March Mania Second Round: Ben And Bert Take Vacheron Constantin, Omega, Rolex, A. Lange & Söhne, Jaeger-LeCoultre and Grönefeld onwards
Roll up, one and all; March Mania has reached its second round! At this stage, our eight competing writers get a rest. Rob and I have presented our weary warriors’ remaining four watches over the past four days, with each post featuring the winners of two first-round votes. After today we move onto the Sweet Sixteen, how exciting!
Here come the final four warriors from both Ben and Bert’s groups. The writers aren’t going head-to-head just yet, so the seedings attached to each watch stay put from the previous round. By the end of the week, we’ll be down to the final two from each initial group of 12 as we barrel towards the showpiece final. As always, what we need from you is simple: vote for your favorite watch and let us know why in the comments below. Remember, one lucky commenter will win a Hamilton Intra-Matic Automatic Chronograph, so the more your comment, the better chance you have.
Log in to your Fratello account and drop us a comment. Who did you vote for and why? What’s your prediction for the later rounds? Will one of the favorites take the crown, or will an underdog sneak over the finish line first? Only time will tell!
Ben’s Group:
(1) Vacheron Constantin Overseas Perpetual Calendar Ultra-Thin vs. Omega Seamaster 300 “Spectre” (4)
Vacheron Constantin Overseas Perpetual Calendar Ultra-Thin
It’s bold, it’s gold, it’s the Vacheron Constantin Overseas. It is probably my favorite gold watch still in the competition. It has comfortably walked its way to this round, with a 77% share of the last round’s votes against the Grand Seiko SBGN005. Grand Seiko as a whole has not performed as well as I expected in this competition. Still, with difficult match-ups against the likes of the Vacheron Constantin Overseas, it’s more understandable.
If I were a betting man, my money would not be on the Overseas going all the way to the final. I mean, I love a good underdog story and would love to see one of the outsiders clinch the competition, but with some big watches still in it, it’s a big ask. How will the Overseas fare moving forward? Well, it has to overcome another sleeper in this round…
Omega Seamaster 300 “Spectre”
That sleeper is, of course, the Omega Seamaster 300 “Spectre”. As he said in the last round, Ben thought this one might top his original group due to its Bond connection. The stylish and versatile watch found itself struggling against some of the other watches in the group, but it has doggedly fought through to this round. Deservedly so! In the previous round, the Seamaster 300 took out the Blancpain Air Command, taking 54% of the votes in a closely contested battle. Can it keep up the fight and take down the bold, gold destroyer that is the Vacheron Constantin Overseas, though?
March Mania: Second Round Proper — Ben — (1) V (4)
(2) Rolex Milgauss 116400GV vs. Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Control Chronograph ref. Q1538530 (3)
Rolex Milgauss 116400GV
Rolex continues to stake its claim as a serious contender for the March Mania crown (no pun intended). In the previous round, we saw it take on the Seiko SKX007, a match-up that many thought could be a real David vs. Goliath story. Could the Seiko do the dirty and beat out the Milgauss? Unfortunately not. As much as many of us wanted to see the first huge upset in the tournament so far, it was not to be. The Milgauss fans made a show of force and voted to give it a victory with 66% of the votes.
However, in this next match-up, it’s no underdog…
Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Control Chronograph ref. Q1538530
I quite enjoy a good sector dial, and the Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Control Chronograph is probably one of the finer examples out there. It’s a smart and classy watch from of the top dogs of horology. The last round saw it convincingly beat the Vertex Bronze 75 with 84% of the votes. It was a tough match-up and I really like both watches, but ultimately I voted for the JLC.
As the last watch from JLC in the competition, I hope to see it move through to the next round. I’m not sure if I’m meant to be impartial here? Oh well. My vote is for the Master Control Chronograph. Let’s be honest, it’s a sexier piece than the Milgauss (not the shame the 116400GV in any way), and it deserves to go through. Vote for this watch, and I owe you one (1) fictional pint.
March Mania: Second Round Proper — Ben — (2) V (3)
Bert’s Group:
(1) A. Lange & Söhne Datograph Lumen vs. Grönefeld 1941 Principia (4)
A. Lange & Söhne Datograph Lumen
March Mania has seen an incredible amount of discussion and conversation, which has been really heart-warming to see. I saw a helluva lot of love for the A. Lange & Söhne Datograph Lumen in the comments in the last round. That love translated into a 79% win over the Omega Speedmaster 345.0802. I know this is sacrilege here on Fratello, but it was nice to see the number of Speedmasters whittled down. I think the A. Lange & Söhne Datograph Lumen is probably one of my top five to go all the way, but first, it has to get past a tough competitor…
Grönefeld 1941 Principia
The Horological Brothers’ 1941 Principia was one of my favorites watches when this competition first began. Did I expect it to get this far? Perhaps not, but my faith has been restored now that I am writing about it at this point in the second round. The Grönefeld 1941 Principia is probably one of the finest examples of “business in the front, and part round the back”. The watch’s dial side is pure class, but looking at the movement through the sapphire case back is pure enjoyment. Tim and Bart do a fantastic job finishing their movements, and a Grönefeld watch remains high up on my all-time grail list.
In the previous round, the 1941 Principia knocked out the Tudor Pelagos — a result that pleasantly surprised me. I had expected the Tudor to take the win, but 56% of you voted to take the Grönefeld 1941 Principia through to this round. Can it take out the A. Lange & Söhne Datograph Lumen? It’s a tricky one to get past, but anything is possible with March Mania!
March Mania: Second Round Proper — Bert — (1) V (4)
(2) Omega Speedmaster Speedy Tuesday 1 vs. Rolex Submariner 116610 (3)
Omega Speedmaster Speedy Tuesday 1
This is my favorite Speedy in the contest, so I am glad to see it still in the running at this stage. It performed admirably in the Speedmaster World Cup but couldn’t quite go all the way. Now, for March Mania, it is back and raring to go. In the last round, it beat the Seiko Prospex SLA039 with 75% of the vote. That’s a solid showing for a competitor that clearly means business.
The round will certainly not be a walk in the park, however. Things just get harder and harder. Now it’s facing one of the biggest hype watches in the biz right now…
Rolex Submariner 116610
Here we have it — the Rolex Submariner 116610. You want it, but you can’t have it. While it has been replaced by the new 41mm 126610, the 116610 remains one of the most popular watches of all time. Famous for its long, long waitlists, prices on the pre-owned market were eye-watering compared to the RRP. In the last round, it beat Omega Seamaster 2531.80 with 61% of the vote. If I’m being honest, I had expected a wider margin of victory, so maybe the hype train is starting to wear off?
Will enough of the Rolex faithful get behind the 116610 to carry it through to the Sweet Sixteen? I know I will be watching this match-up closely as I wouldn’t like to try and predict it at this point. It really could go either way!
March Mania: Second Round Proper — Bert — (2) V (3)
Win the Hamilton Intra-Matic Chrono by participating!
So now it’s over to you! We want your votes, but we also want to hear your thoughts. Better still, by sharing them with us, you’ll put yourself in the running to win either a LIC leather watch strap or (drum roll, please) the HAMILTON INTRA-MATIC AUTO CHRONO. Yes, that’s right, as Karina detailed in her previous post, we will be giving away one of Hamilton’s most popular models for one lucky commenter. How do you win? Comment on the March Mania tournament as often as you can, engaging with other readers, helping to create a happy community atmosphere. The best contribution will be handsomely rewarded, so what are you waiting for? Let your voice be heard!
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