I like the hypothetical and that brings us to a seemingly outlandish question that may become a little less so. By the end of this article, you will get to answer whether you d put down your hard-earned money to buy a steel sports even if you don t want it. It seems like an easy one, but let s see…I don t daydream enough, but when I do it s often about scary great white shark encounters or hitting a World Series deciding homer in the bottom of the ninth with two outs and a full count. Sometimes, though, I think about watches. And when I do, it s a thought that s probably not too original. I ve got this wild plan where I m in some sort of out of the way town and there just so happens t...

Hamiltons undeniably rich history in military watchmaking is once again brought to our attention. This time, its the brands Model 23 mil-spec pocket watch that inspires its latest release: the Hamilton Khaki Aviation Pilot Pioneer. A tough and reliable tool, Hamilton delivered over 27,000 pieces to the US armed forces during WWII. This was in addition to over one million wristwatches, marine chronometers, and a number of other timing devices and mechanical instruments. The Model 23 pocket watch was a staple of military aviation timepieces, featuring a large and extremely legible dial with cathedral hands and a chronograph function. Though the wristwatch which it inspires drops the added func...

Glashtte Original is the quirky cousin within the Swatch Group, allowed to inhabit its own niche, and understandably so. Their Senator collection has old-world charm and strict formality in equal measure, and this time with a dazzling pop of color. This is a bold take on mid-century panache, with the flash of salmon, which GO refers to as rose opaline. The Glashtte brand has certainly made a name for itself with its dial-mastery. There is a rich tradition of combining the useful yet still mind-boggling complications within a perpetual calendar with this warm hue, but this is different. From the recently reissued Breitling Datora to the mythical Patek Philippe 5270P, the precedence is as st...

Who s the best? It s an age-old debate that has no clear answer (although to most individuals, their own answer is clear). You ll certainly hear fewer calls for Lazenby and Dalton (although the latter lands at number two on my personal list), and certainly a lot of lamentation that Brosnan - perhaps the most naturally perfect actor cast in the role - was lumbered with sub-par plots and truly woeful scripts for the last two entries in his frustratingly curtailed catalog, but the fight between the Big Three of Connery, Moore, and Craig, will forever divide opinion.It is probably no coincidence that the three names that feature at the top of most Bond fans lists belong to the actors that held ...

Our good friends at WatchPro have some exciting news for watch fans in and around the London area (or anyone that fancies hopping over to Her Majesty s land of plenty for a couple of watch-fuelled days). Read on if you d like to take part…In fact, if you get there at the right time, this promising event will be fuelled by more than?just watches. From 14:30C17:00 on Friday the 12th of November, the event will enjoy a soft start with the Champagne VIP Preview. Following that, general admission starts at 5:00 for the Opening Night Cocktail party.WatchPro SalonThe next day will kick-off at 9:30 am and the event will run until 18:00 giving all attendees plenty of time to visit the more than...

Laurent Lecamp has a background in the luxury industry but began his career in fine watchmaking in 2010. As of January 1st, 2021, he is the managing director watch division at Montblanc. I sat down with him, virtually, and recorded our conversation.Lecamp likes to get his hands dirty. He founded independent watch brand Cyrus in 2010, basically doing everything from sales to development of the collection, finance, marketing, etc. Then he started at Carl F. Bucherer in 2014, becoming the CEO for the Japan market and board member. Lecamp stayed there for nearly six years until January 1st of this year when he joined Montblanc to become the Managing Director of the watch division.Montblanc 1858 ...

Thank you for tuning in to the Fratello Auction Report. As some of you may know, auctions have continued to boast strong results this year. This coming after a surprisingly bullish run in 2020 amidst pandemic issues that reshaped the landscape of the watch business. World record prices have been set by online buyers, watch dealer trade shows have transformed into WhatsApp groups, Baselworld is pretty much dead, and modern/new watches have taken a firm position at the forefront of dazzling record auction prices.Since most buyers are more comfortable pulling the trigger on a new or recent watch online versus a vintage watch, it can, in part, explain why watches from the 1990s to new ones among...

The timeless design of the first water-resistant Czech watch for the mass market made it one of the most beloved and most collectible Prim watches of all time. If you like it, make sure to get the first generation Prim Sport before it becomes too expensive for what it is!A number of famous Czech actors wore them shortly after they were released in 1971. They were popular and they still are. Fifty years ago, on July 30th, The Prim Sport was also on the wrist of the first Czechoslovakian swimmer, who made it across the English Channel (known to the French as La Manche). In his book La Manche - My Destiny, Frantisek Venclovsky explains, he had to borrow money from his grandmother to buy it. He ...

With the Longines Heritage Classic Limited Edition For Hodinkee, the New York-based crew once again show us that being precise doesnt have to collide with great style. Au contraire, being fashionably late is simply not done with the chronometer precise watch that will have you arrive on time and in style. Limited to 500 pieces, the watch is a classic with some contemporary tweaks.The Longines Heritage Classic Limited Edition For Hodinkee looks familiar, and yet it also has your brain scramble for clues. You think youve seen this watch before, but where, when, and how? Well, you havent seen it before, it just looks a bit like the Heritage Classic Sector Dial (L2.828.4.73.0). The brushed steel...

Recently, Seiko has been celebrating its 140th anniversary. This milestone also coincides with 20 years of the Japanese brand s ingenious Spring Drive movement. The beating heart of this watch has been developed by an elite team of craftsmen at the brand s Micro Artist Studio in Shiojiri. And it seems that each time Grand Seiko releases a Spring Drive watch, it comes in an even more mouthwateringly beautiful package-this time capturing the wintery backdrop of Shinshu.The three-handed Grand Seiko watch paints a lasting memory of the snowy scenes that surround the brand s manufacturing facility for its Spring Drive watches. It features a pink gold case with matching faceted hands and indexes, ...

I love a good list because it really makes me think. I find myself see-sawing between picks for hours, wondering whether I can include the curveball I can t take my eye off over one of the more obvious choices whose omission will no doubt rankle the masses. However, that is my cross to bear (talk about first-world problems). As such, I gamely tackled a question posed to me in the office the other: what are the best five Bvlgari watches on the market right now? Some of my picks may well be low-hanging fruit, but I ll wager the top five contains a couple you didn t see coming. Read on to find out…Bvlgari is an odd brand. It has, perhaps most like Cartier, a wider reputation as a jeweler....

The unthinkable has happened. NOMOS Glashtte has released what will be regarded as an incredibly sporty bracelet in comparison to its previous (and wholly unexpected) effort. Three years ago, the thought of NOMOS releasing a metal bracelet at all seemed almost farcical. Following the warm reception of the brand s first metal band, we saw the totally bonkers limited edition rally bracelet that debuted on this month s Autobahn Director s Cut. Now we have something entirely new for the brand and yet entirely familiar for the rest of the industry. Say hello to the NOMOS Glashtte Club Sport with a sunray blue dial and its thrillingly normal bracelet.Thrillingly normal. As dramatic a description...

Happy Wednesday, folks! I m pretty excited today, as one of my all-time favorite brands is releasing a brand new model to its collection. No, not a new variation, but a totally new silhouette. Joining the brand s Special Projects collection, the UR-112 Aggregat is something completely new from the master of the Avant-Garde. A cursory glance suggests that the UR-112 Aggregat is the heir apparent to the brand s now-discontinued UR-111C in terms of design. In, we re looking at a masterpiece that has been three years in the making!The UR-112 Aggregat is a totally new adventure for Martin Frei and Felix Baumgartner. The co-founders wanted to take on a new mechanical challenge starting with a blan...

Temperatures drop, daylight hours get shorter, leaves turn yellow, then red, then brown and drop down from the trees. Fall is officially here, but Omega is already thinking ahead to the even colder season coming up immediately after and the de facto winter spectacle which it will bring. Im talking, of course, about the Olympic Winter Games set to take place in Beijing next year. An event that inspires Omegas latest release, the Seamaster Aqua Terra Beijing 2022.An Olympic timekeeping championWe know that Omega plays a key role in all Olympic events. The brand has held the title of official timekeeper since the 1930s, and in todays modern world that holds more meaning than ever before. With a...

Many of you out there will have likely already heard of Chronographe Suisse. In fact, they are hard not to come across when delving into the world for vintage chronographs from the 1940s and 50s. A never-ending stream of different designs, sizes, materials, and even brands can be found under the Chronographe Suisse name. However, the brands roots are shrouded with mystery. In this article, I will be showing you my own example of a Chronographe Suisse watch, and looking into some of these watchs history and surprisingly humble origins.Now, as much as I would love to do a deep dive into the brand, I must give credit where it is due. Erik Slaven wrote a brilliant and insightful piece on the bra...

Sometimes its written in the stars. You can call it cosmic fate. Or karma. Watch karma in this case. The story of why I bought the Grand Seiko Tough Quartz SBGX341 watch is a tale of random events that string together in the end. And it all began back in June of this year-As you might know, this year, Seiko celebrates its 140th anniversary. As a consequence, numerous limited editions in all product families have reached Fratello HQ. Last June a rather handsome trio came in and especially one of them really struck a chord with me. That was the Grand Seiko Quartz GMT SBGN023 Limited Edition. That watch made it to my Top Five Watches Of 2021. Why? Because the watch immediately caught my eye. Bu...

The Speedmaster is and will always be associated with the Apollo program and Moonlanding forever, but that was not what Omega had in mind when they introduced it in 1957. This chronograph was made to measure intervals by scientists, engineers, athletes, but also by racecar drivers. The Speedmaster was the first watch ever to have a tachymeter scale outside the dial, on a bezel. In the very first advertisements of the Speedmaster, we find two men sitting in a sports car, implying theyre using the chronograph to time laps or measure average speed using the tachymeter scale.Omega Speedmaster advertisementThe Omega Speedmaster Racing StoryFor those who dont know, the tachymeter helps you calcula...

Raketa has been around since 1961, when it was launched to celebrate the first-ever manned space flight of Yuri Gagarin. Since then the brand has kept its eyes on the stars. Yet none of its timepieces reflects this passion for the cosmos quite like the Copernicus. The model is named after Nicolaus Copernicus, a Renaissance astronomer and polymath, famous for creating the first model of the universe with the Sun, instead of Earth, at its center. First launched in the 1980s, the Copernicus pays tribute to the Polish astronomers discovery in a rather unique way. This special edition model gives a beautifully executed makeover to the current production model.Avant-Garde Soviet designRaketas desi...

It is very to look at the Glashtte Original PanoReserve and not think of the Lange 1, a watch made in the same village. Its the elephant in the room, and I want it out of here as soon as possible. The Lange 1 debuted in 1994 and its most striking feature, the large date, was shaped after the digital clock in the Semper Oper in Dresden. The PanoReserve also has a large date that is called Panoramadatum. The watches also share an asymmetric dial layout with two separate dials for the time and running seconds plus a power reserve indicator. Luckily there are also a lot of differences between the GO and Lange watches so lets focus on that from now on.One of the most important differences betwee...

When you read the reviews and articles on Fratello Watches, Im sure you have probably seen us talk about stainless steel watches. I mean, its tough to get away from steel, as its the most commonly used metal for watch cases and bracelets. Its a relatively affordable metal that offers excellent strength compared to its price to produce it. Sadly, as with anything in life, its not just that simple. There are different types of stainless steel, each with its own pros and cons. You may have seen us classify different watches as using 316L or 904L steel. The thing is, what does that mean? What is the difference between 316L and 904L stainless steel?First things first, what is it?Technically stain...