In this video, we try a new format where Fratello s managing editor Nacho talks to senior editor Lex Stolk about watches. Here are their afterthoughts on the Watches and Wonders 2023 show last month.Watches And Wonders 2023 AfterthoughtsBeing back in the office gave us time to reflect a bit more on Watches and Wonders 2023. Lex and Nacho sat together in the Fratello offices for this video and discussed their favorites. Yacht-Master 42Nacho and Lex can t afford not to talk about , of course. The titanium Yacht-Master 42 receives a lot of credit from both, and it even made Nacho forget to take a look at the new Explorer 40.Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso ChronographAnother watch that receives a lot ...
When you look closely at the website, you will find all new 2023 watches listed - except for one. That s right, the Day-Date Emoji is not mentioned. While there are new Day-Date models, all with 52 brilliant-cut diamonds, the new Day-Date Emoji is not available in the collection overview. Day-Date EmojiThe only mention it gets is in the Newsroom section. It says: Crafted from 18 ct yellow, white or Everose gold, these watches have adopted an original face. Rather than showing the day of the week, the arc-shaped aperture at 12 oclock displays an inspirational keyword in English C Happy, Eternity, Gratitude, Peace, Faith, Love and Hope. The window at 3 oclock reveals daily one of 31 exclusiv...
If you thought that the new Oyster Perpetual Celebration models were funky, the Day-Date Emoji is texting, Hold my beer. This is a case of making something a bit crazy, but of course, there s some nice handcraft at work too. Shall we begin?Look, I ll go ahead and get to it. A lot of people are cranky about the new Day-Date Emoji that sits before you in this article. As you ll see, it doesn t do a good job of delivering on its model name - i.e. telling us the day or the date. In fact, even the legibility is also a bit of a mess for timekeeping. However, these watches are distinctive, colorful, and a bit different. Finally, almost no one reading this article will be getting one of these, so...
Every month in 2023, we will release a new strap for the Omega Speedmaster, and this month, it s time for the Speedy Tuesday - Tribute to Alaska III strap. Alaska III was Omega s project for a Speedmaster that would be used during the Space Shuttle missions. In 1978, NASA re-qualified the Omega Speedmaster Professional, this time with caliber 861, for the Space Shuttle program that would start in 1981.Speedy Tuesday - Tribute To Alaska IIIOmega sent 56 of these watches with radial dials to NASA. In 2012, one of those 56 watches landed on our desk via a Space Shuttle astronaut who got in touch with me about it. This very watch inspired us to come up with the Omega Speedmaster Speedy Tuesday b...
We bumped into a beautiful second-generation Omega Speedmaster, also known as reference CK2998. There are quite a few iterations of this reference, and this is the CK2998-62. Omega produced this watch on April 30, 1963. That happened to be Queen s Day (Queen Juliana) here in the Netherlands, so perhaps it was a double celebration for the original Dutch owner.Omega Speedmaster CK2998-62 - Image: Spiegelgracht Juweliers1963 Omega Speedmaster CK2998-62The Omega Speedmaster CK2998-62 was the last iteration of the second Speedmaster generation. The short-lived reference 105.002 succeeded it before turning into reference 105.003. Although the Speedmaster 105.003 was the first watch that was tested...
Daan, Nacho, and RJ talk about traveling with their watches in this podcast. Being watch journalists, we travel a lot and often want to bring more than one watch. But with Switzerland as the main destination, it s not as easy as you think. You need to be mindful of customs and the fact that they can stop you to ask if you re importing any valuable goods. In this podcast, we discuss the risks of traveling with multiple watches.This podcast player is blocked because you did not accept marketing cookies. Change cookie settings Wrist checkAs always, we start with a quick wrist check of what we re wearing. RJ has his 39mm Omega Globemaster in Sedna Gold on his wrist, Daan is sporting his Exp...
My watch journey began with a Seiko 5 SNZG11J1 in the jungles of Thailand and Myanmar (that will have to be another story), so it seems more than fitting that my first article with Fratello should reflect my relationship with this storied and legendary brand. Although I havent always been a watch guy, the first watch that heralded my interest in the hobby was a Seiko 7002. However, just because you appreciate a brand does not mean you should not also consider it with a critical eye from an enthusiast s and consumer s perspective. Today, I d like to explain why I feel that the humble Seiko Turtle is a future collectible, and part of that has to do with Seiko s recent market positioning.A Seik...
What do the Oyster, Zenith ladder, and Heuer beads-of-rice bracelets have in common? And the iconic integrated bracelets from the Royal Oak and Nautilus? Oh, and the Bonklip and Patek beads-of-rice? Well, they were all original designs from a company named Gay Freres, a cha?niste established in 1835 and integrated by in 1998. It is, arguably, the parts supplier that had the biggest impact on todays watches of all. Time to have a closer look!The bracelet is a crucial part of your watch. Its impact on overall aesthetics and wearing comfort cannot be overstated. In fact, in many of the examples above, the bracelet has become a defining feature. Isnt it amazing that a single company is behind ...
This week s Top 5 article has been giving me a bit of a headache. I consider myself a bit of a purist when it comes to watches, so to me, there s basically only one essential Audemars Piguet Royal Oak - the Jumbo. And I could go the easy route and just list all the references for the Jumbos that AP has produced, starting with reference 5402 in the image above.But that would sell Audemars Piguet s most famous watch short, in my opinion. There is a world of Royal Oaks besides the Jumbo (or Extra-Thin) for sure, like the Royal Oak Chronograph and the 1993 Royal Oak Chronograph The Beast. Let s kick it off with the Jumbo, and I will definitely mention the references of this model.The Royal Oak 5...
Hublot never disappoints when it comes to adding some sunshine to a gloomy January. During LMVH Watch Week 2023, the Nyon brand introduced quite a large number of new releases. Hublot showed once more that it loves creating timepieces that stand out due to the combination of colors and materials. Looking at the newly introduced timepieces, simple and subdued are not the keywords that come to mind. Vibrant and colorful are definitely more like it. And I could use a bit of color and a smile in a horribly gray Dutch January. So let s check out the new Hublot releases from LVMH Watch Week 2023.Whenever Hublot releases new watches, I am intrigued to discover what the brand has come up with. Usual...
Dear Oris, please tell me you havent already started producing titanium cases for the Aquis Regulateur Der Meistertaucher 2.0. I really need to revisit the matter of Der Meistertaucher because Im having second thoughts. In my article about the regulator-dialed diver this past October, I wrote that I wanted you to bring that standout dive watch back because of its originality, functionality, and great looks. Nothing has changed in that regard. But when you launched the Big Crown ProPilot Coulson Limited Edition a month later, that watch got me thinking. Maybe titanium isnt the optimal material for the Aquis Regulateur Der Meistertaucher 2.0 after all. Maybe a 3D-printed case is the best way t...
It is December 14th, 1972, and Apollo 17 astronaut Gene Cernan is about to set foot on the ladder of the Lunar Module. Before he does so, he kneels and writes the initials of his daughter Tracy in the Moon dust. On his wrist is an Omega Speedmaster 105.003 with caliber 321.Gene Cernan and his daughter Teresa Tracy Dawn - Image courtesy of NASAHis watch is on display at the Omega Museum in Biel and was used to recreate the Speedmaster Calibre 321 model in 2020. Cernan s Speedmaster 105.003 with NASA serial number 28 and product code CF55033 was the last worn on the Moon. As you can see in the following pictures, it has seen intensive use. The bezel fell off, and the Hesalite crystal is damage...
It s that time of the year again! The holidays are just around the corner, and the gift-giving season is here. Are you looking to buy a gift for your watch-enthusiast friend or loved one and need some inspiration? Have you already been asked what you want this year and didn t know how to answer? Or maybe you re just looking for something for yourself? Whatever the case may be, we ve got you covered! We set our editors to it and came up with a handful of gift ideas.From big-budget splurges to more affordable stocking stuffers (including a selection from the Fratello Shop), we have it all. So don t worry about struggling to find the perfect gift; check out our suggestions below! Without furthe...
The holiday season is upon us, and while most of us Fratelli may be hoping for a watch box under the tree, giving the gift of the horology bug to someone else can be a bit more challenging! Luckily, if you are like me, you have impressionable children on whom you might impart the wisdom of how important timeliness is and give them the gift of being a cool watch person like Dad (or Mom). Ours is a fun hobby, so why not start them young? In fact, they might have already noticed your obsession!Origin storiesIt is interesting that most of us have that singular moment when we started on the journey to watch collecting (you can read mine here). Regardless of the particular milestone in our lives, ...
Last week, I was in London for the WatchPro Salon, and some people already asked what my favorite Speedmaster release was for 2022. The Chrono Chime was this year s latest and last Omega Speedmaster release. There have been quite a few introductions in the 65th-anniversary year of the Speedmaster, although perhaps not the ones you ve been all waiting for. That said, the lineup is quite impressive and goes from the first (Speedy) Tuesday of this year with the Broad Arrow Canopus to the recently introduced X-33 Marstimer and highly complicated Speedmaster Chrono Chime. In between, there were the Moonshine Gold models and the updated Speedmaster 57 collection.So, what were the best Speedmaster...
On the first Sunday of October, I visited a local watch fair with my colleague Sofia Severino. There, we found hundreds of people shuffling past the tables with displays showcasing thousands of watches. Funnily enough, I almost bit the bullet on a Jaeger-LeCoultre Atmos clock in the first few meters from the entrance. However, in the second row with tables, there was a display with this funny-looking Jaeger-LeCoultre wristwatch on a watch pillow. A Jaeger-LeCoultre Master-Quartz, to be precise. I moved on to look at other watches but couldn t get this one out of my head.Buying a Jaeger-LeCoultre Master-Quartz at a watch fairAfter a coffee (espresso!) break with my colleague Sofia, we looked ...
G-Shock has an exhaustive catalog with options for fit and functionality from the super budget-conscious up to full, five-figure luxury. I ve always been partial to G-Shock, especially the quintessential square design derived from the original DW-5000C. I already own a basic black DW-5600 square which has earned its place in my minimal collection as a true tool watch. But I felt the need for something a little nicer. I ended up purchasing the GW-5000U-1JF, a JDM model that is black, square, boring, and brilliant. I d say it s the best resin G-Shock that money can buy.The G-Shock GW-5000U-1JF is a rarer watch as far as G-Shocks go, though it isn t limited. Until recently, it was produced spec...
In the world of watches, it takes a long time for change to happen. But, when it does, it flourishes. In my opinion, 2022 has been the year of color. We ve seen a lot of brightly colored dials in watches, but one color has criminally been missing. Any guesses? OK, I m sure the images have already given the game away, but would purple have been your answer? Well, it should have been. A surprisingly versatile hue, URWERK has decided to adopt it for its latest creation and addition to the UR-100V family. Meet the UR-100V UltraViolet!At Fratello, we definitely fall into the purple-loving camp. Based on our recent purple-dialed Minase M-3 Very Peri project, you probably knew that already! Purple ...
For Fratello Collector s Week 2.0, some of our editors are sharing their collecting philosophies. Today it is my turn. As I described in a recent article, I do not consider myself a watch collector. But then again, I guess that is a collecting philosophy in its own right. So maybe I just have to bite the bullet and get into it.As it turns out, I quite enjoyed reflecting on my collecting habits for this article. It can be good to have a close look in the mirror from time to time. So if you are interested, here is my approach to watch collecting. I found that my watch box is a mirror of sorts. Let me explain-To collect or not to collectAs I explained before, I do not regard myself as a collect...
Seiko is an anomaly of sorts. A watch company with as much history and provenance as any of the old Swiss houses, Seiko nonetheless occupies a pseudo-non-watch place in many watch enthusiasts hearts. As some argue (myself included) that es are less watches than commodities, Seiko s watches are often as much collector s items as they are watches. There are many factors that contribute to Seiko watches being collectible, not least of which is Seiko s general affordability. The large, ever-changing catalog is another culprit in the equation. But is there something more? A certain Seiko magic that draws collectors back again and again?I remember the first mechanical watch that I ever bought mys...
