It s Sunday morning, so it s time for a cup of coffee and a new installment of Sunday Morning Showdown. This week, we continue the series with another watch unveiled during Watches and Wonders. The most talked-about Tudor release was, without a doubt, the new Pelagos Ultra. This new beefed-up and modernized version of the regular Pelagos got lots of praise from dive-watch fans. But it also begged the question: which of the two would you buy? Would it be the classic Pelagos, or is the new Pelagos Ultra the better pick? It s time to find out!Tudor had a relatively modest showing at Watches and Wonders this year. The two big new releases were the Black Bay 68 and the Pelagos Ultra. The other in...

There were plenty of standout releases at Watches and Wonders 2025, but one watch keeps coming up in my memories. The Arnold & Son Constant Force Tourbillon 11 was a delight in the metal. Plus, the reason for the watch centers on a story with actual meaning.Watch companies indeed find a reason to celebrate just about every little occasion. Some are substantial, while others seem trivial. The Arnold & Son Constant Force Tourbillon 11 feels like a credible reason to get excited due to the historic relationship between John Arnold and Abraham-Louis Breguet. Both men even sent their sons in an exchange to train with the other father. As the story goes, Arnold was an admirer of Breguet s ...

You re probably aware of the butterfly effect. It s the idea that small, seemingly trivial events may ultimately result in something with much larger consequences. But what does that have to do with watches? Well, the principle inspired a new collection from a new brand initiated by James Wong and Tony Yip from Hong Kong. Yesterday, they launched their first campaign on Kickstarter. The brand name is Nectere, and the collection is called Order From Chaos. Let s see if Wong and Yip can cause a ripple effect and make their new venture successful.To be honest, I m always a bit sceptical when a new watch brand launches on Kickstarter. I ve experienced up close how Thomas built his VPC brand with...

We met with Ming at Time to Watches in Geneva and left excited about all the releases in the pipeline. In addition to some innovative higher-end upcoming introductions, the brand still knows how to cater to its core audience. The new 37.02 Ghost exemplifies this as an automatic, time-only watch, but it s still infused with the exciting details we know and love from Ming.Ming wasn t going to make a big splash about today s 37.02 Ghost, but when I saw it in Geneva, I knew I had to cover it. Unexpectedly, CEO Praneeth Rajsingh offered to let me take the watch from Geneva to Florida while on vacation. It came with me to the Florida Keys, and while zero cloud cover may not be the best for picture...

Another Friday, another Top 5! This week, we continue our series of lists inspired by Watches and Wonders 2025 and take a look at some of our favorite watches with stone dials. But as we wanted to make it a bit more specific, we decided to list five sports models with them. For most of us, a sports watch with a regular dial is the way to go. But after creating this list, you might be surprised by the brilliance of some of these sporty watches with their exotic dials.The inspiration for this list came from the new stone-dial variants of the different sports watches introduced during Watches and Wonders 2025. In a year when the brand s Land-Dweller was the center of attention, many of the ...

We re back with another episode of Fratello On Air. This week, we re wrapping up Watches and Wonders. We ve had time to think about the show, the adjoining events, and the watches. You ll hear our impressions and some good old banter. For our listeners, the watch content begins after 30 minutes.This podcast player is blocked because you did not accept marketing cookies. Change cookie settings Mike is at his childhood home in Parkland, Florida, this week while Balazs is in Germany. We apologize for the late release, but vacations get in the way every so often. We ve had some time to digest all the releases and news that occurred in Geneva. Now, we re wrapping up with our thoughts.Handgele...

surprised friend and foe with a new movement at this years Watches and Wonders. While thats always a relatively big deal in our little horological sub-universe, caliber 7135 represents a particularly big milestone. developed a brand-new escapement dubbed Dynapulse. We felt it was about time we took a closer look at it.Of course, the new caliber and this new technology debuted in the hotly debated Land-Dweller. Today, however, I want to focus on the escapement alone. Lets see why this is such a big deal.Friction is the enemyThe vast majority of mechanical watches use the traditional Swiss lever escapement. This type of escapement relies on a pallet fork and an escape wheel. The balance whee...

In the weeks leading up to Watches and Wonders 2025, we saw leaks related to a new watch called the Land-Dweller. The idea sent people into a tizzy. Here was a watch with a strange name and a familiar case. But was it real? Just after midnight on April 1st, we learned that the Land-Dweller was not only real but also a proper collection of watches. We saw them in Geneva, and today, I ll share some firsthand impressions. continues to master the art of giving people some of what they want but never exactly what they expected. Let s face it: a lot of folks have been asking for a GMT-Master II with a ceramic Coke bezel, and it s still not available. Instead, the most powerful watch brand on the ...

Brellum releases many small runs of watches during any given year, so I was surprised to find that it s been nearly six months since our last review. Now we re back with a look at the new Duobox Triple Calendar Moonphase LE Chronometer. Yes, that s a mouthful, but the welcome news is that the watch now has a salmon dial. Plus, it s available in a choice of case materials.Last year, we reviewed the new Duobox Triple Calendar Moonphase. At that time, the watch debuted with a silver dial and was limited to 46 pieces. The latest release sports a fashionable salmon dial. It s also on trend with the option of a titanium case. Let s take a closer look.The latest Brellum Duobox Triple Calendar Moonp...

Today, almost a year after its introduction, we re taking the Oak & Oscar Atwood flyback chronograph for a spin. Unlike my colleague Mike, I m not very familiar with the Chicago-based brand, which has been in the watch business for 10 years. Next to the Atwood, the brand currently also offers the Humboldt GMT and the Olmsted 38. I think it s remarkable that a company offers (only) three models and that one is a flyback chronograph. You don t see that often, so I m looking forward to checking it out.Mike wrote about the Atwood when it came out last year, and he also introduced the Wind Vintage Edition of the watch. However, I don t think he shared his hands-on experience with it yet, so l...

We don t just go to Watches and Wonders to get our hands on all the new watches; we also keep our eyes on the bigger picture, looking at the overarching themes that emerge at the show. On today s episode of Fratello Talks, we re looking at some of the trends that we felt were most prominent this year. These are the things we expect to see more of as the year goes on - the influential factors that shape what watch brands will be doing over the coming months. Daan and Lex join Nacho for some trend spotting and to discuss some of the most interesting and noticeable ones they noticed during the fair. Of course, before we do that, it s time for a quick wrist check.This video is blocked because yo...

By now, Bravur, the watch brand from B?stad, Sweden, has created enough cycling-themed watches to provide the complete pro peloton with them. This is not a complaint or a snappy remark but a neutral observation. And from that observation comes enthusiasm. As a cyclist, I applaud a nicely done cycling watch. Now you can be in the breakaway with the Bravur Heritage Team STR sporting a dial in the colors of the historic St. Rapha?l cycling team kit.In the late 1950s and early 1960s, the St. Rapha?l cycling team, named after the sponsoring French aperitif brand, was a force to reckon with. Directeur sportif Rapha?l Geminiani led a squad with legendary rider Jacques Anquetil, the first five-time ...

This year, many brands are celebrating different milestones. One of the most relevant anniversaries in 2025 is Zenith s 160th, which you probably read about during Watches and Wonders. Although it is a significant milestone, Zenith treated us to a very select number of anniversary models during the fair. I can greatly appreciate that because it maintains a strong focus. The watch that drew the most attention was, without a doubt, the new Zenith G.F.J. This special 160th-anniversary edition brings back the legendary Zenith caliber 135. On top of that, it is the first model of a full new product line in the brand s collection. Let s find out more about the new Zenith G.F.J.In the build-up to W...

So, a tank is pretty tough, right? How do you make it even tougher? Park it in a casemate! Stick the cannon through one of the tiny embrasures, and you have a fearsome defensive installation. Well, thats what Cartier did. The mighty Cartier Tank was parked in a bunker, and the result is called the Cartier Tank Guichets. I got a chance to go hands-on with one to see if it stands the heat of battle.My apologies for the combative analogy in an age when nations are at each others throats. Perhaps my recent trip to Normandy triggers these associations. Maybe it really is the watch, though. After all, it looks like it could be a precious-metal miniature of something concrete perched on the Frenc...

Aside from Apollo 11, NASA s 1970 Apollo 13 mission is probably the most talked-about one from the Apollo program. It was a mission that failed - almost fatally! On April 17th, 1970, the Apollo 13 crew landed safely on Earth after some incredibly scary moments onboard the module. The Speedmaster played such an important role on the return trip that NASA decided to give Omega a Silver Snoopy Award on October 5th of that same year. Some think the Snoopy cartoon on a Speedmaster is a bit childish, but often, those people don t know why it is there. In this article, we ll explain how Snoopy ended up on the dial of a Speedmaster.In 1970, NASA astronaut Thomas P. Stafford presented a Silver Snoopy...

Tissot relaunched the PRX five years ago. Time flies when youre having fun, doesnt it? The integrated-bracelet sports watch has become something of a fan favorite in the meantime. It graces the wrists of many newcomers to the watch hobby and veterans alike. Tissot blessed us with tons of variants to choose from. Different sizes, materials, colors, movements, and even complications are available. Today, I get to try on a particularly flashy number, the Tissot PRX Powermatic 80 40mm in rose gold and blue.Of course, this isnt real rose gold but, rather, a PVD coating. That enables Tissot to keep the price nice and accessible at $895. Will it charm its way into my heart, or is this one step too ...

Welcome to another installment of Exploring Evergreens, a series here on Fratello in which we get our hands on watches that have been around for over a decade - or long enough to feel ubiquitous - and ask ourselves if theyve managed to stand the test of time. Well address whether theyre still relevant, how they feel today, and, ultimately, if theyre worth their current prices. In some cases, when the authors own/have owned the specific pieces, theyll dig into how their feelings about them have evolved and whether or not they still deserve a spot in their collections. Today, I m honored to feature my beloved, all-steel Cartier Santos de Cartier Galbee XL from 2006. Yes, I think that s indeed ...

Over the last two weeks, we ve spent much time with the new Panerai Luminor Marina collection. Today s watch, the Titanio PAM03325, visited our headquarters for a comprehensive photo shoot. We saw it again, and the rest of the collection, at Watches and Wonders 2025 a week later. Suffice it to say, the changes to the collection and the reintroduction of a titanium model may not sound like much, but Panerai went to work and made significant changes.I must admit that Panerai can be a frustrating brand for the small-wristed. I ve pined over certain models and simply couldn t squint hard enough to make the case sizes work on my 6.5″ wrist. Therefore, the Panerai I own that received some wr...

The Patek Philippe Calatrava 6196P was a surprise at Watches and Wonders 2025. It s been a long time since the brand introduced a clean, simple watch at a big annual show like this, and it was welcome. Today, we ll take a closer look at this gem.For Patek Philippe, 2024 was the year of double denim, and I must say it was forgettable. I ve grown to love this brand from a vintage standpoint, and I know it can produce some incredible watches. Still, the last decade has been fraught with overdone pieces, jeweled monstrosities, or (lately) square goofiness. Finally, Patek brings something beautiful in a way that only the esteemed watchmaker can manage. The Calatrava 6196P is a return to a watch t...

Of course, I was impressed by the new Land-Dweller, but I wasnt charmed by it. To be honest, its been a while since The Crown launched a watch that charmed me. Yes, every watch is of superb build quality and a benchmark, but just like a Mercedes S-class, a modern is not exactly lovable. Whether the execs in Geneva agree with me is not clear, but the brand just launched the Oyster Perpetual with dials in three soft shades. The new pastel beige, pistachio, and lavender dials are available for the OP 28, 31, 34, and 36. The 41mm version only comes in two flavors - beige and pistachio. I went hands-on with a 41mm pistachio and a 36mm beige Oyster Perpetual.The three new colors introduced duri...