Sign Up To The Fratello Newsletter You don t have the time to check out our website every day? That s a pity but we understand. Perhaps signing up for our newsletter can trigger you to just click those posts you find interesting. You will receive two newsletters a week from us, on Tuesday and Friday, with a mention of all articles that have been published since the last newsletter.Is that all?No. When we are having a giveaway promotion or doing an event (GTG) for watch enthusiasts like yourself, you will be amongst the first to know and to sign-up. We might be using the subscribers on the list to notify you when there will be an event in advance, but other than that, we will stick to two ne...
Chronoswiss has long been associated with traditional watch design. While the brand hasn t lost that classic touch, it has drastically changed the overall appearance of its watches by using new materials and bold colors. On top of that, Chronoswiss has introduced designs that show how its signature style can evolve into modern watches with a ton of character. The best example is the Pulse series. I love how the Pulse models hit the sweet spot between contemporary design and the classic Chronoswiss traits. The new Pulse GMT is more proof of that, and I had a chance to go hands-on with both the titanium and rose gold versions.When the first Chronoswiss Pulse models debuted, they immediately ca...
Nivada Grenchen often blends heritage with irreverence, but its latest release surprises even more. Based on the Antarctic platform, the new Antarctic Erotic 38mm updates a familiar design with something completely different, hidden from plain sight.At first glance, its a classic, everyday watch. Underneath, though, a playful, subversive detail is revealed only to the wearer.Antarctic with a twistThe Antarctic Erotic reinvents the iconic 38mm Antarctic, rooted in the brands 1950s legacy, when Nivada Grenchen built its reputation with tool watches tested on U.S. Navy Antarctic expeditions. The new model modernizes this heritage, keeping the clean, versatile design that made the Antarctic popu...
Geniuses are often misunderstood. Vincent van Gogh is a good example. During his lifetime, the now-much-revered painter sold, most likely, just one painting. Will designer Magnus Swann follow in Van Goghs footsteps? Hes the guy responsible for creating Studio Underd0gs unique strap solutions. After a lengthy period of conceptualizing, he came up with The Triple Wrister, The Bicep Strap, and The Cap Strap. No longer satisfied with the way watches are worn, he thought so far out of the box that he found himself in uncharted territories, only to come back with revolutionary new ways to wear your watch. The following questions arise: Will Studio Underd0g ever sell one of those new strap concepts...
The first Credor watch I ever saw in real life was an Eichi II. We organized a trip for our readers to Grand Seiko in Japan several years ago, and one of the guests just pulled one out of his pocket (I kid you not). Credor is the cream of the crop, the crown jewel of the (Grand) Seiko family.In 2023, we saw the first modern Credor Goldfather watch, and Mike wrote a brief intro about the name, which dates back to 1960 (here). Earlier this year, we reported on the Credor Goldfeather Imari Nabeshima Limited Edition. Today, Credor is back at it once more with the Goldfather Urushi Lacquer Dial Limited Edition (GBBY967) and the Goldfeather Tourbillon Engraved Limited Edition (GBCF997).Credor Gold...
We already mentioned Baltic in a recent Fratello Talks episode, The Microbrands To Watch In 2026. Etienne Malec founded the brand 10 years ago and launched his first watch a year later. We suspect he s planning something big for the anniversary, but it doesn t look like Etienne needs any excuse to launch great new watches. The recently introduced MR Moissanite, with a bezel full of baguette-cut stones, is proof of that. And now, he comes with the new Heures du Monde collection, a trio of worldtimers with labradorite, tiger eye, and sodalite dials.Baltic has made quite a name for itself in the past decade with its stylish, relatively affordable, vintage-inspired timepieces. I don t really kno...
Thats heavy sh*t, man. Two years ago, we had the chance to go hands-on with the Fleming Series 1 Launch Edition Tantalum. In that alloy, which is roughly twice as heavy as steel, the watch made a lasting impression. It was heavy in hippie-speak because of its refined case shape, intricate dial details, and remarkable movement. The Series I appeared in three limited editions - seven pieces each in platinum and pink gold, along with 25 in tantalum. Today, the evolved Mark II versions in pink gold and tantalum debut. We at Fratello went hands-on with the pink gold Fleming Series 1 Mark II Redwood. The watch is named after the giant Sequoioideae trees in California, home of Thomas Fleming, an av...
Welcome back to another episode of Fratello On Air! This week, we discuss underrated vintage brands that are worth a long look. We ve had these types of chats before, but it s always nice to see what we ve missed. You ll hear some familiar names today, as well as about some smaller companies that could be new to you.This podcast player is blocked because you did not accept marketing cookies. Change cookie settings While both of us have a penchant for vintage , Heuer, and other well-known marques, our love for vintage brands is universal. Whether it s a cool piece from a one-hit wonder or an everyman s watch company that made some seriously good stuff, we re up for it. Today, we ll mentio...
Our times arent ideally characterized by the term gentlemanliness. It seems most of us are more concerned with fighting for what we think the world owes us than with standing for dignified, gentlemanly conduct. This week, I am proposing a return of the gentleman in us all. I secretly, subliminally started last week with the Singer Reimagined Caballero (Spanish for gentleman). Today, I am ramping it up with the new Tissot Gentleman 38mm.The new Tissot Gentleman 38mm comes in four colors. I got the chance to go hands-on with the black and green models. Regardless of which color you choose, you will have to part ways with $795. Lets see if it performs beyond that rather modest price tag!A still...
Last year was Breguets 250th anniversary, and the brand treated us to many beautiful new watches to mark the occasion. However, it also made me think about how its new leadership would handle the regular collection of Breguet watches. We see the first results today, with the new Breguet Tradition Seconde Retrograde 7037, a previously discontinued reference.A new TraditionThe Breguet Tradition debuted in 2005 under the leadership of Nicolas G. Hayek, first with a manual-wind movement in a 37mm yellow gold case. In the years that followed, the Tradition collection grew to include other (precious) materials, larger cases, and complications.Breguet Tradition Seconde Retrograde 7035We ve covered ...
A round case is hardly a radical idea in watchmaking. For Bianchet, though, it absolutely is. At Watches and Wonders 2026, the brand will present the UltraFino Rotondo, and while it clearly belongs to the same family as the watch weve previously known as the UltraFino, this isnt just a simple reshaping exercise. It marks the first time Bianchet has stepped away from its signature tonneau case shape, and with that comes something even more significant - a round case and round movement architecture for the first time in the brands history.That alone makes the Rotondo feel important. It still looks and feels like a Bianchet watch in the details, proportions, openworked architecture, and clear e...
Last year, at Geneva Watch Days, Nacho and I went to the Amida stand in one of the rooms of the Beau Rivage. There were a few watches there to check out, but we also got a little tag to hang around our necks. An Amida representative also told us to go to another floor and a specific room in the hotel, knock on the door, and use the password The Worm. It all sounded a bit spooky, but we did it. After being blinded with a flashlight, we entered a darkened room, handed in our phones, signed our lives away, and were presented with Project Enterprise. Now, half a year later, we can finally tell you more about the Amida Digitrend NASA Edition.Just like the original Amida Digitrend, the first Space...
It is safe to say that the past 12 months have been all about the renaissance of the jump-hour watch. With the Cartier Tank Guichets, Audemars Piguet Neo Frame Jumping Hour, Christopher Ward C1 Jump Hour Mk V, Maen Nico Leonard Jump Hour, and Louis Vuitton Tambour Convergence Pink Gold, we have seen quite a few striking examples. What these watches have in common is a creative freedom that traditional watches with dials and hands often don t allow. Semicolon is a new brand that took that freedom to develop the Anachron. Let s check out this inaugural release from a new Hong Kong-based brand launching on Kickstarter today.Something immediately intrigued me when the two Semicolon Anachron ...
It s that time of year when the new releases start to trickle out in preparation for the season s watch shows. However, there s something else on the horizon that still seems unfathomable in some geographies. Finally, Summer is coming. As a result, a brand like Doxa is always active and takes the opportunity to introduce novelties. This year, the company is focusing on its most affordable line, but has added something entirely new. The Sub 200 II collection offers new colors and a new case.If you re not familiar with Doxa s entry-level model, it debuted in the mid-1960s before the iconic Sub 300. The original Sub 200 is rare, with very few, if any, coming up for sale in a given year. It feat...
Theres a particular stillness that settles in just before a freedive. One last breath, a quiet pause, and then the surface tension breaks as you slip beneath the water. Along the Pacific coastline of Sydney, where rocky shelves drop quickly into deep green-blue water, that moment feels both calm and demanding. Its in these conditions that a watch stops being an accessory and becomes a piece of equipment. Over one early morning freedive, the IWC Aquatimer 2000 ref. IW353803 proved itself to be exactly that - a serious, uncompromising tool watch that feels entirely at home in the ocean.This Aquatimer belongs to a generation of IWC dive watches that predates the current wave of nostalgia-driven...
Is there such a thing as a best rotor? A pragmatic watchmaker might say a heavy central one that winds the mainspring the most efficiently is the best. A collector of traditional watches with similar movements might say that nothing beats a solid micro-rotor. And I know people with a deep fondness for technical watchmaking who lust after peripheral rotors. Now tell me, how do you like your rotor - central, micro, or peripheral? If you do, I will tell you which system I prefer. It might be a system I havent mentioned yet.Before looking at different rotor types, lets first quickly explain how the automatic movement came about and how it became the most common mechanical watch movement out ther...
It s Sunday morning, which means it s time for another epic watch battle in our Sunday Morning Showdown series. This week, Mike and Jorg go head-to-head with two popular dive watches. With the recent introduction of the Seiko Marinemaster HBF001, we want to see whether it can take on the popular Tudor Black Bay Monochrome. Mike will back the new Marinemaster, and Jorg will defend the Black Bay. Let s find out which of these two watches you would pick!When looking back at our Sunday Morning Showdown series, it quickly became clear that we have featured both the previous generation of the Marinemaster and the Black Bay Monochrome. Funnily enough, we have never pitted them against each other. T...
Until late summer 2025, watch enthusiasts lived in a universe where Singer Reimagined watches were reliably awe-inspiring in their complexity. The brands many takes on racing chronographs matched its close relationship with Singer Vehicle Design. And then, come September 2025, Singer dropped the time-only Caballero. Out went the complications and intricate dial layouts. In came the deceptive simplicity of a three-hand daily watch.Today, the brand continues in this direction by introducing a titanium version of its Caballero model. Besides the new case material, some aesthetic refinements push the watch into new territories. Lets have a closer look!The original model in stainless steelThe Sin...
When Porsche Design invited me to visit the opening of its new Timepieces Manufaktur, I was immediately intrigued. Having visited the relatively small old workshop in Solothurn before, a big new facility inevitably implies lofty ambitions. What is the German carmaker/Swiss watchmaker up to? As your intrepid reporter, I made it my mission to find out.Now, before we get into it, let me clear up one semantic issue beforehand. Porsche Design calls this new facility its Timepieces Manufaktur. This is, of course, correct in the classical German meaning of manufaktur as a workshop or factory. It is important not to confuse this with the Swiss-watchmaking meaning of manufacture, implying fully in-ho...
Emmanuel Gueit has done it again. His designs for Dennison are a hit, and now theres a new catchy, slightly moody tune that will be on your mind once youve been exposed to it. Dennison introduces the ALD Dual Time Shades Dial, a nuanced and refined evolution of the brands Dual Time collection. The dials have a single color, but they don t look that way because theyre brushed half-vertically and half-horizontally. The way light hits each dial s halves determines the shade of blue, green, or brown they show. Some more firsts for this collection are the indexes on the dials and the option to buy an ALD Dual Time on a 70s-style steel pebble-link bracelet.Dont you dare call the dial color a fade...
