Gateway to the Tutima World
Tutima presents a new 40-mm midsize model made in Glashu?tteThe new Saxon One M is a perfect choice for everyone who loves a self-assured look and is consciously seeking an entry-level Tutima model. Maroon Brown dial, ref. no.6121-01.Wear your dreams! The new Saxon One M was conceived with the aspiration of offering a high-quality wristwatch at an affordable price. This 40-millimetre midsize model in the successful watch family from Glashu?tte is ideal for everyone who appreciates distinctive styling and is looking for a reliable timepiece in the luxury class.This youngest member of the Saxon One family celebrated its world premiere at Baselworld in 2017. The case size has been reduced by tw...
Launch of the Hublot Classic Fusion Amsterdam Boutique Edition + Giveaway
Last week we joined Hublot for a canal cruise in the center of Amsterdam for the launch of a new watch. Officially called ‘Hublot?Classic Fusion Aerofusion Chronograph Special Amsterdam Boutique Edition’. We went to the recently opened Hublot Boutique in the P.C. Hooftstraat in Amsterdam, which is named after Pieter Cornelisz Hooft, who was?a Dutch historian, poet and playwright and lived from 1581C1647. This street is paradise in Amsterdam for those who are looking for an?exclusive shopping destination. Amsterdam Hublot BoutiqueMeeting up in the recently opened Hublot Boutique we are welcomed with champagne and typical Dutch snacks. Cheese cubes and (liver) sausage. Only the lit...
An Early Full Set Omega Speedmaster Apollo XI 1969 BA145.022
What's cooler than a gold Speedmaster Apollo XI from 1969? One that is complete with box and papers! The gold Speedmaster Apollo XI BA145.022-69 was one of the first special Speedmaster watches that I came across when I just started to become a Speedmaster collector. In an early stage, I was introduced to a local watchmaker and Omega collector, who happened to have one (and still has). It made a huge impression on me, and it never failed to do so from then on. In fact, I think it is one of the most beautiful Omega watches out there. Gold is not for everyone, and some purists might wonder why I don't prefer a nice CK2915 or CK2998, but to me, this BA145.022 is just magic.Speedmaster Apollo XI...
Wrist Game or Crying Shame: Hublot MDM 1810.1 Chronograph
Welcome to Wrist Game or Crying Shame, where you get to choose if a watch meets your individual high and mighty criteria.? This week, we’ve got a real humdinger in the Hublot MDM 1810.1 Chronograph, but first…Folks, you’re too easy!? I put a somewhat controversial up there with the Datejust Tuxedo Dial and despite some seriously negative comments about how lazy this watch looks, it cruised to a 64% Wrist Game win!? It seems that can do no wrong with the masses.? But does make some highly polarizing pieces and I’m talking about the bejeweled oddities that are often a plague to the Daytona model.? Well made?? Sure.? Ugly?? About 99% of the time and yet, we are treate...
Hot Take: Gravity Equal Force A Brand New Watch by Armin Strom
Armin Strom presents its new Gravity Equal Force at Dubai Watch Week.The Middle Eastern watch extravaganza that Dubai Watch Week is has a lot more to offer than what you'd expect from the famous emirate. The event is a world-class gathering of the who's who in the industry. It is also the place for several brands to showcase their latest and greatest. This is a given. Every watch show includes these things in their lineup. Dubai Watch Week also serves as the perfect occasion for many brands to launch their new models during the event. Our friends at Armin Strom think precisely like this. That should be the reason why they chose this time of the year to launch something special. It's not only...
Hot Take: MING 19.05 Rounds Out 2020 In Style
The MING 19.05 is here and it represents the last release of the year for the popular independent brand. It also marks the last incarnation in the 19-series of watches.Reader note: if you’d like to order the MING 19.05 now, please head to the order link. We’ll see you back here afterward.It’s always a good day when a new MING hits the shelves. Ok, they rarely spend any time at all on a shelf, but I suppose you catch my drift. I’ve really come to enjoy the brand’s uniquely clean and purposeful design language and today’s release stays the course. The new MING 19.05 is here and I can already hear the complaints in the comments section because they’re o...
The Allure of Japanese Watchmaking: Part Six Minase Watches
The folks at Minase Watches have done a superb job in spreading the word, not only about their brand but also about Japanese independent watchmaking in general. I wouldn't be lying if I claimed that through its Divido model, Minase has awakened us to a world beyond Seiko, Citizen, and Casio G-Shock. In showing us the Divido, Minase has made it clear that the use of the German-made Sallaz polishing machine is not just reserved for Grand Seiko. Yes, Minase too has brought us the very Japanese and obsessive level finishing called Zaratsu, which is itself a phonetic adaptation of the Sallaz name. And Zaratsu, my friends, simply never gets boring.The Prime Minister's choice????The effects of cele...
The Fast And The Fratelli: Seiko Prospex Speedtimer Vs. Tissot Heritage 1973
Welcome to The Fast And The Fratelli. The goal? To find the best racing chronograph of the past ten years. The rules? Each editor selects two watches that must be able to track elapsed time for at least one minute. The watches also must feature a tachymeter scale, and their movements need to be mechanical. And most of all, each watch must be thoroughly fantastic. But we’ll leave that up to the Fratelli to decide.I chose two chronographs inspired by vintage designs, and they show that vintage-inspired watches can be very different. With the Prospex Speedtimer SRQ037J1, Seiko presented a modern timepiece that only has some design hints from models in the distant past. Tissot, on the othe...
How Watches Work: What Is Timascus? (2021)
So you've heard of Damascus Steel, but what on Earth is Timascus? It's not exactly the most commonly known or used material. Still, its underground, cult-like popularity in the circles where it is known makes it interesting. With its brightly colored, acid-trip-like aesthetic, I can see why some people adore it. So, let's take a look and find out what it is.Whereas Damascus steel is a general term given to pattern-welded steel alloys, Timascus is a trademarked brand name. Broadly speaking, we are talking about a titanium version of Damascus steel, with different titanium alloys pattern-welded together. Timascus is a simple portmanteau of Titanium and Damascus. The term Timascus is slowly bec...
Buying Guide: The Best Panerai Watches From The 1990s (2021)
We like to talk about vintage watches a lot within the Fratello team. Though most of what we write about is primarily focused on the most recent releases and developments, for many of us, a lot of the fun can be found in the sometimes weird and often wonderful 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 are priceless, and some of them are still affordable. In this installment, we will take a look at the best Panerai watches from the 1990s.This week we will continue our journey thro...
Dear Tudor, Bring Back The Submariner "Snowflake" 7016
There is no denying that Tudor is one of the brands of the moment. As most of you will know, there is a design split between the classically inspired Black Bay line and the Pelagos models. The combination of snowflake hands and square hour markers, as seen on the modern Pelagos divers, is often considered the true Tudor design. The vintage-inspired Black Bay better captures the charm of the past models from Tudor and . But what if the brand chose a combination of both? It wouldn’t take more than a look in Tudor’s archives to find the perfect template, the Oyster Prince Submariner “Snowflake” ref. 7016.The appreciation of vintage Tudor pieces is an interesting phenomen...
The Zenith 143-6 Yugoslavian Air Force Chronograph
When one starts to dwell in the weird and wonderful world of vintage chronographs, there are quite a few iconic models that pop up almost instantly. The Zenith 143-6 Yugoslavian Air Force is one of those pieces. As someone who holds Angelus and its similar-looking pieces near and dear to my heart, this watch instantly struck a chord with me. The size, the caliber, and the history are all attributes I could relate to. Obtaining one, however, would take a lot of work… Or so I thought until one day when a dear friend sent me a message on WhatsApp. The rest, as they say, is history.Mike (Stockton) and I are both fans of Excelsior Park-operated chronographs, so there was no question that th...
No More Car Analogies For Watches
Enough is enough. To prove a point, first in a presentation and later that week in a discussion, a car was used when a watch was the subject of interest. This watch collection is like the Porsche 911; it evolves constantly, but always the original design shines through. And also this: I don't mind that this watch uses elements of the watches in another collection because all Porsches also have familiar design characteristics. Why reach outside the rich watch universe to prove your point? And also, why do watch brands keep incorporating miniaturized car details in timepieces? Car brands don't work the other way around. To put it bluntly: car analogies for watches have to stop, and so does the...
Building A Watch Collection With $25,000: Brandon's Picks
Yes! Here’s a challenge that’s right up my alley! You see, in our last budget-related series, the rule was that we could only highlight one pre-owned watch. Man, what a bummer… I don’t know about you, but as a diehard secondhand shopper, I rarely feel passionate about new watches between $3K and $5K these days. Unfortunately, the few that do set my heart ablaze got snapped up by colleagues in no time, so I stayed out of the game. This time, though, the only real requirement is staying within the $25,000 total budget. We can pick any number of pre-owned watches we want as long as we reference sales listings or average prices on Chrono24. With that in mind, I can certai...
Hands-On: Longines Legend Diver (2023 Release)
Back in 2007, Longines introduced a re-edition of its famous Diver watch from 1959. The modern version had a Super Compressor-style case to look like its forebear and, at the beginning, featured a no-date dial. In 2008, however, Longines announced a date-equipped model and proceeded to phase out the no-date version over the following years. If you ask me (and many other enthusiasts), that was an unfortunate move, even if it was perhaps more commercially feasible. Thankfully, the no-date Longines Legend Diver is now making a comeback, this time in an incredibly nice 39mm version.Longines Legend Diver 2023Whereas the 2007 model was a 42mm watch, the new Longines Legend Diver has a modest 39mm ...
New: The Czapek Antarctique Purple Storm
The shape of the case and bracelet on Czapek’s Antarctique has remained unchanged since its introduction in 2020. There are versions in stainless steel, gold, and titanium, for example, but they all share the same attractive and popular integrated construction. The Antarctique’s dial, on the other hand, seems more like a blank canvas that gets a complete overhaul every time a new version comes out. The same goes for today’s new revelation, the Czapek Antarctique Purple Storm. Its space-inspired purple dial represents a fascinating stardust storm.This new limited edition joins the lineup of other Antarctiques with galaxy-inspired and hand-varnished dials. Take a look, for ex...
New: AP Royal Oak Concept Tourbillon Companion"
Audemars Piguet put a tourbillon inside an edgy titanium watch, and Kaws put a miniature Companion. AP is very active in the art scene, so every once in a while, a special collaboration watch emerges. Audemars Piguet introduces the 43mm limited-edition Royal Oak Concept Tourbillon Companion, a series of 250 futuristic titanium watches infused with the aesthetic DNA of the artist Kaws. He put a miniature Companion at the very heart of the watch, which made AP move the time indication to the edge. The result sure is edgy.?Brian Donnelly, aka KawsYou want to know who Kaws is; I get it. Brian Donnelly, aka Kaws, lives and works in Brooklyn, New York, and started as a graffiti artist in New York ...
Photo Essay: The Sinn U1000
All images can be clicked on for larger versionsAn imposing 44mm across and nearly 20mm thick, the U1000 is built like a submarine – literally. Sinn uses submarine steel – a special alloy also used by the German Navy for its subs – for the case, bezel, crown and pushers. You know that slightly hollow feeling you get when you tap most watches with your fingernail? Not a sign of it with the U1000 – it’s as though you’re tapping an anvil. Even if you tap the crystal.That is the U1000 in a nutshell, really. Built to be a reliable, indestructible tool. The submarine steel case is water resistant to – you guessed it, 1000 meters – and is so strong an...
Watches & Pencils #21 The NASA Tests and the Speedmaster
This episode we finally set the Speedmaster?watch in the spotlight of the Watches & Pencils feature. In particular, we zoom in on the first Speedmaster which has passed the NASA tests: the Omega Speedmaster with reference number 105.003. Also known as the ‘Ed White’ Speedmaster. Later on more about the NASA?tests:Form and Function Hand in HandThe thing that?really fascinates me about this watch is that there is such a harmony between form and function. The fundamentals of the Speedmaster are rock solid from the beginning; While the watch passed all the NASA tests, it was never designed especially for the tests. Before the 105.003 the watch was simply a commercial watch like a...
Why I Purchased an Omega Speedmaster Professional and Which One
Some times we get contributions from readers about their Speedmaster stories. Stories about their collection, their family heirloom (like last week) or simply about that one Speedmaster they love. This week, Speedmaster fan and reader James will tell you about his 1995 model and why he purchased specifically this one.Without further ado.Why I Purchased an Omega Speedmaster ProfessionalI am sometimes asked why I purchased an Omega Speedmaster Professional, a hand-wound and rather plain chronograph wristwatch. Usually those who ask are neither watch collectors nor interested in horology; rather they are only casually interested in watches as jewelry or just consider them an appliance to tell t...