Today, we ll take a look at the new Boldr Odyssey MGP, a watch endorsing a non-profit organization that seeks to preserve ocean biodiversity. It s also an incredibly affordable titanium dive watch in a wearable size, which should appeal to both new and existing fans of the brand. Let s take a closer look.Since its founding in 2015, Boldr has sought to create rugged, outdoor-friendly watches that are available at an affordable price. I had the opportunity to go hands-on with a model roughly five years ago, and I can affirm that the brand was well on its way to achieving that goal. I tested a 44mm GMT, and while it was nice, it was huge on my wrist. Today s Odyssey MGP is far more reasonable i...
With the end of the year rapidly approaching, it s time to look back at some of the remarkable things that happened in 2023. Additionally, it s fun to look forward to the year ahead. One of the recurring topics of conversation is the dial color of the year. Without a doubt, the dial color of 2023 was ice blue. But what about next year s color of choice? I have a feeling that it will be a glorious year of dark brown dials. But in good watchmaking (or perhaps marketing) tradition, never call a dial brown. Keep your eyes open for chocolate, coffee, mahogany, tobacco, chestnut, and mocha dials in 2024.To quote the famous Coco Chanel, The best color in the whole world is the one that looks good o...
Welcome to another installment of Sunday Morning Showdown! We are stretching last weeks theme a little bit further this week. We remain in the realms of vintage-inspired divers. This time, it is the Tudor Black Bay 54 versus the 2023 version of the Longines Legend Diver. What bonds these watches? Well, apart from the clear vintage vibes, both also received a downsizing treatment this year.So the question for you, dear Fratelli, is who makes the better downsized retro diver? Thomas will take the Tudors corner, while RJ will defend the Longines. In the end, of course, the winner is up to you. Have a look at the arguments, and don t forget to cast your votes. If you care to elaborate in the com...
Today, we ll look at the new Rado Anatom series, a fresh take on watches that debuted in 1983. Yes, it s hard to believe that was 40 years ago, but here we are, looking back on that somewhat futuristic period. Four versions come to us with automatic movements and a case design that should suit most wrists.When I first began collecting vintage watches roughly 10 years ago, my sights were set on pieces from the 1960s. Since then, I ve picked up watches from other eras, but I ve largely neglected the 80s. Yes, that was the decade of my childhood, but I haven t quite found the desire to return yet (unless it means watching my Orioles and Tigers win the World Series again). Perhaps I am simply t...
After a hiatus, Im stoked to kick off a new series of Hashtag stories, where I put on my style-centric glasses and pick a matchy-matchy group of watches, gear, sneakers, and accessories. If theres a need for a disclaimer, its here: there is no incentive from brands here, nor have they been notified of any inclusion in this #holidaycolors feature.Yes, the holiday season is here, with Thanksgiving and Christmas in quick succession. Some countries are already experiencing snow-filled streets, as we are here in Norway. Im all for leaning into the spirit with the festive colors of red and green. From bright dials and Nike sneakers to bracelets and a watch roll, here are my top #holidaycolors for ...
I noticed that we haven t covered that many Orient watches here on Fratello. This surprised me a little as the Orient Bambino is the affordable automatic dress watch of choice for watch enthusiasts who are just getting into this hobby. It s kind of like what the Seiko SKX007 is for automatic dive watches. Recently, the Japanese brand launched four colorful limited editions of the Bambino, each with a different, gentle color on the dial. Today, I m going hands-on with all four models of the Orient Bambino 38.Supposedly, as I read on the Orient US website, this is already the seventh version of the Orient Bambino. There are Bambino models in various sizes, with or without numerals, featuring a...
Another Friday, another list! After picking 10 pilot s watches for last week s list, today, we move on to our 10 favorite chronographs. It s a category that is related to pilot s watches. Last week s list featured nine chronographs, so those specific watches were out of scope for this week s list. Fortunately, however, it still leaves plenty of goodness to choose from. This is our list of the best chronographs of 2023With last week s list of the best pilot s watches in mind, we knew there would be an overlap with today s topic. That s why we immediately said that none of last week s chronographs are eligible for this week s list. Nevertheless, we quickly ended up with 15 chronographs that wo...
Not too long ago, I wrote an article about my Zenith 143-6. Aside from the astonishing military provenance, I got the watch because of the EP caliber inside it. Lately, Ive been increasingly involved in vintage Excelsior Park-powered chronographs. The Zenith 143-6 fit the bill, so I added it to my humble collection. I met Bosko through a different watch and another passion of mine - Angelus. It just so happened that he owned a Zenith like mine and was an expert on these things. He also wrote a Zenith 143-6 Yugoslavian Military Chronograph Collectors Guide.Bosko wrote the piece merely for himself. He was gracious enough to share it with me so that I could learn about my timepiece. Furthermore...
In the past few months and years, Amsterdam s most famous shopping street has quickly turned into a Valhalla for watch enthusiasts. And now they have another reason to set their destination to Amsterdam! Officine Panerai opened a new boutique on the PC Hooftstraat in Amsterdam last week.Panerai, founded by Giovanni Panerai in Florence in 1860, is famous for its welcoming boutiques worldwide. The most historical one is in the Italian city where it all started, one I visited approximately 20 years ago for the first time while wearing my PAM00113. It also left a lasting impression because of the historical watches, depth gauges, compasses, and other mechanical instruments they had on display on...
When I was asked to build a watch collection with $25,000 earlier this year, I decided to blow the whole amount on one watch, a Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso. And because I already did that, there s no JLC on my subjective list of the best watches of 2023 - those had their moment in the spotlight already. So, what watches did I pick? Well, my favorite watches of the outgoing year have Patek Philippe, Chopard, and Louis Moinet on the dial.Im not going to put a Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso in my Top 3 of the best watches of 2023 because I already picked one as the foundation of an imaginary watch collection. But at the end of the article, I will share two wonderful pictures - front and back; it is a Re...
There are 80 Hublot Big Bang Unico watches in the brands catalog. The Black Magic is on one end of the spectrum, and the White Ceramic is on the other. In between, there are 78 watches in materials like titanium, Magic Gold, King Gold, and different shades of ceramic. There is vibrant red, forest green, signal yellow, and sky blue, but there s also sinister black and snow white. The monochromatic and scratch-resistant 42mm chronographs you see here are polarizing in more than one way.At Hublot, they don t do things half-baked. The brand from the town of Nyon on the banks of Lac Leman is outspoken, bold, and brash. And Hublot seems to be at its best when it cooks up (pun intended) ceramic wat...
Seemingly out of nowhere, to the surprise of many watch fans, the Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean GMT Dark Grey was announced in late October. This ultra-modern gray version of the Planet Ocean GMT presents an attractive overall aesthetic. The predominantly gray looks are achieved through an interesting combination of modern materials. Most strikingly, the watch has a gray silicon nitride ceramic (Si3N4) case and bezel insert with a titanium bezel ring, crown, and helium valve. It also houses the titanium Omega 8906Ti movement. Combined, these elements make this watch not only handsome but also significantly lighter than its steel counterparts. That s more than enough reason to take this new Pl...
My second article this year was dedicated to Gallet. My penultimate article this year will be dedicated to Gallet too. Today, we will look into the Gallet Multichron Calendar Chronograph that just returned from a complete spa procedure at my watchmaker. ??It was on my radar for a while, but I never pulled the trigger. The Gallet Multichron Calendar is typically priced in the $4,000C6,000 range, and I was never ready to pay that much. I didn t find it that rare and hoped my opportunity would come. And it came about a year and a half ago when I saw one listed on eBay. The seller was not a dealer, and this watch was part of her family heritage. As usually happens in such a situation, the pictur...
About three years ago, I went to a watch get-together in the city of Maastricht, in the far south of the Netherlands. It was my first time at one of these events, so it blew my mind to see all the watches that everybody brought with them. But I also remember that many people were very excited about one specific Airain re-edition. When I went back to Amsterdam by train, I had the honor of sitting next to Tom van Wijlick, the owner of that brand. He s the same guy behind the Lebois & Co Heritage Chronograph that I m going hands-on with today.He told me about how, in 2014, he and his wife brought back the Airain and Lebois & Co brands because of their love for vintage watches. Now, a fe...
Seiko has been steadily focusing on expanding the Prospex Speedtimer series with affordable models in 2023. This has led to the introduction of solar-powered chronographs that combine modern-day technology with retro-inspired good looks from the Speedtimer models of the 1960s and 70s. The latest addition to that series is the blue-dial Seiko Prospex Speedtimer SSC937. This European Union-exclusive limited edition is another attractive watch that will undoubtedly find its way to fans. Let s take a closer look.Late last year, I had the pleasure of writing about a trio of solar-powered Speedtimer chronographs. In particular, I found the panda-dial SSC911 a very handsome watch. When I first saw...
With the end of the year quickly approaching, it is time to reflect on 2023. Today, well look back specifically at the Haute Horlogerie releases that stood out to us, from the fantastically futuristic to the terrific traditional. High-end horology seems unaffected by the market slowing down somewhat, so we have been spoiled for choice yet again.The following are some of our favorite releases of the past year. It is a subjective list comprising a broad range of styles within high-end horology. Lets dive in!High-End Horology Highlight #1: MB&F HM8 Mark 2The first on our list is the MB&F HM8 Mark 2. It is another fantastical creation by Max Bsser and his band of friends. This one takes...
Welcome to Part 2 of my mini-series on the October 2023 Grand Seiko Media Experience Tour in Japan. After visiting the Seiko House Ginza and the Seiko Museum in Tokyo, Part 1 of this was about producing Grand Seiko s 9F quartz and 9R Spring Drive calibers. Part 2 will explain more about the production of Grand Seiko s 9S automatic and mechanical calibers. Plus, it will show some more of Japan s beautiful culture, heritage, and - for Westerners - sometimes weird habits.Let me start with where I ended Part 1 - taking the Shinkansen. From the Shinshu Watch Studio in Shiojiri, it was a short bus ride to Nagano Station, where we took a bullet train to Omiya, a suburb of Tokyo. We then switched to...
Have you ever thought that tool watches can t be fashion watches and vice versa? Well, the IWC Pilot s Watch Chronograph 41 Top Gun Mojave Desert is here to tear down that wall. Yes, the brand from Schaffhausen has released watches in sand-colored ceramic before, and in quite a few other colors as well, but there was always something wrong, so to speak. The balance between size, design, functionality, and complication was never perfect. The watch we received at Fratello HQ, however, strikes a perfect balance. And by doing so, it opens a world of watch possibilities and erases boundaries.Look, the Pilot s Watch Chronograph 41 Top Gun Oceana (IW389404) is too blue. The Big Pilots Watch Perpetu...
Maen Watches seems to be on a roll this year and moving up the small-brand tiers with its portfolio. The Skymaster 38 that I recently had the pleasure of reviewing was refined and upgraded mechanically, yet it still presented good value. This time, we go hands-on with the Maen Manhattan, but it is a brand-new Ultra-Thin version with a different vibe than its 37mm progenitor.Small is good in my book, so I enjoyed the Manhattan 37. It was a bold move by Maen in a world where 38C39mm cases are still small for some, and it captured the 70s zeitgeist perfectly. We love chronographs and big dive watches, but the integrated bracelet is super hot. So what does the new Maen Manhattan 39 Ultra-Thin b...
About four years ago, I was looking for the dive watch with the best blue dial out there. The maximum budget was somewhere around $1,500. Even though the Meraud Bonaire sold for only $635 then, it still made the final two, together with the Zodiac Sea Wolf Topper Edition. Ultimately, I chose the Zodiac because it had a quirky checkered bezel. Today, Meraud launched an updated version of its Bonaire that would most definitely win against the Zodiac. The original Meraud Bonaire from 2018 The original s side profile The original Meraud Bonaire, which was launched on Kickstarter, looked very nice, especially for that price, as it also had a Swiss STP movement. But to me, the proportions on...
