Currently, the Fears collection consists of two cores - the round Redcliff and the cushion-shaped Brunswick. Today, with Watches and Wonders and Time to Watches right around the corner and both taking place in Geneva, brand refounder Nicholas Bowman-Scargill adds a third core to the collection with the introduction of the Arnos Pewter Blue. The inspiration for the curved rectangular case comes from Fears watches of the 1920s and 30s. The new vintage-inspired Arnos features a round blue dial with a rhodium-plated hobnail pattern surrounding it.In 2021, for its 175th anniversary, Fears presented a watch called the Archival 1930. It was limited to 175 pieces because it housed a new-old-stock E...
Late last year, I had the opportunity to go hands-on with the Maen collection for the first time. I d heard of the brand but had only seen photographs. I was highly impressed with the case finishing, dials, and bracelets. Best of all, the watches felt far more expensive than their price tags suggested. With today s Maen Nico Leonard Jump Hour, we witness a modern take on a traditional complication. Thankfully, it looks great and is affordable.With Maen having Dutch founders, it s no surprise the brand is working with Nico Leonard, the popular YouTuber who hails from the same country, on a collaborative piece. While I m not familiar with Nico s horological likes and dislikes, it s interesti...
If there is any Gallet watch that almost certainly sells for more than $10,000, it s an early version of the Flying Officer with a black dial. Although it is a very expensive watch, proper research and documentation are limited. The details raise multiple questions.Let s start with the basics. The Flying Officer, the most important watch in Gallet s history, utilized previous unique experiments with rotating bezels by other brands in a new and completely innovative way. Produced in 1938 and first advertised in January 1939, the Gallet Flying Officer featured names of world cities, representing time zones, around the edge of the dial on a contrasting white ring. A thin bezel with hour marking...
With all the craziness set to occur next week in Geneva, Czapek has made the wise move to release a stunning new collection a bit early. The new Antarctique Tourbillon is a tour de force. It showcases a new movement and an impressive dial design. Before the onslaught of new releases begins, take the time to enjoy these beauties.At Fratello, we re big fans of Czapek. As a result, we ve released two collaboration models with the Genevan brand. The resurgent company is 10 years old and makes lovely watches with impressive movements and beautifully finished cases. Now, with the Antarctique Tourbillon, Czapek adds a new in-house movement to its most renowned model line.The Czapek Antarctique Tour...
A couple of weeks ago, the British Watchmakers Day occurred in London. Not only was it a day to get to know almost 45 British watch brands but also a chance for people to get their hands on one of the more than 30 special-edition watches presented there. Both Christopher Ward and Mr Jones Watches were present at the event. They also offered people a chance to buy one of their limited-edition watches. Somehow, though, it looks like their creativity didn t end just yet. Today, the two British brands present us with yet another 300-piece limited-edition watch. This time, it s called the Celestial, a combination of Christopher Ward s C1 Moonphase 37 and Mr Jones Watches unlimited and quirky cr...
Watches and Wonders 2025 is just a few days away, so today, on?Fratello Talks, we re making our predictions, voicing our wishes, and expressing our fears for the week ahead. Nacho, RJ, and Lex are feeling the pre-Watches and Wonders excitement. After all, it s the biggest week of the year for the watch industry, with a record 60 brands showcasing their novelties at the fair. Though we have unique early access to some of the new watches, we do our best not to give anything away and look to fill the gaps where we can only make educated guesses. Though you ll have to wait until next week to see what some of the world s biggest watch brands have in store for us this year, we think this episode w...
Finding the right watch that doesn t have a classic, round case is trickier than I anticipated. You see, recently, I have been pursuing an option for my collection that doesn t adhere to the case shape most of us start with. Hurrah for vintage Longines coming to the rescue!The round watch case is practically synonymous with watchmaking as we know it today. It shows a direct transition from pocket watches of the preceding centuries to a miniaturized pocket watch on the wrist. The reasons for pocket watches being round were many and varied. The biggest one, perhaps, was that having rounded sides meant that more primitive metal processing technology did not have to contend with polishing sharp ...
If you consider yourself a passionate diver, chances are that you strive to dive in different underwater habitats. After all, variety is the spice of life, isnt it? So you may find yourself traveling all over the globe, looking for diving hotspots. Unfortunately, the Doxa on your wrist does not aid in keeping track of time in multiple places as you zip through time zones. Well, until today, that is! Doxa now presents the Sub 250T GMT.Could this be the perfect travel companion for globetrotting divers? Lets have a closer look!By popular demandThis is one of those releases that instantly make sense. In fact, my first thought was, Doesnt Doxa make a GMT already? As it turns out, no such model e...
Whenever RZE announces a new release, I m all ears. It s no secret that we are RZE fans here at Fratello. But I was not just curious when the brand announced a digital watch. Whenever a brand not known for digital watches releases one, it raises a lot more questions. After all, digital watches are just as much about functionality as they are about aesthetics. You could even claim that most watch fans will buy one expressly for its functionality. I am one of them. So when the RZE UTD-8000-BK landed on my desk, I couldn t wait to find out more.Entering the world of digital watches as a brand that usually offers mechanical ones can be daunting. You don t need a mechanical movement from one of t...
Last week, Horage introduced the DecaFlux with its latest in-house movement, the K3. This is a silicon-equipped caliber designed to offer modern watchmaking technology to a broader audience. As an independent Swiss brand, Horage has continually pursued innovation in mechanical watchmaking, challenging conventions and embracing new materials. The K3 represents the latest chapter in this effort, offering enhanced performance, reliability, and efficiency by integrating the advanced silicon material.The development of the K3 movement marks the next milestone for Horage. In just 15 years, the brand has created five in-house calibers and, recently, a whole new way of regulating mechanical movement...
No, it s not the one he wore on the Moon, of course. The Speedmaster Professional 105.012 with NASA serial number 46 that Neil Armstrong wore during Apollo 11 is on display at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC. I am talking about the watch he received during that famous banquet dinner on November 25th, 1969, in Houston, Texas. RR Auctions will be offering this gold Speedmaster Tribute to Astronauts on April 17th, 2025.Neil Armstrong 18K gold Speedmaster Tribute to Astronauts - Image: RR AuctionsTribute to AstronautsOn that 1969 evening at the Warwick Hotel in Houston, Omega presented 26 gold Speedmaster Professional ref. B145.022-69 watches to 23 astronauts (and three posth...
In 2020, Breitling revived its Top Time collection. Since then, we ve seen many two- and three-register chronographs with playful and colorful dials. Many of those watches were part of a collaboration with Deus, Ford, or Triumph, for example. In a sense, Breitling s Top Time collection is like its Hot Wheels department. Today, the Grenchen-based brand is introducing three non-chronograph models that carry the Top Time name. Powering them is the automatic B31, a new three-hand movement that s exclusive to Breitling.This move to three-hand versions of what used to be chronographs seems to be a recurring theme at Breitling. Watches like the Chronomat and the Navitimer have already undergone the...
Welcome to another episode of Fratello On Air! This week, we share our hopes and dreams (not really) for what should be an epic Watches and Wonders 2025. After a blah 2024, we re expecting some cracking releases. We discuss some of our wishes and the event in general. For our listeners, the watch content starts after 30 minutes.This podcast player is blocked because you did not accept marketing cookies. Change cookie settings Watches and Wonders 2025 is a week away, so it s time to hear our wishes for new releases. Leaks have occurred, but no one knows if they re true. We ll have to wait, but it won t be long! HandgelenkskontrolleWe start our show by talking about traveling to Watches ...
Today, we take a look at the new Maurice Lacroix 1975 Collection. These watches represent a new line and celebrate the brand s 50th anniversary. They are attractive choices as daily pieces that lean toward the dressy end of the spectrum. Best of all, there are a variety of dial colors and two diameters.As a child of the 80s, I can clearly remember Maurice Lacroix becoming very popular at the end of the decade and throughout the 90s. Therefore, it surprised me that today s 1975 Collection is being introduced as a 50th-anniversary celebration. Time flies, as they say! Still, don t expect funky 70s watches with psychedelic colors and angular cases. These models have a clean-cut and attractiv...
Okay, we have all seen those grainy, allegedly leaked images, right? Could we see a return of watches with integrated bracelets this spring? Who knows? We havent engaged too much since we cannot possibly confirm anything anyway. Time will tell. However, that doesnt stop us from enjoying the idea.So, how about a little shopping spree for watches with integrated bracelets? I have dug up current sales listings for three cool models, all with different styles of integrated bracelets. Join me for a closer look!Image: Mokum Watches watches with integrated bracelets: Oysterquartz Datejust ref. 17014The first of these watches with integrated bracelets is the obvious choice, an Oysterquartz Date...
The Code is growing on me. It wasnt exactly love at first sight, to put it mildly. Still, with time and, more importantly, some much-needed significant cosmetic changes, Im warming up to the watch that wasnt just hindered by a seemingly lazy dial design and somewhat ridiculous name. Last year, I had a most pleasant experience with an automatic model in pink gold with a blue dial, and this year, things got even more intense when I encountered the new 41mm Code 11.59 by Audemars Piguet Selfwinding in gray. Man, this steel three-hander s got the looks. But it also has some je ne sais quois that has me contemplating the Code. Could it be an entry point into the AP universe, or do you always need...
Last year, I asked, Can we appreciate the Submariner as just a great dive watch? That question and article sparked a lot of debate. Today, I am asking a similar question of the Submariner s spiritual competitor, the 42.3mm Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Automatique.Icon is one of the most overused terms in the watch world. The Blancpain Fifty Fathoms is one of the few dive watches, alongside the Doxa Sub 300, Zodiac Sea Wolf, and the Submariner, that truly deserves the title. This month, I spent some quality time with Blancpain s 42.3mm Fifty Fathoms in Grade 23 titanium. Here are some thoughts.The Blancpain Fifty FathomsI say icon because, as many of you know, Blancpain s Fifty Fathoms was one o...
This year, Citizen celebrates the 30th anniversary of its The Citizen line. That may sound surprising, but it s because the brand s top-tier watches haven t always been available globally. Little by little, though, we re seeing more of these creations that often feature uncommon dial materials and highly accurate movements. Today, we ll look at two limited global releases.The Citizen has always struck me as an intriguing name for a collection of watches. Admittedly, it s a bit confusing, but the signature eagle logo makes these models easily identifiable. From a product-offering perspective, the catalog isn t huge, but The Citizen range offers mechanical and quartz watches. The automatic NC1...
When three L?bner watches landed on my desk, I must admit that I wasn t familiar with the Munich-based brand. As soon as I took the watches out of their pouches, though, they intrigued me. They look different from many other watches, and some unique traits of these timepieces make them stand out for more than their looks. The first two models we received for review were the black-dial L?bner Sledge on a rubber strap and a silver-dial version on a stainless steel bracelet. Those are the ones I will focus on in this article. But I also had a chance to try the Steelracer Chronograph with its ice-blue dial. It s time to find out more about L?bner and the watches before us!L?bner is a German bran...
You blink once and it s Sunday again, folks! Get ready for another battle royale between two competitive offerings from different brands. This week, we ll pit two rather different watches against each other. These aren t necessarily directly comparable except for one distinguishing feature - twice the number of crowns you usually get. Daan takes the red corner with the new Mido Multifort 8 Two Crowns. On the opposite side of the canvas, in the blue corner, we find Thomas with a Baltic Aquascaphe Dual-Crown. Welcome to our game of crowns!As mentioned, these watches come with rather different propositions. The Mido is a sports watch with an integrated bracelet, costing CHF 1,150. The Baltic is...
