Speedy Tuesday Early Gold Speedmaster Moonwatch With "Wide Oval O" Dial
It is not often that we come across collectors who have this gold Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch BA145.022 in their collection. We have covered this specific model a couple of times in our Speedy Tuesday feature, but it remains to be a rare find and sight. The price on these watches drastically grew over the last couple of years, which might have something to do with the rare sightings of these gold Moonwatch models. Besides that, a number of collectors feel that the Speedmaster was meant to be in stainless steel.The first Speedmaster Professional in gold was introduced in 1969 and in production till 1973. A beautiful commemorative edition for the Apollo XI moon landing. The all-gold Speedmaste...
You Asked Us What Watch Should I Buy To Celebrate a Life Event?
We receive a lot of questions from people that “give” us a budget and ask us about the best watch they can buy for that. That’s too difficult to answer without knowing you to be honest. A watch is so personal, we wouldn’t even recommend buying a watch for someone else only if you really know that person. We made an exception when an Italian reader asked us what to buy for his daughter (and give it to her in 18 years from now), but giving us a budget without any context is very difficult.You Asked Us:?What Watch Should I Buy To Celebrate a Life Event?That said, we received an email last week from one of our readers by the name of Moe regarding a watch to celebrate a sp...
#TBT: Unusual Basis Alarm Watch BFG 90
Do you feel cool when you spin your 60-year old bi-directional bezel on your diver in both directions? Hold your horses. There is a watch that rotates its plexi crystal in both directions: the Basis Alarm Watch!Full disclosure. I cheated on my Vulcain Cricket. Actually, on my four Vulcain Crickets. I got a bit tipsy in a bar at Budapest airport while waiting for my plane. Being in a good mood, I got involved in a tiny affair with another alarm wristwatch. It started online soon after we met and since then we see each other occasionally.?Basis Alarm WatchHave you ever heard about Basis watches? Me neither. An exotic name, pretty generic face, but an extraordinary heart. Months before I first ...
Interview: Andrew 'Beef' Johnston
We had the opportunity again (click here for the first interview) to ask Andrew ‘Beef’ Johnston some questions. So we did, on golf, watches, and hip hop.English professional golf player and soon-to-be father Andrew ‘Beef’ Johnston was in The Netherlands for an event, and we could ask him some questions. Johnston, who has been nicknamed ‘Beef’ since his youth (and decided to keep it) plays golf since age 4 (he was born in 1989) and becomes a professional golf player in 2009.Andrew ‘Beef’ Johnston is an ambassador for Audemars Piguet, and you can find him wearing a Royal Oak before and after the game. With Matt Wallace, Jimenez, and a long list o...
Comparing the New Submariner Date with the Seamaster 300M
Choosing between a or an Omega is a question nearly as old as time itself. With all the hype surrounding the new Submariner Date, we ponder whether the stalwart Seamaster 300M is actually the better deal.No matter the aspirational product, two fierce rivals typically exist within the space. Cars, clothes, cameras, and most certainly watches are great examples. When it comes to dive watches, there are loads of options out there from loads of brands. But when it comes down to choosing a daily watch that can do it all, it seems that and Omega rule the conversation. It’s no secret that we’ve loved and felt that the Omega Seamaster 300M represents one of the best deals in the watch ...
This Week in Watches: September 19, 2020 Enjoyable Edition
It’s This Week in Watches for September 19, 2020 and I’ve dubbed this one the “Enjoyable Edition”. Why is that? Well, I think we have some nice news indeed.Mido Belluna RoyalSometimes, there’s something extremely enjoyable about a basic, nice looking watch. In fact, I’d say that’s what we have here with the new Mido Belluna Royal series. These watches feature a cushion case and guilloche style sunray dial. Interestingly, the shape is meant to evoke Royal Albert Hall in London. Putting the story aside, the gents watches come in at 41mm x 10.14mm thick and use the Powermatic 80. The ladies version uses the same movement, but measures 33mm. All have wat...
Hands On: The F.P. Journe Chronomtre Souverain Havana
And the other half is in Geneva, just like Rob and Lex were a couple of weeks back. While they were there, they got to check out an enthusiast-favorite from the F.P. Journe collection, the Chronomtre Souverain with a Havana dial.Before we explore this model, if you haven’t seen our other features on the F.P. Journe models they saw, I encourage you to do so (here?and here). For those not-so-familiar with F.P. Journe’s work, these quick takes give a good overview of not only Journe’s aesthetic sense but also his horological motivations. Now, let’s take a look at the brown beauty before us!A warm, inviting take on an F.P. Journe stapleThe standard, silver-dial Chronomt...
Blinded By The Spec Sheet: How Much Do Specs Matter?
My dear Fratelli, we watch geeks have some introspection to do. We need to have a close look at our priorities. I hope you are up for that! Why? Because we need a shift in our focus. We might just be a little too preoccupied with the spec sheet. And that might just be hurting the joy we have in our lovely shared passion. Or I should say the joy we allow ourselves to have. I touched upon this in my Fratello Collector's Week 2.0 article, and it seemed to resonate with some of you. So let me go into the matter in a little more depth today.I would like to argue that a watch's greatness is not in the spec sheet. Sometimes, upon browsing our comments section or other online watch media, I feel I a...
My First And Only NOS Excelsior Park EP-4
I will not create a Top 5 or Top 10 list of the best chronograph movements ever produced. Like most Top XYZ lists, it would be utterly subjective. However, if I had to create such a list, Excelsior Park, as a movement manufacturer, would be on it. Next to the likes of Valjoux, Lemania, and Venus, EP sits on the top of the mechanical-chronograph-caliber mountain. In my time as a vintage collector, I have acquired many timepieces with calibers from the previously mentioned makers. Yet, I never had the luck of scoring an EP-4 (much less an EP-40)-powered timepiece… Until recently, that is. Yes, sometimes watch wishes come true, and luck shines on you in the form of a NOS Excelsior Park EP...
Dubai Watch Week "Moves New York" & The Circula ProTrail
In case you want to visit the upcoming Dubai Watch Week that’s happening this weekend, please be aware of one very important thing: it's being held in New York City. The watch fair, which normally takes place in the Middle East, has put itself firmly on the map of important horological events. The move to NYC is temporary, and it will put the important American market and watch culture in the spotlight. The watch event comprises panels, debates, and masterclasses. And while finding out where to go and what to do, I tried out the new Circula ProTrail Automatic field watch. Find out about the event and the microbrand field watch in this edition of Coffee Corner Watch Talk.This year’...
Rado Conquers The Art Of Ceramic
If you've delved deep enough into the world of horology, you'll have certainly come across a number of watches made of ceramic. The material's key features make it one that lends itself beautifully to creating a watch case. But only a handful of brands possess the technical chops and knowledge to master the art of ceramic. Rado is a perfect example of this. Founded in 1917, the brand got an early taste for innovation and has never lost its appetite for it. Rado's motto since the early days has been, Si nous pouvons l’imaginer, nous pouvons le fabriquer. Et si nous pouvons le fabriquer, nous le ferons!” This translates to, If we can imagine it, we can make it. And if we can make i...
URWERK Introduces The UR-100V UltraViolet
In the world of watches, it takes a long time for change to happen. But, when it does, it flourishes. In my opinion, 2022 has been the year of color. We’ve seen a lot of brightly colored dials in watches, but one color has criminally been missing. Any guesses? OK, I’m sure the images have already given the game away, but would purple have been your answer? Well, it should have been. A surprisingly versatile hue, URWERK has decided to adopt it for its latest creation and addition to the UR-100V family. Meet the UR-100V UltraViolet!At Fratello, we definitely fall into the purple-loving camp. Based on our recent purple-dialed Minase M-3 “Very Peri” project, you probably ...
Citizen C7 Mechanical Watch Series Comes To Europe
In 1965, Citizen introduced the first-ever timepiece made in Japan that boasted a mineral crystal. According to the brand, at that point in time, it was also the world's slimmest automatic watch with a display of the date and day of the week. Citizen named it the Crystal Seven to honor these features that represented its watchmaking advancements. Fast forward to 2020, the Japanese giant revived the model with the new Citizen C7 collection for the Asian markets. Now four of the variants from the C7 series have finally landed in Europe. We received two of them in our office, so lets’s take a look.The originalAs a watch company that began life in 1918, Citizen’s archives must be a t...
Omega Speedmasters With Additional Complications
A watchmaker once told me that designing a chronograph movement is more challenging than other complications or mechanisms (including a tourbillon). We often take a chronograph movement for granted, but it is a beautiful example of microengineering. The Omega Speedmaster chronograph (not all Speedmasters are chronographs, by the way) is already an exciting watch, but some variations come with an additional complication.Speedmaster Perpetual Calendar ref. 3650.10 from 1991 - Image: LunarOysterSpeedmasters with additional complicationsIn this article, I will touch upon several Speedmasters that had complications on top of the chronograph mechanism. I will leave out the Speedmaster X-33 as the ...
Introducing The Updated Oris Divers Sixty-Five Chronograph
As someone who regularly covers new Oris watch releases, it’s clear that I have a strong affection for the brand. My interest in Oris stems from the Divers Sixty-Five from 2015. For Oris, this mid-century-inspired dive watch was crucial for the brand’s revitalization. The Divers Sixty-Five retro revival spawned many variants, including the range’s first chronograph in 2018. Fast-forward five years, and the chronograph returns to the fray. However, the new stainless steel watch case now has a 40mm diameter, measuring 3mm smaller than previous iterations.Oris has strengthened by releasing vintage-inspired models such as Divers Sixty-Five and Big Crown Pointer Date. Additional...
Grima Omega, Doxa, Tudor Pelagos FXD, And SwatchPain
Fratello On Air returns, and while we planned to discuss yacht timers, we never got there! It’s a fun episode where we discuss Andrew Grima Omega watches, Doxa, the new Tudor Pelagos FXD, and the “SwatchPain.” We got a bit carried away on some of the subjects, but we think you’ll enjoy our talks about some interesting brands and details. Enjoy, and yes, we will come back to regatta watches soon!...
A Rare Roger W. Smith Series 2 Goes Up For Sale
Today, we’ll delve into a special watch that has gone up for sale in Hong Kong. A Roger W. Smith Series 2 is our subject, and as we’ll see, it’s a very special prototype version. This is a slightly different topic than what we’re used to, but I think it’s highly worthwhile. After all, Smith’s watches rarely come onto the market, and when they do, we get an opportunity to see a truly special piece.I’ll start today’s article on an available Roger W. Smith Series 2 with a few anecdotes. First, this watch was brought to my attention by Charlie Dunne at Wind Vintage, and I appreciate the heads-up. Normally, a watch that is on offer for a minimum of ...
Hands-On: The Maurice De Mauriac Rallymaster II
First impressions don't always last. My parting reflections on the Maurice de Mauriac Rallymaster II couldn't be further removed from the initial impact it made. Last year saw the first Rallymaster, a 40-piece limited collaboration between Racquet magazine and Zurich-based watchmaker Maurice de Mauriac. The watch was a tennis-heavy design in pastel pink. This year, the doubles partners have teamed up again for the Rallymaster II, with a limited pre-order window coinciding with the dates of the US Open. The production numbers are now locked down, but we've had the chance to go hands-on with this piece. Although the initial unboxing was another surge of pale pink, in reality, it's no more than...
#TBT A Colorful Airin Regatta Timer With Valjoux 237
A flyback countdown chronograph with a date at 9 o’clock and a 3Hz beat rate… A mic-drop meme would be enough now to introduce the seemingly unique Airin Regatta Chronograph that resurfaced in France.I have been following French graphic designer and watch collector David Renou, aka @Super.Compressor on Instagram, for quite some time now. I like his taste in watches, and many of the timepieces he has posted in recent years are unusual, interesting, novel, or hard to find. When he posted a sneak peek of his Airin Regatta Chronograph with a Valjoux 237 earlier this year, I was instantly hooked.Image: @Super.CompressorA design that shouts“I have owned this watch in parts for 10...
Hands-On With The TAG Heuer Monaco Racing Green
I have a weird, ambivalent relationship with the TAG Heuer Monaco. While I am a great fan of its design and legacy, I am not a fan of the actual watch on my wrist. Or at least, I wasn’t. That’s why I was a little apprehensive when going into this hands-on review. The Monaco’s square shape and the fairly boxy case have never won me over. Having said that, I do greatly enjoy the design as an object. Add the famous Steve McQueen story, and you will have a watch that demands respect from a historical point of view. That’s also why I am always open to trying a new Monaco. Keeping an open mind can lead to pleasant surprises, and that’s exactly what happened with this ...