Fratello
Today, we go hands-on with a new Certina. The DS Action Diver 40.5mm is a significant release for the brand because it presents a new case size. In fact, most would argue that it will end up as the most successful model in the collection. Let’s take a closer look and discuss the merits of […] Visit Hands-On With The New Certina DS Action Diver 40.5mm to read the full article.
Fratello
The 2025 Longines Spirit Zulu Time 1925 marks the 100th anniversary of the Swiss brand’s world-first dual-time wristwatch. You can’t say the rectangular timepiece from 1925 served as an inspiration from a design perspective, but it did in spirit (sorry about that). By adding a rose-gold-capped bezel insert with engraved numbers and indexes, the look […] Visit Introducing: The 2025 Longines Spirit Zulu Time 1925 - Celebrating A Century Of Longines Dual-Time Watches to read the full article.
Fratello
If you have never heard of the brand Selten, you aren’t the only one. However, the brand founded by Leonardo Tsai has been around since 2017. The Hong Kong-based Selten founder comes from a family of dial makers, so he grew up around watches. After an initial stint in the world of finance, Tsai gave […] Visit Hands-On With The Remarkable Selten Grand Feu Enamel Moonstone to read the full article.
Fratello
The older I get, the easier it is for me to pass up buying opportunities, especially when the watch in question isn’t 100% perfect and requires a compromise. I was searching for the right example of an Omega Speedmaster “Ed White” ref. 105.003 for six years, but my hunt recently ended, and it couldn’t have […] Visit Retrospective: A Long Hunt For An Omega Speedmaster “Ed White” 105.003 Comes To An End to read the full article.
Fratello
With the Milgraph, Norwegian microbrand Micromilspec released one of last year’s highlights. The brand’s rugged GMT chronograph turned out to be a surprisingly versatile watch that offers great functionality and combines that with a brilliant injection of modern design. The result was one of my favorite hands-on experiences of 2024. In the next step for […] Visit The New Micromilspec Milgraph Sabotage Edition Gets The Black Badger Treatment to read the full article.
Fratello
Formex is known for packing a ton of punch in relatively affordable watches. The brand’s offerings are rich with features and well made at very competitive prices. None exemplifies this more than the brand’s entry-level model, the Formex Field Automatic. Today, I am delighted to introduce the second generation of the watch. Now, the cynical […] Visit Hands-On With The New 2nd-Generation Formex Field Automatic to read the full article.
Fratello
Today, we’re looking at some of the best watches under €2,500 in production right now. This is one of the most contested price points in the watch market, though many brands that previously operated in it have slowly but surely priced themselves out. That said, a handful of microbrands, both new and old, have made […] Visit Fratello Talks: The Best Watches Under €2,500 In 2025 to read the full article.
Fratello
Admittedly, when Venezianico first hit the scene several years ago, we were skeptical. Was this another fly-by-night brand that would soon disappear into the ether? To our positive surprise, the Italian brand has created some fantastic watches since that time. Today, though, everything changes with the new Redentore Utopia. Late last year, we met with […] Visit Introducing: The Venezianico Redentore Utopia - A Huge Step Forward to read the full article.
Fratello
The Seiko Presage collection is often overlooked but without good reason. I have a major soft spot for the Cocktail Time series that combines the fun of Tokyo bar culture with some seriously stylish timepieces. There’s also the relatively new Presage Classic series. It uses traditional Japanese colors, materials, and textures to develop a creative […] Visit Introducing: The Smaller Seiko Presage SPB521, SPB523, And SPB524 to read the full article.
Fratello
How can a brand grow while maintaining exclusivity to uphold the perception of a luxury brand? Increasing accessibility was the right strategy for a while. But this democratization of luxury is becoming a thing of the past. Traditional clients and affluent newcomers in the world of luxury demand exclusivity. For them, luxury is all about […] Visit Democracy Is Dead: Luxury Watches Are On An Antidemocratizing Path Of Extreme Exclusivity to read the full article.
Fratello
Tudor released the Black Bay Chrono “Carbon 25” for this year’s Miami F1 Grand Prix. The watch celebrates the collaboration with the Visa Cash App Racing Bulls (VCARB) Formula 1 team with a 2,025-piece limited run. I got a chance to go hands-on to see what’s what. I was delighted to get this opportunity because […] Visit Hands-On With The New Tudor Black Bay Chrono “Carbon 25” to read the full article.
Fratello
Gerald Charles has rolled out a steady slate of releases in support of its 25th anniversary. Among these debuts are new versions of the Maestro 3.0 Chronograph, which feature métiers d’art in the form of tapisserie Clous de Paris dials. The releases also include two case materials. I spent time at the Gerald Charles booth […] Visit Introducing: The Gerald Charles Maestro 3.0 Chronograph Mini Tapisserie Clous De Paris to read the full article.
Fratello
As Nacho pointed out a few weeks ago, 2025 marks the 60th anniversary of NASA’s qualification of the Speedmaster for use in space. As you’ve probably noticed, there’s no new Omega Speedmaster Professional to commemorate this qualification by NASA. Instead, the folks at Omega chose to discuss the Speedmaster’s qualification on the brand’s social media […] Visit Visiting NASA And Axiom Space In Houston To Celebrate The 60th Anniversary Of The Omega Speedmaster’s Flight Qualification to read the full article.
Fratello
What happens when one of horology’s most radical voices tries its hand at something classically elegant? You get the MB&F; SP One. At just 38mm across and 12mm thick, it’s the smallest and slimmest watch the brand has ever made. But don’t let that fool you. This might be a more compact, dress-watch-adjacent MB&F;, but […] Visit Hot Take: The New MB&F; SP One Is Classic MB&F; Yet Anything But to read the full article.
Fratello
Welcome to another installment of Fratello On Air. This week, we respond to a listener’s request for a strap episode. Today’s show covers how to choose, which brands we enjoy, and pairing specific watches. Enjoy it! For our listeners, the watch content begins after approximately 21 minutes. This podcast player is blocked because you did […] Visit Fratello On Air: The Strap Episode to read the full article.
Fratello
Yema’s current catalog mainly consists of sports watches, so it’s nice to see a new dressier option, especially because it has quite an original design. The inspiration for the all-new Yema Granvelle’s cushion shape came from the arches in the courtyard of the Granvelle Palace in Besançon. The building also houses the Museum of Time, […] Visit Hands-On Introduction: The Yema Granvelle CMM.20 - Inspired By 16th-Century Architecture to read the full article.
Fratello
The names are the same, but the looks are very different. A hands-on experience with the new Rado Captain Cook High-Tech Ceramic Chronograph revealed strong similarities between the black-and-rose-tone model and its green sibling made of plasma high-tech ceramic. With a matte black ceramic case adorned with a rose-gold-colored PVD-coated steel turning bezel, the chronograph […] Visit Hands-On With The New Rado Captain Cook High-Tech Ceramic Chronograph: The Brand’s First Ceramic-Cased Captain Cook Chrono to read the full article.
Fratello
The 39.5mm Formex “Baby” Reef represents, to me, the sort of value for money we were once accustomed to with Tudor’s Black Bay series in the COVID era. Although that was just a few short years ago, Tudor is moving upmarket, allowing brands like Formex, Longines, and Sinn to sweep in and fill its former […] Visit Do Tudor’s Price Increases Create More Space For Players Like Formex, Longines, And Sinn? to read the full article.
Fratello
As watch fans, we’re used to brands and timepieces being attached to impressive feats. Some examples are jumping from planes, diving to ridiculous depths, and shooting off into space. Now Fears has opted to sponsor the Great British Odyssey, an attempt by record-setting ocean rower Angus Collins to row unassisted around the United Kingdom. The […] Visit Introducing: The Fears Brunswick 40 Odyssey Edition And Experimental 01 to read the full article.
Fratello
This week, Omega launched two new versions of its 38mm Railmaster. One features a gray gradient dial, while the other has a beige gradient dial. They share a flat, matte, time-only layout, which sets them apart from the current Seamaster Aqua Terra lineup. The new Railmaster is also €1,000 less expensive than the similarly specced […] Visit Sunday Morning Showdown: Omega Railmaster (2025) Vs. Seamaster Aqua Terra 150M (38mm) to read the full article.
Fratello
Thanks to a curious local collector, today, we can share a snippet of a story about a watch from a brand many of us are fond of - Enicar. Today’s story is about uncovering a vintage Enicar Sherpa chronograph with a genuine Australian racing pedigree. Australia has a rich motorsport culture. There is a wide […] Visit The Story Of One Australian Racer And His Enicar Sherpa Graph to read the full article.
Fratello
Possibly one of the most unexpected novelties released during this year’s Watches and Wonders was a double-retrograde calendar watch with a 40mm pink gold case. Now, a timepiece of that size, in that material, and with that complication - I mean no disrespect to double-retrograde indications - doesn’t sound too surprising when you think of […] Visit Hands-On With The Surprising Roger Dubuis Excalibur Biretrograde Calendar - Celebrating The Brand’s 30th Anniversary With A 40mm Watch to read the full article.
Fratello
Louis Moinet is known for creating fanciful, typically extravagant watches. They often feature tourbillons, complex complications, exotic materials, and open dials. Today’s Louis Moinet 1816 flips this script as a pared-back modern chronograph with strong cues from the brand’s past. It’s a marvelous hybrid that sounds odd but works perfectly. Louis Moinet makes watches with […] Visit Hot Take: The New Louis Moinet 1816 Chronograph to read the full article.
Fratello
Just under a month ago, Breguet unveiled its stunning new Souscription 2025 watch, a remarkable addition to the collection that commemorates the company’s 250th anniversary. Now, we’re excited to introduce the second piece in what seems to be an impressive lineup of watches to expect in 2025. Meet the newest Breguet Tradition Seconde Rétrograde 7035. […] Visit Introducing: The New Breguet Tradition Seconde Rétrograde 7035 to read the full article.
Fratello
This week’s Top 5 list is a follow-up to last week’s list. You seemed to enjoy the article about some of the stunning, exotic dials that Rolex has used for its flagship model, the Day-Date. This week, we will look at some of the exotic dials that the Genevan brand has used for the Datejust. […] Visit Fratello’s Top 5 Rolex Datejust Models With Exotic Dials to read the full article.
Fratello
The 39mm Longines Legend Diver is one of those rare watches that all of us at Fratello HQ like. While most watches spark at least some kind of debate among Fratello editors, the Legend Diver is universally admired. So when Longines releases a new dial variant, we pay attention, especially when it is a crisp […] Visit Introducing: An Icy New White-Dial Variant Of The 39mm Longines Legend Diver to read the full article.
Fratello
You will remember a Ball watch once you encounter one. The brand’s distinct style immediately stands out from the large crowd of watches available these days. Several of Ball’s watches have tritium micro-gas tubes that light up in the dark. This unique form of lume has led to an instantly recognizable numeral style that defines […] Visit Hands-On With The Surprising Ball Roadmaster M Model A to read the full article.
Fratello
Over the past six years, the current Seiko 5 Sports collection has become widely diverse. First announced in August 2019, spec-wise, it wasn’t a direct successor to the famous SKX dive watches. However, with the discontinuation of the SKX series and the SRPD models’ visual link to those watches, it’s clear where the inspiration came […] Visit Introducing: The Seiko 5 Sports SRPL83, SRPL85, SRPL87, And SRPL89 to read the full article.
Fratello
When Ming offers to send you a watch to spend time with, you don’t say no, even if it’s something you have seen before. The Ming 29.01 Worldtimer hit the market almost exactly two years ago. This week, the model received an upgrade or, better yet, a line extension with the new Ming 29.01 Midnight. […] Visit Hands-On With The New Ming 29.01 Midnight to read the full article.
Fratello
Did you know an amagnetic mechanical watch is a key part of an EOD (Explosive Ordnance Disposal) diver’s equipment? Admittedly, I didn’t. However, as it turns out, the slightest magnetic disturbance can set off explosives, rendering any battery-powered watch dangerous to EOD divers. Because of this, the French Navy turned to Serica for an amagnetic […] Visit Hands-On With The New Serica 5303 PLD - Made In Collaboration With The French Navy to read the full article.
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