If you have ever looked closely at vintage watches, you will have surely come across radium lume. You probably know it was the prevalent luminescent material until it was abandoned in favor of tritium around 1963. Most likely, you have heard about the dangers of this highly radioactive material. That raises a crucial question: is it safe to wear a watch with a radium dial?Today, I would like to shed some light on the nuances of the topic. It is good to mention that, although I have done my research, I am no expert on radiation or health. So, if you are and you find inaccuracies, please do share them in the comments below. This is a precarious subject, and I wish to treat it as such. Now, wit...

We still dont know what the Barrelhand Monolith will look like, but we know it will be special. The 3D-printed case, for instance, will feature the Air-Lock crown system. Unlike a screw-down crown, an Air-Lock crown is always sealed. Inside the watch will beat the M1, a caliber that uses a Sellita SW300 as the starting point but, after some serious upgrades to make it more robust, now carries the Chronofiable A8 certification for shock resistance. The dial is still a mystery, but the case back has been in the news already. And that s not just because it s something special but also because it did something special. It went to the Moon! And that extraterrestrial spot is where the Barrelhand M...

In this series called Exploring Evergreens, we review watches that have been around for over a decade - or long enough to feel ubiquitous - and ask ourselves whether they have managed to stand the test of time. Well address whether theyre still relevant, how they feel today, and, ultimately, if theyre worth their current prices. In some cases, when the authors own/have owned the specific pieces, theyll dig into how their feelings about them have evolved and whether or not they still deserve a spot in their collections. Well cover anything from truly timeless and budget-friendly classics to vintage and neo-vintage heavy hitters. Today, it s Daan s turn with his Explorer ref. 114270 from 2004...

In 2021, Isotope launched its successful Hydrium collection of dive watches with the limited HydriumX Will Return model. Based on the well-known shop door sign that indicates when the proprietor will return and the shop will reopen, the watch sold out quickly. The Hydrium case has since been the canvas for many interesting and attractive watches. However, not a week goes by without founder Jose Miranda receiving an email asking about the Will Return. Now, two and a half years later, it finally returns - but not in the form you might expect.The original HydriumX Will Return, with bold red hands and a light blue bezel, was a 100-piece limited edition, earning a GPHG nomination in the Challenge...

I am fond of Cabot Watch Company, also known as CWC. It is a no-nonsense British watch brand that has focused on tool-watch designs since the early 1970s. Something about the design ethos of CWC reminds me of the golden epoch of 20th-century mechanical watchmaking. Today, we ll look at the CWC W10 Navigator Automatic General Service Watch.When I think of a watch, sometimes I imagine a scenario or narrative that accompanies it. This reflects the watch s vibe and gives it a story. When writing about the vintage Certina DS-2, a scene of a dock in Sweden came to mind (Certina, for example, was historically popular in that part of the world). With the CWC W10 Navigator, I don t have to imagine to...

Welcome to another Sunday Morning Showdown here on Fratello. Please get yourself ready because today s confrontation promises to be a good one. In 2022, IWC introduced a new version of its Pilot s Watch - the Mark XX. Then, last year, Zenith took it one step further with a complete revision of its Pilot line. That s why we thought it was a good idea to put these two updated fighters up against each other and let them battle it out.Both of these 40mm stainless steel pilot s watches feature highly legible black dials with big white numerals. They also both have a date window and fat sword hands that hover over the dial. But apart from all these similarities, there are also a lot of things that...

Back in the first half of 2023, Ollech & Wajs informed us that a successor to the 1973 OW 8000 was coming. Even renders were available, but we love the real deal and, when possible, like to wait for a production model before making a judgment. And it s good that we did this time because, in real life, the OW 8001 left a different impression than we d gotten from the earlier rendered press images.Once again, this shows that one shouldn t judge a watch by just pictures or its dimensions on paper. I would never have thought that a 39.5 12.7mm watch could leave such a rough and hefty impression.Ollech & Wajs OW 8001Meanwhile, in the watch universe, the integrated-bracelet league is cro...

I ve truly enjoyed my time with various Ming watches. I ve purchased a handful of them and have always marveled at the attention to detail and innovative use of materials. Since discovering them several years ago, though, I had never gone hands-on with one of the brand s more expensive models. Today, I ll share my thoughts on the Ming 29.01 Dubai Edition.The Ming watches that I own all retailed for below CHF 5,000. That s not insignificant money, but the brand offers a whole other world above this price point. Some watches cost multiples of my current threshold. I ve always liked them, but I d never had the opportunity to handle and wear one for any length of time. Well, the 29.01 Dubai Edit...

Today, we go hands-on with a fairly wild G-Shock. The MTG-B2000YR Illumination City Limited Edition was released in late 2023 and is a colorful, feature-laden watch. It s a higher-end piece, so expect loads of thoughtful details. Let s venture into the world of bright lights!It s not exactly news that G-Shock makes and sells loads of four-figure-priced watches. Still, I m always interested in what makes these pieces so much different than their lower-cost relatives. After all, even the most affordable G-Shocks still boast an impressive array of functionality. Well, with the new MTG-B2000YR Illumination City Limited Edition, all the functionality is present. However, I think it s the selectio...

Another Friday, another Top 5! This time, we will continue where we left off last week and present even more great pre-owned options. In this mini-series, we want to highlight some less obvious picks from different brands. Some of these are watches you may never have heard of, while others might be good reminders of forgotten greats. Seeing what is out there on the pre-owned market is super interesting, and all these picks offer something special for their going prices. In part two, we have five more great options for you.As I explained in last week s list, we love searching the internet for great watch finds and spending our fictitious money on them. Part of the fun is surprising fellow Fra...

March 9th is a big day for the now-well-known resurgence of British watchmaking. This particular date is set aside for a new event, the British Watchmakers Day, in London. Thanks to Roger W. Smith, this year will be even more exciting thanks to a sealed auction, with the excitement starting at a $297,500 reserve price (equivalent to $348,000).Other British brands are also making limited editions for the day, and a percentage of Roger W. Smiths auction will go to the Alliance of British Watch and Clock Makers, a non-profit organization. His Series 1 is a near-mythical piece in watch circles as he only makes around 20 examples per year.Image: Oracle TimeThe British Watchmakers Day and the Al...

Cartier introduced three sizes of new Tank Must models in 2021. The Tank Must debuted in the 1970s, but we hadn t seen any new models for years. Now it s available again in extra-large, large, and small versions. The extra-large model features a self-winding 1847 MC caliber with central seconds and date, while the large and small models house both regular and photovoltaic (light-powered) quartz movements. The self-winding and regular quartz movements are veterans, but the SolarBeat is something we hadn t seen before in Cartier s lineup.Cartier Tank Must SolarBeatRight from the introduction, the photovoltaic SolarBeat models enjoyed enormous popularity. In fact, they were such hits that they ...

Unless you have lived under a rock for the past three years, you know that the watch market has seen a huge influx of affordable GMT watches from various brands. The newest addition to the long line of releases is this Certina DS Action GMT Powermatic 80. While it is not the first DS Action GMT, this new version is a model with great potential. The classic GMT is executed with modern materials and also utilizes a flyer-style GMT caliber. I had a chance to go hands-on with the black and green version of the new DS Action GMT Powermatic 80. Is this the affordable GMT that everyone has been waiting for? It s time to find out!Certina is a Swatch Group brand offering great value for money. A firs...

Until recently, I had never changed my opinion about the originality of a watch three times in the same week. But that happened when the intriguing Gallet Navigator Telemeter crossed my path. Two other great collectors joined me on my journey of exploration, and they were equally puzzled. The buying experience of this rare Gallet Navigator Telemeter has resonated with me for two months now, so I thought you might find a retrospective on my investigation interesting.I am not confident enough to make a call about what s right or not when it comes to or Omega. The stakes there are much higher, and the quality of Frankenstein s work sometimes reaches the original factory level. But I thought I ...

Even without mentioning the name, if I tell you these watches have an all-polished 36 or 38.5mm case, Roman and Arabic numerals, a hand-wound movement, and colorful dials with a contrasting sub-seconds hand, you ll probably already know what watches I m talking about. The Nomos Club Campus has become quite an icon for the young Saxon watchmaker. No wonder the brand keeps improving its design with small alterations. But even with those minor adjustments, the Club Campus is still very recognizable and popular with more novice and seasoned watch enthusiasts alike. And now two more vibrant colors are joining the collection - Nonstop Red and Endless Blue. Let s take a look!Every year, Nomos intro...

Are rising watch prices getting you down? Well, we ve got good news for you. In this week s episode of Fratello Talks, Nacho, Timo, and RJ take a look at some horological hidden gems under $5K. These are watches you can buy either new or pre-owned that offer something truly interesting for the price. If you want to get the most for your money, these nine options are perfect ways to go. We ve got a little bit of everything, from big-brand bangers at a fraction of their current-day equivalent prices to under-the-radar watches currently available at prices that won t stay low for long. But before we take a look at the lineup, let s see what s on the guys wrists this week.This video is blocked ...

Last October, during an event held in its hometown of Wetzlar, Germany, the camera manufacturer Leica announced the introduction of its latest watch. The Leica ZM 11 was a step in a new direction. It complements the ZM 1 and ZM 2, a pair of impressive and far more complicated watches. The ZM 11 models focus on the basics, offering a classic central three-hand time indication and a date display at 3 o clock. But even one quick look at these watches reveals a curated aesthetic and bold design choices. A closer examination reveals the level of quality and attention to detail. Flip them over, and you ll see that Leica isn t messing around. This seems to be more than just a promotional product or...

As hunter-gatherers by nature, we humans have always liked collecting. And when it comes to collecting, one attribute has always stood out as desirable - rarity. When something is rare, its exclusive by definition. Not many can possess a rare item. This rarity and desirability make such items valuable. Unfortunately, since greed is also a human trait as old as time, this is where it starts getting complicated.Watch auctions and temptationAuctions offer quite the experience - exclusivity, thrill, speculation, profitability, and risk. Profitability is an interesting one. Its a side effect, or it used to be (and a very tempting one at that). Every speculative investment comes with a risk attach...

In this installment of Exploring Evergreens, I ll take a look at the Omega Seamaster 120 ref. 168.1501. This was a mainstream model in Omega s catalog for nearly a decade during the 1990s. Today, however, it has been all but forgotten. It s a clean design that has stood the test of time, and it ultimately paved the way for the Aqua Terra that followed.The 90s were quite an interesting time in the watch market. They were an odd transition period when buyers were finally starting to move away from the slim, jewelry-like quartz watches that had dominated the scene for the previous 15 years. The move was slow, though, as most luxury brands like Omega, Jaeger-LeCoultre, and others typically offe...

Sometimes, adding a dial color can shine a new light on a watch. Both H. Moser & Cie. and MB&F have done just that. That s why we ll unpack both releases in one article. The first is the much-praised H. Moser & Cie. Streamliner Perpetual Calendar, and the second is the stunning MB&F LM Perpetual Evo. It s time to take a closer look at the new dials and be reminded of the horological excellence of both timepieces. One shines in its most minimalist form, while the other is a visual statement of technical wizardry.In today s watch landscape, H. Moser & Cie. and MB&F are well known for pushing both technical and visual boundaries. These two new dial additions give us a gr...