I do love daydreaming about watches, as my partner will ruefully confirm. I can spend hours looking at obscure references, reading the backstories of brands and watch models, and just generally ruminating on what could be if only I had the money at hand. So I greeted the opportunity to write this story, at Nachos insistence, with some relish. This proved to be a very difficult story to write, but thanks to Nacho for giving me $25,000 in hypothetical money! Lets dive in.When considering how to spend this large sum, I began to feel quite daunted. There is a mind-boggling array of options available. I needed to fashion some order in the chaos of too many choices. I ended up settling on the idea...
Doxa is a diver-focused brand that continues to make its mark with pieces inspired by its back catalog. Today, though, we see something different with a new line of watches called the Sub 300 collection. They won t be mistaken for anything but Doxa divers, but the debut represents a solid step toward modernity.It was late August of this year when Doxa introduced the Sub 300 Sharkhunter, a rather luxurious take on its eminent historic diver. The watch contains a forged carbon case, 18K gold elements, and a ceramic bezel. It also comes with a $7,250 price tag, which is something very different from the normally approachable brand. With today s news, we re seeing a return to affordability mix...
It may not seem like it for those engrossed in the watch hobby, but most of the watches out there are quite monochromatic. Often, dials are just black or white, and occasionally, a shade of blue might show up. The times that you ll find a dial of a different color on someone s wrist are quite rare, let alone a multicolored dial. Black and white (or silver) are the safe havens here, and when a watch brand uses a certain color, there s a big risk of not getting it right. Well, that s certainly not the case with the colorful new Ressence Type 1 Round Multicolour.The Belgian brand already showed us in the past that it isn t afraid to use a bit of color. Moreover, recent releases like the eucaly...
Vintage watches, alarm complications, classic cars, business success, recognition, and love… The LeCoultre & Longines watch set for the best Ford sales representatives from 1955 has so many extraordinary aspects.Today s story will be a bit personal and emotional. It won t be only about the watches. Actually, it will be much more about thoughts, things, people, and our lives. Today s story is also unique simply because it doesn t feature a single watch but a set of two watches made by two different manufacturers. How many sets of vintage watches do you know of? There aren t any others that spring to my mind too quickly…My little Ford worldThe picture above shows what my living...
For some people, their first exposure to Panerai was the 1996 film Daylight starring Sylvester Stallone. For me, it was mooring up in the Isle of Wight during the Cowes Yacht Week. There, I saw multiple pale blue flags with the Panerai logo. Before long, I came across the yacht Eilean that Panerai lovingly restored on commission. Interestingly, this was the same yacht featured in the Duran Duran video for Rio. Since my intro to Panerai, sailing has been a key identifier for the brand, even more so than the Marina Militare for me. That is why this new Panerai Luminor Marina Carbotech Luna Rossa is an exciting release.This new model extends Panerai s partnership with Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli a...
A refreshing novelty recently landed in my inbox, instantly lifting my spirits. I am talking about the Ressence Type 1 Round Multicolour, which hits the market today. This is a vibrant addition to the Type 1 Round collection that made its first appearance ahead of Watches and Wonders earlier this year. This model introduces a burst of color(s) to the dial, marking a modish departure from the muted palette of many Ressence models.The Type 1 collection emerged in 2014, four years after Ressences inaugural Zero series. The Belgian brand quickly became the talk of the watch world, and it has since been synonymous with its crown-less watches. While the difference between the Type 1 and Type 1 ...
Today, we are doing Watch Dating 101, going over some basic techniques to help determine when a vintage watch was made. Of course, many watches can be dated through their serial numbers. But what if you just want to quickly guestimate a watchs age? There are specific features and design cues that you can look for. I will try to cover the most reliable tells here.For this article, I will assume that you do not know the specific timeline of the model you are looking at. Tons of model-specific developments are clearly linked to production periods. For instance, finding a quickset date on a 36mm Datejust means it is from the late 70s or after. However, this requires model-specific knowledge, s...
Another week, another episode of Fratello Talks! This is our 47th episode so far, and it s one in which we re feeling a bit philosophical. You join Lex, Daan, and Nacho, who get into some eye-opening moments in their watch-enthusiast experience and the watches responsible. That s right; today s discussion is all about watches that changed the way we look at watches. They could be timepieces that taught us a lesson, firsts when it comes to ownership, or those that opened our eyes to a different horological taste. Each of the guys is bound to have a story (or two) to share. But before we get to it, let s see what s on their wrists.This video is blocked because you did not accept marketing cook...
I adore the combination of black and gold. There is something magical about that combo that immediately draws me in. So when this trio of Baltic Gold PVD watches landed on my desk, I was keen on taking them for a spin. The black and gold colors in combination with three of the brand s much-praised vintage-inspired models look like a winning formula, especially knowing that each of the three models goes for well under $1,000. Is this another home run from Baltic? It s time to find out more.When I say that I love the combination of black and gold, I usually mean real gold. So when Nacho handed me these, my first question was whether Baltic had dared to create gold watches. That turned out to r...
In May of this year, Holthinrichs introduced its Deconstructed model. The all-titanium, 3D-printed, and hand-finished piece looked more like a concept watch than anything else. But to many people s surprise, you could (and still can) actually buy that watch. It looks wild with its coarse finish, open-worked dial, and the unique way the strap and bracelet connect to the signature skeletonized lugs. Now, Michiel Holthinrichs is back with two new versions of the Deconstructed. This time, the watch features a dial made of either aventurine or meteorite.The original Deconstructed looks exactly like the watch that Michiel, who s an architect by trade, always wanted to make since he founded and lau...
Most of my colleagues already had their turn to assemble their perfect watch collection with a budget of $25,000. I have seen some exciting picks, but it also made me realize that it depends heavily on where you are in your watch-collecting journey. Someone who just started will probably pick entirely different watches with this $25,000 sum than someone who has been collecting for decades.Looking back at my journey in collecting watches, I made some unusual choices early on. But they also had to do with the much friendlier prices back then. One of my first serious watches was a Sea-Dweller, and not much later, I added an Audemars Piguet Royal Oak. Without a proper budget today, the latter i...
The time has come, everyone! Weve reached the final round of Fratellos Seiko World Cup. It was a lot of fun because we all got to pick our absolute favorite Seiko dive watches of all time. Interestingly enough, we are ending up with a modern Seiko SPB317 Turtle Origin and a discontinued Seiko Marinemaster 300 SBDX001. The first is a modern $1,000 Seiko Prospex that seems to offer everything one will need from a modern diver. The other is a discontinued but iconic Seiko Marinemaster model manufactured in the same facility where mechanical Grand Seiko watches come to life, even sharing some of the same case finishing and movement platform.Now its time for our editors Daan and RJ to defend thei...
This month s Fratello REM strap is most definitely not for everyone, but we wanted to design something for the famous Omega Speedmaster X-33. So here it is - a green strap made of organic leather for Omegas digital Speedmaster that debuted back in 1998. The Speedmaster X-33 is still in production, and last year, Omega even devised a wild upgrade with ESA engineers for (unmanned) Mars missions.Speedmaster X-33Both NASA and ESA astronauts still use the Omega Speedmaster X-33 aboard their spacecraft and the International Space Station. ESA uses the Skywalker (third generation), while NASA prefers to keep using the second-generation?X-33. You can find an overview of the X-33 models here.Omega ...
Through the years, Linde Werdelin has always found its path in the world of watches. In 2016, it was the first brand in the watch industry to launch an in-house pre-owned program. Now it s time for a new challenge. With LW Auctions, Linde Werdelin is launching a brand-owned auction platform that allows fans to buy unique watches through a transparent and market-driven pricing process. The first piece going up for auction today is the Linde Werdelin Oktopus Monster.This past July, Dave announced the news about the LW Auctions platform. A few months later, the first actual auction is here, and the Linde Werdelin Oktopus Monster is the star of the show. This piece is a special version of the br...
Fratello On Air returns with a fresh new episode! Though 2023 still has a month left in the tank, we re ready to declare our favorite watches thus far. This week, you ll hear about a wide variety of pieces at different price points and why they made the list. Enjoy the ride! This podcast player is blocked because you did not accept marketing cookies. Change cookie settings Yes, we re in the final stretch of 2023, and that means it s time to look back upon the year. We do know that there will still be new releases to come, but that s okay. Plenty has crossed our keyboards and wrists over the past 11 months. Our favorite watches make the airwaves this week along with the normal banter that...
As watch lovers, we tend to treat the watch world as a standalone universe. In reality, though, watch design lives within a much broader context. Trends in watch design come and go, fueled by the cultural context in which they exist. As a result, you can recognize design movements in certain watches. Today, I want to explore such watches and see what elements we can trace back to movements in art, architecture, and design.I am sure you, Fratelli, can point out many more great examples. Please do so in the comments below!Art Deco design in the Strand Palace Hotel - Image: Historic England ArchiveThe Art Deco design movement: Jaeger-LeCoultre ReversoArt Deco is, in many ways, an answer to the ...
Atelier Wen is a Chinese brand that we re excited to cover here on Fratello. The team behind it is making beautiful watches that are proving quite popular with fans. Today s Wristcheck seconde/seconde/ Atelier Wen Perception Special Edition is a different take on the young company s most successful model. The concept is fun and brings in one of the hottest watch artists in the game.Last year, my colleague Dave went hands-on with a serial-production Atelier Wen Perception and came away impressed. The watch offers a handmade guilloche dial, a regulated movement, and an attractive case with a fabulous integrated bracelet. All of this is available for roughly $3,000. Since then, the brand we...
Fratelli, we need to talk. I love a brand-new watch as much as the next guy, but I feel that vintage watches get an undeserved bad rap. People often approach me with worries about the reliability of older watches. I also see it here on Fratello. Whenever a vintage or neo-vintage watch is part of a Sunday Morning Showdown, the comments include claims about reliability, and the modern watch wins. It is fine if you prefer new watches, but to say that vintage ones are unreliable is, quite simply, false.So here is a little plea from my side: vintage watches arent as fragile as you might think.Vintage watches arent fragile if you pick the right onesFor starters, the reliability of vintage watches ...
Stating that the chronograph is by far the most popular complication sounds about right. In truth, though, it isnt. The date function is the most basic complication and by far the most widespread. In fact, it s so common that people go through more effort to find and buy a watch without a date function than with one. The chronograph, on the other hand, is a type of watch you actively seek. The added stopwatch complication made the chronograph an important instrument for timing and navigating. Doctors, meteorologists, astronomers, racecar drivers, and astronauts all benefitted from the invention of the chronograph. Nowadays, these watches with sub-dials and pushers have become daily beaters f...
Today, Vacheron Constantin releases a series of unique watches within its Les Cabinotiers line. As we will see, these models bring mechanical complexity, but that s likely their least notable attribute. The incredible engravings and gem setting are the true stars of the show. Let s briefly look at these amazing timepieces.To be perfectly honest, I wasn t overly familiar with the Vacheron Constantin Les Cabinotiers program until I was invited to view a press release regarding today s new models. In short, this is the brand s bespoke department where custom one-off creations emerge from the workshops. They feature high levels of technical prowess as well as stunning displays of artistry. In ad...
