The Longines ref. 5411 Tuxedo totally surprised me. It is as tiny as a piece of candy, but it feels robust, just like any of your Submariners. ?I bet 99% of watch collectors would never pack a 31mm Longines ref. 5411 on a vacation to an island in the Mediterranean Sea. First of all, 99% of collectors would not choose to go to Mallorca at the end of February just because it is still the wintertime off-season here.How my Longines got to MallorcaAfter canceling our Christmas vacation due to sickness, my wife and I decided to book another trip. Without much thinking (or weather checking), we booked flight tickets for a week in Mallorca, where we still are at the moment this article goes live. Be...

Over the last few years, elastic watch straps have gained mass popularity. They are available in almost every color imaginable and can be snapped up from several different sellers. Prices range from just a couple of bucks up to just below a hundred euros. If youre reading this, theres a good chance you own one of these straps. And theres an even better chance that youve seen them cropping up, not just here on Fratello but also Instagram and some of the popular watch forums. But where do these straps come from? Whats the origin story behind a product that has become so ubiquitous in the watch enthusiasts space? To answer this question, Ill be taking a closer look at one of the brands produci...

Until 2014, I didn t own any Seiko watches. That might not mean anything, but I had been into watches since the mid-1990s. It was my colleague Mike Stockton who influenced me to buy several Seikos in 2014 (after he joined) due to his articles. I was very comfortable spending a few hundred euros on a Seiko watch, but he also tried to get me into Grand Seiko. At the time, it was quite a step to take because those started at a few thousand euros. Then the Seiko Marinemaster SBDX001 came to the rescue. It was a watch that was priced in between the regular Seiko models that I had been buying and the Grand Seiko watches that were slightly above $6,000.Seiko Marinemaster 300 SBDX001Upon receiving t...

With Cartiers massive resurgence from the auction block to celebrity wrists, rectangular cool is back. And the same goes for the flippable magic of Jaeger-LeCoultres Reverso. With the wide selection of Cartier and the JLC Reverso range, a big choice is yours for taking within the ranks of the two dominant brands. But look deeper, and you ll find alternative rectangular chic from unexpected brands like Oris and Longines, with value for money as a common denominator.With Tanks starting at less than $3,000 and the new cool Fran?aise on the market, there is much to choose from for Cartier lovers. The equally revered Reverso has risen in price, even if its colorful new look is still tempting. Wha...

Spending money like a baller - it s not something I ponder a lot. Like Daan, I tend not to think about buying really expensive watches. Of course, I can appreciate them for their technical merits or stories, but generally, I do not spend too much time thinking about watches I cannot have. But what would I get if I had infinite money? I can tell you it wouldn t be limited to just one or a couple of watches. That s why I had to trim this list down quite a bit. Ultimately, I would love to see so many ideas come to fruition. So for once, I ll tell you about some of the watches I love that would require serious funds.Taking you through my world of exclusive watches is mostly a journey focused on ...

When Tissot showed us the PRX Chronograph last year (digitally), I ordered one during the introduction presentation. You can call it an impulse purchase, but I was so incredibly enthusiastic that I didn t have to think long. And when we visited the Tissot manufacture in Le Locle a few months ago, it made me even prouder to have one on the wrist.Tissot s headquarters and production facility in Le LocleTissot produces an incredible number of watches per year. Despite that, visiting the brand s headquarters in Le Locle brings you back to the old days of watchmaking as soon as you head to the archives. A few levels above the huge automated order-picking system (that you will also find at compani...

When it comes to creating affordable watches with a ton of vintage-inspired style, look no further than Certina. While the brand also produces some great contemporary pieces, the vintage charm makes the brand hard to beat. Just one of the many great examples is the stunning Certina DS PH200M. Its vintage style in combination with the modern execution makes it a great piece, and that s what the brand excels at. And now Certina has added another great vintage-inspired model to its lineup. The new Certina DS-2 Turning Bezel is a fantastic addition to the DS-2 collection that will win many fans. We had a chance to check out two regular models and a new special edition.Coming back shortly to that...

The Sinn T50 divers kick off 2023, and while these watches are very on brand, they weren t necessarily expected. I ll share my thoughts on that and get into the watches themselves. Bottom line: these are sweet additions to the lineup with great dimensions.As an adopted Frankfurter, I have a soft spot for Sinn. We both call Mainhattan home, and therefore, I keep a watchful eye on what the technically minded brand releases. In fact, I ve been watching for a while, and if we travel back to 2013, Sinn debuted an interesting set of divers called the T1 and T2. I saw the smaller 41mm T2 at Basel and placed an order immediately. You can see my review of this piece here, and I think you d agree that...

No, Im not going to pick a Nautilus. Neither the original 3700 nor the 5980 chronograph. Before I got to spend my unlimited budget, I cleansed my palate. I hit refresh and tried very hard to observe the immense universe of Haute Horlogerie in an open-minded way. But how do I pick three stars that shine brightest for me? I found out that when everything goes, the agony of choice kicks in, and common sense and madness go head to head. The only way to get to my final three was to go down memory lane and think of watches that I experienced live. Thats how I determined my picks from Patek Philippe, A. Lange & S?hne, and Richard Mille.I ve been a little too preoccupied with the Nautilus lately...

From the day Michel Parmigiani presented his brands first-ever wristwatch, the Toric QP Retrograde, in 1999, the Parmigiani name has been tied to calendar watches. QP stands for Quantieme Perpetuel - it was an in-house-developed perpetual calendar watch. A de facto house specialty, the annual and perpetual calendars are always on offer from the Fleurier-based watchmakers collections. From the Gregorian calendar complication and the GPHG-winning Hijri calendar innovation in 2020 to the launch of a Xiali calendar recently, the Swiss independent brand is perpetually (pun intended) upping its game to blow our minds!Parmigiani calendar watchesCalendars are a reflection of civilizations. Whether a...

Submissions for our Watch Box Stories series keep on coming to our mailbox. Last week s story by Adrien about his (and his wife s) beautiful watches received some great responses! This week, we have a story contribution from Aashdin, who shows a variety of brands (and watches) in his hand-crafted watch box. Aashdin is a seasoned watch collector with over 450 watches in his collection. Included in today s story are two of his treasured watches, a double-signed IWC Favre-Leuba that belonged to his grandfather and a Universal Geneve Polerouter SAS.After we share all the stories, we will raffle off a Peli case and a few other accessories among the contributors. So far, Ive seen some very interes...

Some brands have a distinct calling card that sets them apart. From big crown locks to date magnifiers, they can be a blessing and a curse. For me, the former applies to the enigmatic Resonance concept. Ill admit to not being a hundred percent au fait with its inner workings, but the Armin Strom Mirrored Force Resonance is deeply fascinating on a mechanical level, even a scholarly one. Isn t that one of the main reasons for many of us to embrace wristwatches in 2023?In fact, we love their embrace on our wrists, and love comes in many sizes. Small-cased watches are great for comfort, but the Armin Strom Mirrored Force Resonance Manufacture Edition Blue needs its 43mm case. A grand show deserv...

We ve been away for a few weeks, but Fratello On Air is back again! We re talking about the newly announced Sinn T50 lineup and then dipping into some travel talk. Balazs attended the recent NBA All-Star Game in Salt Lake City, Utah, and we talk about the festivities. This podcast player is blocked because you did not accept marketing cookies. Change cookie settings Yes, we ve been on the road for quite some time now. England, Switzerland, Austria, and America - we re beginning to sound like a Johnny Cash song around here! We apologize for missing the last couple of weeks, but we should be around for the foreseeable future.Handgelenks KontrolleWe kick things off with our Handgelenks Kont...

I am always genuinely excited to see Yema release new variants of the Superman 500. And when it comes to the recently introduced Superman 500 GMT series, I love seeing new colors as they are such a vital part of GMT watches. With a two-colored bezel, the presence of the models can change quite drastically. After the first series of new Superman 500 GMT models late last year, Yema now introduces two new color variations with different looks. The two both offer an alternative to the initial version with a black and white bezel. The first features a white and green bezel, while the second comes with a white and red one. Does it make them the best Superman 500 GMT models yet? Time to find out.It...

It s time again for everyone s favorite game - watch shopping with money we don t have! The best part is that we can pretend we have it, which should make filling our shopping baskets easy, right? Well, when I signed up for this article, I thought it would be a cinch. I already had an idea of the watches I wanted, but then two wrenches got thrown into my plan. First, I found a new version of one of the watches that I liked much more, but that led to an uncomfortable overlap with another one on my list. On top of that, I started to feel that two of my picks were too similar to RJ s, so I scrapped them completely and went back to the drawing board.In my typical overthink everything style, I sp...

Here at Fratello, we are a varied bunch. As watch journalists, collectors, and enthusiasts, we are all a little different. Some of us cant get enough of proper tool watches, others love vintage - theres definitely a lot of love for Speedmasters - yet some prefer the value-for-money microbrand offerings. Others gravitate towards the wildly futuristic independent watchmakers. But theres one thing that brings us all together - the fact that, without exception, we have all owned or currently own at least one Seiko watch. The Japanese brand is the great equalizer. It is a brand for all, with offerings ranging from several hundred euros up into the thousands (and thats without counting Grand Seiko...

Thank heaven I dont need to own every watch I like, see, and try on. If I did, my life would be a living hell. Instead, when I come across one of the most exquisite, rare, complicated, or coveted timepieces, I just try to savor the moment as much as I can. And because I have limited time with a mesmerizing watch, the experience is more intense. So when one of Fratellos close friends swung by HQ with a Patek Philippe Nautilus 5980/1A-001, I didnt feel envious of him or sorry for myself that I didnt own that awe-inspiring chronograph. On the contrary, I felt lucky to be able to wear, operate, and find out what its like to sport it for a couple of hours. Well, the time-counting 5980/1A-001 didn...

As a watch enthusiast, you never really know when you re going to buy your next watch. It could literally be at any moment if you get inspired by a friend s watch, some new release that came out, or an offer that you found on a forum. And that s exactly what today s Pre-Owned Spotlight is based on as well.Luckily, I ve been able to hold myself back and not buy anything. But I ve certainly saved a few new posts on Instagram and put some new pieces on my watch list. But the fact that I haven t bought any of them yet also tells me that I m not quite convinced about them. And that s a good thing because, as I said, the next big purchase could be just around the corner!Image: XupesThe Blancpain L...

Last August, I showed you the new Citizen NJ0150 watches that were, till then, only available in Asia. Following a successful introduction in Europe, the reception of these Citizen watches has been very good. Today, Citizen announces four new ME series models that will appear outside of the brand s home continent this summer. And yes, Tiffany blue is still a thing!The Citizen ME series - four new modelsOfficially, these new Citizen NJ0151 and NJ0153 models belong to the ME series. Each one is a stainless steel watch with an integrated bracelet that features both brushed and polished finishing. The dimensions (40mm wide, 11.7mm thick, and 49mm long) are still the same as the previous NJ0150 s...

The last few weeks have been a bit dive-watch-centric, so today s Sunday Morning Showdown will focus on different types of watches for a palette cleanser. This week Ben and Jorg pick a fight between two modern sports watches with integrated bracelets. But these watches are not part of the holy trinity of Grandes Maisons. Instead, this week s battle pits the less hyped models in that category against each other. Our contenders are the Girard-Perregaux Laureato, introduced in 1975, and the Chopard St. Moritz from 1980. The modern iterations lean heavily on the classic designs but contemporize them for today s audience. In the case of the Chopard, even the name evolves to the Alpine Eagle. Whet...