Richard Mille struck gold when they teamed up with former World Champion, Yohan The Beast?Blake. But now, the Richard Mille RM 61-01 will be the last of its kind.Yohan Blake burst onto the scene as Usain Bolts charming teammate, winning legions of fans through his affable persona, ferocious alter-ego, and blistering performances on the track. He announced himself on the world stage, winning the 2011 world title in Bolt s absence. A year after that promising win in Daegu, he buddied-up with Richard Mille. For the London 2012 Olympics, he donned a prototype model while the brand developed its first piece for mass consumption.A sleek and stylish reinterpretationThe RM 59-01 tourbillon was relea...

Finally, the Omega Constellation received some necessary attention! In 2018 we saw the introduction of the new ladies models, but now the gents version has also been updated. Officially, its Omegas 5th generation of this type of Constellation (although I disagree with that and believe it to be the 6th). Lets have a closer look.But first, let me tell you why this collection means a lot to me (I also wrote it here on Fratello Magazine). It might surprise you to learn why I m so excited about a watch that hasnt been featured much here. The Omega Constellation is the first serious watch I ever received. It was back in 1998 when I graduated, and my mother knew I d been deeply in love with this sp...

Pulsographs or pulsometers could be found not only in chronographs but also on classy three-handers. So let s dive into some of the best vintage pulsation watches on the market.Most vintage watches have a rate of five beats per second or 18,000 beats per hour. When you consider that, it seems amazing that a physical object can operate for such a long period of time. 18,000 beats per hour equate to 432,000 beats per day, and a gob-smacking 157,680,000 per year. That s nearly 160 million opportunities for something to go wrong. And yet they beat on. Well-made movements continue to function for decades after the balance wheel was set on its way. And since these mechanical marvels are working so...

Bvlgari brought the mythological motifs and iconic Italian style with the highest precision that created a seductive dream on a big scale -?the smallest tourbillon for women.And, of course, welcome to this first installment of Karina s Korner, where I will put the spotlight on women s watches here on Fratello Magazine. I would like to kick off with the new collection of Bvlgari s Serpenti Seduttori watches.A Serpenti Seduttori is bornFirst conceived in the late 1940s, the Serpenti collection has long been known for its strong design. Uncompromisingly elegant, the artisanal aesthetic stands out thanks to a unique combination of vibrant colors and precious stones. But the most memorable of cha...

Although Hublot is known for an arresting aesthetic, the Sang Bleu collection takes things to another level. With their bewitching dials, and multi-faceted, optionally-bejeweled cases, the Hublot Big Bang Sang Bleu II?watches are the very definition of statement pieces.Given the breadth of Hublot‘s past experimentation with materials and aesthetics, it is perhaps surprising that the Sang Bleu collection still occupies an island of outlandishness. These new models, born of the continued collaboration between Hublot and tattoo studio Sang Bleu, double down on that trend. For this outing, both new timepieces put the color blue front and center. Available in both titanium and King gold hou...

Welcome back to Wrist Game or Crying Shame, where you choose to point your thumb upwards or in the sinister direction at the end of a gladiator-like battle of wills! This week, our contestant is the Vacheron Constantin Les Historiques 31110. But first-I dont know what to say other than thank you to the new kid on the block, Rob Nudds. You see, yours truly (who is in his early 40s) thought he was still in his mid-20s and did something stupid at the gym and was basically out of commission during the heart of last week. People, if I can leave you with one word of advice its this: stretch! So, Rob stepped up big time and delivered last weeks installment with a look at a highly polarizing watch i...

The return of a once-legendary watch brand is no small thing and we take a look at one of the first new pieces: the Benrus Field Watch.You ve no doubt heard of Benrus if you re a fan of vintage watches. With well-known pieces such as the Sky Chief chronograph and the Vietnam-era MIL-W-3818B standard-issue watch, the company was a household name until it fell victim to the quartz crisis in the 1970s. But I researched Benrus further and was amazed to find out that they tried to maneuver a hostile takeover of Hamilton?in the 1950s. The attempt failed and became a precedent-setting case in US Antitrust history. And then, at one point, Benrus was purchased by American entrepreneur Victor Kiam. If...

Our 10th episode of Fratello on Air is about last week s LVMH Watch Week in Dubai, the watch auctions to help the recovery of Australia and the downside of using Instagram.After the mandatory wrist check (see below), Michael and RJ discuss these topics in this 50-minute podcast. Our Fratello-on-Air podcast can be played via Apple,?Soundcloud,?Spotify,?Google Podcast, and?Buzzsprout. This podcast player is blocked because you did not accept marketing cookies. Change cookie settings In this 10th episode, Michael Stockton and Robert-Jan Broer talk about the recent LVMH Watch Week that took place in Dubai and that we visited. News from Bvlgari, Zenith and Hublot in early January, when normal...

One of the most popular models of recent years C the Bvlgari Octo Finissimo Minute Repeater C gets treated to a new case in sandblasted rose gold. The result? A bonafide showstopper both technically and aesthetically.The Octo Finissimo range from Bvlgari is refusing to rest on its laurels. It seems crazy to doubt that there is yet more to come from this impressively persistent manufacture, following a run of award-winning releases. There are many brands able to cause a stylistic stir. There are fewer, but still plenty of brands pushing the envelope on a technical front. Rarer still are brands combining the two with as much seamless grace as Bvlgari. Although still better-known to the wider w...

Omega likes to celebrate some of the Apollo missions. Although you might think this is a recently-adopted practice of the last few years, it started in 1969 with the gold Speedmaster commemorating Apollo XI. Here we pick-up on a lesser-known animal - The Omega Speedmaster Professional Apollo 15 35th Anniversary model.Omega likes to celebrate some of the Apollo missions. Although you might think this is a recently-adopted practice of the last few years, it started in 1969 with the gold Speedmaster commemorating Apollo XI.Then, in 1976, Omega celebrated the 1975 Apollo/Soyuz rendezvous with a special Speedmaster, limited to just 500 pieces. Apart from some Apollo XI commemorative editions in t...

As devastating bush fires continue to rage in Australia, local online magazine Time+Tide Watches is mobilizing a group of concerned companies from around the industry for a very good cause.You love koalas, right? Sure you do. Everybody does. Well, the koalas and their fellow Australians are facing one of the worst bush fire crises in memory, and they need your help. Time+Tide Watches is launching the Watch & Act! World Watch Auction in support of the brave humans fighting the relentless fires that are sweeping the country.Unique PiecesThe name Watch & Act! is an official bush fire threat level that has no doubt worn out its welcome over the past months. Eleven days after putting the ...

This week I ll be wearing my last acquisition of 2019, the original and first Seiko Darth Tuna with reference SBBN011. Bought December 29th, 2019, but while out of the country I couldn t take delivery of it until last week. I m very happy to have it on my wrist now, and here s why.Seiko Darth Tuna SBBN011 1000m Saturation DiverA bit of Tuna background first: In the late sixties and early seventies, professional saturation divers?had started to use Seiko s watches. But all was not well. It quickly became apparent that?the inert helium gas used in saturation diving could enter a watch when under extreme pressure. This undesirable intrusion resulted in a massive pressure build-up within the cas...

When the Zenith El Primero A384 Revival hit the market to celebrate the iconic movements 50th anniversary in 2019, it was a sight for sore eyes. While the strap last years model arrived on was nice, the newly-released ladder bracelet takes this offering to another level.Pun intended. And to clarify before I forge on, A sight for sore eyes is a good thing. It means a salve, a remedy, a tonic for aching peepers. I only find it necessary to make that clear because I said it to my German girlfriend once, and I spent the night in the dog house because she thought I was insulting her. With potential misinterpretations out of the way, I will say this: Never underestimate the effect of a good bracel...

With bags of goodies from LVMH hitting the market at the same time, there s a lot to choose from. The stand-out piece? The Zenith Pilot Type 20 Rescue.Take a look at these new releases from Zenith and let us know which one you d like to see covered in an in-depth review in the comments below.Zenith Pilot Type 20 Rescue 03.2434.679/20.I010You ve heard about the fact that Zenith is the only watch company actually allowed to put the word Pilot on the dial, right? You hadn t? Wow, I hope the rock you ve been living under was nice. Seriously, as much as I love Zenith (and I do love Zenith), I ve repeated that fact so many times I ve started saying it in my sleep.Every so often, however, it really...

I am excited and honored to write my first article for Fratello Magazine. I have been thinking a lot about the first topic to talk about and, in the end, I decided to write about the iconic Daytona ref. 16520.Because from my point of view, this model really stands-out in the history of and represents one of the timepieces whose value increased more over the years. In 1988, after the discontinued production of the manual winding Cosmograph, launched the first references of the self-winding chronograph with sapphire crystal on the market: 16520 for the stainless steel model, 16523 for the steel and gold model, and 16528 for the gold model. 16520-Mark 1 to 8The main characteristics of the re...

I spent the past week in Dubai, where Bvlgari, Hublot, and Zenith presented their 2020 novelties. And I m pleased to say that I came away inspired. That inspiration manifests in one of my pre-owned picks this weekEvery week we pick a few pre-owned watches from Chrono24, the largest market place for wristwatches in the world - watches that we love ourselves, or think they will be interesting to you. So to be clear, we picked the watches, Chrono24 only sent us the images without their watermark and in a proper resolution.Pre-Owned Picks Of Week 3Last week we included Jaeger-LeCoultre, but not a wristwatch! Making it on to the pre-owned picks list was one of their beautiful Atmos clocks. This w...

We take a look at a popular watch with collectors, the Citizen 62-6198 Challenge Diver: a credible alternative to 70 s Seiko divers.I ve patiently waited to write an article on any one of Citizen‘s 150-meter divers from the 1970s. You see, I picked up an example of today s Citizen 62-6198 Challenge Diver nearly four years back from a friend here in Germany, and while it s an excellent example, it s a bit controversial due to some details I ll share later. And so I did what most watch collectors do, and that s hunt for a second example. I finally hit pay dirt sometime during 2019 and now felt like a good time to give you a peek at what I think represents a series of watches that are gre...

Hublot s ability to bring the primary colors into luxury watchmaking while retaining an air of sophistication is once again on display with the release of the Hublot Big Bang MP-11 Red Magic.It shouldn t work. Although red has enjoyed a long career as the go-to accent color in horology (especially when it comes to sports models), it isn t very easy to get right when deployed as the base color. There are very few brands that can apply such a bright and bold color to a case and pull it off.Going full, fire-engine red on a dial takes excellent execution to look anything other than cheapAt an entry-level price point, the most red you re likely to see is when brands opt for a red dial. Even that ...

Prepare yourself for a strap frenzy as six new references join the Zenith Defy Classic Midnight family. Still, in the name of personal expression, that s no bad thing.To side-step what I m sure could have been an eloquent, poetic opening gambit as to why we need to look at the night sky and consider all the magnitudinous questions of our existence, I will say this: Gradient dials are pretty. I ve always been a fan of them. I don t much care whether they are inspired by an achingly beautiful celestial scene, or by the darkening waters of the briny deep. I see two colors, slowing becoming one another, and I like it. And so, to my eyes at least, the Zenith Defy Classic Midnight watches have som...

Allow me to celebrate my first year with Fratello by sharing the story behind my completion of the late fifties Venus Big Date movement family.Its no coincidence that I chose and planned this article for today. At this time last year (January 10th?to be precise), I wrote my first ever article for Fratello Magazine. As a vintage watch nerd, my first piece happened to be #TBT article. To mark the occasion, I wanted to write about something special. After quickly scanning my collection, I decided to delve into a non-traditional date chronograph from?Bucherer. I found this model particularly interesting because of its movement. Not only did it feature a flyback chronograph mechanism, but it also...