Just before everyone went on summer holiday, Tudor introduced the 39mm reinterpretation of the Ranger. And now, just while we re all rubbing the beach sand off our feet, the brand is back with another 39mm watch. Namely, a very welcome, smaller version of the Pelagos. The watch stays very true to the design language of the Pelagos family. But Tudor also tweaked the design to make it a unique member of said family. Let s take a better look at the all-new Tudor Pelagos 39.The Tudor Pelagos collection stands for true tool watches. The cases and bracelets are made of brushed titanium, and the designs of the bezel and dial bezels mainly focus on readability. The crown guards protect the crown fro...
One of the most common questions we get on the Speedmaster concerns the Speedmaster Reduced (reference 3510.50). What is the difference between the Speedmaster Professional and this Reduced version? If you re a veteran Speedy enthusiast, this won t be news to you, but as it keeps popping up, we must answer the call. Especially with the popularity of the Speedmaster today, the demand for the Reduced has increased. Let us help make you aware of the critical differences.Image source: LOVE AND FUN PRODUCTION UG (via Chrono24).Moonwatch versus ReducedThis discontinued Speedmaster is often mistaken for the popular Speedmaster Professional Moonwatch. If you are not that deeply into Speedmasters and...
As a watch brand, Bvlgari has only recently come into my purview by virtue of the Octo Finissimo Ultra. The Ultra was the thinnest mechanical watch in the world for a while. I admired the engineering prowess that went into making it. From a design standpoint, however, it wasnt my cup of tea. Digging deeper into the brands catalog, one will find the Bvlgari Bvlgari, known by some as the BB. This is a collection that sits better within my horological inclinations and perhaps yours as well.?Bvlgari is a brand that has been extensively covered on Fratello, from the Octo Finissimo and the modern, moderately priced Aluminum to the BB, which RJ covered back in 2020. One of its oldest lines of watch...
Today is an exciting day here at Fratello HQ as we are announcing our second project with Japanese watchmaker Minase. Taking the form of the Fratello Minase M-3, this is a watch that we hope appeals to fans and classic Japanese watchmaking purists. With a beautiful purple dial and fantastic Sallaz polishing, the M-3 is a model previously unknown outside of Japan.To top it off, this stunning watch will be available for a very wallet-friendly price of $2,976?including 21% Dutch VAT. If you don t live in the Netherlands, fear not; VAT/taxes are adjusted to your locale at the point of checkout once you ve added your shipping location. If you re outside of the EU, VAT is entirely removed, and t...
Welcome to another episode of Fratello On Air! This week, Balazs and Mike rant a touch after talking about a number of topics and before finishing with Geneva Watch Days. We were feeling a bit feisty on this one, so forgive us- or dont! This podcast player is blocked because you did not accept marketing cookies. Change cookie settings Who doesnt love a good rant every so often? As much as we try to keep things on a relatively positive note, every so often, something raises our collective eyebrows. Today is that day! Still, there are plenty of other topics to discuss.Handgelenks KontrolleBalazs is busy packing for his evening drive to Geneva Watch Days and informs us about the watches tha...
We could say that the people at Arnold & Son are quite obsessed with the moonphase complication. No wonder - their brand name was inspired by John Arnold, an 18th-century watchmaker famous for his marine chronometers. Arnold & Son s Luna Magna (Great Moon) collection pays tribute to the celestial body that was used to navigate the vast seas back then. After last year s dark blue version, the brand now introduces the Luna Magna Ultimate II, a lagoon-blue iteration of its impressive bejeweled 3D moonphase.To tell you the truth, I haven t seen this watch in person. I m saying this because, most of the time, the pictures and the real-life experience of a watch are quite different. But in...
A serious case of instant appeal. Not every watch has it, especially not with a bigger audience. But when the series of three Citizen NJ0150 watches landed on Robert-Jan s desk, everyone agreed that Citizen is on to something here. The immediate standout in the lineup is the yellow NJ0150. Its bright-colored dial takes center stage the moment you see all these models. But I have a feeling the more normal blue and black versions will be the big sellers. I decided to take them for a spin and see how good the NJ0150 really is.It was only a couple of weeks ago when Robert-Jan called to inform me that my Tissot PRX Powermatic 80 had arrived at the office. I had to add that watch to my collection ...
For Geneva Watch Days 2022, Bvlgari surprises us with two new models designed by two famous Japanese artists. Architect Kazuyo Sejima and illustrator Hajime Sorayama used Bvlgari s Octo Finissimo and Aluminium models as their canvases.It is not unusual for watch brands to dedicate special editions to celebrities. But it s not so often that brands invite people outside the watch industry to actually design watches. If highly respected artists receive the opportunity to apply their skills and style to the design of watches, this promises results that excitingly differ from what we re used to. In this case, we even face a culture clash between a brand that proudly showcases its classic Roman he...
Garnering eight world records in the same number of years, Bvlgaris Octo Finissimo is a gift that keeps on giving. Within a short space of time, the Roman jeweler has catapulted itself to the top of the horological game as a force with which to be reckoned. Thus, whenever there is another Octo release, we pay attention. Bvlgari is unveiling its Geneva Watch Days novelties as we speak. First out of the gate, we bring you the Octo Finissimo Skeleton 8 Days.An undisputed master in the ultra-thin-watch category, Bvlgari has put the Octo Finissimo in a constant quest to push limits. Despite having its latest record toppled only last month with Richard Milles announcement of a new-record thinnest ...
Recently, Frederique Constant has put a lot of effort into its sporty Highlife collection. However, if you prefer the brand s more traditional work, todays releases are for you. The brand brings two new mens watches and three ladies models to this year s Geneva Watch Days. There is some gold, some steel, some diamonds, and a whole lot of Roman numerals.In short, these releases are very much in line with the classical image of Frederique Constant. Lets have a look at these five new additions to the brand s collection. Frederique Constant Geneva Watch Days Release - Classics Heart Beat ManufactureFor the gentlemen among you, we have two new Manufacture references here. Both measure 39mmwide ...
Hautlence was founded back in 2004, and I ve been following the brand since the early days. There are two things about Hautlence that immediately came to mind when I read about the release of two new watches and the start of a new era for the brand. The first was the complicated anarchist HL2.3 PUNK with its 84 spikes from 2019, a seemingly lawless creation made for the millionaire Sex Pistols fan - check it out at the end of this article. The second was how the two founders Renaud de Retz and Guillaume Tetu made me choose between a fancy or a fun dinner when I visited them in Neuchatel - I chose the fun one, which meant cheese fondue and lots of white wine. The brand is now gearing up for t...
Oris released a handful of watches today at Geneva Watch Days 2022. Lately, it seems the brand introduces so many new watches that it s impossible to release them one at a time. I m not complaining - not at all. The Oris Aquis sees new additions with 36.5mm models with shimmering mother-of-pearl dials. The release I m most excited about, however, is a new Oris Divers Sixty-Five like we ve never seen before. The Divers Sixty-Five 12 Hour Calibre 400 makes use of the brand s top three-hander and a shift in style while staying true to Oris s Divers Sixty-Five design. Is it a win? I think so.Oris seems to be on fire this year. In three months, the brand has given us the new ProPilot X Calibre 40...
When you think about MB&F, sporty and wearable certainly aren t the first words that come to mind. The watches that the brand usually presents to the world are pieces of art on the wrist. They take on the most unusual shapes and forms, integrating some of the most advanced movements into amazing cases. And while these qualities carry over into Legacy Machines (LM) line, the watches in this collection are certainly a bit closer to the round-wristwatch archetype. Today, MB&F is adding two Split Escapement EVO models to the LM collection. And yes, the EVO line is indeed MB&F s more sporty and wearable line of watches. Let s take a look.Up until now, the MB&F EVO collection basic...
Doxa is well-known for its function-first dive watches with their unique aesthetic and bright colors. Until the release of the ceramic Doxa Army limited edition in April this year, little was known about Doxas military involvement. But in late 2021, the Swiss government confirmed that special dive watches were purchased from Doxa for the Swiss Army.Doxa brought the design back in cooperation with Watches of Switzerland. One hundred pieces were made in black ceramic and quickly sold out. Today, however, the brand adds a pair of non-limited versions to its collection. Lets see what Doxa is bringing to the table at this year s Geneva Watch Days!The history of the Doxa ArmyAlthough Doxa has been...
As the watch world descends upon Switzerland once more for this year s edition of Geneva Watch Days, each visitor to the fair will have their favorite brands in mind. Unsurprisingly, given my long history with the brand, Czapek is always at the very top of my list. While I, like many, would love to be anticipating the unveiling of new additions to the Antarctique collection (perhaps even the sneaky announcement of a second Fratello edition - one can dream), we know that won t be the case as Czapek dutifully tends to its bulging order book before relisting that model for sale. Instead, the brand is revisiting its first caliber and bringing us two new editions of the Quai Des Bergues, one in s...
It s hard to believe that it s already been a year! We ve done the full tour around the sun since the last time the Fratello team made its way to Geneva Watch Days. The 2022 edition of the event marks only the third time that it is taking place, but it promises to be the best one yet. Founded amid the global pandemic, it looks like the hybrid physical/digital nature of GWD is here to stay, with many other events adopting this same concept. This year s event will run from the 29th of August until the 1st of September. During this time, a part of the Fratello team will be on the ground in Geneva, visiting all exhibiting brands to bring you the latest news!The self-described decentralized and s...
BOLDR Supply Company calls itself an outfitter brand for the adventurers of the world. The whole name and tagline certainly conjure up images of limit-pushing mountaineers and field equipment. But that alone would not be enough to stand out in a crowded segment. What seems to capture watch enthusiasts imagination are the microbrands boundless inspirations for its thematic series. The latest release is a super-black model called the Venture Singularity, a nod to a supermassive black hole in our galaxy.A conscious companyBOLDR is a Singapore-based team that entered the microbrand scene in 2016. Touting an environmentally and socially conscious mission, the brand creates daily beaters that spa...
Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Sunday Morning Showdown. This week, we re putting an Omega Aqua Terra up against a Grand Seiko SBGH. These watches are very close on paper. Their retail prices are nearly identical, and we re talking about versatile three-handed watches that can be worn every day. It s the Grand Seiko Heritage reference SBGH279 versus the Omega Seamaster Aqua Terra 150M reference 220.10.41.21.03.004.Neither Nacho nor I own these references (though Thor recently picked up the SBGH279). However, we had them in our office for hands-on review at some point and decided they would make for a nice battle. The Grand Seiko SBGH279 retails for $6,200, and the Omega Seamaster Aqua Terra...
For a color as ubiquitous in our natural surroundings as green, it is certainly not one of the most common hues in watch design. Thus, as green executions have started to catch on in recent years, some have called it a trend. That must sound preposterous to an upscale purveyor of watches and jewelry like Piaget. Green has been a hallmark element in the heritage brands creative palette since the 60s, not least of all because of its different shades in gemstones. As such, the Swiss manufacture continues to bring this color to life in its timepiece collection. The latest novelties receiving a verdant makeover are the Polo Date in rose gold and Polo Skeleton in steel.Green with envyPiaget calls ...
Is the watch market flooded with retro cool? Yes. Am I dissatisfied with this? No, absolutely not. Im not that old, but I did grow up in the late 70s. Im not a futurist or a techie, and I have a deep affinity for the style of the 60s and 70s. I love mechanical watches, but meca-quartz has turned my preconceptions around. Its a very good base for reliable chronographs. Yes, it comes with a somewhat superfluous 24-hour scale at 3 oclock, but thats not enough to put me off its value-driven pros.Depancel is a cool small brand from France that is rather good at tapping into the vintage zeitgeist, and this time, the watch community has helped in the creation of its new model, the Serie-A Strada...
