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Dive Watches · Page 55

Hands-On: the Victorinox Dive Pro Worn & Wound
Aug 13, 2024

Hands-On: the Victorinox Dive Pro

When I think of Victorinox, only one thing comes to mind: their iconic Swiss Army knife. Growing up in the scout program, I thought that a Swiss Army knife was the coolest thing ever, even if I couldn’t find one with the perfect tool set. Years later I’ve come to learn that Victorinox has an impressive line of products, ranging from iconic multi-tools, travel gear, fragrances, and of course, watches. When the Dive Pro landed on my desk, I was quite intrigued with its angular design and rugged appearance. Throughout this review, we’ll take a look at the technical specs and ultimately my opinion on the watches in general. The Dive Pro line from Victorinox is an extension of their dive watch offering with eight new references, bringing an increased depth rating of 300 meters, new case materials, and some bold colorways. While all of the new Dive Pro watches feature a 43mm case, faceted unidirectional bezels, and sapphire crystals, you have the option of two case materials: 316L Stainless Steel and Grade 2 Titanium. I feel that both of these materials were carefully selected for their unique properties they bring to the table. While titanium is a lighter material with more inherent corrosion resistance, these benefits come at a cost, literally. Stainless steel provides slightly less corrosion resistance but can be machined much easier allowing the material to be manufactured to the same quality at a cheaper price. Depending on the environments you expect to dive in, you ...

Sunday Morning Showdown: TAG Heuer Carrera Glassbox Vs. Tudor Black Bay Chrono Fratello
Aug 11, 2024

Sunday Morning Showdown: TAG Heuer Carrera Glassbox Vs. Tudor Black Bay Chrono

Welcome to another Sunday Morning Showdown! Today, we return to our regular program after last week’s battle between two rather elegant and dressy chronographs. This week, we put the TAG Heuer Carrera Glassbox up against Tudor’s Black Bay Chrono. Both are vintage-inspired, automatic chronographs with a modern twist, and above all, they’re stainless steel sports […] Visit Sunday Morning Showdown: TAG Heuer Carrera Glassbox Vs. Tudor Black Bay Chrono to read the full article.

The Watch that Made AliExpress Homages Cool Two Broke Watch Snobs
Aug 10, 2024

The Watch that Made AliExpress Homages Cool

When it comes to provenance, nothing has less of it than an AliExpress homage. On this online platform based in China that sells inexpensive Chinese products, there are plenty of watch brands (or should I say manufacturers?) offering copycat versions of watches with actual provenance. Selling everything from look-alike Seiko Turtles to Omega Seamasters, these brands specialize in affordable (often in the $100 to $300 dollar range) versions of popular watches.

Squale Introduces the 1521 Marina Militare SJX Watches
Aug 9, 2024

Squale Introduces the 1521 Marina Militare

To celebrating its 65th, Squale turns once again to the Italian navy for a dive watch collaboration: the 1521 Marina Militare. A tribute to the vintage 1521 model supplied to the divers of the Italian navy – officially known as the Marina Militare – in the 1980s, this limited edition bears the navy logo on the dial and the naval coat of arms on the case back. The rest of the watch is classic 1521 with its angular “Von Büren” case reminiscent of 1970s dive watches – that’s because Squale was historically also a supplier of cases to other brands that included Blancpain and Doxa. Initial thoughts Although vintage re-issues are common with micro-brands, few have true historical basis. Squale, however, does as it was both a supplier of dive watch cases to notable brands as well as suppliers of watches to the Italian navy. Even though the design of the isn’t novel or creative – it is a vintage reissue after all – the historical navy connection sets this apart from its peers. The dial, bezel, and strap feature orange accents Priced at US$1,430, 1521 Marina Militare is affordable and priced comparably to past Squale models. Like many watches in this price range it’s powered by an  inexpensive Sellita SW 200-1. It’s priced similarly to most of the micro brand competition, but the Marine Militare connection makes this little a more interesting. Retro and orange The 1521 Marina Militare reproduces the vintage “Von Büren” case that is best known for having...

Daniel Craig Spotted With A New Omega Seamaster Professional 300M At The Paris 2024 Olympic Games Fratello
Aug 8, 2024

Daniel Craig Spotted With A New Omega Seamaster Professional 300M At The Paris 2024 Olympic Games

All eyes are on Paris this summer as the city hosts the Summer Olympics. But today, it’s not the XXXIII Olympiad that has caught our attention. Instead, it was the watch on the wrist of someone in the crowd minding their own business and enjoying the games. That someone happens to be Daniel Craig, former […] Visit Daniel Craig Spotted With A New Omega Seamaster Professional 300M At The Paris 2024 Olympic Games to read the full article.

Omega Unveils A New Titanium Seamaster Aqua Terra 150m Ultra Light On The Wrist Of Olympic Gold Medallist Mondo Duplantis Fratello
Aug 7, 2024

Omega Unveils A New Titanium Seamaster Aqua Terra 150m Ultra Light On The Wrist Of Olympic Gold Medallist Mondo Duplantis

On Monday night, Swedish pole vaulter Armand “Mondo” Duplantis set a new world record and won an Olympic gold medal. Both of these achievements could be considered the pinnacle of any athlete’s career, yet with Duplantis, it feels like the opening chapters of what will undoubtedly be a long and illustrious biography. Watch fans worldwide […] Visit Omega Unveils A New Titanium Seamaster Aqua Terra 150m Ultra Light On The Wrist Of Olympic Gold Medallist Mondo Duplantis to read the full article.

Blancpain’s Bathyscaphe Gets a Red Gold Bracelet SJX Watches
Aug 7, 2024

Blancpain’s Bathyscaphe Gets a Red Gold Bracelet

Blancpain range of vintage inspired dive watches grows to include a pair of top-of-the-line models, the Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe Quantième Complet and Chronographe Flyback, both in 18k red gold with a matching red gold bracelet. Previously available only with a fabric strap, the new duo feature a gradient blue dial with a sun-ray finish and a matching blue ceramic bezel insert.  Initial thoughts First released in 1956 as a more compact version of the Fifty Fathoms, the Bathyscaphe was reissued as a sportier and smaller sibling of the modern-day Fifty Fathoms. The Bathyscaphe line encompasses complications and various materials, including the recent all-ceramic models. The new pair continue to extend the line in terms of materials; they are the only models in the entire Fifty Fathoms range with a matching gold bracelet. The all-gold look is of course not for everyone, but the new pair have an extravagant appeal, particularly the chronograph that looks and feels like an ultra-luxe sports watch. The all-gold look, however, comes at a price. Both are cost US$55,300, which is far from the accessible price point of their all-ceramic counterparts. The price is arguably justified by Blancpain’s easily discernible quality, though the brand lacks the cachet of its peers in the same price segment, which makes these high-end models a very niche offering.  The red gold models are also available with a fabric strap. Fully red gold Both the Bathyscaphe Quantième Complet and Chr...

Introducing – Omega Soars To New Heights With The Seamaster Aqua Terra 150M Titanium Ultra-Light And Armand Duplantis Monochrome
Aug 7, 2024

Introducing – Omega Soars To New Heights With The Seamaster Aqua Terra 150M Titanium Ultra-Light And Armand Duplantis

With the 2024 Paris Olympics in full swing, and Omega being the official timing partner for the entire event, it’s impossible to ignore the brand. Especially when prior to and during the four weeks of epic sports on display, new watches are being released. Following the official 2024 Olympics edition of the Speedmaster Chronoscope and […]

Ollech & Wajs Recreates the Classic Caribbean 1000 Diver Worn & Wound
Aug 6, 2024

Ollech & Wajs Recreates the Classic Caribbean 1000 Diver

Ever since humans began exploring the ocean’s depths, watch companies have been creating timepieces capable of withstanding the pressures of SCUBA diving. In the 1950s and 60s, companies like Blancpain, Rolex, and Omega raced to create watches with the greatest water resistance. However, a small collaborative brand outdid them all with a watch capable of reaching a depth of 1000 meters. It took Rolex well into the next decade before they made a watch that could go beyond that. One of those collaborators was Ollech & Wajs, and the legendary timepiece was named the Caribbean 1000. Roughly thirty years later, when the internet was still in its early stages, if you were searching the web for dive watches, there’s a good chance you came across New Old Stock (NOS) Caribbean 1000 watches by Ollech & Wajs or Jenny. In its heyday, O&W produced nearly 10,000 watches per year. There were still quite a few unused watches available, and collectors were thrilled to have access to them. Despite barely surviving the quartz crisis of the 1970s, Albert Wajs remained in charge until 2017, when the brand was sold to Charles Le Menestrel. Since then, the brand has been revived with reimagined models from the past, such as the Caribbean. To celebrate its 60th anniversary, O&W is launching the most authentic reproduction of the original Caribbean 1000 to date, the C-1000 A. From its short, triangle-shaped lugs, affectionately referred to as ‘Vampire fangs’ by collectors, to its narrow 12...

Introducing: Two New Versions Of The Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe In Grail-worthy Gold Fratello
Aug 6, 2024

Introducing: Two New Versions Of The Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe In Grail-worthy Gold

The Fifty Fathoms family from Blancpain has already crossed the line from tool watch into wrist grails for most of us. This was already a fact with rising prices years ago and symbolizes for many the change in how we perceive wristwear. By nature they are all instruments to tell the time, and any reference […] Visit Introducing: Two New Versions Of The Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe In Grail-worthy Gold to read the full article.

Fratello On Air: What’s So Special About Rolex Anyhow? Fratello
Aug 6, 2024

Fratello On Air: What’s So Special About Rolex Anyhow?

Welcome back to another episode of Fratello On Air! This week, we ask: What the hell is so special about Rolex, anyhow? Sure, the brand has been discussed heavily, but having had recent Submariner experiences, both hosts hash out what makes these watches so fantastic. For our faithful listeners, the watch content begins at approximately […] Visit Fratello On Air: What’s So Special About Rolex Anyhow? to read the full article.

Introducing the Seiko Prospex SPB473, a Limited Regional Release for the European Market Worn & Wound
Aug 5, 2024

Introducing the Seiko Prospex SPB473, a Limited Regional Release for the European Market

A thing you discover about watch collecting after being involved in the hobby for a little while is that it’s a truly international endeavor. This manifests itself in a number of ways. The geography of the watchmaking industry is obviously something that’s discussed frequently, with Swiss, German, Japanese, and American styles of the craft all taking slightly different shapes. But even more than that, practical matters like the availability of watches to actually purchase has a lot to do with where you are in the world. Just last week, we told you about a pair of new limited edition Grand Seikos made just for the US market, and today we have a similar story about a Seiko diver for sale exclusively in Europe. Regional releases strike again. The Seiko Prospex SPB473 would have caught our eye regardless, but something about it being vaguely forbidden if you happen to live in America makes it all the more appealing. Now, realistically, this watch won’t be that hard to track down if you really put some effort into it. There are all kinds of ways an American customer can obtain a watch made for a foreign market. Proxy buyers, the pre-owned market, and simply calling up a dealer and asking if they’d consider an international sale are all viable options. But if it really is the thrill of the hunt that makes watch collecting exciting and rewarding, have those few extra hoops to jump through could actually be welcome for some.  The SPB473’s key feature is a beautiful grad...

Nothing Makes Sense This Monday, And The Jaeger-LeCoultre Polaris Perpetual Calendar In Pink Gold And Green Is To Blame Fratello
Aug 5, 2024

Nothing Makes Sense This Monday, And The Jaeger-LeCoultre Polaris Perpetual Calendar In Pink Gold And Green Is To Blame

Let’s do a little test. I want to know how you react to the following types of watches. Are you ready? Here we go - dive watches with tourbillons and pilot’s watches with perpetual calendars. Do you start to feel a tad uncomfortable? Did your left eye twitch a little? It’s a “yes” for me […] Visit Nothing Makes Sense This Monday, And The Jaeger-LeCoultre Polaris Perpetual Calendar In Pink Gold And Green Is To Blame to read the full article.

Hands-On With The New Black-Dial Omega Seamaster Aqua Terra Models Fratello
Aug 5, 2024

Hands-On With The New Black-Dial Omega Seamaster Aqua Terra Models

Omega recently introduced a trio of new Seamaster Aqua Terra models. Although the brand itself made little fanfare about it, we were excited to see them. Many within the Fratello team were quite fond of the Aqua Terra Shades models. I was even tempted to buy one for myself. So when a black-dial version came […] Visit Hands-On With The New Black-Dial Omega Seamaster Aqua Terra Models to read the full article.