Welcome to the Speedmaster World Cup. In the absence of Euro 2020, we thought our beloved readers might enjoy a tournament of a different kind. We ve assembled eight groups (A C H), each governed by a different Fratello team member. Each writer has been assigned four watches, which they will pitch to you during the group stages.All we need you to do is vote for your favorite to move on in the competition. The next round will be the quarter-finals, which will see the eight group winners go head-to-head for your votes. The four winners progress to the semis. Following that, a third-place play-off will precede the final round, due to be held on Sunday, December 13th (get the beers in …). ...

For some reason, I just cant seem to pass up a rescue project. Ive been collecting watches for almost a decade and my acquisitions have been wide-ranging. Looking back, its clear I had no idea what I wanted. The more I explored the more fascinated I became, the deeper I went down the rabbit hole. Sound familiar to any of you? If theres a consistent element, its my penchant for the forlorn stray, often found at auction…Most of my collection has come via estate and specialized watch auctions. I usually obtain these pieces by making absentee bids. Buying is always a gamble if youre working from a few photos and a brief catalog description. Ive been had a couple of times. I ve purchased a ...

The Rado Captain Cook family first appeared in 1962. It disappeared not long after in 1968. For almost fifty years the Rado Captain Cook collection lay dormant. That was until 2017 when the 37mm steel version was revived. It was joined also by a reimagined 45mm version in a hardened titanium case designed for a modern audience.?Nowadays, we have the option of a much more versatile 42mm case to play with, but new for 2020 is the addition of bronze options to the line-up. Sure, it looks great, but there s more to it than that…When bronze first became a mainstream thing in luxury watchmaking, there was quite a pushback against it. In fact, despite this rugged material finding its groove i...

As watch enthusiasts, we love any reason to covet and add extra value to our pursuit of new additions to our collections. One such tenuous reason used to explain to our spouses and significant others why we really MUST HAVE just-one-more-watch is using connections to movies.Im sure that weve all used the line, but this is the exact same model worn by Martin Sheen in Apocalypse Now! Its a timeless classic! No? Just me? OK. Without further ado, here we go - my top 5 movie watches:Seiko H558-5000As worn by Arnold Schwarzeneggar in Predator and CommandoYou can spot Arnie wearing his Seiko H558-5000 Quartz Diver, hunting bad guys in Commando, and stomping aliens in Predator. With Arnie being the ...

In the 160th year of Heuer s existence, TAG Heuer has graced us with a string of Carrera releases. The year started with the Carrera Silver Dial Limited Edition. In June, we saw the release of the Carrera Montreal Limited Edtion. And today sees the brand releasing the new Carrera Sport Chronograph 160 Years Special Editions. These two new timepieces are the first limited editions based on the new Carrera Sport Chronographs equipped with the Heuer 02 manufacture movement. And they are an homage to a great Heuer classic from the 1960s.To celebrate 160 years of the Heuer name, TAG Heuer has not just paid tribute to its rich history. This year, the brand also updated its collection of Carrera Ch...

As always, a lot happened this week in the watch world. COVID-19 aint gonna stop us! Some cool watches launched, and its challenging to pick just a few things. We did get some colorful releases, so Im christening this the colorful edition. Here are some of my favorites from the past week.Zenith Pilot Type 20Im a big fan of Zenith and what theyve been doing lately. As ever, watch design is very subjective, but Zenith has been ticking a lot of boxes for me. This week they launched a new version of their Type 20 Pilots watch. It has a fascinating blue dial, and when looking at it, the nickname Blueprint makes sense. It adds a nice colorful flash to the model lineup.…a matte blue base show...

During the summer, I went hands-on with three variations of the Vacheron Constantin Overseas Perpetual Calendar in pink gold. To say I was a bit spellbound would be an understatement. Of all the watches that have come my way this year, the full gold Overseas was my favorite. But like any sin, it comes at a price. Which is why this week, I am selecting four classic Vacheron Constantin watches that inspire the modern collection.VC may well be best known for its art deco and opulent collection of classic timepieces. In an age that generally requires strict trend conformity, Vacheron Constantin steadfastly believes in its traditional watchmaking and design. You dont survive 265 years of continuo...

It seems that Certina can t put a foot wrong when it comes to diving watches. If you want a mechanical, Swiss made, budget diver, chances are Certina has something for you. Recently, another fine example - the Certina DS Super PH500M - landed on my desk. The story of this watch is like a movie that takes us from the Caribbean Sea to Germany.Along our journey, we ll meet NASA engineers and aquanauts. We ll also spend some time in futuristic underwater habitats and learn about the visibility of colors underwater. Are you ready? Let s dive in then (sorry for the pun).DS-2 Super PH500MThe Certina DS Super PH500M takes inspiration from one of the brand s legendary vintage divers. The grandfather ...

During the last watch event we attended, Bvlgari introduced to us its Octo Finissimo Tourbillon Chronograph Skeleton Automatic. According to them, it broke another world record, that of developing an ultra-complicated movement with a thickness of just 3.5mm.Somehow, I feel that this new watch got a bit snowed under by the introduction of the more affordable Bvlgari-Bvlgari Aluminium collection. Of course, watches with a price tag under $5,000 speak a bit more to the public than a watch that is for the lucky few. However, the new Bvlgari Octo Finissimo Tourbillon Chronograph Skeleton Automatic deserves a proper amount of attention as well.Octo Finissimo Tourbillon Chronograph Skeleton Automat...

What makes a watch fan fall for a particular timepiece? Is it the dial? Or perhaps the case shape? Maybe the complication of the watch in question? When it comes to vintage watches, and especially chronographs, the answer is often, the movement.In this article, I collected 5 vintage chronograph movements that I find the most iconic. Clearly, I could have done a Top 10 or Top 20 article. And I might in the future. Until then, however, I hope you enjoy the list of my Top 5 iconic vintage chronograph calibers, listed in no particular order.Angelus 215It is no secret that the Angelus brand is near and dear to my heart. Partly due to its connection to the Hungarian Air Force, and partly because I...

Sometime during the late 1990s, when I got into watches, Breguet was a brand that I positioned next to Patek Philippe, A. Lange & S?hne, Vacheron Constantin, and Audemars Piguet. To me, it was clear this was a high-end brand. It seemed the pinnacle of watchmaking, with an amazing history. Today I share my experiences and thoughts on the Breguet Classique 5157.Now, more than 20 years later, I still think of Breguet to be top-notch when it comes to watchmaking. I only pity that this manufacture has not been able to get the right amount of exposure like Audemars Piguet, Patek Philippe, Vacheron Constantin, and A. Lange & S?hne do. Is Breguet too humble perhaps?Breguet Classique 5157 Ext...

If you remember my saga last year about the Tourist Everlight, the worlds first electrically lit watch, you will also remember the Ernest Borel Flash. It took me a few years to hunt it down, but here it is in all its glory. My admiration for the Everlight is endless. But I have to admit that the Borel Flash amazes me even more.Well, there is usually only one winner. To end up second, no matter the competition, and the number of contenders must truly hurt. The race to integrate electric lighting in watches started in 1956 with Ernest Borel and its patent that was filed on September 28th. I bet their smiles froze in Basel the following year when Ad. Allemann and his Tourist brand presented the...

Welcome back to Wrist Game or Crying Shame where you can choose whether you d like a serious watch or not. We ll find out with today s Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Control Perpetual Calendar. But first…Last week I gave you the Seiko 6159-7001 Professional diver for consideration. Even though it carried a stiff price tag, the watch swam away with a 67% Wrist Game win. I was happy to see Seiko get some love in this Swiss-dominated arena. Today, we ll do a serious 180 with the Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Control Perpetual Calendar.Growing up…I know that the world has become more casual and as a native South Floridian, I could live in shorts and flip-flops for the rest of my days. I don t thi...

Over the last couple of months, Seiko has graced us with quite a few new Presage releases. The Presage line is known for its incredible craftsmanship when it comes to the dials of the watches. Recent releases featured beautiful enamel and porcelain dials, created by Japan s extraordinary craftsmen. But great craftsmanship also comes at a price. If you are not willing to spend a thousand Euros or more, the new Seiko Presage SSA411 and 413 might just be the watches for you.Seiko has focused quite a bit in 2020 on extending its Presage line of watches. We have covered quite a few of them here at Fratello. The main aspect that stands out with all the releases is the incredible dials. Rob wrote a...

It is my great pleasure to announce that the inaugural Speedmaster World Cup will kick-off on Fratello on Saturday the 24th of October (that s THIS weekend).In the absence of Euro 2020, we thought our beloved readers might enjoy a tournament of a different kind - The Speedmaster World Cup! Weve assembled eight groups (ACH), each governed by a different Fratello team member. Each writer has been assigned four watches, which they will pitch to you during the group stages.All we need you to do is vote for your favorite to move on in the competition. The next round will be the quarter-finals, which will see the eight group winners go head-to-head for your votes. The four winners progress to the ...

What I have learned from your Speedmaster stories so far, is that there s often more involved than just buying a watch. Sure, there are people collecting Speedmasters for no other reason than love for this chronograph. But so far, the stories we ve received are also about emotional reasons to buy a Speedmaster.This week, we have a story from Rosier about his Speedmaster From The Moon to Mars to commemorate his 25th anniversary at work, but also a story from Kirk and why he bought his Speedmaster. A heartbreaking story, yet Kirk shared it with us and I am honored to share it with you as well.Your Speedmaster StoriesOn the one hand, Kirk s story makes collecting Speedmaster watches look less i...

Who amongst our readers has proclaimed that their luxury wristwatch purchase was an investment? Okay, that was just a wall of noise. Let me refine the question. What about justifying the cost because you can pass the watch on to the next generation when the time is right? Alright, I hear you - this is a crowd I can work with.Even for affluent people, putting down big bucks for a flashy timepiece inspires a slight level of guilt. That money could have bought a family holiday, a new lawnmower, or even a new business venture. Regardless of the options, we choose to swipe our cards on fancy high-tech tickers we strap to our wrists. To compensate, we employ all sorts of reasons to convince oursel...

Three months ago Breitling opened its first boutique in The Netherlands. And about time, too! Many other brand boutiques in Breitling s league were already present in our attractive capital. The way a brand boutique differs from a regular multi-brand shop is how a brand is experienced. Breitling, in this case, makes things utterly clear. Its Amsterdam boutique exudes mancave style, with a pool table and a Norton motorcycle displayed in front of exposed brickwork, decorated with multiple pictures representing the Breitling way of life.So experience is the keyword here. That means that a visitor should actively be part of what s happening. In his review on the boutique, Robert-Jan was looking ...

We told you this would be fun. After four weeks of voting, you, the Fratelli, have selected the winning Instagram images that have made it through to this, the second semi-final. One more hurdle awaits these champions. Winning this weeks vote guarantees the image a place in Decembers final. Better still, it puts the photographer behind the image in the running for some very tasty prizes indeed-Below you can find the winners of the last four rounds. Some cases were obvious from the start. In other instances, we saw heavy voting battles (and surprising last-minute swings) between the contestants. However, in the end, there could only be one winner each week. Now we need you, dear readers, to d...

First conceived in 1999 by Patek, the Twenty~4 watch became a fleeting icon. In its day, it championed the renaissance of timeless, feminine design in the rectangular form. As such, it quickly gained popularity with women wanting to wear a Patek timepiece on their wrists. But after fading from the spotlight, is it ready to retake old ground once more?After producing different variations of this rectangular timepiece, 2018 saw an automatic version in a round case join the Twenty~4 family. However, the allure of the petite, rectangular Patek was kept alive by the gold timepiece which paid homage to the 90s releases. This October, Patek has reinvented the aesthetic of the very first Twenty~4. U...