We tend to tell romanticized stories of brave men and women in survival situations. As watch lovers, we find ourselves drawn to the wrists of these heroes and heroines. A watch worn during an adventure can take on a character of its own. And for those of us that cant get enough of these little tickers, they can make or break the story of survival itself.How many of you have pointed at your Omega Speedmaster, explaining to a non-watch aficionado that it went to the Moon? Or how the Speedy helped bring the Apollo 13 astronauts back to Earth? Maybe you drone on about the Deepsea Sea-Dweller diving into the depths of the Mariana Trench? Perhaps you prefer to talk about the Smiths Explorer summi...

In the post-COVID era, the explosive increase in the number of GMT watches is remarkable. While we collectively keep our fingers crossed that the effects of the virus will be limited with the changing of seasons, I, for one, am very happy with the increased presence of GMT watches. The GMT complication is my absolute favorite because of its practicality. As such, I am still looking for that great GMT watch that doesn t break the bank. With the Superman 500 GMT, French brand Yema releases a great-looking option. Could this be my next watch? Let s find out.Yema is one of those brands that gained a lot of respect and interest from watch fans over the last few years. Recently, the brand has been...

Tissot has held long-standing partnerships with major cycling events for half a century. Last year, the Swiss watchmaker reaffirmed its ongoing commitment as the official timekeeper for the Tour de France, the oldest endurance bicycle race. This year, for the 109th edition of this world-class spectacle, Tissot has launched the T-Race Cycling 2022 Tour de France Special Edition. This 45mm sports watch stands to bring a piece of the experience to the wrists of cycling and watch fans.A no-mean-feat partnershipThe partnership is not just a branding exercise. Tissot is a timing sponsor responsible for timekeeping and the live broadcasting of the race results. That may not tell you the depth of Ti...

Omega just introduced the new Speedmaster X-33 iteration, the Marstimer. But in case you are not familiar with the X-33 story, let me introduce you to this Speedmaster instrument and explain why it is such a space-relevant watch.On March 25th, 1998, Omega released the Speedmaster Professional X-33 reference 3290.50. Indeed, this digital Speedmaster Professional (mind the Professional) was qualified by NASA for use on Space Shuttle missions.Speedmaster LCD HistoryBut 20 years before that, Omega already had digital Speedmaster models in the collection - the Speedmaster Professional LCD ST 186.0004 and the Speedmaster (non-Professional) ST 386.0809. The ST 186.0004 debuted in 1977 and had an LC...

During today s Speedy Tuesday event at the European Space Agency Visitor Center in The Netherlands, Omega introduced the new Speedmaster X-33. Meet the Marstimer ref. 318.90.45.79.01.003.It s the fourth generation of the Speedmaster X-33, largely based on the X-33 Skywalker. It has the same 45mm 14.7mm titanium case and the same bracelet. So what s new about the Omega Speedmaster X-33 Marstimer?This video is blocked because you did not accept marketing cookies. Change cookie settings Omega Speedmaster X-33 MarstimerAs you ve probably noticed, the bezel has a specific red hematite color. This hue should be reminiscent of the dust on Mars. The bezel insert is made of oxalic anodized alu...

This is something a little different. It s the Space Ludens watch by Anicorn Watches in cooperation with Kojima Productions and approved by NASA. Now that is a mouth full, is it not? Hey what is that on your wrist? Oh, this? This is a Kojima Productions NASA Anicorn Space Ludens. What are you wearing? And you can rest assured that people will inquire about your watch because this is an eye-catcher indeed.We have a lot to unpack here, so lets get stuck in.From Sapiens to LudensLoosely translated, from knowing to playing. This is the creed of game developer Hideo Kojima. If you played a lot of video games in the 90s as I did, you surely know Metal Gear Solid. Hideo Kojima originally desig...

At some point, don t we all dream of being a watchmaker? I mean, how cool would it be to service your own watches or check a secondhand watch s movement before you decide to buy it? I guess I ve missed the opportunity to take that career path, but sometimes I still think about taking an evening course to at least get an idea of what s actually going on inside my watches. That s why I decided to take a look at the watchmaking school in Schoonhoven, the only one of its kind in the Netherlands.Well, to be fair, I didn t actually decide to go all by myself. Last month, at a RedBar meetup in Amsterdam, I met two of the school s teachers, Brendan and Hilbert. As I showed quite a lot of interest, t...

Following last years sell-out collaboration, the hotly anticipated NOMOS Glashtte Weltzeit sequel is out now! The new Blue Panda limited-edition model features an exclusive windmill icon for the home time and comes in a series of only 100 pieces.This video is blocked because you did not accept marketing cookies. Change cookie settings If you did not manage to get into the Fratello Shop last year within the first minute of the sale and missed the chance to pick up one of the original Panda Weltzeit watches, you may not want to hang around here too long. So, let me give you a gist of what we have in store (literally) for you this time.The Blue Panda modelThe new Fratello NOMOS Glashtt...

Bvlgari has had a very strong start to the second half of 2022 with several excellent releases announced during Geneva Watch Days. Though the brand may be best known for its Octo Finissimo and Bvlgari Bvlgari collections, today, were going to take a quick look at the Aluminium Amerigo Vespucci GMT. It s a watch that I would describe as being a more normal-looking timepiece from the Roman-Swiss brand. The Vespucci GMT is Bvlgari through and through, but it has the specs to make it a legitimate traveler s companion. It is not a new model from the brand, but a redesigned one that comes in a new color.?This GMT creation is named after the Amerigo Vespucci, an Italian training sailboat built in 1...

Back in March, Forstner gave me the chance to check out the Model J bracelet with my Tudor Black Bay. As I had never liked how the OEM Tudor bracelet felt on my wrist, I was eager to see how the Model J would compare. Long story short, I loved it, and my Black Bay has been jubilified ever since. But when an opportunity arose to check out the Model O bracelet, to be honest, I first wondered if it was worth doing at all. The Model O is an Oyster-style affair that many who hate the faux rivets on Tudor s bracelets should love. But my first-gen Black Bay bracelet didn t have those frivets in the first place. How different could the Model O really be? Well, as it turns out, quite different indeed...

Ill start with a disclaimer based on my own personal taste: if this does to the general watch-buying public what it does to my heartstrings, I bet all of these are sold out already. At more than $100,000, that might be a wild guess, but look at it! After all, the launch of the H. Moser & Cie. Streamliner Tourbillon Bucherer BLUE happened last week, and only 18 of these gem-set Streamliners will be made.I have an ambivalent relationship with precious stones set into watch cases and bracelets, to say the least. This is probably exacerbated by the proliferation of outre aftermarket abominations based on Subs and Nautiluses, but there are some gleaming (pun absolutely intended) exceptions. F...

For many years, I ve been a fanatical nay-sayer when it comes to watch brand ambassadors. However, the world of watch ambassadors is not limited to those paid by the brands. Lets analyze the different kinds of watch ambassadors and their effect on you.A brand picks an ambassador, gives him or her a watch, and the next thing you see is said ambassador wearing the watch during photo shoots, TV shows, movies, etc. It often leaves me cold, as theres (often) no real interest in the watch. Its just a commercial deal they have, and theres little thought behind it. The objective of watch brands isn t to make you buy the same watch you see on the wrist of celebrity A or celebrity B. Rather, it is to ...

Bvlgari has indisputably innovated and renewed the genre of ultra-thin fine watches. The luxury house has been busy breaking new ground in Haute Horlogerie with the Octo Finissimo range while garnering a string of world records. However, along the way, the Roman jeweler has decidedly diffused its micro-mechanical prowess into the movements of its Haute Joaillerie watches for women.Fusing grand complications with high jewelryIn 2020, Bvlgari launched both the worlds smallest tourbillon and the thinnest minute repeater in the womens category. A few months ago, I reviewed the latter, and we also delved into the remarkable Divas Finissima Minute Repeater here. Powering this Divas Dream is the u...

Last year Max Verstappen became the new Formula 1 world champion by beating reigning champ Lewis Hamilton in a bizarre final race. To celebrate the Dutch racing talents (first) world title TAG Heuer released the- Well, the brand didnt release anything. Although TAG Heuer already released three Verstappen watches celebrating all kinds of moments - it all started back in 2016 with a watch celebrating his first ever grand prix victory C a world championship apparently was not worth a special watch. Strange? Yes. A missed opportunity? Most definitely. With a second world title on the way, I thought it would be a wise plan to write this heads-up aimed at TAG Heuer. Because Max Verstappen deserves...

It s that time again! There s no moment to relax for two of our writers on Sunday mornings. As you will all know by now, Fratello team members battle it out in our Sunday Morning Showdown series. In the end, you, our wonderful readers, have the final say on who wins. This week, Daan and Jorg go up against each other, choosing two affordable Japanese dive watches to duke it out. Daan is here to defend the popular Seiko Prospex SPB143. Jorg is taking on the massive task of beating it with the brand new Citizen Promaster Mechanical Diver 200M. Let the battle commence!This week s face-off is a first for both watches. In the case of the Citizen Promaster Mechanical Diver 200M, that is not surpris...

The late Massimo Osti was the founder and designer of Stone Island, C.P. Company, and other brands. He was the inventor of garment dyeing and heat-reactive and reflective jackets. His work is kept and maintained by the Massimo Osti Archive. Together with them, we went through Osti s watch collection and share his favorite watches with you.Image via https://www.aphrodite1994.com/Massimo OstiGarment engineer Massimo Osti (1944 C 2005) created innovative and game-changing clothing brands such as C.P. Company, Stone Island, Boneville and later Massimo Osti Production and Left Hand. Osti was way ahead of his time with products such as a heat reactive jacket (1987) and a reflective jacket (1991). ...

I recently wrote about watch specifications being overrated. The Formex Reef GMT is possibly the worst watch for me to review immediately after writing that article. Why? Because Formex seems to have filled out a fantastical dream spec list and then built the watch to fulfill it. If you like playing wristwatch Top Trumps, this watch might be just right for you. But rest assured, there is more to this one than just the numbers.Formex has flown under my radar for some time. It s one of those brands I was aware of but never really looked into. I decided it was time to change that, so I requested two watches for long-term reviews and spent some real time with both. I find that just going about m...

Many of you reading this article will not be strangers to Isotope watches. The brands unique diver is back in an all-new colorway and ready to pass judgment. Today, we take a first look at the Isotope HydriumX The Judge dive watch. This brand-new release is the second-darkest offering from the brand in the Hydrium line. And as much as Isotope dabbles in creating some truly colorful watches, theres definitely something about their stark architectural design that suits a less light-hearted livery. Those who agree will find this black and red incarnation of the Hydrium diver to be right up their alley. That s not to say theres anything wrong with the brands boldest offerings. These have proven ...

This week we continue our little series of essential watches within a certain style. The last two articles about iconic chronographs and dive watches sparked a whole lot of discussion among you, the Fratelli, so we re moving on to dress watches today. While dress watches are certainly not the most popular amongst watch fans, they hold a certain venerable place in our beloved watch universe. A dress watch is an appropriate timepiece for a special occasion or a classy statement that fits a great and stylish outfit. Either way, it s time to look at eight of the most iconic dress watches that we think should be part of any watch collection.Can you quickly come up with a list of eight genre-defin...

Thanks to Blancpain, this past week, I spent a few days on the island of Sylt in northern Germany, close to the Danish border. I enjoyed the scenery and the beautiful weather, but we were on a mission. The Swiss maison has allied itself with local environmental projects to protect the biosphere on the North Sea. To do that, Blancpain has launched the Fifty Fathoms Bathyscape Sylt Edition, a striking olive-green timepiece in a titanium case. Furthermore, a portion of the sales price will go towards Blancpain s contribution to the cause.A limited edition of only 25 pieces, the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Bathyscape Sylt Edition is an exclusive timepiece. This is no surprise as Blancpain only produ...