Watches Blog Wrist Watch Reviews

This is a Rolex you wont see every day: the Submariner Big Crown Four Liner 6538. Four Liner refers to the four lines of text on the dial that not only indicates the model name (Submariner), depth rate (200 meters / 660 feet) but also that it is an Officially Certified Chronometer.Submariner Big CrownAlthough it is definitely related to todays Rolex Submariner, this reference 6538 chronometer model is something else With a diameter of just 37.5mm, it looks very distinguished and the big crown (8mm diameter) gives you immediately the feeling of having a proper vintage tool watch on the wrist.A 1957 Reference 6538In the early days of the Submariner (introduced in Basel in 1954), things were a [...]

Does the use of the color green make for a natural and competitive battle between the Rolex Submariner Hulk and the newly released Seiko SLA019 or is there simply too much that separates these deep water tool watches to make the comparison interesting? Well, since you're here and because the two watches are pictured side by side, you know that we're going to take a look. In fact, we'll spend more than a cursory amount of time with each of these divers because, more than proclaiming one the victor, it's a nice opportunity to look closely at a couple models that are amongst the most popular within each brand's lineup.Hailing from Geneva, Switzerland, the Rolex Submariner Hulk 116610LV is a wat [...]

The long-awaited stainless steel Rolex GMT-Master II with Pepsi configuration was introduced exactly at the same time as Tudor's Black Bay GMT?with a?Pepsi bezel. Since Tudor belongs to Rolex, this wasn't a matter of coincidence.GMT PepsiThere was never a sporty GMT model in Tudor's heritage, as far as I remember (or can find). I know about their vintage Submariner models, but I never saw an equivalent for Rolex' GMT-Master in their collection. As far as Rolex goes, the GMT-Master has been part of their history since 1954 when their reference 6542 was introduced. When Rolex cancelled their aluminium bezel models around 2007, that also meant the end of the much-praised Pepsi and Coke bezels. [...]

As a matter of fact, a few people asked us the same question within the last week. Almost the same, as some questions were for a specific model, but all related to the availability or lack of Rolex sports watches.You Asked Us: Why are there no stainless steel Rolex watches available?One of the emails comes from Stefan, a Dutch watch enthusiast who set his eyes on a stainless steel Rolex Submariner. Below his translated email to us.Hi Team,I want to purchase a steel Rolex Submariner via my local authorized dealer, but when I asked the sales person just grinned and told me these are so high in demand that there is no stock. And no waiting list. I see? more than 300 of them being offered on C [...]

Ah summertime, it's finally officially here despite the fact that it's been seriously hot throughout most of northern Europe for the last couple of months. With Summer comes vacations and that means that most of us will make our way towards the beach or at least a refreshing pool. And what watch to wear? The natural response is a dive watch, that casual genre of timepiece that can handle the water just as easily as the condensation dripping from the glass of a poolside cocktail. But let's say you're a real vintage nut and the thought of wearing the same newer (read: watertight) diver for 1,2 or 3 weeks in a row sounds mundane, then we have some suggestions. In today's article, we'll head bac [...]

Were honoured to receive a constant flow of emails from our readers. Most of them asking for advice on watch related issues. In this new weekly recurring topic, You Asked Us well answer one of these emails in public.This Weeks Question, Rolex or TudorThis week one of the questions we received came from reader T. from The Netherlands. He asked us Rolex or Tudor?, and heres his (translated) question:For me, Fratello Watches is a useful website, containing independent information which is nicely presented. In terms of web experience its a nice site from which, with pleasure, I took a lot of different information. Now heres my question:I still regret that, back in 1983, I didnt straight away buy [...]

Damn you Rolex. Ok, more specifically, damn you vintage Rolex. I don't want to like you, I really don't, because so many others are in love with you and have made you dangerous to buy and a prohibitively expensive process along the way. Plus, you go and change one silly detail here or there like a font often likely without a ton of consideration on how the market will react (in this case would have reacted) and people go nuts. I mean seriously nuts. Today's TBT looks at a watch with a small little detail that collectors love and it's a watch that I kind of accidentally backed into about five years ago. Let's talk about the well-known ref.1680 Rolex Red Submariner. Actually, and I'll not [...]

Rolex has been listening to some of the customers feedback on their Deepsea Sea-Dweller it seems. We were presented the new and improved version of the Rolex Deepsea Sea-Dweller reference 126660.Before I continue, I have to say that I find it very interesting that Rolex is enhancing some of their models. In the past, besides some transitional models, their watches would be in the catalog forever, or at least for many years in a row. That seem to have changed. The regular Rolex Sea-Dweller 4000 received an update rather quickly (after the previous model was taken out of the collection a while before), the Explorer 39mm received an update regarding the hands and the Day-Date II was introduced, [...]

There are often stories about watches that make us frown upon a bit. Is it a real story? Is there any provenance to back this up? A watch that has been handed down or has been sold 10 times already in its life time, often raises these kind of questions. Not with the Rolex 6238 we have on Fratello today. We love first owner stories for sure, even when it means the watch has been serviced (as it should) and might contain some original replacement parts. A watch that has not fallen into the hands of dealers or auction houses, where some parts might have been curated to make it an attractive looking watch. None of that in the case of this honest 1968 Rolex 6238 that belongs to one of our reade [...]

On Thursday March 8th, Dutch auction house De Ruiter will offer an interesting Rolex GMT-Master reference 1675, once belonged to Sgt. D.W. Scheele.David Willem Scheele was a Dutch-born, Australian sergeant who served several missions in the Vietnam war. Sergeant Scheele enlisted in the Australian Regular Army in 1964. He joined the Australian Army Training Team in Vietnam in March 1969 and was attached to the 2nd Mobile Strike Force, 5th Special Forces Group.Sgt D.W. Scheeles Rolex GMT-MasterSgt D.W. Scheeles GMT-Master [...]

Last Saturday during the Chrono24 GTG in Karlsruhe (youll find our event report here) my attention was drawn to a Rolex GMT-Master in steel and gold. One way or the other, Robert-Jan and myself spoke about this watch on our way to the GTG (a 5-hour drive). And you know what happens next. Youll mention that some attendants to the GTG actually have this watch with them.Rolex GMT-Master 16753In the early seventies, the steel and gold 16753 version was an addition to the stainless-steel and full-gold models of the Rolex GMT-Master. The steel and gold version became available with a black dial and rotating GMT-bezel, as well with a brown dial and gold-brown colored bezel. Its the latter this 52Mo [...]

Social media isnt always fun. Jasper Lijfering of Amsterdam Vintage Watches learned that the hard way. While being away (and posted about this on social media), his house was robbed. As you might know, Jasper Lijfering uses social media excessively to show his passion for watches and promote his shop in vintage watches. His live-sessions on Instagram and his videos on YouTube are definitely entertaining and educative.However, by showing the world that hes not around, it also brought the risk of getting the attention of the scumbags of this world with less good intentions. During his absence and besides other valuable things they took his Rolex Datejust reference 6305. Keep your eyes open f [...]

A Merry Christmas to all our readers who are celebrating This year, we return to where I essentially started with Fratello Watches and that's with a look at a Rolex. It was three years ago that I wrote about the Submariner 14060M and it's time for a repeat engagement ? with a twist. Yes, this is an examination of a diving Rolex, but of the deepest of them all: the Sea-Dweller. Kick up your feet, pour a glass and relax, it's time for a Holiday installment of TBT with the vintage Rolex Sea-Dweller 1665.My mind works in mysterious ways. It mines an extensive backlog of trivial information, often making tangential (read: loose at best) connections between what are essentially disparate subjects [...]

Last week, while over in the USA, I picked up a copy of Matt Hranek's A Man and His Watch, a wonderful ode to the wristwatch and its hold on the wearer. It was an appropriate acquisition because, while there, I found myself asking my father to pull out one of my favorite watches that he owns and defined a certain era of his life (or at least his activities), a Rolex 1680 Submariner. And while my Dad didn't write any prose or wax on about the watch's importance to him, this diver affected me when I was younger. Yes, today's TBT will take a look at this well known Sub, but it also provides the opportunity to do a little story telling while using some of my Dad's L'Eroica-era bicycles, his tru [...]

New Coke, the Porsche 996, and Star Wars: The Phantom Menace all things that, upon introduction, were meant to be better than their predecessors. On paper, they probably were or perhaps they tested well amongst some group of people thought to encompass the product's target market. But we know what people ultimately thought. On the other hand, there are countless examples where a follow-up product or idea marks a vast improvement over the prior generation and the marketplace responds positively. Just consider about every piece of electronic or connected technology you own and how the bulk of these items have brought marked improvement, usability, and dependability with each new rendition. Wi [...]

This week my wife you know she who wears an Omega Seamaster Professional 300 Chronometer Midsize resides half way on the other side of the globe. What else could I wear than a watch indicating the time simultaniously in two time zones? In my case this will be a Rolex GMT-Master II.My favorite Rolex GMT-Master II, the version with Pepsi bezelRolex GMT-Master II 16710For me, a true GMT-Master has a Pepsi bezel. Black is for Submariners and black and dark red (Coke) is just because Rolex needed something else. I know, I know, the latter was introduced with the introduction of the GMT-Master II while the Pepsi bezel originally was for the GMT-Master (I). Still I prefer Pepsi, most probably as [...]

Rolex is one of the major partners in Formula 1 since 2013. Besides Pirelli and DHL, you see ROLEX mentioned about everywhere along the track. Rolex is the Global Partner and Official Timepiece of Formula 1.Last weekend, the Grand Prix of Belgium was raced on the Spa-Francorchamps circuit. I had the privilege to visit the Formula 1 training day on Friday as a guest of Rolex. A privilege, as I never visited a Formula 1 event before, and since Dutchman Max Verstappen started racing in this king class of racing, I am an avid follower of Formula 1.The guests of Rolex were welcomed in the Paddock Club. Inside, Rolex had an impressive exhibition of their Daytona watch. The chronograph (since 1963) [...]

It's been more than a quarter since I've given an update on the vintage watch market. Why is that? Well, the article would likely have come off as more of the same prices are up and the market is tight. And today? It's no different, so I'll focus the article, instead, on the trends I've witnessed along with some commentary on condition.Your Hobby is Becoming MainstreamThe vintage watch market continues to evolve and what I've noticed is that it has become far more mainstream. What was once a true enthusiast/hobbyist market has now pivoted and attracts a far wider range of customers. Speculators, those concerned about general style, and trend followers now, more often than not, exhibit more [...]

And now I'm in trouble. The angel consistently perched atop my right shoulder with a consistent message: don't buy a yellow gold Rolex. They're too expensive, they're too loud, and after all, it's yellow gold for goodness sake, shouted the haloed figure. On the sinister shoulder, the fellow with the pointy tail appeared with that lustful voice cooing, you truly want a gold Rolex: they're the horological version of forbidden fruit, the 24oz Porterhouse that calls your name when the 8oz filet will do just fine, or the V12-powered (pick your German marque) sedan that drives a sledgehammer through the word overkill. Well, since today's article extends beyond this very sentence, you don't have to [...]

During the summer period I find myself wearing watches with white or light dials more often than in other seasons. Some time ago I bought a 1998 Rolex Explorer II with a white tritium dial. It was in adequately used condition, so I decided to have it serviced at Rolex in Geneva first. Got it back in far better condition than I hoped for, and subsequently never took it out of the protective plastic to wear it.Rolex Explorer II Reference 16570The 1998 Rolex Explorer-II with white tritium dial, reference 16570Important For Cave ExplorersSome history. The first Rolex Explorer II saw the light only in 1971 (heres our in-depth review of one). It was an enhancement to the regular Explorer which was [...]