We ve covered the new new Longines Spirit collection ad nauseum since its recent release, but we re not quite done with it yet. I have been keen to get my hands on one of the three handers since they hit the market. Finally, I got my chance with the Longines Spirit L3.811.4.93.6.For those wondering what that reference number stands for, it equates to a blue dial and a metal bracelet. In my opinion, this is the most handsome iteration of the new collection, but my favorite feature is one shared by all the Spirit models. You ve probably seen it already, but let s take a few minutes to focus on its uncommon harmony. I m talking, of course, about the interaction between the seconds hand and the ...

I love it. You just can t beat a bit of color. And while the bright yellow isofrane strap won t be everyone s cup of tea, the Aquadive 100 GMT Poseidon limited edition pops just as vibrantly on a black alternative thanks to its vivid dial design. Honestly, it doesn t get much better than this for dive nuts.There is one bad thing about this watch. Only 300 will be made. I bought one on pre-order last year as soon as it was announced. Unfortunately, I didn t get to see it in person until a few weeks ago. Thanks to Covid-19 keeping me away from the UK for five months, I was unable to collect it from the house that I had foolishly listed as the delivery address. Talk about a bad time to emigrate...

It s time for This Week in Watches on October 17, 2020 the crisp edition. Depending on where you live, it s getting chilly! Let s see if we can warm the cockles of your hearts with some new watch news.The Panerai Luminor Logo and Base Logo ReturnI was excited to see that the newest Panerai Luminor Base Logo models debuted this week. These have always been some of my favorites with their manual movements and crisp clean dials. Best of all, the Base Logo models are the most affordable of the 44mm Luminor range. Many of us recall the early PAM000 and 005 models and the newest PAM01084 (Luminor Logo) and PAM01086 (Luminor Base Logo) look nearly identical. They feature matte dials with printed Su...

I am quite obsessed with German watchmaking at the moment. It may be the prideful insistence to refer to the movement plates as German silver at every given opportunity. Or the considered yet reserved dials hiding the wackiness beneath the surface. Whether that be crazy complications or impeccable movement finishing, German watchmaking sets itself lofty goals. But at any price point, watches from Germany have a lot to offer to budding collectors. This list selects three German uhren to start your collection.For many, Glashtte is the center of excellence in horology, even over Geneva. Indeed, thems fightin words, but can you blame those who consider this? Just by looking at an A. Lange &...

The struggle is real! Getting a new or used watch is becoming more difficult by the day. At least, if you want one of the usual suspects. A Submariner, Daytona, GMT-Master, or even a Datejust is becoming virtually impossible.But behold! There are still some models out there that are offered within reason. Especially considered what you get for your hard-earned cash. For this week s installment of Pre-Owned Picks (in cooperation with Chrono24), I selected 5 less popular watches (compared to the obvious ones) that I find interesting. Actually, I own or have owned a few of these models myself.Five Less Popular esBuy what you like, is the advice I often give to people. Don t look at resell ...

Recently, we did a hands-on review of the new Longines Spirit watches. It is a pilot s watch, new to the Longines Sport collection. We talk to Longines Head of Product Development Xavier Ligero about the Spirit and how it came to life.Our Fratello on Air podcast is available via Buzzsprout, Soundcloud, Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Deezer,? Stitcher, and Spotify. This podcast player is blocked because you did not accept marketing cookies. Change cookie settings Talking to Xavier LigeroThe Longines Spirit is a watch that looks so familiar, yet it is new to its collection. The pilot watch DNA is clearly visible, which also derives from the Ministry of Defence specifications for pilot watc...

We ve been teasing it for the past few days. We hope you were excited about this latest Seiko launch as we were. It s been a long time coming, but we re proud to announce a very special European exclusive from one of our favorite brands. The Seiko Prospex Alpinist SPB199J1 just hit the shelves of selected points of sale in Europe. Winter was coming. Winter is finally here…The latest Alpinist SPB199J1 from Seiko Prospex has an unusual gray/green sunburst dial. The color of glacial lakes found in high, mountainous regions served as its inspiration. As such, this model has been nicknamed the Mountain Glacier. Those chilly climes gave rise to our icy teaser campaign (thanks for helping us ...

I love a bit of color. Weird color combinations are always good for a discussion. They aren t always successful, but when it works, it makes you wonder why people don t try crazy stuff more often. Here, with Transylvanian brand Peren s latest release (an homage to Eugen Hintz, a pioneering Transylvanian watchmaker), we see burgundy and orange team-up for what is sure to be a memorable ride…Fashion is a funny thing. It is genuinely strange to appreciate how tastes change over time. As we live and age we see the cyclical nature of trends evolving around us. Clothes change their fit, style, and colors. Hairstyles careen from the conservative to the crazy, from the neat to the nihilistic. ...

Big news from a small Swiss village! Oris proudly introduces its in-house caliber 400.It is not the first time Oris has come up with an in-house developed movement. The brand s back-catalog an already boast the Calibre 111, 112, and 113 movements hailing from the Atelier collection. But this time, Oris shows us a totally different caliber. Not one with a specific complication as we ve seen in the Atelier collection, but a no-nonsense three-hander (with a date). Oris made its Calibre 400 movement available to us, to have a closer look at and take some images of it.Oris Calibre 400According to Oris, this Calibre 400 was conceived five years ago. The watch manufacturer in H?lstein, not too far ...

French brand Yema never ceases to amaze me. Its soon-to-be-released Kickstarter campaign will offer a flagship Yema Superman model in bronze boosted by a GMT model built onto an in-house movement. All of that (with a sapphire bezel to boot) for the eye-popping price tag of $750. That sounds aggressively good to me and quite scary to the competition.To get a look and feel we dont have to wait until the Kickstarter campaign is over. Yema sent us at Fratello a?fresh prototype so we can inspect it closely! You be the judge of whats in the game and join our readers vote to see if the new Yema Superman GMT is worth spending some bucks on.Bronze Yema Superman with extra handOne important note to my...

Hamilton is having a good year. A spate of affordable and versatile releases was perhaps crowned earlier this summer by the Hamilton Khaki Aviation Converter collection. It was popular among the Fratello team when it was announced. As such, I m taking another look at it today as it is now available to buy (after a long wait).Rather than burying the lede for the sake of suspense, I will do something rather unusual for Fratello and mention the price in the first paragraph. That s not because the cost of these watches is the?only reason to buy them, but rather because it makes assessing the quality of the design elements (and their execution) all the more interesting. The automatic version of H...

Hey there, it s time for Wrist Game or Crying Shame where we offer up a watch for your bidding. Of course, it s all for fun, so don t forget to have some! This week, we ll look at a freshly serviced Seiko 6159-7001 Professional Diver. But first…Last week, I showed you the Omega Speedmaster Teutonic. This early 80s oddity is one Speedy that rarely makes it to Tuesday for most collectors, but you ve apparently offered it a new lease on life. I say that because the Jas beat out the Neins in a 56% Wrist Game gewinnen. Thanks God, as the saying goes here in the Fatherland! Let s see if we can keep the winning streak alive as we move on from Switzerland to the Land of the Rising Sun. Yes, w...

Space, the final frontier. When we talk about watches and space in the same sentence, our minds invariably drift towards one particular manufacture. Thats right, Omega and its Speedmaster Professional. Its not an unjust association due to the whole first watch worn on the moon thing. It is also still the only timepiece sanctioned by NASA for manned spaceflight. However, other brands are also worthy of being mentioned in the same conversation. Indeed, some with a similar level of provenance. One of those brands is Fortis.A quick look at the brands conception. It was founded in 1912 by Walter Vogt. Twelve years later, Fortis teamed up with British watchmaker John Harwood to release the worlds ...

Earlier this year, Grand Seiko introduced its new caliber 9SA5 movement in this beautiful gold watch, reference SLGH002 (you can read about it here). Today, Grand Seiko introduces a steel watch with this new hi-beat movement: meet the Grand Seiko SLGH003.Earlier this year, we went on a trip to Paris to see the Grand Seiko flagship boutique (click here for our boutique visit report) and to talk with Grand Seiko Europe President Frederic Bondoux. You can watch our conversation in the video of our Paris boutique report. What we didn t tell you then, is that we already had the chance to see the Grand Seiko SLGH003 under embargo at the time. And believe me, it was tough to keep this as a secret f...

It was only a question of time before Mido brought out this watch. And that time is now. The Mido Ocean Decompression Timer is a modern and bold recreation of the biggest star in the brands heritage. The original design is there, but it comes with more muscle.Mido is not the first brand that would come to mind if you were asked to list the greats of deep-sea exploration. Yet its there. Some of Mido s classic models are in fact seen as dive grails. For example, an original Ocean Star Skin Diver Watch can easily fetch over $10,000 at auction. With the production run not even lasting five years, there arent loads of them waiting to be picked up. Many of them lived an underwater life and finding...

For this week s #SpeedyTuesday, we have three stories lined up for you. One from Lorenzo on his Speedmaster Apollo 8, a story from Dennis on his Speedmaster Mark II, and lastly, a very short story from Luca on his Moonwatch.We asked you to share your Speedmaster story with us, and this is the fourth installment featuring three stories of our readers. Some Speedmaster stories can be very short because one is simply mesmerized with the Omega Speedmaster watch. Other stories are a bit lengthier. It is about graduation, a wedding, celebrating business success, the birth of a child, or down to a tradition, for example. Whatever the reason is, it is always a good idea to buy a Speedmaster, of cour...

Max Bsser is at it again. Announcing the LM Perpetual EVO, the famous inventor extraordinaire has taken the next step with the Legacy Machine family s evolution. However, this time, theres a bit of a twist, and it s more than just a simple upgrade…Most of us are already aware of the award-winning Legacy Machine Perpetual. Well, meet its long-lost sibling. The eagle-eyed readers among us may notice the new suffix EVO. According to MB&F, it represents a lot more than just a new name - it identifies a significant evolution of the MB&F story.The brand wants YOU to become the navigator…For the past 15 years, MB&F has invited its fans and collectors to follow the brand in ...

Two For Tuesday is here again with a look at two watches that likely cause consumer consternation. Our focus this time is on the Seiko Alpinist. However, the collection is larger now and we have two distinct models to consider. Which shall summit first?It s Seiko Alpinist season here on Fratello. Aside from the fact that it s Autumn and perfect for hiking, Seiko has given us good reason to spend some time with this model line. Firstly, Seiko updated the modern version of its compass models in late 2019 and formally inserted them into the global Prospex collection. Second, and just a few short weeks ago, we received a simpler second line with three hands and one crown. And while neither of th...

The last time I bought a Submariner is already a few years ago. The then-current Submariner watch, reference 114060, has recently been replaced by the 124060.Now, I don t feel the urge to replace it with the new reference or add it, but it is about time that this article is amended with the latest references. Back in 2017, when I bought the watch, authorized dealers didn t have the watch in stock. The situation didn t exactly improve since then. Stainless steel sports models are hot, it s especially the Submariner that can count on a huge fanbase, worldwide.The design of the Submariner 114060, and now 124060, is unmistakably , despite the size and use of modern materials such as ceramics. ...

Welcome back to our Watch On Your Wrist? Instagram extravaganza! Tag your watch snaps with #fratellowatches to be in with a chance to win!Every week, we select four images. You can vote in the article for your favorite image. The winner moves on to the semi-final round (held every fifth week between the previous four weekly winners). Win that and you re into the final, which will be held at the end of the year. There will be five finalists in 2020 and ten from next year on.Basically, if you like winning things - and there will be a prize for the champion of 2020 - this year represents your best shot. So get snapping, get tagging, and get sharing. And don t forget to vote (once) for yourself&...