Hold onto your seats, patient Fratelli, because we ve got some electrifying news for you! Get ready for the imminent return of the Fratello Nivada Grenchen Racing Chronograph, a collaboration that has us buzzing with excitement! We re thrilled to unveil this masterpiece for general release. This watch combines the best of two vintage models from Nivada s extensive catalog, resulting in a modern twist on classic designs.Previously, we released an exclusive pre-order of 50 pieces earlier this year, with 10 of each dial variation. These sold out in a flash, but guess what? We ve got great news for you! We have an additional 200 pieces (40 of each dial variation) ready to ship immediately. The...

The construction of the Derby Swissonic is different than anything you have seen so far. It reminds you of an old bedside flip clock, doesn t it? In reality, it is an ingenious plastic speedometer drum-machine powered by a 7-jewel transistorized electromagnetic module.7:55 on the Yema DigitalFrom jumping hours to jumping minutesThe Derby Swissonic might bring back fond memories of typical 70s jump-hour wonder watches. They are available in tons of (mostly bulky) case designs. You can easily recognize them by two or three digital concentric discs showing hours, minutes, and seconds. As the Yema Digital video here shows, the minutes are usually constantly running, and only the hour jumps.Mitc...

It s not often that you see the same watch available with a choice of four different scripts on the dial. The Elka Watch Co. Diversity Series might be a first for me. It was created to celebrate diversity and the friendship between two watch aficionados. However, it also shows us how different a watch can look depending on the script that is being used. Let s take a closer look at the Ace Jewelers Elka Watch Co. Diversity Series.The Elka name originally belonged to the Dutch Kiek family. In 1913, they started the Elka watch brand and based the name on the founder s full name and city - Eduard Louis Kiek Amsterdam. The family ran a few boutiques in Amsterdam where, among brands like , Jaege...

At first, sub-$1,000 and even sub-$500 mechanical watches seem like a very nice idea. They can be especially attractive to someone who likes mechanical watches but doesn t have the budget to spend on a more expensive one. It makes the experience of having a mechanical watch more accessible. But does it really? Because when you think about it, these budget mechanical watches might not live as long as their more expensive counterparts.Don t get me wrong; I m all for making things more affordable, and I also like looking at mechanical watches below $1,000. I even started with a Seiko SKX007, quite possibly the most popular mechanical diver s watch under $500. But a big part of the charm of havi...

One of last year s most praised releases was the Longines Spirit Zulu Time. This series of charming GMTs got critical acclaim for combining great looks with a COSC-certified flyer GMT movement at a competitive price. It was a great addition to the Spirit line-up that celebrates the rich aviation history that Longines has. If there was one remark to be made about the watch, it was that its 42mm size might not fit everyone. Longines has taken that criticism to heart and now introduces four 39mm models. With these new Spirit Zulu Time models, Longines might just have added one of this year s best releases to its line-up.Ever since Longines introduced the Spirit collection in 2020, we have seen ...

It s a watch collector s conundrum as old as time. Any of us that owns more than one watch is faced with it. Unless you re Diego Maradona, General Schwarzkopf, or Buzz Aldrin, most of us self-impose the limitation of wearing only one watch at a time. Therefore, you need to store your unworn timepiece(s). It s not too much of an issue when it s only one watch. But as soon as you have even a small collection to your name, it s already too late: you need a watch box. Like many, I opted for an inexpensive 10-watch box from Amazon. With a fake leather exterior, a crappy exhibition window, and even cheaper hinges - you know the one. However, I never bothered to look for a better solution until thi...

What is your ideal summer watch? It s a question that pops up every year and one that always has a highly personal answer. In this series of articles, we ask our Fratello editors what they are looking for when picking their perfect summer watch. Is it a dive watch, or can it be something else? Our writers will share their thoughts on the topic and their favorite summer watches for 2023. The sun is out, so let the fun begin!I have the honor of kicking off our series of articles discussing the best summer watches. It s a great honor but also not the easiest of questions because the list of requirements is very personal. A commonly claimed characteristic of the ideal summer watch is versatility...

Switzerland is a monarchy. This might be news to you, but from a watchmaking perspective, the neutral Alp country is not a democracy run by many. is the one watch brand that rules them all. And its reign, which dates back many decades, doesnt show any signs of weakness. On the contrary, sales revenue numbers show that is becoming mightier and mightier. And that knowledge produced a provoking question: will ever be not number 1? This Fratello thought experiment will question the seemingly ironclad laws of watchmaking. What would it take to bring down the mighty Crown? Is always being in first place taking its toll on ?Lets not mess around: the answer to that question is a straightforward n...

Wonderful things happen at watch shows - things that let us appreciate a watch brand rather than just a solitary piece. Last September, I saw a whole table of watches from Singaporean brand RZE, nestled between a couple of other microbrands trying to forge their pathways to success. With field watches, dive watches, and pilot s watches all bearing the same branding on one table, it struck me just how successful RZE has become in constructing and sticking to its carefully crafted design language. Furthermore, with such direct competitors only yards away, the relative value of a brand is laid bare.With all branding removed, I might be unable to pick an RZE?dial out of a line-up, but the case l...

Last weekend, Sotheby s auctioned the famous gold Omega Speedmaster BA145.022-69 that belonged to Apollo 13 astronaut Jack Swigert. We wrote about it a month before the auction (here), and last Friday, it fetched US$152,400.Jack Swigert s Omega Speedmaster Professional BA145.022-69 that he received from OmegaSwigert s Speedmaster Professional BA145.022-69If you are new to this gold Speedmaster Tribute to Astronauts watch from 1969, please go to this article. In it, you ll find everything you need to know about this model.While we have seen some of the gold astronaut-owned Speedmaster Professional BA145.022-69 fetching sums much higher than this, it is still way more than the price for a BA14...

During Watches and Wonders a few months ago, MB&F invited us over to take a look at its new home. And I m saying home because it s an actual 120-year-old house that the company recently moved into. Charris Yadigaroglou, MB&F s head of marketing, took the time to show us around the new place. And at the end of the visit, we got a sneak peek at what was in store for the future. Yes, we already got an early look at MB&F s new driver s watch, the HM8 Mark 2, which we can finally share with you today!In my short tenure as a watch journalist, I had never visited a watch brand s headquarters before. So when the folks at MB&F sent out the invite to check out their new place, I was ve...

Australian surfer and ocean explorer Matt Cuddihy was paddling and enjoying the surf off Noosa, a beautiful coastal town in the Australian state of Queensland, when he spotted something unusual. I was just snorkeling around the same areas I normally go to in Noosa, and there seemed to be a bit of sand that had shifted and exposed more rocks than normal. I found seven surfboard fins wedged between rocks. Looking over, I noticed a Submariner with its band caught under a rock. The glass was partially frosted over from the sand moving around it for so long.It is not the first time a sea-debris-encrusted dive watch has appeared off the Australian coastline. Recently, Citizen brought back a Proma...

Rebecca and Craig Struthers are well known for restoration work and their British take on bespoke watchmaking in precious metals. Ive been aware of their Tailor-Made range of wristwatches for a while, especially The Kingsley. Its a watch that has the power to take us back to the rich past of British watchmaking in the 18th and 19th centuries, a different age long before the Swiss dominance of todays market. But this story is not about watches per se. Rather, it takes a deeper look at timekeeping itself through the book Hands of Time: A Watchmaker s History Of Time.Besides the small output of beautiful, bespoke watches, Rebecca is a scholar at heart and a naturally gifted author. When I recei...

I vividly remember the last time I watched the 24 hours of Le Mans. It was in 2013; my daughter was just born a few weeks earlier and couldnt sleep. So, I sat with her in the living room in the middle of the night, silently watching the 24 Hours of Le Mans. I am more of an F1 fan myself, but a few people here in the Fratello team are die-hard fans of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. As with any 24-hour event, following the race takes a special kind of dedication. But regardless, it never fails to draw a crowd. Daytona ref. 126529LNLast Saturday - together with my colleague Daan - I attended this locally organized watch get-together with approximately 50 other watch enthusiasts and collectors. While ...

Since its watch collaborations galore this Monday morning, I thought it was best to put on one of our very own collab creations - the April Fools watch that went into production, the Fratello Studio Underd0g Aubergine. This watch was made to put a smile on your face AND raise funds for the fight against testicular cancer. The Girard-Perregaux Casquette 2.0 Saint Laurent 01, Lebois & Co Heritage Chronograph Indian Motorcycle, and Roger Dubuis Excalibur Dr. Woo Monobalancier might not raise any funds for charity. However, they could bring positive vibes with their symbiotic styling, and that s also a good thing.This Monday, were mixing horology with fashion, motorcycles, and tattoos. Gi...

When we started the GADA series, I knew the timing was sensitive for me. On one hand, it is by far my favorite genre of watches, so I was eager to write my contribution. On the other hand, I am deep in the process of developing my own but still a long way from completing it, so this article comes a couple of months early for me. That s why I have decided to put my current favorite GADA watch up against the one I am developing. This is my current King Seiko SPB281 versus my upcoming VPC Type 37HW.Actually, that makes it sound like a duel. Instead, I would rather focus on how my experience with my King Seiko influenced the VPC I am developing. So without further ado, let s get stuck into it!My...

In 2019, I endured a long, humiliating, and costly experience with Swiss Customs. Because of the article we published earlier today about traveling with watches, we decided to bring this older article back into the spotlight as well. Although Baselworld does not exist anymore, the topic is still valid! Be very careful when you cross borders with your precious watches.Baselworld 2019 - the last watch fair in BaselWhen attending Baselworld, we tend to stay over the border in either Germany or France. The costly hotel rooms in Basel along with pricey restaurants often lead us to roomier and more modern lodging across the border. That leads to a somewhat annoying train ride every morning and a c...

Are you ready for an article on how to travel with your watches that features all sorts of watch rolls, cases, and other implements? Well, if so, move along because this article isn t that! I ve traveled a lot over the past 25 years, and I ve been a watch nut for a good portion of that time. In this article, I ll share a few things that I ve learned - sometimes the hard way.Travel is something that I ve always enjoyed about my personal and professional life. As a result, I ve spent a huge amount of time on the go, with the bulk of it on airplanes. I often spend at least two months of the year in hotels and, in prior years, somewhere around two weeks per year on a plane. That s so enviable, i...

Welcome to another edition of Sunday Morning Showdown. Today, two editors jostle for position with two watches of a similar persuasion. Expect no holds barred as these writers vie for your votes to be crowned the winner. In this fight, we have two titanium watches with automatic calibers. The Linde Werdelin SpidoLite Nord is going up against the Zenith Defy Extreme. These are two titanium watches for extreme conditions, but which one will take the crown? Our writers are ready, so let s get this battle going.Today s showdown is all about extreme titanium sports watches. Both combatants, thanks to their lightweight construction, are substantial in size but easy to wear. The intricately sculpte...

When people start getting into the rabbit hole of watch collecting, sooner or later, vintage watches will come up. Yes, vintage watches are no secret anymore like they were perhaps a decade ago. Many horological icons - particularly from a well-known brand with a crown as its logo - have increased to astronomical prices. While there is certainly still value in the vintage department when speaking of (four- or five-digit-reference Datejusts come to mind), I will avoid this category of timepieces in this article altogether. Instead, we will speak of the sleepers that you can purchase for prices I would still consider a steal in today s collector s climate. These are three vintage horological ...