At the beginning of the year, Baltic introduced its very surprising and different Prismic collection. While the brand had always had heavily vintage-inspired designs, it took a more contemporary approach with the new Prismic. The watches had clean, angular lines, a case construction containing stainless steel and titanium, and very boldly textured dials. They were just as well designed as Baltic s other watches, but they were certainly a breath of fresh air for the Parisian brand s portfolio. Now Etienne Malec, founder of Baltic, introduces new Prismic limited editions. Each of the three watches has a colorful stone dial inspired by Paris, London, or New York City.Those are the metropolises ...

There might be debate about which brand released the first modern dive watch, but its safe to say that Zodiac was one of the first three. The Sea Wolf debuted in the 1950s - 1957 seems to be the year of the watchs release, but this is still up for debate - and its original design is still going strong. So is Zodiac. The brand, founded in 1882, went belly up in the 1990s, but it has been part of Fossil Group since 2001. While the Sea Wolf name didnt survive the bankruptcy and the vision of the new owner, Super Sea Wolf did, and the descendants of those watches are doing well. The new 18K-gold-plated Zodiac Super Sea Wolf Compression Diver is a good example. It s an opulent celebration of the ...

We visited Geneva Watch Days a few weeks ago, and Breguet was one of the brands exhibiting that week. In its beautiful boutique on the famous Rue du Rh?ne, Breguet showed us not only the new Type XX with steel bracelets but also (under strict embargo) this new gold Type XX Chronographe 2067. And now have one at Fratello HQ for a hands-on review.The fourth-generation Type XX in rose goldA little over a year ago, at an event in Paris, Breguet introduced the new Type XX and Type 20 models. Combined with a visit to the National Air and Space Museum of France at the Bourget airport, we saw Breguet s new direction for this iconic chronograph. Its the fourth generation of the Breguet Type XX and Ty...

Seiko has long been the default choice for affordable and bulletproof mechanical timekeepers. But is Citizen now starting to take over that role? There s plenty of evidence to suggest that it is, so let s examine this topic today.My first article for Fratello asked: Is the Seiko magic slipping away? You see, like so many fellow enthusiasts, my watch-collecting journey started with a Seiko. In my case, it was a Seiko 5 SNZG11J1 in the jungles of Thailand and Myanmar. My father had gifted it to me as a reliable mechanical timekeeper for my first big assignment overseas. Then, when I was back in my home country of Australia, the first vintage watch that I bought that heralded my interest in the...

Over the past 5C10 years, we have seen a huge rise in the popularity of American microbrands. It has been interesting to see the success of Monta, Traska, Nodus, Autodromo, and Lorier, to name just a few. Another brand that has been making waves lately is Jack Mason. It began as a fashion brand but repositioned during the COVID pandemic, and with a strong focus on creating higher-quality watches, the Texan brand quickly found success. The Jack Mason Strat-o-timer GMT from 2022 became a fan favorite, followed by the Hydrotimer dive watch and the Ellum dress watch. In the next step, Jack Mason releases its first timepiece to bear the Swiss Made label. It s time to check out the new Jack Mason ...

We all know the world is divided between people who like salmon skin and those who don t. Whenever I prepare salmon at home for my family, I make sure to buy the kind with the skin still attached. I heat the butter in the frying pan, add the salmon skin side down, and let it simmer for a bit. That helps create the crusty layer I enjoy so much when cutting through a tender salmon filet. And I don t know about your family, but I always end up with other people s salmon skins on my plate too. If you re anything like me, then I m sure you ll thoroughly enjoy Studio Underd0g s new 03Series because its dial is inspired by the salmon and its shimmering skin.It has only been a few weeks since H. Mos...

It s Sunday morning, which means it s time for breakfast with a classic Sunday Morning Showdown. This week, Mike and Jorg go head to head with two great mid-sized daily wearers from and Grand Seiko. One is the latest generation of the classic 36mm Datejust with a domed bezel. It will go up against the recently introduced 37mm Grand Seiko SBGH347. Which of the two will come out on top? That is up to you to decide.Each of today s picks represents the perfect entry-level daily wearer from its respective brand. Compared to other and Grand Seiko watches, these are relatively affordable. The new Grand Seiko SBGH347 will be available in October for $6,900, and the Datejust can be yours for $7,7...

Omega has a longstanding relationship with the Americas Cup, and marking this years race is the new Seamaster Regatta. More than ever before, Omega took the opportunity to develop a purposeful watch for sailors. This watch, regarded as an instrument, just like the X-33 collection, uses an analog and digital display.37th America s CupThe launch of this watch took place in Barcelona, where the 37th edition of the Americas Cup is happening. As Omega President and CEO Raynald Aeschliman explained,?Our new Seamaster Regatta belongs to the same family of watches as the Speedmaster X-33. Its essentially a multifunctional tool that you can wear on your wrist. As its name makes clear, this is the per...

Disco Volante is a watch style. In Italian, it also means flying disc but neither Frisbee nor mid-argument dinner plates. It s simply a term for a UFO and harks back to the mid-20th century. With such a rich history of Italian people collecting watches, many terms and nicknames have an Italian origin, but is this design ethos a new and rising trend?Judging from the response to the seemingly lugless Furlan Marri Disco Volante in its three versions, we will see more, and I, for one, will rejoice. Like the odd Cartier Pebble with its massive resurgence, round or roundish watches with short or no lugs are comfortable daily wearers. They also offer a much-needed alternative to the plethora of div...

Hamilton s Khaki Field collection is a true classic among watch enthusiasts, especially novices. There s something for everyone, including watches with hand-wound, automatic, and quartz movements. Also, with prices ranging from $400 to $2,000, affordable options abound. Today, we ll look at some new additions to the lower end of the collection s price spectrum. The new Hamilton Khaki Field Quartz comes in four colors and is available in 33mm and 38mm cases. Get ready to resist your urge to get one.Most watches in Hamilton s Khaki Field collection have an automatic or hand-wound movement. Besides the ones we re looking at today, the only other quartz watches available have a 40mm case, Arabic...

Another Friday, another list! This week, we enter the wonderful world of the El Primero movement. As most of you know, Zenith introduced its famous El Primero trio of watches in 1969. The brand was part of the illustrious race to release the first automatic chronograph, competing with Seiko and the consortium of brands formed by Heuer, Breitling, Hamilton-Buren, and Dubois Depraz. Over time, several different brands used El Primero calibers. Most famously, bought El Primero movements to power its first generation of automatic Daytonas. But many more examples of El Primero-powered watches are worth checking out. For this list, we picked our five favorites.One of the best things about working...

When we look at the history of watchmaking over the past 150 years, we notice that most watches people wore were elegant (by todays standards, that is). It wasnt until the beginning of modern warfare in the early 20th century that watches became visually and mechanically utilitarian, with straightforward designs, better movements, and, generally speaking, better specs. The best example of this is the Explorer, often described as the quintessential versatile sports watch. However, a majority of watches today are geared towards being tough rather than elegant, especially when looking at the micro/independent market.?So we dont often see indy brands take a stab at elegant horology, particularl...

They say money cant buy you happiness, but pretty much everything else is for sale - especially when you have super deep pockets. LVMH stepping into Formula 1 in 2025 for a rumored annual sum of US$150 million is proof of that. has sponsored the biggest motorsport circus on Earth since 2011. Initially, the world s biggest and most famous luxury watch brand paid US$10 million annually, which rose to US$50 million per F1 season. That s a lot of money, but it s also three times less than what LVMH is willing to pay to make TAG Heuer the Official Timekeeper. Apparently, s CEO Jean-Frederic Dufour was not amused by Bernard Arnaults companys staggeringly high bid. But maybe losing the role of For...

Since the brand s founding in 2018, Norqain has built a robust lineup of modern, sporty watches. Customers like the attention to detail, expensive looks, and relatively affordable entry points. At Fratello, we ve followed this journey by covering many of the latest releases. Today, we continue this by looking at the Norqain Independence Skeleton Chrono 42mm models, which feature a new in-house-designed chronograph movement.We re used to seeing new watch brands, although the pace of introductions is no longer as torrid as during the COVID period. Many of these companies make lower-cost watches and can be grouped into the microbrand category. Norqain, however, is different. In 2018, it emerged...

Sometimes, watches seem predestined to be worn on either a bracelet or a specific strap. It s almost a no-brainer, especially for sports watches with integrated bracelets. Straum s Jan Mayen is one of those watches. The Norwegian brand s popular modern sports watch is often praised for its brilliant design. A big part of that design is how the case effortlessly flows into the brilliant bracelet. But what if you want to mix things up and wear the watch on a rubber or leather strap? You can now do so with the introduction of Straum s new strap adapters. I had a chance to try them out.We love the Straum Jan Mayen here at Fratello. As some of you will know, we collaborated with the Norwegian ind...

An opisometer is a small instrument with a tiny gear wheel integrated into its edge that you run along a surface to measure the length of curved lines on topographic maps, charts, schemes, and plans. It s also called a map measurer, meilograph, or curvimeter, and believe it or not, someone made it into a watch complication. Meet the Dulux Curvimetre.It has been three years since I first learned about the Dulux Curvimetre from Sandy, my watch-collecting friend from Switzerland. Since I introduced her eclectic collection to Fratello readers here, she politely declined my two or three offers to buy her Curvimetre. Well, that didn t surprise me, but about once a year, I tried to ask anyway.A big...

The Gumball 3000 kicks off on September 14th in Saigon and culminates in Singapore on September 22nd. This year marks the 25th anniversary of the rally-style event that blends exotic cars, celebrities, and five-star treatment, and the Ulysse Nardin Freak X Gumball 3000 is the official watch for the event. If participants don t purchase all of the 150 pieces, enthusiasts will get a chance.I ve never attended a Gumball 3000, but because English entrepreneur Maximillion Cooper founded the event, maybe I ll get my chance if it returns to London. The event features approximately 120 cars and a mix of first-timers and alumni. Exotic cars and their drivers complete a 3,000-mile journey over a week ...

As I write the first sentence of this article, summer has left us for this year. Here in the Netherlands, it s the first of a seemingly long streak of days below 20 Celsius or 68 Fahrenheit. It is just as much a psychological adjustment as an actual meteorological one. As the sunlight changes, leaves start falling off the trees, and light, airy clothes are replaced by warmer attire to suit the lower temperatures, the mind also resigns itself to the colder months. But in this changing of seasons, there is always this longing for a longer summer. I ll try to hold on to the warmer days for a bit by strapping the Christopher Ward C60 Trident GMT 300 to my wrist. Will this colorful GMT be able ...

The flyback function is arguably the epitome of technicality in sports watches, and it can be an expensive collection goal. Many of you will know the snap-quick function from Patek Philippe and ber-horology from the likes of A. Lange & S?hne. However, as manufacturing techniques improve, so does the possibility of (comparatively) affordable flyback chronographs.In 2024, we have seen new versions of Swiss-powered flyback chronographs for less than $3,000, which would have been hard to find only a couple of years ago. There is an avionic story behind the magical simultaneous reset/restart, and thanks to companies like Sellita and La Joux-Perret, Swiss top-tier stopwatch functionality has ...

Welcome to this latest episode of Fratello Talks. Does modern still have the magic? That s the question that Nacho, RJ, and Thomas tackle today. There s no question that modern watches are reliable, luxurious timekeepers. But for many enthusiasts and collectors, nothing quite comes close to the magic of the older four- and five-digit references. This is reflected in the prices that some of these (let alone rarer examples) can fetch in the pre-owned market. But what, if anything, makes these more special than current watches? Is it a mix of pop-culture presence, aesthetics, nostalgia, and rarity? And do the models sold today still have the X factor that their predecessors possess? Perhaps ...