Railway watches are a special kind of cool. There are no two ways about it. This Swiss-made classic for Italian railway workers goes a long way in proving my point. Allow me to set the scene… You look down at your watch, its fine, pale enamel dial greets you, glistening in the gloom of the railway station as the sub-seconds hand laconically moves closer to 60. It marks the arrival of an ETR 250 Arlecchino train, translated to English as Harlequin. You smile at the trains handsome livery as it comes to a stop under the embrace of the broad, arched metal roof of the train station. Its the 1960s, and Italy is booming.?I imagine this is the sort of scene that my watch may have once experie...
That subtitle was meant for me, as I have a confession to make: I dont need a chronograph. That doesnt stop me from having at least five watches in the genre, but do I use the top-right pusher to time anything? Never. Boo, tsk tsk, shame on me. And yes, I understand your anger. Perhaps my fault lies in being too honest. But have a long, hard think about it. When was the last time you actually timed something remotely sporty with your mechanical chronograph?I thought so, so why not admit to being a bit shallow like me? I love the dial designs of great chronographs, especially with two horizontally opposed sub-dials, preferably named after a particular two-tone Chinese bear. But trust me, you ...
Celebrity watch brand ambassadors are paid cheerleaders. These carefully selected cheerleaders embody a brand or offer a look at what a brand wants to become in the near future. And thats why you see them shine in lavishly styled advertisements and enticing mini-movies - Ryan Gosling trying to steal a TAG Heuer Carrera from a movie set, for instance. If that isnt enough, when its that time of the year again for the Met Gala in New York, the Oscars in LA, and the Cannes Film Festival, stars casually show off timepieces from brands you didnt even know theyre affiliated with. Do these Cinderella moments inspire you, annoy you, or leave you indifferent? And what about the more meaningful, long-l...
If I were to ask what IWC s worst model line is, how many of you would say, the Da Vinci? While perhaps not everyone would share that opinion, I ve always found it unfortunate how many people think so. Granted, I like IWC s pilot s watches and the Portugieser just as much as the next enthusiast. I also understand that stylistically speaking, many find them much more recognizable and iconic than the Da Vinci. But in my time collecting watches (over 15 years now), I ve seen so many decry the Da Vinci based on looks alone. Perhaps understanding the significance of the watch in IWC s modern history would help abate that sentiment somewhat. Then again, maybe we just like what we like, and no amou...
G-Shock has been pushing the limits over the past few years. We have seen an increased number of luxury offerings from the brand that show that there is much more to it than affordable do-it-all watches. We have seen the introduction of new materials, coloring techniques, case constructions, decoration patterns, and modules, resulting in spectacular watches. To celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Frogman series, G-Shock now introduces the titanium MR-G Frogman MRG-BF1000R-1A. This second commemorative 30th-anniversary Frogman model takes things to new levels. It features a full-titanium case constructed of 70 parts, the most of any of the MR-G models. Let s take a closer look at this luxur...
Welcome one and all to this week s episode of Fratello On Air. As Mike is out of town, Balazs invites Nacho - who happened to be in Germany - to join him for a chat. Today s installment brings you a loosely structured discussion. The guys talk about their current comings and goings before steering into the topics of watch news and case back engravings. They then wrap things up by running through some first impressions of classic watches from TAG Heuer, IWC, and Grand Seiko.This podcast player is blocked because you did not accept marketing cookies. Change cookie settings But before we get into it, you already know it s time for…Handgelenkskontrolle (wrist check)Today, both Balazs a...
I am very excited to announce our fifth Speedmaster strap collaboration with REM. This month s Houston, We ve Had A Problem strap will perfectly suit your Omega Speedmaster Professional Silver Snoopy Award 50th Anniversary edition. This watch debuted on October 5th, 2020 (exactly 50 years after Omega received NASA s Snoopy Award) and has been in production since. It was one of the first special Speedmaster models to be available upon request rather than a numbered limited edition.Silver Snoopy AwardTherefore, the Speedmaster Professional Silver Snoopy Award 50th Anniversary is also a bit controversial. This is because, despite being not a limited edition, it s very difficult to buy from Omeg...
Woop-woop, that s the sound of the diameter police! An Explorer 40 was introduced during Watches and Wonders - what a crime against humanity! The Explorer is a classic in its 36mm form, and it has also been available in a 39mm version. The latter was discontinued a few years ago, and has brought it back with an extra millimeter on top and some other small changes. We had the opportunity to have a closer look at the new Explorer 40 and compare it to the classic 36mm Explorer.The ExplorerEver since I developed an interest in watches, the Explorer has been one that I respect a lot. It s a no-nonsense sports , a tool or field watch that could be anyone s daily wearer for the rest of their l...
The weather is finally showing us some proper sunshine and higher temperatures here in the Netherlands. It actually feels like summer is approaching, and that means wedding season is about to start or is already well underway. So it s time to think about what watch to wear on that special day. And we re not just talking about the watches for the happy couple. These watches can also be worn by honorable guests, of course.Especially nowadays, people don t dress up that often anymore. We work from home quite regularly, dressed in our onesies, and when we re in the office, it almost looks like it s casual Friday every day of the week. At least weddings give us a chance to dress up a bit and show...
In todays edition of Pre-Owned Spotlight, we re going lightweight neo-vintage! Nacho likes to set increasingly specific challenges for us, and I think this might be my most particular one yet. But hey, I like a challenge. And, as a matter of fact, I immediately had a couple of serious contenders in mind.I will limit myself to models introduced in the 1990s and 2000s and, obviously, to lightweight materials. Without further ado, lets go on the hunt for some pre-owned picks.Image: Sivils LuxuryLightweight neo-vintage pick #1: Panerai Luminor Base PAM00176Let me kick this off with a classic from Panerai. Wait, what? Isn t Panerai known for heavyweight wrist dumbbells? Well, yes. But this one, b...
Did you know Detroit, Michigan, USA is a precious place riddled with gemstones? Motor City is the city where Fordite comes from. No mining is needed, though, since Fordite is hardened old automotive paint thats reclaimed from car factory assembly lines. The Arcanaut ARC II – Fordite is a Danish-made watch with a handmade dial crafted by James Thompson, co-owner of Arcanaut and founder of Black Badger. The exotic industrial dial fits the case with its sober industrial design and strong, curved lines paradoxically well.James Thompson talked about Fordite before here on Fratello: Were using solid chunks of the stuff, he explained. Nodes, we call them. The Fordite we used to create these d...
Titoni s Seascoper series made a lasting impression on me last year. Back in November, I reviewed the stainless steel version of the Seascoper 300, and I loved that watch. The comfort, build quality, and COSC-certified movement made for an incredible package at well under $2K. For the money, it simply is very hard to beat. But what about its carbon bigger brother? The Titoni Seascoper 600 CarbonTech comes with a lightweight carbon case, an in-house movement, and double the water resistance. Importantly, it also takes a step away from the Submariner-esque looks of the Seascoper 300. Let s find out if the Titoni Seascoper 600 CarbonTech is twice as good as its little brother.When I was present...
Quite unintentionally, my interest in watches in the budget segment (under $1,000) has grown quite a bit in recent years. It could have something to do with the fact that the prices of more reputable ones have been going pretty wild lately. Or it may also be because some of the latest versions of established models are simply not available. I ve also noticed that I care less about brands reputations. Brands seem to be very involved with whom or what they want to be associated with more so than building a reputation by presenting good and attractive watches. I often don t know or recognize their ambassadors of choice, nor am I interested in the activity a brand chooses to connect with. Furth...
It s time for another look at a vintage Japanese watch, and this time, it s the Seiko Duotime 5619-7000. This was a unique series of watches that Seiko produced from 1972 until 1974, and they are among the earliest pieces with an independent 12-hour hand. This lovely feature was well ahead of its time, but the function came with a flaw that we ll expose (as an aside, a big thanks to my daughter for her wrist modeling above and for taking some wrist shots of me!).Watches that show multiple time zones are certainly fashionable right now. In fact, they re so popular that most folks have constructed a mental hierarchy relating to what makes one of these watches worthwhile. Does your new watch fe...
It s Sunday, so it s time for another showdown. As the red weather alerts rightfully called off this weekend s Formula One Grand Prix at Imola, we bring you a motorsports-themed race against time. has refreshed the entire Daytona collection for the model s 60th anniversary this year. While the new range appears almost identical to what we had before, the subtleties showcase the method of gently iterating upon its core models. Despite believing the changes undoubtedly improved the Daytona, many onlookers took to social media to voice disapproval of the new look. Our writers are no different, so we examine the previous Cosmograph Daytona ref. 116500LN against the new ref. 126500LN. We ll l...
The more watches from micro/independent brands I review, the more I ponder the following question: Do we need more? While these types of brands do not always innovate, they certainly know how to offer great value. They may not revolutionize the industry in the traditional sense of the word, but they help in popularizing the hobby. I recognize the merits of the hard work that brands such as Nodus put in and how much we can now get for less than $1,000. And its not always about money. Rather, it s more about quality - the quality of the design, fabrication, and wearing experience. Nodus and the recently released Sector Deep perfectly exemplify this idea.Not to toot my own horn, but it seems I ...
The 36mm Explorer has been a favorite of mine ever since I got into watches. But it still took me quite some time before I decided to buy myself one. I even bought and owned various similar kinds of watches before I finally went for it. It s almost like I was avoiding getting one. But it looks like the old saying in the end, you want a was true. Let me tell you how my Explorer and I finally found each other and what it s like to own one after all this time.As I mentioned, the Explorer ref. 114270 had been on my mind for quite a while. A few months into my collecting journey, I even considered buying one when I thought it was time to buy my first . At that moment, it lost the battle again...
Another Friday, another Top 5! In this series, we take one classic watch and choose our five favorite references ever produced. Four of these references will be based on the historical importance of the specific watch in the grand scheme of things. Though there may be some overlap, its not a question of which references are the most collectible or of the highest value on the market. The fifth pick is our Fratello favorite that considers the current market price and collectability, potentially making it a sleeper reference. As such, the last pick could be described as our wild card. This week, we ll take a look at the Seiko Alpinist. What are the best references in the history of this famous ...
Following a renewed interest in the British watch brand Bremont, I spent quality time with one of its most recognizable models, the MBII. With the hardened stainless steel case and second crown for the internal bidirectional rotating scale, the MBII cuts a striking silhouette. But beneath the solid looks, it is a capable pilot s watch packed with technology to benefit the wearer in various scenarios. My time with the MBII was enlightening, and it broadened my view of Bremont and its model namesake Martin-Baker. Read on to discover my thoughts in this hands-on review.Getting meaningful time with a loaned watch is a luxury in itself. While we get access to a variety of new pieces, prototypes, ...
The agony of choice. You might be familiar with that when it comes to watches. I know I am when it comes to composing lists. But not this time. And thats because I already picked one watch under $1,000 in 2023 and actually bought it. Of the three watches I will highlight here, I purchased the 40mm Tissot PRX Powermatic 80 Ice Blue and havent regretted it since. The other two watches are not in my possession, but I do believe they would look just right on my wrist too. The Yema Rallygraf Meca-Quartz caught my eye when it was at HQ a little while ago. And it was Jorg who led me to the blue-dialed Seiko Presage SPB167 when he reviewed the black and brown SPB331.I do like a chronograph with link...
