The third time s a charm, or so they say. R&B take to the ice in an effort to help the NHL rename its four woefully-monikered divisions while attaching watch sponsors that reflect each lineup s unique character for good measure.We briefly touch on NFL free agency, with some big moves deserving a mention, which resulted in us slipping into a weird would you rather bit that pitted the career (thus far) of Carson Wentz against that of Dolphins legend Dan Marino. This podcast player is blocked because you did not accept marketing cookies. Change cookie settings The recently renamed NHL divisions get the Balazs treatment, walking away from this awesome episode with some much better titles...

Every so often, a watch comes along that shakes up the establishment. Ok, it s a very small corner of the watch world that we re discussing here, but nonetheless… The Synchron Military is here and it s not without controversy.On our last podcast about vintage dive watches, Balazs and I briefly discussed the brand new Synchron Military and the stir it had already created on its first day of release. We envisioned a Biggie vs. Tupac style watch beef complete with posses and tough talk. Frankly, we weren t all that off course. There have been shots fired with Synchron gaining a first mover advantage over a larger related, yet unrelated brand. If you came here just to read a watch review, ...

In our Sunday Morning Showdown, two of our writers go head-to-head in an epic showdown for the ages. Strong opinions and hysterical hyperbole are welcome (so feel free to join in with the fun in the comments section below). And dont forget to let us know which watches youd like to see torn to shreds/effusively exalted next week. Well try and feature as many of our readers choices as we can. This week we line up two modern luxury steel sports watches from the mind of Gerald Genta. The Royal Oak is one of Genta s pioneering designs, while the Octo Finissimo continued his legacy when Bvlgari acquired his eponymous brand. Which one would integrate into your life?Like Hansel in Zoolander, modern ...

Balazs and Mike come with the latest episode of Fratello on Air and discuss their favorite vintage dive watches. For a couple of watch crazies who live inland, you ll see that they have a lot of live for these beasts of the deep.On an earlier episode, we discussed our most cherished chronographs. It s hard to say which watch genre is our favorite, but there s no doubt that vintage dive watches vie for top spot. There are just so many great models out there. Super Compressors, Submariners, Seamasters, oh my! You ll hear about which models we chose and why. Then, we touch on a couple modern stand-ins and even throw out some budget friendly vintage options. You won t want to miss this week s sa...

Welcome, one and all, to the first round proper of March Mania 2021, here on Fratello. Are you a watch maniac like we are? If so, you re sure to love our month-long feature. 96 watches reviewed last year line up for a battle royale like nothing that s gone before. We need your votes. We want your comments. Help us decide the champion and share in its glory! Let the games commence…In this first round proper, your task is a bit different from your task in the preliminaries. Below you will find the eight remaining timepieces of each of our Fratello competitors in four head-to-head contests of two timepieces. The seedings in the preliminaries dictate the match-ups. So it s number 1 vs. num...

We like to talk about vintage watches a lot within the Fratello team. While the daily routine is largely focused on the most recent developments in the world of watches, the most fun for many of us lies in the world of yesteryear. Its 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 priceless; some of them still affordable. But all of them are remarkable watches. In this third installment, we will take a look at the best Breitling watches from the 1950s.The best Breitling watches from the 1950s? What does that actually mea...

Are you a watch maniac like we are? If so, you re sure to love our month-long feature. 96 watches reviewed last year line up for a battle royale (with cheese) like nothing that s gone before. We need your votes. We want your comments. Welcome to our first round proper of March Mania 2021, here on Fratello.In this first round proper, your task is a bit different from your task in the preliminaries. Below you will find the eight remaining timepieces of each of our Fratello competitors in four head-to-head contests of two timepieces. The seedings in the preliminaries dictate the match-ups. So it s number 1 vs. number 8, number 2 vs. number 7, number 3 vs. number 6, and number 4 vs. number 5. Vo...

Okay, I m going to keep this short, because Oris, for some unknown reason, has decided to release an absolutely drop-dead gorgeous watch with just three images. Normally I would wait until more become available, but I just can t contain myself. I wanted to be one of the first to share this with you because I think the new Oris Aquis Date cherry dial dive watch is an absolute beaut and deserves a lot more attention than the three images I currently have at my disposal seem likely to get it alone.You know we love Oris as a team. However, within that team, there are three distinct camps. There are the pilots, the traditionalists, and the divers. I am in the latter camp despite not being qualifi...

Hooray for pilots! Thanks to them, we get to talk about Pilot s watches. Oris, one of our favorite brands here at Fratello, has just dropped a new addition to the Propilot range. It was released earlier this week and brings a sumptuous shade of green to the lineup. In my mind, this is a very current, on-trend release, and a nice limited edition in conjunction with a fine organization.On March 9th, Oris announced a new partnership with the Tactical Leadership Programme (TLP). The TLP is an elite pilot training school based in Albacete, Spain. It has been around since the late seventies and concerns itself with preparing NATO-allied coalition forces worldwide tactical air operations. Unsurpris...

The discussion of genderless watches has never been stronger than it is now. Whether it s because of the articles or current political and social trends impacting each industry, the conversation appears here to stay. Will the concept of a genderless watch industry revolutionize the way we see and wear watches? Personally, I hope not. I don t see gendered design as problematic as long as the right to choose remains.How can we treat all sexes more inclusively and realistically? In a world where people express themselves through social media, different styles, and choices, authorized dealers and brands need to reorganize the brick-and-mortar store experience. A genderless merchandising model is...

Weve been fortunate enough to spend some real hands-on time with the new MING 27.02 and now its time for a proper review. Before we get to that-As this review kicks off, I am sure there are quite a few of you who are asking, why do a review on a watch that no one can buy anymore? Yes, when the MING 27.02 was announced in January with a list price of CHF 4,950, the 200-piece run sold out in mere minutes during two subsequent offerings. So, again, why write this article? Quite simply, its the third MING watch that Ive held and, therefore, Id like to give my impressions.More importantly, though, there are 200 people out there who put their money on a watch they wont see until at least November ...

Welcome, one and all, to round three of the first round proper of March Mania 2021, here on Fratello. Are you a watch maniac like we are? If so, you re sure to love our month-long feature. 96 watches reviewed last year line up for a battle royale like nothing that s gone before. We need your votes. We want your comments. Help us decide the champion and share in its glory! Let the games commence…In this first round proper, your task is a bit different from your task in the preliminaries. Below you will find the eight remaining timepieces of each of our Fratello competitors in four head-to-head contests of two timepieces. The seedings in the preliminaries dictate the match-ups. So it s n...

This month, NOMOS released its new limited edition watch. The NOMOS Club Automatic 175 Years of Watchmaking. Whats new for the Club Automatic 175 Years of Watchmaking Limited Edition? Is this Nomos the best everyday watch you can get? Or perhaps this timepiece was designed for beginner watch enthusiasts?Obviously, this NOMOS Club Automatic celebrates 175 years of watchmaking in Glashtte. German s finest watchmaking takes place in this little village, and it is also home to the German Watch Museum. In case you haven t been there yet, make sure you do!Nomos – The Best Everyday Watch?Where Nomos is known for its Bauhaus-inspired style, the new Club Automatic Limited Edition has an even m...

As well you may know, I have unintentionally become a fervent collector of meca-quartz chronographs. I didn t mean to. Honestly, I never set out to make this my goal. I m not even sure how I ended up with more than ten of them (and counting) in my collection. Perhaps I am a slave to the times. Or maybe there is something going on with this vibrant segment of the market that makes it a great place for new brands like Furlan Marri to make some serious hay…I ll get this out of the way right at the top. I am not suggesting meca-quartz watches are the penny stocks of the watch industry. Honestly, as awesome as I think these pieces are as objects, I do not regard them to be or imagine them t...

What do I mean by holidays will never be boring again? Am I crazy? You re damn right I m crazy. Crazy about watches. Do you know the worst thing about going on holiday? And I m talking even worse than knowing the four-star hotel your girlfriend insisted on visiting cost the same as a new watch (or whatever percentage of whatever Speedmaster I m lusting over that week). Worse than that unbearable woe is not being able to take enough watches on holiday with me. Thanks to the Bosphorus Leather watch trunk, that will no longer be a problem.I ve decided I m going to just buy my underwear when I get there and bin it before I leave. Who needs boxer shorts when you ve got 30 watches in your trunk? N...

During 2020, my watch rotation was different than a typical year. One of the significant factors was remote working from home, but also other reasons seeped in. Due to the combination of these situations, one watch became my predominant wrist companion and even accompanied me on my limited but worthwhile vacation time over the past year. That watch was the IWC Aquatimer Chronograph Edition Expedition Charles Darwin.But why this IWC in particular? And what led me to it? Let s dive in and find out.The hunt for bronze treasureIn 2014, IWC presented the overhauled Aquatimer collection during SIHH. At the time, then-CEO Georges Kern had a preference for renewing single model lines each year. Amon...

I don t know if you ve noticed, but there s been a bit of a tug of war going on in the watch industry for some time. There is a constant struggle between the traditionalists and the revolutionaries. This struggle can take many forms. It is a war fought on many battlefields. No part of the watch world or the watch itself is safe. One week it will be a fight over brand transparency. The next week someone will be touting the merits of silicon hairsprings. Every so often, a new brand comes along determined to have some fun with the stuffy old institution we call sanctuary. The results can be challenging for both supporters and detractors. But, whatever you make of brands like Studio Underd0g, it...

Welcome, one and all, to the first round proper of March Mania 2021, here on Fratello. Are you a watch maniac like we are? If so, youre sure to love our month-long feature. 96 watches reviewed last year line up for a battle royale like nothing thats gone before. We need your votes. We want your comments. Help us decide the champion and share in its glory! Let the games commence-In this first round proper, your task is a bit different from your task in the preliminaries. Below you will find the eight remaining timepieces of each of our Fratello competitors in four head-to-head contests of two timepieces. The seedings in the preliminaries dictate the match-ups. So its number 1 vs. number 8, nu...

Despite its announcement and release, the final 99 pieces of this limited edition watch from Louis Erard, are not expected to reach their forever homes until November. Why will it take so long? Well, quality takes time. To be precise, it takes a month to produce 15 dials for the Louis Erard Excellence email Grand Feu.Usually, we conclude that a watch looks much bigger than its real specs. Honestly, the Louis Erard Excellence email Grand Feu looks smaller than it actually is. At least in the pictures, as we cant yet share a hands-on experience with this new 42mm beauty. I?have to say that given this design, it is truly a?generous diameter.Louis Erard email Grand FeuI?am a?true fan of Louis Er...

A watch with a 42+mm case size is considered large even by today s standards. This year Montblanc is reviving one of Minerva s vintage models, an astonishing 46mm timepiece. The 1858 Monopusher Chronograph Origins Limited Edition comes in a bronze case. However, this is not what s so spectacular about this watch.The Montblanc 1858 Monopusher Chronograph Origins Limited Edition pays tribute to the heritage of Minerva. They do this by taking inspiration from a 1930 s timepiece that housed an iconic Minerva caliber: the 19-9CH.?HistoryBefore we take a closer look at the brand-new Montblanc 1858 Monopusher Chronograph Origins Limited Edition, let s talk a bit about its inspiration. The original ...