What should you take with you on your quickly approaching summer holiday? Well, as little as possible, meaning just one watch to do everything you do on a vacation. Travel light, easy, and carefree is my motto. Picking the best summer watches at three different price points to accompany me on my vacation is a mostly hypothetical exercise. Still, I managed to select one practical watch under $1,000, another under $10,000, and an unlimited-budget option, with the last two being the hypothetical ones. Although I might not wear the two more costly picks on my upcoming summer trip, I still chose them based on hands-on personal experience.Dont race what you cant replace. The same principle applies...
Today, I m looking at a watch that pays tribute to the Coppa d Oro car race. There are a few alternate hobbies and interests that seem to complement watch collecting. Perhaps none come as close as the fascination with cars. It s the similarity that they are mechanical objects with the sole original purpose of being useful tools. A car takes you from A to B, and a watch tells you the time. However, automotive technology evolved over decades, and enthusiasts began to push their cars to their limits in speed or endurance; thus, car races were born. Watches still played their part as tools used to time these races and determine the victors.Formula 1 is perhaps the most famous institution in moto...
According to an early 50s print ad for the Zodiac Autographic ref. 666, No motorist would buy a car without a petrol gauge. It s amusing but true, I can t help but think it s such a witty way to put a bug (or watch) in your mind.Zodiac stole my heart a few times in the past. My sunshine Zodiac Sea Wolf 1781W is one of the most vivid vintage watches I have ever encountered. If you are searching for a distinct and not-so-mainstream timepiece, get this orange and gray gem with a Bakelite bezel. I bet you won t let it off your wrist for the entire summer. If you are a chrono lover, the Valjoux 72-powered Zodia-Chron Hermetic is another special piece, as is the Zodiac Sea-Chron Chronograph. If y...
The news of the MoonSwatch Mission to the Super Blue Moonphase has been out for a couple of weeks. This latest addition to the MoonSwatch lineup is the third of the Mission to the Moonphase models. It will be available until the full blue moon on August 19th. With this short sales window, Swatch is trying to draw people to its stores for this new product. Will it work? We ll have to wait to find out. But for now, we can say that the Mission to the Super Blue Moonphase looks like a very nice new MoonSwatch indeed.It s been roughly a month and a half since Swatch announced three new regular MoonSwatch Mission on Earth models. I loved the Lava and Polar Lights editions because the colors and th...
Today, Seiko introduces a limited edition of a recently updated watch. This is the new Prospex SPB473, which has the specifications of the old, beloved SPB143. This version dials up the summer vibes with a bright faded dial inspired by the Greek island of Zakynthos. There is plenty to unpack, so lets dive in!The new Seiko Prospex SPB473(J1) is limited to 1,000 pieces for the European market only. It has a price of $1,500.Seiko SPB473 - A farewell edition?Last March, Seiko announced the SPB453. This new diver took the very popular SPB143 and refined it with a new caliber, subtler proportions, greater water resistance, and a less conspicuous date. Although Seiko didn t tout it as an official r...
Since Vulcain decided to focus more on models outside of its bread-and-butter alarm watches, we have seen an array of new models coming to the market. Primarily based on vintage timepieces, the new Vulcain models include chronographs, time-only watches, and divers. The last of those is an exciting line consisting of the Nautical Heritage alarm diver and the Skindiver Nautique, a simple three-hander in various case and dial iterations. Today, we are going to take a look at the Skindiver Nautique GMT, the very first multi-time-zone piece in Vulcain s collection.The new Vulcain Skindiver Nautique GMT is a collaboration between the brand, Italian watch YouTuber TOC, and Gioielleria Rosaspina, an...
English brand Fears introduces a new version of its core model, the Brunswick. This new version reintroduces gold to the collection after the Midas version was discontinued in 2018. The new Midas II features a gold-plated 38mm cushion case and a beautiful bead-blasted dial.Additionally, the Fears Brunswick 38 Midas II comes with two straps - a pale blue Alcantara and a dark blue Barenia option. The set is priced at $3,400 (excluding VAT) with your choice of an exhibition or all-metal case back. Lets have a closer look!The Fears Brunswick 38 Midas II and its vintage inspirationNicholas Bowman-Scargill of Fears recently acquired a vintage gold-plated Fears watch from the 1970s for his archives...
It s summer, and while the Swiss watch industry takes the month off, we re picking our favorite watches once again! This time, however, we re not sticking to a specific budget. Instead, we re keeping the theme consistent but aiming at three different price categories - sub-$1,000, sub-$10,000, and a no-holds-barred, unrestricted category. The goal is to see how varied our picks are while showing some of the best summer watches out there today.One thing to note is that we re not sticking to a stringent definition of summer watch. We ve decided to play it by ear and leave the interpretation of the term up to each writer. You may see anything, from bright and colorful dials to capable divers or...
It s the last Tuesday of the month, which means?we re introducing a new Speedmaster strap in collaboration with the Swedish brand REM. We decided to choose a leather color we had never used before and feature an engraving of the lunar surface in a contrasting shade.The inspiration behind the Lunar Crater strapLunar craters are circular depressions on the Moon s surface created primarily by the impact of meteoroids and asteroids. An impact like this occurs at high speed, causing an explosion that displaces and excavates the lunar soil, forming a crater. Unlike Earth, the Moon lacks an atmosphere and weather, so craters remain relatively unchanged over billions of years. However, newer impacts...
What better way to celebrate astronauts going to the Moon than with a watch? To honor the Artemis II Space Mission launch, which aims to send four astronauts to the Moon by 2027, the Mu:n Orion is getting ready for its send-off in September of this year.Allow me to clarify: the Mu:n Orion is not a tool watch, so the four astronauts set to travel to the Moon by 2027 will not wear this watch as a backup instrument aboard their Orion spacecraft. Still, the ultimate goal of the multinational space program is to establish the first inhabited base on the lunar surface. Maybe during a scarce moment of relaxation, future Moon inhabitants will want to wear something dressier than their functional wri...
Welcome back to Fratello On Air! This week, we discuss thinning out our watch collections. It s a tough topic because only one of us has ever sold a watch! We re happy to take on the subject, though, because it s easy to pile up watches that see very little wrist time. For our listeners, the watch content begins approximately 23 minutes into the episode. This podcast player is blocked because you did not accept marketing cookies. Change cookie settings Thinning out the watch collection is an idea that Balazs is comfortable with because he s done it! On the other hand, Mike has never sold or traded a watch and is finally thinking about doing so. Today, we discuss weaning down the collecti...
At last year s edition of Watches and Wonders in Geneva, TAG Heuer introduced its new Carrera Chronograph collection with the so-called Glassbox design. We are big fans of the regular 39mm version in its blue and black/silver configurations. Maybe that s why we didn t dedicate too much attention to the 42mm blue-dial tourbillon version that came out at the same time. Thomas already made up for that somewhat by introducing the teal version to you in January. Today, I ll also contribute by introducing a new European limited edition of the TAG Heuer Carrera Tourbillon Chronograph.The first Glassbox version of the Carrera Tourbillon Chronograph was quite close to the regular Carrera Chronograph....
Today, Walter Lange would ve turned 100 years old. It s a special day for A. Lange & S?hne because Walter Lange, who passed away at the respectable age of 92 in 2017, revived the brand his great-grandfather founded in 1845. In December 1990, a year after the Berlin Wall fell, Lange re-established his great-grandfather s legacy under the name Lange Uhren GmbH. More than three decades and many remarkable releases later, A. Lange & S?hne is one of the leading names in today s watch industry. It s time to take a look at some of the brand s best releases of the last three decades.When Walter Lange and the legendary Gnter Blmlein devised a plan to make the Lange name prominent in watchma...
For those who have not gone on holiday yet and are still wondering what watch to bring, this could very well be an interesting little article. Let me introduce you to the Crafter Blue Bon Voyage Macaron Super Chrono. This watch is an instant feel-good object if you ask me. And more good stuff comes to light when you learn more about this particular Super Chrono.Before I discovered the watchs exact name, the Crafter Blue Bon Voyage Macaron Super Chrono (BVSS002.M) had already hooked me with its looks. Something about the combination of light blue and beige gets me. The color combo needs to be in small doses, though. One beige and one light blue sub-dial on the background of a grainy, very dar...
The Certina DS Action Diver Chrono is here just in time for the summer holidays. It s a refreshing modern watch that follows the same design path as the DS Action Diver. It also takes a sharp detour from the trend of smaller diameters and thinner cases. This is a big, bold watch!I m happy to go on record and state that Certina is currently handing it to Seiko when it comes to affordable dive watches. The Swiss brand offers fantastic points of entry for its retro-themed and modern divers. Swatch Group s Powermatic movement is found in many models and boasts better accuracy and power reserve than many watches in the competitive set. Plus, there s typically a size available that suits every wri...
There s no shortage of vintage-inspired watches in today s market. With so many options, there are bound to be hits and misses. This article will be a personal take on the factors that attract me to a vintage-inspired watch design or do the complete opposite. I have found four main aspects that seem to frustrate me the most.You see, in my role as a contributor for Fratello, I am lucky to see many different watches. This has been an interesting process of self-discovery with the hobby too. Being exposed to so many designs has not only provided some clarity in what my tastes are but also provided moments when those tastes are turned on their heads.Analyzing vintage-inspired watch designs: my m...
It seems that the genre of elegant, everyday sports watch will never cease to be popular. This type of timekeeping device could best be described as the perfect candidate for a one-watch collection. For some enthusiasts and collectors, its the one they can reach for every morning regardless of whats on the schedule. A day at the office? No problem. A family hike on the weekend? You got it. A first showing of the latest Scorsese movie in Hollywood? Youre ready. In other words, it s the kind of watch that strikes the perfect balance between functionality, everyday elegance, and robustness.Today, were going to take a look at one such timepiece that, I believe, is within the financial reach of m...
It s finally getting warmer here in the Netherlands, and many people are already enjoying their summer vacations. That means it s time to dig up those funky, colorful dive watches and wear the hell out of them while diving, swimming, hiking, or relaxing next to your tent. We ll do the same today during another Sunday Morning Showdown. This time, it ll be a heated battle between the recently introduced C65 Super Compressor Elite from Christopher Ward and the Mido Ocean Star Decompression Timer 1961. These are two lively and colorful dive watches, each with a distinct flair and features.Both these watches display a colorful decompression scale on their dials. Divers used this scale in the past...
The watch hobby is one devoted to attention to the details. So it seemed remarkable to me that, until this article, I had never paid too much attention to an entire area of a watch s design - the case back.The case back is an area where a multitude of watch brands have had their fun, expressed a flair for design, or perhaps even shared an inside joke. At the same time, others (I m thinking the Hans Wilsdorf variety) have frequently said more with less.An appreciation for the case backThe case back of a watch started to land on my radar after the series of articles that my colleague Thomas wrote on the creation and execution of his VPC Type 37HW (you can read those features here). One element...
Since the brand s 2018 resurrection, Nivada Grenchen has produced some interesting, tasty, vintage-inspired watches. This month, its time for yet another retro timepiece to make you feel warm and nostalgic. The source of inspiration for the latest release never left the prototype phase after Nivada produced an estimated 20 examples in the 1970s. But I d bet the fact they never went into production had nothing to do with how they looked. On the contrary, the chronograph looked great back then. And, like Jane Fonda, it still does some 50 years later. The new 38mm Nivada Grenchen Chronosport is a reborn execution that comes in two variants - one with white and one with yellow lume. Whether you ...
