The microbrand segment of the watch industry has evolved dramatically over the last decade. What once felt like a niche corner of the horology world has grown into a thriving ecosystem of small companies producing thoughtful, design-driven watches. Some focus on value, others on originality, and a few are beginning to push the boundaries of what a small brand can achieve. In this episode of Fratello Talks, Nacho, Daan, and RJ discuss the microbrands they believe are worth keeping an eye on in 2026. These arent necessarily brands that just released something big; rather, theyre the ones the trio expects might do something interesting in the year ahead. Before diving into the discussion, thoug...

The guys at Serica take their vintage-inspired designs very seriously. The brand s watches are all about the perfect proportions, high legibility, and great wearability. Up until now, a date window wasn t part of that equation. However, as representatives of many brands tell us, some people won t buy a watch unless it has a date window. So Serica s founders, Jer?me Burgert and Gabriel Vachette, went back to the drawing board. The result is a well-thought-through new reference. It s the new Serica 5330 Dive Chronometer.It might sound surprising, but until today, none of Serica s watches has featured a date window - not even the 8315 GMT. That means this wasn t an overnight decision. The integ...

One of my all-time favorite chronographs is the Breitling Top Time ref. 810. It s a stunning classic hailing from a long line of legendary reverse-panda chronographs that Breitling produced in the 50s and 60s. I could easily create a list of 5C10 of my Breitling favorites from that era, so when the brand announces a new chronograph based on one of its historic models, I am all ears. With the newest Superocean Heritage B01 Chronograph 42, Breitling pays homage to the SuperOcean ref. 807 from 1957. This classic diving chronograph is another favorite among collectors, so it s time to find out more.Allow me to go back to the Top Time ref. 810 for a minute. I wrote a passionate love letter to B...

Girard-Perregaux isn t waiting around for us to visit the upcoming April festivities in Geneva to release new watches. Instead, the legendary brand is getting a jump on the competition with an incredible introduction. Today, we look at an all-new in-house creation, the Minute Repeater Flying Bridges.Girard-Perregaux is one of those names that will always stick with me. My father purchased a high-frequency model in the early 70s during my parents honeymoon. Therefore, this lengthy Swiss concoction of a name has been familiar to me since I was a child, and I remain keen to see whatever the company releases. Well, if for some reason, I was asleep at the wheel, today s announcement has the mec...

Tell me, do you prefer bebop over cool jazz, fusion over hard bop, or are you more the swing type? No matter the answer, the top artists in any of these genres can be considered jazz masters. Now, please welcome to the stage the Hamilton Jazzmaster Quartz Octet! Eight watches in two sizes with six dial colors to choose from. But you cant choose the rhythm section. The new 40mm and 32mm Jazzmasters all have a quartz movement. Say what you will, but it guarantees tight, locked-in timekeeping. Take it away!The eight Hamilton Jazzmaster Quartz watches give me a swing vibe. Theyre clean and crispy, and although somewhat playful with color, theyre too clean to be labeled bebop. Theyre just more Wo...

Hublot regularly makes headlines. Most of the time, however, these headlines revolve around marketing and branding. A new superstar ambassador or a crazy limited edition is more likely to generate exposure than pure watchmaking prowess. Now, in part, this is down to Hublots doing. The house focuses on being radical, and it doesnt mind stepping on some toes in the process. However, I feel this all leads us to underestimate the maisons actual in-house movement manufacturing capabilities.So the idea arose for an interview with Hublot about watchmaking and nothing else. In a written conversation with the brands chief product officer, Sadry Keiser, we covered Hublots history in developing proprie...

Weve been following the horological adventures of Vincent Bonnaud (1991, France) since 2021, when he introduced his first BND dive watch. What caught my attention was that Vincent received a lot of praise for his BND watch from former ambassador and COMEX diver Theo Mavrostomos.Theo Mavrostomos wearing a BND watchSomeone who worked for COMEX for two decades and had a record for the deepest dive in 1992 (701 meters) probably knows what it takes for a dive watch to be credible. On top of that, Vincent received a note from?industry veteran Jean-Claude Biver, who shared his excitement for the BND watches.The BND Mk. 3 is here!The first two versionsBack in July 2021, we took a closer look at Vin...

Perhaps caught between a rock and a hard place is a bit of an exaggeration, but it seems that Jaeger-LeCoultre is trapped between status and prestige. A on the wrist is a status symbol, and a Patek Philippe is the prestigious choice. But what does a JLC on the wrist say about its owner? That the wearer knows a thing or two about watchmaking, that s what. People dont call the brand from Le Sentier The Watchmakers Watchmaker for nothing. What the JLC doesnt signal is status; its not flashy enough. Nor does it symbolize ultimate collectibility and prestige. How can JLC break free from a tight spot in the world of watches? We have a few ideas.Its not Jaeger-LeCoultres accomplishments that get i...

As we all know, the ever-increasing retail prices of watches have bumped some of our very favorite models to new heights. This also applies to the Omega Speedmaster (Professional). The new Speedmaster Professional Reverse Panda will set you back over $10k, the white-dial Speedmaster Craig White is $9k, and the standard version with the Hesalite crystal is rapidly approaching $8k.What if your budget doesnt allow you to go new?No worries if you can t or dont want to spend nearly $8k on a Speedmaster. There are plenty of alternatives out there on the secondary market, sometimes even for much less than the $5,000 stated. Just make sure you are aware of additional costs, such as customs/VAT or a ...

Welcome back to another episode of Fratello On Air! We re back (sort of) after more travels, and this week, we discuss the fallout that happens once a formerly unloved brand becomes popular. Call it sour grapes or wanting to keep something to oneself, but feel free to listen to our thoughts on the subject. Enjoy the show!This podcast player is blocked because you did not accept marketing cookies. Change cookie settings I m sure you know what it s like to be holding a secret. No, I don t mean the salacious kind, but when you know of something good that others are ignoring. Sometimes, it s the best song on a new album that hasn t been released. For this episode, though, we re here to talk ...

When it comes to luxury products, value is a somewhat contradictory term. After all, isnt the entire point that a luxury product offers something magical that transcends the mere function at the expense of affordability? Maybe so, but that doesnt mean there arent any sweet spots in the market. Some watches simply punch way above their weight. They offer unbeatable value and an opportunity to enjoy luxuries that may otherwise be out of reach.This is, however, highly subjective. You may not think of value the same way as I do, or you may value other things. My aim today is to share some of the watches I have experienced that deeply impressed me in this specific sense. These are five watches th...

Vintage Seiko chronographs have a way of pulling you in. Theyre mechanically ambitious, unapologetically 70s, and just rough enough around the edges to feel honest. Spend enough time around references powered by the 6138 and 6139 calibers, and youll understand why so many collectors fall hard for them. My journey started in 2019 while stationed at Osan Air Base in South Korea. It was there that I stumbled upon a watch that would follow me across continents - a Seiko 6138-001X, better known as the UFO, or, to some, the Yachtman.Image: Chinh Le Duc via UnsplashA chance discovery in ItaewonIf youve ever hunted for watches abroad, you know the thrill. You step into a small shop, half expecting t...

Parmigiani Fleurier keeps unveiling new versions of existing watches that feel fresh and different. It s a remarkable phenomenon that proves how well the brand chooses its dial colors across the different models. The latest addition to the Tonda PF Automatic lineup is the new Alta Rosa variant. While a pink dial is not new to the Tonda PF line as a whole, this is the first stainless steel 36mm variant with a light dial. It makes this Tonda PF a welcome addition to the lineup that will appeal to both men and women. Let s find out more.It s been only a few months since I had the pleasure of reviewing the stunning Parmigiani Fleurier Tonda PF Minute Rattrapante Arctic Rose. The watch has a fun,...

Lebond has carved out a special niche for itself in the watch industry. The Spanish brand creates watches for architecture enthusiasts. For its first two releases, Lebond collaborated with famous architects. The inaugural Lebond Siza from 2023 was designed by the famous Portuguese architect alvaro Siza, while the second release, the Lebond Souto Moura, was designed by fellow Portuguese architect Eduardo Souto de Moura. For this third release, Lebond founder Asier Mateo channeled world-famous architect Antoni Gaudi. The two new Lebond Attraction watches were inspired by Gaud s Hotel Attraction, a building that never came to fruition. I had a chance to find out more.Immediately after the huge...

While Hanhart is known for its historically inspired pilot s chronographs, today s latest model takes its cues from a very different form of motor-powered conveyance. The 417 Ti Desert Pilot Limited Edition is rooted in desert rally racing. As we ll see, though, this isn t just a dial color variation. Plus, the watch is available in two sizes.Hanhart has become a fan favorite here on Fratello with its well-specced, approachable watches. Furthermore, the brand offers pieces equipped with highly accurate, modern manual-winding movements. In other words, the typically hard-to-please enthusiast set can take solace that there are contemporary watches available with classic touches. The new Desert...

When I first picked up the Panerai Radiomir Quaranta PAM01572, I wasnt quite sure what to expect. Ive tried on a few Panerai watches over the years, most of them big, bold, uncompromising instruments that seem to occupy their own postcode on the wrist. This one was different the moment I lifted it from the tray. It was smaller, elegant, and almost petite by Panerai standards.Over two weeks, from early mornings heading to work along Sydney Harbour to a suited dinner in the CBD, it became clear that this is my top pick in the modern Panerai lineup. That s not because it shouts the loudest but, in fact, because it doesnt. The Panerai Radiomir Quaranta PAM01572 is about purity of design and genu...

Good morning, and welcome to another Sunday Morning Showdown. Last year, Tudor added a new 36mm size and a beige-dial option to its entry-level Ranger lineup. In November, we put it up against the Christopher Ward C65 Dune, and the Tudor won by quite a big margin. You could say it was an unfair match, though, as the Ranger costs three times as much as the C65 Dune. So we decided to find the Tudor Ranger a more suitable challenger. That s how we ended up with the Longines Spirit Pilot.While the 39mm Tudor Ranger?sells for $3,630, the Longines Spirit Pilot can be yours for $2,950. That s if you d like to get these watches on their matching three-row bracelets. On a nylon strap, the Ranger is $...

Theres an aphorism among watch lovers that the right mechanical watch never truly belongs to you; rather, it is something you just look after for the next generation. But beneath the romantic surface of that line, theres a cold, hard truth: durability is only half the equation. The other half, which determines whether a watch can survive through decades, even centuries, is serviceability and the ability to restore it long into the future.In my journey with mechanical watches, Ive traversed the spectrum from fresh-out-of-the-box, brand-new pieces to crusty vintage finds that still tick but carry the patina of decades on the wrist. What has become crystal clear is that in the world of mechanic...

Unimatic has been dropping one new release after another in 2026. While the year is only two months old, we have already seen quite a few interesting watches from the Italian brand. Its latest collaborative effort sees Unimatic partnering with fashion brand Nigel Cabourn and exclusive retailer The Armoury. This is the second collaboration between Cabourn and Unimatic, and it has resulted in another standout duo of military-inspired watches. Let s find out more.Anytime the name Nigel Cabourn pops up, I am all ears. I used to have a healthy obsession with the brand s Everest Parka and Cameraman Jacket about 15 years ago. At the time, I really got into the classic stories of climbing the highes...

Another Friday, another list! This week, we have the second installment in the series highlighting the best releases of 2026. With this series, we want to keep you informed about the best new watches throughout the year. Since this is the first Friday after February ended, we ll look at our favorite picks from the second month of 2026. It s been another busy four weeks full of highlights. While February is a shorter month, there were plenty of notable releases. Let s find out what our five picks are.January started with a bang, revealing great releases from Omega, Atelier Wen, Toledano & Chan, Louis Vuitton, and Tiffany & Co. The last two debuted during LVMH Watch Week, which opened ...