And with the start of the new year, there is always the first watch to arrive on your desk. This year it was something new and rather funky. Upon opening the box, the bright green catches your attention instantly, followed by some odd shapes. Hello Formex Essence ThirtyNine.To me, this brand is new and Ive never had one in my hands before. And to be totally honest, at first sight, there was quite a lot going on. The bright green dial and interrupted bezel are the first things to notice and the latter is not something I generally like. However, after spending a bit of time with the Formex ThirtyNine and understanding the method behind its odd visage, I started to come around to the technology...

As the new year begins, so too does the machine that is the wonderful world of watches. I hope everyone had a good break over Xmas and New Year. We saw very little in terms of new releases and news over the break, but slowly life begins again, and we have a few bits and pieces to talk about today!Top of the list has to be the almighty Omega debuting the much-hyped and worst kept secret: the new Moonwatch. At Fratello, we are big on all things Speedy, so you can imagine how excited we were! One of my favorite silhouettes from Zenith also received a facelift - I like what the brand has been doing with the Chronomaster revivals of late! Our good friends at Ace Jewellers Amsterdam are also back ...

I ve had this watch in my possession for months longer than planned. We get sent a lot (and I really do mean a lot) of watches to assess, and sometimes it takes us a little bit of time to get to them. When it came to the Bangalore Watch Company Mach 1A, I was hit by alternating waves of enthusiasm and unenthusiasm, which made for a stunted reviewing experience. Eventually, however, I got it on my wrist and spent a few uninterrupted days putting it through its paces. Read on for my likes and dislikes of this, the flagship pilot s watch from India s most ambitious new brand.Somewhere inside of me, there s a guy that likes pilot s watches. He doesn t pop his head above the parapet very often, b...

It wasn t until last year that I became aware of Forstner. Since that day, my watch-wearing habits changed. Truthfully (and this is no word of a lie), my newfound obsession has even affected my buying habits. How can that be possible, I hear you ask? Well, read on and discover how the Forstner Flat Link, Klip, and especially the Komfit bracelets have changed my hobby for the better.I m not a bracelet guy. At least, that s what I tell people. If they, like you and I, are the kind of people that even understand what I mean, you can imagine that the first thing they ll do upon hearing such a definitive statement is to check my wrist. I must admit that if they were to do that today, yesterday, o...

Panerai has come a long way since its watches were first made available to the public in 1993. While the Italian powerhouse overawed the market with large, steel watches with hand-wound movements, Panerai has turned into a highly innovative Swiss manufacture.Last year, Panerai was one of the few watch brands we were able to meet in person (during the Geneva Watch Days in August). And the staff of the brand s Geneva boutique had a lot to show us, as Watches & Wonders (the successor of SIHH) was only done digitally. Now, I love a lot of things digital-only, but discovering new watches is something I would always rather do in the real world.One of last year s Panerai novelties is this Paner...

Meet the new Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch, with a new movement. The new Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch has the caliber 3861 Master Chronometer movement, a new case, dial, and case back. In this article, you read everything there s to know about the new Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch.I am super excited, as today is a very special (Speedy) Tuesday, as Omega announces its successor to the Speedmaster Moonwatch that has been in the collection since 1996. Bringing an update to an all-time classic needs to be done with care, and that s exactly what Omega did. They took their time and updated the bits and pieces that everyone felt needed an update (the bracelet comes to mind). Besides that, Omega included...

I was hunting down the Nivada Grenchen Wanderer for a few years. And, as life usually goes, it came at a time and place I least expected. It literally found me.? I?think it was mostly the unusual off-proportion bezel/dial design and the mechanical alarm complication that sparked my attention. Interestingly enough, it looks like a standard three-hander with quite a generic dial, but the extra hand and crazy bezel magnetized me. If I?tried hard to formulate the magic spell that the watch has upon me, I?would call it a strange mix of carefully contrasting design codes.Nivada Wanderer surpriseWhere to start? If it was only a clean dial, I would call it a day and forget the watch. But the bezel s...

Could Unimatic have done any better in 2020? That was the question I asked myself when I received an e-mail in the second week of December announcing the new Unimatic Modello Quatro U4-A. Two weeks before the year ended, the brand added another model to the rapidly-expanding line-up of Unimatic models. But the Modello Quattro is not just another addition. It s a completely new model that combines familiar looks with surprising new design details. So yes, 2020 could become even better for the brand as it turns out.In 2020 we saw a string of interesting releases from Unimatic. The Milan-based brand started by Giovanni Moro and Simone Nunziato has showered us with a great variety of watches thi...

It s that time again! Alon and Rob catch-up over the phone for Episode 32 of Fratello On Air. A relatively snappy show (at just under 40 minutes), focuses on what it s like to own and wear a Bvlgari Octo Finissimo Automatic watch among other things…Alon Ben Joseph has been a Bvlgari dealer for six years. He s been a Bvlgari owner, however, for three. He finally decided to pull the trigger on a model from the famous Italien brand when the Bvlgari Octo Finissimo Automatic (in titanium and on a titanium bracelet) was released at Baselworld 2017. Now, three years on, Rob wants to know what he makes of it. This podcast player is blocked because you did not accept marketing cookies. Change ...

Welcome to the first Wrist Game or Crying Shame of 2021 and we re starting things off with a look at the TAG Heuer Tiger Woods Professional Golf watch. But first…I ended 2020 with a watch from with an anti-magnetic personality. The Milgauss attracted a 69% Wrist Game vote along with some pretty heavy criticism. Folks called it portly, a weak performer, and hardly deserving of its professional-grade nomenclature. This week, we have an incredibly focused watch up for your voting pleasure. Enter the TAG Heuer Tiger Woods Professional Golf watch. I have a prediction on how this will go, but much like a Tiger Woods tournament entry these days, you just never know if it will end in a DNQ or...

Yesterday was the big day for Speedmaster fans all around the world! The introduction of the new Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch Master Chronometer.Four new models basically, two steel variations and two in gold. You can read all about the new Moonwatch here. Rob and I decided to host a podcast on the new Moonwatch and answer some of the hottest questions we ve read in the comments and on social media. This podcast player is blocked because you did not accept marketing cookies. Change cookie settings Our Fratello on Air podcast is also available via Buzzsprout,?Soundcloud,?Apple Podcast,?Google Podcast,?Deezer,??Stitcher, and?Spotify.Speedmaster Moonwatch Master ChronometerRob and RJ dis...

Today, I m taking?a closer look?at the current? line-up?and picking out what I consider design flaws. My selection is subjective, but I cannot be the only one who has looked at a modern and thought, It would be better if-.?I am not attempting to be an armchair designer and fully appreciate I am not the only customer base.?However,?sometimes, a particularly model is showered with praise,?yet?I cannot shake the sense of Emperors new clothes syndrome. There is even a chance to vote and share your voice in the comments section?below, so?lets?get the debate going.?Firstly, you might be wondering why I am deciding to kick-off the New Year in a slightly negative connotation. Hasnt there been enou...

I ve been looking forward to this for a while. Last year, I mooted the possibility of running a regular watch giveaway on Fratello and now, right at the start of 2021, I m pleased to say that dream has finally come to fruition. Thanks to the generosity of Zelos, we have a brand new Zelos Nova 38mm watch with a silver linen dial to give away to one of our lucky readers. Interested? Read on to find out how this watch could be yours…I ve been working in and around the watch industry since 2003. In the past 18 years, there is one thing I have never, ever tired of: free stuff. Unfortunately for the growth of my immense stash of watch freebies, we have a slightly different policy here at Fra...

Welcome to the new year… 2021. Doesnt it sound good and roll off of the tongue nicely? It certainly sounds better than the sorry excuse for a year that was 2020, right? I hope you all had a lovely break over the Christmas and New Year period. I know I did! I got a chance to reacquaint myself with the great outdoors and spend some time hiking in the absolute middle of nowhere. Theres something about removing oneself from the daily grind and spending time in the wild. No people, no cars, no nothing. Just the sounds of the odd sheep, bird, or the wind.Now, in this kind of environment, it can get muddy, wet, and a little dangerous for a watch. Some places I visit involve scrambling up and ...

Finally! I have kept my eye on the awkwardly bold Ball designs for quite some time. And, at long last, I got the chance to see how the H3 micro gas tubes glow in real life. I chose the GMT model with the Pepsi bezel - the Ball Roadmaster Vanguard. If you have ever tried to take a lume shot, you know very well that the actual intensity is easy to cheat on in a photo. Many lume shots we see show amazingly glowing dials. It can really suck you in. Sometimes, people base their purchase decision on just that. And then they receive the watch. Sadly, reality often lags way behind expectations. Its simple. You just set a longer exposure time on a camera and the result will be super bright lume. So t...

We travel back to the 1970s and take a look at the wild-looking Seiko 7015-6010 Time Sonar Chronograph. Buckle up and enjoy the ride!When it comes to vintage Seiko chronographs, most collectors focus heavily on either the 6138 or 6139 pieces. These were the big runners that kicked off everything for Seiko. After all, it was the 6139 that arrived on the scene in 1969 alongside the other automatic chronograph pioneers. However, there s more to life than these fantastic pieces. Similar to the three-handed watches, it turns out that Seiko s Daini (second) factory was up to its usual antics. This meant that they were competing with the Suwa factory (the home of those 6138 and 6139 pieces) and cre...

This isn t exactly a new watch. Bvlgari introduced it as the Diagono in 1998, an aluminum watch with a quartz movement. Later on, more models were added, including chronographs with automatic movements.Late last August, in Geneva, Bvlgari introduced the Bvlgari Aluminium chronograph reference 103383. Just a few days before, Bvlgari gave me the Aluminium chronograph to wear. I have been wearing this watch on and off, and today I am sharing my thoughts about this watch with you. Let s have a closer look at this watch, meant for millennials (as can be seen in this video).Bvlgari Aluminium chronographOn the one hand, Bvlgari being so clear about its target audience rules me out for this watch. I...

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. After the last Bond match up, we return with a second one. One that matches up two lesser talked about Bond watches… So let s rev up the Aston Martin once more and discuss the Omega Seamaster Diver 300M James Bond vs. Omega Seamaster Aqua Terra.It was only last week we had our inaugural Bond bust-up...

Are you afraid I got heatstroke? Well, who hasnt these days… The moment I bumped into A Perfectly Useless Afternoon Watch, I fell in love. Despite the fact its a quartz watch. The amazing lugs and a witty dial are a great reminder to overheat from all the hard work and to just have an easy time during this exhausting period. Lets take a break.When I met my wife, she already had two watches in what has since become a bulging collection. The first one was (and still is) a Cartier Tank. The other one was a funky quartz watch by Mr. Jones Watches that she fell in love with during her studies in London. I said WAS, because since weve moved to our new place, we are not really sure of its whe...

My fondness for the Laventure brand is, by now, probably well-known. I ve been an avid supporter of Clement Gaud and his watches since I first stumbled across the Laventure Marine on Kickstarter what feels like an eternity ago (it was actually June 2017). Buying off (mostly) renders as I was then, I had no way of knowing what kind of product I would receive. Would it live up to the lofty expectations its uncommonly high price tag had unavoidably fostered, or would it fall short and be consigned to the ranks of what if? As I ve expressed ad nauseam, the former bore out. My satisfaction with the green-dialed Marine (I snagged the last one available, ha!) made the decision to buy the next model...