Blacked-out watches - what emotions do they stir inside you? Do they leave you longing for excitement, or do they calm your desires? Do they repel you with a lackluster, humdrum approach, or do they reel you in with a sense of mystery and intrigue? These may seem like lofty questions for a Saturday morning because, for some, the answers are not so black and white. Admittedly, my gut reaction to monochromatic watches is usually one of pure apathy. Few things get me less excited than overt attempts to remove color and life from timepieces. Oddly, though, Chopard s new Alpine Eagle 41 Shikkoku Edition caught my eye, drew me closer, and even prompted introspection. What the heck is going on here...
Another Friday, another Top 5! We usually take one classic watch in this series and choose our five favorite references ever produced. For this week s list, we decided to change things up a bit. This time, we ll take a look at the best Seiko collaborative efforts. Seiko collaborations are something to look forward to every time. The brand works with various partners and creates a varied mix of timepieces with a wild array of designs. It makes it impossible to pick just five, but we re going to give it a go anyway. What are the best collaborative efforts in the history of Seiko?Where to start with this list? Seiko collabs are released frequently with various partners, ranging from sports star...
Next Saturday, the 6th of May 2023, at 11:00 AM GMT, Operation Golden Orb will begin. This is the code name given to the ceremony in which King Charles III will be crowned alongside his wife Camilla, the Queen Consort. All politics and opinions on monarchy aside - of which, as a Spanish national, I have plenty - this is history in the making. And to mark this most British of occasions, Bremont has announced it will be producing a limited run of 50 MBII watches. This Bremont classic will feature a regal splash of purple on its seconds hand and a specially engraved case back. But that s not all that the Henley-on-Thames brand has up its sleeve to commemorate the coronation.The last time we wro...
If you had the choice between regular cornflakes and frosted ones, which would you pick? Forget about the fact that the sugar-coated ones with the tiger on the box contain more calories than the plain cereal. Go on, treat yourself; have the Frosties (or Frosted Flakes if you re in the US and Canada). Now, if you had the choice between a regular G-Shock Square and a frosted one, which one would you choose? After reading about the three G-Shock 40th Anniversary watches from the Recrystallized Series, you might be able to make a balanced decision.It was in April 1983 that Casio quite literally shocked the watch world by dropping the very first G-Shock on the market. The indestructible watch too...
Tudor has once again been in the headlines with a swathe of new releases for Watches and Wonders 2023. But this is a story about a release from the last decade. This is the story of why a large 41mm tool watch is irresistibly quirky for this slim-wristed writer, despite its replacement having, for many, even better dimensions.?The cold wind is on my face as I shift from fourth up to fifth gear. The motorcycle, a silver BMW R80 from 1985, growls in response. The 800cc engine pauses as the crisp clunk of the gearshift takes effect before roaring back. Im riding whats known as the Highland Lakes Road, a 150km stretch that goes through the guts of Tasmania, an island state off the coast of Austr...
This wild find of a Nicolet no-pusher Landeron 251, one of my grail watches, has everything we collectors dream of. Actually, this time, my desires were even multiplied. Get some popcorn.Today, you will read about a watch that I saw for sale for the last time maybe five years ago. I will remember the purchase of today s featured Nicolet watch forever as I found it in some small auction house in the UK, listed along with four other watches. I don t need to mention that the auctioneers had no idea what they were selling or that the pictures of the watch were so terrible that they were actually fantastic. Are you still wondering why I m so excited? Two other watches I didn t care enough about w...
Yema is constantly developing new watches. With a great eye for vintage charm and the will to constantly innovate, the French brand has certainly brought us some interesting models. The latest addition to the ever-expanding collection is the new Navygraf Marine Nationale GMT. This latest Navygraf introduces a newly designed case. On top of that, the Marine Nationale version features an attractive combination of colors, making this a very tempting offer from Yema. The brand s Superman 500 GMT might have stiff in-house competition with the introduction of this new Navygraf. Time to find out more.In the buildup to the release of the new Yema Navygraf Marine Nationale GMT, I had seen the images ...
Let s start with a little riddle. Which watch am I describing here? It has a prominent bezel, a fairly simple and angular case design, a distinctive pattern on the dial, and, most importantly, an integrated bracelet. Any guesses? All right, I hear Royal Oak, Overseas, Defy, Laureato, Ingenieur…oh, and the PRX, yes! Those are all watches from the more renowned brands in the industry. They probably already had a watch with the same name or similar design sometime in the 70s. So what do you do when you re a younger brand and you would like to take a piece of the market for integrated-bracelet sports watches? Well, you take inspiration from those earlier models and create your own version...
Seiko releases the Sharp Edged Series SPB415 and SPB417 today. We get two additions to the popular series, this time with the new caliber 6R5J. There is a new 24-hour function as well as new decoration in the open heart at 9 o clock. But there is more to these sharp new Seikos.The Seiko Sharp Edged Series is beloved for its finishing, giving aficionados a taste of Grand Seiko at a much kinder price level. These two new models are no exception, offering that razor-sharp look, but this time with a new movement, dials, hands, and crystals.Featuring the new caliber 6R5JLet us kick things off with that new movement first. The 6R5J is the latest addition to one of the most common lines of calibers...
Welcome back to Fratello Talks. This week, we re talking hype! Should you buy into the hype? Or should you go with what you like? Well, Daan, Lex, and Nacho are here to take a short but deep dip into the topic. But before we get into all that, we would be remiss to skip the wrist check.This podcast player is blocked because you did not accept marketing cookies. Change cookie settings Wrist checkDaan kicks things off today with his Oris Art Blakey Limited Edition. This 38mm steel watch tows a versatile line between dressy and sporty. Worn on a Joseph Bonnie Bonklip-style bracelet, it certainly errs on the sportier side. Speaking of sporty, on Lex s wrist, we find his latest watch acq...
Logomania in fashion is very easy to spot and define. But logomania also applies to watches. Dare I say that the watch equivalent of a Gucci tracksuit is the GMT-Master II Pepsi on a Jubilee bracelet? But theres a new trend in town, and its called Quiet Luxury. It refers to ways of dressing that subtly hint at luxury in the form of superb materials, great craftsmanship, and unobtrusive logos. But even the most luxurious wardrobe without a matching watch is just clothing. There are, of course, plenty of matching watches available that also whisper class, quality, and understated luxury. It might be a bit harder to find them because these are soft-spoken timepieces, very much unlike the loud-...
The Rikketik fair has existed for as long as I can remember. And yes, that s quite some time. My watch memory goes back to the 1980s, and the Rikketik fair already existed then. At that time, it was in Utrecht, but nowadays, it s in Houten, just a stone s throw away.In my opinion, an update of RJ s Rikketik article from 2006 was long overdue. That year might have been the last time that I visited the fair too. So on April 23rd, 2023, RJ, Sinara, and I traveled to Houten to see what the Rikketik fair is like today.The Rikketik Vintage Watch, Clock, and Timepiece FairAs mentioned, the fair is held (four times a year) in Houten, not even 10 kilometers south of Utrecht s city center and convenie...
If I claim Hajime Asaoka to be the best-known progenitor of independent Japanese watchmaking, Im not exaggerating. Asaoka-san was the first non-Western member of the AHCI, the Association of Independent Watchmakers, and is one of only two Japanese along with Masahiro Kikuno. Known for very low production numbers and handcrafted watches, the sensei of small-scale high horology in Japan is self-taught, a staggering feat. With watches such as the Tsunami, Project T tourbillon, and Chronograph, Hajime Asaoka had only produced 18 watches by 2018, so were talking very limited quantities here. The new Tourbillon Noir, a 37mm model still deeply inspired by Art Deco, is coming this year, and I m exci...
I ve always said that URWERK s UR-100V is the brand s most versatile canvas. For a watch that is rather unique in its aesthetic, it never surprises me quite how many different personas the model can effortlessly assimilate. From bright colors to alternative composite cases, it s seen some eye-catching guises over the years. However, URWERK experiments with its stripped-back take on minimalism with its latest release. Let s take a closer look at the new UR-100V Magic T.The URWERK UR-100V Magic T continues to explore the cold color spectrum. Working within the confines of achromatic colors like black, gray, and white, it becomes more challenging to explore the subtle nuances of shades when the...
It looks like Seiko is on a mission to equip more and more of its watches with a GMT caliber. It all started last year when the fan-favorite Seiko 5 GMT series came out. Then, at the beginning of this year, the famous Sumo diver got a solar-powered GMT movement. And last March, Seiko fitted another trio of Prospex dive watches with a higher-end automatic GMT caliber. All those watches have one thing in common: they re all based on dive watches that have been turned into GMTs. The watch that today s release is based upon, however, was actually a monopusher chronograph. Let s take a closer look at the Seiko Presage Style60 s GMT references SSK009, SSK011, and SSK013.Last December, I wrote an a...
Well, its been a long time coming but there was a moderately good reason for the delay: if youve not seen our latest limited edition release yet, check it out here - Ive been eating, sleeping, and breathing Czapek for the past month as we cantered towards yesterdays reveal. Now, however, with the Antarctique birthed into the world, I had time to comb through the raft of brilliant answers to pick out my favorite and some honorable mentions. So, after a few weeks/2.5 months of waiting and wondering, lets find out who won the SYE MOT1ON.I was so impressed by so many of the answers you gave to my question - What is the cost ceiling for start-up brand watches powered by non-Swiss movements, why, ...
All kneel! Lets celebrate the return of the King, AKA The Casio G-Shock GXW-56-1AER. And hes better than ever. To keep up with the times, the King now packs Multi-Band 6 for automatic radio time syncing. And although hes classified as a Classic by Casio, the King is also Tough Solar-powered - old-fashioned batteries be gone! The generous dimensions of this full digital watch remain the same and justify the nickname the King of G-Shock.The GX-56-1AER is dead, long live the GXW-56-1AER! One letter makes all the difference. The extra W means that the King of G-Shock has re-invented itself to stay on the throne for years to come. The king ditched the battery and got himself some Multi-Band 6, so...
Where to start. Presenting the result of this endeavor to you is, without a doubt, the greatest privilege of my career thus far. Although it has been years in the making, it still feels like an unattainable dream. It is only now that the watch sits upon my wrist that I can be sure I didn t make it all up in my head. It is with a satisfied smile on my face that I present to you the Czapek Antarctique Passage de Drake Viridian Green limited edition watch for Fratello.This video is blocked because you did not accept marketing cookies. Change cookie settings My watchmaking journey began 18 years ago in the Market Street branch of H. Samuels in Manchester. Back then I changed batteries and f...
A question that is often raised with us, is which is the best Speedmaster to buy? And dont think this question only comes from those who are new to watches. Even here in the office, this discussion often comes up. It is especially popular among team members that dont yet have a Speedy to call their own, I have to add.In 1999, when I bought my first Omega Speedmaster, I somewhat did the wrong thing. I bought myself a vintage Speedmaster Professional 145.012 powered by the legendary caliber 321. Although it is difficult to believe that this was a bad decision, I honestly feel it was. At the time, things were totally different from today and there wasnt that much money involved in the world of ...
Basketball fans around the world are eagerly waiting for July the 16th for a straightforward reason. That is the release date Space Jam: A New Legacy, starring LeBron James and, who else, Bugs Bunny. Twenty-five years after the first film, which starred His Airiness, Michael Jordan, made history the highest-grossing basketball movie of all time, the franchise returned for a second installment. Choosing LeBron James, arguably one of the best players of the (current) NBA, as the lead was a no-brainer, and I cant wait to see the film. However, Im not the only one looking forward to the movie.Kross Studio, the Swiss Haute Horlogerie brand, created an extraordinary timepiece, the Space Jam: A New...
