When King Seiko watches returned to the scene a few years ago, they did so with the instantly recognizable KSK case shape. Of course, we always knew more shapes would follow at some point, and here they are! I am a big fan of the 2022 release, and the SPB281 was my daily watch for a full year. To say, then, that I am excited to see the second shape is an understatement.Join me for a closer look at the brand-new King Seiko SJE109, SJE111, SJE113, and SJE115 models.A familiar shape for the new King Seiko modelsThe new releases build on a case shape that we can trace back to 1969. The King Seiko 45KCM used this tonneau shape in typical Seiko execution. It has intricate angles and curves, result...

Forget about the edgy Big Bang. Heres the fluid shape of water that tells time by Hublot. The brand from the Swiss town of Nyon worked together with the New York-based contemporary artist Daniel Arsham to come up with an object that is a pocket watch, a pendant, and a table clock. No, it s not all three once, but the Hublot Arsham Droplet transforms fluidly from one entity into another. The time-telling objet dart comes in a limited series of 99 droplets and with a price that might have you plunder your rainy-day fund.Together with artist Daniel Arsham, Hublot reimagined the classic pocket watch. The two collaborators are not the most likely to come up with a timepiece that has its roots in ...

The Breitling Navitimer 806 with a black dial and sub-dials was on my wish list for quite a time. But it is not an easy watch to get your hands on. Despite that fact, I had two of them within the last two years. Well, as of today, I don t have any either anymore. Let s hear the story.I have a Breitling Navitimer 806 with white sub-dials, but the all-black 806 is a different animal. The syringe hands, fat Arabic numerals for the hours, and fully numbered hour totalizer represent an entirely different watch to me. Visually, it s one of the most astonishing and individualistic vintage chronographs one can have.Image: Shuck the OysterMy first Breitling Navitimer 806It took me about two years to ...

Summer is just around the corner, and dive-watch season is well underway. This means long days in the sun, traveling to exotic locations, and plenty of action in the water, like swimming, snorkeling, and maybe even diving. But as much as we enjoy long, sunny summer days with our divers, we wanted a watch that could take on the season s most strenuous activities and shine equally bright at night. This is why we re very excited to introduce the Jacques Bianchi Marseille Fratello JB200 PoulPro Night Diver limited edition.This video is blocked because you did not accept marketing cookies. Change cookie settings For this latest limited edition, we worked together with the French watch bran...

Since the turn of the year, Ive been patiently awaiting the launch of the Anoma A1. Until a month ago, I hadnt even seen a prototype picture, but I had heard enough from Matteo Violet Vianello, the man behind Anoma Watches, to get excited about what would come. Following a period with A Collected Man, Matteo left the London-based reseller of rare and collectible watches to step back and decide what future path he wished to take. The first sketches of what has since become Anoma Watches were only weeks away.It s tempting to opine that we are immune to marketing, that David Beckham doesnt make us more likely to buy a Tudor, and that the TAG Heuer branding on almost every F1 podium doesn t affe...

I don t know about you, but I sometimes tend to forget about the Seiko Samurai. It s not a model that is on my radar a lot, partially because Seiko releases so many watches at a breakneck pace. Another reason is that it s angular case design is not one of my favorites. I prefer the rounder shapes of the Prospex watches inspired by the brand s 1960s divers. Having said that, the Samurai has been a fan favorite for years, so why not give the updated Seiko Prospex Samurai SRPL11, SRPL13, and SRPL15 a chance? With a smaller case and an updated design, it could be the ultimate shot at redemption.I love that Seiko started creating smaller dive watches over the past few years. Not long ago, many wa...

Last November, Seiko introduced an updated version of its famous Marinemaster - or maybe it s better to just say it was a completely new version. The smaller and angular case, the engraved dial, and the new bracelet design made it look very different from the beloved Marinemaster SBDX001. Today, Seiko is adding two new colorways to the three existing variants. There s the greenish-gray SJE117 with a black bezel insert along with the full-blue SJE119. Let s take a quick look at these new additions to the Seiko Prospex Marinemaster line.When Thomas wrote the introduction article for the new Marinemaster, he praised the new models smaller and thinner dimensions, which were a common request fro...

Hello there! Welcome to this week s episode of Fratello Talks. Today, we re discussing the topic of wearing expensive watches on cheap straps. Does it make sense to wear a $3,000C10,000 watch on a $10 strap? Does a $300 OEM strap make sense to begin with? And where do you truly get your money s worth in the strap market? What about aftermarket bracelets? Join Nacho, RJ, and Morgan (making his final appearance on Fratello Talks, for real this time) for an in-depth discussion on the topic. But before we jump into it, let s have a look at the watches (and straps) they re wearing today.This video is blocked because you did not accept marketing cookies. Change cookie settings This podcast playe...

At Fratello, we focus on watches, and 99.9% of the time, that means ones for the wrist. However, it s interesting that the wristwatch is still in its relative infancy. It was the pocket watch that loomed large in prior centuries. Today, we ll look at two gems from the twilight of the pocket watch era. These are Art Deco specimens from Longines and Tissot and are downright lovely.I can t lie; I ve wanted a decent pocket watch for a long time. I have no practical use for one (who does?!), but I admire them, and there s no doubt that my desk would look better with one happily ticking away on its surface. Ornate porcelain-dial pieces or expensive models have never been my focus. No, I ve been lo...

Atelier Holgur is a small Singapore-based brand with Nordic roots and a specific take on tough dive watches. Since the release of its debut model, the Fr?mand (meaning frogman in Danish), Atelier Holgur has tweaked its distinct design language. By introducing the Fr?mand Edition Fumee Silver Tide, the evolution is apparent.We love our tool watches at Fratello; theres no denying that fact. And there is something liberating about what small brands free of design committees and shareholders can offer. Atelier Holgur founders Matthew de Bakker and Asbj?rn Simonen-Andersen have a clear vision, and it shows from the Fr?mand s DLC-treated bezel to the angular titanium architecture.Grade 5 titanium ...

Formula 1 s rising star Charles Leclerc has proven himself a force to be reckoned with on the racetrack. But beyond the high-g world of Grand Prix, Leclerc harbors another passion - timepieces. This passion recently took a surprising turn with the announcement of his investment in Chrono24, the world s leading online marketplace for luxury watches. As part of the same group as Chrono24, Fratello is excited to share this news.Chrono24 Founder Tim Stracke and F1 driver Charles LeclercCharles Leclerc and watchesWhile Leclerc isn t famous for flaunting an extensive watch collection, his keen eye for timepieces hasn t escaped us. Sharp F1 fans will recall him sporting some serious wrist candy on ...

When I assembled my list of favorites from this year s Watches and Wonders, I didn t even mention the Day-Date with the new white dial and deconstructed Roman numerals. Honestly, I didn t think much of it because it s way out of my league budget-wise, and it seems like such a small update that it didn t catch my attention. But now that the dust has settled, I realize this may indeed be the perfect Day-Date configuration for me. Let s go over why that is.I often see RJ walking around the office wearing his yellow gold Day-Date ref. 18238 from 1991. It s almost annoying to see how well such a banger works in everyday life. He wears it with any outfit, and it might even look best when he wea...

Today, Omega is expanding its Speedmaster Professional Moonwatch collection with two new bicolor/two-tone models. It s an exciting day for those who may have wanted the latest movement and updates but found the all-steel models too boring and all-gold versions too expensive. In other words, these two new Moonwatch variants could be the perfect middle ground.This video is blocked because you did not accept marketing cookies. Change cookie settings For a long time, aside from special and limited editions, Omegas Speedmaster Professional Moonwatch was only available in stainless steel with a black dial and either a Hesalite or sapphire crystal. After introducing the current Moonwatch with ...

I am happy to bring you another installment of Back to Basics, the series aimed at newcomers to our beautiful watch hobby. This time, we will have a closer look at watches spec sheets. A spec sheet serves as the manufacturers effort to capture a watch in numbers and facts. But what do these mean, and how should we value them in our evaluations of a watch and, ultimately, purchase decisions?I will try to answer those questions here. As always with Back to Basics, the primary aim is to help budding watch enthusiasts find their footing. However, if you are a seasoned collector, there may still be something here for you. Everyone is also invited to weigh in with additional tips in the comments ...

A must-have book for all you vintage Seiko dive watch enthusiasts. This rather colorful and somewhat unorthodox book comes from an author who has had the chance to interview a number of Seiko engineers and designers, including the legendary Taro Tanaka. Besides plenty of interesting practical information, you will find many surprising little-known facts about the brand and its watches. So, is Sadao Ryugo s Seiko Divers Watch a book for you? Without revealing too much, I will give you a peek into its pages so you can decide for yourself. To give you a small taste of some of the unexpected facts included in the book, we can start with the legendary 62MAS, autoMAtic Selfdater, or Seiko 6217-800...

The key to the strength of both the Casio G-Shock GG-B100-8AER Mudmaster and GR-B200-1B Gravitymaster watches is carbon fiber. The foundation upon which both of these incredibly tough watches are built is the Carbon Core Guard Structure. And while they may share some of their DNA and even some of their looks, the Mudmaster likes to play around in the dirt, while the Gravitymaster feels right at home up in the sky. Thats what Casio intended for these two Master of G watches. However, we found that both watches work equally well under everyday circumstances. Thats a good thing, as mud and cumulus clouds are not typically our natural habitat.Over-engineered, thats how we like it. Especially on ...

In the last decade, many people have jumped onto the Speedmaster bandwagon. With even some of the less talked about models getting caught up in the hype. This, in turn, results in steep price increases on the pre-owned and vintage market. We have seen this happen with Speedmaster Tintin, whose price has recently skyrocketed (no pun intended). The watch world s media outlets publishing about them probably doesnt exactly help in keeping the prices sane, so well take our fair share of the blame. In this article, I will show you 5 Speedmaster watches that are (still) under the radar.On the one hand, I tend to do some serious eye-rolling when I see some of the price tags on (now-discontinued) Spe...

It s been a busy first day back at the news desk after a nice little break, but one of the things I was excited to race back to work for was an interview with David Henderson-Stewart, the CEO of Raketa. That s right, Raketa - perhaps the most visible Russian brand in its price bracket. I ve been keen to learn how it was that an Englishman ended up as the head honcho of one of the industry s most beguiling brands. Let s find out together…Rob Nudds: Morning David, thanks for joining us at Fratello. I get the feeling this is going to be an interesting chat that takes us down many paths so let s dive right in: how did you find yourself in Russia in the first place?David Henderson-Stewart: ...

A few weeks ago, which seems like an absolute age after spending the best part of two weeks sunning myself to a crisp on the beaches of Mallorca, I visited anOrdains headquarters in a sunny but not quite so unbearably hot Glasgow. It was, as I think the stories I shared on Fratellos Instagram at the time (and will share again on my own account today for all those that missed them), a wonderful day. The team welcomed me into their workshop with open arms, and I left even more impressed with an outfit Id been fond of, to begin with. Today, Im reporting on last weeks limited edition release in conjunction with Worn and Wound. And, I must say, its something rather unusual for a brand that made e...

Welcome to a hands-on review that Ive been waiting to write. Ive owned the Tudor Black Bay Fifty-Eight Silver for a couple of months now and have put it to the test. Hopefully, my experiences will help decide if this is the right watch for you.I was in South Florida during Watches and Wonders 2021 and I can recall watching the new releases roll out online. Tudor is always of interest because they make sports watches and are usually good for some surprises. This year, they definitely brought some unexpected pieces. In addition to an 18K gold variant, the new Tudor Black Bay Fifty-Eight Silver showed itself. It was met with curiosity and a fair dose of skepticism. Regardless of whether it was ...