Watches Blog Wrist Watch Reviews

In today's video, RJ gets a taste of the incredible horological craftsmanship of A. Lange Sohne. The Glashutte brand is known for its incredible creations, and the 1815 Rattrapante Honeygold Homage to F. A. Lange is no exception. It features finishing, materials, and craftsmanship that reaches the highest level of traditional watchmaking.A. Lange Sohne 1815 Rattrapante Honeygold Homage to F. A. LangeYou might remember the A. Lange Sohne 1815 Rattrapante Honeygold Homage to F. A. Lange from when Jorg wrote about it in his grail-watch article. And this is just the kind of watch you think of when thinking of a grail. It's not just an absolutely stunning chronograph, but it's also a pricey nu [...]

Picking your favorite watch from a show like Watches And Wonders is something that you simply cannot rush. It's kind of like making a perfect cup of tea. Your head is a teapot, freshly filled with boiling water. The releases are the tea, which is immersed in the water and must be allowed enough time to fully steep before a perfectly brewed cup can be poured out. If you pour too soon, the tea will be too light, flavorless, and diluted. And if you haven't had time to see everything and let it sink in, your opinion, like the tea, will be incomplete. After a couple of days of mulling over everything we saw, the team comes together to share our picks. And after only a couple of rounds of Rock Pap [...]

It's over, ladies and gentlemen. A whole seven days of Watches And Wonders in an unseasonably cold and snowy Geneva. And as unexpected as the sub-zero temperatures and frozen precipitation were, there were plenty of surprises taking place within the beige-cloth-lined plywood walls of Palexpo. Especially in the not-so-plywood comfort of the Rolex booth. But it's not all about Rolex. Around 38 brands shared their latest creations with us these past few days. And though we were not able to cross the full 38 off our list, we certainly gave it our best shot. As we settle back into a more sustainable rhythm, it's very therapeutic to reflect on what we saw the things we liked, those that surprised [...]

The Lange 1 dial, with its iconic offset time and outsized date display, has become the symbol for the return of Glashutte watchmaking. For 2022, the Grand Lange 1 receives some elegant refinements for its 41mm case in either 18K pink or white gold. The manually wound movement has an impressive 72-hour power reserve and wonderful decoration viewable through a sapphire display case back. The case height is the real star of this new release from A. Lange Sohne, with a reduction of 0.6mm to a thickness of 8.2mm.In either metal, the gray dial represents a stoic calmness that is perhaps needed in this world. It signifies an expression of luxury without shouting you into submission. This stern at [...]

I must say, I'm a bit overwhelmed by writing this article. I'm someone who likes to understand everything that he writes about. But when you get asked to write an article on a watch by A. Lange Sohne, you almost certainly know that it'll involve a complicated piece. The word piece, of course, refers to not only the watch but also to the article at hand. When I saw the first pictures of this new A. Lange Sohne Richard Lange Minute Repeater, I thought I got lucky. Not a single complication, just the hours, minutes, and sub-seconds. But then someone pointed out that bulge on the left side of the caseIndeed, when you slide that bulge, it releases the minute repeater mechanism. A minute repeate [...]

Whenever A. Lange Sohne announces new timepieces, I immediately shift towards the edge of my seat. That also happened when the brand announced its venture into luxury sports watches with the Odysseus back in 2019. It was a release that did not go unnoticed. Watch fans worldwide expected a watch that would aim to compete with the Pateks and APs of the world. Instead, A. Lange Sohne chose its own path with an extremely unique, characteristic design. Three years after the release of the stainless steel Odysseus, the brand releases the new titanium version. This is not only the most sporty Odysseus to date, but its also the first time weve ever seen a titanium A. Lange Sohne watch. Time to fi [...]

We like to talk about vintage watches a lot within the Fratello team. Though most of what we write about is primarily 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, and some of them are still affordable. In this last installment of the series, we will take a look at the best A. Lange Sohne watches from the 2000s.By the turn of the mill [...]

We ask a lot of our watches. Sure, they have to tell the time, but we also ask them to look good and impart something about ourselves to the world. We also require that they go with us everywhere. Water resistance once an indicator of how well a watch could stand the rigors of daily life has been incrementally cranked up to levels that most of the currently rated watches will never see. And neither will their owners. The eternal search for daily beaters and GADA (Go Anywhere Do Anything) watches, along with projecting a level of our own utility to the world via our watches has resulted in a market largely weighted towards watches that can survive harsher conditions than most humans can. But [...]

When I was asked to write my article about my grail watch, I didnt answer immediately. The reason for that was personal but simple. Working as a watch journalist allows one to check out incredible timepieces up close. But the reality is that a great number of them are so expensive that the thought of wanting them doesnt even arise. Call it Dutch level-headedness or maybe a Weppelink family trait because I recognize the tendency to be very down to earth in both of my parents. But there is one brand that passionately fights that family gene, and thats A. Lange Sohne. The brands 1815 Rattrapante Honeygold Homage to F. A. Lange feeds into the dream of lusting after something I will most likely [...]

Sometimes I feel slightly schizophrenic, probably a normal feeling for a horological obsessive. Some days, I feel like only wearing patterned, bright-colored socks (well, that's every day) with a searingly yellow Doxa. On other days, I hanker after the crisp monochrome, graphic panache of a matte black dial. Tool-zen, if you like. This story is my take on the best German monochrome watch design. Theres an emphasis on functionality and tool watches, no matter how used-up that term might seem in 2022.To be fair, here at Fratello Watches, the Speedmaster is the king of monochrome. But this is about Germanys best. There is a reason we associate pilot's watches with Germany, whether it be Sinn, L [...]

There is nothing like a flash of LUME to brighten up those gloomy winter days. And it's no longer a gimmick; it has been embraced by the big hitters of horology and fashion. Who would have thought that we would see bright lume on a Lange dial or the fabric of a high-tech sports jacket?I get seriously frustrated by weak lume. I stay off-grid while I'm sleeping, with my cell phone left downstairs and a watch on my wrist. While we have a digital clock radio on the night table, I prefer peering sleepily at my wrist to ask myself why I'm awake at 5:00 AM. Id love the full effect of a lume dial while having a late-night walk, or for the more adventurous among us, while hiking or camping. The last [...]

Every year, we see watches not getting the attention we think they deserve. In 2021 again, some watches were underrated. But what does that mean underrated, underestimated, or undervalued? These words all seem to indicate that a watch is not appreciated highly enough. But in what sense? Are its technical specifications on a higher level than is generally believed. Is its price lower than the actual product is worth? Or could it be that people just dont value the watch due to its appearance?Looking at the reader numbers of the articles about the following watches, we could tell that these watches werent very much in demand this year. Lets start with what is, in general, a popular watch model, [...]

We like to talk about vintage watches a lot within the Fratello team. Though most of what we write about is primarily 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, and some of them are still affordable. In this installment, we will take a look at the best A. Lange Sohne watches from the 1990s.This week, we will continue our journey th [...]

Date displays are one of those complications that divide the community. Some people swear by them; others hate them. Im in the former camp, and I find myself at a bit of a loss without a date indicator at times. I find myself often looking down at my watch to check the date, only to come up short. So, today Im looking at some of my favorite types of date displays: what works best and what leaves me out in the cold?There are, of course, several different methods that watch brands use to display the date on watches. Some are more suited to certain watch styles, and others are more easily legible at a glance. That said, they still all have their uses. Still, I definitely seem to prefer some ove [...]

The ice-blue dial gives a Rolex away. And if you get the chance to get close enough to have a peek between the lugs at 6 oclock of a Patek Philippe and spot a diamond, that's another telltale sign. In both cases, you're dealing with a platinum watch. Nothing whispers luxury like cool and heavy platinum. It's even more of an introvert pleasure than white gold, but an ice blue dial or a diamond in a clever spot where the watch's owner can see it from time to time, also provides a bit of reassurance. You paid a heavy price for something that is not that obvious at all, so you want/need to see some form of acknowledgment from the watch. Let's look at platinum perfection from Rolex and Patek Phil [...]

Unless youve been under a rock or holidaying at the Baltic Sea (as I was), you might have noticed A. Lange Sohne Germanys undisputed grand-daddy of watchmaking companies just dropped a watch that, on paper at least, sounds like the sexiest thing to enter my mind since I had that weird dream about Lex in a skimpy yellow speedo. But even though it seemingly brings together all of the coolest elements of the brands range, is it really the best yet?Okay, my analysis of this piece is going to be highly subjective. Technically speaking, nobody in team Fratello, nobody reading this site, heck, nobody in this industry is likely to argue that the Zeitwerk is anything but a complete masterpiece. The [...]

Thats right, no masks, no Covid Pass, and all the top-tier brands gathered in one arena. And this includes a rather large stand from Rolex, a strong move in this non-Baselworld year. WOW, how much I missed this, even after attending the Geneva Watch Days. The Oslo Watch Fair is not perfect, with many brands missing due to an AD hosting the fair, but impressively so. This is nothing but welcome and says a lot about the strong market in Northern Europe. Many attendees were actually from central Europe and even the UK. So heres a big thanks to my Fratello colleague Lex for reminding me that I live 10 minutes away from the event, and Jaeger-LeCoultre for the invite.Image courtesy of @pylsogramTh [...]

Blued screws: weve likely all seen them before through display case backs. If not, weve probably heard the term used before, and its pretty self-explanatory. The real question is why? Why did watchmakers blue the screws of their movements? Well, as weve found out with many other finishing techniques, blued screws hold a functional benefit as well as an aesthetic one.Many lower-cost modern watch movements try to jump on the bandwagon when it comes to decoration. Blued screws are more attractive than their bare metal counterparts theres no denying that. The catch here is that they rely on simple, cheaper methods to achieve the blue color without the same tangible benefits. After all, as in eve [...]

You (presumably) are a person seeking a watch. Perhaps you know which watch. Perhaps its THE watch. However, more than likely, youre at least open to options, if not openly shopping. Here we present a few curated choices a la dating profile, with watches and the owners they seek. Today, its eligible German watches. A Stowa Marine Classic is pining for its Captain. This A. Lange Sohne Saxonia is searching for its sugar daddy/mama. And the Sinn EZM 3 is ready to party with its adventure buddy. All they ask is to be your one and only (GADA alert!).Call these German watches GADAs (go anywhere, do anything), if you like. Indeed, the lack of water resistance or addition of diving bezels will rank [...]

Let there be light Lume is often referred to because of its functional properties. But there is something magical about it. Not too long ago, I was researching the best Heuer/TAG Heuer watches from the 1980s. During that quest, I was reminded of the brilliance of the brands full lume dial diving watches from the 1980s. On top of that, our Fratello master of lume Lex wears his Chronoswiss Timemaster with a full lume dial regularly. It triggered me to find out more about the brilliance of lume dials and put the spotlight on some of the best lume watches. Fiat lux!At first, the idea was to select the best full lume dial watches from the past and the present. But during the research for this art [...]