March Mania Sweet Sixteen — Vacheron Constantin Vs. Jaeger-LeCoultre And A. Lange & Söhne Vs. Omega — Vote Now!
March Mania marches on! When we started the competition, we had 96 watches. Now we’re at the stage when the last 16 have been scythed in half to leave eight standing. At that point, our writers will have just one watch remaining each. So today, for the very last time, the watches that started in the preliminaries together will go head-to-head for the division champion crown. Where will the votes land?
That’s it — we are down to the final two match-ups to determine our group champions. Ben and Bert both have just two watches left. The quarter-finals commence tomorrow, so we need you to pick your favorite in this quick-fire round as you’ve not got long to register your opinion. Let’s do this thing!
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? Now that the Omega Speedmaster 321 is dead, we WILL have a new champion. But who will it be? You decide!
Ben’s final two:
(1) Vacheron Constantin Overseas Perpetual Calendar Ultra-Thin vs. Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Control Chronograph ref. Q1538530 (3)
Vacheron Constantin Overseas Perpetual Calendar Ultra-Thin
So here we see Ben’s group of hopefuls whittled down to the final two. First up is this fantastic Vacheron Constantin Overseas Perpetual Calendar Ultra-Thin. Throughout the competition, I have long thought it’d be a tough one to take down, and it seems you lot have agreed. Each round, it’s won relatively comfortably. Last time out, it beat the Omega Seamaster 300 “Spectre”, taking home 64% of the votes. It is not undeserved. However, now it must square up to a competitor that can hold its own horologically speaking. Will the opulence of the pink gold be enough to sway people’s vote in its favor? I have stated that this is my favorite gold watch in the competition, and now it remains the only one! Tough one to call.
Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Control Chronograph ref. Q1538530
So our worthy adversary today is the Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Control Chronograph ref. Q1538530. To earn its place in the group final, it beat the Rolex Milgauss 116400GV, with 66% of the votes. It looks like we all wanted to see this match-up in the group final! With one of the classiest sector dials out there, the Master Control chronograph is an understated but fantastic watch. I strongly believed in the JLC for the previous round (I think I now owe many people fictitious pints!), but I’m not so sure this time around.
My prediction: despite the honorable battle, more people are swayed by the pink gold, giving the win to the Overseas. I know — I’m struggling to shake that gold!
March Mania: Sweet Sixteen — Ben — (1) V (3)
Bert’s final two:
(1) A. Lange & Söhne Datograph Lumen vs. Omega Speedmaster Speedy Tuesday 1 (2)
A. Lange & Söhne Datograph Lumen
Bert’s first competitor, battling to be his group champion, the A. Lange & Söhne Datograph Lumen, has to be now one of the favorites to go on and win the whole thing. I’ve been chatting with Rob about the competition and where we’re at today, and we both agree it’s going to be a tough ask for any watch to topple the mighty Lumen. I’m probably one of the few Fratello team members that actively prefers modern watch design to vintage. That said, I can appreciate and understand classical, vintage design too. And this is possibly why the Lumen is so good. It takes A. Lange & Söhne’s classic Datograph and adds a few modern tweaks, like that gorgeous smoky sapphire dial and a healthy dose of lume. It’s the best of both worlds and works incredibly well — certainly a lot better than it sounds on paper!
Omega Speedmaster Speedy Tuesday 1
Ahh, the Speedy Tuesday 1. As a relatively new member of the team here, the Speedy Tuesday 1 was well before time. Indeed, so was the Speedy Tuesday 2. That said, I can appreciate just how big an achievement and important a milestone this was for Fratello Watches and the Fratelli. Despite it being before my time, I have quickly adopted a real fondness for what it represents. As such, I am struggling to vote against it in the match-up. I imagine many others will feel this same internal struggle. I fear that the Lumen’s heavyweight status and serious horological chops may be too much to overcome at this point. I think it’s definitely worth noting that the ST1 outperformed the Calibre 321, which is a significant achievement, but I fear it won’t be taking the crown of Bert’s group champion. We will have to wait and see!
My prediction: despite my slightly unavoidable bias to the Speedy Tuesday 1, I think that the Lumen just has too much horological firepower in this match-up. The A. Lange & Söhne Datograph Lumen to win with a comfortable lead. What do you think? Get voting, and let’s find out which of these warriors will make it through to become Bert’s March Mania group champion!
March Mania: Sweet Sixteen — Bert — (1) V (2)
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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