that get both watch freaks and petrol heads to shift into high gear. First up is a drag race between the well-established Chopard Mille Miglia GTS Azzurro SS and a rookie on the track, the Singer Reimagined Track1 Launch Edition. The Fast and the Fratelli, start your engines!The goal is simple, and so is the race. The Fast and the Fratelli Grand Prix will determine the best racing chronograph of the past ten years. On the starting grid, you will only see watches that are able to track elapsed time f...
Hands On With The Unexpected Yema Wristmaster Adventurer
I always thought there was a hole in the Yema portfolio. But the French manufacturer has finally responded to my unspoken wish and added a simple three-hander to the line-up. Now we are talking, Yema! And there is a lot to talk about with the new Yema Wristmaster.If you felt there might’ve been too many Superman watches coming from Morteau over the last few years, you weren’t alone. I always liked them, and I still do, but it was getting to be too much, even for a superfan. I bet Yema squeezed the maximum out of it, which is good for them. But with each Superman release, my urge to see something new has been growing exponentially.Kitchen-watch storyI remember a story one restaura...
The Fast And The Fratelli: What Is The Best Racing Chronograph?
Dear Fratelli, we need your help! Back in August and September, you decided on the best summer watch in our Summer Splash contest. It was the Omega Seamaster Professional 300 that came out on top. It’s only fitting that such a competent and undeniably good-looking dive watch took the crown. However, the season has changed, temperatures have dropped, and summer now seems like a distant memory. That can only mean one thing: it's time for another Fratello contest! This time, it's chronographs that take center stage. But not just any chronograph will do. This time around, we're talking racing chronographs. Put on your helmet, fasten your seatbelt, and fire up your engine: the Fast and the ...
The Best Omega Speedmaster Watches Of 2022
Last week, I was in London for the WatchPro Salon, and some people already asked what my favorite Speedmaster release was for 2022. The Chrono Chime was this year’s latest and last Omega Speedmaster release. There have been quite a few introductions in the 65th-anniversary year of the Speedmaster, although perhaps not the ones you’ve been all waiting for. That said, the lineup is quite impressive and goes from the first (Speedy) Tuesday of this year with the Broad Arrow Canopus to the recently introduced X-33 Marstimer and highly complicated Speedmaster Chrono Chime. In between, there were the Moonshine Gold models and the updated Speedmaster ’57 collection.So, what were th...
Introducing: ZRC's Grands Fonds Heritage Re-Editions
One of the toughest-looking dive watches out there has received a more historically accurate overhaul. ZRC has released two new models carrying the name Grands Fonds 38 Heritage. Their designs are fully inspired by the watches that ZRC began producing in 1961 and which became the official watch for the French Navy in 1964. There’s a time-only version with a ceramic bezel, the S2, and one with a date and an aluminum bezel, the S3. Let’s take a look!The current lineup of ZRC watches (one of which Sky reviewed here) definitely looks like it takes inspiration from the original Grands Fonds from the past. However, the brand also tried to update the design a bit. In addition to black, ...
Fratello On Air: Lex And Balazs Talk Breguet
For the second week in a row, Balazs has a guest on the podcast, and it’s another member of the Fratello family. After last week's discussion with Dave about space watches this week, we have our one and only Lex on Fratello On Air. The man known for his refined taste in clothing and timepieces is also somewhat of a Breguet fan....
The Fine Line Between Flippers And Collectors
Watch enthusiasts. They exist in many different shapes and forms. Don’t worry, I won’t go over each type in this article. The topic of today is more about the term “flippers”. Ever since I entered the world of watch forums and get-togethers, I’ve been intrigued by that term. It’s almost as though it’s seen as a swear word by some, while others just can’t seem to stop buying and selling watches as quickly as they can. Let’s dive a little bit deeper into the matter and explore why some people keep “flipping” and why others can’t stand the fact that they do so.I must admit, in the first three years of my life as a watch ent...
Hands-On: Two New Casio A1000 Models
Watches are all about stories. Quite often, the stories behind a watch, the people who wore it, and the things that they accomplished tell a timepiece’s great history. But there are stories even more personal and even more valuable than those. After taking one look at the brilliant two Casio A1000 models that I had the pleasure to review, the stories of my youth immediately sprung to mind. For people over 30C35 years old, the A1000 will transport them back to their youth. I’m pretty sure quite a lot of us owned one of the predecessors of the current Casio A1000 models. I was reminded of my youth by the gold A1000MGN-9ER and the stealthy A1000RCB-1ER made in collaboration with the...
Integrated-Bracelet Chic For Less Than $500: Five Options
Yes, we all love the allure of sleek watches with integrated bracelets. Alas, grails like the Royal Oak and Nautilus are pipe dreams for most people, including me. Even without a big budget, you might want to see what the fuss is about. But is it possible to find integrated-bracelet chic for less than $500?Sure, there are affordable takes on the genre, but with many over $1,000, what are the real budget options? Here’s a selection of what you can find for less than $500. Yes, there's plenty of wrist presence here, even without mentioning the lovely but nearly ubiquitous Tissot PRX. And who said all of these options had to be analog?Brew MetricThe small-cased goodness of the US-based co...
New: MB&F HM11 Architect The House That Max Built
It is easy to become a bit jaded about new watch releases when you see them every day. A lumed ceramic bezel? A fume dial? It is only when they are executed exceptionally well that they truly get the heart racing after a while. But then, every so often, something comes along that doesn't play by the same rules - something that redefines what a watch can be. This, my dear Fratelli, is such a watch. This is the MB&F HM11 Architect.“HM” stands for Horological Machine. That would be a pretentious name for almost any watch-related creation, but it is fully justified for the mad inventions that Max Busser and his friends build. Today's release is the eleventh Horological Machine, a...
New: Ming 37.08 Sand And 29.01 Dubai Edition Watches
Ming will attend Dubai Watch Week for the very first time. Along with the brand’s team, two new watches will also be in attendance. The new 37.08 Sand and the 29.01 Dubai Edition will be on display and will also go on sale during the event. Let’s take a closer look at both limited-edition watches.After months of silence, Ming has been on a roll. Today’s announcement of the 37.08 Sand and 29.01 Dubai Edition pieces marks the third and fourth releases in the last month. That’s almost Grand Seiko-like! All kidding aside, we’re always happy to see new releases from the innovative independent brand. Today’s new watches should please new fans and seasoned collec...