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Results for The 2017-2022 Vintage Market Boom

41,255 articles · 6,874 videos found · page 312 of 1605

Is The New Rolex 1908 Settimo Horological Perfection? (Hands-On) WatchAdvice
Rolex 1908 Settimo Horological Perfection? Aug 15, 2025

Is The New Rolex 1908 Settimo Horological Perfection? (Hands-On)

As always, Rolex represents the highest possible standard of the watchmaking world – but does this new 1908 model uphold this illustrious reputation? Let’s find out! What We Love: A perfectly executed contemporary design Extremely well-built and highly wearable Surprising value proposition, even among similar pieces What We Don’t: Clasp feels unnecessarily long Scratch and smudge magnet Movement finishing – Too little, too late? Overall Rating: 9.5/10 Value for Money: 10/10 Wearability: 9/10 Design: 10/10 Build Quality: 9/10 When it comes to watches, there are plenty of uncomfortable truths one must face. They’re hardly life-or-death scenarios, sure — but within the world we navigate as enthusiasts, there are a few pills that are undeniably hard to swallow. Some are classics, like how quartz movements are just as relevant to the industry as mechanical ones, or the ever-lingering question of how much cultural impact wristwatches still hold. But there’s one truth in particular that keeps many a watch lover up at night, clutching their favourite timepiece and hiding under the covers. That truth, of course, is this: Rolex is the greatest watch brand of all time. Naturally, there are plenty of valid, subjective counters to that claim. I, for one, would argue that Casio belongs on the same playing field simply because of its cultural popularity and accessibility. But when you look at the data, the case for Rolex is practically airtight. According to Morgan Stan...

Omega Upgrades the Aqua Terra 150M Turquoise with a Ceramic Bezel SJX Watches
Omega Upgrades Aug 15, 2025

Omega Upgrades the Aqua Terra 150M Turquoise with a Ceramic Bezel

Omega continues its trickle of summer releases with the Aqua Terra 150M Turquoise, which has its smoked turquoise dial now matched with a black ceramic bezel for a cohesive look. Available in both 38 mm and 41 mm formats, the new Aqua Terra is pricier and arguably less versatile than the standard Aqua Terra, yet is strongly appealing – is the blue worth the green? Initial Thoughts The ceramic mania that gripped the industry a few years ago has cooled, but the material is here to stay, and this example is all the better for it. We’ve already seen this dial on a pair of bracelet-borne Aqua Terra earlier this year. Now it’s back with an integrated rubber strap and complementary black ceramic bezel. Even though this lacks the bracelet of the all-steel version, it’s more expensive, priced at about US$1,000 over the steel model on a bracelet. The retail price of US$7,300 is still affordable, and acceptable given the level of quality, but the value proposition is less clear. While the Aqua Terra’s boardwalk-to-boardroom versatility makes it a prime candidate for someone’s sole, “go anywhere, do anything” watch, the exotic colour palette and lack of a bracelet rule it out as such for most people. Instead, I imagine Omega is targeting brand fans who are less price-sensitive looking for a summer watch. Even for an owner of more than one Omega, the new Aqua Terra is different enough to make it interesting. Deja Blue While no longer novel, the fume turquoise dial rema...

Hands-On With The Montblanc 1858 Unveiled Minerva Chronograph Limited Edition In Steel And Yellow Gold Fratello
Montblanc 1858 Unveiled Minerva Chronograph Aug 14, 2025

Hands-On With The Montblanc 1858 Unveiled Minerva Chronograph Limited Edition In Steel And Yellow Gold

I bet you’ve read the expression “When life turns you upside down, simply adjust your view!” before. The saying came to mind when the latest version of the Montblanc 1858 Unveiled Minerva Chronograph Limited Edition arrived at Fratello HQ. This steel and yellow gold monopusher chronograph has an open-worked movement, and this in-house caliber 16.26 […] Visit Hands-On With The Montblanc 1858 Unveiled Minerva Chronograph Limited Edition In Steel And Yellow Gold to read the full article.

An Inside Look At The New Glashütte Original Dial Manufacture Teddy Baldassarre
Glashutte Original Aug 14, 2025

An Inside Look At The New Glashütte Original Dial Manufacture

Here’s the headline: this summer, the namesake and flagbearer of the Glashütte watchmaking region, Glashütte Original, has opened its own, dedicated dial manufacture. You might be asking yourself, “I thought G.O. already did everything in-house, what’s the deal?” And while you would be right to ask, the basis of the question is also correct. Glashütte Original, while owned by Swatch Group, does, in fact, “do everything in-house,” or to be more specific: 95% of everything. However, up to this point, the dials for G.O. watches were made in a facility six hours away in Pforzheim. This move has brought production to a 5,000-plus-square-foot facility that is just a quick float down the babbling Muglitz River - 450 meters, to be exact. In a market where collectors are placing increasing importance on “in-house” everything, this is a big move for a company that has been preaching the Homemade Gospel from the Saxon hilltops for decades. Not only does this allow for more agile production timelines, but it increases G.O.’s production capabilities as a whole. G.O. brought me to Germany to see the new facility and to tour the full manufacture as well. In addition to the photos here, which won’t tell the full story, we also have a full video touring the manufacture.   This sort of care for detail and attention to craftsmanship is deeply ingrained in the region, and in Glashütte Original as a brand. The people at this manufacture take the namesake very seriously...

Going Hands-On With The Brand New Farer Integra Viridis With A Malachite Dial Fratello
Farer Integra Viridis Aug 14, 2025

Going Hands-On With The Brand New Farer Integra Viridis With A Malachite Dial

What I love about Farer is that you recognize their watches instantly. Over time, the English brand has developed a collection with a very distinct style. The dial colors, the font types, and the colorful overall presence of the watches have gained Farer many fans. The latest addition to the line-up is the new Integra […] Visit Going Hands-On With The Brand New Farer Integra Viridis With A Malachite Dial to read the full article.

First Look – The New Formex Essence Space Ghost 41mm Automatic COSC Monochrome
Formex Essence Space Ghost 41mm Aug 14, 2025

First Look – The New Formex Essence Space Ghost 41mm Automatic COSC

Formex’s Essence line, introduced in 2018, quickly earned respect as the brand’s versatile, go-anywhere sports watch, combining sharp case architecture, great engineering, and chronometer-certified accuracy. In 2020, the collection took on a cosmic turn with the debut of the Space Rock editions, featuring dials cut from the ancient Muonionalusta meteorite. Over time, these rare cosmic […]

Hands-on – Some Thoughts about the Rolex Daytona “Alcaraz” 126518LN with Turquoise Lacquer Dial Monochrome
Rolex Daytona “Alcaraz” 126518LN Aug 13, 2025

Hands-on – Some Thoughts about the Rolex Daytona “Alcaraz” 126518LN with Turquoise Lacquer Dial

In recent years, basically since the introduction of the ceramic bezel on the steel edition (the 116500LN), the Daytona has become the hottest watch in Rolex’s portfolio, but also remained a fairly conservative model, with a rather parsimonious use of colours. This hasn’t always been the case, though, and in the past, we’ve seen wild […]

G-SHOCK Enters the Metaverse with The Sandbox Worn & Wound
Aug 13, 2025

G-SHOCK Enters the Metaverse with The Sandbox

There was a period of time in 2020 and 2021 when it felt like you couldn’t have a conversation with someone without hearing about cryptocurrency, the blockchain, or the metaverse. I mean, Facebook literally changed the name of the company to reflect what all signs pointed to being the future of the internet. Of course, watch brands got involved as well, with a variety of projects that sought to integrate watches (physical objects) with the digital world. I actually purchased a watch during that time period that, unbeknownst to me when I handed over the credit card, came with an NFT. The watch is gone, but somewhere on the blockchain, I guess, is an NFT tied to my watch and my watch alone.  Thankfully, in my opinion, metaverse mania has slowed a bit in the watch world. It’s been a while since I saw a press release that really touted any sort of blockchain specific features. But last week, some news from G-SHOCK caught my eye. It’s not a new watch release, but rather the implementation of a new virtual G-SHOCK themed world in the metaverse, produced in partnership with The Sandbox.  The Sandbox. I’ve learned, is a blockchain-based open world game that launched in November 2021. The Virtual G-SHOCK in The Sandbox project is effectively a G-SHOCK themed Sandbox experience, where you can purchase an avatar to play as based on classic G-SHOCK watch designs, play games that take you through G-SHOCK history. According to the brand, the gameplay involves “shock resistan...

Introducing – Chinese Indie Watchmaker Qian GuoBiao Unveils the Double Balance Wheel Monochrome
Aug 13, 2025

Introducing – Chinese Indie Watchmaker Qian GuoBiao Unveils the Double Balance Wheel

Long considered a low-end production site for accessible timepieces (which is still partially true), the Chinese watch industry is fast changing and evolving in a positive direction. Besides industry giants such as Peacock and Seagull (the latter capable of making split-second chronographs), there’s a burgeoning indie scene that needs to be explored. We can name […]

Affordable Excellence: How High End Watch Brands are Creating Accessible Options for the Enthusiast Worn & Wound
Kurono Tokyo Aug 12, 2025

Affordable Excellence: How High End Watch Brands are Creating Accessible Options for the Enthusiast

It is a global phenomenon: some of the most exclusive independent watch brands have in the last five years created more accessible and more affordable sister brands or collections. These are undoubtedly linked to the main brand thanks to similar design features and a similar spirit. Just look at MB&F; and its M.A.D.Editions in Switzerland, Grönefeld and Grøne in the Netherlands, and Hajime Asaoka with Kurono Tokyo. Their normal offering is in the tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars, and now their sister brands offer watches for a few thousand – and you don’t have to wait for years to get a watch.  Why are they doing this? What effect does it have on the general perception of the main brand? What are the collectors’ reactions to the more accessible offerings? Occasionally, it goes in the other direction. The Finnish brand Leijona’s Heritage 1907 Collection punches above its weight. It shows that a quartz based, mass market brand can make Swiss Made mechanicals together with a legend like Kari Voutilainen. We’ll get back to that. Just as we’ll get to Swatch’s recent collaborations with its fancier siblings within the Swatch Group. This phenomenon is all but new. Just look at Rolex and Tudor, the latter registered in 1926. “It was exactly the same as what we see today. Rolex founder (Hans) Wilsdorf wanted to offer high-quality watches at more affordable prices,” said watch expert Gianfranco Ritschel. Another example, half a century removed, is Cartie...

Review – The Magnificent A. Lange & Söhne Odysseus Honeygold Monochrome
A. Lange & Sohne Aug 12, 2025

Review – The Magnificent A. Lange & Söhne Odysseus Honeygold

The Odysseus disembarked at A. Lange & Söhne in 2019, making a big splash as the brand’s first serially produced stainless steel luxury sports watch with an “integrated” steel bracelet and 120m water-resistance. Thanks to its unique personality and unmistakable provenance, the Odysseus rowed against many stylistic conventions established by top-tier luxury sports watches. During […]

Rolex GMT-Master II Review: The Bruce Wayne Rolex Teddy Baldassarre
Rolex Aug 12, 2025

Rolex GMT-Master II Review: The Bruce Wayne Rolex

Before getting into the so-called "Bruce Wayne Rolex," let's establish some context. The Rolex GMT-Master is one of the Crown’s most popular models when it comes to the Professional line. It’s been an icon going back to its release in 1954, born out of a partnership with PanAm (in reality, it was a masterfully executed piece of marketing) that gave way to a new jet-setting, time-zone-malleable timekeeper. Since then, the GMT-Master (now the GMT-Master II, incorporating an even more user-friendly dual-time indication) has stood alongside the Datejust and Submariner as a core icon for the brand. It has also represented a platform for innovation for Rolex, being the first model line to see the brand transition to its “Super Case” format and its use of Cerachrom bezel tech. This paved the way for the introduction of a new, steel GMT-Master II in the late aughts with a black Cerachrom bezel insert, a green GMT hand, and green dial text. This stood for years as the most under-the-radar option for potential GMT-Master II buyers that didn’t feel comfortable slapping on a "Batman" or a "Pepsi." However, like many other popular models, it was discontinued. We saw echoes of its design materialize in form of the “Lefty” GMT, with its bi-color green-and-black bezel and matching green GMT hand. But the “Sprite” didn’t strike the same chord as that discontinued OG. Then the 70th anniversary of the GMT-Master rolled around in 2024, and Rolex surprised us all when it re...

Introducing – The New Unimatic ModelLo Uno Prodiver Collection Monochrome
Massena Lab where archival design cues Aug 12, 2025

Introducing – The New Unimatic ModelLo Uno Prodiver Collection

Unimatic is a relatively young yet popular Milan-based independent watchmaker with a loyal following. Thanks to its minimalist, military-inspired dive watches, the brand has attracted international attention through its own collections and various collaborations, most notably with Massena Lab, where archival design cues met Unimatic’s modern, utilitarian aesthetic. These projects have cemented Unimatic’s reputation as […]

Unimatic Introduces the New Prodiver Collection Worn & Wound
Unimatic Aug 12, 2025

Unimatic Introduces the New Prodiver Collection

While minimalism may be as trendy as ever these days (one look at any modern car interior will tell you that) a lot of brands miss the mark when it comes to balancing that aesthetic with function, or the lack thereof. Not so with Unimatic’s all-new Prodiver line, which promises both a streamlined design language and robust mechanical functionality. But do the watches actually pull it off? Let’s take a deeper dive and find out. Perhaps the biggest factor in Unimatic’s favor here is the Italian brand’s penchant for design cohesiveness across their lineup. Even before taking the new Prodiver into consideration, Unimatic watches share aesthetic hallmarks, namely chunky, round indexes, sans serif typefaces, and symmetrical dial balance. Even models that deviate from this norm, like the UT1 and UT4, which feature hour numerals instead, carry a uniformly round and hardy profile, which gives each Unimatic watch friendly-yet-tough dimensions. This is all personal conjecture, of course, but rarely does a brand manage to maintain consistency in design across their entire lineup quite as well as Unimatic does.  Back to the Prodiver, though; like most other watches by the brand, it also bears the signature round indexes, though it adds some legitimate dive watch pedigree, too. Each of the three new Modello Uno models sports a democratically-sized case, measuring at 40mm in diameter and 49mm lug to lug. The case thickness is a healthy 14.4mm with the domed sapphire crystal, and...

Remembering The Legacy Of Apollo 13 Commander Jim Lovell Fratello
Aug 12, 2025

Remembering The Legacy Of Apollo 13 Commander Jim Lovell

Last week, on August 7, 2025, Captain Jim Lovell, Apollo 13 Commander, passed away at the age of 97 in Lake Forest, Illinois. Jim Lovell Beyond Apollo 13, Jim Lovell’s NASA career was filled with key assignments. He first flew as pilot-alongside Frank Borman-on Gemini 7 in 1965. This nearly 14-day endurance mission served as […] Visit Remembering The Legacy Of Apollo 13 Commander Jim Lovell to read the full article.