When I started collecting watches about 20 years ago, I loved to browse those big books that showed a huge amount of watches that were either categorized by brand name, price or complication. The moonphase?(and calendar) complications appealed to me most at the time, as I love that big gold moon on a dial. Perhaps it is not the most useful complication in the world, but that also is part of its charm. The problem is, like with many nice things that are for sale, that these mechanical moonphase complications do not come cheap most of the time.The MeisterSinger Lunascope is an automatic watch with moonphase indicator, and retails for just below $3000. The Lunascope combines the well, although ...
Today, were excited to announce the new Oak and Oscar Humboldt, the fourth release from the independent Chicago-based brand. Oak and Oscar, founded in 2015 by Chase Fancher, started with the Burnham, a limited edition three hand automatic with date, then followed it up with the automatic Sanford GMT, and earlier this year gave us the lovely manual wind Jackson Chronograph (still a few available at time of writing). As youll see, the Humboldt brings us yet another type of functionality meant to appeal to modern day explorers like yours truly C meaning, those who spend a lot of time bouncing around amongst the time zones.Oak and Oscar Humboldt – The NameFirst, though, how did the Oak and...
A while back, we reported to you about Skolorr, the curated online marketplace for watches from independent watchmakers. But as you know, not everyone is comfortable (yet) with buying a fine watch online. You still might want to see, feel and experience the watch for yourself, in the flesh. Especially watches from the independents, which often can t be found everywhere, require a bit of closer inspection before someone will do the purchase.The Hour HouseTo serve those customers, entrepreneur Sky Sit and her team at Skolorr?jumped into the gap that disappearing multi-brand stores like Marcus (London) left and opened a showroom and VIP lounge in The Hour House. Located on Duke Street in London...
The cedar trees are tall and the rocks are sharp. The gorge is deep and the steam from the hot spring contrasts with the pile of fresh snow that has fallen during the night. We are in Minase River Gorge, in Akita Prefecture, Japan. Kilometers of endless forests, where nature is at its purest. Nestled in the middle of this unspoiled space is a little manufacturer, Minase, which bears the name of the village that it calls home. In this remote location, Minase produces some of the finest high-end watches in Japan.?For more information please visit: www.minasewatches.chMINASE SEVEN WINDOWSWith an annual production of only 500 pieces, Minase timekeepers were only available in Japan until last yea...
As we can see this weekend during the Geneva watch auctions, the world of vintage watches is so versatile, that everyone can find something there. For this instalment of our Weekend Read feature we bring you a special interview with Mr Vintage Certinas, Pascal.Mr Vintage CertinasSome tend to think that vintage watches are unreliable, uncool and outdated. Others contemplate about them being super expensive and unreachable. This world is not for those people. It is obvious that most of us at Fratello have a thing for these timepieces. Week after week, we try to show our readers how marvellous (and often inexpensive) a vintage watch can be. In these articles, writers regularly talk about the br...
Formex is not a new brand (1999), but it is also not very widely known. Exactly two years ago, Formex stopped with all their brick and mortar retailers and decided to sell directly only, via their e-boutique. Formex wanted to be in touch directly with their end-customer, so they also would get a good understanding of what their demand. The cut on retailers also enabled them to invest in a proper working e-boutique and an augmented reality app that Gerard discussed a few days ago in his Munichtime report.Formex ElementWhat isn t new, is the case suspension system that Formex uses. This was already patented before they went online-only?in 2016. The Formex Element I have here today has this cas...
We would like to invite you for an exclusive Grand Seiko event. This will take place on December 7th in Amsterdam and will be organized by Fratello, Watching Magazine, Horloge.info and Seiko Nederland B.V.This is your chance to have a closer look at the Grand Seiko brand and their incredible craftsmanship. Besides having lunch in style, there will be a number of presentations, exclusive Grand Seiko and Credor watches to admire up close and a demonstration by one of Grand Seiko s Master Craftsmen with a ‘Snowflake watch.Location: Amsterdam, The NetherlandsDate: December 7th, Start 12:00 (Ends at 16:30)There will be only a very limited number of available seats, so make sure to sign up ...
Today on #TBT well talk about a unique chronograph in the Excelsior Park Monte Carlo. As youll come to see, the watch is more than the sum of its parts. Thats a notable statement because this EP is truly a watch made of parts; think of it as the physical result of the old adage, when life you gives you lemons, make lemonade. Except in this case, the lemonade was created due to leftover lemons found elsewhere. Confused? Read on-Here on Fratello, weve spent time discussing Excelsior Park. Weve covered a watch branded with the name, but weve spent more time looking at watches produced by the brand for others, namely Gallet. To recap, Excelsior Park was a historic watchmaker that produced its ow...
This years Baselworld was a treat for everyone who loves vintage watch reeditions. A lot of brands released a number of cool reinterpretations of old models. Certina, a brand that albeit has a huge history, mostly creates contemporary watches also blessed us with something special. It is the Certina DS PH200M, a diver that is the descent of the legendary PH200M from 1967. This was a memorable release for a number of reasons. Just to mention one, as I said it above, Certina was never the brand that focused too much on their heritage models. Whether it was a conscious move or not I dont know but Im happy the DS PH200M came to production.DS PH200MThe DS (DS stands for double security) is a trad...
As an official media partner of Munichtime 2018, we visited Munich in the weekend of October 26-28th. In this article, we will give you an impression of what went down in one of our favourite German cities and run down some novelties that were presented there as well.Hotel Bayerischer Hof hosting MunichtimeMunichtime 2018One can t overlook that the Munichtime event is a very German one. The way it is organized, the location, the exhibitors, and the visitors. Everything breathes a German atmosphere and German culture.There was already a slight giveaway before we left for the event because their?website isn t available in another language than German. Even when you click the English flag most ...
A few weeks ago there was a small get-together in Vienna, Austria, with some pretty serious Omega collectors. We say Omega, not Speedmaster, as people also brought in some pretty decent other Omega watches. Our very own Berti joined a Saturday in Vienna and took pictures of all the horological candy that was brought along.Vienna CallingOrganized by some very serious Omega collectors (some watches might look familiar if you are an avid Omega follower on Instagram for example) in Austria, it was by invitation only, as trust is often the most important aspect when it comes to these things. If a get-together is not organized by a brand or boutique, imagine the struggle with a venue and its secur...
We ve reported on a blue dial Speedmaster 105.012 and a blue dial Speedmaster 145.012 before in our Speedy Tuesday features, but never on an earlier reference with this dial colour. These dials are still a bit of a vague territory, at least for us, as no one exactly know how many of these watches are around or how they ended up in production. Was it by special request or did Omega just fiddled around with colour options? One thing is certain though, they exist and are original.Blue Dial Speedmaster 105.003The previously reported blue dial Speedmaster reference 105.012 and 145.012 were ‘Professional watches, this 105.003, of course, isn t. Interesting to see that Omega used this beauti...
Pendulum Traveler Pre-order Campaign Will Kick off This WinterAMSTERDAM, NOVEMBER 5th – Ever since starting out, Fromanteel has had one clear goal: creating high-quality Swiss Made timepieces with an understated design, while keeping them affordable. With the Pendulum Traveler, they show that they havent lost sight of whats important. This sympathetic GMT watch, the third member of the automatic Pendulum series, is the most sophisticated piece in their collection.The Fromanteel Pendulum Traveler is now available. Order your Limited Edition watch at https://www.fromanteelspecials.com/traveler before the pre-order campaign ends.A Perfect Traveling CompanionEver since the 1950s, the GMT w...
I got the opportunity to stop by Antiquorum Geneva and check out the watches in their upcoming November sale.? I am luckily based in Geneva and enjoy walking over to see in advance what is coming up for sale. Antiquorum typically has large catalogs and in May of this year, they had over 620 lots to look through, which means it takes a while.To take a look at the Antiquorum Geneva online catalog, you can click directly here.November 2018 Geneva AuctionsThis Antiquorum watch auction, which takes place on Sunday, November 11th in Geneva, is comprised of 571 lots (less than the previous sale). There is a wide variety as always and some gems hidden in the thick catalog.NautilusI decided to take a...
We wrote about Klynt last year when their first collection hit the microbrand scene. It was a refreshingly new approach, combining elements of watch design and architecture. The guys behind Klynt researched this topic and came out with a product that was interesting to look at and had a price tag that was more than fair. The watch looked exciting and the deeper you dwelled into its design the more features you explored. Needless to say, it was a success (click here for our previous review) and a great start that hopefully will continue with the 2 new models C within a new line C Klynt is about to release. Staying true to their motto to create Swiss-made timepieces that look unique and afford...
We would like to invite you to our Blancpain Fifty Fathoms event that we organize together with Tourbillon Boutique Amsterdam (NL) on Wednesday, November 28th.Blancpain will bring their legendary Fifty Fathoms watches?as well as their novelties introduced during Baselworld 2018. It will be a night to remember for sure, especially for Fifty Fathoms fans!Held in the Tourbillon Boutique on P.C. Hooftstraat 72 in Amsterdam, we will host a cocktail evening that will take place on Wednesday, November 28th at 18:00. We will have only a limited availability for this event, so please send us an email ([email protected]) with your name and details. We only have very few invitations left, so hurry...
Years ago, when Omega introduced their Co-Axial technology and silicon balance springs, they raised the warranty to 4 years (instead of the standard 2 years, which is also mandatory by European law for example). Now, Omega takes it one step further and decided to raise the warranty on all of their watches to 5 years, regardless of which watch model (or type of movement that is inside).Effective July 1st 2018The new 5-year warranty will take effect from today, November 2nd, 2018 and will also be applied to any OMEGA watch purchased on or after July 1st, 2018. So yes, this also means your (and ours) Speedy Tuesday Ultraman will have the 5-year warranty. Yeeee.Raynald Aeschlimann, President and...
Last week we joined A. Lange & S?hne for the opening of their new boutique in the center of Dresden.?Located near the watch capital of Germany you always pass by this lovely place with its rich history and architectural beauty. Not only was it the day of the opening, they also launched their new Datograph Up/Down Lumen.The newly build location was the home of court jeweller Moritz Elimeyer in the distant past. One of the finest establishments in Dresden and now it serves as the new home for A. Lange & S?hne. Although the building itself has been rebuilt it retains the rich details of the past. Something that is often discarded due to costs and modern architecture. However, they found...
Henrik Korpela is the director and instructor of KHWCC?(K&H Watchmaking Competence Centre) and sat down with CJ who is currently enrolled in his second and last year to hear about his future plans after graduation as well as how he found the KHWCC and what he is currently practising among other questions. As well as CJ asking Henrik (HK) questions he thinks are interesting for the readers.K&H Watchmaking Competence CentreHK: What made you decide to come to study watchmaking in Switzerland?CJ: After reading the school blog and talking to the alumni who are already in the program at that time. I know the school spends a year focusing on the very fundamental part of watchmaking, micro-m...
Happy Halloween! Well, at least its still Halloween for the West Coast Americans who read our site. If trick or treating isnt your thing, though, youre probably with me in that November 1st brings all kinds of autumn colors to the forefront and one of those hues is most definitely orange. So, in celebration of one of my favorite seasons (between college football tailgating C I miss this in Germany C and the holidays yet to come), lets take a look at a rather bright and festive watch in the vintage Citizen Seven Star APSS 52904-Y. Oh, and just for your knowledge, I shot the pictures of this lovely diver in the old mining town of Prescott, Arizona C which just may or may not be haunted. ??If y...
