Howdy, folks! On today s episode of Fratello Talks, Nacho, RJ, and Lex ask themselves: how much Genta is too much Genta? It s hard to think of a name more revered in the field of watch design. The man s designs have been around since the 1950s and include countless staples. Only recently have some of them reached their peak of popularity, culminating in a collective brouhaha for anything bearing his name. But is this perennial relevance justified? Are all of his designs created equal? Or are there some misses to the hits? Are we on the verge of reaching Genta fatigue? In today s episode, we look at how Gerald Genta s designs evolved over the years to become some of the most recognizable in t...
Atelier Wen has taken up the mantle of providing insightful looks at Chinese watchmaking. With the Inside The Atelier video series, we are treated to an inside view of different suppliers of the brand s end product. Today s video focuses on movement-making with a rare behind-the-scenes tour of the Liaoning Peacock Watch Company in Dandong.Back in February, we covered the initial Inside The Atelier video from Atelier Wen. For many viewers, I believe it provided a surprising view of the serene workshop where Master Cheng, the guilloche artist who provides all of the brand s dials, creates magic. The newest installment examines a different type of operation. Importantly, the large Liaoning Peac...
Did the best just get even better? From the moment the No Date version of the Tonda PF was released, I was sure this was the glorious pinnacle of the Tonda PF line-up. It is the perfect purist take on the Tonda PF that loses the date window and introduces a stunning Golden Siena dial. How could it not be? I had a chance to find out when the watch landed on my desk for review. With a huge smile on my face, I was more than ready to put it on my wrist and be mesmerized by the Parmigiani Fleurier Tonda PF Micro-Rotor No Date. But did it manage to do so?We have had quite a few Tonda models in the office over the years; it is a special occasion every single time. The watches have a certain grace a...
On Monday night, Swedish pole vaulter Armand Mondo Duplantis set a new world record and won an Olympic gold medal. Both of these achievements could be considered the pinnacle of any athlete s career, yet with Duplantis, it feels like the opening chapters of what will undoubtedly be a long and illustrious biography. Watch fans worldwide may have noticed a UHO (unidentified horological object) on his wrist. But it wasn t the usual Zoop or Garmin that you might expect an athlete to wear. The watch on Mondo s wrist was a new special edition Omega Seamaster Aqua Terra 150m Titanium. There was no e-mail, no announcement, and no press release. It s a rather bold way to launch a new watch. Still, wi...
Putting a list of three watches together sounds easier than it is. On the one hand, we have budget limitations-one watch should be $1,000 or less, the next should come in under $10,000, and the last could cost anything. Within those price points, the options are so vast that it s genuinely a challenge to settle for just one. Then there s the summer watch designation. What is a summer watch? Is it supposed to be a diver? Or are there any other criteria? These were the questions I went through when I put my list together. That said, I m pretty happy with my picks, which I d describe as an eclectic bunch. I mean, how often do you see Casio, Ming, and Vacheron Constantin side-by-side on the same...
Seiko caught us by surprise when it reintroduced the King Seiko name back in January of 2022. The journey began with five dial variants in a 37mm case. I loved these so much that I immediately ordered one for myself. Now, two-and-a-half years on, Seiko proves that the collection is here to stay. The range now consists of 13 models, with three more added today. Welcome to the new KSK 6R 3 Days 36mm in three dial colors!Todays Seiko release includes three new references: the saxe blue SPB457, the ivy green SPB459, and the burgundy red SPB461. All are part of the regular collection and, as such, are not limited to a region or number of pieces. All three models are priced at $2,000, including VA...
One of the most anticipated track and field events closed up the first week of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. I m talking, of course, about the men s 100-meter finals. Though more than a few exciting gold-medal events occur throughout the two weeks, few get as much attention as this one. Thanks, perhaps, to the once-in-a-generation athlete who held on to the title for over sixteen years and captivated the masses with his inescapable charisma. Usain Bolt is still the world record holder, but a new generation has since taken his place. This past Sunday, the world tuned in and held its breath for just over nine seconds after the starting gun. But as the runners crossed the line, there was no cle...
The Fifty Fathoms family from Blancpain has already crossed the line from tool watch into wrist grails for most of us. This was already a fact with rising prices years ago and symbolizes for many the change in how we perceive wristwear. By nature they are all instruments to tell the time, and any reference in the Fifty Fathoms family does this exceedingly well. However, the two recently released models in the Bathyscaphe line go well beyond performing this basic function. They do so, in style, from inside a sturdy golden shell.After all, both the domed sapphire bezel of the Fifty Fathoms and the crisp dial of a Bathyscaphe were made for ideal dive legibility, even if most remain dry. With a ...
Welcome back to another episode of Fratello On Air! This week, we ask: What the hell is so special about , anyhow? Sure, the brand has been discussed heavily, but having had recent Submariner experiences, both hosts hash out what makes these watches so fantastic. For our faithful listeners, the watch content begins at approximately 23 minutes.This podcast player is blocked because you did not accept marketing cookies. Change cookie settings What is? s secret to success, and what makes the brand stand out against countless others? Before you -haters bring venom to the comments section, give us a listen. We wont try to change your mind if you dislike the brand, but we will share why we thi...
I really like Hublot. There, I said it! It s not always the cool thing to say in the world of watches, but I m not afraid to admit it. My favorite series is the brand s Classic Fusion, which links back directly to the brand s beginnings. The latest addition to the Classic Fusion series is a duo of Essential Gray models. This pair of time-and-date models get the monochromatic make-over we have also seen for the Big Bang Unico and the Spirit of Big Bang. These two might just be the best of the series yet. I had a chance to go hands-on with the 42mm Classic Fusion Essential Grey to learn more.As I explained in the introduction article about the new Hublot Classic Fusion Essential Grey models, I...
Let s do a little test. I want to know how you react to the following types of watches. Are you ready? Here we go - dive watches with tourbillons and pilots watches with perpetual calendars. Do you start to feel a tad uncomfortable? Did your left eye twitch a little? It s a yes for me on both counts. I know that a certain brand advocates that rules can be broken after theyve been mastered, but I still find it difficult to deal with a certain type of tool watch and precious metal, an unnatural colorway, and/or an illogical complication. On paper, a pink gold dive watch with a green dial and a perpetual calendar seems like utter blasphemy. So how come I find the nonsensical Jaeger-LeCoultre Po...
Omega recently introduced a trio of new Seamaster Aqua Terra models. Although the brand itself made little fanfare about it, we were excited to see them. Many within the Fratello team were quite fond of the Aqua Terra Shades models. I was even tempted to buy one for myself. So when a black-dial version came along, we wanted to get our hands on it. I am happy to report that I did, and here is how we got along.The new black Omega Aqua Terra comes in three variants. The 41mm version (ref. 220.10.41.21.01.001) runs on Omega s caliber 8900, while the 38mm (ref. 220.10.38.20.01.001) and 34mm (ref. 220.10.34.20.01.001) versions both house caliber 8800. All have a price of $7,300.What is new about t...
With Steamboat Willie now in the public domain, the film s main character is ready to let loose! In this second Steamboat Willie-inspired release, IFL Watches lets Willie work the crowd as a DJ on the dial of a G-Shock CasiOak. The hand-painted dial lights up under UV light to brighten up Willie s party. It creates a colorful and fun new adventure that will surely bring a smile to the face of the 150 future owners of this new G-Shock CasiOak DJ Willie by IFL Watches.In late April, IFL Watches released the Citizen Tsuyosa Automatic Free Willie. It was the first limited-edition release by IFLW to celebrate the passing of the Disney classic Steamboat Willie into the public domain, which happene...
I m all for a tough sports watch with a muscular design accompanied by a matte black or blue dial, a solid depth rating, and big, blocky lume-printed indices. But the Beaufort Pulsatimer is a conflicting mix of this and dressy vintage, and it frazzled my watch-brain neurons.I have a confession to make: sometimes a watch gets unboxed in my office and elicits an immediate frown. This is because I still have preconceptions, even after writing about watches for more than five years. And the Beaufort Pulsatimer just didnt fit my idea of a sports chronograph, so I put it back in the box and enjoyed the Seatrekker that came along with it.The second Beaufort and its contrasting natureAbout a month a...
This will be an article featuring some of my favorite watch brands out there. Here are a few examples of watches that, in my mind, earn their rightful place next to the MilSub.The so-called MilSub (short for Military Submariner) is a rare breed. MilSub watches don t consist of any one reference. Rather, they represent various references over the years that served with the Royal Navy. Now, here is an important distinction: in its purest sense, the term MilSub strictly refers to military-issued watches. In fact, according to Bob s Watches, A compound of the words ‘Military and ‘Submariner, [MilSub] describes any of the four different references that were modified to meet the r...
Another Sunday, another showdown! This week, we are pitting two heavy hitters against each other. Jorg will defend the honors of the Parmigiani Fleurier Toric Chronograph Rattrapante. Thomas, in the other corner, will fight for the Cartier Tortue Monopoussoir. After several weeks of attainable tool watches in the showdown, this is a battle between two lavish Haute Horlogerie contestants.We usually pick two watches with relatively comparable prices. After all, we want the fight to be fair. This week, however, we break from that pattern because these two watches sit at very different price points. The Cartier is $46,000 in gold or $53,000 in platinum. The Parmigiani is priced at CHF 135,000. H...
In its Signature Collection, Wempe presents special limited editions of watches created in collaboration with the brands the renowned retailer sells. This collection already includes some good-looking special editions of famous watch models, such as the Breitling Navitimer. Now it is Ulysse Nardin s turn with the Diver Net Wempe Signature Collection.Fitting the season, this exclusive edition of Ulysse Nardin s Diver Net model features bright orange accents and a matching strap. Nacho and Jorg introduced the Azure and OPS editions of Ulysse Nardin s divers, which differ greatly. The new Signature Collection edition impressively shows how versatile this model is. Wempe lent me the watch for an...
The Credor Locomotive is, without a doubt, the most surprising release of the past few months. Credor s revival of this Gerald Genta-designed classic from the 1970s had people talking. In particular, strong opinions about whether this was a good design or not quickly made the rounds on social media. At first sight, the Locomotive doesn t seem to make sense. It combines familiar elements from Genta s other famous designs but mixes them unnaturally. The shapes seem to contrast rather than complement one another. But is there brilliance to the design that needs time to sink in? Is the Locomotive a slow burner that you can grow to love? I had a chance to find out.For some reason, there seems to ...
Another Friday, another list! This week, we decided to skip our best-of-2024 lists and focus on watches commemorating the Olympic Games. With the Paris Olympics in full swing, it s a good moment to look at some of Omega s best Olympic releases. But while Omega has been the Official Timekeeper of the Olympic Games since 1932, we selected five celebratory watches from 2000 onward to make life a little easier.Compiling a list like this gives you a good impression of just how many special editions Omega has created to celebrate the Olympics. It also becomes clear that quite a few are playful celebrations of the Olympic colors integrated into familiar Omega designs. The biggest challenge when cre...
World War II wreaked havoc around the globe. Many millions died, and at times, it must have felt like the end of the world as nations committed everything to defeating their enemies. also lent a hand in a small way by providing timepieces to prisoners of war (POWs).As a graduate history student, I have always had a deep interest in this period. And as a journalist who, in my day job, has worked in conflict zones, something about WWII as a subject has always drawn me in. I think it s because I hope that by studying that period, we can all take stock of the true human cost of conflict. and WWIIThis isn t the first story about and WWII that I ve written on Fratello. I ve looked at how an Aust...
