Watch On Your Wrist? Fratello Instagram Photo Challenge 2020 Winner Announced
Finally, the time has come to announce the winner of our 2020 Fratello Watch On Your Wrist Instagram photo contest. It’s been a long and fun ride, and we are happy, so many of you joined us. However, there could only be one winner…Those of you who follow us weekly might know the results by now. But before I jump to that, let’s talk about the past seven months.Watch on Your Wrist 2020Yes, it’s been seven months since we started this photo contest as a way to show everyone that our community is incredible. Many of you follow us, tag us with your fabulous photos every week, and inspire each other and us to create better content - for social media and general. We needed t...
The Vintage Japanese Watches I Added in 2020 Citizen, Seiko, And Casio
I look back upon the vintage Japanese watches that entered the collection during 2020. Spoiler alert: this is one seriously eclectic mix!On team Fratello, most of us focus on some unique niche within the watch continuum. For certain, we cross over in areas such as Omega and , but there are definite areas of divergence. Balazs, for example, has a particular passion for Angelus while Tomas delights in the downright different. I dabble in all sorts of things, but my absolute adoration falls towards vintage Japanese watches.Vintage Japanese watches are my bagI’ve written at length here on our site about many vintage Japanese watches with Seiko as a primary focus. In recent years, though, I...
Wrist Game Or Crying Shame: JLC Master Control Ultra Thin
Happy Holidays from the good folks at Wrist Game or Crying Shame! Well, that’s just me, but no matter. We’ve made it through Thanksgiving, Black Friday, Cyber Monday, St. Nicholas Day, and the UK not letting anyone in without quarantine. Oh, strike that, I’m particularly salty about the latter, and it looks like Christmastime in London will have to wait yet another year. Alas… Returning to our subject, this week I offer you the perfect holiday gift in the form of one Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Control Ultra Thin. But first…The last time we came together, I showed you a Bell & Ross BR-03 92, and despite all the whining and crabbing (hi, RJ!), a full 58% of you d...
NEW: Monochrome Czapek Antarctique Monochrome White L.E.
After the Montre de Souscription 1 - a vintage-inspired chronograph made in collaboration with Habring2 - the Montre de Souscription 2 follows. Yes, there's logic to be found in the highly emotional horological universe! And Monochrome's second subscription watch is a Czapek Antarctique limited to just 33 pieces. The Monochrome White edition will be sold via subscription, a process that was once introduced by Abraham-Louis Breguet in the late 18th century but can still be put into good use today. Make sure to be ready tomorrow at 3 PM Central European Time/9 AM New York time/10 PM Singapore time if you want to get your hands on what is a very cool Antarctique indeed.The Monochrome Czapek Ant...
Fratello On Air: Rob Talks To Monica Porracin Of The Blue Company
Today, I am joined in the studio by Monica Porracin, the founder and director of The Blue Company. Based in London, the Blue Company manages the interests of seven popular brands in the UK, working as a distributor for some and an agent for others.Monica represents Doxa, Junghans, Meistersinger, Maurice Lacroix, Muhle Glashutte, Scatola del Tempo, and SwissKubik in the UK and at events all around the world. Her tireless championing of brands that she sees as united by a mutually strong design DNA has earned her the respect of her peers....
The Fast And The Fratelli Final Lap: Omega Vs. Zenith
Here we are, race fans - in the final race of The Fast And The Fratelli competition! The last four weeks have seen 30 other contenders come and go, all in our quest to determine the best racing chronograph watch released in the last decade. Up until a few days ago, we thought the final round might see two Speedmasters facing off against each other. But the Fratelli have spoken, and such a race wasn’t to be. Instead, today, in the very last race, two heavyweights of watch history are going head-to-head!Interestingly, both watches are tightly connected to the year 1969. It was the year of humankind’s first moon landing, and the year the first automatic chronograph sprung on the mar...
#TBT My Oris Star Reunites With The Divers Sixty-Five Fratello LE
I asked RJ the other day if he wouldn’t mind putting the newly released Oris Divers Sixty-Five Limited Edition into an uncensored face-to-face “battle” with the original Oris Star. “Go ahead,” he said. Well, RJ, here we are!In all honesty, this is probably the most irrelevant story of the year. The reason is pretty prosaic: the Divers Sixty-Five Fratello Limited Edition and its predecessor were never meant to be compared. I just found the idea of comparing them amusing. The new release was inspired by the original, but it was never intended to be an exact copy. It’s a watch with its own identity. RJ already explained in the introduction video?that we made ...
?True Confessions Of A Strapaholic
Hi, my name is Thor, and I’m a strapaholic. But is this addiction to watch straps a bad thing? The first question I'll ask you is this: can a strap make or break a watch? If the answer is “yes,” you've already got the potential to become an addict like me, and why not? The positive aspects of strapology (I'm copyrighting the term) are many once you burrow into the rabbit hole. How about ergonomics? Yes, the case might stay the same dimensions, but the level of comfort on your wrist can be transformed with a strap change. The problem is that once you start, you might not be able to stop, and the following true confessions of a strapaholic are actually great strap-buying tips...
Seiko Prospex SPB333J1
It was 1913 when Japanese watchmaker and businessman Kintaro Hattori launched the Laurel, the timepiece we now consider Seiko's very first wristwatch. The Seiko Prospex SPB333J1 Save the Ocean Limited Edition is nothing like the Laurel. This new limited edition of 5,000 pieces is, however, a celebration of 110 years of Seiko watchmaking. And it’s a particularly cool if not frosty diver at that. I mean, with its icy gray dial, it looks just like it just crawled out of the Arctic Ocean!Brace yourself, Fratelli, for 2023 will be the year that will see a deluge of Seiko Watchmaking 110th Anniversary watches. Earlier this week, you saw the Presage homage to the Laurel, the brand’s ver...
What Makes The Patek Philippe Nautilus So Special?
On the podcast today, Fratello editors Gerard, Lex, and I talk about one of the most coveted watches on the planet - the Patek Philippe Nautilus. With the first reference in front of us, the 3700/1A, we talk about the history of the Nautilus and how the demand for it has done a complete 180 in recent years. We also discuss which version we like best....
The Best Chronographs Of 2023: Fratello's Top 10 Picks
Another Friday, another list! After picking 10 pilot’s watches for last week’s list, today, we move on to our 10 favorite chronographs. It’s a category that is related to pilot’s watches. Last week’s list featured nine chronographs, so those specific watches were out of scope for this week’s list. Fortunately, however, it still leaves plenty of goodness to choose from. This is our list of the best chronographs of 2023With last week’s list of the best pilot’s watches in mind, we knew there would be an overlap with today’s topic. That’s why we immediately said that none of last week’s chronographs are eligible for this week̵...
Zenith 143-6 Yugoslavian Military Chronograph Collector's Guide
Not too long ago, I wrote an article about my Zenith 143-6. Aside from the astonishing military provenance, I got the watch because of the EP caliber inside it. Lately, I've been increasingly involved in vintage Excelsior Park-powered chronographs. The Zenith 143-6 fit the bill, so I added it to my humble collection. I met Bosko through a different watch and another passion of mine - Angelus. It just so happened that he owned a Zenith like mine and was an expert on these things. He also wrote a Zenith 143-6 Yugoslavian Military Chronograph Collector's Guide.Bosko wrote the piece merely for himself. He was gracious enough to share it with me so that I could learn about my timepiece. Furthermo...
Panerai Opens A Boutique On Amsterdam's Watch Street
In the past few months and years, Amsterdam’s most famous shopping street has quickly turned into a Valhalla for watch enthusiasts. And now they have another reason to set their destination to Amsterdam! Officine Panerai opened a new boutique on the PC Hooftstraat in Amsterdam last week.Panerai, founded by Giovanni Panerai in Florence in 1860, is famous for its welcoming boutiques worldwide. The most historical one is in the Italian city where it all started, one I visited approximately 20 years ago for the first time while wearing my PAM00113. It also left a lasting impression because of the historical watches, depth gauges, compasses, and other mechanical instruments they had on disp...
The Best Watches Of 2023: Lex's Picks
When I was asked to build a watch collection with $25,000 earlier this year, I decided to blow the whole amount on one watch, a Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso. And because I already did that, there’s no JLC on my subjective list of the best watches of 2023 - those had their moment in the spotlight already. So, what watches did I pick? Well, my favorite watches of the outgoing year have Patek Philippe, Chopard, and Louis Moinet on the dial.I'm not going to put a Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso in my Top 3 of the best watches of 2023 because I already picked one as the foundation of an imaginary watch collection. But at the end of the article, I will share two wonderful pictures - front and back; it ...
Hublot Big Bang Unico Black Magic And White Ceramic
There are 80 Hublot Big Bang Unico watches in the brand's catalog. The Black Magic is on one end of the spectrum, and the White Ceramic is on the other. In between, there are 78 watches in materials like titanium, Magic Gold, King Gold, and different shades of ceramic. There is vibrant red, forest green, signal yellow, and sky blue, but there’s also sinister black and snow white. The monochromatic and scratch-resistant 42mm chronographs you see here are polarizing in more than one way.At Hublot, they don’t do things half-baked. The brand from the town of Nyon on the banks of Lac Leman is outspoken, bold, and brash. And Hublot seems to be at its best when it cooks up (pun intended...
Hands-On: Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean GMT Dark Grey
Seemingly out of nowhere, to the surprise of many watch fans, the Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean GMT Dark Grey was announced in late October. This ultra-modern gray version of the Planet Ocean GMT presents an attractive overall aesthetic. The predominantly gray looks are achieved through an interesting combination of modern materials. Most strikingly, the watch has a gray silicon nitride ceramic (Si3N4) case and bezel insert with a titanium bezel ring, crown, and helium valve. It also houses the titanium Omega 8906Ti movement. Combined, these elements make this watch not only handsome but also significantly lighter than its steel counterparts. That’s more than enough reason to take this ...
Hands-On With The Brilliant Nodus Contrail GMT
Let me give you a little look behind the scenes at Fratello. Usually, we have watches in the office for a relatively short time. That can be from a few days to a couple of weeks. But rarely do we have the chance to try out a watch for a longer period. I had that chance with the Nodus Contrail GMT Terra. The friendly people of the brand let me wear the watch over several months. This allowed me to determine what makes the Contrail GMT the best travel watch under $1,000. Let me explain why!Back in May of this year, I wrote about the new third generation of the Nodus Contrail. In the article, I explained that this new generation introduces several welcome updates. It has made the popular series...
And another "Watch of the Year"!
The “European Aviation Watch of the Year” this time that is.In the bar of the Aero Club de France in Paris, aeronautic representatives gathered last week for the first European Aviation Watch of the Year Trophy.In addition ot the host country, France and its pilot magazine Volez, the editors from the German Flieger magazine and British Aerospace International, defined the criteria for the pilot watches and an international jury, analysed, scored and voted.The clear winner was the Fortis Flieger Chronograph.Find the full article at Europastar...
Linde Werdelin Chronograph To Be Continued...
There is even more Linde Werdelin news this week! On the 20th of January, they will introduce their first chronograph watch. Looking at the sneak preview pictures, it seems to me that there will be something Spidolite-ish involved.Price and specifications still unknown. My guess is that Linde Werdelin used a F.Piguet 1185 movement for this chronograph, as they’ve shown with the Oktopus Moonphase release that they are stepping up a notch. As soon as Linde Werdelin gives more (detailed) sneak preview information on this chrono, you can read it here ??...
Photo Essay: The Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Classique
With the exception of the newly released Reverso?Ultra Thin Tribute to 1931, the Classique is perhaps in many ways the quintessential Reverso: it’s been in JLC’s catalog for many, many years; it can be appreciated by both men and women (the size is a nice in-between that makes it a largish ladies watch but a slim mens’ dress watch) and is powered by a hand-wound caliber 846.It’s also perhaps the closest thing we have to the original size, too. The bracelet is very flexible and comfortable for all wrist sizes; highly recommended over the strap if you have small wrists. (Fratello Tip: If you have very small wrists like my wife, you can make the extra links into a ring, ...