We see plenty of watches all through the year. With so many different releases passing in front of our eyes all the time, we tend to forget some. But there are ones that have a huge impact from the moment you see them, and the Zenith Chronomaster Original Limited Edition For Hodinkee is one of those special watches. Zenith teamed up with our friends from Hodinkee to come up with the coolest version of the brand s Chronomaster Original. The watch that is based on the iconic A386 combines an awesome opaline salmon dial with cool, gray details. The end result is stunning! So stunning that it sold out very quickly.The El Primero A386 is Zenith s biggest icon. It s one of those industry-defining ...

The Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch collection is growing, and it is doing so at a rather rapid pace. Is this a good thing? It depends on how you look at it. If you are a purist, you have probably raised an eyebrow or two with the introduction of the different gold versions of the watch. But if you are a fan of the Moonwatch in general, you might have enjoyed the diversity of gold models that Omega has released. The latest addition to the lineup is the Moonshine Gold version with a dark green dial. Green seems like an odd choice for the Moonwatch, but the reality is that a great design can use a bit of green. A certain shade of green, that is.If you know something about rock music, you might kno...

Whats the use of being into something if youre not having fun with it? Far too often, the world of watches can be a very serious and even snobby place. Thankfully, theres a handful of brands out there unafraid to have fun with it, prioritizing creativity above all else. The longest-standing brand which not only follows this philosophy but fully embraces and allows itself to be molded by it is Mr Jones Watches. Self-described as an unforgettable British watch company, the brand specializes in unique and unusual watches. I think youll find that, if anything, this is an understatement. Looking through the Mr Jones website, one can see the kinds of quirky and colorful designs that the brand has ...

While the world goes gaga for the new Tudor Ranger and the many variants of the Black Bay, I thought it would be fun to look at some of Tudor s now-discontinued models. The Shield has suffered from comments suggesting that it has lost some of its originality and now serves only to ape the Crown and fill in gaps in its bigger brother s repertoire. Whether or not that is the case is largely subjective, but Tudor has had some original watches in its long and illustrious past. Here are some other models that may be gone but not forgotten.For many collectors, the post-Submariner and pre-Heritage Tudor era was a difficult time that saw marked experimentation with wild and wacky designs. The situat...

I never wanted a valet tray. I didn t think I needed one. Perhaps I don t exactly need one. Perhaps, however, I get it now. I get why they ve become a staple item on desks around the world. I get why the EDC nuts that drool over soft, welcoming beds for their pockets full of goodies rant and rave about the pluses of the good and minuses of the bad examples. Hell, maybe I m becoming one too? A couple of weeks after using a valet tray habitually for the first time, I noticed how many more things I found myself carrying to and from it. And now I have a new problem… I might need a bigger one… Thanks, Roarcraft. You ve broken me.I get approached by small brands looking for exposure se...

I dont have to remind you that the hottest microbrand of 2021 was Furlan Marri, launching its Mechaquartz chronograph on Kickstarter. After speaking to Andrea Furlan about starting a microbrand and several late-night Instagram chats, I have nothing but respect and love for the brand and its two founders. Earlier this summer, they took a big step up with the mechanical Ref. 2116-A. This La Joux Perret-powered delight still punches above its weight at CHF 1,250, but the sub-$600 Mechaquartz story continues in parallel. If you enjoy stylistic purity below 40mm, the Furlan Marri permanent collection is a superb entry ticket.You might have feared that Furlan Marri was moving permanently upmarket ...

Five years… That s how long MING has been creating its watches. Through praise, controversy, and swift sales, MING s releases are always something we look forward to at Fratello. Now, the brand is taking a moment to celebrate with the announcement of the new MING 37.07.When people ask me about some of my favorite brands, vintage or new, I list some of the usual suspects. A nod often follows, and then at some point, I bring up MING. Naturally, watch folks either know the brand or they don t. In 2022, there are more small brands than ever, yet MING is the one that stands out for me. MING makes watches that somehow align with my aesthetic tastes while challenging the norms of what I almos...

Bespoke Watch Projects is a small watch company in Oakland, California. It s not far from me, in fact. Truly a microbrand, founder, designer, and watchmaker John McConnico hand-makes every dial and hand-assembles every watch leaving his workshop. This allows him full creative expression and to foster deep relationships with his customers, regardless of whether the watch they buy is readymade or commissioned. These artistic and personal qualities combine to make watches and a watch-buying experience unlike any other.I first met John McConnico at the Windup Watch Fair in San Francisco. He had a table set up there for his company, Bespoke Watch Projects. I was first drawn in by the fun dials I ...

Although the title sounds pretty straightforward, this assignment made me change my pick a few times. I currently have a watch on order below $2,000, but would it be my pick for the best watch at this price point? No.I ordered it because I like it as a nice addition to my watch collection. But what if I didn t have any nice watches yet, and I had $2K in my pocket (or bank account) to spend on a watch? Any watch! That changes the entire game.Sailed shipsI can pick a new, pre-owned, or even vintage watch. A few years ago, my pick would have been different from the one I made today. It wasn t too long ago that you could have a Seiko Marinemaster 300 SBDX001 for under $2,000. It is an amazing-lo...

If you cant stand the heat, get out of the kitchen is a quote first heard in 1942 by the 33rd President of the United States, Harry S. Truman. If you ask me, the oft-used words also apply, in the most literal sense, to office coffee corners in summer. Luckily, we have quite a bit of water around the Fratello HQ. The former cigarette factory that we call home is situated at Binck Harbor, an inland port, so we can have our hot coffee corner watch talk near the coolness of the water. Unfortunately, taking a refreshing ultra-deep dip in the harbor is out of the question for all kinds of practical and hygienic reasons. But theres no reason not to wear the massive Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean 6000...

Being a watch journo comes with a few perks. One of them is the regular invitations to the hallowed grounds where our objects of affection are created. This time, I had the pleasure of visiting Vacheron Constantin in Geneva. I spent a day at the ultra-modern manufacture and met the watchmakers and artisans who create the watches. In this article, I will try to convey the impression they made on me to you. Because yes, they made quite the impression-Without further ado, join me on a tour through the Vacheron Constantin manufacture dhorlogerie.State-of-the-art Vacheron Constantin headquartersVacheron Constantins Geneva-based headquarters was finished in 2015. The hyper-modern building is inspi...

Atom is a new kid on the block. The York-based brand debuts on Kickstarter this year with the Atom AT.01. The ambition is clear - to offer timeless mechanical watches at honest prices. I go hands-on with a prototype of Atom s first model to see whether the brand meets that ambition.We are looking at a design that is fully bespoke to Atom. There are no generic parts to be found here. Well, except for the capable automatic Miyota 9015 movement, of course. Still, it is nice to see a design executed through and through. No generic handset that does not quite match the dial and other such issues commonly found on aspiring watch brands first efforts. Atom AT.01 specificationsThe Atom AT.01 measur...

It s that time again! There s no moment to relax for two of our writers on Sunday mornings. As you 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, Nacho and Jorg go up against each other, choosing two vintage-inspired GMT watches to duke it out. Nacho is here to defend the brand-new Longines Spirit Zulu Time GMT. Jorg decided to back the Tudor Black Bay GMT. Let the battle commence!This week s faceoff is a follow-up to last week s battle. We read your comments, Fratelli! We saw some of you mention the Longines Spirit Zulu Time GMT as a good match-up for the Black Bay...

In watchmaking circles, the chronograph is widely accepted as a hard-to-master complication. The wonderfully complex and intricate mechanism is a joy to behold, yet the majority of the works are relegated to the rear side of the movement. If they re so great, then why hide them around the back? I mean, if you have a chronograph watch in your collection with an open case back, you ll know how fascinating it is to look at. Thankfully some brands offer dial-side chronographs so we can gawp and enjoy these wonderful mechanical marvels.Pressing the buttons and watching the parts move is a joy to behold, but it s a hassle to take the watch off to view this marvel through the case back. It would ap...

Welcome back, dear Fratelli, to Wrist Game Or Crying Shame! It has been seven weeks since our last installment, but I ve got an interesting (value) proposition on the docket today. We re looking at the Omega Speedmaster Split-Seconds, one of the lesser-seen Speedmasters from the tail end of the 90s. Both its maker and model family have a prestigious reputation, and the rattrapante complication makes it even more intriguing. For $1,954, this rare Speedmaster could be the no-brainer of the year. But that s only if the design and execution speak to you. Let me tell you what I think, then we ll put it to a vote.For me, quirky chronographs are wonderful things. What can I say? I love chronograph...

World time watches are a relatively young addition to horology. Invented by Louis Cottier in 1931, the complication doesn t have quite the longevity as, say, the chronograph or calendar. But in the less than 100 years since its birth, the world timer has undergone quite a bit of creative modification, more so in recent years. It s a design premise that has real-world use, and once the general concept entered the collective imagination of watchmakers, the sky became the limit on unique ways to display this information. Ball, Christopher Ward, Montblanc, Bremont, and NOMOS Glashtte show us that there s no one way to do world time.The world time complication is a fairly straightforward concept...

A magnificent dial-side showcase of the engine has been Breguets house style for its Tradition collection. These epic open-worked timepieces honor the brands watchmaking tradition for over two centuries in their modern interpretations and executions. And if you want to experience a watch with all of Breguet s history rolled into one timepiece, you cannot miss the Tradition 7047. This Grande Complication watch with a fusee tourbillon has just been given a new color scheme in regal blue to enliven its mechanical marvel.Forming the landscape of the dial, the tourbillon and the fusee-and-chain of the Tradition 7047 are naturally the centerpieces. Both of these centuries-old components were creat...

Are small watches a thing? If you believe the word on the street, they must be. I also love a good small watch, but it s not because I am a faithful believer in the gospel. It s just that recently, I have had the pleasure of wearing some amazing watches under 40mm. It sparked my interest in buying one of the many great, smaller options. And if we combine the supposed trend with my recent love for smaller pieces, it seems like a great opportunity to come up with a list of 10 of the best smaller watches available today.Watch sizes are a neverending topic of discussion. Without a doubt, one of the most commonly heard sentiments among watch fans is that the brand should have made the watch in th...

The Cartier Crash, often incorrectly called the Dali watch, dates back to 1967. That is just 55 years ago, which isn t that long ago at all considering what this watch brought about. When the watch was launched, Cartier New York, Cartier Paris, and Cartier London were still designing their own models. The Crash was one of the Cartier London designs and, therefore, only sold in the UK at that time. International sales would have been difficult since only a few pieces of the first version were made.Interestingly, Cartier London designed and released many different models featuring their own typography style. Among them were several versions of the Tank. Despite the fact that, of course, the fa...

Parmigiani Fleurier, according to reports, has massively outsold its production capacity for the year. So while we thought the esteemed independent brand wouldnt have more novelties this year, along came a little summer surprise. Watch media-commerce site Revolution and its sister style outlet The Rake have launched their first collaboration watch with Parmigiani Fleurier. This Tonda PF Micro-Rotor Serenissima is a salmon-dial limited edition of only 25 pieces.The news comes not from the Swiss Jura. No, no. The folks there take summer closure very seriously. In fact, it originates from Singapore, where the equatorial sun shines all year round. Thus, it seems that now is as good a time as any...