Entry Level Mechanical Watches By Guy David
You love mechanical watches but don’t want – or can’t afford – to pay thousands of dollars for them? There are quite some alternatives on the market for small(er) budgets and beginning watch enthusiasts, like the watches from Guy David. This label is from Gassan (with whom we did an interview earlier this year) and aims at the young and starting watch enthusiasts with this line-up of fashionable mechanical watches for a very friendly price.For instance, this mechanical automatic diver is water resistant to 200 meters and has a diameter of a whopping 47mm.AC Watch Company sells them via their web shop, prices start at 199 Euro. Watches come with a 2 year warranty....
Trip To New York To Fetch Two Speedmaster Watches
Trip To New York!It’s Speedy Tuesday! I remember that a few years ago, I wasn’t too fond of all the limited edition Speedmaster Professional models that were being introduced. However, over time that changed a bit – although I still do not “get” all of them – and I am now looking forward to Baselworld each year to see if there is a mission patch model or limited edition in the new collection. One of the biggest regrets I had when it comes to watches, is that I did not buy the Omega Speedmaster Professional ‘Snoopy’ when it came out in 2004.I’ve come so close to pull the trigger on a Snoopy Speedmaster a few times, but it was either too ex...
Cool and affordable vintage Tissot Navigator Yachting
Tissot Navitimer Yachting photo by: Schmittko from?Uhrforum.deYou do not necessarily have to have deep pockets if you want?to acquire cool vintage timepieces. In this article I will show you an outstanding model with an interesting twist to it. Meet the Tissot Navigator Yachting chronograph.For many Tissot is a lower brand, not comparable to the likes of Omega, TAGHeuer, Longines and the others. I beg to differ. Throughout the company's history Tissot produced some of the most interesting and historically significant watches coming out of Switzerland. Many occasions these watches were groundbreaking as well. Think of the first antimagnetic watch, the Tissot Idea 2001 which was the first mech...
Introducing The 42mm Pinion TT (Two Time-zones) in Titanium
Reading the subject line of Piers Berry’s (owner of Pinion watches) email, I was already clapping my hands due to the bold move of introducing a two-tone watch. My love for the precious metal goes very far. But opening the press release learnt that TT stands for Two Time-zones, that’s why I made sure to write it in full in the headline of this article.Pinion TTI would be lying if I’d say there was no little disappointment, but that quickly went away after seeing the new 42mm Pinion TT. A GMT watch is one of the most useful complications there is, I believe. Perhaps even more useful than a date. Or chronograph, to be dead honest here. Especially for those who travel a lot, o...
Christiaan van der Klaauw adds the Hypernova Grey to the collection
Christiaan van der Klaauw is a stand-out brand in the watch industry. The Dutch brand focuses solely on creating astronomical watches hence the official name Christiaan van der Klaauw Astronomical Watches. Next to that they are part of the select group of brands that are recognized as ‘haute horlogerie’ brands by the prestigious Fondation Haute Horlogerie.At Baselworld 2019 we were able to witness some of the remarkable pieces in the CVDK collection including a beautiful custom version of the Real Moon Joure and a? stunning version of their Planetarium model with an aventurine glass dial. A new addition to the collection presented at Baselworld 2019 is the CVDK Hypernova Grey. Th...
My Top 5 Speedmaster Models in Gold
With one of the most recent additions to the Speedmaster family, the Apollo XI Limited Edition in Moonshine gold, there’s finally a gold Moonwatch again. Time to share my personal top 5 Speedmaster models in gold.The gold Moonwatch has been discontinued for a few years now. Three years ago, the movie ‘Money Monster‘ featured a gold Speedmaster, but it was a discontinued reference. This Speedmaster reference 3195.50.00 was simply an all-gold version of the regular Moonwatch and was in production between 1999 and 2012. The reason it got discontinued I don’t know and can only make a well-educated guess, as these watches weren’t cheap, to begin with, and gold was a ...
#TBT Mido Ocean Star Powerwind "Rainbow" Dive Watch Ref. 5907
We all have watches that represent special moments in our lives. My Mido “Rainbow Diver 5907 will forever be bound to three important events. Most importantly, it?happened to be on my wrist the night our daughter was born. Here is the full story on today's #TBT.I?remember when I?first showed a picture of the Mido 5907 to my wife for the first time. Being a colorful person, I knew she would love the dial instantly. We both agreed that we want to add it to our vintage collection if the opportunity ever came along.Mido 5907 resurfaced in ViennaAnd the opportunity came last summer in one of the world’s oldest auction houses,?Dorotheum. I was surprised to see it resurface in Vienna, w...
Herms Arceau Into the Canadian Wild The Haute Couture of Horlogerie
Herms has, for years, given us extraordinary craftsmanship rooted in its tradition. Its watches represent the apogee of fashion style. This embrace of high-art when it comes to watchmaking is discernible once again with the latest Herms Arceau Into the Canadian Wild, which is a wonderful homage to the harsh and sweeping climate of Canada's frozen north.?But ultimately, it is the French tradition that Herms encapsulates, particularly with regard to contemporary minimalism; and yet this collection's timepieces have even more of the sparkling effect than usual. In showcasing the diamonds combined with a raw, Bauhaus-inspired design, Herms has signaled here its close bond with the art world....
A Speedmaster Collector's Vintage Omega Constellation Watch
I’m sharing a story from a passionate Omega Speedmaster collector and his connection to his late grandfather’s Omega Constellation. You may know him on Instagram as @dan_occasionally_likes_things. For brevity, I will just refer to him as Dan.But before we get into our discussion, I want to explain some backstory into my digital friendship with Dan.When I began my professional career around seven years ago, my father gifted me his 2006 Breitling Aerospace Avantage. Breitling introduced the ref. E79362 in 2005 and changed the name to “Aerospace Avantage”. The advantage this reference brought was the back-light on the LCD screens. In 2007, the name reverted to just ̶...
Hands-on: The Edox CO-1 Carbon Chronograph Automatic (2021)
The world of offshore powerboat racing is where Edox found the inspiration for this technically interesting diver's watch made of steel, ceramic, carbon, and glass fibers. Edox has been involved in powerboating for quite a while. A sport for men and women with hearts of steel. And that's why the Edox CO-1 Carbon Chronograph Automatic is a watch with a heart of steel. A powerboat on the wrist!Last month, Rob talked about the Edox?SkyDiver Neptunian and mentioned the pleasing aspects of an over-engineered dive watch. Because you will never be able to push it to its physical limits, it will make for a carefree companion. And the same (and beyond) goes for the CO-1 Carbon Chronograph Automatic.A...
Hands-On Review: Zelos Swordfish 40 In Crystallized Titanium (2021)
It’s not often I actually put my money out on the table, willing to hand it over. I like my bank account to remain healthy, and spending its contents goes against that mantra. With that in mind, it takes something truly exciting to pique my interest enough to have me opening my wallet and entering those card details at the payment checkout. It seems that Zelos did enough with its new Swordfish 40, featuring a case made of “crystallized titanium”.Zelos is one of the few microbrands which has managed to firmly cement its place in the industry. A mixture of intelligent designs, first-class customer service, and affordable prices has pushed the brand to a level that other micro...
Top 5 Tachymeters From Omega, TAG Heuer, Hamilton, And More
Ah, the tachymeter. You’ve definitely seen them around, and you may even own a watch with one on it. It’s the seemingly ubiquitous scale that has graced some of the most famous chronographs in history. Thus, when tasked to come up with my top five picks for the best tachymeter watches, usual suspects like the Daytona and Omega Speedmaster Professional immediately sprung to mind. And there’s a good reason for that. These models are indeed classics with an unquestionably iconic status. The more I thought about it though, the more I realized that I wanted to make this list a bit different. No taking the easy way out this time! After all, just because a watch is famous doesn&#...
?The 5 Best Upmarket G-Shocks Available Right Now
Premium tool watches are nothing new. Just recall the ascension of a diver's tool called the Submariner. But Casio G-Shocks have always been affordable digital cool with an enviable balance. On one end, they are the battle-ready wrist gear of Navy SEALS and off-roading enthusiasts with the Mudmaster series. On the other end of the scale, we have some of the coolest affordable collabs.With a catalog that includes everything from $120 beaters to hot drops like the Bamford DW-6900BWD, a new dimension has opened up. Casio has lifted the brand to a new top tier where metallurgy and samurai-armor finishing is the name of the game. I have a $600 G-Shock as one of my best buys of last year, but at u...
Hands-On: Omega Aqua Terra 38mm
The Omega Aqua Terra 38mm has been out for a while. It has also been slightly overshadowed by its bigger brother in terms of attention. So I reckoned it was about time to put one on my wrist and see whether this is the perfect everyday watch. I mean, all the ingredients are there. On paper, this is the only watch you will ever need. Time to find out whether it works out that way in real life. You may know that this is just my style of watch. I have declared my love of small do-it-all watches on Fratello on numerous occasions. The Omega Aqua Terra was one with which I had not yet spent significant time. So let's dive in and see if it is as good in the steel as it is on paper.The official name...
The Best Deep Blue Dials of 2023 Under $10,000
For fans of the classic allure of a matte black dial and clean tool watch design, a blue alternative might be the first dip into the enticing waters of colorful dials. A deep blue dial works exceedingly well at accentuating polished details on a steel case and can turn a rugged sports watch into an elegant wrist companion when a more formal occasion calls for it. In the world of dive watches, the blue depths of the ocean are often echoed in the dial. Who knows? The dark abyss might even spark a real sense of adventure for an otherwise deeply rooted desk diver like myself.Yes, this is a very subjective (and slightly rule-bending) roundup, but for me, these watches feature some of the best dee...
Sinn T50 Goldbronze Vs. Omega Seamaster 300 Bronze Gold
Welcome to another edition of Sunday Morning Showdown. Today, our editors go toe-to-toe with two watches of a similar persuasion. Expect no holds barred as these writers vie for your votes to be crowned the winner. In this fight, we have a duel between gold/bronze dive watches; the Omega Seamaster 300 Bronze Gold and the recently introduced Sinn T50 Goldbronze. The Omega comes with a “Bronze Gold” case, while the new Sinn comes with a “Goldbronze” case. The gold and bronze names may be reversed UNO-card style, but there’s more to it than that. The clash of styles showcases the endless possibilities of the familiar dive watch configuration. But which watch will t...
Omega Speedmaster Olympic Games Special Editions
One of the most anticipated track and field events closed up the first week of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. I’m talking, of course, about the men’s 100-meter finals. Though more than a few exciting gold-medal events occur throughout the two weeks, few get as much attention as this one. Thanks, perhaps, to the once-in-a-generation athlete who held on to the title for over sixteen years and captivated the masses with his inescapable charisma. Usain Bolt is still the world record holder, but a new generation has since taken his place. This past Sunday, the world tuned in and held its breath for just over nine seconds after the starting gun. But as the runners crossed the line, ther...
Introducing: New Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphes
The Fifty Fathoms family from Blancpain has already crossed the line from tool watch into wrist grails for most of us. This was already a fact with rising prices years ago and symbolizes for many the change in how we perceive wristwear. By nature they are all instruments to tell the time, and any reference in the Fifty Fathoms family does this exceedingly well. However, the two recently released models in the Bathyscaphe line go well beyond performing this basic function. They do so, in style, from inside a sturdy golden shell.After all, both the domed sapphire bezel of the Fifty Fathoms and the crisp dial of a Bathyscaphe were made for ideal dive legibility, even if most remain dry. With a ...
Hands-On With the Hublot Classic Fusion Essential Grey 42
I really like Hublot. There, I said it! It’s not always the cool thing to say in the world of watches, but I’m not afraid to admit it. My favorite series is the brand’s Classic Fusion, which links back directly to the brand’s beginnings. The latest addition to the Classic Fusion series is a duo of Essential Gray models. This pair of time-and-date models get the monochromatic make-over we have also seen for the Big Bang Unico and the Spirit of Big Bang. These two might just be the best of the series yet. I had a chance to go hands-on with the 42mm Classic Fusion Essential Grey to learn more.As I explained in the introduction article about the new Hublot Classic Fusion ...
Watches in the movies
Edward Heliosz made quite a list on watches that appeared in movies! Definately worth checking out....