Watches Blog Wrist Watch Reviews

I know, Rolex is seriously hyped up these days. That doesn't change the fact that the brand makes superb watches. For those with an adventurous imagination and a love for avant-garde design, the glacial visual progression of The Crowns models might make you yawn. But have another look and consider the sweet 60s or the vintage limbo of the 80s and 90s. If you can live with a well-loved appearance, slightly scruffy hands, and faded dials, you will find a good Rolex for under $5,000. My opening search got nearly 280 hits, so the choices are out there. Me? Well, I bought a manual-wind 6694 once, and the mainspring snapped after a day. It was still worth it for $2000, but those days are gone.The [...]

All I can say is I'm deeply envious of older collectors like RJ who had the chance to wear and enjoy these iconic designs, wrote one of our readers below an article about the Royal Oak Jumbo. With many enthusiasts unable to fulfill their watch dreams these days, Im afraid this readers sentiment is all too common.Sitting across from me is Ignacio, our Managing Editor. And then we have editors like Jorg and Daan, who also stepped into the watch game not too long ago. As you can read in this article, one of Ignacio's absolute dream watches is the Rolex Explorer II Polar. But with the current market value of Rolex watches, it might stay a dream. For Jorg, its an even tougher pill to swallow. Ive [...]

Today, we're back with a look at yet another Rolex and this time its the Datejust 1600. So soon, you say? In some ways, think of this article as a prequel to my recent ode to an incredibly simple Datejust 16200. The two watches are similar for certain, but they're also very different. Sit back because it's time for another love letter to a wonderful watch.Oh, Datejust, you wily little daily driver with your countless variants. You are a nonstop adventure that ranges from the sublime to the subdued. As an individual watch, you offer so few clues as to how you started life. What dial shipped with you decades ago when you were first purchased? Have you been polished or have years of shirtsleeve [...]

Welcome to Strap Check, a column here on Fratello where our editors showcase their favorite watch/strap combinations. We all know the feeling. When you've been wearing a watch for weeks on the same strap, there comes a time when the excitement starts to fade a little bit. Maybe that's the time when you start looking. But looking for what? A brand new watch? Sometimes the answer lies not in the watch, but the strap on which you wear it From the classic to the unique. From cheap NATOs to bespoke leather and special bracelets. This is where we get excited about perfect combinations that make you feel like you've got a brand new watch on your wrist. So tune in every week for a new combination. A [...]

Rightly or wrongly, when most people think of Rolex, they think of showy watches. I'd argue that a lot of the brands models are subdued, and perhaps the reputation comes more from the wearers than from the watches themselves. It is what it is, though. So, what happens when one stumbles upon a truly under-the-radar Rolex? Well, I happened to do just that with an atypical version of the Datejust 16200, and I think it's phenomenal.The Rolex Datejust is one of the most recognizable watches in the world. We've covered them extensively over the past year and, personally, I've been on a real DJ kick lately. I've always liked them, but they were so commonplace that I often overlooked what I typicall [...]

One of the well-intentioned tips I received as a beginner watch collector was that quartz watches do not have a soul. A brand like Blancpain actively advertising that it never made a quartz watch and never will do so fueled the sentiment that quartz watches were not interesting for the real watch collector.When I looked at a Rolex Oysterquartz for the first time, it left me a bit puzzled. The shape was right up my alley, but I couldn't grasp why Rolex decided to use a quartz movement inside such an expensive watch. Though there wasn't much on the internet in those days, after some research, I found some images of the movement used in the Oysterquartz Day-Date, Rolex caliber 5055. The quartz [...]

In 2014, I wrote a guest piece about my three-year-old Submariner 14060M. I threw it all out there and did my best to explain why I was so attracted to this watch. I even brought in references from my childhood in South Florida. Now, seven years later, and nearly ten years after this diver was canceled, the love affair continues.Despite the odd world we currently live in, 2021 has been a symbolic year for me. It marks ten years since I left the United States for Germany. That same year, I also met my wife, and life has been an amazing adventure since. Even back then, Id say that I understood the gravity of those events and I decided to mark it right then and there with the purchase of my Sub [...]

To start, let me make one thing perfectly clear: the Rolex Tiffany Oyster Perpetual doesn't exist. When something is turquoise blue, it's not automatically Tiffany Blue. In Rolex's current lineup you will find three references with that soft shimmering color that reminds me of a tropical sea, not a New York jeweler. The first reference is the Oyster Perpetual 31 and the models that follow measure 36, and 41mm. But good luck buying any of them, because Tiffany Blue is the watch color of 2021. Dealers don't have em, and on the secondary market, prices are soaring. The watch world has lost its marbles. Once again.The hype is real. Since Patek Philippe dropped the Nautilus 5711 signed Tiffany C [...]

The Rolex Oysterquartz is a fascinating watch. Not only does it smash the myth that Rolex watches dont tick but it also hearkens back to a time when Rolex really pushed the envelope. I know we have a few readers who really love the model, including one who recently picked up a fantastic birthyear example (Warky, this ones for you!). This past week, I tried an Oysterquartz on my wrist for the first time. That got me thinking long and hard about the potential in its design.Especially in the current climate of integrated-bracelet hype, the Rolex Oysterquartz could be the alternative we didnt realize we needed. And, at least as of December 2021, its one discontinued Rolex model that still repres [...]

There's no horological fun left with Rolex since it has become impossible to buy one at an authorized dealer. The new clientele doesn't care about the Parachrom hairspring, the Cerachrom bezel, or the historical importance of the Oyster case. The majority of current Rolex buyers follow a hype that causes prices to surge to unreasonable heights on the secondary market. On watch forums, it's all about the money when Rolex is involved. But it wasn't always like that. What if I tell you it is possible to buy Rolex technology and heritage for a fraction of the price, and without a waiting list because I'm talking about Tudor? Same company, different brands. But is todays Tudor yesterdays Rolex?Th [...]

We've elaborated on the lack of availability of Rolex watches more than once. And just last week, we had an article by Lex about the dangers of flaunting your precious Rolex. But what if you are destined to buy a Rolex anyway?I think Rolex is one of the brands that brings a lot of people into this interesting world of watches. But what to do once confronted by the fact that the watches are difficult to obtain, at least at retail price? This has been the case for a long time with certain steel sports models, or when a new sports model was introduced. Now, however, it seems to be an issue with no end in sight.Image by PhillipsBuying a gold RolexLet's say you want to buy a steel Daytona 116500L [...]

We like to talk about vintage watches a lot within the Fratello team. Though most of what we write about is largely focused on the most recent releases and developments, for many of us, a lot of the fun can be found in the sometimes weird and often wonderful world of vintage watches. Its a world full of history, remarkable watches, incredible stories, and quirky details. It inspired us to come up with a series of articles focusing on the best watches per decade from a select group of brands. Some of them are priceless, some of them still affordable. In this installment, we will take a look at the best Rolex watches from the 2000s.By the turn of the millennium, Switzerland had proudly reclaim [...]

When it comes to nearly any vintage Rolex bracelet, you will hardly find a bigger professional to take care of yours. My mind is still processing the fact that there is a man out there who has had more than 50,000 bracelets pass through his hands. ?I first got in touch with Michael Young maybe four years ago. I was thinking about what to do with a spare Breitling bracelet that came with my Chrono-Matic ref. 2110. It was so heavily worn and so loose that I could push it up to my thigh.Breitling bracelet foreplayFinding a Breitling watch fitted with an original bracelet is not very common, so I could not just throw it out. Especially when Breitling aficionado Fred Mandelbaum confirmed that thi [...]

Every now and then we get a message from someone who lets us know that they're selling a watch. But it's certainly not every day that the watch going up for sale is an original-owner Rolex Cosmograph Daytona 6265 from 1972, especially restored by Rolex. Yeah, you heard that right. This is a true heavy-hitter. Seeing this one in the metal was a highlight of my time at Fratello so far. Earlier this week, Kenny Vaes from Relleb paid us a visit here at Fratello HQ, and showed us the watch. We sat and had a chat about the watch's story, how he came to own it, the work Rolex did on it, and when and where it will be put up for sale. If you're in the market for a very special watch, or just want to [...]

Back in 2018, I wrote an article about why stainless steel Rolex watches are so hard to come by, in reaction to a readers question. Since then things have gotten worse. If anything the steel sports models from Rolex have become ever harder to come by. How come? In this article, I dive into the problem that many watch enthusiasts face, but also the problems that the Rolex brand faces.We didnt know the answer back in 2018 (you can read that article here) and made some assumptions (leading to a few heated discussions below the article) on fighting the grey market, etc. According to readers, it was about limiting supply to make them hold value (not sure exactly what Rolex stands to gain from thi [...]

Easily busted, next, please The statement that there are no complicated watches in the modern Rolex catalog, is evidently wrong. Sorry about my bluntness, I will obviously delve deeper into the matter, including the mere perception of what constitutes a complicated watch. We all have different standards, and while for some this means a sapphire-cased, Rattrapante Perpetual Calendar, Wikipedia puts it quite succinctly in their definition:?In horology, a complication is any feature of a mechanical timepiece beyond the display of hours, minutes, and seconds. A timepiece indicating only hours, minutes, and seconds is known as a simple movement. Common complications include the date or day-of-the [...]

Wrist Game or Crying Shame is back after a lengthy hiatus with the Rolex Submariner 16613 Silver Serti. Yes, another Rolex, but it was time to review one of these dials. Before we doWhen we last met, I gave you plenty of James Bond references when I brought out the Seiko 7549-7009 Golden Tuna. I love that watch, but the real reason I wrote the article was to pick on, On Her Majestys Secrezzzzzzzz. Oh, sorry, Im up now and so were you because you gave the Seiko a 66% blessing. Well done Now, todays Rolex Submariner 16613 Silver Serti promises to bring real pandemonium in our comments section. Will it garner supporting votes? Has it reached a level of kitsch that has become cool? Lets seeThe R [...]

Rolex case backs invoke both recognition and frustration. Why? They are austere and blank. Or perhaps theyre gloriously-finished masterpieces? Well, maybe not, but I sincerely feel that for the price they are too plain. I do enjoy cool minimalist tool watches and lately, and have had a love affair with a Seiko SLA023. But even its tool-tastic monobloc case has an engraving. Isn't that half the charm of turning a watch around after becoming lost in the dial? Me, I am a dyed-in-the-wool dial addict, but the back is equally exciting. Whether its a wide sapphire crystal offering a lesson in micro-mechanics or even just a stamped-logo steel lid. But come on, even microbrands can have deep-engrave [...]

Yes, I confess, I believed that the Rolex Oyster was The Origin of many a wrist-worn invention and that the automatic watch was invented by Rolex. Surely the first rotor that spun under a case back had a crown on it? Well, this is all about busting myths, so you already know what's coming, Sonny Rolex didnt invent it, but perhaps the hypnotic spin of winding rotors would merely be a side note in history without Wilsdorfs crown. You might question my sanity when I compare the history of automatic movements to the history of the electric car, but be patient as there is a good reason for it.What is true is that Rolex deserves plenty of credit for refining the now well-known self-winding wonder [...]

Theres nothing quite like getting a new watch, correct? Visiting a boutique, having a glass of champagne, and enjoying some white-glove service is a real perk. For some of us, though, buying an older watch is just as exciting. These days, buying a new Rolex borders on the nearly impossible. If the gray market isnt your thing, that leaves vintage Rolex as an option. It sounds funny because vintage was always more expensive. Those tables have turned, though, but is a vintage Rolex a good substitute for a new model? Lets discussBefore my fun experience with Swiss customs, Id routinely travel with a few watches on longer trips. I liked switching things up and tried to bring pieces to match the a [...]