Imagine buying a bunch of old watches because you recognized a hard-to-find grail watch among them. And now imagine that after a year, you revisit this same pile of old watches and realize there is a genuine bracelet in it too.Last week, I told you a story about how I had landed my no-pusher Nicolet chronograph. It was quite a find with an epic Landeron 251 movement hiding an untouched dial under heavily scratched Plexi. The watch was not listed properly; it was basically hiding among a set of old watches that included Cyma, Miramar, and Emperor. Guess what I did as soon as the package arrived on my doorstep. I unboxed the long-awaited Nicolet no-pusher chronograph, and without much thinkin...

Let me start by saying that I m not someone who cleans his watches very often. This is in contrast to our photographer Morgan, who regularly rinses his watches with water every other day. With my Seiko Kinetic that I wore day in and day out for over 15 years, though, I used to have sort of a cleaning routine. Every three months or so, I would boil some water, put it in a glass bowl, add some soap, and then just soak the entire watch in there for about half an hour. It somehow survived, but that s probably not the safest way to go about cleaning your watches. So let s take a look at some of these cleaning kits, shall we?When I searched watch cleaning on some of the watch forums, I think the m...

I immediately recognized the looks of the Certina DS Action Diver when the watch box opened, but I also noticed something different, very different indeed. In February 2022, I had done a video review of the 43mm version of the watch in steel, a heavy hitter of a dive watch. In the video, I also mentioned the existence of a 38mm version and rumors of a DS Action Diver in titanium. What I saw in the watch box was a 38mm diver in titanium. And what was even more surprising was the dark gray dial adorned with indexes and hands featuring light blue Super-LumiNova and the brownish-gray aluminum bezel. It went from the box to my wrist real fast, and it stayed there for quite a while. Heres a hands-...

Welcome to this week s episode of Fratello Talks. Today, we are rolling with the punches and discussing buying watches on impulse. Sinara, Lex, and Nacho gather around the Fratello podcast table to share their stories, have a laugh, and misquote Mike Tyson. Because there s nothing quite like having a plan for purchasing a specific watch to just getting caught off guard by an impulse buy. But before you get your credit card out and click add to cart; let s go on to the wrist check.This podcast player is blocked because you did not accept marketing cookies. Change cookie settings Wrist checkToday, all three podcast participants have picked a watch they impulsively bought. Sinara starts wit...

For many of the Fratello team members, G-Shock is a favorite due to the style and functionality that the watches offer. However, I must admit that we do not actually use many of the functions. They are nice-to-haves instead of must-haves, making a G-Shock mostly a style statement. But G-Shock has its G-Squad collection of sports watches that embody the ultimate in functionality. This makes total sense because G-Shock was created on a small number of functional aspects that still define the brand. But what if you combine the style of the original G-Shock from 1983 with the ultra-functional sports characteristics? Enter the G-Shock 40th Anniversary DW-H5600EX-1.To be honest, I am generally not...

The Delma Shell Star lineup is made up of 27 references. These include quartz models with steel cases, automatic models (also in steel), and a trio of automatic divers in titanium. Of the first two denominations, many variations exist. Some models come on a bracelet, others on rubber or leather straps. Some have a bare-metal steel case, while others have a black DLC finish. There are also three primary colorways - blue, black, and orange. Then there are the lovely Decompression Timer models, which, as the name indicates, feature a decompression table on the dial. However, in my eyes, none of these models shine as brightly as the orange-dialed Delma Shell Star Titanium. I knew I had to get my...

If seeing is believing, then chalk one up for the Hamilton Khaki Navy Frogman Auto. This is a watch that, based on pictures alone, wouldn t normally speak to me. In person, though, this just might be one of my favorite sneaky releases of the year.It was way back in 2020 that I wrote a guide to the affordable Swatch Group divers. Watches from the massive company are obviously popular with everyday buyers, but I often think they re overlooked by snooty watch-loving types. Whether we re talking Certina, Mido, Tissot, or Hamilton, most of the models have an 80-hour power reserve along with a slew of sizes and colors. Plus, prices tend to hover around $1,200, which feels pretty fair. No, we watch...

I get to kick off this new series of challenges set by our managing editor Nacho. The premise is quite simple. We get a $1,000 budget per watch and one condition: all of our picks must be available to purchase new on the market today. Other than that, all that matters is that each writer likes the watches and would recommend them.I have added one little challenge for myself: I cannot already own the watches. So I went on the hunt for three watches under $1,000 that I would buy today. With those few premises out of the way, lets get into it!Favorite watches under $1,000 - Pick #1: Baltic Aquascaphe Dual-CrownThe first of my favorite watches under $1,000 comes from France. It is the Baltic Aqu...

Military pieces are a special category in the world of watches. Always driven by functionality in the field of operations, they represent the opposite of the usual luxury ambitions. As a result, the modern reiterations of these classics are often a breath of fresh air in an industry full of luxury overload. A good example of honoring those great designs of the past is the American brand Praesidus. We have reviewed several of the brand s A-11 models that were released recently. Now the brand releases the new A-5 UDT dive watch. This is another historically inspired classic with a remarkable story and a classic military design with some quirky, functional details.Immediately upon taking the Pr...

As a longtime Speedmaster collector, I d usually say As if you need one… when asked for reasons to buy a Speedmaster. But its not that simple. Sometimes you need to be thoroughly convinced to spend your hard-earned money on something you dont need, like a mechanical watch.Let me start by saying that the most important reason to buy any watch is that you like, no, love it. And it doesnt matter what brand name is on the dial or what number is on the price tag. If you love a watch and can afford it, wait no longer and get it. But you are probably here because you love watches anyway and want to read about your favorites. Or you may also want to learn about new ones. Most of you will know ...

It s often said that innovation in mechanical watches stalled after the 1960s. Some believe that while materials, quality control, and manufacturing techniques have undoubtedly improved over the last 50 years, the conceptual innovation of mechanisms came to its zenith with the introduction of the automatic chronograph in 1969. While it s a divisive argument, Horage shows that innovation is not dead with a new application of its K2 24-hour GMT micro-rotor movement in combination with an exposure calculator for photography. Partnering with veteran photographer Professor Brian Griffin, the Lensman 2 Exposure uses a camera exposure scale to nail the perfect shot. Read on to find out how it works...

The year was 1953, and Blancpain released the Fifty Fathoms, a modern dive watch. The year after, released the first Submariner, also a modern dive watch. Whichever became more iconic, both models had a profound influence on the design of countless dive watches. Indeed, ever since the 1950s, other brands have come up with their own icons. Think of the Doxa Sub 300 of 1966, the Omega Seamaster 300M of 1993, and the Seiko SKX of 1996, among others. Each of these key releases introduced something new - a new dial color, a new bezel construction, or a fresh take on the diver s dial layout. The question is this: how could a brand create yet another icon?Last week, the Texas-based independent bra...

Welcome back to another episode of Fratello On Air. This week, we discuss a recent visit to the Swatch Group in the Frankfurt area. We also respond to a listener s question about the beloved Omega Speedmaster. Enjoy! This podcast player is blocked because you did not accept marketing cookies. Change cookie settings Yes, Balazs and I were on the move and managed to visit the Swatch Group offices near Frankfurt. We ve also received a number of reader questions that we ll attempt to answer over the next several episodes. Our first question is about the Speedmaster, and it s a good one.Handgelenks KontrolleWe begin our episode with some sneaker talk as Balazs mentions an upcoming re-release ...

Yema is a busy brand! It feels like every month or so brings a new release from the plucky French restart, and today, we take a look at the surprising Yema Urban Field. As you ll see, there s possibly something here for just about everyone due to the sheer variety on offer.Yema has been making all sorts of interesting watches since its return over the last several years. Chronographs and divers have been the most prevalent, but we ve also seen watches outside of those genres. The Wristmaster plays in the integrated-bracelet competition, and an upscale version even boasts an in-house micro-rotor movement. Today, yet another interesting entrant comes along in the form of the Urban Field. This ...

Unimatic is a brand that continues to surprise us with its new releases. While every one of the brand s new watches uses the same design canvas, the variations that we have seen are nearly endless. The Unimatic Modello Quattro UT4-B is a new take on the brand s modern military-style watch. This release features a slim case and a quartz movement enclosed in an in-house-designed protection system. This ensures that the new UT4-B is the toughest Unimatic release yet. Additionally, the watch features a new dial design with a full set of numerals. That is not something we have seen a lot from Unimatic. As a result, the new Modello Quattro UT4-B shines a new light on the minimalist Unimatic design...

It s been a while since we ve covered a new release from Oak & Oscar, but today is the day to share something new. Granted, this is a rather subtle highlight, but it s worth mentioning because it pertains to one of my favorite field watches from a small independent brand. The no-date Olmsted 38 comes to us via Chicago, and it s a nice addition to the lineup.We have to travel back to November 2019 before the world went upside down to when I last saw Chase Fancher, the founder of Oak & Oscar. He was actually in Frankfurt, so we met over some drinks, and it was there that I got to see the new Olmsted in person. The no-frills automatic was such a hit for me that I decided to buy one. The...

For todays pre-owned picks, we re going all-American, baby! I go on the prowl for some true gems from American brands in the vintage realm. Now, of course, I could approach this challenge that Nacho set for me in a million different ways. In fact, there is so much to choose from that you could run a Fratello-like magazine focusing exclusively on American watches. I have decided just to follow my tastes and share some pre-owned picks that I would happily own and wear myself.So without further ado, lets get into three of my favorite American watches on the pre-owned market today.Image: Oliver & ClarkePre-owned pick #1: Benrus Type ILet me kick things off with a watch that, in my eyes, is o...

If you are not familiar with Ebel and have never heard of the brand s ladies watches, you are not alone. I hadn t either. Little did I know the Sport Classic has been the Swiss watchmakers flagship collection since its inception in 1977. Thanks to the vintage revival, the Sport Classic has appeared on our radar and looks as in style as it once did in the 1980s. Touting timeless sophistication and elegance, the heritage brand is introducing three new Sport Classic Lady models to keep the light of its past glories burning.Over a century oldHere at Fratello, we havent put much ink on this brand other than RJs persistent boast of the Ebel 1911 Chronograph back in the day. And it turns out this ...

In our Sunday Morning Showdown series, two writers go head to head in an epic showdown for the ages. Strong opinions and hysterical hyperbole are welcome (so feel free to join in with the fun in the comments section below). And don t forget to let us know which watches you d like to see torn to shreds/effusively exalted next week. We ll try to feature as many of our readers choices as possible. Today s showdown is about stylish wristwatches for the elegant connoisseur - the Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Tribute Monoface Small Seconds against the Grand Seiko SBGW295.In today s showdown, our writers aim to class up the joint from the previous rough ‘n ready timepieces in previous editions. ...

Behrens is a brand that my colleague Dave made me aware of a while back, and I was skeptical. My love for small, dressy watches runs deep, but Ill be honest and admit my mistake. That might sound like a pretty strong statement, something Im not averse to, but I mean it. Except for a Marinemaster 300, Im into 38mm elegance, but mad, grinning-joker-faced high horology? I have a secret crush on the watches of Konstantin Chaykin but have always thought that with a big budget, Id stick to traditional, formal, and polished craftsmanship. Im now a changed man, and the Behrens Konstantin Chaykin should take the blame.For me, a cheer-up factor is equally as essential as intricate handcrafted detail...