What can you do in Le Noirmont, a town of 1,629 inhabitants situated in the Swiss canton of Jura? You can go for a hike in the mountains surrounding the village. And if youre into watches, a visit to the Musee de la Bo?te de Montre (The Watch Case Museum) is a good idea. It s in a completely renovated former atelier and presents visitors with two workshops typical of the region - a case-assembly workshop from the 1850s and a mechanized factory from the 1920s. What else can you do in Le Noirmont? Visit Louis Erard. The brand has established a reputation as a guardian of regulator watches in various styles. Now, theres the Louis Erard 2340, an integrated-bracelet sports watch named after the p...
Stockholm-based brand Nezumi is one I always keep a close eye on, and it has established quite a reputation for creating outstanding, affordable watches with retro style and vibrant colors. Nezumi truly understands the important role color plays in making watches stand out. One of the most popular models in the brand s catalog is the Baleine dive watch, which debuted back in 2017. Now, Nezumi is releasing an updated version that s a significant step up from the previous one, and fans are going to love it.I appreciate that David Campo, Nezumi s founder and designer, has taken the time to reflect on the brand s collection and explore what he can improve. We already saw a series of improved Nez...
Theres a small, stubborn truth that keeps resurfacing whenever you walk into a boutique, scroll pre-owned listings, or stare at your wrist: the best daily watch is often the one that sits at a brands entry point. Big Swiss maisons spend years distilling their DNA into a watch that captures the soul of the brand without fuss - and, crucially, without forcing you to overthink every occasion.When the entry point is one of a brand s best watchesHere are several of my favorite entry-point options from modern Swiss and Japanese heavyweights that prove the point with approachable prices, reliable mechanics, readable dials, and a flexibility that makes them perfect daily companions.A quick caveat: w...
With the Fratello Dress Watch Season competition in full swing, our site has seemingly been full of expensive, heavy-hitting, precious-metal formal watches. That s why, for todays Sunday Morning Showdown, we decided to do something a bit different. This is the featherweight bout between two affordable integrated-bracelet sports watches. This is the Citizen Super Titanium Zenshin Small Seconds versus the Tissot PRX Titanium 38mm.Daan brings the latest and greatest Tissot PRX to the ring. His 38mm titanium PRX takes on Thomass Citizen Super Titanium Zenshin Small Seconds. While both sit in the sub-$1,000 segment, the Tissot ($875) costs over twice as much as the Citizen ($429). The question fo...
Bell & Ross has always leaned into its aviation DNA, and few collections embody that identity more clearly than the BR-03 series. With its square case, four exposed screws, and cockpit-instrument aesthetic, its a design thats instantly recognizable even across the room. The latest model, the BR-03 GMT Compass, keeps that familiar geometry but brings a little more functionality and a surprisingly playful twist for the observant eye.I got to see the watch in person last week at the Bell & Ross boutique in London, and while Ive seen plenty of BR-03s before, this one genuinely stood out as something a bit different within the collection. Between the GMT layout, the compass feature, and a...
Lets be honest: dropping roughly $10k on a gold Nomos is a real commitment. Given the sought-after and intricate timepieces in that price level, a restrained watch with a focus on quality over flair is a power move. But the Tangente Neomatik in gold is one for Bauhaus connoisseurs. The use of gold may up the bling factor, but the execution remains elegant. Lets see if this yellow gold Nomos lives up to the spirit of the German brand.About a decade ago, I owned a Nomos Zrich Weltzeit. Its a great watch that gave me a sense of sophistication. Eventually, my tastes diverged towards sports timepieces and dive watches. However, given the resurgence of gold dress watches, which you can witness wi...
Nothing is as disputed as an award ceremony. The outcome of an opinion will always face another opinion, and people will have opinions on the ceremony itself. You know what they say about people and opinions, so I wont elaborate on that. What I will elaborate on are some of the winners of the GPHG 2025. Lets take a look at the surprising victors and the obvious winners. We ll also try to gain a bit of perspective on what happened during the Grand Prix dHorlogerie de Geneve.Before we dive deeper into the winners, non-winners, and absentees, heres the full list of those who took home GPGH 2025 awards:Aiguille dOr Grand Prix: Breguet?Classique Souscription 2025Chronometry Prize:?Zenith?G.F.J. C...
Last week, we hosted the Fratello Breitling event at Koelink Jewelers in Enschede, a city in the eastern part of the Netherlands, very close to Germany. This event was not only to celebrate the opening of the Breitling boutique there but also to highlight all the amazing Breitling releases from 2025.The family-owned Koelink Jewelers on the left and the new Breitling boutique on the right, in the center of the cityBreitling boutique in EnschedeThe Breitling boutique is part of Koelink, a family-owned business dating back to 1895. Hosting the event at this location was nostalgic for me, as I was born in this city (I can still talk with the typical dialect on request), and my family still liv...
Another Friday, another list! The end of the year is almost in sight, and with that in mind, we will soon start our series of best-of lists for 2025. One of the brands that had a relatively quiet year compared to previous ones was Tudor. During Watches and Wonders, the brand presented some solid additions to the lineup, but none of them generated the same level of hype as some of the releases from previous years. This sparked the idea of a Top 5 list of our favorite currently available Tudor watches. Will one of this year s releases make the list? Let s find out.Before we get into it, though, it s worth mentioning that we did see some surprising releases from Tudor this year. The first that ...
Welcome back to another episode of Fratello On Air! This week, we chat about the legendary five-digit era and how it s probably the greatest collection of modern watches. We discuss why and mention some of our favorite models. Enjoy the show!This podcast player is blocked because you did not accept marketing cookies. Change cookie settings For many of us, it seems that the five-digit period was around forever. In fact, the watches debuted in the late 1970s and stayed in production until 2012! That s a long time! Of course, there were tweaks over the 30-plus years, but the watches remain relevant today. We discuss their impact and why owning one can be an endgame move.Handgelenkskontrol...
Welcome to the second semifinal in the Fratello Dress Watch Season contest, our bid to find the best dress watch of 2025. In todays matchup, the Patek Philippe Calatrava 6196P takes on the Breguet Classique Souscription 2025. As we near the final, we see some of this year s heavyweights going head-to-head. Both this Patek and Breguet outperformed their competition in the first round, garnering 63% and 56% of the votes, respectively. But what happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object? It looks like we ll find out today. Be sure to vote for the watch you think should make it to the final!Mike: Patek Philippe Calatrava 6196PWell, it s nice to see that the Patek Philippe Calatr...
Some watches need a paragraph to explain what they are. The Gag Laboratorio Labormatic Azzurro doesnt. With one glance, you already know its Italian. From its flowing pebble-like shape to the bold blue tones and playful use of geometry, it wears its design language proudly. Its confident, expressive, and a little unconventional, and thats exactly why it works.I took the Gag Laboratorio Labormatic Azzurro with me on a recent holiday to Rhodes to see how it would fare in a real-world setting. Its not the kind of watch I usually reach for, as its design is bolder and more stylized than my day-to-day choices, but that was part of the appeal. I was curious to see how Id fare with it over a whol...
It s time for a confession: I have never been smitten with the Christopher Ward C1 Bel Canto. While I greatly respect the watch s impressive technical prowess and commercial success, for me, it s more a question of style. I much prefer Christopher Ward s modern tool watches to the traditionally styled Bel Canto. But, as if the Lord said, Let there be light, here comes the new Lumiere version. Christopher Ward has created a surprising, less traditional take on its successful chiming watch, and it s time to find out more.When the press info landed on our desks, I was immediately intrigued by the C1 Bel Canto Lumiere. This was more than a luminous party trick. With the newest Bel Canto, the des...
A decade after its revival, Czapek once again surprises with an intriguing creation - the Time Jumper. This is a modern interpretation of a 19th-century pocket watch crafted by Fran?ois Czapek. The 40.5mm wristwatch with a half-hunter cover presents a fresh twist on traditional guilloche and partially conceals the new open-worked caliber 10.01. In celebration of Czapek s 10th (re)birthday, the brand will release 100 pieces of the Time Jumper in steel and 30 in yellow gold. Each features a patent-pending jump-hour complication, displaying 24 hours on two discs, complemented by trailing minutes on a peripheral ring. If youre wondering why you feel slightly woozy, dizzy, or hypnotized when look...
On this weeks episode of Fratello Talks, Nacho and RJ sit down with Claude Greisler, co-founder and master watchmaker at Armin Strom. Together, they explore Claudes journey from a young apprentice to leading one of Switzerlands most technically inventive independent brands. The trio discusses how Armin Strom evolved from a workshop known for skeletonization to a fully fledged manufacture that continues to innovate while staying true to its mechanical transparency. But first, as always, its time for a wrist check!This video is blocked because you did not accept marketing cookies. Change cookie settings This podcast player is blocked because you did not accept marketing cookies. Change cook...
In 2005, the Chronoswiss Digiteur MSA (Montre Sans Aiguilles) was a modern homage to the jump-hour watches of the 1920s and 1930s; today, its a reinterpretation of that 21st-century homage. The Chronoswiss Neo Digiteur Sand and Granit are watches without hands, featuring an updated look in stainless steel - the original Digiteurs were all made of precious metals. The reinvented model debuts with confidence due to its stronger and sharper-than-ever shapes.The 2005 rectangular Chronoswiss Digiteur MSA perfectly embodied Gerd-Rdiger Langs love for traditional craftsmanship and watchmaking. The founder of Chronoswiss undoubtedly had original, creative ideas and pursued his visions with admirabl...
The C1 Jump Hour Mk V marks the return of Christopher Wards mechanical jump-hour complication, now housed in a 39mm stainless steel case. It comes in two variants - Noon and Dawn - each available either on a steel bracelet or a leather strap. I got a chance to play with the blue Noon version on the steel bracelet. Heres how we got along.The watch reintroduces the brands proprietary JJ01 movement developed by former CW watchmaker Johannes Jahnke. The modular automatic caliber enables the instantaneous hour jump seen in earlier C1 models, with the numeral advancing sharply at the top of each hour. Christopher Ward shared the caliber with Fears recently and now puts it back to work in a C1.Chri...
It certainly seems like 2025 is the year of anniversaries. Big names are celebrating many centuries of watchmaking, and many brands, young and old, are releasing exceptional commemorative creations. Some are intricate masterpieces that express their maker s savoir-faire, while others represent an evolution of a historical benchmark creation. The Roger Dubuis Hommage La Placide is both. The 28-piece limited-edition biretrograde perpetual calendar is a complicated watch featuring a restored and updated movement and QP module, representing a reinterpretation of a watch that put the brand on the map 29 years ago. Yes, 29, not 30. The brand was founded in 1995, and the first Hommage with a QP com...
In the words of the great Huey Lewis, It s hip to be square! Just as the lyrics of this 80s hit refer to it being cool to be conventional, the Nomos Tetra celebrates the traditional square dress watch in style. But there is a twist to both the song and the watches. As Lewis explained, his lyrics were written in the third person and parody the celebration of normality, so the song is far from a statement against the rebellious and bohemian. The same applies to the Nomos Tetra lineup. At first glance, these dress watches appear somewhat more austere than the brand s other offerings. However, their clever dials are a welcome twist and make the Tetra collection far more interesting than a glanc...
If you are a fan of interesting microbrands, you have heard of Peren. We have covered several of the brand s watches. The minimalist style of the Regia and Nero divers is recognizable and serves as an adaptable canvas to experiment with different looks. However, for his next release, founder Andy Bica decided to leave the variations behind and introduce a completely new model. With the introduction of the Peren One, the company presents its first chronograph. It s another take on a classic watch style that immediately feels like a Peren creation. Let s find out more.When we first saw images of the new One chronograph, we immediately recognized Peren s signature style. However, this new mecha...
