Recently, I had a chance to wear the new Formex Reef Radiant Bronze dive watch ahead of its launch today. This new Reef is a collaboration between Formex and the American retailer Collective. It is very much the Formex Reef that we know and admire but with a rather unique dial. As the name suggests, this is a bronze dial. And not just a bronze-colored dial but an actual bronze dial.Lets have a closer look and see how my time with the Formex Reef Radiant Bronze panned out.Formex Reef Radiant Bronze dialLet me kick things off with the core of the matter - the dial. Bronze has been in vogue as a case material for a while now. People like it for its warm hue and unpredictable patina. You do not ...
Fratello On Air returns with an episode that focuses on vintage watches that are great for everyday wear. We all love our pieces from yesteryear, so why not choose some that can handle the rigors of daily life? Settle in and listen while we talk for a while. This podcast player is blocked because you did not accept marketing cookies. Change cookie settings The problem with most vintage watches is that they re fragile and can be hard to fix once broken. Parts are rare, and the watches are often so valuable that they remain locked away for safekeeping. Well, we have some picks for you that should stand up well to daily routines while not breaking the bank (too much).Handgelenks KontrolleAf...
It s only a few weeks after Watches and Wonders 2023, and looking back at the event, the brand I was the most excited about was Tudor. With its recent releases, the brand has created a significant number of great watches that I would love to add to my collection. But it was with the Tudor Black Bay 54, a watch that is not on that list of wants, that I realized I found the soul of the brand. Finally, after years of paying tribute to a mixture of greats from the past, the brand is ready to embrace single references and create modern versions of them. For me, this was the last piece of the puzzle that led me to fully embrace my love for Tudor.Loving a brand is a very personal thing. For me, it ...
The product should always be front and center within this world of watches we love so much. And that doesn t only apply to new products. Improving existing products is also part of the game. I always greatly appreciate it when brands put effort into making their existing products even better, especially if the original was already a great watch. That s exactly what Serica has done with the new generation of its popular 5303 dive watch. The newly improved 5303 range comes with an updated, slimmer movement. As a result, it is also equipped with a soft iron cage for increased magnetism resistance and a Grand Chronometre certification. The Serica 5303 just got even better.If you read Fratello re...
It s hard not to enjoy what the folks at Monta are doing. Making well-finished sporty watches with great bracelets is part and parcel of the job for the St. Louis-based crew. Today, we ll briefly cover their fresh new release, the Monta Noble Mint Dial.That s right, Monta makes some of the nicest watches around if you re looking for an approachable daily driver. Rather than diving into the retro theme or doing something too avant-garde, I d categorize the independent company s watches as mature. They re fantastic alternatives to big-brand watches and can be worn for years without apology in almost any setting. Plus, if you ve ever met Mike and Justin from the brand, they re genuinely nice fo...
With Easter in the rearview mirror and summer a mere speck on the horizon, we re well into the spring season. We find ourselves in that magical time of year when the trees grow greener with the passing of each day. Some, however, don t play along and get pinker by the day instead. Magenta buds begin to open up into light pink blossoms. This is a quintessentially Japanese phenomenon that has even made its way to Glashtte. And though Nomos doesn t quote this as the direct inspiration for these new Tetra watches, a more global vision of spring can undoubtedly receive some credit. What we have here is a tasteful amalgam of tones that only a brand as experienced with combining colors as Nomos co...
How do you catch a Boldr Pokemon watch? Dont worry, I will walk you through the necessary steps later. But first, just enjoy the fact that Boldr is launching a special Pokemon collection that includes pop-culture heroes such as Pikachu, Charizard, Blastoise, and Venusaur. The watches look fun and tough and robust at the same time. And the catchy dials show the colors that embody the four selected Pokemon. You gotta catch em all!(Pokemon!) Gotta catch em all / Its you and me / I know its my destiny (Pokemon!) Oh, youre my best friend / In a world we must defend (Pokemon!)Any watch that makes you sing is good, dont you agree? Anyway, Boldr is launching a limited series of four Pokemon watches ...
There is one watch I sold more of than any other during my tenure at Amsterdam Watch Company - the vintage Datejust. From first-time buyers to seasoned collectors, the watch has an undeniable pull for many. Our own Mike is a prime example. While writing The Vintage Datejust Buyers & Collectors Guide, the sheer variety I encountered staggered me. So today, I would like to give a little taster of what you may come across.There are tons of cool little details worth exploring. Consider this a vintage Datejust nerds presentation of things that matter only to other nerds. All the content here comes from my book, so if this is your kind of nerdy, you might want to check that out.Vintage Date...
If you follow the news from the independent watch market, you know there are many GMTs to choose from. I recently published a two-part guide on 16 GMTs from micro- and independent brands, in which I listed Traska. By all (somewhat subjective) measures, the Venturer GMT strikes the perfect balance between specifications and price. The original batch came in four colors, and today, Traska is announcing a fifth - mint green.The Venturer GMT in a nutshellAt the risk of sounding redundant, lets talk about the Venturer GMT first. As you may know, Traska was one of the first independent/microbrands to get its hands on the Miyota 9075. This is a true (or flyer) GMT caliber made by the Citizen group ...
For many of us, there are watches we keep returning to that we haven t bought yet but really want to. In my case, the Seiko SZSB006 TiCTAC 35th Anniversary Limited Edition is one of them. It s still possible to find these available new, so I could get my hands on one with enough effort. But that doesn t come without its challenges because it is one of Seiko s Japan Domestic Market (JDM) releases. And this story is about more than just wanting a single watch. It s a story of what I would like to see from Seiko. On top of that, it s a story of a design construct that somehow works. Time to explore the story of the Seiko SZSB006.When I first laid my eyes on the Seiko SZSB006 TiCTAC 35th Anniver...
This week, we have two modern classics competing in Fratello s Sunday Morning Showdown. Both chronographs have icon status and go back to the 1950s and 1960s. Designed to play a role in car racing, one actually did, and the other took a turn to space racing. Daan defends the brand-spanking-new TAG Heuer Carrera Glassbox, which is already available at your TAG Heuer dealer, while RJ is defending his beloved Speedmaster Professional Moonwatch from Omega, which was introduced in 2021.Both brands and watches have their fans and communities. Design-wise, the Moonwatch is the one that has remained virtually unchanged in the past 60+ years. On the other hand, the Carrera exists in all sorts of vari...
Historically, watch brands have supported and partnered with athletic events and races. The youthful Swiss brand Norqain joined this effort in 2019 when it teamed up with Matterhorn Ultraks, a skyrunning marathon in Zermatt. Since then, Norqain has been the official timekeeper of prestigious races. These include the TCS New York City Marathon in late 2022 and the Dubai Marathon in early 2023. The brand will also be the official timekeeper of this year s Ochsner Sport Zrich Marathon, which takes place tomorrow, April 22nd. To celebrate, Norqain released the Wild One Zrich Marathon Limited Edition in a super exclusive run of 20 units.?Highlights of the Norqain Wild One?Norqains evolution has...
I ve always been a fan of the GMT-Master II. In fact, for a long time, the background of my computer in the late 1990s was a picture of the reference 16710 because it was my dream watch. My love for gold only came later, but the GMT-Master (II) in precious metal has been one of my all-time favorite watches. German TV detective Derrick (from Aus der Reihe) sported one in several of the 281 episodes.The 2023 GMT-Master IIThe gold GMT-Master or GMT-Master II isn t new. Indeed, there have been several iterations or references over the years. One of my favorites was the GMT-Master ref. 16758 - it s also one that my Fratello colleague Mike owns. The GMT-Master II in full gold (16718) would be t...
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 look at the history of Tudor chronograph watches. These are our five favorite Tudor chron...
Hermes sure knows how to surprise us. We knew the brand was launching four new colorful versions of the H08 at Watches and Wonders. But when we arrived at the Hermes booth, there was actually another new H08 waiting to be discovered. It was this new chronograph version packed inside a 41mm multi-layered composite case. It s a monopusher chronograph, so you operate it with a single button on the crown. And of course, the strap and the details on the dial all come in bright Hermes orange. Let s take a look at the new Hermes H08 Chronograph.Just a few weeks ago, I called those colorful new H08s the sportiest versions yet. Well, I think we have a new #1 now. After all, what s more sporty than a ...
Stick to the story. No matter what happens, stick to the story. The trouble with watch brands is that their stories have strange plot twists. Sometimes they get away with it. Most of the time, though, what was once historical storytelling gradually becomes a hard-to-follow, fantastic fable. The tale of the Yacht-Master is one of these dramatic course changes. The original 1992 Yacht-Master in yellow gold started a saga of luxury that got a grandiose Part II in the shape of the Yacht-Master 42. Come 2023, and the latest iteration of the Yacht-Master steps forward. And it does so completely stripped of all its precious metal that always distinguished the watch. The Yacht-Master 42 in RLX Tit...
Watch brands can be interesting for a wide array of reasons. When it comes to CODE41, you can expect futuristic technological solutions combined with cutting-edge designs. On top of that, the brand sets itself apart by creating watches with a very loyal community of fans that are included in every step of the process. In the brand s latest quest for excellence, CODE41 set out to develop a tourbillon and keep the price at around 10,000 Swiss francs. This is a task that is not that simple considering the technical challenges that the tourbillon watch brings. But CODE41 likes a good challenge and doesn t stop until it is completed successfully. In that spirit, the brand now introduces the all-n...
Our colleagues at Monochrome and Habring2 are no strangers to each other. When the online watch magazine celebrated its 15th birthday in 2021, Habring2 collaborated with them on a celebratory watch. Now, they pair up once more, and this time, it s for charity. This unique piece will be auctioned at the Geneva Watch Auction XVII in Geneva, May 23-24, 2023.What we have here is a Habring2?split-seconds chronograph with a salmon sector dial in a 38.5mm case. That sounds rather sweet, doesnt it? Lets have a closer look.Habring2 and MonochromeAs mentioned above, these two companies have collaborated before. They introduced the Montre de Souscription 1 for Monochromes 15th anniversary in 2021. This...
Was the round typeface in the sub-dials of the 2nd Execution Heuer Autavia 2446M the result of a thoughtful process, a one-off creative anomaly, or a pad-printing-device operator s neglect? Who knows?What we know for sure is that we are not looking at some Frankenwatch assembled later from various parts. Exactly what it should be! says Jeff Stein, OnTheDash founder and one of the foremost experts on vintage Heuer chronographs, when he inspected the serial number of my Autavia with round numerals. Serial numbers on the cases are in the 85xxx-to-89xxx range, with only one sample falling outside this range, he adds.Three examples from a decadeInspired by your work, I have sorted out some files ...
In 1962, Jack Heuer became the fourth-generation director of the Swiss horological manufacturer founded by his great-grandfather. After a strong debut with the Autavia, Jack set his sights on a strong follow-up. Inspired by tales of the Carrera Panamericana - a daring (and deadly) 3,500km Dakar-like race across Mexico - the Heuer Carrera (which borrows the Spanish word for race for its name) was born. The race ran for only a few years, with a combination of dangerous road conditions, poor organization, and speed resulting in a significant death toll. The chronograph, however, is still around 60 years later. It has been quite the journey for the Carrera over the past six decades. In that time...
