I must say, Im a bit overwhelmed by writing this article. Im someone who likes to understand everything that he writes about. But when you get asked to write an article on a watch by A. Lange & S?hne, you almost certainly know that itll involve a complicated piece. The word piece, of course, refers to not only the watch but also to the article at hand. When I saw the first pictures of this new A. Lange & S?hne Richard Lange Minute Repeater, I thought I got lucky. Not a single complication, just the hours, minutes, and sub-seconds. But then someone pointed out that bulge on the left side of the case…Indeed, when you slide that bulge, it releases the minute repeater mechanism. A ...

Whenever A. Lange & S?hne announces new timepieces, I immediately shift towards the edge of my seat. That also happened when the brand announced its venture into luxury sports watches with the Odysseus back in 2019. It was a release that did not go unnoticed. Watch fans worldwide expected a watch that would aim to compete with the Pateks and APs of the world. Instead, A. Lange & S?hne chose its own path with an extremely unique, characteristic design. Three years after the release of the stainless steel Odysseus, the brand releases the new titanium version. This is not only the most sporty Odysseus to date, but it s also the first time we ve ever seen a titanium A. Lange & S?hne ...

Right out of the gates, Patek Philippe releases two of the biggest show stoppers of Watches & Wonders 2022. The first is the all-new Patek Philippe Annual Calendar Travel Time Ref. 5326G-001. The watch is a brilliant display of vintage-inspired style and technical ingenuity. It combines an annual calendar and a travel time complication?that displays two time zones. It is launched together with the automatic Calatrava Ref. 5226G-001 which features the same stunning overall new style. This is a pair of watches that introduces an explorer-chic that is brilliant. Let s find out more.The big introduction for Patek Philippe this year is the Annual Calendar Travel Time Ref. 5326G-001. For the t...

Normally, I stick to writing about sports watches, but something caught my eye today deep within the Tudor PR release. The Black Bay Steel & Gold models now have in-house movements and COSC certification! On top of that, they look the part as well.Big-time Explorer fan clocking in for duty here. Therefore, I take notice of watches that are thematically similar. When we think of the Black Bay series, it s the divers that frequently come to mind. However, there are a really nice series of smooth-bezel models existing in 31, 36, 39, and 41mm case sizes. Up until recently, though, these models were amongst the last Tudors with third-party movements. For now, the steel pieces will remain tha...

When I think of a diamond-encrusted watch, I tend to think of AP, Patek, or even , achieved in a traditional way, using techniques borrowed from jewelry. But this diamond-encrusted TAG Heuer Carrera Plasma Tourbillon Nanograph turns this idea on its head. Introducing new-to-the-industry methods, this Carrera completely redefines the diamond-set watch. Unapologetically modern, this piece reflects the brands passion for the avant-garde. It truly lives up to the TAG Heuer name - for those who might not know, TAG stands for techniques davant-garde. The Oxford Reference Dictionary defines it as a term used in the arts to denote those who make a radical departure from tradition. And simply looking...

Tudor s novelties released at Watches & Wonders 2022 were some of the most hotly anticipated. And if you are looking to add a classically inspired GMT watch to your collection, you re in luck. Two new GMT models join the Tudor Black Bay family. The first is The Black Bay GMT S&G (steel and gold). It s a steel-and-yellow-gold version of the popular Pepsi Black Bay GMT, equipped with a black-and-brown 24-hour bezel, echoing the modern Root Beer colorway. The second, and our favorite here at Fratello, is the Black Bay Pro. This beauty is a steel-bezeled GMT inspired by the classic Explorer II ref. 1655.Both watches use the same in-house COSC-certified Tudor caliber MT5652. The Black B...

Admittedly, I am a fan of the Day-Date. I love the 36mm version best, but the Day-Date 40 surely ticks some boxes as well. Especially now that it will be available (or will it?) with a green lacquered dial.Mike already touched upon the new platinum Day-Date (with fluted bezel) in this article. But there s more.Walking by the booth here at Watches & Wonders in Geneva, my attention was drawn to the new GMT-Master II Lefty, the new Yacht-Masters (I thought the Falcon Eye was a faulty watch, to be honest; that s the reason why I didn t take a picture), but especially towards this Day-Date 40 in yellow gold with the green lacquered dial. Day-Date 40 ref. 228238The green dial isn t new to t...

One thing I love about this job is how diverse the watches we get to review are. Recently, I wrote about the new 10th-anniversary pieces from Bvlgari, celebrating the iconic Octo Finissimo line with a pair of monochromatic masterpieces. Funnily enough, those models came from a brand known for some of the industry s most ostentatious pieces found in its Serpenti line. Today, NOMOS Glashtte, the famous Saxon independent, is bucking its penchant for producing Bauhaus classics in a pared-back palette in favor of another brightly colored release. Hot on the heels of last year s orange and gray models, we have a new duo of Club Campus models in Deep Pink and Blue Purple in both 36 and 38.5mm size...

The 2022 Novelties are here! For many watch fans, this announcement is one of the most anticipated events of the year. Aside from the reality that none of these watches will be easy to obtain at retail (or from your retailer), it s still fun to look and see which prognostications were realized. Hint: none of them!I ll admit that I put very little thought into predicting the 2022 novelties. I m always wrong, and I definitely would have been this year! Still, there are some relatively interesting updates here. I say, relatively, because it s foolish to think that is going to surprise with something wildly outlandish. Slow and steady wins the race with this goliath, but there was one wild ca...

Last year, we saw Panerai focus on sustainable watchmaking during Watches & Wonders. The brand presented the brilliant Submersible eLAB-ID, a concept watch constructed from 98.6% recycled-based materials by weight. The brand also introduced a trio of Luminor Marina eSteel models produced with almost 60% recycled materials. Today, Panerai continues this story with the release of the new Submersible eSteel lineup. These Submersibles come in three different colors with one major improvement in aesthetic over last year s Luminor Marina Steel offerings.Let s rewind the clock 12 months before diving into the new Submersible models. I still remember the introduction of the Submersible eLAB-ID a...

Grand Seiko further expands its Evolution 9 Collection with the release of two new chronograph GMT watches. On top of that, one of the two watches celebrates the 15th anniversary of Grand Seiko Spring Drive chronographs. These new Grand Seiko SBGC249 and SBGC251 Chronograph GMT models are part of a greater drop for the Evolution 9 Collection along with two other GMT watches and a new diver. Between these two models, we see a new case design, a new(er) movement, and a colorful limited-edition release. Let s find out more about these new Grand Seiko Chronograph GMT watches.Grand Seiko has put great emphasis on the Evolution 9 Collection, which represents the future of the brand. The five relea...

Born in 1922, the Cartier Tank Chinoise reflects Louis Cartiers appreciation for the art of other cultures. Its design inspiration has its roots in geometric elements of Chinese architecture, and more specifically, the unique shape of the ornate archways or porticos found at the entrance of traditional Chinese temples. A classic Cartier design, the Tank Chinoise celebrates its 100th anniversary this year. To mark the occasion, the brand has given this model its first redesign since 2004 (with some small exceptions in the Cartier Libre line). A total of six different Tank Chinoise models debuted today at Watches & Wonders in Geneva. Feast your eyes on these latest additions to the exclusi...

At Watches and Wonders 2022, IWC dazzles your eyes with the snow-white ceramic Pilots Watch Chronograph Top Gun Edition Lake Tahoe and calms you back down again with the camouflaged green Woodland. Many people have told me that I have gone beige lately. And thats right, I like a bit of beige in a watch - IWCs Mohave models, for instance, but also the Omega Seamaster Aqua Terra Small Seconds I tried not too long ago. With that knowledge, you would expect me to prefer the blended-in Woodland over the blizzard-like Lake Tahoe. But its the black-and-white Lake Tahoe that stole my heart.Love at first sight. It happened to me back in August 2021 in Geneva during a visit to the IWC boutique. It was...

New Panerai releases are always a guilty pleasure for me. Whether it s new materials, colors, or sizes, the bold brand always comes through with something that I like each and every year. Today, we break down a trio of new divers, the Panerai Submersible QuarantaQuattro collection.The Submersible models are the true divers in the Panerai lineup. With their rotating bezels and more impressive depth ratings, the watches do battle in the crowded luxury diver market. They compete in a way that only a Panerai can. Submersibles utilize the locking crown and bring big, beefy dimensions - or at least they always did the latter up until 2017. When the Submersible debuted in 1998, it was 47mm. They re...

Chopard is a brand that I truly believe is criminally overlooked in the watch landscape today. But for over 25 years now, the brand better known for its jewelry has taken phenomenal strides in truly in-house watchmaking. Chopard s first manufacture movement, caliber 96.01-L, debuted in 1997 in the now-legendary L.U.C 1860. The 3.3mm-slim foundational caliber boasted a micro-rotor, double barrels, COSC certification, and the Geneva Hallmark for its immaculate craftsmanship and finishing. Since then, these four characteristics have become a signature of many of Chopard s jaw-dropping high-horology creations. And now, at Watches & Wonders 2022, the brand finally brings them all to its flags...

Its time for a new GMT from Grand Seiko! This is exciting news because you, dear readers, have a thing for watches that measure more than one timezone and especially when they come from this upscale brand. Are you ready to check out the Grand Seiko Evolution 9 GMT duo?Its true that Grand Seiko offers all types of watches from dress to sport. However, the brand s GMT pieces are some of its best. Within the Sport collection, one can find a GMT powered by Spring Drive, a Hi-Beat automatic, an automatic, and even quartz! Sign me up for one of those tasty SBGJ Hi-Beat references! Todays models represent a very slight departure from the Sport collection because these watches are termed the Grand S...

Im always a bit ashamed when people ask me what movement is inside my own Cartier Santos Galbee XL from 2006. It houses a very reliable ETA 2893, which can be serviced by basically any watchmaker in the world. So its certainly not something to be ashamed of, especially because the watch looks so good. But ever since Cartier launched its Collection Prive, Cartier Paris (CPCP) in 1998, the brand has been trying to impress us not only with that beautiful skin, but also with very impressive movements underneath it. Today, those efforts result in the launch of Cartiers most technical and complex piece to date. Behold, the Cartier Masse Mysterieuse.Here at Fratello, we look at numerous press relea...

Whether we re discussing Grand Seiko or Seiko, it s clear that watch fans are on the lookout for a Submariner killer. Therefore, when I saw news of the new Grand Seiko Evolution 9 SLGA015 diver, I perked up and read the press material right away. Is this the all-conquering watch that we desire? Let s see…These days, Grand Seiko and Seiko like to keep themselves separate, but for an old-school die-hard like me, that s tough. I love Seiko divers and I don t really care where they come from! I ve managed to collect most of Seiko s vintage divers, so I m always looking at what both brands have to offer when something new drops. Both Seiko and Grand Seiko play on lineage as much as anything...

Cartier has a rich history when it comes to dial design. And when it comes to the Tank models, weve seen it all. That makes sense. The watch originated in 1917, so by the time the 70s and 80s came around, its only natural that the designers had begun to play with new ideas. Their creativity coupled with the perfect blank canvas resulted in some stunning models. The amazing design found in those watches makes a comeback in the latest releases for Watches & Wonders 2022. Today, Cartier presented three new precious-metal Tank Louis Cartier references and two Tank Must models which join the current lineup.First created in 1917 by Louis Cartier, the Tanks signature profile has been a timeles...

What do you know about Cvstos? Truth be told, before the brand recently approached me, I thought I knew more about the brand than I did. I thought I had the style of the watches pegged, the target demographic clearly defined, and a generally accurate picture of the people running the show. As it turns out, I was wrong on all three counts. My last contact with the brand was probably around 2019 and, as you might expect, a lot has changed since then-So much of a brands success comes down to the people behind it that having the right (or wrong) team in place can change a companys fortunes almost overnight. There are some names in this industry that have an untouchable reputation. It is almost u...