Just out of curiosity
Today, I noticed an Omega LED wrist watch on someone’s wrist in an interior store. Now, if I would be in a watch shop or perhaps in a bar or something, I probably asked him more about this watch. Is he a collector? Is this his only watch? How did het get it? What about the history of this watch? Is he aware that he wears something ‘special’? Does he have box, papers and the original receipt? You know the drill, these questions need to be answered if you encounter someone with a nice watch.Now, back at home, I still don’t know anything about this man and his watch. I think I will manage to sleep well, but it would have been nice to interact with someone who has a nice ...
JS Watch Co. Reykavik Frisland Classic
The Frisland Classic watch has an Antique silver plated dial with Roman / Arabic numerals and comes in a 42 mm steel case with a Curved Anti Reflective Sapphire Crystal and See- through Sapphire Crystal back. The domed Lancette style hands are traditional Flame Blued Steel to match the blue color on the Arabic numerals at XII, III, VI and IX. The 42 mm case is made from the finest German surgical grade Stainless Steel “316L”. It has a Swiss Made Mechanical movement Execution Top with Automatic winding, 25 jewels, Custom decorations, Blue screws and Rhodium plated finish which can be examined in detail, through its sapphire crystal case back. All decorations and craftsmanship is o...
Hands-On Edox Hydro-Sub 50th Anniversary Review
Let me be honest here. Dead honest. When you think about a mechanical divers watch, Edox is not the brand that first comes to mind. I am pretty sure this also applies to you (assuming you don’t work for Edox in some way). When I think of Edox, I have to think about those ultra slim watches they advertised in the 1990s. I remember joining a business diner with my step-father and his business partner had this very thin Edox strapped on his wrist. Already interested in watches in those days, I asked him about the watch and he told me that the reason for buying the Edox was indeed the fact that it was very thin. That was basically my one and only experience with the brand until recently.Th...
Top 10 Most Popular Watches In The First Half Of 2016
Popular WatchesOne of the things that fascinates me about the watch industry is that there are so many watch brands out there, with so many watch models to choose from. Yet, most people (including myself) find them selves keep getting back to some of the obvious choices. At least the watches that I think that are very obvious. Our colleagues from the German WatchTime website did some research together with watch market platform Chrono24, to identify the top 10 most popular watches.These watches are?the most sought-after models?on Chrono24, a website that has over 80 million pageviews a month. We?show you the top 10 most popular watches on Chrono24, searched-for between January 2016 and June ...
Armin Strom Resonance and Configurator in Mallorca Event Report
If you know a thing or two about sailing (unlike me) I'm sure you have heard about the GC32 Racing Tour. It's a competition where only GC32-class sailing catamarans compete. Armin Strom is the proud main sponsor of one of these teams. By the grace of the brand I managed to experience first-hand how these marvelous boats operate on water. Bright sunshine and 30+ degrees Celsius at the coast of the beautiful Spanish island of Mallorca. It could have been worse. We spent a day on land and sea learning about the boat the team but also about Armin Strom, their resonance concept and their brand-new business venture; the configurator.GC32 ARMIN STORM, JULY 2017 ,Palma de Mallorca, Spain. ? Jesus Re...
Introducing DB Milau and their Diadem Silver Edition
We get a regular supply of emails from new watch brands introducing themselves as the next best thing in the watch industry. Best value for money and so on. Usually, it’s better than anything we ever saw before. And all that for a bargain price which also leaves plenty of space for a commission. Besides those weekly introductions we occasionally also receive one that triggers our interest. We got in touch recently and tried the DB Milau Diadem, one of their flagship watches.Dutch Brand MilauLet’s have a short introduction to the brand first. Although The Netherlands is quite a small country we sure have a lot of watch enthusiasts and it’s also where our headquarters is base...
This week in Watches August 10, 2019
A significant part of the Fratelli enjoys blue-water-view holidays at this moment, and even your trusted supplier of This Week in Watches, Michael Stockton, was out of office. So for this week, I’ll try to be a good stand-in as?I had part of my summer wind-down already. You probably saw IWC take off in the U.K. with a Silver Spitfire and introduce a right-hand Big Pilot for left-handed pilots. And you probably saw A. Lange & Sohne present a new model from their “25th Anniversary “collection at a classic car show in Germany. Our Bert Buysrogge was present at the latter and will do a nice write-up on that. No way I’m gonna spoil that here.A lo...
Watch On Your Wrist? Fratello Instagram Contest 2020 Semi-Final 2
We told you this would be fun. After four weeks of voting, you, the Fratelli, have selected the winning Instagram images that have made it through to this, the second semi-final. One more hurdle awaits these champions. Winning this week's vote guarantees the image a place in December's final. Better still, it puts the photographer behind the image in the running for some very tasty prizes indeedBelow you can find the winners of the last four rounds'. Some cases were obvious from the start. In other instances, we saw heavy voting battles (and surprising last-minute swings) between the contestants. However, in the end, there could only be one winner each week. Now we need you, dear readers, to...
Hands-On With The Oris Aquis Hangang Limited Edition Divers' Watch
Last week, I selected my Top-5 Oris Aquis Limited Edition divers’ watches made for the “Change for the Better” campaign. For the new Aquis Hangang Limited Edition, Oris partners up with Seoul KFEM to support the cleanup of South Korea’s mighty Hangang River. We go hands-on with the first of the Aquis Limited Editions to feature a green dial.Busy times at the Oris headquarters in Switzerland. The brand from Holstein has graced us with a string of new releases in 2020. From the fun and upbeat Holstein Edition 2020?to the eye-catching Oris Divers Sixty-Five Momotaro collab to the new 41.5mm Aquis Date, there is plenty to enjoy. And those are only a couple of the latest a...
Belchengruppe Offers Something Different With Inaugural Range
You’d think after all the years I’ve spent observing, handling, and dismantling watch cases, I’d kind of be over it by now. Yeah, my shrink says the same thing. What can I say? The novelty of watchmaking is the only drug to which I’ve ever been a slave. And so whenever something remotely new comes along, I can’t help but indulge my interest. Say hello to the inaugural range from Belchengruppe.Belchengruppe had been due to exhibit at Baselworld. Sure, I was more excited to see the latest technical and aesthetic developments of the big boys, but there is a special place in my heart for smaller brands trying to find their niche. That special place in my heart bleed...
Breaking News: The Green Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Tribute (2021)
Can you believe it? I know I didn't at first, but there you have it. The green Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Tribute really does go with anything. And I literally mean with anything. Do You know why? Because it’s green, and therefore it probably won't exactly match your outfit of the day. And because it doesn't, it does. Catch my drift?Not too long ago, I went on a quest to find out if the rectangular Reverso was a watch that had I deprived myself of for all the wrong reasons. I found my answer wearing a Reverso Classic Monoface Large Small Seconds. Turned out I had indeed been depriving myself of an undisputed watch icon for all the wrong reasons. I just never realized that a fairly dressy...
The Vintage Watches That Have Entered The Collection In 2021 So Far
As a bit of a follow-up to an article I published at the start of the year, let’s look at some of the vintage watches I’ve added this year. For good or for bad, this isn’t a complete picture. However, it is fairly representative of where my interests currently lie.Like many collectors, I go through phases. I have my rabid period where I’m always on the hunt for various vintage watches. I have quiet times when, if I am looking for anything, it’s very specific. Those quiet times, by the way, are the WORST because this is usually when I get a message from someone I know who is ready to sell something epic. Woe is me, right? As I said, this isn’t everything th...
Why Investing In Watches Hurts And Helps
These days, whether we like it or not, watches are hot property for their investment potential. With negative interest rates, a growing interest in vintage products, and the ever-present wish to increase personal wealth, making money with watches has become an understandable choice. Nevertheless, this investing is an activity that a portion of the watch-collecting community does not support. But we can hardly blame investors for wanting to make money, or can we? Time to reflect on the Gordon Gekko mentality and its effects on our watch-collecting journeys.In late 2019, I had an interesting talk with a serious watch collector at the last Speedy Tuesday event of the year in Biel. We were discu...
Summer Holiday Watches: Christopher Ward, Oris, And Vaer
I had my holidays early this summer, so I’m one of the first to look back on them. My holidays were split up into two parts. The first part was a 3,600km motorbike trip around the Iberian Peninsula. The second part was in Croatia - locally known as Hrvatska - and was all about scuba diving. So, as my summer holiday activities were twofold, I needed to bring two types of watches as well. And I didn’t make any obvious choices this time.My general attitude when choosing watches to bring on holiday is to keep them a bit under the radar. I’m not the type of guy who likes to attract attention anyway, but when I’m on holiday in unfamiliar places, this seems even more importa...
Roarcraft Watch Strap, Laptop Case, And Leather Notebook
“Purple straps don’t go with anything,” said my fellow watch lover as I listed the contents of my latest Roarcraft goody bag. “Are you sure they don’t go with everything?” I retorted, already knowing I had him in a headlock. In fairness, he should be right (on paper), but as with so many things in our beautifully varied industry, the pairing potential of purple makes no sense whatsoever and is all the more glorious for it. “Besides,” I continued, “at least the notebook’s black…”The leather goods that Roarcraft produces that?aren’t watch straps tend to come in four colors. You can choose from black, brown, gray, and...
#TBT Medana Special Calendar With A Unique Day/Date
This might be the #TBT discovery of the year, featuring a surprising, witty, amusing, and even slightly naive watch. I am not hesitant to say that the watch you are looking at is one of the rarest of the rare. Meet the Medana Special Calendar with a day/date display and setup like none I’ve ever seen.I don’t think much about what else could be out there for me to discover in the realm of vintage watches. On one hand, I don’t rule out the possibility that there are still many never-discussed old technical concepts. On the other, with tons of examples studied over the last five years, it’s extremely difficult to discover a watch with a complication or case construction ...
Hands-On: The Sternglas Naos Automatik Edition Yellow
Yellow is the color of summer, warmth, flowers, bumblebees, and fun. At least, that's how I see it. As such, it's a color I love to see on a watch, and although only a few brands fully embrace it, it's hard to get wrong. The new Sternglas Naos Automatik Edition Yellow livens up the brand's most classic dial with a great big burst of summer.Rather like London buses, you wait ages for one, and then two to come together. After years of seeing a variety of Sternglas models appearing on Instagram and being reviewed across various websites, my first hands-on encounter was quickly followed by seeing my brother's new watch purchase and now taking the Naos in hand. That intensive exposure over a shor...
Introducing: The Longines HydroConquest GMT
Looking for a watch to travel and dive with in style? Maybe the new Longines HydroConquest GMT is something for you. There are four color versions to choose from - blue, black, brown, and green - and each has a unique character. The HydroConquest line launched back in 2007, and this redesigned GMT dive watch is the first one in the collection with dual-time functionality. The best benefit is probably that the new watch is a flyer GMT, making it a proper travel watch.Some people argue that a dive watch doesn't need a complication. Even a date is often considered too much. I partially agree but only if you find yourself in a spot in this world where diving is pleasant all year round. Most peop...
How To Look After Your Vintage Watches
I often read worries about vintage watches and their fragility on social media and in our comments section. If you just prefer modern watches, that is fine, of course. However, if you love vintage watches but feel apprehensive for fear of buying into trouble, this article is for you. There are some simple rules to follow that will ensure you can enjoy your vintage watches almost as worry-free as your modern ones.The following may be familiar to seasoned watch aficionados. If you are new to the hobby or just new to vintage watches, I hope this is helpful to you.Worry-free ownership starts with selecting the right vintage watchesI remember when I got into watches a little more seriously, I saw...
Fratello Talks: Big Watches
Welcome, Fratelli of all shapes and sizes, to this week’s episode of Fratello Talks. Today, Thomas, Morgan, and Nacho gather around the Fratello podcast table (and light up a scented candle) to discuss a topic that’s been weighing heavy on their minds (and wrists) lately - big watches. All three have recently bought new pieces, and in all three cases, they’ve been the biggest watches in their respective collections. Naturally, this has them wondering: are we going insane, or are bigger watches ripe for a comeback? Perhaps it’s a general fatigue of smaller timepieces or even an adjustment into a state of broader appreciation for timepieces big, small, and everything in...