Last year, released a string of hits. Among the biggest were the yellow gold and Rolesor versions of the GMT-Master II with a black and gray bezel. The combination of colors and the Jubilee bracelets made for a duo of GMT-Master IIs that quickly won people over. But this year, the duo has become a trio. With the release of the stainless steel version, adds a GMT-Master II to the lineup, which will surely be an even bigger hit.One of the most-heard predictions for this year was that would release a stainless steel version of the black/gray-bezel GMT-Master II. The people were right. Is The Crown getting predictable? I have no problems with predictability if the releases look this good. The...

Besides one or two focus releases, Grand Seiko releases a plethora of new variations to its current models every year. In this article, we ll summarize most of Grand Seiko s Watches and Wonders 2024 releases, which will be available later this year. There is plenty to enjoy with a beautiful addition to the Evolution 9 lineup, a brilliant dial for a new Sport GMT, two new Tokyo Lion sports models, and a stylish starry night addition to the Elegance collection. Allow these to show you the great diversity of offerings from the Grand Seiko brand.The big Grand Seiko news at this year s Watches and Wonders is the SLGW002 and SLGW003 that Thomas covered. With new hand-wound Hi-Beat movements and sm...

Whether it s the more elegant and classy Santos-Dumont or the sportier Santos de Cartier, Cartier s Santos collection continues to be immensely popular. No wonder the French Maison adds a few new references to the lineup every year. Understandably, 2024 is no exception, and there are even a few surprise appearances here. What to think of a dual-time Santos de Cartier and a Santos-Dumont with an inverted dial layout, for example? Let s take a quick look at these two highlights and other novelties within Cartier s Santos collection.Of course, I m curious to see what all the brands have to offer at Watches and Wonders. But as the Cartier Santos Galbee XL is one of my favorite watches in my coll...

If youre new to watches and have noticed the big wave of retro love sweeping the world, the Ulysse Nardin Freak will surely shock your system. And it will stun you even more if you are not privy to the fact that this is an ever-evolving creation that is already over 20 years old. Thats right; Ulysse Nardin does not intend to rest on its laurels, and the new Ulysse Nardin Freak S Nomad dials up the brand s creativity volume.This is not the first time, of course. Every one of the brand s Freak(y) releases seems to have a curated future-crafted vibe. The Freak S Nomad, however, is an absolute knockout, Im all about daringly juxtaposing tech-forward carbon fiber with centuries-old diamond-patter...

As part of the Watches and Wonders 2024 releases from Grand Seiko, here we have the Grand Seiko SLGW003 and SLGW002. These are two new additions to the Evolution 9 collection. This is Grand Seikos newer design language that, while rooted in the 44GS, aims to push the brand forward. Today, Grand Seiko adds two new models to the lineup, both powered by the new caliber 9SA4.We get one addition to the standard collection in Brilliant Hard Titanium, the SLGW003. Additionally, there is the 18K rose gold SLGW002, a limited edition of 80 pieces. Lets have a look at these new watches from Grand Seiko.The new caliber 9SA4 inside the Grand Seiko SLGW003 and SLGW002Grand Seiko introduces a new caliber f...

Cartier is a brand that knows how to manage its hero designs. Few brands have as many iconic designs under their wings as the Parisian Maison. The Tortue is one that you may not be as familiar with as the Tank and the Santos. That could very well be because it hasnt been in Cartiers collection for a while now. Well, until today, that is!Join me for a first look at the 2024 Cartier Tortue lineup. There are five new references, consisting of three time-only models and two chronographs. All are part of the Cartier Prive collection. Unfortunately, though, this means they are limited to rather small quantities.Cartier Tortue Hours/MinutesFirst, we have three models named Tortue Hours/Minutes. Wha...

One part inside your watch makes one complete rotation every 400 years. Let that sink in. This is the case with the new IWC Portugieser Eternal Calendar ref. IW505701. The calendar will run flawlessly until the year 3999. A regular perpetual calendar would need three corrections (in 2100, 2200, and 2300). Only those centurial years that can be divided by 400 are leap years. The Portugieser Eternal Calendar might not even need a correction?in the year 4000 as it has yet to be decided whether that will be a leap year.IWC Portugieser Eternal Calendar IW505701Also, due to clever engineering and simulation, the Eternal Calendar will only need a correction for its moonphase indicator after 45 mill...

You might have to look twice, but youre looking at the updated IWC Portugieser Automatic 42. These models have a completely re-engineered case construction with a more slender side profile. The bezel-less watches feature double-domed box-style glass sapphire crystals for unobstructed views of the sunburst dials or the versions finished with 15 layers of transparent lacquer. Some of those dials are in the new nature-inspired colors Horizon Blue, Obsidian, and Dune. Selected Automatic 40 models show these new dial colors, just like three new versions of the Portugieser Chronograph.If youre wondering what evolution looks like in Schaffhausen, look no further than the new Portugieser Automatic 4...

The Zodiac Super Sea Wolf GMT has long been one of my favorite GMT watches. Not only do I like its functionality and overall design, but I also appreciate how Zodiac has never been afraid to use some amazingly bright colors for the GMT bezels. As a result, the Super Sea Wolf GMT has always stood out for me. I have considered buying the Sherbet and Neon limited editions multiple times. However, the one GMT from Zodiac that got away was the then-called Aerospace GMT from 2019 with an orange and blue bezel. It shows that the Zodiac has mesmerized me more than once with its colors. Now the brand does it again with two new Super Sea Wolf GMT colorways powered by a new movement. It s time to find ...

It s that time of the year again! The Fratello team is in Geneva to bring you all the latest from Watches and Wonders 2024. This year, the fair takes place from the 9th until the 15th of April. It s arguably the most exciting time of the year for all watch enthusiasts. Over at Palexpo in Geneva, 54 brands will showcase their latest releases. In town, other parallel events will occur, adding to a long list of novelties. Rest assured, we ll be covering it all here on Fratello. So prepare for a week full of watches (and wonders), and stay tuned for everything you want to know about some of the year s most hotly anticipated new watches.Much like last year, this year s Watches and Wonders will in...

The introduction of the Breitling Aerospace B70 Orbiter celebrates the 25th anniversary of the first nonstop balloon flight around the world. It does so with a smoky orange dial and a piece of the history-making balloon on the case back. But more importantly, its a completely new watch. The 2013-introduced Aerospace Evo now has a successor in the Aerospace B70, which aligns more with Breitlings Professional collection. I recently got the opportunity to try out the newest Aerospace and find out how its three pushers work and the newly designed, bigger case fits the wrist.In 2024, Breitling is celebrating its 140th anniversary by remembering some of its firsts. Think the first watch on the Moo...

I m glad to realize that choosing these three watches was difficult for me. For less than $1,000, there s a boatload of options. Even though I m the last one to contribute to this sub-$1K series - there were seven colleagues and their lists before me - I didn t pick any of the watches that had already been chosen. My preferences might be a bit out of the ordinary, and one is even controversial. But investigating how I would spend the given imaginary budget was great fun.Finding the best watches under $1,000Defining best is subjective, of course. Best for what? Well, in this case, best for me. It s even more challenging, if not impossible, to find a watch that is the best for all occasions. B...

A little while ago, a copy of vintage watch collector Aashdin K. Billimoria s new book landed on my desk. That name might ring a bell for you as he s also the author of Nivada Grenchen Antarctic - The History of a Legend. And now he s proudly presenting his book titled A Comprehensive Guide to Vintage Swiss Watches. It s a book comprising 340+ pages with countless images of (vintage) watches.Aashdin K. BillimoriaA Comprehensive Guide To Vintage Swiss WatchesThis book, the author s third publication on watches, will take you on a journey of discovery through vintage watches in all sorts of styles and covering a variety of themes. Of course, it s impossible to cover every aspect of watch colle...

It may seem like an odd question, and knowing Elshan Tangs brand progression personally, I will not be asking it, but you might. If youre used to his tough budget-priced divers, this new Spearfish is a leap in price and style. Is the open-worked Swiss taste worth it?I love seeing small brands climb the ladder of success, especially when I know them from my early watch-collecting journey. Based in Singapore, Elshan Tang has evolved Zelos from microbrand dive-cool to Swiss-powered complexity, and this time, it has materialized in a charming Spearfish.The Zelos brandWith the Zelos Swordfish range, you can get a 38mm bronze-cased field watch with a meteorite dial for less than US$500 or 42mm ste...

Blancpain finally released a Fifty Fathoms Automatique in a smaller 42.3mm size for its regular collection. There s one in rose gold, but we especially thought the titanium version was interesting. Most of all, that s because it s the perfect candidate to compete against the Yacht-Master 42, which since last year, has also been available in titanium. Both watches have a 42mm titanium case, feature bold numerals on their bezel inserts, and are made by some of the most legendary brands in the industry. But apart from those similarities, there are also more than enough differences that Thomas and Daan will make sure to point out in today s installment of Fratello s Sunday Morning Showdown.The ...

We all like the idea of finding lost treasure. Today, we get to speak to one of our readers who has turned it into a successful hobby. He has become a watch collector without ever buying a watch. Read on.?In the spirit of reflecting our shared enthusiasm for this hobby, we have been featuring some stories from our readers. By doing so, we hope to keep positive and informative discussions alive and draw new enthusiasts into this fascinating world of watches.The diver finding lost treasuresFratello reader Jim Bruce is a passionate diver. In his spare time, he hunts for treasures under the sea near his hometown in Sweden. His entire watch collection consists of unclaimed treasures, including pi...

We are lucky to have reached a phase in the modern industry where the standards of mass production are such that watches can endure all sorts of conditions. The adage they dont make them like they used to hasnt entirely panned out with watchmaking, at least regarding production quality (design, aesthetics, and luxury culture certainly have changed). But there is indeed something charming about vintage. Thankfully, neo-vintage provides both modern robustness and much of the charm of vintage. Let s take a look at IWC s Fliegerchronograph 3706.?Yes, there is a certain mystique and romanticism to the concept of 34mm watches braving Antarctica?or a Certina Chronograph shooting down Mt. Everest. H...

Another Friday, another Top 5! We continue our search for some of the best pre-owned watches currently available. With list prices for new watches soaring, we have dedicated this series of articles to finding pre-owned watches worth your attention. There are so many great watches available for great prices. In this seventh installment, we have picked five more watches that we feel are great buys.It s been another great week at the Fratello office. Once again, we discussed some amazing pre-owned options available on the internet. As we like to dig up some of our favorite picks, why not share them with you? These consist of both forgotten gems and popular watches that have come down in price q...

Watches and Wonders is just around the corner. Last year, while I was there, I also visited a smaller watch fair organized at the Beau Rivage Hotel in Geneva. There, I met SpaceOne co-founder Guillaume Laidet while he was showing people the prototypes of the SpaceOne Jumping Hour. That watch - or should I say spaceship? -? became a huge success. Now, almost exactly one year later, Guillaume, together with his partner in crime, independent watchmaker Theo Auffret, launches this brand s second watch - the SpaceOne Tellurium.The SpaceOne brand - or project - is all about bringing more advanced complications to the masses. That first SpaceOne Jumping Hour sells for roughly $2,000. That is, of co...

If you looked closely at the teaser on February 19th, you saw Snoopy holding a cake with two candles - a white one and a black one. A few of you guessed it right in the comments of the introduction of the white MoonSwatch Snoopy. The black edition was still a surprise to others until the teasers showed up a few days ago.MoonSwatch New MoonThe white MoonSwatch Snoopy - officially, the MoonSwatch Mission to the Moonphase, is charming and was received well by MoonSwatch fans. Some, including yours truly, even thought it was the best version. The surprise effect the original MoonSwatch series had two years ago was not the same, nor were the queues, but the interest and demand were high nonethele...