The watchHorizon is the thinnest and most delicate model of the three collections offered by Minase. The collections name is inspired by the case shapes resemblance to the ever-extending horizon as seen above the sea. This design cue led to both the case and bracelet (or strap) to seemingly appear on a single plane. In addition, the Horizons thick sapphire crystal has been cut and polished from the front to the back. The result? A beautiful dome that is reminiscent of the waters surface that may burst forth any moment. Conceived of pure, simply drawn lines inspired by a Japanese sword, the Katana. The Horizon embodies powerful calmness, just like the sea before a storm.For more Information v...

The GMT-Master (II) finally stepped out of the shadow of its diving brother, the Submariner. With the introduction of the ceramic Pepsi and Batman (on Jubilee) recently, the hype is real. Long waiting lists and market prices far over retail result in disappointed customers, but that doesn t seem to slow down the demand. On the contrary.I can imagine why the GMT-Master II is so much in demand. It is a great daily companion, with the added value of an extra timezone. I had my share of GMT-Master watches, including a few vintage 1675s and a GMT-Master II 16710. When I was ready to purchase a GMT-Master II ‘Ceramic or ‘Batman in 2017, I was confronted with the above-mentioned dem...

The NBA has a new champion since Thursday night; the Toronto Raptors.?We do not talk about sport here at Fratello. We have our occasional articles from various car racing events or golf, for example.Perhaps a sportsman gets onto a list when we talk about famous watch wearers. Pretty much thats about it. However, we love sports, and I, for one, am a huge basketball fan. As such, I was following this years NBA finals with great enthusiasm to see if the NBA finals-rookie and underdog Toronto Raptors (a city I will be visiting in August) would be able to defeat the All-Star-studded Golden State Warriors or get schooled by the last two years NBA champion. Well, the Raptors did it. A franchise tha...

On May 1st, Christopher Ward introduced their C60 Trident Elite 1000 Limited Edition as well as the C60 Trident Pro 600, and the C60 Trident GMT 600 as part of their Trident 3 collection.This collection has been updated for the 10th anniversary of the Trident dive watch series. The Trident is a best-seller for the UK brand, and with these new models, Christopher Ward shows what they re capable of doing. According to Mike France, CEO and co-founder of Christopher Ward. We received the toughest version of the three new models, the C60 Trident Elite 1000 limited edition and gave it a try.One of the good things of selling directly is that you are also in touch with the customer and get unfiltere...

Mother of Dragons. My Vulcain Cricket is the mother, while other pieces in my collection are dragons. Why? The Vulcain Cricket was the first vintage watch I ever acquired. It rules over the others no matter what.Drawer beginningsIt was long ago that I was sneaking around my fathers secret drawers where he kept all of his broken watches. No Vulcain Crickets there. They were all local Czechoslovak watches or some random Russian brands. But I was no less fascinated when I touched the crown and heard the movements ticking. You can imagine – a quartz boy born in the 1980s, introducing himself to mechanical movements.I can imagine that in 1947, the Vulcain Cricket was as hot and desirable as...

We take a look at a curious riff on the Oris Big Crown Pointer Date 80th Anniversary in bronze.I needed a new watch like a hole in the head, but there I was at Baselworld 2019 making a decision on what novelty Id procure.? Im not really what youd call an altruist, but I like to support the industry by purchasing a watch every year thats actually in production instead of always defaulting to vintage.? Thats really not such a chore these days as I think were living during the time of some really great watches.? In fact, theres hardly a brand that doesnt offer something that I wouldnt mind calling my own.? But it was our annual meeting with the still-independent brand from H?lstein that virtual...

I have always had a thing for the Daytona, and I wanted to make it my own way. Thanks to Artisans de Geneve, my timepiece is now unparalleled, it bears details that make it unique as a F1 car, as my car. A unique movement, particular shapes, exceptional curves and an extraordinary mechanism. I love it ! Artisans de Geneve has managed to achieve a technical prowess, each detail is perfectly executed with the same concern for extreme perfection that we find in the racing world.Rubens BarrichelloThis video is blocked because you did not accept marketing cookies. Change cookie settings Rubens Barrichello discovered racing at the age of 9 and immediately felt for it, he soon became one of th...

The watch that started its life as a car racers companion but quickly went on a very different route.There are some similarities between a spaceship and a race car. Both have crazy fuel consumption. Both go C very C fast. Often they are both built using state-of-the-art materials and designed by the best engineers out here. All jokes aside, despite the similarities the Speedmaster was never intended to be an astronauts watch. It was a trick of fate that turned a racing chronograph to a space watch. Omega had a different purpose in mind during the mid-50s when the idea of the Speedmaster was born. We all know the story of how the Omega Speedmaster became a timepiece for NASA astronauts (if no...

You want to purchase a new watch, perhaps even your first serious one, but there s so much out there. It would be impossible for us to tell you what to buy, but let s have a look at 5 watches that have a retail price under 4000 Euro and could make you very happy.I picked 5 different brands, well-known brands. Of course, I am aware there s many more out there, including a number of microbrands, but for a first serious watch, I d stick to something familiar. When I started myself with mechanical watches, the landscape was a bit different and below 4000 Euro you could easily buy a Submariner or GMT-Master (at retail!). Times changed and so did the retail prices of good watches. I wanted to incl...

Every year at the SIHH we receive a ‘financial update from the AP CEO on how they broke another record. Without having to produce (and deliver) more watches than the previous year. One of the reasons for these increasing nett results is the fact that they are doing more sales via their boutiques.That s a nice development for the company, but what if your country or region does not have a boutique? Some of the models that Audemars Piguet introduces are boutique-only, and that s sometimes a sore fact for the fans. Here in The Netherlands for example, there s no Audemars Piguet boutique. We only have multi-brand stores carrying this brand from Le Brassus. I guess this applies to many mor...

I?would rather not disclose the percentage of vintage Alpinas in my watch collection. Yet the recently released update of the Alpina Seastrong Diver 300 is the first modern Alpina I have the pleasure to review.Reaching new depths: the Alpina Seastrong Diver 300It was quite a big splash when Alpina threw in their re-designed diver into the crowded 2016 Basel pond. Less is more. Alpina took a step back and by that surprisingly found itself three steps ahead. Previous Alpina underwater production reminded me of infamous Breitling pieces. You kind of felt there was too much going on and werent sure where the watch came from or where it was supposed to go. Those times are forgotten as Alpina dive...

Referring back to a recent post here, one can appreciate a world-first gasket free case mechanism, developed by a young independent brand Mauron Musy, is no mean feat.What brought us here today, however, is a fascinating comment left under that post. An idea about combining such innovation with advancements in nanotechnology that may benefit our craft in some truly seismic ways.I love our readers inventiveness.Roger SmithThe said nanoscience pursuit for a watch mechanism is fittingly led by another independent watchmaker, one of the highest prestige in horology, no less. At the forefront of this is Dr Roger W Smith OBE, based on the Isle of Man, who is continuing Britains long tradition to a...

Frequent readers know that, here at Fratello, we love things related to space travel. Probably ignited by the Omega Speedmaster Professional, a.k.a. the Moonwatch, however meanwhile extended to general astronautics. Of interest are space crafts like rockets, space shuttles, manned satellites, and more.The entrance of the exhibition at the Champs Elysees side of the Grand PalaisLa Lune Exhibition in ParisOur interest goes to flown objects, watches at best, but even pieces of protective foil will do. Then there are?space-related?items, like astronaut-used pens, cameras, and even space-related toys and comics. As examples, I want to mention LEGO models of the Saturn V rocket and lunar lander, a...

When you think of Urwerk the first thing that comes to mind is their hi-tech and futuristic designs. Just one of those exotic brands that you will recognise from a mile away. And all of that right from Switzerland which is more known for its ski resorts rather than sunny beaches. Yet the name of this creation makes up for that. Time to meet the Urwerk Black Cobra.Urwerk Black CobraEver since the founders Felix Baumgartner (master watchmaker) and Martin Frei (chief designer) first met back in 1995 they have made some crazy works of art. Although technically they make watches it s a term that doesn t do justice to their innovative designs. Hence they are always on our agenda when we visit the ...

Already during the Apollo mission, Omega came up with new and interesting Speedmasters for future use by NASA.All these watches were using the Alaska codename, in order not to wake up the competition during. The Swiss watchmaking industry is a small world and when some of the competition resides in the same (small) Swiss city, even a late night bar or restaurant visit can be tricky. That s why brands like Omega like to use codenames for special projects. For everything concerning NASA, Omega used the codename Alaska. Already during the days of Apollo, Omega created Speedmaster variations using this codename (here s the white dial Alaska, and here s the white dial Alaska II, for example).Now,...

Are you looking to buy an Omega Speedmaster but don t know where to start? We re here to help! Over the past 65+ years, Omega has created many variations of one of the world s most famous chronographs. The classic 42mm Moonwatch has been in the collection since 1965, and to the novice eye, little has changed since then. But if you look a bit closer, you will find that the Speedmaster evolved quite a bit in the decades that followed.In this Speedmaster guide, we ll give you an overview of the most important references of the Speedmaster (Professional) and some of its variations. Although this article isn t meant as a pricing guide, we will give some hints, of course. If you re already a knowl...

This coming Wednesday, June 5th, the Fortuna Exchange auction will take place again. A monthly live auction where you can bid on watches. In this month, Fortuna offers no less than 153 watches of which we selected 4 to show you: Explorer 1016, GMT-Master 165, Omega Seamaster 300 165.024 and a Zenith A. Cairelli CP-2.Let s start with the last one, the Zenith chronograph for the Italian Airforce.Zenith A. Cairelli CP-2 ChronographIf you re not into vintage watches, you might recognize this model anyway as Zenith did a re-edition of the CP-2 not that long ago (we reviewed it here). This particular watch, however, was sold in the 1960s by the Italian defence contractor, A. Cairelli. This name ...

Aeromeister watches are more than an accessory or a device that measures time: Its who you are! Designed for those who value the small things in life. Intended for men who respect and appreciate craftsmanship. Its the details that matter.Ultra-LimitedOur watches are designed and crafted with a passion for the smallest details in the highest standard. By working with the best materials and partners we created a bold brand that fits the wrist of those who dare to choose.The (ultra) limited availability of the Craftman X14 makes the watch extremely exclusive.For more Information visit www.aeromeister.comMiyota Skeleton 82D7 21 Jewels Mechanical movementWe opted for the Miyota 82D7 Skeleton 21 J...

Oh hi there, it s This Week in Watches for June 2, 2019.Yes, it s been a few weekends since we ve come out with This Week in Watches.? The news has been fairly light since Swatch Group s?Time to Move?event and we took the opportunity to give you a look at many of the?Apollo 11 50th Anniversary?happenings around the last weekend.? Well, guess what?? There s more Apollo today, but we also have some news of watches.? Let s begin.Tissot Chrono XL NBA CollectorYou know, the old Dream Team that boringly beat up on a bunch of second tier players in the 1992 Barcelona Summer Olympics must have had a profound effect on my European brethren.? There s rarely a week that goes by that I m not asked if I ...

You probably have heard of Artisans de Geneve lately, with La Montoya, their last customization project where they offered to modify, for the first time in the world, a 4130 movement into a skeleton.The independent and innovative watchmaking workshop based in Geneva offers an exclusive service of watch modification for private customers. The modifications are made exclusively upon request in a very limited capacity, in their workshops in Switzerland. Artisans de Geneve gathers the best Swiss experts and manufacturers around essential values of savoir-faire, excellency and uniqueness.Artisans de Geneve aims at ensuring a direct and personal communication with its clients to the very last det...