What if you like the looks of the angular Zenith Defy Skyline with its 12-sided bezel, but the running 1/10th-of-a-second indicator on the dial makes you nervous? The Defy Skyline Tourbillon with its 60-second tourbillon at 6 oclock is the way to go. Yes, its a pricey alternative, but before we dismiss this Defy on price, lets take a look at the two versions that Zenith has concocted. There s a blue-dial steel version that comes on a bracelet and a color-matching rubber strap, and there s another in black ceramic that also comes on a bracelet and a rubber strap.Lets not regurgitate the origins of the tourbillon here, but lets look at Zeniths latest iteration of the 18th-century invention. Th...

In this week s episode of Fratello On Air, we ponder what s wrong with the watch industry. Before you jump to conclusions, we re not upset. We have a wish list and think that certain areas within this sector could use further thoughts or updates. Get ready for a lengthy episode! This podcast player is blocked because you did not accept marketing cookies. Change cookie settings So, what s wrong with the watch industry? Maybe wrong is too harsh a word, but we do see opportunities for improvement or alteration. Don t worry; we keep our suggestions above the beltline, but we do think we score a few points. We love watches and want to see brands continue to do well, so we share our highly est...

Pre-owned Grand Seiko quartz watches come with Rollie-beating Zaratsu-polished greatness at no extra cost. So, wheres the catch? There is none. I know many of you are still on the fence about even considering quartz for your collection, and I understand you. I was there myself for years until the charm of budget-winning meca-quartz got to me. How about pure, in-house quartz power?From dressy sports watches to rugged divers, the Grand Seiko SBGX range covers the time-only and three-hand categories well. If you want an accurate quartz chrono, look at lower-tier Seikos. You won t find a pilots watch here either. Instead, you ll find a deep focus on hand-polished everyday wearability, a classic ...

The great thing about custom-made dials is that their inspiration is endless. The team at IFL Watches shows that time and again. For its latest pair of releases, the Swedish brand is inspired by the world of aviation. To be more exact, the first watch pays homage to the iconic past of the aviation spirit, while the second model celebrates the future of aeronautics. The canvas is the metal G-Shock CasiOak GM-2100 that comes on a canvas strap. With its military style, this G-Shock model fits the aviation theme perfectly, resulting in another special duo from IFLW.It s only been a month since I wrote an introduction article about the Citizen Tsuyosa Automatic Space Surfer. It was the first Citi...

In this installment of Back To Basics, I ll go into typical mistakes that beginner watch collectors often make. These are the common pitfalls that newcomers might find themselves running into. After reading this, you, as a new watch enthusiast, will hopefully be able to steer clear of them! And that might just save you some frustration and even money.As always with Back To Basics articles, I would like to invite our more experienced readers to add their tips in the comments section at the end. Lets help each other out in avoiding some of these common mistakes!Mistake #1: Thinking it is all about buying watchesLets face it: watches are products. So what are we into when we are into watches? A...

Even when something is objectively better, it could still be subjectively worse. Im sure you can think of an example, be it cars, hi-fi equipment, boats, or watches, of course. When I had an unexpected encounter with the Submariner 16610LV Kermit, all kinds of thoughts went through my head. Yes, the current Sub is a better watch when it comes to specs. But this neo-vintage Kermit with its Mark I dial and B2 Flat 4 bezel is so much more charming than the younger and much bulkier Hulk or the Starbucks with all its full-fat frizzles on top.Do you hear Shake, Rattle and Roll by Big Joe Turner in your head as soon as you pick up a from yesteryear? I do. And thats a good thing. This 1954 up-temp...

Approximately 180 years after the first Breguet pocket watch with a tourbillon, Breguet decided to put its founder s famous invention into a wristwatch. It wasnt the first wristwatch with a tourbillon, though. Arguably, Omega created that back in 1947 to compete in the observatory trials. Then, in 1986, Audemars Piguet became the first to put a tourbillon caliber (and a self-winding one, at that) into wristwatches that clients could buy.Breguet Classique ref. 3357Eleven years before Swatch Group acquired Breguet in 1999, the brand introduced the tourbillon in the 35mm gold reference 3350. This watch was the brainchild of Daniel Roth, a watchmaker who came from Audemars Piguet in Le Brassus. ...

RZE is a brand that manages to impress me with every release. While not every one of the brand s models might be right up my alley in terms of looks, there is no denying that RZE offers spectacular value for money. My favorite models from the brand are the Resolute Pro, Endeavor, and Fortitude. In particular, the Fortitude immediately stood out for me. The Cruiser White version looked good, especially with its full-lume dial. A little over two years later, RZE brings back the Fortitude, this time as a GMT. I had a chance to go hands-on and can already reveal that great got even better.Those who follow RZE know that the brand is all about titanium watches. I like titanium watches a lot. Unlik...

Nivada Grenchen is one of those rebirthed watch brand success stories. Today s story, however, comes from the 1950s. First founded in 1926 in Granges, Switzerland, Nivada Grenchen went from strength to strength in the mid-20th century. Pioneering tough self-winding timepieces, Nivada Grenchen was one of the first companies to use the technology in 1930. Unfortunately, like so many other brands, the company went bust during the Quartz Crisis. Fast-forward to today, and it has been successfully revived.?One of the leading timepieces that Nivada Grenchen produced was the Antarctic, which debuted in 1950. It is also one of the brand s leading model lines today, with multiple iterations, includin...

Welcome to another edition of Sunday Morning Showdown! With the smell of fresh coffee filling the room, it s time for a battle of chronographs - the Breitling Chronomat versus the Omega Speedmaster. More specifically, for this week s battle, Jorg chose the Breitling Chronomat B01 42, and Thomas chose the Omega Speedmaster 57. The first is an illustrious chronograph with roots in aviation, while the second is the modern version of the original Speedmaster from 1957. These two chronographs make for an interesting matchup on a Sunday morning. So grab a strong cup of coffee, and let s get into it!Thomas and Jorg face off in this week s showdown. Both men have selected famous names from big bran...

If you are a fan of classic military watches, these are good times. We have seen quite a few brands bring back military watches from the past. The latest addition to the modern reinterpretations of classic military-style watches is the Tornek-Rayville Type 7B Blakjak. But this is not just a simple remake. This is an evolved version of the classic mil-spec Stocker & Yale Sandy P660. Tornek-Rayville has improved upon the MIL-W-46374F specification to develop a modern version of the P660. The result is a watch that will appeal greatly to the fans of military timepieces. I had a chance to learn more about the Time-Elapse model, one of two Type 7B Blakjak variants.The first time you see the T...

Hajime Asaokas signature style is early mid-century with a touch of Art Deco, and he chose the studied charm of a 34mm case for his premier (and accessible) release of 2024. We first saw this size from Kurono Tokyo in 2022 with four fresh two-tone releases. Now, by introducing the Calligra, Hajime Asaoka has committed. Is it too small or just a natural, even purer take on vintage? Well, considering that fans already swooped these watches up in less than a day, perhaps more and more people are coming around.The case has the same well-proportioned, sweeping design that we know from the brand s 37mm annual editions and my Grand Urushi Aoyama Edition. And even with brief order window openings an...

Frederique Constant teamed up with Romaric Andre, aka seconde/seconde/, resulting in this cool limited edition. The core premise? Frederique Constant wanted to convey the message that it is a true manufacture, making watches by hand. Rather than hiring an agency to tell that story in an expensive billboard campaign, FC teamed up with seconde/seconde/. And you can trust Romaric to make your point, it seems.The collaboration resulted in two limited editions of the Slimline Moonphase Date Manufacture. One features a rose gold crown and rose gold dial appointments. This model is limited to 10 pieces worldwide. The other one, in full steel, is limited to 100 pieces. Both are available now. The ro...

Another Friday, another Top 5! This week, we kick off a series of Top 5 lists with some great pre-owned options. With ever-increasing list prices of new watches, finding a nice pre-owned one could be a great way to go. In the upcoming articles, we want to highlight some remarkable options. Some are familiar, some are forgotten, and some you might not have seen. But all of them stand out as they offer something special for their going prices. We have set up a list of many fantastic picks, and today, we ll kick off our series with the first five watches. Let s find out more!One of our favorite activities at the Fratello office is checking out what great options your money can buy. We usually l...

When Nicholas Bowman-Scargill relaunched his family s watch brand in 2016, the Redcliff Quartz was the first watch from Fears in 40 years. However, in 2020, the Redcliff was discontinued. Except for a limited quartz Redcliff Edwin Edition that came out in 2023 to celebrate the brand s founder s birthday, the Redcliff hasn t been a part of the recent catalog - until now. The more contemporary and sporty Redcliff family of round watches makes its return, now with an automatic movement from La Joux-Perret. And there s not just one new watch but four of them. Let s take a quick look at the Fears Redcliff 39.5 Date in Mallard Green, Cherry Red, Pewter Grey, and Raven Black.I didn t realize this, ...

In this edition of Exploring Evergreens, I am covering the Datejust ref. 1601. This is a watch that is very dear to me as it represents one of my professional milestones. But even without that sentimental value, it is one of the greatest watch designs of all time to me. The Cyclops, the fluted bezel, and the Jubilee bracelet have all become archetypes - often faked, never bettered. Lets have a closer look at the evergreen that is the Datejust ref. 1601. Does it still hold up today?The Datejust ref. 1601, in case you arent familiar, is characterized by its non-quickset caliber, pie-pan dial, and fluted bezel in (white) gold. My particular specimen comes on a Jubilee bracelet, but you can f...

Today, we ll take a look at three watches that fall within a very popular range of G-Shock models. These pieces also have a charitable aspect. Meet the trio of GW-B5600-based collaborations with the Charles Darwin Foundation. If animals are your vibe, you re going to like them a lot!It was back in 1999 when G-Shock first partnered with the Charles Darwin Foundation on a line of watches. At that time, the brand used the round, ana-digi AW-500D as the basis for several different-colored models. These watches, by the way, are collectible today, and as the owner of a similar model, I can vouch for their comfort level. Now, 25 years later, G-Shock has rekindled its relationship with the conservat...

The first Tissot PR 516 was introduced in 1965, and a chronograph version followed three years later. Today, we get four new versions that lean on that aesthetic from the late 60s and early 70s. This is the new-for-2024 Tissot PR516 chronograph in three quartz versions and one hand-wound execution. I went hands-on to see whats what.The quartz models are priced at $545 for the all-steel versions and $595 for the two-tone version. The mechanical PR516 comes in at $1,975. All models are available from Tissot as of today.Some Tissot PR516 historyAs mentioned above, the PR 516 (with a space in the name) dates back to 1965. The first version was a time-only watch in a style that we would call GA...

I had to count the years on my fingers like a little kid over again and again. I wanted to be sure that I got it right. I couldn t believe that it has been nearly six years since the Omega Speedmaster Speedy Tuesday 2 Ultraman came to light! I was even more surprised to realize that it had been two years since it sat on my wrist for the last time…It was my second classic car rally. The country that it ran through was the same, and so was the car. The differences were the season, the weather, the copilot, and the watch on my wrist. If you want to get my full rally experience, here is a warm-up article about the summer rally. You can check the pictures to see how my Fratello Oris Diver...

I am happy to go on record and say that a world timer simply makes more sense than a GMT. A GMT watch, particularly one with a quick-set 12-hour hand, is a true traveler s watch. However, I spend countless hours sitting in my home office but communicating and collaborating with colleagues and friends worldwide. After calibrating a world-time complication to my home time, I can simultaneously read the time in any of the 24 time zones spanning the dial.The collection of watches I am looking at today is the new series of World Timers from Farer. Earlier watches from the brand with this complication sold out (on two occasions), so it s no surprise to see an updated version eventually released. T...