All I can say is Im deeply envious of older collectors like RJ who had the chance to wear and enjoy these iconic designs, wrote one of our readers below an article about the Royal Oak Jumbo. With many enthusiasts unable to fulfill their watch dreams these days, I m afraid this reader s sentiment is all too common.Sitting across from me is Ignacio, our Managing Editor. And then we have editors like Jorg and Daan, who also stepped into the watch game not too long ago. As you can read in this article, one of Ignacios absolute dream watches is the Explorer II Polar. But with the current market value of watches, it might stay a dream. For Jorg, it s an even tougher pill to swallow. I ve known h...
There is something truly charismatic about dual-time watches. They always make me think of jumping on a plane, off to a new and exciting destination. Not only that, but its one of the most useful complications, whether youre tracking home time or keeping track of another time zone. The new Ochs und Junior Due Ore features a rather unique and clever dual-time indication. Following the signature minimalist style the brand is known for, you could almost be forgiven for not realizing at first glance that this is indeed a dual-time watch. Though most of us will have not traveled too often in the past two years, its about time that a dual-time watch makes its way back to the rotation as the world ...
Yes, why not start with a bold statement, and also the price of the new Laurent Ferrier Sport Auto? Why would you buy yourself a fairly ubiquitous sports watch at ten times the retail price, seriously? Or buy what constitutes a tool watch, now superseded by demand outstripping demand, to such a point as becoming slightly ridiculous? Here is your alternative. To be honest, for me, any reference of pebble-smooth goodness from Laurent Ferrier is a better option to Patek, and - get this - actually available. At CHF 46,000 before tax, you will not have to wait eight years, or pay ten times retail price at a frenzied auction. A win/win in anyone s book, and in mine it gets the headline.So this wou...
I can remember the days before I started working at Fratello. I d spend hours sitting at my desk with sketchbooks drawing fantasy watches. I think, deep down, there s a little bit of a wannabe watch designer in all of us. Am I right? Fast forward to today, and, if I m honest, not a lot has changed. I still like to indulge in jotting down ideas for watches. I still enjoy designing watches, but these days, I tend to focus more on concepts for existing brands rather than fantasy designs. As a self-professed fanboy of URWERK s mechanical marvels, it s no surprise to my friends and colleagues that I ve had ideas for what I d love to see from the Swiss masters of the avant-garde. Imagine my surpri...
A diver thats as at home on the streets of Berlin as it is off the coast of the Mediterranean, says Montredo CEO and co-founder Philipp Budiman, speaking about the collaboration watch they ve done with Swiss watch brand Squale.In front of me is a Squale 1521 Diver, limited to 50 watches, and only available through Montredo. For those who are not familiar with Montredo, it s a platform that sells watches from brands directly (like this Squale) and a selection of brands from their authorized dealer network. Montredo CEO Budiman is also CEO for Watches of Switzerland GmbH and Les Ambassadeurs in Switzerland, both official retailers of many luxury watch brands. Let s have a closer look at the pr...
Sustainable is a hot word right now. For better or worse, every industry (including petroleum) is bandying about the s word in hopes to jump on the bandwagon and attract as many customers as possible. But some companies are being environmentally conscious for sustainability s sake (though increased sales don t hurt). Oris is one such company. And, as the modern saying goes, they were doing it before it was cool.Visit the Oris website (on phone or computer) and you ll see a page layout unlike that of any other watch company. At the top, there s a slideshow banner displaying the newest releases and promotional videos. Directly beneath that is a selection of self-produced articles about Oris. A...
Ive been collecting and buying watches since the late 1990s. At some point, I was fortunate enough to make a career out of my passion for watches. I focused mainly on collecting Speedmasters, and I was lucky enough to have the help at the very beginning from the legendary Chuck Maddox. I was also fortunate to meet and learn from my now-colleague Gerard, who used to have a watch shop for many years.During the course of time, I made a lot of mistakes, including rookie ones. And even today, I still sometimes fall into these traps. So Ive come up with a list that would have helped me in my watch collecting or buying journey. Had I known these things, they may have prevented me from making typica...
Time to brush the dried mud off your cleats and kit up - Bremont has just announced the release of a new limited edition watch in partnership with the RFU. The Henly on Thames brand proudly presented its latest release today: the Bremont S300 RFU. A watch that adopts the kit colors of England Rugby, as well as the signature, rose logo, subtly incorporated onto the crisp white dial. Bremont not only acts as the official timing partner to the RFU, but it also brings you all match day content taking place in Twickenham stadium. If youre lucky enough to make it to a match, youll see a number of branded match clocks in the stadium as well. So, if you are a fan of Rugby, Bremont, and all things Br...
I found my grail watch! In this series, each Fratello editor will share their grail watch. It s the watch they want the most, and sometimes it s their exit watch. Here s my story.The word grail, of course, relates to the Holy Grail or the Holy Chalice, the cup that Christians believe Jesus drank from at the Last Supper. The quest to find the Holy Grail made its way from religion to fictional literature, cinema, and video games. Today, many places around the world claim to be the home of the Holy Grail. Whether or not the cup is real, whether it (still) exists, and where it s precisely located are heavily debated questions. Valencia Cathedral in Spain is one place claiming to have the actual ...
There is something special about books. In today s online world, books are a tangible piece of magic. For me, nothing beats the sight and the smell of a book that comes fresh from the printers. I grew up in the age of print media, so books will always have a special place in my heart. Watch books are often visually stunning, but they turn into static decorative objects on the coffee table. I love it when a book is more than that. The best books are the ones that look great but also serve as the perfect reference material. That s exactly what MB&F has done with the creation of its new book MB&F: The First Fifteen Years. It is a great testament to the first fifteen years of the special...
Happy Chinese New Year, everyone! Today marks the start of the Year of the Tiger, and in Chinese culture, the tiger has a very special place. The majestic big cat is considered the king of all animals. The tiger is third in the twelve-year cycle of the Chinese zodiac. It symbolizes power, courage, confidence, leadership, and strength. Swatchs 47mm Big Bold is the right platform to create a watch with a look and character that matches the important star sign. Enter the Swatch Tiger Power 2022.The tiger is a special beast in Chinese culture, as it s seen as an animal that expels all evil. It s also associated with good luck, bravery, good health, and wellbeing. This year is the year of the Wat...
In this video, our senior editor Lex Stolk takes a closer look at the stainless steel Certina DS Action Diver Powermatic 80, reference C032.607.11.051.00.This watch, with a retail price of $895, seems to promise a lot of bang for the buck. But does it deliver? Lex covers the watch s specifications, which include the fact that it is able to withstand pressure up to 30ATM (~300 meters) and has been ISO 6425 certified. The ETA-based Powermatic 80 movement has a Nivachron balance spring. Certina s DS Action Diver Powermatic 80 has a diameter of 43mm and a 13.1mm-thick 316L stainless steel case. It also features a ceramic bezel with a standard diving scale.Enjoy the video, and make sure to subscr...
Ulysse Nardin has developed a charmingly lateral position with the top-tier Swiss manufacturers. This is, without a doubt, a brand with a strong history, but it s one that s certainly not stuck in the past. With a strong focus on outre designs and high-tech horology, Ulysse Nardin watches are not for everyone. And in my opinion, this is all for the best.The world would be a dull place if every brand riffed on its past glories, and Ulysse Nardin is a forward-thinking brand with a vision. This past month, this became even more exciting, as Kering let go of its two watch brands. Both Girard-Perregaux and Ulysse Nardin were bought out by management, with Patrick Pruniaux of GP leading both down ...
Fratello On Air is back! This time, Balazs and Mike come back to case materials and focus on precious metals. Specifically, we discuss gold and platinum along with some of our favorite examples. Before we get to the main topic…Precious metals are in play this week, but Balazs and Mike also pick up on the latest news and releases from the LVMH brands! First, though, it s time for a Handgelenks Kontrolle and Balazs is sporting a pair of light blue DOXA watches - the SUB 200 and SUB 300 - while Mike is enjoying his new MING 17.09 in blue (everything runs well, thanks for asking).Some news and onto precious metalsThe news was fast and furious over the past week. We discuss the King Seiko C...
One of my favorite aspects of being a part of the Fratello team is getting to grips with watches that I may not otherwise get the chance to see up close. As we all know, the best way to get to know a watch is to see it and feel it in hand, tracing the case s curves and seeing how it interacts with the light. There s just no substitute, in my opinion. Photographs can only show so much of a watch s character. Take the Chronoswiss Open Gear ReSec Jungle, for example-Having seen photographs of the watch, I had long adored the wonderfully mesmerizing and flowing colors of the dial as the light caught the intricate grooves of the guilloche pattern. I had this niggling feeling that despite how good...
With Seiko s recent relaunch of the King Seiko collection, I thought it d be nice to take a look at the history of King Seiko, the Japanese watchmaking powerhouse s other son. Historically, it was the rice to Grand Seiko s fish, the two vital ingredients in Seiko s finest horological sushi. However, King Seiko has lived firmly in Grand Seiko s shadow in recent times. While Seiko dedicated a lot of effort to reestablishing Grand Seiko as its own entity (and has done a remarkable job), King Seiko was, until more recently, left by the wayside. Thankfully, Seiko has decided to rectify this, and we are now seeing some of the marvelous work of the Daini Seikosha factory s legacy revisited.As we al...
Today, were back with a look at yet another and this time it s the Datejust 1600. So soon, you say? In some ways, think of this article as a prequel to my recent ode to an incredibly simple Datejust 16200. The two watches are similar for certain, but theyre also very different. Sit back because its time for another love letter to a wonderful watch.Oh, Datejust, you wily little daily driver with your countless variants. You are a nonstop adventure that ranges from the sublime to the subdued. As an individual watch, you offer so few clues as to how you started life. What dial shipped with you decades ago when you were first purchased? Have you been polished or have years of shirtsleeves given...
Good news! This morning, Watches & Wonders officially confirmed that there will be a (partly) physical event in Geneva from March 30th to April 5th.I cant tell you how much I ve missed these watch shows! It has been far too long since the last one, ever since everything ground to a halt in early 2020. Well, except for the Geneva Watch Days initiative at the end of the summer. So far, the European Watches & Wonders event (successor of SIHH) only took place digitally during the pandemic. Just like the former SIHH shows, Watches & Wonders will take place in the Palexpo venue in Geneva. This time, no less than 38 brands will be exhibiting both physically and digitally during what wil...
Like most Dutch people, Im looking forward to the speed skating events of the 2022 Winter Olympic Games. And especially short-track speed skating on the small rink, because thats where we, most likely, can harvest a bunch of gold medals. In other countries, curling is the main event, or (ice) hockey, or biathlon, or downhill skiing. To be honest, I also enjoy sports I normally wouldnt watch because the Olympic setting adds significance to every event. And thats why we go hands-on, downhill, and round and around with the Omega Seamaster Aqua Terra Beijing 2022 watch - a special edition, not a limited edition.It was in the Fall of 2021 that Omega presented the Seamaster Aqua Terra Beijing 2022...
There s something to be said for a good, versatile watch. Not everyone wants or needs a rugged dive watch with 500 meters of water resistance. In fact, the majority of people don t. For the average person, you could argue that a more appropriate watch combines sporty and dressy elements for those who want something they can wear every day but isn t bold and in-your-face like a tool watch might be. When Louis Erard first released the Excellence Petite Seconde, it catered to that demographic nicely, offering a quality timepiece at an affordable price. Now, with the Excellence Petite Seconde Terracotta, the brand offers that same classic design but with a bit of color for those who want somethi...
