Watches Blog Wrist Watch Reviews

I talked about the black Omega Seamaster Diver 300M Chronograph in the previous installment of The Best Boring But Brilliant Watches In The World, but now it's time for something completely different. The Patek Philippe Calatrava. The Calatrava started out as a humble dress watch, but it also has a more outgoing and exuberant side that might surprise you. However, at heart, a Calatrava remains a very traditional and soft-spoken creation.Forgive me for sounding pretentious, but a classic Patek Philippe Calatrava reminds me a bit of a Schubert piano sonata. If my dad reads this, he would be proud, because it's proof he didn't play me all that classical music for nothing when I was still a youn [...]

My earliest encounter in the flesh with the Patek Philippe Nautilus was somewhere in the early 2000s. Probably 2002 or 2003. Of course, I knew about the watch and read about it, but it was a rare thing. The Nautilus 5711/1A hadnt even been introduced yet.In those years, every Thursday, I found myself in this bar-restaurant to meet up with Gerard and some of his friends. At the time Gerard was the owner of a watch shop in The Hague (he hates the word boutique, but these days it would have been called a boutique) and the other guys were all entrepreneurs in different fields. I was still a student, but besides my typical then student's attire consisting of striped Ralph Lauren shirts, khaki pan [...]

In our Sunday Morning Showdown, two of our writers go head-to-head in an epic showdown for the ages. Strong opinions and hysterical hyperbole are welcome (so feel free to join in with the fun in the comments section below). And dont forget to let us know which watches youd like to see torn to shreds/effusively exalted next week. Well try and feature as many of our readers choices as we can. With summer on the way, we get into the spirit by pitting two aquatic luxury sports chronographs against one another. The Patek Philippe Aquanaut Chronograph 5968A takes on the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Diver Chronograph 26703ST.Todays Sunday Morning Showdown is all about two classical brands shu [...]

Last time out, I gave you a breakdown of all the watch and F1 team partnerships for the 2021 season. In the closing statement, I pondered the possibilities of Omega becoming an official partner of the sport for the first time. Thats unlikely to happen with Rolex as the official timekeeper. But it made my imagination run wild with other possible tie-ins between carmakers and watch brands. My list today looks at a fantastical selection of collabs. These do not necessarily relate to motorsport, and some only tie a specific watch to a car model.We often dismiss it or lie to ourselves about how much we are driven by marketing. Watch aficionados especially resent the marketing tactics of our favor [...]

Ah, dont you love it when everything just falls neatly into place? Isnt it a joy when things that never were, suddenly appear and feel as if theyve been present all along? I love it when that happens. It is not the most seldom sensation in watchmaking, but it is one of the industrys finest. The satisfaction one feels when viewing something so tidily realized for the first time is, I would imagine, akin to an athletes sensation of victory. It feels like it was all worth it. The hours spent hammering away at the keys, twiddling screwdrivers at the bench, and peering through shop windows longingly are at once justified. The new Patek Philippe In-Line Perpetual Calendar 5236P-001 makes me feel t [...]

Rob and I talk about the big news from Rolex, Tudor, and Patek Philippe that was announced on the first day of Watches Wonders.We discuss the new Rolex Explorer, Explorer II, Daytonas, and new Datejust dials in detail in this podcast. The responses were all over the place yesterday, and so are ours. A bit different for Tudor, with some proper new releases in silver and gold. And its new Black Bay Chronograph, of course. We have these watches in the Fratello offices for a closer look and will be publishing a hands-on review soon. Last but not least, we talk about the Patek Philippe Nautilus 5711 in steel, with a green dial. Will this really be the last Nautilus in steel, or will they keep it [...]

Today, Patek Philippe has announced the new Patek Philippe Ref. 6301P Grand Sonnerie. In a beautiful video presentation, because of Covid-19, Patek Philippe presented this beautiful platinum 6301. It was an incredibly well done digital presentation, with a few words from Thierry Stern and a product presentation by their Head of Watch of Development, Philip Barat.The Patek Philippe Ref. 6301P is a new Grand Sonnerie, with a minute repeater and a jumping seconds complication. On the black enamel dial, you will also find two power reserve indicators one for the movement (72 hours) and one for the sonnerie (24 hours).Patek Philippe Ref. 6301PWhat weve been shown is a stunning 44.8mm platinum wat [...]

This week in Pre-Owned Picks, I am selecting watches from Patek Philippe in steel cases that could be yours for under 9,000. Yes, a four-digit steel Patek is a steal. But you will not find an Aquanaut or Nautilus at that price. Sorry But that's not to say the choice is restricted to quartz pieces for ladies. You may find something quite fascinating in the line-up.For a brand as prestigious as Patek Philippe, the common case material is gold. Patek elects to use the more alluring precious metals to complement the elegant case designs and delicate movements. Casting a case in stainless steel is almost an affront to the Swiss forefathers. As such, the steel Patek has become a rarified oddity re [...]

In this Sunday morning column, two of our writers go head-to-head in an epic showdown for the ages. Strong opinions and hysterical hyperbole are welcome (so feel free to join in with the fun in the comments section below). And don't forget to let us know which watches you'd like to see torn to shreds/effusively exalted next week. We'll try and feature as many of our readers' choices as we can. You asked for it. We (finally) delivered. Perhaps the most hyped punch-up since the Rumble in the Jungle. This week the two RJs go head-to-head. Their champions? The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak and the Patek Philippe Nautilus.In our efforts to bring something new to the party every week, we cant help but [...]

Uncertainty seems to be the only certainty at present. Its an odd time indeed and for some theres little comfort to be found. Lets do our best to focus on the watches we enjoy today and will continue to enjoy after life returns to a relative state of normalcy.It was February 14th Valentines Day for the single and forgetful that I flew to Orlando with my family for a weeklong vacation. We saw the mouse, made a light saber, took a Disney cruise, and I picked up a couple watches including the fantastic Oak Oscar Olmsted. It was a great vacation, but it was already a little strange. The USA had cut off travelers from China and the large groups from the massive country were notably absent in thi [...]

Jean-Claude Biver is a living legend and has been a purveyor of high-end watches since he was 18. His passion for watches stems from his childhood joy of steam machines and mechanical objects. In bustling West London, PHILLIPS PERPETUAL hosted a collection of Jean-Claude Bivers treasured collection of watches. During the evening, Biver divulged his story on his rise to the Head of the LVMH Watch Division.Spear-heading the marketing for the Royal Oak soon after its launch, Jean-Claude left Audemars Piguet for Omega. Appreciating the art of watch-making from AP and understanding the business at Omega gave him the great impetus to purchase the fledgling Blancpain brand. In a short time, he turn [...]

The NBA has a new champion since Thursday night; the Toronto Raptors.?We do not talk about sport here at Fratello. We have our occasional articles from various car racing events or golf, for example.Perhaps a sportsman gets onto a list when we talk about famous watch wearers. Pretty much that's about it. However, we love sports, and I, for one, am a huge basketball fan. As such, I was following this year's NBA finals with great enthusiasm to see if the NBA finals-rookie and underdog Toronto Raptors (a city I will be visiting in August) would be able to defeat the All-Star-studded Golden State Warriors or get schooled by the last two years' NBA champion. Well, the Raptors did it. A franchise [...]

This years Baselworld was different in many ways but has been particularly memorable for me. It was definitely a Baselworld edition with a strong focus on the independent watchmakers.Not only at Les Ateliers (part of the Baselworld venue), but also the brands exhibiting at the Hyperion Hotel a looming tower of interest is overflowing with all types and levels of independents.?The mad dash to visit every brand that piqued our interest in the run-up to the fair is akin to a high-octane episode of X Games.So which models really stood out this year? Which brands smashed it out of the park? Let's take a look at our Top 5 and why they made it on to the list:Patek Philippe Reference 5168GSimple [...]

When Patek Philippe introduced the 5524(G) during Baselworld 2015 it was the talk of the show. Yes, its old news in 2018 but it's something we could not neglect mentioning when talking about the new 5524R-001. The famous Geneva manufacture had a number of amazing years: Patek Philippe celebrated their 175th anniversary in 2014 with a very (and I mean very) strong lineup. 5270G or 5951P come to mind when I think of that year. One would think, as it normally is in any industry, that after such a strong year the next one would be a decline but not at Patek Philippe. While the 2015 line-up was not as strong as the previous years it did introduce us the 5524. The biggest issue many had with that [...]

I got the opportunity to stop by Antiquorum Geneva and check out the watches in their upcoming November sale.? I am luckily based in Geneva and enjoy walking over to see in advance what is coming up for sale. Antiquorum typically has large catalogs and in May of this year, they had over 620 lots to look through, which means it takes a while.To take a look at the Antiquorum Geneva online catalog, you can click directly here.November 2018 Geneva AuctionsThis Antiquorum watch auction, which takes place on Sunday, November 11th in Geneva, is comprised of 571 lots (less than the previous sale). There is a wide variety as always and some gems hidden in the thick catalog.NautilusI decided to take a [...]

A Patek Philippe watch isnt your typical sports watch, even though they want to make you think otherwise with their Aquanaut and Nautilus watches. The new Aquanaut Chronograph does not change anything about this, but surely is an interesting and welcome addition to the Aquanaut collection. The Aquanaut is a beautiful and refined high-end watch, simulating to be a rugged sports watch based on its appearance: an all steel case and bracelet, or rubber strap. You could say the Patek Philippe Aquanaut Chronograph is what a Bentley Bentayga is to SUVs (except for being not ugly). You will rarely come across one in the mountains or desert, as youll more likely to see a Toyota Landcruiser, G-Wagon o [...]

The Christie's Geneva watch department has maintained a great reputation and stayed coherent while adapting quickly to market demand. We see almost no modern watches left in their recent catalogs and the quality of vintage watches being offered is excellent.Christies GenevaThis auction house has a rich history and continues to overshadow its British competitor Sotheby's in the watch category. I say British' because they were both founded in London, but, yes, ownership has changed since.The watch department remains a small portion of this auction giant's business, with art being a much larger earner of course. Just to put things in perspective: let us estimate that, in a year, Christie's sell [...]

Our special contributor Sacha Davidoff is reporting from Geneva on the upcoming auctions in May. He will highlight the watches from several auctions that caught his attention. Without further ado, lets have a look.Geneva May 2017 AuctionsPHILLIPS in association with BACS RUSSOBack for their fifth Geneva watch auction, Aurel Bacs Livia Russo in association with Phillips auction house continue to dazzle the auction scene with their drool-inducing May catalog. This team continues to raise the stakes and is relentless in their hold of the top position among the watch auction houses. They have also announced they will host a thematic Heuer auction in November this year curated by Richard Crosth [...]

World Travellers WatchesSome call it the best time ever, others hate it. Travelling around the world comes?in many flavours, be it for work, leisure or perhaps even both. If you are a regular world traveller, you might want to have a world traveller's watch to accompany you on these trips. They help you to show you in a glance the time where you are currently located as well as your home time. Very convenient to keep in touch with your family and friends at home, or with your colleagues, of course.I selected three different world traveller's watches from three different manufactures: De Bethune DB25 World Traveller, Glashutte Original Senator Cosmopolite, and the Patek Philippe 5930G Wor [...]

Sacha Davidoff Reports On The November 2016 Watch AuctionsBack for their fourth Geneva watch auction, Aurel Bacs Livia Russo in association with Phillips auction house continue to set the bar high. Whenever their watch auctions take place, the entire watch community is buzzing and especially paying very close attention to results. Their Geneva auction is set to be a record setting' auction again and we are looking forward to being there. ?They also have a thematic Rolex sale upcoming in Hong Kong with 38 stunning examples of each milestone' reference in the history of the brand. We will sadly not be able to attend, but with the passion that HK collectors have for vintage Rolex, we can imagi [...]