Ming will attend Dubai Watch Week for the very first time. Along with the brand s team, two new watches will also be in attendance. The new 37.08 Sand and the 29.01 Dubai Edition will be on display and will also go on sale during the event. Let s take a closer look at both limited-edition watches.After months of silence, Ming has been on a roll. Today s announcement of the 37.08 Sand and 29.01 Dubai Edition pieces marks the third and fourth releases in the last month. That s almost Grand Seiko-like! All kidding aside, we re always happy to see new releases from the innovative independent brand. Today s new watches should please new fans and seasoned collectors alike.The Ming 37.08 SandLet s ...
Time+Tide and Zenith introduced the Defy Classic Skeleton Night Surfer a little over two years ago. The standout piece was inspired by the starry night sky that greets surfers who stay out after sunset. Following that 2021 release, the collaborators have joined forces again. The Time+Tide Zenith Defy Skyline Skeleton Night Surfer El Primero presents the same attractive aesthetic, only applied to Zenith s Defy Skyline. As it turns out, it s a look that works equally well on the Defy Skyline as on its predecessor. We had a chance to see the new Night Surfer up close.When Time+Tide and Zenith presented the first Night Surfer model in 2021, it featured several firsts for the Defy Classic, incl...
We re now in the third match of this years Seiko World Cup! The second round pitted two highly favored entry-level rivals against each other. Today, we see two watches of the same kind fighting each other, but they differ in age and power. It s the 6159-7010 versus the SBBN011, two professional saturation divers with devoted followers within the Seiko community. Can the aged automatic high-beat movement prevail over Seiko s reliable quartz caliber? Can a grandson beat his grandfather?Here s Matchday 3 of Fratello s Seiko World Cup. Sharpen your diving knives and turn on your underwater flashlight; we re ready to dive!Lex: 6159-7010 Grandfather TunaThe fresher the tuna, the better. Yeah, well...
Introducing a new color to an existing watch and calling it brand new is one of the oldest tricks in the book. However, when a brand like Serica comes up with a new color, you know you re in for a treat. Because the French brand is still relatively young, it s hungry to come up with inventive ways to create original designs. And that s exactly why this Desert Red version of the 8315-2 GMT Chronometre feels like more than a simple change of color.Just over a year ago, Serica introduced the third reference to its lineup, the 8315. It was a black and white GMT watch with, of course, strong vintage vibes and a quirky asymmetrical 24-hour bezel insert. Both the lollipop GMT hand and the peculiar ...
I remember it was back in 2015 when Omega introduced the new Speedmaster Silver Snoopy Award. You know, the white-dial one with Snoopy sleeping in the 9 oclock sub-dial. A big introduction event took place in Houston, and brand ambassador George Clooney was there. But also in attendance were NASA astronauts Gene Cernan (Apollo 17), Jim Lovell (Apollo 13), and Tom Stafford (Apollo 10 and Apollo-Soyuz).Speedmaster Apollo-Soyuz 35th AnniversaryTom Stafford was wearing the Speedmaster Apollo-Soyuz 35th Anniversary that day. During later encounters with other NASA Apollo astronauts, I noticed that some of them were wearing this watch too. When I asked why, they told me that they loved this model ...
Today, we ll take a look at a new release from one of the watch world s more intriguing brands, Urwerk. The new UR-230 Eagle brings a newly designed case that promises a very different tactile experience. Don t fear, though, it still won t be mistaken for anything but an Urwerk.Unfortunately, it has been several years since I ve been hands-on with an Urwerk watch, but I can still recall the last time. It was all the way back in 2020 at Geneva Watch Days, and I was enthralled with these incredibly unique watches that somehow worked on my slim wrist. Urwerk watches are never shrinking violets, but they re also not some sort of hot mess. They re technical-looking pieces and often remind me of a...
Well, 2024 is going to be a big year indeed! Of course, we ll have the UEFA European Football Championship in Germany and the Summer Olympics in France. But it s also the year in which the Seiko brand turns 100 years old. And for the occasion, the Japanese watchmaker is kicking things off with the new Seiko SPB441. This watch is inspired by the very first Seiko-branded wristwatch. It s a limited edition of 1,000 pieces, and it features a brand-new movement. The original Laurel from 1913 The first Seiko-branded wristwatch from 1924 When I first looked at the press release for this new watch, I thought I was having dej vu. At the end of last year, I wrote an introduction article for ano...
We re back with another episode of Fratello On Air, and this week, we re discussing the wide world of case back engravings. Whether they relate to military-issued pieces or special occasions, there s a lot to potentially learn from these inscriptions. We hope you enjoy this episode, and feel free to comment below about your thoughts on these adornments. This podcast player is blocked because you did not accept marketing cookies. Change cookie settings Case back engravings are a wide subject. They cover some of life s most special moments and achievements. Alternatively, they can give us clues about a watch s origin and story. Whatever the case, they re not always to everyone s liking. We...
There s no denying that $25,000 is a lot of money. In fact, some might think it s an absurd amount to fork over for a watch collection, but this is the budget I have. To meet the guidelines of our article series, it also seems that I m obliged to spend it all. Well, I grabbed my imaginary shopping cart and am now sprinting through the aisles. What will I choose?During the 90s, there was a funny period when music stores graduated from shoebox-sized mall shops to much larger venues. I was really into my CDs at the time (hair bands, thank you very much), and I still remember when we got our first Blockbuster Music. This place was ridiculously huge, priced a bit below the competition, and had a...
If you are a regular reader of Fratello, you might have read that Paulin Watches was acquired not too long ago by fellow Scottish brand anOrdain. This sparked an interest in the Glasgow-based brand for many watch enthusiasts. I had read about Paulin but never had a chance to witness the brand s products up close. So when the Modul C Mechanical and Modul B Quartz arrived at the Fratello office, I was more than happy to jump on the opportunity to learn more about these two charming Paulin models.At first glance, the Paulin Modul C Mechanical and Modul B Quartz look like fun, modestly sized, vintage-inspired watches, each of which could be an off-beat addition to your collection. But once you s...
Unbelievable as it may seem, I have come across yet another tale of underwater treasure out of the Sunshine Coast of Australia. This time, though, it was no coincidental find, but a successful underwater hunt. This report includes an exclusive interview with Elliot and Darren Styles, the father-son duo of daring treasure hunters who took on this needle-in-haystack-esque search-and-rescue mission and ultimately returned a lost Submariner to its very happy owner.An Australian father and son who go on regular snorkeling trips to pick up rubbish got more than they bargained for when they came across a lost Submariner ref. 5513 from the 1970s and were able to reunite it with its grateful owner....
You thought you could ease your way into the new week. Well, you thought wrong! You may have seen Mike s early morning article on the exquisite?G-Shock MR-G Shougeki-Maru already, but the hits keep on coming with two more Japanese G-Shock collaborations. First up is the GM-6900BAPE-1, a special model celebrating the 30th anniversary of BAPE, the Japanese streetwear brand thats famous for its camouflage patterns. Second is the made-in-Japan GM-B2100VF-1A, a CasiOak in aged steel thats part of the G-Shock 40th Anniversary Limited Edition Porter Collection Bag Set.If you like camo, A Bathing Ape (or BAPE) might be your brand. It could have been for three decades because the Japanese streetwear ...
After a hot and steamy summer, September was also relatively warm, at least here in Germany. Sadly, October brought us drizzles and much lower temperatures, which shocked me. I dont know about you, but I felt I needed a dash of summer on these chilly fall days. What better way to bring the July sun back to my life than with one of the recent Summer Blue releases from Omegas Seamaster line? So I asked the lovely people at Omega to send me one of the recently released Aqua Terra 150M Summer Blue models to brighten my mood.I have had the pleasure of wearing one of the previous versions, the Aqua Terra 150M in (deep) blue, and I loved it. So I knew what to expect. Still, I was intrigued by the f...
The new Tissot T-Touch Connect Sport is the latest iteration of a popular watch that first debuted back in 1999. The well-loved and approachable ana-digi timepiece from Switzerland has been a favorite for hikers, mountain climbers, and the like. Now, though, it features a new app that centers on activity and fitness. Of course, it also contains helpful features like notifications.With all of the fantastic mechanical watches as of late from Tissot, it s important not to forget the T-Touch. This ana-digi model has been blazing trails (literally) for nearly 25 years. Since that time, several variations have come our way. Of course, connected watches have grown in stature during this time, with ...
The 40th anniversary of G-Shock continues to roll on, and the latest piece is the MR-G Shougeki-Maru. It s inspired by a kabuto (samurai helmet) and contains a hand-inscribed bezel. Yes, this is a special watch, and we expect that diehard G-Shock fans will love it.A lot has happened over the past ten years with G-Shock. I can still remember buying a lovely 30th-anniversary model back in 2013. It s a great piece, but it pales in comparison to what the brand has been doing to celebrate its 40th. For example, take a look at the recent Dream Project #2 G-D001 to see how things have progressed. Well, today s MR-G Shougeki-Maru continues the party, and while it s less audacious than the gold piece...
The Longines Brand Heritage department made two high-risk decisions this year - hosting the prestigious yearly Longines Collectors Event in London rather than Switzerland and allowing much of the planning and content to be driven by the collectors and watch enthusiasts themselves. The first such Longines Collectors Event took place in 2017, at the brand s home base in Saint-Imier. A few more followed, always with a nice group of collectors who also share their knowledge in an independent group called The Longines Farm. This year was a radical change, but did these brave steps pay off?Longines watches group shot -?Image: Dr Oliver HartmannThe 2023 Longines Collectors Event in LondonWell, with...
We ve done a lot of Sunday Morning Showdowns by now - 130, to be exact. So we almost couldn t believe it when we saw that we had never put the Oyster Perpetual and the Omega Aqua Terra up against each other before. These are more or less the go-tos from these brands when you re in the market for a simple sports watch that you can dress up or down. Both are offered in a wide variety of colors and sizes. Clearly, these natural competitors are long overdue for an appearance on the sands of the Sunday Morning Showdown arena. Let s see which one takes home the majority of your votes.A few months ago, Thomas went hands-on with the new Omega Aqua Terra Shades collection. For today s showdown, we l...
I love a good award show. Don t we all? The red-carpet pizzazz of the Grand Prix dHorlogerie de Geneve is the closest our biz gets to the Oscars. Sure, there are grumblings about closed-door fairness and entrant fees. But that doesnt take away from the wrist-worn stars of the show. And this year, the standard was jaw-dropping.With the rocketing popularity of Watches and Wonders and Geneva Watch Days, all seems good with the watch world. Gone are the days of digital presentations and Zoom calls, and even with a general inflation vibe and some falling secondary market figures, were in a good place. GPHG 2023 proved my point, and in these inflation-laden times, I ve put skepticism aside for the...
Welcome to the second match of this years Seiko World Cup! Last time, high-end vintage and mid-range current Seiko collided. This time is a bit different. Today, two discontinued entry-level Seiko divers go head to head. This is the SKX009 versus the SBDC001, two watches with massive fan bases within the broader Seiko community. Lets see which comes out on top!It s Matchday 2 of the Seiko Diver World Cup, folks. Put on your wetsuits; here we go!Thomas: Seiko SKX009J1When we were each asked to pick our favorite Seiko diver, I immediately called dibs on the SKX. Now, dont get me wrong, I am not saying it is the best Seiko diver ever made. I would certainly place the Willard and the 62MAS above...
Another Friday, another Top 5! Last week, we explored the affordable side of Haute Horlogerie with five timepieces under $10K from renowned brands. In the article, I briefly touched up on the possibility of buying a for the same amount of money. So this week, we decided to dive into the world of pre-owned sports models to discover some of the most affordable options. And to our surprise, some of the prices were lower than we had thought. So let s unveil our top five pre-owned sports watches to buy now. None of the models are surprising, but their prices might be.Looking back at last week s list, it was fun to come up with some options that you can buy under $10K that are not the obvious p...
