Fratello’s Top 5 GADA Watches Of The First Half Of 2024—From Omega, Tudor, VPC, And More
Another Friday, another list! After a little Olympic break last week, we continue our quest for the best watches released in the first half of 2024. This week, we will be discussing the best new GADA watches. Most of you will be familiar with the concept of a Go Anywhere, Do Anything watch, but what that translates to is highly personal. But we can definitely find five watches that we consider great all-rounders. And those are generally not the watches that get a lot of attention in these kinds of lists. It’s precisely why we have created a Top 5 of our favorite GADA watches for this year’s first six months.
A GADA watch is a fun concept. It is not limited to one style of watch, but the description says something about its great versatility. It’s something that is actually a lot more practical and, therefore, more interesting. We did a series of articles on our favorite GADA watches, and we got to pick our favorite GADA watch. If you look at the different choices, it’s a mix of dive watches, chronographs, and stylish all-rounders that are great daily wearers. Thomas Stover also wrote an interesting article in which he dives a little deeper into what makes for a great GADA watch. For this Top 5, it translates into great new daily wearers suited for a wide variety of situations, from formal to informal and from the great outdoors to your daily office job. Without further ado, let’s jump in!
RZE Resolute Pro
Earlier this year, we worked with RZE on a special limited edition of the brand’s Resolute Pro. The watch has all the things you could ever want from a GADA watch in terms of looks, comfort, and ruggedness, and on top of that, it’s also very affordable. This lightweight titanium do-it-all field watch is the perfect first pick on this list. If you missed out on getting your hands on that specific version, we suggest the regular Jet Black version of the watch that came out just before the new year.
Yes, technically, the watch was released in the last couple of weeks of 2023, but we have never shied away from bending the rules a little bit. On top of that, it’s the perfect stylish version of the Resolute Pro.
The RZE Resolute Pro Fratello LE
The watch comes with a 40mm titanium case that is 10.5mm thick and has a lug-to-lug of 46mm. The modern angular case combines a black enamel dial with brushed, applied markers filled with Super-LumiNova. The combination of the modern angular case and the intense black dial makes for a super stylish watch. The watch comes on a lightweight titanium bracelet with quick-release spring bars and a toolless micro-adjustable clasp.
The case and the bracelet both have a scratch-resistant UltraHex coating, ensuring the watch can take a beating. Inside the case, you will find the Miyota 90S5. The automatic movement operates at 28,800vph and offers a 42-hour power reserve.
The best affordable daily wearer
What stood out for me when I reviewed the Resolute Pro is how incredibly comfortable the watch is. The proportions, in combination with the lightweight materials and the practical advantages of the bracelet and clasp, make this a great daily wearer in any situation. If we consider that the Resolute Pro Jet Black can be yours for $629.
Considering this last point and everything else I covered, you can understand why this RZE Resolute Pro was a no-brainer and our first pick. The brand did an awesome job creating a modern daily wearer with plenty of character to fit various situations, whether outdoors or in the office. The Resolute Pro Jet Black will fit every situation perfectly.
Longines Conquest 38
Our second pick is the new series of 38mm Longines Conquest models that Daan reviewed not too long ago. You can choose five different dial colors, but the black and white dial options were the most obvious for your perfect GADA watch. All of the new Conquest models come with a 38mm stainless steel case that is 10.9mm thick and measures 46.8mm from lug to lug.
The watches are fitted with a high-polished H-link bracelet that matches the finishes on the case nicely and tapers elegantly to the clasp. Unfortunately, the clasp doesn’t come with a micro-adjust, but you get a couple of half links for exact sizing.
Inside the 38mm Conquest, you will find the Caliber L888, based on an ETA movement. The automatic caliber runs at a frequency of 25,200vph, has 21 jewels, and offers a comfortable power reserve of 72 hours. The movement is visible through the sapphire case back and is finished neatly. Overall, these watches are very comfortable thanks to their slim profile and perfect case diameter, which makes them the right fit for a variety of wrist sizes.
Longines also managed to merge retro influences into a more modern design that gives the series its character. At €2,300, the Longines Conquest is a very tempting offer for someone looking for a stylish daily wearer from a reputable brand. That’s why this is the perfect second pick for our list.
VPC Type 37HW
Our next pick really hits close to home. If you are a regular Fratello reader, you are probably aware that VPC is the start-up brand of Fratello’s own Thomas van Straaten. His inaugural watch is the brilliant VPC Type 37HW that was developed to be the perfect GADA watch. Thomas went to great lengths to make sure every little detail was exactly to his liking.
The result is a watch that’s not just special in all its GADA potential but also a tremendous labor of love. We may be slightly biased, but we would not say it if it weren’t true. As I said in my best watches under €5K article, I would not write about the VPC if I wasn’t genuinely impressed by the watch.
Thomas has put a lot of effort into creating an absolute stunner in all its different aspects. The Type 37HW is characterized by the 37.5mm case, which is just 9.8mm thick and measures 45mm from lug to lug. The screw-down crown and the screw-in case back contribute to the depth rating of 120 meters. The watch is equipped a super comfortable stainless steel bracelet with a folding clasp and toolless micro-adjust.
The way the bracelet flows naturally into the case is one of those remarkable details to which Thomas and the designer Max Resnick dedicated a lot of time. The result is a super comfortable bracelet that tapers from 20mm at the hooded lugs to 16mm at the clasp. On top of that, both the case and the bracelet feature a scratch-resistant hard coating rated to 1,800 Vickers to make sure that the watch can accompany you on your outdoor adventures without any worry.
Choose from three different versions that are all brilliant
A COSC-certified version of the Sellita SW216-1 powers the Type 37HW. The manual-winding movement is finished with high-end decoration and offers a 45-hour power reserve. It’s the perfect power train for the watch. Although the manual winding might not appeal to some people, it is reliable and keeps the profile super slim. On top of that, the interaction with a manual winding movement will remind you time and again of the special timepiece on your wrist.
You can choose from three dial colors, each with a distinct character. All the dials feature a grainy texture that gives them depth and contrasts nicely with the slightly recessed small seconds at 6 o’clock. Overall, I love that the design has plenty of character to stand on its own. We can’t wait for the first watches to land in customers’ hands.
Hopefully, that will be a magical moment for the new owners and Thomas. We know how good this watch is; now, it’s time for the world to discover it. If you haven’t jumped on the chance to get your VPC Type 37HW, you can buy one for €2,479, excluding VAT and shipping. At that price, it is one of the best GADA watches out there.
Tudor Black Bay Master Chronometer
Our next pick is the Tudor Black Bay Master Chronometer in black, which some call Monochrome. The watch was introduced during Watches and Wonders earlier this year and was my favorite release by both Rolex and Tudor. This is as close as you get to a modern Submariner from Tudor. Obviously, the watch is a logical addition to the brand’s line-up after last year’s Burgundy version.
That version introduced a slimmer 41mm Black Bay with an updated movement. The Kenissi-produced caliber MT5602-U is now Master Chronometer certified by METAS. The two updates created a watch that is hard to fault as a perfect GADA watch.
This year, we saw the updated black version, which added some exciting visual updates. Gone are the faux vintage vibes, making this new monochrome version the best contemporary version out of the Black Bay options. The updated stainless steel case is 41mm in diameter, 13.6mm thick, and 50mm long, with a 21mm lug spacing and a 200m depth rating.
Additionally, the black aluminum bezel insert features silver numerals, and matching silver indexes grace the dial. This creates a super clean aesthetic that competes with the Black Bay Pro as the best of the collection.
Choose between two bracelets
The watch is best matched with either the 5-link Jubilee-style or 3-link Oyster-style bracelet. I prefer the latter as that is the style that I like better and associate with the classic Tudor Submariners. It just feels like the right way to go. But there is no going wrong if you prefer the 5-link bracelet. On top of that, it will fit the more formal situations a bit better.
It’s not a point of debate as both can be worn in any situation. Inside the case, you will find the updated MT5602-U movement, which offers a healthy 70 hours of power reserve. This Black Bay is the full GADA package for €4,510 on the 3-link and €4,620 on the 5-link bracelet.
Omega Seamaster Aqua Terra 38 Black Dial
The Omega Seamaster Aqua Terra, with its glossy black dial in 38 mm, was released just before the first half of the year was over. It is part of a trio of new models that Thomas reviewed this week. The two models that stood out were the 38mm and 41mm versions. We all agreed that the smaller of the two is the perfect everyday wearer.
The watch fully aligns with the Aqua Terra Shades aesthetic. This means the bracelet is the same style as those colorful models. The dial differs from the standard Aqua Terra models, abandoning the characteristic teak-inspired pattern. These small updates breathe new life into the new Aqua Terra models in all the right ways.
The watch has a 38-mm stainless steel case that is 45.1mm from lug to lug, 12.3mm thick and has a depth rating of 150 meters. It is fitted with a curved tapering bracelet with a (new to the Aqua Terra) comfort adjustment for the clasp. Personally, I much prefer this bracelet over the flat link bracelet that the “regular” models come with. Inside the case, Omega equips the watch with its caliber 8800, which features a date of 6 o’clock.
The automatic Master Chronometer movement operates at 25,200vph and has a 55-hour power reserve. It is the perfect movement for this new Aqua Terra, which has become an immediate favorite in the Fratello offices. A big part of that is due to the vivid black lacquer dial. As Thomas explained in his review, it is not simply a black dial. The color feels rich and vibrant, and it brings the sparkle that makes this new 38mm Aqua Terra a great everyday wearer that is available at €7,300. It also closes out our list of five GADA watches.
Final thoughts on our favorite GADA watches of the first half of 2024
As always, this list is way too short to include all the right picks. Think of it as just the tip of the iceberg of potential GADA watches. Surely you, Fratelli, have other options that would be great options for this list of the best GADA watches. And because of that, I would love to ask you a question. What are your favorite recently released GADA watches? Let me know in the comments below. Finally, as always, we will see you next week for another list.
