The Casio G-Shock GA-2100 series became a fan favorite immediately after its introduction and a staple of the collection soon after that. But despite it being one of the defining model lines in the G-Shock collection, we had not seen a premium MR-G version since the introduction of the CasiOak silhouette in 2019. That wait is now over with the introduction of the G-Shock MRG-B2100B-1A. This premium version is an exceptional display of G-Shock s ongoing innovation efforts. The watch combines the familiar CasiOak aesthetic with three titanium alloys and a dial inspired by Japanese art and woodworking, resulting in a special high-end G-Shock.When I first opened the box of the new G-Shock MRG-B2...
It s a summer Sunday morning, so grab your caramel Frappuccino, and get ready for a battle rooted in history. We re kidding, of course; an early morning battle like this requires a double espresso. But we weren t kidding about the history-injected showdown that we are presenting to you this morning. We paired the latest 38mm Divers Sixty-Five Calibre 400 with the Tudor Black Bay 54. These are two popular dive watches with plenty of retro charm and proprietary movements. So grab your double espresso, and let s get into it.It was quite the wait before Oris brought the 38mm Divers Sixty-Five Calibre 400 to its regular collection. But two years after introducing the Chronos Limited Edition, the ...
I think it s fair to say that the Casio F-91W is a watch with legendary status. In this feature, I look at why such status is well deserved. The Casio F-91W has served well on the wrists of people around the globe. In my travels as a journalist, I have regularly seen the F-91W on the wrists of all sorts of folks, from rebels and spies to everyday people. In my photo above, it s on the wrist of a member of the Karen National Liberation Army, an armed pro-democracy ethnic group in Myanmar. Perhaps that is a story for another day.Casio is a brand that sparks fond memories for many of us here at Fratello. For some of us, a Casio watch represents the moment we started to get involved with this ho...
A few weeks ago, we recorded an episode of Fratello Talks on finding the perfect summer watch. In preparation, I thought, What watches do I wear most during summer, and what do they have in common? That s how I came up with a little formula so I could determine what would be the perfect summer watch for me. I shared it during the podcast, and Nacho and Lex quickly added a few criteria as well. Today, I ll delve deeper into the theory to see how it holds up.Let me start by saying that, of course, the perfect summer watch doesn t exist. Everyone has a different perception of why a certain watch works or doesn t work for a specific situation. I also don t usually apply such a rational approach ...
You may have never heard of Cimier, but in the early 1970s, the brand produced over 1.5 million watches annually. Unfortunately, despite developing a quartz movement, Cimier struggled during the Quartz Crisis. Eventually, the company reopened its doors in 2003 after mechanical watches had become cool (again), opened the Watch Academy in 2010, and started to work on new collections. Today, Cimier s HQ is in Bienne, Switzerland, and the folks there have sent us the 711 Heritage Chronograph for review.Cimier 711 Heritage ChronographAccording to Cimier, this watch takes inspiration from the brand s Sport Chronograph, with the sub-dials in unusual positions at 11 and 7 oclock and a tachymeter sca...
The current generation of Submariner Date has been out for four years. That might seem like a short time, but a lot has changed. The watch world - heck, even the actual world - looks different than it did in 2020. The Submariner is no longer unobtainium. Much of the hype that set the watch world on fire has died down. What remains is the latest version of one of the most iconic watches of all time. And I got a chance to try it out. Heres how we got along.A lot was said about the latest Submariner Date ref. 126610LN when it came out. Its new 41mm size was controversial, to put it mildly. So were several other changes and even the lack of change overall. Now that the dust has settled, lets ...
Another Friday, another list! We re continuing our search for the best releases of the first half of the year. This week s list focuses on the best chronographs we have seen in the first six months of 2024. After a quick meeting, we discovered it s been a great year so far for fans of chronographs. We quickly assembled a list with more than double the number of entries we sought. This made it hard to choose, but in the end, we agreed on our top five picks. Let s find out what they are!Before we jump into the best chronographs, it s good to point out that mechanical wizardry plays a big part in the world of chronographs. As a result, we could have easily selected five deeply impressive watche...
You might say that Omega s Summer Blue collection is old news in 2024, and you d be right. Omegas Summer Blue line was hot and trendy in 2023, but its been a year, and aside from a few underwhelming Olympic models, we have not seen much from the Biel/Bienne-based brand. OK, there were the white-dial and two-tone Speedies, and to be fair, Olympic editions are hardly ever collector cornerstones. Anyway, I thought revisiting last years most remarkable release would make sense. And while Im at it, I figured I d ask for the big boy of the bunch, the Omega Seamaster Ultra Deep Summer Blue - a kill two birds with one stone kind of thing.Before getting into the details of this model, let me tell you...
Yes, it s time to talk about watches for summer because that is indeed the season we re in right now. This series is a nice reminder of that because the weather gods haven t shown us any summer yet here in the Netherlands. I keep telling my six-year-old daughter that we re actually in the middle of summer right now, but she simply won t believe me and says summer is supposed to be warm and sunny. I hope our vacation in the south of France and the north of Spain in two weeks will convince her that summer is here. Anyway, let s talk about summer watches!For this series, we have to pick one summer watch under $1,000, one under $10,000, and one with an unlimited budget. Thomas and Jorg already p...
You may have never heard of the French poet Rene Char (1907C1988), but Im sure you have heard of some of his friends. He counted among them Albert Camus, Pablo Picasso, and Martin Heidegger. Chars poems were filled with strange phrases and surreal, provocative images. Trilobe, a Parisian watch brand founded in 2018 by Gautier Massonneau, has a series of poetic-looking watches named after Chars poem collection Les Matinaux (The Dawn Breakers, 1947C1949). The Trilobe Les Matinaux LHeure Exquise Blue sits in that collection. Like Chars, the watch has an optimistic, philosophical, and original spirit. Wearing it requires a bit of a different mindset. For instance, you will not ponder purely func...
LVMH has been busy with leadership changes recently. Today, we received news that more key positions within the group have been addressed. Ricardo Guadalupe steps down as Hublot CEO, taking on the role of honorary president. Recently appointed TAG Heuer CEO Julien Tornare takes his place, opening up the TAG role for Antoine Pin.Tornare took over the helm at TAG Heuer when Frederic Arnault became the CEO of LVMH Watches earlier this year. As he will move on to Hublot on September 1st, this means he will have spent less than a year leading TAG Heuer. Considering the key position of Hublot within the group, this speaks volumes about Tornares reputation within LVMH.Ricardo Guadalupe (left) with ...
Morning watch selection is a ritual that is special and specific for every collector. Many variables get involved, starting with the number of watches in someone s collection. One s current mood, the weather, planned activities throughout the day, and matching with certain clothes may also come into play. Today, I will focus on random, usual, memorable, or important events and how they manage to overrule anything else when I choose my watches.Over the years, I have developed a pattern - we could even call it a superstition in some cases - for determining which watch to wear to the specific event waiting ahead. Choosing the same watch for the same event or activity over the years has slowly l...
The Tudor of today has a raised voice and speaks its mind loudly and confidently. It doesnt look like the brand it was before 2012, the year in which Tudor launched the Black Bay, the foundation of the manufacture we see today. Seeing a retro-styled dive watch with a burgundy bezel at Baselworld was confusing in a way. How could an airport brand like Tudor suddenly have come up with a watch that perfectly captured the zeitgeist and awakened aficionados and collectors? The Black Bay revived the brand and marked the start of Tudor s hot pursuit of stalwarts like TAG Heuer, Breitling, and Longines. Some think Tudor also has Omega in its sights. Or what about the theory that Tudor will take s pl...
A few months back, I had the distinct pleasure of visiting the SpaceOne Watches workshop on the outskirts of Paris. Guillaume and Theo, the men behind SpaceOne, were kind enough to show me around, explain the idea behind their latest creation, the Tellurium, and let me snap some shots during the visit. Enjoy the pictures and, of course, the watches.Getting to Paris from Karlsruhe, Germany is pretty straightforward. The legendary French speed train, the TGV, stops in my city, so it s only 2.5 hours to reach the Gare de l Est in Paris. From there, with a detour driven by Guillaume, we reached the workshop of Theo Auffret, the other driving force behind SpaceOne.The SpaceOne atelierThis small b...
The Venezianico Nereide Aureo is the latest release from the small Venetian brand. It s also a dive watch with interesting materials and processes that come together at an affordable price. Let s check out this intriguingly colored watch.We ve looked at several Venezianico watches on Fratello and have been impressed with them. Today s Nereide Aureo uses the brand s diver case but adds several upscale touches. It brings a different, unexpected look to a dive watch. I m a fan of the colorway and am interested to hear your thoughts.The Venezianico Nereide AureoThe Venezianico Nereide Aureo is a 42mm by 49mm dive watch in stainless steel. It features a screw-down crown and is water resistant to ...
By now, you are probably aware that Christopher Ward is hard to beat in terms of affordable luxury watches. One of the brand s most popular series is the C63 Sealander, and within it, the GMT models are particularly in demand. We never reviewed the watch, so it was about time that we did. But not too long ago, Christopher Ward introduced a 36mm version in addition to the 39mm model already in the collection. For many watch fans, it raises the question of the right model for them. We decided to get both sizes in the office and create a comparative review to find out more. We quickly found out that there was no way to go wrong with either one. But is there a clear winner? Let s find out.Christ...
Squale is a brand that holds a warm spot in my heart. I sold Squale watches when I worked at Amsterdam Watch Company. I was involved in the marketing of a limited edition back then, and I have gotten to know the team. It is one of those sympathetic smaller companies that rely on personal relationships, which I love. I have owned several Squale watches as well, so whenever a new version of the bestselling 1521 comes out, it gets my attention.Now, this is not just any new Squale 1521. This is a limited edition and a cooperation with the Italian Navy, the Marina Militare. Squale will produce two batches of 250 watches each. There s plenty to unpack, so lets dive in.Squale and the Marina Militar...
What happens if you elongate the design of a G-Shock Square? You get the new GD-B500 series. No, I m just kidding. That s an unfair and cheeky observation. However, the G-Shock Square is an immediate association as it is such an iconic silhouette. As a result, it s tempting to compare any square or rectangular digital watch to the Square. But that would be selling the new GD-B500 models short because they have a lot going for them that people will love. These new fitness-focused models present a slim profile and modest proportions that are perfect for both men s and women s wrists. That makes this an interesting series, and I had the chance to take it for a spin.At first, I didn t know what ...
After a successful three-watch collaborative effort last year, the guys from Furlan Marri are back, remaining true to their creative nature. Instead of riffing off their existing catalog, the new Furlan Marri Disco Volante genuinely surprised me.Small brands tend to find a stable recipe for success and stick to it. And this is true even as they, like Furlan Marri, move away from the shadow of debut success. But within only three years, Furlan Marri has established a proven track record of retro-flavored moves.The Furlan Marri evolutionIn 2023, Andrea Furlan and Hamad Al-Marri joined forces with Revolution and big-dog collector Auro Montanari, aka John Goldberger. The result was a value-drive...
I have handled a lot of watches over the past 30 years. To my knowledge, though, I had never held a Borgel-cased watch until sometime last year. Now I own two Borgel pieces, and they re worth sharing. Both are Movado Sport models from the 50s and are lovely regardless of the case maker.My interest in watches from the 30s through the 50s continues to uncover fantastic gems. While pieces from the following decades often have case, movement, and dial makers associated with them, case makers feature prominently on earlier watches. Why is that? I think there are several reasons. Tariffs on precious metals meant that local-market case makers were more prevalent. Also, wristwatches were still in...
