Unless you want to go down the road of modded watches, the simplest way to give your precious timepiece a fresh look is a new strap. Especially if the piece is on a bracelet, throwing a leather strap can change how the watch looks and feels entirely. This is not rocket science; many of us use this trick. However, for those of you lost in the world of wristwear, I have selected the Top 10 Straps you should own.My list, as always, does not come in a hierarchical order. These are just the styles I prefer and wear on my watches the most often. I hope youll find at least one that you have not heard of before.1. Exotic leatherNow, this is a tricky one, I know. Exotic leather is not exactly trendy ...

We take a quick look at the new Oak & Oscar Olmsted Matte, a thoughtful variant on the brand s field watch.It s hard to believe that it was almost a year ago when I caught up with Oak & Oscar founder Chase Fancher in person. He visited Frankfurt and was kind enough to host a cocktail event at my favorite spot in town. Aside from the fantastic refreshments, Chase brought the brand s newest release: the Olmsted 38. I still recall taking pictures of these new watches in the Autumn weather on Berger Stra?e and I came away wanting one in my collection. I added the white dial version and picked it up on my last trip to the States way back in February. Now, here we are in late 2020 and Oak ...

You will probably be surprised by all the different kinds of shapes that can be found in this selection of over 100 watches from the late 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s. Retro Watches is quite a?unique book. It brings together all the most avantgarde, bold and eccentric watches you might have ever seen. In Retro Watches, I even?found a?watch that I?saw years ago but was hesitant to pull the trigger on. When I?got back to the listing a few days later, someone else had already bought the Desotos chronograph. I?regret that I let it go. An asymmetric case is nothing unusual and many watches have, mostly to protect the crown or pushers. But not a single one is as asymmetric as this Desotos, which looks ...

I must admit that at Fratello, we don t cover all well-meant watch start-ups by far. Crowdfunding platforms Kickstarter and Indiegogo seem to provide an almost continuous flow of new watch projects. But if it comes to start-ups from The Netherlands, we prove to be quite chauvinistic, and then we often pick up our pens. No surprise here with the new watch brand Ligure Scuba Diver that introduces their first three models on Indiegogo.It started with long-time Seiko watch aficionado Rob van Herpt contacting us with an idea to bring his own watch brand. Rob runs a Seiko online shop - Monsterwatches a.k.a. Robokies, and for ages, he supplies the world with Seiko watches, exchange-, and modding pa...

We are approaching the end of a very awkward year, to say the least. No (Speedy Tuesday) events, no traveling, and no proper GTGs could be organized. Instead, we ve been hosting a series of Speedmaster Stories from our readers and Speedmaster enthusiasts. This week, we feature TJ s story about his Omega Speedmaster 3590.50.In his story, TJ talks about his youth and his first encounter with a Speedmaster. Only years later, he actually purchased his own Speedmaster Professional. It is interesting to read how he deals with the fact that the watch has received some replacement parts over the years during the mandatory services and repairs. Sure, it has a negative effect on the resale value of th...

We love the holiday season! It is time to wind down (but I m hardly succeeding in doing so, to be honest), to enjoy some quality time with family and friends, and hopefully be able to hand out some gifts. This is RJ s Christmas gift guide for 2020.I don t want to sound spoiled - and I do like unwrapping gifts - but in the end, I have much more fun handing out gifts to those who I love. In this overview, I will not restrict myself to watches and accessories for this gift guide, there will be some other stuff too. I picked some of my very favorite items for this list. Some of these things, you might even find on my own wishlist. Everything I selected for this gift guide is available online.Chr...

It s episode 25 and Balazs & Mike come together to talk about their favorite divers of 2020.Balazs and Mike are on the air waves for episode 25 on our favorite divers of 2020. We recorded this one several weeks ago after our return from the Netherlands. Now, the boys have figured out how to cut and edit. You ll be hearing more from them! This podcast player is blocked because you did not accept marketing cookies. Change cookie settings Our Fratello on Air podcast is available via Buzzsprout, Soundcloud, Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Deezer,? Stitcher, and Spotify.Our favorite divers of 2020 after the Handgelenk KontrolleThen, it s time for a Handgelenk Kontrolle and Balazs is sporti...

There are many watches that mimick the popular Oris Sixty Five divers watch style. Many of them are exactly what you would expect of a?pure copycat watch. A?mess. The Timex Waterproof 200 Feet is different. Although it drops into the low budget watch category, its surprisingly solid and consistent.Timex holds a?special place in a vintage collectors heart. So special, that there is often almost no space for it. Indeed, you either need quite a?hard-core fan or huge budget restraints to stay focused on Timex. Blame the cheap movements and chromed cases. Today however I will challenge both of these points and prove that even Timex has pieces worth looking into. Timex Waterproof 200 Feet today.Ti...

As a follow-up to our recent guide to mid-range Seiko dive watches, we re back with another helpful article. This time, though, we re looking at diving tools from the Swatch Group below $1,500.A quick look at the Swatch Group shows a staggering 18 different brands in the portfolio. From Swatch itself up to Breguet, this massive company offers something for every budget. The heart of the lineup, though, brings some serious value to prospective buyers with a lot of pricing overlap. This is especially true when it comes to mechanical divers below $1,500. We often talk Seiko when it comes to great value in this sporty sector, but don t count out the Swiss. Swatch Group has upped its game over th...

There are accounts on Instagram that do nothing but showing famous people wearing specific watches. Steve McQueen wearing a Submariner 5512, Tom Selleck with his GMT-Master 1675, Joe Biden wearing an Omega Speedmaster Professional, Jacky Kennedy with her Cartier. In this article, I will share my personal heroes and their watches.It is an interesting phenomenon that people actually care what watches famous people are wearing. Brands have realized this forever, of course, and even in the early days of advertisement, actors, singers, and sportspeople have been used to sell these watches. In the process, they became the first brand ambassadors.I know I am in the minority here, but I couldnt car...

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...

We take a look at all the Seiko divers between $800 and $1,550 in order to help provide some direction. Trust us, there are a lot of choices now!It used to be fairly easy to sort through the Seiko lineup. For sure, there were loads of options no matter the watch genre. When it came to Seiko divers, though, I always felt that there was a clear hierarchy. One began with the lowly SKX007 and worked up to the MM300. Along the way,? watches such as the Samurai, Sumo, or Shogun were available. Those days, it seems, are long gone and now there are loads of choices within that all-important entry-level luxury price range. We re here to make sense of all that - until Seiko releases another diver!The ...

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...

Welcome to Group H of the Speedmaster World Cup. In the absence of Euro 2020, we thought our beloved readers might enjoy a tournament of a different kind. Weve assembled eight groups (ACH), each governed by a different Fratello team member. Each writer has been assigned four watches, which they will pitch to you during the group stages.All we need you to do is vote for your favorite to move on in the competition. The next round will be the quarter-finals, which will see the eight group winners go head-to-head for your votes. The four winners progress to the semis. Following that, a third-place play-off will precede the final round, due to be held on Sunday, December 13th (get the whiskey in-...

Welcome to the Speedmaster World Cup. In the absence of Euro 2020, we thought our beloved readers might enjoy a tournament of a different kind. Weve assembled eight groups (ACH), each governed by a different Fratello team member. Each writer has been assigned four watches, which they will pitch to you during the group stages.All we need you to do is vote for your favorite to move on in the competition. The next round will be the quarter-finals, which will see the eight group winners go head-to-head for your votes. The four winners progress to the semis. Following that, a third-place play-off will precede the final round, due to be held on Sunday, December 13th (get the beers in -). If you ha...

Welcome to Group F of the Speedmaster World Cup. In the absence of Euro 2020, we thought our beloved readers might enjoy a tournament of a different kind. Weve assembled eight groups (ACH), each governed by a different Fratello team member. Each writer has been assigned four watches, which they will pitch to you during the group stages.All we need you to do is vote for your favorite to move on in the competition. The next round will be the quarter-finals, which will see the eight group winners go head-to-head for your votes. The four winners progress to the semis. Following that, a third-place play-off will precede the final round, due to be held on Sunday, December 13th (get the wine in-).G...

Welcome to the Speedmaster World Cup. In the absence of Euro 2020, we thought our beloved readers might enjoy a tournament of a different kind. We ve assembled eight groups (ACH), each governed by a different Fratello team member. Each writer has been assigned four watches, which they will pitch to you during the group stages.All we need you to do is vote for your favorite to move on in the competition. The next round will be the quarter-finals, which will see the eight group winners go head-to-head for your votes. The four winners progress to the semis. Following that, a third-place play-off will precede the final round, due to be held on Sunday, December 13th (get the beers in…).Omeg...

Welcome to this months Watch Strap Review. The 46th article to be exact. In a few months time, we will reach the magical number of 50. I guess we will have to do something special for that occasion. Until then though, we have yet another company to add to our long list of reviewed strap makers. The name is Atelier Del Sur and we some outstanding straps from them to look at.I opened the box with great expectations and, I am pleased to say, they were met. Consequently, it was very easy for me to sit down and write this article. That is not always the case. On the other hand, I often have to wait to get into the mood. Not this time. These Atelier Del Sur straps were easy to work with. In conclu...

Welcome to the Speedmaster World Cup. In the absence of Euro 2020, we thought our beloved readers might enjoy a tournament of a different kind. We ve assembled eight groups (ACH), each governed by a different Fratello team member. Each writer has been assigned four watches, which they will pitch to you during the group stages.All we need you to do is vote for your favorite to move on in the competition. The next round will be the quarter-finals, which will see the eight group winners go head-to-head for your votes. The four winners progress to the semis. Following that, a third-place play-off will precede the final round, due to be held on Sunday, December 13th (get the beers in…).If y...

Welcome to the Speedmaster World Cup. In the absence of Euro 2020, we thought our beloved readers might enjoy a tournament of a different kind. We ve assembled eight groups (ACH), each governed by a different Fratello team member. Each writer has been assigned four watches, which they will pitch to you during the group stages.All we need you to do is vote for your favorite to move on in the competition. The next round will be the quarter-finals, which will see the eight group winners go head-to-head for your votes. The four winners progress to the semis. Following that, a third-place play-off will precede the final round, due to be held on Sunday, December 13th (get the beers in…).If y...