Fratello
After many months in the making, the VPC Type 37HW is here, and I have the distinct pleasure of penning this hands-on introduction. We often ask ourselves, “Is it impossible to be original when endeavoring to design a new watch? Have all paths in crafting this functional object truly been taken? Have we seen it […] Visit Introducing: The VPC Type 37HW to read the full article.
Fratello
With the revival of watchmaking in the British Isles, the Alliance of British Watch and Clock Makers announces its first exhibition. The British Watchmakers’ Day will take place on Saturday, March 9th, 2024, at Lindley Hall (Royal Horticultural Halls) in Westminster. The event is dedicated to showcasing over 30 new and old member brands within […] Visit Everything You Need To Know About The British Watchmakers’ Day to read the full article.
Fratello
The Seiko SPB143 is a veritable fan favorite among lovers of Seiko dive watches. And that’s for good reason. It combined the mid-range quality we know from this level of Seiko offerings with subtle, timeless dive-watch aesthetics. Today, Seiko releases the spiritual successors to this watch. These are the standard-production SPB451 (blue dial) and SPB453 […] Visit Introducing: The Seiko Prospex SPB451, SPB453, And SPB455 - Successors To The SPB143 to read the full article.
Fratello
Welcome to this week’s episode of Fratello Talks. Today, you join Nacho, Morgan, and Thomas, who join forces to discuss a number of their watch pet peeves. The guys are feeling particularly grumpy today, so they decided to go on an extensive rant, listing some of the things watch brands do that rub them the […] Visit Fratello Talks: Watch Pet Peeves to read the full article.
Fratello
What brand do you turn to when you’re looking for a watch with a classic design? Well, to be honest, there are many such brands out there. But one brand that certainly comes to my mind is Seiko. It looks like the people at Seiko think similarly about their watches because, today, the Japanese watchmaker […] Visit Seiko Introduces The Classic Series With Five New Soft And Gentle References to read the full article.
Fratello
Casio announced the release of the new and updated Mudmaster in September of 2023. The highly anticipated new series of Mudmasters promised not only a new case construction but also some firsts in terms of functionality. We had a chance to go hands-on with two new Mudmaster GWG-B1000 models in green and red. After reviewing […] Visit Hands-On: The G-Shock Master Of G Mudmaster GWG-B1000 Is Nothing Short Of Impressive to read the full article.
Fratello
Hot off the heels of the stealthy Chronomat from February, Breitling brings another muted-tone beauty for March. The latest exclusive limited edition for the UK market is the SuperOcean Automatic 44. Like the aforementioned Chronomat, Breitling pairs this SuperOcean’s black dial with an anthracite hue. However, instead of chronograph counters, the SuperOcean features lacquered anthracite […] Visit Breitling Goes Deep For Its Dark SuperOcean Automatic 44 UK Limited Edition to read the full article.
Fratello
At Fratello, we have a particular taste for the creations of Japanese brand Minase. We have done two collaborations that seemed to resonate with many of you. Today, I would like to introduce you to another limited-edition Minase, though Fratello had no input this time. For this watch, Minase took its popular Horizon model and […] Visit Introducing: The Ominous Minase Horizon GEN DLC Limited Edition to read the full article.
Fratello
If you are a regular reader of Fratello, you might be aware of my love for the Christopher Ward C65 Dune GMT that came out last year. The black-dial limited edition of 200 pieces was one of my absolute favorites of 2023. It’s also a release that I unfortunately missed out on. However, the team […] Visit Introducing The Latest Christopher Ward C65 Dune GMT - The Follow-Up To The Brilliant First Version Of This Traveler’s Watch to read the full article.
Fratello
This is the story of how one prime minister’s love of the sea connected him with a senior Rolex executive and inspired the gift of a Rolex Submariner. That prime minister, Harold Holt, was the leader of Australia at the height of the Cold War. His mysterious disappearance shocked the world. On Sunday, December 17th, […] Visit The Rolex Submariner, The “007 Prime Minister,” And A Cold War Mystery to read the full article.
Fratello
Praesidus is one of the go-to names if you are looking for a vintage-inspired military watch. In a relatively short time, the brand has created a reputation for recreating some of the best military watches accompanied by great stories. Now Praesidus is ready to launch another new series of watches. The Praesidus DD-45 is inspired […] Visit Hands-On With The New Praesidus DD-45 - How Aged Do You Want Your Dirty Dozen? to read the full article.
Fratello
It was a long wait for many of you (and us), but here it is - the new Omega Speedmaster Professional Moonwatch. We had the opportunity to go hands-on with this new white-dial Speedmaster, which was first seen on Daniel Craig’s wrist last November. The white-dial Omega Speedmaster “Daniel Craig” At first, people thought it […] Visit Hands-On With The White-Dial Omega Speedmaster “Daniel Craig” to read the full article.
Fratello
Jorg probably doesn’t know this, but every time I see him walking into the office with a Unimatic on his wrist, I get a little more jealous. I’m a fan of the brand’s less-is-more design approach. Plus, the watches look like they can take a beating, and they have a ton of character on the […] Visit Hands-On With The Unimatic Modello Cinque U5S-A - Finally, A Unimatic Watch For Smaller Wrists to read the full article.
Fratello
Welcome back to another episode of Fratello On Air. This week, we’re asking what would make us buy a Cartier watch. It’s a good question because neither of your co-hosts owns a timepiece from the incredibly popular brand. As we’ll see, the reasons have little to do with what’s currently on offer and more to […] Visit Fratello On Air: What Would Make You Buy A New Cartier? to read the full article.
Fratello
Some people just can’t get enough. Enough of the right logo, that is. “Logo luxury” is still very much alive, no matter the attention “quiet luxury” received recently. Logos have a hypnotic allure to some people. People under the spell of the right monogram will want to buy into the brand badly, desiring everything with […] Visit Buy-In Required: Non-Watch Brands That Stand Tall - Hermès, Louis Vuitton, And Chanel to read the full article.
Fratello
If you have ever looked closely at vintage watches, you will have surely come across radium lume. You probably know it was the prevalent luminescent material until it was abandoned in favor of tritium around 1963. Most likely, you have heard about the dangers of this highly radioactive material. That raises a crucial question: is […] Visit What Is Up With Radium On Watch Dials? How Dangerous Is It, Really? to read the full article.
Fratello
We still don’t know what the Barrelhand Monolith will look like, but we know it will be special. The 3D-printed case, for instance, will feature the Air-Lock crown system. Unlike a screw-down crown, an Air-Lock crown is always sealed. Inside the watch will beat the M1, a caliber that uses a Sellita SW300 as the […] Visit Journey To The Moon With The Barrelhand Monolith to read the full article.
Fratello
In this series called Exploring Evergreens, we review watches that have been around for over a decade - or long enough to feel ubiquitous - and ask ourselves whether they have managed to stand the test of time. We’ll address whether they’re still relevant, how they feel today, and, ultimately, if they’re worth their current […] Visit Exploring Evergreens: The Rolex Explorer Ref. 114270 to read the full article.
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In 2021, Isotope launched its successful Hydrium collection of dive watches with the limited HydriumX Will Return model. Based on the well-known shop door sign that indicates when the proprietor will return and the shop will reopen, the watch sold out quickly. The Hydrium case has since been the canvas for many interesting and attractive […] Visit Isotope Launches The HydriumX Will Return Red And Wall Return Clock to read the full article.
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I am fond of Cabot Watch Company, also known as CWC. It is a no-nonsense British watch brand that has focused on tool-watch designs since the early 1970s. Something about the design ethos of CWC reminds me of the golden epoch of 20th-century mechanical watchmaking. Today, we’ll look at the CWC W10 Navigator Automatic General […] Visit Hands-On: Spending Time With The CWC W10 Navigator to read the full article.
Fratello
Welcome to another Sunday Morning Showdown here on Fratello. Please get yourself ready because today’s confrontation promises to be a good one. In 2022, IWC introduced a new version of its Pilot’s Watch - the Mark XX. Then, last year, Zenith took it one step further with a complete revision of its Pilot line. That’s […] Visit Sunday Morning Showdown: Zenith Pilot Automatic Vs. IWC Pilot’s Watch Mark XX to read the full article.
Fratello
Back in the first half of 2023, Ollech & Wajs informed us that a successor to the 1973 OW 8000 was coming. Even renders were available, but we love the real deal and, when possible, like to wait for a production model before making a judgment. And it’s good that we did this time because, […] Visit Hands-On: The Ollech & Wajs OW 8001 With An Integrated Bracelet to read the full article.
Fratello
I’ve truly enjoyed my time with various Ming watches. I’ve purchased a handful of them and have always marveled at the attention to detail and innovative use of materials. Since discovering them several years ago, though, I had never gone hands-on with one of the brand’s more expensive models. Today, I’ll share my thoughts on […] Visit Hands-On With The Ming 29.01 Dubai Edition to read the full article.
Fratello
Today, we go hands-on with a fairly wild G-Shock. The MTG-B2000YR Illumination City Limited Edition was released in late 2023 and is a colorful, feature-laden watch. It’s a higher-end piece, so expect loads of thoughtful details. Let’s venture into the world of bright lights! It’s not exactly news that G-Shock makes and sells loads of […] Visit Hands-On With The G-Shock MTG-B2000YR Illumination City Limited Edition to read the full article.
Fratello
Another Friday, another Top 5! This time, we will continue where we left off last week and present even more great pre-owned options. In this mini-series, we want to highlight some less obvious picks from different brands. Some of these are watches you may never have heard of, while others might be good reminders of […] Visit Fratello’s Top 5 Pre-Owned Sleeper Watches: Part 2 - Featuring IWC, Patek Philippe, Omega, And More to read the full article.
Fratello
March 9th is a big day for the now-well-known resurgence of British watchmaking. This particular date is set aside for a new event, the British Watchmakers’ Day, in London. Thanks to Roger W. Smith, this year will be even more exciting thanks to a sealed auction, with the excitement starting at a £297,500 reserve price […] Visit Roger W. Smith Is Auctioning Off A Unique Series 1 For The British Watchmakers’ Day to read the full article.
Fratello
Cartier introduced three sizes of new Tank Must models in 2021. The Tank Must debuted in the 1970s, but we hadn’t seen any new models for years. Now it’s available again in “extra-large,” “large,” and “small” versions. The extra-large model features a self-winding 1847 MC caliber with central seconds and date, while the large and […] Visit Hands-On: Cartier Tank Must With The Photovoltaic SolarBeat Movement to read the full article.
Fratello
Unless you have lived under a rock for the past three years, you know that the watch market has seen a huge influx of affordable GMT watches from various brands. The newest addition to the long line of releases is this Certina DS Action GMT Powermatic 80. While it is not the first DS Action […] Visit Hands-On With The New Certina DS Action GMT Powermatic 80 - An Affordable GMT That Fans Will Love to read the full article.
Fratello
Until recently, I had never changed my opinion about the originality of a watch three times in the same week. But that happened when the intriguing Gallet Navigator Telemeter crossed my path. Two other great collectors joined me on my journey of exploration, and they were equally puzzled. The buying experience of this rare Gallet […] Visit #TBT An Exciting Dial-Originality Investigation With A Gallet Navigator Telemeter to read the full article.
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Even without mentioning the name, if I tell you these watches have an all-polished 36 or 38.5mm case, Roman and Arabic numerals, a hand-wound movement, and colorful dials with a contrasting sub-seconds hand, you’ll probably already know what watches I’m talking about. The Nomos Club Campus has become quite an icon for the young Saxon […] Visit Nomos Gets Ready For A Colorful Spring - Introducing The Club Campus In Nonstop Red And Endless Blue to read the full article.
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