Watches Blog Wrist Watch Reviews

Vintage RolexVintage Rolex is no hype, it is here to stay. It does come with waves though and so do the prices of some of the models. Today, a double red Sea-Dweller is less expensive than it was a couple of years ago, but in general, you could say that almost all of the vintage Rolex sports models are a solid investment. I have never lost money on a (vintage) Rolex. I bought my first Rolex GMT-Master 1675 for 1800 Euro in 2003 and made a nice profit not long after (as part of a trade for a more expensive piece). However, when I wanted one back again, I needed to cough up around 4500 Euro in 2013 for a similar reference 1675. Now, in 2016, you have at least to bring 6 or 7K Euro for a nice 1 [...]

The new 41mm Submariner Date replaces all previous 40mm models. I was very excited to get my hands on the new Rolex Submariner in gold, only available for the Date version. Is this new Submariner Date in 41mm nicer than the previous 40mm collection? Lets have a closer look at the famous diver in precious metal.Interestingly, only the Rolex Submariner Date is available in 18kt gold. This has been the case forever, all no date models up to now only have been available in steel. Not only that, the no-date Sub is only available with a black dial. The Sub Date, however, is there in a number of dial, bezel, and material combinations. Today, I will have a look at the Submariner Date reference 12661 [...]

Wrist Game or Crying Shame returns with a look at the dearly departed Rolex Submariner Hulk 116610LV. We think youll enjoy this one. But firstThere was no Wrist Game last week because we were off galavanting in Geneva for the citys first ever Watch Days event. Sorry about that, but I was too busy stuffing my pie hole with melted cheese in the form of, um, melted cheese. But the week prior, I gave you the Sinn EZM 12 Rescue Watch. It turns out that this handy watch needs no saving because it saved the day with a 74% Wrist Game win. I hereby predict that todays Rolex Submariner Hulk 116610LV will (or should) land with 0 Wrist Game votes. Then again, some doofus didnt vote for Derek Jeter to be [...]

When Rolex introduced the Submariner LV in 2003, it raised many eyebrows. The Rolex Submariner is one of the most iconic watches in the world. Meaning dont touch it and yet Rolex did.The Rolex Submariner is one of the divers with the longest uninterrupted production up to today. This watch speaks to ones imagination and it developed itself from being a professional tool watch to a luxury item. In 2003, the Rolex Submariner celebrated its 50th anniversary.That was reason enough for Rolex to do something completely wild. And so, the idea of giving it a green bezel emerged. This Rolex Submariner 16610 received an LV indication, 16610LV, where LV stands for lunette verte. Rolex created larger ho [...]

You might have already seen the in-depth article on my Day-Date 18238 (if not, you can find it here), but we also decided to highlight this beautiful gold Rolex President in a video. The Day-Date is one of the most recognizable watches in the world, and perhaps a bit of a safe, and therefore the boring choice for a watch. But, buying a nice Rolex Day-Date is not as easy as you expect, there are several things you need to consider when youre on the hunt for one.Ive been eying a Rolex Day-Date for a long time, but only in recent times (meaning recent years) did I feel I was ready for one. As I joked in the video, I needed to have a few grey hairs first, to make it feel right. But just recently [...]

At the end of 2021, I was faced with a challenge. That challenge which a number of our editors also took? was to write an article about my grail watch. Call me a pessimist, or a realist, but I would never call a watch my grail if I didn't think it was something that I could genuinely get my hands on someday. To me, there's a certain level of obtainability implied by the term grail. After all, Indy did get his hands on the grail at the end of The Last Crusade I would refer to anything more than that as a dream watch, something which I can admire and appreciate, without feeling like I need to own it someday. This is why I picked the Rolex Explorer II 16570 as my grail watch.But little did I k [...]

The first Rolex Yacht-Master debuted in 1992. It was a yellow gold watch with a full gold bracelet and a bi-directional bezel with raised numerals. I cant imagine that Rolex intended that watch to be a serious companion for those who were sailing. Rather, it was a watch to show off that you probably owned a boat, even when you werent actually on the boat itself.It wasnt until 1999, in fact, that Rolex released the Yacht-Master in Rolesium a combination of steel and a platinum bezel and dial. That watch, reference 16622, was one of the Rolex models other than the Daytona that had a long waitlist at first. Soon after, it became the model that was always available, more or less.Rolex Yacht-Mast [...]

The Tudor Black Bay Pro was the big one for Tudor at Watches And Wonders 2022. The watch was met with a lot of praise, but its design also sparked a lively discussion. Did Tudor make the right move by copying the design of the legendary Rolex Explorer II ref. 1655? Or is it a different watch influenced by the original Explorer II? The same questions can be asked looking at the second big Tudor introduction. The new Tudor Black Bay GMT SG Root Beer was inspired by the iconic Rolex GMT-Master Root Beer models. The original models represent the style of the 70s and 80s perfectly. Did Tudor successfully salute that aesthetic, or should the brand have left it alone? Lets find out.For Tudor, 2022 [...]

I wasnt going to do this. My ego tells me Nacho asked me to write my entry in this series some time ago and that I politely declined due to general busyness. However, as time passed, I became more and more jealous of my colleagues having fun with this devilish exercise. So I slunk back to our Managing Editor, tail between my legs, and asked even more politely if I could also get in on the action. Three-piece watch collection for 10,000, here I come.Ive currently got COVID. I picked it up on one of my frequent travels for Fratello. Despite being sick with the plague, I havent taken a day off work yet. In fact, because I could do little else, I worked through the weekend. Mostly, I was grindin [...]

Were back again for another Sunday Morning Showdown Last week was not a fluke, and we have another Watches And Wonders 2022 brawl today. Two writers once again face off in an opinionated showdown. Were focusing our love/hatred on a single Rolex novelty this time. And, yes, I mean novelty in the way the trade shows use it (something new), but also in the amusing sense of the word. The Rolex Air-King sure garners both an amusing and bemusing response, but one that is ripe for scrutiny, which weve seen before, as this is not the first time the Air-King has found itself in the Showdown arena. Today your votes determine whether the revisions push the Air-King further into the rate it camp or swin [...]

The first time I ever laid my eyes on a Rolex Day-Date was when I was a student. I thought it was quite an impressive watch, and ever since then, I somewhat played with the idea of getting one when the time was right. And just the other week, the time was finally right, and I bought myself a Day-Date 18238.The Rolex Day-Date debuted in 1956, and to this day, not much about the watch has changed. That's the power of such an icon, but perhaps it's also the reason why it is such an iconic watch after all. This watch does not need much introduction. You probably know or have seen it many times. The Rolex Day-Date is only available in yellow gold, rose gold, white gold, and platinum, except for ( [...]

The illustrious psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud (1856 C1939) once wrote that icons are symbolic condensations. He stated that condensation Verdichtung in German occurs when a single idea (an image, memory, or thought) or dream object stands for several associations and ideas. Could that also apply to physical objects? You could state that the GMT-Master II is an icon. An icon of watchmaking that visualizes luxury, wealth, status, and so on. The world's most famous travel watch creates iconic consciousness because it creates social value. That's a big achievement for such a small object. But what happens when something so recognizable, so important, and so meaningful is changed dramatically? It l [...]

As watch journalists, we do our fair share of writing about watches. In fact, it's almost all we do. And though some would say that watch journalism is dead, here at Fratello, we feel that its alive and well. And that's largely due to you, the Fratelli. It takes people who are interested in reading our work to keep us going. From quick reviews of new watches to detailed buying guides, or even deep dives into brand histories, we try to cover all the bases here. For us, it's an expression of our interest and passion for watches. We are very lucky to get to express our views and opinions to such a receptive audience. And the ultimate expression of watch enthusiasm would be to use one's acquired [...]

Do you think Tudor is cool? Well, personally Im starting to doubt it. Tudor wanted to make me believe it's a cool brand, and for quite some time, it succeeded. But now, with the introduction of the Black Bay Pro, it feels that Tudor finally shows its real face once more. The new GMT watch, which looks so very much like the coveted Rolex Explorer II 1655 Freccione, marks a return to Tudor's old self. Whereas a Black Bay Fifty-Eight in navy blue, for example, gives you the feeling you're looking at an original design, the Black Bay Pro represents a different reality. Yes, though your watch might look like a Rolex, it is, in fact, a Tudor a more affordable version. Is Tudor again offering a s [...]

It's not often that we talk about a platinum watch here on Fratello. One of the last reviews I did on a platinum watch was on the Vacheron Constantin Historiques Americain 1921. That was an impressive and hefty watch. This time, it gets even heavier, as the platinum Day-Date 40 reference 228236 comes on the President bracelet.If you're a Fratello regular, you might know that I have a weak spot for Rolex's flagship. Despite the current situation regarding the availability of watches from this Genevan brand, Rolex remains a brand that speaks to one's imagination. Just as importantly, Rolex is a brand that manufactures incredibly good watches from a quality standpoint.Rolex Day-Date in Platinum [...]

The new Rolex releases dropped a few days ago, and that means that weve had a fair amount of time to digest the news. On March 30th, I penned an article with the basic specifications and some off-the-cuff thoughts. Now, for better or worse, you get to hear my unvarnished opinion on these watches. As always, we invite you to agree or differ in the comments section*Sigh* Another year, another batch of new Rolex releases. The last time I bought a brand-new Rolex at an AD was in 2014. I walked into a certain shop in Frankfurt, casual as all get-out (South Florida to the core here), and was suitably ignored for about five minutes while I pretended to browse the showcases. Finally, a bored salespe [...]

Admittedly, I am a fan of the Rolex Day-Date. I love the 36mm version best, but the Day-Date 40 surely ticks some boxes as well. Especially now that it will be available (or will it?) with a green lacquered dial.Mike already touched upon the new platinum Day-Date (with fluted bezel) in this article. But theres more.Walking by the Rolex booth here at Watches Wonders in Geneva, my attention was drawn to the new GMT-Master II Lefty, the new Yacht-Masters (I thought the Falcon Eye was a faulty watch, to be honest; thats the reason why I didnt take a picture), but especially towards this Rolex Day-Date 40 in yellow gold with the green lacquered dial.Rolex Day-Date 40 ref. 228238The green dial is [...]

The 2022 Rolex Novelties are here For many watch fans, this announcement is one of the most anticipated events of the year. Aside from the reality that none of these watches will be easy to obtain at retail (or from your retailer), its still fun to look and see which prognostications were realized. Hint: none of them!Ill admit that I put very little thought into predicting the 2022 Rolex novelties. Im always wrong, and I definitely would have been this year Still, there are some relatively interesting updates here. I say, relatively, because its foolish to think that Rolex is going to surprise with something wildly outlandish. Slow and steady wins the race with this goliath, but there was on [...]

Once again, I'll try to swing the spotlight onto what I feel is a secret hidden in plain sight. This series is not based on bargain hunting, as your eyebrows might be raised already. It is simply a personal take on the impossibly narrow algorithms of Instagram and Facebook. Rolex is a perfect example of this. While we lament the impossibility of acquiring a Submariner or even a Tiffany-esque-blue 36mm Oyster Perpetual at its retail price, it is our own fault. Rolex has a substantial catalog of non-Submariner goodness, so dig deeper, and you might find a hidden treasure.Perhaps Rolex could ramp up production of the Submariner, but will it ever? I understand the brand just as much as I questio [...]

Gone since 2011, but not forgotten. Not by me, at least. I have said this many times before, so as you might know by now, I once bought a Rolex Explorer II. That was the wrong Rolex for me. I should have bought a two-tone Datejust Turn-O-Graph 116263 with a gray dial on a Super Jubilee bracelet with a concealed clasp instead. That watch would have stayed in my collection. But for one reason or another, I never bought it. Sure, I can find a pre-owned one in good shape, but an updated version with a better movement, bracelet, and clasp would also be kind of nice. Let me introduce you to a watch that was introduced in 1953 and served as the blueprint for the 1954 Submariner. Yes, 2022 might be [...]