I like big clocks and I cannot lie. The French antique comtoise clock hanging in my parents house, for instance. But also the highly decorated table clock my grandmother left me and that has found a place in the bookshelf. And if I had the budget for it C and the matching design house on the coast but that is a different matter C I would give the Jaeger-LeCoultre Atmos in Marc Newson design a prominent spot. And since the Ulysse Nardin UFO table clock landed on my Fratello desk, I also put it on my imaginary list. Another great thing: I felt like Indiana Jones when I uncrated the UFO.The Ulysse Nardin UFO table clock (Ref. 9023-900LE-3A-BLUE) is spectacular in every way. Even the box it come...
I ll just come out and say it. There is no chronograph in the world that I love more than the tri-color Zenith El Primero! An irreverent statement coming from a writer at Fratello, I know. After all, it s no secret that we love our Speedies around here. However, an absolute, exclusive enthusiasm for the Omega icon is actually not a necessity. And personally, there is just no other chronograph that speaks to me the way the tri-color El Primero does.Known these days as the Chronomaster, everything about the watch just does it for me. From its history as the world s first high-frequency automatic chronograph in 1969 to its unmistakable blue and gray sub-dials, the watch rings both my intellectu...
Our December 2019 Watch Strap Review featured a small brand from icy Minnesota, Velle Alexander. At the time, the name represented nothing more than a passionate young man doing what he does best in the corner of his small Minneapolis apartment. A lot has changed since 2019, and Velle Alexander is now an established watch strap brand. It would only make sense to revisit Alex, look at his new goods and talk about what has changed over the past two years since we last met.Dont worry; we will be back with some fresh new makers next month for those interested in new ateliers. At the same time, we will also add another country to the Watch Strap Review map. Until then, however, lets look at the a...
Of course, the number of G-Shock Square variations is almost endless. But in my opinion, the ones closest to the original DW-5000C from 1983 are the most significant. Their modest appearance never gets old. In the current line-up, the closest aesthetic corollary would be reference GW-M5610 and, when it comes to the technical side of things, the GW-5000 could be seen as the closest successor. A combination of those two, in my opinion, would be a perfect re-edition or homage to the original DW-5000C, but that s something for another day.While most of us enjoyed the summer holidays, G-Shock slyly updated the module of the aforementioned important Square models. In this article, I ll use the GW-...
In watchmaking, branding matters. Having a clear message and an easily communicable public persona is essential for success. But founding a brand without any heritage to point to is tough sledding. That is why it is more common today than would have been comprehensible 30 years ago, to find old names being bought by or transferred to new owners with a vision of reshaping that brand into something entirely new for the modern world. Weve seen this happen many times with varying degrees of success. Brands like Czapek, Vertex, and Fears have all gone this route. For todays case study, however, were going to take a look at the remarkable rise of H. Moser & Cie. and assess how a brand went fro...
Its been almost three weeks since Geneva Watch days, but that does not mean that there isnt anything left to cover from the events releases. Amongst the novelties revealed, the Frederique Constant Highlife Automatic Skeleton was one that certainly caused quite an impression. Skeleton dials and movements have been around for many a moon, and can sometimes come across as gimmicky. Especially when found in more affordable brands, where these gaps in the dial and movement reveal nothing more than a humble undecorated movement. However, this is not the case in these two new additions to Frederique Constants collection. Here, the stylized world pattern on the dial of the Highlife models is reinven...
Was it close? Really? Was it ever going to be? The Tudor Black Bay .925 and the Doxa Sub 300 promised much and delivered a fair helping of competition for the ultimately victorious Omega Seamaster 300M, but did they split the anti-Omega vote too far? I guess we ll never know, but we do know this: after almost one month of voting and jawing, we have our summer supremo: RJ walks away with the title as the much-fancied Omega Seamaster 300M storms to the title.I also won too: way back in the first round I promised to eat my collection of baseball caps (nay,?all hats) if the Seamaster 300M finished anywhere but the first position in this competition. I m not so much crowing as I am breathing a HU...
Its been a long time coming, but now that the madness of Geneva Watch Days has died down and the Summer Splash competition approaches its close, its time to announce the winner of the Peren Hintz, generously donated to Fratello by brand founder Andy Bica.The question we asked was inspired by the Hintzs unusual color combination. I wanted to know which colors youd like to see used together in watchmaking. The most creative answers really leaped off the page at me, so I thought, as usual, I would include the top four runners up alongside the winner, whose identity you will learn at the bottom of the page-Lets not end this discussion here. If you have some more thoughts on color combos that don...
Let s face it. Here at Fratello we mainly cover serious watches. From Audemars-Piguet to Zenith, as long as serious watchmaking - and preferably a bit of brand history - is involved, it gets our attention. But a totally different watch universe exists. And it might be that, in numbers, more people dwell in this universe than in those of traditional Swiss, German, or Japanese watchmaking. Watches in this segment don t aim to be serious; their goal is to bring you lighthearted fun (as well as the time).The Casio PAC-MAN Collaboration Model A100WEPC is indisputably a fun watch. No technical high-end aspirations, just a good vibe. In fact, six of the Fratelli ordered one. Unfortunately - to da...
Its always a good day when something new and exciting drops into our inbox from the team over at MB&F. After it finally revealed HM10 Panda for Only Watch on Monday (check out our article about the HM10 Panda right here!), today, the Swiss masters of the eccentric have announced another Piece Unique that is going to auction, all in the name of charity: the MB&F Legacy Machine 1 Longhorn.The interestingly named watch is a special version of the brands iconic Legacy Machine 1, built to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the LM1. Theres a twist, though. The Longhorn is based on one of the very first prototypes developed a decade ago, when the LM1 first came to life. Pretty cool, huh?The ...
We like to talk about vintage watches a lot within the Fratello team. Though most of what we write about is primarily focused on the most recent releases and developments, for many of us, a lot of the fun can be found in the sometimes weird and often wonderful world of vintage watches. It s a world full of history, remarkable watches, incredible stories, and quirky details. It inspired us to come up with a series of articles focusing on the best watches per decade from a select group of brands. Some of them are priceless, some of them still affordable. In this installment, we will take a look at the best Seiko watches from the 1990s.This week we will continue our journey through watch histor...
After being quite impressed by the Ulysse Nardin Diver Lemon Shark when it first came out back in June, I was excited to get hands-on with it. I wasnt sure what to expect. It was cool, but I didnt instantly love it. There had been a bit of concern among the community that no matter how good the watch might look, it could never live up to its price tag thanks to the movement powering it inside, but more on that later. Despite this, I was looking forward to experiencing the Ulysse Nardin Diver Lemon Shark for what it was.I finally got my chance to handle the watch back at the start of August at Fratello HQ. Having hopped on a plane and gotten to The Hague, I had to hot step it over to get a CO...
Let there be light! Lume is often referred to because of its functional properties. But there is something magical about it. Not too long ago, I was researching the best Heuer/TAG Heuer watches from the 1980s. During that quest, I was reminded of the brilliance of the brand s full lume dial diving watches from the 1980s. On top of that, our Fratello master of lume Lex wears his Chronoswiss Timemaster with a full lume dial regularly. It triggered me to find out more about the brilliance of lume dials and put the spotlight on some of the best lume watches. Fiat lux!At first, the idea was to select the best full lume dial watches from the past and the present. But during the research for this a...
The concept of a beater watch can mean different things to different people, but I think we can all agree that the essential part of the brief means that the watch has to handle the rough and tumble of everyday life. We often get asked about the top beater watches at specific price points and, while we have our own opinions, it s very subjective.However, it can be interesting to learn about each others recommendations as sometimes you can learn about a real gem that you may never have heard about before. I hope that you might find something new and interesting on this list! So, without further ado…Doxa Sub 200 Whitepearl - From $950Doxa is a well-known and well-documented brand with a...
Omega is surprising each and everyone with the new Speedmaster Chronoscope collection, and it s not even a (Speedy) Tuesday. It is also the introduction of a new movement for the Speedmaster, caliber 9908. A hand-wound two-register movement that has been Master Chronometer certified.The first thing to notice about this new 43mm Omega Speedmaster Chronoscope are the scales on the dial and the applied Arabic numerals. We have two of the new models here, the silver dialed reference 329.30.43.51.02.001 and the blue dial reference 329.30.43.51.03.001. Chronoscope is not a new name indeed, in case it sounds familiar to you. Omega has used it before, for its De Ville collection. Fun fact: Buzz Aldr...
Wrist Game or Crying Shame is here again and it s time to have a look at the Tudor Heritage Chrono. This is the watch that brought Tudor back in the game, but will you let it play? Before we answer that question…Last week, I showed you a discontinued delicacy with the Seiko Spring Drive Tuna. You gobbled up that ahi with a convincing 67% and hoisted it to a 67% Wrist Game win. This week, with the Tudor Heritage Chrono, we look at a watch that has just begun its second decade completely unchanged. Whether Tudor just plain forgot about this watch or if this watch soldiers on because it s so good is a topic for another day. Today, we re here to hear a little yarn from me about this watch ...
The Datejust is arguably the most recognizable luxury watch in the world. The combination of a Cyclops, fluted bezel, and Jubilee bracelet are symbols of luxury that even the untrained eye will spot instantly. For once, calling this watch an icon is an understatement. But is the Datejust an exciting watch? Well, its not as prestigious as the flagship Day-Date, and it also lacks the raw sex-appeal of the Submariner. Based on that observation you could call the Datejust neither fish nor fowl, bland, and even boring. But can you really do that?I know one guy that will completely disagree with me when I say the Datejust is a boring watch. That guy is Thomas van Straaten who very recently wrote...
One of the best watches of this year comes courtesy of Louis Erard. Or better, series of watches. The Le Triptyque Louis Erard x Alain Silberstein is the perfect example of how a collaboration between two brands can lead to spectacular results. Fresh of the success of that partnership, Louis Erard today introduces the next collaboration timepiece. Together with atelier o?? the brand has developed the Le Regulateur Louis Erard x atelier o?. This conceptual timepiece takes Louis Erard s collaboration series to the next level.The challenge with conceptual timepieces is how to integrate a concept into a practical instrument like a wristwatch? That is why many of the conceptual timepieces we ofte...
Grab a coffee and take a seat. This is an epic tale of love and lubrication…There is a term in the video gaming world that I ve hijacked for my own use: completionist. While my most avid period of gaming waned with Bubsy the Bobcat s popularity, I ve rarely come across a better description of my character. Apparently, a completionist relishes completing every minute aspect of a computer game. I suppose that means visiting every town on the map, talking to all interactive characters, collecting all the jelly beans, or whatever the tasks may be. In real life, taking the same habits to the extreme would be, shall we say, a bit odd, but I must admit my experience with NOMOS Glashtte is st...
Unless you re fairly well-versed in high horology, producing sports watches is probably the last endeavor you d imagine F.P. Journe pursuing. The living-legend watchmaker, known for his classically styled horological treasures, may seem far too highbrow for such preposterous tomfoolery (even if his cases are slightly larger than average). However, if high horology brands Girard-Perregaux, L.U. Chopard, Audemars Piguet, Vacheron Constantin, A. Lange & S?hne, and Patek Philippe have all taught us one common lesson, what is it?That s right - every manufacture de Haute Horlogerie needs an integrated-bracelet sports watch! For real though, sarcastic jokes aside, it often doesn t hurt to have ...
