When it comes to new watches that don t cost a fortune, 2022 has been a very good year. Of course, the term affordable watches has a different meaning for each of us, but for me, it means those under $1,000. Watches in that price range are within reach for many enthusiasts, and plus, we tend to be a very weak-willed species. Especially if a watch meets certain criteria and doesn t break the bank, many of us can easily justify another purchase for under a grand.I was surprised at how many good options I could find under the $1K budget. I also have hands-on experience with most of these watches, and it s remarkable how good the finishing and quality are getting at this price point. That said, ...
Nestled in Akita Prefecture in Japan, Minase is a remote village with a mystical resemblance to the Vallee de Joux in Switzerland. Minase is also home to an artisan watch brand unlike any other. So much so, in fact, that the eponymous boutique watchmaker s Divido was the choice of the late Prime Minister Abe. Combining its in-house case-making capabilities and Swiss mechanical movements, Minase has created a style steeped in traditional Japanese crafts. Being so unique, Minase produces less than 500 timepieces a year and offers bespoke options in its Masterpiece series.Handmade Japanese watchesAs a spin-off in 2005 from its parent company Kyowa - a tool manufacturer in the region since 1963 ...
Over the last couple of years, I have found that my love for Zenith runs deep. I love all the modern reissues that the brand has released over time, and the brand-new releases have also been great additions to the collection. It makes Zenith one of my favorite brands of the moment. But that love does not start with the recent releases. Back in the 1960s and 70s, Zenith already showed a unique eye for design that led to some amazing results. One of them is the Zenith Sub Sea ref. A3630, which was first released in the 1960s. It s a watch that I would love to see make a return in all its glory.While the modern Zenith collection is often the reason for my enthusiasm for the brand, the classics...
Sunday Morning Showdown is a thought piece for our writers to duke out over one, two, or more watches. After a year of tight fights and epic wins, the Showdown series enters the last few rounds of 2022. As the growing grudge match of opposing opinions shifts into the holiday season, our writers share some fitting and festive pieces. Namely, the color green is the immediate leveler between our two combatants today. Although, as you ll see, the green giants share more than the festive hue between them. The Breitling Premier B09 Chronograph 40 with pistachio-green dial and Omega Speedmaster 57 with its holly-leaf sheen square up with in-house-developed, hand-winding chronograph calibers. Which...
Why do people wear watches when the time is everywhere? Because a watch is so much more than just a tool to tell the time. For me, watches evoke an idea of romance with their combination of beautiful design, technology, and the ongoing innovations that keep them relevant.As a watch enthusiast, I always find myself checking others wrists (subtly, of course, as this can seem like weird behavior to a layperson). Once I spot a watch, I start thinking about the person wearing it because the watch can reveal a lot about that individual s taste and lifestyle. A watch tells a story, and I love how it can reveal a glimpse of someones identity.A case for putting watch design firstDesign, design, desi...
This year has been another strong one for new watch releases, and these articles are the most difficult to write, hands down. There must have been 10-20 watches that I fell for in 2022, and a few of those actually made me sell one or two to acquire them. This time, I am going to remain firmly in daydream land with none of these being within my affordability spectrum except one. This is my take on the best watches released in 2022, including one affordable wild card for less than $1K.My taste in wristwear still leans heavily on the independents, and with s biggest (literally) release this year being an unwearable 50mm mastodon, the brand is pretty much out of the starting lineup. Ironically,...
As we come to the end of 2022, we can conclude that it has been a year of many great watch releases. We can also say that limited and special editions are still very much a thing. They have become incredibly popular in the watch industry and are often linked to low production numbers. When we started talking about a list of the best special editions of this year, we quickly realized that any list of five or ten watches would be too short to cover them all. So, as always, let this list serve as a conversation starter, and feel free to drop your favorites in the comments at the end.One quick thing to address regarding this list is our use of the term special editions. Though there are many lim...
This week, I bumped into some pretty exciting watches when hunting for today s Pre-Owned Spotlight. I have to admit that my colleague Mike pointed the Omega out to me. It s a beautiful 1959 white-dial Ranchero, a collection that Omega introduced in 1958 based on the Railmaster, Seamaster 300, and Speedmaster that debuted a year earlier. The other two watches are from IWC. One is a modern 2000s Pilot s Watch Double Chronograph (Doppelchrono), and the other is a Yacht-Club II from 1979.The IWC Pilot s Watch Double Chronograph has been on my watchlist for a while. When I started collecting watches in the late 1990s/early 2000s, this piece was highly sought-after. Back then, I only knew it as th...
It wouldnt do Audemars Piguet justice to call it a one-trick pony. Still, its tough not to. The dominance of the Royal Oak is undeniable. And there certainly is strength in numbers as well. With 122 RO references in the current catalog compared to 75 Code 11.59, Royal Oak Offshore, and Royal Oak Concept models combined, the Royal Oak is, without a shadow of a doubt, the backbone of the brand from Le Brassus. But is it also the heart and soul? In this installment of Breaking Down The Brand, I ll try to find out if life is possible for Audemars Piguet in the shadow of the Royal Oak.Currently, there are four collections in the AP catalog - Royal Oak (122 references), Royal Oak Offshore (34 refe...
So as not to forget where I came from, I like to go back to my watch-collecting beginnings from time to time. My unusual Doxa Anti-Magnetic shows just how fascinating and rewarding entry-level vintage watches can be.The more watches you get, the higher your benchmark goes. You acquire more watches, often moving to more complicated, coveted, or expensive ones. If you have already developed a relationship with your early watches, you don t want to sell them. That s how they often move deeper and deeper into drawers or watch rolls…The puzzling Doxa questionI haven t sported this Doxa Anti-Magnetic for maybe a year or two. A few days ago, my watchmaker accidentally saw me shooting pictures...
Wow, Linde Werdelin. As Fratello s de facto writer on all things related to the brand, I ll happily proclaim that this made me smile. Yes, I love your hewn-from-granite tool watches and feel a deep affinity for the brand being a fellow Viking. This time, though, I was genuinely surprised. Will four flash-colored references of the Linde Werdelin 3 Timer Sunset subvert the brand s image of purely rugged wrist companions?The 3 Timer has been around since 2009, and it speaks to Linde Werdelin s Nordic explorer roots. As with all LWs, there is a respectable purity in its lines, an angular chunk of a facetted case, and unexpected ergonomics. With a variety of cool takes on its pure tool-watch lang...
Dear Fratelli, let s pause for a minute. I know your watch wish list is there on your phone, ready to be expanded with new options at any moment of the day. I m sure you re already saving up for the next new addition to your collection, and the watch on your wrist is probably also a recent purchase. But do you realize what s already in your watch box? At some point, you were dreaming of having those watches in your collection. And now they are, but you re completely neglecting them! Let s take a moment to reflect.The end of the year is getting closer and closer. This is when we usually start reflecting on the last 12 months gone by. For me, that means I m looking back at quite an eventful ye...
In this week s Fratello Talks podcast, we re talking about the Certified Pre-Owned program that was introduced on December 1st. I wrote an article about it here, but Thomas, Daan, and I would also like to share some afterthoughts.This podcast player is blocked because you did not accept marketing cookies. Change cookie settings Authorized dealer Bucherer is the first partner offering watches with this certification. But what is it exactly, and how does it work? In short, authorized dealers can now have their pre-owned stock certified by technicians to guarantee the authenticity of each watch. will also ensure that the watch functions properly, but the certification doesn t include a...
With just over three weeks remaining in the year, Nivada Grenchen and Worn & Wound have announced a trio of watches to close out 2022. The first is a great version of Nivada s Chronomaster that comes with the legendary Valjoux 72 movement. This one will make the true chronograph enthusiasts hearts beat faster. The other two watches are a pair of Datomaster VK64 models powered by Seiko meca-quartz chronograph movements. All three watches have plenty of style and pizzazz to end this year with a bang.Ask a chronograph lover to name his top three chronograph movements ever, and there is a pretty big chance that one of them will be the Valjoux 72. This legendary caliber was produced from 193...
In my years of collecting, I have desired, hunted, and acquired watches that didnt do it for me in the end. And I know I m not alone. Indeed, I can see about 1,347 virtual hands going up, and thats okay; youre just normal. Just like Daan in his story on his Black Bay Fifty-Eight, it happened to me in a big way a month ago. It has actually happened before, also with a Fifty-Eight, but thats a different story. This time, I made what I felt was a BIG upgrade for my single-piece Grand Seiko collection, but I didnt fall in love. And for me, love is an essential part of any watch purchase. I mean, its not like these are tools for telling the time, are they? But what can you do when watch desire co...
On the 26th of October, 2022, the Atelier Holgur Fr?mand made its debut in the watch world. It sent ripples across social media, and a handful of watch media outlets also caught the scent, publishing pieces praising the watch. But at that point, all that we had to go on were several pictures, a spec sheet, and a brief from the brands owners. Since then, a lot has changed. We were lucky enough to meet both Matt de Bakker and Asbj?rn Simonen-Andersen. I enjoyed a Teams chat with Matt, who gave me some insight into how the brand came to be and how it all ties into his long-standing passion for watches and diving. And Asbj?rn, who lives just a short flight away in Denmark, made the trip down to ...
Fratello On Air returns with Balazs and Mike in their respective saddles to discuss a number of topics. The new pre-owned program is a focal point along with new offerings from Nivada Grenchen and Audemars Piguet. What do we think of all these new items? Have a listen and find out for yourself! This podcast player is blocked because you did not accept marketing cookies. Change cookie settings Balazs and Mike are back after a couple of weeks away, and they ve got plenty to discuss. Shoes, the gray weather in Germany, and watches are on tap with the latest episode. Of course, there s also the Handgelenks Kontrolle…Handgelenks KontrolleAfter a bit of chatter, it s time for the Handge...
When I introduce myself at events and parties, new acquaintances often ask what I d recommend as a first luxury watch. I m not a guy who easily gives advice about anything, though, so I always try to give them some pointers that can help them on their way into the watch hobby. I think that in doing so, they can find something that speaks to their taste rather than just something that I like. And why not share these pointers with the bigger audience on Fratello?When I bought my first luxury watch, the Oris Art Blakey, I wasn t aware of all the things I had to take into account. I knew that I wanted an automatic watch and that it had to look good by my standards, but that was it. Therefore, I ...
The single-hand watch specialist MeisterSinger has renewed its collaboration with WWF (World Wide Fund for Nature) to support the organization s mission to conserve our natural world. This time, the stage is set to showcase the interdependence between Planet Earth and the Moon in a collaborative timepiece. The German watchmaker calls it friendship as a concept and wants us to think of the big picture with the Edition Best Friends. This Stratoscope special edition with photorealistic Earth and moonphase is limited to 250 pieces.Second collaborationMeisterSinger is based in Mnster, the city of bicycles, which is unique in Germany with cycling as the main mode of transport. For the second year...
The holidays are getting closer, and you might find yourself looking for cool gifts for someone who loves watches or, more precisely, Omega Speedmasters. On the other hand, you might be just looking for a cool gift for yourself. I ve collected a few ideas over the last few weeks and saved them for this article today.Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch with Hesalite crystalOne of the coolest things to gift is, of course, the Speedmaster watch itself. There are so many variations (click here for our overview per model/reference number), but if you just have to choose one, you can t go wrong in buying the current Omega Speedmaster Professional Moonwatch with either a Hesalite or a sapphire crystal.Offi...
