When I think of Seiko, I think of all the people who couldn’t care less about watches and bought a Seiko just because of that. It tells time, and it does it cheap. Now, I know that this is not true in all cases. There are plenty of nice Seikos that I really like, but I (almost) never include them in articles. Actually, last few weeks I got a few mails (including hate-mails) from people wondering why I didn’t include Seiko watches in my buying guide articles over at Motoring Exposure (click here for the articles).

Picture by Stefan /  Molle Watch

My long time blog friend (a.k.a The Seiko Champion) Harry Bishop also wondered why I didn’t include a Seiko timepiece in my 1000 – 2000 USD buying guide article in his most recent blog post. What he actually writes, is the following:

“I would challenge those who exclude Asian (and other) high-end well known brands of watch makers from their lists. The perception of European dominance in luxury watches is actually just an example of successful marketing … it’s not true, and it’s a relatively recent perspective. Other countries including the US used to be considered the premier manufacturers of luxury watches, but that changed last century. Some of this changed for real, other parts of it just changed in belief.

I’m not talking about new Chinese firms with little heritage. I’m talking about something like a Grand Seiko, which has the heritage, quality, accuracy, and aesthetics to more than hold it’s head up high in this company. I guess this post earns me my “Seiko Champion” moniker.”

Why not turn it around? I believe this is the result of unsuccessful marketing by Seiko (and other Asian companies) that made me not include a Grand Seiko in one of my articles. I do not recall seeing a Seiko Spring Drive or (other) Grand Seiko model in a jeweller shop in The Netherlands, other than at Van Koningsbruggen in Zoetermeer (a city near The Hague). This is the only shop I actually saw one and held one in my hands. I’ve never seen them anywhere else in The Netherlands or in another European country. This, and this only, is the reason that I do not include Grand Seiko (Spring Drive) watches in my buyer’s guide articles or cover them at all here at Fratellowatches. I believe I would include them if they were widely available and when I had some hands-on experience with these watches. Because honestly, some of them just look marvellous!

Now, I have been looking around for Grand Seikos on the web, looked into dedicated Seiko forums at WatchUseek and TimeZone but one thing has become clear.. I am not the only one wondering where to get these Grand Seiko timepieces. Vintages models are the easiest to get here in The Netherlands. I have seen several on eBay listing for a few hundred dollars to a few thousand dollars but old-fashioned as I am, before spending over a 1000 USD on a timepiece, I would love to hold one in my hands and try one first.

One of the few nice ones I noticed is this one:

I guess I will keep following these eBay items for a while, just to get an idea about value and availability. As for the new models, where do I need to go? Tell me.

Related posts:

1. Ofcourse, the Grand Seiko…
2. Seiko GMT
3. Seiko reference page

Breitling watches are without a doubt highly desirable timepieces.  So how can the maker of some of the finest luxury watches make their products even more desirable?  Simple: team up with Bentley, maker of some of the finest ultra-luxury vehicles on the planet

Red Gold Limited, 100 pieces set

The latest models of watches in this luxury partnership are the Bentley GMT 2009 Limited Series.  Brietling for Bentley spared no expense when creating this extremely limited collection and each watch is a testament to the superior refinement of both brands.

Beginning with the most available of the set at 100 pieces, the Red Gold Limited Bentley GMT comes with a bronze dial and red accented hands.  Its brother, also called the Red Gold Limited, is a set of 50 pieces.  It comes with diamonds set into the strap attachments and at the hour markers, as well as either a natural or azure mother-of-pearl dial.  Next in the series is the White Gold Limited.  Only amounting to 25 pieces, this watch features the same diamond settings and dial choices as the 50 piece Red Gold Limited.  The final watch in the series is also called the White Gold Limited.  This timepiece distinguishes itself by being set with baguette-cut diamonds and having a diamond-pave dial; understandably, this watch is a set of only 10 pieces.

Technorati Tags: Breitling, breitling for bentley watches, breitling gmt, Breitling Watches, brietling for bentley

I thought it might be a good plan to introduce one of the most famous cult watches to this group of car lovers over at MotoringExposure.com. Every week, I try to feed them with interesting horological facts and articles and it took actually quite long (to my taste) to talk about one of my favorites, the Omega Speedmaster Professional.

Probably nothing much inside you didn’t already know about the Moonwatch, but you never know of course Click here for my article at MotoringExposure.

Related posts:

1. Omega Speedmaster 125: The first automatic winding chronometer chronograph
2. Omega Speedmaster Professional Moonphase
3. Omega Speedmaster Professional 3570.40

Michele Watches have a new line of women’s timepieces that are being released at the end of February.  Entitled the Tropical Paradise Collection, the line arrives just in time for the beginning of the summer shopping season.

Michele’s Tropical Paradise Collection consists of three watches.  Each watch is based on a different animal that is featured in a scene set in the dial.  To accompany these elaborate pictures, each watch is fitted with a set of diamonds on the dial and case, as well as a color-coordinated strap.  The Tropical Paradise Monkey watch comes with 51 diamonds, totaling 0.34 ct, and a golden alligator strap.  The Tropical Paradise Sea Turtle watch has 53 diamonds, totaling 0.35 ct, and a turquoise alligator strap.  The Tropical Paradise Fish watch is fitted with 56 diamonds, totaling 0.36 ct, and a hot pink alligator strap.

Each watch in the Tropical Paradise Collection can be fitted with any strap Michele offers.  All three feature a date window and the red Michele logo.  The watches have white enamel dials, 36 mm cases, sapphire crystals, accurate Swiss movements, and are water resistant to 5 ATM.

The watches in Michele’s Tropical Paradise Collection are the perfect watches for any beach-loving lady.  The wide range of strap options means that women of all style persuasions can make these watches suit their particular tastes, and the fun tropical themes make these timepieces great for a summer day out in the sun.

Technorati Tags: Michele, michele tropical paradise, michele tropical paradise collection, michele tropical paradise watches, Michele Watches, michele womens watches

This is not only a book about watches. This is a book about the faces behind the watches made by horological master minds Philippe Dufour, Paul Gerber, Dr. Ludwig Oechslin, FP Journe, Kenji Shiohara, Kari Voutilainen, Vianney Halter, Beat Haldimann, Volker Vyskocil, Thomas Prescher, Roger Smith and Felix Baumgartner.

I own and have read a great number of books on watches: books about specific brands, specific uses, specific complications and so on. For this reason, perhaps, I’m not sure this is a book suited to people with no interest in haute horlogerie; it is a book that suits the desire of many advanced collectors and watch aficionados to have more information on the subject. 12 Faces of Time is a book at a whole new level that what is already in existence, providing insight into the creative and inspiring minds of today’s watchmaking legends. This masterpiece of watch literature is certainly more than just a coffee table book.

The authors of this book, Elizabeth Doerr and Ralf Baumgarten, did an excellent job capturing the personal stories and excellent (and most creative) photographs of these watchmakers in their own environments. The authors needed to travel to four different countries to be able to make that possible. If they hadn’t done so, the watchmakers likely could not have been portrayed in as they are in 12 Faces of Time, at ease and passionately speaking about their work.

This is a unique book in many ways, but one thing that really sets it apart is the choice of the twelve watchmakers portrayed. These were carefully selected by the authors of the book, without any influence of marketing from brands or luxury groups. As an avid reader of watch magazines, I thought I would be able to name them all, but some of the names were new to me. Kenji Shiohara, for example, is one I had never heard of before, even though he has created some tremendous timepieces for Seiko’s mini-department of high watchmaking. The book includes a few legendary names as well, of course: Ludwig Oechslin, former creative head of Ulysse Nardin, and François-Paul Journe with his impressive FP Journe timepieces.

Not only the interviews make this book worthwhile, the photos are also simply stunning. The interplay of double-page photograph spreads and smaller pictures is wonderful, and amazingly enough it doesn’t distract you from the text with its careful wording.

When I finished reading this book, I caught myself screaming ‘wow!’ out loud. This has never happened before, and I immediately looked over my shoulder to make sure nobody else was there. Just to be sure.

This book has a price tag of 79.90 Euro. More information through www.teneues.com.

Related posts:

1. 12 Faces of Time: Horological Virtuosos
2. A new book
3. Masters of Contemporary Watchmaking by Michael Clerizo

On January 11, 2010, IWC released an exciting new iPhone application for their collections of watches.  Aimed at giving fans and patrons of the brand simple, direct access to all the main content of their website, IWC’s app is filled with interactive and unique features that anyone can have fun with.

The app’s main feature is its immense collection of digital animations that explain many of the complex mechanisms found in IWC watches.  Two notable examples are the depth gauge found on the Aquatimer Deep Two and the digital calendar found on the Da Vinci Perpetual Calendar Digital Date Month.  App users can virtually wind up the power source on the Portuguese Automatic, or, if need be, use the button found on the Big Ingenieur Chronograph to record stopped time.

The most intriguing feature of IWC’s app is the Try-It function.  Using the Try-It function, iPhone owners can take a picture of their wrist and then see how the various watches look on their wrist.  This ingenious feature allows potential customers determine which models they like best without even stepping into a store.  When they find a model they like, the app provides them with a locator that helps guide them to the closest IWC retailer.

On top of all these great features, the IWC watch app is available for free and in 6 different languages.

Technorati Tags: IWC, IWC iphone, IWC iphone app, IWC Watch Iphone, IWC Watches

If I didn’t already have one, I would seriously consider this IWC Ingenieur 3227-01 that is for sale over at Horloge Platform Nederland. This discontinued model was only in production for a short time, 2005 – 2008. IWC introduced this new Ingenieur model in 2005, to be a worthy successor of the original IWC Ingenieur SL model as designed by Gérald Genta in 1976/1977. Last year, I wrote an article on Genta’s classics and their current versions here on Fratellowatches (click here to read the article) and although I concluded that this revised Ingenieur is only influenced by its original design (unlike the almost unchanged Patek Philippe Nautilus or Audemars Piguet Royal Oak), it is still an impressive model with Genta DNA.

With an original list price of 5900 Euro, this 3200 Euro is a steal for such a great timepiece (I wrote a review here). A very accurate timepiece, solid construction, incredible nice finish on case and bracelet because of the combination of polished and brushed parts and in this deal, it comes with both the stainless steel bracelet and original IWC soft strap.

I have seen this particular timepiece and was impressed by its condition, only minor wear to detect, even on the bracelet which tend to scratch quickly after wearing it a few times. Horloge Platform Nederland even made a small (HD) video on this timepiece, which enables you to determine the condition of this watch even better.

IWC Ingenieur, ref. 3227 from Gerard Nijenbrinks on Vimeo.

I really don’t understand the price drop on these Ingenieur timepieces. Although they are probably only liked by collectors, it is a lot of watch for this kind of money. An in-house IWC movement (caliber 80110), high-end finish on all inner and outer parts and a comfortable size of 42.5mm in diameter. The later models are less interesting in my opinion, the sharp edges are gone, the size has become bigger and prices have (of course) gone up. Get a 3227-01 before they run out!

Related posts:

1. Ingenieur 3227: the score
2. Custom IWC Ingenieur strap by Jacob
3. IWC Ingenieur Mission Earth Edition “Adventure Ecology” IW3236

Movado’s latest collection of watches has been titled “Bold.”  The label is fitting, as the collection features some of the most striking watches on the market.  Case in point: the 03600011 Chronograph men’s watch.

The Bold Chronograph is an attention grabber.  Movado made everything on this watch the cleanest, starkest white possible; even the people snowed in all winter will look slightly tan.  Underneath the outstanding visual appeal lies a well-crafted watch.  Its 43.5 mm case is made from a high-tech composite PVD stainless steel and is completed with stainless steel inserts, crown, and pushers.  The white dial is offset by silver hands and the soleil dot that marks all Movado timepieces.  Within the dial are the three chronograph dials, each one set with dial rings that match the outer time ring.  A date window sits at the 6 o’clock position.

The strap of the Bold Chronograph is white leather and is lined in purple.  It boasts a k1 metalized sapphire scratch resistant crystal that is treated with an antireflective coating.  It also features a high quality Swiss quartz chronograph movement.

The Movado Bold Chronograph men’s watch is the perfect watch for those guys looking to catch the attention of a room with just a flick of a wrist.  This watch is undeniably sleek, perfect for a casual night on the town.

Technorati Tags: movado, Movado Bold, Movado Bold watches, movado men’s watches, Movado Watches

When the first Royal Oak was introduced in 1972, nobody could have guessed how popular the design would be in the 21st century. Based on that original design, Audemars Piguet introduced the Royal Oak Offshore collection 20 years after the first Royal Oak. At least here in The Netherlands, the Royal Oak Offshore is very popular and in my humble opinion, it is one of the watches that caused the end of the hype around the stainless steel Rolex Daytona (given the fact that it is widely available again and that they are going for list price).

However, given the fact that I am the proud owner of the Royal Oak model that comes closest to the original of 1972, how does this Offshore compare to its ancestor and is it actually a true alternative for the ultimate cult chronograph, the Rolex Daytona ref.116520? A few weeks ago, I was able to review a Royal Oak Offshore Safari (26170ST.OO.D091CR.01) from Dutch watch dealer Watch-Site and I finally have some time to share my findings with you.

From the Offshore collection, the Safari always drew my attention, mainly because of the very nice creamy dial color. It reminds me a bit of the Rolex Explorer II Cream Dial ref. 16550 (mid-80s), a very sought-after Explorer II model. The Safari has this very cool brown alligator (hornback) strap with bone texture, making it look very euh… Safari. Just like every other Royal Oak, the Safari also has the 8 white gold screws in the bezel of the watch. When the watch is being held in certain angles, the light will play nicely with the satinized bezel and the high polished white gold screws. I catch myself doing this quite regularly

The watch case is a lot bigger than the original Royal Oak model and not only that, but also a bit different in shape. Edges are not as sharp as on the original Royal Oak models, and most parts of the watch are a bit more round in general. The Offshore models are famous for their rubber parts, like the thick rubber gasket between the bezel and the watch case and the rubber protectors for the crown and chronograph pushers.

Although not very visible in the picture above, the crown and pushers are not aligned. However, the date window already should have told you that this movement is not a dedicated chronograph movement but a regular movement with an additional chronograph module (this method is called piggybacking).

The base movement is an in-house movement, that has been used by Audemars Piguet since 2005. The regular Royal Oak Date Automatic (ref. 15300) has the same base movement (caliber 3120), amongst others . The movement used in the Safari (and other Offshore Chronographs) is referred to as caliber 3126/3840, with 59 jewels and a 55 hour power reserve. A high number of jewels for a chronograph movement will tell you that it is a piggybacked movement most of the time. Nothing wrong with that of course, but the purists amongst us will prefer a dedicated chronograph movement instead.

Personally, I think you shouldn’t expect to get a piggybacked chronograph movement in a 16.000 Euro timepiece, although it would be mainly because of the misalignment of the crown and pushers.

As you can see in the picture above, the (round) screws are going in via the back of the watch and the white gold screw in the bezel is actually a hex nut. The case back of the AP ROO Safari actually says all that is necessary on the back, except for its 100 meters of water resistance.

The production number is a combination of a letter and a few digits and then again a few digits with No. in front of it. The letter (G in this case) should tell us something about the year, 2007 and the rest is abracadabra to me. My own 15202 has an F-number, and dates back to 2006. If anyone can explain me the logic behind these numbers, I would be very grateful.

With approximately 800 employees in Switzerland and 200 in foreign countries, Audemars Piguet is able to manufacture between 25.000 and 30.000 watches per year. So, there has to be something going on with the combination of these two identifiers in the back of the case.

So, is it a good and modern alternative for the once highly sought after Rolex Daytona? Most Rolex fans will tell you that there is no substitute, and a lot of AP fans will probably tell you the same. Apples and oranges indeed. Fact is though, that the AP ROO has become the watch of choice for bankers, soccer players and movie stars, where there was once only one ruler, the Rolex Daytona – preferably in stainless steel. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but movement wise, I think the Rolex is more interesting with its in-house developed chronograph caliber 4130. When it comes to the resell value, the Rolex Daytona is – although the hype is over – still good to go quickly for cash that comes close to retail.

A Royal Oak Offshore Safari Chronograph has a list price of 16.100 Euro, while you can get a BNIB model between 11.500 and 13.500 Euro. Used models, like the one reviewed, are approximately 10K Euro. One reason or another, you can bargain a lot on a new Audemars Piguet or get an occasion for almost 6K under list price. This could be seen as an advantage as well I guess, as long as you aren’t the guy who bought one for list price.

The 44mm x 14.75mm dimensions might not look good on everyone’s wrists, but I surely found the watch to be comfortable yet very ‘present’. I do think that it is at least the nicest Offshore model available right now, with its brown alligator hornback strap, stainless steel bezel (instead of rubber) and easy-on-the-eyes dial.

Thanks for reading and let me know what you think of this timepiece by leaving a comment below. Thanks to Watch-Site for lending me the watch.

Related posts:

1. Size Comparison: Linde Werdelin 3-Timer vs Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore (Safari)
2. Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Montauk: Honoring a highway
3. Audemars Piguet Rubber Clad

When the first Royal Oak was introduced in 1972, nobody could have guessed how popular the design would be in the 21st century. Based on that original design, Audemars Piguet introduced the Royal Oak Offshore collection 20 years after the first Royal Oak. At least here in The Netherlands, the Royal Oak Offshore is very popular and in my humble opinion, it is one of the watches that caused the end of the hype around the stainless steel Rolex Daytona (given the fact that it is widely available again and that they are going for list price).

However, given the fact that I am the proud owner of the Royal Oak model that comes closest to the original of 1972, how does this Offshore compare to its ancestor and is it actually a true alternative for the ultimate cult chronograph, the Rolex Daytona ref.116520? A few weeks ago, I was able to review a Royal Oak Offshore Safari (26170ST.OO.D091CR.01) from Dutch watch dealer Watch-Site and I finally have some time to share my findings with you.

From the Offshore collection, the Safari always drew my attention, mainly because of the very nice creamy dial color. It reminds me a bit of the Rolex Explorer II Cream Dial ref. 16550 (mid-80s), a very sought-after Explorer II model. The Safari has this very cool brown alligator (hornback) strap with bone texture, making it look very euh… Safari. Just like every other Royal Oak, the Safari also has the 8 white gold screws in the bezel of the watch. When the watch is being held in certain angles, the light will play nicely with the satinized bezel and the high polished white gold screws. I catch myself doing this quite regularly

The watch case is a lot bigger than the original Royal Oak model and not only that, but also a bit different in shape. Edges are not as sharp as on the original Royal Oak models, and most parts of the watch are a bit more round in general. The Offshore models are famous for their rubber parts, like the thick rubber gasket between the bezel and the watch case and the rubber protectors for the crown and chronograph pushers.

Although not very visible in the picture above, the crown and pushers are not aligned. However, the date window already should have told you that this movement is not a dedicated chronograph movement but a regular movement with an additional chronograph module (this method is called piggybacking).

The base movement is an in-house movement, that has been used by Audemars Piguet since 2005. The regular Royal Oak Date Automatic (ref. 15300) has the same base movement (caliber 3120), amongst others . The movement used in the Safari (and other Offshore Chronographs) is referred to as caliber 3126/3840, with 59 jewels and a 55 hour power reserve. A high number of jewels for a chronograph movement will tell you that it is a piggybacked movement most of the time. Nothing wrong with that of course, but the purists amongst us will prefer a dedicated chronograph movement instead.

Personally, I think you shouldn’t expect to get a piggybacked chronograph movement in a 16.000 Euro timepiece, although it would be mainly because of the misalignment of the crown and pushers.

As you can see in the picture above, the (round) screws are going in via the back of the watch and the white gold screw in the bezel is actually a hex nut. The case back of the AP ROO Safari actually says all that is necessary on the back, except for its 100 meters of water resistance.

The production number is a combination of a letter and a few digits and then again a few digits with No. in front of it. The letter (G in this case) should tell us something about the year, 2007 and the rest is abracadabra to me. My own 15202 has an F-number, and dates back to 2006. If anyone can explain me the logic behind these numbers, I would be very grateful.

With approximately 800 employees in Switzerland and 200 in foreign countries, Audemars Piguet is able to manufacture between 25.000 and 30.000 watches per year. So, there has to be something going on with the combination of these two identifiers in the back of the case.

So, is it a good and modern alternative for the once highly sought after Rolex Daytona? Most Rolex fans will tell you that there is no substitute, and a lot of AP fans will probably tell you the same. Apples and oranges indeed. Fact is though, that the AP ROO has become the watch of choice for bankers, soccer players and movie stars, where there was once only one ruler, the Rolex Daytona – preferably in stainless steel. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but movement wise, I think the Rolex is more interesting with its in-house developed chronograph caliber 4130. When it comes to the resell value, the Rolex Daytona is – although the hype is over – still good to go quickly for cash that comes close to retail.

A Royal Oak Offshore Safari Chronograph has a list price of 16.100 Euro, while you can get a BNIB model between 11.500 and 13.500 Euro. Used models, like the one reviewed, are approximately 10K Euro. One reason or another, you can bargain a lot on a new Audemars Piguet or get an occasion for almost 6K under list price. This could be seen as an advantage as well I guess, as long as you aren’t the guy who bought one for list price.

The 44mm x 14.75mm dimensions might not look good on everyone’s wrists, but I surely found the watch to be comfortable yet very ‘present’. I do think that it is at least the nicest Offshore model available right now, with its brown alligator hornback strap, stainless steel bezel (instead of rubber) and easy-on-the-eyes dial.

Thanks for reading and let me know what you think of this timepiece by leaving a comment below. Thanks to Watch-Site for lending me the watch.

Related posts:

1. Size Comparison: Linde Werdelin 3-Timer vs Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore (Safari)
2. Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Montauk: Honoring a highway
3. Audemars Piguet Rubber Clad