Can you make the really well-balanced minimalist NOMOS designs bigger without losing their edge? As it turns out, you can. I had a chance to go hands-on with the all-new Nomos Glashtte Metro Neomatik 41 Update that was introduced during Watches & Wonders 2021. The watch sees an update to the in-house DUW 6101 movement, and as a result, the brand had to increase the size of the Metro Neomatik. It s an increase that turns out to be a great update, and it s why the name could not have been chosen any better.Straight out of the gates, I have to say that I love NOMOS Glashtte, which might not come as a surprise. I have loved design ever since I was young and worked in the world of design fo...
Rob and I talk about the big news from , Tudor, and Patek Philippe that was announced on the first day of Watches & Wonders.We discuss the new Explorer, Explorer II, Daytonas, and new Datejust dials in detail in this podcast. The responses were all over the place yesterday, and so are ours. A bit different for Tudor, with some proper new releases in silver and gold. And its new Black Bay Chronograph, of course. We have these watches in the Fratello offices for a closer look and will be publishing a hands-on review soon. Last but not least, we talk about the Patek Philippe Nautilus 5711 in steel, with a green dial. Will this really be the last Nautilus in steel, or will they keep it for ...
Arnold & Son drops some hard rock on its classy Ultrathin Tourbillon range. And just like the lyrics from any rousing heavy metal song, it includes references to mythical beasts. Within Arnold & Son s case are the Phoenix and the Dragon miniature sculptures that cast a foreboding shadow over the dial.Off-centered dials are nothing new to Arnold & Son. Its ancestral English watchmaker, John Arnold, famously crafted marine chronometers in the 18th Century. Marine chronometers typically split the functions to the north and south portions of the dials for legibility on the high seas. The movement itself stretches back to 2013. At that time, the hand-wound caliber A & S8200 was th...
Colors have become a bit of a thing in watchmaking over the last year or so. This is something I am very much for. Colors are fun, and watch collecting should also be equally as fun, therefore watch collecting should be colorful. I m not a mathematician, but that makes for a pretty compelling argument in my books! The new Zenith Spectrum series is a perfect example of this.Some brands have embraced this comeback with arms wide open, and Zenith has to be commended for being one such brand. The Swiss brand has happily used colors in various ways across its DEFY line in the past few years. We ve seen colored ceramic cases and different colored dials, and even movements. We ve mainly seen blues,...
The final we predicted from the quarter-final stage came to pass. The winner, however, was foreseen by few. Even those who have ardently supported the model from day one - Jorg, yours truly, the brand s good-humored CEO - doubted its ability to take down the behemoth that stood between it and the title. And yet, against massive odds, it did. Ladies, gentlemen, and trusty commenter Ron_W, I am stunned and thrilled to announce that your champion of Fratello s March Mania 2021 is the Czapek Antarctique Terre Adelie.I ve made no secret of my love for this model. Similarly, I ve made no secret of my obsession with fairness, vote ratification, and backend security (always advisable) in the run-up ...
To mark fifty plus one years of Tudor chronographs, the brand unveils the reworked Black Bay Chrono with a panda and a reverse panda dial. The Black Bay Fifty-Eight now also comes in a sterling silver and an 18-karat gold case with a see-through back.Black Bay ChronoThe first Oysterdate chronograph stems from 1970. Lets blame COVID-19 for not having had a massive birthday party last year and a new version of the Tudor Black Bay Chrono to mark the occasion. Having stalled the celebrations, Tudor could not stall any longer and has released the reworked Chrono this year. The Black Bay Chrono model combines diving and motorsport traditions in a chronograph with contrasting sub-counters and a fix...
Its more than 34 years since Chanel debuted with its first watch - Premiere. Today, the French luxury fashion Maison introduces four new models dubbed the Chanel Electro collection. When I look at this collection I can immediately see a strong reference to electronic music and culture. Lets have a look at the four timepieces constituting the Chanel Electro line.J12 Electro?I couldn t start with anything other than with the most recognizable watch Chanel has on its books - the J12. After 21 years of multifarious variations of the J12, today were witnessing another interesting shade of one of the industry s best-loved chameleons. This time polished black ceramic is given a shot of vitality by ...
Oriss Change for the Better campaign wants to make a difference. The company partners up with various nonprofit environmental organizations and clean-up movements that work around the world. Other than raising attention to these causes, Oris also releases beautiful timepieces, and through them, they support the project financially. Their new Oris Aquis Dat Watt Limited Edition is the next one in line.The companys latest project is with Common Wadden Sea Secretariat, a trilateral organization aiming to protect and conserve the Wadden Sea, the worlds most extensive unbroken tidal flat system. Oris s new watch is the latest in a line of timepieces dedicated to special marine life conservation p...
By now, you may have noticed I have a strong affection for Oris watches. For me, it kicked off with the Divers Sixty-Five that I purchased in 2015. For Oris, this vintage-inspired model was a crucible for the revitalization of the brand. From there, Oris has gone strength-to-strength. By releasing a myriad of limited-edition models, chronograph options, and recently the third bronze Carl Brashear edition with Calibre 401, Oris has certainly kept us on our toes. Today, Oris unveils a trio of bronze watches with surprising Cotton Candy color codes for its latest trick.The new Divers Sixty-Five Cotton Candy receives a complete Bronze treatment on the bezel, case, and bracelet. However, most app...
The most important introduction by Oris last year was the introduction of their own in-house produced Calibre 400. By doing so, the brand made a move that watch enthusiasts widely applauded. Over the last couple of months, we have seen Oris equip more and more watches with the in-house caliber. The newest introduction powered by Calibre 400 is the Oris AquisPro Date. With this new introduction, Oris has made their ProDiver part of the successful Aquis series, equipped it with an in-house movement and impressive stealthy appearance. Time to find out more.It was only last October that Oris introduced their Calibre 400. It seems like it was longer ago. But in this case, it is a good thing as we...
It s been a long time coming. Today TAG Heuer releases the new generation of their famous Aquaracer line with a bunch of refreshed models. The new Aquaracer Professional 300 offers a bold yet elegant contemporary look in a functional and versatile form.The new Aquaracer 300 Professional comes in several iterations. You can choose between steel or titanium and regular production models or limited editions. Lastly, the collection consists of ladies and gents watches as well.Look backThe Aquaracer s history started in 1978 with the iconic reference 844. That legendary diver had a distinct look with extensive lume-covered indexes, rotating divers bezel, and a red 24-hour scale. The watch had a...
One of the most coveted watches is the Cosmograph Daytona, and decided to spice up the gold references with some meteorite. Three new exclusive versions are being added to the Daytona collection.Now, the Daytona was exclusive already. Not only by its price tag but also by the very limited deliveries to its retailer network. But, the exclusive has an entirely different meaning when it comes to special materials such as meteorites. Any watch will be exclusive when there s a meteorite dial inside, but it becomes even more sought-after when there s Cosmograph Daytona on the dial. introduces new dial variants for its white gold, yellow gold, and Everose gold Daytona models. Daytona MeteoriteThe...
Okay, I know, I know, I know: everyone s going nuts over the green leafy dials. But the thing is, they aren t the big news from this release. I m not trying to be a contrarian, really, I m not. That s just the way I am. Last year, when the internet was melting down over the bright OP dials, I was banging the drum for the silver-dialed 36mm version. That aged pretty well if you ask me. Today, however, I m saying that texture triumphs over motif and that within this new Datejust capsule release there are two real stunners that could be populating wishlists for years and years to come…The leaves will come and go. The winds of change will blow them in and out of fashion at will. Texture, h...
Ceramic bezels, new dial colors, etc. A lot of predictions, assumptions, and guesses were made, but is taking it easy. As always. A new case profile and a new movement for the Explorer II 226570. What remained are the steel bezel, white & black dial options, and 42mm case size.Yesterday I wrote an article about value development on the previous Explorer II 216570 and 16570 models based on the rumors and (correct) assumptions there would be a new reference. We will find out what the effect is on the market value and demand for the previous models in a few weeks time. Let s first have a look at the new Explorer II 226570. The update of the Explorer II models is less significant than t...
The wait is finally over. We know the models has released for 2021 (so far, at least). The first one we re covering on Fratello is the 36mm yellow rolesor Explorer.Leaning heavily on the brand s association with Everest expeditions, the press material refers to the original size of the watches purportedly worn by Hilary and Norgay upon their successful 1953 summit of the world s tallest mountain. However, those watches were not the Explorer models they would go on to inspire. While it appears true that did furnish that legendary expedition with Oyster Perpetual watches, so too did British brand Smiths supply the climbers with timepieces. While several members of the team wore Oyster Perpe...
The latest Montblanc 1858 Geosphere Limited Edition 1858 falls into line with the other two recently released models, the Split-Second Chronograph LE 18 and the Monopusher Chronograph Origins. All of them are homage timepieces paying tribute to the rich military history of Minerva.?Montblanc created the new 1858 Geosphere Limited Edition 1858 to honor Reinhold Messners 2004 solo trek of 2000 km across the Gobi Desert. It was a five-week, unprecedented borderline experience that deserves a tribute.?Montblanc 1858 Geosphere Limited Edition 1858The Geosphere is one of Montblancs iconic models. With its two distinctive domed turning hemisphere globes, the watch is easily recognizable even from a...
We said it before here on Fratello, the people at Louis Moinet are true artists. They use their watches as a canvas to tell the greatest stories. The dial, the case, the movement, every element is part of that story. With their latest series of eight watches, Louis Moinet pays tribute to eight of the most incredible human achievements across the ages. Stating that the results are spectacular is an understatement.Whenever you get info on a series of eight one-of-a-kind creations, you know you re in for something special. After releasing the Race To The Moon series today, this is may well be even more impressive. This time, the incredibly skilled craftsmen and women at Louis Moinet have create...
I guess by now you ve heard of the Patek Philippe 5711. If not, let me brief you: basically, it is the modern stainless steel iteration of Gerald Genta s (other) classic. It is one of the most desirable sports watches on the planet. In all seriousness, any list without the Nautilus in the top ten is lying to you. It is so desirable, in fact, that Patek Philippe can command $30,400 for a new one. Better still, pre-loved dealers are seeing prices for the recently discontinued blue dial model approach quarter of a million smackers. That s a lot of cheddar for any mouse. However, if you can t be mithered mixing it with the plebs as they chase after the boring 5711, how about you park your Ferrar...
It seems not even Patek Philippe is immune to the olive green trend we ve seen sweep the industry in recent months. Following the high-profile discontinuation of the 5711 blue dial earlier this year, we knew something was just around the corner. This model, reference 5711/1A-014, is touted as the last of its kind. The last Nautilus of this generation, or so we believe. The question to you, dear Fratelli, is do you think that this olive green version is a fitting swan song for one of the industry s most enduring classics?The Patek Philippe Nautilus has undergone many subtle changes throughout its almost half-century of existence. Few iterations have been as beloved and well balanced as the 57...
Vacheron Constantin presents a strictly limited split-second chronograph (Rattrapante) as an addition to its Excellence Platine collection. The movement inside this watch is a modern interpretation of a classical Rattrapante movement with a number of enhancements, including a peripheral winding rotor. Almost every other part of this watch is made of platinum.Traditionelle Split-Seconds Chronographe Ultra-Thin Collection Excellence Platine is a strong contender for one of the longest names for a watch model. This name also is a funny mixture of French and English words. The French words Rattrapante and ultraplat the brand obviously considers too exotic for an international audience. Nonethele...
