The name Vulcain is synonymous with alarm watches. In the 1960s and 1970s, the brand was mostly known for this specific complication. In recent years, Vulcain has made a comeback and expanded its collection to divers, chronographs, and now time-only models. The Grand Prix line is the simplest of them all.I spent a few weeks with the Vulcain Grand Prix 39mm Champagne, the cheapest, plainest model in Vulcain s current lineup. It offers the elegance and usability that a three-hander can give you and does not fail to deliver. Surprisingly, I grew attached to the watch and did not want to take it off after the test period ended.VulcainA few years ago, when the brand was making a comeback, the foc...

It s Sunday morning! Yes, that means it s time for another Sunday Morning Showdown inspired by the new releases we saw at Watches and Wonders 2024. It s time for a full-on showdown after last week s Tudor vs. battle. Last year, The Crown introduced the 18K yellow gold and Rolesor versions of the GMT-Master II Black and Gray. This year, introduced the stainless steel version of the watch. It s a model many watch enthusiasts predicted to see this year. But how does it hold up against its two-tone counterpart? Let s find out in this GMT-Master II face-off.Watches and Wonders 2024 is officially in the history books. Expect to see hands-on reviews of our favorite releases and some explosive ba...

Value-oriented brand Tudor is a case study of how quickly the landscape is changing in the watch world. We can find solace in this notion through the cautionary tale of one 18th-century philosopher and wonder if rising watch prices might come with a silver lining.In late 2020, I got a phone call that had me very excited. Back then, I was still pretty new to the watch hobby. I would say I was watch curious for years before, but 2020 was the year I started reading watch publications. I also began to investigate the fascinating histories of various watch brands online. In the four years since then, we have seen a significant price shift across the watch industry. For some, this is a negative de...

I have mixed feelings this year. I had to watch from afar as I was writing remotely and not part of the lovely circus that is Watches and Wonders. But despite a few of our editors noting a rather lukewarm personal reception, I was surprised by some gems at the show and have some grail-worthy favorite Watches and Wonders 2024 releases.While played it cool in the face of receding market values and Tudor offered a few nice but tweaked pieces, surprises were indeed on offer. And while some of my choices will undoubtedly be reflected in other editors stories (looking at you, Thomas), they re good enough to constitute a perfect three-watch collection. Well, as long as I ignore budgets, that is.T...

This week, there won t be a regular Top 5 list. Instead, I had a chance to pick my five favorites from Watches and Wonders 2024 as part of our current Fratello Favorites series. Funnily enough, most of my picks are variations of existing models. Is it proof that Watches and Wonders wasn t too exciting? I would say it sure is a reflection of that. Then again, it s still a list of watches that I was excited to see. So while there weren t as many pieces with the wow factor at this year s Watches and Wonders, these five picks stood out for me.Sitting here thinking about the watches that impressed me last year, I can come up with a list of favorites that stand out more than this year s releases. ...

The Urbanist is the latest release from RZE, and we think it might be the perfect grab and go watch. As you ll soon discover, this is a fantastic everyday watch with an easygoing solar-powered movement. Best of all, the movement is guaranteed for life. Did we mention that it s also affordable?We certainly enjoy RZE here at Fratello. The microbrand focuses on sporty titanium watches that are meant to be used, and we ve been impressed with both the quality and approachability of these offerings. Recently, we worked with RZE on the Resolute Pro Contour, and it was well-received. Today s RZE Urbanist keeps the string of desirable releases rolling with a watch so straightforward that it could act...

Women s basketball is tremendously popular in the United States. A little over a week ago, news broke that the women s NCAA title game outdrew the men s championship game by four million more viewers. The NCAAW s record-breaking star Caitlin Clark had something to do with those numbers. She was also the number-one pick in the WNBA s annual draft this week. With the 2024 draft happening, Tissot collaborated with the WNBA and Wilson on the first official pair of WNBA watches. These two new Tissot Seastar models are great picks for basketball fans worldwide.Tissot has been the proud partner of the NBA, WNBA, and the NBA Development League since 2015. The multi-year partnership deal has led to s...

Some Fratello editors have been asked to share their favorites from the Watches and Wonders exhibition last week, so I am happy to share mine. But before doing so, let me share some thoughts on this years Geneva watch show.A quick Watches and Wonders 2024 recapThis years Watches and Wonders wasn t very exciting regarding the appetite for watches in 2024. As you probably have heard and noticed, many brands and retailers struggle to sell their watches. This is very different from 3C4 years ago when the demand for watches was at new heights. Therefore, a few things we saw in Geneva the other week can be explained.Grand Seiko Kodo 2Catering to the ultra-richIn general, watches shown at Watches a...

Blacked-out watches will always be cool to me. Theres something oddly appealing about a black dial sitting inside a black-coated case, preferably with a black strap or bracelet. Admittedly, Im not remotely close to going on any covert operations, and there are times when a sea of black can actually hamper the ability to tell time at a glance. Still, I love that tacticool look. The watch Im writing about today has all those hallmarks and then some.The Odyssey Black Dragonfish is Boldrs third offering to use Superkuro Musou Black paint. Each time, the results are striking. The Venture Singularity and Safari Vogelkop took their names and inspirations from a supermassive black hole and a bird-of...

Drivers, start your engines because the race is about to start! And this is not just any race - it s the Tour Auto 2024, a classic road rally, also known as the Tour de France Automobile. The race uses France s open roads and iconic race tracks, such as Le Mans, as its scenery. This year is the second time Baltic has been appointed as the official timekeeper for the event. What better way to celebrate this occasion than with a second limited-edition version of the Baltic Tricompax in collaboration with Tour Auto 2024?The first Baltic Tricompax LE came out in the summer of 2022 and had some serious 70s racing vibes. Since then, the successful French watch brand also launched two regular vers...

Today, the Zodiac brand is predominantly associated with dive watches. But if we look back in time, we can find the Zodiac Hermetic family, which hides a few very interesting non-diving models. Among the Valjoux 72-powered chronographs and 24-hour Aerospace Jets sits one very appealing dresser that got my attention about four years ago.In Zodiac s current watch lineup, there is just one model that doesn t want to go diving - the Olympos. Its case shape is so individualistic, but Zodiac still decided to revive this devil with a mysterious hour hand. To my disappointment, the silver central disc with an hour hand didn t make it to the present, and Zodiac replaced it with a standard hand. Anywa...

I enjoy chronographs on a technical level. Even if I don t time many activities, I find joy in the complex watchmaking craft. Many secretly lust after a perpetual calendar with a leap year indicator and sidereal time in case we want to jump aboard a Space X flight. However, a mechanical chronograph is one of the most difficult complications to produce. Next to the date complication, a chronograph is the most popular, partially due to our obsession with sports watches, and a flyback chronograph with a column wheel is a timekeeping grail for many of us. Luckily, Furlan Marri has introduced just that, and it comes in three versions - Taupe, Salmon, and Honey Blue.For some reason, all I have now...

OK, it s about time to come clean: until recently, I had never polished my beaten crystals myself. The reason was simple. I was afraid I would do more harm than good. I think there are other collectors like me, those who would like to polish crystals themselves but are just a bit too afraid…It looked simple, even though I never did it myself. I had all I needed - dozens of watches with beaten crystals, a soft cloth, and even a tube of PolyWatch, a special emulsion for scratch removal. Well, actually, I didn t have all it needed. I didn t have the courage to try it on my own. I watched videos, and it seemed to be no big deal. But when it came time to do it, I hesitated. It developed int...

When you bring back a lost watch brand and want to restore it to its former glory, you are not just a watch geek. No, you re also part custodian and part historian. At Fratello, we appreciate it when someone does this with passion and attention to detail. Tom van Wijlick is such a guy, so we follow him with great interest. Today, he released the Airain Type 21.I have had a chance to go hands-on with the new watch as well as the latest update to the Type 20. This is how we got along.Type 20 versus Type 21To see this new release in the proper context, we need to go back to the 1950s. As you probably know, the French Air Force issued specifications for a watch for its pilots. Dave described the...

I have worn and reviewed my share of Formex watches before, and, without exception, they impressed me. Whether it was the Essence or the Reef GMT, they always felt ridiculously well specced and properly built. The Reef, however, is quite a substantial watch at 42mm across. Today, Formex is releasing the downsized Reef 39.5mm Automatic Chronometer 300M. Additionally, the brand has improved the Reef s finishing with these models. Is an almost perfect watch now finally perfect?I got the chance to go hands-on with the new Formex Reef 39.5mm to see whats what. Could this be the ultimate giant slayer?The new 39.5mm version (left) next to the original 42mmThe Formex Reef 39.5mm - Size mattersSo, wh...

Welcome to the 48th episode of Fratello Talks. Today, we have a very special episode lined up for you. We invited our good friend, watch photographer, and Instagram staple Tom, aka Bowl of Salmon, onto the show. We ve always received a lot of questions on watch photography, even more so after our first episode on the topic featuring Nacho and Morgan. So what better way to answer some of these recurring questions than to get not two but three photographers on the show? Slightly longer than our usual episode, we take a deep dive into photography advice, gear, lights, and even editing. So be sure to tune in, and if you have any questions for Tom, Morgan, or Nacho on watch photography, gear, or ...

Today, we ll look at the new Praesidus PAC-76. This is a watch that is inspired by a well-known and expensive Royal Navy-issued chronograph from the mid- 70s. This is a far more affordable alternative with a different power source, but that doesn t stop it from being fun and fulfilling to wear.Praesidus is a relatively young company that assembles its watches in the USA and focuses heavily on recreating famous military timepieces. A real positive is that these watches are affordable and come with quality accessories that suit them well. From MACV-SOG watches to the famous A-11, the brand has been busy making a surprising number of models. Now there s a new release in the form of the Praesidu...

I ve known Chase Fancher since he first appeared in the press lounge of the now-defunct Baselworld back in 2015. None of us knew who he was or how he got there, but he was friendly, a bit quirky, and super passionate about the watch brand he was about to launch. Eight years and many successful watches later, his passion project/watch brand has finally gone full circle with this new release. The Oak & Oscar Olmsted FEW Limited Edition is the perfect blend (no pun intended) between whiskey and timepieces.I love this project and what it means to Chase and his Oak & Oscar family. The watch perfectly combines the essence behind the brand with its love for whiskey in an elegant and fun way...

Why did an instrument that was never meant to be worn on the wrist become a successful wristwatch? Because the idea was brilliant, it came at the right time, and it was very well executed. The original BR 01 that debuted in 2005 measured a whopping 46 46mm and was quite hefty too. But it was also like nothing else, and it satisfied the need for a bigger and bolder timepiece. It also worked because of the immediate association with the coolness of being in the cockpit as a pilot. The new 41mm BR 03 is a toned-down, refined version of the previous 42mm BR 03 generation, and that watch, of course, owes everything to the granddaddy, the BR01. Is a square watch still hip, and does a 1mm decreas...

About two years ago, I wrote two stories about my Seiko obsession and collecting journey, and after that, I was content. For me, my newly strap-upgraded SLA023 Marinemaster is still the king of Seiko dive watches, no matter its brutish size. Its predecessor even won our Seiko World Cup. So why am I questioning myself? Have I come to the end of my Seiko diver journey, or is it destined to continue?After many years and probably around 15 Seiko divers or more circulating through my collection, I miss some. Sure, there are also some that I wouldnt recommend, but I have a deep love for these tool watches, as you can tell from the first and second parts?of this series. Even if prices keep increasi...