Watches Blog Wrist Watch Reviews

Last year, I reviewed the Grand Seiko SBGM021, a similar looking model of what we have here today. However, the Grand Seiko SBGJ017 GMT has a hi-beat movement and a less casual appearance. Lets have a look.Grand Seiko?SBGJ017The ivory dial of the aforementioned SBGM021 is something I really love about that watch. It gives a great contrast with the hands and a playful appearance. This Grand Seiko SBGJ017 GMT has a silver dial and looks a bit more elegant than the SBGM021. But enough with the comparison, this new Grand Seiko SBGJ017 (introduced in September last year) landed on our desk and was introduced at the same time as its black dial SBGJ019 counterpart. It features Grand Seikos caliber [...]

Almost identical to the Grand Seiko that won the?Petite Aiguille award in the Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Genve in 2014, Seiko now introduces the Grand Seiko Hi-Beat SBGJ021 with a special dial and oscillating weight. The design of this Grand Seiko is based on the 1967 Grand Seiko 44GS. Lets have a look at this limited edition Grand Seiko Hi-Beat 36000 GMT SBGJ021 up close.Grand Seiko Hi-Beat SBGJ021This is that typical example of a watch you need to see in the flesh to really appreciate it. When I first saw the press release, I didnt pay too much attention as the dial and rotor appeared to be a bit gimmicky. However, when the kind people of Seiko Netherlands offered the watch to me for a rev [...]

Italian fashion brand Gucci celebrates its 100th year of existence in 2021. To celebrate the centenary, the brand has created a collection of high-end watches. Or rather, the brand announced over 30 high-end timepieces in four different collections. The most eye-catching for watch enthusiasts is, without a doubt, the Gucci 25H collection. For the collection, Gucci combines an in-house developed family of movements with design looks clearly inspired by the growing popularity of luxury sports watches. Lets have a look at these new Gucci watches.In all honestly, I did miss the announcement of the Centenary models back in April. With all the Watches Wonders craziness going on, these new watches [...]

In the 1970s, Hamilton supplied British Royal Air Force pilots with hand-wound chronographs. The new Hamilton Khaki Pilot Pioneer Mechanical Chronograph is a tribute to the watches used by Lightning, Harrier Jump Jet, and Vulcan pilots. Inside the 40mm steel case beats the hand-wound H-51-Si movement, and looking at the dial, it seems little has changed. But let's find out how the new version holds up in a hands-on review.Back in 2017, Mike Stockton wrote about the original chronograph that Hamilton made for the RAF back in the 1970s. In his conclusion, he stated, The Hamilton Military Chronograph is a really purposeful looking watch with great history. The fact that these watches were reall [...]

We all know Hamilton well. Initially formed in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, in 1892, the brand now proudly resides under the Swatch Group umbrella. Beloved for its well-constructed and excellent-value-for-money watches, I know several fellow collectors whose first foray into serious watch collecting began with the acquisition of a Hamilton timepiece. In each case, those collectors chose a mighty Khaki Field due to its military heritage and affordable price tag. Now, Hamilton has updated its Khaki Field Titanium range with some more excellent watches.The Khaki Field is one of those watches that speaks to many people due to its no-nonsense legibility and rugged construction. These are, in my opini [...]

Here at the Fratello offices, we constantly talk about the smartest ways of spending your hard-earned money on watches. Our readers also often send us questions about the best watches within certain budgets. In this article, well dive into a very popular price bracket. We have picked some of the best available watches under 2,000. Its a price bracket with many wonderful offerings from both big brands and smaller independents alike. So today, lets take a look at what the market has to offer.When I started compiling this list, something quickly dawned on me. There is an absolute abundance of great offerings for the money. We truly are spoiled for choice when it comes to spending 2,000 on a wat [...]

How do you spend 10,000 to start a watch collection? Its a question so abstract that it took me a long time to find the answers. First of all, in the previous articles in the series, many great solutions were already offered. On top of that, how do you follow Fratellos resident minence grise Gerard who perfectly explained how to start your Speedmaster collection? Reading through Gerards article, I still have a Speedmaster or two to add to my collection. But maybe even more importantly, its a question that has a very personal answer. I cant answer the question of how to spend 10K wisely, simply because my answer doesnt fit this three watches for 10K format. Let me explain why and how I would [...]

Who knew that Swatch still had that circa 90s FOMO swagger? Sometimes, all it takes is a little help from our friends. In this case, Omega stepped in with an 11-part stonker. Im writing this prior to the official sale date of the MoonSwatch, but its safe to say that these watches are hits Im never one to stop at the current, though, so lets talk about what Swatch collab could be next.Ah, Swatch As a dorky teenager, I was certifiably hooked on these fun and often colorful plastic watches from Switzerland. I still remember the lady, Marguerite, who ran the accessories area at the Boca Town Center Bloomingdales. Yes, its true that I had a bit of a nerdy crush, but she was super friendly. As I b [...]

Fratello On Air is back with another brand-focused episode. We truly promise that were not on a Swatch Group parade, but we will hit our third marque within the portfolio. Hamilton is our topic today with Balazs and Mike on the erm mic. Enjoy it because the guys really enjoy this brand.Before we get to what was once Americas most famous watch brand, we talk a little bit of news. Mike brings up the latest MING 22.01 GMT and asks Balazs what he thinks about caller GMTs. In the end, both think this is a subject that receives more scrutiny than necessary. But its not Hamilton time yet, because next, its time for aHandgelenks KontrolleBalazs is on point with his Hamilton Intra-matic chronograph [...]

Our headquarters has recently been swimming with Hamiltons latest fare. Pleasingly, the American-born, Swiss-made brand saw fit to send us a big box of its newest watches for review. And the Khaki Aviation Pilot Pioneer Bronze is the first under the lens.Its always a treat for us to get our hands on all the models in the catalog rather than just the selected few the brand wants to crow about. Why? Because it allows us to make choices, to decide upon our favorite models, and choose how best to cover them. When it came to the Pilot Pioneer Bronze, RJ took such a shine to it that he made a short video tribute, which you can now watch below.Of course, it is our job to deliver the news of new rel [...]

English actor?Roger Moore?took over Sean Connery's role as 007 in the 1973 movie Live and Let Die. The year after, he appeared in The Man with the Golden Gun, and five other Bond movies starring Moore followed The Spy Who Loved Me (1977), Moonraker (1979), For Your Eyes Only?(1981), Octopussy (1983), and A View to a Kill (1985). Moore (1927-2017) was the oldest Bond; he was 45 when he played 007 for the first time and retired at the age of 58. Moore portrayed Bond with humor and a Rolex Submariner 5513. Seiko also had a strong presence in the 1980s Bond movies. Lets have a look at the James Bond watches of Roger Moore's era.Who is your favorite Bond? Sean Connery? Daniel Craig? Both are at [...]

Time keeps on slipping(everybody now!) into the future (thank you, Steve Miller Band). Thats a given, and its what our watches help us witness. But the way we interact with time is another matter. The evolution of the simple wristwatch, driven by professional needs, has brought us numerous different functions for recording time. Dive watches utilize the eponymous divers bezel. Pilots watches as a genre utilize many functions and complications, of which the countdown bezel and chronograph are merely two. All three of these functions measure specific intervals of time. And all three have thoroughly infiltrated non-professional watch culture. Each one divers bezel, countdown bezel, and chronogr [...]

Its been only two months since Hamilton released the special limited-edition PSR MTX to commemorate the release of the first Matrix film. That version of the legendary PSR featured an all-black PVD-coated case and bracelet and came with a green-colored display. Personally, I loved it because it looked very cool. For the newest PSR, Hamilton has chosen the same stealthy black aesthetic, combining it with the classic red display seen in the movie Live and Let Die. Could this be the perfect Bond watch for 007s nighttime missions? If not, it could be the perfect timepiece for yours.The Hamilton PSR is one of the coolest watches out there And its not only me who thinks that. We love the watch her [...]

Some watches are just more memorable than others. The brand puts them onto the market, creating a massive buzz for some reason. So far, so good. Then, after the initial reactions, they stay in the public consciousness and never leave. When Hamilton released the Khaki Field Mechanical, this is precisely what happened. To say that it received critical acclaim from the media would be an understatement. The Khaki Field was praised by almost every media outlet that featured it. It was only logical for Hamilton to strike while the iron was hot. Many newer, different variations of the Khaki Field Mechanical have come, but none have had more impact than the bronze version.I felt it was logical to co [...]

Field watches are often overlooked timepieces in todays world of luxury watches. They are far from a luxury statement, and thats exactly how they should stay. There is something really honest about field watches, defined as simple military watches that should do one thing and one thing only tell accurate time. In the field of battle, keeping exact time was truly a matter of life and death. As a result, field watches are very simple timepieces with their own style and stories. They are stories untainted by extravagant prices and the urge to wear a statement of wealth. No, field watches are about as honest and straight-up as it gets. Time to look at some of the best field watches out there.Whe [...]

Since 2020, I have been the happy owner of the Hamilton PSR, the 50th-anniversary edition in (PVD) gold. Then, last December, Hamilton introduced a special version for the latest sequel in the Matrix series of films: The Matrix Resurrections. Its an all-black Hamilton PSR MTX, limited to 1999 pieces. The number of watches corresponds with the year in which the first Matrix movie was released.In this video, RJ talks about the Hamilton PSR MTX edition, the watch that Nacho introduced to you here.Hamilton PSR MTXThe PSR MTX watch measures 40.88 a 34.7mm and has a PVD black coating. Whereas the original models came with a red LED display, the Matrix edition has a green display. Some very rare ed [...]

When I started my watch journey 16 years ago, Hamilton was a brand to which I instantly felt connected. Theres no doubt in my mind that was thanks to my grandfather, who was a lifelong enthusiast of the American railroad. He was an honorary member of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, and he had an unrelenting passion for trains and anything related to them. His entire Cleveland basement was filled with locomotive memorabilia, including lanterns, bells, signals, and, yes, watches. Though he collected many brands of American timepieces, Hamilton watches were his favorites by far. Even my grandmother, who knows and cares little about watches, can vouch for my grandfathers lo [...]

It's been a while since Hamilton's operations have been conducted from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, but the spirit-of-liberty style flows through the veins of Switzerland's most American brand. What I think the brand has done very well in recent years is streamline the DNA of its collection. Ten years ago, it had ballooned in too many disparate directions to make any sense to me. Now, though, we have a wealth of functional field models, which are the brand's biggest recent success, in my opinion. We have a raft of highly technical pilot's watches, which are an essential element of the brand's character. And last but not least, we have an easy-to-understand selection of timeless American classics [...]

I do enjoy writing lists (and tis the season, of course, with everybodys end-of-year round-ups hitting the web), but it can be harder than it looks. I suppose it comes down to how seriously you take the task. In my recent Top Five Watch Releases Of 2021, I really thought hard about it. I was genuinely sad to leave some incredible watches by the wayside. However, that was an article tasked with appraising the entire industry. Its surely a lot easier to do a top three for just one brand, like, say, Hamilton, right? Hmm Something tells me I might have been wrongYes, of course, it is a little easier to focus on one brands output rather than attempting to produce an infallible list encompassing t [...]

Last week, I had the opportunity to test one of my favorite watches at the sub-1,000 price point. I'm talking, of course, about the brilliant contemporary classic that is the Hamilton Khaki Field Mechanical. However, something was a little bit different. Instead of the usual Khaki Field 38mm size, the watches placed before me were larger. A whole four millimeters larger, to be precise. Now, as far as I'm concerned, Hamilton already found the perfect formula with this watch, so how does its bigger counterpart fare? As you can see, nothing much changes in terms of design, and the proportions are well-maintained. But it's not only what's written down on paper that matters. So, grab yourself a c [...]