It s not often that a G-Shock is featured in a luxury watch auction. We expect pieces from F.P.Journe, Patek Philippe, Audemars Piguet, and even the more extravagant MB&F to make an appearance. But this year, Casio s very mature sub-brand is turning 40 years old. This, of course, calls for something unique to happen. That s why the one-off G-Shock G-D001 was developed and will be auctioned at Phillips this December. And it could very well become the most expensive G-Shock ever made.G-Shock s Dream Project #1 ref. G-D5000-9JRG-Shock Dream ProjectThis is the second time that G-Shock has released a so-called Dream Project watch. Dream Project #1, the G-D5000-9JR, was a G-Shock Square in ful...
As an owner or collector of mechanical watches, you look after your prized possessions. Responsible ownership includes regularly taking your watches in for service. Many people, however, are shocked when they first find out that a regular watch service can cost hundreds of euros/dollars. So the question naturally arises: what actually goes on during a watch service?This article is primarily for relatively new watch aficionados. The subject may already be quite familiar to seasoned collectors. But, then again, you never know. You may learn something after all. I, for one, did while writing it.Look closely at the rubies to see the grime that has accumulated over timeWhy does a watch need to be...
At the end of my recent introduction article on the Studio Underd0g 02Series, I said I would get some hands-on experience with the new watch. And here it is! For a couple of weeks, Studio Underd0g graciously provided one of its 02Series Field Watches for review. While I could view all four watches in person, only the Full Mo0n was in my temporary possession. This is partly because the watch felt most at home on my wrist but also because it highlights the key new features of the collection. Namely, the Full Mo0n includes the luminescent dial, unlike the black-dial Midnight. The more extroverted Pink Lem0nade and Steffany Blue dials also have seven layers of custom-made Super-LumiNova pigment....
In the ever-expanding universe of available timepieces, I find that not many watches immediately stand out to me. Three watches that did, however, were the new Nomos Club Sport Neomatik 39 models. The immediate eyecatchers here are the dials. With two brown sunburst options in the trio, Nomos introduces a color that we don t see often. As it so happens, it s also a dial color that I love. So I had to learn more about the new Indian Summer-inspired pieces. They looked like a series of perfect daily wearers.If you have read Daan s introduction to the new Nomos Club Sport Neomatik 39 models, you know that the dial colors are not necessarily inspired by the rich colors of the changing seasons. T...
Forget about Winnie and Paddington. Yes, theyre cute and maybe wise and fun, but man, the Polo Bear has got it goin on! Just look at him in his tartan tuxedo jacket and embroidered velvet slippers. Thats classy swagger. The Polo bear oozes confidence too. Just look at his left paw casually tucked in the pocket of his pants and the right nonchalantly holding a martini. The debonair bear is dressed in classic pieces with modern twists that look to be part of a carefully curated, timeless wardrobe. I can imagine him owning items such as perfectly tailored jackets, crisp button-down shirts, perfectly fitted jeans, and suave, soft loafers. Should the Polo Ralph Lauren Tartan Tuxedo Polo Bear watc...
You ve seen our picks at under $1,000, $3,000, and even $5,000. Before we climb up to the next (and final) rung of the price ladder and show you our favorite sub-$10K watches, we decided to take on a slightly different challenge. We daydream and philosophize all the time at Fratello HQ. Whether it s about our grails, the perfect three-watch collection, or even what we d buy within a specific budget, the wheels never stop turning. So this time, we ll take a look at the collection we d put together with a $25,000 budget. As it turns out, there s no better way to trigger a profound existential crisis in watch writers than by giving them a hypothetical stack of cash without any rules for spendin...
Breguet s most famous invention, the tourbillon, returns to the Marine collection. An ensemble of seafaring-inspired sporty timepieces, the Marine honors brand founder Abraham-Louis Breguet s maritime contributions, notably, his appointment by the King of France as the official chronometer maker to the Royal Navy. Today, the Marine Tourbillon 5577 embodies this legacy in a streamlined execution showcasing an ultra-thin manufacture caliber with a delightful peripheral rotor.The tourbillonThe star of the show here is front and, well, not so centered - the tourbillon. The Marine Tourbillon 5577 places the aperture at 5 o clock. That positioning is consistent with the tourbillon models in other ...
Perhaps you have noticed that some of the most famous luxury fashion brands have a very sleek and almost minimalist logo nowadays. You might also know what the classic Yves Saint Laurent logo looks like. There was the vertical monogram of Y, S, and L designed by Cassandre, one of the most influential poster artists of the 20th century, in 1961. There was also the horizontal logo with the prominent italic Y, S, and L in slightly larger capitals without spacing. The current logo used by the Kering-owned brand is completely different. Its very sleek, yes, but also very vanilla. Founder Yves is absent, and all that remains is Saint Laurent in Helvetica Neue Bold - thats a font you will find in W...
It s time for a legendary showdown between the most discussed chronograph watches in the world. It s the Omega Speedmaster Professional Moonwatch versus the Cosmograph Daytona! The latter in stainless steel is one of the most coveted watches on Earth. It s equally as desirable among those who are new to watches as those in the know. Omega s Speedmaster Professional doesn t need much introduction either. It s the watch that NASA astronauts wore on the Moon and perhaps one of the cleanest-looking chronographs ever. Both watches have their fans, and many enthusiasts own one of each. However, there s also a little bit of rivalry between them. Even though the prices are quite far apart, these wa...
Sure, the last story I wrote was focused on modern designs, and I had a renaissance for larger case sizes this past summer. But for me, the autumn and winter months mean layering up with warm colors and smaller timepieces. The Maen Worn & Wound Manhattan seems like just the ticket, a 37mm watch we know but with a colorful transformation.Maen represents value with its 38mm Hudson and the more upmarket Skymaster 38 MKIII Chronograph that I recently reviewed. But we all know what s hottest in 2023, right? It is small-sized and has an integrated bracelet. This is where the Manhattan plays its odd-shaped card just right. I had the salmon-dialed version as a house guest last year and was ple...
It is a spring morning (April 1st, 1944, to be precise), and members of a US Air Force bombing squadron have set their sights on what they believe is their target - the German town of Ludwigshafen am Rhein near Mannheim. Unknown disaster looms for the Swiss town of Schaffhausen…The group of 15 from a larger squadron of 50 or so B-24 Liberators, each plane with its four massive supercharged 14-cylinder Pratt & Whitney R-1830-35 Twin Wasp engines, could be heard long before the planes were seen in the sky. At 10:58 AM, the combined payload of the heavy bombers, amounting to 371 incendiary and high explosive bombs, is dropped. Sixty tons of munitions hurtle down on the unsuspecting to...
Another Friday, another Top 5! In last week s article, we discussed our favorite worldtimers available today. These watches can show 24 different time zones all at once and, therefore, have a unique form informed by this specific function. I also briefly discussed the difference between a worldtimer and a dual-time watch. While some of the latter may look like worldtimers, they still don t share the same function. Many of you guys mentioned several dual-time watches as your favorites in the comments last week. These are also watches that could be perfect travel companions. And as I explained, I am fascinated with watches designed for travel in general.Having had to fully delve into the diffe...
The Awake CCT FS is the latest in military tie-in watches. This piece was made for members of the French Special Forces Command and Communications Company. It s a limited edition with half of the units destined for members of the unit and half for the public.Awake watches aren t new here on Fratello. We ve reviewed quite a few and, overall, have come away impressed with the brand s clean and modern designs. We ve seen watches that relate to NASA and time travel. Today s watch, the CCT FS, uses a familiar platform with a slightly different take on the theme. This is a military watch, and while it has a tactical look, it also seems quite wearable for most daily activities.The Awake CCT FSThe n...
Meet the latest Openworked Sandblasted watches from Speake Marin. Choose from titanium or red gold cases in a medium 38mm size or a more generous 42mm form. Regardless of your material or size preference, you ll get an SMA01 movement with a micro-rotor inside Speake Marins signature Piccadilly case. This classic case has been revamped by famous watch designer Eric Giroud, who also worked for the likes of Tissot, Vacheron Constantin, and MB&F.Since Speake Marin doesn t appear that often on Fratello, lets start by refreshing your memory a bit. The last time we wrote about Speake Marin was in April 2022 after the launch of the Ripples. I encountered the watch during Watches and Wonders, and...
It s always a joy when a new watch arrives at the Fratello office. We open the box, get the watch out as quickly as possible, and then we discuss our first impressions. In the case of the new Ace Jewelers Frederique Constant Highlife Worldtimer Amsterdam, those first impressions were quite positive. But as I m a born-and-raised Amsterdammer, immediately, I felt a special connection with the watch.It s not often that your city s name is featured on a watch dial. And that s not all; those three crosses also refer to the Amsterdam coat of arms. Even the black, white, and red colors are fully inspired by that same coat of arms. So, no, this won t be a completely unbiased introductory article. ...
It has been a while since my last article on the development of my debut watch, the VPC Type 37HW. Dont worry, the project is still very much on. This summer, however, was spent doing arduous behind-the-scenes work that wasnt exactly photogenic or glamourous. But now we are finally ready to start manufacturing the prototypes. The watchmakers tools finally come out!Let me take you along for a quick recap of the past few months of work and where I currently stand. Again, there is plenty that you usually dont get to see. I know because a lot of it was new and unexpected to me too. So, if you are still along for the ride - I deeply appreciate if you are - let s get stuck in!3D-printed steel prot...
Never without a sense of whimsy, seconde/seconde/ returns with another collaboration just in time for Halloween. This time, Spinnaker offers the Fleuss diver as a willing host for this haunting. The 50 Phantoms tag on the dial is a tongue-in-cheek nod to the Blancpain that inspired the Fleuss watch in its original form and the prowl of specters plastered across the dial. The result is, frankly, much less practical but much more fun.Lets get this out of the way early. If you want a watch that is sleek, smart, and easy to read, then this isnt the one for you. Many of seconde/secondes collaborations start and end with a quirky handset tied closely to a theme. Others are a little less subtle. Th...
As I write this, it s almost midnight on Wednesday, and I am a bit behind on my #TBT submission for this week. This morning, I woke up in Bucharest and pitched hard at a conference, only to rush to the airport to get home. I am tired, yes, but I feel like a champion. I made some fantastic business contacts, got home in time for my evening routine with my kids, and even uncovered the fascinating military background of one of the watches I scored recently (stay tuned; that s coming soon). But the watch on my wrist right now also makes me feel like a champion. It s my Seiko Champion Alpinist 85899. There s just something so special about this little ray of sunshine, how its case looks, and how ...
Today, we re excited to bring you news of the new Ming LW.01, a watch from the brand s Special Projects Cave. Buyers will have a choice of movements in this watch, but the result will be one of the lightest timepieces on record. This is an exciting release after my own heart because it s rich with materials and design innovation.I m always excited to cover the latest release from Ming. I own several pieces, and while they all boast different levels of innovation, they primarily hail from the brand s more affordable lines. The company does delve into pricier realms, though, and today s Ming LW.01 is a prime example. However, once I do my best to explain it, the cost of entry should seem somew...
Christopher Ward is on a bit of a roll, releasing interesting new watches that push the brand s boundaries. While I am a big fan of the C65 Dune series, it is one of Christopher Ward s more functional tool-watch lines. But another side of the brand is a lot more experimental, a good example being the chiming C1 Bel Canto. Similarly, the new C1 Moonphase introduces a new aesthetic for Christopher Ward. While a watch with a moonphase indicator is not necessarily new in the catalog, the materials and the design of the new C1 Moonphase are. This particular piece marks CW s venture into minimalism and comes with a gorgeous aventurine dial.Christopher Ward is rapidly expanding its horizons. Though...
