Welcome, one and all, to this week s episode of Fratello Talks. Today, RJ, Morgan, and your host Nacho gather around the mics to discuss gold and two-tone watches. Each has a different level of experience and many opinions regarding the topic. RJ is a bit of a gold-watch connoisseur, owning more than a couple of 18K heavy hitters. Nacho has dabbled in gold but has never dared to go two-tone (yet). And Morgan has not yet owned a watch with precious metal at all. However, he certainly seems ready to enter the world of gold and two-tone watches.This podcast player is blocked because you did not accept marketing cookies. Change cookie settings This video is blocked because you did not ac...
One of the first things to notice about this incredibly complex watch is its size. Upon reading the specifications, you ll find that it only measures 39.5mm in diameter and 12.2mm in height. And whats so special about that, you may ask? Well, today, plenty of simple three-handers on the market consume more space. But this Louis Vuitton Akrivia LVRR-01 is not so much about thinness or diameter. Rather, its about a collaboration between two giants, one in size (LVMH) and the other in independent watchmaking (Rexhep Rexhepi). Combine the two, and you will see a watch with impeccable finishing, an innovative mechanical movement, a unique case design, and an artisanal dial.LVRR-01 Chronographe ...
We at Fratello have been noticing something in our comments section and on social media. For some reason, when discussing watches, their looks seem to be considered inferior to specs, technology, and craftsmanship among aficionados. It seems we feel a need to defend our preferences based on measurable, objective arguments. But watches are unnecessary luxuries that pull on our heartstrings, arent they?Is it true that we pick our watches with our minds over our hearts? Or does the measurable stuff actually arouse us as much as online discussions seem to suggest? I absolutely want this watch on my wrist; its power reserve is just so sexy. Hmm-I dont think so. Do looks matter a little more than ...
As RJ is traveling, I have the honor of taking over his Speedy Tuesday slot today. My old friends at Amsterdam Watch Company are bringing a watch to market. Now, that isnt something we would usually cover, but this one is quite special and provides a good excuse to revisit an interesting chapter in Speedmaster history. This is one of 35 Speedmasters that spent 365 days aboard the Mir space station.Let me take you back to July 1993. Omega sends 18 regular steel Speedmaster Professional watches on bracelets, 10 on leather straps, and seven in full gold to the Mir space station. It would be a full year until they would come back to our humble blue and green marble. One of the steel models was r...
I got my first taste of Serica a little over two years ago with the brand s 4512. And what a great first taste it was! The 4512 was a modern take on a classic field watch done right with a ton of character to make it stand out from the crowd. In the next step for Serica, founder Jer?me Burgert decided to update the 4512. Today s new version introduces a self-winding movement, a slimmer case, and a COSC chronometer certification. On top of that, all three dial designs were updated, which was more than enough reason for Burgert to give the series a new reference and introduce the Serica 6190 Field Chronometer.Ever since I got that first taste of the Serica 4512, I have followed every step of t...
Zenith has slowly expanded its Chronomaster Sport line with some great new models. After the first two versions in stainless steel with white and black dials, we have seen several variations that all look quite stunning. From the brilliant tricolor-bezel Chronomaster Sport Boutique Edition to the two-tone rose gold/steel and fully rose gold versions, it has become an impressive lineup. In the next step, Zenith introduces the new blue-dial version of the Chronomaster Sport. This model sees the brand opting for a stainless steel bezel rather than a ceramic one. The surprising combination works really well and follows last week s Chronomaster Sport Pink. It s time to find out more about both mo...
Today, we re talking about the Ming 37.07 Monolith, the newest release from a brand we enjoy here at Fratello. The watch follows a tested formula of offering a DLC-coated variant of a prior release with deliberate design changes that should make it attractive for collectors. As always with Ming, the details are important and worthy of discussion.As the resident Ming fan here at Fratello, I m always on the lookout for the brand s next release. The announcements seem to come at random moments but are never too tightly or loosely spaced. With Ming s production back on track, it was time for a new watch in the form of the 37.07 Monolith.The first 37.07In July 2022, I went hands-on with the Ming ...
Welcome to another episode of Fratello On Air. This week, we discuss time-only watches from the 40s and 50s. It s a subject that Balazs knows well, and Mike is keen to pick his brain on it. This is a slightly different topic for us, so don t expect the usual brands to surface. We hope you enjoy it. This podcast player is blocked because you did not accept marketing cookies. Change cookie settings Time-only watches from the 40s and 50s are a fascinating subject. These pieces came before the 60s models that we so frequently discuss and catalog in our articles. The post-war decades are filled with absolute gems, but the scholarship is often lacking. This is especially true when it come...
It s already been a little over a year since the launch of the Seiko 5 Sports GMT series. I can still remember the palpable excitement within the watch community when the watches came out. Some people had already seen some leaked images, and others had been simply hoping the concept would become a reality one day. In the Fratello office, we were also very positively surprised by the arrival of the 5KX GMT. And now Seiko has introduced three new US-exclusive versions.These new colors come in addition to the original orange, blue, and black versions of the Seiko 5 GMT. This time, there is a modest Pepsi version with a charcoal dial and a red and blue chapter ring. Then there s a classy two-ton...
The worlds watery depths are some of the most remote and hazardous places to explore.? Deep-cave diving, then, is perhaps an extreme sport within an extreme sport. Fratello speaks to one man who has set world records for diving in these forbidding places and who relies on Casio watches for life-risking work underwater. He has taken G-Shocks rated at 200 meters to over 300 meters deep. Like deep-sea diving, deep-cave diving requires focus, technical ability, mental resolve, and experience. Aside from the risk of getting lost or equipment failing due to immense pressures, breathing deep-dive gas mixtures at extreme underwater pressures - usually, a combination of helium, nitrogen, and oxygen c...
In the very last paragraph of the introduction article for the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms 70th Anniversary Act 3, I asked you to let the watch and its price sink in. I also wrote that I would do the same and return with a follow-up article in which the Fifty Fathoms was put in its natural habitat. No, not the ocean. I mean the highly competitive world where other luxury dive watches roam and fight for survival. Well, that day has come. On a Monday, no less. Here s some food for thought to start the watch/work week.The reactions on the most recent Blancpain?dive watch, the Fifty Fathoms 70th Anniversary Act 3 (5901 5630 NANA) lead to more or less unanimous reactions. The watch is limited to 555 ...
Well, we can certainly put the new Yema Yachtingraf Tourbillon Mareographe in the Things We Didn t See Coming category. After all, Yema is a recently reborn successful player in the affordable retro space. When we hear the word tourbillon, affordability is nowhere on the radar, but there is some semblance of approachability here. Shall we have a look?During the early part of my vintage-chronograph-collecting cycle, I stumbled across Yema. Well, that s not entirely true. Enablers like Fred Mandelbaum were instrumental in exposing me to these previously unheard-of brands and, shortly thereafter, helping me deplete my bank account. Yema made some intriguing watches and, in a way, followed the H...
Sternglas is back again, this time with a new release that taps into an elegant aesthetic. It s one not often seen at the truly affordable end of the market. Externally, the Sedius is trimmed with leaf hands, a graceful case, and a shimmering sector dial. On the inside, a Seiko meca-quartz movement is a healthy compromise of accuracy, convenience, and dynamism. When also considering the price, the Sternglas Sedius has some serious appeal.This model is described by Sternglas as Bauhaus meets Art Deco. My inference is that the brand, which often delivers the Bauhaus look successfully, is now trying its hand at Art Deco as I don t see a lot of Bauhaus remaining in this design. The case back ref...
It might seem like a cliche, but big watches can wear smaller. Sometimes, though, this flips back the other way, and this time, its a compliment. By introducing the Maen Skymaster 38 MKIII, the Swedish brand proves that a 38mm case diameter can feel more substantial than you d think. And that suits the accomplished evolution of Maen s vintage-tinged chronograph to a tee.Today, vintage-inspired watches are simply the norm for many brands, especially when it comes to panda dials and their reverse brothers. And why not? Sure, with the Skymaster, there are a plethora of options to choose from. But for me, nothing beats a clean-cut reverse panda, and the Maen Skymaster 38 MKIII also has a few sur...
The movement is one of the most crucial and costly parts of a mechanical watch. No wonder, then, that it is often used to judge a watchs quality and value proposition. But aside from comparing watches with the same or similar movements, how do we judge them? Sometimes we go by proxies, such as in-house or not, decoration levels, or accuracy. But do those really tell you whether a watch movement is any good?Debates about movements often end up in either anecdotal evidence (Mine broke down or Mine never failed me) or the spec sheet (It runs at COSC spec or This deviation is unacceptable at this price). Is there anything more substantiated we could say about a movements quality? Lets have a loo...
In this edition of our weekly Sunday Morning Showdown, we re pitting two watches from the same model but in different executions against each other. They re both modern versions of the most iconic diver s watch in the world, the Submariner. Today, it s a full stainless steel Submariner Date (ref. 126610LN) versus the one in the gold and steel (ref. 126613LB). At retail, these two watches normally have a $5K difference in price, but on the market, the difference is around $3K. This makes the two-tone version a more serious alternative to the all-steel version of the Submariner.Being a fan of gold and two-tone, RJ feels that with only a small difference in price, it s well worth opting for th...
In May 2022, 168 pieces of the over-600-strong OAK Collection - a bewildering, one-of-a-kind collection that reflects French businessman Patrick Getreides 40-year horological passion - were presented for all to see at the British Design Museum in London. It was quite the event with around 700 watch business VIPs, fellow collectors, and press coming in from around the globe to meet the man behind the collection and inspect the watches. And guess what? The show was a warm-up for the auctioning of the OAK Collection in several stages. Part I, featuring 142 watches, will take place at Christies auction house and is scheduled for November 26th in Hong Kong. Will the Patek Philippe Nautilus quartz...
It seems that they ll let anyone in here, even a vintage curmudgeon like me! That s right, it s my turn to pick four watches under $5,000. It s a challenge because many of my teammates have already chosen and I m only allowed to pick one pre-owned piece. Tough work indeed, but I m ready to bring you options from Seiko, Nomos, Breitling, and even Breguet!It s pretty wild how prices have changed in the watch world. It doesn t feel like that long ago when less than $3,000 scored a new Speedmaster Professional. These days, watches like the Speedy, the Seamaster 300M, and every are now above $5,000. So while it s easy to find watches under today s threshold, the value leaders of the past have al...
Another Friday, another Top 5! Last week s list focused on field watches, a very popular genre for people who are not looking to spend a fortune on a luxury watch. This week, we ll shift our focus to something completely different. This Top 5 focuses on the best recently released German watches. Scanning the landscape of German watchmaking is interesting. There are a lot of great brands that produce some amazing timepieces. It makes this Top 5 just the tip of the iceberg of what is out there. Nevertheless, we feel that these five picks stand out and deserve attention.When we started discussing this Top 5, several brands instantly sprung to mind. And that s understandable as they are popular ...
The new Longines Spirit Flyback Titanium is a really attractive watch. It shows how Longines, with each release, is becoming more of a force to be reckoned with. As prices from Omega and others have moved upmarket, Longines is seemingly positioned to take on the likes of Tudor, and the brand has started bringing the goods. Will today s chronograph keep the string of hits going, or will it let us down?If you re a fan of any television series, you ll likely encounter slight disappointment at some point. Whether it s a whole episode or just a part, it happens. As part of my English immersion, I m watching the sketch comedy series The Fast Show, and I love it. But there are some unfunny points, ...
