The concept of slow manufacturing is certainly not a new one. Slow, in the context of any industry, can have a bad connotation. But as technology and manufacturing continue to advance at the real risk of harm to the environment and workers quality of life, as well as product quality and perception, many industries are beginning to embrace slow. It s a return to an industry s manufacturing roots of sorts with a 21st-century twist that often ends up making good financial sense. Getting back to its roots is something that the watch industry does well already. Some watchmakers, like , anOrdain, and others, have found that slow manufacturing works perfectly well for them. You might be surprised ...
Some of us never let go of any of our prized timekeeping possessions. Others are notorious serial flippers. When dealing with a costly hobby like ours, selling or trading something every now and then is almost unavoidable. However, it can be more than a little intimidating at first. In this article, I will share some tips on how to sell your watch to a dealer or trade it in toward a new watch purchase.Whether it is a good idea to sell to a dealer depends on several factors, many of which are personal. But let me try and paint a comprehensive picture of what you might encounter. I will also throw in a tip or two based on my experience from the other side.A word or two on price when selling yo...
Do you remember the famous Patek Philippe ads with the perfectly clean-cut family? These model citizens are far removed from the daily image of watch enthusiasts. Don t get me wrong, those people are probably out there, but the time that most watch enthusiasts look like that is far behind us. Over time, the world of watches has found an appeal with a far wider audience than the traditional posh crowd. Additionally, we have seen watch manufacturers collaborate with brands that are part of street and youth culture. The latest proof comes in the form of the H. Moser & Cie. Streamliner Chronograph UNDEFEATED. It s the first collaboration Streamliner model, and it is a special one. Let s find...
Welcome to the first episode of Fratello Food Frenzy! Today, we ll be exploring the culinary hotspots of Staten Island, New York! Who could say no to the best cold cut, Italian ice, and pizza in town? Get ready for a very colorful and flavorful ride! Oh yes, and the tour will definitely include some sizzling hot Welsbro watches too! But before we kick off our tour, it s time for a little introduction.Today s tour is courtesy of husband-and-wife team Rich and Katie. In 2021, they relaunched Welsbro as a brand. From the 1930s to the 1970s, Welsbro was a watch brand under the wings of the Weissman Watch Company. The company used to get its parts from Switzerland and assemble the watches in the ...
All right, here we go. Grab your sunglasses, get yourself an ice-cold drink, and get ready for round one of this year s Fratello Summer Splash! The rules are simple: pick your favorite brightly colored watch and let it go head-to-head with your opponent s summer watch of choice. Today, Thor and Daan will bite the bullet first, and at the end, you ll decide who takes the win! Will it be Thor s very own Doxa SUB 300 Divingstar that prevails, or will Daan claim the victory with the Autodromo Group B Aqua? Let s find out!This year, the only physical requirement for a watch to participate in the competition is that it has to be colorful. That means no black, white, or gray dials this time. Other ...
Yes, I was a fan from day one, and Furlan Marri did the unlikely thing of turning my skepticism towards quartz to love. But, to be fair, the designers wouldnt have managed this without their obsessive eye for detail. Andrea and Hamad created a chronograph that became The Microbrand Hypebeast and deservedly so. They went from fully funded within minutes to quadrupling, even octupling (is that even a term?) their target. Any pop star knows the importance of his or her second album, so will Furlan Marri s hits keep coming? We go hands-on and beyond the hype with the new 2116-A to find out.Furlan Marri could have been a one-hit-wonder. But the fans have not strayed, and each additional release h...
When the Omega Speedmaster Silver Snoopy Award 50th Anniversary debuted on October 5th, 2020, the Speedmaster enthusiasts went crazy. That included me, of course, as I am a fan of the Snoopy/Apollo 13 story. So, I decided that I needed to add one to my collection.The Snoopy 50th Anniversary, or Snoopy 3, is the fourth watch that commemorates the Apollo 13 mission of 1970 and the role that the Speedmaster played in it. I explained the story in detail here, but in (very) short:An explosion on the Apollo 13 spacecraft caused the crew (and the command center in Houston) to abort the mission and put all energy into ensuring the astronauts returned safely. To make a safe entry into the atmosphere ...
Lately, we have seen a number of watch brands embrace the classic steel-and-gold bicolor (or two-tone) look. Made popular in the 80s, its a trend that saw a decline over the course of the 90s. The early 2000s and 2010s didnt treat two-tone watches much better, and the look came dangerously close to extinction. In recent times, however, we have seen a resurgence of steel-and-gold watches. Oris now joins in with two new Aquis Date Calibre 400 dive watches with 18K gold bezels. Its worth noting that Oris was never afraid of two-tone watches. Though its bicolor watches usually feature bronze instead of gold, its nice to see this luxurious metal adorn the brands flagship diver. It s a golden cr...
I hear you! Summer isnt quite here yet. But having had a couple of weeks of warm, sunny days here in The Hague, its already starting to feel like it is. And lets face it, June 21st is just around the corner. So, what better way to call in the summer than with a perfect pair of beach-ready, vintage-inspired, beautifully made skin divers? I certainly cant think of one, and it seems that the folks at HTD cant either. And though not entirely new at this point, Im very happy to introduce the latest from the Italian brand. These are the HTD Aquatic Palletoni and SpaceBoy dive watches. And though they are indeed divers, youll see that they feel no less at home inside of a rally car burning rubber o...
I wasnt going to admit to remembering the less-than-fantastic Prince movie Purple Rain, but the hit single is ringing in my ears. For those of you still scared of flashy yellows, pinks, and reds, purple provides a luxurious tone. So read on, get dressed up, and add some shots to your Instagram with #PURPLE as the confident hashtag.While perhaps more suited to the dimmed lights of a secluded restaurant than beach life, there are many ways to interpret the grape flavor of purple. From Hublots breezy flash to the dark suavity of NOMOS, choose your favorite and match it up with some cool gear from our purple-tinged list.Hublot Big Bang Unico Summer PurpleThe name says it all, and this particular...
Fratello On Air is here, and were excited to discuss the recent Breitling Navitimer Cosmonaute release and provide an interview with Fred Mandelbaum. Balazs and Mike are on the mics again talking travel. Tune in and listen to their latest experiences. This podcast player is blocked because you did not accept marketing cookies. Change cookie settings Thats right, Breitling came with a new Navitimer Cosmonaute in the form of a limited-edition model. Its an interesting watch with an interesting build-up to its introduction. The introduction actually took place in Europe and there were some surprises. Enjoy the ride!Handgelenks KontrolleBefore hitting the new Navitimer Cosmonaute, Balazs and...
When I was asked to pick three pieces to start a watch collection for $10,000, I had to think about it for a long time. I came up with multiple answers and when asked to do the same with a budget of $5,000, it also took me quite a while. I am very much a believer in following the heart. So, if that means spending the majority on just one watch because you absolutely love it, I think you should do it! Unfortunately, that s not exactly how this series works. So, I also decided to come up with three watches that I would pick with a budget of $5,000. And I didn t even have to sell my soul in the process!The soul searching for this exercise is easy to explain but hard to accomplish. I strongly be...
Visiting a major Swiss luxury watch brand s headquarters is always a treat. But in the case of Zenith, a brand with such a rich heritage and watchmaking roots that dig deep into the soil of the Jura mountains, it was a truly special experience. In this photo report, I ll take you through our tour of the Zenith Manufacture located in Le Locle. Hopefully, this will give you a taste of what goes into creating the brilliant watches that you already know and love. But remember, if you re lucky enough to find yourself in Switzerland, make sure to head on over to Le Locle and book yourself a tour. Members of the public can do so for just CHF 40!As you might know, we were recently in Switzerland. Ze...
As we re nearing the halfway point, how has the 2022 watch landscape shaped up so far? I feel there s been an exciting blend of high-end and low-end offerings. But if one aspect defines the 2022 watch trend, it s the sheer number of brand collaborations - Omega Swatch, Bremont Bamford, and Fears Garrick, to name a few. Today, I ll be focussing on another development this year - plastic. This list compiles watches made of a material with a bad rep but one that is making a resurgence. Plastic is an extensive term; as you ll see from this compilation, there are many different forms. But as plastic is ubiquitous in our daily lives, we know what s plastic and what s not.That doesn t mean th...
In the 1970s, Citizen not only introduced the worlds very first solid titanium watch, but the brand also pioneered the solar-powered Eco-Drive technology in its analog movements. Half a century on, the Japanese giant has brought together these two exclusive technologies, topped off with a 70s motorsports design spin to interpret a retro-modern sports watch of our time. The result delivers an impeccably on-trend Super Titanium CA7090 chronograph featuring an integrated bracelet.The Super Titanium collection is versatile. By that, I mean it encompasses a variety of models for different genres.?Citizen also has a localized approach to marketing its core collections. As such, its product portfol...
For a long time, we at Fratello have wanted to offer our community high-quality watch accessories with a stylish look and feel. We re happy to announce that our first line of signature straps is available now. Head over to the Fratello Shop to make sure you dont miss our first drop!We wanted to start with the essential watch accessory - the strap - so thats exactly what we did. We made a high-quality leather strap, or to be more exact, we made three. Handmade in Europe, we are pleased to offer three distinct colors and two different types of leather. The new Fratello signature straps will offer a great way for watch lovers to make their watches more personal. Available now in our Fratello Sh...
Its not that I didnt drink coffee last Monday. I just didnt have a coffee in the office, but on a terrace in Rome. Nothing beats a cappuccino at Sant ‘Eustachio Il Caffe, which has been serving fantastic coffee since 1938 at Piazza di S. Eustachio. Thats the reason I skipped last weeks episode of Coffee Corner Watch Talk. Still, no matter how good the Roman cappuccino was, its also good to be back at the office to talk watches over a cup of coffee. Watches like a complicated IWC thats reserved for just a few AMG One owners, but also a lime green, Miami Beach-ready Speake-Marin, and the bravest watch by the FDNY Foundation William Wood.You cant buy the IWC Big Pilot s Watch Constant-F...
No exaggeration, this is a year in which no matter where I turn, I see fingerprints of Gerald Genta. We all know Bvlgari scored a streak of world records with the Finissimo line in recent history. One of them was a minute repeater, thanks to the in-house-developed BVL 362 caliber. This movement not only traces back to the thinnest-ever minute repeater created by Genta in the 80s, but it also finds its way into a Finissima outside the Octo family. By virtue of this mechanical marvel, the Bvlgari Divas Dream Minute Repeater also takes the honor as the worlds thinnest striking watch in a womens collection.The timing to review this horological masterpiece is curiously impeccable. I was just mus...
Where you stand on the Casio Edifice collection will have a lot to do with how you receive this watch. In fact, if you re a die-hard G-Shock aficionado as I am and many of my colleagues are, the Edifice line might even struggle to enter the realm of consideration! However, one of the real privileges of my job is that I am forced to encounter watches I would otherwise have dismissed because of bias or misconception. As it is, I ve spent the last few days with the Casio Nismo EQS-930NIS-1AER watch on my wrist and, I have to say, I m more impressed than I wanted to be.Believe it or not (and I m sure it s actually quite easy to believe), oftentimes, I actively don t?want to like watches. I am si...
When I grew up in the 1980s, almost everyone wore a watch, including young kids. There were no mobile phones (other than some car phones) and you basically needed a watch to see the time. You either had a colorful Swatch or something digital. And this something digital could be anything from one that was so cheap that you would throw it away once it stopped (I had many that I won at the fair with these claw machines) to a decent one from Casio or Seiko.Some of my friends dads had these Seiko ones that always looked a bit more expensive than a Casio (and probably were). The steel bracelets were thin and extremely comfortable, and somehow, they just looked classy (1980s classy, of course). I s...
