Łukasz DoskoczCH24 Watch of the Year 2023 – winners of the 14th edition!
Hereby we present you the winners of the 14th edition of our “CH24 Watch of the Year”. International […]
The Watch Editor’s Pick – Robert-Jan Broer and Łukasz Doskocz
CH24.PL and Fratellowatches.com are proud to present you this new, special, bi-weekly section dedicated to our fellow watch journalists and bloggers. Ever wondered what they really like? – read on.
Without going into the long-lasting dispute about who is a journalist, who is a blogger, and which of this two is better (like it matters) we tried to find out about a more interesting topic: what are the personal favorite watches of watch editors and which timepieces would they purchase when having unlimited resources. In the next coming weeks (every second Monday) we will bring you some of the biggest names from the world of watch editors, both acclaimed authors with an impressive track-record and new-age digital-world bloggers, who re-shape(d) journalism as we know it today.
So without further ado, here are first two “Watch Editor’s Picks” – by ourselves, to give you a better perspective.
Who are you?
I am Robert-Jan Broer, founder of the Fratellowatches blog. Together with a small team of people we work hard – besides our regular jobs – to entertain watch enthusiasts and share our knowledge on watches. Besides that, I currently write articles for a number of other magazines and on-line initiatives, such as Chronos magazine (German), The Watches Magazine (Swiss), WatchTime.com (USA) and WatchTime.net (Germany) and soon will come up with a new series of recurring articles for a Dutch magazine on watches.
Tell us about your ordinary writer’s day?
Well, as I wrote above, it is not my daytime job but when I plan a day to write articles for Fratellowatches I make sure to have all the information collected that I need for writing this article. This can be the note of a trip to a manufacturer in Switzerland but also a pile of books on the subject. Our photographer Bert Buijsrogge takes most of the photos we use in our articles on Fratellowatches, so when I finished the article I select the photos from his library that need to go with the article. The research and investigation needed to write an article takes most time of course. You need to have the facts rights in my opinion. For some articles, I have the articles checked for any mistakes with the watch manufacturer. Especially when it gets technical, I think it is important to do so. However, the tone of voice and the writing style is something that will remain untouched. We want to maintain our own style and use of unique content. After publication, I make sure the article is being shared via our social media channels (Twitter, Facebook and Instagram) and notify the brand that the article on their watch is ready.
What’s your favorite watch to wear (and why)?
Would you be surprised if I tell you this is the Omega Speedmaster Professional? I love iconic watches such as the Rolex Submariner, Audemars Piguet Royal Oak, Breitling Navitimer, (TAG) Heuer Carrera, Patek Philippe Nautilus and Omega Speedmaster. I consider myself very lucky to own a few of these iconic pieces. However, from all the watches I own I seem to ‘fall back’ to the classic Omega Speedmaster Professional all the time. Not only because of its history with regards to the Moon programme but also because I feel it is one of the best designed and readable chronograph watches out there. The design of the case and dial are so clean, there is little you can criticise about it. My preference is one of the pre-1968 models with the column wheel chronograph movement caliber 321 (based on Lemania’s 2310) that has the dial with the applied Omega logo and sub dials that are a bit ‘deeper’ than the later models.
It is my love for this watch that started it all in the first place (to want to know more about watches). As a tribute, we started our recurring weekly Speedy Tuesday articles on Fratellowatches that are a huge success. It even resulted in hosting this great Speedy Tuesday Event in the Space Expo (official visitor center of the European Space Agency) together with Omega. There were about 70-80 die-hard Speedmaster fans and collectors who showed up and Omega brought some of their coolest pieces from the museum in Bienne, Switzerland. So, it is not only the watch that counts, also the enthusiasts that share the love and passion for this piece.
Which watch is your Holy Grail timepiece?
Like I wrote, one of my favorite pieces is the Royal Oak by Audemars Piguet. I own the ‘Jumbo’ version, officially referred to as 15202ST. My grail piece would be this watch with a perpetual calendar and moon phase (link to the official product page), the Royal Oak ref. 25829ST. I believe it is also available in platinum, but I would settle for the stainless steel version. I am not a blingy kind of guy and feel that I am still to young to wear a gold watch (I am 37 years old). Perhaps in a few years. I love the design of the Royal Oak and admire most of Genta’s designs.
I feel it is no coincidence that I love the Constellation models he did for Omega in the 1950s as well as the Gerald Genta (own brand label) with the Mickey Mouse retrograde hands from the 1990s. However, his stainless steel luxury sports watches like the Royal Oak, Nautilus and Ingenieur remain to be my favorites. Perhaps that is also why I would love to have that Royal Oak perpetual calendar in stainless steel. These designs were made to be crafted from stainless steel, as part of his ideas and concept.
What’s your best advice for a beginner collector with a 1500 Euro budget?
Well, since you can buy new mechanical watches for that money as well as a nice pre-owned or vintage, I will give more options. If it needs to be a new watch, I would definitely suggest having a peek at the Longines Legend Diver. Longines makes very interesting watches and I consider them to be affordable luxury. Great manufactured timepieces for a very fair price. Another option would be to get something more ‘underground’, such as a Sinn or Nomos. Longines has a few more models that are probably more likeable by the big public. Nomos and Sinn have really specific designs and perhaps needs a bit of time to grow towards them. If pre-owned or vintage is an option, I would urge people to have a look at a nice Omega Speedmaster Professional from the 1970s or 1980s. Although 1500 Euro will require a search for a nice model for that money, I would definitely accept the challenge.
To read about my selection of favourite watches click this link.
Episode 2 of the Watch Editor’s Pick coming soon.
