Watches Blog Wrist Watch Reviews

Hamilton, part of the Swatch Group, is making waves in the industry for quite some time now.To start with, they appear on movies probably as often as Omega does. This might sound like a bold statement from me, and it is absolutely not backed by any data from the brand. Though if you think if some of the bigger box-office movies of the last 10 years or so Hamilton was part of many of them. Think of the Men In Black franchise for example, or Interstellar. But also in Ocean's Eleven, The Commuter, The Shape Of Water, The Italian Job, Quantum of Solace, The Terminal, the list goes on and on. What Hamilton is also great at, is coming out of re-editions that are just superb. Like the Hamilton Intr [...]

Five years after the release of the hit movie Interstellar, we're treated to something that fans of the movie and watches alike have pined for: a serial production version of the Hamilton Khaki Field Murph.The 2014 Christopher Nolan film was incredibly popular and depicted Matthew McConaughey as a NASA physicist Cooper who travels via a wormhole to another dimension in order to find a place where Earth's population can escape what has become a dying planet. Before leaving to this other dimension, he hands his daughter Murph, played by Jessica Chastain, his watch. While showing a watch in a film isn't so unique, the timepiece plays a greater role later in the film as Cooper communicates with [...]

Christmas is always that perfect time to wear a dress watch. Or better said, the time you realize you really need a dress watch in your collection. Last Christmas, I was actually prepared and instead of wearing my Speedmaster or Submariner, I found myself wearing a dress watch almost the entire holiday period. Of course, you dont just purchase a (dress) watch to wear it during Christmas only, but I can think of more appropriate occasions where you might prefer a more classic watch over a sports watch. Then, there are people like my younger step-brother for example, who wear a dress watch every single day of the year. It is not for me personally, although I do wear my Globemaster a lot, which [...]

A while ago, we did a hands-on review of the hand-wound Hamilton Khaki Field Mechanical and compared it to the original military GG-W-113 (Hamilton) watch (you can find that review here). With a retail price of just 420, that was very hard to beat. But what if you want a self-winding watch, or feel a diameter of 38mm is too small for you? Or, very important to some, need a date feature? Exit Khaki Field Mechanical and enter Khaki Field Day Date. A 42mm military looking watch with an automatic movement that has a date and day function. For less than 750 (~$895). Interested? Read on.Hamilton Khaki Field Day DateI will not go into the military history of the Hamilton like Mike has done in his r [...]

On May 15th 1918, the first airmail service flight took place between Washington and New York. This flight officially established the airmail service in the United States. Mail service was contractual between the postal service and the operators of whatever means of transportations the post used. Whether it was railway or steamboat, the owners of these companies signed a contract to carry the mail. The US, however, had no commercial airlines at the time, so the airmail service was carried out by air force pilots (Major Reuben Fleet of the Army Air Corps and Lieutenant George Boyle) and planes. That first airmail service flight delivered 4 bags of mail including a letter from the Postmaster o [...]

This year marks the 15th anniversary of the Red Bull Air Race, with a short pause between 2011 to 2013. Since its return, a year later, it became one of the most spectacular flying competitions. Spanning over four continents (Europe, North America, Australia and Asia) and over 40 locations from the legendary Indianapolis Motor Speedway to the Zayed Port in Abi Dhabi, it offers a rather large variety of different sites. The 2018 race calendar included France, Japan, USA, UAE among many others. The Red Bull Air Race also came to Budapest, Hungary. It happens to be the capital city of my home country. On a pretty picturesque track over the River Danube and in front of the magnificent Parliament [...]

For years now, there's the trend in the watch industry to introduce watches inspired by the brands heritage. These watches are based on vintage watches with an updated design, technical specifications, and often have a larger size. It often results in a popular watch among collectors and enthusiasts. This has to do a lot with their looks that people often find familiar. Many different brands follow this trend, and in this case, we are talking about the new Hamilton (Hamilton Intra-Matic Auto Chrono).The original Hamilton panda chronograph. Photo courtesy of https://www.coolvintagewatches.com/Hamilton Intra-MaticIf you are familiar with Hamilton you might remember that last year they released [...]

When considering mechanical chronographs, the 1980's and early 90's are often viewed as forgettable. Blingy, bad taste, bi-metal, quartz, or me-too automatics are just some of the characteristics that come to mind to describe the era. Then you have the brands Ebel, Movado, Concord, and even Omega making some very of the times pieces. Whatever you think about these watches and the era in general when it comes to watchmaking is likely a set of controversial topics best left for bar rooms or back alleys. Aside from the fact that some of these watches are starting to make their way back into the focus of collectors, it can't be argued that this was a different period Z. Cavaricci's anyone? A [...]

Big news from a small Swiss village Oris proudly introduces its in-house caliber 400.It is not the first time Oris has come up with an in-house developed movement. The brands back-catalog an already boast the Calibre 111, 112, and 113 movements hailing from the Atelier collection. But this time, Oris shows us a totally different caliber. Not one with a specific complication as weve seen in the Atelier collection, but a no-nonsense three-hander (with a date). Oris made its Calibre 400 movement available to us, to have a closer look at and take some images of it.Oris Calibre 400According to Oris, this Calibre 400 was conceived five years ago. The watch manufacturer in Holstein, not too far awa [...]

Dont say the words heritage re-issue. Its become a sometimes tiresome term over the past few years, with every brand under the Sun mining its back catalog for inspiration, only to artificially age the resulting re-issue so it looks both new and old at once. The Caplan brothers of Topper Jewelers in Burlingame, CA, dont seem to mind being inspired by the past with the latest limited edition to hit their shelves. But with the Oris a Topper Jewelers collaboration, you find any pre-aging whatsoever. Instead, you have an entirely new piece inspired by perhaps the brands most inventive period. Intrigued? So was IIve worked with Rob and Russ personally during my time with NOMOS Glashutte. They are, [...]

Last week, I selected my Top-5 Oris Aquis Limited Edition divers watches made for the Change for the Better campaign. For the new Aquis Hangang Limited Edition, Oris partners up with Seoul KFEM to support the cleanup of South Koreas mighty Hangang River. We go hands-on with the first of the Aquis Limited Editions to feature a green dial.Busy times at the Oris headquarters in Switzerland. The brand from Holstein has graced us with a string of new releases in 2020. From the fun and upbeat Holstein Edition 2020?to the eye-catching Oris Divers Sixty-Five a Momotaro collab to the new 41.5mm Aquis Date, there is plenty to enjoy. And those are only a couple of the latest additions to the collection [...]

The brand responsible for putting the biggest smile on my face recently when it comes to watches is Oris. But there is also a serious side to the brand. For a decade now the brand has been releasing a string of Aquis limited editions inspired by stories and organizations that are connected to taking care of our planets marine and aquatic life. Lets take a closer look at some of the best of these Oris Aquis limited editions.Just let me get back to my smile that was caused by the beautiful Oris Holstein Edition 2020. In my review, I expressed my love for the vintage looks of the Diver Sixty-Five Chronograph. And when it comes to Oris I often tend to focus on its vintage-inspired pieces in the [...]

There is something intriguing about a watch brands collaboration with a clothing company. These two worlds are so close in some ways yet far away from each other in many others. This brings an exciting ambiance to the partnership. Thats what captivated me about Oriss new collaboration with Japanese denim manufacturer Momotaro Jeans. Lets check that piece out.I dont even know why am I doing this piece and not Jorg. He has an eye for those things as much as I do, if not better. Granted, in the past, I have written about similar collaborations. Remember the Pinion a Iron Heart watch? Or the Hamilton a Schott project? Well, this one is equally cool in my book. One of the most excellent indie bra [...]

Its Two For Tuesday where we take a look at a couple of models often considered during a purchase decision. This week, well talk about the Oris Divers Sixty-Five and the Big Pointer Date.Last week, we spoke about two incredibly popular Seiko divers. The Marinemaster 300 took on its offspring in the Baby Marinemaster. It seems that most of you enjoy saving a few bucks while staying comfortable because the little guy took home most of your votes. This week, well look at a couple of really nice watches from Oris. The 116-year old brand from H?lstein, Switzerland has a pair of hot tickets on its hands with the Divers Sixty-Five and the Big Pointer Date.My Oris memoriesPrior to 2015, I have to ad [...]

This week, I am checking out some intriguing watches from Holsteins premier independent. Yes, I am talking about the plucky soloist Oris. In its heyday, Oris was outputting up to 1.2million watches and clocks per year. The onset of the low-cost and reliable quartz timepieces from Japan in the 70s and 80s, however, took a toll on the brand.The choice was either to follow the herd and produce quartz with a Swiss twist or, like so many Swiss watch-makers, fold and fade into obscurity. For a time, Oris did?produce a range of quartz pieces. But fortunately, a management buyout in 1982 changed the fate of Oris. The brand became Oris SA and swore never to make a quartz-operated wristwatch.Oris Dive [...]

In this interview with Rolf Studer (Oris co-CEO) and Katsu Manabe (Momotaro), we talk about their new collaboration watch. The Oris Divers 65 Momotaro, with its turquoise dial and denim strap, is the product of these two independent players.The bi-color (steel and bronze) Oris Divers 65 a Momotaro watch is not a limited edition, but an addition to Oriss regular collection. We talk to Rolf Studer about doing special edition watches like these, and how these collaborations come to life. Katsu Manabe talks about the denim culture in Japan and how he got in touch with Oris. Both are completely down-to-Earth people as you will discover in our video interview and open to discuss any questions. Wit [...]

While the watch world is busy with the ongoing breaking news of the two fairs and major-brand launches/non-launches, the rest of the world continues to tackle the devastating impact of the coronavirus pandemic.If you read a lot of watch news, you could be forgiven for thinking the industry is on its knees. Here at Fratello, were trying to take a more positive approach. Surely this industry is not just a victim? What about those who have sprung into action to support? We don't hear much, but there are watch brands, large and small, who have launched initiatives that deserve your attention.Luxury GroupsLVMH announced a donation of 16 million Chinese yuan (2.1 million euros) to The Red Cross So [...]

Filling out another niche in the Sixty-Five collection from Oris is a collaboration with an independent jeans manufacturer, Momotaro, based in Japan. The strap takes an off-cut of indigo denim with two white battle stripes on the buckle end of the strap.The twin stripes are a motif of Momotaro in their collection of high-end denim jeans and jackets made using vintage looms. While it wouldnt vibe with the majority of my wardrobe, this strap would be the perfect complement to a street or sports outfit. As interesting as the strap is, however, it is that gorgeous dial color that steals the limelight. [...]

Last week we received the Oris Aquis Date divers watch in for review. Spot on to be my 52Mondayz watch for this week, as this week I will attend an event which includes diving.Oris Aquis DateC 52Mondayz, week 24The Oris Aquis was slightly redesigned and presented at this years Baselworld. Compared to the previous?Aquis model (youll find our review here), the new Aquis?is somewhat more refined in its appearance.The redesign of an already attractive watchThe crown guard and lugs have become more softened, as well the hands got a somewhat more distinct appearance. The bezel inlay became brushed from glossy ceramic. All in all small changes which affect the appearance of the watch towards more [...]

Ever since the introduction of the new Oris diver watches, the Oris Divers Sixty-Five models, people have been praising them. A cool retro watch with a very affordable price tag. We have reviewed a couple of the Oris Divers Sixty-Five variations ever since (the original Sixty-Five, the 42mm model, and just recently we reviewed the green dial version).ComparisonThis article however, is not another review, but a comparison between the retro Divers Sixty-Five and the watch that inspired it. The original Oris diver Waterproof from the 1960s. How close is the Oris Divers Sixty-Five to the original? What is so good about the Sixty-Five and what could have been done better in our opinion? Lets go.O [...]