We like to talk about vintage watches a lot within the Fratello team. Though most of what we write about is largely focused on the most recent releases and developments, for many of us, a lot of the fun can be found in the sometimes weird and often wonderful world of vintage watches. It s a world full of history, remarkable watches, incredible stories, and quirky details. It inspired us to come up with a series of articles focusing on the best watches per decade from a select group of brands. Some of them are priceless, some of them are still affordable. In this installment, we will take a look at the best Seiko watches from the 2000s.By the turn of the millennium, Switzerland had proudly re...

Despite all the things happening in the world that are holding us back, the last two months of the year flew by. So when our Managing Editor Nacho asked me to come up with my Top 5 Watches of 2021, I was surprisingly caught off guard. But looking back at the year behind us, I can only say it has been a very long year with plenty of great releases. It s been so long that it s hard to believe that some of these watches were actually released in 2021. That made it quite tough to come up with a top-5 list of my favorites.A fair question would be if I can ignore the watches we as a Fratello team have released in collaboration with the different brands. Of course, I cannot ignore them, but they wi...

We all know Im a lucky guy. If you follow Fratello, youll know I get the chance to do a lot of fun things that, without my role on this team, would simply be inaccessible for me. But my luck didnt start when I came to Fratello, oh no. It had been in full force for years! One of the luckiest episodes of my life came during my time working for NOMOS Glashtte, training the brands growing retailer network in North America.As a devout Americophile, traveling the States was a dream come true. The friends I met over there remain close contacts that give me insights into a very different retail landscape. One of those contacts was Topper Jewelers of Burlingame, California. Proprietors Rob and Russ ...

Some people may be surprised to hear that reviewing watches isn t always a walk in a park. It s not a binary process - Is this watch good? Yes/No. There s more to it than that. Watchmaking and design is an art form, which you have to consider when reviewing a watch. Just because you don t inherently love a watch, it doesn t make it wrong. Art is meant to evoke some kind of emotion or discussion, so if a watch does that, then surely it s a success? This philosophical question was very much at the fore of my mind when I spent some time with the Rado True Square Designer Collection watches.Obviously, I will look at the raw details of these pieces, as that s always a must when trying to describe...

Season s greetings, our dearest Fratelli! As the year comes to an end, and the holiday season is well underway, we wanted to take this opportunity to share with you the watches that we will be wearing during the holidays. Whether it s for Christmas Eve tonight, Christmas Day tomorrow, or any other festive year-end celebration, it s a perfect time to strap on your most meaningful watch. The Fratello team comes together to share the stories of their picks for the holidays and share with you the reasons why these are the watches that made the list.This time of the year is very special. Some will spend time with family and loved ones and come together to celebrate and share some quality time, de...

Do you know Toby Youngs book How To Lose Friends And Alienate People? And if you dont, you might have seen the movie with the same title, starring Simon Pegg as Toby and Megan Fox as the woman he so desperately wants. Toby is the most obnoxious man ever. Hes rude and vulgar and rubs everyone the wrong way. And you know, sometimes watch brands act just like Toby. So, what do watch brands do to turn you off? Let us help you answer that question with a few issues we have ourselves.To be honest, we dont know the exact watch-brand equivalent of Toby Young. Let us quickly tell you the story of the high-flying British journalist that left London in 1995 for New York to become a contributing editor ...

As the year comes to an end, some of our editors will be highlighting their favorite watches released this year. I think youll agree that narrowing it down to just five watches is no easy feat, especially as this year saw so many special releases from big and small brands alike. From an update to the Omega Speedmaster and new Explorer models, to classics like the Patek Philippe Nautilus receiving a splash of color on its dial. Even microbrands kept busy this year, launching almost too many exciting watches to count during the past 12 months.So, needless to say, I was dreading making my list. Having spent far too much time slotting brands and in and out of the list, I feel confident in havin...

I must hold my hands up and admit that Ive been sitting on this one for months. I know its been a while since our last giveaway, but things have been more than a little busy in the watch media world ever since Geneva Watch Days kicked off three months of unlikely jet-setting. Now, however, I return to my role of gift-giver with the perfect watch for anyone who does (or plans to) spend as much time as I do on planes: the Dekla Flieger, customized by yours truly for one of the Fratelli to wear with pride.If you dont like fauxtina, you can click away now. I went the whole hog here. Even the Fratello logo is in the same beige shade. Otherwise, I endeavored to keep this model as unfussy as possib...

I do enjoy writing lists (and tis the season, of course, with everybody s end-of-year round-ups hitting the web), but it can be harder than it looks. I suppose it comes down to how seriously you take the task. In my recent Top Five Watch Releases Of 2021, I really thought hard about it. I was genuinely sad to leave some incredible watches by the wayside. However, that was an article tasked with appraising the entire industry. It s surely a lot easier to do a top three for just one brand, like, say, Hamilton, right? Hmm… Something tells me I might have been wrong…Yes, of course, it is a little easier to focus on one brand s output rather than attempting to produce an infallible l...

To start, let me make one thing perfectly clear: the Tiffany Oyster Perpetual doesnt exist. When something is turquoise blue, its not automatically Tiffany Blue. In s current lineup you will find three references with that soft shimmering color that reminds me of a tropical sea, not a New York jeweler. The first reference is the Oyster Perpetual 31 and the models that follow measure 36, and 41mm. But good luck buying any of them, because Tiffany Blue is the watch color of 2021. Dealers dont have em, and on the secondary market, prices are soaring. The watch world has lost its marbles. Once again.The hype is real. Since Patek Philippe dropped the Nautilus 5711 signed Tiffany & Co. in the...

Phillips auctioned off the Omega Speedmaster Professional ref. 145.012-67SP that belonged to American author Ralph Ellison. He wore it from 1968 till his death in 1994. Now it has sold for a whopping $667,800 including buyers premium.The new owner of Ralph Ellison s Speedmaster 145.012-067SP is the Omega Museum in Biel. The museum will display it beside an impressive line-up of special Speedmaster from noteworthy owners.Its first owner, author Ralph Ellison, wrote the Invisible Man novel of 1952. It received the prestigious National Book Award in 1953. In 1998, the Modern Library ranked Invisible Man #19 on its list of 100 best English-language novels of the 20th century.Image of Ralph Ellis...

Is there such a thing as the end of your horological journey? I used to believe that there wasn t. But after wearing the Omega Seamaster Professional Diver 300M Chronograph in Sedna Gold, now I am tempted to think that there is. This started out as a story about my favorite model from the Seamaster Professional Diver 300M range. But it turned into an experience of answering questions and ticking boxes with regards to my personal journey with watches. Let me explain why this Seamaster Professional Diver 300M Chronograph in 18K Sedna Gold stole my heart.This story actually starts out pretty randomly. One afternoon not too long ago, Robert-Jan and I were discussing our favorite models of the Se...

Unlike our dark #STEALTH picks a couple of weeks ago, this time we go all-in for holiday sweetness. After another heavy hit of pandemic life, if there is one thing we need, its holiday cheer. And here at Fratello, we aim to please, so enjoy some sweet #CANDYCANE on us. Though I will warn you, this story might end with putting in some hard work to ensure a healthy New Year.I cant think of a better way to infuse yourself with the generous spirit of Christmas than with a sugary dose of candy. Inspired by the sweetness of a lickable candy cane, here are our immensely cheerful choices to lift your spirits, from Hublot to G-Shock, with style tips that include G-Star Raw and Nike.Just think twice b...

The Orb, available in either black or white, is MB&Fs 14th clock co-created with LEpee 1839. Both versions look the bomb. Especially the black one. It looks a bit like an old-fashioned bomb you can find in an old cartoon. And the white version looks like an eyeball! But joking aside, these days, table clocks are a rarity. This may be due to us spending so much time in the office - don t look at the time in the lower right corner of your computer screen! But the MB&F LEpee 1839 Orb takes this now-obscure object and guides it into modern times. Nowadays, a clock is an objet dart that can enrich your horological life.You dont see many clocks here on Fratello. But when they appear, the...

Do you know what the world needs more of, besides love? It needs more moonphase watches in it. Truth be told, it needs a lot more. Fewer modern watch brands attempt pulling off this complication than you would think. Fewer still do it in a way that feels fresh and modern. A lot of us luna-tics, as I call anyone as obsessed with the moonphase complication as I am, are totally over the crescent-shaped aperture display commonly found on dress watches. Double-moon displays, showing both the northern and southern hemispheres feel hyper-modern in comparison. That s exactly what Echo/Neutra brings to the table today in this hands-on review of the PVD-coated Averau 39 Fasi Lunari.No prizes for guess...

In a no less dramatic way than the Formula 1 season, The Fast And The Fratelli came to an end last week. Our mission was to find the best racing chronograph of the last decade. We saw many contenders, including some true legends compete for the crown. However, in the end, the Fratello love for the Omega Speedmaster came through, and the Calibre 321 took the win over the Zenith El Primero A386 Revival at the last moment. The Zenith, a no less impressive contender and worthy opponent, did its best. But in the end, without the need of intervention from the Fratello Inspection Authority (FIA) and after an impressive bit of driving, it succumbed to the Speedys veteran racing skills.No less fraugh...

Im sorry to disappoint, but today I wont be talking about some Japan-based spinoff of a popular series of books turned movies. On the bright side, you wont be subjected to sparkly pale men (other than in the wrist shots) and some of the most hilariously bad acting and special effects ever to hit the silver screen. Instead, what you will be subjected to will be the very special G-Shock GMW-B5000PB-6 Twilight Tokyo. This limited-run model was introduced at the start of October, and it caused quite a splash at the time of release. Its unique mix of color both on the dial and bracelet was quite unique and charming. But the question remains, does the watch hold up in person and on the wrist?First...

I try not to complain too much about my job (because that would be pretty ridiculous), but when our newly minted Managing Editor asked me to pick my Top 5 watches released in 2021, I felt obliged to whine a little bit given my unusually hands-on involvement with a trio of releases this year…So I can t put the Czapek in there?Well, maybe an honorable mention…No Minase either?Rob, it s too transparent…Come on, man. You ve gotta let me put the NOMOS on the list.No. Not a chance. Pick someone else s watches, for goodness sake.Alright, Nacho. You ll get your way this time, because I m in an uncommonly?good mood, but don t expect me to be so forgiving next year. For any of you r...

The year 2021 was an amazing one for IWC, thanks to so many great Pilot watch releases and the brand s innovative way to show its new watches to the world. By using large containers located in several cities around the globe with live connections to Schaffhausen, it gives those viewing the watches the chance to directly ask questions about the new IWC Pilots watch collection. But the brand has a long-standing history and reputation when it comes to its pilots watches. In fact, IWC has been designing and manufacturing them since 1936.IWC delivered the 55mm pilot watch ref. IW431 to the German Luftwaffe in 1940 and the Pilots Mark 11 to the British Royal Air Force in 1948. You will find that t...

Art and WatchesAfter two longer and intense episodes about sandwich dials and Frankenwatches I would like to kick-off in 2016 with a shorter episode and more visual density. Since I like watches and art I thought it would be nice to take you on a museum tour and discuss several older (Dutch) artpieces which are watch related in some way. Along the tour?we will discover one of the earliest lollipop hands Ive ever spotted and a fancy pancy watch stand that will blow away most of regular stands nowadays. So, follow me and-. Dont touch anything!PocketwatchesDespite of my intense research for art with (wrist)watches it was quite difficult to find a few interesting ones (not the standard portraits...