Weve published a few different gift guides in the past, mostly Christmastime (hmmm, I wonder why…). But we havent paid that much attention to other moments at which it would be appropriate to give a watch as a gift. And there are plenty! It could be a gift from a total watch nut to a complete layman or the other way around, of course. But I think whats always at play here is choosing something that lasts to celebrate a special occasion and keep the memory alive. Lets go over a few of those occasions and pick some appropriate timepieces with Fratello s Guide To Gifting Watches.I gave it some thought and have come up with the following list of special moments in life that deserve to be r...
Whether you take your watch diving or you just want to navigate an unexpected rainshower free of worry, water resistance is a key trait for a watch. Moisture is arguably a watch movements biggest nemesis, regardless of whether that movement is mechanical or quartz. Keeping the moisture out is a top priority for watch designers, manufacturers, and watchmakers. The degree to which they succeed is expressed through depth ratings in atmospheres or meters. And we watch geeks love to compare scores. Watch A has 100 meters of WR, and watch B can survive 500 meters. But the question arises: what does it take to reach such numbers? What compromises do designers face when they aim for a certain degree...
The Seiko Presage Cocktail Time series is known for beautiful dials inspired by signature drinks at the Star Bar in the heart of Ginza. Working with award-winning bartender Hisashi Kishi, the dials of the new Cocktail Time Star Bar limited editions evoke the experience of a finely crafted cocktail. The elegant case, sharp indices, and cut-out dial speak to the discerning tastes of those who frequent the Star Bar. Lets see if the watches go down as smoothly as the beverages that inspire them.The Seiko Presage Cocktail Time collection has been with us for several years now. I like to envision each new iteration as building out the menu at Seikos very own Star Bar. Much like the favorites at th...
Watch collecting is a funny old hobby. What you collect and appreciate in a watch will be totally different from the next person. But therein lies the joy of watch collecting, as we all have our own tastes regarding our horological wrist companions. Sometimes, however, our tastes are pretty specific, and it s possible that we never quite find the perfect watch. Many of us settle for the closest available thing. But we don t have to. That s why brands like Artisans de Geneve exist - to allow customers to not have to settle. You can take that watch that s so nearly just right for you and push it to the next level of personal perfection. Indeed, one such person has done just that with his GMT-...
Nothing else in my watch collection is even remotely close to this one. It is the only all-gold (or gold-plated) watch I have, the first and the last one I ever bought. I d even say it is the dressiest Vulcain Cricket out there.I got emotional last week. Collector s Week 2.0 made me reminisce and stirred up some memories of my first vintage watch. I told you how naive I was when I bought my goldie Vulcain Cricket. Sadly, I had no clue there were customs fees involved when importing watches from the United States. However, I could also say thankfully, because if I had known, I probably would never have bought it…Is it my Vulcain Cricket?Thinking about it last week, I decided to take it ...
Throughout this series, Ive had the pleasure of reviewing straps from many makers worldwide. It was my goal, in a way, to provide a platform for everyone. After all, it might be easier for a watch guy in the US to order from a company stateside. Equally, a European might favor a brand based in the EU. Yet, there are only a handful of German brands that I managed to feature, despite the country having an enormous watch scene. Besides, I also live here. I needed to right this wrong. But this was not the main reason that I chose Fluco for our September Watch Strap Review.Rather, it was the wide variety of awesome straps that the company creates and features brilliantly online. Fluco offers some...
As part of its Change for the Better campaign, Oris invites enthusiastic collectors to participate in cleanup events across the globe. Armed with litter pickers, high-vis vests, latex gloves, and Oris caps, many watch fans descend to their local beaches to rid them of waste. Litter is an unfortunate fact of life, and a few hours over a weekend wont greatly reduce the overall impact. But spending that time with a group of like-minded conservationists allows us to reflect on our influence on ocean pollution. Last weekend, members of Fratello in the Netherlands headed to Scheveningen beach, and I joined the RedBar Southeast chapter at Brighton Beach.As part of the campaign in the UK, RedBar Sou...
When I started collecting watches in the 1990s, Tudor only had a small presence in the European market. The brand exported most of its models to Asia, and the ones remaining in Europe consisted mainly of Submariners and Prince Chronographs.Third-party movements from ETA powered both, and some of the parts clearly came directly from . That changed drastically for us Europeans in 2010 and two years later in the USA, where Tudor also did a big reintroduction campaign.The rebirth of TudorIn 2010, Tudor introduced the Heritage Chrono. In 2012, the Black Bay 79220R made its debut, and so did the Pelagos 25500TN. Tudor put itself back on the horological map, and prices of vintage Tudor models also ...
The pursuit of creating the ultimate sports watch - its the great motivator behind many of the watch worlds finest creations. Today, we witness one young independent brands effort in achieving sports-watch perfection. The Norqain Wild ONE was presented today as the culmination of the brands collaborative endeavor with industry giant Jean-Claude Biver to achieve just that. Norqain also introduces its proprietary carbon material, NORTEQ, which is used to create key parts of the Wild ONEs case. With this release, a massive collaborative effort comes to fruition. Big names in the industry came together with innovation in mind, and the result is the new Norqain Wild ONE. This high-tech, lightweig...
For some reason, it s already the end of September, and Europe is finally cooling down. It s been a great summer, in fact, warmer than ever. But there s nothing like the beige, browns, and rich orange #fallcolors on the neighborhood trees to mark the shift to a season of big cups of latte and crisp mornings.I don t know about you, but I love the warm touch of beige on a matte black dial (dare I call it fauxtina?). From these discreet pops of warm color to the deep orange of a tropical dial, we ve got you covered. Today s lineup includes watches from Omega, Orient, and Zenith, along with some great gear to match your autumn mood. We re even including a set of killer resto-mod wheels from Los ...
Twenty years ago, Audemars Piguet introduced the first Royal Oak Concept, an extreme-looking watch (both then and today) made of Alacrite 602 and titanium. Alacrite is a lightweight alloy mainly used in the aeronautical industry. Not only was the design extreme, but the movement inside was also rather special. Besides a tourbillon, the Royal Oak Concept from 2002 also featured a Dymograph. The Dymograph indicates the torque of the mainspring at that particular moment.That watch still looks impressive today. To my delight, Audemars Piguet let me try on its most recent descendant the other day when I was visiting the brand s museum in Le Brassus. This new Royal Oak Concept Flying Tourbillon GM...
Mondaine is a watch company that, while perhaps well-known within Switzerland, gets fairly little attention beyond the watchmaking capital s borders. In truth, the watches aren t that exciting. There is little variation in design, they re immensely affordable, and the quartz movements inside are not of those few that excite lovers of mechanical calibers. However, it s in the little details that Mondaine really shines. And upon closer inspection, we find that Mondaine is both bold and making waves, though perhaps not in ways we typically expect from flashier watch companies. Mondaine watches are, in short, simple, reliable affairs, yet they are full of charm and made with an attention to deta...
How good is the Tissot PRX really? Well, after writing about and praising the watch multiple times, I decided to buy the PRX Powermatic 80. Every time I was able to put one on my wrist or simply saw one in the wild, the watch impressed me a lot. As such, I decided to delay my purchase of the current Moonwatch a bit and put my money where my mouth was with the PRX. With a month-long trip to the United States in view, it was the perfect opportunity to find out how good the watch actually is.? Now, after a solid five weeks of wrist time, I can say that the PRX is nothing short of impressive.For my month-long trip to North Carolina to visit my girlfriend, I decided that the Tissot PRX Powermatic...
Three years after the 2019 introduction of the original Skyflake (SBGA407), Grand Seiko has announced its spiritual successor. The new Grand Seiko SBGX353 Skyflake comes in a 34mm Elegance Collection case and is powered by the brand s 9F61 quartz movement. Stripped of its Spring Drive power-reserve indicator, the beautifully textured dial is allowed to truly shine in an uninterrupted and more balanced manner. This release will be welcomed by those who prefer smaller-cased watches, as well as by Grand Seiko fans who enjoy the brand s excellent, carefree, yet uncompromising quartz movements. Could this icy dial be the first sign that summer is coming to an end? As the colder seasons approach a...
It was 1969 - the year of the Moon landing - when David Bowie released Space Oddity. The year would arguably be the most significant in the long history of Omega watches. But the true space oddity would come out a year later. A batch of Speedmasters left the factory with a tiny little fault. It was nothing mechanical, nothing problematic, but a fault nonetheless. Or, in more friendly wording, an oddity. Here we have the Omega Speedmaster 220 misprint bezel.In a world obsessed with striving for perfection, it can be the rare faults that turn out most attractive. Today, I ask you to embrace the wabi-sabi, my dear watch geeks.The 220 misprint bezelWatch aficionados are known to lose themselves ...
Well, now, this really is a treat, and possibly an unexpected one at that! One year after NOMOS Glashtte agreed to the unthinkable and produced a panda-dial Weltzeit especially for Fratello, we have the opportunity to bring you a second edition, but with four key changes. While it s still the NOMOS Weltzeit we all know and love, the second Fratello Edition brings something new and unexpected to the noble Saxon brand s Worldtime collection.Firstly, this piece uses a midnight blue hue instead of black for the panda elements on the dial. Secondly, the Blue Panda Limited Edition employs a fluorescent orange seconds hand, which ties in with the home-time arrow at 3 o clock. Additionally, the hom...
Today, we have a treat for you on the Fratello On Air podcast. Balazs sits down for a chat with special guest Nacho (Fratello s managing editor), who replaces Mike during his brief hiatus. After an introduction and touching upon the origins of Nacho s watch enthusiasm, they tackle the topic of watch collecting and end up taking a look at several exciting new releases both current and forthcoming. This podcast player is blocked because you did not accept marketing cookies. Change cookie settings As Mike tackles some work obligations in sunny Mexico, Balazs tunes in from the German island of Sylt and invites Nacho to fill in. In his debut appearance on Fratello On Air, he tells us about ho...
Alarm watches are among the most incredible pieces the vintage world can offer. Almost every major brand had an alarm in its collection, from Angelus, Tudor, and Omega to Citizen, Enicar, and Vulcain. That last brand stands out from this crowd for a simple reason. In 1947, Vulcain released the Cricket, the world s very first alarm wristwatch.Now, 75 years after this legendary achievement, Vulcain is reviving the Cricket in two new models. With the help of watch-industry veteran, Nivada Grenchen and Excelsior Park co-owner, and all-around nice guy Guillaume Laidet, the brand presents the Cricket Classique and the Cricket Tradition.The Vulcain CricketIt would be useless for me to dwell on the ...
My dear Fratelli, we watch geeks have some introspection to do. We need to have a close look at our priorities. I hope you are up for that! Why? Because we need a shift in our focus. We might just be a little too preoccupied with the spec sheet. And that might just be hurting the joy we have in our lovely shared passion. Or I should say the joy we allow ourselves to have. I touched upon this in my Fratello Collectors Week 2.0 article, and it seemed to resonate with some of you. So let me go into the matter in a little more depth today.I would like to argue that a watchs greatness is not in the spec sheet. Sometimes, upon browsing our comments section or other online watch media, I feel I am ...
I will not create a Top 5 or Top 10 list of the best chronograph movements ever produced. Like most Top XYZ lists, it would be utterly subjective. However, if I had to create such a list, Excelsior Park, as a movement manufacturer, would be on it. Next to the likes of Valjoux, Lemania, and Venus, EP sits on the top of the mechanical-chronograph-caliber mountain. In my time as a vintage collector, I have acquired many timepieces with calibers from the previously mentioned makers. Yet, I never had the luck of scoring an EP-4 (much less an EP-40)-powered timepiece… Until recently, that is. Yes, sometimes watch wishes come true, and luck shines on you in the form of a NOS Excelsior Park EP...
