surprised us all when the brand launched a Submariner with a green bezel in 2003. The stainless steel Sub was steadily monochromatic during the five preceding decades, so this was a bit of a shocker. The model was soon nicknamed Kermit. More than two decades later, it seems green is here to stay. We are in our third generation of green Submariners with the 126610LV, aka Starbucks. Time to do a little comparison!As mentioned, there is a third green Submariner, the 116610LV. This so-called Hulk is an outlier with its green dial. This makes it look radically different from the other two. So, today, I would like to compare the black-dial models, the first and the current Lunette Verte (green be...
Since its introduction in 2020, the Longines Spirit collection has become very popular. That s understandable due to its modern design and great finishing. It also helps that many different versions cater to anyone s needs. In 2023, Longines added a Spirit Flyback alongside its regular Spirit Chronograph. Upon its release, the Spirit Flyback was available in stainless steel with a black or blue dial and matching bezel inserts. A black-dial/bezel version in titanium then debuted last October. Now the legendary Swiss brand is adding two steel and gold versions, with one featuring rose gold and brown and the other donning yellow gold and green.Apart from the Longines Spirit Flyback and Chronogr...
Owning a vintage watch can be an enriching experience. It can also be frustrating and unforgiving when someone brings up an issue or inconsistency. Today s story is positive, but there were instances of concern. Thankfully, luck entered the picture and produced a happy ending with this Omega Speedmaster 105.003-65 Ed White.First, it s important to note that the proximity of Tomas s recent #TBT 105.003 article and today s story is almost a complete coincidence. I say almost because his story resulted from seeing an Instagram post of my watch. I had my example out last week to prepare for today s Speedy Tuesday installment. Go figure! Next, I wrote a #TBT article on today s watch in 2016 after...
It s easy to fall in love with the dials in Ming s watches. They re often multilayered and offer unique material applications. The brand s use of luminescent materials and simple, modern designs has me wondering what s next after each release. Today s 20.01 Series 3 delivers the answer, and this might be my favorite look yet.We ve discussed at length how Ming offers special, inventive details regardless of the price point. For example, the entry-level 17.09 featured a guilloche dial, and the latest 37.09 Bluefin added the kind of multilevel goodness usually reserved for more expensive models. Today s subject, a flagship Special Projects Cave model, blends industry-first materials and hand-ap...
This week, Fratello On Air returns with our favorite watches from the 90s and early 00s. It s hard to believe that this period is roughly 30 years old! This was a key era for watches and saw the birth of models that still exist or are highly revered today. Join us as we take a trip down memory lane. For our listeners, the watch content begins after approximately 14 minutes. This podcast player is blocked because you did not accept marketing cookies. Change cookie settings The 90s and early 00s gave us some truly memorable watches. We re thankful that our listener Richard asked us to discuss some of our favorite pieces from the era. Today, we ll mention dress watches, divers, aviators...
We love to provide proper, useful consumer advice here on Fratello. Unfortunately, I won t be doing that today. Instead, I ll be writing about my experience trying on one of my favorite releases of this year, the Cartier Tortue Hours/Minutes. This is a watch that, even if you could afford it, isnt available anymore. I thought Id share that sad news before waxing poetic about the watch to protect you from disappointment later on.In short, this is perfectly useless consumer advice. Still, we dont always have to get what we want, do we? There is beauty in admiring something from afar. Join me in an exploration of some lovely unobtainium.The Cartier Tortue AppealI am not the first to fall hopele...
This Monday morning, it is all about making crucial bling decisions. Not too long ago we had the pleasure of going hands-on with two diamond-set versions of the Cosmograph Daytona in white gold: the reference 126589RBR with a Panda mother-of-pearl dial on an Oysterflex bracelet and the reference 126579RBR with a Reverse Panda MOP dial on a white gold Oyster bracelet. Theres enough ice on both models to start a heated discussion, but in the end, I guess the bracelet decides if youre Team Panda or Team Reverse Panda.Maybe there will come a time when you feel the need to own a watch with diamonds. And not just any watch; no, you want one of the worlds most famous chronographs with diamonds. Bu...
During last year s Watches and Wonders, I repeatedly stated that $10K is the new $5K. This is something that applies to what it feels like you get watch-wise at the given price point. I raised the bar even further to $15K in this year s Geneva show. For those of us who have been around, it s a struggle to keep a point of reference, but once you wrap your head around it, you begin to understand the new way things are in the watch industry. And though, to me, $10k feels more like $5k these days, I ll stick to the $10K price limit that Nacho has requested me to go with today when making my picks.As my colleagues mentioned, a $10K budget gives you access to many candidates, especially when youre...
What to make of Parmigiani Fleurier s Tonda PF Sport collection? To be perfectly honest, I hadn t really thought about that question before I had a chance to go hands-on with two of the three new Tonda PF Sport Chronograph models. The trio was introduced earlier this year, adding three new colorways to the Sports Chronograph collection. These new colors significantly change the appearance of the watches, especially when compared to the black and white models in stainless steel and rose gold presented last year. As it turns out, they re a perfect fit for the warm summer months.It s not every day that you get seven Parmigiani Fleurier Tonda models in for review. Even rarer is the opportunity t...
The Parmigiani Fleurier Tonda PF Skeleton is nothing new in itself. The brand introduced the model in stainless steel and rose gold back in 2022. Those two versions presented a monochromatic aesthetic that was very much in line with the stainless steel Tonda PF Micro-Rotor. The brand mixes things up with a platinum case and and blue dial for this latest iteration. The result is the most technical-looking Tonda PF of the collection. How does that balance out the classically inspired design of the Tonda PF? I had a chance to find out.Platinum, by default, is an impressive material. Its understated presence might fool you, thinking it is stainless steel. But the moment you pick up a platinum wa...
It s Sunday morning, so it s time for another Sunday Morning Showdown! So make yourself a nice cup of coffee and let our writers make their cases before you get to decide which of the two watches is your favorite pick. This week, it s the battle of the luxury travel watches. Jorg will make a case for the white gold Patek Philippe Aquanaut Travel Time ref. 5164G. Mike will defend the honors of the pink gold Vacheron Constantin Overseas Dual Time with the green dial. Both watches were introduced during Watches and Wonders this year and present a new take on a familiar silhouette. Which of the two will come out on top? You decide!This week is a battle of two new watches that didn t create too m...
Is there ever a good moment to buy a ? These watches are just so popular they simply won t go down in value. Or at least not in any dramatic way. But there are certainly better and worse times to buy one. Watch prices on the secondary market have decreased since the market stabilized after the global pandemic. Does this mean that there are some good deals to be had on pre-owned models? Jorg already wrote a great overview on friendly-priced five-digit references. But what about current references?Jorg s overview shows that if you re looking for a at a fairly reasonable price, a five-digit reference is probably the way to go. Since then, we even found a two-tone Daytona, ref. 16523, for a ...
This June, Hamilton added two more colorways to its hit collection, the Khaki Field Mechanical. Jorg covered the release here on Fratello, but in the meantime, I have been able to go hands-on with the white and blue models. Consider this an impromptu follow-up to his introduction article.What do these new Hamilton Khaki Fields look and feel like in the metal? What are they like to wear on a daily basis? And how do the colors work out in real life? I will do my best to answer all of these questions and more in this article. Lets have a closer look!The Hamilton Khaki Field Mechanical 38mmFirst things first: a quick recap of what we have in front of us. The Hamilton Khaki Field Mechanical 38mm ...
Another Friday, another list! We re slowly coming to the end of our series of lists that highlight the best of the first half of 2024. This week, we picked our favorite modern luxury sports watches with integrated bracelets. The category that was started by Gerald Genta s Royal Oak has really taken off in the past couple of years. Quite a few brands have added their version of a sports watch with an integrated bracelet and it s a style that is definitely here to stay. So, let s find out which new introductions caught our attention in the first six months of this year.Before we jump in, just a few words about how we picked our watches. Obviously, we looked at a lot of different options. And i...
Casio has turned 50 years old this year! The brand has released a string of different 50th-anniversary models to celebrate that anniversary. We had a chance to go hands-on with the Casiotron TRN-50SS and the G-Shock GMW-B5000SS. Out of the five 50th-anniversary models, they are undoubtedly the two that speak the most to us and are probably the most popular with Casio fans. Both stainless steel watches come in a special 50th-anniversary colorway with a blue bezel and gold details. However, these two new models have more intricate design details, making them fun and stand out. Let s join in on the fun!When I first saw pictures pop up online of the G-Shock GMW-B5000SS, I was definitely curious....
Most of the time, I have my #TBT stories scheduled weeks, if not months, ahead. I ve found it easier to follow the plan and not think way too long about what my weekly dose of vintage watch inspiration for you will be. But sometimes, the inspiration is so strong that I have to put my pen to paper instantly. And that s what has happened now with this Omega Speedmaster Ed White ref. 105.003.I don t have any vintage Omega Speedmasters in my collection, so I do not have an Ed White. And, I admit, an Ed White was also not the first thing on my mind today. I wasn t thinking of it yesterday, the day before, or even over the last few months. To be honest, I am not busy thinking about acquiring any v...
The Longines Spirit Zulu Time is a fan favorite for good reason. Whether you prefer the 42mm or the 39mm, you get a fantastic daily travel-friendly watch with outstanding finishing that trumps most rivals. With two sizes and many colors already available, we knew the day would come when Longines would add a titanium version. After all, Longines already uses the lightweight material for several other Spirit models. Well, Fratelli, here it is. Introducing the Longines Spirit Zulu Time in titanium.The new Grade 5 titanium Longines Spirit Zulu Time features a 39mm case. Additionally, we get a rather special new ceramic bezel insert, which is partly polished and partly matt. Lets have a closer lo...
It shouldn t be too hard to pick three favorites from all those sub-$10k watches out there, right? However, Thomas and Jorg have already cherry-picked some classics away from me. I also wanted to stay away from the other evergreens and come up with a few more original picks. That s why it actually took me quite some time before I could start writing this one. But I think, in the end, I ve been able to put together a nice list of favorites in this hotly-contested field.Let me first mention a few watches I think are great but simply don t really suit my 17cm wrist. The Hublot Classic Fusion Essential Grey looked absolutely stunning on Jorg s wrist. But I ll just wait until they decide to intro...
Yema has been knocking out new releases one after another. The French brand focuses on introducing new additions to the brand s Manufacture line of watches. It focuses on premium versions of existing models that feature the brand s in-house developed movements and are generally also finished on a higher level than the regular models. The latest addition to the line-up is the Yema Navygraf Marine Nationale CMM.10. the second Navygraf gets the premium in-house treatment. On top of that, the watch celebrates the 1970s Navygraf that was developed in collaboration with the Marine Nationale. As it turns out, it s exactly the twist the Navygraf needs.Back in May of this year, I had a chance to revi...
Many well-known microbrands have emerged from their niche and become bonafide small brands. Thanks to crowd-funding initiatives, we have also seen many projects jump into the small-brand status directly. Yet a cloud of skepticism seems to hang over many Facebook groups and even in our own Fratellis comments. That raises the big question that I set out to answer today: Is there still Microbrand value To Be Found For $500?Many years ago, I got hooked on watches through the concept of microbrand value, falling into a deep rabbit hole where many watch lovers have remained. While I have been trying to shift to fewer watches with bigger price tags, I often find myself enthusiastic about new kids o...
