Fratello
It’s no secret that we’re Speedmaster fans here at Fratello. RJ, our founder, is an avid collector of these chronographs and the mind behind #SpeedyTuesday. But not all Speedies are created equal. Today, we’re looking at some of the best modern Omega Speedmaster models. RJ, Thomas, and Nacho have tasked themselves with selecting their top […] Visit Fratello Talks: The Best Modern Omega Speedmasters to read the full article.
Worn & Wound
Seeing a watch made by Naoya Hida & Co. in person for the first time was one of those moments when you truly realize that you have to experience a watch in the metal before casting judgement. At the time, the brand was only in its second full year, and most of the people commenting on the watches in online forums, Instagram, etc. were reacting to what they perceived as an exorbitant price tag. These specific watches, after all, used a (highly) modified Valjoux 7750 as the base movement – not exactly high horology. But when you handle one of these watches, wear it, and, importantly, turn the crown, you realize you’re dealing with an object that’s largely handmade, a fully fleshed out complete thought with a singular perspective. That’s a pretty rare thing, as are the hand carved dials that have become an aesthetic signature of the brand, and truly require magnification to fully grapple with. Naoya Hida & Co. has just unveiled their new slate of watches for 2025, and I imagine we’re heading for some of the same conversations we’ve heard before, but there’s a new watch in this crop of releases that should quiet at least some of the naysayers. The marquee release in this year’s lineup is the NH Type 6A, Naoya Hida’s most complicated watch to date and their first perpetual calendar. The 6A is made in the same vintage inspired style as all of Naoya Hida’s other watches, evoking classic pieces by Patek Philippe and others (but mostly Patek, let’s be honest...
Fratello
Many love an excellent mecaquartz chronograph. Brands can spend more money on the looks of such watches thanks to their affordable movements. These watches often punch above their weight, at least visually. Others say they are cheap interpretations of the real deal, a timepiece with a mechanical movement. I received the new Nivada Chronosport Blue […] Visit Hands-On With The Nivada Grenchen Chronosport Mecaquartz Salmon to read the full article.
Teddy Baldassarre
While the El Primero movement architecture may serve as the face of the Zenith brand, it is the Defy collection that remains its soul. The Defy represents an historically significant ethos for Zenith, a creative foundation that is just as important to the Swiss brand’s past as it is to its future. Originally meant to be a showcase of innovation and ideas, the Defy collection serves dual purposes: to preserve and celebrate innovations of the past in the “Revival” subfamily, and to continue innovating for the future in the series’ other branches. In 2022, the brand took a big step toward the future of the collection with the release of the Zenith Defy Skyline, a watch that simultaneously looked to build on successful elements of the past and also to capitalize on the integrated-bracelet sport watch trend that had taken hold of the industry. The Zenith Defy collection has roots in the 1960s and ‘70s, when many of the brand’s most iconic and exciting references were released (you can read a more in-depth history here). Many of these have been reborn in the form of modern Revival references, allowing a new generation of enthusiasts to discover them again, or for the first time. These designs weren’t afraid to take risks, from the shape of the case, to the bracelet integration, right into the dial colors and textures. The Defy name quickly came to signify a huge amount of character, and that’s on full display within the brand’s current stable. In finding a mo...
Worn & Wound
It’s deja vu all over again. Just last week, we brought you news of Tudor’s latest release in carbon fiber, a Black Bay Chronograph made to celebrate their partnership with the Visa Cash App Racing Bulls F1 team. Just days after that announcement, Tudor followed up with yet another carbon chrono, this one built on the FXD platform. As with all of Tudor’s carbon watches to date, this new FXD Chrono has a very specific sports tie in as well, demonstrating that Tudor’s connections to the sports world are broad, and they’re likely to continue supporting their partners with new watches along the way. The new Pelagos FXD Chrono “Pink” is a sequel of sorts to the Pelagos FXD Chrono “Cycling Edition” released a year ago. Both releases were timed to coincide with the Giro d’Italia, the famed Italian cycling race for which Tudor is the official timekeeper. Last year’s watch had prominent red accents, a design meant to evoke the colors of the Tudor Pro Cycling Team, this one has gone pink as a tribute to the race itself. The leader at the beginning of each stage dons a pink jersey, the “Maglia Rosa,” so the color has a deep connection to the race and Italian cycling culture. The pink accents on the tachymeter scale and the 9 and 3 o’clock subdials, contrast nicely with the black dial, and complement the fabric strap with pink striping down the center. As with last years Cycling release, the tachymeter scale here is set up to time cycling speeds as oppo...
Fratello
It’s Sunday morning, and you all know what that means. It’s time for another Sunday Morning Showdown. This week, we paired two legendary chronographs because we found that we hadn’t pitted these particular versions against each other. It’s been roughly a year since Omega released the white-dial Moonwatch, but it feels like it was much […] Visit Sunday Morning Showdown: Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch Vs. Rolex Cosmograph Daytona to read the full article.
WatchAdvice
While the PRC 100 Solar proved tough enough for Central Australia, would it be able to withstand the daily activities of an upper-middle class watch nerd? Let’s find out! What We Love: Elegant, classic design Reliable and robust Wears slim and close to the wrist What We Don’t: The visible solar cells might put some people off Blank caseback — a blessing and a curse Can they add a microadjustment? Overall Rating: 9/10 Value for Money: 10/10 Wearability: 9/10 Design: 8/10 Build Quality: 9/10 Everyone loves a reboot — whether it’s Michael Mann’s Heat, Robert Eggers’ Nosferatu, or Todd Howard’s Oblivion, there’s something magnetic about a classic getting the modern treatment. The watch world is no different. Heritage designs have seen a renaissance, with luxury brands like Zenith, TAG Heuer, and Rolex bringing back beloved models. Timepieces like the Chronomaster Revival Shadow, Carrera Glassbox, and Land-Dweller either faithfully revive past icons or remix archival elements into something fresh. Neo-vintage revivals — more recent classics brought back into production — are also gaining traction. While Omega’s Constellation and Piaget’s Polo ’79 represent the high end, this trend has seeped into the more accessible tier of watchmaking. Japanese powerhouses Seiko and Citizen have often led the charge, but one European brand stands tall among them: Tissot. Part of the Swatch Group, Tissot made waves in 2021 with the PRX, a heritage-inspired hit th...
SJX Watches
Sotheby’s upcoming Geneva auction that takes place on May 11 is a relatively compact affair. But the 124 lots includes notable highlights, with the top lot of the sale being the especially unique Rolex Daytona “Zenith” ref. 16516 in platinum with a pink mother-of-pearl dial. This watch is one of just four Daytonas combining the El Primero movement and platinum case – the only platinum specimens in the 16500-series Daytona – all of which were made at the behest of former Rolex chief executive Patrick Heiniger in 1999. Famous for being powered by the cal. 4030 derived from the Zenith El Primero, the 16500-series was the first-ever self-winding Daytona. The model was never commercially available in platinum; the four examples in platinum are truly unique. Moreover, each of the four are one-of-a-kind, each fitted with a different dial in exotic materials. Sotheby’s sold the prior three examples, starting with black mother-of-pearl in 2018, lapis lazuli in 2020, and turquoise in 2021. While those three featured applied Arabic numbers, this example has diamond hour markers. Initial thoughts The unique nature of this Daytona is unquestionable. Amongst automatic Daytonas this ranks amongst the rarest and most valuable. Two of its platinum siblings sold for over US$3 million each, making them the priciest modern-day Daytonas. Of the four platinum Daytonas, however, this example is the most paradoxical. It’s the most unusual in having diamond indices, but also the most...
Fratello
When I was asked to compile my list of favorite Watches and Wonders 2025 releases, the Angelus Chronographe Télémètre Steel Rose was the first that sprang to mind. So, when I got the opportunity to spend some decent time with it, I jumped on it. I spent a couple of days with this beauty on […] Visit Hands-On With The Lovely Angelus Chronographe Télémètre Steel Rose to read the full article.
Fratello
I saw some potential in its attractive dial. But since it was so simple and powered by a pretty standard Valjoux movement, I truly didn’t expect this blue-dial Gallet to become my beater. It’s funny how, every so often, a watch I’d least expect finds a way to wriggle itself into my heart. Despite what […] Visit Retrospective: Tomas Sports A Puzzling Late Blue-Dial Gallet Chronograph to read the full article.
Worn & Wound
Brew’s recent history has been marked by two distinct types of watch releases. There are watches that incorporate bold design choices in established platforms, like Metric Star from last year, or our own Metric Chrono Regulator Lumint limited edition. These releases take a distinct point of view on something that is familiar to Brew fans and watch enthusiasts more generally, and keep moving the ball forward on the brand’s aesthetic. Then there are more substantial releases that feel like the brand is reaching for greater heights, toying with an incrementally higher end product. The titanium Metric Chronograph, for instance, seemed like clear upping of the ante in terms of what the Brew catalog might look like across price points, materials, and so on, as did the first mechanical Metric when it was released almost two years ago. If you’ve spent any time at all talking to Brew founder Jonathan Ferrer, you know that he has no shortage of ideas for the brand, so there’s a prevailing sense that a watch that completely changes how we think about Brew could come at any time. The new Metric Manual Wind might be the best example of that to date. It makes sense, in a lot of ways, that a watch like this would come now. This year marks Brew’s tenth anniversary, and the last decade (especially the last five years or so) have seen the brand grow at a clip rarely seen in the microbrand space. The Metric has proven to be a particularly durable platform for design innovations a...
Hodinkee
Tudor's new cycling-specific limited edition chronograph for the famed Italian bike race.
Fratello
I admit I had to Google this one! That is all on me, though, as I’m not into movies so much. Actor Colman Domingo was at the Met Gala 2025 sporting a yet-to-be-released Omega Speedmaster Professional in Moonshine Gold. Speedmaster reverse panda in Moonshine Gold Colman Domingo has played many roles in movies and series, […] Visit Watch Spotting: A New Omega Speedmaster Reverse Panda In Moonshine Gold to read the full article.
![Auctions: Three Seriously Collectable Watches Are Coming To Auction For The First Time [Rolex Daytona 'Le Mans', Simon Brette Chronomètre Artisans, And A Konstantin Chaykin ThinKing]](https://hodinkee.imgix.net/uploads/images/5098071b-e047-4224-baf3-09dd9b11dece/rolex-lemans-daytona-hero.jpg?ixlib=rails-1.1.0&fm=jpg&q=55&auto=format&usm=12&w=1200&h=630&fit=crop)
Hodinkee
A duo of upcoming sales sets the stage for a trio of decidedly modern, in-demand models that collectors will be sure to follow.
Fratello
As I landed in Zurich last Monday, I wondered what flying must have been like 60 years ago. Besides the cigarette smoke, one of the most significant differences would’ve been the vital role that analog tools played in guiding the plane to its destination and doing so safely and on time. Today, it feels as […] Visit Celebrating 60 Years Of The Omega Speedmaster Becoming NASA Flight Qualified to read the full article.
Worn & Wound
We haven’t remarked on it all that much to this point, but one of the inescapable trends at Watches & Wonders this year was a prevalence of F1 cars making appearances around the Palexpo. If you scheduled your meetings in a particular way, you could easily be convinced that every Swiss watch brand has some level of involvement with the sport. IWC, of course, is just beginning to promote F1, the highly anticipated new film starring Brad Pitt that is said to feature many, many IWC watches. And then there’s TAG Heuer, whose parent company LVMH secured a lucrative deal with Formula 1 in the off season, and returned TAG to official timekeeper status. Both of these brands had actual cars in their booths, and they drew a crowd all week. Then there’s H. Moser, a sponsor of the Alpine team, and finally (please get in the comments if I’ve missed one) there’s Tudor, a partner of the Visa Cash App Racing Bulls Formula One Team, who took this weekend’s Miami GP as an opportunity to release their latest racing themed watch, the Black Bay Chrono Carbon 25. The limited edition (2,025 numbered examples) chronograph is modeled on the Black Bay Chronograph, a watch that has seen its share of special editions in the last few years, mostly by way of colored dials. This watch is a little different as it represents an all new case material for the Black Bay Chrono, making use of Tudor’s carbon fiber composite material (the caseback, pushers, and crown are all rendered in titanium ...
Time+Tide
First teased at Watches and Wonders 2025, this sporty motorsports chronograph is the first carbon fibre Tudor Black Bay ever.The post Tudor unveils its raciest Formula 1 watch yet, the Black Bay Chrono “Carbon 25” appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
Twenty-twenty-four marked Greubel Forsey’s 20th anniversary, an occasion celebrated with their first chronograph, the Nano Foudroyante EWT. The brand’s tenth “Fundamental Innovation” since its founding back in 2004, the Nano Foudroyante EWT is a flyback chronograph with a flying tourbillon and an independent micro-scale lightning seconds, or foudroyante. The watch marked many firsts for the brand. Aside from being Greubel Forsey’s first chronograph, it is also the brand’s first flying tourbillon – noteworthy given its longtime focus on the tourbillon. Despite its extensive history with innovative tourbillon constructions, Greubel Forsey (GF) has never before created one with a flying architecture. Initial thoughts GF is often regarded as among the best in terms of innovative watchmaking and artisanal chronometry. Although the brand’s styling can arguably be too much at times, its core signature of high-end horology is unmistakable and defined by exemplary finishing and exceptional engineering in equal measure. The Nano Foudroyante EWT is interesting in many respects. The combination of complications is unusual, even for GF, and feels like more of a conceptual platform to present the “nano” sized lightning seconds (that runs independently of the chronograph). That said, execution is typical of GF in being high quality all around. It is a perfect example of the brand’s approach to watchmaking, both decoration- and engineering-wise. Similarly, the ae...
Monochrome
In the sea of complications, one perhaps stands out as a fan favourite, and possibly the most applicable complication in real life: the chronograph. It comes in many styles and configurations, relying on iconic ebauches or in-house masterpieces, and as such, in many price brackets. This year’s Watches & Wonders event showcases that the chronograph […]
SJX Watches
In what’s become an annual tradition, Tudor has just revealed a special edition on the eve of the Miami Grand Prix. But unlike last year’s Black Bay “Chameleon” destined only for the drivers of the Visa Cash App RB Formula 1 Team (VCARB), the Black Bay Chrono “Carbon 25” is a commercially available timepiece – but in a limited edition of 2,025 pieces. The Carbon 25 is presented in a carbon composite case, matched with a domed dial in the colours of the VCARB team that also sports carbon composite registers. Initial thoughts I’m a fan of Tudor in general, mainly because of the strong value proposition the brand offers in all its watches. The chronographs stand out as amongst the best in the price segment. However, the chronographs in steel are a little thick and weighty; the Carbon 25 definitely reduces the weight substantially, and it’s also a tiny bit slimmer. Tudor already has a carbon-case chronograph in the collection (that is actually thinner), but the Carbon 25 has a more appealing case design that retains all of the elements of the steel case, including the bevelled lugs. One detail that stands out are the carbon composite inserts in between the lugs that give the strap a better visual integration into the case. I like the Carbon 25, enough that I would buy one, but the watch is the most expensive chronographs in the Tudor catalogue, with a price of US$7,575. It is still well priced compared to the competition, but priced substantially more expensi...
Hodinkee
Tudor's dive chronograph takes to the track with a new carbon fibre case.
Monochrome
It’s no surprise that the Miami GP is becoming one of the two hottest moments of the Formula 1 season, almost closing the gap with the glamorous Monaco GP. And with this in mind, watch brands sponsoring teams are now using this date to release colourful special editions, mixing the daring colours of the city […]
Teddy Baldassarre
The Omega Speedmaster “Moonwatch” is one of the most legendary and collectible watch models in the world, its fame derived from its pivotal role in history as the first watch worn on the moon. Now the undisputed flagship of Omega’s vast and diverse watch portfolio, the original Speedmaster has changed very little from the timepiece worn by Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin on the Apollo 11 mission more than 50 years ago. However, over the course of subsequent years, Omega has released dozens of special editions of the “Speedy,” many in commemoration of milestone moments in NASA history, which have featured distinctive differences from the core model and have gained an avid following of their own. Perhaps no Speedmaster best exemplifies both the watch’s enduring collectibility, as well as its significant role in the Space Race and beyond, more so than the "Silver Snoopy'' editions. How did Snoopy, the beloved cartoon beagle from Charles M. Schulz’s iconic “Peanuts” comic strip, find his way onto the dial of a spacefaring Swiss watch in the first place, you ask? Here’s the story. As related in far more depth in my article on the history of the Moonwatch, the Omega Speedmaster was launched in 1957 and originally intended as a wristwatch for timing motorsports. In the 1960s, however, the watch was submitted as one of a handful of chronographs tested by NASA to endure the rigors of space travel. After emerging victorious in the competition, the Speedmaster wa...
Hodinkee
All that and more in this week's edition of Hodinkee's What's Selling Where column.
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