I was instantly attracted to the Breguet Tradition when it was introduced in 2005. Despite the movement being based on Breguet s historical Souscription and Tact pocket watches, using the design as a wristwatch was no less than groundbreaking. Never before had Breguet used this construction to show the mechanics of the movement above its baseplate, resplendent for the wearer to admire.When it comes to watches I love two things: simplicity and mechanics. The Breguet Tradition ticks both boxes. In its initial form, it is a simple two-hander, with only a power reserve indicator as a complication. Which, by the way, I consider an adequate feature for a hand winding watch. Looking at the watch, b...
We re quite fond of Sternglas here on Fratello. The brand occupies a very different niche from our usual fare, of course, but that doesn t mean its watches don t deserve a place in our collection. When it comes to making very affordable, timeless dress watches, there are few brands that stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the Hamburg-based outfit in this price bracket. As such, we re thrilled to see the brand return to Kickstarter to launch its latest model, the Sternglas Asthet.Sternglas has a pretty wide catalog already. Within that catalog, I ve frequently marked the Hamburg dial as my favorite. I love the crisp, highly technical layout and the super-bright lume pips at the cardinal points. I...
It s Bvlgari time. As you can see, the most visible LVMH player on Fratello has just dropped a rash of new releases. And, boy, are we excited! I ve already covered the new Octo Finissimo reference 103464 (our lead article for January 25th, 2021, in case you ve yet to check it out), but this column is concerned with the latest complicated addition to the Finissimo range. The Bvlgari Octo Finissimo S Chronograph GMT reference 103467 is a vibrant and vexingly complex addition to an already stellar range.You know we (Fratello) love the Bvlgari Octo Finissimo range. We wholly believe in the concept and genuinely love the products. That s a good basis for excitement whenever anything new hits the ...
2020 was a challenging year for everyone involved in the watchmaking industry. The calendar was turned upside down, and expectations turned inside out. No one had any clue of how to successfully navigate a now, almost-entirely digital landscape. However, through a mixture of good timing and exceptional design, Bvlgari came through a difficult 12 months looking stronger than ever. The new monochrome Bvlgari Octo Finissimo S reference 103464 is a continuation of that success and sets up 2021 to be even better than the year before.As it turned out, LVMH s decision to drop the majority of its brands releases in January last year couldn t have worked out better. No one knew the sweeping restrict...
In our Sunday Morning Showdown, two of our 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 dont forget to let us know which watches youd like to see torn to shreds/effusively exalted next week. Well try and feature as many of our readers choices as we can. Today s showdown continues some unfinished business. In part two of our GMT Wars saga, the Grand Seiko SBGJ237 aims to finish the fight against the GMT-Master II Batman.Cast your mind back to May last year. Benny and Bobby faced off in Part One of the fabled GMT Wars. At the time, Rob won with the Explo...
Trust me when I say that a lot of timepieces go through my hands on a weekly basis. And as soon as this watch landed on my desk it had my attention. While saying that, it is worth noting that to me, like many others, Montblanc is a brand of top quality writing instruments. It can be hard for me to see the watches without the pens cropping up in my mind s eye. However, the Montblanc Geosphere 1858 did not suffer from the same fate. From the first moment, it had my complete and, for once, undivided attention.As you might expect given the creative aspect of my day job, I also have an interest in design. Actually, before I ended up working in real-estate (back in the day), I spent some time at t...
Wearing an A. Lange & S?hne Lange 1 Time Zone is one of those treats you get as a watch journalist. This of course applies to all sorts of watches from a plethora of brands but receiving an A. Lange & S?hne is still something special. Even after 16 years of running this magazine, it is still a special moment when you can strap a Lange 1 to your wrist.The Lange 1 Time Zone has been in the collection since 2005, but last year, in June, A. Lange & S?hne decided it was time to present an update. This new version of the Lange 1 Time Zone has a new movement, featuring a handy feature for indicating daylight saving time. But, of course, this hands-on Lange 1 Time Zone review is not abou...
Last year, surprised us with a sudden novelty drop. While cynicism surrounding the Crown and its supply chain (or lack thereof) exists, the new designs were themselves rather neat. The Oyster Perpetual models brought us color and class, while the new Submariner brought us the kind of evolution the brand is known for. Subtle tweaks and minor updates were the orders of the day. Now, as the calendar ticks over to the first full year of having these es in the catalog, I m taking my first look at the brand new Submariner Date 126613LN.I got the chance to see this one in the metal recently. I ve been mulling over it ever since. Cards on the table: I ve never been a huge fan of the modern Submari...
In this article, I select the extra-terrestrial movies from the 2010s that feature great watches. As youll see from the list, I m not just showcasing the space-faring Omega Speedmaster here (although it does feature). Whats obvious in the last decade is the investment from Hamilton in cinematic product placement. But in no way do the watches feel shoe-horned into the narrative. Some of the watches even play an integral role in the storylines.I miss going to the cinema. I went from attending at least one showing a week in 2019, to about four in the entirety of 2020. The lack of blockbuster releases has been a shock to my regular downtime routine. And nothing beats a big-screen sci-fi romp or ...
Dive watches come in all shapes and sizes. While the recent trends seem to be hinting that smaller, slimmer, more demure divers await us in the near future, there is still space in this crowded class for a big, brooding brute every so often. This is where watches like the Spinnaker Cahill New England come in. What I have here today is the older, now discontinued model, which you can still find on pre-owned sites going for a song if it tickles your fancy.Spinnaker makes a lot of reasonably priced, interestingly styled watches. The turnover of models and styles is pretty rapid, so you ll quite frequently find updates to the existing range hitting the catalog in favor of their forerunners befor...
Haute Horlogerie brands like MB&F to me are a bit like reading about the most beautiful supercars in a car magazine. You love them. You admire them. Maybe you even dream about owning one. But despite all that, chances are very small you ll actually end up with one on your wrist. But MB&F makes us dream…I write about watches that are - at least - somewhat accessible, but sometimes I also have to force myself to stop and look at this other horological world out there. MB&F is the first manufacture that comes to mind when I think of watches that are out of this world. I hold these watches, which have such a strong connection with the brand s founder, Max Bsser, in special est...
Recently, I spoke of my admiration for Forstner bracelets. My newfound love for flipping my watches from one band to another on the regular goes beyond a single brand, though. In fact, over the past year since I joined Fratello, I ve taken to consuming straps like McDonald s used to consume plastic straws. As a result, I ve started wearing three brands I want to share with you today, along with a few snaps of the watches I wear them on and how the new straps have changed the watch head s character entirely.As I said, I love Forstner. You can check out my effusive write-up on the Komfit, Klip, and Flat Link bracelets here along with some images of the watch heads I wear on those three styles....
Are all legendary Seiko 6217-8000/8001 62MAS watches the same? Is it just a different size of the crown or are there other details that you should pay attention to when checking out the first professional divers watch from Seiko?If you ever wondered about the 8000/8001 difference, it is not a country allocation or dial version code. The first four digits represent the movement and the other four stand for the case number. The Seiko 6217-8000 with a small crown was released in April 1965 and lasted for only two months. Blame the small crown that was not the easiest to grip while wearing gloves. It is quite rare today, thanks to its limited production span. Furthermore, it is getting harder an...
With all this talk about the new Speedy, Wrist Game or Crying Shame reviews the Omega Speedmaster White Gold Moonphase. But first…Last week, we reviewed the unorthodox Seiko Landmaster Spring Drive. This watch was incredibly polarizing in the comments section, but the supporters won out and gave it a 64% Wrist Game win. It turns out that entry level Spring Drive is still Spring Drive. Today s pick shares only one major cosmetic similarity with last week s subject and that s the hue of its case. This time, though, we go fancy. It s time for the Omega Speedmaster White Gold Moonphase.The Omega Speedmaster MoonphaseThe Omega Speedmaster Moonphase has always been an odd duck in my book. It...
The design of early three-hander pilot watches never spoke to me. They just looked too much like a dashboard instrument and not enough like a watch. Farer however took that design and transformed it into something that really grabbed my attention. Lets take a closer look at the new shiny Farer Bradfield and the more subtle Farer Morgan.Farer often launches as many as three models at a time. As usual, I couldnt make up my mind so I asked to review two models. After carefully checking the new line of Farer Pilot watches online, I scratched the Cayley and opted for the white dial Bradfield and the black, night-rider Morgan.You dont need to wait till the end to find out who my winner is. My vote...
You guys seem to enjoy our Top 10 articles, so we thought it would be interesting to do another one. This time we would focus on watches below the 2k mark. But here s the twist: instead of just listing ten watches that I love, I decided to open this up to the team. Our editors got one choice and one choice only. Let s see what they d spend their $2,000 on…I asked nine of our editors to send me their favorite picks under 2k. It s a pretty exciting list that reflects the versatility we have at Fratello. You ll see each editor s selection with a quote from the person explaining why they went with it. Additionally, I ve included the price and a few thoughts about the watch from me. As alwa...
Last year, on a Tuesday, Omega introduced the Speedmaster Ed White powered by the caliber 321. Exactly one year later, Omega introduced its new Moonwatch Master Chronometer.We ve been asked by several readers and viewers (of our Moonwatch Master Chronometer video), to have a closer look at the new Moonwatch with sapphire crystal and the Speedmaster Ed White. The price tag of the limited production Speedmaster Ed White is nearly twice that of the new Moonwatch Master Chronometer with sapphire crystal. How come? What are the differences? In this video, I try to explain what these differences are.This video is blocked because you did not accept marketing cookies. Change cookie settings Moo...
Oris is introducing a new movement in its third collaboration watch with the Carl Brashear Foundation. Meet the Oris Carl Brashear Cal. 401 limited edition watch of 2,000 pieces.I am pretty sure you will remember the recent introduction of the Oris caliber 400 movement. The 400 is an in-house movement with a power reserve of 5 days. It is anti-magnetic (2,250 gauss) and comes with a warranty of 10 years. My colleague Ben (our in-house Oris guru) wrote an opinionated piece on the Aquis with caliber 400 here. But, today, we are showing you the new Oris Carl Brashear Cal. 401, which is limited to 2,000 pieces in total. It is a bronze variation on the popular Oris Diver Sixty-Five model.Carl Bra...
Two for Tuesday is here and this time we are going for the gold! That s right, it s time to dig between the couch cushions to collect all that dough. You ll need it as we pit the new Omega Sedna Speedmaster against the Canopus Speedmaster.It s been a couple of weeks since Omega dropped its quartet of new Speedmaster models. We re still frothing at the mouth here and, as such, have plenty more new Speedy content on the way. The newest Speedmaster models look like a sure-fire hit. While that in itself may not be wholly surprising, the release was different this time, though, and the watch cognoscenti seem to notice.The stainless steel models have gotten most of the press for good reason. They ...
The annual GPHG awards will take place on November 13th of this year. With the nominees recently published, we take a look and pick our favorites. We indulge and pretend were the all-Fratello jury for the GPHG 2025. I mean, why wouldnt we, right?With so many fantastic watches nominated, this is far from an easy game, and we sure dont have a consensus among the Fratello team. In the end, we simply chose the watches that resonated with us most, more as a starting point of debate than anything else. Please do share your winners in the comments section below. Let the games begin!GPHG 2025 - Ladies: Louis Vuitton Tambour Convergence PlatinumNominated watches: Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Mini Froste...
