Watches Blog Wrist Watch Reviews

Surprise, surprise: we get asked this a lot. Whats the best watch to buy? Such a question cannot help but elicit further questions. Whats your budget? Will it be your only watch? What do you like, for goodness sake? Mostly, however, despite the well-intentioned questioner desiring a solid, definite, concrete answer, supposed experts like my Fratello brothers and me, prefer to side-step the question to place the burden of choice back into the hands of the buyer. Well, for all of you that find that tactic unsatisfactory, I have an answer: the Tudor Black Bay 36 M79500-0007 is the best watch on the market right now. And heres whyHistory, aesthetics, function These things coalesce in a heady coc [...]

We like to talk about vintage watches a lot within the Fratello team. While the daily routine is largely focused on the most recent developments in the world of watches, the most fun for many of us lies in the world of vintage watches. It's 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 priceless, some of them still affordable. In this installment, we will take a look at the best Rolex watches from the 1970s.In the 1960s, we witnessed developments that challenged the status quo of watch design forever. The sheer amount o [...]

Since I live in Geneva, I got the opportunity to stop by Antiquorum and check out some of the watches in the houses upcoming May auction. They tend to have large catalogs so I do recommend looking through this one in advance or you might miss something cool as I have several times in the past.Antiquorum has just finished its Hong Kong sale and, overall, it looked like strong results across the board. I went back over it and was surprised as they sold some things well over what I expected. It is always interesting to see what kind of momentum auction houses carry from one country to another in the same season. I think it will do well, but auctions are always a bit of a gamble. Hence, the fun [...]

Are you tired of walking into empty Rolex ADs, but youd still like to own something worthwhile from the famous brand? Here are ten discontinued Rolex watches that you may wish to consider.Theres so much talk about how difficult it is to buy a new steel sports Rolex. Actually, if my recent trip to South Florida is a guide, its hard to find any Rolex right now. Seriously, the two large ADs I visited were empty save for a few jewel-encrusted gold models. Thankfully, the used market presents a great opportunity to find discontinued Rolex watches in great condition. Furthermore, people have been squirreling away Rolex watches for a long time, often keeping them in great condition.Discontinued Rol [...]

Roll out the red carpet because Wrist Game or Crying Shame is back This week, we take a look at the Rolex Yacht-Master 40 Oysterflex. But firstThank you, thank you very much for the warm welcome back to the stage. Yours truly has been in South Florida for the better part of a month for the sole purpose of finding a couple timely needle jabs. On that front, this trip is a proper success. In fact, and Im sorry to my European brethren, its infintely easier to stumble upon a vaccine down here than just about any type of Rolex in an AD. Truth Still, my time is drawing to a close here and Im sick and tired of restaurants, general freedom, and gaiety. Its time to return to Europe where I can enjoy [...]

Its time for Two for Tuesday where we consider a pair of watches that just might make it to your shopping list. Today, we look at a couple of standards. The Tudor Black Bay Fifty-Eight takes on the Rolex Submariner.Steel, no date, automatic, and with a durable bracelet these are attributes that many of us enjoy on a dive watch. Plenty of brands offer a diver with these characteristics, but theres one true king of the genre. The Rolex Submariner sits at the top of the food chain and it does so for a lot of reasons that we will cover below. With go anywhere good looks, fantatsic build quality, and a reputation for holding or growing value, its hard not to like this watch. The problem, of cour [...]

Rolex decided to make Watches and Wonders 2021 all about the Explorer. As always, the news was surprising for what came and what didnt. For some of us, the news of a return to 36mm was welcomeRolex is like a box of chocolates; you never know what youre going to get. Each and every year, the internet wizards bring out their Ouija boards before the shows in an attempt to channel the spirits into revealing the next Rolex releases. Just like clockwork, these pundits are wrong on an annual basis. This year, everyone felt that the Explorer was due. Well, they were right, but the predictive details were woefully incorrect.The Explorer was in focus this yearFirstly, Rolex refreshed the Explorer II b [...]

Before the start of any significant watch event, predicting what were likely to see while we await releases with bated breath is par for the course. But, while arrivals are frequently the topic of discussion, models likely to depart the scene for good are less often thrown out for consideration. Only introduced in 2016, the Rolex Air-King 116900 has been a candidate for the chop for the last two or three years. Thats quite understandable, too. Fair or otherwise, it is one of the most openly reviled Rolex sports models among aficionados.Why exactly is it that the 116900 Air-King isnt popular? There are various reasons, but the most common blame is that its design isnt Rolex-like or even worth [...]

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. This morning, we set you the task of choosing between the same watch in different metals. The Rolex Day-Date 40 in yellow gold takes on its platinum sibling.When devising this weeks Sunday Morning Showdown topic, our writers knew they wanted to feature the Rolex Day-Date. Its one of the few current Rolex [...]

Among many novelties, Rolex revealed a few ladies releases for 2021. The new Day-Date 36 and the new Datejust 28 are hardly surprising, considering how important these two models are for the Swiss brand, but perhaps their manner of execution is. Moreover, I feel these gem-set, flashy designs feel more like something from 2001 rather than 2021. On the other hand, arent trends about circulation? Lets find out!Like all Rolex watches, the Day-Date 36 with the Oyster case is here to stand out. The coral-colored-diamond concept is certainly something to behold.The 36mm Oyster case features a sporty design fettled by 254 brilliant-cut diamonds. Made from yellow gold, the watch highlights eccentric [...]

One of the most coveted watches is the Cosmograph Daytona, and Rolex decided to spice up the gold references with some meteorite. Three new exclusive versions are being added to the Daytona collection.Now, the Daytona was exclusive already. Not only by its price tag but also by the very limited deliveries to its retailer network. But, the exclusive has an entirely different meaning when it comes to special materials such as meteorites. Any watch will be exclusive when theres a meteorite dial inside, but it becomes even more sought-after when theres Cosmograph Daytona on the dial. Rolex introduces new dial variants for its white gold, yellow gold, and Everose gold Daytona models.Rolex Daytona [...]

Okay, I know, I know, I know: everyones going nuts over the green leafy dials. But the thing is, they arent the big news from this release. Im not trying to be a contrarian, really, Im not. Thats just the way I am. Last year, when the internet was melting down over the bright OP dials, I was banging the drum for the silver-dialed 36mm version. That aged pretty well if you ask me. Today, however, Im saying that texture triumphs over motif and that within this new Datejust capsule release there are two real stunners that could be populating wishlists for years and years to comeThe leaves will come and go. The winds of change will blow them in and out of fashion at will. Texture, however, only [...]

Ceramic bezels, new dial colors, etc. A lot of predictions, assumptions, and guesses were made, but Rolex is taking it easy. As always. A new case profile and a new movement for the Rolex Explorer II 226570. What remained are the steel bezel, white black dial options, and 42mm case size.Yesterday I wrote an article about value development on the previous Rolex Explorer II 216570 and 16570 models based on the rumors and (correct) assumptions there would be a new reference. We will find out what the effect is on the market value and demand for the previous models in a few weeks time. Lets first have a look at the new Rolex Explorer II 226570. The update of the Explorer II models is less signi [...]

The wait is finally over. We know the models Rolex has released for 2021 (so far, at least). The first one were covering on Fratello is the 36mm yellow rolesor Rolex Explorer.Leaning heavily on the brands association with Everest expeditions, the press material refers to the original size of the watches purportedly worn by Hilary and Norgay upon their successful 1953 summit of the worlds tallest mountain. However, those watches were not the Explorer models they would go on to inspire. While it appears true that Rolex did furnish that legendary expedition with Oyster Perpetual watches, so too did British brand Smiths supply the climbers with timepieces. While several members of the team wore [...]

Tomorrow is the big day for Rolex, but especially for all the Rolex fans. Where Rolex would normally introduce its new watches during Baselworld, they now use the Watches Wonders exhibition. So far, the bets seem to be on a new Rolex Explorer II watch. We will be on location with Rolex to see the watches in the flesh, take pictures and get those real-life impressions.Whether they will introduce a new Rolex Explorer II or not is not stopping the watch collectors and speculators from making strategic moves. Not too long ago, I was contacted by a Dutch guy who follows me on Instagram, whether it would be wise or not to sell his current Explorer II. I am by no means someone to give financial ad [...]

We like to talk about vintage watches a lot within the Fratello team. While the daily routine is largely focused on the most recent developments in the world of watches, the most fun for many of us lies in the world of vintage watches. It's 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 priceless, some of them still affordable. But all of them are interesting watches. In this second installment, we will take a look at the best Rolex watches from the 1960s.This article is the first of a series to cover the most important [...]

Yo, yo, yo. We made it to Edition 2 of WASP, the hotly-anticipated sequel to last weeks pod-column debut. The sweet hosting vibes of RB (Rob and Balazs) take over Episode 41 of Fratello on Air to bring you your weekly round-up of sports news. Today, we welcome our first phone-in guest to the show, establishing a segment, which we hope some of our dear readers will partake in one day soon!Ranting Robbie enters the smooth booth and unloads about the recent controversy surrounding Bill Belichicks legacy. Its a brutal monolog, but the riposte is worth waiting for so hang tight.The greatest podcast segment in historyThis week, were talking about great coaches and great locations to play pro sport [...]

We like to talk about vintage watches a lot within the Fratello team. Where the daily routine is largely focused on the most recent developments in the world of watches, the most fun for many of us lies in the 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 priceless, some of them still affordable. But all of them are remarkable watches. This week well kick things off with the best Rolex watches from the 1950s.The best Rolex watches from the 1950s? What does that actually mean? Every week we [...]

We recently published an article on the Yacht-Master 16622 that I bought last October. I used to have one in 2007, but it had to pave the way for another purchase. Regrets, I have only a few. This is one of them.Sometimes you regret selling a watch, which was also the case with the Rolex Yacht-Master 16622. I managed to buy one back, from the same year as my previous one. And in better condition. Together with Karina, I sat down and discussed the most under-appreciated sports Rolex out there.We hope you enjoy our video on the Yacht-Master 16622. Make sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel to catch our videos. We are currently publishing two per week. [...]

Last week, I got in touch with Johann who posted a story on his Instagram account about a TAG Heuer he received from his dad. This TAG Heuer once belonged to Microsoft founder Bill Gates. So time for us to ask a few questions to the current owner of the watch.Johann runs the Instagram account @watchyouwearin. He posts incredibly crisp wrist shots of his watches. Definitely, a? feed to add. Recently, he posted the picture of his TAG Heuer 2000 model. And, along with the pics, the amazing story of how this watch ended up on his wrist. Interested? You should beRobert-Jan: Johann, before telling us a bit about that TAG Heuer 2000 on your IG feed, where does your love for watches come from?Johann [...]